To our reviewers: Thanks a lot! Good or bad, reviews show that people are reading this. LOL. This isn't going to be a Mary-Sue, at least not if we can help it. Just a note-- no one in this story is going to fall in love or w/e with any of Tolkien's characters. Sorry to any who were expecting that.
Chapter Five
Elf Ears
"How did you guess it was Gimli and Gloin and why did you give them that ridiculous name?" she fumed at her friend, still mad about their encounter.
"Carey isn't exactly a very hobbit-like name, if you didn't notice. Besides, it's not as ridiculous as saying I'm a HIGH-ELF! You don't even have pointed ears!" retorted Carey.
"I can fix that," said Alexandra moodily, "I carry a set of fake elf ears in my bag for good luck. If we find a stream we can make ourselves look a bit more like an elf and a hobbit." She added the latter in a more calmed voice.
Glad for the change of subject Carey looked at her clothes, "Good idea." The dwarfs must have been blind not to see how strange their appearances were for Middle-Earth terms. They needed different clothes, cloaks, weapons, and supplies such as food. At least we now know where we are and what time in the story we're in, thought Carey. Their meeting with the dwarves hadn't been as bad as Alexandra made it out to be-
"Carey, are you coming?"
Her thoughts interrupted, Carey looked up; Alexandra was standing on the Old Forest road tapping her foot impatiently. Carey slung her backpack over her shoulder and followed Alexandra towards the River Running.
-oo-
The two girls had been walking alongside the river for about twenty minutes before Carey decided to break the silence. "Don't you think you were a bit rude to Gimli 'Quelebnen'?" she asked Alexandra.
"I never really liked Gimli," her friend replied matter-of-factly. But, now that she thought about it, she did feel a little bad about her behaviour towards the dwarf.
The two walked by a tributary from River Running, ending in a pool of water, which was partially blocked from view by trees. Carey motioned towards it, "That looks like a great place to stop." She suggested happily.
"I agree," Alexandra stated simply.
The girls started towards the pool. After making sure no by passers could see them Alexandra threw her bag to the ground and started to go through it. "Mind helping me with these?" she asked as she found what she was searching for.
Carey looked bewilderedly at the oddly shaped lumps of plastic and crazy glue Alexandra held in her hand. "Um, OK. But- what in the world are they?" she asked.
"Elf ears," Alexandra smiled, "If I have to look like an Elf, then I'm going to have to crazy glue my ears."
Carey laughed at the thought. The only thing she could think of that would make Alexandra look more elf-like was pointy ears, and maybe a bow and arrows. "Wait a minute!" She stopped laughing and suddenly looked appalled, "Don't hobbits have pointy ears too?"
"Oh yes indeed," Alexandra smiled maliciously as she handed Carey another pair of ears and a small pocket-knife. "They're elf ears, so you're going to have to reshape them a bit yourself."
Carey moodily accepted the elf ears from Alexandra and then, sitting down, began to snip away at her set of elf ears.
"And Carey,"
The redhead looked up unhappily at her smiling friend.
"Try not to cut yourself" finished Alexandra sardonically.
Carey looked back down at her work; she didn't feel the need to respond to her friend's comment. She didn't always cut herself.
After they had finished with their ears Carey brightened up a little; the sight of Alexandra with pointy ears was enough to humour her again. "Uh- Alex, why did you have crazy glue with you?" she asked, amused.
Alexandra blushed, " I like to be prepared, that's all. Besides, aren't you GLAD I do?"
The two friends laughed.
"Lets see; hair," Alexandra mused.
"That's simple." Carey said as she opened her bag. She pulled out some elastic bands and started braiding Alexandra's hair into an Elven style.
Alexandra smiled, "When did you learn to do Elven braids?"
"Same time you found a store that sold plastic elf ears." Carey replied with a grin.
"Oh, yesterday then."
After Carey had finished with her hair Alexandra stood up, "Now for your hair," She said and pushed her friend into the pool of water. Carey screamed as she suddenly fell and came up spluttering.
"Why did you do THAT!" She almost shouted at Alexandra as she climbed out the water.
"Your hair had to be wet for me to curl it properly," replied Alexandra with an innocent smile.
"You could have TOLD me first, now I'm soaking wet!" Carey flung her arms out in exasperation. She sat down and took of her wet shoes and sweater.
Alexandra knelt down and started to curl Carey's hair as best as she could. "We knew we'd have to make some sacrifices the moment we appeared here." She replied happily.
"What are you talking about?" retorted the redhead hotly as she tried, unsuccessfully, to wring out her socks, "We didn't try to come here; besides, I could have curled my own hair."
-oo-
The sun had almost set when Alexandra and Carey were ready to pack up their things and continue their journey. The girls were hungry, as they hadn't brought much food with them, expecting to be home long before now.
As the self-claimed hobbit and elf walked along the river, they became a bit giddy. The thought that they were actually in Tolkien's Middle-Earth was starting to settle.
"Look, Carey; there's Lake Town!" Alexandra almost shouted from the excitement.
"That's means we're nearing the Realm of the Wood Elves," Carey added breathlessly.
"This is SO awesome!" Alexandra took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She was excited but she was also very nervous. "Carey, do you really think we should be doing this?" she asked her friend, nervously.
Carey answered with a grim look, "No, but its all we are able to do."
"I really don't believe in stealing," said Alexandra quietly.
"Neither do I," whispered Carey in return, "But we can't ask, because then they'll realize we're not from Middle-Earth. Just look at what we're wearing!"
Alexandra sighed. Carey was right; she doubted there was anything else to do.
The two girls stood at the edge of the River Running; it was now twilight. Their hair and features looked similar to that of a Hobbit and an Elf, but their clothes left a lot to be desired. The dark helped a bit though, the friends didn't look quite as conspicuous. They couldn't remain grim long though; Alexandra chattered away, trying to sound more like an Elf and phrase her sentences to seem smarter. Carey helped with this as her strongest subject was English, she also walked as softly as she could, trying to act more like a hobbit. Their antics caused them both to burst out laughing every few minutes and the few people who passed them by on the path must have thought them crazy.
-oo-
The night grew darker as Carey and Alexandra waited. They referred to Alexandra's map of Middle-Earth, which she brought with her at all times for good luck, to make sure they could accomplish what they had to do quickly.
"From what I read in the hobbit, The Lakes Town Folk only left a few guards at the guard house, if you could call it that; everyone else should be in the city. I suggest we swim to the town, rather than try the bridge. We could avoid the guards better this way." Carey explained her plan to Alexandra as the time for their departure drew nearer.
Alexandra agreed, "We could then climb up the ladders that lead to those little boats tied to the poles supporting the town," She pointed to the closest ladder, about twenty feet from the shore.
"So, only what we really need then?" Carey asked as Alexandra went to put the map away.
Alexandra nodded solemnly, " Food, blankets, clothing, tinder boxes-"
Assured, Carey continued with the implementation of their plan. "Remember, we're in Middle Earth; there might be a few supplies that we might find, well, strange."
"What are you getting at?" asked Alexandra; looking up from the bush she was hiding their current supplies under.
"Well, pipe-weed for one. We should see if there is any around, it might come in handy for negotiations. People seemed fond of it in the books; hobbits anyways"
"Okay then," Alexandra stood up, "We should set our watches. Meet back here in 45 minutes?"
"Good idea, I-- My watch; it's gone!" Carey exclaimed in dismay, staring at her now watch-less wrist.
Alexandra quickly checked her wrist, "Mines gone too! Oh no," Alexandra had checked her mouth, "My retainer!"
"Did you take it out?" Carey suggested helpfully.
"No, I didn't," Alexandra had pulled her bag out from under the bush and was digging through it. "Something really odd is happening. Carey, check for some sort of technology!" Alexandra turned around to face her friend, a confused look playing on her pale face. This was defiantly strange; they hadn't been robbed, that she was sure of. Then what was--
" My iPod is gone," whispered Carey as she looked up desperately from her bag, interrupting Alexandra's reflection.
"All our technology's gone?" Alexandra whispered in disbelief. This was NOT good.
"Wait a minute," Carey's eyes suddenly widened in realization. "We're in Middle Earth."
"Bravo. Took you long enough." Alexandra replied in a sardonic tone of voice, still searching through her bag.
A look of irritation passed across Carey's face, "Hear me out; will you?"
Alexandra smiled, "All right. Lets hear your theory."
Carey looked thoughtfully at Alexandra as she carefully worded her thoughts, "This all seems to follow Tolkien, doesn't it?" Alexandra nodded in silent agreement. "Tolkien didn't give Middle Earth any of the technology we have at home, so all our technology from there doesn't exist here."
Alexandra arched an eyebrow, "Well, that's going to make life a bit tougher."
"I guess we'll seem more-" Carey smiled at her next word, "Middle-Earthian; no technology and all. Not that something like that is going to stop us. Meet me back here when you think a half an hour has passed." Carey finished, hiding her bag, sweater, socks and shoes before testing the water; She winced at the coolness of it.
"You mean 45 minutes," corrected Alexandra as she followed suit.
"Yes, 45 minutes."