Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
Cybercookies go to: SplendiferGoddess [IT'S NOT GIMLI!], MaverickGirl, Aislin, dragonfly, Britt, Nikki, silver swan, Doova, Lady of Middle Earth, kitty, Duke Storm, TigerLily713, Narikia, Sigil Galen, bratprincess and Girl X for reviewing!
Authors Note: Erg, had a little trouble starting this chapter, for all that I set it up quite nicely. I blame the long weekend, Highland Games, and Harry Potter slash...And for actually being able to start the chapter, I blame chocolate, Garth Brooks, and OFUM (search for it on this site under the 'Lord of the Rings' section, you'll find it eventually...and hopefully you'll laugh as hard as I did).
Also, this story is about to get rather Mary-Sue...I can't help it, it's hard to write certain scenes without slipping into modern speech, which I'm afraid I've done. Also, this chapter was kinda quick-and-dirty, written in one afternoon, editted in the evening, and then posted. Sorry.
------------------------------
-No Eyes Needed-
------------------------------
-Chapter X-
-Eight Times Two is Ten-
------------------------------
"But the plants need the sunlight to survive." Elisandra pointed out as she took another drink from her ale. "They can't live off of starlight."
"Then why do some flowers only open at night under the light of the stars?" Legolas countered. "They, at least, would be able to survive." Elisandra sighed before attempting to explain why a flower opening in starlight doesn't necessarily mean that the entire plant can survive with only starlight. Which she had just explained ten minutes ago, though neither she nor Legolas remembered that. Much to the amusement of the few humans that were sitting nearby.
It had all started off rather innocently, really. Legolas and Elisandra, after wandering around the fourth ring of the city for awhile, had gone into a tavern for a drink. Elisandra, having had nothing more then a light wine all her life, decided to be adventurous, especially since Legolas was paying (he was the only one of the two that had brought any money, anyways), and had an ale. Legolas also had an ale.
Several ales later, Legolas had commented that the starlight was pretty, and wished that there could always be starlight. And thus they started in on a debate of whether or not life could continue with only starlight. It didn't even occur to the two that they had become slightly drunk, even though Legolas should have known better. The Barkeep and the other patrons of the tavern didn't seem too inclined to notify the two of this, either, as it was not everyday you saw an Elf Prince and human girl walk into a tavern and proceed to get partially drunk. Most of the patrons seemed too busy trying not to burst out laughing to do much, anyways.
"You are impossible, Eli." Legolas finally declared, having had enough of Elisandra's lecture about plants. He had taken to calling Elisandra by her nickname after about the fourth ale. "You will never be able to understand until you have actually seen starlight."
"Which shall be never, so we shall just have to agree to disagree!" Elisandra replied cheerfully. Legolas nodded emphatically.
"That we shall!" he said, and the two raised their mugs in a toast of one another. In the silence following their toast, Legolas became aware that the tavern had become eerily quite. He could barely hear most of the Men breathing, in fact. Turning his head to look at the occupants of the room, he found them all staring at him and Elisandra, slightly stunned expressions on their faces. He, having had enough drink that the most blatantly obvious thing in the world now required a good amount of thought to figure out, stared back at the Men for quite awhile before realizing why they were staring.
They, having had less drink then Legolas and Elisandra, had put his and Elisandra's last comments in the argument together with Elisandra's name and realized who she was. Then Elisandra, squinting slightly, made a comment about the Men looking funny, and all of the sudden it came crashing down upon Legolas that he had not only taken Aragorn's foster daughter down into the city, but he had managed to get her - and himself - slightly drunk, as well.
Legolas let loose a stream of Dwarven swears that he'd learned from Gimli. The Men in the tavern blinked in surprise, and began edging away. One of the Men knew Dwarvish, and he stood, tossed the gold for his drinks to the bartender, and skedaddled out of the tavern with as much dignity as he could. The other Men, sensing that this was not a good sign, continued their edging towards the door. Before they could get far, however, they discovered that the scowl on Legolas's face was not directed at them, but at himself. Legolas, now swearing to himself in his head, stood and fished out what he thought was the correct amount of gold for his and Elisandra's drinks. Then he went around the table and helped Elisandra out of her chair.
"Time to get you home." he said, making a motion as if to leave. But Elisandra didn't move, instead making a face.
"But it's much funner here!" she said.
"Home, even if I have to carry you." Legolas said firmly. Elisandra seemed to ponder this for a moment, and while she was pondering, Legolas grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the tavern.
"Hey!" Elisandra protested when she noticed what had happened. "I can walk on my own! You duneed to haul me 'round!" As if to prove it, Elisandra yanked her hand out of Legolas's and took a few steps - and then stumbled and just about fell down. Legolas caught her with a sigh, which for some reason caused Elisandra to giggle.
"I doubt you would be able to walk by yourself even if you were at home with a flat surface to walk on." Legolas said grimly, then added to himself, "Aragorn is going to have me shot."
"Naw, I won le'im..." Elisandra said with another giggle. "You're too much fun t'be a target."
"I do not think you will have much choice in the matter." Legolas said with another sigh. "Now come on, let us get you back to the palace so you can sleep this off and I can get shot."
"If you're up to following me home, my mother might have something that can help lessen both of those." A voice said out of the dark, and Legolas whirled, almost letting Elisandra fall. As it was, he had to do some fancy acrobatics - at least, they were fancy considering how drunk he was - to keep Elisandra from collapsing into a heap on the flagstones. Her legs had apparently stopped working, though she seemed to have not noticed. Peering into the darkness that cloaked the owner of the voice, Legolas cursed himself again for the drink that was dulling his senses so well.
"Jahon!" Elisandra said suddenly with a giggle, and pushed off Legolas and stumbled over to the owner of the voice. Legolas watched in surprise as the man stepped out of the shadows and Elisandra gave him a hug - which was actually more like draping herself over him and using him as her new support.
"Hello, Elisandra." he said dryly, and Elisandra giggled again. Legolas, eyeing the boy, wondered how Elisandra knew him - he was obviously a commoner, and the deep tan of his skin indicated that he probably spent a lot of time out in the fields around Minas Tirith. He'd probably never been above the third ring of the city in his life.
"Leg'las, this is Jahon!" Elisandra said proudly, pull Legolas's thoughts him out of his inspection of the boy.
"So I gathered." Legolas replied as dryly as Jahon had greeted Elisandra.
"I was her foster brother for a few years after her mother died and before she went to the palace." Jahon explained, seeming to notice Legolas's confusion as to how Elisandra knew him. "I didn't think she'd recognize me, but I guess she did."
"I always 'member people I know!" Elisandra said smugly.
"Well, you haven't seen me in, what, 15 years?" Jahon said. "I didn't expect your memory to be THAT good."
"Her memory rivals most Elves." Legolas said, and Elisandra beamed. Jahon shook his head as he looked at her beam.
"She's totally smashed." he commented. Legolas imitated Jahon and shook his head.
"No, she is only slightly 'smashed'." he said, picking up on the Humans term, even though he'd never heard it before in his life.
"With the amount of drink she had in the tavern, I'm surprised she's not unconscious." Jahon said, arching an eyebrow.
"I had more then her, and I am not unconscious." Legolas pointed out.
"Yes, but you're an Elf." Jahon said patiently. "Elisandra is not. And unless you want to end out carrying her, I suggest we get her to Mother's so she can lie down before she passes out." Legolas nodded slightly, just as Elisandra spoke up.
"I agree!" she said, and started nodding emphatically. Shaking their heads, Legolas took one of Elisandra's arms, and Jahon the other, and they set off down the street. They'd managed to go two blocks before Elisandra managed to stop nodding emphatically. Then she, once again, protested that she could walk by herself, and tried to prove it, but Legolas and Jahon didn't let her go. They kept walking, with Elisandra between them complaining, for quite some time. Elisandra eventually fell silent, choosing to sulk instead of complain, and thus she was until Ranora opened to door of her house.
"Ranora!" Elisandra said cheerfully upon seeing the now-elderly lady, getting out of Jahon and Legolas's grasp and giving her old foster mother a large hug - which was, once more, more like a switching of human supports then a hug. Ranora arched her eyebrow and looked to Jahon for an explanation.
"She's drunk." he said, and Ranora frowned slightly. "Ask him!" Jahon said, nodding to Legolas, who hung his head slightly.
"I'm not drunk!" Elisandra protested, with only a few moments lag.
"Yes, you are." Legolas told Elisandra.
"No I'm not!" Elisandra replied hotly.
"You are." Legolas said firmly, and when Elisandra opened her mouth to object again, he shot her a look, and she thought better of it, instead turning to Ranora again.
"They're so mean! They wou'n't even lemme walk here by myself!" she whined to the lady, and Ranora sighed.
"That's because you're drunk, dear." she said gently, and shifted her hold on Elisandra before leading the now-sulking girl into her house, with Jahon and Legolas following.
"Take a seat, I'll make some tea." Ranora said to Legolas, getting Elisandra seated in a chair in the main room of the house. Legolas and Jahon did as they were told, and Ranora disappeared into the kitchen. Silence descended on the room, except for the occasional mumbled 'I'm not drunk!' from Elisandra. After a few moments, Jahon shifted uncomfortably, and Legolas, who wanted nothing more then to wake up now and realize that this was a very realistic dream, realized that the boy was uncomfortable and he should probably make polite conversation. Legolas fished around in his muddled mind for something to say, but before he found anything, Ranora returned.
"Now then, will someone kindly explain how this happened?" she asked, sitting down in the one available chair left. "I have often wished to see my foster daughter again, but having her come to my door drunk and with an Elven prince - who is also drunk, if I haven't missed my guess - was not how I wished to meet her again." Jahon and Ranora looked at Elisandra and Legolas expectantly.
"It's all his fault!" Elisandra said helpfully, pointing to Legolas, and seemed to take great pleasure when all of her former foster mother and brother's attention switched to Legolas. Legolas chose to ignore Ranora and Jahon's attention momentarily in favour of an argument with Elisandra.
"You are the one who decided to not only leave the palace, but come this far down in the city!" he said.
"You could have said no!" Elisandra replied cheerily.
"Could one of you please give us a decent explanation?" Ranora asked impatiently, and internally Legolas sighed. She was not a woman to be put off. So Legolas quickly assembled his thoughts, glad that the walk had rid some of the alcohol from his system and his head was feeling slightly clearer.
"Elisandra and I snuck out of the palace to avoid her handmaidens, which she had already snuck away from and were going hysterical looking for her. Elisandra suggested we go down to the fourth ring of the city, and we did, and after walking around for awhile, we ended up at a tavern, where we had a few drinks." Jahon snorted as Legolas finished.
"A few? I saw the Barkeep refill your ale's at least six times." the boy said.
"Eight times." Elisandra said cheerily, and everybody looked at her.
"You were keeping TRACK?" Legolas asked incredulously after a short silence.
"I wanted to see how long until you noticed." Elisandra replied with an evil grin. Legolas made a low growling sound in his throat, putting his face in his hands.
"Forget Aragorn having me shot for getting you drunk, he is going to have me shot for strangling you." he muttered. A low whistling came from the kitchen, then, and Ranora excused herself and rose to finish making the tea.
"So what're you up to, Jahon?" Elisandra asked cheerfully once Ranora had left.
"I'm working in the fields." he replied.
"Must be fun." Elisandra commented, and then suddenly got a sad look. "Wish I could do that."
"No, you don't." Jahon replied vehemently. "And besides, women aren't allowed to work in the fields." Elisandra pouted.
"It would still be a nice change!" she said. "All I do up in the palace is wander around trying to spot problems, run messages for Father, and give him advice on things he already knows!"
"All very useful duties, I might add." Legolas said, his voice still muffled from where his head rested in his hands.
"And all extremely boring!" Elisandra insisted. "Until tonight, I hadn't been off the palace grounds since Ranora brought me there!"
"And it should have remained that way!" Legolas said.
"Ah, party pooper. You just didn't have enough ale." Elisandra said, trying to sound wise as Ranora re-entered with a tray carrying the tea.
"I had more then enough, and that's the problem." Legolas groaned, raising his head as Ranora offered him a cup of tea. He took it gratefully and blew on it lightly before taking a sip. Then he made a face, causing Elisandra to giggle.
"My special mixture to lessen the effects and after-effects of alcohol." Ranora told the Elven Prince when she saw his face. "You will both drink it all!" she added sternly. Legolas, suddenly reminded of his mother when he was younger, smiled slightly, and took another sip of the medicinal tea. Elisandra took her first at about the same time, and her loudly exclaimed 'YUCK!' made them all chuckle before she took another sip. Then Ranora handed Jahon another cup of tea, and took one for herself. From the colour of the liquid in the cups, Legolas knew that they had a normal brew, and not a medicinal one. Which made sense. Ranora set the tray on a small table, then sat down again, and silence reined in the room for a while as everyone sipped their tea. Then Ranora spoke up.
"I have a feeling I shall regret asking this, but why did Elisandra sneak away from her handmaidens in the first place?" she asked.
"Wanted to think." was Elisandra's reply in-between sips of tea.
"And she coerced you into helping her get around without the handmaidens?" Ranora asked Legolas, who shook his head.
"She can get around the palace without my - or anyone's - help. I just happened to be thinking in the garden she went to to think in." he replied.
"I thought there was a welcoming feast for you tonight. What were you both doing out in the garden thinking?" Jahon asked with curiosity. Silence fell as neither Elisandra nor Legolas replied. Elisandra seemed be paying attention only to her tea, trying to get it down without throwing up, and Legolas was staring into his almost-empty cup with a thoughtful frown on his face.
Aragorn had told him the basics of how he and Arwen had found Elisandra, and Arwen had told him what Aragorn had missed. Neither had mentioned Jahon - Legolas didn't think either of them ever met the boy - but they had told him all about Ranora and how she had taken on Elisandra after her mother died. That, combined with his earlier conversation with Aragorn and Arwen about how it was time to find Elisandra's father, made him think carefully before replying.
"Among other things, I believe we were both trying to reason out how Elisandra can dance the Linta Rusco." Legolas said finally, and looked up to see Jahon and Ranora's eyes widen. Another silence fell, until suddenly Elisandra announced that she was done.
"And now I'm sleepy." she added.
"We have some spare beds, if you two would like to stay here for tonight. Perhaps it would lessen King Elessar's wrath if you told him you found Elisandra's old foster family and spent the night talking with them?" Ranora said, her lips twitching in an attempt to smile as she looked at Legolas.
"If it is no trouble, yes, thank you." Legolas said gratefully.
"Good. Jahon, take Elisandra to her old room. She can sleep there tonight. Legolas can have your old room, since after helping Elisandra into bed, you are going home to your wife." Ranora said pointedly. Jahon chuckled, rising.
"Yes, Mother." he said, and helped a yawning Elisandra out of her chair and led her by the elbow out of the room. Ranora and Legolas waited until Jahon came back, kissed his mother goodbye, and left, before speaking again.
"The Linta Rusco?" Ranora asked, looking at Legolas intently. He nodded. "And she wasn't injured?" Legolas shook his head.
"She danced it perfectly - though she has never danced before." he said. The two fell into a thoughtful silence, during which Legolas finished off his tea.
"Aragorn and Arwen agreed with me after the dance was done that it is time to find Elisandra's father." Legolas said, breaking the silence, and this time it was him looking at Ranora intently. But she shook her head.
"I'm afraid I can't help you. I know only of the general area of where her mother traveled before Elisandra was born - she never told anyone who Elisandra's father was." she said. Legolas sighed. "I shall tell all I know, however. But not now. Now, I think it is time for even you to sleep." Legolas nodded tiredly.
"I think you are right." he said, setting his tea cup next to Elisandra's on the tray. Ranora stood, placing her also empty teacup on the tray, and then motioned for Legolas to follow. He did, and Ranora led him out of the room the same way Jahon had gone with Elisandra, then into a small room with several windows facing onto a small garden. Legolas smiled slightly when he saw the windows.
"Shall I leave the windows open?" Ranora said with a half smile, and Legolas nodded vigorously, though he was sure she already knew his answer.
"Very well. I shall see you tomorrow." she said, and left, closing the door behind her. Legolas gratefully stripped off all his clothes but his trousers and dropped onto the bed. He lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling, and was asleep within moments.
\/---Please review!---\/
Cybercookies go to: SplendiferGoddess [IT'S NOT GIMLI!], MaverickGirl, Aislin, dragonfly, Britt, Nikki, silver swan, Doova, Lady of Middle Earth, kitty, Duke Storm, TigerLily713, Narikia, Sigil Galen, bratprincess and Girl X for reviewing!
Authors Note: Erg, had a little trouble starting this chapter, for all that I set it up quite nicely. I blame the long weekend, Highland Games, and Harry Potter slash...And for actually being able to start the chapter, I blame chocolate, Garth Brooks, and OFUM (search for it on this site under the 'Lord of the Rings' section, you'll find it eventually...and hopefully you'll laugh as hard as I did).
Also, this story is about to get rather Mary-Sue...I can't help it, it's hard to write certain scenes without slipping into modern speech, which I'm afraid I've done. Also, this chapter was kinda quick-and-dirty, written in one afternoon, editted in the evening, and then posted. Sorry.
------------------------------
-No Eyes Needed-
------------------------------
-Chapter X-
-Eight Times Two is Ten-
------------------------------
"But the plants need the sunlight to survive." Elisandra pointed out as she took another drink from her ale. "They can't live off of starlight."
"Then why do some flowers only open at night under the light of the stars?" Legolas countered. "They, at least, would be able to survive." Elisandra sighed before attempting to explain why a flower opening in starlight doesn't necessarily mean that the entire plant can survive with only starlight. Which she had just explained ten minutes ago, though neither she nor Legolas remembered that. Much to the amusement of the few humans that were sitting nearby.
It had all started off rather innocently, really. Legolas and Elisandra, after wandering around the fourth ring of the city for awhile, had gone into a tavern for a drink. Elisandra, having had nothing more then a light wine all her life, decided to be adventurous, especially since Legolas was paying (he was the only one of the two that had brought any money, anyways), and had an ale. Legolas also had an ale.
Several ales later, Legolas had commented that the starlight was pretty, and wished that there could always be starlight. And thus they started in on a debate of whether or not life could continue with only starlight. It didn't even occur to the two that they had become slightly drunk, even though Legolas should have known better. The Barkeep and the other patrons of the tavern didn't seem too inclined to notify the two of this, either, as it was not everyday you saw an Elf Prince and human girl walk into a tavern and proceed to get partially drunk. Most of the patrons seemed too busy trying not to burst out laughing to do much, anyways.
"You are impossible, Eli." Legolas finally declared, having had enough of Elisandra's lecture about plants. He had taken to calling Elisandra by her nickname after about the fourth ale. "You will never be able to understand until you have actually seen starlight."
"Which shall be never, so we shall just have to agree to disagree!" Elisandra replied cheerfully. Legolas nodded emphatically.
"That we shall!" he said, and the two raised their mugs in a toast of one another. In the silence following their toast, Legolas became aware that the tavern had become eerily quite. He could barely hear most of the Men breathing, in fact. Turning his head to look at the occupants of the room, he found them all staring at him and Elisandra, slightly stunned expressions on their faces. He, having had enough drink that the most blatantly obvious thing in the world now required a good amount of thought to figure out, stared back at the Men for quite awhile before realizing why they were staring.
They, having had less drink then Legolas and Elisandra, had put his and Elisandra's last comments in the argument together with Elisandra's name and realized who she was. Then Elisandra, squinting slightly, made a comment about the Men looking funny, and all of the sudden it came crashing down upon Legolas that he had not only taken Aragorn's foster daughter down into the city, but he had managed to get her - and himself - slightly drunk, as well.
Legolas let loose a stream of Dwarven swears that he'd learned from Gimli. The Men in the tavern blinked in surprise, and began edging away. One of the Men knew Dwarvish, and he stood, tossed the gold for his drinks to the bartender, and skedaddled out of the tavern with as much dignity as he could. The other Men, sensing that this was not a good sign, continued their edging towards the door. Before they could get far, however, they discovered that the scowl on Legolas's face was not directed at them, but at himself. Legolas, now swearing to himself in his head, stood and fished out what he thought was the correct amount of gold for his and Elisandra's drinks. Then he went around the table and helped Elisandra out of her chair.
"Time to get you home." he said, making a motion as if to leave. But Elisandra didn't move, instead making a face.
"But it's much funner here!" she said.
"Home, even if I have to carry you." Legolas said firmly. Elisandra seemed to ponder this for a moment, and while she was pondering, Legolas grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the tavern.
"Hey!" Elisandra protested when she noticed what had happened. "I can walk on my own! You duneed to haul me 'round!" As if to prove it, Elisandra yanked her hand out of Legolas's and took a few steps - and then stumbled and just about fell down. Legolas caught her with a sigh, which for some reason caused Elisandra to giggle.
"I doubt you would be able to walk by yourself even if you were at home with a flat surface to walk on." Legolas said grimly, then added to himself, "Aragorn is going to have me shot."
"Naw, I won le'im..." Elisandra said with another giggle. "You're too much fun t'be a target."
"I do not think you will have much choice in the matter." Legolas said with another sigh. "Now come on, let us get you back to the palace so you can sleep this off and I can get shot."
"If you're up to following me home, my mother might have something that can help lessen both of those." A voice said out of the dark, and Legolas whirled, almost letting Elisandra fall. As it was, he had to do some fancy acrobatics - at least, they were fancy considering how drunk he was - to keep Elisandra from collapsing into a heap on the flagstones. Her legs had apparently stopped working, though she seemed to have not noticed. Peering into the darkness that cloaked the owner of the voice, Legolas cursed himself again for the drink that was dulling his senses so well.
"Jahon!" Elisandra said suddenly with a giggle, and pushed off Legolas and stumbled over to the owner of the voice. Legolas watched in surprise as the man stepped out of the shadows and Elisandra gave him a hug - which was actually more like draping herself over him and using him as her new support.
"Hello, Elisandra." he said dryly, and Elisandra giggled again. Legolas, eyeing the boy, wondered how Elisandra knew him - he was obviously a commoner, and the deep tan of his skin indicated that he probably spent a lot of time out in the fields around Minas Tirith. He'd probably never been above the third ring of the city in his life.
"Leg'las, this is Jahon!" Elisandra said proudly, pull Legolas's thoughts him out of his inspection of the boy.
"So I gathered." Legolas replied as dryly as Jahon had greeted Elisandra.
"I was her foster brother for a few years after her mother died and before she went to the palace." Jahon explained, seeming to notice Legolas's confusion as to how Elisandra knew him. "I didn't think she'd recognize me, but I guess she did."
"I always 'member people I know!" Elisandra said smugly.
"Well, you haven't seen me in, what, 15 years?" Jahon said. "I didn't expect your memory to be THAT good."
"Her memory rivals most Elves." Legolas said, and Elisandra beamed. Jahon shook his head as he looked at her beam.
"She's totally smashed." he commented. Legolas imitated Jahon and shook his head.
"No, she is only slightly 'smashed'." he said, picking up on the Humans term, even though he'd never heard it before in his life.
"With the amount of drink she had in the tavern, I'm surprised she's not unconscious." Jahon said, arching an eyebrow.
"I had more then her, and I am not unconscious." Legolas pointed out.
"Yes, but you're an Elf." Jahon said patiently. "Elisandra is not. And unless you want to end out carrying her, I suggest we get her to Mother's so she can lie down before she passes out." Legolas nodded slightly, just as Elisandra spoke up.
"I agree!" she said, and started nodding emphatically. Shaking their heads, Legolas took one of Elisandra's arms, and Jahon the other, and they set off down the street. They'd managed to go two blocks before Elisandra managed to stop nodding emphatically. Then she, once again, protested that she could walk by herself, and tried to prove it, but Legolas and Jahon didn't let her go. They kept walking, with Elisandra between them complaining, for quite some time. Elisandra eventually fell silent, choosing to sulk instead of complain, and thus she was until Ranora opened to door of her house.
"Ranora!" Elisandra said cheerfully upon seeing the now-elderly lady, getting out of Jahon and Legolas's grasp and giving her old foster mother a large hug - which was, once more, more like a switching of human supports then a hug. Ranora arched her eyebrow and looked to Jahon for an explanation.
"She's drunk." he said, and Ranora frowned slightly. "Ask him!" Jahon said, nodding to Legolas, who hung his head slightly.
"I'm not drunk!" Elisandra protested, with only a few moments lag.
"Yes, you are." Legolas told Elisandra.
"No I'm not!" Elisandra replied hotly.
"You are." Legolas said firmly, and when Elisandra opened her mouth to object again, he shot her a look, and she thought better of it, instead turning to Ranora again.
"They're so mean! They wou'n't even lemme walk here by myself!" she whined to the lady, and Ranora sighed.
"That's because you're drunk, dear." she said gently, and shifted her hold on Elisandra before leading the now-sulking girl into her house, with Jahon and Legolas following.
"Take a seat, I'll make some tea." Ranora said to Legolas, getting Elisandra seated in a chair in the main room of the house. Legolas and Jahon did as they were told, and Ranora disappeared into the kitchen. Silence descended on the room, except for the occasional mumbled 'I'm not drunk!' from Elisandra. After a few moments, Jahon shifted uncomfortably, and Legolas, who wanted nothing more then to wake up now and realize that this was a very realistic dream, realized that the boy was uncomfortable and he should probably make polite conversation. Legolas fished around in his muddled mind for something to say, but before he found anything, Ranora returned.
"Now then, will someone kindly explain how this happened?" she asked, sitting down in the one available chair left. "I have often wished to see my foster daughter again, but having her come to my door drunk and with an Elven prince - who is also drunk, if I haven't missed my guess - was not how I wished to meet her again." Jahon and Ranora looked at Elisandra and Legolas expectantly.
"It's all his fault!" Elisandra said helpfully, pointing to Legolas, and seemed to take great pleasure when all of her former foster mother and brother's attention switched to Legolas. Legolas chose to ignore Ranora and Jahon's attention momentarily in favour of an argument with Elisandra.
"You are the one who decided to not only leave the palace, but come this far down in the city!" he said.
"You could have said no!" Elisandra replied cheerily.
"Could one of you please give us a decent explanation?" Ranora asked impatiently, and internally Legolas sighed. She was not a woman to be put off. So Legolas quickly assembled his thoughts, glad that the walk had rid some of the alcohol from his system and his head was feeling slightly clearer.
"Elisandra and I snuck out of the palace to avoid her handmaidens, which she had already snuck away from and were going hysterical looking for her. Elisandra suggested we go down to the fourth ring of the city, and we did, and after walking around for awhile, we ended up at a tavern, where we had a few drinks." Jahon snorted as Legolas finished.
"A few? I saw the Barkeep refill your ale's at least six times." the boy said.
"Eight times." Elisandra said cheerily, and everybody looked at her.
"You were keeping TRACK?" Legolas asked incredulously after a short silence.
"I wanted to see how long until you noticed." Elisandra replied with an evil grin. Legolas made a low growling sound in his throat, putting his face in his hands.
"Forget Aragorn having me shot for getting you drunk, he is going to have me shot for strangling you." he muttered. A low whistling came from the kitchen, then, and Ranora excused herself and rose to finish making the tea.
"So what're you up to, Jahon?" Elisandra asked cheerfully once Ranora had left.
"I'm working in the fields." he replied.
"Must be fun." Elisandra commented, and then suddenly got a sad look. "Wish I could do that."
"No, you don't." Jahon replied vehemently. "And besides, women aren't allowed to work in the fields." Elisandra pouted.
"It would still be a nice change!" she said. "All I do up in the palace is wander around trying to spot problems, run messages for Father, and give him advice on things he already knows!"
"All very useful duties, I might add." Legolas said, his voice still muffled from where his head rested in his hands.
"And all extremely boring!" Elisandra insisted. "Until tonight, I hadn't been off the palace grounds since Ranora brought me there!"
"And it should have remained that way!" Legolas said.
"Ah, party pooper. You just didn't have enough ale." Elisandra said, trying to sound wise as Ranora re-entered with a tray carrying the tea.
"I had more then enough, and that's the problem." Legolas groaned, raising his head as Ranora offered him a cup of tea. He took it gratefully and blew on it lightly before taking a sip. Then he made a face, causing Elisandra to giggle.
"My special mixture to lessen the effects and after-effects of alcohol." Ranora told the Elven Prince when she saw his face. "You will both drink it all!" she added sternly. Legolas, suddenly reminded of his mother when he was younger, smiled slightly, and took another sip of the medicinal tea. Elisandra took her first at about the same time, and her loudly exclaimed 'YUCK!' made them all chuckle before she took another sip. Then Ranora handed Jahon another cup of tea, and took one for herself. From the colour of the liquid in the cups, Legolas knew that they had a normal brew, and not a medicinal one. Which made sense. Ranora set the tray on a small table, then sat down again, and silence reined in the room for a while as everyone sipped their tea. Then Ranora spoke up.
"I have a feeling I shall regret asking this, but why did Elisandra sneak away from her handmaidens in the first place?" she asked.
"Wanted to think." was Elisandra's reply in-between sips of tea.
"And she coerced you into helping her get around without the handmaidens?" Ranora asked Legolas, who shook his head.
"She can get around the palace without my - or anyone's - help. I just happened to be thinking in the garden she went to to think in." he replied.
"I thought there was a welcoming feast for you tonight. What were you both doing out in the garden thinking?" Jahon asked with curiosity. Silence fell as neither Elisandra nor Legolas replied. Elisandra seemed be paying attention only to her tea, trying to get it down without throwing up, and Legolas was staring into his almost-empty cup with a thoughtful frown on his face.
Aragorn had told him the basics of how he and Arwen had found Elisandra, and Arwen had told him what Aragorn had missed. Neither had mentioned Jahon - Legolas didn't think either of them ever met the boy - but they had told him all about Ranora and how she had taken on Elisandra after her mother died. That, combined with his earlier conversation with Aragorn and Arwen about how it was time to find Elisandra's father, made him think carefully before replying.
"Among other things, I believe we were both trying to reason out how Elisandra can dance the Linta Rusco." Legolas said finally, and looked up to see Jahon and Ranora's eyes widen. Another silence fell, until suddenly Elisandra announced that she was done.
"And now I'm sleepy." she added.
"We have some spare beds, if you two would like to stay here for tonight. Perhaps it would lessen King Elessar's wrath if you told him you found Elisandra's old foster family and spent the night talking with them?" Ranora said, her lips twitching in an attempt to smile as she looked at Legolas.
"If it is no trouble, yes, thank you." Legolas said gratefully.
"Good. Jahon, take Elisandra to her old room. She can sleep there tonight. Legolas can have your old room, since after helping Elisandra into bed, you are going home to your wife." Ranora said pointedly. Jahon chuckled, rising.
"Yes, Mother." he said, and helped a yawning Elisandra out of her chair and led her by the elbow out of the room. Ranora and Legolas waited until Jahon came back, kissed his mother goodbye, and left, before speaking again.
"The Linta Rusco?" Ranora asked, looking at Legolas intently. He nodded. "And she wasn't injured?" Legolas shook his head.
"She danced it perfectly - though she has never danced before." he said. The two fell into a thoughtful silence, during which Legolas finished off his tea.
"Aragorn and Arwen agreed with me after the dance was done that it is time to find Elisandra's father." Legolas said, breaking the silence, and this time it was him looking at Ranora intently. But she shook her head.
"I'm afraid I can't help you. I know only of the general area of where her mother traveled before Elisandra was born - she never told anyone who Elisandra's father was." she said. Legolas sighed. "I shall tell all I know, however. But not now. Now, I think it is time for even you to sleep." Legolas nodded tiredly.
"I think you are right." he said, setting his tea cup next to Elisandra's on the tray. Ranora stood, placing her also empty teacup on the tray, and then motioned for Legolas to follow. He did, and Ranora led him out of the room the same way Jahon had gone with Elisandra, then into a small room with several windows facing onto a small garden. Legolas smiled slightly when he saw the windows.
"Shall I leave the windows open?" Ranora said with a half smile, and Legolas nodded vigorously, though he was sure she already knew his answer.
"Very well. I shall see you tomorrow." she said, and left, closing the door behind her. Legolas gratefully stripped off all his clothes but his trousers and dropped onto the bed. He lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling, and was asleep within moments.
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