Disclaimer: I own no characters in this story besides Rhyline
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elrohir and Rhyline sat in the Great Hall, eating their breakfast. "What's happening on the veranda?"
"Why do you ask?" Elrohir inquired, gazing at her curiously.
"I don't know. I guess I've grown fond of that spot. It's a beautiful place."
"I don't know what's happening out on the veranda. But. I believe it is to discuss the Ring of Power."
Rhyline blinked. "The what?"
Elrohir cocked an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you don't know about the Ring of Power, child."
"No, of course I know about the Ring of Power. Only, if it's here, I think I missed something important."
Elrohir laughed. "You did. Frodo Baggins, a hobbit from the Shire, inherited the Ring of Power from Bilbo Baggins. He has journeyed to bring it here. They are meeting to decide how to treat such an artifact. That is all I know."
"So we have nothing to do but wait for the sun to rise 'till noon and then descend until dusk? And to hope that sometime during this we will hear from an informer from this council?"
"Yes." Elrohir sighed.
So they waited for news from the debaters in the Council of Elrond.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"You said you weren't going to leave me." Rhyline said, voice monotone.
The council was over, and Legolas had bid Rhyline to come speak with him in their room.
"I have no choice."
"Yes you do! Tell Lord Elrond that you have family, a daughter to take care of! You can't leave me alone, to wander aimlessly for the rest of my days!"
Legolas sighed. "Rhyline, you're overreacting."
"No, I'm not! What am I supposed to do? Just wait here for you to return? And what if you never do?" she demanded.
Legolas smiled at his daughter. Sometimes she could be mature, sometimes she still acted like a child. She had grown a lot during the last few days, he could easily tell. Sometimes, though, her old attitude resurfaced. "First of all, I will come back. And, if for some reason I don't, in three months you will be sixteen, and you will take care of yourself. For now, though, I asked Elladan if he and his brother would watch over you, and he agreed."
Rhyline sighed. "There's nothing I can do to change your mind?"
Legolas put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "No. I will go, and you will be fine here. I know you, you're strong." And he kissed her forehead.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I cannot believe you, Elladan!"
Confusion filled the older Elf's face. "What have I done?"
"You know what you did! If you hadn't told him you'd watch over me, he would stay here with me!" Rhyline shrieked.
"What was I supposed to do, Rhyline? Refuse the Prince of Mirkwood?" Elladan said in his defense.
"Yes! I thought you were my friend, Elladan! You know how much my father means to me, yet you tell him to go and leave me? I don't need a friend like you!" and she moved to shove past him, but he gripped her shoulder and didn't let her move.
"I'm going to believe that you don't have your senses, and are speaking from shock." Elladan said slowly, as if he were speaking to a lunatic.
"You're hurting me." Rhyline hissed. Elladan eased his grip on her shoulder, but still held on.
"You may not feel like you need companions, Rhyline, but everyone else knows you do. Despite your words, I will remain your friend, and I will watch over you when your father is gone. And I promise you, he will come back." Rhyline looked at him, and all traces of anger and frustration left her face.
"I'll hold you at your word." And Elladan nodded in agreement.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elrohir and Rhyline sat in the Great Hall, eating their breakfast. "What's happening on the veranda?"
"Why do you ask?" Elrohir inquired, gazing at her curiously.
"I don't know. I guess I've grown fond of that spot. It's a beautiful place."
"I don't know what's happening out on the veranda. But. I believe it is to discuss the Ring of Power."
Rhyline blinked. "The what?"
Elrohir cocked an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you don't know about the Ring of Power, child."
"No, of course I know about the Ring of Power. Only, if it's here, I think I missed something important."
Elrohir laughed. "You did. Frodo Baggins, a hobbit from the Shire, inherited the Ring of Power from Bilbo Baggins. He has journeyed to bring it here. They are meeting to decide how to treat such an artifact. That is all I know."
"So we have nothing to do but wait for the sun to rise 'till noon and then descend until dusk? And to hope that sometime during this we will hear from an informer from this council?"
"Yes." Elrohir sighed.
So they waited for news from the debaters in the Council of Elrond.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"You said you weren't going to leave me." Rhyline said, voice monotone.
The council was over, and Legolas had bid Rhyline to come speak with him in their room.
"I have no choice."
"Yes you do! Tell Lord Elrond that you have family, a daughter to take care of! You can't leave me alone, to wander aimlessly for the rest of my days!"
Legolas sighed. "Rhyline, you're overreacting."
"No, I'm not! What am I supposed to do? Just wait here for you to return? And what if you never do?" she demanded.
Legolas smiled at his daughter. Sometimes she could be mature, sometimes she still acted like a child. She had grown a lot during the last few days, he could easily tell. Sometimes, though, her old attitude resurfaced. "First of all, I will come back. And, if for some reason I don't, in three months you will be sixteen, and you will take care of yourself. For now, though, I asked Elladan if he and his brother would watch over you, and he agreed."
Rhyline sighed. "There's nothing I can do to change your mind?"
Legolas put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "No. I will go, and you will be fine here. I know you, you're strong." And he kissed her forehead.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I cannot believe you, Elladan!"
Confusion filled the older Elf's face. "What have I done?"
"You know what you did! If you hadn't told him you'd watch over me, he would stay here with me!" Rhyline shrieked.
"What was I supposed to do, Rhyline? Refuse the Prince of Mirkwood?" Elladan said in his defense.
"Yes! I thought you were my friend, Elladan! You know how much my father means to me, yet you tell him to go and leave me? I don't need a friend like you!" and she moved to shove past him, but he gripped her shoulder and didn't let her move.
"I'm going to believe that you don't have your senses, and are speaking from shock." Elladan said slowly, as if he were speaking to a lunatic.
"You're hurting me." Rhyline hissed. Elladan eased his grip on her shoulder, but still held on.
"You may not feel like you need companions, Rhyline, but everyone else knows you do. Despite your words, I will remain your friend, and I will watch over you when your father is gone. And I promise you, he will come back." Rhyline looked at him, and all traces of anger and frustration left her face.
"I'll hold you at your word." And Elladan nodded in agreement.