As you all are probably aware, fanfiction.net has been acting like a piece of shite for the passed few days. So it took me a bit longer then expected to post this chap. Oh and I have 70 reviews! I almost have 100!!!!
Haldir- Of course you do. I mean, hello, I'm in it.
~~~
Pippin and Merry watched the young woman watch them.
"What are you?" she asked.
"Well, I'm a hobbit," Pippin said cheerfully. "I'm Peregrin Took. This is Meriadoc Brandybuck. You can call me Pip or Pippin though."
"You may call me Merry."
Akira starred down at the hobbits. They were the most adorable things she had ever seen in her life! They were each roughly about three or four feet tall. They had thick brown curly hair and were looking up at her happily.
"Are you an elf?" Pippin asked.
The young woman let out a deep breath. "I am *not* an elf," she stated calmly. Legolas and Haldir tossed glances over at the teenager, a scowl forming on the march warden's features. "And what is so bad about being an elf?" he questioned her.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh nothing. You only sleep with your eyes open," she said shuddering slightly. "It's creepy."
~~~
Legolas and Arragorn followed Haldir while speaking with him about their journey. He asked little, for the messenger's from Rivendale had told him all he truly wanted to know. The two others did not wish to talk about the loss of their guide, Gandalf. Instead they wanted to revel in the beauty of Lothlorien.
"Tell us of this young woman, Haldir," Legolas asked softly.
The march warden thought for a moment. What could he say about her? "I found her, at the entrance of the wood. She was badly wounded and I...brought her here. I have been helping her recover and regain her strength. I have been training her in the sword."
Arragorn ventured, "Why not archery? I know that elves excel in all forms of fighting, but I believed that it was with the bow and arrow you were much more lethal."
"We, attempted to teach her archery. She failed at it. Miserably. She is actually much better with the sword. Though that is not saying much."
"Is that her there?" Legolas questioned.
Haldir and Arragorn turned their attention to the garden below. The march warden's eyes went from the beautiful Lorien flowers, to the statue of one of the elder elves, to Akira. What in the Valar was she doing? She was twisted into some strange position. Her knees were on the ground, and her back was bent slightly. One hand held onto her ankle while the other stretched out. The captain watched her, confusion on his face as he did. Sighing with relief, Akira turned her body around and prepared to get in her next yoga position. She failed to notice the presence of the other men. She placed her palms on the ground, and stretched out her legs. She lifted her entire right leg into the air and let out deep controlled breaths.
The march warden tilted his head from the left to the right, watching her intently. How was she doing that? Legolas and Arragorn both could not help the snicker's that appeared on their faces as Haldir cocked his head to the side. The ranger cleared his throat.
"Do you wish for us to take our leave, so that you may better study Akira?" he asked.
Still leaning his head towards the right the captain turned his attention from the strange young woman to the ranger. He glanced at Legolas who was starring at him with bemusement, a smug smile on his face. Haldir straightened and lifted his chin back up. "Of course not," he said somewhat embarrassed. His embarrassment did not show as he turned and began his tour of Lothlorien again. Legolas and Arragorn exchanged amused glances as they followed the march warden.
~~~
Later that evening, Pippin and Merry had invited Akira to eat with the rest of the Fellowship. After explaining to them all that she was most certainly not 'a friggin nature loving, arrow shooting, pointy eared, can't-sleep-with-their-eyes-closed elf', they ate their dinner of lembas in peace.
After eating, Frodo had wandered off on his own. Thoughts of the ring and the loss of his guide weighing heavily on his mind. He remembered telling Gandalf how he had wished the ring had never come to him. He wished it now even more.
Akira had been meditating nearby when she had heard someone approaching. Thinking it was Haldir she had hid behind the nearest statue. She was tried, and had no desire to speak with the aggravating elf. The young woman had watched when she saw another hobbit, Frodo she thought, walk up and take a seat near a collection of particularly beautiful flowers. She watched him for some time. There was such sadness in the depth of his blue eyes. The red head slowly came out from behind the statue and as quietly as possible made her way towards the ring bearer.
He barely noticed her presence until she was standing nearly in front of him. "Hey," she said softly, trying to sound as comforting as possible with the simple greeting. "Mind if I take a seat?"
Frodo shook his head. The auburn haired girl took a seat next to the hobbit. She drawled out her legs, and frowned a bit when her ankle was exposed. She really needed a tan. "What's up?" she questioned. He gave her a curious look as to the meaning of her words, and Akira reminded herself that she wasn't in Kansas anymore. "How's it going?"
He looked away, his eyes starring at nothing but the air as he answered her slowly. "I am fine."
There was a silence, and Akira was unsure of what to say to comfort the hobbit. "I heard about...Gandalf," she said. "I am very sorry."
"Did you know of him?" Frodo asked her, sparring a glance with his large blue eyes.
Shaking her head she answered, "No. All I heard was that he was a powerful wizard, and fell into shadow." Though she had no idea what in the hell that meant, it sounded ominous enough.
"He was our guide. My friend. I had known him ever since Bilbo took me to Bagend. I miss him terribly. I fear our journey is lost without him."
Akira wrapped a comforting arm around Frodo's shoulder. The hobbit tensed for only a moment. "Cheer up, little dude," she said trying to make her voice turn soothing, such as Galadriel's. "Do you think that Gandalf would want you to be here, mourning his loss and giving up hope for your quest? He would want you to be happy. He would want you to remember all that he had done, and smile at the memories you have of him, not cry. And Galadriel said that hope still remains. And, freaky as she can be at times, she is wise. All elves seem to be. Well, except for stupid march warden's who walk in on teenage girls when their nude and listening to rap..." The hobbit starred up at her. She saw the confusion on his face and cleared her throat. "Sorry," she apologized ruefully. "Didn't mean to get off subject."
Haldir scowled as he looked down from his position in the large mallorn tree. He had been sitting up there, thinking about the things the Fellowship brought when they came to Lothlorien, and hoping that the elves would not be caught in the middle of this war, when he had seen both Akira and Frodo wander there. He had been listening to their exchange. The march warden had been surprised when she had offered such words of comfort and wisdom to the young ring bearer, and of course annoyed at her rant about him. He continued to listen to them.
"You know, there's this phrase where I come from. It's 'Don't worry. Be happy.' I admit, yeah, it's pretty lame. But you have to remember that stuff happens. You have to take the good with the bad. And when your thinking about how incredibly awful this might be, and are thinking of giving up, then just remember that there is going to be some major good coming from it.
"It's easy to let go. It's simple to forget your responsibilities because bad things have happened and you want to give up. But think about all of the people who have given so much so that you can be here right now. Gandalf died, yes, but did he die without a purpose? He wanted you to go on Frodo. You can't let him down."
When the hobbit looked back up, he saw regret and pain in her glassy dark eyes. He felt a tinge of guilt for having seemingly brought up memories of her own grief. "You speak as if you have felt the same things," he commented quietly.
A sad smile crossed Akira's features. "I have," she told him. "I lost two people that I loved with all my heart. My world revolved around them, and when they were gone, everything just came crashing down. I wanted to give up so many times. It seemed like there was no point to anything, and the only thing that came from holding on was pain. But you know what," she said, a bright smile replacing her pained one. "If you give up, then not only are you losing any chance of happiness for your future, but your letting down those people who actually care about you."
A few tears fell from the hobbit's eyes. Her words had comforted him more then those of the other's he had spoken to. "Are you sure you are not an elf?" he questioned smiling. "You seem wise."
She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Nah," she said. "I just watch way to much day time television."
Frodo did not ask what this television was. Akira removed her arm and stood up. She patted his head softly, not patronizingly, and gave him her warmest smile. The hobbit felt a bit of sadness wash away from him as he watched her walk away.
~~~
Later that evening, Frodo and Haldir walked towards the rest of the Fellowship. Soon after Akira's departure, the march warden had jumped down from his tree. The hobbit had seemed somewhat content after speaking to the teenager. It was strange to Haldir how someone so young could speak of such sadness and yet have such wisdom. When they arrived, the young woman was sitting with the hobbits. She was quietly listening as Sam tried to tell her about the Shire, Pippin and Merry interrupting frequently to add their own versions of things. They were interesting creatures, but Akira still stuck with her first impression. Hobbits were adorable!
Haldir quietly took a seat next to Legolas as Frodo joined the other hobbits in the telling of their homeland. Arragorn looked from the march warden to Akira. The young woman seemed to be entranced by the telling of Hobbitan, while the elf seemed to be studying her intently, as if trying to see something she was hiding. Haldir noticed Arragorn watching him and pulled his gaze away from the young woman. The ranger chuckled softly to himself.
"And what do you find so funny?" Sam questioned indignantly. "The gaffer yelling at me for something that was *his* fault," he said narrowing his eyes at a laughing Pippin, "Is no laughing matter."
"I am sorry Sam," the ranger apologized. "I was only thinking of a time earlier today."
Haldir narrowed his eyes at him. "When?" Merry questioned oblivious to the mirth behind Arragorn's eyes.
"Perhaps Haldir can tell you."
The march warden cleared his throat. "It is nothing, Merry," he assured the hobbit.
"Akira," Legolas questioned somewhat nervously. "What were you doing today in the gardens?"
The young woman's brown eyes shot up and looked straight at the elf. "You were watching me?" she questioned.
Legolas pointed at Haldir. "I was not," he said glaring at the other elf. "But...what *were* you doing?"
Akira rolled her eyes and gave a frustrated sigh. She stood up, fists clenched at her side, "One, I was doing yoga. And two, spying on me is *not* a way to start earning my trust." She stormed off. The march warden glared at Legolas.
"...Sorry...?" he said catching the glare he was being given. Haldir stood up and took off after the young girl. How was he going to explain this?
~~~
~* This world, this world is cold
But you don't, you don't have to go
Your feeling sad, your feeling lonely
And no one seems to care
Your mother's gone, and your father hits you
This pain you can not bare
But we all bleed the same way that you do
And we all have the same things to go through
Hold on, if you feel like letting go
Hold on, it gets better than you know
Your days, you say their way to long
And at night, you can't sleep at all
And you're not sure what you're waiting for, but you don't want to no more
And you're not sure what you're looking for, but you don't want to no more
But we all bleed the same way that you do
And we all have the same things to go through
Hold on, if you feel like letting go
Hold on, it gets better than you know
Don't stop looking, your one step closer
Don't stop searching, it's not over
Hold on
What are you looking for?
What are you waiting for?
Do you know what your doing to me?
Go ahead...what are you waiting for?
Hold on, if you feel like letting go
Hold on, it gets better than you know
Don't stop looking, your one step closer
Don't stop searching, it's not over
Hold on, if you feel like letting go
Hold on, it gets better than you know
Hold on *~
The march warden slipped away when he saw tears rolling freely down Akira's pale cheeks. Why she was crying was not his concern. He could only assume it was about her father, and the two people she had lost. Haldir wondered as he made his way back to the Fellowship if he would ever know.
~~~
This chapter was sad! I think it was anyway. A bit more of the plot subtly revealed here. (Two people she lost. Not one.) I was planning on using another song right here (a Yellowcard song) but I decided that this one was better. It's Hold On by Good Charlotte.
Haldir- Of course you do. I mean, hello, I'm in it.
~~~
Pippin and Merry watched the young woman watch them.
"What are you?" she asked.
"Well, I'm a hobbit," Pippin said cheerfully. "I'm Peregrin Took. This is Meriadoc Brandybuck. You can call me Pip or Pippin though."
"You may call me Merry."
Akira starred down at the hobbits. They were the most adorable things she had ever seen in her life! They were each roughly about three or four feet tall. They had thick brown curly hair and were looking up at her happily.
"Are you an elf?" Pippin asked.
The young woman let out a deep breath. "I am *not* an elf," she stated calmly. Legolas and Haldir tossed glances over at the teenager, a scowl forming on the march warden's features. "And what is so bad about being an elf?" he questioned her.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh nothing. You only sleep with your eyes open," she said shuddering slightly. "It's creepy."
~~~
Legolas and Arragorn followed Haldir while speaking with him about their journey. He asked little, for the messenger's from Rivendale had told him all he truly wanted to know. The two others did not wish to talk about the loss of their guide, Gandalf. Instead they wanted to revel in the beauty of Lothlorien.
"Tell us of this young woman, Haldir," Legolas asked softly.
The march warden thought for a moment. What could he say about her? "I found her, at the entrance of the wood. She was badly wounded and I...brought her here. I have been helping her recover and regain her strength. I have been training her in the sword."
Arragorn ventured, "Why not archery? I know that elves excel in all forms of fighting, but I believed that it was with the bow and arrow you were much more lethal."
"We, attempted to teach her archery. She failed at it. Miserably. She is actually much better with the sword. Though that is not saying much."
"Is that her there?" Legolas questioned.
Haldir and Arragorn turned their attention to the garden below. The march warden's eyes went from the beautiful Lorien flowers, to the statue of one of the elder elves, to Akira. What in the Valar was she doing? She was twisted into some strange position. Her knees were on the ground, and her back was bent slightly. One hand held onto her ankle while the other stretched out. The captain watched her, confusion on his face as he did. Sighing with relief, Akira turned her body around and prepared to get in her next yoga position. She failed to notice the presence of the other men. She placed her palms on the ground, and stretched out her legs. She lifted her entire right leg into the air and let out deep controlled breaths.
The march warden tilted his head from the left to the right, watching her intently. How was she doing that? Legolas and Arragorn both could not help the snicker's that appeared on their faces as Haldir cocked his head to the side. The ranger cleared his throat.
"Do you wish for us to take our leave, so that you may better study Akira?" he asked.
Still leaning his head towards the right the captain turned his attention from the strange young woman to the ranger. He glanced at Legolas who was starring at him with bemusement, a smug smile on his face. Haldir straightened and lifted his chin back up. "Of course not," he said somewhat embarrassed. His embarrassment did not show as he turned and began his tour of Lothlorien again. Legolas and Arragorn exchanged amused glances as they followed the march warden.
~~~
Later that evening, Pippin and Merry had invited Akira to eat with the rest of the Fellowship. After explaining to them all that she was most certainly not 'a friggin nature loving, arrow shooting, pointy eared, can't-sleep-with-their-eyes-closed elf', they ate their dinner of lembas in peace.
After eating, Frodo had wandered off on his own. Thoughts of the ring and the loss of his guide weighing heavily on his mind. He remembered telling Gandalf how he had wished the ring had never come to him. He wished it now even more.
Akira had been meditating nearby when she had heard someone approaching. Thinking it was Haldir she had hid behind the nearest statue. She was tried, and had no desire to speak with the aggravating elf. The young woman had watched when she saw another hobbit, Frodo she thought, walk up and take a seat near a collection of particularly beautiful flowers. She watched him for some time. There was such sadness in the depth of his blue eyes. The red head slowly came out from behind the statue and as quietly as possible made her way towards the ring bearer.
He barely noticed her presence until she was standing nearly in front of him. "Hey," she said softly, trying to sound as comforting as possible with the simple greeting. "Mind if I take a seat?"
Frodo shook his head. The auburn haired girl took a seat next to the hobbit. She drawled out her legs, and frowned a bit when her ankle was exposed. She really needed a tan. "What's up?" she questioned. He gave her a curious look as to the meaning of her words, and Akira reminded herself that she wasn't in Kansas anymore. "How's it going?"
He looked away, his eyes starring at nothing but the air as he answered her slowly. "I am fine."
There was a silence, and Akira was unsure of what to say to comfort the hobbit. "I heard about...Gandalf," she said. "I am very sorry."
"Did you know of him?" Frodo asked her, sparring a glance with his large blue eyes.
Shaking her head she answered, "No. All I heard was that he was a powerful wizard, and fell into shadow." Though she had no idea what in the hell that meant, it sounded ominous enough.
"He was our guide. My friend. I had known him ever since Bilbo took me to Bagend. I miss him terribly. I fear our journey is lost without him."
Akira wrapped a comforting arm around Frodo's shoulder. The hobbit tensed for only a moment. "Cheer up, little dude," she said trying to make her voice turn soothing, such as Galadriel's. "Do you think that Gandalf would want you to be here, mourning his loss and giving up hope for your quest? He would want you to be happy. He would want you to remember all that he had done, and smile at the memories you have of him, not cry. And Galadriel said that hope still remains. And, freaky as she can be at times, she is wise. All elves seem to be. Well, except for stupid march warden's who walk in on teenage girls when their nude and listening to rap..." The hobbit starred up at her. She saw the confusion on his face and cleared her throat. "Sorry," she apologized ruefully. "Didn't mean to get off subject."
Haldir scowled as he looked down from his position in the large mallorn tree. He had been sitting up there, thinking about the things the Fellowship brought when they came to Lothlorien, and hoping that the elves would not be caught in the middle of this war, when he had seen both Akira and Frodo wander there. He had been listening to their exchange. The march warden had been surprised when she had offered such words of comfort and wisdom to the young ring bearer, and of course annoyed at her rant about him. He continued to listen to them.
"You know, there's this phrase where I come from. It's 'Don't worry. Be happy.' I admit, yeah, it's pretty lame. But you have to remember that stuff happens. You have to take the good with the bad. And when your thinking about how incredibly awful this might be, and are thinking of giving up, then just remember that there is going to be some major good coming from it.
"It's easy to let go. It's simple to forget your responsibilities because bad things have happened and you want to give up. But think about all of the people who have given so much so that you can be here right now. Gandalf died, yes, but did he die without a purpose? He wanted you to go on Frodo. You can't let him down."
When the hobbit looked back up, he saw regret and pain in her glassy dark eyes. He felt a tinge of guilt for having seemingly brought up memories of her own grief. "You speak as if you have felt the same things," he commented quietly.
A sad smile crossed Akira's features. "I have," she told him. "I lost two people that I loved with all my heart. My world revolved around them, and when they were gone, everything just came crashing down. I wanted to give up so many times. It seemed like there was no point to anything, and the only thing that came from holding on was pain. But you know what," she said, a bright smile replacing her pained one. "If you give up, then not only are you losing any chance of happiness for your future, but your letting down those people who actually care about you."
A few tears fell from the hobbit's eyes. Her words had comforted him more then those of the other's he had spoken to. "Are you sure you are not an elf?" he questioned smiling. "You seem wise."
She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Nah," she said. "I just watch way to much day time television."
Frodo did not ask what this television was. Akira removed her arm and stood up. She patted his head softly, not patronizingly, and gave him her warmest smile. The hobbit felt a bit of sadness wash away from him as he watched her walk away.
~~~
Later that evening, Frodo and Haldir walked towards the rest of the Fellowship. Soon after Akira's departure, the march warden had jumped down from his tree. The hobbit had seemed somewhat content after speaking to the teenager. It was strange to Haldir how someone so young could speak of such sadness and yet have such wisdom. When they arrived, the young woman was sitting with the hobbits. She was quietly listening as Sam tried to tell her about the Shire, Pippin and Merry interrupting frequently to add their own versions of things. They were interesting creatures, but Akira still stuck with her first impression. Hobbits were adorable!
Haldir quietly took a seat next to Legolas as Frodo joined the other hobbits in the telling of their homeland. Arragorn looked from the march warden to Akira. The young woman seemed to be entranced by the telling of Hobbitan, while the elf seemed to be studying her intently, as if trying to see something she was hiding. Haldir noticed Arragorn watching him and pulled his gaze away from the young woman. The ranger chuckled softly to himself.
"And what do you find so funny?" Sam questioned indignantly. "The gaffer yelling at me for something that was *his* fault," he said narrowing his eyes at a laughing Pippin, "Is no laughing matter."
"I am sorry Sam," the ranger apologized. "I was only thinking of a time earlier today."
Haldir narrowed his eyes at him. "When?" Merry questioned oblivious to the mirth behind Arragorn's eyes.
"Perhaps Haldir can tell you."
The march warden cleared his throat. "It is nothing, Merry," he assured the hobbit.
"Akira," Legolas questioned somewhat nervously. "What were you doing today in the gardens?"
The young woman's brown eyes shot up and looked straight at the elf. "You were watching me?" she questioned.
Legolas pointed at Haldir. "I was not," he said glaring at the other elf. "But...what *were* you doing?"
Akira rolled her eyes and gave a frustrated sigh. She stood up, fists clenched at her side, "One, I was doing yoga. And two, spying on me is *not* a way to start earning my trust." She stormed off. The march warden glared at Legolas.
"...Sorry...?" he said catching the glare he was being given. Haldir stood up and took off after the young girl. How was he going to explain this?
~~~
~* This world, this world is cold
But you don't, you don't have to go
Your feeling sad, your feeling lonely
And no one seems to care
Your mother's gone, and your father hits you
This pain you can not bare
But we all bleed the same way that you do
And we all have the same things to go through
Hold on, if you feel like letting go
Hold on, it gets better than you know
Your days, you say their way to long
And at night, you can't sleep at all
And you're not sure what you're waiting for, but you don't want to no more
And you're not sure what you're looking for, but you don't want to no more
But we all bleed the same way that you do
And we all have the same things to go through
Hold on, if you feel like letting go
Hold on, it gets better than you know
Don't stop looking, your one step closer
Don't stop searching, it's not over
Hold on
What are you looking for?
What are you waiting for?
Do you know what your doing to me?
Go ahead...what are you waiting for?
Hold on, if you feel like letting go
Hold on, it gets better than you know
Don't stop looking, your one step closer
Don't stop searching, it's not over
Hold on, if you feel like letting go
Hold on, it gets better than you know
Hold on *~
The march warden slipped away when he saw tears rolling freely down Akira's pale cheeks. Why she was crying was not his concern. He could only assume it was about her father, and the two people she had lost. Haldir wondered as he made his way back to the Fellowship if he would ever know.
~~~
This chapter was sad! I think it was anyway. A bit more of the plot subtly revealed here. (Two people she lost. Not one.) I was planning on using another song right here (a Yellowcard song) but I decided that this one was better. It's Hold On by Good Charlotte.