" Hey, I'm sorry for what I said back there and since we're going in the same direction, you think you can give me a ride? Walking around here with soggy socks can't be good for a person's health."
" I will, if the young lady would tell me her name and where she hails from."
" Me? My name's Nicole Truelove. And you? Man na esselya (What's your name)?"
" I am Legolas, son of King Thranduil, ruler of Mirkwood." At that, the cloaked rider pushed down his hood and revealed Orlando Bloom in all his Elfy goodness.
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Nicole simply stood there staring for a moment, her mouth hanging slightly open. Orlando smiled at Nicole's expression before offering his hand to her. Nicole went from staring at Legolas' face to staring at his hand. Nicole suddenly felt very self-aware in her soaked state and wondered if Orlando was really going to let her ride with him, despite the fact that he would get wet as well. Nicole also wondered why Orlando was riding about out here and if she was somehow in New Zealand.
" Um………you'll get wet," was the words that Nicole uttered, suddenly unable to meet Orlando's gaze.
" Do not worry about that. My cloak repels water. Here, take my hand so we may depart and rejoin the others." Nicole's eyes snapped back up at Orlando.
" 'Others'? What others?"
" The Elves that escorted me from my home. Come, I left them near the river when I saw you. They will soon come looking for us. Let us go or do you not trust me?"
" T-this is just too much for me here. I don't know what's going on. I don't know where I am, how I got here, how I'm gonna get back home. I don't know anything!"
" If you come with me, I am sure that Lord Elrond can assist you in some way." Orlando/Legolas lent further towards Nicole on his horse with his hand still offered to her. Nicole dropped her hands to her sides and took a shuddering breath before taking Orlando/Legolas' hand. With surprising ease, Orlando/Legolas pulled Nicole up behind him and waited patiently while she settled herself.
Nicole sat still for a moment behind Orlando/Legolas, her hands resting on her thighs before Orlando/Legolas turned his hand slightly and said:
" It would be safer for you if you held onto me." Nicole felt a blush burn a path up her face as she timidly wrapped her arms around Orlando/Legolas' waist. His body was lean but Nicole could feel the muscle hidden underneath them. The thought of steel wrapped in silk came to Nicole as Orlando/Legolas turned his steed around and started back towards the river.
They had barely set off when a voice rose from in front of them.
" Legolas! Otorno (sworn brother, as in spirit or best friend type of brother) Legolas!" Legolas spurred his steed forward into a canter and Nicole was suddenly glad that she was holding on at the sudden jolt.
" Otorno, I am here! I have found what I sought." Two more riders came forth from the trees and Orlando/Legolas stopped his horse. The other two figures on horseback where the exact same Mirkwood Elves that Legolas was with during the Council of Elrond from the Fellowship Of The Ring, wearing cloaks similar to Orlando/Legolas', though both their hoods were down.
They looked at Nicole, who had hastily removed her arms from Orlando/Legolas' waist when they stopped. They then looked back to Orlando/Legolas.
" Where did she come from, Otorno? Is she a spy for the Dark One?" Nicole made a hurt face at the accusation and wondered how far these people were taking their little game.
" She is no spy. She is merely lost and wondering how to get back to her home for she does not know how she came to be here. I am taking her to see Lord Elrond and Gandalf so that they may help her."
" Very well, Otorno, if you trust her, so will we." The two other riders nodded their heads to Nicole as Orlando/Legolas started off again. Nicole, who was once again caught by surprise by the sudden start of the horse, snapped her arms back around Orlando/Legolas' waist, causing him to laugh heartily at her shock.
The other two riders stepped up on either flank of Orlando/Legolas' horse and stared straight ahead as the made their way back to the bank of the river. Moving along it's edge, the four of them found a well-worn path and Nicole mentally kicked herself for missing it when it was so close to where she was earlier.
After a while, Nicole became bored with staring at the back of Orlando/Legolas' head and cloak, and decided to look over at one of the other people with her. She looked left and saw that the blonde there had his eyes locked firmly on the path ahead of them. Nicole looked right and found the other blonde looking at her. They stared at each other for a moment before Nicole spoke to him.
" Manen nalye (How are you?)?" The man looked slightly surprised before smiling softly and nodding his head to state that he was well. Nicole wondered why he didn't speak and figured it was because they might not be allowed without permission. Several more minutes passed and Nicole started to dose. She couldn't help it, Orlando/Legolas' body was quite warm and she had become used to the gate the horse was traveling in and her headache that her cut caused was almost gone. Nicole was jolted awake, however, when the horse started to lightly gallop forward.
Nicole, who now had a firmer grip on Orlando/Legolas' waist than before, looked over his shoulder to see the most amazing sight that she had ever seen: the real, honest-to-God, Rivendell! It was huge and Nicole suddenly realized that the entire time she had been riding with Legolas, she had mentally dropped the Orlando, they had been going uphill.
' I can't believe it, I really /am/ in Middle-Earth!! Now I really am far away from home.' Nicole continued to stare as they all approached the Last Homely House, and she saw that there was a small welcoming committee waiting for them. It included Lord Elrond himself, looking as serious as he did in the movie, two other dark haired Elf men that looked amazingly alike, Nicole figured that they must have been Elrond's twin sons, several other nameless Elves, and, in Nicole's opinion, the very weird Arwen.
Legolas stopped in front of the group and slipped of his horse. The other two Elves that had followed them got off their horses as well, which left Nicole being the only one astride a horse. Before even greeting his host, Legolas turned and reached for Nicole. Startled by his act of kindness and the fact of where she was, Nicole allowed Legolas to help her down despite the fact that she knew how to get down herself.
" Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil, to Imladris. Who is this that you have brought with you?" Nicole, who had taken half a step to stand behind Legolas, felt extremely small in front of Elrond and the other Rivendell Elves, who all seemed to be looking at her.
" This is Nicole Truelove. She has lost her way and does not know how she came to be here, my Lord. I brought her here so she may have aid in finding her way back to her home." Elrond nodded his head and, much to Nicole's emotional discomfort, Legolas stepped aside and gently pushed her towards the Elvin Lord.
" Welcome to Rivendell, Lady Nicole. I am Lord Elrond, Master of this House. These are my sons, Elladan and Elrohir, and my daughter, Arwen."
" I will, if the young lady would tell me her name and where she hails from."
" Me? My name's Nicole Truelove. And you? Man na esselya (What's your name)?"
" I am Legolas, son of King Thranduil, ruler of Mirkwood." At that, the cloaked rider pushed down his hood and revealed Orlando Bloom in all his Elfy goodness.
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Nicole simply stood there staring for a moment, her mouth hanging slightly open. Orlando smiled at Nicole's expression before offering his hand to her. Nicole went from staring at Legolas' face to staring at his hand. Nicole suddenly felt very self-aware in her soaked state and wondered if Orlando was really going to let her ride with him, despite the fact that he would get wet as well. Nicole also wondered why Orlando was riding about out here and if she was somehow in New Zealand.
" Um………you'll get wet," was the words that Nicole uttered, suddenly unable to meet Orlando's gaze.
" Do not worry about that. My cloak repels water. Here, take my hand so we may depart and rejoin the others." Nicole's eyes snapped back up at Orlando.
" 'Others'? What others?"
" The Elves that escorted me from my home. Come, I left them near the river when I saw you. They will soon come looking for us. Let us go or do you not trust me?"
" T-this is just too much for me here. I don't know what's going on. I don't know where I am, how I got here, how I'm gonna get back home. I don't know anything!"
" If you come with me, I am sure that Lord Elrond can assist you in some way." Orlando/Legolas lent further towards Nicole on his horse with his hand still offered to her. Nicole dropped her hands to her sides and took a shuddering breath before taking Orlando/Legolas' hand. With surprising ease, Orlando/Legolas pulled Nicole up behind him and waited patiently while she settled herself.
Nicole sat still for a moment behind Orlando/Legolas, her hands resting on her thighs before Orlando/Legolas turned his hand slightly and said:
" It would be safer for you if you held onto me." Nicole felt a blush burn a path up her face as she timidly wrapped her arms around Orlando/Legolas' waist. His body was lean but Nicole could feel the muscle hidden underneath them. The thought of steel wrapped in silk came to Nicole as Orlando/Legolas turned his steed around and started back towards the river.
They had barely set off when a voice rose from in front of them.
" Legolas! Otorno (sworn brother, as in spirit or best friend type of brother) Legolas!" Legolas spurred his steed forward into a canter and Nicole was suddenly glad that she was holding on at the sudden jolt.
" Otorno, I am here! I have found what I sought." Two more riders came forth from the trees and Orlando/Legolas stopped his horse. The other two figures on horseback where the exact same Mirkwood Elves that Legolas was with during the Council of Elrond from the Fellowship Of The Ring, wearing cloaks similar to Orlando/Legolas', though both their hoods were down.
They looked at Nicole, who had hastily removed her arms from Orlando/Legolas' waist when they stopped. They then looked back to Orlando/Legolas.
" Where did she come from, Otorno? Is she a spy for the Dark One?" Nicole made a hurt face at the accusation and wondered how far these people were taking their little game.
" She is no spy. She is merely lost and wondering how to get back to her home for she does not know how she came to be here. I am taking her to see Lord Elrond and Gandalf so that they may help her."
" Very well, Otorno, if you trust her, so will we." The two other riders nodded their heads to Nicole as Orlando/Legolas started off again. Nicole, who was once again caught by surprise by the sudden start of the horse, snapped her arms back around Orlando/Legolas' waist, causing him to laugh heartily at her shock.
The other two riders stepped up on either flank of Orlando/Legolas' horse and stared straight ahead as the made their way back to the bank of the river. Moving along it's edge, the four of them found a well-worn path and Nicole mentally kicked herself for missing it when it was so close to where she was earlier.
After a while, Nicole became bored with staring at the back of Orlando/Legolas' head and cloak, and decided to look over at one of the other people with her. She looked left and saw that the blonde there had his eyes locked firmly on the path ahead of them. Nicole looked right and found the other blonde looking at her. They stared at each other for a moment before Nicole spoke to him.
" Manen nalye (How are you?)?" The man looked slightly surprised before smiling softly and nodding his head to state that he was well. Nicole wondered why he didn't speak and figured it was because they might not be allowed without permission. Several more minutes passed and Nicole started to dose. She couldn't help it, Orlando/Legolas' body was quite warm and she had become used to the gate the horse was traveling in and her headache that her cut caused was almost gone. Nicole was jolted awake, however, when the horse started to lightly gallop forward.
Nicole, who now had a firmer grip on Orlando/Legolas' waist than before, looked over his shoulder to see the most amazing sight that she had ever seen: the real, honest-to-God, Rivendell! It was huge and Nicole suddenly realized that the entire time she had been riding with Legolas, she had mentally dropped the Orlando, they had been going uphill.
' I can't believe it, I really /am/ in Middle-Earth!! Now I really am far away from home.' Nicole continued to stare as they all approached the Last Homely House, and she saw that there was a small welcoming committee waiting for them. It included Lord Elrond himself, looking as serious as he did in the movie, two other dark haired Elf men that looked amazingly alike, Nicole figured that they must have been Elrond's twin sons, several other nameless Elves, and, in Nicole's opinion, the very weird Arwen.
Legolas stopped in front of the group and slipped of his horse. The other two Elves that had followed them got off their horses as well, which left Nicole being the only one astride a horse. Before even greeting his host, Legolas turned and reached for Nicole. Startled by his act of kindness and the fact of where she was, Nicole allowed Legolas to help her down despite the fact that she knew how to get down herself.
" Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil, to Imladris. Who is this that you have brought with you?" Nicole, who had taken half a step to stand behind Legolas, felt extremely small in front of Elrond and the other Rivendell Elves, who all seemed to be looking at her.
" This is Nicole Truelove. She has lost her way and does not know how she came to be here, my Lord. I brought her here so she may have aid in finding her way back to her home." Elrond nodded his head and, much to Nicole's emotional discomfort, Legolas stepped aside and gently pushed her towards the Elvin Lord.
" Welcome to Rivendell, Lady Nicole. I am Lord Elrond, Master of this House. These are my sons, Elladan and Elrohir, and my daughter, Arwen."