Celalcien leaned against a tree and smiled as the glory of Gandalf's fireworks filled the sky. It was the perfect night for the party. Slowly, however, her smile faded, at the sight of the Wizard forboding filled her heart. It was all she could do not to turn and walk away.
"Lal!" a voice interuppted her thoughts. Turning she saw Frodo, who was all smiles. "You made it."
"Yes, I did. Happy birthday Frodo," she said, hoping she sounded more sure than she felt. Frodo said something else but she didn't hear it. "Something's not right," her mind whispered at her. She tryed to ignore it.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
She looked at him, he had seen her lapse in attention. "I'm fine," another forced smile made its way across her face.
"Okay. Oh, by the way, Merry's over there." He pointed across the field. "He asked me to send you over if I saw you before he did."
"Thanks." She hadn't missed the spark of laughter in Frodo's eyes when he had mentioned Merry to her. "I think I'll go see what he's up to." When she reached the place that Frodo had pointed at Celalcien didn't see Merry anywhere. What were the cousins up to? Suddenly a there was a loud roar and a dragon flew over her head, she dropped to the ground with everyone else. What in the world was going on? The question was soon answered as the "dragon" exploded into bits of burning rain and fell out of the sky. It had been a firework! Looking around she saw the source of the scare, a tent had been obliterated and Gandalf had two blackened Hobbits by the ears. More specificly, her hobbits. Quietly she followed the Wizard and watched as he put them to work cleaning the plates and other dishes. Snikering she walked up behind Merry, "Clean up duty, very nice for the heir of Buckland."
He turned around and smiled at her. "Very funny."
"I try, I like the burnt Hobbit look, too." Suddenly, but not surprisingly the fear she had fealt earlier was pushed to the back of her mind.
"Well, if you ask me, it wouldn't hurt you to get a little dirty yourself." Without further warning he grabbed her and ran his sooty, wet, soap laden hands all through her hair.
"Merry!" she squealed aloud as he laughed and then wiped his hands on Pippin's shirt.
"Hey!" The youngest said and returned the favor to his cousin. However, the soap fight never got any further under Gandalf's watchful eye. Though, all of them could tell he was humored by their antics.
Suddenly all three of them became quite as the crowd began to yell for a speech. All eyes were now on Bilbo and Merry took his chance to put his arm around Lal and hold her close by his side. Once again, she caught sight of Gandalf's smile.
"My dear Boffenses and Baggins!" Bilbo began.
"How are you?" Merry whispered beneath the Baggins' words.
"Much better, thank you. What about you, I mean after you baked yourself and all?"
"You should've been in on it. It was great fun," he said and kissed her on the cheek.
From somewhere behind them Pippin stuck out his tounge, "Yuk!"
Lal laughed and went on half listening to Bilbo, the old Hobbit was certainly drawing this out a lot. Suddenly her ears caught an interesting statement. "...this is the end, goodbye." With a flash Bilbo was gone, the place where he had stood was empty. Merry looked up at Gandalf but he had dissappeard also. Then he noticed that Celalcien's breathing had quickened and she held her head in her hands. "Lal, what's wrong?"
"He knows," was all she said.
"Who?"
No answer, instead she intensely rubbed her temples and leaned on him, obviously in pain.
"Come on, lets sit you down somewhere." Taking her over to a chair he made her sit. "What did you drink tonight?"
"Nothing," she whispered quietly.
"You're sure?"
"Yes. Maybe it's just a headache." She felt herself cringe as she said this, no headache could cause a pain like this.
Merry nodded, "Alright, but you're sitting there until you feel better."
"Sounds like a good idea."
As Merry found another empty chair (not an easy task considering the number of Hobbits present) Pippin walked up. "Are you okay? You look really...white."
"Don't worry Pip, I just need to sit here for a while. Why don't you go see if you can find some more cake for yourself." Pippin smiled and walked off in search of the afore mentioned food.
Merry laughed as he pulled a chair up and sat down beside her. "Send him after food, smart."
She tried to smile at him but it was weak and faded quickly.
"Now, suppose you tell me what this so-called headache is all about," he said lighting his pipe and giving her a hard look.
"Merry I..."
"You can't tell me. You never can. I can't figure you out Celalcien, you are...well I think you're running from something. I won't ask you to tell me what, but you are."
She was dumbstruck and he was right, all this time she had told herself that she was looking for answeres to her past, to who she was. But in truth she was running from all of it. "My past," she offered quietly.
"Ah," was all he said as he blew a ring of smoke into the air. He didn't ask anymore of her, he didn't want to.
Suddenly there was a large racket and a "Pippin!" where Frodo and silently been sitting. Merry rolled his eyes and rose, handing his pipe to Celalcien. "Hold this for a second, will you?"
She took the pipe from him without a word and watched as he went to round up his younger cousin. Slowly her eyes drifted to the trees and she absentmindedly lifted the pipe to her lips. She had done this many times when the Rangers caught her following them. They would sit her by the fire, smoke a while, and then ask her to hold their pipe while they dissappeared for a few minutes. She was still smoking when Merry came back, surprisingly without Pippin. "Well, this is different," he remarked.
Looking at him she lifted an eyebrow, not realizing the meaning of his words.
"The pipe, Lal?"
Smiling a little she handed it to him and cleared her throat. "Sorry. Mindless habit."
"I won't ask."
"That's probably best. Speaking of asking, what did Pippin do?"
"Upturned a plate of food onto one of the Sackville-Bagginses," he said with a sigh.
"I bet they loved that, though I'm sure they disserved it." She had had one encounter with the S.B.'s so far and it had not been a pleasent one.
"You're most likely right." Closing her eyes Lal leaned her head back and Merry's hand caught it, his fingers getting tangled in her hair. "Feeling better?"
"A little, I guess."
"Look at those stars," he whispered, trying to take both their minds off her pain.
"Earendil."
"What?"
"The story of Earendil. He sailed to the sky in his ship Vingilot bearing the Silmaril of Luthien. There he remains in his ship, known to the elves as the star of Earendil because of the brightness of the Silmaril's unending light."
Merry smiled, "The lore of the Elves."
"Yes." She yawned and looked back at him. "I think I need to go get some rest."
"Do you have a place to stay?"
This time she laughed, "I am of the Elven-kin, Master Brandybuck, the woods do not bother me."
"Fine, would you like me to walk you?"
"No, I believe that tonight I need a little time to think." With that she said goodnight and left, denighing Merry a kiss or any other token. Her smiles that night had been fake and her laugh had been an act. Her mind was settled on one thing that he could never understand, she had seen a waking horror that night, she had seen the Eye.
***
Merry watched the girl leave and make her way toward the pathless trees. He could tell when she was distracted and this night her mind had been elsewhere completely. She had said she was "of the Elven-kin", something she would have never dared say before. What was going on? With a sudden thought he went to find Frodo who was starting home.
Once he caught up he asked a quiet question, to which Frodo gave an answer though he was confused about it all.
"I'll explain later," was all the explanation the Brandybuck would give.
Frodo nodded and went on his way.
Coming back to the party field Merry found his chair again, thought he didn't bother to pull out his pipe this time. "So that's what she said," he mumbled. "Amin mela lle."
***
Celalcien rolled out her blanket on the ground and wrapped herself up, she had found a small clearing through wich she could still see the stars. The story she had told Merry had got her thinking about Elrond again, perhaps he was right. She should go back to Imladris, but it wasn't home, not to her. Instead she perferred the Shire. Turning onto her side she closed her eyes and tried to shut out the visions of that night, but no matter what she did the image of the Eye was burned into her mind.
"Lal!" a voice interuppted her thoughts. Turning she saw Frodo, who was all smiles. "You made it."
"Yes, I did. Happy birthday Frodo," she said, hoping she sounded more sure than she felt. Frodo said something else but she didn't hear it. "Something's not right," her mind whispered at her. She tryed to ignore it.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
She looked at him, he had seen her lapse in attention. "I'm fine," another forced smile made its way across her face.
"Okay. Oh, by the way, Merry's over there." He pointed across the field. "He asked me to send you over if I saw you before he did."
"Thanks." She hadn't missed the spark of laughter in Frodo's eyes when he had mentioned Merry to her. "I think I'll go see what he's up to." When she reached the place that Frodo had pointed at Celalcien didn't see Merry anywhere. What were the cousins up to? Suddenly a there was a loud roar and a dragon flew over her head, she dropped to the ground with everyone else. What in the world was going on? The question was soon answered as the "dragon" exploded into bits of burning rain and fell out of the sky. It had been a firework! Looking around she saw the source of the scare, a tent had been obliterated and Gandalf had two blackened Hobbits by the ears. More specificly, her hobbits. Quietly she followed the Wizard and watched as he put them to work cleaning the plates and other dishes. Snikering she walked up behind Merry, "Clean up duty, very nice for the heir of Buckland."
He turned around and smiled at her. "Very funny."
"I try, I like the burnt Hobbit look, too." Suddenly, but not surprisingly the fear she had fealt earlier was pushed to the back of her mind.
"Well, if you ask me, it wouldn't hurt you to get a little dirty yourself." Without further warning he grabbed her and ran his sooty, wet, soap laden hands all through her hair.
"Merry!" she squealed aloud as he laughed and then wiped his hands on Pippin's shirt.
"Hey!" The youngest said and returned the favor to his cousin. However, the soap fight never got any further under Gandalf's watchful eye. Though, all of them could tell he was humored by their antics.
Suddenly all three of them became quite as the crowd began to yell for a speech. All eyes were now on Bilbo and Merry took his chance to put his arm around Lal and hold her close by his side. Once again, she caught sight of Gandalf's smile.
"My dear Boffenses and Baggins!" Bilbo began.
"How are you?" Merry whispered beneath the Baggins' words.
"Much better, thank you. What about you, I mean after you baked yourself and all?"
"You should've been in on it. It was great fun," he said and kissed her on the cheek.
From somewhere behind them Pippin stuck out his tounge, "Yuk!"
Lal laughed and went on half listening to Bilbo, the old Hobbit was certainly drawing this out a lot. Suddenly her ears caught an interesting statement. "...this is the end, goodbye." With a flash Bilbo was gone, the place where he had stood was empty. Merry looked up at Gandalf but he had dissappeard also. Then he noticed that Celalcien's breathing had quickened and she held her head in her hands. "Lal, what's wrong?"
"He knows," was all she said.
"Who?"
No answer, instead she intensely rubbed her temples and leaned on him, obviously in pain.
"Come on, lets sit you down somewhere." Taking her over to a chair he made her sit. "What did you drink tonight?"
"Nothing," she whispered quietly.
"You're sure?"
"Yes. Maybe it's just a headache." She felt herself cringe as she said this, no headache could cause a pain like this.
Merry nodded, "Alright, but you're sitting there until you feel better."
"Sounds like a good idea."
As Merry found another empty chair (not an easy task considering the number of Hobbits present) Pippin walked up. "Are you okay? You look really...white."
"Don't worry Pip, I just need to sit here for a while. Why don't you go see if you can find some more cake for yourself." Pippin smiled and walked off in search of the afore mentioned food.
Merry laughed as he pulled a chair up and sat down beside her. "Send him after food, smart."
She tried to smile at him but it was weak and faded quickly.
"Now, suppose you tell me what this so-called headache is all about," he said lighting his pipe and giving her a hard look.
"Merry I..."
"You can't tell me. You never can. I can't figure you out Celalcien, you are...well I think you're running from something. I won't ask you to tell me what, but you are."
She was dumbstruck and he was right, all this time she had told herself that she was looking for answeres to her past, to who she was. But in truth she was running from all of it. "My past," she offered quietly.
"Ah," was all he said as he blew a ring of smoke into the air. He didn't ask anymore of her, he didn't want to.
Suddenly there was a large racket and a "Pippin!" where Frodo and silently been sitting. Merry rolled his eyes and rose, handing his pipe to Celalcien. "Hold this for a second, will you?"
She took the pipe from him without a word and watched as he went to round up his younger cousin. Slowly her eyes drifted to the trees and she absentmindedly lifted the pipe to her lips. She had done this many times when the Rangers caught her following them. They would sit her by the fire, smoke a while, and then ask her to hold their pipe while they dissappeared for a few minutes. She was still smoking when Merry came back, surprisingly without Pippin. "Well, this is different," he remarked.
Looking at him she lifted an eyebrow, not realizing the meaning of his words.
"The pipe, Lal?"
Smiling a little she handed it to him and cleared her throat. "Sorry. Mindless habit."
"I won't ask."
"That's probably best. Speaking of asking, what did Pippin do?"
"Upturned a plate of food onto one of the Sackville-Bagginses," he said with a sigh.
"I bet they loved that, though I'm sure they disserved it." She had had one encounter with the S.B.'s so far and it had not been a pleasent one.
"You're most likely right." Closing her eyes Lal leaned her head back and Merry's hand caught it, his fingers getting tangled in her hair. "Feeling better?"
"A little, I guess."
"Look at those stars," he whispered, trying to take both their minds off her pain.
"Earendil."
"What?"
"The story of Earendil. He sailed to the sky in his ship Vingilot bearing the Silmaril of Luthien. There he remains in his ship, known to the elves as the star of Earendil because of the brightness of the Silmaril's unending light."
Merry smiled, "The lore of the Elves."
"Yes." She yawned and looked back at him. "I think I need to go get some rest."
"Do you have a place to stay?"
This time she laughed, "I am of the Elven-kin, Master Brandybuck, the woods do not bother me."
"Fine, would you like me to walk you?"
"No, I believe that tonight I need a little time to think." With that she said goodnight and left, denighing Merry a kiss or any other token. Her smiles that night had been fake and her laugh had been an act. Her mind was settled on one thing that he could never understand, she had seen a waking horror that night, she had seen the Eye.
***
Merry watched the girl leave and make her way toward the pathless trees. He could tell when she was distracted and this night her mind had been elsewhere completely. She had said she was "of the Elven-kin", something she would have never dared say before. What was going on? With a sudden thought he went to find Frodo who was starting home.
Once he caught up he asked a quiet question, to which Frodo gave an answer though he was confused about it all.
"I'll explain later," was all the explanation the Brandybuck would give.
Frodo nodded and went on his way.
Coming back to the party field Merry found his chair again, thought he didn't bother to pull out his pipe this time. "So that's what she said," he mumbled. "Amin mela lle."
***
Celalcien rolled out her blanket on the ground and wrapped herself up, she had found a small clearing through wich she could still see the stars. The story she had told Merry had got her thinking about Elrond again, perhaps he was right. She should go back to Imladris, but it wasn't home, not to her. Instead she perferred the Shire. Turning onto her side she closed her eyes and tried to shut out the visions of that night, but no matter what she did the image of the Eye was burned into her mind.