Part 6: Dinner Parties and people get drunk
It was early evening, and the eerie light of the moon shone onto the Lothlorien encampment. Set out for them was a huge midnight garden, with benches and flowers, and even a birdbath that resembled greatly Galadriel's own.
In the middle of all the splendour was a huge red and white striped marquee.
I approached it with dread and loathing.
Inside, there was already the sound of laughter and singing. The aroma of well cooked food wafted through the tent cloth, and I felt drawn to it.
I took a deep breath and slid open the fabric panel. Then I stepped over the threshold into my doom.
*
Inside, everyone was already assembled. There was a long narrow table with Elrond sitting at the head and Arwen at the other end. I avoided her scrutinising looks and proceeded down the table. But it seemed she was more embarrassed with her father than angry at me.
Laid out was all the fine food and meats that Elrond's mobile chefs could make. My mouth watered at the amount of dead poultry on plates.
Galadriel was seated to Elrond's right, Celeborn next to her. I felt a twinge of fear when I saw her, and reconsidered my place here, but Elrond, who was currently cracking up a huge bottle of festival mead, saw me.
"Haldir!!" he cried awkwardly, and I knew immediately that he'd had a little too much alcohol. "Our most gracious guest!!"
He gave a huge belch while tottering on his tiptoes. Arwen buried her face in her arms.
"Err.greetings, all assembled" I said nervously, standing next to the wall. Galadriel said nothing, only sipped her orange juice without looking up. Hmm, still on her weight watchers routine. Celeborn smiled but was too afraid to speak.
"Haldir" cried Elrond again. "Welcome to our dinner party, hic, oh, have you greeted your former boss? Hic, Galadriel?"
He hiccupped again and poured himself another glass of miruvor.
"Here, have some mead, hic, courtesy of the Lady of the Wood." He poured some more and handed me the glass of dark liquor.
I didn't really know what to do so I said:
"My Lady," and raised my glass to Galadriel, then took a gulp of the dark liquid. It tasted of cat pee but I pretended to enjoy it.
She put down her juice and gave me a huge scary smile. I suddenly had an urge to call her 'Carol Smilie', the first thing that came into my head.
"Haldir" she said, still wearing that freaky smile, "please, sit."
She motioned to an empty seat next to Celeborn and I did what I was told without question.
I gulped when I saw Nariel sitting opposite me. She ignored me on purpose and when she looked at me, she did so with great contempt. Marien was next to her, but I was quite surprised with her reaction to me.
She smiled at me, and told me what was nice on the menu. Then she offered me some venison.
I was astounded at first with her behaviour, but then I saw Nariel's face.
She had told her sister nothing of what happened that night. I tried to see from her expression why, but at that moment, Galadriel started talking.
"That red robe is pretty." She said slowly between sips of orange juice.
"Uh, yeah, I have to wear it for the procession."
"Do you want to know what I think?"
"My Lady?"
"You should wear that antique breastplate I gave you for the trip to Rohan." What a subtle hint.
Oh, Eru, the shiny armour. Well, at least I know why it nearly caused me blood poisoning. Antique? Rotting piece of junk more like.
"It was a family heirloom you know." She continued.
Celeborn muttered something about taking other people's family treasures and giving them away as gifts. I guess he really liked that armour.
"Oh, you hardly wear it anymore!" she cried in answer to her husband, "Haldir... Where is the breastplate?"
"Um.."
"What? I didn't quite catch that."
"Its, ah, um, its in the, ah,"
I cleared my throat.
"Its very safe. I'm keeping it as a treasure for my descendants. If you don't mind, of course." I said finally. Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline.
She looked at me suspiciously and I knew she was mind reading. I tried to think about Happy Meadows and in the end she gave up.
"No, of course not." She said with a painful expression of smiling, but I heard her muttering "What descendants? Indeed." behind my back.
Elrond, on his eighth glass of mead, stood up clumsily for a toast.
"Lady." He said with a smile to Galadriel, who smiled back. Celeborn looked on disapprovingly. "I would like to toast your former march warden. Since he left your service, he has been the best of banner bearers. Loyal and most gracious"
I could clearly hear the other banner bearer, Orondil, shouting "What about me?" in the background. Elrond ignored him and continued.
"This is our second stop from Rivendell to Gondor. Tomorrow, now all is here, we will head full speed for the Gap of Rohan. Now, onto formal matters. Would everyone please give a big welcome to Galadriel and Celeborn, Lord and Lady of the Golden wood!"
It was amazing how quickly Galadriel forgot she was on a diet, for she drank all the miruvor poured for her while Celeborn looked on frowningly.
She stood up, swaying, the glass still in her hand. Oh god she's making a speech. Behind me a few people ran out screaming.
"Strangers from distant lands..hic." She began, swaying from the mead in her hand.
"Hey, that's MY line!" cried Elrond before falling onto Gildor's shoulders, snoring loudly.
"..friends of old. You've been summoned here to, hic, answer the threat of -- "
Her face went a strange colour and she had a weird expression on her face. Then she collapsed on the grassy floor. She can really handle her drink.
*
The rest of the evening continued quietly. I had a chat with Celeborn; we were always on good terms back in the old 'Wood. He told me how people cried for my dead brothers and mourned for my loss. They missed me, he said.
"After this trip," he started, looking at me imploringly, "will you think about returning to Lorien?"
I didn't know what to say. He wanted me to go back!
"My Lord," I stammered.
"Haldir?"
"I, I don't know what to say. The reason I stayed in Rivendell was to get away from Lorien." I said sincerely.
His face fell considerably. There was silence, followed by the sound of Galadriel's gentle snoring from her chair.
"But I suppose that Lorien is my home, I can't stay away for long.."
His smile lit up slightly again.
"Would you ever come back? Lothlorien definitely needs it's Captain and march warden. No one is as good at your job than you. We miss you. I even got the Galadhrim to sign your card."
He took out of his robe pockets a large sparkly paper 'Clintons' card. Inside were lots of signatures and .. I raised my eyebrows at the lip blots from handmaidens.
The messages were very touching. 'we mizz u Halder' and 'luv u lots' were quite common. A lot of Elves had terrible spelling.
"I'll think about it." I said with a small smile.
Celeborn seemed satisfied and offered me a bowl of green salad.
The night continued peacefully. I ate as much as I could and talked to little to everyone else. I waited for an opportunity to converse with Marien, but Nariel was always there. I was too afraid to speak.
*
The night ended well; I helped Celeborn carry his unconscious wife back to their tent. She was snoring quietly, occasionally talking in her sleep, mumbling things like 'no, Feanor, I don't want to see your family jewels.' And 'gah, a dwarf.' And other bits of Elven poetry.
After the couple retired to their tent, I walked around the garden a bit. It was quiet serene in the night.
And then I saw her.
Marien, sitting on one of the marble benches, just a few feet away from me.
Alone.
I looked around. Nariel was not in sight.
I could not afford to lose this opportunity. I approached her slowly and tapped her on the shoulder.
"My fair lady, you are like an angel in the moonlight."
She turned around to look at me.
"Haldir. What are you doing here?" she said,.
TO BE CONTINUED
[ooh, A cliffhanger! Heh hee,, me like!!!!]
It was early evening, and the eerie light of the moon shone onto the Lothlorien encampment. Set out for them was a huge midnight garden, with benches and flowers, and even a birdbath that resembled greatly Galadriel's own.
In the middle of all the splendour was a huge red and white striped marquee.
I approached it with dread and loathing.
Inside, there was already the sound of laughter and singing. The aroma of well cooked food wafted through the tent cloth, and I felt drawn to it.
I took a deep breath and slid open the fabric panel. Then I stepped over the threshold into my doom.
*
Inside, everyone was already assembled. There was a long narrow table with Elrond sitting at the head and Arwen at the other end. I avoided her scrutinising looks and proceeded down the table. But it seemed she was more embarrassed with her father than angry at me.
Laid out was all the fine food and meats that Elrond's mobile chefs could make. My mouth watered at the amount of dead poultry on plates.
Galadriel was seated to Elrond's right, Celeborn next to her. I felt a twinge of fear when I saw her, and reconsidered my place here, but Elrond, who was currently cracking up a huge bottle of festival mead, saw me.
"Haldir!!" he cried awkwardly, and I knew immediately that he'd had a little too much alcohol. "Our most gracious guest!!"
He gave a huge belch while tottering on his tiptoes. Arwen buried her face in her arms.
"Err.greetings, all assembled" I said nervously, standing next to the wall. Galadriel said nothing, only sipped her orange juice without looking up. Hmm, still on her weight watchers routine. Celeborn smiled but was too afraid to speak.
"Haldir" cried Elrond again. "Welcome to our dinner party, hic, oh, have you greeted your former boss? Hic, Galadriel?"
He hiccupped again and poured himself another glass of miruvor.
"Here, have some mead, hic, courtesy of the Lady of the Wood." He poured some more and handed me the glass of dark liquor.
I didn't really know what to do so I said:
"My Lady," and raised my glass to Galadriel, then took a gulp of the dark liquid. It tasted of cat pee but I pretended to enjoy it.
She put down her juice and gave me a huge scary smile. I suddenly had an urge to call her 'Carol Smilie', the first thing that came into my head.
"Haldir" she said, still wearing that freaky smile, "please, sit."
She motioned to an empty seat next to Celeborn and I did what I was told without question.
I gulped when I saw Nariel sitting opposite me. She ignored me on purpose and when she looked at me, she did so with great contempt. Marien was next to her, but I was quite surprised with her reaction to me.
She smiled at me, and told me what was nice on the menu. Then she offered me some venison.
I was astounded at first with her behaviour, but then I saw Nariel's face.
She had told her sister nothing of what happened that night. I tried to see from her expression why, but at that moment, Galadriel started talking.
"That red robe is pretty." She said slowly between sips of orange juice.
"Uh, yeah, I have to wear it for the procession."
"Do you want to know what I think?"
"My Lady?"
"You should wear that antique breastplate I gave you for the trip to Rohan." What a subtle hint.
Oh, Eru, the shiny armour. Well, at least I know why it nearly caused me blood poisoning. Antique? Rotting piece of junk more like.
"It was a family heirloom you know." She continued.
Celeborn muttered something about taking other people's family treasures and giving them away as gifts. I guess he really liked that armour.
"Oh, you hardly wear it anymore!" she cried in answer to her husband, "Haldir... Where is the breastplate?"
"Um.."
"What? I didn't quite catch that."
"Its, ah, um, its in the, ah,"
I cleared my throat.
"Its very safe. I'm keeping it as a treasure for my descendants. If you don't mind, of course." I said finally. Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline.
She looked at me suspiciously and I knew she was mind reading. I tried to think about Happy Meadows and in the end she gave up.
"No, of course not." She said with a painful expression of smiling, but I heard her muttering "What descendants? Indeed." behind my back.
Elrond, on his eighth glass of mead, stood up clumsily for a toast.
"Lady." He said with a smile to Galadriel, who smiled back. Celeborn looked on disapprovingly. "I would like to toast your former march warden. Since he left your service, he has been the best of banner bearers. Loyal and most gracious"
I could clearly hear the other banner bearer, Orondil, shouting "What about me?" in the background. Elrond ignored him and continued.
"This is our second stop from Rivendell to Gondor. Tomorrow, now all is here, we will head full speed for the Gap of Rohan. Now, onto formal matters. Would everyone please give a big welcome to Galadriel and Celeborn, Lord and Lady of the Golden wood!"
It was amazing how quickly Galadriel forgot she was on a diet, for she drank all the miruvor poured for her while Celeborn looked on frowningly.
She stood up, swaying, the glass still in her hand. Oh god she's making a speech. Behind me a few people ran out screaming.
"Strangers from distant lands..hic." She began, swaying from the mead in her hand.
"Hey, that's MY line!" cried Elrond before falling onto Gildor's shoulders, snoring loudly.
"..friends of old. You've been summoned here to, hic, answer the threat of -- "
Her face went a strange colour and she had a weird expression on her face. Then she collapsed on the grassy floor. She can really handle her drink.
*
The rest of the evening continued quietly. I had a chat with Celeborn; we were always on good terms back in the old 'Wood. He told me how people cried for my dead brothers and mourned for my loss. They missed me, he said.
"After this trip," he started, looking at me imploringly, "will you think about returning to Lorien?"
I didn't know what to say. He wanted me to go back!
"My Lord," I stammered.
"Haldir?"
"I, I don't know what to say. The reason I stayed in Rivendell was to get away from Lorien." I said sincerely.
His face fell considerably. There was silence, followed by the sound of Galadriel's gentle snoring from her chair.
"But I suppose that Lorien is my home, I can't stay away for long.."
His smile lit up slightly again.
"Would you ever come back? Lothlorien definitely needs it's Captain and march warden. No one is as good at your job than you. We miss you. I even got the Galadhrim to sign your card."
He took out of his robe pockets a large sparkly paper 'Clintons' card. Inside were lots of signatures and .. I raised my eyebrows at the lip blots from handmaidens.
The messages were very touching. 'we mizz u Halder' and 'luv u lots' were quite common. A lot of Elves had terrible spelling.
"I'll think about it." I said with a small smile.
Celeborn seemed satisfied and offered me a bowl of green salad.
The night continued peacefully. I ate as much as I could and talked to little to everyone else. I waited for an opportunity to converse with Marien, but Nariel was always there. I was too afraid to speak.
*
The night ended well; I helped Celeborn carry his unconscious wife back to their tent. She was snoring quietly, occasionally talking in her sleep, mumbling things like 'no, Feanor, I don't want to see your family jewels.' And 'gah, a dwarf.' And other bits of Elven poetry.
After the couple retired to their tent, I walked around the garden a bit. It was quiet serene in the night.
And then I saw her.
Marien, sitting on one of the marble benches, just a few feet away from me.
Alone.
I looked around. Nariel was not in sight.
I could not afford to lose this opportunity. I approached her slowly and tapped her on the shoulder.
"My fair lady, you are like an angel in the moonlight."
She turned around to look at me.
"Haldir. What are you doing here?" she said,.
TO BE CONTINUED
[ooh, A cliffhanger! Heh hee,, me like!!!!]
