The next morning, Gracy awoke to find her room
filled with sunlight and her door being knocked upon. A maid was
standing there with another lady elf whom the maid explained was to escort
her to Lord Elrond's private study. After dressing in one of the gowns
made for her in Mirkwood and meeting up with Ally, Sierra, and Lorraine,
the lady elf led them to Lord Elrond's study which was a fair distance from
their chambers. To pass the time the four girls talked amongst themselves.
"How did you guys sleep?" Sierra asked.
"I had a great sleep!" Lorraine said happily, "I even had a great conversation with Elrohir last night!"
"Ooh! Lorraine! I'm shocked at you!" Gracy said laughing.
"Very funny," but Lorraine laughed all the same, "What'd you do last night?"
"What makes you think I did anything last night?" Gracy said indignantly.
"Please, I know you too well. You've got that Santa habit. Things you do at night are either naughty or nice. So what was it, naughty or nice?" Lorraine said, still grinning.
"For your information, it was very nice. I took a walk around the whole city with Arwen before I went to sleep," Gracy said haughtily.
"So what did you do last night?" Lorraine asked, turning to Ally.
"I checked out the horses in the little stable kinda close to here before I went to sleep."
"How long do you suppose we'll be there?" Sierra asked.
"I dunno," Gracy spoke up, "I just hope we can explain this whole thing to Lord Elrond in a way that doesn't sound like we're lying. I mean, you really think any of the folk in Mirkwood truly believed our story? Even though it is the truth."
"Well, they must've to some degree. Look at all the beautiful and useful gifts they gave us!" Lorraine pointed out.
"Sure, but it might just be to spare us embarrassment, like they knew we're lying or something," Gracy said.
"Well, we'll find out if they believe us or not soon enough," Sierra said, looking up. They had arrived.
~*~*~*~
Gracy looked apprehensively around her. As the lady elf who had escorted them led them to Lord Elrond's study, Gracy felt her stomach flop. She knew Lord Elrond would not hurt them and he's spoken very kindly to them, but she still was nervous. What sort of questions would he ask? Would he believe them? Perhaps after hearing out their story, he considered them a threat to the safety of his kin and the rest of Middle Earth. What would become of them? Would they be put onto a prison of some sort?
"Gracy!" Ally's voice brought her sharply back to earth. When Gracy looked she saw a door just inches away from her face. Just a half stop more and she would've smacked right into it.
"My Lord?" the elf knocked cautiously.
Elrond's voice sounded from behind the closed door, "Send them in, Metherial. Close the door and see to it that we are not disturbed."
Metherial opened the door all the way for them. Gracy gulped and stepped in. Elrond was standing with this back to them looking out what looked like a window with no glass. Lorraine flinched when she heard the door shut and cast a look around the room. The silence was very awkward so finally Sierra pointedly looked at Gracy and mouthed, 'Say something.' Gracy stepped a few steps forward.
"Er...my lord?"
"I have lived here many winters. Still," Elrond turned to face them, "I will never tire of the beauty of Rivendell." All four girls remained silent, but Gracy bravely took three more steps forward. As she got closer she could see he looked a bit troubled.
"Did we disturb you, my Lord?" Ally moved to stand next to Gracy.
"No, no. I just received some news from a realm inhabited by our Northern kin. Very interesting. It had to do with some threats the patrols have had to deal with." He got a far away look in his eyes. Then he sort of snapped back to the real world and smiled down at them. "Now then," he began, "there are quite a few things we need to 'clear up', so to speak." And in an instant Gracy regretted not deserting the whole of Middle Earth in the first place.
~*~*~*~
About 3 1/2 hours later (earth clock again), Gracy's stomach was still full of butterflies. She'd never been needled and poked through so much (I mean her mind). Unlike Thranduil, who made the questions direct and friendly throwing in a compliment or two, Elrond gave the questions a twist. For instance, the question could be as simples as asking where they were from, but he'd trap them in a corner with a 1/2 question that he'd blend with another question, and pretty soon, they found themselves pouring out their whole life stories!
"Wow, I can't believe I told him about my 1st date," Sierra exclaimed.
"Why? It's not like he knew what a date was," Gracy scoffed. She was very irritated. It wasn't fair what Elrond had done to them.
"Gracy?" said a voice from behind. Gracy whirled around, ready to explode by now. Then she saw Arwen standing their with a smile that showed how pleased she was to see them. But Gracy was still irritable so she only said, "Oh, hello," and turned back down the path to maybe sit on a soft cushioned chair further down and watch the waterfalls.
"Wait!" Arwen said to her retreating back.
"What?" Gracy said peevishly without turning around.
"Are you well?" Arwen looked at her very concerned.
"Perfect! Never felt so alive!" Gracy snapped, turning back around.
"What is troubling you?" Arwen asked, looking taken aback. Gracy saw Arwen's face looking surprised with a large amount of concern in her eyes. Sighing, Gracy felt her anger ebbing away in spite of everything that had happened. She knew Arwen wasn't to blame and felt bad for taking out that anger on her.
"I'm sorry, Arwen. I am just a little irritable."
"What makes you feel this way? I have not offended you, have I?" The look of surprise was replaced by a warmth that illuminated the still remaining concern in her eyes.
"Oh no no no!" Gracy began, "I'm afraid that I made myself even angrier just thinking about it."
"Would you like to walk with me?" Arwen asked.
"No, I would prefer to be alone just now."
"Did my father say something to offend you?"
"Well, in a way, yes." Ally replied, turning to Arwen. They had all been waiting for Gracy's answer.
"Oh dear, what did he say?"
"It's not that he said something specific to offend us," Sierra turned to Arwen as well, "it's just the way he asked us those questions."
"Ah, do not let yourself be troubled by that. That is how he gets information when he feels it may be difficult to do so in a less imposing form," Arwen replied. Her face was still kind and she took Gracy by the arm, waved good-bye to the others, and pulled her to the stables.
~*~*~*~
"Why are we at the stables?" Gracy asked as Arwen let go of her, "And why did we leave the others so quickly?"
"I wanted to show you something!" Arwen's cheeks were pink from running and pulling Gracy, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Come, I have two horses waiting for us!"
So they rode up a very steep hill. Even though Gracy wasn't doing the climbing she felt she was going to fall off the horse. After all, it was nearly impossible to breathe at that altitude. But she kept her gripes to herself and followed Arwen's horse. Finally Arwen stopped and turned to her.
"Look!" Gracy rose closer. From a very flat but high peak she could see the whole of Rivendell. It was absolutely gorgeous.
REVIEW OR I'LL COME AFTER YOU WITH MY ICE PICK!!!!
"How did you guys sleep?" Sierra asked.
"I had a great sleep!" Lorraine said happily, "I even had a great conversation with Elrohir last night!"
"Ooh! Lorraine! I'm shocked at you!" Gracy said laughing.
"Very funny," but Lorraine laughed all the same, "What'd you do last night?"
"What makes you think I did anything last night?" Gracy said indignantly.
"Please, I know you too well. You've got that Santa habit. Things you do at night are either naughty or nice. So what was it, naughty or nice?" Lorraine said, still grinning.
"For your information, it was very nice. I took a walk around the whole city with Arwen before I went to sleep," Gracy said haughtily.
"So what did you do last night?" Lorraine asked, turning to Ally.
"I checked out the horses in the little stable kinda close to here before I went to sleep."
"How long do you suppose we'll be there?" Sierra asked.
"I dunno," Gracy spoke up, "I just hope we can explain this whole thing to Lord Elrond in a way that doesn't sound like we're lying. I mean, you really think any of the folk in Mirkwood truly believed our story? Even though it is the truth."
"Well, they must've to some degree. Look at all the beautiful and useful gifts they gave us!" Lorraine pointed out.
"Sure, but it might just be to spare us embarrassment, like they knew we're lying or something," Gracy said.
"Well, we'll find out if they believe us or not soon enough," Sierra said, looking up. They had arrived.
~*~*~*~
Gracy looked apprehensively around her. As the lady elf who had escorted them led them to Lord Elrond's study, Gracy felt her stomach flop. She knew Lord Elrond would not hurt them and he's spoken very kindly to them, but she still was nervous. What sort of questions would he ask? Would he believe them? Perhaps after hearing out their story, he considered them a threat to the safety of his kin and the rest of Middle Earth. What would become of them? Would they be put onto a prison of some sort?
"Gracy!" Ally's voice brought her sharply back to earth. When Gracy looked she saw a door just inches away from her face. Just a half stop more and she would've smacked right into it.
"My Lord?" the elf knocked cautiously.
Elrond's voice sounded from behind the closed door, "Send them in, Metherial. Close the door and see to it that we are not disturbed."
Metherial opened the door all the way for them. Gracy gulped and stepped in. Elrond was standing with this back to them looking out what looked like a window with no glass. Lorraine flinched when she heard the door shut and cast a look around the room. The silence was very awkward so finally Sierra pointedly looked at Gracy and mouthed, 'Say something.' Gracy stepped a few steps forward.
"Er...my lord?"
"I have lived here many winters. Still," Elrond turned to face them, "I will never tire of the beauty of Rivendell." All four girls remained silent, but Gracy bravely took three more steps forward. As she got closer she could see he looked a bit troubled.
"Did we disturb you, my Lord?" Ally moved to stand next to Gracy.
"No, no. I just received some news from a realm inhabited by our Northern kin. Very interesting. It had to do with some threats the patrols have had to deal with." He got a far away look in his eyes. Then he sort of snapped back to the real world and smiled down at them. "Now then," he began, "there are quite a few things we need to 'clear up', so to speak." And in an instant Gracy regretted not deserting the whole of Middle Earth in the first place.
~*~*~*~
About 3 1/2 hours later (earth clock again), Gracy's stomach was still full of butterflies. She'd never been needled and poked through so much (I mean her mind). Unlike Thranduil, who made the questions direct and friendly throwing in a compliment or two, Elrond gave the questions a twist. For instance, the question could be as simples as asking where they were from, but he'd trap them in a corner with a 1/2 question that he'd blend with another question, and pretty soon, they found themselves pouring out their whole life stories!
"Wow, I can't believe I told him about my 1st date," Sierra exclaimed.
"Why? It's not like he knew what a date was," Gracy scoffed. She was very irritated. It wasn't fair what Elrond had done to them.
"Gracy?" said a voice from behind. Gracy whirled around, ready to explode by now. Then she saw Arwen standing their with a smile that showed how pleased she was to see them. But Gracy was still irritable so she only said, "Oh, hello," and turned back down the path to maybe sit on a soft cushioned chair further down and watch the waterfalls.
"Wait!" Arwen said to her retreating back.
"What?" Gracy said peevishly without turning around.
"Are you well?" Arwen looked at her very concerned.
"Perfect! Never felt so alive!" Gracy snapped, turning back around.
"What is troubling you?" Arwen asked, looking taken aback. Gracy saw Arwen's face looking surprised with a large amount of concern in her eyes. Sighing, Gracy felt her anger ebbing away in spite of everything that had happened. She knew Arwen wasn't to blame and felt bad for taking out that anger on her.
"I'm sorry, Arwen. I am just a little irritable."
"What makes you feel this way? I have not offended you, have I?" The look of surprise was replaced by a warmth that illuminated the still remaining concern in her eyes.
"Oh no no no!" Gracy began, "I'm afraid that I made myself even angrier just thinking about it."
"Would you like to walk with me?" Arwen asked.
"No, I would prefer to be alone just now."
"Did my father say something to offend you?"
"Well, in a way, yes." Ally replied, turning to Arwen. They had all been waiting for Gracy's answer.
"Oh dear, what did he say?"
"It's not that he said something specific to offend us," Sierra turned to Arwen as well, "it's just the way he asked us those questions."
"Ah, do not let yourself be troubled by that. That is how he gets information when he feels it may be difficult to do so in a less imposing form," Arwen replied. Her face was still kind and she took Gracy by the arm, waved good-bye to the others, and pulled her to the stables.
~*~*~*~
"Why are we at the stables?" Gracy asked as Arwen let go of her, "And why did we leave the others so quickly?"
"I wanted to show you something!" Arwen's cheeks were pink from running and pulling Gracy, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Come, I have two horses waiting for us!"
So they rode up a very steep hill. Even though Gracy wasn't doing the climbing she felt she was going to fall off the horse. After all, it was nearly impossible to breathe at that altitude. But she kept her gripes to herself and followed Arwen's horse. Finally Arwen stopped and turned to her.
"Look!" Gracy rose closer. From a very flat but high peak she could see the whole of Rivendell. It was absolutely gorgeous.
REVIEW OR I'LL COME AFTER YOU WITH MY ICE PICK!!!!