Katie retired from the Hall of Fire early that night and didn't appear at breakfast the next morning. Elrohir found her sitting on one of the balconies overlooking the gorge. She leaned on the railing, her chin between her fists.
"Are you not hungry?" he asked.
Katie gasped, completely startled. When she realized who it was, she draped herself dramatically over the rail and rasped, "Give a girl a coronary, why don'cha?"
Elrohir smiled. "I am sorry; I did not mean to startle you."
"That's okay," Katie said, sitting back up as Elrohir sat down beside her.
"Oh-kay?"
"It means it's fine," she explained. "And no, I'm not really hungry. Thank you anyway." She went back to staring over the river Bruinen.
Elrohir observed her. The color of her green eyes was dulled, and she sighed quietly, staring into space.
"You are unhappy," he observed.
She turned to look at him. "Yes. Or rather, I will be." He looked at her quizzically, and she explained. "This place is so beautiful, it'd be hard to be unhappy here. And I think I won't feel the passage of time so much. But eventually, I'm going to get homesick. And I'm gonna miss my family and my friends—and my world. And I won't be able to get back," she finished in a low, defeated tone.
"Of course you will!" Elrohir put his hand on her arm. "My father says as soon as you've fulfilled your purpose here, you can return."
Katie was shaking her head. "I can't do it. I can't save anybody's life! What can I do? I barely remember how to do the Heimlich! Your father's the healer. I mean, I'd be happy to help him if anybody got hurt, but…"
"Maybe you will save someone in a fight."
"A fight! That's even worse! I can't fight. The last time I got mad and smacked one of my friends, he just laughed. I'll fail, and I'll never get home." She buried her face in her hands.
"Oh, Penneth," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Ilúvatar would not have sent you if you could not do it. He would have sent someone else."
"Who is Ilúvatar?" she asked, her voice muffled by her hands.
"He is our creator," Elrohir answered solemnly. "And if he has the wisdom to create the worlds, he surely has wisdom enough to send the right person to do the job! You must just have hope, and trust that everything will turn out alright in the end."
Katie finally sighed and nodded. "Okay. Thank you," she added, with a little smile.
"You're welcome." Elrohir smiled and stood, offering her his arm. "Come, let us go in to breakfast."
000
The twins had to meet with Glorfindel and Elrond after breakfast, so Estel and Legolas took Katie with them to walk down the gorge. So far, Katie had only seen Elrond's house; now they showed her the rest of Rivendell.
Estel led Katie and his friend to a place where one could walk right along the edge of the gorge. The view was magnificent, and Katie caught her breath when she saw it. Estel watched with pleasure as her eyes widened in wondering joy. The sun was breaking through clouds, making all of Rivendell and the opposite bank shine in the light.
"It thrills the soul to see such sights," Legolas said quietly, a look of happiness on his face. Katie nodded in agreement.
They turned to walk on, but Katie was so occupied looking at the view that she stepped on the hem of her gown and tripped. Legolas caught her elbow.
Katie blushed a bit, but she laughed it off. "Whoops! Clumsy moment. I'm not used to long dresses."
"You're not?" Estel looked at her in curiosity. "What do you wear, then?"
"Jeans. Trousers," she clarified.
"You wear trousers? Like a man?"
"No, like a woman! Women in my culture wear trousers all the time. Skirts are only for dressing up. And we only wear long dresses like this on very formal occasions."
Legolas shook his head. "I cannot imagine al the women in trousers," he said. "It is a very strange idea."
"No stranger than making women wear long dresses that trip them up and limit their movement," Katie shot back.
Estel tried to keep the peace by changing the subject. "Why don't we go for a ride this afternoon?" he suggested. "Would you enjoy that?"
"Well, I might," she said dubiously, "except that I don't know how to ride."
Estel and Legolas were startled by this. "How do you travel? You must not go very far," Legolas observed.
"Sure I do!"
"Well, you cannot go far on foot!"
"Who says I travel on foot?" Katie snapped. "We usually drive in cars—horseless carriages. And if we have a very long distance to go, we fly."
Legolas laughed outright at this. "You fly!"
"Yes." Katie crossed her arms and stared at him defiantly.
"Go on," Legolas said, also crossing his arms. "Demonstrate for us. I would love to see that."
Estel was in shock. Legolas tended to be rather quiet, and exceedingly polite. And here he was, squabbling with a female, like an elfling!
Katie rolled her eyes. "You don't just flap your arms, ya doof. You fly in an airplane. A flying machine."
"And you've done this?"
"Yes. My mom and I flew out to California last summer."
Estel broke in again, taking her arm and walking beside her, with Legolas following behind them. "How far was California?" he asked pleasantly.
"About twenty-five hundred miles," she answered. "It took us about six hours to get there."
Estel heard Legolas snort in derisive disbelief. Katie shot him a look over her shoulder.
Estel sighed and rubbed his temple. This was going to be a long morning.
000
Elladan paced down the hall beside his twin, identical frowns on their faces. The news of unrest in Rivendell preoccupied them both. Glorfindel had told their father that there were murmurs among the elves of a faction that wanted to overthrow Lord Elrond. Of course, this would be well-night impossible without his father's ring. Elrond possessed one of the three rings of the elves—Vilya, the ring of air. With it he guarded the borders of Rivendell, and its power would deter anyone from trying to take the rule of their peaceful valley by force.
What was more disturbing than news of these plots was what this meant for their family. The people of Rivendell had always loved their lord. What could have turned them against him? The thought made Elladan sick to his stomach.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of raised voices coming from a nearby balcony. Elrohir looked over at him. "Do you hear that?"
"Who would be arguing in our father's house?" Elladan asked out loud. They followed the sound of bickering down the hall and out the door. What they saw surprised them.
"Primitive!" Katie was exclaiming angrily. "This from an elf that uses horses for transportation and carrier pigeons for communication! And you're callin' me primitive!"
"Yes—a culture that allows its women to join the military and its people to constantly remold the government however they see fit!" Legolas replied in scornful tones. They were both leaning over a table, arguing away, while Estel sat back and watched them in shock.
"Estel—how long have they been at this?" Elladan asked as he and his twin stepped onto the balcony.
"All morning," Estel answered blankly as Katie threw another shrill insult at the blond elf across from her—Elladan thought that Katie was actually calling Legolas "a blond", as if that were an insult!
"But Legolas would never enter into a petty argument with a female!" Elrohir said in surprise.
"Somehow, those two just do not get along," Estel said weakly.
That certainly seemed to be the truth.
"You speak too fast," Legolas was saying now. "I am surprised that anyone can understand you when you jabber on at that speed."
"You sound like my grandmother," Katie answered scornfully. "Just because your brain can't keep up with me, doesn't mean I'm the one with the problem!"
Legolas said something rather unpleasant in Sindarin. Katie looked infuriated. "Eres un imbécil, ¿no?" she answered in Spanish. "¡Creo que gané el argumento! No puedes contestarme."
Legolas sat back and crossed his arms, raising one eyebrow imperiously.
"Ooh, I'm so awed," Katie lilted. "I can do the angry eyebrows, too," she added, demonstrating.
"What are you two doing!" Elladan broke in.
Legolas jumped and had the grace to look a little guilty. He hadn't noticed Elladan and Elrohir's approach.
"Arguing," Katie answered sweetly.
"Yes, I can see that," Elladan observed. "Is this conduct befitting a prince?" he asked Legolas. Legolas looked embarrassed and a little sullen, and Katie grinned. "The same goes for you," Elladan added to Katie.
"What? I'm not a prince!"
"No, but you're a lady," Elrohir reminded her.
"Pssht." Katie sat back and crossed her arms just like Legolas had a minute ago.
"Now, I want the two of you to shake hands and make up," Elladan said, feeling like he was lecturing a couple of children.
Both of the combatants looked affronted. "But he/she started it!" they both said at once.
Elladan glared at them.
"Oh, alright," Katie said reluctantly. She barely touched Legolas's hand, then sat back in her chair again.
"Let's go in to lunch," Elrohir suggested.
000
Legolas and Katie ignored each other completely at lunch. Legolas spoke mostly to Estel, and Katie to the twins, and they avoided eye contact with each other. The one time that Elladan did see them catch each other's eye, they both stared hard for a moment, and then looked away as if the other were beneath them. It was actually a little amusing, Elladan realized. He had never seen the Prince of Mirkwood behave in such a manner before. At least their argument had been a distraction from the cares hanging over him. His father, oblivious to the silent rivalry, seemed rather lost in thought, and Elrohir kept shooting him concerned looks. They could all use a good distraction right now.
When the meal was over and Elrond and Glorfindel retired to further discuss the problem, Elladan and Elrohir stayed at the table to chat with Katie. Realizing that if he stayed he would be forced to talk to her, Legolas jumped up and suggested that he and Estel go down to the stables. Katie shook her head grimly as he left the room.
"Why do you two not get along?" Elrohir asked. His eyes twinkled with mischief. "Most women would find him very attractive."
Katie snorted in a most unladylike manner. "Attractive? Him?"
The twins both raised one eyebrow and looked at her with an identical smirk. She couldn't help a little chuckle.
"Alright, he's handsome. Very handsome, in fact. If my girlfriends met him, they'd probably just stare at him and drool." Elladan gave a crack of laughter at that. "But he drives me crazy!"
A couple of the servants came in to clear the tables. They greeted the twins, then turned and exchanged a few words with Katie as well. As they left the room, Elladan observed, "I see you've wasted no time getting to know the staff!"
Katie smiled. "They're all so nice! And I'm not used to being waited on. I think they find it amusing when I tell them they don't have to do so much for me. I've been trying to learn all their names."
"Well, the two that came in just now were Dolarth, the butler, and the maid was Lithorniel."
"Yes; I've got her name, now. She helps me dress in the morning. These gowns are kinda hard to put on. " She plucked at the sumptuous material "They're beautiful—just awkward."
Elladan smiled. Suddenly he asked, "What do you miss most about your world?"
"Wow, talk about changing the subject. You mean, besides my family and friends? Hm… Probably my pet rat, Hector."
Elrohir had just taken a drink of water, and he choked and nearly spit it out. "Did you say your pet rat?"
Katie giggled. "Yes. And I said it just to see your reaction. But I do have a pet rat. I think what I really miss most is…" She moved her hands, trying to find words. "I don't miss my culture, so much as people who share it. I mean, like… The bit of that lay that they sang last night in the Hall of Fire? Everyone was nodding along: they all knew it. I didn't. If I mentioned Star Wars or Monica Lewinsky or Joan of Arc, you would have no idea what I was talking about. I miss being around people who know where I'm coming from."
Elladan sat in thought for a moment. "I am afraid that most of us may never understand your culture. But we can help you understand ours! Starting with that lay that they sang last night. It is called, "The Lay of Lúthien", and it is about our great-great-grandmother…"
AN: Penneth means "young one". The Spanish meant, "You're an imbecile, aren't you? I think I won the argument! You can't answer me."
Okay. I know I ended at a crappy place. But I needed to move on to the next chapter, and I couldn't figure out how to close. So please forgive me. :)
I didn't mean for Legolas and Katie to start fighting! Really! The story got away from me and started writing itself! But I liked it, so I left it in.
Oh, weird little note. Lithorniel means "ash tree", so I named her after myself! Hee hee. Ashley has a walk-on part! Just like Peter Jackson! Lol
Arami, The Cap'n, EresseElrondiell: thanks for reviewing! And Eresse—I know, I'm bad about updating. :( But I've updated now! (Of course, I'm neglecting my other fics to do so… lol)
Press the purple button! You know you want to!