Author's Note: Aya!It's been awhile since I've updated. Sorry about that. ; I've been busy with work and school. I've also been doing a lot of sketching and drawing lately, but I should be getting a few chapters put up now and then. With all the artistic stuff I've been working on lately, I've noticed that when I think Ithink in pictures rather than words, so it makes things interesting when I try to translate the images in my head to words. Plus, the English language is either too specific, or too general when it comes to describing things (I've been trying to learn Japanese and German and brush up on my French, so I'm really beginning to notice several insufficiencies in the English language :P ). Anyway, here's another chapter for you. I haven't written in awhile, and I've forgotten exactly what I was trying to do with this whole fiction, so I'll make it up as I go along (isn't that what writing is about anyway?) and see how this turns out. As a warning the chapters are going to be short, but I'm hoping to be able to update every other day if not every day. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

"Spare film?" Jessica read off their checklist of things to pack on the hike.

"Check." Liz answered as moved several rolls of film from a pile scattered across the floor to a pocket in their backpack.

"Water bottles?"

"Check."

"Snacks?"

"Check!" Liz enthusiastically dropped various candy bars in the bag.

"Something to make the pack lighter?" Adam sulkily interrupted the girls' packing routine. Jessica and Liz shot him a quick glare and continued down their list. Adam let out an audible sigh and watched disdainfully as the girls filled the bag that he'd have to carry with more and more stuff.

Within a few minutes the girls finished their packing pulled the bag over to Adam. After watching both of them try dragging the pack, he had very mournful thoughts about this hike. He sighed and hefted the pack up into the air, and almost fell over. The pack was about ten times lighter than he had expected. In thinking that the pack would weigh a lot, he had over judged the amount of strength required to lift the bag; thus causing him to stumble back with the momentum he thought he'd need to lift the bag. He set the pack down, looked at it, then at the girls. "Are you trying to be funny?"

"Hey even we will admit that it's a bit heavy, but you are our pack mule so don't complain." Liz haughtily shrugged.

"Heavy? This pack is light. Especially compared to what you had me carry when we first arrived. I don't know what kind of joke you are trying to play, but I'm not going to fall for it." Adam stated in a suspicious tone. He lifted the pack onto his back and left the room.

"Hmmmm….perhaps all that stuff we made him carry before caused him to tone up his muscles or something. I thought the pack was heavy." Jessica said as Adam closed the door. Liz nodded her agreement.

Adam walked through the halls of Rivendell and sought out the place where he was supposed to meet everyone for the hike. When he arrived at the trellis where everyone was meeting, he found that the only people absent were Liz and Jessica. "Good afternoon." Adam greeted with some cheer. "Liz and Jessica should be here in a few minutes." He informed the group. The group nodded, and they waited. And waited. And waited.

"Nanjarou hoi hoi!" Liz said as she and Jessica bounded down the hall toward the group. Adam was just about to ask what had taken them so long when he caught sight of them. Both girls had their hair worn in braided pigtails, and had on full out safari garb. They wore tan t-shirts with large frontal pockets, kahki style tan shorts, thick soled black mountain boots, and sported tan coloured safari hats. Their cameras were around their necks and both girls were grinning broadly. Adam was going to ask where they had gotten the out fits and why they were wearing them, but decided to just smile and nod. The elves also gave strange looks to the girls, but remained silent.