I don't own LOTR!

Secret Hurts

Chapter7

"Aldalóme!" one of the twins quickly rushed in the door.

"Huh, what do you want, Elrohir?" Aldalóme sat up slowly, wiping her tears from her eyes.

"Why are you crying? Please, tell me, mellon, please! Im ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­avar le dina (I refuse your silence)!"

"Elrohir…" Aldalóme bit her lip and let out a choked sob.

"Please, mellon, tell me what is wrong," Elrohir begged, but found the girl he was speaking to had thrown herself into his arms and cried mournfully.

"Areien, I let her down. I couldn't save her! I couldn't save mom and dad! I hurt Estel! I'm not at home! Arwen hates me! I want my cousin!" the girl buried her head into Elrohir's shoulder.

"I am sure that you did your best to save them, mellon. How did you manage to hurt Estel?" Elrohir asked nervously.

"I called him 'little king' because he gave such good advice," Aldalóme whispered to the elf.

"Do not worry, you only startled him, mellon," Elrohir tried to soothe the girl. "I understand your wish to return to your homeland, but what in the Valar does Arwen have to do with anything?"

"She hates me, she doesn't want me to be friends with Estel," Aldalóme whispered to Elrohir. "I told her off, she isn't allowed to choose who is and is not my friend! She has no right! She tried to hit me, but I stopped her. Gandalf said that she's just jealous of me, but I don't see why she'd be jealous of me. I just want to see Tommy, Tommy would help me!"

"Who is Tommy?" Elrohir frowned when he thought of what his sister had done.

"My cousin, he's like my big brother, but he's only a week older than me. I trust him more than any of my other cousins, and I miss him."

"I understand, is that everything?" Elrohir sighed tiredly as he rocked the girl slightly in his arms.

"Your dad is kinda scary," Aldalóme chuckled.

Elrohir snorted to stifle his laughter, "You haven't seen anything, until you've seen ada after one of my brother's and my pranks!"

"Thanks Elrohir," Aldalóme lifted her head from his shoulder and hugged him. "I think I'll be okay now. I just have to find Estel, apologize, and… I was wondering if you'd like to know some pranks from my world?"

"Really?!" Elrohir grinned, "We must find Elladan and Estel, quickly then! Together, we can teach Arwen a lesson!"

"Yeah, do you want to dye her hair, make her wet the bed, short-sheet her bed, destroy her wardrobe, get rid of her make-up, nail her bed in front of her door, switch her make-up for glue, or there is always my favorite classic prank! Placing a bucket filled with who-knows-what above the victim's door!"

"You have a lot of options to choose from," Elrohir smirked.

"And that's only the beginning!" Aldalóme winked at the amused elf.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" a female shriek was heard in every corner of Imladris as Gandalf left with Aldalóme for Hobbiton.

Aldalóme snickered, and Gandalf chuckled, "Why do I have a feeling that you had something to do with that?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Gandalf," Aldalóme winked at the wizard, who let out a boisterous laugh. "Gandalf, who else will we see?"

"Oh, you mean besides hobbits?" Gandalf grinned, "I was planning on taking you to see my dear friend, Sarumon the White."

"Um, Gandalf… I'd prefer not to meet him, if you don't mind. I'd also prefer if you didn't mention me to him."

"Oh?" Gandalf raised a brow.

"I can't remember exactly why, but every time I try to remember what it was my sister said about him, my mind says 'don't'," Aldalóme shrugged. "I'm gonna go with my instincts and say that it would not be good if he were to hear, much less meet me."

"It is wise to follow your instincts," Gandalf frowned thoughtfully. "I will respect your wishes, Aldalóme."

"So, anyone other than the guy I don't want to meet because of odd reasoning?" Aldalóme cocked her head curiously.

"Well, I was planning to visit my old friend, Tom, on the way to Hobbiton, do you have a bad feeling about this name?" Gandalf raised his brow curiously.

"Nope, actually, I want to laugh," Aldalóme frowned and looked at Gandalf quizzically. "You want to keep saying names, and have me give you reactions? We could make it a game, and I might remember more of what my sister told me."

"That would be a very informative game. I believe I will accept your offer," Gandalf smiled knowingly.

"Okay, you start, because… well, that's how its gotta go," Aldalóme shrugged.

"Mirkwood."

"Mixed feelings, a bit of fear and why am I thinking of spiders?"

"Large spiders live in that wood."

"Oh."

"Thranduil."

"Um, I think I should know this name," Aldalóme pouted.

"Anything else?"

"It's a mix of irritation, and forgiveness."

"Celeborn."

"Nice."

"Galadriel?"

"Mixed again, but I feel a bit creeped-out, and yet, not an evil feeling."

"Thorin."

"Dwarf!"

"Yes, he is a dwarf, but how do you know that?"

"I think I read about him, once. Um, I think Lord Elrond was in it briefly, and you, and your friend Tom…" Aldalóme frowned trying to think back to what she had forgotten. "It's been a while since I've read that book."

"Do you remember the title?" Gandalf frowned.

"It had something to do with Hobbits and directions, I think. I read way too much in my world," Aldalóme sighed. "I wish Areien was here, she'd know what was going on."

"That may be, but she may have been just as lost as you are," Gandalf smiled at the young girl riding beside him as they approached a lovely little house. "Tom! Tom! It's Gandalf! I've brought a friend with me!"

"Oh, Gandalf?" Tom stepped out singing, "A wizard and a child visit Old Tom, Old Tom Bombadil! Through the trees and forests fair to Old Tom's humble lair!"

"It seems this Tom loves to rhyme, does he do it all the time?" Aldalóme couldn't help but grin and sing to Tom.

"Old Tom does love to rhyme and sing, but it seems you are also such a thing!" Tom laughed as he sang, placing Aldalóme in a much cheerier mood.

"Hello Tom," Gandalf chuckled. "Would you like a tale?"

"Of course! When do I not like a tale? Could you start?"

"It is not mine to start, but Aldalóme, here, can tell you," Gandalf held moved his hand in the direction Aldalóme was, as she dismounted her horse.

"What tale is that, Gandalf?" the girl asked the wizard.

"Tell of before your stay in Rivendell."

"Well, I did not always live in Middle Earth; I'm from just plain old Earth. Now, you must understand that Earth is not at all like Middle Earth, for there are fewer trees, and immense houses. There are so many houses, that often you can not see the end of them. There are noises and smells that would dare to choke the very breath from you, and machines are everywhere. There are no elves, orks, wizards, dwarfs, or even hobbits. It is a world run by men and women, all humans." Tom ushered them into his home and quickly had them sit as he raptly listened to Aldalóme's tale, "I lived in one of those houses with my father, mother, and younger sister. Often my family would leave on an outing together, but I had convinced my sister that our parents needed a night for themselves, as I always did, every so often. They left, and they did not come back home. I was told the news by a guard at the door, who told me that my parents had died in a terrible accident. My sister and I both mourned, but I made sure that I was her rock, not caring for my own grief. My cousin noticed it in my letters to him, and he begged me to confide in him. I did, and soon I was fine. I was given guardianship of my sister, and we lived together in our old house. I got a job at an inn, and made enough for us to have a little extra money for the two of us. I thought everything was going fine, but then, when everything seems to finally be going your way, you often get smacked in the face."

"What happened?" Tom asked hungrily, for he was enthralled by this tale.

"My sister started feinting, getting ill, and she claimed her heart hurt her. I took her to the many different healers afterwards, to find out what was going on. Finally, I was told that she had a weak heart. My sister had a seizure on the table, I was horrified. They saved her life, and placed her on the list for a new heart. However, a few months later, they still had not found her a new heart, and she had another seizure, there was nothing I could do. She died in her sleep. I wouldn't talk to anyone after her funeral. My cousin couldn't get out of his guard duty, and there was no one I could talk to anymore. I went home, and ran into the small forest area behind it. I climbed a tree, even though a storm seemed to be on its way. It began to rain, as I began to cry in the trees branches. Lightning hit the tree I was sitting in, causing it to fall, and land on me. Then, out of nowhere, a tornado appeared. I blacked out, for when I woke up, I saw Elrohir, son of Lord Elrond of Rivendell. He took me to his father, and my stay there was rather pleasant, but for some reason, I had been turned into an elf! I met Gandalf, who returned me to my true form, and I asked him to take me with him. I have no family here, and so, Gandalf let me tag along."

"So, that is your tale?" Tom cocked his head, and then laughed, "You would make a marvelous story teller! You must meet my wife, Goldberry!"