Luineraugwen: Thank for the reviews and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! Thanks Lady MoonHawk for explaining what a Mary Sue is I promise I'll try my best not to make Rhiannon like that. Even she has her flaws. Even people in stories can't be perfect because there is no such thing as a perfect human. They don't exist! Tell me if she ever becomes a Mary Sue. I saw the LOTR Marathon last night, but keep in mind that it was four in the morning when they showed ROTK, so I'll probably need to see it a few more times before I can remember it all.
Isilwen: If you have continued to read the story, this is for you. I know Galadriel is telepathic but she came to Rivendell because she wanted to talk to them all personally. After the fall of Sauron, the orcs may not have been a problem but maybe everyone wanted to eradicate them so they wouldn't become a problem. They way I wrote Elessar was a typo but I'll consider the idea about using his real name. That's probably easier. About the black horses, black is supposed to symbolize evil, therefore if Sauron took all of the black horses, which would show he was evil besides, black horses are believed to be war horses. Rhiannon's horse was called Simarillion because she liked the name, not because of what it meant. Also her horse is mentioned in Chapter 2. Her horse mysteriously disappeared and then in Rivendell as strange horse appears who will not let anyone handle him. If that horse let no one handle him, then why was he so gentle with Rhiannon? You your head! There will be emotions and descriptions in the future chapters. Rhiannon's used to seeing her room, thus doesn't think she needs to look at and describe it. Same goes for Haldir walking around Rivendell. As soon as Rhiannon starts walking around ME, there will be descriptions. Also, I'll use what emphasis I want!
Disclaimer: Does it look like I own LOTR? I think not!
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The girl continued to sleep until her fifth day in Rivendell. Haldir, having nothing better to do, had sat next to her everyday and hoped she would wake soon. He sung songs of old to amuse himself, other times he would sit in silence listening to the birds, the waterfall, the girl's breathing and her heartbeats, which had begun to be a habit, or sometimes he remembered the battles he'd fought as well as his home, Lothlorien, the forest of the golden trees. On this particular day, Haldir sang softly about the elf maiden Nimrodel in his native tongue. He was too preoccupied with singing that he didn't notice the girl stir and open her eyes.
She looked around until her eyes fell on the elf. He looked so calm, serene and wow, what a voice! Although she couldn't understand a word he said, it was still beautiful. His skin was like ivory and his long light blond hair looked as smooth as silk. She continued to listen to him as she once again took in her surrounding. The ceiling was quite high and the room itself extended out onto a balcony. The colors ranged from pale yellows to deep gold. She saw an adjoining room and guessed it was the bathroom. Rhiannon soon noticed that the elf had stopped singing and she turned to look at him, only to see him gazing at her.
"Your finally wake. Excuse me while I fetch Lord Elrond" Haldir said standing up and walking out of the door. Rhiannon had inwardly flinched at his voice. It was cold and sharp, but not as cold as his eyes, which were like a winters' morning. Minutes later, both elves appeared and the lord immediately felt her forehead, surprising the girl with how gentle, yet cold, his hand was.
"Well it's good to see that your fever had subsided," Elrond said. "I guess now is a good as time as any to welcome you to Rivendell Lady…" He stopped and realized that he didn't know her name.
"Rhiannon" she told him.
"Lady Rhiannon, I am Elrond, Lord of Rivendell and this is Haldir, Chief of the Lothlorien guards. Besides Nessa, your maid, he has never left your side" Elrond said introducing himself and the elf next to him.
"I thank you both for your kindness" Rhiannon replied.
"No thank is needed Lady Rhiannon, for we have had few guests in Rivendell in the years of late" Elrond answered with a wave of his hand. "Now how do you feel? Are you well enough to walk?"
"I feel quite well, although I'm not sure about walking" she said.
"I will send for Nessa to help you bathe and dress, then will see how you fare" the lord said. He and Haldir then bowed and took their leave, closing the wooden door behind them.
Rhiannon threw back the satin covers of her bed and looked down at the long pink nightgown her wore. Egh she was wearing pink, she hated pink especially pastel pink! She slid her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, feeling no dizziness or pain. Elvish medicine was very good. Nessa silently opened the door and walked in. Rhiannon wouldn't have realized she was there had the door not creaked.
Nessa was very tall with a slender body. Her hair was a beautiful orange and her eyes were as blue as the ocean. The she-elf looked at Rhiannon for a few seconds before speaking.
"It is good to see you awake milady. Lord Elrond, Master Haldir and I have been wondering if you would have made it. We are most pleased to see that you did. Come, enough chit-chat, lets get you bathed and dresses" Nessa said coming forward and taking Rhiannon's arm while she led her into the adjoining room. Nessa drew a steaming hot bath as the girl looked around. Thick dark blue curtains shielded the windows and light blue tiles covered both the floor and the walls, while a depiction of a great battle was painted on the ceiling. The maid then left Rhiannon alone so she could have privacy. While she did that, Nessa was going to find a dress for her to wear.
The girl undressed and slipped slowly into the boiling water. She gasped. Rhiannon felt like she was a lobster cooking in a pot. She scrubbed and washed herself quickly, then relaxed in the warm tub. She looked at the battle depicted above her and imagined what it must have been like. Hundreds of bodies lay across the mud and blood soaked ground, ugly creatures attacking you from all directions and not knowing whether you would ever see your loved ones again. Rhiannon focused on the picture and she swore she could see Lord Elrond amid the fighting. The girl didn't know how long she lay there envisioning the battle in her mind but Nessa calling her bought Rhiannon to her senses.
"Lady Rhiannon I have your dress. I'll leave it on the bed. Call me when you are dressed"
Rhiannon clambered out of the bath, dried herself and went back into the bedchamber. She marveled at the silver grey dress that lay in front of her. It had a low, yet modest, collar and the sleeves flared out in the elvish style. She slowly put the garment on and looked in the mirror. She looked at herself and immediately thought that she wasn't worthy of wearing such beautiful clothing. Rhiannon called Nessa back and the maid started to brush her hair while she praised Rhiannon on how beautiful she was in the dress. Nessa circled the girl's head with the braid she had made and kept it in place with a few silver hairpins with horses on them. The maid took a step back and admired Rhiannon from a distance.
"There, don't you look stunning. The dress you wear used to belong to Lord Elrond's wife, Celebrian. He requested that you wear it and I dare say it was very thoughtful. The lord will get quite a surprise because you look just like her. Oh wait, there is one last thing" Nessa said pulling out a pair of silver shoes from behind her back. The maid helped her put on the footwear and Rhiannon suddenly remembered something. She put a hand to her throat and felt nothing. 'Oh no, don't tell me I've lost it!' she thought.
"What is the matter milady?" Nessa asked sensing the panic that radiated from Rhiannon.
"I was wearing a necklace before I came to Rivendell. Was I wearing it when you came to me?"
"Yes Lady Rhiannon you still wore it. I had to take it off so you didn't suffocate while you slept. I put it on the dresser "the maid replied. She got up, retrieved the piece of jewelry, before she sat next to the girl and gave it to her.
"May I ask where you got such a necklace?" Nessa whispered as she put it around the girl's neck and Rhiannon nodded.
"It was a gift from my lover before he died" Rhiannon replied and seemed to be lost in her own thoughts so she barely heard Nessa's reply.
"I'm sorry to hear you have lost a lover and especially at a young age". There was a gentle knock at the door and the maid went to answer it. Rhiannon stood up and smoothed out the crinkles because she had a feeling it would be Lord Elrond. It was. Elrond and Haldir entered the room but stopped as soon as they saw Rhiannon. Haldir just gazed at her in surprise but Elrond looked as though he'd just had the wind knocked out of him. It took a few minutes for him to recover but he then immediately offered her his arm, which she took and he led her out of the room and into the hallway. Haldir momentarily stayed behind to grab his bow and quiver that he had left in the room.
Elrond led Rhiannon around the halls and rooms of his house. He showed her the library, dinning hall and the Hall of Fire. Rhiannon's curiosity amazed him, especially when they had reached the library. He had laughed as he watched her face light up as the sight of hundreds upon hundreds of book.
"You like to read?" Elrond asked.
"I love to read" she replied.
"You're welcome to come here whenever you like, although you may have a problem because a number of the books are written in Elvish" the lord said leading her back into he hall.
"Never mind, I'm sure I'll find something to read" Rhiannon answered.
Elrond introduced Rhiannon to various people they met along the way. She even had the pleasure of meeting the fellowship. The wizard Gandalf reminded her of an old friend, the hobbits made her laugh with one of their songs and dances, Gimli charmed her with his Dwarven wit, Princes Legolas intrigued her, not only because of his looks and gentle manner but also the look that he and Haldir shared that seemed to renew old rivalries, and then came King Aragorn, a man Rhiannon instantly respected. She could tell he was a calm and gentle man, but she could also tell from the almost hidden strength in his eyes, that he was not one to be taken lightly. He was like the calm before the storm.
Lord Elrond soon had to leave her along with Gandalf and Aragorn so they could talk with other guests about an important matter that they did not delve into but he left Rhiannon in the capable hands of Haldir, the hobbits, Gimli and Legolas. They showed her the gardens, the many waterfalls among other things outside the confining walls of Rivendell. They all noted her interest in the training grounds and in the elven archers that were leaving the grounds.
"Perhaps Lady Rhiannon would like to see a demonstration of and elf's skill with a bow?" Legolas asked as he smiled.
"Thank you, I would like that very much" she replied.
"How about a small archery competition between two elves from different realms" Haldir suggested and the prince accepted the challenge.
The two elves set out the rules and the prize, while the others sat under the shade of a nearby tree. They took turns and they each loosed ten arrows. Rhiannon was stunned a how little time it took them to grab an arrow, position it and let it go. It wasn't before long that they were walking down the field to the target.
"Are all elves skilled with the bow?" Rhiannon asked and Haldir went into an explanation of the ways of the elves and the bow, when all she was looking for was a yes or no answer. They reached the target to find that Haldir had somehow bested Legolas. The prince was surprised to find that out but he accepted it. They then went and found another shady tree in one of the many gardens and the others told Rhiannon about their homes. When she asked how and why the fellowship was formed, they were all hesitant to answer.
"I think that everyone here agrees that tale isn't one a lady needs to hear" Gimli explained and he touched her right arm gently, yet it caused her to wince in pain. Rhiannon then remembered that bruise she'd gotten in the fight.
"I'm sorry milady if I have caused some discomfort" the dwarf apologized immediately after they all saw her reaction.
"No Master Gimli, you have caused no discomfort. You only touched a bruise" Rhiannon carelessly replied. She rolled the sleeve of the dress up to show them the nasty black spot on her arm, which somehow had grown to the size of a tennis ball. If she looked hard enough, Rhiannon could see the imprint of Nathan's fist. They all gasped at the sight of it and Gimli's mouth was so wide that his pipe fell out. Then Legolas, having seen the markings if the fist, spoke up.
"Who dared to strike you, milady?" he asked.
"No one of any importance. Just a boy who wouldn't stop talking badly about my friends besides, this is nothing compared to what her walked away with" she replied.
"And what did he walk away with?" Frodo asked.
"A black eye, a bleeding lip and…well lets say he couldn't walk all that well" Rhiannon answered, a mischievous smile caught on her face. "And judging by the fact you are all male, I guess you all know where I kicked him". It took them a few seconds for them ti grasp what she meant but when they did, agonizing looks came across their faces, while even a few groaned in imaginary pain.
"Do you have no respect woman?" Gimli asked angrily.
"Aye Gimli, I have respect but it is only for the ones who deserve it".
"You will have to show us you're fighting skills sometime, but for the moment, I need to steal the members of the fellowship away from you for they are requested by Lord Elrond" Aragorn said emerging from the trees behind them. Legolas, Gimli and the hobbits said goodbye to Rhiannon before following Aragorn back to Elrond's study. Rhiannon was once again left alone in Haldir's company, not that she didn't mind.
"Perhaps you would like to meet your savior, milady?" Haldir asked standing up gracefully and brushing the grass off his breeches.
"Aye I would like that" she replied and followed Haldir to the stables. Rhiannon couldn't help but think when she saw where they were going 'Is my savior a stable boy?' but all that was washed away when she heard a familiar neigh.
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Luineraugwen: This was the longest chapter in this story so far but I think it's pretty crap and that I lost the plot somewhere in the beginning. Oh well tell me what you think. I'm going away for a few days so don't expect the next chapter to be up until sometime next week or later.
Happy New Year to you all!!!!!!
