Chapter 7: Fixing Problems
Okay reasons for updating so soon:
A) I got excited reading all of the reviews . . . not really though but hey I almost have 50!! There are 46 up there right this very instant (watch there probably won't be but oh well.)
Okay real reasons
A) I got excited from writing the last chapter . . . and the reviews helped some too . . . you never will know will you so review fast to this chapter too and perhaps another chapter will suddenly appear!
B) I heard Rooney on the radio . . . well my sister heard Rooney on the radio in the car and called me up and told me in so making me very excited. So, I was really excited and began writing again.
C) I'm having a lot of fun writing this!! And just wanted to figure out what my mind had planned.
D) I won't be home next week so I figure update as much as I can. And then when I get back and school starts!!! Ahhhhhhh school its back!!!!!!!!!!
E) I heard Rooney on the radio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh yeah, I know there are people out there who are reading my story (s) and not reviewing ::: shakes finger at them but smiles anyway ::: if you are one such person it's alright, just drop me a line whether on my review or send me an email (Rilyaloome@backwards.com) And tell me hi!
And now what you really want to read . . .
ROONEY ON THE RADIO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I did have another frappacino today.
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Annadîn woke in the middle of the night. Her dreams haunted her, the walk into the kitchen, the little boys room. Sitting up she lit the candle on the nightstand. And then carefully she lit the other candles around the room. It was then that she realized that someone had picked up the remnants of her tantrum. Everything was back in order, the only reason she knew it had really happened was that the bottles were gone from the vanity. All had shattered on the stone floor.
Quickly crossing to the vanity, she picked up the book of Middle-earth's history and sat down in a chair pulling a table to her with many candles on it to produce enough light to read by. Then, she opened the book and got lost in its depths. Later when the sun rose, she did get up and change but went immediately back to the book.
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Legolas knocked on Annadîn's door. It was still early morning but he wanted to see if she was all right. No answer came from within so he noiselessly opened the door. He stepped inside and closed it behind him wondering if she was still asleep. But when he turned back around, he smirked.
Annadîn sat in a chair her back resting against one of its arms, her feet on top of the back. Her black skirt was pulled up and tucked around her knees so it would not get in the way. She had on his tunic that he had given to her after they had just found her. The sleeves were pushed up to her elbows, and in her hands, she held a book. Quickly she held up her hand, index finger raised, telling him to wait a moment. Then pages later, she closed the book marking her finger in her spot and looked up at him.
She tipped her head to the side wondering what he was doing in her room. But the expression on Legolas's face when she looked up was enough to make her forget her confusion for a second. The look was of bewilderment and question, the same question she had seen in his eyes when he had seen her bruise. After this thought crossed her mind she remembered the way in which she was sitting and pulled her legs from the back of the chair and set them on the seat, pulling her skirt back down to cover all of her legs.
"I thought you said it was nothing." He said indicating her leg.
She simply shrugged, an unconcerned look on her face.
"A bruise should not last this long Annadîn."
Again, she shrugged it off.
He was about to ask her again, but the look in her eye was the same as it had been when she had left him during the last questioning on the same subject. "All right, I'll give it up."
Annadîn smiled and pointed to her bed and the leg.
"So you hit it on the bed."
Annadîn nodded.
"On purpose?"
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, but the movements seemed stiffer then usual. Opening the book up, her eyes immediately went towards the pages.
"Annadîn?"
The young woman looked up, pieces of her long auburn hair falling into her eyes. Swiftly she whipped them away and waited for Legolas to speak.
"I am going to the dining hall for breakfast. Are you going to come?"
Annadîn shook her head. She rubbed her stomach a pained look on her face; she told him she did not feel well.
Legolas nodded. "All right. I shall see you later."
She nodded, her hazel eyes once again devouring the book in her hands. When the door closed behind him, she pulled her eyes from the book and got up. Stretching slightly she put a ribbon in the book to keep her place and then closed the book. Too lazy to slip anything on her feet, she slipped from her room, book in hand, in the direction of the kitchen-Legolas showed her how to get to it the day before. With only managing, to get lost once she arrived at the door to the kitchens and entered.
Few people noticed Annadîn as she walked in. She was grateful for this because no one questioned her when she took two slices of bread and two slices of cheese. Then she departed from the hungering fumes of the kitchen and quickly walked to the library. Inside she found a secluded corner and with book in hand, she curled up to eat and read.
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"Where is Annadîn?" Aragorn questioned.
"I do not know, I saw her this morning in her room but I left her there. Why?"
"I have been looking for her all afternoon and have found no trace of her anywhere."
Legolas shrugged he did not know where she was. He was still slightly hurt but her attitude. She had just seemed to be acting normal once more and then she refused his company this morning.
"What bothers you?" Arwen asked.
"Nothing . . . she said she did not feel well this morning. I suspect that is all." He quickly shut his mouth and continued to eat dinner*.
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The rest of the day and the next two no one could find Annadîn. She did not show up for meals but her maid did not inquire about her, so all assumed that, the girl, Serina, -for they did not know that the maid had been dismissed-had been seeing her everyday.
In the mean time, Annadîn would sneak to the kitchens and grab her meals, and then she would sit in the library all day. Sometimes she read and others she just sat there thinking or trying not to think. This continued on for another four days, until Aragorn-by accident-figured out where she was.
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"Oh not again!" The head cook wailed. But when she came upon the King, she immediately asked for her pardon.
Aragorn gave it, but did not let her go. "What do you mean by again?"
"Well sire, someone-I suspect that girl you brought back from Rohan-has been in here three times a day stea . . . taking food. Nothing large, enough for a small meal each time, but that still does not keep me from getting annoyed with it."
"How long has this been occurring?"
"Um . . . about seven or eight days your highness."
"Thank you." And Aragorn departed from the kitchens.
He walked down the halls in heavy thought. So, Annadîn had been quite well, opposite of common thought. And in fact had been 'stealing'- as the cook had practically said- food from the kitchen. Well he, thought walking down the corridors, if I were young and was taking my meals directly from the kitchen where would I be? Aragorn went to the gardens and to some secluded halls. Finally, he found himself in the library searching through the books. He found Annadîn quite some time later staring at the ceiling; her legs draped over one of the chair's arms while her head rested on the other. An opened book on her stomach upside down.
Stifling a chuckle, Aragorn approached her. "Annadîn?"
Upon hearing her name, she looked at Aragorn and once realizing who it was, she immediately went to change her position.
"Do not bother yourself so." Aragorn said plopping down in the only chair near by. "I too enjoy to sit in a chair, in comfortable positions." He winked at her. Looking at the books around him, Aragorn began to speak again. "So you have been here for the past week?"
Annadîn nodded, watching the King.
"A good place to hide, but from what?"
She shrugged not meeting his eyes.
"Something happened Annadîn, what?"
But this time she shook her head.
"Did something change as of late, that maybe you wished did not occur?"
Looking up hesitantly Annadîn nodded.
"Does it have anything to do with us?" Aragorn stated implying Gimli, Legolas, Arwen, and himself.
She shook her head.
"Good!" Aragorn exclaimed placing his elbows on his knees rubbing his hands together*. "Well now that I know it has nothing to do with me . . ." He grinned like a little boy and continued to think aloud. "Now is it something material that is bothering you?"
Annadîn shook her head. Putting a confused yet disgusted look about her face, it said, why would you even ask that?
"Well I had to ask. So it has to do with someone."
Again, she nodded.
"So something changed as of late . . . something with a person." Aragorn went over what he knew for truth.
The young woman nodded her head confirming what he said.
"All right," Aragorn said getting up. "You come to supper and by the time we are finished eating I will have fixed what ever has gone wrong with this unknown person."
Annadîn looked up with a disbelieving look on her face but nodded. When Aragorn left her, she picked up the book off her stomach. It was the complete tale of Beren and Luthien, for she had already finished with the history book, A Hobbit's Tale, and the book on the War of the Ring. All had intrigued her but had not gone into much detail, excluding A Hobbit's Tale-which had quite a lot about hobbits in it.
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Aragorn left the library and immediately went to the kitchens again. But the head cook told him that no one had communicated with the girl when she had entered. So, that was one group of people off his list. Walking down hall after hall trying to figure out who would have caused Annadîn's predicament he ran into Legolas.
"Why so thoughtful Estel?"
"I am king am I not Legolas?"
The Elf nodded.
"But truly it is Annadîn, I found her . . . "
"Oh where?"
"In the library . . . "
"Of course! She was so enthralled with the books I gave her! Sorry Estel I had completely forgotten about that."
"So it seems. Anyway, she said that she was upset about something that had changed about a person here in Minas Tirith. But I cannot figure out who, it is not one of the four of us."
"You talked to her." Legolas asked eyebrow raised.
"You know what I mean."
Chuckling Legolas agreed perfectly. And soon his and Aragorn's thoughts turned in the same direction. While thinking about the people who Annadîn had associated with, his thoughts turned to the day when Annadîn and Serina had had the pillow fight. "Of course!"
"What is it?"
"The maid-girl, Serina. I have neither heard nor seen her in the last week or so. And Annadîn has not been seen around here with her I assume."
"No she has not." Aragorn murmured. He changed his direction and started towards the servants' quarters. Entering the halls, where they lived some began rushing around while others just watched him.
"Is there anything you need sire?" A woman asked curtsying, her head down.
"Yes, please bring the head maid to me."
The woman scurried off and came back sometime later with an elderly woman. "Your highness." The woman stated giving a low curtsy.
"The young woman who was maid to Annadîn, what happened to her?"
"She was released sire."
"Why?"
"She did not act according to her status, she went gallivanting around your home with the girl in tow."
"So you let her go for becoming friends with my guest?"
"No . . . no your highness. I let her go for disobeying rules."
"So I assume you were the one to do so."
"Yes your highness."
Aragorn nodded. "Where is she?"
"The maid, sire?"
"Yes the maid."
"She was dismissed."
"Dismissed from my home?" He asked a little more harshly then he desired.
"Yes your highness."
Taking a deep breath Aragorn looked down at the old woman. "Where is she then?"
"The third ring*."
Nodding curtly. "You are dismissed."
The woman went to move away, back to her activities.
"No, you are dismissed." Aragorn repeated putting stress on the dismissed part.
"Your . . . your highness?"
"You ma'am dismissed the only person who Annadîn had bonded strongly with so far in Minas Tirith. If you were so blind as to not see the relationship between the two and forget rules for once, then I do not wish to have you among my staff." Aragorn then left, calling a messenger to him. Telling the man to collect Serina and bring her to him.
"Was that not a bit harsh Aragorn?" Legolas questioned.
"Aye, it was. But I shall not have someone here, who has not the best interests of a person in mind."
Sometime later, as Aragorn sat in his quarters, the young woman, Serina was brought in. She curtsied low, confusion and fright on her face.
"Do not be frightened child. I only call you back so that I can beg you to once again take up the spot in my service that you once held, being a maid and friend to Annadîn."
The young woman looked up. "Beg, your highness, you would never have to beg me to do that." And then she smiled.
"Good, then will you please be in Annadîn's quarters after supper has finished."
Serina nodded, curtsied once more, and left the room excitedly.
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Annadîn pulled on a dress over her head. She did not even notice what it was. The one-sided conversation with Aragorn ran through her head-plus she really did not care what she wore. Next, she brushed her hair, freeing all the tangles that had made themselves during the day. Her thoughts got slightly side tracked when this happened due to the question arising in her mind of how those tangles got there. Probably with all the times I change positions she thought.
After putting a pair of shoes on her feet, she left her quarters and went to the dining hall. She met Gimli near his room and he greeted her warmly.
"Anna it has been ages since I have seen your face!" He exclaimed a great smile on his lips and in his eyes. "I thought perhaps you might be only a very tall hobbit and had dug a hole, swearing to stay there for the rest of your days."
Annadîn smiled and rolled her eyes without letting Gimli see. If only he knew the other meaning of his words, Annadîn thought taking the comment in the non-offensive way.
"But those are creatures that I like," Gimli went on. "They love holes and food the two greatest things on Middle-earth."
Annadîn would have snorted had she not choked it in her throat. And so, she listened lightly as Gimli went on about hobbits. Without either of them noticing, Gimli's babble lightened the mood that had been set upon Annadîn for days now.
"Ah so nice it is to see you Annadîn." Arwen commented.
Annadîn nodded and ducked her head a little, slightly embarrassed by her actions.
"Do not, it is hard when one you hold dear leaves." Arwen murmured to her.
The young mortal looked up into the Elf's eyes and her mouth twitched. A found look meant for Annadîn lay upon Arwen's brow and in her eyes. All, even Annadîn, enjoyed the rest of the meal.
"I shall see you tomorrow at breakfast." Arwen told Annadîn.
The girl nodded as usual not really understanding the meaning of her words.
"Come." Legolas told Annadîn, for the young woman had stopped walking.
Annadîn half listened as Gimli and Legolas chatted. Her hand was on her ear playing with her ring, when her full attention was pulled to the Dwarf and Elf.
"You what!!"
"Called her a very tall hobbit," Gimli said nonchalantly.
Legolas lifted his eyebrows and looked at Annadîn who nodded in confirmation. "Why?" he questioned looking back at the Dwarf.
Annadîn was bemused by the exchanged. She knew what a hobbit was from her readings and if taken the right way-as she did-being called a very tall hobbit could be a good thing. The two friends beside her went on about the subject and she began to ignore them once more.
"Good night Anna, and I will see you tomorrow morning will I not?"
Annadîn nodded to Gimli who took refuge from the Elf's comments in his room. Soon afterward, Annadîn arrived at her own door. A good night from Legolas was heard as he did the same and then the door closed behind her.
But as soon as it was, something clasped onto Annadîn and it became increasingly hard to breath. The thing-or rather person-pulled away, they squealed, and then hugged her again; and this time Annadîn hugged them back.
"Oh I'm back!!! King Elessar brought me back!!!" Serina* exclaimed.
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Legolas was only slightly surprised to see Aragorn in his chambers when he closed the door. He nodded his head to the King waiting for sound from the door across the hall. Then a squeal came-from Serina no doubt.
"Oh I'm back!!! King Elessar brought me back!!!!" There was a pause then, "Oh do not even try that look with me! You and I both know you missed me!"
Both strained their ears and heard pillow hit the door.
"Oh no . . . you are not going to win this time I . . . swear." The last word was muttered in a lower tone.
Both Elf and Man grinned and Aragorn opened the door. "Thank you my friend," he muttered and strolled from the room.
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*Dinner- um yeah I don't know if you guys have picked up on this or not but dinner=supper. All right just didn't want anyone confused.
*Elbows on his knees blah blah blah- okay think boys on a baseball bench or girls on a softball bench whatever you prefer (get your head out of that gutter!!)
*Third Ring-yeah I don't really know . . . no make that I don't know which ring or level of Minas Tirith that she would live in so . . . .
*Serina-I think I said that she had blonde hair but can't remember for sure and can't find the place where I mentioned it. And if she does then well, she is one lucky citizen of Minas Tirith probably the only blonde there. Didn't want anyone telling me I'm dumb because I made the girl blonde when really the people of Minas Tirith had dark hair.
REVIEWS
Thank you everyone!!!
LadySiri-I'm glad you like it! And you and everyone else, including me!!
Kiki-The-Random-Maiden-Yes I wonder about you!!! I updated!! And yes its another update ::: walks away wondering where all the enthusiasm came from :::: ::: Oh yeah ROOENY ::::
Andreah- :::: strokes chin thoughtfully while watching muses but soon stops and shakes her head :::: Um maybe . . . but I'm not saying anything!!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah she's back!
MaverickGirl- Throwing a tantrum reminded you of falling asleep in the car?? Oh well, Serina left because I wanted to have Annadîn trash her room and well that's the only way I could think of doing it.
Jazmin-Look Look I updated very soon. But I think that's the obvious part. As for answers to questions . . . it could be Annadîn can't talk, it could be the magic, or it could be self-inflicted (that sounds bad but you know what I mean).
Sunrunner of Summer- Nice run on. And as for the Legomance thing, I'm not saying anything because I have no clue! She got her maid back and about her past or when she was little its coming I just figured out about three chapter that I want to write so I just have to get there.
Dragonfly-I'm glad you like it! And answers on their way . . . .
Look at the pretty button . . . click pretty button . . . type words in the pretty box!!
Okay well someone wanted a description of Annadîn (well another at least) so here you are. She is about 5'3" so only comes up to Aragorn and Legolas's shoulders. Or so. Her hair is long and auburn, and she has hazel eyes that change colors. Um she's not beautiful but she's pretty. Has moles on her jaw line on the left side and one on her right cheek, almost full bottom lip and a smaller upper lip and do you need to know anything else? Well she's muscular and tanned. So I believe that's about it. Okay I'm done have fun now buh-bye.