She Was So Normal Chapter 8: Pizza and Singing, a lord of the rings fanfic

She Was So Normal

Pizza and Singing

Author's Note: Not much new to say. Still don't own Lord of the Rings. Review and let me know what you think! Con-crit welcome, flames belong in Mount Doom. And remember- elvish in italics!

The trip to the market revealed a bit of the layout of the treed city to her. The cottage was situated in relatively close proximity to the hall of the Lord and Lady, and surrounding it was the healing house, barracks for the guards, the Lord and Lady's residence, the dwellings of pertinent personnel. As this was a city in the trees, it was the upper branches where the people generally dwelled and worked, and the ground was where any gardening or agriculture could occur. Between the official and the business sections, there was general residential in between. Her cottage seemed to be nearly smack in the middle. The Golden Acorn was in the opposite direction of the Lord and Lady's hall, and she realized that was also the direction of the bakery, the cobbler, and all the trades bar the forges and smithies. Those were on the ground, for somewhat obvious reasons. The market was also on the ground. Aranor explained that there were three markets in Caras Galdadhon, the largest and best was in the center where they were.

They headed down right away and walked on some beautifully paved white stone paths to the market. As they got closer, she saw a few horse drawn carts and things, and elves traveling on horseback, along with pedestrians carrying baskets and things. Some were heaped high with produce and Renee figured they were going to be sold, and others looked like they had already done their shopping. The sound of talking and singing grew along with sounds of carts, animals, and instruments playing. She had been to her share of farmer's markets and that was what she was braced for, but that was not exactly what she saw. This was clearly permanent.

A huge arch appeared before her and a space as wide as a city street with sidewalks was covered in shops. Actual recognizable shops. They were all comparably sized, though some were bigger and some were smaller. Most of them had doorways that were wide open and massive store windows on which their goods sat, partially in and partially out of the shop. It looked to her like each window had shutters, but they were laid horizontally, so the top one would go up and create an awning, and the bottom one would flip down and create a display table propped up by a couple of wooden legs. It seemed that the order of things was, you would stop at each vendor, select what you wanted, and the vender would wrap up what you wanted (assuming it was something you would want wrapped up. The apples, for example, didn't need it, but the meat was wrapped in what looked to her like brown butcher paper), and you would pay and either take it with you, or set it aside until you were done and then you could gather everything as you left.

Also, as the shops were small, they seemed to generally only sell one or two things. One sold apples, another smoked fish, another carrots and potatoes, and so on. Renee asked about that though, and Aranor told her that was mostly because it was winter. In summer and autumn, most of the shops were nearly overflowing with a variety of goods, but this time of year it was mostly things that stored very well or could be grown in a hot house.

"What shall we get first?" Aranor asked.

"Oh, I forgot to check flour before we left," she said, looking at a shop with large bowls of grains and flours on display.

"You shall want more," he replied.

"Alright, so let's start with flour," she said. "I think about five pounds."

"That is all?" he asked.

"Well, I'm no great baker, so that's where we'll start."

"What kind of flour would you like?" he asked.

"Honestly, I usually buy all purpose or bread flour. So whatever you would want for making a nice white bread."

He nodded and they went into the shop. The keeper was behind a counter and Aranor and he had a several minute conversation which resulted in him going to his window and pulling three of the bowls and setting them on the counter.

"He said he thinks these three are closest to what you want. He said these are each a different kind or blend of flour but all of them make a nice white bread."

The keeper pointed to the first bowl and said something which Aranor relayed as, "This flour is good for lighter loaf with a soft, airy crumb." Then the keeper repeated this with the second bowl. "This one he says creates a more – hmm, just one moment," Aranor said. He had a conversation with the shop keeper which resulted in a fair amount of pantomiming. "He said when you knead it, it shall create a dough that stretches more than the first." Then and after an exchange Aranor said, "He said this flour is a blend of the other two. I tried to explain to him what you are doing, and he said he was not sure, but he thinks perhaps the second would be his choice, but he leaves the choice up to you."

"The second one," Renee said.

Aranor relayed her choice and a few minutes later five pounds of flour was weighed out and tied up in a sack being carried in a long, narrow basket by Aranor.

"What shall we get next?"

"Oh, let's stop here. Those onions look nice!" Renee said. They bought an onion then headed to another shop that was selling hot house tomatoes and herbs, then they got a white cheese that wasn't quite mozzarella, but Renee thought it was close enough and would be excellent with what she had in mind. Nobody had bell peppers, but she did get some basil, a very nicely seasoned and cured sausage, a head of garlic, and some brewer's yeast, which she was surprised to learn was in liquid form. There were some things Aranor said were already in the pantry, so they left it that.

As they headed back to the cottage Renee said, "You know, I'm not entirely sure how to do this with brewer's yeast. We have different kinds of yeast back home and I've really only done stuff with instant or sourdough."

"Well then, when we return, let us sit down and you tell me the recipe in detail and then I shall tell you if I think any changes need to be made," he replied.

"Sounds good," she said. She spent the rest of the trip back to the cottage reviewing the recipe in her head. She was sure she knew it by heart, but she didn't want to get to a vital point and realize she had forgotten something.

They reached the cottage and Aranor set the basket down on the table and they sat down and she recited the recipe to him.

"I do not think you shall have to change much, save perhaps how long you let the dough rest, and even at that, it should not be much longer. It is mid-day now; should you like to make it for your noon meal?"

"I would, but I want to try making a sauce out of the tomatoes we got, and I think that might take a little while. Besides, I always prefer pizza in the evenings. I don't know why, I just do," she answered.

"Then let us begin that and then we shall see to you having something to eat," he replied.

"Oh, that's okay I'm not-" she cut herself off at a look from Aranor that allowed no arguments. "Or I could have a little something."

They had a light meal of cold ham and some left over vegetable tart and then started the crust dough so it would have some time to rise. Afterwards, and at Aranor's instance, they spent the afternoon relaxing, with Aranor reading to her or them talking about their respective childhoods.

"What was it like growing up in your world?" Aranor asked.

"Well, I imagine some things were the same as here – I spent my early days playing with my dolls and stuffed animals, though, they were just soft stuffed animal toys. Not actual stuffed animals. And I pretended to have tea parties with them and I played with my friends and went swimming and stuff like that. Then when I reached about five years old I went to school," she answered.

"Went to school?" he asked.

"Yes, so most parents send their kids to school from September to the end of May from age five to age eighteen or so. I lived in a small town, so every day the moms would take turns walking all of us on our street to school in the morning and then walking us all home in the afternoon. When we got older, we would walk with our friends to and from. When we were younger, we would have one teacher all day and then we got older, we moved into a different school building and would go from classroom to classroom and get taught by different teachers all day," she explained.

"Interesting. Then your parents did not teach you?" he inquired.

"I wouldn't say that. They did, just not everything, and they helped me quite a bit with my homework. That is, problems and lessons I could not finish while at school," she answered.

Aranor nodded. "This is a strange concept to me. We are responsible for teaching our children and do not leave it to others unless our child shows interest in a particular skill we do not possess. When my son showed interest in crafting skills, I arranged it so he could work with various craftsmen until he found his particular interest and then we arranged for him to be an apprentice as I have no skill as a jewelry maker. However, my wife and I taught him and our daughter everything else."

She nodded. "There are people that do that too where I am from. It wasn't really an option for my parents as my father is an engineer for – well, as he explains it, he takes what somebody else designs and then figures out how to make it work in the real world, and my mother works in my grandfather's business so they didn't really have the time."

"I suppose one must do what one must. It seems a shame though. We very much enjoyed teaching our children and I should have been sad to miss out on so much of their youth," Aranor said.

"Well, I don't think my parents cared for it either, but that's just the way things are. They did make a point of spending weekends and summers with us as much as possible. We'd always go on long trips in the summer and spend a lot of weekends up at our cottage. We still go up to the cottage together at least once a summer, if not two or three times," she said. "So what is it like growing up here?"

"It was much longer for one thing, and I spent many long and happy days playing and laughing and singing beneath the trees. I played often with my brother and cousins and we would pretend we were great warriors defending the Lord and Lady," he said.

"That sounds like my brother and his friends. They would play the same sort of games," Renee commented.

Aranor laughed. "I suppose some things are true of young boys and girls regardless of whether they are elves or men. I do recall my female cousins playing tea party with their dolls as well."

She got up and checked the pot she was making the sauce in and stirred it and then sat back down. "How do you suppose the dough is coming along?"

Aranor glanced down at the bowl covered in a towel by the brick wall of the hearth. "We are doubled in size if you would like to start making it."

"Okay, I'll start with chopping up everything and then I'll roll out the dough and assemble," she said.

"Would you like any help?"

"Sure! I'll let you dice the onion. It's a small one, so let's do about half of it."

"As you wish."

It only took them a few minutes to get everything sliced and diced and the crust rolled out and the pizza assembled on the bread paddle. For the size of the bread paddle though, they had enough dough for two pizzas, so Aranor slid the first one in as she started throwing together a second one with the addition of some of the ham from earlier. He slid the second one in for her and no sooner had he shut the door to the oven then Renee glanced out the window and saw a smiling Haldir arm in arm with a beautiful blonde elf woman heading towards her cottage.

"I think we shall have company for dinner," Renee said to Aranor.

He set down the bread paddle and looked out the window. "Ah! Haldir and Elwen! I am glad now we made the second pizza, but perhaps now we shall want something else to go with it."

"I think all we have are some extra vegetables and fruit," she answered. "Unless you can conjure up something in about thirty seconds."

Aranor frowned for a second then smiled, "I almost forgot – we have over half a loaf of bread left from earlier, cheese, and wine. That shall suffice."

"Do you think they'll like it? The pizza, I mean."

"I do not know if I shall like it, but they are at least adventurous if that is what you are wondering." He glanced out the window again, "Ah, but they bring gifts! I see Haldir is carrying a basket. We may be in for a feast."

Just then a knock came at the door and Aranor opened it and welcomed them in in elvish as Renee came scurrying over to the door to greet her guests.

"Good afternoon, Renee," Haldir said. "This is my wife Elwen. Elwen, se Renee." (Elwen, this is Renee.)

Renee smiled and very carefully and a little haltingly said, "Suilad Elwen."

Elwen smiled with delight at the human woman's elvish, even if it was only a couple words. "Suilad Renee. I am pleased to meet you!"

"She said she is pleased to meet you," Haldir translated.

Renee smiled and paused a second and realized her very limited vocabulary would only permit the most hideously broken sentences, but she decided to go for it anyway. "Would you anírol haf-?"

Haldir and Aranor both looked proud and amused at their student's attempt, and Haldir began to translate to his wife who smiled at her husband and said, "It was broken, but I believe I understood she wants us to come in and sit."

"Good effort," Aranor said as they all headed towards the living room area, Haldir setting the basket on the table as he walked past and unslung a case he was carrying on his back and set it down on the floor beside the table. "But you were a little redundant. Essentially, your sentences was 'would you you like to sit?' If you want to know the sentence in full elvish, it would be: anírol aen hafad."

She nodded. "I will try to remember that."

Haldir and his wife settled on the couch and Renee took the further arm chair and Aranor the closer one, as the oven was on the kitchen side of the hearth.

Aranor smiled, "Do not worry. You are doing well with what you have and she shall be understanding."

Elwen smiled and said, "What are you making for supper? It smells delicious! We brought some food and wine with us – I hope it goes with whatever you are making."

"We are trying something from Renee's home. It has a strange name, but it looks and smells promising. It is called pizza," Aranor replied.

Haldir quickly translated this to Renee, who nodded. "What is it?" Haldir asked.

"It is a bread dough rolled flat and covered with a tomato sauce, cheese, and then whatever you like. Typically meat, vegetables, and herbs," she answered.

Elwen glanced over at Haldir and Renee's conversation then looked at Aranor who told her what they were saying. She nodded.

So far, this was working out fairly well. Haldir had been worried about conversation being laborious and cumbersome, but when he remembered Aranor would be there today, he told her if she was going to meet Renee, this was probably the best opportunity and she eagerly leapt at it. It wasn't every day one got to meet a human stranger from another world, after all.

"What did you bring?" Aranor asked Elwen. "We only just put it in the oven as you walked up and I think it may be some time yet."

"We supposed as we were coming during supper, we would bring cold chicken, cheese, apple pie, and wine," Elwen replied.

"Renee, how long do you suppose it shall be until the pizza is done?" Aranor asked.

Renee got up and sneaked a quick peak in the oven. "How long would you say they have been in there already?"

"Perhaps ten minutes," Aranor replied.

"It looks about half done, so in another five minutes let's check it and see where it is," she said.

"They have brought some food and wine if you would like to eat something now," Aranor said.

"If everyone wants bread and cheese and something to drink while we wait, that is fine with me. I don't need to eat this minute though, if that's what you are asking," she replied.

Haldir asked his wife if she wanted anything to eat now or if she wanted to wait until dinner was done and she said wait so Haldir suggested some music before they ate, which was met with enthusiasm. Haldir went and retrieved the case from the kitchen and retrieved from it a harp and a small lute.

"If I had known you were coming, I would have had you bring my cittern," Aranor said as his friend sat back down.

"I nearly did," Haldir replied, "but I shall happily lend you my harp if you wish to play something."

Elwen strummed her lute and tuned it a little and Haldir did the same to his harp and they made sure they were tuned to each other then Elwen looked at Renee and asked, "Linnol?"

"She wants to know if you sing, Renee?" Haldir asked.

"Oh, well… I can carry a tune," she said cagily. Truth to tell, after hearing the elven minstrels at The Golden Acorn, she doubted her talent. Sure, at her small school and at church she was picked to sing stuff, but the talent pool was small. She certainly was not about to proclaim any talent with music in front of a bunch of elves.

"Good enough," Haldir said.

"I don't know any elvish songs though," she quickly added.

"That is why she asked, so we can teach you one," Haldir replied.

She nodded. "Alright! Teach me."

Haldir nodded to his wife who began to play and he joined in. She listened very carefully and heard that there was a lot of repetition and she actually caught a few words.

The song ended and Elwen looked at Renee and started the song again but slower and clearly sang:

Mas dorthol, ellon? (Where do you live, sir?)

Innas darol trî iavas? (Will/want you stay through harvest?)

Renee sang the line much to the smiles of all. She had a very pleasing voice!

Haldir sang in reply:

Telin od ost, elleth. (I come from the city, maid)

Telin od ost, elleth, (I come from the city, maid)

a dadwenathon ned laer. (and I will return during summer.)

Then Elwen sang again:

Laer si a limp cell. (Summer is here and wine is flowing)

Laer si a limp cell – (Summer is here and wine is flowing-)

mordod, aebin, a dod (blackberry, cherry, and berry.)

Renee repeated then Elwen sang again:

Dorthol, dorthol trî laer. (You stay, you stay through summer.)

Renee sang it again and she played the bridge then Haldir sang:

Dorthannen trî laer. (I stayed through the summer.)

Dorthannen trî laer. (I stayed through the summer)

Ni avon dadwened. (I do not want to return.)

I mib gîn luthar nin, elleth. (Your kisses enchant me, maid.)

Then Elwen sang and Renee repeated:

Dorthol adh nin na taur, na taur! (Stay with me in the trees, in the trees)

Then Haldir sang:

Dorthathon adh gin na taur, na taur! (I will stay with you in the trees, in the trees.)

Dorthathon adh gin. (I will stay with you.)

The last note faded and Elwen smiled and clapped. "Well done! Well done! You have a fair voice and you sang the song very well! Would you like to sing it again?"

Haldir translated and Renee replied, "I would! But what was I singing?"

"It is a conversation between an elleth and an ellon, or a female and male elf. It is a love song of sorts," Aranor replied.

"Oh? What does it say?" Renee asked.

Aranor translated it as Haldir briefly explained their conversation to his wife.

"Oh, I like that! That's a sweet little song! Yes, let's sing it again," Renee said. "Oh, but I should check the pizza first."

She quickly peeked into the oven and saw the crust had risen but it hadn't browned at all and Aranor told her to be safe, she ought to turn it a bit first so she did and then shut the door and sang the song again. As they were singing, Aranor checked it again and noticed the crust was golden brown and the cheese melted and decided to take it out and put it on the table on one of the large cutting boards they had set out for it.

As soon as the song was over everyone went over to the table without needing an invitation. Aranor had taken the food Haldir and Elwen brought and set it out on the table. It looked like quite a feast and after Renee gave a brief explanation of what pizza was and she sliced it up, they began to eat. Over all, Renee thought the pizza had turned out quite well and the Elves agreed it was very nice and Elwen asked for the recipe.

A/N: The song – I wrote it myself. I've even got a tune for it! The grammar is probably questionable. I am by no means a master of Sindarin, but I think I muddled my way through reasonably. If you're a Sindarin scholar and wish to critique – please do!