Ch. 9
A maid came in, and between Amy and the maid, they got the girls ready. Glorfindel followed the guys and helped them pick appropriate clothing. They all went down to dinner, Amy on Glorfindel's arm and the rest pairing up as they would. In the dining room, Amy was the first to meet Legolas, and they chatted for a few minutes. Randy elbowed a staring Kim, and Mark had to fight to keep Mattie's attention. Pete and Beth just chuckled over it, but the prince was attractive, and the younger women were more than a little distracted by him. Dinner went all right, and afterwards, a few of the younger Elves took the six humans under their wings and showed them around some more. As much exploring as they'd done, there was still a lot to learn.
Amy, freed from worrying about them, wandered around Rivendell, finding herself at Elrond's study. The door was open, and she saw Mithrandir and Glorfindel in there with Elrond, so she started to leave, but Mithrandir and Glorfindel stood and walked out, grim expressions on their faces. Glorfindel nudged Amy to go in as he left.
Elrond stood as she entered and nodded to her. They stood there for a moment before Amy broke the silence. "How are you, Elrond?"
"I am well. How goes your readjustment?"
"I'm fine. My companions are settling in and things seem to be going well for them, too. Mithrandir and Glorfindel looked pretty grim when they left just now. May I ask what it was about?"
"Aragorn and the Hobbits may be in trouble. The Nazgûl are abroad. Glorfindel is going to search for them."
"I've heard a little about the situation."
"Yes. Glorfindel hopes to find them and help them complete their journey here. Mithrandir is quite worried about the Ringbearer."
"I can imagine. How are you holding up under all of this?"
"Better than Glorfindel or even Mithrandir would paint it. They worry after me like mother hens. I am not nearly so fragile as they think." Elrond stood and walked to the balcony, clasping his hands behind his back while looking out over the valley.
"Still, you've gone through a lot. I left Middle Earth when things got to be too much for me. You haven't had that freedom." Amy walked over to join him.
"There are people here who need me. I will not abandon them."
"No, of course not." There was an awkward silence. Amy broke it. "Probably the thing I missed the most while I was away was the forest. There are woods there, but nothing like here. The trees there are silent. They have cut down many of the forests for dwellings made out of rock and timber. It is a dreary place."
Elrond nodded. "I have traveled to Minas Tirith before, and even there, I miss the forest. If I understand you correctly, the world where you lived was far more dreary yet."
"Yes, it was. I'm glad to be back. I haven't yet spent a lot of time out in the forest. Would you like to walk with me?" She bit her lip, a little nervous. What had possessed her to ask that? While she was one of the oldest of the Noldor, Elrond was a lord, of higher social status than she. Nevertheless, the words could not be taken back.
Elrond nodded. "I would indeed like that. It will be light yet for another hour and the moon will be full. Excuse me, please, for a moment, to change my clothes."
Amy nodded. The robes wouldn't be terribly comfortable for walking. Her dress wouldn't be the best, either. He left to change, and she hurried to her room to do the same. They met again in the study. Elrond was wearing a tunic and leggings, a knife held in his belt. His hair was pulled back like always, most of it allowed to hang free, but there was no circlet on his head. Amy stared at him for a moment, entranced, before shaking herself awake again. He must have noticed, but didn't say anything, or so she thought. Amy chided herself. She could envision Mattie or Kim acting that way, but she was supposed to be the mature one.
Elrond was experiencing something similar. Her long hair was straight, not wavy like many Elves, and like most of the Noldor, it was dark. A few strands were pulled back in such a way as to keep all of it out of her face. She wore a cream colored blouse above a split skirt that fell to about two inches above the floor. Despite the informal clothing, the sight stole his breath. He recovered quickly, hoping she hadn't caught him staring.
Elrond offered her his arm, and they walked out into the cool evening. The sun was just beginning to sink, and he led her to a ridge with a clear view of the western sky over the forest, just a few minutes' walk from Rivendell. They stood together and watched the sun set. After the sun was down, they wandered the familiar paths for most of an hour, not speaking much, but just enjoying the other's company. They were too far from the city to see lights from the dwellings, and the two of them found a little clearing where they could look up at the stars. Elrond pointed at one in particular, one Amy couldn't quite spot, so he came behind her and pointed over her shoulder, resting the other hand on her other shoulder. She spotted the star eventually, but it was difficult to think with him standing that close behind her. Elrond indicated another star, one that was far above them, and Amy leaned her head back to look up at it. Before she realized it, her head was resting on Elrond's shoulder as she looked up at the sky. After a moment, she lifted her head and moved away from him.
"I suppose we'd better head back." Her voice was a little unsteady, and Amy berated herself for acting like a young girl with a crush, but when she lifted her head to look up at Elrond, she saw something of the same feelings mirrored in his eyes. She quickly glanced back down, not sure if either of them was ready for this. They walked back in silence, and Amy slipped into the suite as quietly as she could, but the others were already sound asleep. She could have made as much noise as they did and still not woken them.
A maid came in, and between Amy and the maid, they got the girls ready. Glorfindel followed the guys and helped them pick appropriate clothing. They all went down to dinner, Amy on Glorfindel's arm and the rest pairing up as they would. In the dining room, Amy was the first to meet Legolas, and they chatted for a few minutes. Randy elbowed a staring Kim, and Mark had to fight to keep Mattie's attention. Pete and Beth just chuckled over it, but the prince was attractive, and the younger women were more than a little distracted by him. Dinner went all right, and afterwards, a few of the younger Elves took the six humans under their wings and showed them around some more. As much exploring as they'd done, there was still a lot to learn.
Amy, freed from worrying about them, wandered around Rivendell, finding herself at Elrond's study. The door was open, and she saw Mithrandir and Glorfindel in there with Elrond, so she started to leave, but Mithrandir and Glorfindel stood and walked out, grim expressions on their faces. Glorfindel nudged Amy to go in as he left.
Elrond stood as she entered and nodded to her. They stood there for a moment before Amy broke the silence. "How are you, Elrond?"
"I am well. How goes your readjustment?"
"I'm fine. My companions are settling in and things seem to be going well for them, too. Mithrandir and Glorfindel looked pretty grim when they left just now. May I ask what it was about?"
"Aragorn and the Hobbits may be in trouble. The Nazgûl are abroad. Glorfindel is going to search for them."
"I've heard a little about the situation."
"Yes. Glorfindel hopes to find them and help them complete their journey here. Mithrandir is quite worried about the Ringbearer."
"I can imagine. How are you holding up under all of this?"
"Better than Glorfindel or even Mithrandir would paint it. They worry after me like mother hens. I am not nearly so fragile as they think." Elrond stood and walked to the balcony, clasping his hands behind his back while looking out over the valley.
"Still, you've gone through a lot. I left Middle Earth when things got to be too much for me. You haven't had that freedom." Amy walked over to join him.
"There are people here who need me. I will not abandon them."
"No, of course not." There was an awkward silence. Amy broke it. "Probably the thing I missed the most while I was away was the forest. There are woods there, but nothing like here. The trees there are silent. They have cut down many of the forests for dwellings made out of rock and timber. It is a dreary place."
Elrond nodded. "I have traveled to Minas Tirith before, and even there, I miss the forest. If I understand you correctly, the world where you lived was far more dreary yet."
"Yes, it was. I'm glad to be back. I haven't yet spent a lot of time out in the forest. Would you like to walk with me?" She bit her lip, a little nervous. What had possessed her to ask that? While she was one of the oldest of the Noldor, Elrond was a lord, of higher social status than she. Nevertheless, the words could not be taken back.
Elrond nodded. "I would indeed like that. It will be light yet for another hour and the moon will be full. Excuse me, please, for a moment, to change my clothes."
Amy nodded. The robes wouldn't be terribly comfortable for walking. Her dress wouldn't be the best, either. He left to change, and she hurried to her room to do the same. They met again in the study. Elrond was wearing a tunic and leggings, a knife held in his belt. His hair was pulled back like always, most of it allowed to hang free, but there was no circlet on his head. Amy stared at him for a moment, entranced, before shaking herself awake again. He must have noticed, but didn't say anything, or so she thought. Amy chided herself. She could envision Mattie or Kim acting that way, but she was supposed to be the mature one.
Elrond was experiencing something similar. Her long hair was straight, not wavy like many Elves, and like most of the Noldor, it was dark. A few strands were pulled back in such a way as to keep all of it out of her face. She wore a cream colored blouse above a split skirt that fell to about two inches above the floor. Despite the informal clothing, the sight stole his breath. He recovered quickly, hoping she hadn't caught him staring.
Elrond offered her his arm, and they walked out into the cool evening. The sun was just beginning to sink, and he led her to a ridge with a clear view of the western sky over the forest, just a few minutes' walk from Rivendell. They stood together and watched the sun set. After the sun was down, they wandered the familiar paths for most of an hour, not speaking much, but just enjoying the other's company. They were too far from the city to see lights from the dwellings, and the two of them found a little clearing where they could look up at the stars. Elrond pointed at one in particular, one Amy couldn't quite spot, so he came behind her and pointed over her shoulder, resting the other hand on her other shoulder. She spotted the star eventually, but it was difficult to think with him standing that close behind her. Elrond indicated another star, one that was far above them, and Amy leaned her head back to look up at it. Before she realized it, her head was resting on Elrond's shoulder as she looked up at the sky. After a moment, she lifted her head and moved away from him.
"I suppose we'd better head back." Her voice was a little unsteady, and Amy berated herself for acting like a young girl with a crush, but when she lifted her head to look up at Elrond, she saw something of the same feelings mirrored in his eyes. She quickly glanced back down, not sure if either of them was ready for this. They walked back in silence, and Amy slipped into the suite as quietly as she could, but the others were already sound asleep. She could have made as much noise as they did and still not woken them.