Not So Long
~
Elrohir followed Vittorio back out into the same room he had meet the Lord Cyril in last night and watched patiently as Vittorio opened the large draperies that covered the windows that looked out upon the rushing river.
"Lord Cyril is nice. He's just not home often these days." Vittorio said to Elrohir as he pulled open a pair of doors that lead out onto an expansive balcony.
"Where does he go?" Elrohir asked as he pulled open the next set of draperies.
"I'm not sure but I hear it's because of all the trouble that's starting in Mordor." Vittorio said in a hushed voice.
"What trouble?" Elrohir asked in an equally hushed voice.
"Some say war is brewing." Vittorio raised his eyebrows. Elrohir didn't say anything but opened the window he was standing in front of.
Vittorio was about to say something else but Lord Cyril walked in at the same time Valora did.
"Good morning Valora, Vittorio, Elrohir, am I correct?" Lord Cyril smiled at the three.
Elrohir nodded at the Lord and watched as the graceful man took his seat at the head of the table and Valora set a plate of something warm in front of him, "Enjoy, my Lord." Valora smiled graciously and winked up at Elrohir and Vittorio.
Valora waited until Lord Cyril tasted the food and nodded his consent before she left his side.
"He's got thirty minutes till he drops dead." Valora whispered as she passed.
Elrohir wasn't quite sure what to do, he looked at Vittorio to see what he had to say but, Vittorio had already turned away and was now on to opening more draperies.
"Vittorio, were you and Valora planning something?" Elrohir asked not wanted to come right out and say it.
"No, why?" Vittorio ripped open another drape and pushed open the window behind it.
"Um, what she said when she passed-" Elrohir cleared his throat.
"What? How long he was until he drops dead?" Vittorio asked casually, to casual.
"Well, yea, that." Elrohir nodded.
"Oh, that's just a game we sort of play around here. Every morning when she gives Lord Cyril breakfast she tells me how long he was got until he 'drops dead' than after that certain time I have to distract Giolla while Valora hunts down Lord Cyril and tells him he's dead. And then he gives her a flower or something if he has not found the antidote." Vittorio smiled.
Elrohir let out a sigh of relief, "For a moment I though that she really poisoned him, I was a little worried." Elrohir laughed and went back to helping Vittorio.
"Yea, the first time she did that she scared me too, she's the one that started the game. It gives us something to do around here. Lord Cyril thinks it's funny too." Vittorio shrugged.
The two moved on into the next room where Valora was lying a the large chair facing the fireplace.
Vittorio said nothing but kept opening the drapes.
"Elrohir, slow down, if you open them so fast you will get the job done soon." Valora called to Elrohir from her perch among the comfortable cushions.
Elrohir gave her an inquisitive look.
"You don't actually want to work around here do you? Giolla may be the meanest person you'll meet but she's certainly not the smartest. Sometimes we take all day just to clean one already cleaned room." Valora smiled and lazily tossed a pillow at Elrohir.
"She's right, we take as long as we possibly can doing one chore. There isn't much to get done around here anyways." Vittorio agreed before launching himself into a comfortable chair.
"What if Giolla comes in?" Elrohir asked as he left the window he was at and took a seat in a chair as well.
"Like she has the energy to actually come and check on us, that's the beauty of working in the house." Valora flipped herself upside down in the chair and let her legs hang over the top of chair.
"Things are so different here than they were in my home." Elrohir sighed as he once again though of his brother back home.
"Tell us about your home." Valora implored.
"Well, it's very far away." Elrohir began.
"Tell us, we have plenty of time." Valora said quietly and listened.
"It's beyond Fangorn Forest."
"That far!" Vittorio exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes, it is also past Dunland, it is very far away." Elrohir smiled, the two must be Gondorian by birth.
"What is the name of your land?" Valora asked. Elrohir wasn't sure what to say, he didn't want to give away his elven identity.
"It is a town close to the Great East Road." Elrohir said no more.
"What are the people like where you are from? Are they all as pretty as you?" Valora flipped herself over once again to look at Elrohir properly.
"Pretty as me?" Elrohir was beginning to dislike the idea of talking about himself.
"You look almost to beautiful to be real!" Valora smiled at Elrohir, "Have you ever heard of the elves?" Valora's question did not mean anything but it made Elrohir's heart stop in his chest for a moment.
"Things, yes." Elrohir didn't want to lie to the two.
"I hear they are beautiful beings, though I've never met one. I just see you and think that nothing can be more beautiful than your people must be!" Valora explained her question.
"You are a very beautiful man, I've never seen an elf either though. Sometimes I don't think they are real, just something someone made up as a child's story. To make us believe there is beauty in the world." Vittorio added his comment.
"Vittorio! You know I hate when you say that! Elves are real! And there are beautiful things in this world! You just have to look and see them! They are all around you!" Valora stood up, "And you're half and hour is up! Go get Giolla!" Valora demanded.
Even in her yelling at Vittorio Valora took the presence of beauty and every thing that is young and innocent, though not without a touch of mischief in the world.
Valora motioned for Elrohir to follow and he obeyed.
~
~
Elrohir followed Vittorio back out into the same room he had meet the Lord Cyril in last night and watched patiently as Vittorio opened the large draperies that covered the windows that looked out upon the rushing river.
"Lord Cyril is nice. He's just not home often these days." Vittorio said to Elrohir as he pulled open a pair of doors that lead out onto an expansive balcony.
"Where does he go?" Elrohir asked as he pulled open the next set of draperies.
"I'm not sure but I hear it's because of all the trouble that's starting in Mordor." Vittorio said in a hushed voice.
"What trouble?" Elrohir asked in an equally hushed voice.
"Some say war is brewing." Vittorio raised his eyebrows. Elrohir didn't say anything but opened the window he was standing in front of.
Vittorio was about to say something else but Lord Cyril walked in at the same time Valora did.
"Good morning Valora, Vittorio, Elrohir, am I correct?" Lord Cyril smiled at the three.
Elrohir nodded at the Lord and watched as the graceful man took his seat at the head of the table and Valora set a plate of something warm in front of him, "Enjoy, my Lord." Valora smiled graciously and winked up at Elrohir and Vittorio.
Valora waited until Lord Cyril tasted the food and nodded his consent before she left his side.
"He's got thirty minutes till he drops dead." Valora whispered as she passed.
Elrohir wasn't quite sure what to do, he looked at Vittorio to see what he had to say but, Vittorio had already turned away and was now on to opening more draperies.
"Vittorio, were you and Valora planning something?" Elrohir asked not wanted to come right out and say it.
"No, why?" Vittorio ripped open another drape and pushed open the window behind it.
"Um, what she said when she passed-" Elrohir cleared his throat.
"What? How long he was until he drops dead?" Vittorio asked casually, to casual.
"Well, yea, that." Elrohir nodded.
"Oh, that's just a game we sort of play around here. Every morning when she gives Lord Cyril breakfast she tells me how long he was got until he 'drops dead' than after that certain time I have to distract Giolla while Valora hunts down Lord Cyril and tells him he's dead. And then he gives her a flower or something if he has not found the antidote." Vittorio smiled.
Elrohir let out a sigh of relief, "For a moment I though that she really poisoned him, I was a little worried." Elrohir laughed and went back to helping Vittorio.
"Yea, the first time she did that she scared me too, she's the one that started the game. It gives us something to do around here. Lord Cyril thinks it's funny too." Vittorio shrugged.
The two moved on into the next room where Valora was lying a the large chair facing the fireplace.
Vittorio said nothing but kept opening the drapes.
"Elrohir, slow down, if you open them so fast you will get the job done soon." Valora called to Elrohir from her perch among the comfortable cushions.
Elrohir gave her an inquisitive look.
"You don't actually want to work around here do you? Giolla may be the meanest person you'll meet but she's certainly not the smartest. Sometimes we take all day just to clean one already cleaned room." Valora smiled and lazily tossed a pillow at Elrohir.
"She's right, we take as long as we possibly can doing one chore. There isn't much to get done around here anyways." Vittorio agreed before launching himself into a comfortable chair.
"What if Giolla comes in?" Elrohir asked as he left the window he was at and took a seat in a chair as well.
"Like she has the energy to actually come and check on us, that's the beauty of working in the house." Valora flipped herself upside down in the chair and let her legs hang over the top of chair.
"Things are so different here than they were in my home." Elrohir sighed as he once again though of his brother back home.
"Tell us about your home." Valora implored.
"Well, it's very far away." Elrohir began.
"Tell us, we have plenty of time." Valora said quietly and listened.
"It's beyond Fangorn Forest."
"That far!" Vittorio exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes, it is also past Dunland, it is very far away." Elrohir smiled, the two must be Gondorian by birth.
"What is the name of your land?" Valora asked. Elrohir wasn't sure what to say, he didn't want to give away his elven identity.
"It is a town close to the Great East Road." Elrohir said no more.
"What are the people like where you are from? Are they all as pretty as you?" Valora flipped herself over once again to look at Elrohir properly.
"Pretty as me?" Elrohir was beginning to dislike the idea of talking about himself.
"You look almost to beautiful to be real!" Valora smiled at Elrohir, "Have you ever heard of the elves?" Valora's question did not mean anything but it made Elrohir's heart stop in his chest for a moment.
"Things, yes." Elrohir didn't want to lie to the two.
"I hear they are beautiful beings, though I've never met one. I just see you and think that nothing can be more beautiful than your people must be!" Valora explained her question.
"You are a very beautiful man, I've never seen an elf either though. Sometimes I don't think they are real, just something someone made up as a child's story. To make us believe there is beauty in the world." Vittorio added his comment.
"Vittorio! You know I hate when you say that! Elves are real! And there are beautiful things in this world! You just have to look and see them! They are all around you!" Valora stood up, "And you're half and hour is up! Go get Giolla!" Valora demanded.
Even in her yelling at Vittorio Valora took the presence of beauty and every thing that is young and innocent, though not without a touch of mischief in the world.
Valora motioned for Elrohir to follow and he obeyed.
~