-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-
-Disclaimer:-
CS: Damn, I am so out of ideas for funny disclaimers...
Rachel: What?! How is that possible? You've only done 57 (or so) of them!
CS: ...'only'?!
Rachel: Yea-*stops and ponders* OK, I guess you have an excuse.
CS: *sarcasticly* So glad you agree.
Glorfindel: *arching an eyebrow* Manners, Crimson.
CS: *arching an eyebrow right back* Did you just scold me?
Glorfindel: *blinks* Er...um...no?
CS: Oh no, I think you did. I suppose you forgot I am an Author? And that I have complete control over you in not only this disclaimer, but the fic that this is the diclaimer FOR?
Glorfindel: Er...Actually, I did. Which is probably your fault, since, as you said, you DO have complete control over me. *smiles nervously*
CS: ...
Rachel: You can't deny it. His logic is sound.
CS: ...
CS: I own nothing, though I have control over many things. *glares at Glorfindel and Rachel* Unfortunately.
-60: Double-
It was a week into February when I arrived at the practice field just after lunch one day for my daily lesson and found, to my great worry, that a smirking Haldir was waiting with Glorfindel.
"Er...what's he doing here?" I asked Glorfindel nervously, eyeing Haldir. Things had been a little iffy between Haldir and me since I'd borrowed his sword - I wasn't quite sure how far I could push him, and he seemed to take advantage of it at every turn. Thus, I'd avoided him as much as I could.
"I have taught you what I can of the double-bladed sword. Anything else would do more harm than good." Glorfindel said with a shrug and an apologetic smile. "If you wish to learn more, you must learn it from Haldir." Haldir's smirk turned into a grin. I sighed.
"And thus begins my torture." I muttered. Glorfindel gave me a sympathetic look, and kissed me lightly on the temple before stepping back and out of the practice ring where Haldir and he had been waiting for me. Haldir's grin widened as his eyes glittered, and he asked me to unsheathe the sword. THE sword. He was very careful not to refer to it as either mine or his.
The instant I unsheathed it, of course, he ordered me to sheath it again, and so began an entire aggravating afternoon of learning the various ways of sheathing and unsheathing double-bladed swords from an Elf who I swear has the blood of both Morgoth and Sauron in his veins. Glorfindel, the wonderful Elf, stayed for the entire thing, and was there to guide me back to my flet after Haldir disappeared with a cheerful wave. I spent the entire evening sulking, though I knew it was childish, and Glorfindel indulgently put up with it, listening to me as I ranted about Haldir's faults and my lists of the Many Ways I Would Like To Kill The Marchwarden.
Orophin put in an appearance just after Glorfindel had had supper brought up, probably to try and get me to come for dancing lessons, but he took one look at my face, and he didn't need Glorfindel's calm statement that I'd had my first lesson with Haldir today to know that coming up had been a mistake. He managed to escape relatively unscathed, though a little white from my vicious verbal attacks.
I spent the night in Glorfindel's flet, the first time in awhile, but I needed it, and Glorfindel knew it. When I woke, Glorfindel was gone, but that was nothing new. He always seemed to have things to do in the morning, having reserved the early afternoons and evenings for his free time. He had commented once that if he was in Rivendell, he wouldn't have even been allowed that - it would have been either early afternoon or the evening, not both. I was still trying to figure out what duties he had in Caras Galadhon, considering he didn't live here.
I had breakfast brought up to Glorfindel's flet, and the kitchen person who delivered it arched an eyebrow at finding me alone in Glorfindel's flet, but said nothing more. I would have returned to my own flet, but I wasn't in the mood for company, and the best way to avoid company was to stay in Glorfindel's flet, which everyone I knew expected to be empty around this time of day. So I was left in peace as I ate my breakfast, then went to my flet for a quick change of clothes before returning to Glorfindel's flet and settling down for an easy morning of reading.
All too soon, however, it was lunch time, and I changed into trousers and a tunic, grabbed the borrowed double-bladed sword, and headed down to the Fellowship's pavilion for lunch. Since I usually spent the morning with one or more of the hobbits and/or Boromir, it had become habit to eat lunch at the Fellowship's pavilion before going off for my afternoon weapons practice, so even though I hadn't gone anywhere with anyone that morning, I still showed up there for lunch. The hobbits were all in attendance when I arrived, and they soon had me laughing and joking.
Then, just as I finished eating, Haldir sauntered up. He looked at me, smiled sweetly, and then walked off to the practice fields. I rolled my eyes and picked up my sword as I stood.
"Off already?" Merry asked with surprise.
"The Annoying One awaits." I said, motioning to where Haldir had disappeared.
"I thought you were having lessons with Glorfindel?" Aragorn, the only other member of the Fellowship besides the hobbits in attendance, asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I did until yesterday." I replied grouchily, then waved farewell to the hobbits and made my way off to the practice field. This time, I actually got past unsheathing and drawing the sword. Haldir let me go so far as settling into a stance before tsking and informing me that I was hopeless. The afternoon just dragged on from there, the entire time being spent on stances and how to go from unsheathing the sword to a good stance in the smoothest, quickest and safest manner.
I wasn't as annoyed as I had been yesterday by the end of the lesson, but I got a travelers meal from the kitchens, anyways, and went for a walk instead of searching out any of my friends. Boromir found me shortly after I'd finished my supper, as I was sitting in the low branches of a tree, staring moodily up at the canopy. He somehow managed to clamber up into the tree and settled himself on a nearby branch.
"Y'know, I listened to you and Faramir complain, but I don't think I ever really realized how annoying weapons teachers can be." I said after a short while. There was a low chuckle from Boromir.
"No one can until they experience it. It is just one of those things that must be experienced to be believed." he said.
"Because no one wants to believe that sort of evil exists in the heart of their very society." I said sourly, and Boromir chuckled again.
"Evil? Nay, 'tis only a strong desire to pass on their knowledge." he said, a twinkle in his eye. I shot him an annoyed looked, remembering saying those very same words myself not all that long ago.
"Don't quote my words back at me." I growled lightly. "And anyways, I know it's just a desire for revenge with Haldir."
"Perhaps." Boromir said. "But the double-bladed sword can be as dangerous for those wielding it as for those going against someone wielding one. It is an awkward weapon, and one must know how to use it to avoid injury."
"Been looking things up in the library?" I asked Boromir dryly.
"Actually, believe it or not, I listened to Master Hamir occasionally." Boromir said with a small grin, naming his old weapons master.
"He told you about double-bladed swords?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.
"He said they were such an odd weapon he could not help but mention them." Boromir said with a chuckle.
"Odd indeed." I said with a light frown. "And if anyone but Haldir was teaching me how to use one, I'd probably enjoy the oddness, even if whatever teacher I had was as strict as Haldir."
"Then ignore the fact that it is Haldir teaching you." Boromir said promptly. I looked over at him and arched an eyebrow. "If he is what is making the lessons so unbearable, then ignore the fact that it is him. If you intend to use a weapon in combat you shall have to learn to ignore whoever's on the other side of it, anyways."
"Oh?"
"Indeed." Boromir said, then turned thoughtful as he continued, "If you think too much about who's on the other end of your sword, you will end out engulfed in worries about whether you are doing the right thing or not. You start wondering if the being you just killed really wanted to be there, or if they were forced to go against you. Or perhaps they were simply going against you because they had never known anything other than opposing you, and perhaps if they had been given the chance, they might have fought beside you instead of against you.
"These worries will slow you down, cause you to make mistakes." Boromir grinned slightly as he continued, "They will also leave you with strong emotional and mental scarring after each battle. Something that is most definitely not good. Most warriors develop a way to ignore these thoughts, to push it to the back of their mind and see the ones in front of them as a faceless enemy - indeed, many have it before they even go into their first battle. You, however, most likely do not, and you should take the chance that you have to develop it now."
"So you're saying that Haldir being utterly annoying and evil is actually a good thing?" I asked with amusement. Boromir nodded, and I could see his lips twitching as he held back a smile.
"In this manner, it is. It will give you practice in focusing on what you are doing, and not on who you are fighting. Because focusing on who you are fighting, and not on how you are going to beat them, can lead to trouble." he said, and then suddenly grinned. "And besides. It's the perfect revenge."
"The old 'Drive Them Insane By Not Caring What They Say' trick?" I mused aloud, and then chuckled. "You're right - the perfect revenge, and from what you've just said, a handy skill."
"Of course I'm right." Boromir said haughtily, drawing himself up and looking every inch a Gondorian Lord, descendant of Elros Peredhil (albeit through a very convoluted path) and proud of it. "I am Lord Boromir, Son of Denethor, heir to the stewardship of Gondor."
"You forgot to mention the big hairy ape part." I said with a grin, then jumped down out of the tree and dashed back to Caras Galadhon even as the remark registered in Boromir's brain and he set off after me with a cry of mock-outrage.
We arrived at the Fellowship's pavilion some time later, laughing, both panting slightly from the extended run - I'd gone quite a ways out of the city. The entire remaining Fellowship, for a wonder, was actually at their pavilion - probably because it was just about time for sleep - and looked at us strangely as we flopped onto the ground, still laughing.
"Boromir's a big hairy ape!" I announced when I'd recovered enough breath, and immediately had a handful of leaves thrown in my face. I shot out a foot and kicked Boromir in the shin, causing him to yelp, as I brushed the leaves out of my face and hair.
"Glad to know you two are getting along." Aragorn said dryly. "Glorfindel wanted to see you when you appeared again, Rachel."
"Oh? Not that I mind him wanting to see me, but did he say why?" I asked, tilted my head as I still lay on the ground so I could look up at Aragorn. The ranger shook his head. "Ah well. As soon as I can move, I'll go hunt him down."
"I thought Elves had superior stamina." Boromir said from beside me.
"And if I ran that quickly and that far on a regular basis, I'm sure I would." I shot back. Boromir and I quieted as we rested, and the Fellowship went back to the conversations they'd been having before we showed up. I listened in out of boredom, and was glad to note that Gimli and Legolas already seemed to be getting along better. Merry, Pippin and Sam were discussing food, and Aragorn and Frodo were talking about the Elves. Well, it was sort of one-sided, with Frodo asking questions and Aragorn giving long-winded answers, but hey.
Finally, I pulled myself up from the ground, said goodbye to the Fellowship, kicked some leaves at Boromir - earning myself an indignant 'Hey!' - before heading off up to my flet. Yes, by this time I had managed to figure out how to get to my flet without getting lost. With the number of times I went between it and the Fellowship's pavilion, it really wasn't all that surprising.
I went to my flet, first, to change - I was still in my trousers and tunic from practicing - and then went over to Glorfindel's flet. As usual, I didn't knock, but just entered, and found Glorfindel stretched out - in nothing but trousers - on the couch in his main room, one arm resting behind his head to prop it up as he read.
"Yum." I said, my eyebrows shooting upwards, and Glorfindel shot me a grin, shutting his book with a snap.
"Have a nice day?" he asked, jumping up from the couch and coming over to give me a light kiss on the cheek.
"If you ignore everything before supper, yep." I replied cheerfully.
"Troubles with Haldir?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow.
"He and I just don't get along." I said, shaking my head. "And the fact that I'm indebted to him for any reason is just making it worse."
"How about we lessen that debt, then?" Glorfindel said with a smile, and disappeared into his bedroom. He emerged a short while later with a long skinny bundle, wrapped in so-dark-it-was-almost-black red cloth. My eyes lit up as I saw it.
"Is that what I think it is?" I asked, and Glorfindel nodded. I let out a little squee, then scampered over to him and carefully took the package from his hands. I bounced over to the couch Glorfindel had so recently vacated and sat down. Glorfindel sat beside me, carefully lifting one edge of the package so he could sit close.
Once he was seated, I unwrapped the package in my lap carefully, and it was soon revealed to be what I thought it was - my double-bladed sword. I gave Glorfindel a kiss on the cheek, then carefully lifted the sword and looked at it more closely. It was, I decided shortly, a very beautiful - and probably rather valuable - weapon.
The hilt was dark brown, almost black, in colour, and inset at the perfect intervals so that my fingers could rest between them were deep blue jewels - probably some form of sapphire. Silver was inset around the hilt, connecting the jewels, and followed the hilt up as it wrapped around the base of the blades. The sheaths on the blades were of black leather, and when I slid them off, I found blades of a shining silver colour, which seemed to almost glow. I cast a suspicious glance at Glorfindel when I noticed that, and he smiled back at me innocently.
"It will never get dull." he said, and I chuckled.
"Handy." I said. "And very beautiful." I cast a sideways glance at Glorfindel. "Did you pick the design, or did the smith?"
"I did." Glorfindel said, slightly sheepishly. "Though both the smith and I had a hard time tracking down jewels of the right colour." I arched an eyebrow. "They match your eyes." Glorfindel pointed out. I blinked as I looked down at the sword, then took it and disappeared into Glorfindel's bedroom. I looked in his mirror, then down at the sword again. I went back into the main room and sat down.
"So they do." I said with amusement, and Glorfindel grinned before giving me a light kiss. That quickly degenerated, and the sword was soon put on a nearby chair and forgotten about for the rest of the evening.
----To be continued...with midnight discussions of Middle-Earth's most-wanted piece of jewellery!----
(And smart-mouthing with Galadriel and Celeborn!)
-Sword hilt!:-
There is a link to my picture of Rachel's sword hilt in my profile - since FF.net seems adverse to letting me put it in the body of the chapter as I had intended to do.
-Authors Note:-
Due to the software glitch mention on the main page of FF.net, I have not gotten a review alert for ANY of the reviews for the last chapter, nor can I access them on the site, even though my review count has gone up. So if any of you asked questions or whatnot, I apologise, I'll reply to them as soon as I can GET to them. In the mean time, please, don't hesitate to keep reviewing...it will give me a nice good ammount of reading when I can finally get to my reviews...which, knowing my luck, will be this weekend.
Speaking of this weekend. I shall be gone from the 5th to the 7th. As some of you will probably figure out, this goes right over my usual update time, which would have been Saturday. But, by Saturday, I'll be off in the rocky mountains frolicking in the snow. So. My next update, after this, will be Monday. Quite possibly a little late, but I WILL update on Monday.
And y'know what else I discovered? If I make really fricking HUGE chapters, I can get the current 60 chapters of TGotG down to 20...Yes, I was extremely bored last night! Though, it is somewhat handy, because if FF.net tells me at some point that I can't add anymore chapters, rather than doing a 'TGotG, part 2', I will be combining chapters to make it all fit. Which means you might all hafta resort to using anonymous revies, but - that's a long ways off yet.
~Crimson Starlight
-Disclaimer:-
CS: Damn, I am so out of ideas for funny disclaimers...
Rachel: What?! How is that possible? You've only done 57 (or so) of them!
CS: ...'only'?!
Rachel: Yea-*stops and ponders* OK, I guess you have an excuse.
CS: *sarcasticly* So glad you agree.
Glorfindel: *arching an eyebrow* Manners, Crimson.
CS: *arching an eyebrow right back* Did you just scold me?
Glorfindel: *blinks* Er...um...no?
CS: Oh no, I think you did. I suppose you forgot I am an Author? And that I have complete control over you in not only this disclaimer, but the fic that this is the diclaimer FOR?
Glorfindel: Er...Actually, I did. Which is probably your fault, since, as you said, you DO have complete control over me. *smiles nervously*
CS: ...
Rachel: You can't deny it. His logic is sound.
CS: ...
CS: I own nothing, though I have control over many things. *glares at Glorfindel and Rachel* Unfortunately.
-60: Double-
It was a week into February when I arrived at the practice field just after lunch one day for my daily lesson and found, to my great worry, that a smirking Haldir was waiting with Glorfindel.
"Er...what's he doing here?" I asked Glorfindel nervously, eyeing Haldir. Things had been a little iffy between Haldir and me since I'd borrowed his sword - I wasn't quite sure how far I could push him, and he seemed to take advantage of it at every turn. Thus, I'd avoided him as much as I could.
"I have taught you what I can of the double-bladed sword. Anything else would do more harm than good." Glorfindel said with a shrug and an apologetic smile. "If you wish to learn more, you must learn it from Haldir." Haldir's smirk turned into a grin. I sighed.
"And thus begins my torture." I muttered. Glorfindel gave me a sympathetic look, and kissed me lightly on the temple before stepping back and out of the practice ring where Haldir and he had been waiting for me. Haldir's grin widened as his eyes glittered, and he asked me to unsheathe the sword. THE sword. He was very careful not to refer to it as either mine or his.
The instant I unsheathed it, of course, he ordered me to sheath it again, and so began an entire aggravating afternoon of learning the various ways of sheathing and unsheathing double-bladed swords from an Elf who I swear has the blood of both Morgoth and Sauron in his veins. Glorfindel, the wonderful Elf, stayed for the entire thing, and was there to guide me back to my flet after Haldir disappeared with a cheerful wave. I spent the entire evening sulking, though I knew it was childish, and Glorfindel indulgently put up with it, listening to me as I ranted about Haldir's faults and my lists of the Many Ways I Would Like To Kill The Marchwarden.
Orophin put in an appearance just after Glorfindel had had supper brought up, probably to try and get me to come for dancing lessons, but he took one look at my face, and he didn't need Glorfindel's calm statement that I'd had my first lesson with Haldir today to know that coming up had been a mistake. He managed to escape relatively unscathed, though a little white from my vicious verbal attacks.
I spent the night in Glorfindel's flet, the first time in awhile, but I needed it, and Glorfindel knew it. When I woke, Glorfindel was gone, but that was nothing new. He always seemed to have things to do in the morning, having reserved the early afternoons and evenings for his free time. He had commented once that if he was in Rivendell, he wouldn't have even been allowed that - it would have been either early afternoon or the evening, not both. I was still trying to figure out what duties he had in Caras Galadhon, considering he didn't live here.
I had breakfast brought up to Glorfindel's flet, and the kitchen person who delivered it arched an eyebrow at finding me alone in Glorfindel's flet, but said nothing more. I would have returned to my own flet, but I wasn't in the mood for company, and the best way to avoid company was to stay in Glorfindel's flet, which everyone I knew expected to be empty around this time of day. So I was left in peace as I ate my breakfast, then went to my flet for a quick change of clothes before returning to Glorfindel's flet and settling down for an easy morning of reading.
All too soon, however, it was lunch time, and I changed into trousers and a tunic, grabbed the borrowed double-bladed sword, and headed down to the Fellowship's pavilion for lunch. Since I usually spent the morning with one or more of the hobbits and/or Boromir, it had become habit to eat lunch at the Fellowship's pavilion before going off for my afternoon weapons practice, so even though I hadn't gone anywhere with anyone that morning, I still showed up there for lunch. The hobbits were all in attendance when I arrived, and they soon had me laughing and joking.
Then, just as I finished eating, Haldir sauntered up. He looked at me, smiled sweetly, and then walked off to the practice fields. I rolled my eyes and picked up my sword as I stood.
"Off already?" Merry asked with surprise.
"The Annoying One awaits." I said, motioning to where Haldir had disappeared.
"I thought you were having lessons with Glorfindel?" Aragorn, the only other member of the Fellowship besides the hobbits in attendance, asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I did until yesterday." I replied grouchily, then waved farewell to the hobbits and made my way off to the practice field. This time, I actually got past unsheathing and drawing the sword. Haldir let me go so far as settling into a stance before tsking and informing me that I was hopeless. The afternoon just dragged on from there, the entire time being spent on stances and how to go from unsheathing the sword to a good stance in the smoothest, quickest and safest manner.
I wasn't as annoyed as I had been yesterday by the end of the lesson, but I got a travelers meal from the kitchens, anyways, and went for a walk instead of searching out any of my friends. Boromir found me shortly after I'd finished my supper, as I was sitting in the low branches of a tree, staring moodily up at the canopy. He somehow managed to clamber up into the tree and settled himself on a nearby branch.
"Y'know, I listened to you and Faramir complain, but I don't think I ever really realized how annoying weapons teachers can be." I said after a short while. There was a low chuckle from Boromir.
"No one can until they experience it. It is just one of those things that must be experienced to be believed." he said.
"Because no one wants to believe that sort of evil exists in the heart of their very society." I said sourly, and Boromir chuckled again.
"Evil? Nay, 'tis only a strong desire to pass on their knowledge." he said, a twinkle in his eye. I shot him an annoyed looked, remembering saying those very same words myself not all that long ago.
"Don't quote my words back at me." I growled lightly. "And anyways, I know it's just a desire for revenge with Haldir."
"Perhaps." Boromir said. "But the double-bladed sword can be as dangerous for those wielding it as for those going against someone wielding one. It is an awkward weapon, and one must know how to use it to avoid injury."
"Been looking things up in the library?" I asked Boromir dryly.
"Actually, believe it or not, I listened to Master Hamir occasionally." Boromir said with a small grin, naming his old weapons master.
"He told you about double-bladed swords?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.
"He said they were such an odd weapon he could not help but mention them." Boromir said with a chuckle.
"Odd indeed." I said with a light frown. "And if anyone but Haldir was teaching me how to use one, I'd probably enjoy the oddness, even if whatever teacher I had was as strict as Haldir."
"Then ignore the fact that it is Haldir teaching you." Boromir said promptly. I looked over at him and arched an eyebrow. "If he is what is making the lessons so unbearable, then ignore the fact that it is him. If you intend to use a weapon in combat you shall have to learn to ignore whoever's on the other side of it, anyways."
"Oh?"
"Indeed." Boromir said, then turned thoughtful as he continued, "If you think too much about who's on the other end of your sword, you will end out engulfed in worries about whether you are doing the right thing or not. You start wondering if the being you just killed really wanted to be there, or if they were forced to go against you. Or perhaps they were simply going against you because they had never known anything other than opposing you, and perhaps if they had been given the chance, they might have fought beside you instead of against you.
"These worries will slow you down, cause you to make mistakes." Boromir grinned slightly as he continued, "They will also leave you with strong emotional and mental scarring after each battle. Something that is most definitely not good. Most warriors develop a way to ignore these thoughts, to push it to the back of their mind and see the ones in front of them as a faceless enemy - indeed, many have it before they even go into their first battle. You, however, most likely do not, and you should take the chance that you have to develop it now."
"So you're saying that Haldir being utterly annoying and evil is actually a good thing?" I asked with amusement. Boromir nodded, and I could see his lips twitching as he held back a smile.
"In this manner, it is. It will give you practice in focusing on what you are doing, and not on who you are fighting. Because focusing on who you are fighting, and not on how you are going to beat them, can lead to trouble." he said, and then suddenly grinned. "And besides. It's the perfect revenge."
"The old 'Drive Them Insane By Not Caring What They Say' trick?" I mused aloud, and then chuckled. "You're right - the perfect revenge, and from what you've just said, a handy skill."
"Of course I'm right." Boromir said haughtily, drawing himself up and looking every inch a Gondorian Lord, descendant of Elros Peredhil (albeit through a very convoluted path) and proud of it. "I am Lord Boromir, Son of Denethor, heir to the stewardship of Gondor."
"You forgot to mention the big hairy ape part." I said with a grin, then jumped down out of the tree and dashed back to Caras Galadhon even as the remark registered in Boromir's brain and he set off after me with a cry of mock-outrage.
We arrived at the Fellowship's pavilion some time later, laughing, both panting slightly from the extended run - I'd gone quite a ways out of the city. The entire remaining Fellowship, for a wonder, was actually at their pavilion - probably because it was just about time for sleep - and looked at us strangely as we flopped onto the ground, still laughing.
"Boromir's a big hairy ape!" I announced when I'd recovered enough breath, and immediately had a handful of leaves thrown in my face. I shot out a foot and kicked Boromir in the shin, causing him to yelp, as I brushed the leaves out of my face and hair.
"Glad to know you two are getting along." Aragorn said dryly. "Glorfindel wanted to see you when you appeared again, Rachel."
"Oh? Not that I mind him wanting to see me, but did he say why?" I asked, tilted my head as I still lay on the ground so I could look up at Aragorn. The ranger shook his head. "Ah well. As soon as I can move, I'll go hunt him down."
"I thought Elves had superior stamina." Boromir said from beside me.
"And if I ran that quickly and that far on a regular basis, I'm sure I would." I shot back. Boromir and I quieted as we rested, and the Fellowship went back to the conversations they'd been having before we showed up. I listened in out of boredom, and was glad to note that Gimli and Legolas already seemed to be getting along better. Merry, Pippin and Sam were discussing food, and Aragorn and Frodo were talking about the Elves. Well, it was sort of one-sided, with Frodo asking questions and Aragorn giving long-winded answers, but hey.
Finally, I pulled myself up from the ground, said goodbye to the Fellowship, kicked some leaves at Boromir - earning myself an indignant 'Hey!' - before heading off up to my flet. Yes, by this time I had managed to figure out how to get to my flet without getting lost. With the number of times I went between it and the Fellowship's pavilion, it really wasn't all that surprising.
I went to my flet, first, to change - I was still in my trousers and tunic from practicing - and then went over to Glorfindel's flet. As usual, I didn't knock, but just entered, and found Glorfindel stretched out - in nothing but trousers - on the couch in his main room, one arm resting behind his head to prop it up as he read.
"Yum." I said, my eyebrows shooting upwards, and Glorfindel shot me a grin, shutting his book with a snap.
"Have a nice day?" he asked, jumping up from the couch and coming over to give me a light kiss on the cheek.
"If you ignore everything before supper, yep." I replied cheerfully.
"Troubles with Haldir?" Glorfindel asked, arching an eyebrow.
"He and I just don't get along." I said, shaking my head. "And the fact that I'm indebted to him for any reason is just making it worse."
"How about we lessen that debt, then?" Glorfindel said with a smile, and disappeared into his bedroom. He emerged a short while later with a long skinny bundle, wrapped in so-dark-it-was-almost-black red cloth. My eyes lit up as I saw it.
"Is that what I think it is?" I asked, and Glorfindel nodded. I let out a little squee, then scampered over to him and carefully took the package from his hands. I bounced over to the couch Glorfindel had so recently vacated and sat down. Glorfindel sat beside me, carefully lifting one edge of the package so he could sit close.
Once he was seated, I unwrapped the package in my lap carefully, and it was soon revealed to be what I thought it was - my double-bladed sword. I gave Glorfindel a kiss on the cheek, then carefully lifted the sword and looked at it more closely. It was, I decided shortly, a very beautiful - and probably rather valuable - weapon.
The hilt was dark brown, almost black, in colour, and inset at the perfect intervals so that my fingers could rest between them were deep blue jewels - probably some form of sapphire. Silver was inset around the hilt, connecting the jewels, and followed the hilt up as it wrapped around the base of the blades. The sheaths on the blades were of black leather, and when I slid them off, I found blades of a shining silver colour, which seemed to almost glow. I cast a suspicious glance at Glorfindel when I noticed that, and he smiled back at me innocently.
"It will never get dull." he said, and I chuckled.
"Handy." I said. "And very beautiful." I cast a sideways glance at Glorfindel. "Did you pick the design, or did the smith?"
"I did." Glorfindel said, slightly sheepishly. "Though both the smith and I had a hard time tracking down jewels of the right colour." I arched an eyebrow. "They match your eyes." Glorfindel pointed out. I blinked as I looked down at the sword, then took it and disappeared into Glorfindel's bedroom. I looked in his mirror, then down at the sword again. I went back into the main room and sat down.
"So they do." I said with amusement, and Glorfindel grinned before giving me a light kiss. That quickly degenerated, and the sword was soon put on a nearby chair and forgotten about for the rest of the evening.
----To be continued...with midnight discussions of Middle-Earth's most-wanted piece of jewellery!----
(And smart-mouthing with Galadriel and Celeborn!)
-Sword hilt!:-
There is a link to my picture of Rachel's sword hilt in my profile - since FF.net seems adverse to letting me put it in the body of the chapter as I had intended to do.
-Authors Note:-
Due to the software glitch mention on the main page of FF.net, I have not gotten a review alert for ANY of the reviews for the last chapter, nor can I access them on the site, even though my review count has gone up. So if any of you asked questions or whatnot, I apologise, I'll reply to them as soon as I can GET to them. In the mean time, please, don't hesitate to keep reviewing...it will give me a nice good ammount of reading when I can finally get to my reviews...which, knowing my luck, will be this weekend.
Speaking of this weekend. I shall be gone from the 5th to the 7th. As some of you will probably figure out, this goes right over my usual update time, which would have been Saturday. But, by Saturday, I'll be off in the rocky mountains frolicking in the snow. So. My next update, after this, will be Monday. Quite possibly a little late, but I WILL update on Monday.
And y'know what else I discovered? If I make really fricking HUGE chapters, I can get the current 60 chapters of TGotG down to 20...Yes, I was extremely bored last night! Though, it is somewhat handy, because if FF.net tells me at some point that I can't add anymore chapters, rather than doing a 'TGotG, part 2', I will be combining chapters to make it all fit. Which means you might all hafta resort to using anonymous revies, but - that's a long ways off yet.
~Crimson Starlight