Chapter 12
"You're staying where?" Ashley shrieked when Katie finally told her friends about where she and Legolas were going to be staying.
"I don't think you should," Chelli commented with a glance at Legolas.
"You don't trust me?" Katie asked with a pouty face.
"It's not you we don't trust, Katie. It's him," Chelli answered.
"I'm not worried," Esther spoke from her seat on a cushion.
"You hush," Jenny said.
"I think this should be a group vote," Michelle suggested. "All in favor of Katie being safe and staying down here with us, say aye!"
"Aye!" almost all the girls chorused.
"Guys, wait! It's Katie's decision, and I think it's good for her. She needs to loose some of that innocence of hers," Jennifer giggled.
"What are we talking about?" Boromir asked of his companion.
"Katie and Legolas staying in a room together," Jennifer responded.
"Oh, really? Legolas didn't tell us about it. Why were you guys voting?" Boromir questioned.
"We were voting that Katie should refuse and stay here where it's safe," Chelli growled menacingly at the human.
"Down, you overgrown watch-dog. Don't you think that if the girls get to vote the guys should get to too?" Boromir retorted.
"I resent that idiotic remark! I am not a dog. I'm just protective of my friends, especially those who are trusting of everyone," Chelli exclaimed.
"Whatever, pit-bull," Boromir responded.
Chelli grumbled about taking a sword to a certain human once he fell asleep as Boromir went off to talk to the males. Suddenly Jared was standing beside Chelli. The other guys were ambling over.
"I don't know what you're thinking, Katie! No, you may not go up there and spend the night with that...that…male elf! I thought we could trust you. We don't have to worry about Katie, we thought. She's not Jenny or Jennifer, but no, you're going to turn just like them!" Jared fumed.
"Jared, hush. I don't see what the big fuss is all about. It's my decision anyway," Katie responded. "I don't think you all have the right to vote!"
"We've just heard," Merry called while rushing to stand by Chelli. "Let's call this meeting to order!"
"You can't just vote," Legolas spoke. "It's mine and Ara's decision alone!"
"Somebody keep the elves quite!" Gimli bellowed. Boromir clamped his hands over the two Elves' mouths. "First side- the opposition," Chelli called.
"The guy is questionable," Paige commented.
"Who knows how long Legolas can withstand the girl's charms," Boromir added.
"Okay, now those in favor," Esther put in.
"Legolas is completely trustworthy!" Aragorn growled in Paige and Boromir's general direction.
"Katie needs to loose some of that innocence anyway," Jennifer stated again.
"Now, we vote," Chelli commanded. "Pass out the voting ballots, Merry."
"The what?" Merry asked, rubbing his head in confusion.
"The little pieces of paper beside my pack, oh, and take my pencil case also. Everyone will need something to write with," Chelli gestured to the waiting equipment. Merry got up and passed out paper and pens, and everyone went silent as they began to vote.
- Legolas, have you any idea how to escape Boromir? Galadriel just told me that I have lessons in a few minutes. - Katie mentally asked her companion.
-Let's just quietly knock out Boromir- he suggested.
-How?-
-The stuff in the vial beside me instantly put the human who smells it to sleep.-
-All right, hurry though. They've almost done!-
"Okay," Chelli announced. "I'll go count the votes." Moments later, she came back smiling broadly.
"We win! They stay here!" Chelli called. "Boromir, you may remove your hand from their mouths so they may argue again."
There was not sound. "Katie, Legolas, don't you object?" Paige asked.
Everyone turned around to find Boromir sleeping peacefully, and Katie and Legolas gone.
"See!" Jared cried. "He's already having a bad influence on her!"
************
"It didn't take you as long as I thought it would," Galadriel commented as Katie and Legolas walked gracefully into her study.
"Yes, it was all thanks to Legolas. He was carrying a vial of sleepdaisy," Katie responded with a smile in Legolas's direction. He smiled back gently.
"Good, I'm glad to see you got away. Well, I'm going to go to the point," Galadriel handed Katie a large tome bound in tooled leather. "This is a book of Elvish magic. All the spells you should ever be able to do are in here. You'll need to learn them all," Galadriel elaborated when Katie and Legolas gave her a strange look. "Dinner will be brought up to you. I'd kike for you to try all the spells in the first three chapters. I'll tell your friends not to worry. If you need me, you know how to reach me. I'll come and check on you when you tell me you're done," Galadriel smiled and exited the room.
There was a moment's hesitation in which Katie glanced at the beautiful book in fear.
"Well open it, and let's get on with it, Ara. It'll be no fun if we have to stay here all night. We need to unpack, and I want to walk around and see the sights," Legolas prompted.
Katie nodded and opened the book, only to shut it quickly after she had read the title of the first chapter. Legolas looked at her in confusion. He came over, took the book, and opened it only to find it empty. He glanced at Katie and sighed when he saw that she was mind speaking again.
-Galadriel!-
-Yes, Katie-
-The first chapter…Why?....How?-
-Dear you're going to have to tell me what the first chapter is because the book changes to what you need or want.-
-It was a chapter on love spells! The first spell was how to identify true love!-
There was a mental laugh. –All I can say is have fun! I'm sure you and Legolas will be finding out some interesting information.-
-Thanks- Katie responded dryly.
She came out of the mind speech with a sigh. She glanced at Legolas. "How much do you care about me?"
"Why?" he asked surprised.
"Well…the first chapter in the book…
*******************************
(Later that night after dinner)
"Okay everyone, let's go to the library to search for a spell to set us free," Chelli ordered.
"Chelli, we don't speak Elvish," Jenny pointed out.
"No we don't, but Esther does. Besides, Jennifer and Boromir have already gone to kidnap some handmaidens," Chelli admitted.
At that moment, Jennifer and Boromir came back pulling some very disgruntled handmaidens. Chelli smiled and led the way to the library where they began to rifle through books in one section after another, after they told the handmaiden's what they were looking for, of course. Hours later, they moved on to another section of the library.
"We're getting no where!" Chelli screeched in frustration. Merry awoke only for a moment to glare at her. Then he went back to sleep.
"Chelli, it's three o'clock in the morning! Let's just got to bed," Michelle suggested. Paige, Jennifer, Ashley, and Esther nodded their heads in agreement.
"Jenny. Jenny!" Jennifer yelled at her friend who was asleep on the floor with all the guys.
"What?!" Jenny whined, while flipping over to snuggle closer to Pippin.
"Do you think we should stop and go to sleep now?" Jennifer asked in exasperation.
"No, no, I'm fine here. You can keep looking."
Paige made an exasperated sound. Chelli and Jennifer exchanged glares. All was silent.
"Hello, Jared," a voice a little ways off said.
"What was that?" Chelli hissed. "Jared is sleeping beside Aragorn." She looked over to find Jared gone. "Or he was! I'm going to look. I think it's within our range too, so I'm not going to wake Merry."
She stomped off in the direction of the sound of the voice. A lyre began to play from the same direction, and female and a male voice joined in with an Elvish duet.
The music finished just as Chelli arrive in the little cubby made by the shelves where the sounds were coming from.
"That was beautiful, Katie, Legolas. As soon as this war is over, then you should come back to the wood and sing for me once again," a voice recognizable as Galadriel's gushed.
"I agree," Celeborn added. ""You two sing and play together magnificently."
Chelli glared and looked around as their conversation ebbed around her. Galadriel and Celeborn reclined on chaise lounges while Legolas sat in a comfortable chair. Katie sat at his feet with her skirts spread around her and her books in her hands. A lyre sat beside her in a glorious splendor of carved wood and steel strings. Jared sat in a chair fiddling with a sword he had found.
"I can't believe you!" Chelli screeched, jumping from behind the corner.
Everyone looked up and stopped. Legolas still held a piece of Katie's hair in his hand because he had been playing with it. Jared jumped up in shock.
"Melamim, what have you done now?" Legolas murmured in Elvish.
"Nothing that I know of," Katie responded.
"You should know exactly why, Katie Erin!" Chelli growled. "We've been searching all for a spell to set us free, and you're here lying about reading, singing, and flirting!"
"Chelli, you've been searching for the spell?" Katie asked in wonder.
"Ara, melamim, isn't that a spell you cast earlier this evening?" Legolas questioned.
"You what?!" Chelli half screeched, half yelled.
"You should have asked me for my help, Chelli, and I would have told you that it was one of the ones in my book. I've already cast it," Katie responded.
"Oh! We've been searching forever!" Chelli proclaimed.
"Okay, well, I suppose we'd better tell the others that they need to stop. Good morning, Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn, Jared. Legolas, will you accompany us?" Katie questioned.
Legolas got up, walked towards Katie, and offered her his arm. Chelli raised her eyebrows when Katie accepted and Legolas bowed and walked toward the sound of Jennifer's voice while Chelli followed.
When they arrived in the section where the girls were looking for books, they found the place in disarray. Jennifer had shrunk to a size shorter than a hobbit, and Michelle, Paige, Ashley, and Jenny were their normal height.
"Did I not say I cast the spell," Katie asked. "Are you normal sized, Chelli, and free of your restraints with Merry?"
"Yes, I am!" Chelli exclaimed after a moment thought and examination of herself.
"But look what happened to me!" Jennifer screeched, and Chelli seems to be the only one who can leave her companion!"
"Have you tested that yet?" Legolas asked while placing his arm protectively around Katie's waist.
Jennifer shook her head while Michelle began to walk away from the group. She came back. "I only got 100 feet away before I couldn't walk anymore," she stated.
"Something must have messed up!" Katie cried in despair.
Legolas held her more tightly around the waist. "Shhh, Ara. It's okay. You can't be right for the first time every time." He kissed her on the top of her head.
"Can you not fix me at least," Jennifer pleads.
Katie bit her lip and then began to say something in Elvish. Suddenly Jennifer grew back to her normal height.
"What I don't get," Jenny muttered, "is why we never found those spells. This is supposed to be a great library."
Legolas smiled and looked speculative. He picked up a discarded book and read part of it. He began to smile before handing the book to Katie. She glanced in confusion before beginning to laugh.
"What are you two laughing about?" Ashley questioned.
"These are romance novels," Katie answered, smiling brightly.
"Esther! You and those handmaidens are going to die!" Chelli screeched.
"I thought you knew!" Esther defended herself.
A quite laugh brought their attention to Galadriel standing beside a bookcase.
"Katie, I meant to ask you how the first chapter in your text went," she asked, eyes twinkling as she caught a slight blush spread on Legolas and Katie's cheeks. Katie and Legolas exchanged a quite glance, and then Katie turned back to Legolas with a big smile.
"I suppose you'll have to wait and find out."
AUTHOR' NOTE: I need imput. I'm trying to decide if there's going to be romance (sweet, I know I love you, kinda stuff) in the next chapter, so please tell me your opinions. Thanx!
