'Westron'
Little Elf
Chapter Twenty-Six
Elle looked up the tree to the talan or tree house perched atop it in the canopy. A silver-green ladder of rope hung from a trap door, which must have been used as the front door.
Elle climber up it easily, pushed the door open and pushed herself in. The small room seemed to be an entrance hall with three open door ways all-leading off to various rooms in the talan. *I'm in a different world and they still have this* smiling slightly to herself Elle followed her sense of smell to the kitchen.
"Hello?" Elle asked pausing at a doorway. Aldalóme's flaxen head was currently bent over a ceramic bowl, full of dough, which was being kneaded quickly.
"Aldalóme?"
The head turned with a look of surprise. She quickly looked out of a window to the sun
"You are early. You are not meant to be her until an hour after sun down."
"I know. I thought I could help you cook or something."
A frown crossed Aldalóme's brow before she looked up in amusement. "You are a Princess."
"I noticed." Elle replied, her eyes unintentionally rolling "I can cook, though I am a Princess. It would be most improper of course but who has to know?" she winked "some people would have fits knowing what I've done."
Aldalóme grinned widely shaking her head "do tell."
"We have only just met. I'll wait until you like me enough that you don't judge me. Now what can I make?"
"Dessert."
"Perfect, what would you like?"
"What ever we have. Look in the larder, in through the door on the left."
Elle went through the door. The room was about two metres by three, shelving all around the edges. *Dessert? Now what is there? Jam, short cake, fresh fruit, why is that in a larder? You don't need to keep fruit cool. Milk, sugar…something easy, that involves no cooking, as I don't know how to use a cola stove. Ahh I know* "Aldalóme, do you have any large bowls?"
"Yes, though I only have glass ones spare at the moment."
"That's perfect. Do you have any cream?"
"No, but we can go and get some."
"Ok!"
Elle left the larder, ingredients piled in her arms, which she unceremoniously dumped on the table before collecting the bowl from Aldalóme.
"What are you going to make?"
"I'll tell you when I've finished in case I make mistakes."
"Should I be letting my son marry an elf that cannot cook?" she jibbed
"Yes, though remember to invite me to the wedding." Elle replied
Aldalóme blinked not quite knowing how to take it.
Elle opened the large jar of strawberry jam and began spooning it into the bowl, only stopping when it was half an inch thick. She then cut slices of short cake up and soaked them in some wine she found on the counter. When the winse had been soaked up she put them on top of the jam.
Eventually the jam was covered with shortcake. A layer of forest fruits and apples proceeded to be piled atop it. Elle then paused "Custard."
"Pardon?" Aldalóme asked looking up from the pheasant she was seasoning.
"I need to make some custard."
"The pans are over there."
"No, you see I don't know how to make custard."
Aldalóme stared at her aghast. "Well I am a Princess. But really, we make it differently at home. We have a ready made mixture toy just at milk and sugar."
"How convenient."
"Yes it is. But unfortunately we don't have any, so we have to make it from scratch."
Aldalóme then gave instructions while Elle followed.
"Done!" Elle announced taking the pan off the heat. "I need to leave it to cool now. I better go get some cream."
"Yes. Fund any talan that has a cow or advertises milk, they usually have cream too. Here are 10 copper coins, if they ask for anymore they are over charging you."
"Alright, but could you stir the custard every now and then so it doesn't get a skin."
* * *
*Tree, tree, tree, talan milk? No. Tree, tree, ah a talan does it have milk? Lait? Milk Finally! There's only three hours until dinner and I need to change. Oh, I'm starting to sound like my mother! I used to go out after spending 15 minutes to get ready, lip-gloss and mascara and I was gone. Focus, Elle, Focus. Get the milk* Elle climbed the ladder and knocked on the trap door "Excuse me?" She asked, looking around.
The talan was quite bare, old oak furniture that was well worn and scattered sparsely around the flet. "Is any body here?"
"Here." Elle looked to see a male elf, lying on a futon idly flicking through a battered book.
"Do you sell cream?"
"Aye, we do."
"Can I have some please?" Elle started to brush down her skirt.
"How much?"
"That is a very good question."
The elf rose a blond eyebrow "You are a noble trying to act like a servant are you?"
"No, I'm not a noble."
"Really? What a sheltered life for a wood elf you must lead. Did your mother not tell you how much cream was needed?"
"My mother?" Elle asked haughtily
The elf frowned "Who are you?"
"My name is Elle, you?"
"Elle? I have heard that name before"
"That doesn't matter" Elle said impatiently "I need about half a litre of cream."
"What is a litre?"
"Oh, sorry a pint of cream then."
"That will be 20 copper coins please."
Elle choked *what does he take me for?*
"Five."
The elf looked at her as if she were stark raving mad "18"
"6"
"14"
"8"
"11"
"9"
"10"
"Deal, though you're still over charging me."
Five minutes later Elle had a pail of cream "By the way. In case you were wondering, you recognise my name because I'm Princess Ellette. Captain Haldir's Meln. Toodles."
"Toodles?" The elf wondered before going back up the ladder.
A/n Yes this is late. Huge apologies. On Friday night I was out and I got back late (as in early Saturday morning) and then I sent the chapter to Maddy on Saturday afternoon but she didn't read it until well about 10 minutes ago because she had coursework to do. It's so hard to find a good hard-working non-going out beta reader these days. Only joking Maddy is fine. Any way I'll answer reviews now, if my computer will let me get onto ff.n and see them! Urg!
Well the computer has been restarted and I will now answer your reviews.
Ciarolas: It's a shame that you didn't get to Shepperton, but if you had seem Orlando Bloom or Brad Pitt I would have been intensely jealous so I offer my (limited) condolences. Is this a nice chapter? Who is Pete? Maddy has not idea what you're on about either.
Black Mage: Yes a lot of fanfiction is about Legolas, but there's nothing wrong with are ever sweet and of course hot blond elf. Though it can be quite tedious. The chapters wouldn't load? I hate it when that happens, because I have to hit the computer and then look stupid because everyone is like 'it won't help' but it gets rid of frustration so I don't mind.
Hana: Sappy? I did sappy? Faints what happened in the last chapter again? Oh yeah, I guess you could call that sappy! I wish I could say I haven't seen the little mermaid in years but I saw it last week0 I have an obsession with Disney films, and having the Disney channels just fuels it! No little arguments, no we won't be seeing them for a while. Maybe tomorrow in Elle's POV, but that may be 3 chapters in this story- yes I stretch it out. You've finished school? I have a week left and then two weeks work experience. I swear us English people have crappy school.
Sokochan: I guess you could say it was a cute chapter. Yes I sat and sang part of your world. Along with all the other songs on the site before it crashed my browser- the music played. That was before I had cut and pasted so I got Maddy to do it. She didn't cut and copy it, she just knows the song off by heart and wrote it down for me. It's scary. No I won't be giving up on the story, Harry Potter was great! But I'm not thinking up any plots, though I'm helping someone else with one.
939597: Yay with the HARRY POTTER! What did you think of it? I loved it, though I kept on thinking 'I wonder what JK would think of this fanfiction before realising that JK wrote it. I've been reading them for too long! You like Snape too? Yay! Didn't you love 'Snape's worst memory' chapter? I totally hated James then, smarmy git when he said; "it's not that he's done something, it's just that he's alive" I started shouting at the book. No I'm not crazy, but no one else in my house would listen! But go Lily; at least she gave James a piece of her mind. But wait this is a lotr fic not Hp coughs
I-c-faces-in-da-shadows: Thanks for loving the story! I'm going to get a big head at this rate.
Candy: What's a pretty picture? I'm confused!
SSJ Girl: It took you 17 hours? It took me 11 and Maddy 10! Don't look at me weirdly, I read fast! Does that mean I'm more possessed then you?
Black Mage: another review! Yay. By the time I'd read your review I'd finished HP. I'm currently re-reading at a leisurely pace, while reading 2 other books- yes I've bitten off a lot.
939597: Thanks for the reminder to update! I have now so be happy!
KindCalypso: It might have been a tad short but…I thought you were dead! You haven't reviewed in ages, I'm glad to see you're back!
Well that's all reviews, as ever if you want to be put on the mailing list leave your email and if you just randomly want to email me it's gwilwileth_@hotmail.com I'll talk about anything from Harry Potter to lotr- and everything else in between, though you may not get a speedy reply, stupid school work is getting in the way and at the weekend my friends drag me out! No I'm not complaining!
Gwilwileth