Disclaimer: The only part of this story I can lay claim to is Laura/Alakardiel, and even then I'm not sure, as she has a mind of her own. The rest belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien's estate.
A/N - Much of the following is quoted word for word from "The Fellowship of the Ring". Page numbers will be listed at the end of the chapter. Also, if you find any typos, spelling mistakes, etc, please point them out. Thank you. Finally, please note that while this chapter may seem boring (after all, it's just the council from the book with some extra commentary!) other chapters will be different. *Laughs evilly* Much different.
Chapter II
The others present at the council turned and stared blankly at the elf maiden's strange cry. Why had she reacted so strangely when introduced to Thranduil's son?
"Are you quite all right?" asked Elrond, looking up from his conversation with another elf.
Alakardiel looked up and gave him a forced smile. "I am fine, thank you."
"Are you sure? For you shouted something in a tongue none of us here understood. Would you prefer not to hold council with us?" inquired Elrond.
"I was just taken by surprise, that was all. I had not expected to meet Legolas Thranduillion, that is all." replied Alakardiel stiffly.
Elrond nodded. "Let the council begin."
Elrond drew Frodo to a seat by his side, and presented him to the company, saying: "Here, my friends, is the hobbit, Frodo, son of Drogo. Few have ever come through greater peril, or on an errand more urgent."
Elrond continued to introduce all those present to Frodo. Alakardiel nearly fell asleep, until the time he told Frodo about her. "Here is Alakardiel, an elf come from the Havens with Galdor."
She snorted. An elf from the Havens indeed She was an elfin princess, the last of a fading race of elfs, and she wanted to be recognized for it
A voice rang through her mind. "No, you are from the Havens, a companion of Galdor, not a princess, no matter what you may wish. And for the final time, it's Elves, not elfs."
Alakardiel gulped and sat up from where she was slouched down in her seat. Now Boromir had asked what had become of Gollum and Aragorn was telling him of the wretched creature's imprisonment. She slid back down and began to fall asleep, until suddenly, Legolas sprang from his seat.
"Alas, alas " he cried, and in his fair elvish face there was great distress. "The tidings I was sent to bring must now be told. They are not good, but only now have I learned how evil they may seem to this company. Smeagol, who is now called Gollum, has escaped."
Alakardiel sat up again. "This is more like it " she thought to herself.
"Escaped?" cried Aragorn. "That is ill news indeed. We shall all rue it bitterly, I fear. How came the folk of Thranduil to fail in their trust?"
"Not through lack of watchfulness," said Legolas, "but perhaps through over-kindliness. And we fear the prisoner had help from others, and that more is known of our doings than we could wish. We guarded this prisoner day and night, at Gandalf's bidding, much though we wearied at the task. But Gandalf bade us hope still hope for his cure, and we had not the heart to keep him ever in the dungeons under the earth, where he would fall back into his old, black thoughts."
"You were less tender to me." said Gloin with a flash in his eyes. Alakardiel remembered reading 'The Hobbit' (or most of it), and nodded in agreement.
"Now come " said Gandalf. "Pray do not interrupt, my good Gloin. That was a regrettable misunderstanding, long set right. If all the grievances that stand between elves and dwarves are to be brought up here, we may as well abandon this council."
Alakardiel sighed, regretful. She had wanted to see a fight between the old dwarf and the weird elf who was NOT Legolas.
Gloin rose and bowed, and Legolas continued. "In the days of fair weather, we lead Gollum through the woods; and there was a high tree above others which he liked to climb. Often we let him mount up to the highest branches, until he felt the free wind; but we posted a guard at the tree's foot. One day, he refused to come down, and the guards had no mind to climb after him: for he had learned the trick of clinging to boughs with his feet as well as with his hands; so they sat by the tree well into the night.
"It was that very night of summer, yet moonless and starless, that Orcs came on us at unawares. We drove them off after some time; they were many and fierce, but they came from over the mountains, and were not used to the woods. When the battle was over, we found that Gollum was gone, and his guards were slain or taken. It then seemed plain to us that the attack had been made for his rescue, and that he knew of it beforehand. How that was contrived we cannot guess; but Gollum is cunning and the spies of the Enemy are many. The dark things that were driven out in the year of the Dragon's fall have returned in greater numbers, and Mirkwood is again an evil place, save where our realm is maintained.
"We have failed to recapture Gollum. We came upon his trail among that of many Orcs, and it plunged deep into the forest, going south. But ere long it escaped our skill, and we dared not continue the hunt, for we were drawing nigh to Dol Guldur, and that is still a very evil place; we do not go that way."
"Well, well, he is gone," said Gandalf. "We have no time to seek for him again. He must do what he will. But he may play a part yet that neither he nor Sauron have foreseen."
When it became clear that the weirdo elf (Alakardiel refused to think of him as Legolas, believing that his appearance being different was due to his lack of being present at the council, that someone else, perhaps a distant relative, was standing in for him.) was going to say no more, Alakardiel sank down in her seat again, and drifted off completely, until the forming of the Fellowship of the Ring, when Legolas elbowed her to wake up.
"Pst " he hissed. "Elrond Half-Elven is about to decide what must be done with the Ring, and Mithrandir is looking over this way "
Alakardiel sat up and looked around groggily. "Wha?" she asked stupidly. "What's going on?"
Legolas chose to ignore her, and turned his attention once more to the events at hand.
Silence fell over the council. Apparently, she had missed something important. For a long while, no one spoke. Then, suddenly, a small voice broke the quiet.
"I will take the Ring," said Frodo. "Though I do not know the way."
Elrond raised his eyes and looked at Frodo. "If I have understood aright all that I have heard," he said, "I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will."
Alakardiel, suspecting that Elrond was going to begin a long and boring rant again, sunk back down in her chair, waiting for the Fellowship to be formed. She waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, when it seemed as if nothing was going to happen, she heard a yell and a clatter come from a corner of the room. Sam had jumped from his hiding place.
"But you won't send him off alone surely, Master?" cried Sam, unable to contain himself any longer, and jumping from the corner where he had been quietly sitting on the floor.
"No indeed " said Elrond, turning towards him with a smile. "You at least shall go with him. It is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not."
Sam sat down, blushing and muttering. "A nice pickle we've landed ourselves in, Mr. Frodo " he said, shaking his head.
Nearly two months had passed in the House of Elrond, and another was passing when another council was held in Imladris, this time to decide the companions that were to travel with Frodo and the Ring. Alakardiel had just fallen asleep again when she was roused by Elrond's saying something she felt was important.
"The Company of the Ring shall be ten." Here he paused, and looked up, dazed. "Ten? Why did I choose ten? There are only nine Riders." he muttered. Clearing his throat, he continued. "The Company of the Ring shall be ten; and the Ten Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders that are evil. With Frodo and his faithful servant Gandalf will go; for this shall be his greatest task, and maybe the end of his labors. For the rest, they shall represent the other Free Peoples of this World: Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Legolas shall be for the elves; and Gimli son of Gloin for the dwarves. They are willing to go at least to the passes of the mountains, and maybe beyond. For men you shall have Aragorn, son of Arathorn, for the Ring of Isildur concerns him closely."
"Strider " cried Frodo.
"Yes," he said with a smile. "I ask leave once again to be your companion, Frodo."
"I would have begged you to come," said Frodo, "only I thought you were going to Minas Tirith with Boromir."
Minas Tirith. Ugh, thought Alakardiel. They're going to be boring again, so I'll just go to sleep . . .
She was roused but a moment later by an irritated Legolas, who felt that her going to sleep during most parts of the council was uncouth.
"Wake up " he hissed into her ear. "Master Elrond is staring at you again "
She blinked and sat up. "Fine. I'll try and stay awake."
"You should have no trouble doing so, unless you prefer resting to listening to important council." retorted Elrond, who had apparently heard her comments.
She sighed, and sat up straighter. "Beg pardon."she found herself saying. "I only found it difficult to stay awake because of my own insolence, not because I find the council itself unnecessary. Please forgive me for interrupting you, Master Elrond - I did not mean to cause any harm. I simply wish to accompany the Company on their Quest. I was up late last night preparing to leave at a moment's notice, if you would but give me leave to go with them."
"What?" She thought angrily, "Why did I say that? That's not what I meant to say!"
A thoughtful look crossed Elrond's face. "You wish to accompany the Fellowship?"
"Yes, if you would grant me leave to do so. I feel that I should be able to accompany them, and represent those elves from the Havens. I know that I am but a maiden, but certainly you will need someone to help with the general day- to- day chores, such as cooking? I am the one to do so. And besides, if worse comes to worst, and if there is another warrior needed, I am skilled with both a sword and knife." answered Alakardiel. She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, and began cursing inwardly at whoever it was that was controlling her words.
Elrond nodded wearily. "So be it. You will be a companion to Frodo on his Quest, and a member of the company."
Relieved that even though her words were being controlled by another she had been able to get into theFellowship, Alakardiel sighed. "So be it."
Elrond also sighed, but for a different reason. "There remain two more to be found. These I will consider. Of my household I may find some that it seems good to me to send." he finally said.
"But that leaves no place for us " cried Pippin in dismay. "We don't want to be left behind. We want to go with Frodo."
"That is because you do not understand and cannot imagine what lies ahead."said Elrond.
"Neither does Frodo." said Alakardiel, unexpectedly supporting the hobbit.
Or trying to support him, for none heard her words. She had gone temporarily mute.
"What?" She shrieked. "What's happened to me?"
Her words sounded clear to her, but the others present made no indication that they had heard her.
Deep within the recesses of her mind, the voice she'd hear earlier rang out. "Miss Donaldson, will you please refrain from stealing lines from the characters? You are here to observe Middle Earth, not to tamper within its affairs "
"Sorry." said Alakardiel, (otherwise known as Laura) meekly.
"Your apology is accepted. However, I have temporarily rendered you deaf and mute so that you will not interfere any further. Your hearing and ability to speak will be restored at the end of the council, when Elrond's son, Elladan, will come forth and give you something that you may find useful. Farewell "
"What?" asked Alakardiel, angry that the voice had left her without any means of communicating with Legolas, whom, during this latest part of the council, she had resigned to chasing after once more. "How am I supposed to win Leggy's heart now that I can't talk to him? If I can't talk to him, and I can't hear what he says, how am I supposed to know if he loves me or not? What am I going to tell everyone back home when they ask where I've been and I say that I went to Middle Earth and didn't make Legsy-Wegsy fall in love with me?" she finished, exasperated.
It was then that she noticed the stack of parchment, the quill, and ink pot that lay on the table before her.
Frustration relieved, Alakardiel grinned wickedly, and began to write. Quickly, she scrawled a few lines across a piece of parchment, and thrust it at Leoglas.
Appearing puzzled, he read the note slowly, a look first of amusement and then horror playing itself across his fair features.
Almost instantly, he threw the letter down upon the table, and looked straight ahead, shocked into silence.
Being very careful not to look at the elf maiden sitting next to him, he slowly slid the note across the table to Aragorn, whose advice and friendship he had come to appreciate in the past two months.
Curious as to what could have scared the son of Thranduil so badly, Aragorn picked up the letter off the table, and read its contents.
"Dear Legolas;" Alakardiel had written,
"I luv u Will u marry me? I want to stay with u forever U r so hot I wrote this poem for u - read it and tell me what u think plz
Oh Leggy is so nic and fine,
I wish that he was mine.
When he's around I feel so happy
Its a really great feeling, not sappy
When he marrys me, I'll feel so gud,
Like my hearts not made of would.
Oh Leggy dear, I will b tru,
I only want to b with u.
I LUV U, LEGGY
LUV, Alakardiel"
Aragorn dropped the note onto the table, and recoiled in horror. "What does this mean?" he whispered to himself, afraid that perhaps the maiden in the chair beside Legolas Thranduillion was not who she appeared to be.
Alakardiel only grinned. Her note had worked Now Legolas would fall madly in love with her, and after they helped Frodo destroy the Ring, get married and live happily ever after.
Satisfied, she slept through the last of the Council. No one bothered to wake her.
It was less than a week later that the Company set out from Imladris, Alakardiel included, despite Legolas' desperate wish that she would stay behind.
It was dusk, and the wind was blowing from the East, shredding the clouds as the Fellowship left Rivendell, walking out of the protection of the Valley.
Alakardiel trudged along, growing less and less confident that they would be stopping any time soon. They had been walking for what felt like forever, and, though she was an elf, and did not tire easily, she found herself growing weary.
Finally, she drummed up the courage to ask Mithrandir when they would be stopping. "Gandalf - Mithrandir? We have walked for many miles now, and the night is growing old. Should not we stop, and perhaps obtain some sleep?" she inquired timidly, trying to act the part of the maiden the wizard thought her to be.
He turned and gave her a scrutinizing look. "Nay, Alakardiel. We still have five more leagues to cover, while it is still dark and we cannot be seen."
She shot him a puzzled look. "A league? That's like, a half mile, right?"
The wizard laughed and shook his head. "No indeed A league is three miles, Alakardiel "
She suddenly paused mid-step as she realized exactly what he had said. "What?" She shrieked. "We have to walk fifteen more miles before the night is out? No!"
Behind her, Legolas had to try hard to keep his laughter from escaping.
End Chapter II.
Chapter III - Alakardiel learns what "coneys" are, and Legolas finally overcomes his shock to tell her it's not melon, but mellon.
Pages used out of FotR Ballatnine/Del Rey version:
Part II, Chapter II, The Council of Elrond: Pages 269, 286-287, 303-304
Part II, Chapter III, The Ring Goes South: Pages 309-310
REPLIES TO REVIEWERS: These will occur at the end of each chapter. Depending on how many reviews there are, I may only address certain questions/problems. Flames will be ignored.
Fly Without Wings: Thanks! It's not meant to bash Mary Sues, morely it's written just to show how bad those tenth member fics can be. :o)
Tintinnabulation: Here's the second chapter. Hopefully, if all goes well, I'll have the third up by the end of this week, but that's not a sure thing. *Looks mournfully at essay she's supposed to be writing* But thank you for reviewing!
A/N - Much of the following is quoted word for word from "The Fellowship of the Ring". Page numbers will be listed at the end of the chapter. Also, if you find any typos, spelling mistakes, etc, please point them out. Thank you. Finally, please note that while this chapter may seem boring (after all, it's just the council from the book with some extra commentary!) other chapters will be different. *Laughs evilly* Much different.
Chapter II
The others present at the council turned and stared blankly at the elf maiden's strange cry. Why had she reacted so strangely when introduced to Thranduil's son?
"Are you quite all right?" asked Elrond, looking up from his conversation with another elf.
Alakardiel looked up and gave him a forced smile. "I am fine, thank you."
"Are you sure? For you shouted something in a tongue none of us here understood. Would you prefer not to hold council with us?" inquired Elrond.
"I was just taken by surprise, that was all. I had not expected to meet Legolas Thranduillion, that is all." replied Alakardiel stiffly.
Elrond nodded. "Let the council begin."
Elrond drew Frodo to a seat by his side, and presented him to the company, saying: "Here, my friends, is the hobbit, Frodo, son of Drogo. Few have ever come through greater peril, or on an errand more urgent."
Elrond continued to introduce all those present to Frodo. Alakardiel nearly fell asleep, until the time he told Frodo about her. "Here is Alakardiel, an elf come from the Havens with Galdor."
She snorted. An elf from the Havens indeed She was an elfin princess, the last of a fading race of elfs, and she wanted to be recognized for it
A voice rang through her mind. "No, you are from the Havens, a companion of Galdor, not a princess, no matter what you may wish. And for the final time, it's Elves, not elfs."
Alakardiel gulped and sat up from where she was slouched down in her seat. Now Boromir had asked what had become of Gollum and Aragorn was telling him of the wretched creature's imprisonment. She slid back down and began to fall asleep, until suddenly, Legolas sprang from his seat.
"Alas, alas " he cried, and in his fair elvish face there was great distress. "The tidings I was sent to bring must now be told. They are not good, but only now have I learned how evil they may seem to this company. Smeagol, who is now called Gollum, has escaped."
Alakardiel sat up again. "This is more like it " she thought to herself.
"Escaped?" cried Aragorn. "That is ill news indeed. We shall all rue it bitterly, I fear. How came the folk of Thranduil to fail in their trust?"
"Not through lack of watchfulness," said Legolas, "but perhaps through over-kindliness. And we fear the prisoner had help from others, and that more is known of our doings than we could wish. We guarded this prisoner day and night, at Gandalf's bidding, much though we wearied at the task. But Gandalf bade us hope still hope for his cure, and we had not the heart to keep him ever in the dungeons under the earth, where he would fall back into his old, black thoughts."
"You were less tender to me." said Gloin with a flash in his eyes. Alakardiel remembered reading 'The Hobbit' (or most of it), and nodded in agreement.
"Now come " said Gandalf. "Pray do not interrupt, my good Gloin. That was a regrettable misunderstanding, long set right. If all the grievances that stand between elves and dwarves are to be brought up here, we may as well abandon this council."
Alakardiel sighed, regretful. She had wanted to see a fight between the old dwarf and the weird elf who was NOT Legolas.
Gloin rose and bowed, and Legolas continued. "In the days of fair weather, we lead Gollum through the woods; and there was a high tree above others which he liked to climb. Often we let him mount up to the highest branches, until he felt the free wind; but we posted a guard at the tree's foot. One day, he refused to come down, and the guards had no mind to climb after him: for he had learned the trick of clinging to boughs with his feet as well as with his hands; so they sat by the tree well into the night.
"It was that very night of summer, yet moonless and starless, that Orcs came on us at unawares. We drove them off after some time; they were many and fierce, but they came from over the mountains, and were not used to the woods. When the battle was over, we found that Gollum was gone, and his guards were slain or taken. It then seemed plain to us that the attack had been made for his rescue, and that he knew of it beforehand. How that was contrived we cannot guess; but Gollum is cunning and the spies of the Enemy are many. The dark things that were driven out in the year of the Dragon's fall have returned in greater numbers, and Mirkwood is again an evil place, save where our realm is maintained.
"We have failed to recapture Gollum. We came upon his trail among that of many Orcs, and it plunged deep into the forest, going south. But ere long it escaped our skill, and we dared not continue the hunt, for we were drawing nigh to Dol Guldur, and that is still a very evil place; we do not go that way."
"Well, well, he is gone," said Gandalf. "We have no time to seek for him again. He must do what he will. But he may play a part yet that neither he nor Sauron have foreseen."
When it became clear that the weirdo elf (Alakardiel refused to think of him as Legolas, believing that his appearance being different was due to his lack of being present at the council, that someone else, perhaps a distant relative, was standing in for him.) was going to say no more, Alakardiel sank down in her seat again, and drifted off completely, until the forming of the Fellowship of the Ring, when Legolas elbowed her to wake up.
"Pst " he hissed. "Elrond Half-Elven is about to decide what must be done with the Ring, and Mithrandir is looking over this way "
Alakardiel sat up and looked around groggily. "Wha?" she asked stupidly. "What's going on?"
Legolas chose to ignore her, and turned his attention once more to the events at hand.
Silence fell over the council. Apparently, she had missed something important. For a long while, no one spoke. Then, suddenly, a small voice broke the quiet.
"I will take the Ring," said Frodo. "Though I do not know the way."
Elrond raised his eyes and looked at Frodo. "If I have understood aright all that I have heard," he said, "I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will."
Alakardiel, suspecting that Elrond was going to begin a long and boring rant again, sunk back down in her chair, waiting for the Fellowship to be formed. She waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, when it seemed as if nothing was going to happen, she heard a yell and a clatter come from a corner of the room. Sam had jumped from his hiding place.
"But you won't send him off alone surely, Master?" cried Sam, unable to contain himself any longer, and jumping from the corner where he had been quietly sitting on the floor.
"No indeed " said Elrond, turning towards him with a smile. "You at least shall go with him. It is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not."
Sam sat down, blushing and muttering. "A nice pickle we've landed ourselves in, Mr. Frodo " he said, shaking his head.
Nearly two months had passed in the House of Elrond, and another was passing when another council was held in Imladris, this time to decide the companions that were to travel with Frodo and the Ring. Alakardiel had just fallen asleep again when she was roused by Elrond's saying something she felt was important.
"The Company of the Ring shall be ten." Here he paused, and looked up, dazed. "Ten? Why did I choose ten? There are only nine Riders." he muttered. Clearing his throat, he continued. "The Company of the Ring shall be ten; and the Ten Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders that are evil. With Frodo and his faithful servant Gandalf will go; for this shall be his greatest task, and maybe the end of his labors. For the rest, they shall represent the other Free Peoples of this World: Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Legolas shall be for the elves; and Gimli son of Gloin for the dwarves. They are willing to go at least to the passes of the mountains, and maybe beyond. For men you shall have Aragorn, son of Arathorn, for the Ring of Isildur concerns him closely."
"Strider " cried Frodo.
"Yes," he said with a smile. "I ask leave once again to be your companion, Frodo."
"I would have begged you to come," said Frodo, "only I thought you were going to Minas Tirith with Boromir."
Minas Tirith. Ugh, thought Alakardiel. They're going to be boring again, so I'll just go to sleep . . .
She was roused but a moment later by an irritated Legolas, who felt that her going to sleep during most parts of the council was uncouth.
"Wake up " he hissed into her ear. "Master Elrond is staring at you again "
She blinked and sat up. "Fine. I'll try and stay awake."
"You should have no trouble doing so, unless you prefer resting to listening to important council." retorted Elrond, who had apparently heard her comments.
She sighed, and sat up straighter. "Beg pardon."she found herself saying. "I only found it difficult to stay awake because of my own insolence, not because I find the council itself unnecessary. Please forgive me for interrupting you, Master Elrond - I did not mean to cause any harm. I simply wish to accompany the Company on their Quest. I was up late last night preparing to leave at a moment's notice, if you would but give me leave to go with them."
"What?" She thought angrily, "Why did I say that? That's not what I meant to say!"
A thoughtful look crossed Elrond's face. "You wish to accompany the Fellowship?"
"Yes, if you would grant me leave to do so. I feel that I should be able to accompany them, and represent those elves from the Havens. I know that I am but a maiden, but certainly you will need someone to help with the general day- to- day chores, such as cooking? I am the one to do so. And besides, if worse comes to worst, and if there is another warrior needed, I am skilled with both a sword and knife." answered Alakardiel. She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, and began cursing inwardly at whoever it was that was controlling her words.
Elrond nodded wearily. "So be it. You will be a companion to Frodo on his Quest, and a member of the company."
Relieved that even though her words were being controlled by another she had been able to get into theFellowship, Alakardiel sighed. "So be it."
Elrond also sighed, but for a different reason. "There remain two more to be found. These I will consider. Of my household I may find some that it seems good to me to send." he finally said.
"But that leaves no place for us " cried Pippin in dismay. "We don't want to be left behind. We want to go with Frodo."
"That is because you do not understand and cannot imagine what lies ahead."said Elrond.
"Neither does Frodo." said Alakardiel, unexpectedly supporting the hobbit.
Or trying to support him, for none heard her words. She had gone temporarily mute.
"What?" She shrieked. "What's happened to me?"
Her words sounded clear to her, but the others present made no indication that they had heard her.
Deep within the recesses of her mind, the voice she'd hear earlier rang out. "Miss Donaldson, will you please refrain from stealing lines from the characters? You are here to observe Middle Earth, not to tamper within its affairs "
"Sorry." said Alakardiel, (otherwise known as Laura) meekly.
"Your apology is accepted. However, I have temporarily rendered you deaf and mute so that you will not interfere any further. Your hearing and ability to speak will be restored at the end of the council, when Elrond's son, Elladan, will come forth and give you something that you may find useful. Farewell "
"What?" asked Alakardiel, angry that the voice had left her without any means of communicating with Legolas, whom, during this latest part of the council, she had resigned to chasing after once more. "How am I supposed to win Leggy's heart now that I can't talk to him? If I can't talk to him, and I can't hear what he says, how am I supposed to know if he loves me or not? What am I going to tell everyone back home when they ask where I've been and I say that I went to Middle Earth and didn't make Legsy-Wegsy fall in love with me?" she finished, exasperated.
It was then that she noticed the stack of parchment, the quill, and ink pot that lay on the table before her.
Frustration relieved, Alakardiel grinned wickedly, and began to write. Quickly, she scrawled a few lines across a piece of parchment, and thrust it at Leoglas.
Appearing puzzled, he read the note slowly, a look first of amusement and then horror playing itself across his fair features.
Almost instantly, he threw the letter down upon the table, and looked straight ahead, shocked into silence.
Being very careful not to look at the elf maiden sitting next to him, he slowly slid the note across the table to Aragorn, whose advice and friendship he had come to appreciate in the past two months.
Curious as to what could have scared the son of Thranduil so badly, Aragorn picked up the letter off the table, and read its contents.
"Dear Legolas;" Alakardiel had written,
"I luv u Will u marry me? I want to stay with u forever U r so hot I wrote this poem for u - read it and tell me what u think plz
Oh Leggy is so nic and fine,
I wish that he was mine.
When he's around I feel so happy
Its a really great feeling, not sappy
When he marrys me, I'll feel so gud,
Like my hearts not made of would.
Oh Leggy dear, I will b tru,
I only want to b with u.
I LUV U, LEGGY
LUV, Alakardiel"
Aragorn dropped the note onto the table, and recoiled in horror. "What does this mean?" he whispered to himself, afraid that perhaps the maiden in the chair beside Legolas Thranduillion was not who she appeared to be.
Alakardiel only grinned. Her note had worked Now Legolas would fall madly in love with her, and after they helped Frodo destroy the Ring, get married and live happily ever after.
Satisfied, she slept through the last of the Council. No one bothered to wake her.
It was less than a week later that the Company set out from Imladris, Alakardiel included, despite Legolas' desperate wish that she would stay behind.
It was dusk, and the wind was blowing from the East, shredding the clouds as the Fellowship left Rivendell, walking out of the protection of the Valley.
Alakardiel trudged along, growing less and less confident that they would be stopping any time soon. They had been walking for what felt like forever, and, though she was an elf, and did not tire easily, she found herself growing weary.
Finally, she drummed up the courage to ask Mithrandir when they would be stopping. "Gandalf - Mithrandir? We have walked for many miles now, and the night is growing old. Should not we stop, and perhaps obtain some sleep?" she inquired timidly, trying to act the part of the maiden the wizard thought her to be.
He turned and gave her a scrutinizing look. "Nay, Alakardiel. We still have five more leagues to cover, while it is still dark and we cannot be seen."
She shot him a puzzled look. "A league? That's like, a half mile, right?"
The wizard laughed and shook his head. "No indeed A league is three miles, Alakardiel "
She suddenly paused mid-step as she realized exactly what he had said. "What?" She shrieked. "We have to walk fifteen more miles before the night is out? No!"
Behind her, Legolas had to try hard to keep his laughter from escaping.
End Chapter II.
Chapter III - Alakardiel learns what "coneys" are, and Legolas finally overcomes his shock to tell her it's not melon, but mellon.
Pages used out of FotR Ballatnine/Del Rey version:
Part II, Chapter II, The Council of Elrond: Pages 269, 286-287, 303-304
Part II, Chapter III, The Ring Goes South: Pages 309-310
REPLIES TO REVIEWERS: These will occur at the end of each chapter. Depending on how many reviews there are, I may only address certain questions/problems. Flames will be ignored.
Fly Without Wings: Thanks! It's not meant to bash Mary Sues, morely it's written just to show how bad those tenth member fics can be. :o)
Tintinnabulation: Here's the second chapter. Hopefully, if all goes well, I'll have the third up by the end of this week, but that's not a sure thing. *Looks mournfully at essay she's supposed to be writing* But thank you for reviewing!