Author's note:

Sorry guys!! I have gotten incredibly side tracked since I got back from Auckland and I've been suffering from severe writer's block. I've been living in a bubble since I got back. Also I've been piled under by the amount of work they've given us at school. Projects, essays, tests and heaps more. They're "preparing" us for Year 10 exams. MURDERING us I'd say. Did you know they're planning on giving us EIGHTEEN hours of homework next year in exam year?! I don't know if 15 and 16 year olds will do that.. Anyway. I better get on with it – before I get sidetracked... again. Disclaimer: For the 50th time no I do NOT own LOTR. I don't need perpetual suing.

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Chapter 3

"I do not know if this is wise," Elrond advised when Elrond and Alice put forward her proposition.

"I want to explore Middle Earth," Alice said stubbornly. "I don't care if I'm female. I want to see Lothlórien."

"She seems to have inherited her mother's most treacherous trait, Father," Elrohir muttered to his father. "Strength of will."

"I heard that," Alice snapped. Elrohir feigned innocence.

"It is an aspiring opportunity," Elrohir pointed out quickly changing the subject. He was learning his daughter's mannerisms quickly and knew it would be safe not to anger as it would start a family war to War of the Ring proportions.

"Too right," Alice agreed stubbornly. Elrond glanced from his nervous looking son to his determined steadfast granddaughter. He sighed. Why not?

"I allow you to tour to Lothlórien on a singular condition," Elrond finally said.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"If you are accompanied by no less than five ladies in waiting and your father," Elrond replied.

"Oh that's easy," Alice replied. "Beth, Carry, Gina, Carenmeril and Nimithil. That's five."

"Mortals in Lothlórien?!" Elrond spluttered.

"What?" Alice moaned.

"She has reason," Elrohir pointed out. "Gimli son of Gloín and Estel will have a short dwelling there." Alice saw Elrond's face turn grave when the name 'Estel' was mentioned.

"I forfeit," Elrond sighed. "Go to Lothlórien if you wish. You may chose and ride the horses." Alice squealed, bounded up to Elrond and hugged him. It took him awhile to tactfully peel his granddaughter away.

"Hey, guys," Alice said, plopping herself down in front of Carry, Beth, Gina, Carenmeril and Nimithil who were busily engaged in some sort of game. They greeted her with smiles, grins and friendly hugs.

"You were in there forever," Gina said. "What happened?"

"What do you say about going to Lothlórien?" Asked Alice.

"Alice, have you gone beyond insanity?" Carry demanded.

"Tell me about it!" Gina agreed. "My nails will be all chipped."

"I'm up for it," Beth said. Alice looked at her gratefully.

"It has been a wish that has not perished to visit the woods of Lórien," Carenmeril sighed dreamily.

"I concur," Nimithil sighed, just as dreamily. "Lothlórien the fair." Alice looked toward Carry and Gina.

"Please come," She begged. "You'll love it I assure you. They'll be heaps of cute elves. Lothlórien is bigger than Imaldris aka Rivendell."

"I'm coming!" Squealed Gina. "I'll be in heaven. More cute elves." Gina then adopted a glazed, dreamy look in her eyes commonly associated with marijuana addicts who have had one too many a joint.

"Cute elves would not be so bad," Carry considered. "But I do have a back problem. It would be hard walking all that way."

"That's what horses are for," Alice admonished. "Duh. We're not going over the pass of Caradhras, and we're going over a safer, quieter route. So don't stress about it."

"You really want me to go don't you?" Carry wondered aloud. Alice nodded enthusiastically. Carry sighed. She'd have to agree, or there would be no way Alice would let her hear the end of it. "Ok then."

"Yay!" Alice squealed and leapt forward and gave Carry a hug, very squeezing and Carry was suffocating.

"Can't... Breathe..."

"Oh sorry..."

The next day, the horses were prepared for the party of six. For some, the children of the sheltered Western world (Carry and Gina) the prospect of having the underside part of the anatomy practically glued to a horse seemed dim. But, Alice, who as we know is slowly losing the mannerisms that go with a sheltered life, Nimithil and Carenmeril seemed ecstatic. Beth, however, was just being reserved, strange Beth. Alice couldn't tell whether Beth was excited or not, but suspected she was in her own way. Elrohir was indifferent. He enjoyed going to Lothlórien yes, but he decided to keep the mirth controlled. If only to set an example for his wayward, hyperactive daughter and her even more so wayward, hyperactive friends. It was hard to set an example however, considering most of these strange humans past the age of paying needed attention to wise examples and although Alice would normally be paying attention, today she wasn't. Nimithil and Carenmeril seemed to be following suit. If Elrohir knew about the wondrous effects of chocolate, and that it would improve the situation, he'd be going up to higher earth before you could say "fudge". He was however, relieved that one human was being sensibly behaved. So he thought. Onward and upward they set off for the fair woods of Lórien, Alice refusing to go over Mount Caradhras, so they took the other route, the High pass. Sure it took longer than usual, but the path was less treacherous.

As the Fellowship of the Ring dwelt in Moria in grave momentum, Alice's company had a happy trip over the Red Ford. The trip got shortened however, due to the many horse races Nimithil and Alice had. And since the group had to stay together (Elrond's orders), they had to catch up. At one point, Elladan, Elrohir's twin brother. Although being the elder of the two, Elladan was far more light hearted. As Alice discovered, he had a witty, if not a little crazy, sense of humour. He reminded Alice readily of Ben, her former brother. Gina seemed to have a crush on her uncle. Well that was until Alice brought out the threat of stealing all her Orlando Bloom posters and the singular hilarious one of Heath Ledger with boofy hair, and sending them down the Anduin. When Gina tried to tell her that they weren't here, Alice simply said she'd seen them yesterday, pinned up for all to see on the drapes in her room, thus rendering Gina into a state of speechlessness, due to the fact she might lose all eye candy that she had been carefully collecting. Alice also had the same posters, and many more in a box with her Dolly and Girlfriend magazines labelled "miscellaneous". These were safely stored in Rivendell, out of everyone's sight (Elves didn't really need to acquire the knowledge of fashion sense, how to get a boyfriend, mental illnesses and how to apply makeup) and Alice would read them from time to time. Right now however, they were riding at a leisurely pace.

"I'm bored," Beth announced, reaching into her backpack and held out her Discman. "The cure for boredom." Elladan, Elrohir, Nimithil and Carenmeril looked at the strange gadget with interest.

"It's a Discman," Alice explained. "It plays music recorded on to a disc." She took out the CD from the Discman and held it up. The eyes of the elves, excluding Alice, looked in wonder at the metal circle with rainbow light shards bouncing off it. Carenmeril looked at it wistfully.

"May I listen to your music? I have often wondered what it sounds to the ear," Carenmeril said. Beth leaned over and plugged in the headphones into her pointy ears and pushed play. It was only about thirty seconds before Carenmeril ripped the headphones out of her ears and shuddered.

"What do you think?" Gina asked.

"There would be only one word to describe such... such... sounds," Carenmeril replied.

"Which is?"

"Awful."

Beth, on the other hand was quite miffed by this attack on Eminem.

On the third day, the company stopped at camped at the foot of the High pass. For some reason, Alice couldn't sleep. Strange as it sounded, the stars were calling her. She noticed they were so unlike the stars in the Milky Way galaxy and seemed to send of a heavenly glow. There was a crown of seven swinging stars, which seemed unusual. Their glow was brighter than any stars/planets there had been in Higher Earth. Alice sat mesmerised by them, lulled by starlight. It was a time before she realised her father was sitting next to her.

"The stars made by Elbereth," He regarded. Alice turned.

"The stars made by El-what?" Alice asked.

"Elbereth," Elrohir repeated slowly. "She made those stars. Elves awoke to the starlight."

"So starlight made us?" Alice asked, sounding like a pre-school child who had discovered the art of question making. Elrohir chuckled.

"Not quite yeldë," He replied. "We were already created. The stars gave us life."

"Which is probably why I'm feeling rather drawn to them," Alice mused. "In Higher Earth, people wish upon stars. They don't come true though. I never wished on stars, just looked at them." Elrohir smiled at his daughter.

"I pondered what it would be to have a daughter," He began. "When Illuminel was with child, I longed

for a son I could take on my expeditions. A daughter was unexpected, but I was overjoyed.

"My heart grieved when I lost you and then Illuminel. I thought my life would end. The day you entered my life once more, I thought it would be like reading the middle of a book without knowing the beginning. But I have been proved wrong. You have given me joy I thought that I would never feel again." He kissed Alice's forehead. "Illuminel loved the woods of Lórien as well. It is a fine thought that you will follow her footsteps."

"Night Dad," Alice said.

"Goodnight Lindelë," He replied.

Beth was the first to awaken the next morning after the most wonderful snooze and a dream about kissing the lead singer of Pacifier, the current rock star love of her life. Pity he was already taken. Beth shivered. It was sunny, but absolutely freezing. She sat up, viewing the sunrise. The horizon was so beautiful, Beth couldn't help but leaving her mouth hanging open and stare in marvel. If a fly had decided enter her mouth, the author seriously doubts Beth would have noticed. As soon as she'd gotten over the initial surprise of the sunrise being so beautiful and morning because she didn't have a camera, Beth viewed her companions. Nimithil and Carenmeril sleeping soundly flat on their backs, looking elegant. Gina was in a .... compromising position. Must have been dreaming about Orlando Bloom, Heath Ledger, or that geek from Smallville again. How typical. Gina then flinched. Beth figured Elijah Wood must have walked into the dream. Or Bob, who was as equally as nightmare creating as the mentioned above for Gina. That and having no lippy. Whatever. Suddenly, Carry stirred and awoke.

"Good morning," She whispered, sitting up. "Ow." A hand went for her back. "Beth, do you have panadol?" Beth thought for a moment.

"I might," She replied. "Hang on." Things were getting flung all in sundry from her bum-bag. A hackey sack, black lipstick, black eye-shadow, black eye liner and a Papa Roach CD case were strewn all over the ground. Beth reached out a small, silver sheet of pills. "Will Disprin do?" Carry nodded, placidly taking two from the packet and swallowing them with eternal gratitude.

"Not the painkillers," Alice yawned from behind them. "I thought you were over your paracaetemol addiction Carry."

"I am," Carry informed her indignantly. "I just.. don't have the herbal version that's all."

"Oh well, life goes on," Alice said casually. She pointed to the sheet of Disprin "Don't consume too many of those." Carry shook her head.

It was just afterwards that Elrohir decided they should continue moving and Elladan suggested more horse racing. Nimithil and Alice readily agreed while the others sighed. They got to Lothlórien in plenty of good time the next afternoon. It was hard trying to lead horses across the river of Nimrodel and walking across two pieces of rope, but fun all the same. Orophin and Haldir greeted them with warmth. Gina seemed much taken with Orophin and Alice was quite glad at this as she had seemed to have forgotten Elladan. They arrived in the Naith of Lothlórien, only due to the fact that Alice and Elrohir were kin of Galadriel and Celeborn. To Carry, Beth and Gina's dismay, they were blindfolded and taken to see the Lord and Lady in Caras Galadhon. Alice couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably at Gina's actions when blindfolded where Orophin was concerned. At one point she ended talking to some completely random male elf, who wasn't terribly blessed when it came to looks, thinking it was Orophin due to the fact that she could not see. Of course, this particular elf thought that Gina was attracted to him.

"Welcome to Caras Galadhon," Orophin said awkwardly, as Gina was hanging off his arm. "The Lord and Lady are curious after one who has spent time in the realm of Higher Earth. Their wish is to conduct an audience with Elrohir, Lindelë and her ladies."

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Once again, sorry that took so long. I'm going to be doing a lot of writing though considering it's holidays and I've recently busted my knee.

Yeldë – daughter

Anyway BOL – thanks so much for your lovely reviews! I'm sorry about my bitchy one, I was cranky that day, blame Devon. I didn't know you played the flute! It's a cool instrument, I was just practising before I came down here. (Bugger of a piece really – unaccompanied too =/ ! A guy called Dressler wrote it. In my afterlife, if there is one, I'm going to inflict grievous bodily harm on that guy.) But anyway, that bitch! That wasn't very nice making you part with your flute. You can get really attached to instruments after awhile (yes, it's true)! I would have been sorely tempted to clock her one. I thought it was good that you snarked it for the last concert! Nice one! I think the irony for Devon going out and robbing me of my flute (and inflicting a worrying, sleepless night) that it was actually mine, I own it. So, I used to let it sit in my hole in the wall which they call "lockers" because it was pretty safe there. Then she took it out of my locker and hid it in the fire hydrant in its leather carry bag thing. I don't want to think how she got it in there. The most stupid thing she did was a) telling everyone who would listen and b) admitting it to me. She didn't believe me when I said it cost a good NZ$2000 (US$1000) due to the fact it's an open hole. But yeah – the Dean knows, but knowing Devon, she would have wormed her way out of it. I'm still thinking of putting her beloved pencil case up in the huge incinerator near our classroom but I think it would be just as bad. But anyway, I better go and do some study for French... ugh... Toodles noodles!