Warning! Crude humor foul language...graphic sex in much later chapters..Enjoy!
Disclaimer...Do not own LOTR or its characters...do own all OCs.
Chapter Four: A Trip of...well not-so-epic proportions.
Mandi found herself at the very back of the party, well nearly the whole time. Three hours into it, her sore feet began to get really painful, but she hid it well.
Striking up conversations with the two younger brothers, she decided she like them, to an extent.
Haldir, of course, was a real asshole. Arrogant, aloof and at times uncaring about anything, making her decide that he was a selfish rendition of a pig. Orophin, the middle one she found out he was, was a little like Rumil, also much like Haldir. If anything he was a pure mixture, and it was hard to figure out what part of the two other brothers would come out next. Rumil on the other hand, was sensitive, caring, a real sweetheart. Always lagging behind to make sure she did not stray off path, constantly asking if she was alright. Then taking it upon himself in being her advocate.
What amazed her, was how much Haldir seemed to listen to Rumil's suggestions about pace, and always finding that Haldir would be reasonable. That shocked Mandi.
The two younger brothers seemed to love to laugh, and cut up. Which was not a total loss to her, it made the trek to the city more bearable.
The scenery, Mandi thought, was breathtaking, and committed everything to memory..Not just for memory sake, but to keep it archived for her eventual escape from this place.
Midway through the journey, after the two brothers stopped talking to her, and Haldir, well, leading his happy ass up the trail. Mandi became extremely bored. Thinking of nothing else to do, to keep her self occupied. She had already asked about the city, the history of the elves, her guides' childhood, which was boring in its self. She thought of only one more subject...
Coming up behind the three brothers, she began to play a game of twenty questions.
"Um, Haldeer. What kind of trees are those really big ones?" she asked, smiling at the fact she was making fun of his name.
Haldir never turned to address her. "Mallorn." he said simply.
"Haldeer, why are they so tall?" she asked smiling to herself.
Still leading he spoke. "Well, the breed of them are given by the valar. It is just how they are. Not to mention many of them are thousands of years old."
She chewed on her bottom, lip. She should not be doing this game, but she needed some amusement. "Haldeer, why is the bark on the gigantic trees silvery?" she asked. Oh, she was being devious now.
Haldir huffed out. How should he know? "It is in the design the valar wanted." he replied, feeling stupid.
Rumil and Orophin smiled at themselves, for this game was like the ones they used to do to Haldir all the time as they grew up.
"Haldeer. Why are the leaves gold?" she asked. Dying of laughter inside.
Still leading on, Haldir seemed to not worry about what she was doing. "The valar thought it would be beautiful. Which it is." he said simply. Never pausing, or stopping. Climbing up the inclines of the small hills.
Mandi paused in her questions for a moment and began to huff and puff up the inclining hills behind the three brothers.
"Hey Haldeer, why is there so many glades in the woods?" she asked.
"How should I know?" he said never looking back and sounding a little irritated.
Orophin and Rumil looked at Mandi, who puckered her bottom lip out and shrugging. Her feet were aching now, and she was beginning to limp.
"Haldeer, is there such things as faeries in Middle Earth?" she asked innocently. A quiet questioned she always wanted to ask.
Haldir paused, looked up in the canopy of the trees. "There are some that is rumored to live in Rivendell." he replied.
She smiled on that one. Mental note, she said to herself, once left from this place make way to Rivendell to catch a faery. She concentrated on the path, which was crossing a small stream. Rumil reached out for her hand to help her cross.
Just when Haldir was getting used to the silence again. Mandi started the whole line of questioning again. This time, it took all he could muster, courage that is, not to smack her. "Haldeer, are their such things as dragons?" she asked.
Haldir was getting tired of this question game. But he held his tongue and answered. "There used to be, but one has not seen any in many centuries."
Mandi bit her bottom lip in thought, then furrowed a brow in thought. "Haldeer, has there ever been on in Lorien?"
Haldir sighed. Will this girl ever shut up? He thought. "No." he replied.
She sighed, sounding broken-hearted, and disappointed. That sound made the three brothers pause and turn to her. She looked up, dead serious, and full of sadness. "Man, oh, man. I wish there was."
Haldir and his brothers all looked at each other. What the heck was this all about? They turned to her and stared at her curiously. Haldir walked back to stand in front of her, staring her down. "Why such a wish, Mandi?" he asked his eyes searching her face. What he was hoping to find he did not know, but it was not there.
"Cause. I wish I could find one, make a deal with it and have it roast your ass!" she said it bluntly and flatly. Triumph! She thought. Her nagging and irritation was proving quite amusing.
Behind him, Rumil laughed out so hard that he nearly slipped in a patch of mud. Orophin stood there with a smile he tried to mask, with his mouth hung open in shock. She looked up into Haldir's eyes and saw a flash of shock and anger. His nose then flared, his brows furrowed and he lifted his hand as if he would strike her. And he would have to, if both his brothers had not stopped him.
He glared at her, with such contempt that made her flinch. He growled and turned away from her. Rumil gave her a not so amused any more look and then walked away, while Orophin just shook his head and continued up to the top of the hill behind Haldir.
She stood there stunned a moment. What is his problem? She thought and climbed the rest of the way up the hill.
Silence came like a thick blanket. She was tiring and felt it more now then before. The Sun was now high up in the sky, signaling the mid day. She thought on apologizing, but why should she? He was an asshole and deserved the burn she delivered.
"Are we there yet?" she finally asked.
Rumil answered, "No."
A few minutes later she asked again, wishing there were there already. "Are we there yet?" she asked.
Haldir who seemed to have cooled off, answered. "No." which was a brisk answer.
Her feet now throbbed and felt as though they were blistering again, on top of the ones already there. She whined at every stream crossing, and every hill they climbed up. "Are we there yet?" she whined out.
"No!" Orophin said irritated.
She stopped a moment to catch her breath. It seemed since her burn, that Haldir had quickened the pace and was moving faster than she could handle now. "Are we there YET?" she asked.
The three brothers, without stopping said in unison, "NO!"
The sun was starting to sink lower in the sky. It was nearly late afternoon now and Mandi was finding her movements getting slower. Her hair, which at the start of the little journey, she had tied to a knot was falling in her eyes repeatedly. She tried and tried to keep it out of her sight, but failed many times.
She looked up and saw that the three elves, were climbing up another hill, this one more of a ridge. She looked at the slope and nearly cried, would this journey ever end? She thought to herself.
It seemed that none of them wanted to speak to her now, but she still had the burning question looming. "Are we th-?" she started but cut off when Rumil came to her and grabbed her hand.
"Almost. Just over this ridge, and another hour of walking." he said smiling at her.
At the top of the ridge, the trees fanned out, revealing a wide open space. Before them a valley, lush, green and in the middle another mountain, with trees taller than the ones they had seen on the way. Haldir and Orophin were looking out to the midst of the valley, their pride evident on their faces. Rumil joined them with the same look of love and admiration. She came up beside them, well, almost beside them and looked on.
It was beautiful, in the early twinkling of twilight. In the midst of the center mountain she saw what looked like many lights that reminded her of fireflies in the summer. Haldir pointed.
Seeing him doing this, his mouth open to speak. It struck her...just like the movies. Feeling too tired to hear his recalling of what the place was she pushed past them, nearly knocking Rumil and Orophin out of the way, she began to trek back down the side of the hill. "Don't say it you pompous ass! I know, I know...Caras Galadhon, the center of yeah yeah yeah. Yada yada yada. Let's go." she said sarcastically.
She realized they were not following her. Now she was irritated. She wanted to hurry this last leg, and get the hell out of dodge. She turned and saw the three standing there, shock written on their faces. She bent down, patted her leg. "Come on elfy elfy elfies. You can do it. Come on." she said then let out a whistle as if calling for a dog to come.
They came down the hill, Rumil and Orophin did not seem so amused, or at least for Haldir's sake, did not show it. Haldir stalked to her and looked down at her. If looks could kill, she would have been dead ten times over.
"May I ask, why in Mordor, are you so mean?' Haldir spat out the question.
"I am mean. I should think it is you. Driving me like a work mule to get here. Then stopping up top that stupid hill staring out at another hill, instead of hurrying to get there." she spat back.
"I merely want to drop you off to the lady, and return to my duties. Once you are out of my hair, I will be the happiest, not to mention the luckiest Elf alive." He said venomously. He stalked off down the path.
Orophin walked passed her, snubbing her. She watched him pass. Rumil approached her. "Mandi, why are you like this? We have done nothing to warrant such behavior." he stated simply. He looked hurt.
For the first time that day, she felt sorry for being so mean. That feeling only lasted a moment as she continued down the path.
The gates to the city rose up from the forest floor, like a looming warrior. She sighed relieved, soon this damn day would be over. Her feet ached, her leg muscles burned and not to mention she felt the rumbling of her tummy. Thank God! She thought.
Haldir led the small party through the gates, down the open street. Passing elves, women and men, alike who would stop and stare. Not at Haldir and his brothers, but her. Resentment began to build. One couple were snickering behind their hands while looking at her. She stopped. "What the hell are you two laughing at? Never seen a fat girl before?" she asked.
Haldir who was in the front of them heard what she said. The word 'fat' ran through him like a knife. He hated it. Made his ears ache actually. He turned and looked to see the couple walked away, shame on their faces. Mandi he saw was watching them continue on, as she turned, he saw it. Clear as day, humiliation, insecurity, sadness. There it was, the root of her problem. She hated herself. Seeing this new revelation, made him feel sorry for her. He called out to her softly, "Mandi, we are here."
Mandi looked at him, then around. Looking at him, she held out her hands in mid air. "Where?" she asked.
"The Palace." Haldir said calmly.
Mandi was relieved again, relief that this horrible nightmare would be over soon and she would return home soon. She smiled, looking around, but her relief faltered when she saw nothing. "Where?" she asked. Haldir calmly lifted his first finger into the air. Mandi's eyes lifted slowly. There it was, what seemed a mile into the air. She looked at him in horror. "Up there? And just how in the HELL am I to get there? Where is the elevator?" she asked.
The look on her face must have been funny, cause Rumil and Orophin busted out laughing. Haldir even looked mildly amused. Haldir pointed behind him. There it was, not the elevator she hoped for, but a set of winding stairs that led up, up high into the air. She looked back at Haldir, her eyes wide. "What the Hell? She asked. "Steps! Ain't no way in hell that I am climbing a million stairs" she commented. She shook her head wildly, "Nope, ain't happening. You can kiss my big fat wide load of an ass!"
Haldir stepped toward her, towering nearly a foot taller than her. He looked down at her intently. "Oh, you will. The Lady awaits you!" he said finally. He did not show it, but being that close to such a pretty little thing like her, her fiery spirit, her luscious body, caused him to respond in ways he had not expected. During the entire journey, she had done nothing but irritate him, infuriate him and nearly caused his nerves to break, but that just seem to cause his attraction to flourish. "Now move!" he commanded.
Feeling a little intimidated, Mandi backed away. She shook her head again. "I can't. I am too heavy, too fat, to make the climb. I will die before I get there. NO I won't do it." she told him adamantly.
Haldir was not taking her dramatic refusal lightly. He reached out for her, his hands gripping her upper arm tightly. An electric shock came, running up her arm as he made the contact. It shocked him and her at the same time. He released her. "Go, Mandi. Now!" he said totally ignoring what had just happened.
The look in his eyes, told Mandi he would not give up. She started toward the stairs slowly. Limping even, as she did so. Haldir walked passed her and began leading them up the stairs. Orophin was in between her and Haldir, while Rumil came up from behind. The stairs were steep. Dread hit her.
She hated heights.
She began to feel the effects of being off the ground only after a few steps, but continued. If she paused. Rumil would poke her in the back to nudge her. When tired, Mandi always felt a wave of pure silly notions. She promised herself if Rumil poked her one more time, she would fart in his face. But when it happened, there was nothing. Finally at one point, she slapped him on the arm playfully. She really did like him and Orophin, but Haldir, not so much.
They were halfway there, Rumil had came in front of her and was now standing beside Orophin. The elves walked as if the stairs was nothing, leaving her behind to climb on her own. Her breathing was labored, her chest hurting from breathing too hard. Not to mentions, she would accidentally look and be reminded she was so high up. Then her feet would make themselves known. The pain making the steps hurt even more. Still Haldir pushed on. She looked up and saw the Palace was closer. 'A few more steps,' she told herself. 'Just a Few.'
At the last platform, outside the palace, Haldir and his brothers waited patiently. Well at least Rumil and Orophin were patient, Haldir was rolling his eyes. She looked up, trying to push herself more, finding that the final steps were just too hard on her. Her legs nearly locked up from the burn and pain of climbing.
Then out of the blue, it happened.
Haldir standing outside the humongous double doors, that had to sentries standing there holding swords in their hands, pointed to the floor, bent down and patted his leg.
"Come on Mandi, Come little human. You can do it girl." he said smiling and mocking the thing she had done. It was not funny to her at all. She was in agony.
Rumil and Orophin laughed so hard, and bent over trying not to fall from their bodies shaking from the laughter. The sentries, who had been straight faced, were now laughing with the March Warden. At her expense!
She reached the final step, Haldir still patting his leg, and calling to her like a dog. She got mad and stomped. "You Arrogant Asshole! How dare you!" she screamed.
Haldir hearing her language straighten up, and stalked toward her. His face now full of anger. He pointed at her, his fore finger poking into her chest, near her neck. "How dare I? You thought it funny when you did it to me and my brothers earlier. You have done nothing but shown contempt. I will warn you now. You are about to see our Lady. I will not tolerate it, nor will she or her Lord you using such foul language in her presence. Do I make myself clear?" he warned.
She lifted her chin. "Let me tell you, you pompous, arrogant ass of an elf. I will not be treated like an animal, nor made fun of. I have had enough of it. Do I make myself clear?" she spat back.
Haldir stared at her for a moment. Not one word spoken as he did. He turned to Rumil and Orophin. In his tongue he said something, and they turned and went on into the double doors. He looked back at her. He closed his eyes, then reopened them. His voice was calm, cool and collected. "Mandi, why is it you put yourself down? What possible reason could you have to do so? No one here is trying to hurt your feelings, or aggravate you, or cause you pain, but seeing how you behave, I wonder." he said sincerely.
She looked at him a moment, and did not say a word. What business was it for him to know? She walked passed him, then paused. "Just take me to the Lady so I can get the hell out of here." she said, more of an demand than anything.
Haldir shook his head and bid her to follow him.
Note to all...If you like it please Review...This is a trial run to see how things go...Thank you!