***
When they entered the dining hallway, they all gasped at the magnificent site. The three tables were piled high with delicious looking food. Everyone in the entire house seemed to be there, and they might well have been. Many tall candles were lit, illuminating the beautiful designs on the wall. They sat down quickly near the middle of the left-most table, and Jackie was thrilled to be sitting next to Legolas again.
Soon after they sat down, the feasting began. The food was defiantly the best food they had eaten ever, even compared to the food they had eaten before in Rivendell. Jackie began to wonder why, though. Did they just have feasts for no reason?
She turned to Legolas at her left side. "What is the feast celebrating?" she asked.
"Why the recovery of the young Mr. Baggins, of course," he answered.
"Who?" Jackie asked, confused.
"Over there." He pointed to a brown curly-haired hobbit. She recognized him as the one that the elves had carried in a few days back.
"What happened to him?" she asked.
"He was struck by a ringwraith- a thing that wants the ring," he explained, "on his way here." Legolas then went on explaining a little more about the ring, how it was forged, and about Sauron. Jackie was not the only one who was listening, Jenny and Andrea had stopped eating to listen also. Alex, however, continued eating and a great speed.
"So Sauron will exist, as long as the ring does?" Jackie asked. "Wow, that's one dangerous piece of jewelry."
"It is," said Legolas gravely.
The feast went on. Jackie noticed Alex staring at the elf maiden who was sitting near Elrond.
"Who's that?" she asked, indicating the elf woman to Legolas.
"That is Arwen, the daughter of Elrond. And beside her is Aragorn son of Arathorn."
"Well I think Alex seems to like her," Jackie said matter-of-factly.
Legolas laughed. Jackie noticed that he looked particularly handsome as he smiled, and she dropped her fork with a sudden clang.
"He will have to take it up with Aragorn," he said.
"Don't give him any ideas," Jackie warned. "He's not too bright."
***
Suddenly, after everyone had had their fill of food and drink, (except for maybe Alex) Elrond and Arwen stood up, and led the guests into another room. Jackie found herself walking beside Legolas. She was beginning to like this elf, very much.
"We are going to the Hall of Fire," he said to her. "In here we will have a sort of party, with songs and stories."
"What kinds of stories?" Jackie asked curiously.
"Of days of old, tales of the elven ancestors and great battles that took place many a year ago. The fire always burns in this hallway."
As she walked into the room, Jackie was amazed yet again at the beauty of the Last Homely House. A large fire was burning, illuminating the paintings and carvings on the wall. Sweet, melodious voices from all different corners of the room were singing enchanting songs. As she looked at Legolas, she saw the red and yellow from the fire was turning his blond hair into a blaze. His face was smooth and shadowed, the light playing off of it.
She found Jenny, who raised an eyebrow when she saw her. Alex, gnawing on a turkey leg, came following Andrea. He was still captivated by Lady Arwen. 'She is very beautiful,' Jackie thought. 'Even for an elf. But Legolas is by far the most handsome elf.'
Jackie chatted with her friends for a while, about the different people in the room, and also about home. She felt a slight ache in her stomach of homesickness.
She sighed and stretched lazily. She checked her watch, it was midnight. She wandered alone around the room, marveling at the beautiful sounds that were filling it, and the beautiful creatures that were creating them. She found Legolas standing in a circle of people around one of the hobbits she had learned about. This one seemed older, perhaps he was the father of the other hobbits? She could not tell. He began to chant:
Earendil was a mariner That tarried in Arvenien; He built a boat of timber felled In Nimberethil to journey in.
And continued, ending with
.for ever still a herald on the errand that should never rest to bear his shining lamp afar, the Flammifer of Westernesse.
She clapped enthusiastically when it was over, Legolas clapping next to her. The verses were very good. 'The hobbit has talent,' she thought. 'That was wonderful!' She yawned as the crowd around the hobbit dispersed. She found Andrea, and together they went up to their rooms. Jenny and Alex wanted to stay a little longer and 'party'.
When she got into her room, Jackie collapsed onto her bed. The party was exhilarating, yet exhausting. She closed her eyes and fell into a light and feeble sleep.
***
She woke up suddenly. When she looked at her watch, she saw that it was 3:00. As much as she tried to go back to sleep, she just couldn't. She tossed and turned before finally getting up and looking out the window. The full moon was bright, casting a silver glow on the gray trees and clear, sparkling water below. She decided to go and take a walk.
Jackie creaked open the door slowly. No one was out. She tiptoed out, and shut the door. Then she walked quietly down the steps.
She slowly walked through the open porches and verandas around the House. 'It's so beautiful,' she thought. 'And even more beautiful at night.' The party seemed to have ended; there was no noise coming from the Hall of Fire. She stopped at a balcony over the river, and looked down into it. She could see black fishes swimming about in it. She looked up into the cloudless night. The stars were like diamonds against a black velvet backdrop. Even growing up in the country, where the stars shown bright on a clear night, she had never seen a sky this beautiful.
"It is a beautiful night, isn't it?" a smooth voice said suddenly.
Jackie jumped a mile. Who the hell.
Legolas. He smiled broadly at her. "Sorry if I made you jump."
"It-it's okay. I just wasn't expecting anyone."
"Neither was I. Do you mind if I join you?" he asked. Jackie shrugged and he perched himself lightly on the balcony railing.
"Where I live, it's nothing like this. I mean, it's pretty and everything, but the stars don't shine nearly this bright."
"What's it like where you come from?"
She wasn't sure how to answer this. It was so different in so many ways. "Well," she began, "it's much faster. People are so busy that I guess they don't really get a chance to look at the sky much. And-and there's less trees, they've all been cut down by developers and other people."
"Pataskala indeed is a very strange name for a land."
Jackie laughed at this. Apparently the elves did find them as fascinating as they found them. 'No,' she thought, 'I think I'm still much more intrigued by them.'
"Do you live here?" she asked.
"No," he answered, looking off into the east. "I reside in Mirkwood Forest. I am, I fact, Legolas Greenleaf, the Elf Prince of Mirkwood."
"You're a prince?!" Jackie exclaimed in disbelief. "Wow! Well what are you doing here?"
"I came to stay with Elrond when I heard of the strange events that were taking place. I am also going to the council tomorrow."
"Isn't it dangerous to be here, with the ring here too?" she asked doubtfully. It seemed risky to keep something so dangerous here for so long.
"The elves have powers against dark forces. That does not mean the ring can stay here forever," he said, "But it will buy time. Elrond is one of the most powerful elves in all of Middle Earth."
Suddenly they both turned as they heard a figure come out of the House, in the direction of the Hall of Fire. Jackie stared in disbelief as she realized it was Alex.
"Alex?" she asked. "What are you doing here? You should go to bed!"
But he did not answer her. He walked with his eyes half closed, muttering. He was sleepwalking! Jackie couldn't believe it. He almost made it to one of the staircases, but at the last moment slumped over and fell against the wall, snoring loudly.
Jackie looked at Legolas and they burst out laughing. Someone had obviously had a little too much partying. She noticed how when Legolas laughed, his cool blue eyes danced and shone in the light of the moon. Suddenly he jumped down off of the balcony and took her hand, facing her.
"You are very beautiful, Lady Jackie of Pataskala."
She felt herself blush furiously. She had certainly not expected that! She couldn't think of a response and she stood there speechless, staring into his eyes. Finally, she got herself together.
"Thank you," she murmured softly. He gave her one last grin, and with that he was off, quieter than a cat. She looked after him as he disappeared into the shadows. 'Did he mean what he just said?' she wondered. She sighed and took one last look at the stars before waking up a very confused Alex and leading him to his room.
***
When they entered the dining hallway, they all gasped at the magnificent site. The three tables were piled high with delicious looking food. Everyone in the entire house seemed to be there, and they might well have been. Many tall candles were lit, illuminating the beautiful designs on the wall. They sat down quickly near the middle of the left-most table, and Jackie was thrilled to be sitting next to Legolas again.
Soon after they sat down, the feasting began. The food was defiantly the best food they had eaten ever, even compared to the food they had eaten before in Rivendell. Jackie began to wonder why, though. Did they just have feasts for no reason?
She turned to Legolas at her left side. "What is the feast celebrating?" she asked.
"Why the recovery of the young Mr. Baggins, of course," he answered.
"Who?" Jackie asked, confused.
"Over there." He pointed to a brown curly-haired hobbit. She recognized him as the one that the elves had carried in a few days back.
"What happened to him?" she asked.
"He was struck by a ringwraith- a thing that wants the ring," he explained, "on his way here." Legolas then went on explaining a little more about the ring, how it was forged, and about Sauron. Jackie was not the only one who was listening, Jenny and Andrea had stopped eating to listen also. Alex, however, continued eating and a great speed.
"So Sauron will exist, as long as the ring does?" Jackie asked. "Wow, that's one dangerous piece of jewelry."
"It is," said Legolas gravely.
The feast went on. Jackie noticed Alex staring at the elf maiden who was sitting near Elrond.
"Who's that?" she asked, indicating the elf woman to Legolas.
"That is Arwen, the daughter of Elrond. And beside her is Aragorn son of Arathorn."
"Well I think Alex seems to like her," Jackie said matter-of-factly.
Legolas laughed. Jackie noticed that he looked particularly handsome as he smiled, and she dropped her fork with a sudden clang.
"He will have to take it up with Aragorn," he said.
"Don't give him any ideas," Jackie warned. "He's not too bright."
***
Suddenly, after everyone had had their fill of food and drink, (except for maybe Alex) Elrond and Arwen stood up, and led the guests into another room. Jackie found herself walking beside Legolas. She was beginning to like this elf, very much.
"We are going to the Hall of Fire," he said to her. "In here we will have a sort of party, with songs and stories."
"What kinds of stories?" Jackie asked curiously.
"Of days of old, tales of the elven ancestors and great battles that took place many a year ago. The fire always burns in this hallway."
As she walked into the room, Jackie was amazed yet again at the beauty of the Last Homely House. A large fire was burning, illuminating the paintings and carvings on the wall. Sweet, melodious voices from all different corners of the room were singing enchanting songs. As she looked at Legolas, she saw the red and yellow from the fire was turning his blond hair into a blaze. His face was smooth and shadowed, the light playing off of it.
She found Jenny, who raised an eyebrow when she saw her. Alex, gnawing on a turkey leg, came following Andrea. He was still captivated by Lady Arwen. 'She is very beautiful,' Jackie thought. 'Even for an elf. But Legolas is by far the most handsome elf.'
Jackie chatted with her friends for a while, about the different people in the room, and also about home. She felt a slight ache in her stomach of homesickness.
She sighed and stretched lazily. She checked her watch, it was midnight. She wandered alone around the room, marveling at the beautiful sounds that were filling it, and the beautiful creatures that were creating them. She found Legolas standing in a circle of people around one of the hobbits she had learned about. This one seemed older, perhaps he was the father of the other hobbits? She could not tell. He began to chant:
Earendil was a mariner That tarried in Arvenien; He built a boat of timber felled In Nimberethil to journey in.
And continued, ending with
.for ever still a herald on the errand that should never rest to bear his shining lamp afar, the Flammifer of Westernesse.
She clapped enthusiastically when it was over, Legolas clapping next to her. The verses were very good. 'The hobbit has talent,' she thought. 'That was wonderful!' She yawned as the crowd around the hobbit dispersed. She found Andrea, and together they went up to their rooms. Jenny and Alex wanted to stay a little longer and 'party'.
When she got into her room, Jackie collapsed onto her bed. The party was exhilarating, yet exhausting. She closed her eyes and fell into a light and feeble sleep.
***
She woke up suddenly. When she looked at her watch, she saw that it was 3:00. As much as she tried to go back to sleep, she just couldn't. She tossed and turned before finally getting up and looking out the window. The full moon was bright, casting a silver glow on the gray trees and clear, sparkling water below. She decided to go and take a walk.
Jackie creaked open the door slowly. No one was out. She tiptoed out, and shut the door. Then she walked quietly down the steps.
She slowly walked through the open porches and verandas around the House. 'It's so beautiful,' she thought. 'And even more beautiful at night.' The party seemed to have ended; there was no noise coming from the Hall of Fire. She stopped at a balcony over the river, and looked down into it. She could see black fishes swimming about in it. She looked up into the cloudless night. The stars were like diamonds against a black velvet backdrop. Even growing up in the country, where the stars shown bright on a clear night, she had never seen a sky this beautiful.
"It is a beautiful night, isn't it?" a smooth voice said suddenly.
Jackie jumped a mile. Who the hell.
Legolas. He smiled broadly at her. "Sorry if I made you jump."
"It-it's okay. I just wasn't expecting anyone."
"Neither was I. Do you mind if I join you?" he asked. Jackie shrugged and he perched himself lightly on the balcony railing.
"Where I live, it's nothing like this. I mean, it's pretty and everything, but the stars don't shine nearly this bright."
"What's it like where you come from?"
She wasn't sure how to answer this. It was so different in so many ways. "Well," she began, "it's much faster. People are so busy that I guess they don't really get a chance to look at the sky much. And-and there's less trees, they've all been cut down by developers and other people."
"Pataskala indeed is a very strange name for a land."
Jackie laughed at this. Apparently the elves did find them as fascinating as they found them. 'No,' she thought, 'I think I'm still much more intrigued by them.'
"Do you live here?" she asked.
"No," he answered, looking off into the east. "I reside in Mirkwood Forest. I am, I fact, Legolas Greenleaf, the Elf Prince of Mirkwood."
"You're a prince?!" Jackie exclaimed in disbelief. "Wow! Well what are you doing here?"
"I came to stay with Elrond when I heard of the strange events that were taking place. I am also going to the council tomorrow."
"Isn't it dangerous to be here, with the ring here too?" she asked doubtfully. It seemed risky to keep something so dangerous here for so long.
"The elves have powers against dark forces. That does not mean the ring can stay here forever," he said, "But it will buy time. Elrond is one of the most powerful elves in all of Middle Earth."
Suddenly they both turned as they heard a figure come out of the House, in the direction of the Hall of Fire. Jackie stared in disbelief as she realized it was Alex.
"Alex?" she asked. "What are you doing here? You should go to bed!"
But he did not answer her. He walked with his eyes half closed, muttering. He was sleepwalking! Jackie couldn't believe it. He almost made it to one of the staircases, but at the last moment slumped over and fell against the wall, snoring loudly.
Jackie looked at Legolas and they burst out laughing. Someone had obviously had a little too much partying. She noticed how when Legolas laughed, his cool blue eyes danced and shone in the light of the moon. Suddenly he jumped down off of the balcony and took her hand, facing her.
"You are very beautiful, Lady Jackie of Pataskala."
She felt herself blush furiously. She had certainly not expected that! She couldn't think of a response and she stood there speechless, staring into his eyes. Finally, she got herself together.
"Thank you," she murmured softly. He gave her one last grin, and with that he was off, quieter than a cat. She looked after him as he disappeared into the shadows. 'Did he mean what he just said?' she wondered. She sighed and took one last look at the stars before waking up a very confused Alex and leading him to his room.
***