Disclaimer: Just the usual. We own nothing.
Larien: We were tempted to make Avenley wake up two seconds later and be perfectly fine, but that's not very much waiting and seeing now is it?
Ellinde: I still think that we should have left you there and let me write the story. I tell it better anyway.
Larien: (gives evil glare) you do not! You get all the facts wrong Ellinde!
Ellinde: I most certainly do not! I am saner than you could ever hope to be.
Larien: (While trying to bite the top off of Ellinde's pen) What?
Ellinde: You see? my point exactly.
Larien: (still attempting to bite Ellinde's pen with no luck) What point?
Ellinde: That little things amuse little minds. (rolls eyes and walks away shaking her head while wondering how she ever got out of Moria completely sane. She wasn't so sure about Larien.)
Three hours later Avenley began to wake. Legolas let out a long sigh and Amber who had been wringing her hands for the last hour and a half finally stopped. Ave opened her eyes and let out a long groan.
"Oh...my head! What did I do?"
"You idiot!" Amber said lovingly. "Why didn't you say something about your head? You know all head wounds are serious."
"It only seemed like a scratch. I didn't think I was bleeding that much. Sorry." Ave said sheepishly.
At that Ave was enveloped in a warm hug from our favorite elf.
"Thank Eru! I was so afraid...Don't you dare do that again! Somehow though...I doubt this will be that last we see of you and such problems."
Avenley blushed at this and looked rather guilty.
"I'm a bit too adventurous for my own good,"
"You're also a bit too stubborn." Amber mumbled under her breath.
"Oh...shut it." Avenley sniffed indignantly.
Avenley attempted to sit up but...
"Oh OW! My head! Errrr..."
"Just lie still. You'll be better for it." Said Legolas standing up.
Just then Aragorn and Gandalf walked over a bit too casually for Amber's taste.
"It is good to see you awake Larien. And may I say that you are truly Legolas's sister."
At that Legolas gave Aragorn a hard stare.
"When I first met Legolas I was only oh...say ten or so, but the one thing that I remember was that he was eternally stubborn and a bit too daring." Amber snickered and Legolas sniffed indignantly.
"I was quite a bit younger and hardly as stubborn and foolish as Ellessar would have you believe. I recall a certain incident involving a cheese pie not-" Legolas was cut off as Aragorn clapped a hand over Legolas's mouth.
"And they all lived happily ever after the end." Aragorn said quickly as he let Legolas go. Legolas was smiling wickedly. Gandalf then smiled one of those all-knowing smiles like you see him give Frodo and Bilbo in the first movie. (I have to tell you that Sir Ian does a perfect imitation of the real Gandalf. It's scary.)
"If you wouldn't mind, my dear, you have some very worried hobbits who want to see you." Gandalf said pleasantly.
"Why certainly my dear Gandalf! I just need some help sitting up." Said Avenley grinning as Amber helped her get to a sitting position. Pippin quietly snuck over and looked at Gandalf who casually nodded his head, then Pippin ran over to Avenley.
" 'Ello Pip! How art thou?" Avenley said cheerily. Amber started laughing at Ave's er um...wonderful attempt at a British accent.
"Quite good! It's good to see you looking better."
"By better you mean alive?" asked Ave
"Erm...yes...I think so." Pippin answered uncertainly. Just then Merry bounded over.
"Hi'lo! You gave us a right good scare there Lady Avenley! I daresay even Gandalf was a bit worried for a bit there...but you seem better now. Say...the way you tackled Legolas earlier...could you teach us hobbits 'ow to do that? Lady Amber said you were right good at that sort of thing."
"Lady...? Sure I could teach you...but I got flipped into a chair remember?"
Pippin grinned and Merry laughed.
"Yes but that is to be expected. You did go after Legolas. We just have a fun time wrestling each other." Said Pippin enthusiastically. Avenley broke into a huge smile.
"Well then I suppose I have no choice but to teach you then. Just...not immediately." Just then Sam walked over.
"Evening Lady Avenley!"
"Well hullo Sam! Where's Frodo?"
"'Es asleep. He wasn't feeling well. He just hasn't been the same since Weathertop...but enough of bad memories. How's your head?"
"It's not completely cracked." Said Avenley pleasantly
"Yet." Said Legolas
Oh...shut up! Thought Ave.
"What do you mean yet?" whispered Amber under her breath. "It was cracked long before this."
At that Legolas started laughing. He couldn't help it, he tried to hide it by pretending to cough. He wasn't sure that Larien had heard that comment. He hoped she hadn't. It would be the grounds for another shouting match. Ave turned around to look at Legolas.
"What is so funny?"
"Oh...nothing." replied Legolas innocently
"I'm going to find out what it was."
"Larien, you can barely sit. If you think you'll get an answer out of me by force, you are sorely mistaken."
Sam looked around slightly confused, he hadn't really heard what was said, so he contented himself with picking up where he left off.
"I think you scared Mr. Frodo. Think that Gandalf and Strider were a bit put off too." Sam said inclining his head. "Even if they're too stubborn to admit it." Gandalf and Aragorn both smiled. "But Lady Amber kept Pip, Merry, Frodo and me busy with tales from your land. Mostly about fireworks and something called Diet-Coke."
"Oh she did? Did she?" said Avenley giving Amber a murderous glare
"Yes quite. But most of the time she was fussing over you. Gandalf actually had to force her to sit down and rest for a bit. It's nice when you have a friend who care so much. I think she was the most afraid of everyone."
Amber blushed and went about picking up the firewood Ave had dropped earlier. She liked Sam, he always told the truth, no matter how embarrassing or hard it was to hear.
"Well it's like I said It's good to see you awake." Ave smiled and Pip, Merry, and Sam went back to where that had been sitting before.
Amber finished picking up the firewood and went to sit over by Legolas and Ave
"Well if it isn't Lady Amber herself." Said Ave
Amber sat stonily looking up at Caradhras. Legolas sensed some kind of debate was about to ensue so he hastily excused himself.
"What's wrong LADY Amber?"
"Stop. Now." Said Amber coldly
"Okay...but really. What's wrong?"
"Tomorrow we'll be leaving to go towards Moria...You know what happens there." Ave just looked at her feet and back at Amber.
"Should we say something?"
"NO! We can't say anything! It might alter the story drastically! It just wouldn't be right. You have to remember after this fall Gandalf becomes Gandalf the white...so it's fine in the long run. That's not what I'm worried about though. Tolkien only calls for a fellowship of nine. Not nine and two insane girls who happened to get sucked into this. They'll have your back because you are Legolas's sister...I'm not so sure about myself. I'm not anyone important. To at least two people here I'm just another girl who always gets in the way and is the harbinger of bad luck." Said Amber dejectedly
"Amber...there is no way. They respect you, and apparently the hobbits love you. I'm the one they all think will bring bad luck. I know I am, after my lovely little incident today. No one gives me any respect like...at all." Said Ave.
"Yes but that's because I haven't done anything stupid like you."
"Hey! No fair!" Avenley sniffed indignantly "Name one stupid thing I've done since I've gotten here...wait...don't answer that."
"My point exactly." Said Amber tartly
"Fine. I see your point, you've retained your grace and blah blah blah. I get it."
"I guess I'm just afraid that when we go into Moria, no one is going to have my back." Said Amber sadly.
"I will." Answered Avenley. "I always will."
"And I'll always have yours." Said Amber
After that they both sat perfectly still looking up at the stars, knowing these next days would be some kind of a test.
Ellinde: That was sooo beautiful!
Larien: Oh I know!
Ellinde & Larien: WAAAAAHHHHH!