Rumor swallowed hard, "Umm...Hey." They continued staring at each
other, unsure of what to make of the other. "What happened to your friend?"
She asked, trying to sound kind. The child's lower lip started to tremble
as he said, "He was stabbed."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Rumor muttered, growing more uncomfortable as tears welled up in his brown eyes. "I'm sure he'll be okay." Rumor said soothingly. The kid looked at her, blinking hard to rid himself of his tears. "Are you an elf?" He asked suddenly.
Rumor smiled, it was nice to be confused for a graceful, beautiful creature. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm just human." She pushed her hair behind her ear to reveal a smooth, rounded ear. The child really did look disappointed for a moment, but it was gone quickly.
Walking over, Rumor took a seat next to the child. "My name is Rumor Davis." She said out of nowhere, unsure of what made her tell him her name. The less people who knew her name, the better. The kid looked startled, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry." He said, jumping up from his seat. "Samwise Gamgee, at the service of you and your family." He said, bowing low. Rumor laughed silently at this, it was a weird thing to say, but she could not come up with a moment since she woke up that had not been off the charts on the strange factor.
"Thanks...I think. Sam, where are his parents? And your? They must be worried." Sam looked at her oddly, and Rumor found she didn't care. She had been getting a lot of that lately. "Frodo," he said gesturing to the sleeping child, "Frodo's parents are dead, but until a few months ago, he was living with his Uncle Bilbo. As for me, my gaffer is back at the Shire."
"Where is the Shire? They let you come here by yourselves at your age?" Rumor remarked surprised. "We are much older then our size would suggest, Lady Rumor. And we were not alone, our kin, Merry and Pippin, came with us. There was also Strider; he's the one that lead us here from Bree." Rumor's head was spinning, "Shire? Bree? Are we still in Jersey?"
"I don't know where Jersey is, my lady, but the Shire is a few days to the West from here." Rumor stifled a laugh at his pronunciation of Jersey, he had pronounced it Jer-say, but she quickly stopped when his words sunk in. She was no longer in New Jersey. She didn't even know if she was still in the USA. She couldn't be, Rumor reasoned, there are no elves in New Jersey.
Rumor sank her head into her hands, "Oh man, this is a disaster." She muttered under her breath, releasing a long, shaky sigh. "Lady Rumor? Are you alright?" Sam asked from her side. "No Sam, I don't think so." Standing abruptly, Rumor started towards the door, she had to get out of there. Sam jumped up after her, "Lady Rumor, are you leaving?"
"Yeah, but it was great to hang with someone who is not creepy." Sam stared at her as if she just spoke in Pig Latin while tap dancing with a monkey on her head, but never the less he was by her side in an instant. "Do you mind if I tag along, my lady? I know the way to the dining hall." He asked shyly, peeping at her from under his long eyelashes. Rumor wanted to say no, but found she couldn't. "Sure, but under one condition," She said. "Anything, "replied Sam seriously, and meaning it. "Don't call me 'lady'. "A smile broke out across his face, "You have my word La- I mean, Rumor." With that he took her hand and started yanking the girl out of the room and down the hall.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Rumor muttered, growing more uncomfortable as tears welled up in his brown eyes. "I'm sure he'll be okay." Rumor said soothingly. The kid looked at her, blinking hard to rid himself of his tears. "Are you an elf?" He asked suddenly.
Rumor smiled, it was nice to be confused for a graceful, beautiful creature. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm just human." She pushed her hair behind her ear to reveal a smooth, rounded ear. The child really did look disappointed for a moment, but it was gone quickly.
Walking over, Rumor took a seat next to the child. "My name is Rumor Davis." She said out of nowhere, unsure of what made her tell him her name. The less people who knew her name, the better. The kid looked startled, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry." He said, jumping up from his seat. "Samwise Gamgee, at the service of you and your family." He said, bowing low. Rumor laughed silently at this, it was a weird thing to say, but she could not come up with a moment since she woke up that had not been off the charts on the strange factor.
"Thanks...I think. Sam, where are his parents? And your? They must be worried." Sam looked at her oddly, and Rumor found she didn't care. She had been getting a lot of that lately. "Frodo," he said gesturing to the sleeping child, "Frodo's parents are dead, but until a few months ago, he was living with his Uncle Bilbo. As for me, my gaffer is back at the Shire."
"Where is the Shire? They let you come here by yourselves at your age?" Rumor remarked surprised. "We are much older then our size would suggest, Lady Rumor. And we were not alone, our kin, Merry and Pippin, came with us. There was also Strider; he's the one that lead us here from Bree." Rumor's head was spinning, "Shire? Bree? Are we still in Jersey?"
"I don't know where Jersey is, my lady, but the Shire is a few days to the West from here." Rumor stifled a laugh at his pronunciation of Jersey, he had pronounced it Jer-say, but she quickly stopped when his words sunk in. She was no longer in New Jersey. She didn't even know if she was still in the USA. She couldn't be, Rumor reasoned, there are no elves in New Jersey.
Rumor sank her head into her hands, "Oh man, this is a disaster." She muttered under her breath, releasing a long, shaky sigh. "Lady Rumor? Are you alright?" Sam asked from her side. "No Sam, I don't think so." Standing abruptly, Rumor started towards the door, she had to get out of there. Sam jumped up after her, "Lady Rumor, are you leaving?"
"Yeah, but it was great to hang with someone who is not creepy." Sam stared at her as if she just spoke in Pig Latin while tap dancing with a monkey on her head, but never the less he was by her side in an instant. "Do you mind if I tag along, my lady? I know the way to the dining hall." He asked shyly, peeping at her from under his long eyelashes. Rumor wanted to say no, but found she couldn't. "Sure, but under one condition," She said. "Anything, "replied Sam seriously, and meaning it. "Don't call me 'lady'. "A smile broke out across his face, "You have my word La- I mean, Rumor." With that he took her hand and started yanking the girl out of the room and down the hall.