"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" I sat up; groaning as the twins simultaneously began to cry.
"Shhh, mummy's coming, Shhh, no need to wake up all of Lothlorien..." I picked them up, and the wailing began to subside a little. I knew they were hungry, so I had one at one breast and one at the other, and the crying stopped. I sighed, and sat down in the chair.
"Are you alright?" I heard Legolas say, and he lit a candle, bringing a little light.
"Fine, the twins needed feeding. Go back to sleep, Legolas, they should stay quiet now." And they did, pretty much, anyway. They both let out contented gurgles and flapped their arms around in the basket.
"I bet you planned this, didn't you? Night-night, and stay asleep!" I mumbled, and tucked them in before blowing out the candle and going to sleep again.
()()()()()()()()()()()()
"Legolas, leave them in their bed clothes, they will sleep for most of the way. Come in!" I called and Lirrian popped her head in.
"You are going to Gondor, and I am heading home. Daddy wants me there for some reason. Now he has the taste of marriage in his mouth, he'll be setting me up! I will see you soon, I am sure, and come visit. Bye, Legolas!" She blushed slightly and went away again.
"Your sister is strange." I nodded.
"You would think she has more sanity than me, she is four years older, but no..." I sighed, and then laughed as Selena grabbed Legolas's hair.
"Sweetie, stop pulling daddy's hair! Only I am allowed to do that. Legolas, I would advise you put your hair back." I warned, and he snorted in a very un-Legolas-like way.
"I think I've got that." He sat Selena in her carrier, and finished packing enough Lembas and a water flask for our journey in his bag.
"Good...you did change her...I've changed Haldir and fed them both, they should sleep now. We should be able to borrow a basket for them in Gondor... That's everything!" I said, tidying up.
"We should go. It will not be a hard journey at any rate, open lands, a few hills. Arod and Melanie should be up to it." He referred to the horse he had got me, and his own.
"I cannot believe this war is over...the air feels lighter, and everything seems to be alive." I sighed. "Legolas, tie Haldir's carrier around me." He tied the carrier tightly in some Elvish knot, and then tied his own before slipping his on.
"Come, melamin, let us go." We walked hand in hand, a child tied to the front of each of us, bags over our shoulders. I mounted Melanie carefully; her saddle and bridal had already been done, by Lirrian I imagined. We set off at a steady pace, but I made sure my bag was tied securely first before picking up speed.
"I have missed riding so much." I said to Legolas as my freely curling chestnut hair flew behind me. I felt Haldir switch positions a little, and his blue eyes fixed on my tunic top as he drifted asleep.
()()()()()()()()()()()()
On the fourth day of travelling we were finally allowed a proper rest, I heaved a sigh as the twins slept peacefully between us as we lay under the stars."I love you, Elanor, more than life itself." I smiled, leaning over to kiss him softly.
"I love you too. I missed you too much than could be taken by any soul when you left Lothlorien after we married." I twisted the ring on my finger, it was a beautiful ring.
"I have a small gift for you; it was why I took so long on returning to you. I went home to pick something up, but I will not let you have it until we reach Gondor."
"Awwwww, please?" I asked, but he shook his head. I closed my eyes, and slept with a smile on my face.
())()()()()()()()()()()()
It was raining. "Legolas, what if the twins get a chill? What if they cannot fight it off before we reach Gondor?" I said in a panic. Legolas slowed up to me as the rain soaked our skin."it will not last too long, and we should reach Gondor tomorrow morning. It will soon be dark, so we should continue riding." We set off again with speed, I was desperate to see all my friends again. I grinned at the thought, Hobbits!
We rode on through the night, and the rain did not stop. A flash of lightning illuminated Legolas's features as he rode a little in front of us. I forced Melanie faster, and caught up with him. Suddenly I saw a huge city rising from what appeared to be mountains, and I sucked in breath.
"The white city..." I said in awe. It was huge, and damage on the walls was visible in the slowly lightening morning.
I rode with renewed energy that had slowly been waning, a smile lighting my features. The rain was slowly subsiding as we crossed over the slight hill onto th flat plains, and I saw large boulders and a few remaning dead ors and Oliphaunts. Trotting through the maze, we reached a gap where two large doors should have been. The two guards jumped up and looked straight at us.
"Welcome to Gondor." One man read of a piece of paper, and put it to the back.
"The future king hopes you have an enjoyable stay." He read the next one, putting that to the back also
"And that rooms can be prepared if you wish for them to be." He placed this card at the back too.
"That's if you intend to stay for more than a day." He finished, looking up bat us.
"Ah, prince Legolas and Lady with...babies?" He said, confused.
"My wife and children, Murtogg." He laughed. I joined in, before shivering.
"Legolas, I am really, really cold and wet. And tired" I added as an afterthought.
"It's ok, melamin, I have a room that I left in perfect condition, and it has a cradle for the twins." The two guards stepped aside, and we rode up the winding path to a palace with a green lawn and a huge white tree in the middle.
After leaving our horses in the stables a little way down the hill, we stood at the entrance to the palace. The sun was almost fully up, and Haldir let out a sleepy yawn and opened his eyes slightly. I lifted him out of his carrier, handing him to Legolas so I could take of the white material and stuff it in my bag. I took Haldir back into my arms, and he looked around, eyes not focused.
"Good morning, sunshine, how are we today?" I cooed and he opened his mouth in a gurgle. Legolas chuckled and knocked on the door, which took some time before opening. A maid dressed in blue with a white pinafore bowed to us as we entered, leading us to the room Legolas said was ready. She unlocked the door and handed Legolas the key, smiling.
"I shall tell the Lord Aragorn that you have arrived once he has awakened, Prince Legolas. Tis early, even for him, and I expect the four of you shall be sleeping anyway." She bowed out and closed the door.
I gave the room a brief glance; it was pale blue and silver, a large double bed and a cradle in the corner. Shifting Haldir to my other arm, I walked to the cradle, sitting him in it before pulling out his blanket and wrapping him in it. Legolas was next to me, repeating the same process with Selena, who was still asleep. Not even bothering to undress, I closed the heavy curtains, kicked off my shoes and curled upon the bed, relaxing properly for the first time in over a week. I closed my eyes, and I felt Legolas's weight next to me, his arm automatically around me protectively.
"Love you, Legolas." I murmured sleepily. He kissed me lightly on the head.
"I love you too." And I fell into a deep sleep, so tired it was hard to form a coherent sentence.
()()()()()()()()()()()()
I woke up with the sun shining into my eyes. I rolled over to one side, and instead of Legolas, I found a small note.
Melamin
I am walking at the moment, needed some fresh air. It has finally stopped raining, thank the Valar, and I've changed the twins.
I will see you soon, all my love forever
Legolas xxxxx
I smiled at the note, then rolled out of bed. The twins were gurgling, and seemed to be pushing each other. I bent my head over the cot.
"What are you doing?" The two of them did something I had never seen before; they looked up at me and smiled, and at the same time they grabbed my hair.
"OW! You little monsters!" They let out a sound that I soon realised was a laugh, and I grinned down at them, pulling my hair from their strong grasp.
"You two are going to raise hell, aren't you?" They laughed again, and I rolled my eyes. Suddenly, Selena's face contorted and she began to wail, and soon after, Haldir did the same.
Picking up Selena, I undid my tunic that I had travelled in and sat down in a chair, holding her to my breast. She stopped crying but Haldir didn't.
"Hush, sweetheart, I'm coming to you next, baby." As soon as Selena was done, I burped her and put her back in her cot, letting her sit up against the side.
I hoisted Haldir up and sat down again, exposing my other breast to his mouth. I waited for him to finish, and he laughed contentedly after I patted his back. Sitting him back in his cot, I changed into some clean clothes, my red tunic and black trousers. I pulled on my boots that surprisingly were still clean. Checking myself in the mirror, I saw I still had a little extra weight from the pregnancy as the tunic was slightly more fitted, and my breasts were bigger, the V-neck of the top enhanced that little piece of information. I dragged a comb through the wild array of curls that stuck out every which way until they somewhat resembled my normal hair. I shook my head, twisting and pinning it into a messy bun, leaving a few strands of the chestnut curls to frame my slightly more rounded face.
Deciding I was presentable, I walked around the room for a moment, trying to decide what to do with the twins. I didn't have a basket, and I couldn't carry bath of them, they were growing quite quickly, so I was at a loss as to what I should do. They were sitting happily in their cot, pushing each other, and Haldir put hi thumb in his mouth. Selena pushed a little too hard, and he fell onto his side. He let out a whimper, his chin shaking.
I dashed over and picked him up before he started crying, ant tapped Selena sharply on the nose as my father had done to me.
"Naughty, do not play rough!" She flung her arms out and scowled at me, then her face lightened and she giggled.
"So you think this is a game, do you?" I said as I bounced Haldir to stop him crying. When he had calmed down, I put him back it the cot, and immediately they started pushing each other and emitting gurgling laughter.
"What am I going to do with you?" I moaned, putting my hands on my hips. They ignored me and continued playing. Deciding they were safe, I picked up the key to the room and waved to them.
"Mummy's going out to borrow something. I'll be back in two ticks." I locked the door behind me as I left. Attempting to find someone who might be able to help, I ran into the maid who had greeted us last night.
"Excuse me, could you tell me where I could borrow a baby basket for my stay here? My children are alone in our room and I do not wish for them to be left alone." I said in a rush.
"There is a stall on the second market level. I can watch your children while you are out." I thanked her and handed her my key.
"They are called Selena and Haldir. Haldir is the boy, Selena the girl. Goodbye!" I dashed off quickly, trying to remember the way I came last night. After finding my way to the exit, I ran down the sloping hill to a market stall that appeared to sell what I needed, as well as other assortments for children.
"Hello kind sir. I need to borrow a basket for two weeks in Gondor, but I do not intend to stay here, so I do not need to buy." The man seemed to add up something on his fingers.
"Two weeks, you say? It's three silver a day, and Lady, you aint gonna get a betta price than tha'." He said in gruff accent, and I pulled out a small money pouch.
"All I have is gold, Sir, for that time, I have very little silver." His eyes widened.
"Gold? That'd be one piece for 3'n half days, Lady." I nodded, handing over four round-ish gold coins. "Anything else?" I thought a moment.
"I could do with two rattles and two teddy bears, two bottles and some milk. Oh, and some fresh napkins." His eyebrows rose.
"Two o' each?" I nodded.
"Twins." I offered as explanation. "How much to buy?" He counted again.
"If your doin' gold, four pieces." I rattled about and produced four more gold coins. "Take yer pick, they're over there." He pointed to two small piles. Checking them over, I picked two padded wooden rattles and two cute teddy bears. Placing them in the carrier, I thanked the man.
"If I should need to hire the basket for a little longer, I'll come visit." He waved, a happy smile on his face.
"You do that, Lady!" He called as I ran back up to the palace. It was slowly coming to life, and I smiled at the people who looked at me. Opening the door to my room, I saw the maid and twins sat on the bed, and they were all smiling.
"My Lady, they are adorable! If you should ever need my assistance, I shall be more than happy to look after them. It would be free, too." I shook my head.
"I'll pay you, a piece of gold every two hours. You can start now." I placed the stuff I had bought on the bed. "If they should fuss for food, try to feed them with this milk. Warm it a little first with hot water, mind. They may not like it, so if they do not take, come find me, and I'll feed them quickly before letting you take them off again if you wish." She beamed, and I saw that I had now a nanny to look after them if I wanted a little time alone.
"Thank you very much, My lady. They are the sweetest children I have seen in the longest time!" I grinned.
"You won't think that when they start shoving each other till they cry. But they are the most beautiful babies to watch, and so funny!" I grinned, stroking their faces as they rested on the pillows.
"I shall leave you now, and do not forget to find me if you need me. Bye- bye, my monstrous twosome!" I laughed. "I love you!" Kissing them, I bounced out of the room and back out into the courtyard. It was now fully daylight, and I could se Gondor fully.
"Mmm..." I said as the sun warmed me, closing my eyes for a moment. Deciding I needed to meet some people, I went for a walk down the winding slope, and into the different markets.
Some of the stalls were selling jewellery, and some were selling odds and ends, others food and drink. There was a young girl sat at a stall surrounded by many different colours of string and beads, and she called out to me.
"Braid your hair, lady? Only one silver!" She looked like she needed the money, so I smiled and walked to the stall, sitting down on the stool.
"What colours'd ya want, Miss?" I looked at the bright array of colours, and I settled on three.
"The Dark blue, the sky blue and the pale blue." The girl grinned, picking them out.
"And what shiny?" She said, pointing to the golds, silvers and bronzes.
"Gold, please." She nodded.
"They're my favourite colours, Lady, and they go nice with our hair colour. Might tug a bit, but it shouldn't hurt, like." She began knotting the threads and wrapping it around my hair tightly, changing colours and weaving in the gold in crosses and patterns. Tying it at the end, she held out four Gold beads. A star, a Flower, A sun and a Heart. They were all amazingly fine and detailed.
"The sun, it reminds me of you." The girl blushed, throwing the others into the box. She slipped it onto my hair, and made a knot at the end big enough to stop it falling off.
"There you go lady, all done!" She held up a mirror, and I grinned at what she had done. It was woven intricately around my hair in different lines and thicknesses of colour, the gold grossing back and forth around it.
"Thank you, it looks beautiful!" I exclaimed, pulling at it, and it wouldn't come out.
"Wont come out for a fair few weeks." She said, and I threw a silver coin at her as I stood. She caught it, and waved at me.
"See ya, Lady!" She shouted.
"Goodbye, and thank you again!" I walked on down the street, and I saw a tavern, and I smiled. I needed a good drink.
Walking in, I saw men talking and laughing. I wandered to the bar, and shouted for the barman.
"What d'ya want, miss? A red wine?" He sneered, and I glowered, and slipped back into my human mode. When around elves, you start to become a little like them.
"Nah mate, I'll have a decent ale, if this shitty place has any." The man's eyebrows hit the roof.
"Here that, men? The little lady wants decent ale!" I rolled my eyes and pulled my dagger out of my boot, kicking my leg up to get at it.
"This is a dagger. This is a sharp dagger. This is a sharp dagger that will cut off your balls if I do not get ale, now." I said casually.
Twirling the dagger around, I took aim and stabbed it in the gap between is fingers. He backed away a little, his shaking hands pouring me an ale. Grinning smugly, I took the tankard in my free hand and began gulping down the taste I had only ever drunk in secret with Caralyn every time we went to the local on a night. Finishing it off, I placed the tankard down and wiped my mouth, enjoying the shocked stares.
"What, cant a woman drink? Now if you'll excuse me gentlemen, There's an elf I have to see about some hobbits. Goodbye." I flicked a silver coin at the barman and walked out. I definitely liked Gondor.