Gimli tossed and turned on the ground. He kept thinking about Moria, and
how small his family was getting to be. He sighed before catching himself
and hurriedly stuffed his fist in his mouth. He looked over at Legolas and
Aragorn. Legolas twitched and slept on. Aragorn sighed to himself and
rolled over.
Gimli almost let out another sigh, this one of relief. He caught himself in time. Deciding to tarry on elsewhere, he rose and walked into the forest. He walked about half a mile away from the others before it struck him to turn back. He swiveled around and caught a flash of silver from behind a tree.
"Come out, Orc!" He shrieked, and leapt onto the spot. The creature was too fast for him to tackle, but pulling out his ax, he slashed at the dark figure that moved before him. The thing fell with an undignified, "Umph!" He raised his ax for a final blow. It moved quickly and suddenly had him in a headlock with his only help, his ax, buried in the trunk of a tree. "Let me go, creature!" he shouted.
"Wai-" the thing grunted, "Wait!" "A woman! What are you doing out here in the dark and alone?! And how did you learn how to fight like that?" Gimli's shocked voice penetrated the forest animals' low-toned noises. "You won't attack me anymore?" the female's clear and melodic voice inquired, "Or will you?" "No young woman, I will not."
"I'm no woman, Gimmy, or don't you recognize my voice?" "Who are you?!" Gimli growled, "Don't disrespect me young one! I could slice your head off in a moment! Watch your accursed mouth! It is Gimli, son of Gloin, to whom you are speaking!" He struggled against his bonds. The girl let go hesitantly. He clamped his hand on her forearm and dragged her into the moonlight yelling, "We'll see who you think you are wee girlie!"
"Owwwww!" she screamed. He threw her unto a grassy, moonlit hill and recovered his ax. "Now let's see," he muttered, "Oh, Anduil!" "Gimmy, that hurt!" She said, rubbing her arm. "Elleena, what are you doing out here? You're not allowed here, not that you've ever been one for rules." Gimli smiled at the girl, who reciprocated the gesture.
Suddenly, Aragorn and Legolas came out of the forest, swords drawn. "What's this?" Aragorn asked skeptically. Legolas remained silent. "Are you friend or foe?" Aragorn inquired, maneuvering himself around so to be able to attack if she gave the wrong answer. Gimli, seeing this, hurriedly said, "Friend, Aragorn, friend!" Aragorn still looked suspiciously at the dark figure. The hood of the elven cloak that she was wearing was taken down with steady hands; she was not afraid. "A woman!" Aragorn exclaimed. "An elf!" Legolas started, shocked.
"Friend. Please," she murmured, "Not so loud. You will be sure to wake up the sleeping animals. There are more than just birds and bees out there, as I'm sure you know." She curtsied. "Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Legolas, son of Thranduil. I am pleased to meet you. Though I was hoping that it wouldn't be like this. And oh, Aragorn, king of Gondor, you will not be able to get to the best attacking spot, because the prince is already standing there."
She and Gimli smiled as one, provoking her to laugh when Legolas moved a stride over to let Aragorn take the position. Her laughter was as tranquil and musical as her voice. "Elessar, I think she is laughing at you." Legolas said while smiling. Aragorn grinned. "The both of us together, I suppose."
"Well, at least you still have a good sense of humor, Elle. I haven't seen you for a long while! Though I can't say that I'm happy to see you out here, lest your father reprimands me. I know for certain that he did not allow you to come this far, especially unsupervised." Gimli looked at Elleena, using her nickname and questioning with his eyes. "Alas, you're right," she said, her smile fading, "My father probably will say that he won't allow me to go out for the rest of my life. Mother will talk to him, he will reconsider, I'll be roaming again, in a week, at most."
"And I suppose you think you should be proud of that? Breaking your father's word at every turn? I must say young lady, that I'm quite ashamed of you. Making your father look so foolish." "I'm sorry Gimmy," she said, bowing her head and speaking in a low, solemn voice, "I'm not trying to disgrace my father, I just can't adapt to the home life that he wants me to live. I'm not proud of my disagreeing with my father, it just happens. Though I do try to agree, sometimes."
"Of course you do," he said patting her hand, "I didn't mean to scold you, but you are an extreme issue, in your father's eyes." Elle sighed, "I'm beginning to think that I will be an issue in my father's eyes forever."
Legolas suddenly spoke up. "I remember where I've heard that name before! You're Elle of The Heights, aren't you?" "Who," she asked, looking confused. Legolas's brow furrowed, "I guess not," he said in a let down voice. Elle smiled. "Oh, don't let me disappoint you, I can be whoever you want me to be, really."(What a whore! Naw! I'm just kidding! Heehee!) He smiled at this.
Aragorn welcomed her back to their camp. When everyone else seemed to be asleep he walked over to her. She had called a couch-like looking cloud down from the skies, and was resting on it. She was coiling a lock of her elbow-length, night-black hair around a forefinger when she noticed him. "Yes?" was the surprised reply. "I was wondering why your hair is not blonde, if you are an elf. The elves at Rivendell have black hair, but that is all I know of. Are you from Rivendell?" Elle was startled by the question.
Aragorn noticed this, as well as the hint of humor in her voice, "I don't live in Rivendell, Aragorn. Never have. But I do have relatives there. I have heard that you have had some relations with my people there also. Unless I am mistaken." "And may I ask who those relations are?" He found himself hanging on her every word. "Why of course you can. As a matter of fact I would like for everyone to know, but they are not awake. As much as I like surprises, I don't like being anyone's. My relatives are-"
There was a crash as numerous deer stampeded through the clearing. The rest of the Fellowship woke up and jumped aside, grabbing what they could before it was trampled by the deer. Gimli looked angrily at the animals who were disturbing his rest," The hunt's on!" He yelled and the deer slowed and stopped, then stampeded back into the forest from which they came.
"Come on your feet! Let's go get them! Elle, you stay here." He spied Elle with a wary look on his face, and the look on her face made him ask this question, "Elle, what's wrong?" She had gone paler than was thought to be the regular color of an elf, and a fearful expression lighted her face. "Gimmy, please don't go after them," she begged, "The deer aren't harming anything, and no one is even hungry. It would be harder to carry the venison, so you would have to try to eat it all. Then, if we did eat it all, we'd be too heavy for traveling. Please Gimmy, please don't."
Gimli sighed, "Elle, did you have something to do with those deer?" "Nope, sorry Gimmy," she said, the look of worry gone from her face and replaced by a smug smile.
Gimli almost let out another sigh, this one of relief. He caught himself in time. Deciding to tarry on elsewhere, he rose and walked into the forest. He walked about half a mile away from the others before it struck him to turn back. He swiveled around and caught a flash of silver from behind a tree.
"Come out, Orc!" He shrieked, and leapt onto the spot. The creature was too fast for him to tackle, but pulling out his ax, he slashed at the dark figure that moved before him. The thing fell with an undignified, "Umph!" He raised his ax for a final blow. It moved quickly and suddenly had him in a headlock with his only help, his ax, buried in the trunk of a tree. "Let me go, creature!" he shouted.
"Wai-" the thing grunted, "Wait!" "A woman! What are you doing out here in the dark and alone?! And how did you learn how to fight like that?" Gimli's shocked voice penetrated the forest animals' low-toned noises. "You won't attack me anymore?" the female's clear and melodic voice inquired, "Or will you?" "No young woman, I will not."
"I'm no woman, Gimmy, or don't you recognize my voice?" "Who are you?!" Gimli growled, "Don't disrespect me young one! I could slice your head off in a moment! Watch your accursed mouth! It is Gimli, son of Gloin, to whom you are speaking!" He struggled against his bonds. The girl let go hesitantly. He clamped his hand on her forearm and dragged her into the moonlight yelling, "We'll see who you think you are wee girlie!"
"Owwwww!" she screamed. He threw her unto a grassy, moonlit hill and recovered his ax. "Now let's see," he muttered, "Oh, Anduil!" "Gimmy, that hurt!" She said, rubbing her arm. "Elleena, what are you doing out here? You're not allowed here, not that you've ever been one for rules." Gimli smiled at the girl, who reciprocated the gesture.
Suddenly, Aragorn and Legolas came out of the forest, swords drawn. "What's this?" Aragorn asked skeptically. Legolas remained silent. "Are you friend or foe?" Aragorn inquired, maneuvering himself around so to be able to attack if she gave the wrong answer. Gimli, seeing this, hurriedly said, "Friend, Aragorn, friend!" Aragorn still looked suspiciously at the dark figure. The hood of the elven cloak that she was wearing was taken down with steady hands; she was not afraid. "A woman!" Aragorn exclaimed. "An elf!" Legolas started, shocked.
"Friend. Please," she murmured, "Not so loud. You will be sure to wake up the sleeping animals. There are more than just birds and bees out there, as I'm sure you know." She curtsied. "Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Legolas, son of Thranduil. I am pleased to meet you. Though I was hoping that it wouldn't be like this. And oh, Aragorn, king of Gondor, you will not be able to get to the best attacking spot, because the prince is already standing there."
She and Gimli smiled as one, provoking her to laugh when Legolas moved a stride over to let Aragorn take the position. Her laughter was as tranquil and musical as her voice. "Elessar, I think she is laughing at you." Legolas said while smiling. Aragorn grinned. "The both of us together, I suppose."
"Well, at least you still have a good sense of humor, Elle. I haven't seen you for a long while! Though I can't say that I'm happy to see you out here, lest your father reprimands me. I know for certain that he did not allow you to come this far, especially unsupervised." Gimli looked at Elleena, using her nickname and questioning with his eyes. "Alas, you're right," she said, her smile fading, "My father probably will say that he won't allow me to go out for the rest of my life. Mother will talk to him, he will reconsider, I'll be roaming again, in a week, at most."
"And I suppose you think you should be proud of that? Breaking your father's word at every turn? I must say young lady, that I'm quite ashamed of you. Making your father look so foolish." "I'm sorry Gimmy," she said, bowing her head and speaking in a low, solemn voice, "I'm not trying to disgrace my father, I just can't adapt to the home life that he wants me to live. I'm not proud of my disagreeing with my father, it just happens. Though I do try to agree, sometimes."
"Of course you do," he said patting her hand, "I didn't mean to scold you, but you are an extreme issue, in your father's eyes." Elle sighed, "I'm beginning to think that I will be an issue in my father's eyes forever."
Legolas suddenly spoke up. "I remember where I've heard that name before! You're Elle of The Heights, aren't you?" "Who," she asked, looking confused. Legolas's brow furrowed, "I guess not," he said in a let down voice. Elle smiled. "Oh, don't let me disappoint you, I can be whoever you want me to be, really."(What a whore! Naw! I'm just kidding! Heehee!) He smiled at this.
Aragorn welcomed her back to their camp. When everyone else seemed to be asleep he walked over to her. She had called a couch-like looking cloud down from the skies, and was resting on it. She was coiling a lock of her elbow-length, night-black hair around a forefinger when she noticed him. "Yes?" was the surprised reply. "I was wondering why your hair is not blonde, if you are an elf. The elves at Rivendell have black hair, but that is all I know of. Are you from Rivendell?" Elle was startled by the question.
Aragorn noticed this, as well as the hint of humor in her voice, "I don't live in Rivendell, Aragorn. Never have. But I do have relatives there. I have heard that you have had some relations with my people there also. Unless I am mistaken." "And may I ask who those relations are?" He found himself hanging on her every word. "Why of course you can. As a matter of fact I would like for everyone to know, but they are not awake. As much as I like surprises, I don't like being anyone's. My relatives are-"
There was a crash as numerous deer stampeded through the clearing. The rest of the Fellowship woke up and jumped aside, grabbing what they could before it was trampled by the deer. Gimli looked angrily at the animals who were disturbing his rest," The hunt's on!" He yelled and the deer slowed and stopped, then stampeded back into the forest from which they came.
"Come on your feet! Let's go get them! Elle, you stay here." He spied Elle with a wary look on his face, and the look on her face made him ask this question, "Elle, what's wrong?" She had gone paler than was thought to be the regular color of an elf, and a fearful expression lighted her face. "Gimmy, please don't go after them," she begged, "The deer aren't harming anything, and no one is even hungry. It would be harder to carry the venison, so you would have to try to eat it all. Then, if we did eat it all, we'd be too heavy for traveling. Please Gimmy, please don't."
Gimli sighed, "Elle, did you have something to do with those deer?" "Nope, sorry Gimmy," she said, the look of worry gone from her face and replaced by a smug smile.