Disclaimer: The characters and scenery aren't mine (I guess apart from the random circle of stones I put in ME, those are mine). This story is mine. 'Nuff said.
AN: Gold stars go out to Meitian and elinor, yay! I will insert Death if there is another appropriate moment, but I'm not sure how many times I can knock out poor Agnes without giving her brain damage.
I spent some time this morning (jobless bum that I am) rereading the Rivendell chapters of FotR, and assembled a small timeline and some descriptions. Therefore, the subsequent chapters should be fairly canon-accurate, minus the addition of Agnes of course.
Agnes and the Elves
Chapter 3 – El-Pond
The plus side about having an out of body experience is that the underbrush isn't snagging my dress. Agnes decided as she trailed the elves carrying her body.
I think the plus side is that we've been walking FOREVER and you're not tired yet. Perdita retorted.
We haven't been walking for that long. Agnes thought absently, watching the elves. They were completely different from the elves Granny had described. (Agnes herself didn't remember, she and the rest of the townspeople had been put under a sort of spell during the Entertainment, so her memories of the elves were quite blurry.)
Aside from the height difference, their clothes were completely different. Granny said that elves were like magpies, they collected shiny things and strapped them to their bodies, knowing that their Glamour would make them beautiful no matter what they wore. Their outfits were usually a mix of metal and furs.
These elves' clothing was almost normal for a hunter in Lancre, except for the armor.And these elves weren't fox-faced at all. They looked like normal humans, except perfect.
Maybe they are using their Glamour-thingy. Does it affect unconscious people?
Don't be stupid. Perdita snapped, sounding like she didn't think Agnes was able for intelligent thought. If they were doing something to your mind, I would know it. Remember Vlad?
Agnes snarled, an uncharacteristic action for her. Vlad had been a vampyre, and had attempted to turn her into one as well. He hadn't succeeded, but that didn't keep Agnes from holding a grudge. You're right, but why are these elves different? Elves are elves.
Maybe. But if we really are in one of those wossname, parallel universes, maybe they're different here. Perdita looked at the elves appreciatively through Agnes disembodied eyes. They pretty handsome to me.
Agnes shook her head. You thought Vlad was handsome too. What is it with you and evil creatures?
Hey, it's not my fault evil looks so tasty!
Ew, go away.
No. Are we there yet?
Agnes tried to bang her head on the nearest tree trunk, but it went through the tree instead.
A short time later, the elves followed by the spirit of Agnes and Perdita emerged from the woods.
Agnes stopped to admire the view. They seemed to be on lower slopes of a mountain, which was part of a larger chain of mountains that surrounded them and extended north and south (assuming the sun went from east to west in this universe). The valley Agnes stared at was full of trees, and a river similar to the Lancre flowed through the bottom. (similar in that both were deep and swift, rivers are really pretty generic).
All in all, it really looked a great deal like Lancre, except instead of a village there stood a single great house. The house looked open and airy, with a great many windows and porches, all of it masterfully carved from wood.
Ahead of her, the elves had also stopped to take a breather. (Elves don't usually tire, but these poor fellows had been dragging Agnes for almost twenty minutes.) The leader, a blond elf, said something to the others. Agnes managed to catch several words this time: peredhil, imladris, firen, but she definitely didn't understand any of it.
The elves started moving again, towards the large house. It took about 5 minutes to get there by Agnes' reckoning. The elves dragged her body inside, where a new elf with dark hair wearing a silver circlet greeted them, calling the lead elf 'Glorfindel'. Glorfindel responded, Agnes thought he may have called the dark-haired elf 'El-pond' but she wasn't sure.
El-pond pointed to a door near them, and they dragged Agnes inside and heaved her body into a large bed that occupied a corner of the room. Then all the elves exited the room, splitting up and heading off in different directions. One shouldered her broomstick and took it with him.
Satisfied that they weren't going to do horrible things to her body, Agnes decided to follow El-pond and Glorfindel. They went to a room nearby and knocked. A gravelly voice answered 'minno' and they walked inside, shutting the door after them.
Agnes walked through the door. One more point for the spirit-girl.
In the room, El-pond and Glorfindel were speaking to an old man seated by a large white bed. The man had long white hair and a silvery beard that the wizards in Ankh-Morpork would be jealous of. He was dressed in grey robes.
In the white bed there lay a sleeping child, looking very ill indeed. Agnes walked over to the bed and watched the child's chest rise and fall. Whatever he had, I think he's recovering. Agnes thought.
Of everything you could be looking at, you go to the sleeping child. Perdita sneered, You're becoming more like those old bats every day. Although… he is kind of adorable.
Agnes grimaced. They all look adorable when they're sleeping, and then when they wake up you can't stand them.
I don't care, it's not like you'll ever marry and have kids anyway.
"Shut up!" Agnes blushed angrily. "That's not fair!"
When Agnes spoke the old man looked up, right at the space her spirit was occupying.
I think he can see us… oh bugger.
The man pointed at her and said something, and the elves turned to stare.
Agnes was pretty sure they could see her as well.
"Um… hi?"
firen means 'human'
minno! = enter! (both these words from a translator website)
AN: does anyone know why asteriks don't show up? It's highly annoying.
