A/N- I have never had a hangover. thankfully, but more than luckily, and so
I am just interpreting the symptoms. sorry if they are wrong and this
somehow offends you. . . if so, o_o"
SECOND A/N- When I say thong, I don't mean the kind of thong as in the underwear category, I mean it as in a thin piece of leather used to tie or bind hair.. so, you know.. before you even go there, don't
THANK YOUS-
dizzy_izzy, that's right, that's all. no-one else reviewed last chapter, and so in pure indignance (plus the fact that I've been busy and sick) I've waited three whole days to write another chapter. . . so nyah!
She woke up at dawn the next morning, feeling groggy. Leiya rolled over and snuggled back into her flimsy blanket, but realising that it must be at least 6:25 A.M already, she sat up bolt upright in bed and realised, to her dismay, that her head was pounding incessantly. Standing up, she felt the full force of her hangover, she was dizzy, weak, she could barely even see past eyes that were glued together with sleep, and she really.. REALLY needed to find the nearest.. facility.
Once she had returned from the bathroom and dressed in warm clothes, she checked her reflection in the full-length mirror she had been given and noticed with dismay that she was pasty white. Her eyes widened but she made no exclamation, praying that her face would not dismay her fear and worries about this journey, even if it was under false circumstances. She took a sip of the fresh water she had taken to bed the night before, while rummaging through her things to find her armour. Finding it, she ripped off the corset part and shoved it on over her travelling clothes.
Her armour had been made especially for her and was her most prized possession. The corset part looked deceptively thin and was pure white but for the combined crests it bore. This was what made it so special, so particular to her. Three leaves signifying Rivendell were displayed proudly in the centre, and flanking it were the two rose leaves that represented her birth-place of Mirkwood. It had been presented to her for her outstanding bravery in the battles long passed, in place of a medal or plaque to pay homage to her deeds. Collecting up her bag of necessary items in which, the night before, she had placed light and airy clothes, light shoes, fifteen skins of water, a length of rope, a comb and a spare piece of thong, she descended the flight of steps taking her out of the last homely house and near to the main road out of Rivendell. Elrond Halfelven was standing tall, proud and.. annoyed.
Mentally counting heads, she found but eight members of the nine, indeed, she had to ask herself, would she ever have the chance of seeing the entire fellowship together? Reproaching herself for her bad mental joke, she whispered aside to Pippin;
"Who is missing?" Pippin smiled rapturously,
"Gandalf!" He answered gleefully. Leiya laughed as she was greeted with a mental image of Gandalf turning himself into a newt, which she willingly shared with the Hobbits, graphically and exaggeratedly. Thus causing five voices to ring in laughter. Wait.. five? Last she had checked, there were four Hobbits. Turning her head sharply she encountered a tall, slim elf with long blonde plaited hair and an angled face with a broad nose. His handsomeness as much as his sudden presence startled her and she could no nothing for a moment as her heart faltered but say in a weak voice
"Hi?" He did not miss the underlying question
"Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood at your service" He introduced himself. Leiya's eyes widened, for a moment she had forgotten the calibre of the people joining her on her journey. Dropping into the half bow, half curtsey she had been taught to use before such royalty she addressed his knees
"Highness" She told them respectfully. Legolas laughed and she stood straight again, this time with the stiffness of a tree. It was rude to slouch in the presence of a prince.
"Goodness!" Legolas exclaimed, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "If this is your reaction to a mere prince, how far will you bend when Aragorn walks by? And what of Borromir, he holds the throne of Gondor, though it is not rightfully his. Now Miss Tanner, I have a feeling that I should become very annoyed if I were to be addressed as 'highness' throughout the duration of this trip. We all will, to my expectation that is, this issue aside the question which must also be raised is; with you walking like a tree how are we to get anywhere?"
"Ah but sire, even trees must bow at appropriate moments" She answered. Legolas gave a single nod
"I am certain we will meet more royalty on the way" He said "All of whom will be only too happy to be bowed to on their first meeting. I only hope we none of us will bow to the ring or to the enemy" At this his face and voice grew dark. He forcefully broke his reverie, perhaps fearing to carry his thought too far. To distract himself from thinking on failure he checked over the guardian of the fellowship. Disregarding the troubled look in her eyes he saw something that both interested and amazed him
"It seems that this tree has in fact sprung from an acorn in the forests or Mirkwood!" He exclaimed proudly as he stared pointedly at her corset, "How finds you my beauteous kingdom? When last did you visit?"
"I returned from a visit just yesterday evening" She said, grimacing slightly at the betrayal she felt with those words.
"There is something to this visit that I do not know about" Legolas perceived "Was your stay in my kingdom unsatisfactory, miss Tanner?"
"Not unsatisfactory, highness, but unsatisfactorily short, and please call me Leiya"
"If you call me Legolas" He answered kindly, and soon they were immersed in a conversation about the goings-on in Middle Earth.
Over half an hour later, Gandalf finally arrived carrying a small bundle and with one hand behind his back. Noting Elrond's eyebrows, which were even more acute than usual, he hastened to account for his actions
"I was up early when upon taking my usual stroll some inkling came to me to stray from my aimless path and visit the front door of the last homely house. While there as I watched the sun rise in the East I perceived a small figure ascending the slope towards me. I went to help this figure and found it to be a young elf , badly wounded and very fatigued. I stayed with him while he rested, for he did not need much rest and awaited his awakening. On this occasion, only an hour and fifteen minutes later, all he said to me was 'I want to speak with Auntie Leiya' So I obligingly brought him here. This is the reason for my tardiness" He stated, bringing forth the boy from behind his back. Leiya's eyes widened as she saw him
"Wraith!" She exclaimed feeling a mixture of both happiness and sadness
"Auntie Leiya" Wraith said, sounding melancholy "You never said goodbye" Tears in her eyes, Leiya wrapped the boy in a hug
"I never got the chance" She answered sadly "I never got the chance" Elrond looked guilty. Wraith started speaking again
"You have to come back, Leiya, Mother is sick and Caelen dead. Arianna is constantly crying. Father is set to return from a business trip tomorrow but I fear we will all be dead by then" Leiya could find no words with which to answer or even express the heavy feeling that weighed down her heart and made speech a clumsy thing and her tongue an obstacle.
"What is this sickness that brings tears to the eyes of kings?" Asked Aragorn huskily, evidently suppressing his emotions, trying not to cry.
"It is a disease that runs rampant through Mirkwood, all over the land people are dying. It covers its victims in black spots and appears to be very contagious, no doctor yet can cure it or even confine it" Wraith answered. Legolas looked panicked
"I must return" He said, feeling like a hand had clenched over his heart and was clenching and unclenching relentlessly.
"Legolas" said Leiya heavily "There is nothing you can do, it seems beyond the power of any man, whether mortal, dwarf or even elf, to cure this sickness. The doctors of Mirkwood are the best that I have ever encountered and if it is out of their hands, your people can be saved by no man"
"No man" Aragorn said thoughtfully "No man, no man, no. man" he repeated, reiterating the problem over and over, before a look of enlightenment graced his worn features
"No man" He repeated yet again, as if finding some wonderful new meaning in these two words "But perhaps a woman" At this he stared pointedly at Elrond, confusing everybody assembled but Elrond and Gandalf, the latter smiled secretly
"NO" Stated Elrond
"Arwen is their only hope" Aragorn protested
"She must journey to the undying lands" Answered Elrond protectively
"She does not want to journey to undying lands" Answered Aragorn defiantly. Elrond visibly bit back a remark about who was at fault for this.
"Nevertheless she will" He countered instead.
"Well she can make this short journey beforehand" Aragorn answered, anger flashing through his eyes
"She has no protection" Answered Elrond. Here Wraith interjected
"I can protect her! I can protect this Arwen who is to be the saviour of Mirkwood"
"I AM NOT HAVING MY DAUGHTER PROTECTED BY A CHILD!!!"
"I am no child" answered Wraith "See these halflings? They are small, Gimli too, but all five have great intelligence, they are no children, both by age and mental prowess. So I am only eleven years of age, My birthday is in May, even if that doesn't immediately make me an adult by my years, I am not at fault for this, and I am strong and smart, I have courage and heart, and I have all the intellect and skill required. I never let anger cloud my judgement! Don't let it cloud yours!" The speech was shocking and shockingly truthful. Elrond was taken aback by his words.
"You are right little elf" He answered " I have been wrong to judge you so, can you forgive me?" He asked. "And Leiya" He continued, having received a solemn nod from Wraith "Can you vouch for him? And Gimli?" He received an affirmative from both. "Legolas?" He asked "Do you mind?" In truth, he didn't even need an answer, Legolas was looking both relieved and astounded at the same time. He nodded anyway though. "Then you have my full leave to part with my daughter, Arwen Halfelven, on your quest to save Mirkwood from the incurable disease." Wraith smiled.
"Protect my people" Legolas said sadly, bending down "I know you are the right person to deliver them from this disease, it seems fate has a sense of humour." With these last words he embraced Wraith and told him where he would likely find Arwen.
"And so" said Frodo sadly "This is the beginning of our quest, not quite the good spirits I had hoped for"
"No Mr. Frodo, sir" Answered Sam "But better company that any of us had dreamed of" He pointed out. Frodo smiled sadly
"Yes, that much is true, but I wonder what other tribulations we will come across on our long road to victory? I wonder indeed"
____________________________________________________________________________ _
Please review, even if you don't like the chapter or the story. PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!
SECOND A/N- When I say thong, I don't mean the kind of thong as in the underwear category, I mean it as in a thin piece of leather used to tie or bind hair.. so, you know.. before you even go there, don't
THANK YOUS-
dizzy_izzy, that's right, that's all. no-one else reviewed last chapter, and so in pure indignance (plus the fact that I've been busy and sick) I've waited three whole days to write another chapter. . . so nyah!
She woke up at dawn the next morning, feeling groggy. Leiya rolled over and snuggled back into her flimsy blanket, but realising that it must be at least 6:25 A.M already, she sat up bolt upright in bed and realised, to her dismay, that her head was pounding incessantly. Standing up, she felt the full force of her hangover, she was dizzy, weak, she could barely even see past eyes that were glued together with sleep, and she really.. REALLY needed to find the nearest.. facility.
Once she had returned from the bathroom and dressed in warm clothes, she checked her reflection in the full-length mirror she had been given and noticed with dismay that she was pasty white. Her eyes widened but she made no exclamation, praying that her face would not dismay her fear and worries about this journey, even if it was under false circumstances. She took a sip of the fresh water she had taken to bed the night before, while rummaging through her things to find her armour. Finding it, she ripped off the corset part and shoved it on over her travelling clothes.
Her armour had been made especially for her and was her most prized possession. The corset part looked deceptively thin and was pure white but for the combined crests it bore. This was what made it so special, so particular to her. Three leaves signifying Rivendell were displayed proudly in the centre, and flanking it were the two rose leaves that represented her birth-place of Mirkwood. It had been presented to her for her outstanding bravery in the battles long passed, in place of a medal or plaque to pay homage to her deeds. Collecting up her bag of necessary items in which, the night before, she had placed light and airy clothes, light shoes, fifteen skins of water, a length of rope, a comb and a spare piece of thong, she descended the flight of steps taking her out of the last homely house and near to the main road out of Rivendell. Elrond Halfelven was standing tall, proud and.. annoyed.
Mentally counting heads, she found but eight members of the nine, indeed, she had to ask herself, would she ever have the chance of seeing the entire fellowship together? Reproaching herself for her bad mental joke, she whispered aside to Pippin;
"Who is missing?" Pippin smiled rapturously,
"Gandalf!" He answered gleefully. Leiya laughed as she was greeted with a mental image of Gandalf turning himself into a newt, which she willingly shared with the Hobbits, graphically and exaggeratedly. Thus causing five voices to ring in laughter. Wait.. five? Last she had checked, there were four Hobbits. Turning her head sharply she encountered a tall, slim elf with long blonde plaited hair and an angled face with a broad nose. His handsomeness as much as his sudden presence startled her and she could no nothing for a moment as her heart faltered but say in a weak voice
"Hi?" He did not miss the underlying question
"Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood at your service" He introduced himself. Leiya's eyes widened, for a moment she had forgotten the calibre of the people joining her on her journey. Dropping into the half bow, half curtsey she had been taught to use before such royalty she addressed his knees
"Highness" She told them respectfully. Legolas laughed and she stood straight again, this time with the stiffness of a tree. It was rude to slouch in the presence of a prince.
"Goodness!" Legolas exclaimed, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "If this is your reaction to a mere prince, how far will you bend when Aragorn walks by? And what of Borromir, he holds the throne of Gondor, though it is not rightfully his. Now Miss Tanner, I have a feeling that I should become very annoyed if I were to be addressed as 'highness' throughout the duration of this trip. We all will, to my expectation that is, this issue aside the question which must also be raised is; with you walking like a tree how are we to get anywhere?"
"Ah but sire, even trees must bow at appropriate moments" She answered. Legolas gave a single nod
"I am certain we will meet more royalty on the way" He said "All of whom will be only too happy to be bowed to on their first meeting. I only hope we none of us will bow to the ring or to the enemy" At this his face and voice grew dark. He forcefully broke his reverie, perhaps fearing to carry his thought too far. To distract himself from thinking on failure he checked over the guardian of the fellowship. Disregarding the troubled look in her eyes he saw something that both interested and amazed him
"It seems that this tree has in fact sprung from an acorn in the forests or Mirkwood!" He exclaimed proudly as he stared pointedly at her corset, "How finds you my beauteous kingdom? When last did you visit?"
"I returned from a visit just yesterday evening" She said, grimacing slightly at the betrayal she felt with those words.
"There is something to this visit that I do not know about" Legolas perceived "Was your stay in my kingdom unsatisfactory, miss Tanner?"
"Not unsatisfactory, highness, but unsatisfactorily short, and please call me Leiya"
"If you call me Legolas" He answered kindly, and soon they were immersed in a conversation about the goings-on in Middle Earth.
Over half an hour later, Gandalf finally arrived carrying a small bundle and with one hand behind his back. Noting Elrond's eyebrows, which were even more acute than usual, he hastened to account for his actions
"I was up early when upon taking my usual stroll some inkling came to me to stray from my aimless path and visit the front door of the last homely house. While there as I watched the sun rise in the East I perceived a small figure ascending the slope towards me. I went to help this figure and found it to be a young elf , badly wounded and very fatigued. I stayed with him while he rested, for he did not need much rest and awaited his awakening. On this occasion, only an hour and fifteen minutes later, all he said to me was 'I want to speak with Auntie Leiya' So I obligingly brought him here. This is the reason for my tardiness" He stated, bringing forth the boy from behind his back. Leiya's eyes widened as she saw him
"Wraith!" She exclaimed feeling a mixture of both happiness and sadness
"Auntie Leiya" Wraith said, sounding melancholy "You never said goodbye" Tears in her eyes, Leiya wrapped the boy in a hug
"I never got the chance" She answered sadly "I never got the chance" Elrond looked guilty. Wraith started speaking again
"You have to come back, Leiya, Mother is sick and Caelen dead. Arianna is constantly crying. Father is set to return from a business trip tomorrow but I fear we will all be dead by then" Leiya could find no words with which to answer or even express the heavy feeling that weighed down her heart and made speech a clumsy thing and her tongue an obstacle.
"What is this sickness that brings tears to the eyes of kings?" Asked Aragorn huskily, evidently suppressing his emotions, trying not to cry.
"It is a disease that runs rampant through Mirkwood, all over the land people are dying. It covers its victims in black spots and appears to be very contagious, no doctor yet can cure it or even confine it" Wraith answered. Legolas looked panicked
"I must return" He said, feeling like a hand had clenched over his heart and was clenching and unclenching relentlessly.
"Legolas" said Leiya heavily "There is nothing you can do, it seems beyond the power of any man, whether mortal, dwarf or even elf, to cure this sickness. The doctors of Mirkwood are the best that I have ever encountered and if it is out of their hands, your people can be saved by no man"
"No man" Aragorn said thoughtfully "No man, no man, no. man" he repeated, reiterating the problem over and over, before a look of enlightenment graced his worn features
"No man" He repeated yet again, as if finding some wonderful new meaning in these two words "But perhaps a woman" At this he stared pointedly at Elrond, confusing everybody assembled but Elrond and Gandalf, the latter smiled secretly
"NO" Stated Elrond
"Arwen is their only hope" Aragorn protested
"She must journey to the undying lands" Answered Elrond protectively
"She does not want to journey to undying lands" Answered Aragorn defiantly. Elrond visibly bit back a remark about who was at fault for this.
"Nevertheless she will" He countered instead.
"Well she can make this short journey beforehand" Aragorn answered, anger flashing through his eyes
"She has no protection" Answered Elrond. Here Wraith interjected
"I can protect her! I can protect this Arwen who is to be the saviour of Mirkwood"
"I AM NOT HAVING MY DAUGHTER PROTECTED BY A CHILD!!!"
"I am no child" answered Wraith "See these halflings? They are small, Gimli too, but all five have great intelligence, they are no children, both by age and mental prowess. So I am only eleven years of age, My birthday is in May, even if that doesn't immediately make me an adult by my years, I am not at fault for this, and I am strong and smart, I have courage and heart, and I have all the intellect and skill required. I never let anger cloud my judgement! Don't let it cloud yours!" The speech was shocking and shockingly truthful. Elrond was taken aback by his words.
"You are right little elf" He answered " I have been wrong to judge you so, can you forgive me?" He asked. "And Leiya" He continued, having received a solemn nod from Wraith "Can you vouch for him? And Gimli?" He received an affirmative from both. "Legolas?" He asked "Do you mind?" In truth, he didn't even need an answer, Legolas was looking both relieved and astounded at the same time. He nodded anyway though. "Then you have my full leave to part with my daughter, Arwen Halfelven, on your quest to save Mirkwood from the incurable disease." Wraith smiled.
"Protect my people" Legolas said sadly, bending down "I know you are the right person to deliver them from this disease, it seems fate has a sense of humour." With these last words he embraced Wraith and told him where he would likely find Arwen.
"And so" said Frodo sadly "This is the beginning of our quest, not quite the good spirits I had hoped for"
"No Mr. Frodo, sir" Answered Sam "But better company that any of us had dreamed of" He pointed out. Frodo smiled sadly
"Yes, that much is true, but I wonder what other tribulations we will come across on our long road to victory? I wonder indeed"
____________________________________________________________________________ _
Please review, even if you don't like the chapter or the story. PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!