Chapter 7: A Tragedy Strikes

A/N: Sorry it's been so long! Okay I am leaving tomorrow (Friday) for a fall retreat with my church so I will be gone all weekend. Maybe at the camp site I'll write the next chapter down. And all I'll have to do is type it. Probably not though, since I'll be having too much fun

Thanks a bunch to all my reviewers!

Disclaimer: Middle-Earth is too wonderful for me to ever own. Duh. But I do own Erulissë and Alassiel. Just to let you know, I got their names and Thorontur's name from arwen-undomiel DOT com in the Elvish section.

Elerina woke the next morning to a light tapping on her door. She yawned, stretched, and sat up stiffly. "Come in," she called. A young girl who looked about twelve years old entered. She was slender and had long brown hair and green eyes.

"Good morning, lady Elerina. I'm sorry to have to waken you, but it is getting late, and Lady Míriel would like to breakfast with you in the gardens if you so wish," the girl said softly.

"What time is it?" Elerina asked.

"It is about one and a half hours after sunrise," she replied. Elerina thought that the sun rose at about 6:30 or 7:00, but she wasn't sure. She had never had a watch, and she was normally up before sunrise at the orphanage every day.

The young girl walked over to the wardrobe and picked out a gown. It was pale green and had silver embroidery on the bodice. "It's warm this morning. Would you like to wear this?" she asked.

"It's lovely." Elerina stroked the silky fabric. The girl helped her dress, brushed and braided her hair, and gave her a silver necklace with a green jewel in it.

"Thank you very much." Elerina smiled. "What is your name?"

"My name is Erulissë. I have a twin sister named Alassiel. Everyone gets us mixed up, so don't feel bad if you do. Everyone calls me Lassi and her Lissë. The only difference between us is that she is taller than me. Only a little bit though." At this she pouted at being the shorter of the two. "Se also has blue eyes. Normally she wears blue and I wear green, but often we wear the same color to make people confused," she replied. Just then another young girl who looked exactly like Erulissë walked in. She looked a slight bit taller and had blue eyes.

( A/N: Okay, I know that there are now two sets of twins, but Erulissë and Alassiel are much too young for Elladan and Elrohir, so don't get your hopes up. )

"Lissë, Mama wants you in the kitchen," she said. Elerina guessed that this must be Alassiel.

"In a few moments, Lassi. I must show Lady Elerina to the gardens. Lady Míriel is waiting," Erulissë said.

"Mama wants you. I will take Lady Elerina," Alassiel protested.

"Please, call me Elerina, or Rina. I'm not a princess or anything," Elerina put in.

"Alright, you take La- I mean, Elerina. What did Mama want anyway?" Erulissë sighed.

"I don't know. Go and find out," Alassiel smirked. Erulissë stuck her tongue out and then, embarrassed that Elerina had seen her, quickly hurried out of the room. "I am Alassiel, her twin sister. But you can call me Lassi."

"Pleased to meet you. I am Elerina, but you may call me Rina," she replied.

"I like your name. Well, come with me… Rina." Alassiel smiled sweetly They stepped out of Elerina's room and into the hallway. They walked for a little while longer, making a turn into a different hallway every now and then until they came a large doorway. Alassiel opened it, and sunlight streamed into the hallway, which was only lit by lanterns. Elerina saw the familiar site of the gardens. How different it looked in the sunlight.

"Good morning, Elerina. Did you sleep well?" Míriel asked. She was seated on the same stone bench that Elerina had sat on the evening before. She had on a light grey dress and was sipping what appeared to be hot tea.

"Yes, I had a lovely sleep," Elerina replied, sitting down beside her.

"Have a cup of tea, and there are some sweet cakes also." She pointed to the pot and platter on a stone table beside the bench. "Lassi, will you be a dear and go fetch us some fruit please?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Lassi replied and quickly went back inside.

"Alassiel and her sister are very sweet, but they are always bickering. A lot like Elladan and Elrohir, but the girls tend to stick with verbal arguments, while the other two like to play pranks. Have you met Erulissë?" Míriel asked.

"Yes, she helped me dress this morning," Elerina replied. Alassiel returned with a bowl of apples, oranges, and grapes.

"Thank you, child. Now go run along and help your mother in the kitchen," Míriel said to Alassiel. She made a quick bow andwent back inside. Elerina sipped her tea and plucked a grape from it's stem.

"It's a lovely morning. Nice and warm, but not hot," Elerina said, breathing in the fresh air. A bright red bird flew onto a low branch of one of the trees near them. It began it's sweet yet mournful song to the two ladies sitting and eating.

"I do just love birds," Míriel commented. Suddenly the door that Alassiel had went in burst open, and the red bird flew away quickly. A young male Elf rushed out.

"Lady Míriel, you must come quick. Something terrible has happened!" he said, Míriel covered her mouth withher hand and rushed inside, Elerina at her heals.

A/N: Ha ha I'm leaving you in suspense. Well yeah like I said earlier I am leaving tomorrow so it will be a while again for another chapter. If you read this and like my story then I LOVE you!