Chapter 3
The morning sun was just peeking behind the mountains when Katie got out of the bath. She had gotten up rather early because sleeping on the floor is not that comfortable. She had looked at her hair in amazement. It was still clean, yet she had the most urgent inner plea to bathe before departing from Rivendell forever. Luckily, the bath was in a room joined with Legolas's and it was less than thirty feet from where his bed resided. She had gathered up her pack meant for travel and disappeared into the bathroom.
She was in luck because Rivendell had running water. Turning a golden faucet, she had caused a flow of surprisingly warm mountain water to flow into the bathroom. Opening cabinets, she had found jars of sweet smelling water perfume. Adding it into the tub, Katie realized she had fallen into complete love with Rivendell, and she did not want to leave its peaceful boundaries.
Forcing herself finally to leave the luxurious bath, she pulled the dress on top out of the bag. It was like none of the other she had seen go in. The fabric seemed undefined, every moment a changing color and a different state of mass. Sometimes the dress seemed to disappear entirely. She opted not to wear this marvel, and instead pulled out a relatively simple maroon dress made of a satin like material. It did not have any jewels on it.
While glancing through the rest of the bag she found a small sack tied tightly with ribbon. She opened it to find a lovely necklace made of silver – or was it mithril? – with diamonds in the shape of a star with leaves and twirling wire. With it, there was a ring, once again made of mithril or silver. It was simple braid pattern, but it reminded her of a circlet of holly boughs she had seen while following Legolas around the palace. She put on her jewelry and left the bathroom.
Legolas was just beginning to stir when she shut the door to the bathroom. She sat and waited while he went threw his morning stretches, but then she realized he too would need to get dressed. As he drew the hem of his sleeping tunic up she turned her back, listening for several minutes to the sound of cloth gliding against cloth and skin as Legolas got dressed. When she heard him begin to move, Katie followed faithfully.
In the hall, Aragorn stood waiting for Legolas to arrive. Esther was smiling jovially and toying with her cute leather jacket. She looked up and smiled when she heard Legolas and Katie's feet ringing on the marble floors.
"Katie! It that all Lord Elrond could find? A dress? A satin dress? You're gonna run around middle-earth in dresses and jewelry? Ha ha ha ha," Esther laughed clutching her stomach as Aragorn and Legolas said hello to each other.
Katie elbowed her friend as Legolas and Aragorn began walking down the hall. They sailed out of the palace and through the gardens. They spoke rarely, but one comment did make it to where Katie and Esther could hear ("I have the strangest feeling I'm being followed, Aragorn." "No, my friend, you are just sensing things that are not there.")
The day was cheery when the group set out. The girls followed their respective companions with smiling faces. Jennifer and Esther were made to drag Katie back several times when she found particularly sad looking trees, as she put it, which needed a hug.
They eventually walked on either side of her while she sulked in between, glaring at both of them in their turns. Erika smiled sympathetically at Katie's pouting elfin face, but she walked with Gandalf talking about what was to become of them. ("Gandalf, what happens if we were to get split up? Do you think we will ever be visible to the others?')
Behind Katie, Esther, and Jennifer, the fellowship, the four hobbit girls, and Ashley the dwarf walked talking softly to each other.
"Hmmmm…." Jenny sighed. "Legolas looks so dashing with the wind blowing his hair and that adorable determined look on his face."
"Agh, give me a break, Blondie!" Ashley whined. "I've heard enough 'Oo-la-la's and Elfish monologues to last me a life time!"
"Fine, let's speak of something else," Chelli suggested. "How about those presents from Elrond? What did you guys get?"
"Oh, I got this beautiful locket. On one side is Pippin and the other side is Legolas!" Jenny gushed.
"Speaking of my elf," Katie spoke dropping back with Esther and Jennifer to talk to their friends, "I heard you tried win the auction of his hand. He is his own elf you know, Jenny."
"I was just joking! Everyone was being so serious, I was just trying to lighten the mood," Jenny assured her. "Anyway, what did you get, Lasselantavanima?"
"Goodness! Does everyone have to adopt that name?" Katie asked. Everyone but Esther nodded. "I got this beautiful necklace and a ring. I'm not sure what they do, but aren't they lovely?" Jenny and Chelli squealed in delight at the delicate Elfish jewelry that adorned their Elf friend.
"I got this beautiful sword," Esther proudly acclaimed.
"And I got this ugly, sharp, pointy axe," Ashley pouted.
"Paige and I both got rings," Michelle said showing the rings to the others.
"I got this neat broach," Jennifer said.
"We know
Erika got a light for her staff. She
showed it to us earlier," Chelli said.
"I got a pair of gloves. They're
probably to keep my hands from becoming blistered while keeping Jenny, Merry,
and Pippin in line,"
The girls laughed at Chelli's
observations. Katie, who had been
walking backwards, turned around only in time to get a face full of Legolas's
chest. He stumbled slightly and looked rather alarmed. The Fellowship had
stopped walking and were preparing for a break.
Katie turned beat red, mumbled something to the account of sorry, and
went and hugged the nearest tree. The
female fellowship laughed uncontrollably until Gandalf called them over to have
a conversation with them about what they were expected to do.
"Where is Lasselantavanima?" he asked looking from face to face.
"Here I am," she answered running quickly over to where they were. "I just had the loveliest conversation with that tree. It said to tell you all to stop laughing at me!"
"Hmmm," Gandalf muttered looking skeptical. "Well, anyway. You will have to make your own food. Try to stay close…"
"Like we could help that," Chelli growled.
"Petunia, please stay silent," he admonished in a whisper. Chelli glared. "You have to bathe when you can find a stream close by and try not to get in the way when we are fighting. I think that's it." the girls looked at him for a moment and dispersed.
Jenny and Chelli watched hungrily as Sam took food from the frying pan. Michelle, Jennifer and Paige practiced with their swords like Merry and Pippin were doing with Boromir. Esther sat with Aragorn watching them play.
"Two, one, five," Boromir called and the group moved to do as he said.
"Move your feet," Aragorn told them.
"How did they get private fencing lessons from a king and a steward?" Chelli asked Jenny, who was stuffing one of Sam's sausages into her mouth. Jenny shrugged her shoulders.
Gimli walked over to where Gandalf was sitting on a rock.
"Oh great, my bozo the hairy clown," Ashley moaned. Katie let out a small giggle from where she sat beside her. Ashley looked at her, daring her to giggle again.
"If anyone was to ask my opinion, which I note they're not," Gimli began, "I'd say we were taking the long way 'round! Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome.
"Awww, shut up you stupid dwarf!" Ashley bellowed. Katie giggled again.
Gandalf looked sternly to Ashley and Katie, and then turned back to Gimli, "No, Gimli, I would not take the road to Moria unless I had no other choice."
Legolas ran past, looking up into the sky. Katie jumped up to join him. Both posed as if they were having their picture taken. Legolas looked startled, and Ashley put her hands to her eyes to see what was coming.
Suddenly there was a yelp as Boromir hit Pippin in the hand with the broadside of his sword. Pippin kicked him and Merry tackled, the group who had not noticed the approaching danger laughing heartily.
Sam looked up, "What is that?"
Gimli whose eyes were not as good as he thought them to be, answered, "Nothing. It's just a wisp of clouds."
"Black clouds, you stupid short thing?" Ashley asked of him.
"Crebain from Dunland! Hide!" Legolas cried, running for cover. Each girl followed her companion as the black birds flew overhead, yelling their fury at their prey's sudden disappearance. The crebain turned back, calling ahead to their master of their sighted but lost prey.
The fellowship crept out from under where they were hiding. They gathered and found that Katie and Jenny were shaking like leaves. The other watched in openmouthed horror and their hunters' retreat.
"Spies of Sauromon. The passage south is being watched," Gandalf sighed wearily.
"We must take the pass of Caradhras." Gandalf conceded finally glancing to where the snowy mountain lay. "But tonight we will rest here. We need not fear the return of the crebain. They know we are here and surely Sauromon will know soon enough, also."
**********
As the last ember of the sun fell behind the mountain range, Katie and Esther watched as Merry and Pippin argued over the last bit of sausage. Unknown to them, Jenny was stealing it as they hashed it out between themselves. Suddenly they both turned and noticed it was missing. The look on their faces sent Katie into hysterics.
"Oh no!" Esther wailed. "She didn't get enough sleep last night!"
Gandalf turned to look at the group of the girls where they now stood over Katie as if she were ill. "Huh?" he asked.
"When Katie doesn't sleep well, she laughs… a lot." The laughter was beginning to die down. "Watch, Gandalf. Katie, Mimblewimble!"
A fresh peel of delicate Elfish giggles erupted from Katie. Suddenly Jenny and Jennifer began to convulse with laughter. Then Chelli, Paige, and Michelle succumbed. Finally, Esther and Ashley began. By the time Gandalf realized what was happening, the whole group was rolling around on the floor laughing.
"Oh Illuvitar. Please do not let these girls ever become audible to the others. I have no desire for this illness to go to the fellowship. I do not desire to see Merry and Pippin laughing as the girls do now. They would roll into the fire," Gandalf prayed.
His words brought a fresh peel of laughter from the girls.
*******
Later the same night, after Gandalf had finally gotten the girls to bed, Jenny sat straight up. She looked around from sleeping face to sleeping face. She smiled fondly at Pippin who slept beside her and was about to lay down when she stopped.
"I want chocolate," she said aloud. Katie, who was beside her, mumbled something elfish in her sleep.
"Katie, I want chocolate," she said louder, shaking her friend's shoulder. Katie awoke with a start, grabbing for her bow.
"Hmmm?" Katie asked noticing it was Jenny who had woken her up.
"I want chocolate," Jenny answered frankly.
"Well, I agree, but I don't know where any is. We'll look tomorrow, alright?"
"No! I want chocolate!" Jenny said her voice rising to where Gandalf and the other girls woke up.
"Shut up, Pearl, and go back to sleep. I do not know what chocolate is, but we have none.
Jenny slowly began to turn redder and redder in anger. Her eyes flashed and those that knew her well plugged their ears.
"I! Want! Chocolate!" She screeched.
The fellowship sat straight up.
What was that?" Aragorn asked Gandalf.
"It was nothing more than wolves, Aragorn. Go back to sleep everyone."
Katie, Chelli, and Erica stayed up late that night trying to lull Jenny back to sleep without the chocolate she wanted. After that task was completed, they fell into their sleeping bags wearily. A dark voice laughed, resounding off the mountains, but no one was awake to hear it.
