Animebishieluver: Meh to you. I'm starting to get tired of this whole 'Mary Sue' thing. People, please just wait a while before telling me I'm writing a preppy Mary Sue. And about the prep thing: yes, she DOES act a little preppy at the beginning, but if you actually READ the STORY, you'd see that she stops acting like that once she gets to Middle Earth. About the flames: I haven't been flamed yet, have I? (Though the first part of yours IS a flame, in case you don't know)
Myri78: Thanks: ) They'll be more as soon as possible, but I don't exactly update regularly. . .if you added me to your favorite authors list, you could see whenever I update. hint, hint ; ) Just kidding, I'm not that desperate!
Olivia lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't believe it. She was in MIDDLE EARTH. And what's more, because she was there, the story was changing. She had a feeling that without her, Gandalf would have come and Legolas wouldn't have had to save them all. But the question was: Why? Why would her presence make such a difference? Could she really be that important? Back home on earth, she had acted a lot like the world revolved around her. She was a top-dog eighth-grader, pushing the sixth graders around and laughing about it. She was a major class flirt, causing half the boys in her grade to fall in love with her. She was preppy, caring more about the outfit she was wearing that day than if she had finished all her homework. But here, she was beginning to realize that there were more important things in the world than her. Like Legolas, she thought, but immediately pushed that thought away. He was a thousand-year-old elf. She was a fourteen-year-old teenager. Get real, Liv. She told herself. Things like that only happen in fairy tales.
The next day, the quartet set off for Helm's Deep. Aragorn had finally convinced Theoden to let the women and children leave with them, and he would follow a few days behind with the soldiers. Olivia was the self-appointed babysitter of the group.
"Hi sweetie, what's your name?" she asked quietly, bending down to the height of the five-year-old girl in front of her.
"Lina." The girl answered in a soft voice. There were tears running down her cheeks. "I can't find my mommy!"
Olivia stood up surveying the scene around them. There were so many people, it was no wonder that children were getting lost. Not wanting to upset the little girl, she reasurred her gently. "It's okay, Lina, we'll find you're mommy. Great name, by the way. Soooo chic!"
"So what?" the girl asked, confused.
"Uh. . .never mind. It's a Gondor thing." Olivia had long since decided to pretend she came from Gondor. It seemed the easiest thing to do; after all, who would believe her if she told them the truth?
"Okay." The little girl seemed satisfied by her answer.
"What does your mommy look like, honey?" Olivia asked Lina.
"She's got long brown hair like me, and she's wearing a grey dress."
"Sort of like yours?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah, but bigger." The girl seemed to be close to tears again, and Olivia bent down and hugged her close.
"Don't you worry, we'll find her real soon." Suddenly, a cry pierced the air.
"Lina! LINA! Where is my daughter?" a distraught woman suddenly appeared, pushing her way past horses and wagons piled high with goods.
"MOMMY!" Lina shrieked, tearing herself from Olivia's grasp and running over to the lady.
"Oh, Lina, Lina, I never thought I'd see you again!" the woman threw her arms around her daughter, sobbing with relief. "I heard that a herd of orcs was headed our way, and. . ."
Olivia hated to break in on the tender moment, but she was startled by what Lina's mother had said. "Orcs? Where?"
"Heading this way, down that ridge." The woman pointed west. The men are already preparing to fight. You must have been too busy taking care of Lina that you didn't notice." She shot Olivia a grateful look. "Thank you again, by the way. Consider me forever in your debt."
Olivia blushed. "It was nothing, really. I just wanted to make sure Lina was safe."
"Well, that was very kind of you. . ."
"Olivia."
"Olivia, then. Thank you so very much. I hope our paths cross again." The woman picked up Lina and headed off.
"Bye, Oll. . .eeee. . ." the little girl seemed to be having trouble pronouncing the foreign name. Olivia smiled.
"You can just call me Liv. Everyone does."
"Okay. Bye, Liv!"
"Bye, Lina!" Olivia smiled to herself. Back home, she had never liked kids, and would never have even considered babysitting. Lina was really sweet. Maybe little kids aren't so bad after all. She thought to herself. Unless, of course, you have to change their diapers. She thought, wrinkling her nose.
"Olivia!" she whipped around to see Legolas standing behind her. He looked worried.
"What is it?"
"Orcs. Just beyond the western ridge. We have to be prepared to fight. I want you to go find Eowyn and tell her we need her to lead the women and children to Helm's Deep."
Olivia gasped. She had almost forgotten about the orcs. "Let me fight! I'm really good at archery. I did it at camp and my counselor said I had natural talent! I was the best in the class, by far!" Suddenly, all Olivia wanted to do was to charge into battle, fighting side by side with Legolas.
He shook his head. "It's too dangerous. You're only a child."
"I'm not a child!" she protested. "I'm fourteen!"
"And still a child, in my eyes. No." he said forcefully. "Go find Eowyn, before it's too late!"
Not wishing to displease him, Olivia hurried off in search of the young woman.
She's not much older than me. fumed Olivia. Why should she get to lead everyone to Helm's Deep? Why can't I do it? Besides the fact that I have no idea how to get there. . .Oh, I guess that would be a pretty good reason.
"Eowyn!" called Olivia over the rush of the crown. "Eowyn! Where are you?"
"I'm over here! Is that you, Olivia?" Over the time she spent in Edoras, Olivia had become good friends with Eowyn. They were a lot alike: they both wanted to help out as much as possible, they both had extremely long hair, and last (but certainly not least) they both had really big crushes on members of the fellowship.
"Yes!" Olivia called back, and Eowyn came running up.
"What is it?"
"Legolas wants you to lead the people to Helm's Deep!" she said in a rush. "Orcs are on their way!"
"What?" Eowyn looked shocked, but she quickly composed herself. "Well, all right then. Quick, help me round up the others!"
The two of them raced around, telling everyone to follow them. That was one of the things the liked about Eowyn. Even though she was only a teenager, she always treated her like an adult. Olivia smiled. She should have known that with Eowyn in charge, there was no way she was going to be stuck with nothing to do.
"Liv, I'll lead, since I know the way. But I'd like you to stay back with everyone, making sure nothing happens and everything runs smoothly, all right?" Eowyn smiled. "I saw you with little Lina earlier. You were simply fantastic." Olivia swelled with pride.
"Thanks!"
"No problem." Eowyn grinned back, then rushed to the head of the line. Olivia assumed her position towards the middle of the line, checking for confused women or stray children.
"All right, everyone. Follow Eowyn!" she called. "We're officially on the road to Helm's Deep!"
A/N: Wow, I actually updated! Amazing! Please review: )
