A/N: Hey everyone! Ok, what Tinioniel had in the last chapter was a premonition. HINT HINT! If you didn't read the last chapter, then do it now! This chapter is kind of normal compared to the others, but that is ok right? Of course it is. Please review if you like, review if you don't! Thank you for all your reviews so far! You guys are awesome! E-mail me if you are confused about the story! Love you all!
The moon had reached its peak in the ritual climb into the night sky. Tinioniel looked longingly outside the window, feeling the desire of running home. She felt home sickness setting in. 'I have lost so much of my memories of home already. How much longer can I stay here with out losing the bearings of who I really am? My name is Jessica, not Tinioniel. I live on a paved road, in a house with glass and my family. I don't belong here. How much longer can I stay without losing my mind?' Tinioniel tore her eyes from the night, and looked at the elf sitting near her. Legolas was a great friend and he sat with her when no one else wanted to, or was able to. Tinioniel was grateful for his company, but she wished that it was Eomer seated in the plain chair rather then the elf. Legolas' eyes were wide open, but they were unfocused. Tinioniel's eyes creased with puzzlement as she sat in the silence.
"Legolas." Tinioniel whispered gently. There was no response from him. 'Oh my gosh!' Tinioniel thought to herself. 'Is he dead?' Tinioniel concluded that it was not the case, for his chest rose and fell steadily. "How can you be asleep with your eyes open?" Tinioniel watched him in silence and in awe as a devilish smile crossed her face. Quietly, she removed the piles of ragged sheets from her and sat in front of his sleeping form. Tinioniel licked her lips with anticipation, making herself more comfortable on the messy bed. After a few moments of confirmation that Legolas was in fact asleep, Tinioniel stuck her tongue out and crossed her eyes. Nothing happened. She tried once again, this time pulling out her ears and puffing out her cheeks. Still no movement from him. Tinioniel stuck her hand out in front of Legolas' face and waved it madly. Still nothing. Tinioniel had to suppress her need to laugh exuberantly. She stood up from the bed with lengthy movement, trying not to cause a sound. Tinioniel danced around his chair and blew in his face. Legolas sat slumbering in the wobbly chair still silent and unmoving. Then, something caught her eyes. Legolas' ears were exposed with his hair neatly pushed back behind them. 'Pointy ears.' Tinioniel thought, intoxicated by their form. She remembered their first meeting, and his ears that drew her attention. For so long she wanted to look closer at the strange forms and now was her chance. Gently, she brought her hand up and reached for both of his ears. 'I will just touch them. No harm done there right? I mean they are just ears.' With cautious and vigilant advancement, her hands made their path steadily to his ears. 'Oh!' Tinioniel whined in her mind. 'I just can't take it!' With one abrupt motion, she grabbed onto Legolas' ears and gave them profuse yanks. Legolas woke up with a start and began yelling in discomfort. Tinioniel's joyous laugh rang through the room wildly as Legolas tried to shove her hands away from his ears.
"What do you think you were doing?" Legolas shouted at her, rubbing the sides of his throbbing head. She only laughed in reply and ran from the room. "H-Hey! Come back here!" Legolas howled as she ran into the dark hallways. Tinioniel looked back to the door and saw a livid side to Legolas' personality hastily plunging after her. She screamed with a child's delight, but was thrown back on the ground after hitting something hard. Tinioniel fell on her back as the wind was knocked from her lungs. Wincing a little bit and propping up on her elbows, Tinioniel peered up at the figure looming above her.
"What is this?" Gandalf's voice boomed with polite authority.
"Nothing. Legolas got into a hissy fit about something; one thing or another. You know his type. Always being such a girl." Tinioniel looked back at halted Legolas who was glaring at her. She raised her eyebrow and returned her attention to Gandalf, who cleared his throat and extended a hand out to Tinioniel. Gracefully she accepted it and flashed one more taunting look at Legolas.
"The time has come for you to prepare for the path that lies at your feet." The air turned from carefree to morose as Gandalf turned to face an ominous hall. "Come. Your training begins tonight."
- ~ * ~ -
Tinioniel felt the ardor rise within her, along with fear and fatigue.
"Gandalf?" Tinioniel spoke as they walked through the long dark hallway of which she was not familiar with. "Do we have to study tonight? It's late and I am very tired. Can we not wait for tomorrow?"
"No, we must practice at night. The cover of darkness will shield us from unwanted eyes, and I do believe that the moon will help you on your quest."
"The moon?" Tinioniel face creased with uncertainty. "What does the moon have anything to do with this? I am so confused!" Gandalf let a smile cross his face.
"Of course you don't. You may be helping us, but for a little witch you are dense."
"Excuse me? Dense? That was unnecessary! I might as well turn back and go to bed!" Tinioniel stopped her walking and so did Gandalf. He turned to face her with a slightly irritated look.
"We will practice tonight and you will not complain anymore. Is that understood? I have my reasons of having you out at night. You will see soon enough. So, follow me and keep quiet." Gandalf turned back around and began to walk down the hallway again. Tinioniel, blushing from being taken so seriously, jumped into step behind Gandalf. She could barely see down the halls and almost tripped over a stone that was not situated on the floor correctly. Tinioniel felt terrible and she was not in the best mood. She wanted to go to sleep, not look through books. Tinioniel guessed that books would have some part to play in practicing and preparing for this job.
Gandalf turned the corner into a room illuminated slightly by candles soft glow. As she suspected, books were toppled on each other over vast tables. Tinioniel sighed and looked around, taking in the school setting. There was one place however, that was open, free from books, chairs, and tables. Gandalf did not hesitate as he walked into the room and sat in a chair. Tinioniel stood in the doorway, looking cautiously around the area. "Well?" Gandalf looked expectantly at her, waiting intolerantly. "Will you have a seat or will you stand in the doorway the entire time?" Tinioniel did not disobey him and hurried to pull up a chair close to him. The noise of the chair abrading against the cold brickwork floor was dissonance to her ears and was loud compared to the almost unbearable silence. "There is much you have to learn, and little time to learn it in. We must be quick in your studies and you must not complain; that will only slow down the inevitable. Do you understand?" Tinioniel nodded and was saw her father in Gandalf's voice. 'It's going to be a long night.' Tinioniel thought to herself.
"I am ready."
"Indeed."
- ~ * ~ -
"Master Gandalf?" A woman timidly asked at the door of the 'study' room.
"Yes? What is it?" He asked in a polite, yet frustrated tone.
"I am s-sorry to bother you. But the King wanted me to inform you that it is m-morning." Tinioniel lifted her head off a book at her words.
"Yeah! Breakfast!" Tinioinel shouted, jumping up from her chair.
"No breakfast will be served to Tinioniel or myself. Thank you for your message but you may tell the King that any service he needs from me will have to wait until there is time. I would appreciate it later if you would not inform us of any more meal times; it is quite distracting."
"Yes s-sir." The woman ran out of the room quickly, afraid to stay longer. Tinioniel groaned a little but silenced herself when Gandalf shot her a cold look.
"I know, I know." Tinioniel spoke. "No complaining." She sighed once more as she began to read more in the book she was given. Her eyes burned from lack of sleep and from using them excessively. Her head throbbed and her eyelids would fall every few minutes, but Gandalf would do something to scare the hell out of her; most recently banging his staff against the table beside her. Tinioniel jumped at the sound. "Why must you keep doing that?"
"Why must you keep falling asleep?" Gandalf retorted. Tinioniel rolled her eyes and returned to studying the books.