Chapter 2
"Frankas! Wake up!" Jessaril yelled, causing the sleeping guard in question to fallout of his tree. Also causing all the riders and guards to laugh.
"What's this?" Frankas asked as he approached the lady's horse. "This can't be Jessaril! Look at her. She's dressed all... proper! And riding side saddle like a little sissy..." He snickered before saying... "Ahh... I see. That prince... Why are all maidens infatuated with a sodding wood elf with blonde flowing hair, for Valar's sake?!"
All glared at Frankas or snickered at Jessaril. The fellowship watched with the most care of all the spectators.
"You'd like to get a rise out of me, wouldn't you?" Jessaril seethed through her teeth and clenched a part of his tunic into her fist. "But I am a lady, and the lady Galdariel would have my ears if I did not act like one. But I doubt she'd like you insulting her guests. Especially royalty. So after you apologize to the prince, either go fall out of a tree again so you can get the reprimands you deserve or keep you tongue behind your discolored teeth. Oh, and by the way, you remember that you're a wood elf too, don't you." She said, patting his shoulder and giving him a patronizing look as she finished.
"Sorry," was the only coherent word mumbled by the insolent elf.
"But your name was Frankas, right? I shall be sure to remember that when I speak with the lady of the wood." Gimli said, reassuring Jessaril by his response. "Let's carry on, milady."
"Bye Frankas!" All the hobbits said at the same time. Then once they were out of his eyesight they all burst out laughing.
"Would you like us to inform the lady Galadriel about that incident?" Gimli asked.
"That's alright milord, for if any of you are thinking about it in her presence she is sure to find out anyways." She answered, looking back to the last horse on the path.
When meaning to catch the face of Gimli she saw the prince, and could not tear her gaze away. He in return had been staring at her, for a while. When she was seemingly caught in his eyes, he smiled, causing her to turn away quickly to hide her blush.
"Milady, Milady, tell us something!" Merry begged.
"What do you want to know about Master Brandybuck?" She replied.
"She called me master. You hear that Pip," he said aside to his hobbit friend. "How about: something about the land, the people, since last we were here."
"Merry, I think that's a very intelligent question." Exclaimed Frodo. The entire fellowship was very surprised at this clever inquiry.
"Well, our lovely forest was attacked by the forces of Mordor, but actually, those who remained here were itching for a good fight. Mostly to avenge all of our people who were killed in Rohan. We lost many in Helm's Deep." She was unable to a few tears from falling. Then a smile returned as she continued, "We lost some of the forest, but we didn't loose many elves... Our healers made sure of that." Jessaril explained, bringing a smile to Gimli's face. "We also started growing weed of our own. I regret to say that few have pipes to smoke it with. Whenever messengers or travelers come to our land we asked about all of you, and many were truly interested." She added a wink to Merry and Pip. "My oldest sister, the older of twin sisters, was married and bore a son, who was named Samwise, in your absence also."
"Oy! I'm a namesake!" Sam said excitedly.
"Samwise, the brave. I told you people would like Samwise. That you'd be their favorite character in the new lore!" Frodo exclaimed.
"I think by the time she & her husband are done they'll have an entire fellowship, but you didn't hear it from me." Jessaril added with a smirk.
"Ok, here's a question." Gimli, the dwarf, said. "What did you say to the elf?"
"Well...ummm..."
"She told me that she was one of the elves who welcomed us with bows and arrows last time."
A ripple of shocked gasps went throughout the fellowship.
"Actually" she commented with a giggle. "I was the one who talked Haldir into letting you pass... among other things.."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flashback ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Legolas POV:
Aragorn was arguing with the captain of the guards. He was almost falling asleep as he searched the forest with his keen elf eyes until he heard a new voice. One that was more sweet, melodious, and... feminine than any other he had heard.
"Calm down, dear one." The voice cooed as a feminine hand caressed the captain's cheek as the rest of the body walked to a spot between the elf and the man with some elf blood. She dropped her hand as she said coldly, "You were warned of their coming by that witch. You will not deny them sanctuary just because you fear their mission."
"But-" Haldir tried to reply.
"I don't care if the dwarf insulted you! Middle earth has lost Mithrandir, and they have not had good rest in Valar knows how long! I will not allow royalty and champions to be treated in such a manner! You wouldn't either if those braids weren't pulling your brains out of use!"
Then she quickly turned her back to Haldir, grasped Aragorn's shoulder and said, "Mae govanen, Elfstone." Her eyes showed the happiness she came with his presence, and looked at me with another emotion in her eyes. Then as if woken from a dream, she stiffened, bowed her head in recognition to Aragorn and quickly disappeared into the forest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ End Flashback ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How did we not recognize you, mistress?" Sam asked. "Your hair is rather..."
"Extraordinary, and very familiar." Said Legolas, with quite an unusual look on his face.
"So, why didn't we recognize you?" asked Frodo.
"Because it is my job not to be noticed, and you were all stricken with grief for Gandalf. Had you not had limited clothing, your outfit at the time would have been as trivial a fact as my presence."
"Let us think of other things... Milady, will you sing us the song of Belen & Luthien again?" asked Legolas, wishing for the focus not to be on himself and the lady.
"Only if you sing too. And only until first sight of the great tree, for then the trail widens and we must race." She said, with a glint in her eye and excitement that shone through her posture.
"We must?!" Gimli exclaimed in horror. He did not want the two elves' flirtation to get in the way of his comfort on a horse. Sadly, he knew his discomfort would be inevitable.
So the two elves sang in harmony almost three times through the song, until they saw the great tree of Lorien. Stopped side by side on their four horses as Jessaril adjusted herself so that she was now straddling the horse.
Seeing that Gimli was the most uncomfortable, they all agreed he should be the one to start the race.
"Let me describe it to you..." Gimli said, poking fun at the elf, "On you mark. Get set. Go!!" he finished, as he held on to the elf's waist for dear life.
The two sets of hobbits were making a valiant effort, but were only in competition with each other, with Merry and Pippin in the lead by 6 meters. The elves were more than 30 meters ahead of the hobbits, the lead growing each instant.
Gimli had his eyes closed shut, using all his strength to hold on. To the contrary, the two elves had their eyes open, relishing in the feel of the wind in their hair and stolen glances at each other. They were neck and neck, all the way until Jessaril slowed, only then remembering that she was supposed to be girly today, at the very entrance of the courtyard.
She immediately dismounted and tried to salvage her disheveled appearance before every elf nearby saw her. "Do I have any leaves in my hair?" she whispered to Legolas as he helped Gimli off the horse. She led Sahte to the prince and he plucked two golden leaves from her hair, savoring its sent before she give him a peck on the cheek and went to help the hobbits. Once they had grabbed their bags off the horses Sam led the hobbit horses to the stable as the elves led their own, too, and then entrusted them to the stable hands. Then they rejoined at the base of the stairs and started to climb them.
"Frankas! Wake up!" Jessaril yelled, causing the sleeping guard in question to fallout of his tree. Also causing all the riders and guards to laugh.
"What's this?" Frankas asked as he approached the lady's horse. "This can't be Jessaril! Look at her. She's dressed all... proper! And riding side saddle like a little sissy..." He snickered before saying... "Ahh... I see. That prince... Why are all maidens infatuated with a sodding wood elf with blonde flowing hair, for Valar's sake?!"
All glared at Frankas or snickered at Jessaril. The fellowship watched with the most care of all the spectators.
"You'd like to get a rise out of me, wouldn't you?" Jessaril seethed through her teeth and clenched a part of his tunic into her fist. "But I am a lady, and the lady Galdariel would have my ears if I did not act like one. But I doubt she'd like you insulting her guests. Especially royalty. So after you apologize to the prince, either go fall out of a tree again so you can get the reprimands you deserve or keep you tongue behind your discolored teeth. Oh, and by the way, you remember that you're a wood elf too, don't you." She said, patting his shoulder and giving him a patronizing look as she finished.
"Sorry," was the only coherent word mumbled by the insolent elf.
"But your name was Frankas, right? I shall be sure to remember that when I speak with the lady of the wood." Gimli said, reassuring Jessaril by his response. "Let's carry on, milady."
"Bye Frankas!" All the hobbits said at the same time. Then once they were out of his eyesight they all burst out laughing.
"Would you like us to inform the lady Galadriel about that incident?" Gimli asked.
"That's alright milord, for if any of you are thinking about it in her presence she is sure to find out anyways." She answered, looking back to the last horse on the path.
When meaning to catch the face of Gimli she saw the prince, and could not tear her gaze away. He in return had been staring at her, for a while. When she was seemingly caught in his eyes, he smiled, causing her to turn away quickly to hide her blush.
"Milady, Milady, tell us something!" Merry begged.
"What do you want to know about Master Brandybuck?" She replied.
"She called me master. You hear that Pip," he said aside to his hobbit friend. "How about: something about the land, the people, since last we were here."
"Merry, I think that's a very intelligent question." Exclaimed Frodo. The entire fellowship was very surprised at this clever inquiry.
"Well, our lovely forest was attacked by the forces of Mordor, but actually, those who remained here were itching for a good fight. Mostly to avenge all of our people who were killed in Rohan. We lost many in Helm's Deep." She was unable to a few tears from falling. Then a smile returned as she continued, "We lost some of the forest, but we didn't loose many elves... Our healers made sure of that." Jessaril explained, bringing a smile to Gimli's face. "We also started growing weed of our own. I regret to say that few have pipes to smoke it with. Whenever messengers or travelers come to our land we asked about all of you, and many were truly interested." She added a wink to Merry and Pip. "My oldest sister, the older of twin sisters, was married and bore a son, who was named Samwise, in your absence also."
"Oy! I'm a namesake!" Sam said excitedly.
"Samwise, the brave. I told you people would like Samwise. That you'd be their favorite character in the new lore!" Frodo exclaimed.
"I think by the time she & her husband are done they'll have an entire fellowship, but you didn't hear it from me." Jessaril added with a smirk.
"Ok, here's a question." Gimli, the dwarf, said. "What did you say to the elf?"
"Well...ummm..."
"She told me that she was one of the elves who welcomed us with bows and arrows last time."
A ripple of shocked gasps went throughout the fellowship.
"Actually" she commented with a giggle. "I was the one who talked Haldir into letting you pass... among other things.."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flashback ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Legolas POV:
Aragorn was arguing with the captain of the guards. He was almost falling asleep as he searched the forest with his keen elf eyes until he heard a new voice. One that was more sweet, melodious, and... feminine than any other he had heard.
"Calm down, dear one." The voice cooed as a feminine hand caressed the captain's cheek as the rest of the body walked to a spot between the elf and the man with some elf blood. She dropped her hand as she said coldly, "You were warned of their coming by that witch. You will not deny them sanctuary just because you fear their mission."
"But-" Haldir tried to reply.
"I don't care if the dwarf insulted you! Middle earth has lost Mithrandir, and they have not had good rest in Valar knows how long! I will not allow royalty and champions to be treated in such a manner! You wouldn't either if those braids weren't pulling your brains out of use!"
Then she quickly turned her back to Haldir, grasped Aragorn's shoulder and said, "Mae govanen, Elfstone." Her eyes showed the happiness she came with his presence, and looked at me with another emotion in her eyes. Then as if woken from a dream, she stiffened, bowed her head in recognition to Aragorn and quickly disappeared into the forest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ End Flashback ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How did we not recognize you, mistress?" Sam asked. "Your hair is rather..."
"Extraordinary, and very familiar." Said Legolas, with quite an unusual look on his face.
"So, why didn't we recognize you?" asked Frodo.
"Because it is my job not to be noticed, and you were all stricken with grief for Gandalf. Had you not had limited clothing, your outfit at the time would have been as trivial a fact as my presence."
"Let us think of other things... Milady, will you sing us the song of Belen & Luthien again?" asked Legolas, wishing for the focus not to be on himself and the lady.
"Only if you sing too. And only until first sight of the great tree, for then the trail widens and we must race." She said, with a glint in her eye and excitement that shone through her posture.
"We must?!" Gimli exclaimed in horror. He did not want the two elves' flirtation to get in the way of his comfort on a horse. Sadly, he knew his discomfort would be inevitable.
So the two elves sang in harmony almost three times through the song, until they saw the great tree of Lorien. Stopped side by side on their four horses as Jessaril adjusted herself so that she was now straddling the horse.
Seeing that Gimli was the most uncomfortable, they all agreed he should be the one to start the race.
"Let me describe it to you..." Gimli said, poking fun at the elf, "On you mark. Get set. Go!!" he finished, as he held on to the elf's waist for dear life.
The two sets of hobbits were making a valiant effort, but were only in competition with each other, with Merry and Pippin in the lead by 6 meters. The elves were more than 30 meters ahead of the hobbits, the lead growing each instant.
Gimli had his eyes closed shut, using all his strength to hold on. To the contrary, the two elves had their eyes open, relishing in the feel of the wind in their hair and stolen glances at each other. They were neck and neck, all the way until Jessaril slowed, only then remembering that she was supposed to be girly today, at the very entrance of the courtyard.
She immediately dismounted and tried to salvage her disheveled appearance before every elf nearby saw her. "Do I have any leaves in my hair?" she whispered to Legolas as he helped Gimli off the horse. She led Sahte to the prince and he plucked two golden leaves from her hair, savoring its sent before she give him a peck on the cheek and went to help the hobbits. Once they had grabbed their bags off the horses Sam led the hobbit horses to the stable as the elves led their own, too, and then entrusted them to the stable hands. Then they rejoined at the base of the stairs and started to climb them.