~ Sorry for the long wait. My computer crashed and the only reason I got this chapter up is because I went and kicked my grandfather off of his. I'm going to speed some parts up simply so it doesn't drag. I don't know elvish (Dang it) so any elf speech will be portrayed like this. Except for common words I've heard here and there, those will be typed out.
Tara: Rambling is okay really it is. It gives me more of an outlook on the person behind the reviews :o) I also like Merry and Pippin more than Frodo and Sam. I think it's because those two characters are more easier to play around with. And I'll keep writing as long as you do :o)
MaverickGirl: Thanks I'm glad you like. Sorry for the delay, but this should be a long chapter.
Dark Fire: Thanks for the review ::Big smile:: Yes I am a big TMNT fan, I love Mikey! I also had the bed sheets as a kid and comforter and, well the list goes on and on :o) If you want to review the other stories that would be great, but this is also good. I appreciate you letting me know that you like them.
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Two nights have passes since Shantel arrived in Rivendell with Aragorn and the hobbits. Glorfindel went everywhere Shantel went. He stood guard when she bathed, escorted her to her room at night and met her there in the morning. In the evening Shantel found out that they no longer locked the door. Venturing out, Shantel found another elf stood guard at her door. He spoke no common, as Glorfindel described from elvish, so no communication went on at night.
A breeze drifted in, billowing the white curtains and flitted through the sheets. Shantel turned her face towards it, opening her eyes. Instead of being in her bed at Rivendell, she was at Weather Top again. It was the same scenario as before but there was no hobbits yelling. Footsteps sounded, and Shantel quickly climbed to her feet seeing the Wraiths come into view. Surrounding her they closed in leaving no room for Shantel to escape. When the Wraiths reached for their swords, Shantel covered her arms trembling. She thought that this time, she was going to die. The sound of metal scratching their sheaths filled the air as each Wraith pulled out a piece of paper?
"This bill is late! You are two months overdue! Pay or your service will be canceled!" Each Wraith held a different bill all voicing how Shantel had to pay. Looking around in surprise Shantel shook her head and out her hands over her ears.
"No, stop, I'll pay, I'll pay," Shantel moaned sinking to her knee's. The Wraiths closed in closer each yelling of how she had to pay.
"Pay! Pay! Pay!"
"Stop it, stop it!" Shantel pushed at the closets Wraith. All fell on top of Shantel suffocating her. Panicking, she started kicking and clawing finally pushing the last one off. Sitting up, Shantel looked around waiting to see where the next Bill Wraith was going to jump out from next. The sight of her room in Rivendell was a welcome sight, letting Shantel take a moment to lay back and breathe. The covers were all kicked off the bed and lay in a pile on the floor. Shantel got up, threw the sheets back on and walked to the window. The cold breeze was still blowing, reminding her of the night she met the hobbits, the night Scott was suppose to be home.
Pulling the cross out from under her tank top, Shantel held it tightly seeking some comfort. It was only a simple silver cross on a silver chain. A birthday present from a few years ago. The only reason Shantel wore it was because she liked it, not any religious reasons. A restlessness was stirring and Shantel knew that she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. Peeking out the door Shantel jumped back then smiled at herself. The elf guard must have fallen asleep, his eyes were glazed over. At first Shantel had thought he was looking at her. 'Poor elf, must have been so bored,' Shantel thought.
In her tank top PJ's, Shantel walked looking at the tapestries and wall paintings. She surmised that, from what she could see, it was describing a great battle. One in particular caught her eye. A man lay holding up a broken sword while the enemy toward over him. Shantel was studying it so intensely, voices down the hall caught her off guard. Recognizing them to belong to Lord Elrond and Aragorn, Shantel looked for a place to hide. Choosing an area behind a statue, Shantel squeezed behind it just before the two rounded the corner. Holding her breath, Shantel listened, when she realized they were speaking in elvish. Closing her eyes, Shantel hoped they would pass by quickly. A few things she caught was her name and the hobbits name's. Once she couldn't hear them anymore Shantel counted to ten, then just to be safe, did it again. Still not hearing anything, Shantel slid out from behind the statue and slowly started back to her room. Rounding a corner Shantel ran into someone. They grabbed her arms as she fell back and looked up into Aragorn's face.
"Oops, sorry," Shantel said quietly and looked to the ground. Aragorn's face was motionless as Shantel straightened herself.
"Why do you wander?" Aragorn asked.
"I couldn't sleep." Shantel shrugged.
"Melamin." Both turned to the new voice. Arwen walked up behind Shantel and put a hand on her shoulder. There is no evil in her my love. She is only a lost girl, far from home
How do you know this, Arwen Aragorn asked. Shantel looked back and forth between the two. She couldn't understand a word they were saying.
I spoke with Glorfindel and have looked inside her. Take some time and you will see it too Arwen said.
I don't know, the way she appeared, her clothes, it's all too strange Aragorn was flustered, not knowing what to think of Shantel. Both at that moment turned to look at her. A look of utmost confusion was written all over her face.
"Come Shantel," Arwen steered her around Aragorn. "I will walk you back to your room. As soon as Aragorn was out of sight, Shantel turned to Arwen.
"What was that all about?"
"You," Arwen answered but didn't tell Shantel anything more, no matter how much she asked. Inside Shantel's room, instead of leaving, Arwen sat down next to Shantel on the bed. "What troubles you so?"
"Being away from home, worrying about how bills are going to be paid, how everyone else is doing without me." This was all said in one breath. Arwen only looked at Shantel waiting patiently for her to continue.
" I want to be home to make sure everything is okay but at the same time, I don't want to be." Shantel let out a sigh starting to get tired.
"Things will pass, one way or another, weather we want them to or not," Arwen said. "But you are tired so get some sleep and tomorrow you can come with Ellesar and I." Shantel nodded feeling very tired all of a sudden. With the covers around Shantel, Arwen slipped out. In the morning, instead of Glorfindel waiting, Arwen greeted Shantel.
The next two days passed quickly. Arwen took Shantel out to a picnic where they met up with Aragorn. He seemed unsure at first but relaxed as the day went on. He even got excited about teaching Shantel Sindarin.
That evening Shantel went to see Frodo. Faithfully by his side was Sam, which gave Shantel a smile, and Gandalf. He sat by the edge of the bed smoking his pipe. That evening and the following day while Shantel visited, Sam would tell stories of the Shire, where Merry and Pippin would join in when they came around.
Four days have passed, Shantel thought. Now she was outside attempting to read an elvish book while Merry and Pippin tried to throw nuts in each other's mouth. One went astray smacking Shantel on the head. Startled Shantel flung the book towards the direction it came and over the balcony it went. That gave Merry and Pippin a fit of laughter as Shantel ran over hoping that she didn't hit anyone. It fell into some water and disappeared under the nearby waterfall.
"Okay who did that?" Shantel turned and put her hands on her hips. Still laughing, Merry pointed at Pippin as they rolled on the ground. Once the hobbits got a hold of themselves, they forgot the game and started talking to Shantel.
"Why do you wear such clothes?" Pippin asked. Shantel was wearing her jeans, a teal shirt on and blue and white sneakers. She politely declined the dresses some elves tried to get her to wear so far.
"This is normal wear I live," Shantel protested playfully. Before the hobbits could respond, Frodo ran into the group letting Merry and Pippin forget the conversation. Shantel watched from where she was at as they all traded hugs and laughed. When Frodo started to walk to where Bilbo was, Shantel slipped away to give them some time to themselves. In her room, Shantel found her clothes laid out on the bed clean. Carefully folding them, Shantel picked up her disc man. She tried to use it only a little, but she knew eventually the batteries would be dead. A knock sounded distracting Shantel from her thoughts. Going over, she pulled the door open and was surprised to find Lord Elrond there.
"Good evening, Shantel," Lord Elrond greeted.
"Good evening," Shantel gave a small curtsey. Watching Lord Elrond walk over to some chairs by the window, Shantel thought of a reason he could be here for. Hastily she shut the door and all but ran over to the opposite chair.
" I am so sorry about your book it wasn't even my fault," Shantel started. Lord Elrond held up his hand.
"I'm not here about," then he paused. "What happened to my book?"
"Nothing," Shantel gave him the sweetest smile she could muster. He raised his eyebrows at her then went back to his purpose.
"I wanted to talk to you, about what you told Gandalf, about your world." Lord Elrond said. Pausing he stared at Shantel for a minute making her nervous. Her palms started to sweat and her heart picked up it's pace.
"Does the ring get destroyed?" Shantel sat back, surprised at the question.
"Wha, what?" Shantel stammered.
"Does the ring get destroyed?" Lord Elrond repeated more urgently leaning forward. Shantel looked down, away from lord Elrond's gaze.
"I don't know," Shantel whispered.
"I see," Lord Elrond said sitting back and sighed. "Maybe it's better I don't know.
"Shantel there was another reason why I wanted to talk to you," Lord Elrond said. Please no more questions, Shantel thought.
"And it's not more questions," Lord Elrond confirmed. Shantel looked back up meeting his gaze. "With Frodo getting well, tomorrow I have called a meeting about the one ring. Everyone in middle earth has a part in this. I would like for you, not to join us in this meeting. My son's Elladan and Elrohir will keep you company until the meeting is up." To baby sit me you mean, Shantel thought in her head. The more she got to know her past favorite character, the less she was liking him.
"If there's any news that you will need to know, we will find you and tell you." Shantel nodded at his words and sighed. Lord Elrond bid her good evening and left. The window was open letting a chilly gust of air blow in. The curtains, traced around Shantel's face as she sat in the chair still absorbing all that Lord Elrond said.
That evening dinner was held in the great hall, like it was every night. Tonight the only difference was it was twice as full as usual. Shantel sat with the hobbit's next to Merry and Pippin, being more comfortable with the hobbits. Bilbo was there along with Sam and a nodding off Frodo. He claimed to be well enough as his head dipped every so often. Elladan and Elrohir noticed and took the poor hobbit back to his room to be put to bed. They arrived the day before, but didn't see much of them. If anyone was still watching her, they were staying out of sight very well. There was talk that many had come from distant lands, Shantel assumed it was for the meeting. Most sat with their own. Dwarves all together, a group of fair haired elves, the hobbits, with Shantel, and a table of men. A sigh escaped Shantel's lips. Tomorrow, Shantel thought, is going to be quite a day. I can feel it.
