Standard Disclaimers apply
Chapter 7: The Library and the Tree
As soon as she was out of the other's sight Jac turned back to her usual calm self. It was only when surrounded by people she knew and liked did she act lightly. Seeing that no one but an Elven soldier was there, she imitated Legolas and politely tapped his soldier. When he turned to her, she asked in her best Elvish, "Sir, in which direction is the main library?"
The guard seemed startled at first that a human knew his language, but he replied, "Three hallways down and to your immediate right. Past the bird's garden and down the Statuary Hall and the third door to the left in the rotunda."
Jac nodded her thanks as the soldier bowed.
As soon as she was out of the elf's hearing range, Jac eagerly trotted down the magnificent halls toward one of her most beloved sanctuaries. No matter where or when you are, libraries are always the same. Jacqueline fondly remembered all the times she had spent hidden in the history and science section, where Evelyn was least likely to find her, devouring the information held in those pages. And all my teachers wondered how I always got straight A's. Jac inwardly smiled. Ah, here we are.
She was standing in front of an immense pair of heavy wooden doors. Grasping the beautifully ornamented handle of the left one, she pulled. Expecting the twelve-foot doors to stay closed, Jac was surprised at how light the doors really were. Well, what should I expect from elves?
Inside, she stopped. It was her dream world. Shelves against shelves of all kinds of books in all different languages stood in individual majesty in the enormous room. The library was even larger than the dining hall! Huge glass windows allowed sunlight to brighten the room while keeping out rain and any other potentially harmful threat to the carefully preserved books.
Comfortable chairs and little convenient tables were scattered everywhere. Looking up, Jac realized that there was a set of stairs carved out of marble to her left. Standing on her tiptoes, she saw that against the second story wall were more shelves full of books! Alternately shelf window shelf window, with cushioned benches beneath the curtained portals that lead to small balconies overlooking a peaceful garden the second story had a rail that ran the whole length of room.
Even though the library was such a quiet and simple place, there didn't seem to be any elves. For this small favor, Jacqueline was glad. It would be embarrassing for one of the perfect elves to catch her stumble over something as simple as a word. Making up her mind, Jac spent some time slowly scanning the shelves for something she might recognize as a self-help book to the Elven language. Finally, she found a small but brilliantly illustrated book on Elven mythology.
Perfect.
Taking it down and carefully marking its place on the enormous self, Jac walked to a corner hidden from the door but well lit enough to read. Sitting down at the corner table, she carefully opened the book. Two seconds later, she was so immersed in the stories, she wouldn't have noticed if a bomb dropped on her. Not that there were anything like bombs in Middle Earth.
- -
Closing the cover of the book, Jac yawned and stretched. She gave a start when she realized how late it was. The library was flooded with heavy golden sunlight as the sun prepared to set.
Excited, Jac hurriedly replaced the book and swiftly walked out to the garden. The entire time she had been in Middle-Earth, she had missed the sunset. Now she would see one of this world's wonder of nature. She ran back to the hill she had noticed near the pond she had dumped Merry and Pippin. It would be the perfect place to view the setting sun.
- -
Legolas sat in the branches of one of the oldest trees in Mirkwood. Silently, he spoke with the tree, a gift only the royal family possessed. Now he leaned back and smiled. Sharing small talk with an old tree always left him with a mild sense of euphoria afterwards. Sinking deeper in the deep blue of serenity, he started to mediate.
Started to, for he was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Not human, too light. He started to get irritated, though, when the footsteps were replaced by the sound of someone quickly swinging through the tree's limbs. Beneath his body, Legolas was surprised to hear the old tree give an almost imperceptible sigh of pleasure. He was even more surprised when the noise stopped right below him.
- -
Jac sprang up the tree, relishing the little sounds that indicated a healthy specimen. Deciding that she was still too far away to see the sunset properly, Jac climbed up another branch . . . to come face to face with Legolas.
- -
Legolas clutched his heart chest in shock when Jac popped up right in front of him. He would have fallen off the tree as well if Jacqueline had not caught his arm. Looking at him, worry was evident in her eyes, "Are you alright? I don't think elves falling out of trees are a common occurrence."
Trying to calm his erratically beating heart, Legolas smiled reassuringly at her, "I'm fine, quite fine. I was just a little surprised how fast you got up here. Most humans can barely climb a half-grown sapling."
Indignantly, Jac glared at him. "Well, I'm a human and I did it. If you wouldn't mind, please leave me alone."
With that rejoinder, she scooted to another part of the tree branch and firmly turned her back to him.
Since it was clear that she did not intend to continue any more conversation, Legolas sighed and turned his attention back to the setting sun.
It was a beautiful thing to see. As the dark gold orb of the sun majestically sank from view behind the mountains, long, trailing wisps of smoky white clouds adorned the sky. The sky itself was a lovely blend of all the colors and shades of the rainbow. A few birds sang sweet songs of goodnight to each other as the sky darkened. When the stars were clearly seen shining like jewels on inky black velvet from above, the nocturnal birds and other creatures of the night made a heavenly harmony as their separate and intricate sounds twined around each other to create a music of their own.
As Jac sat in the quietly rustling tree, entranced, Legolas's delicate ears heard the sound of the dinner tone, a flute-like melody. As quietly as he could, he murmured, "Jac, it is time for dinner."
He was surprised by the reaction he got.
Jac whipped around so fast, she almost fell out of the tree. Legolas could hear the old oak rustle its branches anxiously.
Grabbing her arm before she actually did fall off, Legolas asked, "What's wrong?"
Vaguely, Jac shook her head, "I-I don't know. I just heard a . . . voice in my head for a second."
Relaxing, Legolas let go of her arm, "Is that all?"
"What do you mean, 'is that all'?"
As he started the climb back to the ground, Legolas replied, "Humans hear things around the older trees all the time."
As she followed, Jac asked, "Does Aragorn hear things too?"
Leaping lightly to the grassy ground, Legolas frowned, "I don't know. He never told me."
Shrugging, he turned and started walking to the separate dinner hall, "Well, they do no harm or good, so it doesn't matter. Much"
As she walked beside him Jac raised an eyebrow, "'Much'?"
Another nonchalant shrug, "There have been times in our history that human heroes are warned of danger by a 'mysterious voice' before, but those records were in really bad condition, so out historians couldn't read much. No accurately anyway. Why are you so interested anyway?"
Trying to act nonchalant, Jacqueline turned away, "Oh, no particular reason."
Seeing that she was heading somewhere else, Legolas asked, "It's dinner time, where are you going?"
Her reply would have been lost to the rapidly raising wind, if Legolas had been anything else but an elf, ". . . To see Shadow Stalker!"
Shaking his head at the human's obsession over a horse, albeit one as unique as Shadow Stalker, Legolas continued on his way to the dining hall for the comfort of good food, friendly talk, and respite from the cold wind.
- -
Okay? Should I really write more of this fic?
Isn't Jacqueline too perfect to be true? Flames welcome. I think Mary Sues are horrible too.
All this was written in my freshman year of high school. I was naive and stupid and did not understand the horror of OCs.
If you truly enjoyed this, more power to you.