-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-
-Disclaimer:-
Erestor: Well, Crimson Starlight's incapacitated due to a literally splitting headache, so she left the disclaimer for us Elves.
Glorfindel: Not that we don't normally do the disclaimer without any help from her.
Erestor: *cough* Indeed. But most of us usually do it clothed.
Glorfindel: Yes, well, between the reviewers and Rachel, I've run out of un-damaged clothing.
Erestor: You know I would gladly lend you some, as would Elrond. Or Gil-Galad. Or Legolas. Or Haldir. Or Celeborn. Or just about any other male elf.
Glorfindel: Yes yes. But walking around without any clothing seems to be keeping the reviewers, at least, at bay.
Haldir: *appearing* That's because they're all drowning in puddles of drool.
Erestor: Well isn't THAT a pleasant image.
Haldir: *grinning* Oh yes, it is.
Erestor: I was being sarcastic.
Haldir: And I was being sadistic.
Erestor: *twitch*
Glorfindel: Are we going to actually DO the disclaimer?
Haldir: *cheerily* Crimson Starlight owns nothing!
Rachel: *appears and tackles Glorfindel*
Rachel and Glorfindel: *uhm...do I even need to say what(/who) they're doing?*
Erestor and Haldir: GO GET A ROOM, FOR VALAR'S SAKE!
-57: Weapons-
When I returned to the Fellowship's pavilion later, this time in trousers and a tunic, only Glorfindel and Boromir were waiting for me.
"Where's Kari?" I asked curiously.
"She had to inform some friends that she would not be joining them this morning. She said she would meet us down at the fields to watch the show in a bit." Glorfindel said with a small grin.
"Bah to her, I say!" I said with mock grumpiness. "Now let's go..." And so we went off to the practice fields. Boromir looked quite impressed by their size when we got there, and spent several minutes watching the practicing Elves while Glorfindel went about gathering up a large variety of practice weapons. When he returned, to my surprise, he brought Rúmil with him.
"I thought you were out on the borders." I said, having to switch from Common - which I'd been using since meeting up with Boromir - to Elvish for Rúmil to understand.
"I was, but I got hit in the head by an Orc and they sent me back." Rúmil replied grumpily. I chuckled.
"Damn those commanders, always looking out for their men." I said with a grin.
"It was Orophin, actually." Rúmil said, making a face, and I chuckled again. "What are you doing here, anyways?"
"Being tested to see if I can use any weapon better than I can use a sword." I replied promptly.
"You have not already been tested?" Rúmil asked curiously.
"No, Boromir and Elladan forgot." I replied with a shrug. "I didn't start out learning the sword seriously, anyways."
"Oh." Rúmil said. "Mind if I watch?"
"I'm not responsible for any injuries you might get." I said with a grin, and Rúmil chuckled. At this point I noticed that Boromir, who - despite having had lessons in Sindarin practically all his life - could only understand half of what Rúmil and I were saying and was now looking to me for a translation.
"He was just wondering what we were doing." I told Boromir in Common as Rúmil went and sat down against a tree on the edge of the practice ring we had claimed.
"Am I in time for the big show?" Kari asked, appearing and heading in my direction.
"Yep." I said with a grin, getting an idea. "And you get to play translator for Rúmil and Boromir!" Kari blinked.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because you know both Elvish and Common, and Boromir knows only Common with a smattering of Elvish and Rúmil knows only Elvish with a smattering of Common." I replied patiently. "Therefore, at least one of them will need a translator during the test."
"Most likely Rúmil, since Boromir will be testing you." Glorfindel commented absently from where he was sorting through the practice weapons.
"So there you go!" I said cheerfully, and Kari sighed.
"Oh, fine then." she said, and went and sat over by Rúmil, where she explained the situation to him. Rúmil nodded, and then turned his attention back to the arena even as Glorfindel finally announced that he was ready.
Glorfindel had disposed with all of the weapons that were a variation on a sword, quite logically assuming that I'd have as much luck with them as I would with a sword. After seeing my archery, he'd also disposed with any ranged weapons. That left maces, flails and most polearms. And a whip. My eyes lit up when I saw that weapon, but Kari snatched it before I could grab it.
"That would just be ASKING for trouble." she informed Glorfindel. "And an interesting sex life." She had been speaking in Elvish, so Rúmil was the one who burst out laughing when Glorfindel twitched and shot a fearful look at me. I grinned.
"Try the maces." Glorfindel managed to choke out, and I did so as Kari repeated what she'd said to Boromir, who wanted in on the joke. And so Glorfindel was submitted to another round of laughter - which quickly transferred its target to me as Rúmil spotted me trying to lift a mace. The damn things were heavy, and when I finally did get one off the ground, I almost broke my wrist with the way it flopped around.
"No maces, then." Glorfindel said with amusement. "Try the flails." I did so, and it didn't take a weapons expert to see that this was a bad idea - just lifting it up, I whacked myself four times with the spiked ball. Good thing it was only a practice weapon and not sharp...
"Polearms it is, then." Kari said with a grin.
"Try the spear, first." Glorfindel said, looking amused. Remembering that Gil-Galad had wielded a spear, and what Glorfindel had said about Gil-Galad and I getting along, I also grinned as I picked up the weapon. But while I was better with it than I was with a sword, I wasn't very good with it, either.
"It feels more balanced in my hands." I said with a shrug when Glorfindel asked me what I thought the difference was. He nodded thoughtfully, then reached down and tossed me a quarterstaff.
"Try this." he said, then showed me a few grips and let Boromir test me further. I was better with a quarterstaff, but I kept my hands together too much, and couldn't work up momentum for any really powerful blows.
"You could learn to wield it, with time, I think." Glorfindel said dubiously. "But you would never be able to do much damage. You do not have the weight to put behind it, nor the speed to compensate for that lack of strength. Though your size might help."
"Hey, I can be fast when I want to." I said defensively. Glorfindel simply nodded distractedly, too deep into Weapons Teacher Mode to care about the inadvertent insult, then tossed me a glaive and told me to try it, using the same grips as I had with the spear and the quarterstaff. So we continued on down through the polearms, until nothing was left; I could use them all fairly well, just about as well as I could a sword, but I rarely hit with the bladed part of my weapon, if it had one, and thus couldn't do much damage.
"Perhaps a different type of sword?" Boromir suggested dubiously.
"Before you subject us to that disaster," Rúmil said once Kari had translated what Boromir suggested, "Wait for a moment and let me go get something?" Glorfindel nodded, and Rúmil dashed off in the direction of the main parts of Caras Galadhon. He was gone only a short time, and when he returned, he was carrying what looked like a typical curved-blade Elvish sword - only with a really long hilt, and shaped oddly, almost like a tilda (~) from a computer keyboard - only softer on the curves. No, I realized as Rúmil got closer, that wasn't an extra long hilt - that was another blade, only sheathed. It was a two-bladed sword. I looked up at him in surprise.
"I thought you were dubious about her skills with a sword?" Glorfindel asked with a frown, also realizing what the weapon was.
"Normal swords, yes, but this a special type, and more like a polearm in balance than a sword. Or so I have been told." Rúmil said with a shrug. "The way she was handling the polearms made me think that this might suit her." He held the weapon out to me, and I glanced over at Glorfindel. He hesitated, then nodded, and I took the double-bladed sword, careful to grab the hilt and not one of the blades. Rúmil stepped back, and Glorfindel came to instruct me on how to hold it. He stopped when he saw how I was holding it already, however.
"Perhaps you are right, Rúmil." he said with amusement, and then glanced up at me. "Just keep your grip the way it is." I looked at him in surprise, and then grinned. This was promising.
I swung the sword one or two times without anyone in the arena, getting a feel for it, then removed the sheaths and settled into a typical sword-fighting stance to wait for Boromir to attack. He did so carefully, mindful of the fact that the weapon I now had was, unlike the practice weapons I'd been using all morning, very sharp. It soon became apparent, however, that I had a feel for the double-bladed sword. Rúmil was right - it was more like a polearm in balance than a sword, and the fact that it was more blade than pole meant that I could deal damage without a whole lot of strength.
"Well, I think we have found your aptitude." Glorfindel said dryly when he called a halt to Boromir's and my spar.
"I knew it." Rúmil said with a smirk. "It fits the Valar's senses of humour perfectly." I arched an eyebrow at him.
"Oh? Why is that?" I asked, and Rúmil's smirk turned into an evil grin.
"Because," he drawled, "The only living master of the double-bladed sword this side of Valinor is my brother, the Marchwarden. That is actually his blade that you are holding." I stared at Rúmil for a moment, then down at the double-bladed sword still in my hands, and burst out laughing.
"Quite right, that does fit the Valar's senses of humour." I said with a snigger when I calmed down.
"Yes, but this does raise a problem." Glorfindel said with a small frown. "I did not get a double-bladed practice sword because their WERE none. And since Rúmil here went and got Haldir's sword for you to spar with, I would wager a guess that there is none." Rúmil nodded.
"Haldir shattered one of the blades of the last double-bladed practice sword several centuries ago. As no one but him uses double-bladed swords, and he has three different ones of his own, the smiths saw no point in either repairing the practice sword or making a new one." he said.
"So in order to practice, Rachel shall have to borrow one of Haldir's swords." Glorfindel said with a sigh, and I frowned lightly.
"The smiths would only take a few weeks to make one." Rúmil offered helpfully.
"But that would delay my practicing." I pointed out. "And anyways, if I'm in the same place as the only living master in the weapon I want to learn that is on this side of Valinor, I am not going to let such a petty thing as not being able to get along with him get in my way." All three males looked at me in surprise, and Kari looked amused.
"Have you not figured out by now that Rachel is determined, if nothing else?" she said, repeating what she said in both Common and Elvish so both Rúmil and Boromir would understand. Glorfindel chuckled.
"She is that." he said, giving me a fond look, and I grinned back at him in a rather stupid manner, my dark blue eyes locked on his light blue ones, and I'm sure if my brain had been working, the phrase 'drowning in his eyes' would have come to mind.
Of course, the moment had to be ruined as Haldir walked up.
"Rúmil, have you seen -" Haldir stopped short as he saw what I was holding. There was absolute silence for a moment. "Why are you holding my sword?" Haldir asked me finally, his voice dangerously low.
"Because I'm useless at every other weapon, and Rúmil thought I might have an aptitude for a double-bladed sword." I replied calmly, taking the sheaths for the weapon from Kari and carefully putting them back on. "Which it turns out I do." I said the last part as I handed Haldir his sword, which he promptly took the sheaths off of and inspected carefully. Satisfied that his weapon was OK, he sheathed it again and looked up at me suspiciously.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I mean that the Valar have a sense of humour and irony." I replied, arching an eyebrow. "Because out of all the weapons I've tried to day - and believe me I've tried a lot - I am, by far, better with a double-bladed sword than anything else." Haldir looked at me for a moment, frowning thoughtfully, and then glanced towards Glorfindel, who nodded in confirmation. Haldir shook his head and smiled ruefully.
"A sense of humour and irony indeed." he said. "I suppose you wish me to teach you, and let you use my swords?"
"Well, the sword part, yes, the teaching - I'm sure Glorfindel could show me the basics, at least." I said, shooting a glance in Glorfindel's direction. He nodded slightly. "After that, we'll see. I've been informed you're the only living master of the weapon this side of Valinor, but I'm not sure even THAT will be enough for me to not get snarky if you start telling me what to do." Haldir smirked for a moment, and then turned thoughtful.
"Pleeeeeease, Haldir?" I asked, doing my best imitation of puppy-dog pleading eyes. Haldir looked at me in amusement.
"Only so long as you stop calling me 'Dad'." he said finally.
"Aw." I said, pouting slightly.
"And 'Hal' is not an acceptable substitute." he added firmly.
"You're no fun." I said with a scowl. "But fine."
"Very well then." he said with a smile. "You may use my swords - but I reserve the right to take away that privilege, and you will get the smiths to make you your own as soon as possible, and if any damage comes to my weapons..." Haldir let the threat dangle.
"Not going to happen." I said with a grin, and then impulsively hugged Haldir, sword and all. He looked surprised when I stepped away. "You can be cool sometimes, buttermonkey." Haldir scowled, and I grinned again as those watching tried to stifle chuckles.
----To be continued...with Nancy!----
(And an apparently much-anticipated talk with Boromir!)
-Authors Note:-
This chapter is the result of a morning of utter boredom way back in January, on the weekend inbetween the posting of chapters 41 and 42. It started with me getting bored and doodling sword hilt designs in my sketchbook, and grew when I decided to make a sword for Rachel. The resulting sword sparked my imagination, and as I walked to school on the next Monday, this chapter popped into my head. I was early for class, so I started writing the chapter out long-hand - something I had never done before for a chapter of this fic - and when I got home, I continued writing, only stopping to go looking for names and pictures of medieval weapons. And so this chapter was written before I even posted chapter 42. In fact, it was the reason I was a little late posting chapter 42...So now you know how I could 'write' a chapter with a splitting headache. *wince*
Anyways, Gaeruil, Senda Kenobi and jenelin get a random 'best reviewers' award for explaining the origin of Glorfindel's name! *presents award, which happens to be Glorfindel wrapped in ribbon with a sparklie bow on his head* Do with him what you will...but remember to share and return him in time for the next chapter!
As to all my other reviewers, you get the usual thank-yous, piles of appreciation, and, for the heck of it, random shiny stones that I picked up at Mount Doom after the Ring got destroyed and everything cooled down. Some of them might have flecks of gold from the Ring in them!
Yep, off to do schoolwork now...see ya thursday!
~Crimson Starlight
-Revision's Author's Note:-
Yeah, someone pointed out that Boromir should know some Elvish, since he is a Lord of Gondor and Gondor was once allied with the Elves, despite the fact that he does have Elvish blood in him through being the son of Imrahil's sister Finduilas. This was, of course, pointed out right after I posted this chapter, but I just got around to changing it now...yes, I am very very lazy sometimes!
~Crimson Starlight
-Disclaimer:-
Erestor: Well, Crimson Starlight's incapacitated due to a literally splitting headache, so she left the disclaimer for us Elves.
Glorfindel: Not that we don't normally do the disclaimer without any help from her.
Erestor: *cough* Indeed. But most of us usually do it clothed.
Glorfindel: Yes, well, between the reviewers and Rachel, I've run out of un-damaged clothing.
Erestor: You know I would gladly lend you some, as would Elrond. Or Gil-Galad. Or Legolas. Or Haldir. Or Celeborn. Or just about any other male elf.
Glorfindel: Yes yes. But walking around without any clothing seems to be keeping the reviewers, at least, at bay.
Haldir: *appearing* That's because they're all drowning in puddles of drool.
Erestor: Well isn't THAT a pleasant image.
Haldir: *grinning* Oh yes, it is.
Erestor: I was being sarcastic.
Haldir: And I was being sadistic.
Erestor: *twitch*
Glorfindel: Are we going to actually DO the disclaimer?
Haldir: *cheerily* Crimson Starlight owns nothing!
Rachel: *appears and tackles Glorfindel*
Rachel and Glorfindel: *uhm...do I even need to say what(/who) they're doing?*
Erestor and Haldir: GO GET A ROOM, FOR VALAR'S SAKE!
-57: Weapons-
When I returned to the Fellowship's pavilion later, this time in trousers and a tunic, only Glorfindel and Boromir were waiting for me.
"Where's Kari?" I asked curiously.
"She had to inform some friends that she would not be joining them this morning. She said she would meet us down at the fields to watch the show in a bit." Glorfindel said with a small grin.
"Bah to her, I say!" I said with mock grumpiness. "Now let's go..." And so we went off to the practice fields. Boromir looked quite impressed by their size when we got there, and spent several minutes watching the practicing Elves while Glorfindel went about gathering up a large variety of practice weapons. When he returned, to my surprise, he brought Rúmil with him.
"I thought you were out on the borders." I said, having to switch from Common - which I'd been using since meeting up with Boromir - to Elvish for Rúmil to understand.
"I was, but I got hit in the head by an Orc and they sent me back." Rúmil replied grumpily. I chuckled.
"Damn those commanders, always looking out for their men." I said with a grin.
"It was Orophin, actually." Rúmil said, making a face, and I chuckled again. "What are you doing here, anyways?"
"Being tested to see if I can use any weapon better than I can use a sword." I replied promptly.
"You have not already been tested?" Rúmil asked curiously.
"No, Boromir and Elladan forgot." I replied with a shrug. "I didn't start out learning the sword seriously, anyways."
"Oh." Rúmil said. "Mind if I watch?"
"I'm not responsible for any injuries you might get." I said with a grin, and Rúmil chuckled. At this point I noticed that Boromir, who - despite having had lessons in Sindarin practically all his life - could only understand half of what Rúmil and I were saying and was now looking to me for a translation.
"He was just wondering what we were doing." I told Boromir in Common as Rúmil went and sat down against a tree on the edge of the practice ring we had claimed.
"Am I in time for the big show?" Kari asked, appearing and heading in my direction.
"Yep." I said with a grin, getting an idea. "And you get to play translator for Rúmil and Boromir!" Kari blinked.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because you know both Elvish and Common, and Boromir knows only Common with a smattering of Elvish and Rúmil knows only Elvish with a smattering of Common." I replied patiently. "Therefore, at least one of them will need a translator during the test."
"Most likely Rúmil, since Boromir will be testing you." Glorfindel commented absently from where he was sorting through the practice weapons.
"So there you go!" I said cheerfully, and Kari sighed.
"Oh, fine then." she said, and went and sat over by Rúmil, where she explained the situation to him. Rúmil nodded, and then turned his attention back to the arena even as Glorfindel finally announced that he was ready.
Glorfindel had disposed with all of the weapons that were a variation on a sword, quite logically assuming that I'd have as much luck with them as I would with a sword. After seeing my archery, he'd also disposed with any ranged weapons. That left maces, flails and most polearms. And a whip. My eyes lit up when I saw that weapon, but Kari snatched it before I could grab it.
"That would just be ASKING for trouble." she informed Glorfindel. "And an interesting sex life." She had been speaking in Elvish, so Rúmil was the one who burst out laughing when Glorfindel twitched and shot a fearful look at me. I grinned.
"Try the maces." Glorfindel managed to choke out, and I did so as Kari repeated what she'd said to Boromir, who wanted in on the joke. And so Glorfindel was submitted to another round of laughter - which quickly transferred its target to me as Rúmil spotted me trying to lift a mace. The damn things were heavy, and when I finally did get one off the ground, I almost broke my wrist with the way it flopped around.
"No maces, then." Glorfindel said with amusement. "Try the flails." I did so, and it didn't take a weapons expert to see that this was a bad idea - just lifting it up, I whacked myself four times with the spiked ball. Good thing it was only a practice weapon and not sharp...
"Polearms it is, then." Kari said with a grin.
"Try the spear, first." Glorfindel said, looking amused. Remembering that Gil-Galad had wielded a spear, and what Glorfindel had said about Gil-Galad and I getting along, I also grinned as I picked up the weapon. But while I was better with it than I was with a sword, I wasn't very good with it, either.
"It feels more balanced in my hands." I said with a shrug when Glorfindel asked me what I thought the difference was. He nodded thoughtfully, then reached down and tossed me a quarterstaff.
"Try this." he said, then showed me a few grips and let Boromir test me further. I was better with a quarterstaff, but I kept my hands together too much, and couldn't work up momentum for any really powerful blows.
"You could learn to wield it, with time, I think." Glorfindel said dubiously. "But you would never be able to do much damage. You do not have the weight to put behind it, nor the speed to compensate for that lack of strength. Though your size might help."
"Hey, I can be fast when I want to." I said defensively. Glorfindel simply nodded distractedly, too deep into Weapons Teacher Mode to care about the inadvertent insult, then tossed me a glaive and told me to try it, using the same grips as I had with the spear and the quarterstaff. So we continued on down through the polearms, until nothing was left; I could use them all fairly well, just about as well as I could a sword, but I rarely hit with the bladed part of my weapon, if it had one, and thus couldn't do much damage.
"Perhaps a different type of sword?" Boromir suggested dubiously.
"Before you subject us to that disaster," Rúmil said once Kari had translated what Boromir suggested, "Wait for a moment and let me go get something?" Glorfindel nodded, and Rúmil dashed off in the direction of the main parts of Caras Galadhon. He was gone only a short time, and when he returned, he was carrying what looked like a typical curved-blade Elvish sword - only with a really long hilt, and shaped oddly, almost like a tilda (~) from a computer keyboard - only softer on the curves. No, I realized as Rúmil got closer, that wasn't an extra long hilt - that was another blade, only sheathed. It was a two-bladed sword. I looked up at him in surprise.
"I thought you were dubious about her skills with a sword?" Glorfindel asked with a frown, also realizing what the weapon was.
"Normal swords, yes, but this a special type, and more like a polearm in balance than a sword. Or so I have been told." Rúmil said with a shrug. "The way she was handling the polearms made me think that this might suit her." He held the weapon out to me, and I glanced over at Glorfindel. He hesitated, then nodded, and I took the double-bladed sword, careful to grab the hilt and not one of the blades. Rúmil stepped back, and Glorfindel came to instruct me on how to hold it. He stopped when he saw how I was holding it already, however.
"Perhaps you are right, Rúmil." he said with amusement, and then glanced up at me. "Just keep your grip the way it is." I looked at him in surprise, and then grinned. This was promising.
I swung the sword one or two times without anyone in the arena, getting a feel for it, then removed the sheaths and settled into a typical sword-fighting stance to wait for Boromir to attack. He did so carefully, mindful of the fact that the weapon I now had was, unlike the practice weapons I'd been using all morning, very sharp. It soon became apparent, however, that I had a feel for the double-bladed sword. Rúmil was right - it was more like a polearm in balance than a sword, and the fact that it was more blade than pole meant that I could deal damage without a whole lot of strength.
"Well, I think we have found your aptitude." Glorfindel said dryly when he called a halt to Boromir's and my spar.
"I knew it." Rúmil said with a smirk. "It fits the Valar's senses of humour perfectly." I arched an eyebrow at him.
"Oh? Why is that?" I asked, and Rúmil's smirk turned into an evil grin.
"Because," he drawled, "The only living master of the double-bladed sword this side of Valinor is my brother, the Marchwarden. That is actually his blade that you are holding." I stared at Rúmil for a moment, then down at the double-bladed sword still in my hands, and burst out laughing.
"Quite right, that does fit the Valar's senses of humour." I said with a snigger when I calmed down.
"Yes, but this does raise a problem." Glorfindel said with a small frown. "I did not get a double-bladed practice sword because their WERE none. And since Rúmil here went and got Haldir's sword for you to spar with, I would wager a guess that there is none." Rúmil nodded.
"Haldir shattered one of the blades of the last double-bladed practice sword several centuries ago. As no one but him uses double-bladed swords, and he has three different ones of his own, the smiths saw no point in either repairing the practice sword or making a new one." he said.
"So in order to practice, Rachel shall have to borrow one of Haldir's swords." Glorfindel said with a sigh, and I frowned lightly.
"The smiths would only take a few weeks to make one." Rúmil offered helpfully.
"But that would delay my practicing." I pointed out. "And anyways, if I'm in the same place as the only living master in the weapon I want to learn that is on this side of Valinor, I am not going to let such a petty thing as not being able to get along with him get in my way." All three males looked at me in surprise, and Kari looked amused.
"Have you not figured out by now that Rachel is determined, if nothing else?" she said, repeating what she said in both Common and Elvish so both Rúmil and Boromir would understand. Glorfindel chuckled.
"She is that." he said, giving me a fond look, and I grinned back at him in a rather stupid manner, my dark blue eyes locked on his light blue ones, and I'm sure if my brain had been working, the phrase 'drowning in his eyes' would have come to mind.
Of course, the moment had to be ruined as Haldir walked up.
"Rúmil, have you seen -" Haldir stopped short as he saw what I was holding. There was absolute silence for a moment. "Why are you holding my sword?" Haldir asked me finally, his voice dangerously low.
"Because I'm useless at every other weapon, and Rúmil thought I might have an aptitude for a double-bladed sword." I replied calmly, taking the sheaths for the weapon from Kari and carefully putting them back on. "Which it turns out I do." I said the last part as I handed Haldir his sword, which he promptly took the sheaths off of and inspected carefully. Satisfied that his weapon was OK, he sheathed it again and looked up at me suspiciously.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I mean that the Valar have a sense of humour and irony." I replied, arching an eyebrow. "Because out of all the weapons I've tried to day - and believe me I've tried a lot - I am, by far, better with a double-bladed sword than anything else." Haldir looked at me for a moment, frowning thoughtfully, and then glanced towards Glorfindel, who nodded in confirmation. Haldir shook his head and smiled ruefully.
"A sense of humour and irony indeed." he said. "I suppose you wish me to teach you, and let you use my swords?"
"Well, the sword part, yes, the teaching - I'm sure Glorfindel could show me the basics, at least." I said, shooting a glance in Glorfindel's direction. He nodded slightly. "After that, we'll see. I've been informed you're the only living master of the weapon this side of Valinor, but I'm not sure even THAT will be enough for me to not get snarky if you start telling me what to do." Haldir smirked for a moment, and then turned thoughtful.
"Pleeeeeease, Haldir?" I asked, doing my best imitation of puppy-dog pleading eyes. Haldir looked at me in amusement.
"Only so long as you stop calling me 'Dad'." he said finally.
"Aw." I said, pouting slightly.
"And 'Hal' is not an acceptable substitute." he added firmly.
"You're no fun." I said with a scowl. "But fine."
"Very well then." he said with a smile. "You may use my swords - but I reserve the right to take away that privilege, and you will get the smiths to make you your own as soon as possible, and if any damage comes to my weapons..." Haldir let the threat dangle.
"Not going to happen." I said with a grin, and then impulsively hugged Haldir, sword and all. He looked surprised when I stepped away. "You can be cool sometimes, buttermonkey." Haldir scowled, and I grinned again as those watching tried to stifle chuckles.
----To be continued...with Nancy!----
(And an apparently much-anticipated talk with Boromir!)
-Authors Note:-
This chapter is the result of a morning of utter boredom way back in January, on the weekend inbetween the posting of chapters 41 and 42. It started with me getting bored and doodling sword hilt designs in my sketchbook, and grew when I decided to make a sword for Rachel. The resulting sword sparked my imagination, and as I walked to school on the next Monday, this chapter popped into my head. I was early for class, so I started writing the chapter out long-hand - something I had never done before for a chapter of this fic - and when I got home, I continued writing, only stopping to go looking for names and pictures of medieval weapons. And so this chapter was written before I even posted chapter 42. In fact, it was the reason I was a little late posting chapter 42...So now you know how I could 'write' a chapter with a splitting headache. *wince*
Anyways, Gaeruil, Senda Kenobi and jenelin get a random 'best reviewers' award for explaining the origin of Glorfindel's name! *presents award, which happens to be Glorfindel wrapped in ribbon with a sparklie bow on his head* Do with him what you will...but remember to share and return him in time for the next chapter!
As to all my other reviewers, you get the usual thank-yous, piles of appreciation, and, for the heck of it, random shiny stones that I picked up at Mount Doom after the Ring got destroyed and everything cooled down. Some of them might have flecks of gold from the Ring in them!
Yep, off to do schoolwork now...see ya thursday!
~Crimson Starlight
-Revision's Author's Note:-
Yeah, someone pointed out that Boromir should know some Elvish, since he is a Lord of Gondor and Gondor was once allied with the Elves, despite the fact that he does have Elvish blood in him through being the son of Imrahil's sister Finduilas. This was, of course, pointed out right after I posted this chapter, but I just got around to changing it now...yes, I am very very lazy sometimes!
~Crimson Starlight