The young woman stared at him through her only functional eye. The other
had swollen shut and was wreathed in black and blue. Her mouth dropped
slightly open. Her lip was also quite swollen and it only opened so far.
"What?" she asked.
"Rohan, milady," Legolas repeated. "The land of the horse lords."
"Well, horses, that's not so bad. I could get used to that," she mused. "But.how? What? Where is this 'Rohan' place? Are we in Kentucky?"
"I think the blow on the head rattled the young lass's brain," Gimli commented.
"Just tell me what in the world is going on!" she pleaded desperately.
"We were traveling to Edoras to aid King Theoden, when we came upon you," Legolas began to explain.
"Wait, Edoras? King? Since when have there been kings?" the lady interrupted.
"If you do not let him finish, you will never know the answer to your first question. Be patient," said Aragorn.
"Patient?! How can I be patient? I'm strolling through the woods on my own property, get knocked on the head, and then wake up in some strange place surrounded by people I don't know. To top it all off, I'm wearing a dress! Who wouldn't be a little paranoid?" She started to hyperventilate slightly.
"Calm down. Relax, we won't harm you. Just be patient, we will answer your questions, you may answer ours, and then we will straighten this situation out," said Aragorn calmly. The girl began to settle down.
"I'm sorry," she said, "please continue."
Legolas looked at her quizzically. He had a strange feeling that this woman had not come from any place known to Middle-Earth.
"When we found you slumped over your horse, it appeared that you had come out of the forest of Fangorn," he went on. "We assumed that you had been attacked, or escaped from an attack of Orcs." At the word 'orc' the girl lifted her eyebrow. Apparently, they also were things she was not familiar with. "You're face was quite bloody, and you were unconscious. Naturally, we took you with us. You were in need of assistance."
"So let me get this straight," the girl said. "I was unconscious and bleeding from the head, but no one bothered to call a doctor?"
Legolas was becoming quite puzzled by all of the strange terms the lady was using.
"Never mind," she said. "So I was unconscious, but still riding did you say? I was still in the saddle?" This thought seemed to trigger something else, and she quickly added, "Where is my horse?"
"He is stabled with the King's horses," said Aragorn, and seeing the worried expression on her face, he added "He is perfectly fine and the stable boys are taking good care of him."
"They better," she muttered under her breath.
"Now, I think that it is our turn to ask questions," Aragorn continued, saying this before the young woman could get another word in. "First and foremost, your name, Milady? We were so kind as to give you ours, so would you please now, grace us with yours."
She glared at them, still trying to decide if it was safe to disclose any information about herself.
"You can just call me CJ for now," she said.
"Sea Jay.is that like a sea gull?" asked Legolas sincerely as he remembered the message that the Lady of the Wood had sent to him before. The girl laughed.
"Sea Jay, Sea Gull, ha! I get it! That's funny! Hehe!" she laughed again. "Actually," she mused, "that's not half bad. Yeah, you can call me Sea Jay if you want." This thought seemed to please her greatly, for she had the slight hint of a smile on her face for some time after.
"Where have you come from, and whither art thou going, Lady Sea Jay?" asked the Elf.
"Well, uh, hmm." she pondered. She didn't seem quite sure how to answer. "I was just going for a ride in the woods back on my farm near Boise," she said. Legolas wondered what kind of place this 'Boise' was, of it had such strange maidens. "I was riding when a storm started up. I remember heading back towards the house when I heard a very loud noise from over head. Like the crack of a whip or something. And then my horse reared and I looked up as a tree branch came barreling down on me. The next thing I know, I'm here and in a dress. I have no idea how I got here. As far as I know this is some horrible prank being pulled at my expense." She stared at them accusingly.
"I assure you, Milady, that this is nothing but real. I am grieved to say, however, that you have come at a most depressing time," Aragorn said. "We are expecting an attack soon, and must depart from this city shortly."
"Attack? What kind of attack? Have we gone to war with Iraq?" the girl called Sea Jay asked.
"Never you mind about that, now," Aragorn replied. "You're still weak and need rest. I suggest you go back to your room and sleep whilst you can."
"Sleep?" she questioned mockingly. "I've been sleeping for who knows how long! If you don't mind, I'd much rather get my old clothes back and see my horse."
Aragorn sighed. "Yes, you would, wouldn't you? Very well then, you may go. Legolas will escort you."
She hobbled to her feet and made a pathetic attempt to walk on her own.
"Escort me? Yeah, right of a cliff, he'll escort me," she mumbled as she slowly inched her way to the doors of the hall.
"Aragorn," Legolas whispered, "you don't mean to take her with us to Helm's Deep?"
"We have no other choice," replied Aragorn. "She is weak. There is no way we could let her off on her own with Saruman's forces moving. She can stay with the other women and children in the fortress. Once she is healed we can take her back to her home, though I know not where that is."
"There is something different about her," Legolas said, glancing at the slightly crippled girl. "I can feel it. It is almost like she is here for a purpose. We may not need to take her anywhere." With this he left and went to her side to help her walk to the stables.
* * * * * * * *
"What?" she asked.
"Rohan, milady," Legolas repeated. "The land of the horse lords."
"Well, horses, that's not so bad. I could get used to that," she mused. "But.how? What? Where is this 'Rohan' place? Are we in Kentucky?"
"I think the blow on the head rattled the young lass's brain," Gimli commented.
"Just tell me what in the world is going on!" she pleaded desperately.
"We were traveling to Edoras to aid King Theoden, when we came upon you," Legolas began to explain.
"Wait, Edoras? King? Since when have there been kings?" the lady interrupted.
"If you do not let him finish, you will never know the answer to your first question. Be patient," said Aragorn.
"Patient?! How can I be patient? I'm strolling through the woods on my own property, get knocked on the head, and then wake up in some strange place surrounded by people I don't know. To top it all off, I'm wearing a dress! Who wouldn't be a little paranoid?" She started to hyperventilate slightly.
"Calm down. Relax, we won't harm you. Just be patient, we will answer your questions, you may answer ours, and then we will straighten this situation out," said Aragorn calmly. The girl began to settle down.
"I'm sorry," she said, "please continue."
Legolas looked at her quizzically. He had a strange feeling that this woman had not come from any place known to Middle-Earth.
"When we found you slumped over your horse, it appeared that you had come out of the forest of Fangorn," he went on. "We assumed that you had been attacked, or escaped from an attack of Orcs." At the word 'orc' the girl lifted her eyebrow. Apparently, they also were things she was not familiar with. "You're face was quite bloody, and you were unconscious. Naturally, we took you with us. You were in need of assistance."
"So let me get this straight," the girl said. "I was unconscious and bleeding from the head, but no one bothered to call a doctor?"
Legolas was becoming quite puzzled by all of the strange terms the lady was using.
"Never mind," she said. "So I was unconscious, but still riding did you say? I was still in the saddle?" This thought seemed to trigger something else, and she quickly added, "Where is my horse?"
"He is stabled with the King's horses," said Aragorn, and seeing the worried expression on her face, he added "He is perfectly fine and the stable boys are taking good care of him."
"They better," she muttered under her breath.
"Now, I think that it is our turn to ask questions," Aragorn continued, saying this before the young woman could get another word in. "First and foremost, your name, Milady? We were so kind as to give you ours, so would you please now, grace us with yours."
She glared at them, still trying to decide if it was safe to disclose any information about herself.
"You can just call me CJ for now," she said.
"Sea Jay.is that like a sea gull?" asked Legolas sincerely as he remembered the message that the Lady of the Wood had sent to him before. The girl laughed.
"Sea Jay, Sea Gull, ha! I get it! That's funny! Hehe!" she laughed again. "Actually," she mused, "that's not half bad. Yeah, you can call me Sea Jay if you want." This thought seemed to please her greatly, for she had the slight hint of a smile on her face for some time after.
"Where have you come from, and whither art thou going, Lady Sea Jay?" asked the Elf.
"Well, uh, hmm." she pondered. She didn't seem quite sure how to answer. "I was just going for a ride in the woods back on my farm near Boise," she said. Legolas wondered what kind of place this 'Boise' was, of it had such strange maidens. "I was riding when a storm started up. I remember heading back towards the house when I heard a very loud noise from over head. Like the crack of a whip or something. And then my horse reared and I looked up as a tree branch came barreling down on me. The next thing I know, I'm here and in a dress. I have no idea how I got here. As far as I know this is some horrible prank being pulled at my expense." She stared at them accusingly.
"I assure you, Milady, that this is nothing but real. I am grieved to say, however, that you have come at a most depressing time," Aragorn said. "We are expecting an attack soon, and must depart from this city shortly."
"Attack? What kind of attack? Have we gone to war with Iraq?" the girl called Sea Jay asked.
"Never you mind about that, now," Aragorn replied. "You're still weak and need rest. I suggest you go back to your room and sleep whilst you can."
"Sleep?" she questioned mockingly. "I've been sleeping for who knows how long! If you don't mind, I'd much rather get my old clothes back and see my horse."
Aragorn sighed. "Yes, you would, wouldn't you? Very well then, you may go. Legolas will escort you."
She hobbled to her feet and made a pathetic attempt to walk on her own.
"Escort me? Yeah, right of a cliff, he'll escort me," she mumbled as she slowly inched her way to the doors of the hall.
"Aragorn," Legolas whispered, "you don't mean to take her with us to Helm's Deep?"
"We have no other choice," replied Aragorn. "She is weak. There is no way we could let her off on her own with Saruman's forces moving. She can stay with the other women and children in the fortress. Once she is healed we can take her back to her home, though I know not where that is."
"There is something different about her," Legolas said, glancing at the slightly crippled girl. "I can feel it. It is almost like she is here for a purpose. We may not need to take her anywhere." With this he left and went to her side to help her walk to the stables.
* * * * * * * *