Disclaimer: this will officially be the last disclaimer that I take the time to post. I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own the Lord of the Rings, only my original characters that you don't recognize. They are mine and if you try to take them, well...there's really nothing I can do about that , so please don't steal them. I know I haven't been updating much lately. That's because I don't know if you guys even like my story. I know the plot line has been done many, many times but I wanted to try my hand at it. I know it's not original so please don't flame me for that. But please review! I'm not going to beg, but just do what you can. I need encouragement. So if you like it please tell me so or I won't post more. If I don't get at least five reviews after this chapter, I won't update until I get them. And if I never get them then that just shows how much you readers like my story- which is not a lot.
Chapter 8: Settling into Rivendell
Aerin's POV
I finally got Starfire to the stables, after stopping again for directions. There were two helpers there who offered to take Star off of my hands, but I politely declined. The last time I left Starfire in the care off a stablehand she died, and I'll be damned if I let that happen again. I brushed her coat in long smooth strokes just like I used to, while she ate oats(I think). She noticed how I kept giving the elves on the far side of the stables nervous glances. And good ol' Star decided to strike up a conversation about it.
"What is wrong with you?" She asked me. Wow how subtle Starfire.
I chose not to answer, because even though those elves were out of normal human earshot, I knew that they would be able to hear me if I replied. So I remained quiet and started to hum softly while I continued to brush her gleaming black coat. It started off as softly, then it got louder. It also started off as humming then it escalated to me singing. (Like an angel I might add. Or at least that's what mom and my friends used to say. That Cally and I could sing professionally if we wanted to. I always said 'no way', but Cally longed for the spotlight. Any talent show or performance she could get us in we went. She even tried to get me to try out with her for American Idol when she came to visit last summer.)
Upon the hearth the fire is red,
Beneath the roof there is a bed;
But not yet weary are our feet,
Still round the corner we may meet
A sudden tree or standing stone
That none have seen but we alone
Tree and flower and leaf and grass.
Let them pass! Let them pass!
Hill and water under sky,
Pass them by! Pass them by!
Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate,
And though we pass them by today,
Tomorrow we may come this way
And take the hidden paths that run
Towards the Moon or to the Sun
Apple, thorn, and nut and sloe,
Let them go! Let them go!
Sand and stone and pool and tell
Fare you well! Fare you well!
Home is behind, the world ahead,
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadows to the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight.
Then world behind and home ahead,
We'll wander back to home and bed.
Mist and twilight, cloud and shade,
Away shall fade! Away shall fade!
Fire and lamp, and meat and bread,
And then to bed! And then to bed!
I finished and held the last note around 4 counts. I sang the song according to my own tune. I didn't sing it as a walking song, all upbeat and cheerful like it originally was, and I didn't sing sad and mournful like Pippin did in the Return of the King. I sang it somewhere in the middle.
"Encore! Encore! Brava! Aerin Sanderson ladies and gentlemen!" Starfire said in my head, as always.
I took a low bow in front of her. "Thank You, thank you. You are too kind! You've been a wonderful audience." I laughed.
"That really was wonderful milady." I strong voice said from behind us.
I wheeled around so fast at the new voice that I was sure my neck would snap. But alas it didn't, thank God, or is it the Valar now?
Standing in front of me was the blond elf that had been there when I brought Star in. He had left right after I came in, I didn't even know he had come back. He was smiling at me, why? I do not know.
"Uh...thank you. But it was nothing big. I was just singing to my horse. My voice, it soothes her." I explained.
I heard Starfire let out a snort, but in my ears it was clearly a laugh. I resisted the urge to turn around and glare at her. How dare she insult me in front of this very handsome elf, though he didn't know it was an insult, it was still very rude!
"Then she is a very lucky horse." He nodded and took a step forward.
Forget what people say, flattery will get you everywhere. I was liking the elf already.
" Thank you. Again." I chuckled. "I'm Aerin, by the way, Aerin Sanderson. And you are..."
"Forgive for not introducing myself. I am Glorfindel." He bow politely.
Oh my Bob. This is the Glorfindel! The one who would've brought Frodo to Rivendell, if it hadn't been for Arwen. And he was smokin' hott. Long sexy blond hair, and crystal blue eyes. He was at least a head taller than me, and I'm relatively tall, so I'd say he was about 6'3".
"Wow. It is an honor to meet you.' I did my best curtsey. Then stood back up and looked at him, it was clear that he was here for something. "Not that I don't appreciate the compliment, but it seems that you are here for some other reason than to admire my singing."
"You are correct. Lord Elrond wishes to speak with you immediately." He reverted to a more serious tone. I groaned low.
'I knew I shouldn't have run out of there.' I mentally smacked myself on the head. Then my other brain decided to add its two cents.
'You acted on impulse, any sane person would have done the same thing.' It said.
' No they wouldn't have. Only stupid me would be dumb enough to run out of a private talk with the Lord of Rivendell.' I chided.
'Nuh uh. I would've run out too. You're not the only one.' It said comfortingly. I wonder why I call it 'it', maybe because it's a brain and a brain is an it. Yeah I'll stick with that.
'You are me!" I shouted mentally. 'Technically you're my brain, you are apart of me. So you are me. That would mean the reason you would've done the same thing is because you and I think the same. Wait a second, we think the same because you think for me. That means it's your fault I ran out of there! And it's your fault every time I run out on an argument with Cally. You mentally tell me to do stuff. You're taking over my brain! Which is you, so you're taking over yourself. Ow, I'm confusing myself, and it's making my head hurt. '
'Really? Huh, I never thought about it that way.' It mused. Then it switched back to topic. 'Anyway, he wants to see you again. It must mean he wants to tell you that all is forgiven.'
'I hope you're right, dude. I really hope you're right.' I sighed.
I must have been out of it for a while, having that mini-conversation with my brain. When I snapped back to reality someone was calling my name. It was Glorfindel.
"Milady? Lady Aerin? Are you well?" He asked me.
"Huh? Oh yeah! I'm fine, just thinking." I replied. Then thought back to his earlier announcement. "You said Lord Elrond wanted to see me. Why?"
"He did not tell me why," Glorfy looked a bit disappointed at this. "He only told me to have you report to his study."
I nodded. Here comes the big bang. He might kick me out of Rivendell for running out like that.
'Way to go Rin. Way to go.' I told myself sarcastically.
"Alright. I guess there's no avoiding this is there." As said as more of a statement than a question. I picked up my belongings. Slinging my guitar over my shoulder, and picking up my suitcases and duffel I nodded a quick goodbye to Starfire and Glorfindel, and headed out of the stables.
The sky was the most magnificent thing I've ever seen! A mix of least five colors of the rainbow. Indigo, sky blue(of course!), pink, orange, and violet, all rolled together to make a beautiful sunset. I assumed that it was around 6 or 7 o'clock. Without wasting anymore time to admire the sky I kept trudging along, as fast and steadily as I could with four bags weighing me down, to Elrond's study. It took me only fifteen minutes and I only had to stop for directions once, before I reached his door for the second time that day.
I knocked. No answer. I knocked again only louder and harder. Still no bloody answer. After trying for the third time, I gave a frustrated groan and just wrenched open the door. The study was empty.
'Well duh Aerin! If someone was in here they would have answered the door.' The other side of my brain told me.
I looked around. It looked the same as when I was here talking to Elrond and Calien about what we are doing here Arda. The same large desk towards the back of the room, with one extra large chair behind it, and two smaller ones in front of it. But now as I look around clearly the walls are just walls, but tons of bookshelves so stuff with books that they appeared to be the walls themselves.
I started to walk along the walls and look through the books. Most of them had the titles on their spines written in Tenqwar, so I couldn't understand a word of it. Some were in what I assumed to be Dwarvish, and then I came across a very peculiar one. It had no title in any language on the spine, only gold designs. I took it off the shelf and was surprised when the books that were next to it didn't cave into where it had just been. The book itself was royal blue, had many gold designs on the cover in corners, and on the spine as I already mentioned. Surprised to find no title or any indication to what might be in the book, I flipped it open to skim the pages. They were blank. The book was filled cover to cover with yellowish unused parchment. Not a single word was written on them. This vaguely reminded me of Tom Riddle's diary from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I just hoped that this one wouldn't start communicating with me like that one did, or turn out to be a horcrux bearing part of the soul of Sauron or something. I was about to think more on the subject of this being some sort of dark of dark object when I heard the door reopen and then close. I wheeled around to see none other than Lord Elrond himself looking at me. I stuffed the nameless book behind my back and resumed speaking regularly.
"Um, hi. Glorfindel said that you wanted to see me. And I came to apologize for running out of our conference thing like I did. I was just shocked is all." I began lamely. "It won't happen again, I assure you."
"I hope that it does not. But you need not apologize. You had your reaction, as Calien had hers. I should have expected as much, telling you both so much information at one time." Heassured me.
"Thank goodness. I was beginning to think I was causing too much trouble. First I'm stabbed, then I run out on you. Sorry, again." I chuckled.
"All is forgiven. Although I was somewhat surprised by the language you used." He raised his eyebrows ever so slightly, in that Elrond way.
"Yeah...I'll try not to do that anymore. But I can't make any promises, when I lose my temper, I lose control of my mouth too." I told him with a small smile.
"Then I shall hope that you don't lose your temper. Now onto other matters. Supper will be served in an hours time. You should be there, we are welcoming some guests." He hinted subtly.
"I guess I could stop by, I don't really have much of an appetite." I told half the truth. I did have an appetite, but I didn't want to be surrounded by people tonight.
"Splendid." He stated. He then transferred his gaze to my hand with the nameless book, which had somehow come from behind my back. "I see you have been eyeing my diary." At the guilty/shocked expression that had just covered my face, he continued. "I don't use it. I find no use for it, and I do have two others."
"It's really nice. I wish my old diary looked like this. My old one is just a little green book with a lock on it." I looked at the truly marvelous book. The golden designs that littered the front was beautiful, it didn't look like any ordinary diary. I continued to stare at the diary, "I lost my last diary when I was 16."
"You may have this one." My head shot up at that. "Take it. I do not need it, and you are need of a new diary. I dare say you will need a place to store your thoughts in the days to come."
Before I could ask him what he meant by that he added, "You will need to change your attire for supper. I'll have someone take you to a room."
And with that he gracefully left the room.
"I really am hungry." I said outloud.
'Of course you are! You haven't eaten in days." The other brain strikes again.
"Well, who has the time to eat when I'm so busy being unconscious." I replied.
Elrond returned moments accompanied by a pretty blond she-elf. Forget she elf I'm just going to say elleth. She was the very one who had asked to direct me to stables and gave a very enthusiastic 'Gracias!' to.
"This is Terithiel." Elrond answered my unasked question. "She will assist you in all of your needs. And I believe your sister has something to tell you the next time you see her."
"Nice to meet you Terithiel." I said with a nod of my head.
"Pleased to make acquaintance milady." She did a curtsey. I rolled my eyes at the 'milady' title.
"If you please follow me miss, to your new quarters and for a seamstress fitting."
"Sure." I picked up my guitar case from the chair where I had put my stuff on entering, and my duffel. She picked up the suitcases. I added a quick 'thank you' to Elrond for the diary, and followed her out of the room.
As soon as I was sure we out of earshot of Elrond, I started to talk to Terithiel.
"Hey could you please not call me milady or miss? I'd prefer Aerin or Rin. No just Rin." I told her.
"Yes of course mi- Rin." She slipped up.
"Thanks. Hey can I call you Terri?" I asked hopefully.
"If you wish Rin." She answered without slipping in a milady.
We continued walking the rest of the way in silence. The only reason that I was silent was because I was trying to memorize the way to my room, and I was having very little success. The main reason was Terri speeding down corridor after corridor like she was the Roadrunner.
"Terri, can you slow down a smidge?" I asked after struggling to catch up with her.
"Oh, I am terribly sorry for speeding. I will slow down." She smiled.
I took a moment to look at Terithiel. To me she looked a lot like Diane Kruger when she played Helen in Troy. Which was a pretty good compliment, seeing as how Troy was one of my favorite movies, I and I thought Helen looked nice in the movie.
She slowed down, but silly me I used this time to take in the scenery of one particular corridor. She stopped beside a door and started to search her pockets for what I could only assume was a key. I started to admire a tapestry depicting a battle scene from the Second Age of Middle-earth. It was on what felt like(yes I touched it, because the material looked soft) black velvet. The setting was really what captured my attention though. It was th setting of the sun, not overly magnificent just the orange sun against the pinkish-purplish sky. On the ground was a raging battle, elves and men were fighting a fairly large band of Orcs, and the Orcs were losing. One Elven warrior caught my eye, he had an arrow notched and ready to fire at an orc coming his way. He had striking features, but the most unusual was his hair and his eyes. His hair was the blackest of black, jet-black, the same shade as mine. And his eyes, reminded me of my own and Calien's; they were a very rare shade. They seemed to start out in a very light hazel, and get darker and darker as they went towards the middle. So that they appeared to be somewhat outlined in gold, and then regular brown in the middle. Very rare eye color indeed! He had pale skin, though not pale enough so that you would think he was never in the sun, but yet not dark enough to be considered tan. He looked quite young, no more than 25, But I knew not to rely on my eyes when it came to the immortality of Elves, for they did not age much physically.
I was brought out of examining the tapestry more by Terri who gave a slight cry of joy when she brandished a small brass key and turned the lock. The room was nice but nothing spectacular. It had a nice queen sized bed, with white sheets and a royal blue comforter. There was a small writing desk to the left of the bed(the side the door was on), with a matching wooden chair. There was a large wardrobe with intricate designs that resembled vines crawling up the front of it, this was across from the foot of the bed next to another wooden door that I have yet to identify. There was a large doorway with flowy white drapes closed it front of it. The drapes were blowing slightly so I assumed that this was the balcony. All in all the room was bigger than my room back home, but not by much, but it was nice and homey; just my style. The walls were bare and made of stone, I would have to change that and soon. I would cover the walls with my posters which half of my red suitcase was filled with. My fav bands, movies, actors, and anything else that I had just to give it the feeling of me.
I heard Terri say something about 'seamstress' and coming back soon, but I didn't say anything. I was too busy planning out how I would arrange my posters on the wall. I though I was all alone in my room, so imagine how surprised I was when I heard 'hey' from behind me (I was facing the bed.). I wheeled around- I seem to be doing a lot of that today- to see my face staring at me. No I wasn't looking at a mirror, just the face of my sister, standing in that doorway that I haven't identified.
"God. Do you think you can make a bit more noise next time. Man, scare the hell out of me why don't cha?" I sighed.
"Wish I could, but I can't. It's all apart that whole Elven light-footed thing." She gave me a little grin, and walked over to the bed and plopped down.
"Hmm," she mused. "This looks just like my room."
"Really?" I asked not really interested. "Where is your room?"
"Right there." She pointed to the door that she had come out of and said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "That bathroom conjoins our rooms. There's two separate bathtubs, so don't worry."
"That's nice." I tried to keep my voice calm, but on the inside I was squirming. My walk with Starfire might have calmed me a bit but I was still nervous of another outburst.
"Yeah. I guess. Listen." She began, then took a low breath. "I'm sorry."
"Say what?" I said utterly suprised at that she had apologized first.
"I said I'm sorry." She let go of a breath and her shoulders drooped. She lifted her gaze to meet mine. "I figured it's my turn to take the first step, and be the one to take the initiative and apologize first. You've been doing it for as long as we could talk, this just seemed like the perfect opportunity ." She said with a little laugh.
"Well, uh, wow. I never expected that from you. But...I'm sorry too. I flew off the handle and then flew out of the room, it's my fault too." She gave a wide smile, the one she is almost always wearing, and I couldn't help but smile back.
"Yeah you did zip out of there pretty fast." She laughed.
"Uh huh. And I thought Elrond would think I was a moron after that."
"No. He just knew you needed to blow off some steam. And also that you 'swear atrociously' to use his exact words. I didn't even find it too atrocious." She laughed again. "After you left, and I calmed down considerably he told me to relay a message to you. But before I tell you you have to tell me something. Where were you all this time I 've benn waiting for hours. My face broke out into a huge grin.
"You are to not going to believe this!" I squealed.