-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-
-Disclaimer:-
Tolkien: It's all mine.
CS: Quite right.
...
CS: Except for Rachel and Kari.
Tolkien: Who I don't want.
...
Rachel: I feel...rejected.
Kari: And this is new?
Rachel: *whaps Kari*
Glorfindel: Mortals...*shakes head in disgust*
Rachel: ...
CS: *points to Tolkien, who is scowling at Rachel, Kari and CS*
Rachel: Right...he WOULD make Glorfindel follow canon, wouldn't he?
CS: Oooooh yeah. In the strongest possible way...
-43: Alkarisil-
I stared at Kari, frozen in place, my mind working furiously at trying to find something to say to her, but coming up with nothing at all. Irrationally, I sent a curse Glorfindel's way, and then quite rationally, I sent several creative curses Haldir and Galadriel's ways. That seemed to set my mind to working again, and I came up with what is likely the most BRILLIANT response ever:
"Hello, Kari." She smiled at me sardonically, recognizing the genius of my response.
"I prefer Alkarisil." she said.
"Alkarisil." I corrected myself with a shrug.
"My, aren't we talkative for one so recently returned from the dead." she said sarcastically, and I shifted uncomfortably, suddenly realizing why my mother had always told me that sarcasm wasn't a good skill to cultivate.
"No, not at the moment." I said. "I'm actually kinda having trouble just trying to keep my mind working at the moment."
"Oh, you are having trouble keeping you mind working?" Kari - she was still Kari to my mind, no matter what she wanted to be called, dammit - said rolling her eyes. "You would think you had just had a friend who you thought was DEAD return, alive and well, or some other thing along those lines."
"I panicked, it was stupid, I'm sorry, and there's nothing much more I can say than that." I snapped in reply.
"How sincere you sound." Kari said dryly.
"It's hard to be sincere when you seem to have remembered, after 800 years, just how to push my buttons." I retorted in annoyance.
"Oh yes, I'm the one at fault now." Kari said with an overly dramatic sigh.
"Hell yes if you're going to continue being a bitch." I snapped. "You have no idea how much courage it took me to even come to Lothlórien, and how many times I almost turned back. If it wasn't for Glorfindel, I would be bloody well halfway back to Minas Tirith by now. I wasn't even intending that you figure out that I was back this soon, I was hoping to confront you at a time and place of my choosing - which would not have been in the middle of the afternoon the day after I arrived, in my flet. But it happened that way, and I'm trying to deal with it, so excuse ME if I'm a little disconcerted."
"It is always about you, is it not? Always has been." Kari said, arching an eyebrow.
"At this moment, since I am the one that caused the problem, yes, it is about me." I replied, arching an eyebrow in return. "It can easily be turned around so it is about YOU and how you would like me to that I truly AM sorry, though, if you just ask." Kari looked somewhat surprised. She had obviously not expected this reaction from me. Well, I had changed in 800 years, just as she had - whether those changes were for better or worse, in either of us, only time would tell.
"There is no way you can prove your apology." Kari said bitterly, walking over to me. She stopped a few feet in front of me and gave me a hard stare. "What you've done cannot be forgiven." Then she stormed past me and left the flet.
I stared at the slightly open door for several minutes after she left, trying to recover from the encounter. For a moment, I was prepared to give up hope at her parting statement, but then I recalled how Elladan and Elrohir were, indeed, still talking to me, and I was on the edge of a bloody romance with Glorfindel. 'Cannot be forgiven'? Hell yes it can. The question was, how? I was pulled out of my thoughts as there came a cursory knock at my door before it slowly opened again. I found myself looking up at Glorfindel.
"Kari was here?" It was a question that needn't have been asked, as the only way Glorfindel could have known was if he had seen Kari leaving. Nonetheless, I nodded.
Then, surprisingly, I found myself pulled into a hug. I stiffened for a moment, and then relaxed in Glorfindel's arms, wrapping my own around him and holding onto him. I felt safe there, and it pushed away my worries about Kari, which at the moment, I needed. I liked to remain in control of situations, and that control had been taken away and replaced with a whirlwind of breathlessly quick and dangerous occurrences that I liked to remain in control simply to avoid.
I barely noticed when Glorfindel shut the door, but it was rather hard not to notice when he picked me up and deposited me on the bed. But quite honestly, I didn't care as long as he was there, and just snuggled closer to him and enjoyed the time, knowing that I would, eventually, have to come back to reality and figure out how to prove to Kari that I knew what I had done was stupid and that I was sorry.
Of course, you've probably figured out the solution to that by now. My brain, however, was currently living in the moment, and it wasn't until coherent thoughts involving both the past and the future, as well as the present, began to seep back into it that I realized what the perfect way to show Kari that I knew what I'd done was stupid and that I was sorry was. And really? I wasn't going to mind doing it one bit. Because, essentially, what I needed to prove to Kari was that I no longer believed in Mary-Sues, and the perfect way to prove that was to pursue this blossoming relationship with Glorfindel.
I couldn't help it, I cackled gleefully as plans started to form, and Glorfindel pulled back and gave me an odd look.
"I just figured something out." I said, grinning wickedly, and Glorfindel arched an eyebrow.
"And what might that be?" he asked.
"My secret!" I replied happily, bouncing up from the bed and heading over to the window. I poked my head outside, looked around for no reason, and then returned my attention to the room to find Glorfindel now standing behind me - and I hadn't even heard him move. "Don't move so quietly." I said with a mock scowl. "Unless you're going to lead me to the kitchens. I'm hungry." Glorfindel stared at me as I went over to the door and held it open, looking at him impatiently. Then he laughed, and proceeded to lead me to the kitchens of Lothlórien, where, after I remembered that I had skipped lunch, I scarfed down a good hobbit-sized helping of an early supper. The cooks gave me mixed amused and revolted looks, while Glorfindel just watched me with a puzzled look on his face. He wasn't going to know what hit him, I decided with a wicked grin.
As I finished my late meal, Glorfindel informed me that I would have to sit through another meal shortly, as we were to be attending a formal supper with Galadriel, Celeborn, and some of the other notables of Lothlórien, later.
"Well why didn't you tell me that BEFORE I stuffed myself?" I demanded, and Glorfindel shrugged, smiling innocently.
"It slipped my mind." he replied, far too innocently, and I narrowed my eyes at him dangerously. "Think of it this way - it shall leave you more time to speak with your table companions."
"You had better be one of those." I said, twitching slightly as I envisioned myself surrounded by boring Elf-lords and nothing to do but talk to them. Glorfindel just shrugged nonchalantly and rose, giving me a little wave before sauntering out of the kitchen, suddenly reminding me of the long-ago memory of a certain Mr. Johnny Depp playing a certain Captain Jack Sparrow. That thought made me rather lost to the world for several minutes - let's face it, Jack Sparrow and Glorfindel in the same thought would cause ANYONE to lose touch with reality for a short time (though for different reasons for males, I'm sure).
I was, unfortunately, pulled out of my little never-never land by an elf politely inquiry for 'Miss Rachel' at the kitchen door. The cooks pointed in my direction, and I had enough time to gather my thoughts before the female elf came over to me and curtseyed politely.
"Lady Galadriel wishes to speak with you." she said, so softly I could barely hear. I felt a flash of annoyance, and contemplated refusing, but this was Creepy Lady's realm, and therefore, it wouldn't be wise to piss her off. Especially since this was about the only place left for me to observe any part of the quest in comfort and relative welcome. So, with a shrug, I followed the elf as she lead me out of the kitchens, up various stairways, and over random walkways, finally coming to a stop at a familiar-looking door. I entered cautiously, knocking first, and found that this was indeed the same room I'd been in earlier today to see Galadriel and Celeborn, but this time, only Galadriel was waiting for me.
"I am glad you have returned, Rachel." Galadriel said, with no hint of accusation in her voice about my previous exit.
"Mm." was my response.
"Please, sit." Galadriel said for the second time that day, motioning to the same chair I had sat in before. I sat. "I understand that the news of Alkarisil's memory must have come as quite a shock to you."
"You're almost as good as Elrond at understating." I grumbled, and I saw a smile ghost across Galadriel's lips before she continued.
"This change in Kari's memory is only temporary, however - she asked me to lift it when the War of the Ring ended. Alternatively, sufficient changes to the timeline as she knows it should go will wake her memories." she said.
"Or a nice big, juicy shock like finding out I'm still alive." I said, glowering up at Galadriel, and she nodded down at me.
"Indeed it would." she said. I felt a flicker of surprise, and then, with an inward grin, I realized that Galadriel did not yet know of Kari's recent discovery. I pondered telling her, and then pondered the consequences of NOT telling her. Creepy Lady wins again.
"Like it did this morning." I said innocently, and had the extreme pleasure of being perhaps the first Elf in several hundred years to see a look of pure surprise on Galadriel's face. I couldn't help it - I grinned.
"You have revealed yourself to her already?" Galadriel asked, shaking her head slightly as her surprise dissipated.
"No." I drawled, using this chance to turn the tables on Galadriel and look at HER in faint amusement. I don't think the turn-about was lost on Galadriel. "I said something to Haldir about Kari's Yuletide Feast that I shouldn't have. When he revealed that piece of information to Kari in an attempt to get more, it broke through the memory block, as only someone from our world could know of that particular piece of information. It being based on a religion that doesn't even exist here and all."
"And how do you know this?" Galadriel asked, tilting her head to one side.
"You are no more an idiot than I, Lady Galadriel." I said, giving Galadriel another amused look. "How do you THINK I know this?" There really was only one way I could know it, and Galadriel knew it.
"So have you resolved your...differences now?" Galadriel asked, and I shook my head, though I think she had already figured out that, as well.
"No, Kari - 'scuse me, Alkarisil - has deemed that what I did cannot be forgiven. Even though Elladan, Elrohir, and Glory did just that." I said, my lips twitching in grim amusement. "They didn't have such a close connection to me as Kari when I disappeared, though, so I can understand that she feels the - well, she'd probably call it either betrayal or abandonment - more keenly."
"I take it you have a plan to change her mind, however?" Galadriel said, arching an eyebrow delicately.
"Oh yes." I said, smiling once again, this time slightly dreamily.
"I hope it shall not be too disruptive." Galadriel commented mildly.
"No no. It shall be quite pleasant for all parties involved." I smirked. Galadriel eyed me as if contemplating something, and a moment later, I felt her brush against my mind. With an inward grin, I fixed in my mind the image of Glorfindel stretched out on his back, glimmering in the firelight and half asleep, during our short delay on the way here. I saw Galadriel's eyes widen slightly, and I innocently changed the image to my first memory of Glorfindel sitting in that tree in Rivendell on that...interesting night. The brush against my mind withdrew.
"Was there anything else you wished to speak with me about?" I asked, once again far too innocently for even the most naive to believe. There was a pause as Galadriel eyed me with amusement, and I wondered momentarily if she was going to warn Glorfindel. I hoped not. I was going to look forward to turning the tables on him and exposing him to a little good old 21st century flirting.
"No." Galadriel said finally. "No, that was all. I was going to attempt to advise you in how to approach Alkarisil, but that is not needed now. Other things, as well, seem to have lost their purpose to be said."
"Been talking to Gandalf?" I asked blandly. Galadriel just gave me a closed look - meaning, of course, that she had been talking to Gandalf. I would have to steal his hat again. Oh, wait...he was going to lose the damn thing in Moria, and I wouldn't be able to steal it ever again. I frowned slightly, realizing I should have given in to that impulse to snag the hat again as I left Rivendell.
"I believe it is time for supper." Galadriel said, though she cast me a curious look for my sudden frown.
"Ah, food. Wonderful stuff. Too bad I just ate. Must remember to get Glory back for not telling me how close it was to supper." I said absently as I stood along with Galadriel, trying to think of a way of getting Gandalf's hat before he lost it in Lothlórien. Maybe I could scamper off and intercept the Fellowship outside of Moria? I continued my planning as I absently followed Galadriel while she glided out of the room and down into a rather formal-looking feast hall.
Celeborn and Glorfindel were waiting at the hall's entrance, and I was forced to pull myself away from my plotting to get Gandalf's hat for my plotting to get Glorfindel back for not telling me how close to supper it was. Nothing big, of course - it wasn't like he had done me any great harm in not telling me. Hell, I'd probably make a good dent in supper even as it was. But nothing said my getting him back couldn't simply consist of flirting with him all supper and not allowing him a moment to eat. So, as Galadriel sedately took her husband's arm and they headed into the feat hall together, I innocently took Glorfindel's arm, which he looked only mildly surprised at - besides me being truly innocent being a rare thing, I had yet taken the initiative in taking a males arm before it was offered - and followed him in. All my plans were buried, however, in favour of hiding behind Glorfindel, as I saw the one and only Kari giving me an icy look from her place at the table.
"Today sucks." I mumbled, just loud enough for Glorfindel to hear, and he chuckled.
"All of it?" he asked with a teasing twinkle in his eyes.
"Mm, except the late afternoon." I replied with a lop-sided grin. Glorfindel chuckled again, but I could tell that my answer surprised him - he most likely hadn't expected the positive response to his teasing. Oh yes, this was fun. My mood sobered again, though, as we walked past Kari. I half expected her to stick out a foot and trip me, but then reminded myself that while I had maintained my youthful personality and penchant for petty practical jokes and revenges, due mainly to hanging around young human males, Kari's husband was around three thousand years old, and he was most likely the youngest being besides Arwen that Kari had had contact with in the past 800 years.
I was thankful, then, when, upon discovering that Glorfindel and I had seats next to each other, Glorfindel considerately put himself between Kari and me. I shot him a thankful smile, and he gave me a warm smile in return before we turned our attention to other things. Like eating. Or, in my case, talking to Glorfindel and making absolutely sure that he never got two bites of food in his mouth in a row without having to say something in-between. Turned out I wasn't as hungry as I thought, and Glorfindel commented, all too innocently, on my lack of eating towards the end of the meal. From the way he practically shoveled food into his mouth when I looked down at my barely-touched plate, I knew it was a ploy to get him some time to eat.
"Maybe I'm just not hungry for food." I said to him innocently, and then, as he looked over at me, let my eyes rove over what I could see of him. Glorfindel just stared at me for a few seconds, and I could almost literally SEE the thought process going through his head - while I had been subtly flirting with him through all the meal, I'm pretty sure he hadn't picked up on half of it. That was the most forward comment I'd made yet.
Then, as Glorfindel finally worked out the meaning of what I'd said, his face, to my immense satisfaction, took on a slightly pink tinge. Not much, mind you - you'd have to be watching for it to notice it - but I saw it, and grinned. Then I turned to the elf on my other side and amiably started talking to him - wasn't that hard, really. I just asked him his name, and what he did, and he was off and running. Turned out he was one of the major craftelves of Lothlórien, and he was more than happy to discuss jewellery making - his chosen trade - with me for the remainder of the meal. I myself was rather interested, since, while I may not like all that much to wear jewellery - most of the human stuff I had run across just looked stupid on me, anyways - making jewellery is rather fun. You get to play with hot metal, sharp objects, shiny things, and other such fun stuff. And so my attention was occupied for the rest of the meal, leaving Glorfindel to make up for lost time and eat his heart out.
----To be continued...with stars!----
(And walking!)
-Authors Note:-
Erm, yeah, some of you may have noticed that there was some glitches with the posting ofthe last chapter. To start with, it was late. Sorry. Normally I update in the morning, before I scamper off to school (gee, that almost makes me sound energetic...) but...well, I got writing a future chapter. The explanation will come with that chapter. And for those of you that might have checked up on my story when I FINALLY posted it, it had the same 'To be continued...' as Chapter 15. I fixed it shortly afterwards, but all the same...oops. So sorry.
And speaking of the last chapter, I'm amazed how few of you complained over the cliff-hanger! I guess it's because you know I'll update in a few days, anyways? Or something? Eh, whatever. You all get Elvish cloaks for it, whatever the reason. Even those that did complain, because hey, I hate cliffhangers, too. At least when reading them. :)
Also, another revision notice. And guess where it is? Yep, back in Gondor. Chapter 19, to be precise. I added a little scene with Faramir at the beginning of the chapter, and that's it, but I think it builds on character relationships a bit...
Now to go totally off-topic. Or at least, totally away from anything having to do with the story. I'm thinking of starting a LotR FanFiction archive site, and I'm looking around for a name...does anybody have any ideas? I'm, at the moment, at a loss...
Now I'm going to scamper off and do some MORE research for this story...and maybe try and get caught up in my Chemistry, which has been suffering horribly. (Because I don't like to do it, not because of this story) (At least not *exclusively* because of this story)
Until Sunday!
~Crimson Starlight
-Disclaimer:-
Tolkien: It's all mine.
CS: Quite right.
...
CS: Except for Rachel and Kari.
Tolkien: Who I don't want.
...
Rachel: I feel...rejected.
Kari: And this is new?
Rachel: *whaps Kari*
Glorfindel: Mortals...*shakes head in disgust*
Rachel: ...
CS: *points to Tolkien, who is scowling at Rachel, Kari and CS*
Rachel: Right...he WOULD make Glorfindel follow canon, wouldn't he?
CS: Oooooh yeah. In the strongest possible way...
-43: Alkarisil-
I stared at Kari, frozen in place, my mind working furiously at trying to find something to say to her, but coming up with nothing at all. Irrationally, I sent a curse Glorfindel's way, and then quite rationally, I sent several creative curses Haldir and Galadriel's ways. That seemed to set my mind to working again, and I came up with what is likely the most BRILLIANT response ever:
"Hello, Kari." She smiled at me sardonically, recognizing the genius of my response.
"I prefer Alkarisil." she said.
"Alkarisil." I corrected myself with a shrug.
"My, aren't we talkative for one so recently returned from the dead." she said sarcastically, and I shifted uncomfortably, suddenly realizing why my mother had always told me that sarcasm wasn't a good skill to cultivate.
"No, not at the moment." I said. "I'm actually kinda having trouble just trying to keep my mind working at the moment."
"Oh, you are having trouble keeping you mind working?" Kari - she was still Kari to my mind, no matter what she wanted to be called, dammit - said rolling her eyes. "You would think you had just had a friend who you thought was DEAD return, alive and well, or some other thing along those lines."
"I panicked, it was stupid, I'm sorry, and there's nothing much more I can say than that." I snapped in reply.
"How sincere you sound." Kari said dryly.
"It's hard to be sincere when you seem to have remembered, after 800 years, just how to push my buttons." I retorted in annoyance.
"Oh yes, I'm the one at fault now." Kari said with an overly dramatic sigh.
"Hell yes if you're going to continue being a bitch." I snapped. "You have no idea how much courage it took me to even come to Lothlórien, and how many times I almost turned back. If it wasn't for Glorfindel, I would be bloody well halfway back to Minas Tirith by now. I wasn't even intending that you figure out that I was back this soon, I was hoping to confront you at a time and place of my choosing - which would not have been in the middle of the afternoon the day after I arrived, in my flet. But it happened that way, and I'm trying to deal with it, so excuse ME if I'm a little disconcerted."
"It is always about you, is it not? Always has been." Kari said, arching an eyebrow.
"At this moment, since I am the one that caused the problem, yes, it is about me." I replied, arching an eyebrow in return. "It can easily be turned around so it is about YOU and how you would like me to that I truly AM sorry, though, if you just ask." Kari looked somewhat surprised. She had obviously not expected this reaction from me. Well, I had changed in 800 years, just as she had - whether those changes were for better or worse, in either of us, only time would tell.
"There is no way you can prove your apology." Kari said bitterly, walking over to me. She stopped a few feet in front of me and gave me a hard stare. "What you've done cannot be forgiven." Then she stormed past me and left the flet.
I stared at the slightly open door for several minutes after she left, trying to recover from the encounter. For a moment, I was prepared to give up hope at her parting statement, but then I recalled how Elladan and Elrohir were, indeed, still talking to me, and I was on the edge of a bloody romance with Glorfindel. 'Cannot be forgiven'? Hell yes it can. The question was, how? I was pulled out of my thoughts as there came a cursory knock at my door before it slowly opened again. I found myself looking up at Glorfindel.
"Kari was here?" It was a question that needn't have been asked, as the only way Glorfindel could have known was if he had seen Kari leaving. Nonetheless, I nodded.
Then, surprisingly, I found myself pulled into a hug. I stiffened for a moment, and then relaxed in Glorfindel's arms, wrapping my own around him and holding onto him. I felt safe there, and it pushed away my worries about Kari, which at the moment, I needed. I liked to remain in control of situations, and that control had been taken away and replaced with a whirlwind of breathlessly quick and dangerous occurrences that I liked to remain in control simply to avoid.
I barely noticed when Glorfindel shut the door, but it was rather hard not to notice when he picked me up and deposited me on the bed. But quite honestly, I didn't care as long as he was there, and just snuggled closer to him and enjoyed the time, knowing that I would, eventually, have to come back to reality and figure out how to prove to Kari that I knew what I had done was stupid and that I was sorry.
Of course, you've probably figured out the solution to that by now. My brain, however, was currently living in the moment, and it wasn't until coherent thoughts involving both the past and the future, as well as the present, began to seep back into it that I realized what the perfect way to show Kari that I knew what I'd done was stupid and that I was sorry was. And really? I wasn't going to mind doing it one bit. Because, essentially, what I needed to prove to Kari was that I no longer believed in Mary-Sues, and the perfect way to prove that was to pursue this blossoming relationship with Glorfindel.
I couldn't help it, I cackled gleefully as plans started to form, and Glorfindel pulled back and gave me an odd look.
"I just figured something out." I said, grinning wickedly, and Glorfindel arched an eyebrow.
"And what might that be?" he asked.
"My secret!" I replied happily, bouncing up from the bed and heading over to the window. I poked my head outside, looked around for no reason, and then returned my attention to the room to find Glorfindel now standing behind me - and I hadn't even heard him move. "Don't move so quietly." I said with a mock scowl. "Unless you're going to lead me to the kitchens. I'm hungry." Glorfindel stared at me as I went over to the door and held it open, looking at him impatiently. Then he laughed, and proceeded to lead me to the kitchens of Lothlórien, where, after I remembered that I had skipped lunch, I scarfed down a good hobbit-sized helping of an early supper. The cooks gave me mixed amused and revolted looks, while Glorfindel just watched me with a puzzled look on his face. He wasn't going to know what hit him, I decided with a wicked grin.
As I finished my late meal, Glorfindel informed me that I would have to sit through another meal shortly, as we were to be attending a formal supper with Galadriel, Celeborn, and some of the other notables of Lothlórien, later.
"Well why didn't you tell me that BEFORE I stuffed myself?" I demanded, and Glorfindel shrugged, smiling innocently.
"It slipped my mind." he replied, far too innocently, and I narrowed my eyes at him dangerously. "Think of it this way - it shall leave you more time to speak with your table companions."
"You had better be one of those." I said, twitching slightly as I envisioned myself surrounded by boring Elf-lords and nothing to do but talk to them. Glorfindel just shrugged nonchalantly and rose, giving me a little wave before sauntering out of the kitchen, suddenly reminding me of the long-ago memory of a certain Mr. Johnny Depp playing a certain Captain Jack Sparrow. That thought made me rather lost to the world for several minutes - let's face it, Jack Sparrow and Glorfindel in the same thought would cause ANYONE to lose touch with reality for a short time (though for different reasons for males, I'm sure).
I was, unfortunately, pulled out of my little never-never land by an elf politely inquiry for 'Miss Rachel' at the kitchen door. The cooks pointed in my direction, and I had enough time to gather my thoughts before the female elf came over to me and curtseyed politely.
"Lady Galadriel wishes to speak with you." she said, so softly I could barely hear. I felt a flash of annoyance, and contemplated refusing, but this was Creepy Lady's realm, and therefore, it wouldn't be wise to piss her off. Especially since this was about the only place left for me to observe any part of the quest in comfort and relative welcome. So, with a shrug, I followed the elf as she lead me out of the kitchens, up various stairways, and over random walkways, finally coming to a stop at a familiar-looking door. I entered cautiously, knocking first, and found that this was indeed the same room I'd been in earlier today to see Galadriel and Celeborn, but this time, only Galadriel was waiting for me.
"I am glad you have returned, Rachel." Galadriel said, with no hint of accusation in her voice about my previous exit.
"Mm." was my response.
"Please, sit." Galadriel said for the second time that day, motioning to the same chair I had sat in before. I sat. "I understand that the news of Alkarisil's memory must have come as quite a shock to you."
"You're almost as good as Elrond at understating." I grumbled, and I saw a smile ghost across Galadriel's lips before she continued.
"This change in Kari's memory is only temporary, however - she asked me to lift it when the War of the Ring ended. Alternatively, sufficient changes to the timeline as she knows it should go will wake her memories." she said.
"Or a nice big, juicy shock like finding out I'm still alive." I said, glowering up at Galadriel, and she nodded down at me.
"Indeed it would." she said. I felt a flicker of surprise, and then, with an inward grin, I realized that Galadriel did not yet know of Kari's recent discovery. I pondered telling her, and then pondered the consequences of NOT telling her. Creepy Lady wins again.
"Like it did this morning." I said innocently, and had the extreme pleasure of being perhaps the first Elf in several hundred years to see a look of pure surprise on Galadriel's face. I couldn't help it - I grinned.
"You have revealed yourself to her already?" Galadriel asked, shaking her head slightly as her surprise dissipated.
"No." I drawled, using this chance to turn the tables on Galadriel and look at HER in faint amusement. I don't think the turn-about was lost on Galadriel. "I said something to Haldir about Kari's Yuletide Feast that I shouldn't have. When he revealed that piece of information to Kari in an attempt to get more, it broke through the memory block, as only someone from our world could know of that particular piece of information. It being based on a religion that doesn't even exist here and all."
"And how do you know this?" Galadriel asked, tilting her head to one side.
"You are no more an idiot than I, Lady Galadriel." I said, giving Galadriel another amused look. "How do you THINK I know this?" There really was only one way I could know it, and Galadriel knew it.
"So have you resolved your...differences now?" Galadriel asked, and I shook my head, though I think she had already figured out that, as well.
"No, Kari - 'scuse me, Alkarisil - has deemed that what I did cannot be forgiven. Even though Elladan, Elrohir, and Glory did just that." I said, my lips twitching in grim amusement. "They didn't have such a close connection to me as Kari when I disappeared, though, so I can understand that she feels the - well, she'd probably call it either betrayal or abandonment - more keenly."
"I take it you have a plan to change her mind, however?" Galadriel said, arching an eyebrow delicately.
"Oh yes." I said, smiling once again, this time slightly dreamily.
"I hope it shall not be too disruptive." Galadriel commented mildly.
"No no. It shall be quite pleasant for all parties involved." I smirked. Galadriel eyed me as if contemplating something, and a moment later, I felt her brush against my mind. With an inward grin, I fixed in my mind the image of Glorfindel stretched out on his back, glimmering in the firelight and half asleep, during our short delay on the way here. I saw Galadriel's eyes widen slightly, and I innocently changed the image to my first memory of Glorfindel sitting in that tree in Rivendell on that...interesting night. The brush against my mind withdrew.
"Was there anything else you wished to speak with me about?" I asked, once again far too innocently for even the most naive to believe. There was a pause as Galadriel eyed me with amusement, and I wondered momentarily if she was going to warn Glorfindel. I hoped not. I was going to look forward to turning the tables on him and exposing him to a little good old 21st century flirting.
"No." Galadriel said finally. "No, that was all. I was going to attempt to advise you in how to approach Alkarisil, but that is not needed now. Other things, as well, seem to have lost their purpose to be said."
"Been talking to Gandalf?" I asked blandly. Galadriel just gave me a closed look - meaning, of course, that she had been talking to Gandalf. I would have to steal his hat again. Oh, wait...he was going to lose the damn thing in Moria, and I wouldn't be able to steal it ever again. I frowned slightly, realizing I should have given in to that impulse to snag the hat again as I left Rivendell.
"I believe it is time for supper." Galadriel said, though she cast me a curious look for my sudden frown.
"Ah, food. Wonderful stuff. Too bad I just ate. Must remember to get Glory back for not telling me how close it was to supper." I said absently as I stood along with Galadriel, trying to think of a way of getting Gandalf's hat before he lost it in Lothlórien. Maybe I could scamper off and intercept the Fellowship outside of Moria? I continued my planning as I absently followed Galadriel while she glided out of the room and down into a rather formal-looking feast hall.
Celeborn and Glorfindel were waiting at the hall's entrance, and I was forced to pull myself away from my plotting to get Gandalf's hat for my plotting to get Glorfindel back for not telling me how close to supper it was. Nothing big, of course - it wasn't like he had done me any great harm in not telling me. Hell, I'd probably make a good dent in supper even as it was. But nothing said my getting him back couldn't simply consist of flirting with him all supper and not allowing him a moment to eat. So, as Galadriel sedately took her husband's arm and they headed into the feat hall together, I innocently took Glorfindel's arm, which he looked only mildly surprised at - besides me being truly innocent being a rare thing, I had yet taken the initiative in taking a males arm before it was offered - and followed him in. All my plans were buried, however, in favour of hiding behind Glorfindel, as I saw the one and only Kari giving me an icy look from her place at the table.
"Today sucks." I mumbled, just loud enough for Glorfindel to hear, and he chuckled.
"All of it?" he asked with a teasing twinkle in his eyes.
"Mm, except the late afternoon." I replied with a lop-sided grin. Glorfindel chuckled again, but I could tell that my answer surprised him - he most likely hadn't expected the positive response to his teasing. Oh yes, this was fun. My mood sobered again, though, as we walked past Kari. I half expected her to stick out a foot and trip me, but then reminded myself that while I had maintained my youthful personality and penchant for petty practical jokes and revenges, due mainly to hanging around young human males, Kari's husband was around three thousand years old, and he was most likely the youngest being besides Arwen that Kari had had contact with in the past 800 years.
I was thankful, then, when, upon discovering that Glorfindel and I had seats next to each other, Glorfindel considerately put himself between Kari and me. I shot him a thankful smile, and he gave me a warm smile in return before we turned our attention to other things. Like eating. Or, in my case, talking to Glorfindel and making absolutely sure that he never got two bites of food in his mouth in a row without having to say something in-between. Turned out I wasn't as hungry as I thought, and Glorfindel commented, all too innocently, on my lack of eating towards the end of the meal. From the way he practically shoveled food into his mouth when I looked down at my barely-touched plate, I knew it was a ploy to get him some time to eat.
"Maybe I'm just not hungry for food." I said to him innocently, and then, as he looked over at me, let my eyes rove over what I could see of him. Glorfindel just stared at me for a few seconds, and I could almost literally SEE the thought process going through his head - while I had been subtly flirting with him through all the meal, I'm pretty sure he hadn't picked up on half of it. That was the most forward comment I'd made yet.
Then, as Glorfindel finally worked out the meaning of what I'd said, his face, to my immense satisfaction, took on a slightly pink tinge. Not much, mind you - you'd have to be watching for it to notice it - but I saw it, and grinned. Then I turned to the elf on my other side and amiably started talking to him - wasn't that hard, really. I just asked him his name, and what he did, and he was off and running. Turned out he was one of the major craftelves of Lothlórien, and he was more than happy to discuss jewellery making - his chosen trade - with me for the remainder of the meal. I myself was rather interested, since, while I may not like all that much to wear jewellery - most of the human stuff I had run across just looked stupid on me, anyways - making jewellery is rather fun. You get to play with hot metal, sharp objects, shiny things, and other such fun stuff. And so my attention was occupied for the rest of the meal, leaving Glorfindel to make up for lost time and eat his heart out.
----To be continued...with stars!----
(And walking!)
-Authors Note:-
Erm, yeah, some of you may have noticed that there was some glitches with the posting ofthe last chapter. To start with, it was late. Sorry. Normally I update in the morning, before I scamper off to school (gee, that almost makes me sound energetic...) but...well, I got writing a future chapter. The explanation will come with that chapter. And for those of you that might have checked up on my story when I FINALLY posted it, it had the same 'To be continued...' as Chapter 15. I fixed it shortly afterwards, but all the same...oops. So sorry.
And speaking of the last chapter, I'm amazed how few of you complained over the cliff-hanger! I guess it's because you know I'll update in a few days, anyways? Or something? Eh, whatever. You all get Elvish cloaks for it, whatever the reason. Even those that did complain, because hey, I hate cliffhangers, too. At least when reading them. :)
Also, another revision notice. And guess where it is? Yep, back in Gondor. Chapter 19, to be precise. I added a little scene with Faramir at the beginning of the chapter, and that's it, but I think it builds on character relationships a bit...
Now to go totally off-topic. Or at least, totally away from anything having to do with the story. I'm thinking of starting a LotR FanFiction archive site, and I'm looking around for a name...does anybody have any ideas? I'm, at the moment, at a loss...
Now I'm going to scamper off and do some MORE research for this story...and maybe try and get caught up in my Chemistry, which has been suffering horribly. (Because I don't like to do it, not because of this story) (At least not *exclusively* because of this story)
Until Sunday!
~Crimson Starlight