Chapter 14
Another dream . . .oh goody. This time Helena stood in a great hall.
Completely made of gray stone and lit by thousands and thousands of
torches. Proud banners lined the walls of the enormous hall. Swiveling
around three things became apparent, 1) there is food all around 2) an air
of anticipation hung in the air promising a great feast about to come. 3)
Once more Jessi was there. Helena groaned, "Hi Jessi, at least the weird
dreams are explained now." Jessi just smiled and shrugged. Helena
continued to talk wondering when Jessi was planning on speaking, "alright
I'm in a hall awaiting a feast, yes?" Jessi nodded, "yes Tarin, this will
be a special feast, you'll enjoy it." The doors opened and in walked a
host of dwarves all laughing and joking . . . at the head of the crowd was
Gimli. Gimli wore a belt of gold and a deep red cape; he walked like a
prince and looked like a lord Helena appraised. He met her eyes and
smiled.
Helena woke up just before dawn. This dream thing is really getting old fast Jessi The fire had gone out and the entire camp was silent . . . is it just me or is this not a good thing? Helena sat up, hugging her blanket around her. Flowers fell from her hair . . . the entire meadow seemed to be covered in sapphire-blue and blood red blossoms. The smoke from the fire made lazy circles into the foggy morning. The entire meadow seemed to be shrouded in mist. Helena fully stood when she realized there weren't any birds singing or grasshoppers chirping or any other normal sound one would expect to be annoyed with. Definitely not good taking a few halting steps she almost tripped over Gimli. He was on his back quietly snoring. Helena muffled a giggle as she noticed that small petals were all over his beard and in his hair. Oh he's not going to like this when he wakes up Smiling, Helena grabbed a nearby blanket and wrapped it around him, covering his face so as to muffle the snoring a bit. Legolas and Nurhyandoien were no where to be seen. Helena sat herself down next to Gimli. Once more he's out like a light She looked around and began to wonder where those two were. Wandering off to look for them didn't seem like a terribly intelligent thing to do so she just waited. Helena had just started to doze, falling to the earth, when she heard it. Legolas singing . . . my dear God it was by far the most exquisite sounds Helena had ever heard in her life. He sang as he walked and he came to her through the mist singing of love and the joy of life. Her throat went dry as he approached, the early rays of dawn glinted off of his hair . . . and *gulp* his bare chest. He approached Helena and looked down at her with a friendly smile, "Good morning Tarin." Helena managed to squeak out, "morning." It was then that Nurhyandoien came, from the same direction Legolas had come from holding HIS SHIRT! Red, it was definitely red that Helena saw as Legolas took the shirt from his wife and kissed her. "Diola lle melamin" (thank you my love) Nurhyandoien smiled, "Lle creoso ascaer" (your welcome hasty one) "Asca? Ile' ilya nat'ea" (Hasty? Not in all things) Legolas slowly kissed her . . . and Helena looked away in embarrassment uhh you know I'M here Fortunately for Helena's sanity, Gimli choose just that moment to wake up. "RRRRR! Argh!" And many other similarly charming noises accompanied Gimli waking up. As he was making several loud and angry sounds he noticed that flowers had appeared in his beard. "What happened here?!" Gimli glared at Helena noticing the blossoms in her hair, in response Helena glared back, "I woke up like this!" Gimli nodded, pulling the blossoms out of his beard. As Gimli continued . . . a rather fruitless attempt at getting all of the petals out he commented to Legolas, "I notice you and Nurhyandoien are free of flowers." Legolas shrugged, "we slept in a tree so the blooms did not affect us." Helena shook her head to rid it of flowers; she was also attempting to hide the rather large grin. The cause of this grin was Gimli, his beard and hair covered in soft blossoms and he, like an annoyed bear was gruffly trying to pick them out. "Tarin!" Helena raised her head to look in embarrassment at Gimli, who was now covered by even more flowers due to her shaking head. Helena sighed and walked toward him, quietly saying, "sorry Gimli." After watching him continue to attempt pulling the petals out Helena just sighed in frustration and worked her hands into his hair. Combing it through with her hands she freed his hair from most of the blossoms. She then moved around to the front doing the same to his beard. Gimli sat very still and very straight when she began this and after she finished he quietly rumbled, "thank you Tarin, is it all out now?" Tarin nodded, smiling slightly at the blue flower that still clung to the side of his head, I'll just leave that there for now Gimli got to his feet and began to pack up his sleeping roll. Taking a hint the other three began to prepare to depart. A few minutes later Helena followed Voronda out of the meadow. Gimli immediately fell in step behind her. Legolas followed behind Gimli, completely at ease with his surroundings, watching his wife lead the group. All too soon for Helena's liking Voronda turned toward the cliff and the cave that protected Uialtum. Slowly the group began to ascend the cliff face. As they climbed up Helena got more and more tense until Gimli thought she might injure herself from gripping the cliff face so tightly. When he told her as much he was given an icy glare that would have frozen a man to the spot, but Gimli the dwarf held her gaze evenly until she finally admitted, "I'm not exactly looking forward to passing the guardians again." Awkwardly, Gimli patted her hand, "They granted us entrance into the valley Tarin, why should they not let us out?" Helena sighed as she continued to follow Voronda, "They probably will I guess, but I hate having them so close. I wish the cave were larger so they wouldn't be soooooooo. . . near me." An involuntary shudder passed through her. Gimli nodded solemnly, "A large cave is a grand sight and the glittering caves at Helm's Deep is the grandest of them all." Gimli's eyes brightened at the thought of his beloved caves. His eyes dimmed a bit however when Helena shook her head and responded, "Nooooo. . . I was thinking of the Mammoth Caves." "I have never heard of mammoth Caves," Gimli said in a tone that seemed to challenge the caves very existence. A little further back Legolas smiled slightly to himself as he began to pass the dwarves. Legolas had heard his friend use that arrogant tone before, and it very rarely meant good news. As he passed the dwarves he met Helena's eyes. For an instant complete and total understanding passed between them. He hadn't understood the young dwarf-girl from the beginning, from claustrophobia to her nightmares to her strange behavior around Voronda and to yelling at Varda. But in that instant both dwarf and elf could amply understand the frustration that Gimli son of Glöin could instill in a creature. The elf quickly passed and left the dwarves to their conversation while he fell in step beside his wife. Meanwhile, Helena stopped her murderous gaze as she remembered her lovely caves. Her voice became enraptured and it soon became obvious that she was only aware of the beloved memories that assailed her. "In the wooded lands of Kentucky, at the foot of the Appalachians lie the Mammoth Caves. The one cave I've never been afraid of. Endless miles of caves, amazing rock formations, stalactites and stalagmites that make the rock appear truly alive and full of motion. From enormous caverns to tiny crawling spaces, from fat man's misery to wishing rocks-" Gimli lifted a bushy eyebrow in question, "wishing rocks?" "If you hit your head on it you'll wish you hadn't" she grinned sheepishly before concluding, "it is the most amazing system of caves one could ever hope to see. It is a true jewel in the world." Her eyebrows drew together sharply when she noticed Gimli slowly shaking his head, a small smile playing along his lips. "What?" A slightly annoyed Helena demanded, "don't you believe me?" Gimli's bushy face broke into a smile and his eyes grew distant as he recalled memories of his own. "Tarin, one can not know true beauty 'til one beholds the glittering caverns of Helm's Deem. The walls are perfectly smooth, the ground is even and fair and every facet of the cave gleams with different jewels of more colors than one can imagine. I know not how vast the caves are but the caverns are all different and beautiful. If one goes far enough they will behold rivers and lakes, all pure and sweet, long sheltered by the mountains. Truly Helm's Deep houses the most wondrous place in all of Middle Earth and beyond." Legolas had been silently listening to this conversation the entire time. While Legolas thought the Glittering Caves were indeed beautiful he smiled to himself thinking Gimli had gone a bit far in defending the caves to Helena. As Helena listened her eyes grew wide in disbelief, "such a place truly exists?" Gimli nodded solemnly. She dropped into contemplative silence trying to imagine such a place. Legolas and Voronda began to quietly converse in elvish as they led the way. As Legolas took his wife's hand she turned to him, "Amin er n'rangwa naugrimea" (I still don't understand these dwarves) Legolas sighed and squeezed her hand, "Amin naa melamin" (me too my love). As Helena listened her eyes grew wide in disbelief, "such a place truly exists?" Gimli nodded solemnly. She dropped into a contemplative silence trying to imagine such a place. Gimli dropped to the back, shocked at his sudden desire to show the caverns to his Tarin. Ahead of the company loomed the cave of the guardians.
Helena woke up just before dawn. This dream thing is really getting old fast Jessi The fire had gone out and the entire camp was silent . . . is it just me or is this not a good thing? Helena sat up, hugging her blanket around her. Flowers fell from her hair . . . the entire meadow seemed to be covered in sapphire-blue and blood red blossoms. The smoke from the fire made lazy circles into the foggy morning. The entire meadow seemed to be shrouded in mist. Helena fully stood when she realized there weren't any birds singing or grasshoppers chirping or any other normal sound one would expect to be annoyed with. Definitely not good taking a few halting steps she almost tripped over Gimli. He was on his back quietly snoring. Helena muffled a giggle as she noticed that small petals were all over his beard and in his hair. Oh he's not going to like this when he wakes up Smiling, Helena grabbed a nearby blanket and wrapped it around him, covering his face so as to muffle the snoring a bit. Legolas and Nurhyandoien were no where to be seen. Helena sat herself down next to Gimli. Once more he's out like a light She looked around and began to wonder where those two were. Wandering off to look for them didn't seem like a terribly intelligent thing to do so she just waited. Helena had just started to doze, falling to the earth, when she heard it. Legolas singing . . . my dear God it was by far the most exquisite sounds Helena had ever heard in her life. He sang as he walked and he came to her through the mist singing of love and the joy of life. Her throat went dry as he approached, the early rays of dawn glinted off of his hair . . . and *gulp* his bare chest. He approached Helena and looked down at her with a friendly smile, "Good morning Tarin." Helena managed to squeak out, "morning." It was then that Nurhyandoien came, from the same direction Legolas had come from holding HIS SHIRT! Red, it was definitely red that Helena saw as Legolas took the shirt from his wife and kissed her. "Diola lle melamin" (thank you my love) Nurhyandoien smiled, "Lle creoso ascaer" (your welcome hasty one) "Asca? Ile' ilya nat'ea" (Hasty? Not in all things) Legolas slowly kissed her . . . and Helena looked away in embarrassment uhh you know I'M here Fortunately for Helena's sanity, Gimli choose just that moment to wake up. "RRRRR! Argh!" And many other similarly charming noises accompanied Gimli waking up. As he was making several loud and angry sounds he noticed that flowers had appeared in his beard. "What happened here?!" Gimli glared at Helena noticing the blossoms in her hair, in response Helena glared back, "I woke up like this!" Gimli nodded, pulling the blossoms out of his beard. As Gimli continued . . . a rather fruitless attempt at getting all of the petals out he commented to Legolas, "I notice you and Nurhyandoien are free of flowers." Legolas shrugged, "we slept in a tree so the blooms did not affect us." Helena shook her head to rid it of flowers; she was also attempting to hide the rather large grin. The cause of this grin was Gimli, his beard and hair covered in soft blossoms and he, like an annoyed bear was gruffly trying to pick them out. "Tarin!" Helena raised her head to look in embarrassment at Gimli, who was now covered by even more flowers due to her shaking head. Helena sighed and walked toward him, quietly saying, "sorry Gimli." After watching him continue to attempt pulling the petals out Helena just sighed in frustration and worked her hands into his hair. Combing it through with her hands she freed his hair from most of the blossoms. She then moved around to the front doing the same to his beard. Gimli sat very still and very straight when she began this and after she finished he quietly rumbled, "thank you Tarin, is it all out now?" Tarin nodded, smiling slightly at the blue flower that still clung to the side of his head, I'll just leave that there for now Gimli got to his feet and began to pack up his sleeping roll. Taking a hint the other three began to prepare to depart. A few minutes later Helena followed Voronda out of the meadow. Gimli immediately fell in step behind her. Legolas followed behind Gimli, completely at ease with his surroundings, watching his wife lead the group. All too soon for Helena's liking Voronda turned toward the cliff and the cave that protected Uialtum. Slowly the group began to ascend the cliff face. As they climbed up Helena got more and more tense until Gimli thought she might injure herself from gripping the cliff face so tightly. When he told her as much he was given an icy glare that would have frozen a man to the spot, but Gimli the dwarf held her gaze evenly until she finally admitted, "I'm not exactly looking forward to passing the guardians again." Awkwardly, Gimli patted her hand, "They granted us entrance into the valley Tarin, why should they not let us out?" Helena sighed as she continued to follow Voronda, "They probably will I guess, but I hate having them so close. I wish the cave were larger so they wouldn't be soooooooo. . . near me." An involuntary shudder passed through her. Gimli nodded solemnly, "A large cave is a grand sight and the glittering caves at Helm's Deep is the grandest of them all." Gimli's eyes brightened at the thought of his beloved caves. His eyes dimmed a bit however when Helena shook her head and responded, "Nooooo. . . I was thinking of the Mammoth Caves." "I have never heard of mammoth Caves," Gimli said in a tone that seemed to challenge the caves very existence. A little further back Legolas smiled slightly to himself as he began to pass the dwarves. Legolas had heard his friend use that arrogant tone before, and it very rarely meant good news. As he passed the dwarves he met Helena's eyes. For an instant complete and total understanding passed between them. He hadn't understood the young dwarf-girl from the beginning, from claustrophobia to her nightmares to her strange behavior around Voronda and to yelling at Varda. But in that instant both dwarf and elf could amply understand the frustration that Gimli son of Glöin could instill in a creature. The elf quickly passed and left the dwarves to their conversation while he fell in step beside his wife. Meanwhile, Helena stopped her murderous gaze as she remembered her lovely caves. Her voice became enraptured and it soon became obvious that she was only aware of the beloved memories that assailed her. "In the wooded lands of Kentucky, at the foot of the Appalachians lie the Mammoth Caves. The one cave I've never been afraid of. Endless miles of caves, amazing rock formations, stalactites and stalagmites that make the rock appear truly alive and full of motion. From enormous caverns to tiny crawling spaces, from fat man's misery to wishing rocks-" Gimli lifted a bushy eyebrow in question, "wishing rocks?" "If you hit your head on it you'll wish you hadn't" she grinned sheepishly before concluding, "it is the most amazing system of caves one could ever hope to see. It is a true jewel in the world." Her eyebrows drew together sharply when she noticed Gimli slowly shaking his head, a small smile playing along his lips. "What?" A slightly annoyed Helena demanded, "don't you believe me?" Gimli's bushy face broke into a smile and his eyes grew distant as he recalled memories of his own. "Tarin, one can not know true beauty 'til one beholds the glittering caverns of Helm's Deem. The walls are perfectly smooth, the ground is even and fair and every facet of the cave gleams with different jewels of more colors than one can imagine. I know not how vast the caves are but the caverns are all different and beautiful. If one goes far enough they will behold rivers and lakes, all pure and sweet, long sheltered by the mountains. Truly Helm's Deep houses the most wondrous place in all of Middle Earth and beyond." Legolas had been silently listening to this conversation the entire time. While Legolas thought the Glittering Caves were indeed beautiful he smiled to himself thinking Gimli had gone a bit far in defending the caves to Helena. As Helena listened her eyes grew wide in disbelief, "such a place truly exists?" Gimli nodded solemnly. She dropped into contemplative silence trying to imagine such a place. Legolas and Voronda began to quietly converse in elvish as they led the way. As Legolas took his wife's hand she turned to him, "Amin er n'rangwa naugrimea" (I still don't understand these dwarves) Legolas sighed and squeezed her hand, "Amin naa melamin" (me too my love). As Helena listened her eyes grew wide in disbelief, "such a place truly exists?" Gimli nodded solemnly. She dropped into a contemplative silence trying to imagine such a place. Gimli dropped to the back, shocked at his sudden desire to show the caverns to his Tarin. Ahead of the company loomed the cave of the guardians.