Author's note:

I'm suffering from, once again, My Life Is So Over Syndrome or M.L.I.S.O.S. It's because of this stupid guy who keeps playing these guilt trips on me because I said I wouldn't go out with him because I'm not ready. He should respect that right? Oh no. He thinks we're the cutest couple of the century. And he's told all my friends we're dating. I want to salivate over Leggy thanks very much. My life aside, the chapters should be coming a lot quicker because my muse, for the sake of it, let's call him Bob for the sake of inane names, has revisited me and cured me of the extreme writers' block that I've had for the past half term. But the thing that annoys me about Bob is that he decides to visit me with inspiration at midnight, which really sucks, because my morning I've forgotten it. Anyway on with the story. Disclaimer: I'm starting to get sick of this inane ritual. I don't own LOTR, all I own is the twenty five bucks I have in my pocket.

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Chapter 5

Alice awoke the next morning to a sunny, but extremely nippy day. Oh that was a nice sleep. Lovely Lothlórien beds... so soft, so comfortable. She had a quiet moment before her attendants came and washed her and dressed her as if she wasn't able to do normal mundane tasks on her own. Well she shouldn't be able to, she was a princess after all. Technically. Sort of. Vaguely. But she could anyway, and had previously tried to mention this. But no one listened as always. The gowns were finer than any that she'd ever seen. This one was a lavender colour, supposed to match her blue-flicked-violet eyes. However, this dress made the irises look fluorescent purple *, much to Alice's dislike. Everyone looked at her strangely when she wore something that made her eyes purple. Which is why she rarely wore it. Today, she made everyone leave her hair, as it looked nice down. It had grown really long, almost down to her waist. And it was still polka straight. Alice had been hoping it would curl or become wavy or something, but no. It was going to be stubborn.
"Morning!" Gina said brightly entering her room.

"You're cheerful this morning," Alice observed. "How's Orophin?"

"Fine," Gina chirped in reply. "I was just coming to talk to you about that."
"Uh-huh..." Alice said testily. "What is it now?"

"Will you just come with me to see him? Please?" Gina asked.

"You seemed fine talking to him without me last night," Alice pointed out.
"It was awkward!" Gina complained. "And you were talking to Legolas "Love of my life" Greenleaf, Prince of the Mirkwood forest, and all round babe. I didn't want to disturb you."
"Your discretion is so appreciated," Alice replied sarcastically. Then she stopped. "Wait. You called Legolas a babe? Gina! Leave off, he's mine!" Gina giggled. Seemed Alice when she awoke in the mornings was still cranky, irrational if not a bit immature. Nothing had changed.

"Yeah yeah," Gina muttered. "Now. Come with me to find Orophin." And before Alice could reply she was already being dragged out the door.

Meanwhile, they were being watched by a figure in the forest. A small figure, taller than a dwarf by mere inches with short, brown hair, resembling the colour of mud. She had eyes that weren't quite blue with a weird green circling the pupil, making the irises look like a lake.... With toxic waste dumped in it. She looked absolutely emaciated. Nwalya the half elf child, known to a lot of people as Devon Stewart, had made her appearance. God knows what other half she had been polluted with. Some said she was half dwarf, due to her being 'vertically challenged'** at the height of 4'11, very short for an elf. Some said she was half hobbit for the reason above and the fact that she had dark features. But what had really happened was her mother had had a whirlwind affair with Lurtz***, the Uruk-Hai and Devon was the result. That aside, it was still weird for Devon to have such a height deficiency.

"What is that... THING doing here?" Gina shrieked, her face distorted into a look of utter disgust, pointing toward Devon. Gina hated Devon's guts, putting it mildly. Alice's heightened senses picked up a rather foul smell from Devon's direction and tried to refrain from wrinkling her nose. To stop the smell, she blocked her nose and breathed through her mouth instead. Of course, this made speaking quite slurred and flat and a rather hilarious for those listening. Singing was even funnier, now she thought about it. Devon opened her mouth trying to speak but instead fell to the ground.
"Oh dear," Alice said.

"Let's leave her," Gina suggested.
"No," Alice replied. "As much as I really don't like her, it wouldn't be nice just to leave her there. We should at least alert an attendant to the fact. How she got into Caras Galadhrom, I don't know." Gina let out a strangled choking noise.
"Excuse me?" Gina spluttered. "You hate Dev- that THING, so much that said you'd never help her again. Ever."

"Yeah well," Alice said sheepishly. "I'm too nice. Besides, I think my great grandparents need to give her the third degree and send her on the next horse back to Rivendell or somewhere as far away from here as possible."

"Well at least you haven't completely lost your sanity," Gina said snidely.
"I have too lost my sanity," Alice shot back.
"Have not,"

"Have too,"

"Have not,"

"Have too,"

"Good morning fair ladies," Legolas said. "You quarrel so. Pray tell me, what is the reason?"

"My non existent sanity's in question," Alice whined. "Gina's trying to tell me I have sanity." Legolas laughed.
"In answer to your sanity," He began, slipping his hands around her waist. "There is no one saner in my own eyes."

"Did it ever occur to you that you're beyond insane... I mean, uh, 'creative'?" **** Alice teased. Legolas grinned, knowing what she meant.
"Nay my love," Was the even reply. "I have not dared to think it. For my own sake."

"Of course," Alice said slyly. Legolas leaned in to kiss her.
"Um hello, not in public," Gina piped up, scornfully. "I know you've both got hormones, but this isn't the time to play tonsil hockey. I'm young and impressionable."

Hormones... hmm. Did elves HAVE hormones? That was a question to wonder about.
"Hold that thought," Alice whispered to Legolas. "Gina's right." She gestured to the heap lying on the ground, which was, to all that have not been concentrating, Devon. Legolas was aghast, and didn't know what to say. Silence fell upon the group of three.

"Time is of the essence," Legolas said gravely. "We cannot leave her to perish from this world." Alice nodded in silent agreement.

"I'll go tell Haldir," Alice said, her eyes brimming over with tears. And to think, if she'd just been quicker to the mark. As much as she hated Devon's guts, seeing someone you know dying is a horrible sight for any person. And to know you could have done something makes it oh so much worse. She ran down the path to fetch Haldir. She found him of course.
"Greetings Lady Lindelë," He said testily, remembering the last Sindarin lesson, which culminated in Alice throwing a chair at him, because she got so frustrated with sentence structure.
"HaldirthisgirlIknewhasbeencapturedbytheorcsbutescapedandshe'shereanddying! We. Need. Your. Help." Alice blurted out.

"I cannot hear a word which you have spoken Lady," Haldir said calmly, alarmed concern raging on the inside as to know why she was so upset. Alice took a deep breath in.
"A girl. She escaped from the Rocs," Alice explained. Tears brimmed over and she began to sob violently. "I used to know her Haldir! She's here and she's dying! And I could've done something to stop it!" Haldir took two very testy steps toward Alice and awkwardly patted her on the back as if to say 'There there, that's nice, please stop crying!'

"I will assist you," he replied. "Now, tell me where this... creature, is."

"Follow me," Alice replied.

"This is a grave," Haldir remarked, looking at the rise and fall of Devon's breathing patterns.
"No kidding," Alice muttered, hugging herself tightly. Legolas sensed her tension and gently squeezed her shoulders *****. This seemed to relieve little tension however, and made Alice go weak at the knees again and also made her want to become a pile of honey like goo on the floor.

"Is that... thing, going to wake up?" Gina asked. "And where is Orophin by the way?"

"She may return to us," Haldir said. "Orophin set off at the waking of the sun. He has yet to return."

"Damn," Gina muttered under her breath.

"Legolas, Gina, Haldir," Alice began. "Excuse me, I'm going to go now ok?"

"And I will mean to assist her," Legolas supplied, quite readily, one might add. Before Alice could say no, she was exiting the door with Legolas. As soon as they were out of earshot in a rather large, but very cool tree, Alice tried to open her mouth to speak, but to her disappointment, nothing but tears and huge, rather frightening sobs erupted from her mouth instead of eloquent (ha ha), witty repartee. Legolas wrapped her in an embrace.
"I'm sorry," Alice murmured miserably, her voice somewhat muffled in Legolas's rather nice chest. "I'm being stupid."

"You need not apologise," He soothed. "It is not shameful to cry,"
"I know," She said ruefully. "I just feel so bad." Legolas released her from the embrace, his hands on her shoulders.
"It was not your doing," He told her sternly. "No one condemns you."

"If I could have done something... anything..." Alice complained.
"Alice, there was nothing in your power to save her," Legolas explained in a more sternly tone. "We may dwell on our misjudgement, but it is wasteful of our time. We can do nothing to change the past."

"Stop," Said Alice, smiling a little. "You're beginning to sound like Granddad Elrond. Or your Dad." Legolas made a face and Alice giggled. It seemed the easiest thing to do.

"I would not want to sound like my father," Legolas protested indignantly.

"All males turn into their fathers at some point," Alice told him. "Like all females turn into their mothers. Well, not all, but most."

"If that proves true," Legolas began. "You are to be quite a fair maiden."

"Ha ha ha," Alice trilled, but then stopped. "What's your ulterior motive?"

"Only to delight in your company," Legolas told her.

"Well thank you," Alice said with actual dignity, a switch for her, as we all know. Legolas, however, beamed. He felt good that he'd been able to cheer her up. Devon was enough to send anyone into fits of tears, hysterics, mental breakdowns or similar. He thought it was remarkable how Alice had managed to hold. Silence held them for awhile as they just sat, appreciative of each other's presence.

"I will return to dine with the Fellowship tonight," Legolas told her, breaking the silence.
"That's cool," Alice said casually. "Tell Pippin and Merry I said hi and that I hope they're good when you see them. I know how cut up they'll be right now. Over Gandalf and all." Legolas nodded in silent agreement and took her hand.

"When I depart from here you will be greatly missed," He announced, a note of heavy sadness marred his voice.

"I know," Alice replied. "I missed you before like crazy. Especially with Carry and the rest of Imaldris/Rivendell salivating over Lebeth and Gina salivating over every Elvish boy in a 2 metre radius."

"Lebethron?" Legolas remarked raising an eyebrow. Alice nodded.
"Become quite the spunk since recent events have made you unavailable," She replied slyly glancing at Legolas. He laughed.

"Glad I am that no more am I 'quite the spunk' as you put it," He admitted.

"Really?" Alice sounded surprised. "Don't you miss it? A lot of other guys would... but then again you're not the average guy."

"Nay?" Legolas wondered, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.
"You're special," She grinned and snuggled closer to him. "I intend to enjoy you being here for now." Legolas grinned back at her. "Now. How about we go find my friends? I want to be at perfect ease that Gina and Orophin haven't yet decided to get married in my absence."

Devon awoke slowly to voices. She was confused as to where she was. Here she was in a room, and she didn't know where the hell it was. Last she'd known was that she'd been in Orc clutches. And somehow she'd managed to escape. None of this made sense to her. At this stage, she was likely to say something very stupid that would get her into an even bigger mess. This was until Haldir began to speak.
"You have awakened," He regarded. "Have you any knowledge as to where you may be?"

"No," She croaked.

"Ah," Haldir said, somewhat knowingly. "You are in the fair woods Lórien residing in the city of Caras Galadhrom."

"Where?" She croaked again.

"Lady Lindelë of Rivendell saw your distress and alerted us to you, Lady," Haldir explained, ignoring her question.
"Could you... Could you send Lady Lindelë to see me please?" She requested, actually using manners. Haldir nodded, bowed and went to go and fetch her ladyship. He returned a few minutes later.
"May I present Lindelë daughter of Elrohir?" He said smoothly.
"God forbid he should just say Alice," A girl muttered. Devon looked up to see a familiar figure glide in the door.
"Alice!" She exclaimed. "You're not... you can't be..."

"But I am," Alice replied crisply. The classic look of shock horror on Devon's face would give her a good, doubled over laugh for a very long time afterwards

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This chapter is confusing, so I've used stars to explain. Also, because I've always wanted to do little stars to explain useless stuff.

* This actually happens. It happened to Courtney (The character on which Gina was based) when she put on this light purple top. Her blue eyes turned purple. It was really cool.

** A tactful term me my friends and I use for short

*** Yes LOTR purists, I know Lurtz was created by Saruman much later, (Well, at least I think he was), but since I like mucking things up, I decided to develop him a little earlier

**** 'Creative' is a tactful term for people beyond mental help. Read 'River of Insanity' for complete explanation.

***** I don't know if Legolas would actually do this, but oh what the hell. I'm putting it in for measure.

Oh yeah. I'm sorry I had to be so mean to Devon. Oh she deserves it though. Oh well. I'm going to play around with her for awhile. Might as well get my revenge. She was going on about how she was on to her tenth "boyfriend". Hmm... Something is wrong with the male society... Very wrong...

Anyway got to go. I've got Year 10 exams *groan* at the end of October, and it would be good if I got some revision in. So this story might not be as quick as I want it to be. I'm back at school now too for the last term before summer vacation, so I'm going to be flat out with all those choirs and orchestras practising for the Carol Service and Bloody Prize Giving (which is absolutely pointless, because only 30 people get prizes and they're the same people every year.) but I'll try my best. If you haven't already, GO READ BOL'S WORK!! She is a genius. Really. Anyway. Until next time. Toodles Noodles!