Chapter Twelve
Estela had lived in the House of Elrond for over a week now. She had gotten a chance to talk to Elrond a few days after the counsel. He explained most things. In his own odd way, Estela added thoughtfully.
Apparently, she happened to be a descendant of someone from Middle-Earth. An Elf named Andorian. The first time Elrond had told her Estela hadn't responded the way he had expected...
**Estela was sitting in a large wooden chair in the immeasurable, book-filled room known as the library. Only it most likely held more books than all the libraries and bookstores in Maine.
"Milady," said an Elf that reminded Estela of a stiff butler, "Would you like a glass of water?"
"That would be lovely, thank you," answered Estela, gratefully taking the half-filled glass from his hands.
'Or perhaps it is half-empty?' mused Estela with a small smile. She took a drink, moistening her suddenly dry throat.
The Elf nodded then turned and left.
"Estela."
Estela nearly jumped out of her skin. The water in her glass sloshed against the sides as she tried to turn and look at the owner of the voice.
After seeing a really great close-up of a gold diamond-like thing woven into grey material, she strained her neck to look up. Elrond was towering over her and looking down.
'Man, he's tall...'
"That is your name, is it not?" he asked.
Estela nodded, trying not to make an audible gulp.
Elrond smiled and stepped around her. He walked a few feet then turned and faced her. "Good. Now, do you have any idea why you are here?"
Estela shook her head 'no'.
"Do you know how you got here?"
"I have...an idea how I got here. It was a stone thing. A gate maybe."
Elrond nodded. "Yes. Andorian and Marie used that same gate to get to Marie's world," he said softly, as if to himself.
"Who?"
"Andorian and Marie."
"Aragorn told me about them. He said that they were your...friends, was it? He said it was a fairy tale."
"Oh, no. It is a real tale, though few think it is."
"Who are they?"
"They are your ancestors."**
Elrond's timing couldn't have been worse. Estela had taken a rather large drink of her water before he had said that and, well...let's just say that Elrond got a shower.
Estela winced at the embarrassing memory and looked at the marble stone bench she was sitting on. It was positioned in a secluded place where most Elves went to practice their archery. Thus another memory came back to her.
**Estela sat down on a marble stone bench in one of the gardens, and looked down at the ground thoughtfully. Elrond had just told her about her "ancestors", if that was what they really were.
A few Elves passed her in the hall, laughing and talking with each other. Such merry, nice folk...then why did she have the sudden urge to tell them to shut-up?
"I guess finding out that you could possibly be related to someone from a different world makes you kind of irritable," she sighed, glaring at a small hold in the ground near a few flowers. 'What is it with these people? Do they *want* you to break your neck?'
"Excuse me, milady," said a voice behind her, "but do I know you?"
Estela sighed, stood up and turned around, about ready to bite the head off of whoever it was.
"Because I am sure of it...though, I might be wrong."
It was that messenger Elf from the counsel. What was his name? Leonardo? Leotardo? Leafolas Greenego?
"Ah, that is right. You are that girl, Estela. The one who interrupted the counsel."
"Right," replied Estela curtly. "And you're...Leggyless Greentea?"
"Legolas Greenleaf," he corrected.
"Right, whatever. Legolas Greenleaf from Minkwood."
"Mirkwood," he corrected again.
Okay, now he was just being a pain.
"Right," said Estela through clenched teeth. "Pardon me. Legolas Greenleaf from *Mirk*wood. And your father it Tandrool?"
Legolas frowned. "No..."he said with annoyance. "My father's name is Thranduil."
"AH! Whatever! Shut-up! Okay? Can your small Elf brain stay active long enough for you to follow that simple direction?"
Legolas stood silently, stunned, and stared at her. "I...am terribly sorry, milady. I did not meant to upset you."
"Oh, *sure* you didn't! Stupid Elf."
"Do you speak elvish?" he said. "Because though you look like an Elf, you hardly act like one."
"No..."
"Good. Lle are---no. Never mind."
"What? Did your brain shut down like I said it would? You know, that's not healthy."
Legolas' mouth was set in a thin line and he glared. "No, milady. I suppose it is not." With that, he turned on his heel and left.**
Estela admitted now that it was had been very rude of her to insult the Elf. Feeling horrible the next day, she went to apologize.
**Estela saw Legolas and a few other Elves sitting down next to a stream, talking. She approached them cautiously until she was standing a few feet behind Legolas.
She cleared her throat loudly.
Legolas looked behind him and frowned. Something shone in his eyes, but it passed quickly, replaced by a mischievous smile on his face. "Ah, look, Ornibus, it is a Dwarf. Should we ask him to join us?"
One of the Elves turned his head. "Legolas...that is a woman," he said slowly. "Not a Dwarf."
Legolas squinted and cocked his head to the side. "Oh, I see now!" he cried with a smile. "She was just so repulsive that I merely assumed that it was a Dwarf."
Blushing furiously, Estela took a step backwards, almost tripped, then ran the other way.**
And then there was that other time...
**Estela smiled wickedly as Legolas walked down the hall. She hid her face behind a book as he drew near, peeking over the top.
He looked to his left at another Elf who was chatting with a few others, and away from her.
Estela snickered and stuck her leg out into the middle of the hallway, smiling with glee when Legolas didn't notice. His foot caught on her leg and he was sent flying toward the ground.
Taking just enough time to savor the sweetness of revenge, Estela quickly darted into a room so that it appeared to the other Elves that Legolas clumsily tripped himself.
Oh, he knew it was her that had done it, though, because he sent a look later that day that would have scared little children if they had been unfortunate enough to see it.**
"Stupid Elf," sighed Estela. "Well...I suppose he's not that bad...nah. He's a dork."
Gimli, a Dwarf, was far more easier to get along with.
**"I am Gimli son of Gloin," said the short, stout, red-haired Dwarf. "And who might you be, milady?"
"Estela Autumn."
"A beautiful name, indeed."
"Thank you. May I ask a question?"
"Please do."
"Would you mind telling me of the Mines of Moria? I heard of them at the---around, but I would like to hear it from a Dwarf, if you don't mind."**
Gimli had been profoundly pleased with this and told her all that he knew--which happened to be a *lot*--about the Mines.
They had proved extremely interesting and the two had become good friends after that. Estela guessed that the fact that she had told him that she wasn't an Elf helped a lot, too, considering that Gimli seemed to dislike the Elves...
She had met Merry and Pippin again a few days ago. Well, Estela met them *after* they had both pounced on her and squeezed her into a suffocating bear hug.
They had chatted with each other for a while after that before the hobbits trotted off toward the kitchen, saying something about "not having eaten in days".
She hadn't met Boromir yet; deciding against it when she was out one day, riding Alassé. The horse's challenged mind took that time, when Boromir was strolling around in a particularly large garden some forty feet in front of them, to say "Hey, why not run someone over today? That highly important looking man over there is just the perfect victim!"
So, as the man stepped onto a small bridge that arched over a creek, Alassé had bolted, heedless of Estela's cries to stop.
Boromir saw them coming but had no other way escape other then to jump off the low bridge. So...he did, just before Alassé coming speeding over the bridge.
And Legolas, who just *happened* to be standing there, was almost gasping for breath from laughing so hard.
He had walked over, still laughing, and patted her on the knee. "Putta!" he choked. "Putta!" He walked away, most likely going to tell the evil Elves in his clan of her mistake.
So...Estela had decided to stay away from Boromir. One, because he had called her a "mad, homicidal, moronic female" after he had climbed, drenched, out of the creek, and two, because, well, who wants to talk to a man that you nearly turned into road kill?
Later, Estela and Aragorn had gotten around to having a long talk about her world, Frodo (with Sam sitting protectively near him) listening intently to her stories. Aragorn had held a particular interest in racecars, electricity, and Presidents. Frodo found the unlimited source of information machine, AKA a computer with an internet connection, quite fascinating, and Sam held a certain appeal to some plants and a few of the animals that she had described. One in particular was the elephant.
"An oliphaunt," he had breathed when she told him about the monstrous grey beast.
She then learned, after Aragorn had left to "tend to some business", that Frodo had been stabbed by one of the Riders, or Nazgûl, or Ringwraiths, as they were called.
Once again guilt had hit her like a tidal wave. She could have done something to prevent it if she had stayed. Maybe a little extra help could have helped...couldn't it have?
Frodo, though she had not told him, knew what she had thought, and assured her that it would have happened either way. He had insisted that it had been his fault. Though he didn't explain why.
Soon after that Estela had met Gandalf. He looked older, like a grandfather almost, yet he acted and talked like he was younger. Though that it didn't seem surprising, considering Aragorn was--what? Two hundred years old? And he got around fine for his age...
Gandalf was very wise and entertained Estela greatly with stories about Middle-Earth in exchange for tales of her world.
They spent close to four hours talking before Gandalf said that he must leave because he had to speak with the Lord Elrond.
Ah, Elrond. She had only seen the Lord thrice and had only talked to him once. And that talk had been very...enlightening, yet not at all pleasant.
Hadn't he ask to talk to her today? Or was that Aragorn?
Sighing, Estela stood up.
"To go to the freaky Lord who says to I'm part Middle-Earthian or whatever, or go to dino-man...?" Estela let out a growl of frustration. "Was it Aragorn...or Lord Elrond? Dangit..."
"Lord Elrond. I suppose it is Lord Elrond, considering that Master Aragorn is...distracted at the moment. Lady Arwen and him are strolling the gardens."
Estela knew without turning that it was that evil Elf. "How long have you been standing there?" she asked, closing her eyes.
"Since you sat down."
"I ought to hurt you right now, Leggyless Greentea," she muttered, turning around.
Legolas was casually leaning up against a wall, a small smile on his face that soon disappeared when she said that. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it, irritated. "Yes, Lady Autumn," he growled, "I suppose you should. But why on earth would someone as high as you want to do that to someone as low as I?"
"Oh, shut-up, elf-fiend," sighed Estela. "You are really starting to annoy me."
Legolas frowned. "Is insulting people a pastime on your world?"
"Is being a total pain one on yours?"
Legolas stared at her for a moment. "As I said before: Lord Elrond. He is most likely the one you are meeting with."
Estela nodded and started walking down a random hall. However, after walking for a few minutes, she ended up back where she had started, Legolas still leaning against the wall. "Do you need a guid?" he asked with obvious pleasure.
"No," Estela muttered, taking a different rout. After doing so five or six times (because she hadn't really listened to the previous Elves that had told her how to get from here to there in the House) and finally getting an Elf to help her she found Elrond's study.
And who else but the bane of her existence would be sitting there as she walked toward it. Legolas chuckled to himself as she neared the study, blushing.
"You do know that you would have been here faster if you had just let me help you."
"Yeah? And you might have not bruised your precious girly face if you hadn't called me a repulsive Dwarf."
Legolas was silent after that and mercifully allowed her to knock on the doors without a snippy comment.
Elrond opened a door and smiled. "Ah, I thought you would wait another two-thousand years," he sighed, shaking his head. "Please, come in."
She started to step through the doors and Legolas spoke. "Contain your water this time," Legolas stage whispered, making her blush and Elrond frown.
Legolas sauntered off before she could respond. "Stupid Elf," she muttered.
Am I evil? On second thought, don't answer that. You would have had this yesterday but I had an internet connection problem. Sorry.
Anywho, Meethrill, I was already going to give Boromir a spank, though not just to be mean. His character is *so* cool! I love him! No, not as in "Omigod, he is, like, so totally hot!" The whole Alassé thing just creates some wonderful jests for the future. And I was already going to make Gimli and Estela friends...tee hee...
Whoa. I did *not* expect my review record for one chapter to be broken last week. Thanks, guys. I'm still not sure whether or not this is going to be a romance. (Though if there is going to be any I promise that none will really show until...maybe at the end of TTT or somewhere in the middle of RotK.) Please tell me what you think. Both of this chapter and the idea of a romance.
Oh, and your question...let's see... What movie did these lines come from?
"But I thought you said spontaneous was romantic!"
"A burp is spontaneous. A burp is not romantic."
Hint: It's a movie with an Italian lawyer.
And the answer for last weeks question is...I can't tell you...a law in the book of, um, The Really Big Book of Made Up Laws prohibits me from telling you...sorry.
A line from FotR, chapter two The Shadow of the Past: 'Me, sir!' cried Sam, springing up like a dog invited for a walk. 'Me go and see the Elves and all! Hooray!' he shouted, then burst into tears.
Hee hee...I would really like some more reviews! Greedy, greedy, greedy...hee hee. Thanks, Lúthien Arnatuilë.
Estela had lived in the House of Elrond for over a week now. She had gotten a chance to talk to Elrond a few days after the counsel. He explained most things. In his own odd way, Estela added thoughtfully.
Apparently, she happened to be a descendant of someone from Middle-Earth. An Elf named Andorian. The first time Elrond had told her Estela hadn't responded the way he had expected...
**Estela was sitting in a large wooden chair in the immeasurable, book-filled room known as the library. Only it most likely held more books than all the libraries and bookstores in Maine.
"Milady," said an Elf that reminded Estela of a stiff butler, "Would you like a glass of water?"
"That would be lovely, thank you," answered Estela, gratefully taking the half-filled glass from his hands.
'Or perhaps it is half-empty?' mused Estela with a small smile. She took a drink, moistening her suddenly dry throat.
The Elf nodded then turned and left.
"Estela."
Estela nearly jumped out of her skin. The water in her glass sloshed against the sides as she tried to turn and look at the owner of the voice.
After seeing a really great close-up of a gold diamond-like thing woven into grey material, she strained her neck to look up. Elrond was towering over her and looking down.
'Man, he's tall...'
"That is your name, is it not?" he asked.
Estela nodded, trying not to make an audible gulp.
Elrond smiled and stepped around her. He walked a few feet then turned and faced her. "Good. Now, do you have any idea why you are here?"
Estela shook her head 'no'.
"Do you know how you got here?"
"I have...an idea how I got here. It was a stone thing. A gate maybe."
Elrond nodded. "Yes. Andorian and Marie used that same gate to get to Marie's world," he said softly, as if to himself.
"Who?"
"Andorian and Marie."
"Aragorn told me about them. He said that they were your...friends, was it? He said it was a fairy tale."
"Oh, no. It is a real tale, though few think it is."
"Who are they?"
"They are your ancestors."**
Elrond's timing couldn't have been worse. Estela had taken a rather large drink of her water before he had said that and, well...let's just say that Elrond got a shower.
Estela winced at the embarrassing memory and looked at the marble stone bench she was sitting on. It was positioned in a secluded place where most Elves went to practice their archery. Thus another memory came back to her.
**Estela sat down on a marble stone bench in one of the gardens, and looked down at the ground thoughtfully. Elrond had just told her about her "ancestors", if that was what they really were.
A few Elves passed her in the hall, laughing and talking with each other. Such merry, nice folk...then why did she have the sudden urge to tell them to shut-up?
"I guess finding out that you could possibly be related to someone from a different world makes you kind of irritable," she sighed, glaring at a small hold in the ground near a few flowers. 'What is it with these people? Do they *want* you to break your neck?'
"Excuse me, milady," said a voice behind her, "but do I know you?"
Estela sighed, stood up and turned around, about ready to bite the head off of whoever it was.
"Because I am sure of it...though, I might be wrong."
It was that messenger Elf from the counsel. What was his name? Leonardo? Leotardo? Leafolas Greenego?
"Ah, that is right. You are that girl, Estela. The one who interrupted the counsel."
"Right," replied Estela curtly. "And you're...Leggyless Greentea?"
"Legolas Greenleaf," he corrected.
"Right, whatever. Legolas Greenleaf from Minkwood."
"Mirkwood," he corrected again.
Okay, now he was just being a pain.
"Right," said Estela through clenched teeth. "Pardon me. Legolas Greenleaf from *Mirk*wood. And your father it Tandrool?"
Legolas frowned. "No..."he said with annoyance. "My father's name is Thranduil."
"AH! Whatever! Shut-up! Okay? Can your small Elf brain stay active long enough for you to follow that simple direction?"
Legolas stood silently, stunned, and stared at her. "I...am terribly sorry, milady. I did not meant to upset you."
"Oh, *sure* you didn't! Stupid Elf."
"Do you speak elvish?" he said. "Because though you look like an Elf, you hardly act like one."
"No..."
"Good. Lle are---no. Never mind."
"What? Did your brain shut down like I said it would? You know, that's not healthy."
Legolas' mouth was set in a thin line and he glared. "No, milady. I suppose it is not." With that, he turned on his heel and left.**
Estela admitted now that it was had been very rude of her to insult the Elf. Feeling horrible the next day, she went to apologize.
**Estela saw Legolas and a few other Elves sitting down next to a stream, talking. She approached them cautiously until she was standing a few feet behind Legolas.
She cleared her throat loudly.
Legolas looked behind him and frowned. Something shone in his eyes, but it passed quickly, replaced by a mischievous smile on his face. "Ah, look, Ornibus, it is a Dwarf. Should we ask him to join us?"
One of the Elves turned his head. "Legolas...that is a woman," he said slowly. "Not a Dwarf."
Legolas squinted and cocked his head to the side. "Oh, I see now!" he cried with a smile. "She was just so repulsive that I merely assumed that it was a Dwarf."
Blushing furiously, Estela took a step backwards, almost tripped, then ran the other way.**
And then there was that other time...
**Estela smiled wickedly as Legolas walked down the hall. She hid her face behind a book as he drew near, peeking over the top.
He looked to his left at another Elf who was chatting with a few others, and away from her.
Estela snickered and stuck her leg out into the middle of the hallway, smiling with glee when Legolas didn't notice. His foot caught on her leg and he was sent flying toward the ground.
Taking just enough time to savor the sweetness of revenge, Estela quickly darted into a room so that it appeared to the other Elves that Legolas clumsily tripped himself.
Oh, he knew it was her that had done it, though, because he sent a look later that day that would have scared little children if they had been unfortunate enough to see it.**
"Stupid Elf," sighed Estela. "Well...I suppose he's not that bad...nah. He's a dork."
Gimli, a Dwarf, was far more easier to get along with.
**"I am Gimli son of Gloin," said the short, stout, red-haired Dwarf. "And who might you be, milady?"
"Estela Autumn."
"A beautiful name, indeed."
"Thank you. May I ask a question?"
"Please do."
"Would you mind telling me of the Mines of Moria? I heard of them at the---around, but I would like to hear it from a Dwarf, if you don't mind."**
Gimli had been profoundly pleased with this and told her all that he knew--which happened to be a *lot*--about the Mines.
They had proved extremely interesting and the two had become good friends after that. Estela guessed that the fact that she had told him that she wasn't an Elf helped a lot, too, considering that Gimli seemed to dislike the Elves...
She had met Merry and Pippin again a few days ago. Well, Estela met them *after* they had both pounced on her and squeezed her into a suffocating bear hug.
They had chatted with each other for a while after that before the hobbits trotted off toward the kitchen, saying something about "not having eaten in days".
She hadn't met Boromir yet; deciding against it when she was out one day, riding Alassé. The horse's challenged mind took that time, when Boromir was strolling around in a particularly large garden some forty feet in front of them, to say "Hey, why not run someone over today? That highly important looking man over there is just the perfect victim!"
So, as the man stepped onto a small bridge that arched over a creek, Alassé had bolted, heedless of Estela's cries to stop.
Boromir saw them coming but had no other way escape other then to jump off the low bridge. So...he did, just before Alassé coming speeding over the bridge.
And Legolas, who just *happened* to be standing there, was almost gasping for breath from laughing so hard.
He had walked over, still laughing, and patted her on the knee. "Putta!" he choked. "Putta!" He walked away, most likely going to tell the evil Elves in his clan of her mistake.
So...Estela had decided to stay away from Boromir. One, because he had called her a "mad, homicidal, moronic female" after he had climbed, drenched, out of the creek, and two, because, well, who wants to talk to a man that you nearly turned into road kill?
Later, Estela and Aragorn had gotten around to having a long talk about her world, Frodo (with Sam sitting protectively near him) listening intently to her stories. Aragorn had held a particular interest in racecars, electricity, and Presidents. Frodo found the unlimited source of information machine, AKA a computer with an internet connection, quite fascinating, and Sam held a certain appeal to some plants and a few of the animals that she had described. One in particular was the elephant.
"An oliphaunt," he had breathed when she told him about the monstrous grey beast.
She then learned, after Aragorn had left to "tend to some business", that Frodo had been stabbed by one of the Riders, or Nazgûl, or Ringwraiths, as they were called.
Once again guilt had hit her like a tidal wave. She could have done something to prevent it if she had stayed. Maybe a little extra help could have helped...couldn't it have?
Frodo, though she had not told him, knew what she had thought, and assured her that it would have happened either way. He had insisted that it had been his fault. Though he didn't explain why.
Soon after that Estela had met Gandalf. He looked older, like a grandfather almost, yet he acted and talked like he was younger. Though that it didn't seem surprising, considering Aragorn was--what? Two hundred years old? And he got around fine for his age...
Gandalf was very wise and entertained Estela greatly with stories about Middle-Earth in exchange for tales of her world.
They spent close to four hours talking before Gandalf said that he must leave because he had to speak with the Lord Elrond.
Ah, Elrond. She had only seen the Lord thrice and had only talked to him once. And that talk had been very...enlightening, yet not at all pleasant.
Hadn't he ask to talk to her today? Or was that Aragorn?
Sighing, Estela stood up.
"To go to the freaky Lord who says to I'm part Middle-Earthian or whatever, or go to dino-man...?" Estela let out a growl of frustration. "Was it Aragorn...or Lord Elrond? Dangit..."
"Lord Elrond. I suppose it is Lord Elrond, considering that Master Aragorn is...distracted at the moment. Lady Arwen and him are strolling the gardens."
Estela knew without turning that it was that evil Elf. "How long have you been standing there?" she asked, closing her eyes.
"Since you sat down."
"I ought to hurt you right now, Leggyless Greentea," she muttered, turning around.
Legolas was casually leaning up against a wall, a small smile on his face that soon disappeared when she said that. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it, irritated. "Yes, Lady Autumn," he growled, "I suppose you should. But why on earth would someone as high as you want to do that to someone as low as I?"
"Oh, shut-up, elf-fiend," sighed Estela. "You are really starting to annoy me."
Legolas frowned. "Is insulting people a pastime on your world?"
"Is being a total pain one on yours?"
Legolas stared at her for a moment. "As I said before: Lord Elrond. He is most likely the one you are meeting with."
Estela nodded and started walking down a random hall. However, after walking for a few minutes, she ended up back where she had started, Legolas still leaning against the wall. "Do you need a guid?" he asked with obvious pleasure.
"No," Estela muttered, taking a different rout. After doing so five or six times (because she hadn't really listened to the previous Elves that had told her how to get from here to there in the House) and finally getting an Elf to help her she found Elrond's study.
And who else but the bane of her existence would be sitting there as she walked toward it. Legolas chuckled to himself as she neared the study, blushing.
"You do know that you would have been here faster if you had just let me help you."
"Yeah? And you might have not bruised your precious girly face if you hadn't called me a repulsive Dwarf."
Legolas was silent after that and mercifully allowed her to knock on the doors without a snippy comment.
Elrond opened a door and smiled. "Ah, I thought you would wait another two-thousand years," he sighed, shaking his head. "Please, come in."
She started to step through the doors and Legolas spoke. "Contain your water this time," Legolas stage whispered, making her blush and Elrond frown.
Legolas sauntered off before she could respond. "Stupid Elf," she muttered.
Am I evil? On second thought, don't answer that. You would have had this yesterday but I had an internet connection problem. Sorry.
Anywho, Meethrill, I was already going to give Boromir a spank, though not just to be mean. His character is *so* cool! I love him! No, not as in "Omigod, he is, like, so totally hot!" The whole Alassé thing just creates some wonderful jests for the future. And I was already going to make Gimli and Estela friends...tee hee...
Whoa. I did *not* expect my review record for one chapter to be broken last week. Thanks, guys. I'm still not sure whether or not this is going to be a romance. (Though if there is going to be any I promise that none will really show until...maybe at the end of TTT or somewhere in the middle of RotK.) Please tell me what you think. Both of this chapter and the idea of a romance.
Oh, and your question...let's see... What movie did these lines come from?
"But I thought you said spontaneous was romantic!"
"A burp is spontaneous. A burp is not romantic."
Hint: It's a movie with an Italian lawyer.
And the answer for last weeks question is...I can't tell you...a law in the book of, um, The Really Big Book of Made Up Laws prohibits me from telling you...sorry.
A line from FotR, chapter two The Shadow of the Past: 'Me, sir!' cried Sam, springing up like a dog invited for a walk. 'Me go and see the Elves and all! Hooray!' he shouted, then burst into tears.
Hee hee...I would really like some more reviews! Greedy, greedy, greedy...hee hee. Thanks, Lúthien Arnatuilë.