The Passing

Rivendell

Kohana pasted out on her bed.

'Glorfindel is a prick.' She sighed to herself.

Every muscle was worn out in her body and her pride was wounded past repair.

Because Lord Elrond still didn't permit Kohana to talk with anyone; her training session with Glorfindel had continued to it's entirety in silence

'And talk about boring!' she thought.

Glorfindel had ordered her to run three miles right away.

Three MILES!

Kohana was not the athletic type. While most girls at her school played lacrosse and tennis she preferred activities such as the art club and debate team. Her poor, wimpy legs screaming in protest as she ran as best as she could around the perimeter of the training grounds.

Her three bodyguards, which she had officially nicknamed the three amigos, followed slowly behind her. Glorfindel ran along side of her acting as if he was taking a mere jog while Kohana huffed and puffed as she gasped for air.

Glorfindel was gliding next to her singing a tune in his elf language.

Was he mocking her!

'What does running have to do with ARCHERY?' She screamed in her head.

He grinned at her and kept running.

She wanted to strangle that elf . . .

After the 'warm up' Kohana passed out on the grass before the elf lord.

Glorfindel could not believe the laziness of this maiden. However he had to give the girl some credit.

'She is a human and a weak girl' He reminded himself. He did admire her spirit, though. He had never met an elf maiden that had a desire for weapons, archery, or combat.

Except for Arwen.

Glorfindel had trained Lord Elrond's daughter Arwen, but the elf maiden mostly wanted to learn for her own self protection, and so she could keep up with her twin brothers.

Arwen was an elf; however, therefore training her had been easy for Glorfindel because the maiden's stamina and skills were far more superior to Kohana.

Kohana pooped out really fast.

And she whined.

She didn't say anything to his face, but every now and then she would sigh really loud, or roll her eyes (Glorfindel had never seen anyone ever do this, but it annoyed him, never the less).

After warm up and giving the girl time to rest, Glorfindel picked up a bow and ushered Kohana to where he stood. Kohana sighed and ran her hands through her hair. She sondered over to Glorfindel, and crossed her arms as if saying "what now?"

Glorfindel grabbed Kohana's shoulders and positioned her in front of him. He made sure her feet were in the proper stance and then moved her arms into their proper places. He gave her the bow and showed her how to hold it by placing his hands over hers.

Kohana's heart beat faster and louder. She was sure that Glorfindel could hear it because her heart felt like it would pop out of her chest any minute. She hated this elf so much, but the effect his nearness had over her took her breath away.

And she hated him for it.

His chest cradled her head, and she could feel his muscles flex against her back.

"OH MY GOD!" Her brain was flipping out.

His head was far above her own, but she could feel him staring at her.

His hands moved down her arms to her waist to support her posture.

Kohana gulped.

After a few more tense moments she broke contact with Glorfindel grasp.

She turned around to face him and looked into his eyes apologetically.

"My arms are tired." She stated.

Glorfindel looked at Kohana a bit longer before nodding that their lesson was finished.

Kohana looked at him a moment longer before walking to the tree in which her things lay. The guards took their positions around her and escorted her away from the training fields.

Glorfindel looked on in confusion. He knew that Lord Elrond had ordered him not to talk to Kohana but he was running mad with curiosity.

What did this little girl know that endangered Middle Earth?

And why did her presence intrigue him?

He, the great Elf Lord, could not be intrigued with a mere human!

Glorfindel settled his restless brain with the conclusion that her mystery must be what attracted him so.

He knew Kohana was ill mannered, lazy, and had a problem with authority, but beyond those few flaws he enjoyed training her.

He was definitely up to the challenge.

Kohana lay in her bed with the sheets wrapped around her. A shower had done her body wonders and now she was ready to let herself fall into dreamland.

Her thoughts wondered to Glorfindel.

Dear Journal,

I don't know what to think about this Glorfindel. What kind of name is Glorfindel, anyway?

I'll tell you what it is! A pansy name.

He is soooo rude, and has no respect for me.

I hate him, I hate him. Errrrrrrrr-

Why do I find that bloody elf attractive? He is an elf, after all, so he can't be ugly, but why does he have to be HOT?

And touch me the way he did today?

I am going to kill him if he touches me like that again. That should be illegal.

Oh, journal! What is there for a girl to do?

Goodnight, sweet dreams,

Ana

The next few weeks blurred into routine.

Kohana spent her time reading, gardening, and training with Glorfindel when he could spare the time to teach her.

After weeks of intense training Kohana started to firm up in her arms, and lose weight in her mid section.

She was amazed by her newfound strength and stamina. She started to keep up with Glorfindel on their mile runs, and presented descent form with her bow.

Glorfindel still had not allowed her to use arrows in her training, for he wanted her to be confident in her form primarily. She had to prove herself before he would bring her up to the next level.

When spring in Middle Earth had turned to summer and the hot sun blared down on the land, training begun for most elven warriors. Glorfindel became increasingly busy training his new recruits and rarely met Kohana on the training fields.

Kohana laid about her quarters fanning herself. 'I would give my left kidney for some air conditioning.' She thought.

A tap was heard at her door, and a servant walked in with a letter for her.

Kohana had been waiting for this letter for two weeks.

Elrond had finally replied to her request!

Recently Kohana had become increasingly board and wrote Elrond begging to go outside once and a while.

Kohana ripped open the letter.

Elrond had replied that she may go for a run escorted by her guard once a day if she wished.

Kohana smiled.

Glorfindel was dueling with knives.

He loved training season!

It was full of warriors getting down and dirty and feeding off one another's energy. He was currently circling the fighting arena with knives in each hand, challenging a new recruit.

Elladan, Elrohir, and hordes of other warriors were cheering on the sides.

The young warrior looked really nervous. Glorfindel could tell the boy would lose the fight bitterly, for confidence was essential in the fighting arena.

Both Glorfindel and the young elf were in their breeches and their tunics disheveled to the side, for their bodies were sweating with the suns rays. Before Glorfindel could make his attack on the young lad, the corner of his vision made out a cluster of figures running in his direction.

He held up his arms to stop the fight, and turned his full attention toward the approaching visitors.

As the party neared, his elven vision picked up Kohana's guards in their usual pattern. In the middle of their ring formation was the young girl.

As she drew nearer to the training grounds Glorfindel noticed something.

And his jaw dropped.

Her tunic was tied up a few inches above her navel and her breeches where cut above her knees.

Glorfindel had never, and I mean NEVER seen a maiden in such scandalous attire.

Kohana was not trying to look scandalous; she was just hot and sweaty. She came up with the bright idea of tailoring her breeches into shorts to make running more comfortable. It didn't faze her that she was way over the line.

Kohana started to run the perimeter of the training fields as usual with the three amigos in tow. The elves in the archery fields and arenas had stopped training and continued to gawk in silence at the running maiden.

Glorfindel snapped out of his trance and turned around to his warriors. How dare this girl disrupt his training!

"Back to work!" he yelled.

The men reluctantly went back to their training.

Glorfindel jumped the arena fence to the shock of his students, and sprinted across the field to run along side of Kohana.

"What do you think you are doing!" He growled. Kohana looked at Glorfindel and started to blush.

'Why isn't he wearing a shirt? Why isn't he wearing a shirt!'

She hated the fact that he had probably the best body of the male sex that she had ever seen.

'Well, he is an elf.'

She decided that sarcasm was the only way out of not gawking at him obviously.

"Well, it looks like I'm running" Kohana gave him a sarcastic smile, hoping he hadn't seen her red face.

Glorfindel sighed in annoyance.

"Your to busy to train me."

Kohana slowed down and after sighing under his intense stare, stopped running. She leaned her hands on her knees and breathed deeply while bending her head over. After a minute she regained her breathing and looked at him, "So I am training myself."

"That is for me to decide."

Kohana grinned.

"Lord Elrond said I could".

Glorfindel looked away and put his hands on his hips. It was getting hard for him to concentrate on yelling at this girl when she was showing her body so openly. He had never seen a body like hers. It was not lithe and slim like most elf maidens, but strong and muscular. He couldn't help but want to look.

"Would you mind putting some clothing on then!"

Kohana put her hands on her hips.

"Where I come from this is clothing!"

"Well, young maiden, you are not in your native land, and THAT," turning around and pointing to her stomach, "is not appropriate!"

She looked down and blushed.

This seemed to really bother the poor elf.

Kohana signed and untied her shirt to cover her midriff.

Glorfindel was relieved and looked into Kohana's eyes once more.

"I must talk to Lord Elrond. Shall I escort you back to your chamber?" He wasn't as forceful this time, but it sounded like an order anyway.

Kohana shrugged a reply.

'Did she have much of a choice?'

While Kohana started walking back to the palace, Glorfindel ran to one of the fighting arenas to retrieve his tunic.

When he had caught up to Kohana, she finally relaxed once more.

He was clothed, thank God!

'It's hard to breath with a shirtless elf around.' She murmured to herself.

"Pardon." Glorfindel looked at her with curiosity.

"Nothing." She replied nervously.

As the two walked, followed closely by the three amigos, Glorfindel clasped his arms around his back as Kohana folded hers. The two seemed to be evaluating the situation once more.

Usually Glorfindel would make small talk with a maiden he was escorting, but Kohana was no ordinary maiden and not allowed normal conversation, either.

Kohana broke the silence instead.

"So, how much did Elrond tell you?" Kohana shrugged.

"About me, I mean."

Glorfindel grinned a little.

'This girl didn't waste any time.'

Glorfindel cleared his throat and looked at Kohana with a somber face.

"All I know is that you are from a distant land, and that you know something." Glorfindel sighed. He turned away from her. "Something very grave."

Kohana tried not to think about the fact that she was a threat in Glorfindel's world. Having him remind her brought back the pain and homesickness to being parted from all she knew and loved.

Glorfindel had noticed her change in mood. Her face had lost its vitality and color and she became very quiet.

They had reached Kohana's garden by this time. The three amigos took their positions guarding the entrance of it while Glorfindel followed the girl inside.

He followed her to a bench and sat down next to her. A tear slid down Kohana's cheek.

"I miss my sisters. I have two of them, Shina and Tori" Her tears started to flow freely now. She turned to look at Glorfindel in the eyes. Her eyes were glassy from her tears.

"Do you know how it feels to have everyone think you are evil?"

Glorfindel could feel the sorrow that poured from Kohana's heart.

He had such compassion for the young maiden. Although he tried to distance himself from her during their training, all he wanted to do at that moment was comfort her.

Glorfindel would be the closest thing to a friend she would have until she was taken to Mirkwood, and he knew it.

Glorfindel took Kohana's face into his hands and with his thumb wiped a tear away.

"Not everyone thinks you are evil, child."

Their eyes met and Kohana took a big gulp as she covered Glorfindel' hands with her own.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Glorfindel gazed at Kohana a few moments longer until he realized the two were in a very intimate situation.

He got up quickly and ran his hands through his hair.

"I must speak to Lord Elrond. I will see you for training tomorrow." He bowed before her.

He took her hand into his own and kissed her palm.

"Namarie." He whispered as he let go.

By the time Kohana looked up he was gone.