My Darling Lillian
Chapter 2.
Let the Journey Begin!
Small Lillian sat by her father's grave, whispering to the tombstone.
"And I want to have loads of adventures, just like on TV! And in the end, I wanna marry the prince and live happily ever after." She whispered.
"Lillian? What are you doing?" A fat man asked.
"I'm talking to Daddy!" Lillian replied, smiling.
The fat man scoffed. "Do you think he can hear you?"
Lillian shrugged.
"Lillian, it's not good for you to be here, so I'm forbidding you to come here."
Lillian looked up at the man, shock written all over her small face. "But Uncle Boris! I like being here with Daddy!"
"Too bad." He replied, taking her by the hand and pulling her away.
"I'll still talk to you, Daddy." Lillian whispered to the wind, a tear welling up in the corner of her eye, and the wind tossing her hair and loose shirt about.
Lillian now sat in the middle of the uninhabited ring reading a book.
Then she heard two people approaching.
'Must be one of the guys Gandalf said he was going to go get.' Lillian thought, not bothering to look up from her book.
Legolas, Gandalf, and Gimly walked toward the barren ring.
"Who are we going to meet?" Legolas asked.
"Just a new friend." Gandalf said, a twinkle in his eye showing that he had a surprise in store. Gimly wasn't sure he wanted to find out what the twinkle meant.
Then Legolas saw Lillian.
He scoffed. What kind of man would sit and read while there were people approaching him?
Lillian, having finally found a good stopping point, stood up and turned around.
There were three people staring at her.
She, as usually, did not show a trace of fear, or any other emotion. Come to think of it, Lillian couldn't remember the last time she had felt any strong emotion other than loneliness or anger, and even if she had, then she wouldn't have let anyone known.
'What! A woman!' Legolas thought, 'Gandalf must have forsaken wisdom this time!'
It was simply foolish to do this sort of thing, other than being a nuisance to bring, they were weaker than men, and that girl seemed to have no more training in battle than a scholar!
"Gandalf," Legolas asked, hoping that Lillian's being there must be a misunderstanding, "Who is this?"
"This is the ninth member of the group, you will meet the rest at Bree." Gandalf said, striding into the clearing.
Lillian nodded in recognition of Gandalf, then continued to pierce Legolas and Gimly with her pain-filled, pearl-gray eyes.
Gimly shuddered, never before had he seen such pain and despair in one body.
Her gaze reminded him of that of the Lady Gladriel's, only hers was hard and emotionless.
It seeped into one's soul and chilled the core until one's body seemed to be made of ice.
Gandalf sensed the tension in the air, and interrupted it by announcing that they would be leaving immediately.
He waited for Legolas, Gimly, and Lillian to approach before he pulled from his cloak a handful of plum colored powder that emerged into dark lavender colored smoke.
"I haven't seen that trick before, Gandalf." Gimly commented nervously as Lillian passed though the smoke.
"I only recently picked it up." Gandalf chucked as he stepped through.
Legolas followed hesitantly.
Then, suddenly realizing that he was alone, Gimly charged through the smoke, almost knocking Legolas off his feet when he arrived on the other side, which happened to be Bree, just in front of the 'Prancing Pony' inn.
"Ah." Gandalf chuckled as he entered.
Butterbur was rushing about the inn, thought there weren't that many customers, those three Dwarfs were constantly demanding drinks, and that old hobbit at table three was acting up again.
"Butterbur!" Someone from the doorway yelled.
Butterbur was about to tell whoever it was at the door to hold his horses, when he recognized the voice.
"Gandalf?" He asked, turning and taking a good look at the stranger.
"Yes, it is I." Gandalf replied, chuckling at the fat old innkeeper.
"Gandalf! It's good to see you!" Butterbur cried running over. After a few words of greeting, Butterbur asked: "Do you know those Elves and Dwarfs?" in a hushed tone, three Dwarfs and three Elves had arrived within an hour of each other, and both were a odd race to find in Bree, though Elves were a bit rarer.
"Yes, and here I have another of each, and one of the race of men." Gandalf replied.
"Allright then," Butterbur replied, "But I trust that the Dwarfs have money to pay for their drinks?"
"You may trust, but you'll have to take that up with the Dwarfs themselves." Gandalf replied.
"Allright then...I'll send Nob." Butterbur said, paling a little.
"Could you direct me to them?" Gandalf asked.
Butterbur jabbed his thumb over his shoulder towards a group of loud Dwarfs that were laughing and drinking heartily, two Elves who were quietly watching the Dwarfs with amused smiles playing upon their lips, and one older Elf sitting in a corner of the inn contemplating some deep mystery as Aragorn had so long ago.
"Excuse me!" Butterbur ran off to steady that old hobbit. He was teetering towards the door, and reeling about like a newborn calf.
One of the Dwarfs belched. The younger looking Elf chuckled.
Legolas couldn't help smiling. These Elves probably had no experience with Dwarf-kind.
Gimly was wondering what the conversation the other Dwarfs were having was about.
Gandalf walked towards the group and was greeted by Elfish and Dwarfish voices; then Gandalf took up the role of introducing everyone.
"This is Hallaampion." Gandalf said, gesturing towards the older Elf, "These are Phercrabanion, and Dûrmelion." The two younger Elves waved.
'They act like Merry and Pippin.' Legolas thought, fondly remembering the two adventuresome Hobbits.
"This is Valin Brickeye," A stern looking Dwarf inclined his head, "Ori Brickboot," Ori smiled, "And Frór Coalarm." Frór bowed low.
"And this is Legolas, Gimly, and Lillian." Gandalf introduced.
A mingling of 'Greetings' 'Hello!' and a few greeting in Elfish were said. Legolas sat down and conversed in Elfish with Hallaampion and Dûrmelion who were from Rivendell in their own dialect. They were both about 1000 years younger than he, and fiery young Elves; Gimly found the other Dwarfs wonderful company; Gandalf sat down and began to smoke his long pipe; Lillian was drawn to the Hallaampion, and sat next to him.
"Hello." He greeted her.
"Hey." She replied.
"What do you want?" He asked seriously, not in a rude way.
"What do you mean?" Lillian replied, not sure how to answer him.
"What do you want out of your life?" Hallaampion clarified.
"Um...a loving family, and a comfortable house." Lillian replied, not sure why she trusted him as she hadn't been sure why she trusted Gandalf.
'Because you need someone to trust besides books.'
Hallaampion nodded.
"How long ago did you decide this?" He asked.
"When my father died." Lillian said, not sure why he was asking these things, but not bothering to question him.
"Do you know what all of your other companions want?" Hallaampion asked.
"No." Lillian replied, thinking that this guy was stranger than Gandalf.
"Then, perhaps you should find out what one of them wants." He replied.
"Ok...who?" She asked.
"Why not the prince?" Hallaampion replied.
"One of them's a prince?" Lillian asked, surprised.
"Yes, the elf you just arrived with is Legolas Greenleaf, prince of Greenwood."
"Ok...I'll ask him sometime..." She replied, thinking that it would probably be something gushy like being the best king his people had ever had, or somewhat like that.
After a small dinner, and a few Elfish songs, Lillian became tired. Butterbur showed her to her room, and Lillian almost immediately fell asleep.
Legolas, Hallaampion, Phercrabanion, Dûrmelion, Gimly, Valin, Ori, Frór, and Gandalf were sitting in the common room, waiting for Lillian to get up, and most were getting impatient.
"Valin, you go wake her." Gandalf commanded.
"Eh, why not Ori?" Valin suggested. Ori: "I will not. You go Frór!" Frór: "Gimly?" Gimly: "It would only seem right, to allow an Elf! Phercrabanion?" Phercrabanion: "Not I! Dûrmelion?"
Dûrmelion was about to suggest Hallaampion do it, but Hallaampion sent him a glance that wouldn't have let a dragon suggest the elder Elf do it.
"Legolas?"
Legolas was about to tell Dûrmelion something quite rude in Elfish, but he was tired of this lollygagging and wanted to get moving, so he shrugged and went up the stairs to Lillian's room.
Legolas first knocked gently on the door, hoping to be done with it, and begin their journey, but Lillian wouldn't be awakened so easily, and continued sleeping.
"Lillian?" Legolas called quietly.
No response.
Legolas knocked more harshly on the door, and accompanied it with a waking call in a slightly louder tone.
Lillian grumbled something disjointedly in her sleep, but did not wake.
Legolas tried the door. It was unlocked. He slowly opened it.
"Lillian?" He called in, now not sure if she was there.
Lillian pulled her pillow over he head.
"Lillian!" Legolas called, shaking the bed frame lightly.
"Just one more minute, dad..." Lillian replied groggily.
"I am not your father! Now, rouse yourself! We must leave now." Legolas said as he turned on his heel and headed towards the door.
Lillian's eyes shot open!
"Get out!" She screamed, not so docile now that she was fully awake, and began pelting him with books she had brought.
As Legolas reached the door a particularly thick book hit him in the back of the head.
She was certainly showing her feelings now!
A few hours later, the group was marching along, with Gandalf and Hallaampion at the lead.
"What path are we going to take?" Gimly asked, trotting to keep up with Legolas, who was content simply to walk, without knowing where they were.
"We are going to take the same path that Bilbo did." Gandalf replied.
Legolas looked up. He would be able to visit Aragorn, and perhaps leave Lillian. She was well for a journey, but for fighting? It was simply stupid to take a woman into a battle!
Lillian was walking along in the rear, her gloomy, unfocused eyes staying on the path before her.
Dûrmelion looked up into the sky. "I think it might-" he began, but was interrupted by the sudden downpour of rain.
"Rain..." He finished lamely.
"Truly?" Phercrabanion asked teasingly.
Legolas shook his head. 'Just like Merry and Pippin...'
Chapter 2.
Let the Journey Begin!
Small Lillian sat by her father's grave, whispering to the tombstone.
"And I want to have loads of adventures, just like on TV! And in the end, I wanna marry the prince and live happily ever after." She whispered.
"Lillian? What are you doing?" A fat man asked.
"I'm talking to Daddy!" Lillian replied, smiling.
The fat man scoffed. "Do you think he can hear you?"
Lillian shrugged.
"Lillian, it's not good for you to be here, so I'm forbidding you to come here."
Lillian looked up at the man, shock written all over her small face. "But Uncle Boris! I like being here with Daddy!"
"Too bad." He replied, taking her by the hand and pulling her away.
"I'll still talk to you, Daddy." Lillian whispered to the wind, a tear welling up in the corner of her eye, and the wind tossing her hair and loose shirt about.
Lillian now sat in the middle of the uninhabited ring reading a book.
Then she heard two people approaching.
'Must be one of the guys Gandalf said he was going to go get.' Lillian thought, not bothering to look up from her book.
Legolas, Gandalf, and Gimly walked toward the barren ring.
"Who are we going to meet?" Legolas asked.
"Just a new friend." Gandalf said, a twinkle in his eye showing that he had a surprise in store. Gimly wasn't sure he wanted to find out what the twinkle meant.
Then Legolas saw Lillian.
He scoffed. What kind of man would sit and read while there were people approaching him?
Lillian, having finally found a good stopping point, stood up and turned around.
There were three people staring at her.
She, as usually, did not show a trace of fear, or any other emotion. Come to think of it, Lillian couldn't remember the last time she had felt any strong emotion other than loneliness or anger, and even if she had, then she wouldn't have let anyone known.
'What! A woman!' Legolas thought, 'Gandalf must have forsaken wisdom this time!'
It was simply foolish to do this sort of thing, other than being a nuisance to bring, they were weaker than men, and that girl seemed to have no more training in battle than a scholar!
"Gandalf," Legolas asked, hoping that Lillian's being there must be a misunderstanding, "Who is this?"
"This is the ninth member of the group, you will meet the rest at Bree." Gandalf said, striding into the clearing.
Lillian nodded in recognition of Gandalf, then continued to pierce Legolas and Gimly with her pain-filled, pearl-gray eyes.
Gimly shuddered, never before had he seen such pain and despair in one body.
Her gaze reminded him of that of the Lady Gladriel's, only hers was hard and emotionless.
It seeped into one's soul and chilled the core until one's body seemed to be made of ice.
Gandalf sensed the tension in the air, and interrupted it by announcing that they would be leaving immediately.
He waited for Legolas, Gimly, and Lillian to approach before he pulled from his cloak a handful of plum colored powder that emerged into dark lavender colored smoke.
"I haven't seen that trick before, Gandalf." Gimly commented nervously as Lillian passed though the smoke.
"I only recently picked it up." Gandalf chucked as he stepped through.
Legolas followed hesitantly.
Then, suddenly realizing that he was alone, Gimly charged through the smoke, almost knocking Legolas off his feet when he arrived on the other side, which happened to be Bree, just in front of the 'Prancing Pony' inn.
"Ah." Gandalf chuckled as he entered.
Butterbur was rushing about the inn, thought there weren't that many customers, those three Dwarfs were constantly demanding drinks, and that old hobbit at table three was acting up again.
"Butterbur!" Someone from the doorway yelled.
Butterbur was about to tell whoever it was at the door to hold his horses, when he recognized the voice.
"Gandalf?" He asked, turning and taking a good look at the stranger.
"Yes, it is I." Gandalf replied, chuckling at the fat old innkeeper.
"Gandalf! It's good to see you!" Butterbur cried running over. After a few words of greeting, Butterbur asked: "Do you know those Elves and Dwarfs?" in a hushed tone, three Dwarfs and three Elves had arrived within an hour of each other, and both were a odd race to find in Bree, though Elves were a bit rarer.
"Yes, and here I have another of each, and one of the race of men." Gandalf replied.
"Allright then," Butterbur replied, "But I trust that the Dwarfs have money to pay for their drinks?"
"You may trust, but you'll have to take that up with the Dwarfs themselves." Gandalf replied.
"Allright then...I'll send Nob." Butterbur said, paling a little.
"Could you direct me to them?" Gandalf asked.
Butterbur jabbed his thumb over his shoulder towards a group of loud Dwarfs that were laughing and drinking heartily, two Elves who were quietly watching the Dwarfs with amused smiles playing upon their lips, and one older Elf sitting in a corner of the inn contemplating some deep mystery as Aragorn had so long ago.
"Excuse me!" Butterbur ran off to steady that old hobbit. He was teetering towards the door, and reeling about like a newborn calf.
One of the Dwarfs belched. The younger looking Elf chuckled.
Legolas couldn't help smiling. These Elves probably had no experience with Dwarf-kind.
Gimly was wondering what the conversation the other Dwarfs were having was about.
Gandalf walked towards the group and was greeted by Elfish and Dwarfish voices; then Gandalf took up the role of introducing everyone.
"This is Hallaampion." Gandalf said, gesturing towards the older Elf, "These are Phercrabanion, and Dûrmelion." The two younger Elves waved.
'They act like Merry and Pippin.' Legolas thought, fondly remembering the two adventuresome Hobbits.
"This is Valin Brickeye," A stern looking Dwarf inclined his head, "Ori Brickboot," Ori smiled, "And Frór Coalarm." Frór bowed low.
"And this is Legolas, Gimly, and Lillian." Gandalf introduced.
A mingling of 'Greetings' 'Hello!' and a few greeting in Elfish were said. Legolas sat down and conversed in Elfish with Hallaampion and Dûrmelion who were from Rivendell in their own dialect. They were both about 1000 years younger than he, and fiery young Elves; Gimly found the other Dwarfs wonderful company; Gandalf sat down and began to smoke his long pipe; Lillian was drawn to the Hallaampion, and sat next to him.
"Hello." He greeted her.
"Hey." She replied.
"What do you want?" He asked seriously, not in a rude way.
"What do you mean?" Lillian replied, not sure how to answer him.
"What do you want out of your life?" Hallaampion clarified.
"Um...a loving family, and a comfortable house." Lillian replied, not sure why she trusted him as she hadn't been sure why she trusted Gandalf.
'Because you need someone to trust besides books.'
Hallaampion nodded.
"How long ago did you decide this?" He asked.
"When my father died." Lillian said, not sure why he was asking these things, but not bothering to question him.
"Do you know what all of your other companions want?" Hallaampion asked.
"No." Lillian replied, thinking that this guy was stranger than Gandalf.
"Then, perhaps you should find out what one of them wants." He replied.
"Ok...who?" She asked.
"Why not the prince?" Hallaampion replied.
"One of them's a prince?" Lillian asked, surprised.
"Yes, the elf you just arrived with is Legolas Greenleaf, prince of Greenwood."
"Ok...I'll ask him sometime..." She replied, thinking that it would probably be something gushy like being the best king his people had ever had, or somewhat like that.
After a small dinner, and a few Elfish songs, Lillian became tired. Butterbur showed her to her room, and Lillian almost immediately fell asleep.
Legolas, Hallaampion, Phercrabanion, Dûrmelion, Gimly, Valin, Ori, Frór, and Gandalf were sitting in the common room, waiting for Lillian to get up, and most were getting impatient.
"Valin, you go wake her." Gandalf commanded.
"Eh, why not Ori?" Valin suggested. Ori: "I will not. You go Frór!" Frór: "Gimly?" Gimly: "It would only seem right, to allow an Elf! Phercrabanion?" Phercrabanion: "Not I! Dûrmelion?"
Dûrmelion was about to suggest Hallaampion do it, but Hallaampion sent him a glance that wouldn't have let a dragon suggest the elder Elf do it.
"Legolas?"
Legolas was about to tell Dûrmelion something quite rude in Elfish, but he was tired of this lollygagging and wanted to get moving, so he shrugged and went up the stairs to Lillian's room.
Legolas first knocked gently on the door, hoping to be done with it, and begin their journey, but Lillian wouldn't be awakened so easily, and continued sleeping.
"Lillian?" Legolas called quietly.
No response.
Legolas knocked more harshly on the door, and accompanied it with a waking call in a slightly louder tone.
Lillian grumbled something disjointedly in her sleep, but did not wake.
Legolas tried the door. It was unlocked. He slowly opened it.
"Lillian?" He called in, now not sure if she was there.
Lillian pulled her pillow over he head.
"Lillian!" Legolas called, shaking the bed frame lightly.
"Just one more minute, dad..." Lillian replied groggily.
"I am not your father! Now, rouse yourself! We must leave now." Legolas said as he turned on his heel and headed towards the door.
Lillian's eyes shot open!
"Get out!" She screamed, not so docile now that she was fully awake, and began pelting him with books she had brought.
As Legolas reached the door a particularly thick book hit him in the back of the head.
She was certainly showing her feelings now!
A few hours later, the group was marching along, with Gandalf and Hallaampion at the lead.
"What path are we going to take?" Gimly asked, trotting to keep up with Legolas, who was content simply to walk, without knowing where they were.
"We are going to take the same path that Bilbo did." Gandalf replied.
Legolas looked up. He would be able to visit Aragorn, and perhaps leave Lillian. She was well for a journey, but for fighting? It was simply stupid to take a woman into a battle!
Lillian was walking along in the rear, her gloomy, unfocused eyes staying on the path before her.
Dûrmelion looked up into the sky. "I think it might-" he began, but was interrupted by the sudden downpour of rain.
"Rain..." He finished lamely.
"Truly?" Phercrabanion asked teasingly.
Legolas shook his head. 'Just like Merry and Pippin...'