Title: Moon Rune
Author: GundamNymph
E-mail: runttie@cybertours.com
Rating: PG for now
Summary: The three Slayers of our time are sent to Middle-Earth to kick Vampire @$$. Romance to come.
Feed back: Please review, even if it's a one liner, so I know there are people reading.
Warning: Uh, violence to come? And this one is longer than the others. It's like nine pages long. Please bear with me.
Okay, in the past chapters, I had the elfish speaking parts underlined. It didn't transfer to ff.net, so instead of having it underlined, there was nothing to indicate elfish being spoken. I'm going to do what everyone else is doing:
'Elfish'
"Common"
The more reviews I get, the faster I'll start popping chapters out. I have a Pippin kitty finally done. If you want to see him, click on GundamNymph at the top of the page. It will bring you to my account, and I have the address of my art portfolio in my profile information. Have a request? Put it in a review, and we'll see about it.
Chapter 6
Legolas had been reluctant to leave Ellen's side, but finally went to go check on Herdare after a bath and a changing of clothes. From there, he went to meet with his friends. Elrond had taken his sons to his study to find out more about the rings, and Aragorn and Arwen took off to a certain foot bridge. Celia had grabbed Ellen's bags off of Elendil, and brought them upstairs. She noticed her lack of stakes, and started making more. TONS more. She had also gone to the smith and wood carver, asking them nicely (for a change) to make a sword. A wooden one, and a metal one, to replace Ellen's.
She did all of this, being quite worried about her friend. Ellen was like a younger sister to almost all who met her. And Ce loved playing the older bossy sister.
Bonnie sat by Ellen's bed, not too worried. She knew that her friend was just tired from all the energy she spent. She had found, among Ellen's things, the book series that told of this wondrous world. She was only on 'book' one or two in the novel, when late afternoon came. Celia was still roaming the palace, looking for stuff to do. Right now she was arranging Ellen's stuff in a neat pile.
There was a moan, as Ellen turned in her sleep, a smile on her face. She was on the verge of waking up. Celia smiled wickedly. "So, Bon. What do you think is going on between that elf and little Ellie?"
"Right now? Absolutely nothing. Too much going on. But they will probably get together in the future. For now, do us all a favor, and please refrain from tormenting her." Celia frowned, and flung herself down on the bed. Ellen bolted up suddenly, as if waking from a nightmare. She winced lightly.
"Oo. I ache. Got any herbs?"
"No, but a bath might help. Simply heavenly." Ellen stumbled out of bed, and wandered around till she found the enclosure. She stripped to her Tankini, throwing her clothes to the floor. She sank into the still warm bath. The oils refreshed her, and the soap revived her. Soon, she was singing out loud, and the friends were happy to hear her. As her song changed from No Doubt's "I'm Just A Girl", Bonnie recognized one of Enya's new songs, and added her own soprano voice.
" May it be, an evening star
Shines down, upon you…
May it be, when darkness falls.
Your heart will be, true…
You walk a lonely road, Oh! How far you are from home…
Mornie utulie,
Believe, and you will find your way…
Mornie Alantie,
A promise lives, within you now…"
Celia looked up as Ellen emerged from behind the wall in a soft gold robe. Ce gave the girl a knowing smirk, something Bonnie and Ellen missed. Ellen and Bonnie finished the duet, smiling at each other. Ellen came forward, and hugged them both hard. "Girl, it's been too long."
As Ellen began to dry off , she them about what had happened to her on the road. The Slayers meeting had started.
"So they can walk in daylight? That isn't a good sign."
"No duh. What about the rings?"
"What are you talking about, Ce? I told them, and you, I don't have them."
Bonnie walked over the brunette, and took a hand in each of hers. She twisted the palms upward, and let the sunlight shine on them. Ellen was startled to see a flicker of green. As she concentrated harder, she finally saw the rings. "Wha? I don't understand. Why do I have these?"
"It's probably Arneania's work. For some reason, she wanted you to have them." Celia glanced slyly at Ellen. "So what about that hot guy you rode in with? Hmm?" Bonnie rolled her eyes at Celia.
"Which guy? Arni'or? Sim'nol? Legolas? Herdare? And don't just say the blond, because all of 'em are blond." Celia glared at Ellen's hinting. She somehow discovered about Celia's journey.
"You know which one I'm talking about. The one who you fainted over last night." That perked Bonnie up as she looked over at Ellie. The girl was blushing lightly. "Yeah, El. I want to know where you learned to do that. Did the elves teach you?" At that, Ellen's blush calmed down.
"I don't know. For a moment I saw these light currents in the air. They were colored, and they came from a source of Light. I imagined the Light entering him, and it did. I just kind of passed out after that." Bonnie's expression was thoughtful. Ellen made her way over to the balcony, and gasped.
Rivendale stood before her, in all it's glory. She had a corner room, and it had far more open space and balconies. The leaves were green in some areas, and in others, they were ruby red, purple, wine and gold. There were waterfalls all over the place. In fact, there was one right outside her room. Below, a sidewalk hung over the water of the pond up against the building. The buildings were built around the big trees and landscape, and the architecture alone was breathtaking. Statues lined the edge of the waters and gardens. Ellen spun around with a gleam in her eyes.
Legolas stood before Elrond, with his comrades beside him. The twins were on either side of the Elf Lord, and Arwen stood near Aragorn. Legolas fought hard not to glance around at the huge library. It would dwarf his fathers collection easily. Herdare noticed his friends control, and smirked slightly.
"I have brought you all here, to discuss about the three girls that were sent to our world. They will be present at the meeting, which was moved to tomorrow." He paused. "They were sent here, by a creature from the heavens. I have had dealings with her before, and she is quite familiar with Galadriel. From what I have conceived, the girls are from a world where they are chosen warriors to fight what we here are experiencing. I am sure you-" A loud knock was heard from the double doors. Elrond frowned, knowing he told the guards not to let anyone interfere. "Yes?"
Celia practically threw the door open and walked in bare foot. She wore her light robe, used for after bathing. Ellen and Bonnie were behind her, scolding her. "Ce, that was extremely rude! You-"
"Oh, shut it, Ellie. Hey Elrond? I got to ask you a favor. I-" She was cut off be Bonnie, who covered her mouth. The males in the room watched as Bonnie and Celia started fighting. Their mouths almost dropped to the floor as they saw how they moved. Yep, Ellen decided, I think I shall teach 'em all Karate and some handy Gymnastics. She got a glimpse of the library, and HER jaw dropped. "Wow." This was WAY bigger than any of the libraries she'd been to. And that was saying a lot. As a Slayer, there was a lot of research to do on different breeds of demons. Not to mention the 'light' side reading she did.
Legolas was greatly relieved to see Ellen well. He and Herdare were used to the fighting style her friends used, and he ignored them. He walked up to her. "Lady Ellen? How are you feeling?" She smiled at him, cheeks turning a rose color.
"Just a little achy. It will go away in a little while. And please drop Lady. It makes me feel weird."
"How so?"
"Well, maybe it's because where I come from, there isn't much respect shown towards each other. An then, I come to a world, where everyone seems to respect me and my friends. It's an odd feeling." He smiled roguishly.
"Well, my Lady, it's a shame to hear that. But you're going to have to get used to it. My friends and I think very highly of you. And your friends. I noticed your interest in Lord Elrond's collection."
"Yeah, it's amazing."
"It's the most complete in all of Middle-Earth. I hope to get a chance to look through it myself, later today. Tell me, why are you and your friends here? And how did you get through the guards?"
"Ahem. Well, Celia kind of threatened them. When they didn't believe her, she hung them up on a statue, and uh…"
"And what?"
"Lets just say my friend is VERY forward with the male gender. I think the guards are more afraid of her groping hands, then her fighting skill. I must warn you, that she may come on to you."
"Don't worry, I think I can handle myself with her. You have no idea what some elven maidens are like back in Mirkwood, when they want to court you and have you cornered in private." She giggled as he shuddered. He smiled back at her. "That's usually my signal to run off into the woods. It angers my father to no end. It seems only Herdare realizes what I go through, with them and my father. He's a great friend."
"Yeah, he is the sneak. He can be very sly sometimes, though."
"He can be VERY sly. He taught me all I know. *laughs merrily* A lot of strangers don't know, but he is almost twice my age." Ellen whistles.
"Sure doesn't act like it." Behind her, the Hobbits and Herdare were picking sides, and routing for them. The fight had turned more into a show like dance, when the girls found out that the men weren't used to such a fighting style.
"Well, after she did that, they kind of let us by. I tried to apologize. Ce seems very attracted to the elves. *can't blame her, she muttered* So we basically came to find out where we're allowed to swim. I saw the view upstairs, and had the urge for a swim. Do you know of a place?"
"I know of a few. Arwen and I found out a long time ago that her father doesn't like people swimming in his fountains." Legolas found he liked her laugh. It changed in pitches, and was kind of funny. "I will take you and your friends to the closest one, and then I will leave." She seemed confused.
"Why would you do that? It's not as if we swim naked." He rose an eyebrow.
"Well, Celia may do that once in a while. But Bonnie and I make sure we're not around when she does that." Legolas was very curious about these mortal girls.
"What do you wear to swim?"
"They're bathing suits. Enough cloth to hide certain parts." Again, she blushed; and Legolas began to wonder why she did that so often. The play fight had stopped and the others caught part of their conversation. Celia walked over. "There's a large pond past the gazebo. It's only a short walk from here, and it's secluded." Ce cut him off before he could say something else.
"You wanted to know what a bathing suit looks like?" She asked with a evil smile and raised brow. The Hobbits looked at her innocently. "Yeah." She untied her robe, and Ellen had the urge to cover the Hobbit's eyes. Her friend tended to wear skimpy bikini's unabashedly. Gimli and Aragorn saw Ellen's worried eyes turn to the Hobbits, and got the hint. Gimli covered Merry and Sam's eyes, while Aragorn covered Frodo's and Pippin'. They cried out indignantly. Well, Pippin and Merry did, anyway.
Ellen's fear was confirmed, as her friend sported a pale pink bikini. Gimli closed his eyes as a dark blush covered his horrified face. Aragorn had turned to look at Arwen, and was glad he had done so at the gasps he heard. "Ahem. Well, Lady Ellen. It seems, you were only partially correct with your description."
"I don't know about that, your highness. I think I'd rather like to visit this world of theirs."
"No you DON'T, Herd Boy. Our world is greatly corrupted by mortals. There are hardly any forests left, and no other races besides humans. Any way, Bonnie and I wear more modest bathing suits."
The twins and Herdare lifted eyebrows again in curiosity. "Care to indulge us?" Pippin had managed to squirm out from behind Gimli's hands. He now stood with his mouth open, and his eyes bugging out. He stared at her skin. "Are those tattoos?!" Celia smiled and walked over to the Hobbit.
"Here's a butterfly on my thigh, and I have mini angel wings on my shoulder blades."
Pippin stared at her tattoos. It would seem barbaric on any other female, but not Celia. She turned to her friends, and Pippin got a good view of her back. He could feel the blood begin to come down his nose.
"Yeah, come on Bon, Ellie. Show us your stuff." And before Bonnie could react, Ce dodged forward, and tore off Bonnie's violet robe.
Bonnie lunged after her, and Celia danced out of the way, laughing, like a deranged pixie. Finally Bonnie gave up her chase, and just stood there in her strapless two piece, her hands on her hips. She glared at Celia, before joining in with her laughter. Ellen started inching toward Legolas. She was pleased to notice a dainty blush caressing his cheeks.
As her so-called friends turned on her, she shrieked and ran behind the Prince. From there, she looked over his shoulder. "Now come on, sister dear. You need to get rid of your shyness. Stop hiding behind your elf." Every time they came close, she maneuvered Legolas in front of her. When they began to circle them, she jumped up onto his shoulders, and then leapt over him onto the floor. Once her feet touched the marble, she ran off between the twins, flinging open the doors, and escaping through them. She didn't get far.
Celia and Bonnie dragged her to the floor before Celia tore off Ellen's robe. Ellen ran off into the hall before the guys could glance her. Aragorn and Gimli released the remaining Hobbits, assuming they were gone. But Ellen was back soon, chasing the two girls with something in her hands. It was long, and kind of reminded them of a crossbow, with VERY bright coloring. It spouted water at the girls, soaking them. Frodo swayed on his feet after seeing the girls, and Sam had to steady him. Merry stood next to Pippin, and they stared together, at the girls.
Herdare took the time to notice the girl's differences. Celia was the tallest, and slender, with darkened skin from being in the sun too much. Bonnie was the shortest, having creamy skin, with long red curls down past her waist. She was the shapeliest. Ellen was only a littler shorter than Celia, and her skin was so pale, it seemed almost translucent. Her shoulder length hair was up in some sort of clip. He watched as the girls ran around Lord Elrond's library, laughing their heads off. He noticed Ellen was careful not to wet the books. Soon they were running out of the room.
He smiled at his Prince's expression as Ellen left with the others. He never had that expression on his face, after any of the encounters with the devious elf maidens in Mirkwood. He said so to Legolas, and got a glare from his friend for his trouble.
The girls had fun at the pond that Legolas told them about. There were fish in the pond, and the girls worked on their speed by catching them. It was very hard to do. The humans were slower in the water, and the dickens were made to be fast in it. They finally caught some, but set them free. It was then that Ellen remembered what she wanted Bonnie to do.
She told Bonnie of her request, and the reasoning behind it. The red head finally nodded, giving her consent. "But first, we have to see what's going with the meeting. We may not need the bond. But it would make for a powerful ally, if it's a strong bond. Any thing else?" Ellen pouted pitifully.
"Yeah. Could you, maybe, I don't know. MakeDinnerForUsTonight?" Bonnie laughed as Celia added her plea. As good as the food there was, they were unused to it, and wanted comfort food.
"Okay, I'll ask the kitchen elves. But under one condition." The two perked up at that.
"What?"
"Celia bakes desert." The girls all laughed at the request, and agreed.
Dinner came unusually fast, and Ellen fidgeted with her gown as she waited for her friends. It was a beautiful dress, with violet colored cloth that felt like silk, and had beads woven into it. It was light, perfect for the weather out, even if it looked hot. Celia had done her hair earlier, twisting some of the flowing waves into small braids.
A soft knock sounded at the doors. She glanced at her watch. It was 7:50. She didn't think Ce and Bon would be done so soon. They tended to make themselves immaculate before even thinking of stepping foot outside. Ellen was usually left waiting for them to finish, worried they were going to be late.
She walked over to the doors, and opened one. There stood Legolas, looking regal in a silver tunic and pale blue pants. His face split into a smile upon seeing her. It took her a moment to say something. "Uh, hi Legolas. Can I help you?"
"I think so. I am here to take you to dinner. Lady Celia and Lady Bonnie sent Herdare to tell me they were going to be late. Something about just getting back from the kitchens?"
He seemed puzzled. Her eyes widened, as she let him in. "Oh! That's right! I forgot I asked Bon and Ce to cook!" He rose an eyebrow in question. She blushed.
"Um, they were going to make some food dishes from our world. You're welcome to try some. I think they were going to make a bunch, in case any one wanted to try something." Legolas wandered over to one of her balconies. He seemed enchanted by it's view, as the sun began to set.
"I love visiting Rivendale. It's so beautiful and peaceful here. It puts my father off a bit, though. He tries to find more reasons to keep me at home. Things have been tense since my mother died, and I find solitude and understanding here. Lord Elrond is like a second father to me, and his children are like my own brothers and sister. I love his library more than my father's treasure rooms, and the water calms me so. I know not why I tell you these things. You just make me want to open up more." She stood next to him, sharing the view.
"I've been known as the listening gal, back home. I asked why that was one time, and he told me it was because no matter what people told me, I never judged them and gave good advice. You seem pretty open to me, though. Especially with Herdare, or the members of the fellowship." He sighed, but noticed the resentment behind some of her words. He decided he would ask her about that later.
"Only Herdare, and sometimes Aragorn, know of my troubles. Gimli sees when I'm upset about something, and just tries to cheer me up. But none of the others know of my frustrations. I thank you for listening, Lady Ellen. We'd better go." He offered his arm, and she took it, blushing.
When they arrived together, Celia let loose a hoot. "Aren't you tight looking?!" Ellen and some of the other elves at the table glared at Ce, and she wisely shut up. But she was right, Herdare thought. Legolas and Ellen DID look good together, as the Prince kindly seated her. The Hobbits sat across from Celia, Bonnie, Gimli and Ellen. Legolas sat next to Ellen, and was able to talk to both Herdare and Gimli. Aragorn and Arwen sat up front with the royal family. As the food was laid before them, Elrond asked a servant about some of the new dishes.
"Bon and I made 'em. They're from our world, and have the approval of your kitchen." Elrond raised one of those sexy eyebrows again. And as everyone watched, Ellen pointed out the different dishes to Legolas. After describing what it was, he seemed not as wary of them. He took a slice of Pizza, and having made a deal with her, she took some of the elven dishes and put them on her plate. Together, they tired the new food. Ellen's eye lit up at some of them, and other's she just kind skirted. Legolas seemed to like the Pizza, but prefer his own food.
Dinner seemed to start after the two of them had tried the dishes, and gave their consent to them. Some of the elves dived in daringly to the new ones, other avoided them. The twins were two of the elves who seemed to like one of the seafood pasta dishes. The Hobbits loved the new food, and Pippin dove into the macaroni and cheese.
The moon was out by the time dinner was finished, and the natives were introduced to new dishes that came with desert. Most were a bit too sweet for the elves taste, but definitely not for the Hobbits. The little guys loved the chocolate, which was very hard to come by in Middle-Earth. Ellen was relishing a chocolate mousse with Legolas (who found he loved chocolate), Celia and the Hobbits chose to eat the cupcakes, and Bonnie and Herdare drank tea while tasting a creme brulee. Laughter was heard often at the long table, and smiles were glued in place.
As she listened to an elf across from her, Ellen thought of the dinner's at home. They went by fast, and the girls usually didn't eat together. Even when at her parents home, it wasn't this joyful. At one point, the elves and guests started to get up, and move to other rooms, or the dance floor. She watched the elves dance. It was an amazing whirlwind of color. She felt a nudge at her shoulder, and looked to see Herdare bowing to her. "May I have this dance, My Lady?" She smiled brightly.
"Only if you show me how."
"Of course."
Legolas looked up to see Ellen being led to the edge of the dance floor by Herdare. He had been talking with Aragorn, who had moved next to him after the table emptied. Aragorn smirked at the elf's obvious attraction. He knew of King Thranduil's pressure he put on his youngest son. He felt a great kinship with the elf, and they often talked about life as a royal.
As Legolas turned back to continue the discussion of treaties, he saw the smirk on his friend's face. 'What?'
'Does the Lady Ellen know of your infatuation, my friend?' Heat rose in his cheeks, as he glared at his friend.
'No. But she does know I enjoy her company. It is fair indeed.' He knew not to deny Aragorn, he always saw through it. Aragorn's expression turned thoughtful.
'Fair indeed. Hmm.' Legolas frowned.
'What do you mean by that?'
'Well, she seems connected with your race. I mean, she is able to wield the rings that Lord Elrond's sons created, and she was able to heal you. And then, as I was coming back with Arwen from our old meeting place, I could have sworn I heard her singing elfish.' Legolas looked at his friend. Aragorn grinned at him. 'Why don't you help Herdare to teach her how to dance. She seems to have enough talent to learn the elfish ways.'
"I dare you, Frodo Baggins." The tipsy Hobbit finally gave into Merry and Pippin's dare. Celia raised a perfectly shaped brow at the drunk Hobbits. Though she would die before she admitted it, Ellen was right. The Hobbits were adorable, though quite mischievous. She didn't like where these Hobbits were going. A drunk Hobbit was a handful. Four drunk Hobbits were the end of the world.
"Okay, I think it's someone's bedtime." She said as she rose from the table, and made her way over to the swaggering men. It was hard to think of these creatures as men, and she had told her friends so. But, according to Ellie, Frodo was at least 50, with the others not too far behind.
"We're not chil 'dren, Ce'a. We're gron Hob 'its, we is. Arn we Pip?" Pippin had passed out. Celia signaled Aragorn and Elladan.
"I told you not to drink the Elfish wine." Aragorn sighed as he looked at the trouble makers. Sam looked up.
"It's very good though. It'd be great in my cooking. Sides, Pip and Merry dared us."
Celia rolled her eyes, and picked up Frodo. He protested, until he realized it was Celia holding him. He settled down after that. She cradled the Hobbit, who standing, came up to her shoulder. Aragorn picked up Sam, and the elf picked both Pippin and Merry. Merry had also passed out. They walked to the Hobbit's room, and began to lie them on their beds. Sam had fallen asleep by then, and Frodo was the only one conscious.
Celia entered Frodo's room, and pulled back his sheets. She lay him down, and pulled the sheets back over him. He was trying to say something, but Celia couldn't hear him. She leaned closer, and he kissed her. As she leaned backwards and stared at him, he fell asleep. She tried very hard not to think of how comfortable he was in her arms, or how that kiss felt. She smiled at the Hobbit like a mother would, and strolled back out of the room. She met up with Aragorn and Elladan, and was escorted by them back to the dinner hall.
Ellen laughed merrily as Herdare swung her around, trying to teach her how to dance. It was a very complicated one, since the elves were very graceful and light footed. "Herdare, I don't think you're doing it right." The two looked up to see Legolas grinning at them. Herdare smirked. Took him long enough, he thought.
"Well your highness, why don't you show us how it's done?"
"Very well. May I, Lady Ellen?"
Ellen blushed slightly, but nodded her head and held out her hand. He took her hand, bowed, and then kissed it. Then he showed her the complicated six step that the others were dancing to. They started out slow, and then started going faster as Ellen learned it. Soon, she and Legolas were in the middle of the dance floor, dancing even better than the others. Herdare watched this all with an amused expression. What a show off, he thought. Of course, before this night, Legolas really never wanted to show off.
Ellen blushed as she realized some of the other dancers had stopped to look at them and clap to the beat. She had now mastered the steps, and was able to concentrate on other things. She looked at Legolas, who was grinning at her in amusement.
"What?"
"You're cute when you blush." She blushed harder.
"Why are they staring at us?" She said, slightly breathless from the exercise she used to keep up.
He whirled her, and twisted to meet up with her again. Ellen was glad her hair was braided in some areas, so that it didn't fly in her face. Damn elves. No matter if their hair was completely down, it never got in the way.
"They are staring because we dance so well. Also probably because they are not used to seeing me dance with a girl, mortal or elven, willingly." Her eyes widened mischievously.
"So, they are probably starting rumors right now about us?"
"Elves don't really gossip. But I bet by morning, everyone in Rivendale will hear about Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, being enchanted by a mortal girl." They stopped with the music, and Ellen was feeling very grateful for that. One dance, and she was out of breath. There was one good thing about this, the flush from dancing hid her crimson blush.
Seeing her tire, he led her away. They left the dinner hall, and wandered about the corridors. They stopped at a few rooms where people were telling stories, and listened to the songs as they walked. Legolas was content just to look at her serene expression. "Do you like it here?"
"It's wonderful here. I wish I could stay forever. It's like a fairy tale come true." He became troubled at the thought of her having to leave. He decided not to think of it. By then, they had reached the hallway where their rooms were. Moon light shone through the huge opening at the end of it. They walked to the windowless balcony.
"Aragorn and I were talking earlier, and he mentioned he heard you singing elfish. Is this true?"
Ellen looked at him startled. She thought a moment. "I don't think so. I tend to sing while bathing, and sung quite a bit this afternoon. Umm. There was this one song. It's called 'May it be'. It's by a wonderful artist in our world. Her name is Enya. Now that I think of it…" She trailed off, and suddenly her face showed startle. "What is it?" She turned to him.
"I already told you, that in our world, your world was written by an author."
"Yes. It's hard to believe, but I trust you."
"Well, in our world, I think they made a movie of it. It's kind of like a play, where people act out the parts and roles of the characters. I was, and always am, unable to go to such things because I'm always fighting evil. But Celia got the soundtrack to the movie, and it has elfish songs on there." Legolas didn't even ask what a soundtrack was. It sounded like something difficult to explain.
"How did the songs go?" Ellen focused her mind on the landscape, instead of the ethereal creature next to her. His skin was once again, glowing in the moonlight. His dark blue eyes mirrored the bright stars out (brighter and clearer than from her world, she noticed grimly), and his fair hair also glowed softly. Only male elves could be called beautiful, and get away with it. She raised her eyes to the stars, and began to sing:
"May it be, an evening star,
shines down upon you…
May it be, when darkness falls,
Your heart will be true…
You walk a lonely road,
Oh, how far you are from home…
Mornie utulie*
Believe and you will find your way…
Mornie alantie*
A promise lives, within you now…
May it be shadows call,
Will fly away…
May it be, your journey on,
To light the day…
When the night is overcome,
You shall rise to find the sun…
Mornie utulie*
Believe and you, will find a way…
Mornie alantie*
A promise lives within you now…
A promise lives within you now…"
As Ellen had sang, he couldn't help but remember the journey of the fellowship. They could have used someone like Ellen, singing that song, to ease them. He thought of Frodo, and Sam, going ahead by themselves and Gollum, to rid Middle-Earth of the one ring. How brave, and scared they had been. How the weight of everyone's lives in Middle-Earth had been on their shoulders.
Below them, he could see Aragorn and Arwen leaning up against a tree near the waters edge. Their feet dangled in the water, and their eyes were on the moon. Legolas could see tears coming down Aragorn's face. His wife kissed them away.
"O mor henion I dhu: *
Ely siriar, el sila
Ai! Aniron Undomeil
Tiro! El eria e mor
I 'lir en luitha 'uren.
Ai! Aniron…"
Legolas stared at Ellen as she sang another song. This time, in a higher pitch. It purely circled around the two lovers below him. Ellen had not seen them, yet. Aragorn had stopped his tears, and now smiled with Arwen, as the words passed through Ellen's lips. The words weren't accented right. But that was only because Ellen was not familiar with the language.
As she finished, there was a smile on her face. She still hadn't looked at him. Mortals were indeed a shy lot. This time, as she sung a new song, it was all in the common tongue. But Legolas still loved it the same. He heard the reference to Bilbo's book.
"When the cold of winter comes,
Starless night will cover day.
In the veiling of the sun,
We will walk, in bitter rain…
But in dreams,
I can hear, your name.
And in dreams,
We will meet again…
When the seas and mountains fall,
And we come, to end of days…
In the dark, I hear a call,
Calling me there,
I will go there,
And back again…"
"There were two other songs, that I can remember. But they are too sad, and dark. One was of Mithrandir after his 'death'. It was the one that the elves sang in Lothlorien. And the other, was the prophecy of the ring and Sauron."
"You sing well, Lady Ellen. I think Aragorn and Arwen agree with me." She leaned over the railing, to look at the figures now waving at them. She waved timidly back at them, and turned to Legolas, blushing heavily. She glared at him.
"You didn't tell me they were listening."
"They were enjoying it, and I didn't want to disturb your singing." He stared at her moonlit face. She was beautiful, for a mortal. Possibly for a she-elf, as well. And the odd thing was, she didn't know it. In fact, if he didn't know better, people had never told her. She seemed to glow, in the pale violet gown. Her dark hair was down, resting upon her shoulders. That, and her eyes, were the only thing dark about her. The rest of her was fair and pale.
He saw she was blushing. Again. And again, he wondered why she did that so often. He stared into those eyes he loved so much. They showed him her soul, and the forests he loved so much. Footsteps, light and soft, were heard coming from around the corner. It was then he realized how close they were. He pulled away, feeling his ears burn pink, as Herdare and Bonnie came from around the corner. They both smiled as they saw Ellen and Legolas alone. As Herdare smirked, yet again, Legolas thought of slapping it off his face.
"My Prince, had I known you wanted to be undisturbed, the Lady Bonnie and I would have left the dance floor later." Bonnie didn't say anything, but tiredly winked at Ellen, before entering her room for the night. Herdare looked like he might say something else, but wisely decided against it. He entered his room, which was across from Bonnie's. Legolas looked at the moon.
"It is late. I think we should turn in. Until the morning, Lady Ellen." He once again bowed to her, and kissed her hand. He entered his room as well. Ellen stared at his door for a while, before entering her own. Around her room, there were a few candles lit; but most of the light came from the moon peeking through the openings in the walls. She blew out the candles, and changed in the dark. She lay in bed, letting the soft glow of the moon, and far off songs lull her to sleep.
Mornie utulie * darkness has come
Mornie alantie * darkness has fallen
O mor henion I dhu: * From darkness I understand the night
Ely siriar, el sila dreams flow, a star shines
Ai! Aniron Undomeil Ah! I desire Evenstar
Tiro! El eria e mor Look! A star rises out of the darkness
I 'lir en luitha 'uren. The song of the star enchants my heart
Ai! Aniron… Ah! I desire…
Author: GundamNymph
E-mail: runttie@cybertours.com
Rating: PG for now
Summary: The three Slayers of our time are sent to Middle-Earth to kick Vampire @$$. Romance to come.
Feed back: Please review, even if it's a one liner, so I know there are people reading.
Warning: Uh, violence to come? And this one is longer than the others. It's like nine pages long. Please bear with me.
Okay, in the past chapters, I had the elfish speaking parts underlined. It didn't transfer to ff.net, so instead of having it underlined, there was nothing to indicate elfish being spoken. I'm going to do what everyone else is doing:
'Elfish'
"Common"
The more reviews I get, the faster I'll start popping chapters out. I have a Pippin kitty finally done. If you want to see him, click on GundamNymph at the top of the page. It will bring you to my account, and I have the address of my art portfolio in my profile information. Have a request? Put it in a review, and we'll see about it.
Chapter 6
Legolas had been reluctant to leave Ellen's side, but finally went to go check on Herdare after a bath and a changing of clothes. From there, he went to meet with his friends. Elrond had taken his sons to his study to find out more about the rings, and Aragorn and Arwen took off to a certain foot bridge. Celia had grabbed Ellen's bags off of Elendil, and brought them upstairs. She noticed her lack of stakes, and started making more. TONS more. She had also gone to the smith and wood carver, asking them nicely (for a change) to make a sword. A wooden one, and a metal one, to replace Ellen's.
She did all of this, being quite worried about her friend. Ellen was like a younger sister to almost all who met her. And Ce loved playing the older bossy sister.
Bonnie sat by Ellen's bed, not too worried. She knew that her friend was just tired from all the energy she spent. She had found, among Ellen's things, the book series that told of this wondrous world. She was only on 'book' one or two in the novel, when late afternoon came. Celia was still roaming the palace, looking for stuff to do. Right now she was arranging Ellen's stuff in a neat pile.
There was a moan, as Ellen turned in her sleep, a smile on her face. She was on the verge of waking up. Celia smiled wickedly. "So, Bon. What do you think is going on between that elf and little Ellie?"
"Right now? Absolutely nothing. Too much going on. But they will probably get together in the future. For now, do us all a favor, and please refrain from tormenting her." Celia frowned, and flung herself down on the bed. Ellen bolted up suddenly, as if waking from a nightmare. She winced lightly.
"Oo. I ache. Got any herbs?"
"No, but a bath might help. Simply heavenly." Ellen stumbled out of bed, and wandered around till she found the enclosure. She stripped to her Tankini, throwing her clothes to the floor. She sank into the still warm bath. The oils refreshed her, and the soap revived her. Soon, she was singing out loud, and the friends were happy to hear her. As her song changed from No Doubt's "I'm Just A Girl", Bonnie recognized one of Enya's new songs, and added her own soprano voice.
" May it be, an evening star
Shines down, upon you…
May it be, when darkness falls.
Your heart will be, true…
You walk a lonely road, Oh! How far you are from home…
Mornie utulie,
Believe, and you will find your way…
Mornie Alantie,
A promise lives, within you now…"
Celia looked up as Ellen emerged from behind the wall in a soft gold robe. Ce gave the girl a knowing smirk, something Bonnie and Ellen missed. Ellen and Bonnie finished the duet, smiling at each other. Ellen came forward, and hugged them both hard. "Girl, it's been too long."
As Ellen began to dry off , she them about what had happened to her on the road. The Slayers meeting had started.
"So they can walk in daylight? That isn't a good sign."
"No duh. What about the rings?"
"What are you talking about, Ce? I told them, and you, I don't have them."
Bonnie walked over the brunette, and took a hand in each of hers. She twisted the palms upward, and let the sunlight shine on them. Ellen was startled to see a flicker of green. As she concentrated harder, she finally saw the rings. "Wha? I don't understand. Why do I have these?"
"It's probably Arneania's work. For some reason, she wanted you to have them." Celia glanced slyly at Ellen. "So what about that hot guy you rode in with? Hmm?" Bonnie rolled her eyes at Celia.
"Which guy? Arni'or? Sim'nol? Legolas? Herdare? And don't just say the blond, because all of 'em are blond." Celia glared at Ellen's hinting. She somehow discovered about Celia's journey.
"You know which one I'm talking about. The one who you fainted over last night." That perked Bonnie up as she looked over at Ellie. The girl was blushing lightly. "Yeah, El. I want to know where you learned to do that. Did the elves teach you?" At that, Ellen's blush calmed down.
"I don't know. For a moment I saw these light currents in the air. They were colored, and they came from a source of Light. I imagined the Light entering him, and it did. I just kind of passed out after that." Bonnie's expression was thoughtful. Ellen made her way over to the balcony, and gasped.
Rivendale stood before her, in all it's glory. She had a corner room, and it had far more open space and balconies. The leaves were green in some areas, and in others, they were ruby red, purple, wine and gold. There were waterfalls all over the place. In fact, there was one right outside her room. Below, a sidewalk hung over the water of the pond up against the building. The buildings were built around the big trees and landscape, and the architecture alone was breathtaking. Statues lined the edge of the waters and gardens. Ellen spun around with a gleam in her eyes.
Legolas stood before Elrond, with his comrades beside him. The twins were on either side of the Elf Lord, and Arwen stood near Aragorn. Legolas fought hard not to glance around at the huge library. It would dwarf his fathers collection easily. Herdare noticed his friends control, and smirked slightly.
"I have brought you all here, to discuss about the three girls that were sent to our world. They will be present at the meeting, which was moved to tomorrow." He paused. "They were sent here, by a creature from the heavens. I have had dealings with her before, and she is quite familiar with Galadriel. From what I have conceived, the girls are from a world where they are chosen warriors to fight what we here are experiencing. I am sure you-" A loud knock was heard from the double doors. Elrond frowned, knowing he told the guards not to let anyone interfere. "Yes?"
Celia practically threw the door open and walked in bare foot. She wore her light robe, used for after bathing. Ellen and Bonnie were behind her, scolding her. "Ce, that was extremely rude! You-"
"Oh, shut it, Ellie. Hey Elrond? I got to ask you a favor. I-" She was cut off be Bonnie, who covered her mouth. The males in the room watched as Bonnie and Celia started fighting. Their mouths almost dropped to the floor as they saw how they moved. Yep, Ellen decided, I think I shall teach 'em all Karate and some handy Gymnastics. She got a glimpse of the library, and HER jaw dropped. "Wow." This was WAY bigger than any of the libraries she'd been to. And that was saying a lot. As a Slayer, there was a lot of research to do on different breeds of demons. Not to mention the 'light' side reading she did.
Legolas was greatly relieved to see Ellen well. He and Herdare were used to the fighting style her friends used, and he ignored them. He walked up to her. "Lady Ellen? How are you feeling?" She smiled at him, cheeks turning a rose color.
"Just a little achy. It will go away in a little while. And please drop Lady. It makes me feel weird."
"How so?"
"Well, maybe it's because where I come from, there isn't much respect shown towards each other. An then, I come to a world, where everyone seems to respect me and my friends. It's an odd feeling." He smiled roguishly.
"Well, my Lady, it's a shame to hear that. But you're going to have to get used to it. My friends and I think very highly of you. And your friends. I noticed your interest in Lord Elrond's collection."
"Yeah, it's amazing."
"It's the most complete in all of Middle-Earth. I hope to get a chance to look through it myself, later today. Tell me, why are you and your friends here? And how did you get through the guards?"
"Ahem. Well, Celia kind of threatened them. When they didn't believe her, she hung them up on a statue, and uh…"
"And what?"
"Lets just say my friend is VERY forward with the male gender. I think the guards are more afraid of her groping hands, then her fighting skill. I must warn you, that she may come on to you."
"Don't worry, I think I can handle myself with her. You have no idea what some elven maidens are like back in Mirkwood, when they want to court you and have you cornered in private." She giggled as he shuddered. He smiled back at her. "That's usually my signal to run off into the woods. It angers my father to no end. It seems only Herdare realizes what I go through, with them and my father. He's a great friend."
"Yeah, he is the sneak. He can be very sly sometimes, though."
"He can be VERY sly. He taught me all I know. *laughs merrily* A lot of strangers don't know, but he is almost twice my age." Ellen whistles.
"Sure doesn't act like it." Behind her, the Hobbits and Herdare were picking sides, and routing for them. The fight had turned more into a show like dance, when the girls found out that the men weren't used to such a fighting style.
"Well, after she did that, they kind of let us by. I tried to apologize. Ce seems very attracted to the elves. *can't blame her, she muttered* So we basically came to find out where we're allowed to swim. I saw the view upstairs, and had the urge for a swim. Do you know of a place?"
"I know of a few. Arwen and I found out a long time ago that her father doesn't like people swimming in his fountains." Legolas found he liked her laugh. It changed in pitches, and was kind of funny. "I will take you and your friends to the closest one, and then I will leave." She seemed confused.
"Why would you do that? It's not as if we swim naked." He rose an eyebrow.
"Well, Celia may do that once in a while. But Bonnie and I make sure we're not around when she does that." Legolas was very curious about these mortal girls.
"What do you wear to swim?"
"They're bathing suits. Enough cloth to hide certain parts." Again, she blushed; and Legolas began to wonder why she did that so often. The play fight had stopped and the others caught part of their conversation. Celia walked over. "There's a large pond past the gazebo. It's only a short walk from here, and it's secluded." Ce cut him off before he could say something else.
"You wanted to know what a bathing suit looks like?" She asked with a evil smile and raised brow. The Hobbits looked at her innocently. "Yeah." She untied her robe, and Ellen had the urge to cover the Hobbit's eyes. Her friend tended to wear skimpy bikini's unabashedly. Gimli and Aragorn saw Ellen's worried eyes turn to the Hobbits, and got the hint. Gimli covered Merry and Sam's eyes, while Aragorn covered Frodo's and Pippin'. They cried out indignantly. Well, Pippin and Merry did, anyway.
Ellen's fear was confirmed, as her friend sported a pale pink bikini. Gimli closed his eyes as a dark blush covered his horrified face. Aragorn had turned to look at Arwen, and was glad he had done so at the gasps he heard. "Ahem. Well, Lady Ellen. It seems, you were only partially correct with your description."
"I don't know about that, your highness. I think I'd rather like to visit this world of theirs."
"No you DON'T, Herd Boy. Our world is greatly corrupted by mortals. There are hardly any forests left, and no other races besides humans. Any way, Bonnie and I wear more modest bathing suits."
The twins and Herdare lifted eyebrows again in curiosity. "Care to indulge us?" Pippin had managed to squirm out from behind Gimli's hands. He now stood with his mouth open, and his eyes bugging out. He stared at her skin. "Are those tattoos?!" Celia smiled and walked over to the Hobbit.
"Here's a butterfly on my thigh, and I have mini angel wings on my shoulder blades."
Pippin stared at her tattoos. It would seem barbaric on any other female, but not Celia. She turned to her friends, and Pippin got a good view of her back. He could feel the blood begin to come down his nose.
"Yeah, come on Bon, Ellie. Show us your stuff." And before Bonnie could react, Ce dodged forward, and tore off Bonnie's violet robe.
Bonnie lunged after her, and Celia danced out of the way, laughing, like a deranged pixie. Finally Bonnie gave up her chase, and just stood there in her strapless two piece, her hands on her hips. She glared at Celia, before joining in with her laughter. Ellen started inching toward Legolas. She was pleased to notice a dainty blush caressing his cheeks.
As her so-called friends turned on her, she shrieked and ran behind the Prince. From there, she looked over his shoulder. "Now come on, sister dear. You need to get rid of your shyness. Stop hiding behind your elf." Every time they came close, she maneuvered Legolas in front of her. When they began to circle them, she jumped up onto his shoulders, and then leapt over him onto the floor. Once her feet touched the marble, she ran off between the twins, flinging open the doors, and escaping through them. She didn't get far.
Celia and Bonnie dragged her to the floor before Celia tore off Ellen's robe. Ellen ran off into the hall before the guys could glance her. Aragorn and Gimli released the remaining Hobbits, assuming they were gone. But Ellen was back soon, chasing the two girls with something in her hands. It was long, and kind of reminded them of a crossbow, with VERY bright coloring. It spouted water at the girls, soaking them. Frodo swayed on his feet after seeing the girls, and Sam had to steady him. Merry stood next to Pippin, and they stared together, at the girls.
Herdare took the time to notice the girl's differences. Celia was the tallest, and slender, with darkened skin from being in the sun too much. Bonnie was the shortest, having creamy skin, with long red curls down past her waist. She was the shapeliest. Ellen was only a littler shorter than Celia, and her skin was so pale, it seemed almost translucent. Her shoulder length hair was up in some sort of clip. He watched as the girls ran around Lord Elrond's library, laughing their heads off. He noticed Ellen was careful not to wet the books. Soon they were running out of the room.
He smiled at his Prince's expression as Ellen left with the others. He never had that expression on his face, after any of the encounters with the devious elf maidens in Mirkwood. He said so to Legolas, and got a glare from his friend for his trouble.
The girls had fun at the pond that Legolas told them about. There were fish in the pond, and the girls worked on their speed by catching them. It was very hard to do. The humans were slower in the water, and the dickens were made to be fast in it. They finally caught some, but set them free. It was then that Ellen remembered what she wanted Bonnie to do.
She told Bonnie of her request, and the reasoning behind it. The red head finally nodded, giving her consent. "But first, we have to see what's going with the meeting. We may not need the bond. But it would make for a powerful ally, if it's a strong bond. Any thing else?" Ellen pouted pitifully.
"Yeah. Could you, maybe, I don't know. MakeDinnerForUsTonight?" Bonnie laughed as Celia added her plea. As good as the food there was, they were unused to it, and wanted comfort food.
"Okay, I'll ask the kitchen elves. But under one condition." The two perked up at that.
"What?"
"Celia bakes desert." The girls all laughed at the request, and agreed.
Dinner came unusually fast, and Ellen fidgeted with her gown as she waited for her friends. It was a beautiful dress, with violet colored cloth that felt like silk, and had beads woven into it. It was light, perfect for the weather out, even if it looked hot. Celia had done her hair earlier, twisting some of the flowing waves into small braids.
A soft knock sounded at the doors. She glanced at her watch. It was 7:50. She didn't think Ce and Bon would be done so soon. They tended to make themselves immaculate before even thinking of stepping foot outside. Ellen was usually left waiting for them to finish, worried they were going to be late.
She walked over to the doors, and opened one. There stood Legolas, looking regal in a silver tunic and pale blue pants. His face split into a smile upon seeing her. It took her a moment to say something. "Uh, hi Legolas. Can I help you?"
"I think so. I am here to take you to dinner. Lady Celia and Lady Bonnie sent Herdare to tell me they were going to be late. Something about just getting back from the kitchens?"
He seemed puzzled. Her eyes widened, as she let him in. "Oh! That's right! I forgot I asked Bon and Ce to cook!" He rose an eyebrow in question. She blushed.
"Um, they were going to make some food dishes from our world. You're welcome to try some. I think they were going to make a bunch, in case any one wanted to try something." Legolas wandered over to one of her balconies. He seemed enchanted by it's view, as the sun began to set.
"I love visiting Rivendale. It's so beautiful and peaceful here. It puts my father off a bit, though. He tries to find more reasons to keep me at home. Things have been tense since my mother died, and I find solitude and understanding here. Lord Elrond is like a second father to me, and his children are like my own brothers and sister. I love his library more than my father's treasure rooms, and the water calms me so. I know not why I tell you these things. You just make me want to open up more." She stood next to him, sharing the view.
"I've been known as the listening gal, back home. I asked why that was one time, and he told me it was because no matter what people told me, I never judged them and gave good advice. You seem pretty open to me, though. Especially with Herdare, or the members of the fellowship." He sighed, but noticed the resentment behind some of her words. He decided he would ask her about that later.
"Only Herdare, and sometimes Aragorn, know of my troubles. Gimli sees when I'm upset about something, and just tries to cheer me up. But none of the others know of my frustrations. I thank you for listening, Lady Ellen. We'd better go." He offered his arm, and she took it, blushing.
When they arrived together, Celia let loose a hoot. "Aren't you tight looking?!" Ellen and some of the other elves at the table glared at Ce, and she wisely shut up. But she was right, Herdare thought. Legolas and Ellen DID look good together, as the Prince kindly seated her. The Hobbits sat across from Celia, Bonnie, Gimli and Ellen. Legolas sat next to Ellen, and was able to talk to both Herdare and Gimli. Aragorn and Arwen sat up front with the royal family. As the food was laid before them, Elrond asked a servant about some of the new dishes.
"Bon and I made 'em. They're from our world, and have the approval of your kitchen." Elrond raised one of those sexy eyebrows again. And as everyone watched, Ellen pointed out the different dishes to Legolas. After describing what it was, he seemed not as wary of them. He took a slice of Pizza, and having made a deal with her, she took some of the elven dishes and put them on her plate. Together, they tired the new food. Ellen's eye lit up at some of them, and other's she just kind skirted. Legolas seemed to like the Pizza, but prefer his own food.
Dinner seemed to start after the two of them had tried the dishes, and gave their consent to them. Some of the elves dived in daringly to the new ones, other avoided them. The twins were two of the elves who seemed to like one of the seafood pasta dishes. The Hobbits loved the new food, and Pippin dove into the macaroni and cheese.
The moon was out by the time dinner was finished, and the natives were introduced to new dishes that came with desert. Most were a bit too sweet for the elves taste, but definitely not for the Hobbits. The little guys loved the chocolate, which was very hard to come by in Middle-Earth. Ellen was relishing a chocolate mousse with Legolas (who found he loved chocolate), Celia and the Hobbits chose to eat the cupcakes, and Bonnie and Herdare drank tea while tasting a creme brulee. Laughter was heard often at the long table, and smiles were glued in place.
As she listened to an elf across from her, Ellen thought of the dinner's at home. They went by fast, and the girls usually didn't eat together. Even when at her parents home, it wasn't this joyful. At one point, the elves and guests started to get up, and move to other rooms, or the dance floor. She watched the elves dance. It was an amazing whirlwind of color. She felt a nudge at her shoulder, and looked to see Herdare bowing to her. "May I have this dance, My Lady?" She smiled brightly.
"Only if you show me how."
"Of course."
Legolas looked up to see Ellen being led to the edge of the dance floor by Herdare. He had been talking with Aragorn, who had moved next to him after the table emptied. Aragorn smirked at the elf's obvious attraction. He knew of King Thranduil's pressure he put on his youngest son. He felt a great kinship with the elf, and they often talked about life as a royal.
As Legolas turned back to continue the discussion of treaties, he saw the smirk on his friend's face. 'What?'
'Does the Lady Ellen know of your infatuation, my friend?' Heat rose in his cheeks, as he glared at his friend.
'No. But she does know I enjoy her company. It is fair indeed.' He knew not to deny Aragorn, he always saw through it. Aragorn's expression turned thoughtful.
'Fair indeed. Hmm.' Legolas frowned.
'What do you mean by that?'
'Well, she seems connected with your race. I mean, she is able to wield the rings that Lord Elrond's sons created, and she was able to heal you. And then, as I was coming back with Arwen from our old meeting place, I could have sworn I heard her singing elfish.' Legolas looked at his friend. Aragorn grinned at him. 'Why don't you help Herdare to teach her how to dance. She seems to have enough talent to learn the elfish ways.'
"I dare you, Frodo Baggins." The tipsy Hobbit finally gave into Merry and Pippin's dare. Celia raised a perfectly shaped brow at the drunk Hobbits. Though she would die before she admitted it, Ellen was right. The Hobbits were adorable, though quite mischievous. She didn't like where these Hobbits were going. A drunk Hobbit was a handful. Four drunk Hobbits were the end of the world.
"Okay, I think it's someone's bedtime." She said as she rose from the table, and made her way over to the swaggering men. It was hard to think of these creatures as men, and she had told her friends so. But, according to Ellie, Frodo was at least 50, with the others not too far behind.
"We're not chil 'dren, Ce'a. We're gron Hob 'its, we is. Arn we Pip?" Pippin had passed out. Celia signaled Aragorn and Elladan.
"I told you not to drink the Elfish wine." Aragorn sighed as he looked at the trouble makers. Sam looked up.
"It's very good though. It'd be great in my cooking. Sides, Pip and Merry dared us."
Celia rolled her eyes, and picked up Frodo. He protested, until he realized it was Celia holding him. He settled down after that. She cradled the Hobbit, who standing, came up to her shoulder. Aragorn picked up Sam, and the elf picked both Pippin and Merry. Merry had also passed out. They walked to the Hobbit's room, and began to lie them on their beds. Sam had fallen asleep by then, and Frodo was the only one conscious.
Celia entered Frodo's room, and pulled back his sheets. She lay him down, and pulled the sheets back over him. He was trying to say something, but Celia couldn't hear him. She leaned closer, and he kissed her. As she leaned backwards and stared at him, he fell asleep. She tried very hard not to think of how comfortable he was in her arms, or how that kiss felt. She smiled at the Hobbit like a mother would, and strolled back out of the room. She met up with Aragorn and Elladan, and was escorted by them back to the dinner hall.
Ellen laughed merrily as Herdare swung her around, trying to teach her how to dance. It was a very complicated one, since the elves were very graceful and light footed. "Herdare, I don't think you're doing it right." The two looked up to see Legolas grinning at them. Herdare smirked. Took him long enough, he thought.
"Well your highness, why don't you show us how it's done?"
"Very well. May I, Lady Ellen?"
Ellen blushed slightly, but nodded her head and held out her hand. He took her hand, bowed, and then kissed it. Then he showed her the complicated six step that the others were dancing to. They started out slow, and then started going faster as Ellen learned it. Soon, she and Legolas were in the middle of the dance floor, dancing even better than the others. Herdare watched this all with an amused expression. What a show off, he thought. Of course, before this night, Legolas really never wanted to show off.
Ellen blushed as she realized some of the other dancers had stopped to look at them and clap to the beat. She had now mastered the steps, and was able to concentrate on other things. She looked at Legolas, who was grinning at her in amusement.
"What?"
"You're cute when you blush." She blushed harder.
"Why are they staring at us?" She said, slightly breathless from the exercise she used to keep up.
He whirled her, and twisted to meet up with her again. Ellen was glad her hair was braided in some areas, so that it didn't fly in her face. Damn elves. No matter if their hair was completely down, it never got in the way.
"They are staring because we dance so well. Also probably because they are not used to seeing me dance with a girl, mortal or elven, willingly." Her eyes widened mischievously.
"So, they are probably starting rumors right now about us?"
"Elves don't really gossip. But I bet by morning, everyone in Rivendale will hear about Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, being enchanted by a mortal girl." They stopped with the music, and Ellen was feeling very grateful for that. One dance, and she was out of breath. There was one good thing about this, the flush from dancing hid her crimson blush.
Seeing her tire, he led her away. They left the dinner hall, and wandered about the corridors. They stopped at a few rooms where people were telling stories, and listened to the songs as they walked. Legolas was content just to look at her serene expression. "Do you like it here?"
"It's wonderful here. I wish I could stay forever. It's like a fairy tale come true." He became troubled at the thought of her having to leave. He decided not to think of it. By then, they had reached the hallway where their rooms were. Moon light shone through the huge opening at the end of it. They walked to the windowless balcony.
"Aragorn and I were talking earlier, and he mentioned he heard you singing elfish. Is this true?"
Ellen looked at him startled. She thought a moment. "I don't think so. I tend to sing while bathing, and sung quite a bit this afternoon. Umm. There was this one song. It's called 'May it be'. It's by a wonderful artist in our world. Her name is Enya. Now that I think of it…" She trailed off, and suddenly her face showed startle. "What is it?" She turned to him.
"I already told you, that in our world, your world was written by an author."
"Yes. It's hard to believe, but I trust you."
"Well, in our world, I think they made a movie of it. It's kind of like a play, where people act out the parts and roles of the characters. I was, and always am, unable to go to such things because I'm always fighting evil. But Celia got the soundtrack to the movie, and it has elfish songs on there." Legolas didn't even ask what a soundtrack was. It sounded like something difficult to explain.
"How did the songs go?" Ellen focused her mind on the landscape, instead of the ethereal creature next to her. His skin was once again, glowing in the moonlight. His dark blue eyes mirrored the bright stars out (brighter and clearer than from her world, she noticed grimly), and his fair hair also glowed softly. Only male elves could be called beautiful, and get away with it. She raised her eyes to the stars, and began to sing:
"May it be, an evening star,
shines down upon you…
May it be, when darkness falls,
Your heart will be true…
You walk a lonely road,
Oh, how far you are from home…
Mornie utulie*
Believe and you will find your way…
Mornie alantie*
A promise lives, within you now…
May it be shadows call,
Will fly away…
May it be, your journey on,
To light the day…
When the night is overcome,
You shall rise to find the sun…
Mornie utulie*
Believe and you, will find a way…
Mornie alantie*
A promise lives within you now…
A promise lives within you now…"
As Ellen had sang, he couldn't help but remember the journey of the fellowship. They could have used someone like Ellen, singing that song, to ease them. He thought of Frodo, and Sam, going ahead by themselves and Gollum, to rid Middle-Earth of the one ring. How brave, and scared they had been. How the weight of everyone's lives in Middle-Earth had been on their shoulders.
Below them, he could see Aragorn and Arwen leaning up against a tree near the waters edge. Their feet dangled in the water, and their eyes were on the moon. Legolas could see tears coming down Aragorn's face. His wife kissed them away.
"O mor henion I dhu: *
Ely siriar, el sila
Ai! Aniron Undomeil
Tiro! El eria e mor
I 'lir en luitha 'uren.
Ai! Aniron…"
Legolas stared at Ellen as she sang another song. This time, in a higher pitch. It purely circled around the two lovers below him. Ellen had not seen them, yet. Aragorn had stopped his tears, and now smiled with Arwen, as the words passed through Ellen's lips. The words weren't accented right. But that was only because Ellen was not familiar with the language.
As she finished, there was a smile on her face. She still hadn't looked at him. Mortals were indeed a shy lot. This time, as she sung a new song, it was all in the common tongue. But Legolas still loved it the same. He heard the reference to Bilbo's book.
"When the cold of winter comes,
Starless night will cover day.
In the veiling of the sun,
We will walk, in bitter rain…
But in dreams,
I can hear, your name.
And in dreams,
We will meet again…
When the seas and mountains fall,
And we come, to end of days…
In the dark, I hear a call,
Calling me there,
I will go there,
And back again…"
"There were two other songs, that I can remember. But they are too sad, and dark. One was of Mithrandir after his 'death'. It was the one that the elves sang in Lothlorien. And the other, was the prophecy of the ring and Sauron."
"You sing well, Lady Ellen. I think Aragorn and Arwen agree with me." She leaned over the railing, to look at the figures now waving at them. She waved timidly back at them, and turned to Legolas, blushing heavily. She glared at him.
"You didn't tell me they were listening."
"They were enjoying it, and I didn't want to disturb your singing." He stared at her moonlit face. She was beautiful, for a mortal. Possibly for a she-elf, as well. And the odd thing was, she didn't know it. In fact, if he didn't know better, people had never told her. She seemed to glow, in the pale violet gown. Her dark hair was down, resting upon her shoulders. That, and her eyes, were the only thing dark about her. The rest of her was fair and pale.
He saw she was blushing. Again. And again, he wondered why she did that so often. He stared into those eyes he loved so much. They showed him her soul, and the forests he loved so much. Footsteps, light and soft, were heard coming from around the corner. It was then he realized how close they were. He pulled away, feeling his ears burn pink, as Herdare and Bonnie came from around the corner. They both smiled as they saw Ellen and Legolas alone. As Herdare smirked, yet again, Legolas thought of slapping it off his face.
"My Prince, had I known you wanted to be undisturbed, the Lady Bonnie and I would have left the dance floor later." Bonnie didn't say anything, but tiredly winked at Ellen, before entering her room for the night. Herdare looked like he might say something else, but wisely decided against it. He entered his room, which was across from Bonnie's. Legolas looked at the moon.
"It is late. I think we should turn in. Until the morning, Lady Ellen." He once again bowed to her, and kissed her hand. He entered his room as well. Ellen stared at his door for a while, before entering her own. Around her room, there were a few candles lit; but most of the light came from the moon peeking through the openings in the walls. She blew out the candles, and changed in the dark. She lay in bed, letting the soft glow of the moon, and far off songs lull her to sleep.
Mornie utulie * darkness has come
Mornie alantie * darkness has fallen
O mor henion I dhu: * From darkness I understand the night
Ely siriar, el sila dreams flow, a star shines
Ai! Aniron Undomeil Ah! I desire Evenstar
Tiro! El eria e mor Look! A star rises out of the darkness
I 'lir en luitha 'uren. The song of the star enchants my heart
Ai! Aniron… Ah! I desire…