AloriaMoonbeam: Thanks for the compliment. That's a nice thing to say.
Alisyn: Thank you. I will do my best to keep it interesting.
I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter. If you have any helpful hints, I'm all ears. God Bless.
Three Months Ago
Tulka and Isilme were exhausted. They had just come in from a long ride as scouts. They were definitely ready for some hot food and some rest. Isilme laughed as he stretched his tired muscles.
"What?", asked Tulka.
"As difficult as this latest scouting mission was, I would still rather go out there and fight orcs and wargs than ride to that village again and have to deal with that human."
Tulka shook his head. Was Isilme ever going to stop complaining about that day? He had received just as many bee stings as his brother, but Isilme didn't hear him complaining about it all the time. Maybe his brother needed to have a talk with Lord Elrond. Just to help him to stop dwelling on that one human.
Just then, he heard Isilme gasp in horror.
Tulka followed his brother's horrified gaze to the front gate. Standing there, beside her black horse, was Sareei.
"Sweet Illuvatar !", whispered Isilme. He was frozen to the spot, his feet refusing his commands to run.
Tulka blushed in shame at his brother's cowardice. He pushed past his terrified brother and walked boldly up to Sareei.
"And what brings you to Imladris, Lady?", he wanted to know.
"I know that Lord Elrond is a healer and I have some rare herbs I would like to sell to him.", answered Sareei.
Tulka took another look at his brother. He hadn't moved.
"I will tell Lord Elrond that you are here. Please wait." He took another look at his brother and headed up the front steps to the house, shaking his head in disgust. Yes, Lord Elrond was definitely going to have a talk with Isilme.
Sareei turned to Isilme and smiled. He shuddered.
"My gosh, he's quiet for an elf.", she said to herself. She stepped towards him, trying to be friendly.
Somehow, Isilme felt he should run, but his feet still wouldn't move.
Sareei tried to make small talk.
"I found some lovely herbs on the way here. Would you like to see?", she asked as she stepped back towards her horse.
Isilme silently shook his head.
"Now honestly, I don't know why you are so afraid of me.", she gently scolded as she dug a small sack out of her saddlebag.
"I'm not such a bad person. See?", said Sareei, "Here is some nice lavender. She walked over and held the open bag up to Isilme's face. "Here , take a deep breath. Isn't that nice?" She smiled.
Isilme took a deep breath and his lungs filled with the sweet scent of ......PEPPER!!!!!!!!! He started coughing, his eyes were burning, his lungs were on fire.
Sareei stood there shocked. She sniffed the bag. "Oh I'm sorry. I got the wrong bag. This is pepper." She announced.
"You think!" thought Isilme as he choked and gagged. "I should have known better.", he reprimanded himself.
Sareei tried everything she could think of to assist the elf but he refused every bit of help she had to offer, so she finally gave up. The resulting commotion brought several elves from the house. They stood and stared at the scene in the courtyard.
Sareei dug back into the saddlebag and brought out another sack. "This must be what I am looking for.", she murmured. She opened it and stepped toward Isilme. His eyes widened and he raised his hands as if to defend himself. Sareei stepped closer with the bag but he only backed away as he continued to cough and gag.
"But it's alright, this is really lavender.", she tried to reassure him. She stepped toward him again and he fell backwards over a small bush to avoid her. "I checked the bag myself.", she promised. Just then she saw someone out of the corner of her eye and turned to face the house. On the front steps stood Elrond and Gandalf flanked by Tulka and several others.
"Good day Lady. How may I help you?", asked Elrond as he eyed the ailing Isilme. "And what have you done to my scout?" Tulka ran to his brother's side.
Sareei smiled. "Oh I was just showing him some lavender, but I got the pepper by mistake. I found the real lavender but now he won't let me get near him."
By this time Isilme was retching in the shrubbery. Elrond raised an eyebrow and motioned for two elves to assist the ailing elf into the house.
As they passed him, Gandalf noticed Isilme was dripping wet. "Why is he wet?", he asked with a frown.
"I've always heard that if you get pepper in your eyes you should wash it out with water," she explained, "and all I had to use was the fountain over there. I tried to wash out his eyes but he kept getting away."
Gandalf and Elrond exchanged glances. "Perhaps you should come into the house.", said Elrond quietly. "I can examine the herbs there."
"But I would like to go make sure Isilme is alright.", Sareei protested.
There was a muffled cry of dismay from the hall where the elves had disappeared with Isilme.
Elrond looked at her . "I think Isilme needs some undisturbed rest at the moment." He smiled at Sareei.
"Alright.", said Sareei, sounding a little disappointed. "I hope he will be alright."
"As long as he stays away from you." muttered Tulka.
"What?", asked Sareei.
He got a hard look from Elrond. " So do we all, Lady.", he said. He bowed stiffly and then turned on his heel and went to seek his brother, muttering something about 'evil'."
Elrond took them to his study. Once there, he offered Sareei a glass of wine and then took out the contents of the saddlebag and began to examine them.
Sareei found Elrond's study fascinating. She walked around the room, looking at the huge bookshelves. On one of the shelves behind Elrond were several interesting looking bottles. Sareei's curiosity got the best of her. She reached for one of the bottles. "Don't touch.", came Elrond's gentle reprimand. Sareei jerked her hand back. "Sorry." 'How could he see what I'm doing when he has his back to me?', she wondered.
There was a soft knock on the study door. Tulka entered at Elrond's quiet recognition.
"Lord Elrond, the healers tell me that Isilme will be alright. As long as he doesn't have anymore...incidents", the elf said, glancing quickly at Sareei. She ignored him.
"Thank you, Tulka. You may go back to your brother."
"Thank you, my Lord.", said Tulka. He turned to go. Without warning Sareei was standing just behind him. He jumped back with a start and hurried to the door, giving Sareei a wide berth.
"These herbs are very rare and are in excellent condition. I will take all you have. At your price of course." Elrond paused. "Out of curiosity, Lady, where did you find these? They are extremely difficult to come by."
Sareei smiled. "Oh I just know where to look, that's all.", she replied.
Gandalf wondered just where this young woman had been traveling to acquire things that even elves found it difficult to come by. He returned Sareei's smile and took another thoughtful puff on his pipe. "I wonder."
Alisyn: Thank you. I will do my best to keep it interesting.
I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter. If you have any helpful hints, I'm all ears. God Bless.
Three Months Ago
Tulka and Isilme were exhausted. They had just come in from a long ride as scouts. They were definitely ready for some hot food and some rest. Isilme laughed as he stretched his tired muscles.
"What?", asked Tulka.
"As difficult as this latest scouting mission was, I would still rather go out there and fight orcs and wargs than ride to that village again and have to deal with that human."
Tulka shook his head. Was Isilme ever going to stop complaining about that day? He had received just as many bee stings as his brother, but Isilme didn't hear him complaining about it all the time. Maybe his brother needed to have a talk with Lord Elrond. Just to help him to stop dwelling on that one human.
Just then, he heard Isilme gasp in horror.
Tulka followed his brother's horrified gaze to the front gate. Standing there, beside her black horse, was Sareei.
"Sweet Illuvatar !", whispered Isilme. He was frozen to the spot, his feet refusing his commands to run.
Tulka blushed in shame at his brother's cowardice. He pushed past his terrified brother and walked boldly up to Sareei.
"And what brings you to Imladris, Lady?", he wanted to know.
"I know that Lord Elrond is a healer and I have some rare herbs I would like to sell to him.", answered Sareei.
Tulka took another look at his brother. He hadn't moved.
"I will tell Lord Elrond that you are here. Please wait." He took another look at his brother and headed up the front steps to the house, shaking his head in disgust. Yes, Lord Elrond was definitely going to have a talk with Isilme.
Sareei turned to Isilme and smiled. He shuddered.
"My gosh, he's quiet for an elf.", she said to herself. She stepped towards him, trying to be friendly.
Somehow, Isilme felt he should run, but his feet still wouldn't move.
Sareei tried to make small talk.
"I found some lovely herbs on the way here. Would you like to see?", she asked as she stepped back towards her horse.
Isilme silently shook his head.
"Now honestly, I don't know why you are so afraid of me.", she gently scolded as she dug a small sack out of her saddlebag.
"I'm not such a bad person. See?", said Sareei, "Here is some nice lavender. She walked over and held the open bag up to Isilme's face. "Here , take a deep breath. Isn't that nice?" She smiled.
Isilme took a deep breath and his lungs filled with the sweet scent of ......PEPPER!!!!!!!!! He started coughing, his eyes were burning, his lungs were on fire.
Sareei stood there shocked. She sniffed the bag. "Oh I'm sorry. I got the wrong bag. This is pepper." She announced.
"You think!" thought Isilme as he choked and gagged. "I should have known better.", he reprimanded himself.
Sareei tried everything she could think of to assist the elf but he refused every bit of help she had to offer, so she finally gave up. The resulting commotion brought several elves from the house. They stood and stared at the scene in the courtyard.
Sareei dug back into the saddlebag and brought out another sack. "This must be what I am looking for.", she murmured. She opened it and stepped toward Isilme. His eyes widened and he raised his hands as if to defend himself. Sareei stepped closer with the bag but he only backed away as he continued to cough and gag.
"But it's alright, this is really lavender.", she tried to reassure him. She stepped toward him again and he fell backwards over a small bush to avoid her. "I checked the bag myself.", she promised. Just then she saw someone out of the corner of her eye and turned to face the house. On the front steps stood Elrond and Gandalf flanked by Tulka and several others.
"Good day Lady. How may I help you?", asked Elrond as he eyed the ailing Isilme. "And what have you done to my scout?" Tulka ran to his brother's side.
Sareei smiled. "Oh I was just showing him some lavender, but I got the pepper by mistake. I found the real lavender but now he won't let me get near him."
By this time Isilme was retching in the shrubbery. Elrond raised an eyebrow and motioned for two elves to assist the ailing elf into the house.
As they passed him, Gandalf noticed Isilme was dripping wet. "Why is he wet?", he asked with a frown.
"I've always heard that if you get pepper in your eyes you should wash it out with water," she explained, "and all I had to use was the fountain over there. I tried to wash out his eyes but he kept getting away."
Gandalf and Elrond exchanged glances. "Perhaps you should come into the house.", said Elrond quietly. "I can examine the herbs there."
"But I would like to go make sure Isilme is alright.", Sareei protested.
There was a muffled cry of dismay from the hall where the elves had disappeared with Isilme.
Elrond looked at her . "I think Isilme needs some undisturbed rest at the moment." He smiled at Sareei.
"Alright.", said Sareei, sounding a little disappointed. "I hope he will be alright."
"As long as he stays away from you." muttered Tulka.
"What?", asked Sareei.
He got a hard look from Elrond. " So do we all, Lady.", he said. He bowed stiffly and then turned on his heel and went to seek his brother, muttering something about 'evil'."
Elrond took them to his study. Once there, he offered Sareei a glass of wine and then took out the contents of the saddlebag and began to examine them.
Sareei found Elrond's study fascinating. She walked around the room, looking at the huge bookshelves. On one of the shelves behind Elrond were several interesting looking bottles. Sareei's curiosity got the best of her. She reached for one of the bottles. "Don't touch.", came Elrond's gentle reprimand. Sareei jerked her hand back. "Sorry." 'How could he see what I'm doing when he has his back to me?', she wondered.
There was a soft knock on the study door. Tulka entered at Elrond's quiet recognition.
"Lord Elrond, the healers tell me that Isilme will be alright. As long as he doesn't have anymore...incidents", the elf said, glancing quickly at Sareei. She ignored him.
"Thank you, Tulka. You may go back to your brother."
"Thank you, my Lord.", said Tulka. He turned to go. Without warning Sareei was standing just behind him. He jumped back with a start and hurried to the door, giving Sareei a wide berth.
"These herbs are very rare and are in excellent condition. I will take all you have. At your price of course." Elrond paused. "Out of curiosity, Lady, where did you find these? They are extremely difficult to come by."
Sareei smiled. "Oh I just know where to look, that's all.", she replied.
Gandalf wondered just where this young woman had been traveling to acquire things that even elves found it difficult to come by. He returned Sareei's smile and took another thoughtful puff on his pipe. "I wonder."