~ -------- ~
Chapter II - The Border
On the ride to the border, Rogue rode with an Elf named Rhén. He had long, golden hair; (much like the other elves...) chocolate brown eyes, and liked to talk a lot. He obviously enjoyed Rogue's company; they talked for a long time.
'I beg your pardon miss, but why is the front of your hair white, yet the rest is dark? You are not old, unless...you are. Are you, miss?' he asked.
Rogue laughed. 'First...please, call me Rogue. And second, no, ah'm not old; ah'm almost seventeen. My hair became like this at Liberty Island. It's a monument where ah live. About a year ago, someone kidnapped me off a train, and put me in this machine inside the Statue of Liberty, that's a building, where he was going to transfer his and my powers over the city, and make everyone mutants. He thought it would solve the problems, of them hating us. Ah knew it wouldn't; it'd just cause more problems. But it was forced on me; ah was bound in a chair, and was helpless. Luckily, some of my teachers, and friends, stopped him before he could reach the powers across the lake, to the city, but the energy surge made the streaks of white in my hair, and it's kept growing that way ever since.'
He was shocked. 'Why does everyone else hate mutants...?' he asked. 'Well...ah think they're scared. There are some evil mutants out there, but there are evil humans too. Ah think they forget about that, and judge all mutants by the ones broadcasted on the news.' She sighed.
'That is a shame. I am sure they would like you, if they took the time to get to know you. What is... broadcast, Lady Rogue?'
She nearly fell of the horse laughing. Lady Rogue...these Elves... 'It's...Television. A box, with moving pictures, beamed down from a satellite. Everyone that has a television can see the same things, on different channels. There's news channels, where they show and talk about things that happen in the city, and the things they show are called Broadcasts, or Showings. On the showings, they talk about mutants, but the only ones they show, are bad ones. So everyone thinks all mutants are bad. Also...ah 'm not royalty. Ya don't need to call me Lady Rogue. Please, just Rogue is fine.'
'As you wish, L- Rogue.'
They rode for hours, into the evening, and Rogue was beginning to sore. Riding all day would defiantly be something she had to get used to. She'd rode back home, when she was little, but not in years had she been in a saddle. She had been staring into the woods, watching the trees fly by as they rode at a fast pace towards the borders. The night was chilly, and her stomach ached for food; the wind had been blowing harshly for hours, and her head felt as if it was spinning and her vision was blurry.
They came to a clearing; all the trees stood behind them, and there across the way, stood a house. The clearing was a field, and there was a fence that stood in front of them, with a large, silver gate, that arched over their heads. Legolas dismounted, and walked over to the gate. He rang a bell that hung there, and a light shined in the distance, over towards the house. The bars swung open, and they passed through, and headed on into the field. They got to the house, and there was a man waiting, with a lantern in his hand. He welcomed them, and then the Elves jumped off their horses, not seeming sore at all.
Rogue slowly placed her foot in the stirrup, and swung her leg over the horse, but her foot caught on the saddle, causing her to fall several feet onto the wet, muddy ground.
'Ugh. Stupid thing!' she exclaimed, starting to get up. The Elves tried not to laugh, and one rushed over to help her up. When she lifted her head, she saw that it was Legolas. 'Ah'm fine, thanks,' she said, trying not to seem needy.
After all, she wasn't. She just felt clumsy and embarrassed. The clothes were drenched in mud, along with her hair. She looked down at the fine silver cloak and sighed; she would've probably cried if she was someone other than Rogue, but she wasn't. Looking up at Legolas, with apologetic eyes she whispered, 'Ah'm so sorry.' But he just smiled, and said that it was all right.
The Elves began leading the horses back towards the stables, when the man walked up to Rogue and smiled.
'Why don't you come in, darling? Those fellows will be in after their horses are tended to. My wife would be happy to set you up with a nice warm bath, and some clean clothes; I think she's about your size. When you are finished, we shall all gather around and have supper. How does that sound?'
Rogue was a bit hesitant, but when she saw a woman peek out from inside the house, she smiled and responded, 'Ah would love that, sir. Thank ya very much.' She turned her head back, and watched the Elves disappear back towards the stables. She followed the man into the house, where a petite woman with nutmeg hair and sparkling dark blue eyes greeted her.
'Vedui, young lady; I am Chelise. How are you this evening? Oh dear, a little tumble did you have? Look at this love!' she called to her husband, 'She looks about my size does she not?'
'Here, come with me darling.' The woman started to head down a hallway, and Rogue followed behind her. She led her into a bathroom, where there was a large white tub, a sink with a mirror, and a toilet.
'Wait here, dear. I will fetch you some clothes and let you bathe in peace. There are several shampoos to choose from, and there's soap there on the ledge. Now, let me get you a towel, and some clothes.'
And then she left, scurrying along down the hallway, making stops in a few rooms, and finally returned with a white towel, a blue and white dress, and soft silvery-gray boots. They were much like the ones lent to her by the Elves, they were more feminine, thinner and softer. She then left Rogue to herself.
Rogue took a look at the dress; back home she hated wearing dresses, especially for no reason. I like the clothes the Elves gave me much better... She didn't mention it to her though, and thankfully accepted it. She would hopefully receive a more boyish wardrobe in Rivendell, even though that seemed unlikely, looking at Arwen's clothing. But she was confident she'd have time to talk them into lending her pants; after all, it was unlikely she'd accompany the Fellowship on their journey. Then a thought crossed her mind that should've a long time ago— how am I going to get home...?
Rogue dismissed the thought, undressed, and slipped into the warm water. All the shampoos smelled good, but she finally settled on a lavender one. After a while of soaking, she got out, dried off, and dressed. With her fingers, she tucked her hair back into a ponytail with some black band she found by the sink with the clothes. The white streaks fell from the bundle of hair, and over her eyes, just as they always did, being slightly shorter than the rest of her hair. It was defiantly far from perfect, but it wasn't much different from her everyday hairdo.
The dress she wore was thin and soft, made of the smoothest fabric she'd ever seen before. It had white and silver, and had light blue sheer sleeves, that faded to nothing once they reached just above her elbows. The flowing skirts were not big and full; they fell to her ankles, not clinging to her legs, or puffing out like an umbrella.
The hungry feeling returned to her, and she quickly grabbed the gloves. They were dirty, but not much, so she wiped them off with her towel, (which surprisingly worked), and slipped them on. Grabbing the soiled clothes and towel, she left the bathroom. Chelise came to her when she heard the door open.
'Well dear, do you feel any better? Ah, that's a nice fit; I thought we were about the same size.' She smiled.
Rogue nodded, 'Ah do feel better; thank ya very much, ah appreciate it a lot.' Chelise obviously noticed the clothes in her hands, obviously curious to the reason why she wore the gloves.
'I'm glad you feel better. I'll be taking those clothes, dear. I'll have them clean and fresh come morning. Make yourself at home, and would you be a dear and check the stew for me? I think it might need a stir, lest it should scorch!'
And with that, she turned and left. Rogue smiled, I can sure tell she's the only woman around here. She never stops moving!
She walked down the hall, and came to the kitchen. There was an open stove, like a fireplace, with a large black kettle that hung over the flames. She grabbed a wet rag off of the counter, and lifted the lid. The smell made her stomach jump into her throat. Mmm... it was a creamy stew of some sort. There was a big, metal spoon on the counter; she reached for it, and stirred it back and forth through the thick, creamy broth. After that, she set the spoon down, placed the lid back upon the kettle, and walked out of the room.
Suddenly, she heard a bell ring, much like a dinner bell used in old western movies. No sooner, the man and the Elves came through the door, taking off their cloaks and jackets, hanging them on hooks. She rushed into the kitchen to see if she could help with anything else, and there was Chelise, carrying tall glass bottles filled with various tinted liquids to the dinning room. Rogue grabbed the three remaining on the counter, and followed her. The table was long, and had ten places set with bowls, plates, and silverware; along with many large platters down the middle filled with fruits and breads. She set the big bottles on the table, and followed Chelise back into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, everyone was sat at the table, eating and laughing. Rogue figured out that the bottles were filled with wine, and sparkling juices. Wine was never something she was fond of; she'd had a sip at a wedding for a toast once, but that was it. She didn't know which ones were which, so she had to ask. Luckily she was sitting next to Chelise, so she leaned towards her ear and whispered, 'Which of those are juice?'
Chelise giggled to herself, and handed her one. She poured it into the short crystal glass, and took a sip. It was like cranberry apple grape sparkling cider she'd had back at the school for Christmas dinner, but better. Rogue had never had dinner with such company; back home, they'd eat and laugh, and tell jokes and so on. But here, it was different, in a way. She didn't know how, but it was not the same as back home.
After supper, all the Elves left to separate rooms. (It was growing to be quite late.) Chelise led each one to their room, and told them about the closets that there was a pair of pajamas in each one for them. Rogue was led into a good-sized room, with a window that overlooked the fields. There were thin, satin curtains some shade of violet, along with hand painted letters the same color stenciled all the way around the top of the walls. She couldn't make out the writing, but it most likely was Elvish of some sort.
The walls were a bunch of colors; sponged here and there. Violets, blues, greens, yellows; the ceiling was dark blue, with specks of white and yellow here and there. It's day, the walls. And the ceiling is night. Strange, but she liked it. It was original, and she loved the view out the window, even though all she saw were stars and the moon shining bright in the sky. Morning would probably come before the sun did, so she might get to see the sun rise over the golden hills.
~ -------- ~
Chapter II - The Border
On the ride to the border, Rogue rode with an Elf named Rhén. He had long, golden hair; (much like the other elves...) chocolate brown eyes, and liked to talk a lot. He obviously enjoyed Rogue's company; they talked for a long time.
'I beg your pardon miss, but why is the front of your hair white, yet the rest is dark? You are not old, unless...you are. Are you, miss?' he asked.
Rogue laughed. 'First...please, call me Rogue. And second, no, ah'm not old; ah'm almost seventeen. My hair became like this at Liberty Island. It's a monument where ah live. About a year ago, someone kidnapped me off a train, and put me in this machine inside the Statue of Liberty, that's a building, where he was going to transfer his and my powers over the city, and make everyone mutants. He thought it would solve the problems, of them hating us. Ah knew it wouldn't; it'd just cause more problems. But it was forced on me; ah was bound in a chair, and was helpless. Luckily, some of my teachers, and friends, stopped him before he could reach the powers across the lake, to the city, but the energy surge made the streaks of white in my hair, and it's kept growing that way ever since.'
He was shocked. 'Why does everyone else hate mutants...?' he asked. 'Well...ah think they're scared. There are some evil mutants out there, but there are evil humans too. Ah think they forget about that, and judge all mutants by the ones broadcasted on the news.' She sighed.
'That is a shame. I am sure they would like you, if they took the time to get to know you. What is... broadcast, Lady Rogue?'
She nearly fell of the horse laughing. Lady Rogue...these Elves... 'It's...Television. A box, with moving pictures, beamed down from a satellite. Everyone that has a television can see the same things, on different channels. There's news channels, where they show and talk about things that happen in the city, and the things they show are called Broadcasts, or Showings. On the showings, they talk about mutants, but the only ones they show, are bad ones. So everyone thinks all mutants are bad. Also...ah 'm not royalty. Ya don't need to call me Lady Rogue. Please, just Rogue is fine.'
'As you wish, L- Rogue.'
They rode for hours, into the evening, and Rogue was beginning to sore. Riding all day would defiantly be something she had to get used to. She'd rode back home, when she was little, but not in years had she been in a saddle. She had been staring into the woods, watching the trees fly by as they rode at a fast pace towards the borders. The night was chilly, and her stomach ached for food; the wind had been blowing harshly for hours, and her head felt as if it was spinning and her vision was blurry.
They came to a clearing; all the trees stood behind them, and there across the way, stood a house. The clearing was a field, and there was a fence that stood in front of them, with a large, silver gate, that arched over their heads. Legolas dismounted, and walked over to the gate. He rang a bell that hung there, and a light shined in the distance, over towards the house. The bars swung open, and they passed through, and headed on into the field. They got to the house, and there was a man waiting, with a lantern in his hand. He welcomed them, and then the Elves jumped off their horses, not seeming sore at all.
Rogue slowly placed her foot in the stirrup, and swung her leg over the horse, but her foot caught on the saddle, causing her to fall several feet onto the wet, muddy ground.
'Ugh. Stupid thing!' she exclaimed, starting to get up. The Elves tried not to laugh, and one rushed over to help her up. When she lifted her head, she saw that it was Legolas. 'Ah'm fine, thanks,' she said, trying not to seem needy.
After all, she wasn't. She just felt clumsy and embarrassed. The clothes were drenched in mud, along with her hair. She looked down at the fine silver cloak and sighed; she would've probably cried if she was someone other than Rogue, but she wasn't. Looking up at Legolas, with apologetic eyes she whispered, 'Ah'm so sorry.' But he just smiled, and said that it was all right.
The Elves began leading the horses back towards the stables, when the man walked up to Rogue and smiled.
'Why don't you come in, darling? Those fellows will be in after their horses are tended to. My wife would be happy to set you up with a nice warm bath, and some clean clothes; I think she's about your size. When you are finished, we shall all gather around and have supper. How does that sound?'
Rogue was a bit hesitant, but when she saw a woman peek out from inside the house, she smiled and responded, 'Ah would love that, sir. Thank ya very much.' She turned her head back, and watched the Elves disappear back towards the stables. She followed the man into the house, where a petite woman with nutmeg hair and sparkling dark blue eyes greeted her.
'Vedui, young lady; I am Chelise. How are you this evening? Oh dear, a little tumble did you have? Look at this love!' she called to her husband, 'She looks about my size does she not?'
'Here, come with me darling.' The woman started to head down a hallway, and Rogue followed behind her. She led her into a bathroom, where there was a large white tub, a sink with a mirror, and a toilet.
'Wait here, dear. I will fetch you some clothes and let you bathe in peace. There are several shampoos to choose from, and there's soap there on the ledge. Now, let me get you a towel, and some clothes.'
And then she left, scurrying along down the hallway, making stops in a few rooms, and finally returned with a white towel, a blue and white dress, and soft silvery-gray boots. They were much like the ones lent to her by the Elves, they were more feminine, thinner and softer. She then left Rogue to herself.
Rogue took a look at the dress; back home she hated wearing dresses, especially for no reason. I like the clothes the Elves gave me much better... She didn't mention it to her though, and thankfully accepted it. She would hopefully receive a more boyish wardrobe in Rivendell, even though that seemed unlikely, looking at Arwen's clothing. But she was confident she'd have time to talk them into lending her pants; after all, it was unlikely she'd accompany the Fellowship on their journey. Then a thought crossed her mind that should've a long time ago— how am I going to get home...?
Rogue dismissed the thought, undressed, and slipped into the warm water. All the shampoos smelled good, but she finally settled on a lavender one. After a while of soaking, she got out, dried off, and dressed. With her fingers, she tucked her hair back into a ponytail with some black band she found by the sink with the clothes. The white streaks fell from the bundle of hair, and over her eyes, just as they always did, being slightly shorter than the rest of her hair. It was defiantly far from perfect, but it wasn't much different from her everyday hairdo.
The dress she wore was thin and soft, made of the smoothest fabric she'd ever seen before. It had white and silver, and had light blue sheer sleeves, that faded to nothing once they reached just above her elbows. The flowing skirts were not big and full; they fell to her ankles, not clinging to her legs, or puffing out like an umbrella.
The hungry feeling returned to her, and she quickly grabbed the gloves. They were dirty, but not much, so she wiped them off with her towel, (which surprisingly worked), and slipped them on. Grabbing the soiled clothes and towel, she left the bathroom. Chelise came to her when she heard the door open.
'Well dear, do you feel any better? Ah, that's a nice fit; I thought we were about the same size.' She smiled.
Rogue nodded, 'Ah do feel better; thank ya very much, ah appreciate it a lot.' Chelise obviously noticed the clothes in her hands, obviously curious to the reason why she wore the gloves.
'I'm glad you feel better. I'll be taking those clothes, dear. I'll have them clean and fresh come morning. Make yourself at home, and would you be a dear and check the stew for me? I think it might need a stir, lest it should scorch!'
And with that, she turned and left. Rogue smiled, I can sure tell she's the only woman around here. She never stops moving!
She walked down the hall, and came to the kitchen. There was an open stove, like a fireplace, with a large black kettle that hung over the flames. She grabbed a wet rag off of the counter, and lifted the lid. The smell made her stomach jump into her throat. Mmm... it was a creamy stew of some sort. There was a big, metal spoon on the counter; she reached for it, and stirred it back and forth through the thick, creamy broth. After that, she set the spoon down, placed the lid back upon the kettle, and walked out of the room.
Suddenly, she heard a bell ring, much like a dinner bell used in old western movies. No sooner, the man and the Elves came through the door, taking off their cloaks and jackets, hanging them on hooks. She rushed into the kitchen to see if she could help with anything else, and there was Chelise, carrying tall glass bottles filled with various tinted liquids to the dinning room. Rogue grabbed the three remaining on the counter, and followed her. The table was long, and had ten places set with bowls, plates, and silverware; along with many large platters down the middle filled with fruits and breads. She set the big bottles on the table, and followed Chelise back into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, everyone was sat at the table, eating and laughing. Rogue figured out that the bottles were filled with wine, and sparkling juices. Wine was never something she was fond of; she'd had a sip at a wedding for a toast once, but that was it. She didn't know which ones were which, so she had to ask. Luckily she was sitting next to Chelise, so she leaned towards her ear and whispered, 'Which of those are juice?'
Chelise giggled to herself, and handed her one. She poured it into the short crystal glass, and took a sip. It was like cranberry apple grape sparkling cider she'd had back at the school for Christmas dinner, but better. Rogue had never had dinner with such company; back home, they'd eat and laugh, and tell jokes and so on. But here, it was different, in a way. She didn't know how, but it was not the same as back home.
After supper, all the Elves left to separate rooms. (It was growing to be quite late.) Chelise led each one to their room, and told them about the closets that there was a pair of pajamas in each one for them. Rogue was led into a good-sized room, with a window that overlooked the fields. There were thin, satin curtains some shade of violet, along with hand painted letters the same color stenciled all the way around the top of the walls. She couldn't make out the writing, but it most likely was Elvish of some sort.
The walls were a bunch of colors; sponged here and there. Violets, blues, greens, yellows; the ceiling was dark blue, with specks of white and yellow here and there. It's day, the walls. And the ceiling is night. Strange, but she liked it. It was original, and she loved the view out the window, even though all she saw were stars and the moon shining bright in the sky. Morning would probably come before the sun did, so she might get to see the sun rise over the golden hills.
~ -------- ~