Chapter Eleven: The Tyranny of Needles

Note: A lot of this chapter and the following chapter has to deal with sewing. I wrote the sewing part when I was getting really frustrated doing last minute costumes for the school musical, all of which had to be done by hand (mom was on the machine). You can probably figure out what I hate most; prize to the first one who figures it out! As for some brief sewing-lingo, a basting stitch is a very loose stitch (usu. 6 per inch) that holds pieces together before they are actually sewn together. Frogs are made of a loop and an intricate knot that lock together.

May 3

I don't care what those idiots say; I'm leaving as soon as I can. Which, I think, is in July. In the meantime, I am learning how to properly sew without a sewing machine. As it turns out, I'm pretty good with a needle and thread for a beginner; at least my stitches are tiny and even. Now to work on getting them in a straight line...

May 5

Yay! Now my stitches are even, tiny, and straight! The person who's been teaching me (temporary governess-type person named Iril) said I'm ready to make my first dress. I started on it this morning, and have finished cutting the pieces and basting the bodice. I'm lucky that my mom taught me how to make pattern pieces from scratch, 'cause otherwise I'd be lost.

May 7

Bodice finished, on to skirt. Sleeves are plain EVIL! I hate them. What took the most time on the dress were the hooks up the back. Yes, that's how dresses stay on in Gondor- they hook. Apparently there is no hope of dressing yourself in one of those contraptions. Someone needs to invent zippers, or better yet, make buttons acceptable for females to wear! On second thought, scratch that. Buttonholes are the spawn of Melkor. I like frogs much better.

May 10

I want to burn this dress I want to burn this dress I want to burn this dress...

I have to re-do the sleeves (how they attach to the bodice) and have started working on the skirt. Why do those seams have to be so darn long? And hemming. Hemming is really overrated.

May 13

Dress finished. I took it to Iril and she said that it was amazingly good for someone who has never sewed before. But yet I receive punishment. MORE DRESSES! And this time I have to embroider the neckline. And did I mention the needles here are curved fish bones? I CAN'T DO THIS!

And where, may you ask, have Mhera, Milla, and Hope been while I have endured such torture? Well, Milla found out very early that she was a Shape Shifter (even rarer than elves) and has been avoiding Iril like the plague using her shape- I think it's a black cat or dog, fox maybe? Mhera has been out riding (or so she says, though I don't doubt her) every day with "other people." Hope- Estella- has been conspiring with Merry to spy on Eomer, which turned out to be spying on Mhera as well. Let's just say that Estella and Merry would be headless if Mhera knew what they had seen. And in case Mhera reads this: I didn't see anything!

May 20

Word has come that Arwen's coming to the city, so we're all preparing for the wedding. I've stopped working on the dress and have started working on the ever-so-ladylike skill of conversing. For instance, did you know that in Gondor it is socially unacceptable to say anything about a woman's pregnancy in mixed company? And speaking of pregnancy, I've been learning about midwifery, which is a skill that "every woman needs to know" (Iril's words). Mind you, I don't have any practical experience, but I know something now.

In fact, I have been learning about: sewing, embroidery, cooking (don't know why), medicinal herbs, knife fighting (defensive only, useful in protecting my honor, should it come to that), keeping accounts (I'm acing this one; I was taking math classes at two years above the norm before I left) letter writing, Elvish (adding to my vocabulary; mostly new verbs) , and etiquette. And I think that's it...

For now. I shudder in anticipation.

May 30

All right, things are ridiculously boring here. Especially since I refuse to spy on the two (yup, count 'em, two) couples, or join the spying couple. The two couples being: a) the obvious Mhera and Eomer and b) the new Milla and Amrothos! Who'd a thunk? And the spying couple being Merry and Hope, everyone seems paired off. Mhera offered to find me some Rider of the Eorlingas (did I spell that right?) but I refused. I mean, I really don't want to get married anytime soon.

But I do have to admit, I want to have a child sometime in my life. Stupid estrogen and maternal instincts!

I promise I won't say anything more until I have something interesting to say.

June 25

Something interesting has happened! Aragorn found a sapling of the White Tree today! I was there, though unofficially, when it was planted in the same place as the old tree was. Those half-walls are really great to hide behind. That means that in approximately five days Arwen's going to arrive.

Custody update: I still don't belong to anybody. No leads, either.

Lithe (June 31, sorta)

Because of this weird calendar, I was thrown off a bit. It's been six days, and Arwen arrived today. Thanks to some strategic hinting (coughmecough) wedding preparations were already underway. I'm still stuck on seating chart duty. Legolas came in (which is the first time I'd seen him since the coronation) and requested that I put in space for his wife and daughter. It looks like I'll finally get to meet this enemy of most 'Sues!

Midsummer's day (July negative first?)

Okay, so I didn't attend the coronation, and I have to say that Iril was not an absolute idiot making me learn all I did. I was on my way to the coronation when a frantic woman- just a year or two older than me who I later learned was called Urwen- grabbed my arm and said that her sister was giving birth. So I was commandeered to help. I won't describe what happened. But here's the sad part; I don't even want to say it, but I will. I have to.

The sister's husband died in the war, so she was left alone except for Urwen. She'd been very ill before the child was born. She barely survived childbirth.

We did everything we could think of; I even got some herbs from the Houses, ones that help labor go smoothly (yes, Iril, I did listen). But the mother's now delirious, leaving a scrawny girl with a cataract in her right eye. I hope it falls out when she gets older, but it's unlikely. Urwen named the little girl Glin. I hope she'll be all right; Urwen says that she'll take Glin in until her mother comes out of delirium.

Why does the world have to be such an unfair place?

July 12

I went to go see Urwen and Glin today. I got to hold Glin, which is actually the first time I've ever held a baby. Urwen says that her sister (whose name is Aelin) is not much better, but not worse. I hope she'll be fine.

Oh, and I got to meet the famous Mrs. Greenleaf, since the first time we were supposed to be in the same room, I was busy with Aelin and Glin. I gotta say this, she is gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. That little girl (didn't see her; "nap time") has won the genetic lottery. And the mom was really nice, too. She asked what I wanted to do, now that everything was over. I replied that I wasn't sure- not absolutely accurate, but accurate enough to make the lie part undetectable.

July 19

Everyone is going to Edoras for Theoden's funeral. I'm still tagging along, and have been barely noticed. That was actually the whole plan that I came up with in Imadris-no, before Imadris when I was stuck with Sue One. The less I did, the less rewriting of the truth Frodo might have to do. And it was really easy to melt into the background. Now I just have to do a little convincing with the adults and the rest of the plan will go into motion.

August 10

Funeral of King Theoden. I must say that they have a most optimistic view of death, seeing it as "an opportunity for the young to grow," (not my words, but someone else's; I don't know whose). So after the funeral was Eomer's crowning, and a huge party. If I had my way, I would have locked myself in a broom closet and stayed there the entire party, but Mhera pointed out that I'd probably be taking away one of the few private spots in the hall. Once she said that, I just smirked. I'd read enough Lothiriel- and- Eomer- get- locked- in- a- closet stories that I figured it was probably a good idea to find another hiding place.

Okay, so hiding under a table is probably not the most original place to hide, but here I am. Sitting next to the Milla- dog- fox- cat thing.

I told Milla a little of my plan. I couldn't expect to swear a dog- fox- cat thing to secrecy, but she'd better not tell anyone. Or else...

On second thought, she was probably asleep. Milla could sleep through anything if she wanted.

August 11

Okay, Mhera found us very soon after I wrote that last bit and dragged me out from under the table- she didn't see Milla. So I wouldn't be allowed to hide, but I found a nice uninhabited corner to sit in. It was all too loud in my opinion.

August 12

We're back to custody debate. It's still Minas Tirith or Imladris. They picked it up again now that it matters more. If I go to Minas Tirith, I go east in two days time. If I go to Imladris, I go west in two days time. I think they're leaning towards Imladris, but I'm not sure.

August 14

Okay, Imladris it is. It was actually 'Dan and 'Ro' who determined that, because they said that I should be with those of my own kind, albeit new kind. Umm... okay. You think that.

August 22

Okay, we're at Isengard now. Gimli, Legolas, Mhera, Milla, and Aragorn are leaving the main group. The rest of us are on to Imladris. Galadriel and Celeborn will leave at Moria. I won't say any more until we get to Imladris. Promise, cross my heart.

September 22

Imladris at last! Hallelujah for hot baths and clean clothes! Just because I can't get really dirty doesn't mean that I don't love baths. Hope and I have had fun terrorizing the hobbits since the others left. I think that if anyone says the name "Dooku" near one of those poor four again they will jump twice their height.

Oh, and I intend on staying with Hope for a while. Shall I tell her of the plan? Nope, I think I'll keep it between the people I've told. The Norse had a good way of putting it in their Elder Edda: "Everyone knows what is known to three." But wait, three people know already if Milla wasn't asleep. Oh well, it can't be helped.

Reviewer responses:

FallenTruth: Yay, I'm in a C2! I feel so fulfilled.

angeltread: I managed to escape the roaches and have set up shop in a random location in Middle-earth. Who knew that Moria had wireless web access? I'd invite you to join me, but I don't think your cat would like it.