Chapter 11: The Tyrrany of Needles

April 4

I wasn't able to write yesterday because Mhera read that last sentence (actually, the whole entry) and took it away for the day. She said that if I was going to feel suicidal, I might as well tell people instead of writing it down in "some stupid book" (not my words, but hers). Valar, she is not my mother! But I will admit she would make a good one. Although, if she has anything to say about that, I don't know whether she would be. However, that is not a good question to ask her. I do not have a wish to die (contrary to her current belief.)

Good news! The ring is destroyed, and Frodo and Sam are recovering. I haven't seen them yet, because Mhera and I got together with the Captains for some talk about Our Futures.

Apparently, Mhera is being taken as afoster of Imrahil. And here's where things get odd; apparently, Imrahil had a daughter (the books call her Lóthiriel) buuuuut, she was not named Lothiriel but Alquawen (same as Sue Two, but no matter) and she passed away from a fever when she was eight. That's apparently one of the reasons that Imrahil agreed to take her in, since he missed caring for a daughter. So, anyways, where's Lóthiriel? She is extremely important to Rohan, since she ends up... Oh. My. Gosh. I think I know, but I need more facts.

I, however, am a bit of an issue. I have yet to save anyone (that time with Gimli doesn't count) and I am on the edge. They have yet to decide where to place me, but here are the possibilities I've heard: 1) stay in Minas Tirith as a ward to... someone. 2) go back to Rivendell until the last ship sails from there and then go with them. In the end, nothing was decided. They're going to put it off until things get settled. In the meantime, I am to stay with Mhera, who is staying with the Dol Amroth party.

Okay, I've got to give in to another suicidal thought: what if Arien wants my head on a platter for the murder of her goddaughter? Oh well. At least I didn't do it.

April 5

They're planning a ceremony to honor Frodo and Sam, and I am helping to plan it. It's actually a bit fun to plan things like this- kind of like a logic puzzle, especially for seating. "Since the Lord of Suchandsuch a province cannot sit by the Prince of Somethingorother, where do you place Sir Someone? Mhera quickly tired of it, and then dragged me off to do something "more fun" which turned out to be riding lessons with the Lords of Dol Amroth. Let's face it: I stink. But Mhera insists that I learn, as I "can't walk everywhere like a stupid cow" (her words, not mine).

April 8

The ceremony went off well- no big problems. There was a slight mistake in seating, which was instantly rectified. Then the ceremony, which was beautiful. There even was a song written for the event, "Long live the Halflings!" which was interesting. Then there was a picnic of sorts, where I sat with Mhera and the Dol Amroth brothers (Hope was with Merry and the other hobbits, attacking the food). Amrothos has apparently gotten quite used to having Mhera as a foster sister, so he wove a crown of flowers and put it on her head, saying "Lóthiriel, Lóthiriel!" in a sing-song voice until she started chasing him around. Elphir looked at them and sighed, but Erchirion and I were laughing, which caused Elphir to stare at us. Oh, well. I can be the proper elf when I've properly grown up, which is in another... 3009 solar years (I did the math in the margin). So there, Elphir!

April 9

Bad news. Legolas has been hit- hard, by sea-longing. Interestingly enough, I used to have sea-longing as a human (being Norse) and this desire to go vest i havet is not new. But I was wandering through the top level of the city when I stumbled upon him, just sitting there, looking south. I didn't know really what to do, so I just sat on another bench. A long time later he spoke.

"Are, do you know what the sea is?"

I didn't know how to answer that at first. Then I thought, and finally got an answer. "It is eternal and unending. It changes and does not change. It shows things and conceals. It gives lives and takes them away. It is always there, yet never the same as the last time you saw it."

He simply nodded, and kept looking southwest.

May 1

Aragorn was crowned today. Somehow they managed to fit everyone on the top of the city. It was packed, but everyone was up there. There was music, the crowning (done by Faramir) a speech, and a large party. I was hard-pressed to find a non-alcoholic beverage, but I did find some water. Right after I found it, I noticed someone following me. I whirled around and nearly walked straight into Amrothos.

"Mhera has called you Runa, has she not?" he asked. I nodded slowly, wondering where this would lead. "Well, there is a girl that has been found, and Mhera said to 'get "Runa,"' which happens to be you."

"What's her name?" I asked, getting a sick feeling in my stomach.

"She said Milla first, but then she said that if you didn't remember to say that Tsuki was here, but if-" He never got to finish his sentence, because I was running outside into the frigid night rain- well, as well as I could manage in the dress that Mhera (of all people) made me wear. I skidded out onto the spire thing that separates the two sides of the city and ran directly towards the figures of Mhera and the other humanoid, who was standing next to a glowing rock.

"Milla!" I shouted, grabbing said girl around the neck and hugging her tightly.

"Ru...na..." she rasped out. I quicly let go of her to let her breathe.As soon as she caught her breath, she said nonchalantly, "You know, everyone went crazy back home when you two disappeared. It made national headlines. Oh, and next time you decide to go into some other dimension, bring me along tooso Idon'thave towait."

"Oops. Sorry 'bout that," I grinned. This was, to allow a crossover term, Mhera's and my Padawan in the Sue-hating arts. She was very promising- that is, until I ended up switching dimensions on her. I have no idea what's happened since then.

"So, have you kept up your studies while Mhera and I have been running around here?"

"Finished the Silmarillion," she said proudly. She then knelt down to scratch that glowing rock. "Isn't that right, Glerfy?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

Milla stopped scratching. "Of all people, you should know. This, my friends, is Glerfindel, a mini- balrog."

Mini-balrogs are interesting creatures. According to the PPC, they are spawned when names of canon characters get mangled by writers, and are, as you probably guessed, miniature versions of balrogs. This one looked a bit like a put-out bulldog with tiny wings and one of those demon tails. Of course, I thought they belonged to fanfic-dom, but come to think of it, this may very well be fanfic-dom. We can never tell.

"We should probably get your mini out of the rain. Though the stories are great when it comes to their prowess in Sue battle, we have no idea how they do in the rain," Mhera said. And in truth, Glerfy was looking a bit sad and stiff. I mean, if he relies on heat to keep him from turning into a rock, the cold rain that was going on outside couldn't be good for him. Plus, inside I'd be able to see what she looked like now. All I could tell now was that her hair was slightly thinner and a lot longer (she formerly had evilly thick short hair) and she herself was slightly thinner.

We did manage to quietly slip inside (actually, not that quietly, since Mhera bumped into a marble statue of a former steward in the hall and nearly sent it onto the floor, and a metal vase and some other small anddelicate objects). Once we got into semi-decent lighting, I got to look at Milla. She still had the same eyes, and was wearing an outfit similar to Mhera's. But most surprisingly, she looked... older. A lot. As if she was nearly twenty-one. Then I realized what I had also seen in Mhera. Along with the fact that Mhera had black hair and no glasses, I noticed something else I couldn't place at the time, but now I knew; it was age. I knew for a fact I had aged at a human rate since Lórien (except for my hair which is growing about three inches per month; curse side effects!) and had not aged (to my knowledge) in transfer. For some reason, I was left the child. And the weird thing was, it made sense. I was probably the least ready to become an adult of any of them. And now, I have all the time in the world- literally.

May 2

All of us girls got to go see Frodo today, even though I was the only one that actually met him at first. We chatted, ate, talked, then ate some more. Then, courage bolsted by hobbit fare, I asked Frodo for a favor.

"What?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. "When you continue your cousin Bilbo's book- and we know about the book- leave us," I gestured at myself, Milla, Hope, and Mhera, "out of it."

Frodo looked confused (poor hobbit). "What do you mean?"

I elaborated. "No one needs to know any of us, including those two monsters, were here." I had promised myself not to speak their names if I could help it. "Just cover for us, all right?"

"What about the time you dragged Merry and Pippin out of harm's way?"

Darn. I didn't know anybody besides those two realized that. "Say they just ran into the caves."

"But what about Lady Eowyn going to war? That was by your influence."

"Eowyn came up with the idea on her own."

"And what about Mhera here? As a daughter of Prince Imrahil-" he nodded to said girl.

"Use her new nickname," I responded, dodging a punch as I said it. Mhera is not the sort of person to be named, "maiden garlanded with flowers," but Amrothos' joke spread all over the city, and pretty much everyone called her Lothiriel save myself and Milla.

"And Miss Hope?"

"How about you call her Estella? That's should work. It's the Elvish feminine, no?"

"All right. And your little Glorfindel-"

"Glerfindel," corrected Milla.

"Is to be left out as well? When we were trying to get to that mountain," involuntary shudder, "That creature brought us some things to eat. They were round and crisp and had soft brown things in them..."

"GLERFY!" yelled Milla, "DID YOU STEAL MY COOKIES? GET BACK HERE!" The meeting was adjourned to allow Milla to catch her mini.

Reviewer responses:

FallenTruth: I don't know whether Saturday is good for her; we have a paper for history due on Monday about the role of women up until 1200 CE. And do you have to have a payed account to have a story in a C2? If not, then you can put it in there.

Laer: Yay! Someone can see my reasoning in not putting in the gory details.

angeltread: Oh no ("Gah!")it's the attack of the ("back, I warn you!")roach lawyers! I think we should ("get off me!")find something else to compare Sues to. How about ("Please, no!") slugs? Gaah! ("No, not slug lawyers!") Save yourself ("No, have mercy!"), angeltread!

lior-a: I don't think Runa's the joking type. She's rather naive, like myself. Honestly, my friends call me "virgin ears."

kd7sov: I've been updating every day; would that explain the fact that you've missed some stuff?

I shall update as soon as the slugs and roaches release me. Aaaaaaaaaand...

As soon as I get more reviews. I've already passed the fifty mark; let's see whether we can bring it to seventy-five.