Meghan: Please, please forgive. Yes, it's LATE. Inexcusably, in fact. But I
can sum it all up in a few+ words: Computer crash, new kitten, jazz camp,
new boyfriend, and a guitar. And Casey was on a vacation. It's my fault;
blame me. I love you! I also promise to update again on Tuesday, then
regularly for the rest of summer. Hee.
Casey screamed and jumped up, knocking over the game board. Meghan just stared at the window where, although it was gone, she could still see the face.
"What is it?" Legolas demanded of Casey.
Haldir grabbed Meghan by the shoulders. "Look at me," he ordered. She snapped her eyes away from the window.
"It was that thing, like Arwen," she told them. Haldir looked up grimly.
"I think we should all stay here for the rest of the night," Gandalf told them. Casey curled up in a corner, shivering.
Everyone was on edge. Elrohir came over and sat beside Casey. "Are you alright?" he asked her. She shook her head.
"No. My whole life I've been terrified of seeing somebody in those windows." Unwilling, her eyes moved to the closer window. "Ok, somebody has to cover that bloody thing up now," she announced.
"It's all right," he assured her. "You'll be fine." He didn't add that, had she wanted to, 'Arwen' would have probably been able to come right in.
"No. You don't understand. You HAVE to cover it up. Otherwise I'll start seeing things out there and become a complete paranoid mess. Worse than I am now." Cautiously Elrohir got up and closed the curtains. Then he went over to speak with Glorfindel and Aragorn. Casey leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to think happy thoughts. She nearly jumped a mile when Legolas tapped her shoulder. "Jesus Christ! Are you TRYING to give me a heart attack?" she demanded.
"Sorry," he answered. "I just wanted to give you this. I figured you and Meghan should be somewhat armed." He handed her a dagger. Casey glanced over and saw Meghan examining its twin. Meghan was frowning.
"I'm not sure either of us have any idea how to use these, by the way," Casey commented, after thanking Legolas.
"I can," said Meghan. Casey looked at her, and Legolas looked surprised. "Not at your level, or anything," she added quickly. "But I've had fencing lessons. I can hold my own. I hope."
Aragorn nodded approvingly. "And you?" he asked Casey. She made a sort of squeak and dropped it. He snatched his foot away just in time, and Casey apologized meekly. "Maybe I'd better teach you the basics," he suggested. Casey nodded fervently, and dropped the long knife again.
"Oops."
Right after Meghan had seen that pale and lifeless face glaring with such intense hatred, her mind had gone curiously blank. The darkness in the absence of the cruel face seemed to draw her in, and she couldn't bring herself to tear away.
She slammed back to reality when Haldir grabber her by the shoulders and shook her, the concern on his face clearly visible.
When, a few minutes later, Legolas kneeled down beside her, she smiled a shaky smile at him. He looked surprised. Then he handed her his two knives. She looked at him blankly. "You need to protect yourself," he explained. She nodded.
"Give one to Casey. And Legolas-" she put her hand on his shoulder as he rose. "Thanks." He nodded and went to talk quietly with Casey.
After they had sorted out that Casey needed to be taught and Casey had gone off with Aragorn to learn. stuff, Meghan asked Legolas if he'd show her how to use the shorter knife. He looked surprised that she was being nice, but readily agreed.
Gandalf was sitting amongst the hobbits, ignoring them until Merry asked him to tell them a story. He looked down in surprise. "A story, Master Meriadoc?" Merry and the other hobbits nodded eagerly.
The elves assembled sat forward, listening as Gandalf began a long, winding and humorous tale about pipe weed and the effects of smoking too much of it.
When Casey came back a little later, slightly capable of defending herself, the hobbits were curled up together, asleep. She was glad to see they were quite content. Everyone else, however, was still on edge. Meghan and Legolas were still somewhere else.
"Feeling better?" Elrohir asked from behind her shoulder. She jumped, but managed to keep from screaming.
"Damn elves." She glared at him. "Could you TRY to make more noise? What d'you have to sneak up on me for?" Elrohir looked amused.
"Do you think you can manage to defend yourself now?" he asked. She glanced down at the knife (which was pointed the wrong way) and shrugged.
"I think I'd have more confidence if Aragorn wasn't being so careful to stay at least four meters away from me." Elrohir laughed. After a while, his laughter subsided and he looked at her. "What?" she asked, a little confused at his sudden change of moods. He looked seriously at her.
"If you need someone to protect you. well." he fidgeted. "I. I will. Protect you, that is."
Her face cleared in sudden understanding. "Oh, that's so sweet!" she squeaked and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him gladly.
At that moment, a subtle (yeah, right) cough from Meghan told her of her friend's presence in the room and she broke away from Elrohir in a hurry.
"Oh. yeah. right. uh."
"I think we should put the hobbits to bed," Meghan said, sending Casey a wicked grin. "Gandalf's been telling them stories about pipe weed and they're getting all nostalgic."
"Okay," Casey readily agreed. Then she looked at Meghan again. "Did you know your cheek is bleeding?" she asked. Meghan felt along her lower jaw.
"Still?"
Casey blinked. "How.?" she began.
"Legolas. Don't let him near any sharp objects. He slipped." She winced.
Elrohir was listening. "He. missed? Legolas? He MISSED?" His look was incredulous. "I have to go speak with him." He hurried off.
Meghan blinked. "Well, I mean, we were fighting fairly fast. It is understandable. And he did apologize." Her tone, however, betrayed the fact that she was worried. Casey gave her an understanding hug and the two of them shared a worried glance.
"Elves don't miss." Casey trailed off. "He hasn't been eating much either." she added. Meghan looked sad. "Maybe he just has a cold," Casey said hopefully, realizing Meghan felt guilty about being mean to him. She nodded, though she didn't look very hopeful. They both knew elves didn't get sick.
"Maybe." she said doubtfully, then shook her head and yelled down the hall, "Hobbits! Bed! Now!"
There was a profoundly unfriendly silence. Then, one by one, they stalked their way upstairs. Soon after came the others, and Gimli, who had decided to sleep under the table. The elves were to keep watch that night. Knowing that, the girls felt a lot safer.
They made their way up to Casey's bedroom and settled into bed, not really talking.
Casey slid her knife into the scabbard and laid in on her dresser. Then she thought the better of it and put it under her pillow. Meghan, watching this, gave her a wan smile and sat down, her knife lying on the bed beside her. The girls shared another grim look, then Casey decidedly closed and locked her windows, trying as she did so not to look outside. Meghan, always an idiot, did look.
"Anything?"
"Dark. So no."
"Peachy keen."
At that moment, a peal of thunder sounded, and a splatter of heavy rain.
"Yeah. Bloody, peachy keen," muttered Meghan, and rolled into bed, pulling the covers over her head and refusing to talk anymore.
*cough* I know we're totally undeserving, but... uh... review?
Casey screamed and jumped up, knocking over the game board. Meghan just stared at the window where, although it was gone, she could still see the face.
"What is it?" Legolas demanded of Casey.
Haldir grabbed Meghan by the shoulders. "Look at me," he ordered. She snapped her eyes away from the window.
"It was that thing, like Arwen," she told them. Haldir looked up grimly.
"I think we should all stay here for the rest of the night," Gandalf told them. Casey curled up in a corner, shivering.
Everyone was on edge. Elrohir came over and sat beside Casey. "Are you alright?" he asked her. She shook her head.
"No. My whole life I've been terrified of seeing somebody in those windows." Unwilling, her eyes moved to the closer window. "Ok, somebody has to cover that bloody thing up now," she announced.
"It's all right," he assured her. "You'll be fine." He didn't add that, had she wanted to, 'Arwen' would have probably been able to come right in.
"No. You don't understand. You HAVE to cover it up. Otherwise I'll start seeing things out there and become a complete paranoid mess. Worse than I am now." Cautiously Elrohir got up and closed the curtains. Then he went over to speak with Glorfindel and Aragorn. Casey leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to think happy thoughts. She nearly jumped a mile when Legolas tapped her shoulder. "Jesus Christ! Are you TRYING to give me a heart attack?" she demanded.
"Sorry," he answered. "I just wanted to give you this. I figured you and Meghan should be somewhat armed." He handed her a dagger. Casey glanced over and saw Meghan examining its twin. Meghan was frowning.
"I'm not sure either of us have any idea how to use these, by the way," Casey commented, after thanking Legolas.
"I can," said Meghan. Casey looked at her, and Legolas looked surprised. "Not at your level, or anything," she added quickly. "But I've had fencing lessons. I can hold my own. I hope."
Aragorn nodded approvingly. "And you?" he asked Casey. She made a sort of squeak and dropped it. He snatched his foot away just in time, and Casey apologized meekly. "Maybe I'd better teach you the basics," he suggested. Casey nodded fervently, and dropped the long knife again.
"Oops."
Right after Meghan had seen that pale and lifeless face glaring with such intense hatred, her mind had gone curiously blank. The darkness in the absence of the cruel face seemed to draw her in, and she couldn't bring herself to tear away.
She slammed back to reality when Haldir grabber her by the shoulders and shook her, the concern on his face clearly visible.
When, a few minutes later, Legolas kneeled down beside her, she smiled a shaky smile at him. He looked surprised. Then he handed her his two knives. She looked at him blankly. "You need to protect yourself," he explained. She nodded.
"Give one to Casey. And Legolas-" she put her hand on his shoulder as he rose. "Thanks." He nodded and went to talk quietly with Casey.
After they had sorted out that Casey needed to be taught and Casey had gone off with Aragorn to learn. stuff, Meghan asked Legolas if he'd show her how to use the shorter knife. He looked surprised that she was being nice, but readily agreed.
Gandalf was sitting amongst the hobbits, ignoring them until Merry asked him to tell them a story. He looked down in surprise. "A story, Master Meriadoc?" Merry and the other hobbits nodded eagerly.
The elves assembled sat forward, listening as Gandalf began a long, winding and humorous tale about pipe weed and the effects of smoking too much of it.
When Casey came back a little later, slightly capable of defending herself, the hobbits were curled up together, asleep. She was glad to see they were quite content. Everyone else, however, was still on edge. Meghan and Legolas were still somewhere else.
"Feeling better?" Elrohir asked from behind her shoulder. She jumped, but managed to keep from screaming.
"Damn elves." She glared at him. "Could you TRY to make more noise? What d'you have to sneak up on me for?" Elrohir looked amused.
"Do you think you can manage to defend yourself now?" he asked. She glanced down at the knife (which was pointed the wrong way) and shrugged.
"I think I'd have more confidence if Aragorn wasn't being so careful to stay at least four meters away from me." Elrohir laughed. After a while, his laughter subsided and he looked at her. "What?" she asked, a little confused at his sudden change of moods. He looked seriously at her.
"If you need someone to protect you. well." he fidgeted. "I. I will. Protect you, that is."
Her face cleared in sudden understanding. "Oh, that's so sweet!" she squeaked and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him gladly.
At that moment, a subtle (yeah, right) cough from Meghan told her of her friend's presence in the room and she broke away from Elrohir in a hurry.
"Oh. yeah. right. uh."
"I think we should put the hobbits to bed," Meghan said, sending Casey a wicked grin. "Gandalf's been telling them stories about pipe weed and they're getting all nostalgic."
"Okay," Casey readily agreed. Then she looked at Meghan again. "Did you know your cheek is bleeding?" she asked. Meghan felt along her lower jaw.
"Still?"
Casey blinked. "How.?" she began.
"Legolas. Don't let him near any sharp objects. He slipped." She winced.
Elrohir was listening. "He. missed? Legolas? He MISSED?" His look was incredulous. "I have to go speak with him." He hurried off.
Meghan blinked. "Well, I mean, we were fighting fairly fast. It is understandable. And he did apologize." Her tone, however, betrayed the fact that she was worried. Casey gave her an understanding hug and the two of them shared a worried glance.
"Elves don't miss." Casey trailed off. "He hasn't been eating much either." she added. Meghan looked sad. "Maybe he just has a cold," Casey said hopefully, realizing Meghan felt guilty about being mean to him. She nodded, though she didn't look very hopeful. They both knew elves didn't get sick.
"Maybe." she said doubtfully, then shook her head and yelled down the hall, "Hobbits! Bed! Now!"
There was a profoundly unfriendly silence. Then, one by one, they stalked their way upstairs. Soon after came the others, and Gimli, who had decided to sleep under the table. The elves were to keep watch that night. Knowing that, the girls felt a lot safer.
They made their way up to Casey's bedroom and settled into bed, not really talking.
Casey slid her knife into the scabbard and laid in on her dresser. Then she thought the better of it and put it under her pillow. Meghan, watching this, gave her a wan smile and sat down, her knife lying on the bed beside her. The girls shared another grim look, then Casey decidedly closed and locked her windows, trying as she did so not to look outside. Meghan, always an idiot, did look.
"Anything?"
"Dark. So no."
"Peachy keen."
At that moment, a peal of thunder sounded, and a splatter of heavy rain.
"Yeah. Bloody, peachy keen," muttered Meghan, and rolled into bed, pulling the covers over her head and refusing to talk anymore.
*cough* I know we're totally undeserving, but... uh... review?