A/N: Sorry about the last ch. It had a lot of typos in it that my computer didn't catch, and the ones it did catch didn't have any problems.
The name Gondola was suppose to be Gandolf, but my computer decided that Gandolf was misspelled. So it fixed it with spell check.
So it's not Gondola, but Gandolf. 'K. Sorry, but like I said many, many times before my computer hates me. (Glares at computer) Evil little thing.
Review Reply
-Beginning 'n' End- I would like to thank you for the reviews, and helping me as I go along. Your ideas on what's to happen are actually very close to what I want to do. You also remind me of why I write: to please any readers who enjoy my story, plus I don't like abandoned ones. And if I'm going to write it it might as well be good. Thanks for the always Up Beat reviews. They make me happy.
-Lyn- WOW :o, wish I had that talent. Glad to hear from you. Thanks to you as well, you are the only one who points out some of the errors in this story, most just overlook them.
-Meghan- This is where you find out, but the question really isn't about Jayna, but the others she's with.
Chapter 10: Meet the Family
In a room between the kitchens and the main dinning hall four elves, a man, and old man dressed from head to toe in a dusty gray sat conversing while they waited for the arrival of one other elf and their breakfast.
The room was not the largest in the house, but more of a family sized one. Only Lord Elrond, his top two advisors, and his children ate in this room. It wasn't as lavishly decorated as the other rooms, but still as beautiful as any other room. Banners of various leaders and clans hung on the cream colored walls in between large glass windows. The windows had leaf and flower designs etched into the clear glass. A green and silver leaf latch decorated the middle of each window to allow them to open up from the inside and allow in fresh air, warm sunshine, and the sounds of nature outside the house. In the family dinning hall (as it was called) a long table had been placed in the center of the room. Only two doors lead into this room, one was for the staff to bring them their meals and the other lead in from the main dinning room, that they would use for important or numerous guests.
Elrond sat at the head of the table between Erestor and Elladan, who's chair was currently empty. Elrond never wore robes to breakfast, his excuse being that they took too long to put on and his stomach hated waiting for breakfast. His real reason was common knowledge, but he would always deny it, he simple hated wearing those heavy, thick, many layered clothes. So as tradition here he sat in a pale green tunic with gold at the trimming and silver buttons in the middle and a pair of brown leggings, and the slippers he normally wore with his robes, the type of fabric used made them very comfortable, even if they were suppose to be worn with the robes and not regular clothes. After all who was going to say anything against the lord's since of style.
Erestor sat to Elrond's left, he was wearing his normal waist length dark blue tunic with black leggings. He, unlike Lord Elrond, didn't mind having to ware the more formal robes, but the ones he had weren't as lavish as Elrond's, and they were far more comfortable.
Next to Erestor sat the man in gray. Gandalf he was called, or Mithrander some preferred. He had a long smoky gray beard that almost reached his knees and dark gray hair hung down to his shoulders. A walking staff was placed by the door, but it was no ordinary walking stick. A wizards staff, it was. For you see he was not an ordinary old man, but a wizard. Gandalf had returned to Rivendell, having been there only four months ago, he needed to speak with Elrond on his most recent findings on the lost one ring, and also was due to meet with some friends he had not seen in centuries.
Legolas and Aragorn sat side by side across from where the twins would sit. Aragorn was talking with Gandalf over various topics, while Legolas was stirring some sugar into his cinnamon spiced tea. He wasn't much of a morning person, preferring to stay silent until he had a couple of cups of tea to help him wake up quicker. He was on his second cup when Elladan walked through the door.
Elladan had dressed quickly and put his hair in a few simple easy braids that hung loosely around his head blending easily with the rest of his dark brown hair.
Jayna had waited patiently (well as patiently as a ten year old could) in the hall in front of Elladan's room. Becoming tired of standing she sat down and watched as elves passed by, but paid her no notice as they hurried to complete their daily chores.
Elladan opened the door to the hallway to see Jayna sitting by his door for him, she looked up at him and smiled. Elladan held out his had to help the girl up. "Come, lets get some breakfast."
Jayna wasn't sure if she should go with the elf. She trusted the elf, this is true, but what about the others. "Um… Elladan?"
Elladan slowed his pace slightly to match Jayna's. "Yes little one"
"Are you sure we should do this, I mean show me to your family while I'm human?"
Elladan frowned slightly, he hadn't thought of that. What would the others think about Jayna? She wasn't his cat anymore, but human. How could he explain that? He couldn't just walk in and say Oh by the way this morning I woke up and found out that my pet cat is really a werecat. Yes, I know they died out centuries ago, but apparently their still alive. Elladan sighed at the thought, not to mention the fact they have been known to help werewolves in the past, but then again it was only his father, brothers, and Legolas, they would understand. He hoped.
"I don't think they would mind. It will only be my father and brother's and Legolas. You've met them all."
"I know it's just.." Jayna turned her eyes to the floor, "That our kind are feared and hated, even hunted."
She's afraid, thought Elladan, "Do not fret little one, they wont hurt you. Would it help if I told you a little about them while we make our way to the dinning hall?" Jayna looked back at Elladan and smiled as she nodded.
"Well first there's my father, Lord Elrond. He is a kind elf who has lived since the first age. He is also the one who founded the haven Rivendell and protects it from the minions from Sauron. Then there's my twin.."
Jayna cut him off, "the one you rescued?"
"Yes, the one I rescued. He's like I am except with a few differences, of course."
"Like what?"
"Well he thinks more when it comes to planning our pranks. He enjoys spending his time reading books and studying maps, while I prefer the practice field, but we are inseparable most of the time. Then there's my younger brother, he's the human you met the day before." Elladan looked to gauge her reaction, she didn't seem too surprised.
"You adopted him didn't you?"
Elladan was surprised at her observation, "Correct. How did you know?"
"I heard how you talked to him and figured at first that he was either a really good friend or a sibling of some sort. Then before you went to bed I heard you call him brother."
"You're very observant for one so young and very intelligent for a ten year old."
"Intelligence isn't how I know this. I'm one of the youngest in my clan everyone else is at least fifty years older then me, but I'm used to it."
"I see." They walked in silence for a few minutes
"Do you have any siblings Jayna?"
Jayna smiled, "I have an older brother, but he's home with my grandmother. He's going to be going to be head of the clan one day."
They continued to talk all the way to the large double doors leading to the main dinning room. Elladan opened the door, Jayna seemed calmer to him. If fact she was excited to meet his family, who were waiting for his arrival in the room just beyond the one they were now in.
Jayna looked at the giant room before her. Elladan watched from the doorway as she stepped into the room eyes wide and mouth open in wonder and amazement. This room had that effect on people.
The room had a high ceiling with curved cross beams. Large doors made of wood with glass window in the center led out to the courtyard outside the room. The walls had various paintings of the ancient cites of Valinor before the elves had been sent away. It was brightly lit by torches which hung on the wall and lightly fogged glass bowls hung from the ceiling, holding candles that would be lit when the room was to be used.
Jayna turned to Elladan, "This is your dinning room?"
Elladan laughed, "No. We use this only when we have important guests to entertain or when we host parties." Elladan walked to a plain looking door on the other side of the room.
"This is where we eat." Reaching the door he motioned for Jayna to follow. She put her small hand into his much larger one. When the door swung open she hid behind her master and friend, as her previous worries returned.
Everyone in the room looked up as Elladan entered.
Elrond was the first to speak. "Ah, Elladan there you are. We were going to start without you…" Elrond stopped mid-sentence when he saw the girl with white hair hiding behind his oldest son. "Elladan who is that with you?"
Elladan still hadn't decided how to proceed from here, but was grateful when Jayna stepped forward and introduced herself.
Bowing low the white haired girl said, "Good morning my Lord Elrond, my name is Jayna. Your son was kind enough to offer me breakfast with you. I trust you don't mind."
"No my lady. I do however wish that my son informs me next time when he invites a guest to our table." Elrond took notice of the girls eyes as she stood, they were different colors. Now things were becoming even stranger. First a cat that gives him a nervous feeling and strange eyes, then a child with the same eyes and he still has that nervous feeling with the cat no where in sight. There has to be a connection between the two. No human has two different colored eyes. Nor solid white hair, unless they were old, but this is a child probably no older then ten. Interesting.
Letting nothing on as to his thoughts, Elrond motioned to one of the servants to bring a chair for the girl. Jayna sat between Elrond and Elladan. He would talk to his advisors and Gandalf later.
Gandalf watched the child with great interest, he knew her from somewhere, he knew he did, but he just couldn't remember where. There was something about her that had jogged his memory, it was her eyes and solid white hair.
Jayna looked at the breakfast that was placed before her fluffy gold and white scrambled eggs, slices of fresh bread, and juicy sausages. She had not seen a meal like this in a long time. She had been living off of mice, deer, boar, various fruits and vegetables her and her guard had come across. She had not eaten eggs since she was very small, but she recalled not caring for the taste of the unborn bird that once lived the egg.
She ate her sausage and bread and was going to reach for more when she spotted something in the far corner near the window. A brown mouse sat cleaning it's delicate whiskers. Hoping that someone would give it a few crumbs. He didn't notice the werecat was watching and waiting for he right moment to strike.
Gandalf watched as Jayna's eyes glazed over the pupils becoming slits, tiny fangs began to protrude at the corners of her mouth. Her ears became pointed, but only rose half way up her head before she lunged. It was then he knew where he knew this girl. She was suppose to be with three others. He thought. And they were told to stay out of Rivendell. Something must have happened.
Jayna jumping onto the table and over the heads on the other side, she lunged for the mouse leaving not even a tail behind where the mouse once stood. It wasn't until after the fact had she realized what she had done.
Jayna stood from where she had landed to get at the mouse. By now she had passed into her halfway form. A tail poked out from under her dress, fuzzy cat ears sat at the top of her hair. Her hair had come out of the pigtails and flowed down her back. Her nose had a pink tinge and small thin whiskers were next to it.
Jayna couldn't believe what she had done. She had lost control. It happens to young werecats who didn't know how to control their animal side which was always stronger than the human side. She didn't know what to do. Would they send her away? Would Elladan become angry at her for it? She then remembered what the men had said in the woods when she was captured.
Flashback
"What about the elves that are said to live near hear? They might take her in."
"And once they find out about her they'll kill her, just like all the others like her."
End Flashback
Jayna visibly gulped.
The table was silent the whole time.
It was Erestor who broke the silence. "You're a bastet. That's impossible all known werecats died out thousands of years age."
Jayna shrugged. She didn't know what to do what to say, she looked at Elladan, who honestly didn't really know what to say either.
"Ada, cane she stay? She has lost her companions and was hoping to stay here until she could find them." he ventured
Elrond stared at his oldest in disbelief. "You knew about this?!" he waved his hand in Jayna's direction. Now he knew why the cat had made him nervous every time he saw her. Werecats were not well known for being anything but fierce monsters.
Elladan winced, he was afraid of this. "Not until this morning ada." he answered truthfully. "But she hasn't caused any problems and we can't invite her in only to throw her out because we found out her secret. You have taught us that Rivendell was a haven for the hunted, the tired, and for the those who had no where else to go. You can not teach us that and then turn someone away for crimes they haven't committed. Especially if that one you turn away is a child of only ten summers." Elladan's voice soften, "Let me go back to the field Ada. So I might return her to the others."
"Very well." Elrond said reluctantly, "But I want you take your weapons with you. I don't want to have to patch you up, because you did something foolish." there was no humor in his voice. He had known of werecats, but most of what he had heard were rumors. It was obvious that he did not like this turn of events.
Gandalf smiled at the nervous girl. "Don't worry young Jayna, your secret is safe while you are here."
Elrond nodded his head in agreement looking to his sons and Legolas before him and said, "After you eat I want all of you to go to where Elladan found her and see if you can find her friends."
All sat down to finish their meal, no one noticed a large hawk leaving a nearby tree nor a tan cat in the bushes leaving the city of Rivendell, heading in different directions.
Authoress smiles happily: Well I had a good time last weekend. We had warnings galore both for storms and tornadoes. I had to sit in a cramped hall space with almost no leg room. But I had fun.
Three elves walk out, hair was disheveled and matted to their face.
Legolas: We had to sit there to.
Elrohir: She's not joking it was cramped and it didn't help that it was late on a warm night.
Elladan: Yeah, we had to turn off the air.
Legolas: Not to mention the dog was there to.
Authoress still smiling: But regardless I still got the chapter finished and I got to sit snuggly in a hallway with three of Arda's hottest elves.
All take one step back
Legolas: You enjoyed that too much Kat.
A/N: I know, I have no life. I wonder sometimes how many people enjoy these things at the end. My mom does she likes to call them my "Schizophrenic moments". Which scary enough I knida agree with.