-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-
-Disclaimer:-
CS: I do not own anything. Further more, I am not a specialist in Elven culture, nor do I claim to be, so any mistakes it this chapter or following ones pertaining to Elvish culture are just that - mistakes. But I ain't gonna be changing them, because they need to be there for the storyline to continue the way I want it to.
Rachel: Somehow, I like it better when you're off doing something and someone else gets to do the disclaimer.
Kari: Hmm, indeed - more amusing.
Rachel: ACK! It's Kari! *falls over from shock*
Kari: What?! Just because I haven't been in the past...15 chapters...of this fanfiction, doesn't mean I fell of the edge of the earth!
Rachel: Yeah, but...you surprised me.
Kari: Everything surprises you. The fact that the sky is BLUE surprises you EVERY MORNING.
Rachel: Not EVERY morning! Sometimes it's grey. And that's just as surprising.
CS: Ai carumba...
-28: Wine-
The Hall of Fire was much as I remembered it from the one night I'd visited it so many years ago. Really just a large room with fireplaces scattered along the walls, the hall also boasted excellent acoustics, and many comfortable chairs to sit in. Four of the chairs in one of the corners of the room, I noted, now contained three hobbits - Merry, Pippin and Bilbo - and a ranger - Aragorn. Hiding a smirk, I saw that Arwen was not far away from the hobbits and ranger, talking with her brothers about something or another. Neither Aragorn nor Arwen's attention was on their companions, much, though.
Turning my attention away from Aragorn and Arwen's antics, I looked around the rest of the Hall and saw that it was as full, if not fuller, than it had been the last time I was there. Elves were standing or sitting all around the hall, with only the small raised platform for performers in the middle of the room remaining clear. Except for when there were performers on it, of course, but there currently weren't any. Still, the Hall held an air of, well, happiness, for lack of another word. Elf voices mixed and swirled around, and even without trying, they almost seemed to make a music all their own.
"Incredible." I heard Boromir mutter under his breath as he looked around with wide eyes. Glorfindel and I looked at each other with amusement, then I lead the still-awed Boromir to an empty chair that was nearby and sat him down. He seemed content to just watch the Hall from his chair, so I wandered off to where Aragorn and the hobbits were, Glorfindel, once again, tagging along.
"Hey Aragorn!" I said cheerfully as I approached, purposefully stepping in-between him and Arwen to get his attention. Aragorn blinked in surprise, and then inclined his head towards me slightly.
"Hello, Lady Rachel." he said.
"I keep telling people - it's just Rachel. No title." I said with a tsk.
"Very well, Rachel." Aragorn said with an arched eyebrow.
"Good good. Now you can go back to staring at Arwen." I said with a mischievous grin, moving out from between him and Arwen. Aragorn gave me a weary look, and then undermined it by letting his gaze slip past me to where I knew Arwen was standing. My grin widened, and I turned my attention to the hobbits.
"How are you three tonight?" I asked.
"Bored." Pippin replied, and was promptly shushed by Merry. I heard Glorfindel chuckle behind me.
"You're not the only one." I told Pippin with a smile. "But it gets more interesting once people start singing and telling tales."
"Not to mention everyone has a few drinks." Bilbo put in cheerfully. I winced.
"Yep, that makes things interesting all right." I said, remembering the result of my last visit to the Hall of Fire. "Which reminds me that I shall be staying away from the drinks and thereby the performance platform for the night." Pippin looked slightly put out.
"Why? The ale is excellent!" he said.
"I'm sure it is. But alcohol, the Hall of Fire, and I do not mix." I replied dryly.
"I would not say that. It got a nice song out of you last time." Glorfindel commented.
"Oh yes, the song in an unknown language that was part of the trigger for me going AWAY from Rivendell for the past 800 years or so." I replied, rolling my eyes.
"You've been away from Rivendell for the past 800 years?" Merry asked in interest before Glorfindel could reply. I nodded. "Where did you go?"
"Gondor, Rohan, Bree, wherever." I replied with a shrug. "Never made it east of the Misty Mountains, unfortunately."
"You've been to Bree? Where did you stay?" Pippin asked, immediately latching onto a subject he knew something about. I smiled.
"The Prancing Pony. I actually worked there for a bit, too." I said.
"Indeed." came a voice from behind me, and I turned to find Gandalf.
"Hiya Gandalf!" I said cheerfully. Gandalf arched an eyebrow in response.
"Where is my hat?" he asked.
"Safe and secure. You can have it back in a couple of months." I replied with a mischievous grin. Gandalf gave me a weary look.
"I would like to have it back NOW, please." he said.
"Then find it yourself." I replied with a smile. For a moment, Gandalf and I simply looked at each other, both determined not to yield, but Gandalf finally turned and walked off, mumbling under his breath.
"That was brave." Pippin said, his eyes wide, as I turned back to the hobbits.
"I thought you were going to be fried for sure!" Merry put in. I shrugged.
"If you don't show fear, you can stare down just about anybody." I said. "Probably even Sauron. Though it would be a little hard, since he's just a flaming eyeball at the moment and thereby has probably spent a great amount of time practicing staring people down. Though I rather think Gandalf intentionally let me win that little round. How has your stay in Rivendell been so far?"
"Wonderful!" Merry replied eagerly. "It's very nice here." I smiled slightly.
"Ah, you should see Lothlorien." I said.
"Lothlorien?" Pippin asked curiously. "Where's that?"
"South of here. It's another Elven kingdom. Very pretty place." I replied.
"I was unaware you had traveled to Lothlorien." Glorfindel commented.
"I didn't." I said blandly. Three hobbits and an Elf-lord looked at me in confusion. "I've heard tales and seen a few pictures drawn in books." I supplied. Bilbo's eyes lit up in understanding.
"Was that why you were looking for books with drawings in them the other day?" he asked.
"That and I didn't feel like reading." I replied with a shrug. Bilbo chuckled. At that point, a song came drifting from the center of the room, and I turned to discover some female Elf had gotten up to sing. Glancing behind me, I saw that Merry and Pippin were fast becoming enthralled by the song, and I smiled slightly as I leaned back against the wall to watch and listen to the performance. So absorbed in the performance was I, I didn't even notice that Glorfindel had disappeared until he reappeared with two glasses of some liquid or another. I eyed the cup he held out to me distrustfully.
"It is safe, I assure you." he said with amusement.
"Does it have alcohol in it?" I asked as I took it. Glorfindel nodded. "Then its safety is debatable." I took a sip of the drink, and then blinked in surprise before giving Glorfindel a disapproving look. "This is pure mirovur!" Glorfindel gave an unconcerned shrug and leaned against a patch of wall not far from me, sipping at his own glass. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to the performance.
I carefully nursed that one glass of mirovur for the next few hours, during which I felt I must have ended out talking with just about everyone I knew, and was introduced to a few others, besides. Much to my amusement, Elladan appeared part way through the evening with the shy librarian Mírëría on his arm, and he did the rounds of introducing her to everyone. A short chat with Arwen later revealed that he was doing it on a dare that was actually for his own good, since Elladan and Mírëría were the only ones that couldn't see how much the two of them were falling for each other. The hobbits had, probably unfortunately, been near enough to hear that, and got mischievous grins on their faces. Soon they were huddled off in the corner where Bilbo was sitting, whispering furiously and receiving wry, amused looks from Bilbo.
Boromir eventually pulled himself out of his awe and came to talk with me not long after Elladan and Mírëría had appeared, and Glorfindel had, by that point, consumed enough alcohol that he thought it was a jolly good idea to go introduce Boromir to some of the Elf-lords. And so Boromir and Glorfindel were occupied for most of the evening. It was while I was watching them go that Arwen showed up and we had our little chat about Elladan and Mírëría. Not long after we finished talking, Elladan appeared again, with Mírëría still in tow, and he and Arwen proceeded to pester me about getting up and singing.
"We've heard nothing like that song you sang last time since you left. Kari refused to sing, and no one else could imitate the song properly." Arwen insisted.
"Yeah, well, I can't blame Kari for not wanting to sing. It probably brought back bad memories for her, just as it does for me." I said, rolling my eyes. "And besides, the only reason you got me up there in the first place was that I was half drunk. I HATE getting up in front of crowds."
"Yes, but look around, only half the hall is paying attention at any given time." Elladan wheedled. "So, really, you will only have a small crowd listening."
"As soon as I get up there, they're all going to stop and listen." I replied grumpily.
"Very well, then, we shall just have to get you more drink." Elladan said, and whisked my glass out of my hand and was off getting it refilled before I could protest.
"Not like I'm going to drink it." I muttered when he returned, handing me my glass, once again full of some strong alcoholic beverage.
"We can always hope." Elladan said with a slight bow. Then he turned to Mírëría. "Shall we?" Mírëría smiled and took his offered arm, and they set off.
"You really should sing. You have a beautiful voice." Arwen said once they were gone.
"So I'm told." I replied moodily, sipping at my drink unconsciously. As the liquid hit my tongue, however, I almost spat it out in surprise. "Good god, what did Elladan GET me?" I exclaimed, peering at my glass. Arching and eyebrow, Arwen held her hand out and I handed her the glass. Cautiously, she took a sniff of it, then a small sip, and chuckled.
"Dorwinnian wine." she replied as she handed my glass back.
"I thought wine was supposed to taste BETTER than ale?" I asked, peering into the glass once again.
"Only those wines that are not almost pure alcohol." Arwen replied dryly. I looked at her in surprise, and she looked back with amusement. "There's a reason Dorwinnian wine is favored by Elves who wish to get drunk."
"Agh, stupid Elladan." I muttered. "What use is getting drunk if the drink you're using to get drunk doesn't even taste good?"
"Hopefully, that you shall decide to sing." Arwen replied with a mischievous grin, and then glided off somewhere. Probably to moon over Aragorn. Glorfindel, naturally, chose that moment to show up, looking far too cheery to be any more than half sober, and decided to take a drink from my glass instead of going and getting his own. He arched an eyebrow when he tasted the wine.
"Feeling the need for strong drink, are we?" he asked as he handed my glass back. I rolled my eyes.
"Elladan got it for me because I told him I needed to be drunk before I would sing." I said. "Therefore, I don't have any intention of drinking any more of it." I handed the glass back to Glorfindel at that, and he happily took it and disappeared into the crowd again. Not long after, I saw Boromir, unconscious, being dragged out of the hall by a grinning Glorfindel and an exasperated looking Aragorn. Well, at least I knew where the wine had gone. Which was a good thing, considering that Elladan choose that moment to show up.
"Where did your drink go?" he asked.
"Into Boromir." I said, nodding towards the exit of the hall, where Boromir's boots were just disappearing around the corner.
"You gave Boromir Dorwinnian wine?" Elladan asked, his eyebrows shooting up.
"Actually, I gave the glass to Glorfindel, and I'm guessing that he gave it to Boromir." I replied with a shrug. Elladan sighed.
"Never give Glorfindel Dorwinnian wine." he said. "He always takes it straight to the nearest human."
"Why?" I asked curiously. Elladan shrugged.
"I think he finds drunken humans funny." he said, then smiled ruefully at my strange look. "Glorfindel has an...odd sense of humour."
"So I'm beginning to gather." I said dryly.
"So if you gave Glorfindel the wine, are you ready to sing?" Elladan asked brightly, changing the subject.
"No." I said, rolling my eyes. "I gave the wine away specifically because I do not want to sing." Elladan managed to actually pout.
"But you sing so nicely!" he protested. "And the last song you sang was in my head, driving me crazy, for weeks after you left. The least you can do is sing it - or some other song - again."
"No, Elladan." I replied firmly, and Elladan sighed dejectedly.
"Fine then." he said pitifully, and sulked off. The effect was ruined when, halfway across the hall, he glanced over his shoulder to see if I was wavering. I just smiled serenely at him, and then returned to watching the musicians that were currently performing.
"That was interesting." Glorfindel said cheerfully when he appeared a few minutes later.
"What, getting Boromir so drunk he passed out?" I asked.
"You saw?" Glorfindel asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I saw you and Aragorn dragging him out after the fact." I replied, rolling my eyes.
"Ah, you should have seen before that. I do not think I have ever seen alcohol hit someone so quickly." Glorfindel said, practically bouncing up and down.
"Mmm, speaking of alcohol, how much have you had?" I asked, eyeing Glorfindel. "I have never seen you this cheerful or carefree, and frankly, it's scaring me." Glorfindel rolled his eyes.
"I am still walking straight, so I have not had nearly enough." he said. "And I always get cheerful when I get drunk. Unless certain topics are discussed." he frowned lightly at that, and then shook his head to dismiss whatever his thoughts were. "Anyways, you would not happen to know where Elladan found that Dorwinnian wine, would you?" Glorfindel looked almost hopeful.
"No." I replied, shaking my head. "I don't know. I would assume the table with drinks on it, though."
"No, it is too strong. Elrond never just sets it out." Glorfindel said with a frown.
"Then why don't you ask Elrond for some?" I asked.
"He'll want to know why I want it and ask a bunch of nosey questions." Glorfindel said, waving a hand through the air dismissively.
"Go ask Elladan, then." I said.
"He will just assume I want to get Aragorn drunk again." Glorfindel said with a frown.
"Again?" I asked, arching an eyebrow, and Glorfindel nodded, grinning mischievously.
"Again." he confirmed, and then ambled off in the general direction of Elladan after saying something about the twin being his best bet. I shook my head in amusement.
"Sometimes I think he is more unnerving drunk than sober." A voice said from beside me, and I turned to find Elrohir standing beside me, frowning after Glorfindel. This was the first time he'd talked to me since our little encounter in the library.
"That's probably only because of how dramatically his personality changes." I replied cautiously.
"Father claims that Lord Glorfindel's true personality only shows when he is drunk." Elrohir commented. "He says that the rest of the time it is simply an act for the other lords." I frowned thoughtfully as I looked over to where Glorfindel had cornered Elladan and was talking to him about something - probably where the Dorwinnian wine was hidden.
"I suppose that could be." I said. "Drink does strange things to people." Elrohir nodded.
"Grandmother once commented that the female who got Lord Glorfindel to act like he was drunk when he was not would end out being his wife." he said, then chuckled. "The scary part is, I think she was speaking from foreknowledge."
"I'm sure." I said, shifting from foot to foot as I wondered why the heck Elrohir had decided to speak to me and do nothing more than comment on who Glorfindel was going to marry. While I was wondering, there came a shout from across the hall, followed by a blonde blur, heading straight for the exit. It dashed out without being intercepted, and moments later, Elladan came stalking over.
"Did you HAVE to tell him where you got the wine?" he asked me irritably.
"Hey, I told him before I knew it was dangerous." I said with a shrug.
"How much did he make off with?" Elrohir asked curiously.
"The entire flask." Elladan growled in response. Elrohir made a displeased noise.
"It took us years to get all that!" he said.
"Yeah, well, it's all going to be in Lord Glorfindel's belly soon, if it isn't already." Elladan said grumpily. "Times like this I almost wish he could suffer a human hangover."
"He could, if you whacked him repeatedly in the head while he was asleep." I said dryly.
"He would wake up and we would be gutted before we could blink." Elrohir said with a sigh. "His reflexes and fighting abilities only get better with drink." I blinked.
"Well THAT'S odd." I said.
"Mmm, but his co-ordination goes down. So he is just a really fast, really skilled, clumsy opponent." Elladan said.
"My brain is telling me that's a contradiction, but I can't figure out how." I said, giving Elladan and blank look.
"Everyone else says the same thing." Elrohir said dryly.
"We can not figure it out, either." Elladan said, shaking his head. "We just know that it is true." The twins shared a wry look that morphed into a wince after a moment at some shared memory.
"Some day, I would love to hear this story. For now, however, I think I'm going to get some sleep so I can be awake to deal with Boromir tomorrow. He's incredibly unpleasant when he has a hangover." I said.
"Father can give him something to get rid of the hangover." Elladan commented.
"But he has to get close to Boromir first." I replied dryly. Elrohir and Elladan simultaneously arched an eyebrow. I smiled, then waved, and made my way out of the Hall.
----To be continued...with a tree!----
(And tales of a drunk Glorfindel!)
-Authors Note:-
Well, the opinions about whether Boromir should die or not are flying back and forth...and it's currently for him surviving. *shakes head* Strange. I would have thought it would be for him dying. Still, keep your opinions coming - I'll keep taking down opinions until I write the chapter where I have to make the decision. Which will be a rather long ways off. *cough*
Anywho. To answer Melia's question: Yep, Kari is still in Lothlorien, chillin and probably annoying the heck out of Creepy Lady. Or not. Since Creepy Lady is now her grandmother-in-law...*shudder* urg. Imagine having Galadriel for a in-law...scary.
As you have probably guessed, I've gone back to my usual two-chapters-a-week routine, and I might even speed up in that posting, depending on how quickly I can write good chapters. So, thank you one last time to all those reviewers who were patient while I went on temporary haitus to write a really freaking long novel that really had no plot and isn't finished and never will be! You all get replicas of Gandalf's hat...and the reviewer who can tell me what actually happened to Gandalf's hat in the movie (all I know is it disapeared somewhere between Balin's tomb and the Bridge of Khazad-dum) gets Gandalf's real hat...
I had something else to say here, but I forget what it is now...oh well.
~Crimson Starlight
-Disclaimer:-
CS: I do not own anything. Further more, I am not a specialist in Elven culture, nor do I claim to be, so any mistakes it this chapter or following ones pertaining to Elvish culture are just that - mistakes. But I ain't gonna be changing them, because they need to be there for the storyline to continue the way I want it to.
Rachel: Somehow, I like it better when you're off doing something and someone else gets to do the disclaimer.
Kari: Hmm, indeed - more amusing.
Rachel: ACK! It's Kari! *falls over from shock*
Kari: What?! Just because I haven't been in the past...15 chapters...of this fanfiction, doesn't mean I fell of the edge of the earth!
Rachel: Yeah, but...you surprised me.
Kari: Everything surprises you. The fact that the sky is BLUE surprises you EVERY MORNING.
Rachel: Not EVERY morning! Sometimes it's grey. And that's just as surprising.
CS: Ai carumba...
-28: Wine-
The Hall of Fire was much as I remembered it from the one night I'd visited it so many years ago. Really just a large room with fireplaces scattered along the walls, the hall also boasted excellent acoustics, and many comfortable chairs to sit in. Four of the chairs in one of the corners of the room, I noted, now contained three hobbits - Merry, Pippin and Bilbo - and a ranger - Aragorn. Hiding a smirk, I saw that Arwen was not far away from the hobbits and ranger, talking with her brothers about something or another. Neither Aragorn nor Arwen's attention was on their companions, much, though.
Turning my attention away from Aragorn and Arwen's antics, I looked around the rest of the Hall and saw that it was as full, if not fuller, than it had been the last time I was there. Elves were standing or sitting all around the hall, with only the small raised platform for performers in the middle of the room remaining clear. Except for when there were performers on it, of course, but there currently weren't any. Still, the Hall held an air of, well, happiness, for lack of another word. Elf voices mixed and swirled around, and even without trying, they almost seemed to make a music all their own.
"Incredible." I heard Boromir mutter under his breath as he looked around with wide eyes. Glorfindel and I looked at each other with amusement, then I lead the still-awed Boromir to an empty chair that was nearby and sat him down. He seemed content to just watch the Hall from his chair, so I wandered off to where Aragorn and the hobbits were, Glorfindel, once again, tagging along.
"Hey Aragorn!" I said cheerfully as I approached, purposefully stepping in-between him and Arwen to get his attention. Aragorn blinked in surprise, and then inclined his head towards me slightly.
"Hello, Lady Rachel." he said.
"I keep telling people - it's just Rachel. No title." I said with a tsk.
"Very well, Rachel." Aragorn said with an arched eyebrow.
"Good good. Now you can go back to staring at Arwen." I said with a mischievous grin, moving out from between him and Arwen. Aragorn gave me a weary look, and then undermined it by letting his gaze slip past me to where I knew Arwen was standing. My grin widened, and I turned my attention to the hobbits.
"How are you three tonight?" I asked.
"Bored." Pippin replied, and was promptly shushed by Merry. I heard Glorfindel chuckle behind me.
"You're not the only one." I told Pippin with a smile. "But it gets more interesting once people start singing and telling tales."
"Not to mention everyone has a few drinks." Bilbo put in cheerfully. I winced.
"Yep, that makes things interesting all right." I said, remembering the result of my last visit to the Hall of Fire. "Which reminds me that I shall be staying away from the drinks and thereby the performance platform for the night." Pippin looked slightly put out.
"Why? The ale is excellent!" he said.
"I'm sure it is. But alcohol, the Hall of Fire, and I do not mix." I replied dryly.
"I would not say that. It got a nice song out of you last time." Glorfindel commented.
"Oh yes, the song in an unknown language that was part of the trigger for me going AWAY from Rivendell for the past 800 years or so." I replied, rolling my eyes.
"You've been away from Rivendell for the past 800 years?" Merry asked in interest before Glorfindel could reply. I nodded. "Where did you go?"
"Gondor, Rohan, Bree, wherever." I replied with a shrug. "Never made it east of the Misty Mountains, unfortunately."
"You've been to Bree? Where did you stay?" Pippin asked, immediately latching onto a subject he knew something about. I smiled.
"The Prancing Pony. I actually worked there for a bit, too." I said.
"Indeed." came a voice from behind me, and I turned to find Gandalf.
"Hiya Gandalf!" I said cheerfully. Gandalf arched an eyebrow in response.
"Where is my hat?" he asked.
"Safe and secure. You can have it back in a couple of months." I replied with a mischievous grin. Gandalf gave me a weary look.
"I would like to have it back NOW, please." he said.
"Then find it yourself." I replied with a smile. For a moment, Gandalf and I simply looked at each other, both determined not to yield, but Gandalf finally turned and walked off, mumbling under his breath.
"That was brave." Pippin said, his eyes wide, as I turned back to the hobbits.
"I thought you were going to be fried for sure!" Merry put in. I shrugged.
"If you don't show fear, you can stare down just about anybody." I said. "Probably even Sauron. Though it would be a little hard, since he's just a flaming eyeball at the moment and thereby has probably spent a great amount of time practicing staring people down. Though I rather think Gandalf intentionally let me win that little round. How has your stay in Rivendell been so far?"
"Wonderful!" Merry replied eagerly. "It's very nice here." I smiled slightly.
"Ah, you should see Lothlorien." I said.
"Lothlorien?" Pippin asked curiously. "Where's that?"
"South of here. It's another Elven kingdom. Very pretty place." I replied.
"I was unaware you had traveled to Lothlorien." Glorfindel commented.
"I didn't." I said blandly. Three hobbits and an Elf-lord looked at me in confusion. "I've heard tales and seen a few pictures drawn in books." I supplied. Bilbo's eyes lit up in understanding.
"Was that why you were looking for books with drawings in them the other day?" he asked.
"That and I didn't feel like reading." I replied with a shrug. Bilbo chuckled. At that point, a song came drifting from the center of the room, and I turned to discover some female Elf had gotten up to sing. Glancing behind me, I saw that Merry and Pippin were fast becoming enthralled by the song, and I smiled slightly as I leaned back against the wall to watch and listen to the performance. So absorbed in the performance was I, I didn't even notice that Glorfindel had disappeared until he reappeared with two glasses of some liquid or another. I eyed the cup he held out to me distrustfully.
"It is safe, I assure you." he said with amusement.
"Does it have alcohol in it?" I asked as I took it. Glorfindel nodded. "Then its safety is debatable." I took a sip of the drink, and then blinked in surprise before giving Glorfindel a disapproving look. "This is pure mirovur!" Glorfindel gave an unconcerned shrug and leaned against a patch of wall not far from me, sipping at his own glass. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to the performance.
I carefully nursed that one glass of mirovur for the next few hours, during which I felt I must have ended out talking with just about everyone I knew, and was introduced to a few others, besides. Much to my amusement, Elladan appeared part way through the evening with the shy librarian Mírëría on his arm, and he did the rounds of introducing her to everyone. A short chat with Arwen later revealed that he was doing it on a dare that was actually for his own good, since Elladan and Mírëría were the only ones that couldn't see how much the two of them were falling for each other. The hobbits had, probably unfortunately, been near enough to hear that, and got mischievous grins on their faces. Soon they were huddled off in the corner where Bilbo was sitting, whispering furiously and receiving wry, amused looks from Bilbo.
Boromir eventually pulled himself out of his awe and came to talk with me not long after Elladan and Mírëría had appeared, and Glorfindel had, by that point, consumed enough alcohol that he thought it was a jolly good idea to go introduce Boromir to some of the Elf-lords. And so Boromir and Glorfindel were occupied for most of the evening. It was while I was watching them go that Arwen showed up and we had our little chat about Elladan and Mírëría. Not long after we finished talking, Elladan appeared again, with Mírëría still in tow, and he and Arwen proceeded to pester me about getting up and singing.
"We've heard nothing like that song you sang last time since you left. Kari refused to sing, and no one else could imitate the song properly." Arwen insisted.
"Yeah, well, I can't blame Kari for not wanting to sing. It probably brought back bad memories for her, just as it does for me." I said, rolling my eyes. "And besides, the only reason you got me up there in the first place was that I was half drunk. I HATE getting up in front of crowds."
"Yes, but look around, only half the hall is paying attention at any given time." Elladan wheedled. "So, really, you will only have a small crowd listening."
"As soon as I get up there, they're all going to stop and listen." I replied grumpily.
"Very well, then, we shall just have to get you more drink." Elladan said, and whisked my glass out of my hand and was off getting it refilled before I could protest.
"Not like I'm going to drink it." I muttered when he returned, handing me my glass, once again full of some strong alcoholic beverage.
"We can always hope." Elladan said with a slight bow. Then he turned to Mírëría. "Shall we?" Mírëría smiled and took his offered arm, and they set off.
"You really should sing. You have a beautiful voice." Arwen said once they were gone.
"So I'm told." I replied moodily, sipping at my drink unconsciously. As the liquid hit my tongue, however, I almost spat it out in surprise. "Good god, what did Elladan GET me?" I exclaimed, peering at my glass. Arching and eyebrow, Arwen held her hand out and I handed her the glass. Cautiously, she took a sniff of it, then a small sip, and chuckled.
"Dorwinnian wine." she replied as she handed my glass back.
"I thought wine was supposed to taste BETTER than ale?" I asked, peering into the glass once again.
"Only those wines that are not almost pure alcohol." Arwen replied dryly. I looked at her in surprise, and she looked back with amusement. "There's a reason Dorwinnian wine is favored by Elves who wish to get drunk."
"Agh, stupid Elladan." I muttered. "What use is getting drunk if the drink you're using to get drunk doesn't even taste good?"
"Hopefully, that you shall decide to sing." Arwen replied with a mischievous grin, and then glided off somewhere. Probably to moon over Aragorn. Glorfindel, naturally, chose that moment to show up, looking far too cheery to be any more than half sober, and decided to take a drink from my glass instead of going and getting his own. He arched an eyebrow when he tasted the wine.
"Feeling the need for strong drink, are we?" he asked as he handed my glass back. I rolled my eyes.
"Elladan got it for me because I told him I needed to be drunk before I would sing." I said. "Therefore, I don't have any intention of drinking any more of it." I handed the glass back to Glorfindel at that, and he happily took it and disappeared into the crowd again. Not long after, I saw Boromir, unconscious, being dragged out of the hall by a grinning Glorfindel and an exasperated looking Aragorn. Well, at least I knew where the wine had gone. Which was a good thing, considering that Elladan choose that moment to show up.
"Where did your drink go?" he asked.
"Into Boromir." I said, nodding towards the exit of the hall, where Boromir's boots were just disappearing around the corner.
"You gave Boromir Dorwinnian wine?" Elladan asked, his eyebrows shooting up.
"Actually, I gave the glass to Glorfindel, and I'm guessing that he gave it to Boromir." I replied with a shrug. Elladan sighed.
"Never give Glorfindel Dorwinnian wine." he said. "He always takes it straight to the nearest human."
"Why?" I asked curiously. Elladan shrugged.
"I think he finds drunken humans funny." he said, then smiled ruefully at my strange look. "Glorfindel has an...odd sense of humour."
"So I'm beginning to gather." I said dryly.
"So if you gave Glorfindel the wine, are you ready to sing?" Elladan asked brightly, changing the subject.
"No." I said, rolling my eyes. "I gave the wine away specifically because I do not want to sing." Elladan managed to actually pout.
"But you sing so nicely!" he protested. "And the last song you sang was in my head, driving me crazy, for weeks after you left. The least you can do is sing it - or some other song - again."
"No, Elladan." I replied firmly, and Elladan sighed dejectedly.
"Fine then." he said pitifully, and sulked off. The effect was ruined when, halfway across the hall, he glanced over his shoulder to see if I was wavering. I just smiled serenely at him, and then returned to watching the musicians that were currently performing.
"That was interesting." Glorfindel said cheerfully when he appeared a few minutes later.
"What, getting Boromir so drunk he passed out?" I asked.
"You saw?" Glorfindel asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I saw you and Aragorn dragging him out after the fact." I replied, rolling my eyes.
"Ah, you should have seen before that. I do not think I have ever seen alcohol hit someone so quickly." Glorfindel said, practically bouncing up and down.
"Mmm, speaking of alcohol, how much have you had?" I asked, eyeing Glorfindel. "I have never seen you this cheerful or carefree, and frankly, it's scaring me." Glorfindel rolled his eyes.
"I am still walking straight, so I have not had nearly enough." he said. "And I always get cheerful when I get drunk. Unless certain topics are discussed." he frowned lightly at that, and then shook his head to dismiss whatever his thoughts were. "Anyways, you would not happen to know where Elladan found that Dorwinnian wine, would you?" Glorfindel looked almost hopeful.
"No." I replied, shaking my head. "I don't know. I would assume the table with drinks on it, though."
"No, it is too strong. Elrond never just sets it out." Glorfindel said with a frown.
"Then why don't you ask Elrond for some?" I asked.
"He'll want to know why I want it and ask a bunch of nosey questions." Glorfindel said, waving a hand through the air dismissively.
"Go ask Elladan, then." I said.
"He will just assume I want to get Aragorn drunk again." Glorfindel said with a frown.
"Again?" I asked, arching an eyebrow, and Glorfindel nodded, grinning mischievously.
"Again." he confirmed, and then ambled off in the general direction of Elladan after saying something about the twin being his best bet. I shook my head in amusement.
"Sometimes I think he is more unnerving drunk than sober." A voice said from beside me, and I turned to find Elrohir standing beside me, frowning after Glorfindel. This was the first time he'd talked to me since our little encounter in the library.
"That's probably only because of how dramatically his personality changes." I replied cautiously.
"Father claims that Lord Glorfindel's true personality only shows when he is drunk." Elrohir commented. "He says that the rest of the time it is simply an act for the other lords." I frowned thoughtfully as I looked over to where Glorfindel had cornered Elladan and was talking to him about something - probably where the Dorwinnian wine was hidden.
"I suppose that could be." I said. "Drink does strange things to people." Elrohir nodded.
"Grandmother once commented that the female who got Lord Glorfindel to act like he was drunk when he was not would end out being his wife." he said, then chuckled. "The scary part is, I think she was speaking from foreknowledge."
"I'm sure." I said, shifting from foot to foot as I wondered why the heck Elrohir had decided to speak to me and do nothing more than comment on who Glorfindel was going to marry. While I was wondering, there came a shout from across the hall, followed by a blonde blur, heading straight for the exit. It dashed out without being intercepted, and moments later, Elladan came stalking over.
"Did you HAVE to tell him where you got the wine?" he asked me irritably.
"Hey, I told him before I knew it was dangerous." I said with a shrug.
"How much did he make off with?" Elrohir asked curiously.
"The entire flask." Elladan growled in response. Elrohir made a displeased noise.
"It took us years to get all that!" he said.
"Yeah, well, it's all going to be in Lord Glorfindel's belly soon, if it isn't already." Elladan said grumpily. "Times like this I almost wish he could suffer a human hangover."
"He could, if you whacked him repeatedly in the head while he was asleep." I said dryly.
"He would wake up and we would be gutted before we could blink." Elrohir said with a sigh. "His reflexes and fighting abilities only get better with drink." I blinked.
"Well THAT'S odd." I said.
"Mmm, but his co-ordination goes down. So he is just a really fast, really skilled, clumsy opponent." Elladan said.
"My brain is telling me that's a contradiction, but I can't figure out how." I said, giving Elladan and blank look.
"Everyone else says the same thing." Elrohir said dryly.
"We can not figure it out, either." Elladan said, shaking his head. "We just know that it is true." The twins shared a wry look that morphed into a wince after a moment at some shared memory.
"Some day, I would love to hear this story. For now, however, I think I'm going to get some sleep so I can be awake to deal with Boromir tomorrow. He's incredibly unpleasant when he has a hangover." I said.
"Father can give him something to get rid of the hangover." Elladan commented.
"But he has to get close to Boromir first." I replied dryly. Elrohir and Elladan simultaneously arched an eyebrow. I smiled, then waved, and made my way out of the Hall.
----To be continued...with a tree!----
(And tales of a drunk Glorfindel!)
-Authors Note:-
Well, the opinions about whether Boromir should die or not are flying back and forth...and it's currently for him surviving. *shakes head* Strange. I would have thought it would be for him dying. Still, keep your opinions coming - I'll keep taking down opinions until I write the chapter where I have to make the decision. Which will be a rather long ways off. *cough*
Anywho. To answer Melia's question: Yep, Kari is still in Lothlorien, chillin and probably annoying the heck out of Creepy Lady. Or not. Since Creepy Lady is now her grandmother-in-law...*shudder* urg. Imagine having Galadriel for a in-law...scary.
As you have probably guessed, I've gone back to my usual two-chapters-a-week routine, and I might even speed up in that posting, depending on how quickly I can write good chapters. So, thank you one last time to all those reviewers who were patient while I went on temporary haitus to write a really freaking long novel that really had no plot and isn't finished and never will be! You all get replicas of Gandalf's hat...and the reviewer who can tell me what actually happened to Gandalf's hat in the movie (all I know is it disapeared somewhere between Balin's tomb and the Bridge of Khazad-dum) gets Gandalf's real hat...
I had something else to say here, but I forget what it is now...oh well.
~Crimson Starlight