Disclaimer: I certainly don't own anything related to LOTR and if your saying I do, you can have your people call my people. (I've always wanted to say that)
A/N: Hello everybody! welcome to my very first Fanfic! I hope you like it. Please just keep in mind that i'm slightly new to writing things other than essays for school (lol) Please read and review and help me out if you see any mistakes (which i'm positive you guys will find) Although i'm confident in my LOTR information, I'm not so confident in grammar etc. so any help would be wonderful. This story will probobly get revised a million times before I love it, but I wanted to post the first chapter for now, to see what you think. Another thing to keep in mind: This story might start out a bit slow but please note that it will pick up speed.....I promise! No flames please!!!!!!!!! :)
ENJOY!
When I was young, I used to always think that the moment something happened to me, I would forget it somehow, right then and there. My father would tell me, "Randir, memories and important events stay with you forever. Some things hit so close to your heart and it writes itself down, like a book. The story of your life is right here." He would reach down and put his hand on my heart and give me a certain look of integrity. His brown hair, dark handsome eyes and sorrow envelopping him.
I sit here in my old rocking chair almost an age after my father's death, from a broken heart, looking out onto the wonderous sight of the Shire, writing to you of my life. Its strange to me how much can happen, and it feels as if it was just yesterday I was run out of my home and the biggest adventure of my life began.
It was early autumn in Rivendell. The leaves were getting ready to make the trip down towards the mossy grass and marble courtyards and the days were growing shorter as time went on. My best friend, Gilrahir, and I walked slowly down the open halls, towards our mistress's quarters. We talked merrily as we approached the lush room, decorated with silk curtains and a beautiful painting of a setting sun, over the canopy bed.
I put the laundry into the closet as Gilrahir shuffled into the bathroom. I could see her shadow shifting on the floor from where I was standing. She set towels down on a chair in the corner and went to find oils for the bath in one of the various cabinets.
"Would she suspect we were lying if we told her we got lost on our way to find water?" Gilrahir said as she poked her head through the doorway from the bathroom to the bedroom. Her long, strawberry blonde hair flew to one side. Her big blue speckled eyes were filled with intent. She had light skin and rosy cheeks, and like any other day, she wore her regular work clothes, a long grey dress and some boots I suspect she borrowed from her brother.
I finished folding the last dress and I closed the closet in silence with a slight grin on my face. As I walked over to her she looked me up and down. My long brown hair, blue eyes, rosy cheeks and all. I wore almost the same clothing as she.
I bent over and grabbed two buckets from the corner of the bathroom and I handed one to Gilrahir as I came up. "I don't know if you really want to get on her bad side today. I hear word that there is to be a celebration of some sort on this night, and I don't believe she is invited." On that note, Gilrahir took the bucket and frowned.
"I still think its a good idea." She shrugged a bit and I patted her on the shoulder with my hand. I walked passed her and led the way to the nearby stream.
"Elrohir comes home from Mirkwood tonight, I haven't seen him in months." I said. "You've never met him have you?" I asked and her neck turned towards me.
"No, but I would love to. You speak of him so fondly, he sounds very charming." She said with a smile and I suddenly began to wonder if he would still care about me, or if he had been thinking about me at all.
We came upon the stream. It was lush, with green grass at its edges and thick trees all around. The water was crystal clear and very cold. We each bent over to fill our buckets, and the icy water came pouring in. I couldn't keep my mind off of Elrohir.
Elrohir is Elrond's son. I had only seen him from a distance for a time untill one day, I was running through the courtyard with one of the children. I was dashing through, not quite looking where I was headed, when I bumped into Elrohir. It was a funny sight, he dropped all of the books he had been carrying, and I fell backwards. After an akward silence, a cheer of laughter and a quick introduction, we decided to become a team and find the opposing player together, whom at that point, did not stand a chance.
My bucket was filled and I stood up, looking around me at the wonderous sight of Rivendell. Detailed was the best way to describe the forest. Each leaf had its own shade of green, and each branch extended out towards you elegantly and it was nurtured like the great city that lay outside. "Oh Randir, must we go back?" pleaded Gilrahir. I laughed and helped her up after the bucket she held onto was full. We walked back slowly, chatting away. I found myself mentioning Elrohir more than once and whenever I would, Gilrahir would sarcastically giggle, as if to say, 'I'm not listening one bit.' I decided to let Gilrahir do all of the talking for the rest of the walk, and she agreed.
"We need to go on an adventure Randir." She began. "A big adventure, just us. We should go to Lothlorien or Rohan. It would be wonderful just to get out of Rivendell for a time. Maybe if this Elrohir person speaks fondly of Mirkwood would could go there." I nodded, agreeing with her whole heartedly.
We walked up a small set of stairs and down a corridor that looked out upon the central courtyard of Rivendell. Turning the last corner towards the mistress's room, we both looked at each other and let out a sigh. We knew that she would be in the room waiting for us, with something to complain about.
We bowed and let ourselves in. Sure enough, she was there, talking with another elf, not even giving us a care. I took the buckets to the fire and Gilrahir went to get the towels and other things ready for the mistress. I set the buckets over the fire, dangling from a hook. Gilrahir soon escorted the guest out of the room and we were left alone with the mistress. Her right name was Luvien, but we seldom called her that. Luvien was far too pretty a name for the mistress, and she was far too ugly. It's hard to think that an elf could be ugly, but the mistress was an exception. Her nose was very sharp, and pointy. Her eyes, narrow and her black hair, long and very hard to brush through, like a horse's mane.
As the water came to a slight boil I took the bucket and walked over to the bathroom as fast as I could, so as not to burn my poor hands. I took a quick peek outside the window on the far side of the room to see that the night was young. The moon had not even come out. The sun was only just setting and the sky was turning to a deep blue. I wondered where Elrohir was right at that moment. I wanted to see him badly, and I wondered if he wanted to see me.
After I poured the water into the deep, marble tub Gilrahir opened the bottles of oil. A mizture of strange scents filled the air. It was very strong, and not very good. I looked up at Gilrahir who had her nose up so high, and her face so bunched up, she almost resembled the mistress.
Luvien walked into the room just at that moment, while the two of us were exchanging strange looks.
"Whats wrong with you two? Are you almost done here because my mother needs one of you to escort her to a feast that is being held quite a ways from here. She will be by in moments." she said promptly, looking at us intently. I looked at Gilrahir and Gilrahir looked at me. We knew what was going on. Her mother was invited to many celebrations, and most of the time, Luiven was not. This somehow reminded her that she was not the center of Middle Earth, therefore, she took her anger out on us.
Gilrahir silently went out of the room to set out Luvien's night dress for her, and I stayed in the bathroom, walking around, doing various things to keep myself occupied, as Luvien slipped into the tub. I arranged things among the counter properly, as they had been rummaged through the previous night.
"I hope it isn't too hot ma'am." I suggested, trying to clear out the dead silence.
"No. Its perfect actually. Would you stop ruining the counter? I had it set up just the way I like it." I giggled to myself. Looking at the counter, I saw no order at all, just tons of various objects, sprawled across the counter. I let the distraught counter be, and asked to be excused from the room. With a swish of her hand, I was dismissed and I went out to set up her bed. Every day was the same. The same chores, the same time for bathing, and the same time for slumber. As Gilrahir rummaged through the closet, trying to find the nightgown for Luvien, I heard a knock at the door.
I opened up the door and standing outside was Palan, Luvien's mother. "Randir! So nice to see you." She went passed me, letting herself in as I closed the door behind her. She was prettier than Luvien, with big, bright blue eyes and long flowing dark hair. Her cheek bones were high and rosy and her neck was like a swan's. On this night, she wore a maroon dress that flowed past the floor. She also had a lovely necklace on and a beautiful headpiece made from silver that twisted around itself, like a woven basket.
"Where will you be off to on this night ma'am?" Gilrahir asked politely after finally finding the night dress.
"Well," she started as she went over to Luvien's dresser, and began to pick through the various objects and perfumes. "I am off to a celebration in the house of Elrond if you wanted to know." She looked at us and there was a brief silence in which Gilrahir and I held our breaths. "I expect the two of you would like to come?" And at that, we nodded, and a smile lit up Palan's face.
"You will need better clothing then, so go off to your own quarters and find something decent. You can meet me back here in a half hour or so."
It was in that moment that Luvien walked out with a towel covering her bare body. She walked over and sharply snatched the dress off of the bed. She gave Gilrahir a glance as if to say, 'Why did you not put these in the bathroom you fool?' Gilrahir payed her no attention.
Right as Luvien was about to go back into the bath, the two of us turned to leave. "Where are you headed off to?" she asked haughtily.
"I have asked the both of them to come with me to the feast and they have agreed. They are going to get out of their work clothes and then meet me here in a half hour. Is there anything you should be concerned with Luvien?" interrupted Palan.
"Well, I suppose not, but I was in the middle of my bath, and I thought one of them would stay here with me." said Luvien.
"Do you honestly need help getting out of the bath and into bed? Can you not turn off an oil lamp yourself, or fold the covers onto your own body for just this one night?" Palan said followed by a tense and silent moment. It was true, Luvien had become very dependant on Gilrahir and me.
That was the end of all conversation. Luvien let out a sigh and slammed the door to the bathroom quickly. Palan motioned her hands for us to leave and we left the room calmy, walking a few feet, turning the corner, checking to make sure we were out of sight and then dashing to our rooms as fast as we possibly could.
"Whoever gets to the room first gets the bath!" I screamed, as I began to run faster, and pass my dear friend, who could not control her laughter.
"I accept your challenge Randir!" She said. The evening was growing and the sun was almost done making its climb under the herizon. With each step, a rush of anxiety went through my body, like ripples upon the water. With each step, I thought about Elrohir. With each step, I thought about the celebration, and forcing the time to go by quickly, so I could sneak away and somehow find him. With each step, I was closer to seeing him again.