Well, I fibbed. I am writing another author's note. The temptation was too
great. I was unsure of where to go next, but TheWhiteDevil's review gave me
some incentive :-) So, here is the 4th establishment of the Princesses Of
The Ring!
Chapter 3
"A campout! It sounds like a good idea." Inwe was unpacking her and her sister's bags. "Do you have tents?"
"Yea, Goofy is getting them from the ship." Sora explained. Less than a moment later, as if summoned by his words, Goofy came down the ramp, baring two large tents. They were made of canvas and long, polished wooden poles. Goofy began setting them up next to each other, while Alatariel took it upon herself to build a fire. Cellen had brought firewood with him, so she took a few logs and set them in a pyramid. She also uprooted the grass around the fire in a ten-foot radius and threw some of it on the wood. She then removed her flint from her bag and struck it, the sparks hitting the dry grass and setting the bonfire aflame.
"You could have just asked me to set it on fire." Sora said, holding his keyblade and smiling.
"But I didn't." Alatariel returned in a clipped voice, with a smirk on her face. She was still not entirely over the remark about her pointy ears. Sora noticed this and decided to stay clear of her for a while instead of escalating the problem. Instead, he turned to Inwe, who was pitching the other tent with Cellen.
"What did your attackers look like?" He asked her. She visibly shivered.
"Living shadows, with sickly amber eyes and bug-like antennae that quivered when you drew near," She whispered, "They had no emotion, and embodied the fear of others. When you slew them, they left no trace, and could flee into shadow."
"Shadows, Goofy." Sora stated gravely. "There are Shadows here."
"There have always been shadows in Middle-Earth. Before our time, there was a time of great shadow and peril, when these lands tottered on the edge of a knife blade. However, brave souls made the trek into the heart of the evil, and there destroyed it. Of course, traces of this evil still remain, but the elves of Mirkwood are doing our part in ending the evil once and for all. But now, now a new evil seems to be spreading, and this fears me more than the remains of the last."
"You're right to be scared. The Heartless are to be feared." Sora said it as if the statement was obvious. "And there is a way to destroy it. In the heart of this world there is a keyhole, and there, a key can lock the world's heart. My keyblade can do it. So if we found the keyhole- "
"Middle-Earth would be saved." Inwe finished.
"Exactly. Do you know where this keyhole would be?" He asked eagerly, hoping she would have the answer.
Inwe thought about it, and did not answer for a long time. She worked, deep in thought, and it was not until the tents were almost completely assembled that she answered Sora.
"There is a place where the heart of good is, and where the heart of evil is. I can think of no neutral ground." Sora's heart sank. How would they know which side of the light the keyhole would be on?
"A journey to either place would be highly dangerous, and maybe deadly. I do not see how we could reach the heart of this world if we took the most skilled warriors in Middle-Earth with us."
"Where are these places?" Sora asked.
"The heart of all good is Valinor, the resting place of elves. The heart of evil is the heart of Mount Doom, the exact place where evil was destroyed in the last war."
Everyone was silent until the fire was crackling merrily and they were all seated around it, telling stories of their lives and laughing. For one night, they decided to forget their worries and quests, and enjoy the Rohirrim night on the plains.
"So, how old are you two?" Sora asked the sisters, chewing on dried meat.
"I don't think he'll believe us, Inwe." Alatariel said playfully, winking at her sister.
"I think you're right, Alatariel." She replied, grinning.
"No, seriously, how old are you guys?" He asked.
"Well," Inwe said, "We are 517 years of age, as of our last birthday."
"No way! You've got to be kidding me! You look fourteen! There is no way you are that old." He crossed his arms in front of him and turned to Cellen. "Let me guess, and you're 600?"
"Actually, to be exact, I am 752." He answered calmly, but a devilish sparkle was visible in his eye. The three elves exchanged looks, and it was quite obvious that they were enjoying this thoroughly. Goofy looked puzzled, as if he were doing a large calculation in his head.
"So, Cellen, how old would that make you, humanly speaking?" He asked in his low voice.
"Around seventeen." He answered. "At least physically speaking. My knowledge far surpasses that of a nineteen-year old." Alatariel stifled a laugh, and Inwe grinned.
"Hey Donald, why don't you come join us?" Sora yelled. Donald had gone into the ship and gotten some large sheets of paper and writing utensils, and many different and odd tools that he used to measure and calculate with. He was deeply absorbed in his work, and shot straight in the air when Sora called out to him.
"I am very busy!" He yelled back, not even looking over his shoulder. "I am trying to figure our where that warp hole put us!"
"Spoil sport." Sora muttered.
"I heard that!" He squawked back. "Goofy, come help me out! I can't do this all alone!"
"Coming, Donald!" Goofy called, getting up from the fire. "I'll be back in a while. I should help Donald with his maps."
"Have fun." Sora said sarcastically, and Goofy ruffled his hair before going to help his feathered friend. Inwe, Alatariel, Cellen, and Sora all sat around the fire as it crackled merrily, while those around the fire were awkwardly silent for a few minutes. Finally, Sora broke the silence.
"So, what do you elves do for fun?" He asked.
"Spar, competitions, sing, poetry," Inwe started listing ideas.
Sora cut her off. "No, I mean silly little games, or embarrassing games." The three elves looked at each other quizzically. Sora elaborated. "Games that will get us to know each other better."
"What games did you play where you come from?" Inwe asked, "Where do you come from?"
"It was called Destiny Islands, before it was destroyed by the darkness." He was quiet for a moment. "As for the games we played, I guess we played what any human teenager would play." He put the emphasis on the word human, making the three elves smirk. "Have you ever heard of Truth or Dare? Or Spin the Bottle?" All three shook their heads. Sora suddenly realized what he was working with. "Well, it sounds as if you three have been missing out. These are absolute classics. Which would you like to play?" He grinned devilishly, and the elves were afraid to choose. Sora decided to pick one of them to choose. "Alatariel, how about you choose?"
She looked absolutely terrified, but she didn't want to seem like a coward. Truth or Dare didn't sound so good. There were some things that she did not even want to tell her sister, let alone the others sitting around the fire. There were also some things that she definitely did not want to do, too, and she was not exactly daring in all aspects. "How about Spin the Bottle?" She said in a small voice that she failed miserably in attempting to make stronger.
"Great choice, Ali." She grimaced at the nickname, but Sora either didn't notice or care. He was laughing gleefully on the inside, but on the outside he kept a cool smile. Playing fun games with these elves was making him remember how to be a teenager again, not just the Keyblade Master. He certainly wouldn't mind playing Spin the Bottle with the two beautiful elven girls sitting at the fire across from him. The fire danced in their eyes and caressed their golden tresses, making them shine like spun gold. "Well here are the rules. We need a bottle." He looked around, and Inwe tossed him an empty wine bottle that she had found in the kitchens back home and had been holding wine in for the journey. They had emptied it that night, and Inwe might have been more cautious about the boyish grin on Sora's face if the effects of it had not been tingling her senses. "Thank- you, Inwe. Now, we need to get away from the fire. Let's go in the girl's tent."
The four entered the girl's tent, which was bigger, despite the fact that there were two girls and four boys. The inside smelled of canvas, but the breeze blew through it, sending the smells of the plains through in drafts. The four sat in a circle in the middle of the tent, and Sora placed the bottle in the middle. "Out of good sportsmanship, I'll let Inwe go first." Inwe wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing, but she said thank-you all the same. "So, you spin the bottle," He spun it for an example, and it landed on Alatariel. "And whoever it lands on, you have to kiss." The tent was silent for a moment, and Alatariel wondered what she had gotten them all into, and maybe they would have been better off with Truth or Dare. Sora continued. "The first time it lands on someone, it's just a kiss on the cheek. The second time, it's a kiss on the lips, and the third time, it's everything, including tongues." He was once more greeted by silence. The Royal Court is not usually involved in matchmaking of any kind until the child is at least 800 years old, and none of them had ever had any experience with kissing. "No girls kissing girls and boys kissing boys, though. After that, the game is, well, over."
He handed the bottle to Inwe, who refused to take it until it was stuffed into her hands. "Your turn, Inwe."
"Do I have to go first?" she asked reluctantly.
"Yes, we already decided this, Inwe, go ahead, and spin the bottle!" He said, barely holding back hysterical laughter.
"Well, okay, here I go."
~ * ~
"Our borders are being overrun, my liege!" Shouted a soldier from the doors to the throne room, "We cannot hold them back!"
"Send out all of our best warriors, Thamior! We must hold them off, we cannot succumb as the other Elven Nations did!" King Legolas boomed back.
The last few days had been hell in Mirkwood Forest. Creatures had overrun the borders, making Mirkwood safe no longer. Families had been ordered to stay indoors, and all warriors had reported to the Barracks. In total, Mirkwood had over one thousand warriors, but the creatures entering Mirkwood were not normal creatures, and Legolas was haunted by his memories of the War of the Ring and the goblins, orcs, and trolls that he had battled. However, these creatures were not of this realm. They were shadows, and they could become shadows, where no blade or arrow could touch them. The thought alone sent shivers up his spine.
One by one, word had gotten to Legolas of the Nations of Middle- Earth falling. There were but a few left. The Rohirrim were holding out in Helm's Deep. The dwarves were yet to be affected by the darkness, hiding away in their mountains, caring little for the outside world and its problems. Then, there was Mirkwood, the only Elven Nation left standing. It seemed that the elves were hit the hardest by the darkness, as though they were the primary enemy. Lothlorien and Rivendell had both fallen, and he had not heard from Galadriel and Celeborn or Elrond sine he had gotten word from messengers of their downfall. It seemed as if the fight was hopeless.
In the sea of terror and shadow that he was drowning in, Legolas hoped that his daughters and Cellen were safe from the evil that was sweeping their homeland. They had escaped their fate, and it seemed as if they were the only elves left free in the whole of Middle-Earth.
~ * ~
The game was almost done. It had turned out almost perfectly, and each of the players was up to their third spin on all of the other players. Considering there were only two players of each gender, the game had passed fairly quickly, and it seemed that sooner than any of the elves were ready, they were all on their third spin. It was Alatariel's turn, and she held the bottle in an unsure way, as if wondering if she could still get out of this.
"Go ahead, Alatariel, spin!" Sora said, laughing. The game had been lots of fun for him. It reminded him of when he would play with Wakka, Tidus, Riku, Selphie, and Kairi. He didn't think about locking keyholes or slaying Shadows, he was just a teenager again, playing Spin the Bottle.
Alatariel spun the bottle, and it landed on Cellen. Both of them blushed furiously, and Sora cackled with glee.
"Um, Sora, can we use the other tent for this? I really don't want to do this right here." Alatariel mumbled, turning beet red.
"Sure, Ali, go ahead. You and Cellen can have your privacy." He laughed again, only making the two elves blush more furiously, if that were possible. They both left the tent and went into the other. Sora laughed, only reminding Inwe that her time was coming.
The two came back about one minute later, and Sora teased them mercilessly. They both blushed again, taking their seats clumsily. "Your turn, Cellen! Spin the bottle!" Sora yelled. He's enjoying himself too much, Inwe thought.
When the bottle stopped Sora cracked up. It had landed on Alatariel. The two once more got up, getting out of the tent before Sora could heckle them anymore. Again, after about a minute, they both came back in, and when Sora laughed, neither of them blushed.
"Well, Alatariel, the game is winding down, and there is only one person left!" He looked around, pretending to look for other people. "Wait, it's me?" He said in mock suprise. "Well, come on, Ali." He left the tent, and Alatariel followed, gazing at Cellen before leaving.
They both came back in, and Alatariel took her seat silently, while Sora marched back in, looking proud of himself. "I believe it is my turn." He said to the elves, and he spun the bottle. He had spun it very quickly, and it danced around on the floor, spinning in circles for much longer than usual. It slowed down, spinning around and around. Inwe could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest. It slowed to a stop - right in front of her.
"Well, come on, Inwe." Sora said, stepping back outside the tent. Inwe followed, her head swimming. She was nervous and excited all at the same time. Sora entered the tent in front of her, and she followed after him. He sat down on one of the blankets, and patted the blanket next to him, motioning for her to sit down. She sat down beside him, still feeling as if it were all surreal. He turned to her, and she closed her eye and leaned in.
She was as thrilled as she had been when she had kissed before in the round before, feeling his lips against her own. Then he opened his mouth, and hers opened along with him. He slid his tongue inside her mouth, and she put her hands around his neck, pulling him closer, and kissing back.
They reentered the tent, and Alatariel looked paler than usual. They sat back down, and it was her turn again.
"Well, you don't have to spin, Inwe. It's your turn with Cellen. And then, it is your turn with Cellen again, and then it's our turn, and then we call it a night.
Cellen was not a bad kisser, although Inwe might not be a very good judge, but he didn't compare to Sora in her mind. They reentered the girl's tent, and then had to go right back out again. They then came back in, and it was her turn with Sora again.
"Let's go again, Inwe." Sora led the way out again. She followed him into the tent, and they kissed once more. Inwe confirmed what she had thought. Cellen did not compare to Sora in any way.
~ * ~
"No, according to my calculations, and the position of the warp hole in the Cartoonist Continuum, I think-"
"The warp hole was 15 degrees East of there, Donald-"
The four could hear Donald and Goofy going back and forth as they approached. They went into the boy's tent, and continued the argument. The two guys said goodnight to the sisters, and went into their tent. Alatariel turned to Inwe, her face pale.
"Father promised Cellen one of our hands in marriage for our safe return." She said in a soft voice. The sisters were both silent, neither of them believing that their Father would do this to them. In their silence their heard arguing from the boys' tent. Sora was yelling about Donald's maps all over his blankets, and Cellen was yelling for everyone to be quiet. Goofy was taking everyone's side, not really knowing what was going on. Finally, Donald threw both of them out of the tent.
"Sleep outside, for all I care!" He said, throwing their blankets and Cellen's bags out after them. At this point, Inwe went to their tent flap and look outside.
Both of them were shivering in the frigid night air. She felt bad for them. "Do you want to come in here?" She asked them. Both of the guys looked somewhat bashful, but in the end mumbled acceptance and crawled in. They set up their beds on the other side of the tent, and Sora was nowhere near as bold as he had been during the game. They all fell asleep quickly; the Shadows would not haunt them tonight when they had such good thoughts.
Chapter 3
"A campout! It sounds like a good idea." Inwe was unpacking her and her sister's bags. "Do you have tents?"
"Yea, Goofy is getting them from the ship." Sora explained. Less than a moment later, as if summoned by his words, Goofy came down the ramp, baring two large tents. They were made of canvas and long, polished wooden poles. Goofy began setting them up next to each other, while Alatariel took it upon herself to build a fire. Cellen had brought firewood with him, so she took a few logs and set them in a pyramid. She also uprooted the grass around the fire in a ten-foot radius and threw some of it on the wood. She then removed her flint from her bag and struck it, the sparks hitting the dry grass and setting the bonfire aflame.
"You could have just asked me to set it on fire." Sora said, holding his keyblade and smiling.
"But I didn't." Alatariel returned in a clipped voice, with a smirk on her face. She was still not entirely over the remark about her pointy ears. Sora noticed this and decided to stay clear of her for a while instead of escalating the problem. Instead, he turned to Inwe, who was pitching the other tent with Cellen.
"What did your attackers look like?" He asked her. She visibly shivered.
"Living shadows, with sickly amber eyes and bug-like antennae that quivered when you drew near," She whispered, "They had no emotion, and embodied the fear of others. When you slew them, they left no trace, and could flee into shadow."
"Shadows, Goofy." Sora stated gravely. "There are Shadows here."
"There have always been shadows in Middle-Earth. Before our time, there was a time of great shadow and peril, when these lands tottered on the edge of a knife blade. However, brave souls made the trek into the heart of the evil, and there destroyed it. Of course, traces of this evil still remain, but the elves of Mirkwood are doing our part in ending the evil once and for all. But now, now a new evil seems to be spreading, and this fears me more than the remains of the last."
"You're right to be scared. The Heartless are to be feared." Sora said it as if the statement was obvious. "And there is a way to destroy it. In the heart of this world there is a keyhole, and there, a key can lock the world's heart. My keyblade can do it. So if we found the keyhole- "
"Middle-Earth would be saved." Inwe finished.
"Exactly. Do you know where this keyhole would be?" He asked eagerly, hoping she would have the answer.
Inwe thought about it, and did not answer for a long time. She worked, deep in thought, and it was not until the tents were almost completely assembled that she answered Sora.
"There is a place where the heart of good is, and where the heart of evil is. I can think of no neutral ground." Sora's heart sank. How would they know which side of the light the keyhole would be on?
"A journey to either place would be highly dangerous, and maybe deadly. I do not see how we could reach the heart of this world if we took the most skilled warriors in Middle-Earth with us."
"Where are these places?" Sora asked.
"The heart of all good is Valinor, the resting place of elves. The heart of evil is the heart of Mount Doom, the exact place where evil was destroyed in the last war."
Everyone was silent until the fire was crackling merrily and they were all seated around it, telling stories of their lives and laughing. For one night, they decided to forget their worries and quests, and enjoy the Rohirrim night on the plains.
"So, how old are you two?" Sora asked the sisters, chewing on dried meat.
"I don't think he'll believe us, Inwe." Alatariel said playfully, winking at her sister.
"I think you're right, Alatariel." She replied, grinning.
"No, seriously, how old are you guys?" He asked.
"Well," Inwe said, "We are 517 years of age, as of our last birthday."
"No way! You've got to be kidding me! You look fourteen! There is no way you are that old." He crossed his arms in front of him and turned to Cellen. "Let me guess, and you're 600?"
"Actually, to be exact, I am 752." He answered calmly, but a devilish sparkle was visible in his eye. The three elves exchanged looks, and it was quite obvious that they were enjoying this thoroughly. Goofy looked puzzled, as if he were doing a large calculation in his head.
"So, Cellen, how old would that make you, humanly speaking?" He asked in his low voice.
"Around seventeen." He answered. "At least physically speaking. My knowledge far surpasses that of a nineteen-year old." Alatariel stifled a laugh, and Inwe grinned.
"Hey Donald, why don't you come join us?" Sora yelled. Donald had gone into the ship and gotten some large sheets of paper and writing utensils, and many different and odd tools that he used to measure and calculate with. He was deeply absorbed in his work, and shot straight in the air when Sora called out to him.
"I am very busy!" He yelled back, not even looking over his shoulder. "I am trying to figure our where that warp hole put us!"
"Spoil sport." Sora muttered.
"I heard that!" He squawked back. "Goofy, come help me out! I can't do this all alone!"
"Coming, Donald!" Goofy called, getting up from the fire. "I'll be back in a while. I should help Donald with his maps."
"Have fun." Sora said sarcastically, and Goofy ruffled his hair before going to help his feathered friend. Inwe, Alatariel, Cellen, and Sora all sat around the fire as it crackled merrily, while those around the fire were awkwardly silent for a few minutes. Finally, Sora broke the silence.
"So, what do you elves do for fun?" He asked.
"Spar, competitions, sing, poetry," Inwe started listing ideas.
Sora cut her off. "No, I mean silly little games, or embarrassing games." The three elves looked at each other quizzically. Sora elaborated. "Games that will get us to know each other better."
"What games did you play where you come from?" Inwe asked, "Where do you come from?"
"It was called Destiny Islands, before it was destroyed by the darkness." He was quiet for a moment. "As for the games we played, I guess we played what any human teenager would play." He put the emphasis on the word human, making the three elves smirk. "Have you ever heard of Truth or Dare? Or Spin the Bottle?" All three shook their heads. Sora suddenly realized what he was working with. "Well, it sounds as if you three have been missing out. These are absolute classics. Which would you like to play?" He grinned devilishly, and the elves were afraid to choose. Sora decided to pick one of them to choose. "Alatariel, how about you choose?"
She looked absolutely terrified, but she didn't want to seem like a coward. Truth or Dare didn't sound so good. There were some things that she did not even want to tell her sister, let alone the others sitting around the fire. There were also some things that she definitely did not want to do, too, and she was not exactly daring in all aspects. "How about Spin the Bottle?" She said in a small voice that she failed miserably in attempting to make stronger.
"Great choice, Ali." She grimaced at the nickname, but Sora either didn't notice or care. He was laughing gleefully on the inside, but on the outside he kept a cool smile. Playing fun games with these elves was making him remember how to be a teenager again, not just the Keyblade Master. He certainly wouldn't mind playing Spin the Bottle with the two beautiful elven girls sitting at the fire across from him. The fire danced in their eyes and caressed their golden tresses, making them shine like spun gold. "Well here are the rules. We need a bottle." He looked around, and Inwe tossed him an empty wine bottle that she had found in the kitchens back home and had been holding wine in for the journey. They had emptied it that night, and Inwe might have been more cautious about the boyish grin on Sora's face if the effects of it had not been tingling her senses. "Thank- you, Inwe. Now, we need to get away from the fire. Let's go in the girl's tent."
The four entered the girl's tent, which was bigger, despite the fact that there were two girls and four boys. The inside smelled of canvas, but the breeze blew through it, sending the smells of the plains through in drafts. The four sat in a circle in the middle of the tent, and Sora placed the bottle in the middle. "Out of good sportsmanship, I'll let Inwe go first." Inwe wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing, but she said thank-you all the same. "So, you spin the bottle," He spun it for an example, and it landed on Alatariel. "And whoever it lands on, you have to kiss." The tent was silent for a moment, and Alatariel wondered what she had gotten them all into, and maybe they would have been better off with Truth or Dare. Sora continued. "The first time it lands on someone, it's just a kiss on the cheek. The second time, it's a kiss on the lips, and the third time, it's everything, including tongues." He was once more greeted by silence. The Royal Court is not usually involved in matchmaking of any kind until the child is at least 800 years old, and none of them had ever had any experience with kissing. "No girls kissing girls and boys kissing boys, though. After that, the game is, well, over."
He handed the bottle to Inwe, who refused to take it until it was stuffed into her hands. "Your turn, Inwe."
"Do I have to go first?" she asked reluctantly.
"Yes, we already decided this, Inwe, go ahead, and spin the bottle!" He said, barely holding back hysterical laughter.
"Well, okay, here I go."
~ * ~
"Our borders are being overrun, my liege!" Shouted a soldier from the doors to the throne room, "We cannot hold them back!"
"Send out all of our best warriors, Thamior! We must hold them off, we cannot succumb as the other Elven Nations did!" King Legolas boomed back.
The last few days had been hell in Mirkwood Forest. Creatures had overrun the borders, making Mirkwood safe no longer. Families had been ordered to stay indoors, and all warriors had reported to the Barracks. In total, Mirkwood had over one thousand warriors, but the creatures entering Mirkwood were not normal creatures, and Legolas was haunted by his memories of the War of the Ring and the goblins, orcs, and trolls that he had battled. However, these creatures were not of this realm. They were shadows, and they could become shadows, where no blade or arrow could touch them. The thought alone sent shivers up his spine.
One by one, word had gotten to Legolas of the Nations of Middle- Earth falling. There were but a few left. The Rohirrim were holding out in Helm's Deep. The dwarves were yet to be affected by the darkness, hiding away in their mountains, caring little for the outside world and its problems. Then, there was Mirkwood, the only Elven Nation left standing. It seemed that the elves were hit the hardest by the darkness, as though they were the primary enemy. Lothlorien and Rivendell had both fallen, and he had not heard from Galadriel and Celeborn or Elrond sine he had gotten word from messengers of their downfall. It seemed as if the fight was hopeless.
In the sea of terror and shadow that he was drowning in, Legolas hoped that his daughters and Cellen were safe from the evil that was sweeping their homeland. They had escaped their fate, and it seemed as if they were the only elves left free in the whole of Middle-Earth.
~ * ~
The game was almost done. It had turned out almost perfectly, and each of the players was up to their third spin on all of the other players. Considering there were only two players of each gender, the game had passed fairly quickly, and it seemed that sooner than any of the elves were ready, they were all on their third spin. It was Alatariel's turn, and she held the bottle in an unsure way, as if wondering if she could still get out of this.
"Go ahead, Alatariel, spin!" Sora said, laughing. The game had been lots of fun for him. It reminded him of when he would play with Wakka, Tidus, Riku, Selphie, and Kairi. He didn't think about locking keyholes or slaying Shadows, he was just a teenager again, playing Spin the Bottle.
Alatariel spun the bottle, and it landed on Cellen. Both of them blushed furiously, and Sora cackled with glee.
"Um, Sora, can we use the other tent for this? I really don't want to do this right here." Alatariel mumbled, turning beet red.
"Sure, Ali, go ahead. You and Cellen can have your privacy." He laughed again, only making the two elves blush more furiously, if that were possible. They both left the tent and went into the other. Sora laughed, only reminding Inwe that her time was coming.
The two came back about one minute later, and Sora teased them mercilessly. They both blushed again, taking their seats clumsily. "Your turn, Cellen! Spin the bottle!" Sora yelled. He's enjoying himself too much, Inwe thought.
When the bottle stopped Sora cracked up. It had landed on Alatariel. The two once more got up, getting out of the tent before Sora could heckle them anymore. Again, after about a minute, they both came back in, and when Sora laughed, neither of them blushed.
"Well, Alatariel, the game is winding down, and there is only one person left!" He looked around, pretending to look for other people. "Wait, it's me?" He said in mock suprise. "Well, come on, Ali." He left the tent, and Alatariel followed, gazing at Cellen before leaving.
They both came back in, and Alatariel took her seat silently, while Sora marched back in, looking proud of himself. "I believe it is my turn." He said to the elves, and he spun the bottle. He had spun it very quickly, and it danced around on the floor, spinning in circles for much longer than usual. It slowed down, spinning around and around. Inwe could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest. It slowed to a stop - right in front of her.
"Well, come on, Inwe." Sora said, stepping back outside the tent. Inwe followed, her head swimming. She was nervous and excited all at the same time. Sora entered the tent in front of her, and she followed after him. He sat down on one of the blankets, and patted the blanket next to him, motioning for her to sit down. She sat down beside him, still feeling as if it were all surreal. He turned to her, and she closed her eye and leaned in.
She was as thrilled as she had been when she had kissed before in the round before, feeling his lips against her own. Then he opened his mouth, and hers opened along with him. He slid his tongue inside her mouth, and she put her hands around his neck, pulling him closer, and kissing back.
They reentered the tent, and Alatariel looked paler than usual. They sat back down, and it was her turn again.
"Well, you don't have to spin, Inwe. It's your turn with Cellen. And then, it is your turn with Cellen again, and then it's our turn, and then we call it a night.
Cellen was not a bad kisser, although Inwe might not be a very good judge, but he didn't compare to Sora in her mind. They reentered the girl's tent, and then had to go right back out again. They then came back in, and it was her turn with Sora again.
"Let's go again, Inwe." Sora led the way out again. She followed him into the tent, and they kissed once more. Inwe confirmed what she had thought. Cellen did not compare to Sora in any way.
~ * ~
"No, according to my calculations, and the position of the warp hole in the Cartoonist Continuum, I think-"
"The warp hole was 15 degrees East of there, Donald-"
The four could hear Donald and Goofy going back and forth as they approached. They went into the boy's tent, and continued the argument. The two guys said goodnight to the sisters, and went into their tent. Alatariel turned to Inwe, her face pale.
"Father promised Cellen one of our hands in marriage for our safe return." She said in a soft voice. The sisters were both silent, neither of them believing that their Father would do this to them. In their silence their heard arguing from the boys' tent. Sora was yelling about Donald's maps all over his blankets, and Cellen was yelling for everyone to be quiet. Goofy was taking everyone's side, not really knowing what was going on. Finally, Donald threw both of them out of the tent.
"Sleep outside, for all I care!" He said, throwing their blankets and Cellen's bags out after them. At this point, Inwe went to their tent flap and look outside.
Both of them were shivering in the frigid night air. She felt bad for them. "Do you want to come in here?" She asked them. Both of the guys looked somewhat bashful, but in the end mumbled acceptance and crawled in. They set up their beds on the other side of the tent, and Sora was nowhere near as bold as he had been during the game. They all fell asleep quickly; the Shadows would not haunt them tonight when they had such good thoughts.