Author's Note: Happy New Year to you all! Hope you guys didn't get as sick as my friend off the sparkling cider!  Thanks for all the reviews!

hahazinsanity*: yey! another chapter! hehe.. elvish translators are tricky huh? i typed my name in once and it gave two different things. ahh.. so much complications! oh well!
megiltura sorta reminds me of logan... or a magneto doing a training session.
how is it that remy and pyro are the only good looking ones in the acolytes
anyways? hmm.. at least they're there... despite the fact that pyro is
considered erm- mentally unstable.

Lol, I know the feeling.  Now that I think about, Megiltura does resemble Logan!  Remy and John rock!  Thank you for your review.

Disclaimer: The disclaimer got run over by a Rohan horse.

Chapter Eight: Feast

By Dameon

Each day for a week I had one major event right after another happen. First came my language lessons from Arwen. I had become so much better at pronouncing Elvish words that other elves were willing to sit in the same section of the library, and some even asked if they could help in teaching me. After getting used to the fact that I would not talk as well as an elf, other elves seemed to find teaching my Elvish fun rather then painful.

The second thing that happened each day were the sword lessons from Megiltura. He never showed emotion during practice and seemed to never be happy with what I was doing.

"Alagi, move faster and be sure to watch for a counter strike from the side when you go that low."

"Fix you hand position."

"Not only do you have to watch out for normal attacks but also attacks to your wings. I could have sliced your right wing in half with what you did there."

I sometimes came away from sword lessons feeling discouraged and angry. I finally talked to Bilbo about my frustrations one night after he asked if something was wrong.

"I'm just frustrated," I said glumly as sat on a stone bench out in the late, setting sun with Bilbo.

Bilbo set aside his book and looked at me. "Bad day?"

"Just the sword training part," I sighed.

"Sword training?" Bilbo asked, confused.

"I started learning to fight, or defend, with a sword four days ago, with Megiltura," I explained.

"Ah, the sword master," Bilbo nodded in recognition. "Right to business he is.  Yes, he sharpened Sting for me once. Did a marvelous job."

"Sting?" I questioned, interested. "Wasn't there a Sting in you story?"

"Yes! My sword that I found in the troll's cave," Bilbo smiled brightly. "Didn't I tell you I still had it?"

"No!" I grinned as well. "Will you show it to me?"

"Of course my dear!" Bilbo said, groaning slightly as he slowly slid off the bench. "My bones have started to stiffen these days. Would you be so kind as to help me to my room?"

"Of course," I answered, bending down slightly so Bilbo could hold onto my arm. I offered him my left arm because as of lately, my right shoulder and arm had began to hurt, due to the sword lessons.

We made slow progress, but I barely noticed as I was engrossed in listening to Bilbo tell me some finer points about Sting.

"It's a beautiful sword, with an hourglass shape, and Elvish runes running in a swirl on the blade," Bilbo boasted on with great pride. "The handle is black leather and the sword has a beautiful swing! I remember swinging that sword in battle, it moved exactly where I swung it, beautiful, beautiful."

As soon as Bilbo entered his room, he let go of me and went to his bed. Kneeling on the floor, Bilbo extracted a plain wooden box, which he placed on the bed. I quickly went over and helped Bilbo up, and he motioned for me to sit on the bed.

"I have not looked at Sting for awhile," Bilbo confessed as he lifted up the top of the box. He lifted a scabbard out of the box, leaving a silver shirt lying on the bottom. "Here it is!"

I forgot about the shirt and watched as Bilbo unsheathed Sting. Sting was every bit as beautiful as Bilbo claimed it to be. The blade was bright and shone like it was new, and the runes looked beautiful swirling up the blade like a wisp of smoke from one of the candles in Rivendell. The black leather wound up the handle and was well oiled and well put together.

"It feels like it did in the old days," Bilbo sighed with pleasure. He saw my face as I looked at it and held the sword out to me. "Try it Alagi!"

Though the sword was almost like a dagger to me, but when I held it, it seemed like a great, legendary sword that I was holding. It was no longer a (very) short sword but a long sword, the kind that you hear of king's owning in legends.

"Bilbo, it is beautiful," I managed to spit out. I held the sword out from me and felt that uniform balance that the sword I practiced with had. "The balance is beautiful. It is Elvish made, right?"

"I don't know of anyone else who could make a sword as beautiful my dear!" Bilbo laughed.

I smiled to. "Of course!" I gave Sting back to Bilbo, who fondled it, and was about to tell me something when several elves rushed by at a slow run.

I got up and met one as he or she ran by. "What's going on?"

"Elrohir and Elladan have returned!" the elf answered me joyfully, a brilliant smile on their face. The elf went off down the hall as I turned to Bilbo.

"Elrohir and Elladan?" I half asked Bilbo. There were still so many elves that I did not know!

"Elrond's sons," Bilbo explained as he set Sting down. "Go on ahead Alagi, I'll catch up!"

"No, I'll wait for you," I said. I felt obliged to help after Bilbo allowed me to see and hold his beloved sword.

Elves went by Bilbo and me as we followed the sound. Bilbo saw an elf he knew and went off to speak to them leaving me to explore. A group of elves surrounded something, which I assumed was the two sons. There was a lot of laughter and chatter, and I did not see the two sons until Elrond came down the hall. I scooted to the wall, out of the way as the crowd parted and I finally saw Elrond's two sons.

They were identical, even dressed alike in bright chain mail beneath swirling cloaks of silver-grey. Both had dark brown hair like their father and though I could not see their eye color, they were probably grey like Elrond's. Both elves seemed to be more physically shaped then other elves and both had the feeling of Elvenlord warriors.

"Elrohir, Elladan, my sons," Elrond greeted, spreading his arms and hugging both sons. "Pray, tell me, how was you wanderings?"

"Successful," one of the elves smiled, hugging Elrond back. He leaned in and whispered something to Elrond, who nodded.

At that point Arwen came, looking around eagerly. "Elrohir? Elladan?"

"Sister!" the second elf, the one who had not whispered to Elrond, cried out, breaking away from Elrond and running to Arwen. "It feels like it has been ages since I have lain eyes on you!" Arwen and her brother hugged.

"A feast! We shall have a feast tonight, to honor my sons safe return!" Elrond proclaimed, much cheering following the proclamation.

Everyone swarmed in to talk to Elrohir and Elladan. As the number of elves started to grow, I slipped away. I did not know the two and did not need to speak to them. I suddenly felt tired and made my way to my bed, where a flopped down on my stomach and decided to nap.

I woke up to the sound of someone talking to me and shaking my shoulder. "Alagi, wake up my dear! The feast has started!"

I recognized Bilbo as I struggled to wake up. "Is it dinner already?"

Bilbo laughed as I rolled myself off the bed, rubbing my eyes to wake up. "Yes, yes, lets go!"

"Let me change out of my training clothes," I yawned, trying to smooth wrinkles out of my gray training clothes that I had taken to wearing most of the day.

Bilbo nodded and left, allowing me to change into a clean set of fancier clothes. These ones Arwen gave me a while ago. They weren't training clothes, but not festival clothes. The shirt was longer then normal and was light blue. The pants were light blue as well with a fancy, floral looking design on the right leg. Most elves wore long robes or dresses, but I did not wear either because of my wings.

I met Bilbo outside my door, who commented on my clothes. "Very nice. The light blue brings out your eyes you know."

"Really?" I asked. I had never thought about it.

"Of course," Bilbo said. "This promises to be an excellent feast Alagi! The return of Elrohir and Elladan has been very exciting for Elrond!"

I smiled at Bilbo and shrugged. "I don't know them, so I'm looking more forward to the feast itself."

"This is your first feast, right?" Bilbo asked as we neared the dining hall. Music and laughter could be heard from inside.

"Yup," I answered, and smiled at him as I brushed hair out of my face. "You attended many?"

"Remind me to tell you about my 111th birthday sometime," Bilbo told me. "It was just like a feast it was! Let's go in!"

The dining hall was lit up with so many candles that I could see the hall almost as well as I could during the day. Servants kept bringing in plate after plate of food and more brought bottles of wine and pitchers of other assorted drinks.

At the head of the table sat Elrond, with his two sons on his left. Arwen sat to his right, and an elf that I thought was Glorfindel, but I still could not recognize his face from the vast amounts of other elves with blonde hair.

"Alagi, come sit with me!" and a hand pulled me away. I turned and found me looking into the shining blue eyes of Eressëa. "Let me introduce you to some of the other guards."

Eressëa led me to an open seat between him and on of his good friends, who introduced himself as Voronwer. Compared to Eressëa's long, triangular face, Voronwer had a short, square face and looked more masculine, or as masculine as elves could look. He had brown hair that had three braids that met in the back of his head to form one slightly larger braid.

Voronwer loved to laugh, sometimes for no apparent reason, as I soon found out. He constantly had something to say and had multiple stories or conversation starters. I liked him instantly, and his good mood was contagious.

"Heard you fell into the Bruinen!" Voronwer said to me as he piled food on his plate. "Jumped in there myself when I was a young elf. Coldest thing I've ever felt it was! Didn't swim out nearly as fast as Eressëa here though!"

"You have your facts mixed up, dear friend," Eressëa defended himself. "It was YOU who swam out the fastest, not me!"

"No, it was you," Voronwer argued. "I remember you wrapping yourself in you cloak and not budging from that large sitting rock! Remember that rock?"

"Please, tell him, Lanner, it was he who swam out the fastest!" Eressëa pleaded to an elf sitting across from me.

Lanner had a younger looking face, round with rosy cheeks. His blonde hair was somewhat darker then Eressëa and shorter by about three inches. He rolled his blue eyes at Eressëa's plead.

"Oh please, both of you got out at the same time!" Lanner explained, smiling slightly as he took a bite of some of the excellent meet.

I laughed inwardly at the argument, pleased to know that elves did do things for fun. Sometimes, everyone was so serious it was hard to think that they did anything just for their amusement other then sing or read.

"I was the first one in and the last one out," Lanner boasted, continuing the conversation.

"How do you think you got your name?" Voronwer asked, laughing. "Do you remember how we got around to jumping in the Bruinen in the first place?"

"That was Lanner," Eressëa said between bites of bread.

Lanner grinned and gave a mock bow. "Ah yes. I take full credit for that. I convinced you that the Bruinen had warmed up this year and that we should take advantage of the summer warmth and jump in before everyone else decided to go to the river."

"You made it sound convincing! How could I help but trust my wild friend?" Eressëa explained to me.

I laughed as Voronwer commented; "I can't imagine that river ever warming up, not even if old Smaug breathed all of his fire into the river!"

Elrond stood up with a crystal wineglass in hand before anyone could comment. "I would like to propose a toast!" The hall grew quiet. "I would like to toast to the safe return of Elrohir and Elladan, who have been gone from us for so long. May they always be successful in their hunt!"

There was a loud "Aye!" and everyone took a sip from his or her glass. There was cheering, and the music started up again. I looked up to the head of the table and watched as the two twins laughed and clinked their glasses together.

"Ah, those two," Lanner commented as he noticed me looking at them. "They are very much alike."

"Yeah, that's pretty unusual," I nodded in agreement.

"They have a very strong bond between one another," Eressëa added.

"Why do they have brown hair? I thought most elves had blonde hair," I asked Eressëa as Voronwer and Lanner started a friendly argument on some other story.

"They are half elven," Eressëa told me quietly.

"Half elven? But I thought Lord Elrond was elven," I said, somewhat confused.

"Master Elrond is elvish," Eressëa nodded. "Elrohir and Elladan are not elven though. They must choose whether or not they will be elvish or human."

"Really?" I asked, surprised that someone would possibly have to make a decision like that.

"Aye," Eressëa said quietly. "It is a big decision that they must one day make."

"So, they aren't elvish and aren't human?" I summed up.

"Aye," Eressëa nodded. He smiled, and changed the subject. "How do you like the meat, Alagi?"

I hadn't really eaten much of the food, so I ate some of the meat. "Delicious."

All of the food was delicious. The meat was well cooked and seasoned, the bread was fresh and spongy and there were plenty of different types of jam and butter to spread on it. There were all sorts of cheeses, from small white ones to big yellow-orange ones with nuts in them. Fruit bowls were placed everywhere on the table, and wine was being passed around all over the vast hall.

A song started up from the lower portion of the table and everyone joined in except for me, and possibly Bilbo. I just smiled and listened. Another song followed that song, and I started to get a headache.

"Eressëa?" I turned to him. "I'm going to go get some air."

Eressëa nodded. "Would you like some company?"

"No thank," I smiled as I slipped out.

The night was a little chilly, but it was nothing horrible. The night was clear and the stars were gorgeous. I moved away from the dining hall and wished longingly that I could fly. The stars would look gorgeous up on the roof of Rivendell. I settled for leaning on a pillar and looking out over the trees. The moon was rising and there was a gentle wind, making the grass and trees move in a slight wave.

'It is so beautiful here.' I thought to myself. 'I wonder what where ever I come from looks like? I wonder if I'll ever find out. I love Rivendell, and I have started to become friendlier with the elves and them with me. Still, I wonder about that mansion that I saw, and that voice. Was that mansion my home and that voice my father, or even a brother or uncle? If I never go home, will the elves here be a suitable family? Will Elrond or some other elf take me in and teach me about this world?'

I sighed and decided to concentrate on other things. I admired the view and started to hum to myself, making up a song in my head. 'Where would I be, if I wasn't here, in the halls, of Rivendell?'

There was loud laughter from the dining hall, and I turned to go back. I took up my seat just in time for a contest between Lanner, Eressëa, and Voronwer to see who could drink a cup of wine the fastest. I was to be judge.

"Ready?" I asked. All three elves took up their cups and got in a ready position. "GO!"

The three started, drinking with an amazing speed. All three glared at one another, and they were all tied until Lanner raised his eyebrows in a funny manner and Voronwer started to snort in his cup. Voronwer had to stop to laugh, coughing at the same time. Eressëa finished first and triumphantly slammed his cup down.

This led to a redraw, in which Voronwer won. After three more games, Eressëa was in the lead with three wins while Lanner and Voronwer both had one.

"I give up!" Voronwer wheezed. "You're so serious, Eressëa, you can ignore Lanner to well!"

Lanner looked over at Eressëa and raised an eyebrow. "I will just have to try harder, won't I?"

Eressëa smiled and I grinned. Lanner looked at me and asked, "Alagi, do you know of any good stories to tell?"

My grin faded to a straight line and I answered sadly, "No. But I enjoy listening to you! Do you have any other stories you are willing to share?"

Lanner grinned. "I can tell we will be good friends Alagi! There was this time when Eressëa, Voronwer, and I were horseback riding…"

Voronwer groaned. "Not that story."

"We were out on a hunt with a few other elves in the forest," Lanner continued, ignoring Voronwer. "Eressëa had spotted a deer and as we were pursuing it, Voronwer got caught up in the spirit of the chase and was yelling. He forgot to look ahead and ran right into an overhanging tree branch!"

Voronwer pretended he was busy carving a piece of cheese as I looked over at him.

Lanner continued, grinning broadly and enjoying this greatly. "We stopped and Eressëa swung down off his horse. As he went to help Voronwer off, he tripped over a root and landed right on top of him!"

I laughed as both Eressëa and Voronwer shot Lanner death glares. "It's okay Eressëa, it sounds like something I would do!"

This didn't help, and Voronwer came in, now smiling. "Lanner, aren't you forgetting the rest of the story?"

Lanner didn't say anything and Voronwer continued. "We started off again after the deer, and as we were chasing it, I heard running water. As I didn't know how deep the river was, I called out a warning."

Eressëa grinned his beautiful grin and continued. "We all stopped except for Lanner, who continued after the deer. We heard his horse cry out and a splash. When we reached the stream, we found Lanner waist deep in water with his bow around his neck. What a sight it was!"

Lanner held up his hands in surrender. "I give in! No more embarrassing stories!"

The four of us laughed, and we talked long into the night. I remember the feast dying down and slower songs being sung. One minute I was listening to Lanner, Voronwer, and Eressëa laughing and to a beautiful elvish song at the same time, the next I was drifting dangerously close to my plate of food, almost asleep.

"Come Alagi, let us get you to your room before you fall face first into you plate!" Lanner was laughing.

The cold air helped me wake up some. "Thank you Lanner, Voronwer, Eressëa."

"It is no inconvenience," Voronwer replied. "Did you enjoy the feast?"

"Yes," I smiled.

"What was your favorite part?" Eressëa asked.

I grinned. "Besides the eating?" The three of them laughed and I continued. "I loved listening to your stories. I enjoyed meeting you Voronwer and Lanner!"

"It was our pleasure," Lanner smiled, nodding the way elves do when saying yes or agreeing.

"We must all get together again," Voronwer chuckled. "You have not heard all of our stories yet!"

I remember nodding, and I started to get sleepy, so when I got to my room, I bid the three guards good night and pulled back the covers. I carefully lay down on my stomach and pulled the blanket over my wings. I got warm quickly and fell asleep full and happy.