Disclaimer: I do not own LotR. I own just my books, my characters and the
plot. (Sigh... that was hard!)
A/N: ( Thank you for all your reviews! They really speed me up.
Chapter 4
Erin ran upstairs, crying. She had had another fight with her aunt, but much worse than usual. Probably the worst they had ever had. No, not probably- definitely was more like it. She felt tired of this situation. Why did her life just have to be such a mess? She was so, so tired. She wished she could just fall asleep forever, in peace, without any thoughts or troubles to escape from...
She slammed her door and locked it. She smiled bitterly. Up until now it had never been any good to lock doors behind her, yet she'd kept doing it. But this time, no one would be able to make her come out unless she wanted to, because she had every key to every door with her.
Erin threw herself onto her bed and hugged the large teddy bear her mother had given her on her birthday. It was about thirty-two inches, brown, with eyes the color of dark honey- just like Imrel's. She buried her face into its softness, sobbing harder than ever. She hated herself for crying: she never had, not even at her mother's funeral.
She cried for hours, or so it felt like to her. Finally, she fell into a sleep of exhaustion...
***
When Erin opened her eyes she saw she was in the same clearing next to the river where she had first found Imrel. Her clothing was simpler and darker now- she had always worn clothes in light brown with bits of green except for her first visit- and she wore a hooded cloak that hid her face. They certainly suited her mood. She noticed the forest was slightly brighter than usual- or rather, that the shadow upon it had lessened slightly.
Out of habit, she walked to the Elvenking's palace. The guards no longer stopped her, though she knew they weren't fond of her, but knowing they couldn't get rid of her they simply chose to ignore her. As she walked through the palace's great halls, she noticed there was a great activity all about. However, no one noticed her, and she didn't care to ask anyone what was going on.
She walked to her room. The tapestry next to the door still fascinated and scared her. It was made of the tough but light spider-silk the elves loved to use- the eerie, fluid, shimmery ripples in light breezes gave an illusion of life to the figures within.
She sat at the vanity table and stared at her reflection. The cloak seemed suddenly very deceiving- though she could see everything perfectly, her face remained fully hidden. Gingerly, she took off the hood. She suddenly felt thankful no one was here to see her. She sighed deeply, and put it back on.
Suddenly, someone rushed into the room. Startled, Erin whirled around to face the intruder. It was a messenger. He seemed very excited about something. Blushing, he apologized for entering without knocking. "I beg your pardon- I didn't expect you to be here yet. I came to leave this." He handed her a small piece of parchment. "Thank you." Even her voice sounded different. He looked at her strangely. "Is something wrong, milady?" Without knowing why, she shook her head. "I'm all right, thank you." Though obviously not fully convinced, he bowed and left.
Slowly, almost mechanically, she opened the message. The writing was slanty and slightly messy; it had obviously been written in a hurry. *Erin, come to the Great Hall as soon as you arrive. Please hurry. Imrel.* 'Well', she thought, 'look at that. First he evades me and now he can't wait to see me. I can't believe this.'
Well, might as well get over it. Assuming the sooner she got there, the sooner she'd leave, she got up and headed out the door. Once she was walking down to the Great Hall she began to consider whether she should go or not. Unfortunately, by the time she had made up her mind to go back, she had arrived.
There was a great party going on. At the head of long lines of feasters eating and drinking and laughing merrily sat Thranduil (this time wearing a crown of woodland flowers upon his golden hair, for the spring had come again). The elves were passing bowls from hand to hand, and some were harping and many were singing. Their gleaming hair was twined with flowers; green and white gems glinted on their collars and their belts; and their faces and their songs were filled with mirth.
Erin couldn't bear to be there: their talking and singing emphasized her silence; their happiness and merrymaking emphasized her sadness. She turned to leave, but not before Imrel had seen and somehow recognized her. Almost instantly, he was at her side. "I am glad you've arrived. Do not leave yet- first come with me, I want you to meet someone." He took her hand, meaning to take her to meet his friend.
She pulled back. "No. Please, I don't want anyone to see me." "Why not?" Imrel asked cheerfully. He noted the change in her voice and her urgent tone, but gave no sign of it. "I, um, I am not properly dressed is all..." she began to stammer, trying to pretend nothing was wrong. "I didn't know what was going on, so I, um, I just came as I was, so I, I guess I should go back and change..." Her voice trailed off, and she realized what a lame excuse that was.
Imrel noticed it too. "He is a traveler and clothes bother him not," he said lightly. With a smile, he slipped the hood of her cloak off. His smile vanished instantly. "Erin, don't lie to me again and tell me- who did this to you?"
A/N: Yay, another cliffhanger! I just love doing that! And yay, I finally got a chance to get this online!
A/N: ( Thank you for all your reviews! They really speed me up.
Chapter 4
Erin ran upstairs, crying. She had had another fight with her aunt, but much worse than usual. Probably the worst they had ever had. No, not probably- definitely was more like it. She felt tired of this situation. Why did her life just have to be such a mess? She was so, so tired. She wished she could just fall asleep forever, in peace, without any thoughts or troubles to escape from...
She slammed her door and locked it. She smiled bitterly. Up until now it had never been any good to lock doors behind her, yet she'd kept doing it. But this time, no one would be able to make her come out unless she wanted to, because she had every key to every door with her.
Erin threw herself onto her bed and hugged the large teddy bear her mother had given her on her birthday. It was about thirty-two inches, brown, with eyes the color of dark honey- just like Imrel's. She buried her face into its softness, sobbing harder than ever. She hated herself for crying: she never had, not even at her mother's funeral.
She cried for hours, or so it felt like to her. Finally, she fell into a sleep of exhaustion...
***
When Erin opened her eyes she saw she was in the same clearing next to the river where she had first found Imrel. Her clothing was simpler and darker now- she had always worn clothes in light brown with bits of green except for her first visit- and she wore a hooded cloak that hid her face. They certainly suited her mood. She noticed the forest was slightly brighter than usual- or rather, that the shadow upon it had lessened slightly.
Out of habit, she walked to the Elvenking's palace. The guards no longer stopped her, though she knew they weren't fond of her, but knowing they couldn't get rid of her they simply chose to ignore her. As she walked through the palace's great halls, she noticed there was a great activity all about. However, no one noticed her, and she didn't care to ask anyone what was going on.
She walked to her room. The tapestry next to the door still fascinated and scared her. It was made of the tough but light spider-silk the elves loved to use- the eerie, fluid, shimmery ripples in light breezes gave an illusion of life to the figures within.
She sat at the vanity table and stared at her reflection. The cloak seemed suddenly very deceiving- though she could see everything perfectly, her face remained fully hidden. Gingerly, she took off the hood. She suddenly felt thankful no one was here to see her. She sighed deeply, and put it back on.
Suddenly, someone rushed into the room. Startled, Erin whirled around to face the intruder. It was a messenger. He seemed very excited about something. Blushing, he apologized for entering without knocking. "I beg your pardon- I didn't expect you to be here yet. I came to leave this." He handed her a small piece of parchment. "Thank you." Even her voice sounded different. He looked at her strangely. "Is something wrong, milady?" Without knowing why, she shook her head. "I'm all right, thank you." Though obviously not fully convinced, he bowed and left.
Slowly, almost mechanically, she opened the message. The writing was slanty and slightly messy; it had obviously been written in a hurry. *Erin, come to the Great Hall as soon as you arrive. Please hurry. Imrel.* 'Well', she thought, 'look at that. First he evades me and now he can't wait to see me. I can't believe this.'
Well, might as well get over it. Assuming the sooner she got there, the sooner she'd leave, she got up and headed out the door. Once she was walking down to the Great Hall she began to consider whether she should go or not. Unfortunately, by the time she had made up her mind to go back, she had arrived.
There was a great party going on. At the head of long lines of feasters eating and drinking and laughing merrily sat Thranduil (this time wearing a crown of woodland flowers upon his golden hair, for the spring had come again). The elves were passing bowls from hand to hand, and some were harping and many were singing. Their gleaming hair was twined with flowers; green and white gems glinted on their collars and their belts; and their faces and their songs were filled with mirth.
Erin couldn't bear to be there: their talking and singing emphasized her silence; their happiness and merrymaking emphasized her sadness. She turned to leave, but not before Imrel had seen and somehow recognized her. Almost instantly, he was at her side. "I am glad you've arrived. Do not leave yet- first come with me, I want you to meet someone." He took her hand, meaning to take her to meet his friend.
She pulled back. "No. Please, I don't want anyone to see me." "Why not?" Imrel asked cheerfully. He noted the change in her voice and her urgent tone, but gave no sign of it. "I, um, I am not properly dressed is all..." she began to stammer, trying to pretend nothing was wrong. "I didn't know what was going on, so I, um, I just came as I was, so I, I guess I should go back and change..." Her voice trailed off, and she realized what a lame excuse that was.
Imrel noticed it too. "He is a traveler and clothes bother him not," he said lightly. With a smile, he slipped the hood of her cloak off. His smile vanished instantly. "Erin, don't lie to me again and tell me- who did this to you?"
A/N: Yay, another cliffhanger! I just love doing that! And yay, I finally got a chance to get this online!
