The days slowly went by, and the monotony was only
managed by Arwen's company. Sarah couldn't help but admire
the Elven woman, not only due to her appearance, but also her
intelligence and kindness. She had even taught Sarah a few
Sindarin phrases, such as "Thank you", "Your welcome", and
upon Sarah's request, "Where is the bathroom?" Arwen never
really understood why the last phrase was important, and even
after explaining, her eyebrow was lifted quizzically. Ah,
Elvish humor. The phrases, however simple, were hard to grasp
for Sarah's clumsy human tongue, but manage she did. After a
few days, Sarah even managed to put a light Elvish accent on
the words.
She grinned, "I'm a culture sponge. I soak up accents, for some reason. Oh dear god, you should've heard me after my trip to Alabama earlier this year," Sarah shuddered, then stopped after Arwen's eyebrow rose quizzically..again. "Uhm, Alabama is a large.province.in my home country. It, and the surrounding.provinces.are well-known for their heavy accents." Arwen seemed to take this with a grain of salt, and nodded slightly.
"Have you enjoyed your time here, Sarah?" Arwen asked, with a gentle concerned look in her eyes. Sarah met those eyes, and after a beat, nodded with a wide smile.
"I love it here, actually. It's so peaceful." Sarah did not finish her answer, as it might insult her hostess, but Arwen, in all her damn perceptiveness, noticed.
"But you miss your home." Her phrase echoed Sarah's thoughts, whom could only manage a slight nod. Her eyes were glistening as she looked up.
"Not necessarily my home, but the people there; my parents and fiancée, most of all." Sarah put her arms about herself, as if she were cold. Sarah had told Arwen of her family, and could certainly understand why she missed them. Her father, with his wit and sense of fun, could make Sarah laugh just by smiling. Her mother, with her kindness and gaiety, was Sarah's crutch in the world, and the one person she could tell anything to. And lastly Will, her fiancée. It was during the day that she missed her parents, but at night, it was thoughts of Will that made her cry herself to sleep. He was boyish, shy, and completely irritating at times, but he was hers. And Sarah treasured that.
Arwen watched the kaleidoscope of Sarah's thoughts show on her face, and Arwen's heart broke for her. She truly knew what it was like to miss those you love, especially the one you love. She reached out, and gave Sarah's hand a gentle squeeze of understanding. Sarah appreciated the gesture, but it only made her heart hurt more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
During one of her many mind-clearing walks, Sarah stumbled upon the archery range. Fascinated by their ability. She went closer, and sat down on the soft grass to watch. Only three were practicing at the moment, but to Sarah's eyes, it might as well have been a hundred. She had always been interested in archery, but never had the money to buy the equipment, nor the space to practice. Her bad eyesight didn't help matters either. Born with her left eye legally blind, and the other with perfect vision, such things as depth perception and aim were far from her reach. Although she had played softball for ten years, and had made an excellent outfielder, so she knew she could adapt if it were needed, which eased her mind a little.
Stuck in her reverie, she did not see one approach her. It was only when his shadow was cast over her that she snapped out of it, and looked up at him in half wonder and half apprehension. Sarah stood, slightly bashful, and smiled nervously.
"I'm sorry, I did not mean to intrude. It's just that.." She stopped when he raised a hand and smiled kindly.
"No apology is needed. Besides, we tend to shoot better when we know someone is watching." His eyes sparkled with mirth, and Sarah couldn't help but chuckle. He was handsome, with long dark hair and bright blue eyes, similar to his father. He put his hand down, and smiled again.
"My name is Elladan. And yours?" His smile continued, and he waved the two others over that had been practicing. They left their gear on the ground, and strode over.
"Mine is Sarah. It's nice to meet you, Elladan." He bowed his head slightly, and then looked to the others.
"My companions here are Elrohir, my brother, and Glorfindel." The two nodded respectfully. The one called Elrohir was definitely Elladan's brother, with the same coloring and build. In fact, they could even be twi..oh, d'uh Sarah.
The other one, Glorifindel, was more reserved than the two others. He stood back a step or so, and eyed the human woman cautiously. He seemed to decide something in his thoughts, and then turned to the others. Speaking in Sindarin, which Sarah took as slightly rude, he spoke quietly. Sarah didn't catch much of it, but figured it was something to the effect of "I'm not staying here. I will meet you later." Of course, that could've just been Sarah's pessimistic side talking, since he finally smiled at Sarah and quickly departed after gathering up his things.
The two brothers turned to Sarah, and she to them. "So you are interested in archery, yes?" Elladan asked, though it was more of a statement than a question. Nodding to himself, then to Elrohir, he spoke again. "Have you any skill in the art?" Sarah pursed her lips, and shrugged.
"I know how to shoot a bow and how to string it. I was even able to fletch an arrow at one point, although it was rather pathetic. But if you're asking if I have any skill in aiming, then no, I don't." Sarah was surprised to see their smiles widen, and they nodded at each other again, as if some silent bargain had been struck between them. They then turned to Sarah at the same time.
Elladan reached out a hand to her shoulder, but stopped just short of touching it. "May I? Sarah nodded simply, not seeing any harm, as she liked these two immediately. He put his hand around the cuff of her shoulder, and gripped a few times here and there before smiling again. "You have a strong shoulder, but rather, if I must say, poor arms for swordplay. You would make a better archer." He took a small coin out of a small pouch, placed it before her eyes between his thumb and index finger, then dropped it. Without thinking, Sarah reached out a hand to catch it, and was able to before it got to her thighs. Her eyebrows furrowed, not completely understanding until she looked up to see both of them smiling again.
"Oh, a reflex test." She said simply, and waited for them to speak on her results. She did not have to wait long.
"Indeed. Your reflexes are good, and you have nimble fingers." Sarah smiled at the compliment, and looked back to the coin in her hand. For once, she was thankful for the hours she spent typing at her computer.
"And since you are already dressed properly, we shall get started immediately." They both started back to the archery area, and Sarah followed, a huge grin on her face and a bounce in her step.
She grinned, "I'm a culture sponge. I soak up accents, for some reason. Oh dear god, you should've heard me after my trip to Alabama earlier this year," Sarah shuddered, then stopped after Arwen's eyebrow rose quizzically..again. "Uhm, Alabama is a large.province.in my home country. It, and the surrounding.provinces.are well-known for their heavy accents." Arwen seemed to take this with a grain of salt, and nodded slightly.
"Have you enjoyed your time here, Sarah?" Arwen asked, with a gentle concerned look in her eyes. Sarah met those eyes, and after a beat, nodded with a wide smile.
"I love it here, actually. It's so peaceful." Sarah did not finish her answer, as it might insult her hostess, but Arwen, in all her damn perceptiveness, noticed.
"But you miss your home." Her phrase echoed Sarah's thoughts, whom could only manage a slight nod. Her eyes were glistening as she looked up.
"Not necessarily my home, but the people there; my parents and fiancée, most of all." Sarah put her arms about herself, as if she were cold. Sarah had told Arwen of her family, and could certainly understand why she missed them. Her father, with his wit and sense of fun, could make Sarah laugh just by smiling. Her mother, with her kindness and gaiety, was Sarah's crutch in the world, and the one person she could tell anything to. And lastly Will, her fiancée. It was during the day that she missed her parents, but at night, it was thoughts of Will that made her cry herself to sleep. He was boyish, shy, and completely irritating at times, but he was hers. And Sarah treasured that.
Arwen watched the kaleidoscope of Sarah's thoughts show on her face, and Arwen's heart broke for her. She truly knew what it was like to miss those you love, especially the one you love. She reached out, and gave Sarah's hand a gentle squeeze of understanding. Sarah appreciated the gesture, but it only made her heart hurt more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
During one of her many mind-clearing walks, Sarah stumbled upon the archery range. Fascinated by their ability. She went closer, and sat down on the soft grass to watch. Only three were practicing at the moment, but to Sarah's eyes, it might as well have been a hundred. She had always been interested in archery, but never had the money to buy the equipment, nor the space to practice. Her bad eyesight didn't help matters either. Born with her left eye legally blind, and the other with perfect vision, such things as depth perception and aim were far from her reach. Although she had played softball for ten years, and had made an excellent outfielder, so she knew she could adapt if it were needed, which eased her mind a little.
Stuck in her reverie, she did not see one approach her. It was only when his shadow was cast over her that she snapped out of it, and looked up at him in half wonder and half apprehension. Sarah stood, slightly bashful, and smiled nervously.
"I'm sorry, I did not mean to intrude. It's just that.." She stopped when he raised a hand and smiled kindly.
"No apology is needed. Besides, we tend to shoot better when we know someone is watching." His eyes sparkled with mirth, and Sarah couldn't help but chuckle. He was handsome, with long dark hair and bright blue eyes, similar to his father. He put his hand down, and smiled again.
"My name is Elladan. And yours?" His smile continued, and he waved the two others over that had been practicing. They left their gear on the ground, and strode over.
"Mine is Sarah. It's nice to meet you, Elladan." He bowed his head slightly, and then looked to the others.
"My companions here are Elrohir, my brother, and Glorfindel." The two nodded respectfully. The one called Elrohir was definitely Elladan's brother, with the same coloring and build. In fact, they could even be twi..oh, d'uh Sarah.
The other one, Glorifindel, was more reserved than the two others. He stood back a step or so, and eyed the human woman cautiously. He seemed to decide something in his thoughts, and then turned to the others. Speaking in Sindarin, which Sarah took as slightly rude, he spoke quietly. Sarah didn't catch much of it, but figured it was something to the effect of "I'm not staying here. I will meet you later." Of course, that could've just been Sarah's pessimistic side talking, since he finally smiled at Sarah and quickly departed after gathering up his things.
The two brothers turned to Sarah, and she to them. "So you are interested in archery, yes?" Elladan asked, though it was more of a statement than a question. Nodding to himself, then to Elrohir, he spoke again. "Have you any skill in the art?" Sarah pursed her lips, and shrugged.
"I know how to shoot a bow and how to string it. I was even able to fletch an arrow at one point, although it was rather pathetic. But if you're asking if I have any skill in aiming, then no, I don't." Sarah was surprised to see their smiles widen, and they nodded at each other again, as if some silent bargain had been struck between them. They then turned to Sarah at the same time.
Elladan reached out a hand to her shoulder, but stopped just short of touching it. "May I? Sarah nodded simply, not seeing any harm, as she liked these two immediately. He put his hand around the cuff of her shoulder, and gripped a few times here and there before smiling again. "You have a strong shoulder, but rather, if I must say, poor arms for swordplay. You would make a better archer." He took a small coin out of a small pouch, placed it before her eyes between his thumb and index finger, then dropped it. Without thinking, Sarah reached out a hand to catch it, and was able to before it got to her thighs. Her eyebrows furrowed, not completely understanding until she looked up to see both of them smiling again.
"Oh, a reflex test." She said simply, and waited for them to speak on her results. She did not have to wait long.
"Indeed. Your reflexes are good, and you have nimble fingers." Sarah smiled at the compliment, and looked back to the coin in her hand. For once, she was thankful for the hours she spent typing at her computer.
"And since you are already dressed properly, we shall get started immediately." They both started back to the archery area, and Sarah followed, a huge grin on her face and a bounce in her step.