DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN LORD OF THE RINGS
SHOUTOUTS:
Air: Ok, ok! I'm updating! I'm updating! ^-^ Thanks for your patience. ^_____^
Icy878: YAY! It's good!! ^-^
Lulubell: Yeah---- I CAN update...will I? NEVER!!!!!!!...LOL. Just teasing. ^_^ Thanx for reviewing.
Asilina: I must warn you...I'm REALLY, REALLY, REALLY lazy. I have a tendency not to update for months at a time *heh heh*. And yes...I frequently get bored w/ stories...but if I get enough reviews...I keep them up. If I start to lose faith in the story...I'll just delete it ^-^
Little-lost-one: Chocolate chip muffin men...or blueberry???? I like 'em both ^-^
Kyma: Tankies ^_^ I understand the whole no time thing...plenty o' that ^-^
Allie: Slow is good...I don't like to rush my stories---- tho I usually do, heh heh ^^
Piao'Liang: Of course she'll fall in love!!! LOL. Having my characters fall in love is my subconscious way of tricking myself into thinking that =I= still have a chance for boyfriends...and that everyone has that 'special someone'. Heh heh. ^.^
CPE: Ah...Imeron...I have so many friends like him that it's scary. Perhaps that's why he's so lifelike...^.^
Meryl: I LIKE my author's notes!! As for the 'flashbacks'...you're right...not ALL of us are imbeciles...but some are. So for the few that are...I keep writing the little 'flashback' thing. ^.^...and her outfit.....well, I had just written an Amazon story that day so I was stuck on the whole fringed leather thing.....and also, Dagrius is scum and he was sick enough to want his women, um.scantily clad (to say the least). I was really trying to show what a horrible perv he was...u kno? And Ondraya continued to dress like that because it was all that she knew. But don't worry...she's in Rivendell in this chap, isn't she? They'll fix her lil' fashion prob. Ondraya was a name picked randomly...never knew elvish female names didn't end in 'a'...besides, 'Ondraya' isn't her real name...but you'll just have to wait on that ~.^ Sheesh ...dialogue...yeah-still tryin' to figure that out. Her age I'm not sure of. I want her to be young enough to be deeply influenced by Dagrius, and not have developed a good relationship w/ her family yet, but I want her to be old enough to understand what's going on. Ondraya's hair color ---as will be more explained in this chap-was blond because her mother was from Mirkwood. I know I didn't elaborate on that...but I was really just trying to lay down the feel of the story at that point. And men were probably polite to the hobbits, yes...but in this, they're REALLY, REALLY drunk, and enough alcohol can distort anyone's senses. You're right...if it's inconvenient to me...I skip it. I've never read the books. I just pick up little facts and info pieces from other fics. I didn't respond to her review as a flame...just as something that was 'inconvenient' and annoying. People on ff.net can be very literal, which is annoying. A fic is something done for fun. There are no ground rules or limitations.
Dizzy Dyskrasia: I've never read the books. Like I said to Meryl, I just pick up facts and info pieces from the movie and other fics. People on ff.net can be very literal, which is annoying. A fic is something done for fun. There are no ground rules or limitations.
Niena: Tankies!! I love when people love all my stories...it makes me feel warm and fuzzy...LOL. JK.
Melissa Greenleaf: Cheerleaders have an extremely bad rep, I think. I kno some perfectly nasty ones, and some awesome ones. It's just all in the balance. And if you call getting grounded every hour a life...yeah....I have a life. LOL.
Kiki-0303: O' course I'll have Leggy! I can't go more than 5 chaps w/o him ~.^
OK ALL!! So glad to have you all review!!!! SO SWEET! SO GREAT!! This chap is dedicated to all who reviewed.especially the faithful reviewers who keep an eye on this fic!! Y'all are great!!
REVIEW AGAIN!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
ONDRAYA'S P.O.V.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I led my horse towards Haldir's. "What's the meaning of this!?" I hissed in his ear. He slapped a large, smooth, Elven hand over his pointed ear.
"Easy, milady!" He grumbled. "Elven ears are highly sensitive!" He explained.
I scowled. "Fine! Sorry! But I want to know what you're up to! Why did we come HERE? What's Galadriel's game?" I persisted. He brought his hand away from his ear, and cocked an eyebrow.
"What do you mean, miss? Is there something wrong with Rivendell?" He questioned.
"THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO KNOW!!" I all but hollered. He sighed.
"Really, Lady Ondra, you must learn to control your violent temper." He scolded, and urged his horse towards where the Rivendell elf, Fionan, was motioning.
"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT! I KNOW YOU'RE UP TO SOMETHING, HALDIR!!" I shouted, angrily kicking my horse. The poor beast snorted indignantly and stamped his hooves in protest to the mistreatment. "O don't you start on me now, too." I grumbled, jerking his reins towards Fionan, Haldir, and Imeron.
Imeron was surprisingly quiet, gazing around with a wistful smile on his features. I watched him curiously. He didn't even notice me staring at him. "It's been such a long time since I was last here..." He whispered.
"You've been here before?" I questioned. He just nodded. "I've never even heard of Rivendell--- until this point." I muttered. That caught his attention......his and everyone else's.
"You've never heard of Rivendell!?" Fionan asked me, looking at me as though I had three heads.
"No."
"The last homely house?"
"The last homely what!?"
"Lord Elrond?"
"Who?"
"Arwen Evenstar?"
"Stars? When did we get on the subjects of stars? What are you people talking about!?" I shook my head in confusion.
"You mortals grow more ignorant with each passing day." Fionan grumbled, patting the nose of Haldir's horse as Haldir dismounted.
"What does ignorant mean?" Imeron questioned. I whacked him.
"Ignorant means that you don't know what ignorant means--- you ignoramus!" I snapped. Wrinkles formed across his brow, giving him a truly baffled looked.
"Ignoramus?"
"UH! I give up!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands into the air. Haldir and Fionan chuckled, hiding their amusement behind their hands for Imeron's sake.
I slipped off the back of my horse. The creature heaved a large sigh of relief as soon as my feet hit the dirt. I bristled. The horse was against me too!? I turned sharply on my heel to face him. "Now see here you smelly old fleabag..." I held my finger right up to his nose. He rolled his eyes and walked away. I never finished my sentence...just stood frozen- contemplating what to do next. After all, do you have any dignity after a =horse= outsmarts you?
The guys all had a great laugh at this scene, and Fionan stopped the horse. "There, there..." He patted its neck. "I know she's a fiesty thing, but she's a lady...be respectful to her." He ordered the horse.
"Hey!" I protested. They all laughed some more. "Oh! Glad to see that you're all having a good chuckle at my expense today!" I grumbled.
"Our pleasure, milady." Haldir bowed. I sighed, and decided to just shut my mouth.
Trumpets suddenly sounded. "Open the gates! Make way! Make way!" The guards shouted, rushing back and forth. "Hurry, hurry! Make haste! The prince! The prince!" They hollered, scurrying to and fro.
"The prince!" Fionan gasped, clamping a hand to his forehead. "I forgot that today is the day of his arrival! Quickly! You there!" He pointed to two passing servants.
"Us, sir?" They chorused.
"Yes, you! Hurry over here!" Fionan demanded. "You lead these two men," He motioned to Haldir and Imeron. "To the spare guests room. Take her," He pointed to me. "Give her a bath and some real clothes. I will not have any females strutting around Rivendell like whores when respectable nobles are about; especially nobles visiting from other cities!" He stated.
"Hey!" I shouted. "I do not strut like a whore! How dare you!!!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, yes," He waved me away like an annoying fly. "Get going." He ordered. I scowled and allowed the female servant to lead me away.
"Hey! What about my bags!?" I remembered.
"They will be brought to your room once you are situated." She explained, leading me down elaborate and twisting hallways.
I said no more. I was too busy gazing in wonder at the amazing structures of Rivendell. While Lothlorien had a ghostly, eerie peacefulness to it, Rivendell was wonderfully tranquil. Homes were built IN the trees at Lothlorien, but in Rivendell, everything was made AROUND the lush forest. It was so in tune with nature, here, that you couldn't help but feel bonded to it.
"Strip." The servant said suddenly. I jumped, startled.
Not only had I been bothered out of my own interesting thoughts, but I had also been interrupted by the most abrupt language.
"I beg your pardon?" I rose my eyebrow in her direction.
"Sorry, madam. I did not realize that your mind was elsewhere. I thought that you had noticed that we've arrived at the baths." She held her hand out, motioning to the surrounding area. I looked around. We were, indeed, in a very large, and very lovely, bathroom.
"Oh." I replied simply. She pointed to the porcelain tub, built into the floor of a wooden platform in the middle of the room.
"If you'll undress and get into the bath, I shall return with the soaps and clothes for you to wear." She informed me. I gripped my leather outfit.
"What's wrong with the clothes that I have on?" I asked, scowling.
"I think, madam, that the question is more like: what ISN'T wrong with those clothes?" She answered simply, and left. I blinked in confusion for a moment, then shook my head to get my thoughts in order.
Muttering about strange elves as I did so, I yanked off my boots, undid my long, inky hair, and (looking cautiously around me) removed the rest of my garments. I quickly slipped into the steaming water to cover my naked body. The woman returned moments later.
I crossed my arms across my bare chest and dipped further into the water. "I found some soaps with lovely fragrances, miss." She told me, holding several little, glass vials in her arms. Some were blue, some were green, heck-some were blue and green.
She sat down next to the tub, and pulled my heavy, black hair out of the water. First she combed it, trying not to rip at the many snarls. However, it was hard not to do so, and I grimaced with every strand that she 'brushed'. Eventually, my scalp was done being combed (or 'tortured', as I like to call it), and she lathered lilac soap into it. I call it 'lilac' because that's exactly what it smelled like. As she rinsed the suds from my hair, I ran a bubbly sponge along my body, washing it.
Soon enough, she declared me clean, and I thanked the gods, because I was sick of being naked in front of another person-even it she was female.
I stepped out of the tub, and she draped a silky robe over my shoulders. "Come, madam, this way." She led me through the bathroom's other set of doors into a large, well-furnished bedroom. It was complete with a canopy bed, glass doors (which led to a balcony), an armoire, a vanity, several other beautifully carved pieces of furniture, and, of course, the bathroom that I had just finished up in.
She sat me down in front of the vanity, and proceeded to towel-dry my hair. After the whole complicated mess was done up in a lovely elven fashion, I stepped into a plain, light blue elven gown. The sleeves fanned out like bells, and there was a small train behind me. I was given small, satin blue slippers, and was ready. "There you are, madam. Finished." She stated.
I glanced in the body-length mirror by the balcony doors. "A dress." I grumbled. She patted my shoulder.
"There, there, miss. You look lovely. Come-your friends are waiting. This way." She stepped out of the room, and I followed. At the end of the hallway, Imeron and Haldir were already waiting.
"Ah! Ondra! There you are!" Imeron waved excitedly.
"Hello." I greeted him less exuberantly.
"You look very lovely, Lady Ondraya." Haldir acknowledged.
"Thank you." I nodded.
"If only we could get her personality to be just as nice!" Imeron whooped. I scowled.
"Imeron, one of these days I'm going to rip your tongue out of your head and wrap it around your neck, so help me!" I screeched, preparing to launch after him.
Haldir foresaw my actions, however, and grabbed me by the wrist to stop me. "Milady," He said in a hushed voice. "Now would not be the time or place for you to make a scene." He reminded me.
"But..." I started to protest, but he silenced me with a look. I grumbled and turned my back to them, arms crossed over my chest.
"Good evening, you three." Said another voice behind me. I peered over my shoulder and saw Fionan.
"Hello Fi!" Imeron clapped him on the back happily. Fionan's eyes grew wide, but he wisely chose not to say a word.
"Good evening." Haldir nodded. Imeron smiled at him. Then he noticed me.
"Ah! Well you certainly look different!" He gave a small laugh, and I just played my most bored and irritated expression. "Come," He held out his elbow. "It's time for dinner!"
I looked from his arm to him, and back to his arm-not knowing what to do. When I stood there, motionless like an idiot, he scooped my arm through his and began walking down the hallways.
"That was a very rude comment that you made earlier." I remarked.
"It was true." He shrugged. "Your outfit was tasteless. Even your horse thought so."
I gave him a look, and Haldir and Imeron leaned in closer to better hear him. "The...horse?" I repeated, still unsure. He nodded.
"Yes. I had a chat with the poor thing while I put him away in the stables. He specifically requested that you never ride him again!" Fionan laughed, Haldir and Imeron joining in. I just grumbled words that were unintelligible-even for an elf.
"I'm also sorry to have neglected your business thus far, Haldir." Fionan apologized, turning to Haldir. "But what with the prince arriving from Mirkwood, and Lord Elrond busy arranging tomorrow's hunt...I haven't had much time to bring the matter up." He explained.
Haldir nodded in that knowing, understanding way of his. "Of course. The subject is not urgent. Just tell Lord Elrond whenever you have a free moment. Let him know that we're in no hurry. In fact, it might even be better if we take it slowly..." He pondered aloud.
"What matter? Lord Elrond? What prince? Who're they?" I questioned. Fionan shook his head, and even Imeron gasped.
"Sheesh, Ondra! Where have you been? Locked up in a castle!?" Imeron exclaimed.
I sighed...if only he knew...heh heh.
At that moment, we arrived at the large oak doors of the dining hall. With a small shove, Haldir easily opened the heavy doors. Loud chattering assailed our ears. Many elves sauntered gracefully around the room--- the very large room. "Alright!" Imeron exclaimed, clapping his hand and rubbing them together. "Pretty girls..." He grinned widely.
"Imeron!" I whacked him.
"Ow!" He jumped back, rubbing his arm ruefully. "One of these days I'm not gonna have any limbs left for you to beat!" He exclaimed. I grinned.
"Really?" I asked, leaning forward eagerly.
"Yes." He nodded solemnly.
"Great!" I exclaimed, lunging forward.
"Ah!" He screamed, running into the giant dining hall. I laughed maniacally and gave chase.
"No! Ondra! Imeron!" Fionan yelled, but neither of us noticed.
"They're going to get themselves into so much trouble one of these days." Haldir muttered, shaking his head in disdain. Fionan simply nodded.
"Get back here!" I hollered to Imeron.
"Never!" He squealed. We smashed into various elves and people during our chase, earning many indignant shouts. "Can't catch me!" Imeron taunted.
"When I do, you'd better get down on your knees and pray!" I threatened, earning a sarcastic laugh from him. This, of course, made me all the more angry, and spurred me faster. I threw out my hand to grip the back of his vest, when I was suddenly gripped by the shoulders. Unable to see my captor, I was yanked backward into the darkness. "Let go!" I shouted furiously, writhing in the dark.
The attacker clamped a hand over my mouth, holding my wrists together with his other hand. This stilled me enough to fully understand my situation. I was in some sort of closet--- in the complete dark. If they thought that they were going to get their seven minutes in heaven--- they were DEAD wrong. I clamped my teeth down on the offending hand--- HARD. "Yow!" He shrieked.
What followed was a mass struggle of fabric, hands, boots, and a lot of yelling. Couldn't anybody hear us? A fight wasn't exactly quiet.
He finally got a hold of me, however, and things got quiet once more. "You see?" He questioned. "I can still best you." He bragged. I stiffened-I knew that voice. He laughed, feeling me tense up. "Ah-so you recognize me."
"How could I not-Traven." I sneered. Traven -chief henchman of Dagrius- laughed.
"Lord Dagrius was so upset when he heard that you had left. You really shouldn't have left like that." Traven whispered in my ear tauntingly, playing with me. "But he doesn't want you back yet; no, quite the contrary. He wants you to think about what a bad girl you've been, Ondraya."
"Shut your trap, Traven! I'm not going to listen to you hiss like the worthless rat that you really are! Let go of me! NOW!"
He laughed harder. "Just remember, Ondraya. You belong to Lord Dagrius-and he always claims what's his-sooner or later."
Suddenly, I was roughly shoved forward; the bright light sharply hit my eyes. I heard a 'click' sound behind me, and whirled around to go after Traven, but came face to face with nothing but a blank wall. "Trap door." I growled angrily.
I turned around to face the still-growing crowd again, and rubbed my eyes in an effort to make them adjust faster; the light was too strong. Walking -my sight still disoriented-I tripped over my own dress. The floor seemed to rise up-- until, suddenly, two strong arms caught me.
"Are you alright, milady?" The person asked. I blinked and gazed at him. Boy he was handsome: long blond hair, fair features, large, ocean blue eyes filled with concern.
"Yes. Thank you." I whispered. Hastily standing up, I searched all around me for Traven. He was nowhere. That trapdoor must lead out of the castle, or into another room at least.
"Is something the matter?" The elf questioned worriedly, noticing me search the room frantically. I wished that he'd go away. I had to keep my manners, though. Fionan had already embarrassed me enough by calling my clothes slutty. Besides, I sort of agreed with Haldir when he said that now what not a good time, and this was not a good place to make a fool of myself.
"Oh yes, yes. Everything's fine, thank you. I'm just looking for someone, but they've already gone." I sighed. "Thank you again. I should really go and find my group." I gave him a forced smile. He smiled back-his much more sincere.
"Of course. Let me walk you to your friends." He offered, holding out his arm like Fionan had done earlier. I hesitated for a moment, but then sighed. What could it hurt?
"Thank you." I looped my arm through his and we began squirting around the dance floor to then other end of the room.
"He we are, going friendly, and I don't even know your name." He pointed out subtly.
"Oh, yes, of course. Sorry. My name is Ondraya." I told him. His warm grew grew bigger.
"I've never heard it before-but I like it." He complimented.
"Thank you...?"
He looked somewhat startled when I asked his name. I frowned. Did I offend him or something?
"You don't know?" He questioned.
"Should I? I'm sorry-have we met before? I don't have such a great memory..."
"No, no, milady. 'Tis not you; we have never met before. It's just that......nevermind." He shook his head, as though clearing away troubling thoughts. "My name is Legolas." He finally told me.
I didn't reply, though. I was still wondering why he'd acted that way, before. Should I have known him? I've never met anyone named Legolas--- I don't think. What I said before was true; I really don't have a good memory.
We strolled through the ballroom. An awkward silence had befallen us.
"Are you an elf of Rivendell?" He asked suddenly. My head snapped up.
"What? No. Why do you ask?"
He shrugged. "You just have that presence of you; you seem like an elf. Besides, you have the dark hair that is typical of Rivendell's elves." He stated.
"I'm not an elf." I replied, tucking my hair behind my ROUND ear to emphasize my point.
"No," He said slowly, as though almost unsure. "I suppose that you're not."
It was then that I noticed Haldir on the other side of the room. "Oh!" I exclaimed. "There they are!" I pointed.
"Good," Legolas nodded. "But I shall only let you leave under one condition." He bantered, smiling in a mischievous way that reminded me strangely of Imeron.
"What condition? What are you up to?" I inquired, raising my eyebrow inquisitively.
"You must promise me a dance for later." He explained.
"A dance?" I scoffed. "Is that all?" I asked disbelievingly.
"Alright then, two dances." He smiled.
"Two." I nodded in agreement.
"I shall come and find you after dinner." He promised, and I nodded again. He smiled, then turned and walked off. I watched him until he disappeared from view, and then headed towards my own friends.
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Ok, well, I had more, but I'm sick of typing (hee hee). This was a long chap already!!!! LOL.
I'm sure that all my characters are getting confusing, so here's a brief summary of them for u.
Ondraya: O come on. Do I REALLY need to explain this one?
Imeron: the witty, sometimes stupid, gamble addict who tags along with Ondra and Haldir.
Dagrius: Ondra's former master who's still after her.
Gannon: the man who collects Dagrius's elven slaves for him.
Fionan: The guard at Rivendell who assists Haldir and smarts off to Ondra constantly.
Traven: Dagrius's right hand man; helping Dagrius get Ondra back.
I think that's all of them. I'm not sure ^^ REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~* ElfPilot *~
SHOUTOUTS:
Air: Ok, ok! I'm updating! I'm updating! ^-^ Thanks for your patience. ^_____^
Icy878: YAY! It's good!! ^-^
Lulubell: Yeah---- I CAN update...will I? NEVER!!!!!!!...LOL. Just teasing. ^_^ Thanx for reviewing.
Asilina: I must warn you...I'm REALLY, REALLY, REALLY lazy. I have a tendency not to update for months at a time *heh heh*. And yes...I frequently get bored w/ stories...but if I get enough reviews...I keep them up. If I start to lose faith in the story...I'll just delete it ^-^
Little-lost-one: Chocolate chip muffin men...or blueberry???? I like 'em both ^-^
Kyma: Tankies ^_^ I understand the whole no time thing...plenty o' that ^-^
Allie: Slow is good...I don't like to rush my stories---- tho I usually do, heh heh ^^
Piao'Liang: Of course she'll fall in love!!! LOL. Having my characters fall in love is my subconscious way of tricking myself into thinking that =I= still have a chance for boyfriends...and that everyone has that 'special someone'. Heh heh. ^.^
CPE: Ah...Imeron...I have so many friends like him that it's scary. Perhaps that's why he's so lifelike...^.^
Meryl: I LIKE my author's notes!! As for the 'flashbacks'...you're right...not ALL of us are imbeciles...but some are. So for the few that are...I keep writing the little 'flashback' thing. ^.^...and her outfit.....well, I had just written an Amazon story that day so I was stuck on the whole fringed leather thing.....and also, Dagrius is scum and he was sick enough to want his women, um.scantily clad (to say the least). I was really trying to show what a horrible perv he was...u kno? And Ondraya continued to dress like that because it was all that she knew. But don't worry...she's in Rivendell in this chap, isn't she? They'll fix her lil' fashion prob. Ondraya was a name picked randomly...never knew elvish female names didn't end in 'a'...besides, 'Ondraya' isn't her real name...but you'll just have to wait on that ~.^ Sheesh ...dialogue...yeah-still tryin' to figure that out. Her age I'm not sure of. I want her to be young enough to be deeply influenced by Dagrius, and not have developed a good relationship w/ her family yet, but I want her to be old enough to understand what's going on. Ondraya's hair color ---as will be more explained in this chap-was blond because her mother was from Mirkwood. I know I didn't elaborate on that...but I was really just trying to lay down the feel of the story at that point. And men were probably polite to the hobbits, yes...but in this, they're REALLY, REALLY drunk, and enough alcohol can distort anyone's senses. You're right...if it's inconvenient to me...I skip it. I've never read the books. I just pick up little facts and info pieces from other fics. I didn't respond to her review as a flame...just as something that was 'inconvenient' and annoying. People on ff.net can be very literal, which is annoying. A fic is something done for fun. There are no ground rules or limitations.
Dizzy Dyskrasia: I've never read the books. Like I said to Meryl, I just pick up facts and info pieces from the movie and other fics. People on ff.net can be very literal, which is annoying. A fic is something done for fun. There are no ground rules or limitations.
Niena: Tankies!! I love when people love all my stories...it makes me feel warm and fuzzy...LOL. JK.
Melissa Greenleaf: Cheerleaders have an extremely bad rep, I think. I kno some perfectly nasty ones, and some awesome ones. It's just all in the balance. And if you call getting grounded every hour a life...yeah....I have a life. LOL.
Kiki-0303: O' course I'll have Leggy! I can't go more than 5 chaps w/o him ~.^
OK ALL!! So glad to have you all review!!!! SO SWEET! SO GREAT!! This chap is dedicated to all who reviewed.especially the faithful reviewers who keep an eye on this fic!! Y'all are great!!
REVIEW AGAIN!
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ONDRAYA'S P.O.V.
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I led my horse towards Haldir's. "What's the meaning of this!?" I hissed in his ear. He slapped a large, smooth, Elven hand over his pointed ear.
"Easy, milady!" He grumbled. "Elven ears are highly sensitive!" He explained.
I scowled. "Fine! Sorry! But I want to know what you're up to! Why did we come HERE? What's Galadriel's game?" I persisted. He brought his hand away from his ear, and cocked an eyebrow.
"What do you mean, miss? Is there something wrong with Rivendell?" He questioned.
"THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO KNOW!!" I all but hollered. He sighed.
"Really, Lady Ondra, you must learn to control your violent temper." He scolded, and urged his horse towards where the Rivendell elf, Fionan, was motioning.
"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT! I KNOW YOU'RE UP TO SOMETHING, HALDIR!!" I shouted, angrily kicking my horse. The poor beast snorted indignantly and stamped his hooves in protest to the mistreatment. "O don't you start on me now, too." I grumbled, jerking his reins towards Fionan, Haldir, and Imeron.
Imeron was surprisingly quiet, gazing around with a wistful smile on his features. I watched him curiously. He didn't even notice me staring at him. "It's been such a long time since I was last here..." He whispered.
"You've been here before?" I questioned. He just nodded. "I've never even heard of Rivendell--- until this point." I muttered. That caught his attention......his and everyone else's.
"You've never heard of Rivendell!?" Fionan asked me, looking at me as though I had three heads.
"No."
"The last homely house?"
"The last homely what!?"
"Lord Elrond?"
"Who?"
"Arwen Evenstar?"
"Stars? When did we get on the subjects of stars? What are you people talking about!?" I shook my head in confusion.
"You mortals grow more ignorant with each passing day." Fionan grumbled, patting the nose of Haldir's horse as Haldir dismounted.
"What does ignorant mean?" Imeron questioned. I whacked him.
"Ignorant means that you don't know what ignorant means--- you ignoramus!" I snapped. Wrinkles formed across his brow, giving him a truly baffled looked.
"Ignoramus?"
"UH! I give up!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands into the air. Haldir and Fionan chuckled, hiding their amusement behind their hands for Imeron's sake.
I slipped off the back of my horse. The creature heaved a large sigh of relief as soon as my feet hit the dirt. I bristled. The horse was against me too!? I turned sharply on my heel to face him. "Now see here you smelly old fleabag..." I held my finger right up to his nose. He rolled his eyes and walked away. I never finished my sentence...just stood frozen- contemplating what to do next. After all, do you have any dignity after a =horse= outsmarts you?
The guys all had a great laugh at this scene, and Fionan stopped the horse. "There, there..." He patted its neck. "I know she's a fiesty thing, but she's a lady...be respectful to her." He ordered the horse.
"Hey!" I protested. They all laughed some more. "Oh! Glad to see that you're all having a good chuckle at my expense today!" I grumbled.
"Our pleasure, milady." Haldir bowed. I sighed, and decided to just shut my mouth.
Trumpets suddenly sounded. "Open the gates! Make way! Make way!" The guards shouted, rushing back and forth. "Hurry, hurry! Make haste! The prince! The prince!" They hollered, scurrying to and fro.
"The prince!" Fionan gasped, clamping a hand to his forehead. "I forgot that today is the day of his arrival! Quickly! You there!" He pointed to two passing servants.
"Us, sir?" They chorused.
"Yes, you! Hurry over here!" Fionan demanded. "You lead these two men," He motioned to Haldir and Imeron. "To the spare guests room. Take her," He pointed to me. "Give her a bath and some real clothes. I will not have any females strutting around Rivendell like whores when respectable nobles are about; especially nobles visiting from other cities!" He stated.
"Hey!" I shouted. "I do not strut like a whore! How dare you!!!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, yes," He waved me away like an annoying fly. "Get going." He ordered. I scowled and allowed the female servant to lead me away.
"Hey! What about my bags!?" I remembered.
"They will be brought to your room once you are situated." She explained, leading me down elaborate and twisting hallways.
I said no more. I was too busy gazing in wonder at the amazing structures of Rivendell. While Lothlorien had a ghostly, eerie peacefulness to it, Rivendell was wonderfully tranquil. Homes were built IN the trees at Lothlorien, but in Rivendell, everything was made AROUND the lush forest. It was so in tune with nature, here, that you couldn't help but feel bonded to it.
"Strip." The servant said suddenly. I jumped, startled.
Not only had I been bothered out of my own interesting thoughts, but I had also been interrupted by the most abrupt language.
"I beg your pardon?" I rose my eyebrow in her direction.
"Sorry, madam. I did not realize that your mind was elsewhere. I thought that you had noticed that we've arrived at the baths." She held her hand out, motioning to the surrounding area. I looked around. We were, indeed, in a very large, and very lovely, bathroom.
"Oh." I replied simply. She pointed to the porcelain tub, built into the floor of a wooden platform in the middle of the room.
"If you'll undress and get into the bath, I shall return with the soaps and clothes for you to wear." She informed me. I gripped my leather outfit.
"What's wrong with the clothes that I have on?" I asked, scowling.
"I think, madam, that the question is more like: what ISN'T wrong with those clothes?" She answered simply, and left. I blinked in confusion for a moment, then shook my head to get my thoughts in order.
Muttering about strange elves as I did so, I yanked off my boots, undid my long, inky hair, and (looking cautiously around me) removed the rest of my garments. I quickly slipped into the steaming water to cover my naked body. The woman returned moments later.
I crossed my arms across my bare chest and dipped further into the water. "I found some soaps with lovely fragrances, miss." She told me, holding several little, glass vials in her arms. Some were blue, some were green, heck-some were blue and green.
She sat down next to the tub, and pulled my heavy, black hair out of the water. First she combed it, trying not to rip at the many snarls. However, it was hard not to do so, and I grimaced with every strand that she 'brushed'. Eventually, my scalp was done being combed (or 'tortured', as I like to call it), and she lathered lilac soap into it. I call it 'lilac' because that's exactly what it smelled like. As she rinsed the suds from my hair, I ran a bubbly sponge along my body, washing it.
Soon enough, she declared me clean, and I thanked the gods, because I was sick of being naked in front of another person-even it she was female.
I stepped out of the tub, and she draped a silky robe over my shoulders. "Come, madam, this way." She led me through the bathroom's other set of doors into a large, well-furnished bedroom. It was complete with a canopy bed, glass doors (which led to a balcony), an armoire, a vanity, several other beautifully carved pieces of furniture, and, of course, the bathroom that I had just finished up in.
She sat me down in front of the vanity, and proceeded to towel-dry my hair. After the whole complicated mess was done up in a lovely elven fashion, I stepped into a plain, light blue elven gown. The sleeves fanned out like bells, and there was a small train behind me. I was given small, satin blue slippers, and was ready. "There you are, madam. Finished." She stated.
I glanced in the body-length mirror by the balcony doors. "A dress." I grumbled. She patted my shoulder.
"There, there, miss. You look lovely. Come-your friends are waiting. This way." She stepped out of the room, and I followed. At the end of the hallway, Imeron and Haldir were already waiting.
"Ah! Ondra! There you are!" Imeron waved excitedly.
"Hello." I greeted him less exuberantly.
"You look very lovely, Lady Ondraya." Haldir acknowledged.
"Thank you." I nodded.
"If only we could get her personality to be just as nice!" Imeron whooped. I scowled.
"Imeron, one of these days I'm going to rip your tongue out of your head and wrap it around your neck, so help me!" I screeched, preparing to launch after him.
Haldir foresaw my actions, however, and grabbed me by the wrist to stop me. "Milady," He said in a hushed voice. "Now would not be the time or place for you to make a scene." He reminded me.
"But..." I started to protest, but he silenced me with a look. I grumbled and turned my back to them, arms crossed over my chest.
"Good evening, you three." Said another voice behind me. I peered over my shoulder and saw Fionan.
"Hello Fi!" Imeron clapped him on the back happily. Fionan's eyes grew wide, but he wisely chose not to say a word.
"Good evening." Haldir nodded. Imeron smiled at him. Then he noticed me.
"Ah! Well you certainly look different!" He gave a small laugh, and I just played my most bored and irritated expression. "Come," He held out his elbow. "It's time for dinner!"
I looked from his arm to him, and back to his arm-not knowing what to do. When I stood there, motionless like an idiot, he scooped my arm through his and began walking down the hallways.
"That was a very rude comment that you made earlier." I remarked.
"It was true." He shrugged. "Your outfit was tasteless. Even your horse thought so."
I gave him a look, and Haldir and Imeron leaned in closer to better hear him. "The...horse?" I repeated, still unsure. He nodded.
"Yes. I had a chat with the poor thing while I put him away in the stables. He specifically requested that you never ride him again!" Fionan laughed, Haldir and Imeron joining in. I just grumbled words that were unintelligible-even for an elf.
"I'm also sorry to have neglected your business thus far, Haldir." Fionan apologized, turning to Haldir. "But what with the prince arriving from Mirkwood, and Lord Elrond busy arranging tomorrow's hunt...I haven't had much time to bring the matter up." He explained.
Haldir nodded in that knowing, understanding way of his. "Of course. The subject is not urgent. Just tell Lord Elrond whenever you have a free moment. Let him know that we're in no hurry. In fact, it might even be better if we take it slowly..." He pondered aloud.
"What matter? Lord Elrond? What prince? Who're they?" I questioned. Fionan shook his head, and even Imeron gasped.
"Sheesh, Ondra! Where have you been? Locked up in a castle!?" Imeron exclaimed.
I sighed...if only he knew...heh heh.
At that moment, we arrived at the large oak doors of the dining hall. With a small shove, Haldir easily opened the heavy doors. Loud chattering assailed our ears. Many elves sauntered gracefully around the room--- the very large room. "Alright!" Imeron exclaimed, clapping his hand and rubbing them together. "Pretty girls..." He grinned widely.
"Imeron!" I whacked him.
"Ow!" He jumped back, rubbing his arm ruefully. "One of these days I'm not gonna have any limbs left for you to beat!" He exclaimed. I grinned.
"Really?" I asked, leaning forward eagerly.
"Yes." He nodded solemnly.
"Great!" I exclaimed, lunging forward.
"Ah!" He screamed, running into the giant dining hall. I laughed maniacally and gave chase.
"No! Ondra! Imeron!" Fionan yelled, but neither of us noticed.
"They're going to get themselves into so much trouble one of these days." Haldir muttered, shaking his head in disdain. Fionan simply nodded.
"Get back here!" I hollered to Imeron.
"Never!" He squealed. We smashed into various elves and people during our chase, earning many indignant shouts. "Can't catch me!" Imeron taunted.
"When I do, you'd better get down on your knees and pray!" I threatened, earning a sarcastic laugh from him. This, of course, made me all the more angry, and spurred me faster. I threw out my hand to grip the back of his vest, when I was suddenly gripped by the shoulders. Unable to see my captor, I was yanked backward into the darkness. "Let go!" I shouted furiously, writhing in the dark.
The attacker clamped a hand over my mouth, holding my wrists together with his other hand. This stilled me enough to fully understand my situation. I was in some sort of closet--- in the complete dark. If they thought that they were going to get their seven minutes in heaven--- they were DEAD wrong. I clamped my teeth down on the offending hand--- HARD. "Yow!" He shrieked.
What followed was a mass struggle of fabric, hands, boots, and a lot of yelling. Couldn't anybody hear us? A fight wasn't exactly quiet.
He finally got a hold of me, however, and things got quiet once more. "You see?" He questioned. "I can still best you." He bragged. I stiffened-I knew that voice. He laughed, feeling me tense up. "Ah-so you recognize me."
"How could I not-Traven." I sneered. Traven -chief henchman of Dagrius- laughed.
"Lord Dagrius was so upset when he heard that you had left. You really shouldn't have left like that." Traven whispered in my ear tauntingly, playing with me. "But he doesn't want you back yet; no, quite the contrary. He wants you to think about what a bad girl you've been, Ondraya."
"Shut your trap, Traven! I'm not going to listen to you hiss like the worthless rat that you really are! Let go of me! NOW!"
He laughed harder. "Just remember, Ondraya. You belong to Lord Dagrius-and he always claims what's his-sooner or later."
Suddenly, I was roughly shoved forward; the bright light sharply hit my eyes. I heard a 'click' sound behind me, and whirled around to go after Traven, but came face to face with nothing but a blank wall. "Trap door." I growled angrily.
I turned around to face the still-growing crowd again, and rubbed my eyes in an effort to make them adjust faster; the light was too strong. Walking -my sight still disoriented-I tripped over my own dress. The floor seemed to rise up-- until, suddenly, two strong arms caught me.
"Are you alright, milady?" The person asked. I blinked and gazed at him. Boy he was handsome: long blond hair, fair features, large, ocean blue eyes filled with concern.
"Yes. Thank you." I whispered. Hastily standing up, I searched all around me for Traven. He was nowhere. That trapdoor must lead out of the castle, or into another room at least.
"Is something the matter?" The elf questioned worriedly, noticing me search the room frantically. I wished that he'd go away. I had to keep my manners, though. Fionan had already embarrassed me enough by calling my clothes slutty. Besides, I sort of agreed with Haldir when he said that now what not a good time, and this was not a good place to make a fool of myself.
"Oh yes, yes. Everything's fine, thank you. I'm just looking for someone, but they've already gone." I sighed. "Thank you again. I should really go and find my group." I gave him a forced smile. He smiled back-his much more sincere.
"Of course. Let me walk you to your friends." He offered, holding out his arm like Fionan had done earlier. I hesitated for a moment, but then sighed. What could it hurt?
"Thank you." I looped my arm through his and we began squirting around the dance floor to then other end of the room.
"He we are, going friendly, and I don't even know your name." He pointed out subtly.
"Oh, yes, of course. Sorry. My name is Ondraya." I told him. His warm grew grew bigger.
"I've never heard it before-but I like it." He complimented.
"Thank you...?"
He looked somewhat startled when I asked his name. I frowned. Did I offend him or something?
"You don't know?" He questioned.
"Should I? I'm sorry-have we met before? I don't have such a great memory..."
"No, no, milady. 'Tis not you; we have never met before. It's just that......nevermind." He shook his head, as though clearing away troubling thoughts. "My name is Legolas." He finally told me.
I didn't reply, though. I was still wondering why he'd acted that way, before. Should I have known him? I've never met anyone named Legolas--- I don't think. What I said before was true; I really don't have a good memory.
We strolled through the ballroom. An awkward silence had befallen us.
"Are you an elf of Rivendell?" He asked suddenly. My head snapped up.
"What? No. Why do you ask?"
He shrugged. "You just have that presence of you; you seem like an elf. Besides, you have the dark hair that is typical of Rivendell's elves." He stated.
"I'm not an elf." I replied, tucking my hair behind my ROUND ear to emphasize my point.
"No," He said slowly, as though almost unsure. "I suppose that you're not."
It was then that I noticed Haldir on the other side of the room. "Oh!" I exclaimed. "There they are!" I pointed.
"Good," Legolas nodded. "But I shall only let you leave under one condition." He bantered, smiling in a mischievous way that reminded me strangely of Imeron.
"What condition? What are you up to?" I inquired, raising my eyebrow inquisitively.
"You must promise me a dance for later." He explained.
"A dance?" I scoffed. "Is that all?" I asked disbelievingly.
"Alright then, two dances." He smiled.
"Two." I nodded in agreement.
"I shall come and find you after dinner." He promised, and I nodded again. He smiled, then turned and walked off. I watched him until he disappeared from view, and then headed towards my own friends.
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Ok, well, I had more, but I'm sick of typing (hee hee). This was a long chap already!!!! LOL.
I'm sure that all my characters are getting confusing, so here's a brief summary of them for u.
Ondraya: O come on. Do I REALLY need to explain this one?
Imeron: the witty, sometimes stupid, gamble addict who tags along with Ondra and Haldir.
Dagrius: Ondra's former master who's still after her.
Gannon: the man who collects Dagrius's elven slaves for him.
Fionan: The guard at Rivendell who assists Haldir and smarts off to Ondra constantly.
Traven: Dagrius's right hand man; helping Dagrius get Ondra back.
I think that's all of them. I'm not sure ^^ REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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