A Pale Moon Rises: Chapter 3
A/N: I'm really, really, really, really sorry this update took so long. I know I promised quicker updates, and they will be quicker. I've just been kinda busy and not really thinking about my story and being "un-inspired" and all that so um… yeah. Sorry again! Please review and I will update quicker I promise!
Thanks muchly to Elven Bunny and Butterfly Lion, mis.mira, amrawo, Akeryou, LadyElfDragon, felicitousmomento, and White Blossom of Gondor. I heart reviews!
Disclaimer: Never have, don't now, and never will
The streets wound by in their confusing spider web, as did Elerina's thoughts. She was tired and hungry, and these people wouldn't believe her. They all thought this was Middle-Earth. But what if it was? What then? Middle-Earth was fictional, so that would make Elerina a fictional character too, right?
But what was she talking about, this couldn't be Middle-Earth. The dictionary definition of the word fictional is: An imaginative creation or a pretense that does not represent actuality but has been invented. That was just it. It was entirely impossible.
The woman who Elerina was following suddenly spoke. "My name is Míriel. My daughters, Erulissë and Alassiel, were the ones who brought you here." Elerina didn't reply for a moment.
"My name is Elerina." The woman nodded and walked up to one of the small houses. If Elerina had been less tired she would have noticed that it was the same one Erulissë and Alassiel brought her to a little while ago, but to her sleep filled mind they all looked the same.
"You may stay here and rest until your mind is clear. Then we can discuss getting you back to your home," the woman smiled kindly at her. "I assume you don't have any other clothes to change into?" When the younger girl nodded absentmindedly, Míriel walked over to one of the three chest-of-drawers and pulled out a thin, loose sleeping gown. She handed it to Elerina and pointed to a door on the other side of the dwelling. "There is a room you can change in."
The girl silently nodded her thanks and went into the room Míriel had indicated. When she had dressed, she came out and awkwardly stood at the door holding her folded clothes, imagining that she looked amusing in the loose, too-large sleeping gown. The older woman was sitting in a chair embroidering a dress. "You may put your clothes on this table and lay down in that bed," she offered. Still feeling extremely shy and awkward, Elerina did as was bidden and slipped beneath the covers of the bed. She looked for a moment at Míriel, who continues to sit and embroider. "Just forget I'm here, child. I won't make a sound. Just sleep."
And Elerina did just that.
She did just that until almost mid-afternoon. As she awoke and looked around, Elerina saw that Míriel had gone, leaving the room empty. "Oh, what fun," she mumbled to herself sourly as she slipped out of the bed. She grabbed her clothes from the table and changed. After making the bed so it looked somewhat presentable and laying the bed clothes on top of it, she ventured a look outside.
There weren't as many people around as there had been in the morning, and she sighed, not wanting to wander around an unfamiliar place alone. 'I seem to be doing a lot of sighing…' she thought wryly. She was looking down one of the paths when a familiar face met her. It was Míriel's husband, being dragged on by Erulissë and Alassiel.
"Look, Father. She's awake!" one of the twins was saying.
"Hello, Elerina!" said the other. 'They look so much alike. I couldn't tell them apart for the life of me,' she thought. She smiled half-heartedly at them and looked at their father.
"Lord Elrond wishes to speak with you," was all he said. His words were not unkind, and he smiled at her, but something about the way he said the phrase, and the way everyone else said anything to her, made her feel just a bit unwelcome. Noticing her uncomfortable appearance, the man spoke to her again. "I apologize for the lack of hospitality, but Lord Elrond can never be too sure who is friend or foe in this time of evil. I hope you will forgive us."
"Um, yeah, no problem," Elerina replied. One of the twins was walking backwards next to her father, looking at the girl.
"Your clothes are funny."
"Erulissë, don't be so rude!" Alassiel scolded her.
"What? They are, and you can't lie and say they aren't."
"I didn't say they weren't, but be polite for Eru's sake!"
"Girls, please stop arguing. Erulissë, be more polite to Elerina. Alassiel, do not correct your sister. That's my and your mother's job," their father reprimanded. A mumbled "Yes, father," was heard from the two. Elerina disguised a giggle with a cough.
They came upon another stone archway (there had been a lot of them) and entered into a kind of sitting room, with small circular tables and comfortable chairs. There were trays of steaming liquid next to each table. "This is the tea house, where everyone comes when they want to talk and drink tea," said one of the twins.
"You mean like a coffee shop?" asked Elerina.
"Um, it could be I guess, but what's coffee?" asked the other twin.
"Nevermind."
They came in front of a table near one of the side walls where Elrond was sitting with a few others. I may not be dumb enough to believe them, but these people have done a good job of pretending that this is Middle-Earth. At least they all look and act like Elves.
"Ah, Thorontur, I see that you've brought the girl. Thank you. Now your wife was here a few minutes ago, and she said that she needed your daughters in the kitchen," Elrond said after looking up from his conversation. Erulissë and Alassiel groaned loudly, and their father pinched them for bad behavior in front of Elrond. He nodded his leave to the Lord and Elerina before taking the two girls out.
"If you'll excuse me please," Lord Elrond said to his companions. He stood up and motioned Elerina outside. "Let's take a walk, shall we?" Elerina nodded and fell in step a little behind him. "What is your name?"
"Elerina Nicholson," she replied shortly.
"Where are you from and how did you come here?"
"I'm from Boston, Massachusetts, and all I know is some jerk hit my car when I was pulling out of the apartments and I woke up in the woods over there," she replied again, motioning in no particular direction. Elrond stopped and looked at her curiously, his hands folded behind his back.
"I'm sorry if I seem rude, but what in Eru's name did you just say?" he said, and Elerina almost saw a twitch on his lips.
"See, there you go again. You all are obsessed with your little fantasy that this is Middle-Earth! This is not Middle-Earth, and sorry to brake it to you, but it never will be. Middle-Earth is a world that came out of some dead guy's brain! No offence to the genius Tolkien, by all means," Elerina burst out. The curious look on Elrond's normally solemn features deepened.
"All right then. What I'm really trying to say is: How do I know I can trust you?" he asked, shrugging off the girl's previous outburst.
"Um, I dunno. What is there not to trust?" she asked as she attempted her best innocent look. It didn't work quite as planned. "Look, as long as you strange people are going to keep up this whole thing about it being Middle-Earth, do you think I could get a job somewhere? I don't have any money. It's all at my apartment."
After a moment Elrond spoke again. "There are more important things going on here during this time. For now, if you wish to stay, you may work as a maid. Cleaning, helping in the kitchen, and the like. I'll have to stay with Míriel, so you do not get lost."
"Thank you, sir."
A maid. Joy to the world.
I know it's kind of short but if I kept going it would be too long. Thank you for your patience, and please review! It will make me happy! Really! Please? Well… yeah. Oh yeah, and I don't really know a lot about Rivendell daily life, so I'm sort of making it up a little.
Nai haryuvalyë melwa rë,
The illustrious and most evil BEAN