Disclaimer; I don't own LOTR or any of its components.
Welcome to chapter two!! I know that my chapters are long, but I personally hate reading stories where chapters are short and posted sporadically. This is the way I like to read them. This chapter further establishes Bryn in Middle Earth, and if you would like to see Bryn do anything, or experience something in particular, drop a review and I may be able to incorporate it in later. For now, Enjoy!
Chapter 2.
We had been riding in the small wagon for what seemed like hours now and there was still no sign of any form of civilization, and worst of all, no emergency payphone that I could use to call backup. In fact, the forest seemed to be getting thicker and the road narrower as we traveled. Little conversation had been exchanged in the past few hours and quite frankly, I was getting bored. My bum had gone numb on the rigid wood, and knowing my luck, would be spending hours plucking wood splinters out from it for the next few weeks.
Gandalf still held the same perky smile on his face and hummed various tunes to himself, which started to grate on my nerves. If he was going to go insane, he could at least have the courtesy to do it quietly. To drown out his endless humming I retrieved my walkman from my pack, which had managed to bounce from one side of the wagon to the other during the transports onslaughts on the deep pot holes and natural speed bumps.
Shoving the headphones into my ears, I flicked on the radio, intent on soothing myself with some familiar heavy rock tunes but my ears were only met with the harsh sound of static. I held the small device above my head and waved it around a few times in different directions to try and pick up some reception, but there was still nothing. I tried adjusting the tuning. Still static. I tried every station I knew of. Still nothing. I flicked the radio off and sat there, the headphones still dangling from my ears. This was bad news. If I couldn't pick up any reception I knew that we were further from civilization than I first thought. It was then that a wave of panic and a feeling of helplessness washed over me, but I stayed silent and unmoving, consumed by my own thoughts and irrational plans of rescuing myself from the situation.
I was pulled out of my wallowing by the sudden halt of the wagon. "Whoa" Gandlaf cried pulling hard on the reigns. I glanced around quickly wondering why we had stopped. I could see no settlements of any kind, or anything else for that matter, besides the usual mass of trees which lined the small road. The smile had disappeared from uncle Gandalf's face and he was squinting at a spot in the distance through the forest.
"Why have we stopped?" I asked, my voice shaky with uncertainty. I raised my voice. "What the hell is going on?"
"Quiet girl" he whispered harshly "We have been spotted."
"Spotted? By what? There's bloody nothing out here!?"
"Just shut up. Prepare yourself for battle." Gandalf leapt from the wagon and clasped a large wooden staff, which he wielded like a weapon, in position ready for attack. I still sat, stock still, confused and in a slight state of panic. I had no idea what he was on about. Attack? I scanned the trees expecting to see something like a group of leather-clad bikies ready to free wheel us off the road like a scene from Mad Max. Instead my eyes met a small group of five ugly looking beings. I had no idea what they were. Their skin was a mottled brown with the consistency of dried peat. Their faces were horribly deformed and their mouths displayed uneven lines of discoloured rotting teeth. One pointed a gnarled finger towards us, bringing the attention of the others towards where Gandalf and I waited on the road. They started to advance. I started to panic.
"Move Bryn." Gandalf shouted, never taking his eyes off of the advancing mob. "Get down here and help."
I jumped over the side of the wagon just as an arrow hit the side of the cart making a loud 'twang' noise as it pierced the wood.
"These guys are friggin NUTS!" I exclaimed as the group let more arrows fly. It was just lucky that they didn't have very good aim. It was then that the seriousness of the situation dawned on me. It didn't matter what they were or why they happened to be out here, armed, with bows and arrows none-the-less. How archaic. Didn't these guys know what guns were?
I just had to survive. My training instincts began to kick in, and I lowered myself into a fighting stance with my hands up to protect my face and most of my weight distributed on my back leg. My weapons were still packed away in my bag so I had no choice but to go free hand. I didn't mind much as it was my best style. I had been trained in weapons fighting, but it was not something I had ever been considered brilliant at. Hand-to-hand combat on the other hand, I was a master.
Two advanced on me at once, swords slashing and teeth bared in identical snarls. I dodged their swords easily, surprising myself with my own speed and agility and maneuvered my body so that I only had to fight one at a time. It is one of the first tricks you are taught when learning to fight multiple opponents. I ducked another attack and slid in close to the creature's foul body, rendering his weapon useless at close range, and began launching an attack with my fists. His body jerked with the impacts and I could feel that I was beginning to tear skin from my knuckles with my efforts. Time to change tactics.
As the second creature advanced on my rear, I whirled around swiftly and executed a back kick into his ribs. I watched in horror and fascination as his body went air borne, flying seven or so meters before hitting a tree with a sickening crack. My kicks had never been THAT strong. Turning back to my first opponent, still a little dazed yet adrenaline pumped, I checked on Gandalf out of the corner of my eye. He had been fending off three of the beasts while I only had two. He had felled two already with his large staff and was battling fiercely with the remaining one. My attention was brought back to my own battle just in time to see the pointy end of a large, dark bladed sword coming at top speed toward my head.
I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the end, but it never came. I opened my eyes to find that I had caught the blade between my quivering hands, a few centimeters from impacting on the middle of my forehead. My mouth hung open in surprise as I twisted the blade out of the beast's hands, catching the hilt in my own and sweeping the weapon in a large arc motion. I could feel warm liquid spray across my face and the front of my dress as the metal sliced through the beast's leathery skin. I watched in horror as his head rolled from his shoulders, covering the forest floor with its dark blood and settled on the ground, its eyes unseeing. Its body quickly followed hitting the ground with an audible thud.
Gandalf stood watching me, a smile curving his lips.
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" I screeched. My voice had raised a few octaves in my raging confusion as I pointed, wide eyed, at the bodies that littered the forest floor.
"Seems to be the question of the week doesn't it Bryn?" He was still smiling.
"Don't you dare laugh this off, Gandy. This is getting just too damn weird. What the hell were those things? I could have been killed."
"You weren't even close to meeting death young one. You fought well." His smile fell. "They were orcs. Some of the foulest creatures to taint the beauty of Middle Earth with their evil ways." He lowered his head solemnly as if in mourning for the land.
"Gees. Your not still pushing that 'other world' shit are you?"
He stayed silent.
As I stared upon the destruction before me I could feel my stomach starting to turn. Bending over, using a nearby tree for support, I began to retch and cough as I fought to stay calm. I never imagined anything like this would ever happen to me and it was the first time I had ever used my training in defense of my life. It was also the first time I had used it to kill.
Even though I outwardly denied the fact that we were in another world, I was secretly starting to believe. Nothing felt remotely normal anymore, not even my own body.
"How did I do that?" I panted after emptying the contents of my stomach. "It's just not possible."
"What's not possible?"
"Didn't you see? I like.... Matrix'ed out or something. I've never been able to do that before."
Ignoring my question he grabbed hold of my shoulders and gently led me back to the wagon in my dazed state. "All will be explained once we reach Rivendell, my dear girl."
I felt lost and exhausted as he helped me climb up and I immediately let myself collapse onto the wooden platform in the back. Gandalf resumed his driver's seat and urged the horse on as though the whole ordeal had never happened, lighting his pipe and continuing with his infuriating humming. But I no longer cared. I stared numbly up at the sky above, which was visible through the forests canopy. Even the colour of the sky was a different blue. It was softer, calmer in a way, instead of the rich blinding blue of the Australian sky. How could I have denied that I wasn't on earth anymore? It was all too different and full of things I didn't believe existed. Orcs? Elves?
I was exhausted but I was shaken up. My heart was beating too fast to even think about sleeping. I was too overwhelmed to do anything other than lie there unblinking, staring up at the foreign sky as the wagon wheeled me towards the unknown.
"Bryn. Bryn, girl, wake up." I was pulled out of my daze by an urgent hand poking me in the ribs. "We have arrived. Come, there is time for rest later."
I groaned loudly and pulled myself into a sitting position. 'What next?' I thought 'Mud wrestling with a Yeti?' What I saw made my breath catch in my throat. A beautiful city stretched out into the forest, its buildings blending with the natural environment a though they were one and the same. Every single detail was finely crafted and the city itself seemed to be surrounded in a soft glow. They certainly knew how to dot their I's and cross their t's.
'When did we get here? Did we pass through a gate? How could I not have noticed?'
While gawping at the surrounding beauty, I noticed people around the wagon were regarding me with curious stares. Some even tried to smother their giggles with their hands as I wiped the drool from around my mouth with my one sleeve, which was not soiled with orc blood. Being slack jawed in awe could turn into a very messy business and I had a feeling that it wouldn't be the last time I'd be drooling all over myself.
Gandalf, who was a distance away, beckoned me over with a wave of his hand to where he was standing accompanied by a tall regal looking man with long brown hair and wearing a long purple robe. I ambled over trying to look casual but really, it was taking all my strength not to turn on my heel and run screaming back into the forest.
"Whose the guy in the dress?" I whispered to Gandalf behind my hand.
"Bryn!" he snapped.
"Do not worry yourself, Mithrandir. I'm sure she is under enough stress already with what has been revealed to her this day." The guy looked amused. "The journey from one world to another is never an easy one."
"I thought it was supposed to be a secret.... Me being from another world I mean." I felt like a silly child who was asking unnecessary questions.
"This is Lord Elrond, the ruler of Rivendell." Gandalf explained. Elrond nodded his head in acknowledgement of the introduction. "Your stay in Rivendell was organised in advance. It is necessary for Elrond to be aware of who you are. It will certainly explain a few things. I have a feeling that you are going to get yourself into trouble. You don't know this world, or its customs."
There was a long silence as both men stared at me, waiting for a reaction. My eyes flicked between their two faces uneasily, until they came to rest on Lord Elrond's. I studied him closely. His skin was smooth and pale, yet a few wrinkles creased his forehead and eyes. It was hard to say how old he looked. He seemed to be young and old at the same time. His eyes held the wisdom of many years and he held himself with a kingly confidence. What amazed me the most were his ears. They curved neatly into a perfect point which neatly tucked away his long brown hair. Gandy wasn't kidding when he said elves.
"Ah... erm" I stuttered, trying painfully to break their silent gazes. "Nice to meet you. Thanks for hooking me up with a room. I really appreciate it." There was that childish feeling again. Where had my education gone? I was speaking with the eloquence of a two year old.
"It is my pleasure, Lady Bryn." He smiled warmly. I let out a sigh of relief. "I will have someone take your bags and escort you to your quarters in one of my guest bedrooms. We have other guests staying at present and I am sure they will enjoy your company."
He clicked his fingers and a group of uniformed elves swarmed in on the wagon, grabbed the luggage and stood at attention like disciplined soldiers. I stifled a giggle as I imagined them in bellhop outfits, complete with bow ties and cheesy red hats but was stopped by another one of uncle Gandalf's warning glares. He could be a real killjoy sometimes.
"Welcome to Rivendell, Lady Bryn." Elrond finished as he began walking away, Gandalf by his side.
I was left alone, standing in the city square like a lost dog. 'Congratulations.' I thought to myself with scorn 'You have just nominated yourself as village idiot.'
I was usually so comfortable with words and was known as a person who always had something to say. But here, it seemed that my usual intelligent conversation was reduced to simple-minded gibberish. I was off to a cracker of a start, and they say first impressions count.
I had no choice but to follow the 'bellhops' as they led me off silently into the grounds of the palace. Everything was so perfect. I felt as though I had fallen into a dream. A rabbit hole. I wondered if the Mad Hatter was going to show up for tea any time soon.
Walking through the corridors, I noticed that only one set of footsteps were audible. My footsteps. Suddenly, for the first time in my life, I felt self conscious of my walk and made an effort to try and tread softer on the hard, marbled floors. But no matter how hard I tried my footsteps still echoed noisily. The silence with which the elves walked put me on edge. It was disturbing how they seemed to be able to defy the laws of nature. The ones I knew anyway. It was like the law of gravity didn't apply to them, and they walked just above the surface of the floor but never touching, never making a sound. 'Showy bastards'
The group stopped at an ornately carved door and one of them swung it open gently, indicating for me to enter with a sweep of his hand. They handed me my bag as I walked past, their eyes following my movements carefully. Were elves always this scary?
Once again I found myself slack jawed and drooling as my eyes swept the room. It was the most beautiful I had ever seen. All of the furniture and fittings were just as ornate and detailed as the rest of the city. A flowing canopy of white cloth haloed the large bed, which was pushed up against the right wall, and two large double doors led out onto a small balcony overlooking the glowing grounds of Rivendell. I had never stayed in a hotel before, but I would have bet that they didn't even come close to the beauty of that room. I dumped my bag on the floor next to the bed and turned back to the open door. The 'bellhop' elves still stood there staring at me blankly. That was it. There was a line between strange and rude and they had just leapt over it, big-time. Not wanting to get too close, I stuck my foot out slammed the door shut roughly with my boot. It slammed closed with a loud, satisfying bang. So much for trying to be quiet.
I spent the next fifteen minutes exploring the room, but being so clean, there wasn't much to find. The small closet was empty as were the draws. I spent quite a few minutes staring at the domed ceiling, which was decorated with a large heaven-like scene of impossibly attractive elves and endless blue sky, but soon my neck cricked up and I was forced to find other forms entertainment. Plus, I really needed a bath.
Getting desperate, I inched the door open and stuck my head through the available gap. I thought maybe if the scary 'bellhops' were still around I could milk one for information about the city, maybe find myself a Middle Earth version of a seedy nightclub. But looking around I found the corridors rather empty. Or not as empty as I thought.
"Greetings, my lady." A deep voice sounded unexpectedly. I jumped so violently I nearly decapitated myself with the door.
"Who's there?" I pulled my head in and swung the door wide. Stepping into the hall, I was met by a lone figure, shadowed in the dim light.
"Its dangerous surprising people like that you know?" I announced hotly. "You nearly had my head off."
"I'm sorry my lady. If I had known you were going to be such a danger to yourself, I would have made my presence known sooner so you could prepare." I couldn't see him but I could hear the smile that played on his lips.
"Is it customary to stand in the dark and insult your guests?" I asked, determined not to let the witty stranger get the better of me.
"Ah, but I am a guest here too. So you see my lady, we are on even par." His smug chuckle signaled another witticism was on its way. Before he could fire another one I cut in.
"And who is this comedian I have the displeasure of meeting tonight?" My voice dripped with sarcasm.
"I am Legolas Greenleaf, son of King Thanduil and prince of the woodland realm of Eryn Lasgolan. And you are?"
"Not interested. If I knew your introduction was going to take that long I would have brought popcorn or something." This guy was really getting on my nerves. Prince or no prince, I was not going to hold back what I thought of him.
"So.... Princess." I drawled casually "You say we are on even par. Are you inviting me to insult you?"
"If it doth please the lady, go ahead. I will rise to the challenge."
"Very impressive of you." I said while squinting through the dark, trying to see what the bozo looked like, but all I could make out was the rough outline of a male body.
As if on cue he stepped forward, the light revealing his tall lean frame and elven face. His chiseled features cast perfect shadows across the contours of his skin and his long platinum blonde hair shone in the dim light like the moons reflection off of the ocean. For a fraction of a second I went all gooey and felt that I was going to melt into his arms like some virginal airhead from a trashy romance novel, but the feeling passed quickly as I settled back into my initial hatred. Even if he did look like an elven underwear model, it didn't discount the fact that he was a jerk.
Uncle Gandalf's words played over and over again through my head 'I expect you to offer them the same courtesy they will no doubt bestow upon you' he had said. Well that was all the prompting I needed. Legolas had quite literally invited me to insult him and Gandalf had unknowingly handed me permission on a silver platter. This was war.
A smug smile came over his face in reply to my initial reaction to his appearance. 'I didn't make it that obvious did I?' I thought.
"Doth the lady see something she likes hmm?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, something I never thought I would ever see an elf do. I stretched my neck up in an attempt to look taller and glowered up at him, my anger now fuming. This guy was insufferable.
"I am most definitely NOT interested in your kinky personality. Or in William bloody Shakespeare, for that matter."
"You have quite a temper on you girl. You had better be careful with yourself. I don't know who William bloody Shakespeare is but I'm sure he is a perfect gentleman." He still smiled smugly, his blue eyes sparkling with mirth. The bastard was enjoying himself!
"You're sick, you know that? Goodnight!" My patience for games at the end of its tether I pulled my arm back and launched my fist towards his face. It connected with a satisfying crack followed by a thud as Prince Legolas fell unconscious to the floor. I knew that I was going to get a tongue lashing from uncle Gandy for this one. He was right. I did get myself into trouble. I turned on my heel and strode down the hallway, leaving the princes unconscious form for someone else to clean up. My cheeks hot with fury and embarrassment I went searching for a bath.
.
Welcome to chapter two!! I know that my chapters are long, but I personally hate reading stories where chapters are short and posted sporadically. This is the way I like to read them. This chapter further establishes Bryn in Middle Earth, and if you would like to see Bryn do anything, or experience something in particular, drop a review and I may be able to incorporate it in later. For now, Enjoy!
Chapter 2.
We had been riding in the small wagon for what seemed like hours now and there was still no sign of any form of civilization, and worst of all, no emergency payphone that I could use to call backup. In fact, the forest seemed to be getting thicker and the road narrower as we traveled. Little conversation had been exchanged in the past few hours and quite frankly, I was getting bored. My bum had gone numb on the rigid wood, and knowing my luck, would be spending hours plucking wood splinters out from it for the next few weeks.
Gandalf still held the same perky smile on his face and hummed various tunes to himself, which started to grate on my nerves. If he was going to go insane, he could at least have the courtesy to do it quietly. To drown out his endless humming I retrieved my walkman from my pack, which had managed to bounce from one side of the wagon to the other during the transports onslaughts on the deep pot holes and natural speed bumps.
Shoving the headphones into my ears, I flicked on the radio, intent on soothing myself with some familiar heavy rock tunes but my ears were only met with the harsh sound of static. I held the small device above my head and waved it around a few times in different directions to try and pick up some reception, but there was still nothing. I tried adjusting the tuning. Still static. I tried every station I knew of. Still nothing. I flicked the radio off and sat there, the headphones still dangling from my ears. This was bad news. If I couldn't pick up any reception I knew that we were further from civilization than I first thought. It was then that a wave of panic and a feeling of helplessness washed over me, but I stayed silent and unmoving, consumed by my own thoughts and irrational plans of rescuing myself from the situation.
I was pulled out of my wallowing by the sudden halt of the wagon. "Whoa" Gandlaf cried pulling hard on the reigns. I glanced around quickly wondering why we had stopped. I could see no settlements of any kind, or anything else for that matter, besides the usual mass of trees which lined the small road. The smile had disappeared from uncle Gandalf's face and he was squinting at a spot in the distance through the forest.
"Why have we stopped?" I asked, my voice shaky with uncertainty. I raised my voice. "What the hell is going on?"
"Quiet girl" he whispered harshly "We have been spotted."
"Spotted? By what? There's bloody nothing out here!?"
"Just shut up. Prepare yourself for battle." Gandalf leapt from the wagon and clasped a large wooden staff, which he wielded like a weapon, in position ready for attack. I still sat, stock still, confused and in a slight state of panic. I had no idea what he was on about. Attack? I scanned the trees expecting to see something like a group of leather-clad bikies ready to free wheel us off the road like a scene from Mad Max. Instead my eyes met a small group of five ugly looking beings. I had no idea what they were. Their skin was a mottled brown with the consistency of dried peat. Their faces were horribly deformed and their mouths displayed uneven lines of discoloured rotting teeth. One pointed a gnarled finger towards us, bringing the attention of the others towards where Gandalf and I waited on the road. They started to advance. I started to panic.
"Move Bryn." Gandalf shouted, never taking his eyes off of the advancing mob. "Get down here and help."
I jumped over the side of the wagon just as an arrow hit the side of the cart making a loud 'twang' noise as it pierced the wood.
"These guys are friggin NUTS!" I exclaimed as the group let more arrows fly. It was just lucky that they didn't have very good aim. It was then that the seriousness of the situation dawned on me. It didn't matter what they were or why they happened to be out here, armed, with bows and arrows none-the-less. How archaic. Didn't these guys know what guns were?
I just had to survive. My training instincts began to kick in, and I lowered myself into a fighting stance with my hands up to protect my face and most of my weight distributed on my back leg. My weapons were still packed away in my bag so I had no choice but to go free hand. I didn't mind much as it was my best style. I had been trained in weapons fighting, but it was not something I had ever been considered brilliant at. Hand-to-hand combat on the other hand, I was a master.
Two advanced on me at once, swords slashing and teeth bared in identical snarls. I dodged their swords easily, surprising myself with my own speed and agility and maneuvered my body so that I only had to fight one at a time. It is one of the first tricks you are taught when learning to fight multiple opponents. I ducked another attack and slid in close to the creature's foul body, rendering his weapon useless at close range, and began launching an attack with my fists. His body jerked with the impacts and I could feel that I was beginning to tear skin from my knuckles with my efforts. Time to change tactics.
As the second creature advanced on my rear, I whirled around swiftly and executed a back kick into his ribs. I watched in horror and fascination as his body went air borne, flying seven or so meters before hitting a tree with a sickening crack. My kicks had never been THAT strong. Turning back to my first opponent, still a little dazed yet adrenaline pumped, I checked on Gandalf out of the corner of my eye. He had been fending off three of the beasts while I only had two. He had felled two already with his large staff and was battling fiercely with the remaining one. My attention was brought back to my own battle just in time to see the pointy end of a large, dark bladed sword coming at top speed toward my head.
I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the end, but it never came. I opened my eyes to find that I had caught the blade between my quivering hands, a few centimeters from impacting on the middle of my forehead. My mouth hung open in surprise as I twisted the blade out of the beast's hands, catching the hilt in my own and sweeping the weapon in a large arc motion. I could feel warm liquid spray across my face and the front of my dress as the metal sliced through the beast's leathery skin. I watched in horror as his head rolled from his shoulders, covering the forest floor with its dark blood and settled on the ground, its eyes unseeing. Its body quickly followed hitting the ground with an audible thud.
Gandalf stood watching me, a smile curving his lips.
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" I screeched. My voice had raised a few octaves in my raging confusion as I pointed, wide eyed, at the bodies that littered the forest floor.
"Seems to be the question of the week doesn't it Bryn?" He was still smiling.
"Don't you dare laugh this off, Gandy. This is getting just too damn weird. What the hell were those things? I could have been killed."
"You weren't even close to meeting death young one. You fought well." His smile fell. "They were orcs. Some of the foulest creatures to taint the beauty of Middle Earth with their evil ways." He lowered his head solemnly as if in mourning for the land.
"Gees. Your not still pushing that 'other world' shit are you?"
He stayed silent.
As I stared upon the destruction before me I could feel my stomach starting to turn. Bending over, using a nearby tree for support, I began to retch and cough as I fought to stay calm. I never imagined anything like this would ever happen to me and it was the first time I had ever used my training in defense of my life. It was also the first time I had used it to kill.
Even though I outwardly denied the fact that we were in another world, I was secretly starting to believe. Nothing felt remotely normal anymore, not even my own body.
"How did I do that?" I panted after emptying the contents of my stomach. "It's just not possible."
"What's not possible?"
"Didn't you see? I like.... Matrix'ed out or something. I've never been able to do that before."
Ignoring my question he grabbed hold of my shoulders and gently led me back to the wagon in my dazed state. "All will be explained once we reach Rivendell, my dear girl."
I felt lost and exhausted as he helped me climb up and I immediately let myself collapse onto the wooden platform in the back. Gandalf resumed his driver's seat and urged the horse on as though the whole ordeal had never happened, lighting his pipe and continuing with his infuriating humming. But I no longer cared. I stared numbly up at the sky above, which was visible through the forests canopy. Even the colour of the sky was a different blue. It was softer, calmer in a way, instead of the rich blinding blue of the Australian sky. How could I have denied that I wasn't on earth anymore? It was all too different and full of things I didn't believe existed. Orcs? Elves?
I was exhausted but I was shaken up. My heart was beating too fast to even think about sleeping. I was too overwhelmed to do anything other than lie there unblinking, staring up at the foreign sky as the wagon wheeled me towards the unknown.
"Bryn. Bryn, girl, wake up." I was pulled out of my daze by an urgent hand poking me in the ribs. "We have arrived. Come, there is time for rest later."
I groaned loudly and pulled myself into a sitting position. 'What next?' I thought 'Mud wrestling with a Yeti?' What I saw made my breath catch in my throat. A beautiful city stretched out into the forest, its buildings blending with the natural environment a though they were one and the same. Every single detail was finely crafted and the city itself seemed to be surrounded in a soft glow. They certainly knew how to dot their I's and cross their t's.
'When did we get here? Did we pass through a gate? How could I not have noticed?'
While gawping at the surrounding beauty, I noticed people around the wagon were regarding me with curious stares. Some even tried to smother their giggles with their hands as I wiped the drool from around my mouth with my one sleeve, which was not soiled with orc blood. Being slack jawed in awe could turn into a very messy business and I had a feeling that it wouldn't be the last time I'd be drooling all over myself.
Gandalf, who was a distance away, beckoned me over with a wave of his hand to where he was standing accompanied by a tall regal looking man with long brown hair and wearing a long purple robe. I ambled over trying to look casual but really, it was taking all my strength not to turn on my heel and run screaming back into the forest.
"Whose the guy in the dress?" I whispered to Gandalf behind my hand.
"Bryn!" he snapped.
"Do not worry yourself, Mithrandir. I'm sure she is under enough stress already with what has been revealed to her this day." The guy looked amused. "The journey from one world to another is never an easy one."
"I thought it was supposed to be a secret.... Me being from another world I mean." I felt like a silly child who was asking unnecessary questions.
"This is Lord Elrond, the ruler of Rivendell." Gandalf explained. Elrond nodded his head in acknowledgement of the introduction. "Your stay in Rivendell was organised in advance. It is necessary for Elrond to be aware of who you are. It will certainly explain a few things. I have a feeling that you are going to get yourself into trouble. You don't know this world, or its customs."
There was a long silence as both men stared at me, waiting for a reaction. My eyes flicked between their two faces uneasily, until they came to rest on Lord Elrond's. I studied him closely. His skin was smooth and pale, yet a few wrinkles creased his forehead and eyes. It was hard to say how old he looked. He seemed to be young and old at the same time. His eyes held the wisdom of many years and he held himself with a kingly confidence. What amazed me the most were his ears. They curved neatly into a perfect point which neatly tucked away his long brown hair. Gandy wasn't kidding when he said elves.
"Ah... erm" I stuttered, trying painfully to break their silent gazes. "Nice to meet you. Thanks for hooking me up with a room. I really appreciate it." There was that childish feeling again. Where had my education gone? I was speaking with the eloquence of a two year old.
"It is my pleasure, Lady Bryn." He smiled warmly. I let out a sigh of relief. "I will have someone take your bags and escort you to your quarters in one of my guest bedrooms. We have other guests staying at present and I am sure they will enjoy your company."
He clicked his fingers and a group of uniformed elves swarmed in on the wagon, grabbed the luggage and stood at attention like disciplined soldiers. I stifled a giggle as I imagined them in bellhop outfits, complete with bow ties and cheesy red hats but was stopped by another one of uncle Gandalf's warning glares. He could be a real killjoy sometimes.
"Welcome to Rivendell, Lady Bryn." Elrond finished as he began walking away, Gandalf by his side.
I was left alone, standing in the city square like a lost dog. 'Congratulations.' I thought to myself with scorn 'You have just nominated yourself as village idiot.'
I was usually so comfortable with words and was known as a person who always had something to say. But here, it seemed that my usual intelligent conversation was reduced to simple-minded gibberish. I was off to a cracker of a start, and they say first impressions count.
I had no choice but to follow the 'bellhops' as they led me off silently into the grounds of the palace. Everything was so perfect. I felt as though I had fallen into a dream. A rabbit hole. I wondered if the Mad Hatter was going to show up for tea any time soon.
Walking through the corridors, I noticed that only one set of footsteps were audible. My footsteps. Suddenly, for the first time in my life, I felt self conscious of my walk and made an effort to try and tread softer on the hard, marbled floors. But no matter how hard I tried my footsteps still echoed noisily. The silence with which the elves walked put me on edge. It was disturbing how they seemed to be able to defy the laws of nature. The ones I knew anyway. It was like the law of gravity didn't apply to them, and they walked just above the surface of the floor but never touching, never making a sound. 'Showy bastards'
The group stopped at an ornately carved door and one of them swung it open gently, indicating for me to enter with a sweep of his hand. They handed me my bag as I walked past, their eyes following my movements carefully. Were elves always this scary?
Once again I found myself slack jawed and drooling as my eyes swept the room. It was the most beautiful I had ever seen. All of the furniture and fittings were just as ornate and detailed as the rest of the city. A flowing canopy of white cloth haloed the large bed, which was pushed up against the right wall, and two large double doors led out onto a small balcony overlooking the glowing grounds of Rivendell. I had never stayed in a hotel before, but I would have bet that they didn't even come close to the beauty of that room. I dumped my bag on the floor next to the bed and turned back to the open door. The 'bellhop' elves still stood there staring at me blankly. That was it. There was a line between strange and rude and they had just leapt over it, big-time. Not wanting to get too close, I stuck my foot out slammed the door shut roughly with my boot. It slammed closed with a loud, satisfying bang. So much for trying to be quiet.
I spent the next fifteen minutes exploring the room, but being so clean, there wasn't much to find. The small closet was empty as were the draws. I spent quite a few minutes staring at the domed ceiling, which was decorated with a large heaven-like scene of impossibly attractive elves and endless blue sky, but soon my neck cricked up and I was forced to find other forms entertainment. Plus, I really needed a bath.
Getting desperate, I inched the door open and stuck my head through the available gap. I thought maybe if the scary 'bellhops' were still around I could milk one for information about the city, maybe find myself a Middle Earth version of a seedy nightclub. But looking around I found the corridors rather empty. Or not as empty as I thought.
"Greetings, my lady." A deep voice sounded unexpectedly. I jumped so violently I nearly decapitated myself with the door.
"Who's there?" I pulled my head in and swung the door wide. Stepping into the hall, I was met by a lone figure, shadowed in the dim light.
"Its dangerous surprising people like that you know?" I announced hotly. "You nearly had my head off."
"I'm sorry my lady. If I had known you were going to be such a danger to yourself, I would have made my presence known sooner so you could prepare." I couldn't see him but I could hear the smile that played on his lips.
"Is it customary to stand in the dark and insult your guests?" I asked, determined not to let the witty stranger get the better of me.
"Ah, but I am a guest here too. So you see my lady, we are on even par." His smug chuckle signaled another witticism was on its way. Before he could fire another one I cut in.
"And who is this comedian I have the displeasure of meeting tonight?" My voice dripped with sarcasm.
"I am Legolas Greenleaf, son of King Thanduil and prince of the woodland realm of Eryn Lasgolan. And you are?"
"Not interested. If I knew your introduction was going to take that long I would have brought popcorn or something." This guy was really getting on my nerves. Prince or no prince, I was not going to hold back what I thought of him.
"So.... Princess." I drawled casually "You say we are on even par. Are you inviting me to insult you?"
"If it doth please the lady, go ahead. I will rise to the challenge."
"Very impressive of you." I said while squinting through the dark, trying to see what the bozo looked like, but all I could make out was the rough outline of a male body.
As if on cue he stepped forward, the light revealing his tall lean frame and elven face. His chiseled features cast perfect shadows across the contours of his skin and his long platinum blonde hair shone in the dim light like the moons reflection off of the ocean. For a fraction of a second I went all gooey and felt that I was going to melt into his arms like some virginal airhead from a trashy romance novel, but the feeling passed quickly as I settled back into my initial hatred. Even if he did look like an elven underwear model, it didn't discount the fact that he was a jerk.
Uncle Gandalf's words played over and over again through my head 'I expect you to offer them the same courtesy they will no doubt bestow upon you' he had said. Well that was all the prompting I needed. Legolas had quite literally invited me to insult him and Gandalf had unknowingly handed me permission on a silver platter. This was war.
A smug smile came over his face in reply to my initial reaction to his appearance. 'I didn't make it that obvious did I?' I thought.
"Doth the lady see something she likes hmm?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, something I never thought I would ever see an elf do. I stretched my neck up in an attempt to look taller and glowered up at him, my anger now fuming. This guy was insufferable.
"I am most definitely NOT interested in your kinky personality. Or in William bloody Shakespeare, for that matter."
"You have quite a temper on you girl. You had better be careful with yourself. I don't know who William bloody Shakespeare is but I'm sure he is a perfect gentleman." He still smiled smugly, his blue eyes sparkling with mirth. The bastard was enjoying himself!
"You're sick, you know that? Goodnight!" My patience for games at the end of its tether I pulled my arm back and launched my fist towards his face. It connected with a satisfying crack followed by a thud as Prince Legolas fell unconscious to the floor. I knew that I was going to get a tongue lashing from uncle Gandy for this one. He was right. I did get myself into trouble. I turned on my heel and strode down the hallway, leaving the princes unconscious form for someone else to clean up. My cheeks hot with fury and embarrassment I went searching for a bath.
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