Well here is chapter 3, and in this chapter, Elenya meets some more friends, including our favouritest Hobbits!
This is all really just off the top of my head, written during one very long, very boring ICT lesson, so sorry if it isn't 'up to the usual standard' lol
Well anyways enjoy as usual!
Also I have tried to do all translations as accurately as possible, so sorry if I'm miles off on anything, just let me know!
(Disclaimer- same as chapter 1, read it again if you must)
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Many meetings
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*Bilbo's POV*
I got up quite early one morning, and decided I was in the mood to put some finishing touches to my book. I went along a little path I had never been down before, right by the river, to find a quiet place to write.
I found a bench, but there was already a young lady sitting on it, reading a huge leather-bound book. Her pretty face was scrunched up in a frown as she stared down at the pages, tucking a loose piece of her blonde hair behind her ear. It took me a few moments to realise she wasn't an elf. I decided this was too pleasant a spot to waste, and I could use some company.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?" I said politely. She didn't look up as her eyes moved across the page, but she gave a little grunt, which I took for a yes.
Well, if she wasn't going to do anything, I may as well get on with my writing. We sat in silence for a while, until the girl sighed in a defeated way, looked up, saw me and let out a cry.
"OH! I'm sorry I didn't realise anyone was here, I got lost in the story; it's so hard to read! I'm Elenya by the way" She reached out her hand.
"That's quite alright, elvish is quite hard language to follow, especially the older varieties." Taking her hand and shaking it and not voicing my surprise that she was reading elvish. "I'm Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins."
Suddenly, the pleasant smile fell from her face to leave a look of surprise.
"You mean you're THE Bilbo Baggins?"
I didn't understand what she meant. Seeing my look of confusion she added.
"Bilbo Baggins who went with the dwarves and with Gandalf to the Lonely Mountain and took the treasure from the dragon Smaug?"
"Well, yes my child, but how do you know?" She looked so happy when I agreed.
"Oh my father told me SO much about you and your journey. Where I come from its legend among all the young and young at heart! Why, what are you writing?"
She asked, looking down at my book. I handed it to her.
". . . There and Back Again- a hobbits tale by Bilbo Baggins" She read out loud. Turning to the fist page she began to read.
"There was a hole and this hole there lived a hobbit..." She continued reading, her face breaking into a broad smile. "But Bilbo, this is it! You wrote it all down!"
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*Elenya's POV*
He laughed at me, he said because I looked so delighted. We proceeded to spend the whole day reading his story, looking at the pictures and talking about the whole big wise world.
Bilbo was so fun, and although I knew he must be over a hundred years old, he was like a child, not just because he looked like one, due to the fact he was a hobbit. He had a sense of quiet mischievousness about him, and I knew had I met him some years before, we may already have been wandering outside Rivendell's borders, perhaps halfway up a mountain, but now he was past that age.
He loved his book, and I knew he loved to share the tale. I insisted he taught me all the songs and after dinner that night he performed them to all the elves that cared to hear.
I was so glad I met Bilbo, to meet someone you have heard about since childhood and talk to them is really amazing. He told me all about the Shire and the hobbits who lived there, including all his relations, most of all Frodo Baggins, who you could see he missed terribly. But Bilbo wasn't the only new friend I made.
One day, when Bilbo was deep in conversation with Elrond, and some other elves, I slipped off with the book of elvish tales to a little grove, just under one of the main halls. I leaned against a young willow tree and spent an hour reading one sad tale and just burst into quiet tears. The bravery of the people was amazing, and to see their depressing end was heart breaking. Suddenly, I heard a soft voice very close, making me jump.
"Are you alright, m'lady?" I looked up, and saw an elf standing over me, but even by elf standards, he was breath-taking.
He had the lightest blue eyes, sombre and clear which were right now filled with concern. When they looked at me, they were so accurate and precise, like arrows shot from a bow.
He had beautiful long bright hair down to his shoulders and he was dressed in greens and greys. He looked strong and lean and muscular, and I saw something in him straight away.
He was a warrior, a fighter, and I knew somehow he wasn't from Rivendell, but from Mirkwood. I almost couldn't talk for a moment, my senses were still in shock, but eventually I managed to get my words out.
"I'm fine, thanks much, but it's just this story, it was so sad." I looked down at the pages, now feeling embarrassed that I was crying over a story.
"Well I'm sorry for disturbing you then," he went to turn away.
"Oh no, on the contrary, thank you for bothering, but would you be able to help me?"
He looked back, surprised, and I realised how cheeky I was about to be.
"Would you be able to help me with my reading? There's one word here, and I can
never understand it." He sat a little way away from me and looked down at the book.
"But this is in Elvish- you must be the one they spoke of!" He blurted out- only then realising he had said something he shouldn't have.
I looked up and smiled slyly; "Who spoke of me?" He looked like he wasn't going to answer, but he looked like he also knew I wasn't going to give in until I knew so he told, looking down at the grass at out feet.
"The elves here, they speak of a young girl who arrived very ill a little while ago. They say she is very fair and wise for her age, the elf-friend who can speak our tongue and travels, and laughs and sings all the time."
I chuckled out loud. This was so odd.
"Oh I didn't know I was so highly thought of! Do I live up to the talk?" He laughed too, and it was smooth and flowing and bubbling somehow, like a body of water over many pebbles.
"Well you do laugh a lot, but can you speak our tongue?"
"Of course! Leha amin valin darn sut amin na vanya iire aul Imladris"
(But I don't see how I can be called fair when in Rivendell!) He smiled at me and replied
" Sai eithel leha vanim n'ere aul I'lote - vithel aul I'lasses (Very well said, though beauty lies not only in the flower- also in the leaves!)"
"What does that mean?" I asked, flattered but curious. Legolas said nothing.
"Well?" He looked away and got up in one smooth movement. He didn't actually ever answer me; I had to figure out for myself.
Now my days alternated between songs and poetry with Bilbo, pestering the elves at the stables about any details of Boromir's departure, doing lovely feminine things with Arwen and her maids and practising archery with Legolas.
At night I slept, safe in the knowledge I was in Rivendell and that I was getting better and that Boromir would be back soon.
Sometimes I awoke to half- remembered dreams, with snatches of songs or stories or events coming into my head, but never anything really odd or like what had happened to give me my injuries. I didn't have any more specific dreams, which I took as a good sign, until now they had been coming thicker, faster and more vivid than I had liked.
Legolas didn't really seem too keen to teach me such a manly thing as archery when I asked him, but I pretended to be curious, and to act as though I hadn't even but an arrow to a bow before, so there was more of a chance of me getting taught.
I was so glad he did, Legolas was an amazing archer, never missing a mark and under his guidance I improved vastly. But no matter how much I loved to sing with Bilbo or shoot arrows with Legolas, sometimes I still liked to be alone- especially in the morning.
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One morning, most of the elves were nowhere to be seen, and those that were would talk amongst themselves, and quieten up as soon as they knew I was coming. I tried to trick them by creeping up behind them, conveniently forgetting that as elves, they
could hear me even if I though I wasn't making a sound.
I tried to ignore these whispered conversations, however much they annoyed me, and went down the lane where I had met Bilbo. I followed it until it ended abruptly in a
clump of high bushes behind a small wall.
Pushing my way through them, I found a little pool where a separate stream ran into a hollow, then wandered its way slowly out again, to join the main river behind the bushes.
Before I knew what I was doing I had thrown off my shoes, rolled my sleeves up (leaving my bandages exposed) and pulled up my dress to my knees.
I stepped into the water, feeling the movement of it through my toes. I giggled and ran in dancing around and splashing the water about and watching it flow past me and listening to the sounds around the hollow.
"The thing I love about rivers is- you can't step in the same river twice!" I sang out loud. I paused- I had never heard such a song before in my life. How did I know that song?
Then, I heard quick movement in the bushes behind me. Solely on instinct I was out of the river and running through the bushes, behind who ever it was before we were through them.
I tripped them up and ran through to the other side. I turned and saw a hobbit sitting at the edge of the bushes looking dazed. But this hobbit wasn't Bilbo.
He, like Bilbo had large furry feet, with no shoes on, and a load of curly hair, but unlike Bilbo, his hair was light brown. He wore tan felt breeches and a white shirt, with a deep green waistcoat, embroidered with gold. His face was smoother and less lined than Bilbo's, but it had a very likeable appearance, though it wasn't rounded with age than Bilbo's and right now it wore the most confused look I've ever seen.
He looked up at me and I began to laugh- what was I meant to say to him?
"I am SO sorry!" I reached down and helped him to his feet.
He took my hand a little hesitantly, as though not sure I was to be trusted.
"Don't worry; I don't normally take people down when I see them, though you shouldn't have snuck up on me like that!" He went red and looked very sheepish.
"Who are you?" he asked clearly.
Now that I looked at him normally and he seemed to have forgotten the fact that I had just brought him down, his face was eager and he looked genuinely excited. Was that about me- or Rivendell in itself?
"I'm Elenya, who are you, and why are you here?"
"I'm Peregrin Took, but most people just call me Pippin, or even Pip!" I got here last night. What were you doing back there?" he beamed as he said all of this.
"Well I found the pool, so I went for a wade in it, couldn't you tell?" I looked down at my self, my dress was soaked up to the knees and my sleeves, my sleeves hadn't rolled down properly!
I tried to cover my bandages, but Pippin had already seen. He reached out and moved my sleeves aside, his eyes green-brown and wide with wonder.
"They're nothing, don't worry about them. . ." I trailed off, and seeing the suspicious look on his face gave up. I held out my arm and looked away, not wanting to explain.
Who was I going to say had done this? I didn't want to lie, but I had no choice. I undid the bandages and waited, my eyes closed- preparing myself for his reaction. He didn't say anything- I thought he was too repulsed.
But I felt two small hands clasp mine and hold on tight. I glanced at him and saw his eyes were filled with tears of pity. I smiled weakly at him, hoping he wouldn't ask about the cuts, but he just picked up the bandage and put it back on, rolling down my sleeve. I was choked with tears at his kindness.
He pulled at my hand and walked forward, leading me.
"Do you think it's too late for second breakfast?" he inquired thoughtfully, acting as though he had been talking to me for hours, and we had reached a conclusion.
"Excuse me?" I asked. What was he talking about?
"Second breakfast," he repeated, as though talking to a child. "Do you think it's too late, and that we should just have elevenses instead?"
"Oh, well we could squeeze in second breakfast, and then we could get both!" I answered, stressing the 'we' a little, to see if this was what he meant.
Pippin didn't correct me, just led me on, both of us smiling.
*Pippin's POV*
I couldn't believe the cuts that Elenya had on her arms. They were so huge and deep, and she was so ashamed, I felt so mean for making her show them. So, I decided to take her to the kitchens, and to Merry.
I was sure second breakfast (especially with Merry) would cheer her up; it certainly always worked on me- but maybe that was just a hobbit thing.
We found Merry alone in the kitchens helping him self to some good bread and cheese, and a large mug of a warm drink which was bubbling on the stove.
Elenya was a really open person, and she got on well with Merry too. She seemed taken by us- she laughed at our jokes and stories from the Shire, especially when we told her what had happened at Bilbo's party- and seemed amazed at the fact we had found the kitchens already.
"But I've been here a month and I couldn't have told you if I tried my hardest!" She exclaimed, her mouth filled with the cheese, which was good but quite tangy.
"Now," replied Merry, wagging his finger at her as though giving her a lecture; "that is the difference between you and a hobbit!" Merry and I laughed and Elenya joined in too, that was until someone came into the room.
She was an elf, very tall and very graceful and right now she looked quite severe. Elenya stood up swiftly from the counter we had been sitting at, holding her bread behind her back.
"Elenya, what are you doing here? Are you getting more food?" She asked putting her hands on her hips.
I wasn't entirely sure if she was serious, but I put down my food anyway and so did Merry, which was quite a thing (Merry almost never puts down food). Elenya gulped and shifted the lump of cheese in her mouth to one side, leaving one cheek looking swollen. She looked completely guilty, but sniffed loudly and answered;
". . . No, not me." Arwen looked at me and Merry who were laughing silently at Elenya, because she was such a bad liar.
The lump of bread was sooooo obvious! Arwen looked from one of us too the next and began to laugh too, it was light and high and soothing to the ear- her severe look was gone at once.
"Well, I hope you don't have bad influences on each other!" She laughed and walked out of the room. Elenya swallowed her bread and looked at us, as we collapsed on the floor with laughter, with not long before she joined in.
"You are the WORST liar I have ever seen!" I cried in between fits of laughter.
"It's not my fault! What was I meant to do? Spit it on the floor?" Merry tried to speak but couldn't, and started chocking on his bread, causing Elenya and I (if possible) to laugh even harder.
We spent that day with Elenya, laughing and talking. She was so beautiful, but not like the elves.
While they looked like some kind of impossible higher being, Elenya looked closer to the level of me and Merry, but still so attractive, and her face was so likeable, you couldn't help but open up to her, as she did to us.
We knew all her history and my heart bled for her when I thought of how alone she had been all her life, even though she never put it that way at all.
And before the afternoon was over, I had told her about everything that had happened to us since we left home- apart from what we had with us. She knew the danger we were in, but we hadn't told her why exactly.
She listened intently however, and was a great audience, gasping in all the right places and actually crying out when she heard about what happened to Frodo at Weathertop.
She too seemed puzzled about Strider, but she, like Frodo was sure he was on our side. She had a lot of questions when we were finished, mainly about Frodo, and where Gandalf could possibly be- she couldn't seem to find the sense in it either.
"But where is Frodo now? Is he in the hospital? Can we go and see him?" She cried, looking really distressed.
Up until now, we hadn't worried about Frodo, we took it for granted that he would be fine, but something in her tone made me reconsider, and I could see it on Merry's face when I looked at him.
"Don't worry, we can go and see him tomorrow morning, okay?" Merry said kindly, his hand on her arm. She sniffed loudly.
"Okay then, tomorrow morning." She repeated, smiling at us.
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That night as I lay in my bed, half asleep, Merry whispered at me;
"Pip? Pip, are you awake?" I began to realise the disadvantages of sharing a room.
"Pippin is asleep right now, so be quiet," I whispered back, my eyes still closed.
"Pip!" He hissed. I sat up and looked over at him; I could only see a dim outline, it was that dark but I could see he was sat up too.
"What is it?" I mumbled rubbing my eyes. "I was nearly asleep!"
"Don't you think, don't you think Elenya is a bit odd?"
Why was he saying that?! I had thought Elenya was a really great person, and had been glad to spend the day with her. I didn't understand why Merry was being so horrible.
"Hey! She's really lovely! Didn't you think she was really funny? And she was so worried about Frodo -you heard her!" Merry cut in, before I could go on.
"No, no, I mean I like her a lot too, but why do you suppose she's here? Don't you think there's-something about her? And she's, well she isn't exactly lady-like is she?" I could tell he felt bad saying it and I sort of understood what he meant.
"Well," I said thoughtfully, "I don't know why she is here, maybe she's like Sam, maybe she just wanted to see the elves; I mean she does get on well with them and she admires them a lot, doesn't she? And she may not be lady like because she's had to look after herself a lot, so perhaps she doesn't care, at least that's the impression I got." I wasn't sure about the last part, but that really was the feeling I had gotten from Elenya.
"I thought so too, but I don't know, I still wonder," replied Merry after a while.
"I don't think there is anything wrong with her, but anyways, we can go and see Frodo again tomorrow, and we might not get told to go away!"
"Yes, you're right," yawned Merry, "Night Pip." He passed the yawn on to me.
"N-N- Night Merry." I rolled over and was asleep in a second.
Now, that's about six pages written in about 1 hour and ΒΌ, so if anything, I'm proud to have got so much down lol.
Oh and a big thank you to those of you that review, much appreciated! ^_^ ?------ see how happy you made me? lol
See you soon (if I survive the DT)
Carla
x x x
P.s Yes we know R&R!!!!!
This is all really just off the top of my head, written during one very long, very boring ICT lesson, so sorry if it isn't 'up to the usual standard' lol
Well anyways enjoy as usual!
Also I have tried to do all translations as accurately as possible, so sorry if I'm miles off on anything, just let me know!
(Disclaimer- same as chapter 1, read it again if you must)
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Many meetings
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*Bilbo's POV*
I got up quite early one morning, and decided I was in the mood to put some finishing touches to my book. I went along a little path I had never been down before, right by the river, to find a quiet place to write.
I found a bench, but there was already a young lady sitting on it, reading a huge leather-bound book. Her pretty face was scrunched up in a frown as she stared down at the pages, tucking a loose piece of her blonde hair behind her ear. It took me a few moments to realise she wasn't an elf. I decided this was too pleasant a spot to waste, and I could use some company.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?" I said politely. She didn't look up as her eyes moved across the page, but she gave a little grunt, which I took for a yes.
Well, if she wasn't going to do anything, I may as well get on with my writing. We sat in silence for a while, until the girl sighed in a defeated way, looked up, saw me and let out a cry.
"OH! I'm sorry I didn't realise anyone was here, I got lost in the story; it's so hard to read! I'm Elenya by the way" She reached out her hand.
"That's quite alright, elvish is quite hard language to follow, especially the older varieties." Taking her hand and shaking it and not voicing my surprise that she was reading elvish. "I'm Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins."
Suddenly, the pleasant smile fell from her face to leave a look of surprise.
"You mean you're THE Bilbo Baggins?"
I didn't understand what she meant. Seeing my look of confusion she added.
"Bilbo Baggins who went with the dwarves and with Gandalf to the Lonely Mountain and took the treasure from the dragon Smaug?"
"Well, yes my child, but how do you know?" She looked so happy when I agreed.
"Oh my father told me SO much about you and your journey. Where I come from its legend among all the young and young at heart! Why, what are you writing?"
She asked, looking down at my book. I handed it to her.
". . . There and Back Again- a hobbits tale by Bilbo Baggins" She read out loud. Turning to the fist page she began to read.
"There was a hole and this hole there lived a hobbit..." She continued reading, her face breaking into a broad smile. "But Bilbo, this is it! You wrote it all down!"
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*Elenya's POV*
He laughed at me, he said because I looked so delighted. We proceeded to spend the whole day reading his story, looking at the pictures and talking about the whole big wise world.
Bilbo was so fun, and although I knew he must be over a hundred years old, he was like a child, not just because he looked like one, due to the fact he was a hobbit. He had a sense of quiet mischievousness about him, and I knew had I met him some years before, we may already have been wandering outside Rivendell's borders, perhaps halfway up a mountain, but now he was past that age.
He loved his book, and I knew he loved to share the tale. I insisted he taught me all the songs and after dinner that night he performed them to all the elves that cared to hear.
I was so glad I met Bilbo, to meet someone you have heard about since childhood and talk to them is really amazing. He told me all about the Shire and the hobbits who lived there, including all his relations, most of all Frodo Baggins, who you could see he missed terribly. But Bilbo wasn't the only new friend I made.
One day, when Bilbo was deep in conversation with Elrond, and some other elves, I slipped off with the book of elvish tales to a little grove, just under one of the main halls. I leaned against a young willow tree and spent an hour reading one sad tale and just burst into quiet tears. The bravery of the people was amazing, and to see their depressing end was heart breaking. Suddenly, I heard a soft voice very close, making me jump.
"Are you alright, m'lady?" I looked up, and saw an elf standing over me, but even by elf standards, he was breath-taking.
He had the lightest blue eyes, sombre and clear which were right now filled with concern. When they looked at me, they were so accurate and precise, like arrows shot from a bow.
He had beautiful long bright hair down to his shoulders and he was dressed in greens and greys. He looked strong and lean and muscular, and I saw something in him straight away.
He was a warrior, a fighter, and I knew somehow he wasn't from Rivendell, but from Mirkwood. I almost couldn't talk for a moment, my senses were still in shock, but eventually I managed to get my words out.
"I'm fine, thanks much, but it's just this story, it was so sad." I looked down at the pages, now feeling embarrassed that I was crying over a story.
"Well I'm sorry for disturbing you then," he went to turn away.
"Oh no, on the contrary, thank you for bothering, but would you be able to help me?"
He looked back, surprised, and I realised how cheeky I was about to be.
"Would you be able to help me with my reading? There's one word here, and I can
never understand it." He sat a little way away from me and looked down at the book.
"But this is in Elvish- you must be the one they spoke of!" He blurted out- only then realising he had said something he shouldn't have.
I looked up and smiled slyly; "Who spoke of me?" He looked like he wasn't going to answer, but he looked like he also knew I wasn't going to give in until I knew so he told, looking down at the grass at out feet.
"The elves here, they speak of a young girl who arrived very ill a little while ago. They say she is very fair and wise for her age, the elf-friend who can speak our tongue and travels, and laughs and sings all the time."
I chuckled out loud. This was so odd.
"Oh I didn't know I was so highly thought of! Do I live up to the talk?" He laughed too, and it was smooth and flowing and bubbling somehow, like a body of water over many pebbles.
"Well you do laugh a lot, but can you speak our tongue?"
"Of course! Leha amin valin darn sut amin na vanya iire aul Imladris"
(But I don't see how I can be called fair when in Rivendell!) He smiled at me and replied
" Sai eithel leha vanim n'ere aul I'lote - vithel aul I'lasses (Very well said, though beauty lies not only in the flower- also in the leaves!)"
"What does that mean?" I asked, flattered but curious. Legolas said nothing.
"Well?" He looked away and got up in one smooth movement. He didn't actually ever answer me; I had to figure out for myself.
Now my days alternated between songs and poetry with Bilbo, pestering the elves at the stables about any details of Boromir's departure, doing lovely feminine things with Arwen and her maids and practising archery with Legolas.
At night I slept, safe in the knowledge I was in Rivendell and that I was getting better and that Boromir would be back soon.
Sometimes I awoke to half- remembered dreams, with snatches of songs or stories or events coming into my head, but never anything really odd or like what had happened to give me my injuries. I didn't have any more specific dreams, which I took as a good sign, until now they had been coming thicker, faster and more vivid than I had liked.
Legolas didn't really seem too keen to teach me such a manly thing as archery when I asked him, but I pretended to be curious, and to act as though I hadn't even but an arrow to a bow before, so there was more of a chance of me getting taught.
I was so glad he did, Legolas was an amazing archer, never missing a mark and under his guidance I improved vastly. But no matter how much I loved to sing with Bilbo or shoot arrows with Legolas, sometimes I still liked to be alone- especially in the morning.
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One morning, most of the elves were nowhere to be seen, and those that were would talk amongst themselves, and quieten up as soon as they knew I was coming. I tried to trick them by creeping up behind them, conveniently forgetting that as elves, they
could hear me even if I though I wasn't making a sound.
I tried to ignore these whispered conversations, however much they annoyed me, and went down the lane where I had met Bilbo. I followed it until it ended abruptly in a
clump of high bushes behind a small wall.
Pushing my way through them, I found a little pool where a separate stream ran into a hollow, then wandered its way slowly out again, to join the main river behind the bushes.
Before I knew what I was doing I had thrown off my shoes, rolled my sleeves up (leaving my bandages exposed) and pulled up my dress to my knees.
I stepped into the water, feeling the movement of it through my toes. I giggled and ran in dancing around and splashing the water about and watching it flow past me and listening to the sounds around the hollow.
"The thing I love about rivers is- you can't step in the same river twice!" I sang out loud. I paused- I had never heard such a song before in my life. How did I know that song?
Then, I heard quick movement in the bushes behind me. Solely on instinct I was out of the river and running through the bushes, behind who ever it was before we were through them.
I tripped them up and ran through to the other side. I turned and saw a hobbit sitting at the edge of the bushes looking dazed. But this hobbit wasn't Bilbo.
He, like Bilbo had large furry feet, with no shoes on, and a load of curly hair, but unlike Bilbo, his hair was light brown. He wore tan felt breeches and a white shirt, with a deep green waistcoat, embroidered with gold. His face was smoother and less lined than Bilbo's, but it had a very likeable appearance, though it wasn't rounded with age than Bilbo's and right now it wore the most confused look I've ever seen.
He looked up at me and I began to laugh- what was I meant to say to him?
"I am SO sorry!" I reached down and helped him to his feet.
He took my hand a little hesitantly, as though not sure I was to be trusted.
"Don't worry; I don't normally take people down when I see them, though you shouldn't have snuck up on me like that!" He went red and looked very sheepish.
"Who are you?" he asked clearly.
Now that I looked at him normally and he seemed to have forgotten the fact that I had just brought him down, his face was eager and he looked genuinely excited. Was that about me- or Rivendell in itself?
"I'm Elenya, who are you, and why are you here?"
"I'm Peregrin Took, but most people just call me Pippin, or even Pip!" I got here last night. What were you doing back there?" he beamed as he said all of this.
"Well I found the pool, so I went for a wade in it, couldn't you tell?" I looked down at my self, my dress was soaked up to the knees and my sleeves, my sleeves hadn't rolled down properly!
I tried to cover my bandages, but Pippin had already seen. He reached out and moved my sleeves aside, his eyes green-brown and wide with wonder.
"They're nothing, don't worry about them. . ." I trailed off, and seeing the suspicious look on his face gave up. I held out my arm and looked away, not wanting to explain.
Who was I going to say had done this? I didn't want to lie, but I had no choice. I undid the bandages and waited, my eyes closed- preparing myself for his reaction. He didn't say anything- I thought he was too repulsed.
But I felt two small hands clasp mine and hold on tight. I glanced at him and saw his eyes were filled with tears of pity. I smiled weakly at him, hoping he wouldn't ask about the cuts, but he just picked up the bandage and put it back on, rolling down my sleeve. I was choked with tears at his kindness.
He pulled at my hand and walked forward, leading me.
"Do you think it's too late for second breakfast?" he inquired thoughtfully, acting as though he had been talking to me for hours, and we had reached a conclusion.
"Excuse me?" I asked. What was he talking about?
"Second breakfast," he repeated, as though talking to a child. "Do you think it's too late, and that we should just have elevenses instead?"
"Oh, well we could squeeze in second breakfast, and then we could get both!" I answered, stressing the 'we' a little, to see if this was what he meant.
Pippin didn't correct me, just led me on, both of us smiling.
*Pippin's POV*
I couldn't believe the cuts that Elenya had on her arms. They were so huge and deep, and she was so ashamed, I felt so mean for making her show them. So, I decided to take her to the kitchens, and to Merry.
I was sure second breakfast (especially with Merry) would cheer her up; it certainly always worked on me- but maybe that was just a hobbit thing.
We found Merry alone in the kitchens helping him self to some good bread and cheese, and a large mug of a warm drink which was bubbling on the stove.
Elenya was a really open person, and she got on well with Merry too. She seemed taken by us- she laughed at our jokes and stories from the Shire, especially when we told her what had happened at Bilbo's party- and seemed amazed at the fact we had found the kitchens already.
"But I've been here a month and I couldn't have told you if I tried my hardest!" She exclaimed, her mouth filled with the cheese, which was good but quite tangy.
"Now," replied Merry, wagging his finger at her as though giving her a lecture; "that is the difference between you and a hobbit!" Merry and I laughed and Elenya joined in too, that was until someone came into the room.
She was an elf, very tall and very graceful and right now she looked quite severe. Elenya stood up swiftly from the counter we had been sitting at, holding her bread behind her back.
"Elenya, what are you doing here? Are you getting more food?" She asked putting her hands on her hips.
I wasn't entirely sure if she was serious, but I put down my food anyway and so did Merry, which was quite a thing (Merry almost never puts down food). Elenya gulped and shifted the lump of cheese in her mouth to one side, leaving one cheek looking swollen. She looked completely guilty, but sniffed loudly and answered;
". . . No, not me." Arwen looked at me and Merry who were laughing silently at Elenya, because she was such a bad liar.
The lump of bread was sooooo obvious! Arwen looked from one of us too the next and began to laugh too, it was light and high and soothing to the ear- her severe look was gone at once.
"Well, I hope you don't have bad influences on each other!" She laughed and walked out of the room. Elenya swallowed her bread and looked at us, as we collapsed on the floor with laughter, with not long before she joined in.
"You are the WORST liar I have ever seen!" I cried in between fits of laughter.
"It's not my fault! What was I meant to do? Spit it on the floor?" Merry tried to speak but couldn't, and started chocking on his bread, causing Elenya and I (if possible) to laugh even harder.
We spent that day with Elenya, laughing and talking. She was so beautiful, but not like the elves.
While they looked like some kind of impossible higher being, Elenya looked closer to the level of me and Merry, but still so attractive, and her face was so likeable, you couldn't help but open up to her, as she did to us.
We knew all her history and my heart bled for her when I thought of how alone she had been all her life, even though she never put it that way at all.
And before the afternoon was over, I had told her about everything that had happened to us since we left home- apart from what we had with us. She knew the danger we were in, but we hadn't told her why exactly.
She listened intently however, and was a great audience, gasping in all the right places and actually crying out when she heard about what happened to Frodo at Weathertop.
She too seemed puzzled about Strider, but she, like Frodo was sure he was on our side. She had a lot of questions when we were finished, mainly about Frodo, and where Gandalf could possibly be- she couldn't seem to find the sense in it either.
"But where is Frodo now? Is he in the hospital? Can we go and see him?" She cried, looking really distressed.
Up until now, we hadn't worried about Frodo, we took it for granted that he would be fine, but something in her tone made me reconsider, and I could see it on Merry's face when I looked at him.
"Don't worry, we can go and see him tomorrow morning, okay?" Merry said kindly, his hand on her arm. She sniffed loudly.
"Okay then, tomorrow morning." She repeated, smiling at us.
----------*----------
That night as I lay in my bed, half asleep, Merry whispered at me;
"Pip? Pip, are you awake?" I began to realise the disadvantages of sharing a room.
"Pippin is asleep right now, so be quiet," I whispered back, my eyes still closed.
"Pip!" He hissed. I sat up and looked over at him; I could only see a dim outline, it was that dark but I could see he was sat up too.
"What is it?" I mumbled rubbing my eyes. "I was nearly asleep!"
"Don't you think, don't you think Elenya is a bit odd?"
Why was he saying that?! I had thought Elenya was a really great person, and had been glad to spend the day with her. I didn't understand why Merry was being so horrible.
"Hey! She's really lovely! Didn't you think she was really funny? And she was so worried about Frodo -you heard her!" Merry cut in, before I could go on.
"No, no, I mean I like her a lot too, but why do you suppose she's here? Don't you think there's-something about her? And she's, well she isn't exactly lady-like is she?" I could tell he felt bad saying it and I sort of understood what he meant.
"Well," I said thoughtfully, "I don't know why she is here, maybe she's like Sam, maybe she just wanted to see the elves; I mean she does get on well with them and she admires them a lot, doesn't she? And she may not be lady like because she's had to look after herself a lot, so perhaps she doesn't care, at least that's the impression I got." I wasn't sure about the last part, but that really was the feeling I had gotten from Elenya.
"I thought so too, but I don't know, I still wonder," replied Merry after a while.
"I don't think there is anything wrong with her, but anyways, we can go and see Frodo again tomorrow, and we might not get told to go away!"
"Yes, you're right," yawned Merry, "Night Pip." He passed the yawn on to me.
"N-N- Night Merry." I rolled over and was asleep in a second.
Now, that's about six pages written in about 1 hour and ΒΌ, so if anything, I'm proud to have got so much down lol.
Oh and a big thank you to those of you that review, much appreciated! ^_^ ?------ see how happy you made me? lol
See you soon (if I survive the DT)
Carla
x x x
P.s Yes we know R&R!!!!!