Chapter 7: Suspicion and Abandonment
[ Important Notice at bottom]
Aragron listened vaguely to the rest of the tales told throughout the night. No matter how many times he tried to pay attention to those around him his mind kept wandering back to his time in Bree. No one suspected that his mind was no longer with them, he laughed when he was suppose to and he responded as he normally would, and yet they could have told him that Imladris was under attack by a new evil creature of Sauron and the only way to get rid of it was for Aragorn to sacrifice all his friends and family, and he would unknowingly agree to it.
The cat eventually tired of sitting with the ranger and went back to her rightful place in Elladan's lap. This newcomer was different to her, he smelled of many different places and things, like warm fires, musty taverns, forest and jungle woods That's an odd smell. she thought, I wonder if he knows the blonde elf.
It was many hours later when everyone headed off to their rooms for the night. After seeing Legolas to his room at the end of the hall of the Last Homely House's private wing, the three brothers headed to their own respected rooms, with the little cat following not far behind. Elladan was trying to break the habit of carrying her everywhere.
Aragorn went to his room across from the twins jointed bedrooms. He bid them both a goodnight before retiring to bed.
"Goodnight, brother." said Elladan and Elrohir simultaneously. It was directed not only to Aragorn, but the other twin as well.
The white cat stretched out on Elladan's bed and watched her owner get ready for bed.
They all seem close. She mussed, Wait did master call him brother? But he's human. These elves are a confusing breed of people.
Elladan tied the last string on his sleep tunic and turned to look at the cat lounging on his bed. He crossed his arms across his chest and without realizing it, the stern look his father often used crossed his ageless face.
"You can't sleep there." said Elladan.
The cat looked at Elladan with great big watery eyes, a look that could melt the heart of any cold hearted being. Elladan's stern look melted away and he uncrossed his arms. He wanted nothing more than to send the cat outside and have her sleep in the stables, but every time she looked at him with those big mismatched eyes...
Mismatched eyes. Elladan started to laugh. He couldn't help it, it was just funny. A small cat with big eyes was funny enough, but when the eyes were mismatched it became even funnier. The look of utter cuteness on the cat's face was replaced with one of annoyance and anger. She immediately jumped off the bed and headed for the door. It was then she realized the door was closed earlier by Elladan so he could have is privacy, she was shut in. Elladan didn't need to be told that she wanted out still giggling he opened the door. The cat left with her belly low and ears flat against her head she skulked down the hall not going in any particular direction.
Elladan watched her go and shut the door when could no longer hear the little bell around her neck. It was mean, but she left . I should of thought of it sooner.
The cat in the meantime was heading to the last place there was a warm fire. She didn't understand why master laughed at her. Had she not been devoted to him, always being there for him offering her love and affection to him, did she not keep away his night terrors. She walked through the open door, across the rugs and wood flooring, and right into someone's feet.
"Hello little one." said the owner of those feet.
Looking up she saw Lord Elrond looking down at her from his chair near the lightly smoldering ashes of what was left of the fire. Looking around the cat realized she had reached the Hall of Fire.
Sitting back on her haunches, she wrapped her long tail around her feet and proceeded to be the uncaring towards the elf in front of her. She had no reason to dislike him, she was still angry at the fact that her master had laughed at her.
Elrond picked up the cat and placed her in his lap, "Did Elladan kick you out again?"
The cat looked at Elrond with sad eyes. He's right she thought Elladan had never allowed me to stay in his room. In fact ever since I had started following him he had been trying to get of me. Does he want me to leave? Did he no longer like me? Or enjoy my company? All these questions and more buzzed through the felines head
Sensing there was more to this then Elladan just not wanting the animal in his room he decided to talk his son tomorrow. Standing up from his chair he carried the cat out. "I suppose you could stay with me tonight if you wish." The cat looked up at Elrond. "But only for tonight."
Elrond couldn't say why but he felt sorry for the small animal. He had also noticed that Elladan was trying to get the cat to leave him alone for awhile, and on normal basis most animals would do as they were trained and sometimes told. He admitted that cats were a lot more harder to train then dogs and horses, they would always do what they wanted and ignored most everyone around them, but this cat seemed more human than animal. Her mannerisms were off and personality was different. She also seemed to have an understanding of what was being said around her.
Elrond had been studying the cat every chance he got. He still felt uneasy around her, there was something about her that set off small warning bells in the back of his mind. They weren't the ones that told of extreme or immediate danger, but rather the ones that told him to keep a watchful eye out for any possible danger. He would watch her tonight and see what all he could find out about her.
Elsewhere in Aragorn's room the man found no sleep. He tossed and turned trying o get comfortable. No luck. So eventually he settled for staring at the ceiling listening to the nightly noise. He heard the soft trickling of water outside his bedroom window from the many fountains and small rivers in the garden below. He heard the songs of Nightingales in nearby trees. The soft glow of moonlight chased away all shadows in it's wake. Normally these things relaxed and calmed Aragorn, but tonight his mind was still troubled with thoughts of Bree, Helsing, and Elladan's new cat.
He remembered what Helsing had said to him about being able to find him if he ever found his prey [see ch.6] He couldn't help but wonder what Helsing meant when he said that. It also bothered the ranger that his brother might have to give up the cat he loved. He shook his head and smiled 'No, that's a silly thought. Surely ada would not knowingly allow a werecat to stay in Imladris. From the way they sound they're in every way as vicious as their werewolf cousins and maybe more.' Then a thought crossed his mind. What if he was wrong about the cat and it was in fact what Helsing was after. No matter how many times he told himself that his family would know if there was a werecreature of any sort around the more the thoughts that they may not know brushed the comforting thoughts away.
Finally after several hours of restlessness he fell to sleep.
A/N: I would have had this chapter up sooner but I ran into some more writers block and TV Land was having a 48 hr. marathon of Green Acres (I love that show) and I kept getting side tracked.
Authoress typing on computer. Legolas, Elladan, and Elrohir playing cards on the kitchen table in the back.
!!Important Notice!!: This wed. I'll be starting school. I need to make up for a bad fall semester at collage. So I'll be behind in my writing for 10 wk. Then of course I'll have next fall to worry about. So just so you know. I'll be busy, but I will still be updating whenever I can.
Twins and Legolas looked to one another a single thought passed through their minds.
Elladan: Does this mean we get a break?
Elrohir & Legolas: Yay Vacation!!!
Authoress: (typing) If anyone would like to borrow three clones while I'm gone. (Thinks for a min.) Never mind if I did that I might never see them again and I need the company.
Elves in back making plans to run away while Authoress is at school.
Authoress: (still typing) I'm going to lock them in the cellar instead.