Chapter Three: Elf Lords Are Scary

"Welcome Arwen!" Elrond spread his arms wide and embraced his daughter warmly.

"Ada! You are extremely cheerful! Almost scarily so!"

"Well, I just got the papers—I have officially disowned Celeste. She is no longer my daughter. I don't know what I was thinking, but I'm glad that passed! I'm just happy to see my REAL daughter!"

Arwen beamed, also looking somewhat relieved.

"Ah, and Lady Eowyn, always good to see you! Why have you not visited earlier?"

"They had us locked up." Arwen replied nonchalantly.

Elrond looked slightly taken aback, but then he noticed me. "Oh, and who is this?"

I suddenly got really nervous. This was the most important and powerful person I've met, and I couldn't help but feel intimidated, for he actually seemed to have his wits about him because he wasn't love struck like pretty much everyone else.

"This is Starr's daughter." Eowyn replied.

Elrond sort of shrank back all of a sudden. It was like he was afraid of ME, and not vice versa.

"Peace Ada, she is not like her mother. She is going to help us."

"Forgive me," Elrond replied, relaxing. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

I bowed stiffly, still edgy. "The pleasure is all mine."

We headed out to the gardens to talk. I refrained from wondering aloud why the gardens would be a better place to converse instead of, say, a council room. But once I saw the garden I changed my mind—it was amazing.

"A-aCHOO!"

Elrond jumped back, startled. "My goodness, are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just flowers make my nose stuffy." I answered, appalled at how childish that sounded.

"Well, if you can get sick, your mother obviously isn't full Elf. But I've been researching, and I think I know how to bring her down."

Arwen, Eowyn, and I simultaneously stepped closer with looks of glee on our faces.

"Sues get their power from their… 'fans'. But when they aren't around, their hold on them is weaker, easier to break. I propose that if you three travel around the lands and charm the people of them, Starr will begin to lose her powers. And Celeste is just an underling and will follow thus."

Charm? Not one of my strong suites. I could see Arwen and Eowyn doing it, but not me.

I pointed this out, quite blatantly.

"I don't charm."

Elrond laughed. "Well, my dear, that is where you're wrong. You are key to this mission."

I raised my eyebrows. I must have looked pretty dubious, because he continued.

"You are the opposite of your mother. That may be just what the healer order for these Starr-struck masses."

I had to laugh. Starr-struck. I know, I shouldn't be able to detect that extra 'r', but I just could.

"So where should we go first?"

"I'd say leave Rohan for last, maybe the Shire first? You can skip over Mordor, there isn't exactly much left. If you are successful, once you get back to Gondor, all you'll have to do is watch as she crashes and burns."

I really like the sound of that. And no, I don't feel any affection towards my mother.

I wish I could have stayed there forever, but next thing I knew, we were off to the Shire.

"I hear it's a very nice place," Eowyn mused.

"Alright," Arwen said, adopting a businesslike tone. "We have to go to the Shire, Mirkwood, Lothlorien, Rohan, and Moria."

"Moria!" I choked. "No offense, but somehow I don't see us charming any orcs!"

Arwen looked thoughtful. "No, I suppose not."

I breathed an inward sigh of relief. I really didn't want to have to go there. From what I heard, it wasn't exactly a pleasant place.