Chapter Fifteen: On Character Tension,
a Brief Dorky Reference, and Exotic Pink Fruit
DISCLAIMER: Yeah! Wooh! Music! I'm jamming while writing this! *dances*
Author's Note: I have a serious random quote for the first time…Yay! I am destroying the status quo, because the status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it.
Brief Recap: Ermm…Lothlorien. Still. They'll leave. Eventually. I pinky swear.
Random Quote: "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." ~Winston Churchill
"You are uncharacteristically quiet," Legolas said as he and Estela walked to the archery range alone the next morning. Estela had woken Adonnenniel up early so to ask if she wished to accompany them, but it hadn't exactly worked.
"Adonnenniel?" Estela had said, nudging her sister gently.
Adonnenniel had stirred imperceptibly, and without opening her eyes, said, "Five more minutes, Dad. I have an algebra test today and need more sleep. Can I miss first period? I promise it'll be the last time."
Estela fought a strong urge to laugh, and then said, "No, you may not miss first period!"
"Pleeeeease! It's just history. I won't be missing anything important. Who cares about ancient China. That's so yesterday."
Thoroughly offended at this point, Estela had given up and left. Now as she walked with Legolas, thoughts of what her sister had said last night rose in her mind, worrying and upsetting.
"Estela? Did you hear me?" Legolas asked.
She blinked. "What?"
"Something is troubling you. You are uncharacteristically quiet," he repeated.
Estela decided to be honest with him. "Something is troubling me," she sighed. "Adonnenniel and I had a conversation last night that bothered me." The words came fast. "She's desperate to go home, and she can tell that I'm not quite as eager. After talking with Galadriel I know there's a possibility that we could be sent home. But if I tell her that part of it, then I would have to explain the Prophecy. And I just can't to do that to her."
Legolas' answer was immediate. "I cannot say I agree with you on this, Estela. Your sister is clearly intent on returning home, and you deprive her of hope by concealing from her that there is a possibility of returning."
Estela stopped walking. "I don't want to tell her, though."
The second the words were out of her mouth, she realized how childish they sounded. She tried to explain herself. "It's…it's…just that…all my life I've been so focused on protecting her. At school, I constantly had to ward off guys. She was so innocent, almost to the point of sheer naivety, and would sometimes let the wrong people get to close with her. Even with her girlfriends this would happen. They would play stupid drama games with each other, and somehow Adonnenniel always got caught up in the middle of it. Every time I tried to tell her that they were all just manipulating her, she would be angry with me or not believe me. Also, when our mom left us my dad and I concealed it from her for the longest time. And when I say a long time, I mean several years. We told her our mother had taken a brief trip, and would be back soon. When we told her what had actually happened, she had a complete meltdown. She locked herself in her room and wouldn't eat or talk to anyone for a week. I can't let that happen again. Especially not here. She just doesn't handle bad news in the best way. Keeping her oblivious is best."
Legolas spoke gently, but with firm certainty evident in his voice. "I will say it once more, Estela. I do not agree with your course of action regarding this. It sounds to me as if you are overly protective of your sister, and perhaps this is the reason she is so sheltered and vulnerable to strong emotions. It is understandable that you would shield her from certain things, given what happened with your mother. You did not wish for her to experience the emotions you did, so you hid something as important as your mother's leaving." Legolas shook his head. "Estela, you are the type of personality who accepts a problem and then moves on. Because your sister has been sheltered, she has not developed this trait. This is why you fear to tell her of the Prophecy, even when she has every right to be made aware of her own fate."
Estela turned away from him so he wouldn't see the tears rising in her eyes. She didn't understand the emotion that caused her tears. It was anger, guilt, and sadness mingled together so seamlessly she could not tell one from the other.
"Why do you turn away from me, Estela? It is not my intention to override your decision in this matter, but you must understand that I speak the truth when I say you should tell your sister."
Estela furiously rubbed her eyes, and then turned around to face him. She spoke steadily. "I will. When I'm comfortable with it. I promise." She stared at him levelly, willing him to rebuke her, but thankfully he did not. He lowered his eyes, and then abruptly started walking again. Estela stayed rooted where she was, and watched him walk further away from her.
She was suddenly furious. He had no right to tell her what she should and shouldn't do! This was her problem, not his, and he shouldn't be investing so much in it. She hadn't asked for his opinion or advice, after all. Who was he to judge her decision?
Tears rose in her eyes again, though this time out of anger. She whirled around, and ran back through the forest. For a while, she just wandered, letting the anger slowly seep out of her. After ten minutes or so of this, she deliberated about where to go. She didn't want to join the others at the practice grounds, and she didn't feel like going back to her room incase Adonnenniel was still there.
Estela made a split second decision, and went to the library.
When Estela reached the library, she chose a book at random, and sat down on the floor. The cover of the book she had chosen depicted a maiden with silvery hair standing in a stream. A waterfall flowed in the back around, and the trees were a soft white. The place looked vaguely familiar for some reason. Estela opened the book, and tried to make sense of it. She recognized individual words, but could not understand the entire story. The words duin, mela, and vanima, which meant river, love, and beautiful, stood out to her. The words around them nearly seemed an indecipherable blur unless she concentrated really hard on them, which she was too exhausted to do presently.
As she flipped through the book, she recognized Valaraukar, gurtha, and ear, which translated as Balrog, death, and sea. Slowly, the story began weaving together vaguely. She inferred that it was about a maiden who was somehow separated from her lover and sailed away to the Undying Lands. It didn't look like a light read. Estela set the book down, and closed her eyes. The sunlight in the library was bright and clear, and Estela felt it warm her face. Her thoughts began to drift to her argument with Legolas. As she thought it over, she abruptly realized how childishly immature she must have sounded. As the scene replayed in her mind, she mentally cringed. She had acted irrationally and out fear, but there was no excuse for snapping at him and then leaving. Perhaps she should apologize to him later.
Her thoughts landed on the dilemma with Adonnenniel and the Prophecy. Although Estela knew on some level that the right thing to do would be to tell her sister, she just couldn't bring herself to make that decision. She knew it was selfish and horribly wrong, but she couldn't tell her sister. Not yet.
Estela suddenly felt very tired. The warmth of the sun lulled her into a detached sort of peacefulness. The library was still silent, save for the occasional rustle of papers or the quiet whisper of Elves. Sometime during the afternoon, Estela closed her eyes and drifted off.
Estela slowly opened her eyes, and saw someone standing over her.
"Hello, Aragorn," she said groggily, forcing herself to stand up. "What time is it?
"It is well into the afternoon, Lady. Your sister asked after your whereabouts, and I had a feeling I might find you here."
"Well, you found me," she said. "Where's Adonnenniel?"
"She is in the dining hall, as is most everyone else."
"We should probably go join them, in that case," she said.
"Indeed." They began walking. "How are you faring in learning Sindarin?"
Estela laughed briefly. "Pretty well. I can speak it better than I can read it, I think. I was trying to make sense of a book on my own, and it didn't work too well."
Aragorn smiled. "You were reading the Tale of Nimrodel. I placed it back on the shelf for you."
"Thanks," she said. "What was the story about exactly?"
"It tells the tale of an Elf maiden who once lived near the Nimrodel waterfall, which was then named for her. Her lover's name was Amroth. The story says that after the Balrog awoke in Moria during the Third Age, Nimrodel left Lothlorien and became lost in the southlands. Amroth perished at sea trying to return to her. It is said in folklore that her voice could still be heard in the falls of the Nimrodel in springtime. We actually crossed the Nimrodel stream on our way into Lothlorien."
Estela did not speak for a moment. "That's a very sad tale," she said after a while.
"If you do not mind my asking, you seem somewhat distracted," Aragorn said suddenly. "Is something bothering you?"
Estela was startled. "I…I had an argument with Legolas," she said, deciding to be honest with him for some reason. "I feel bad about it now, but I'm afraid to confront him about it. I do not know what he will say. I'm not that great with things like confrontation or apologizes."
"I advise you to simply talk about it with him. Regardless of what you argued about, it cannot be worth jeopardizing your friendship. He talks about you a lot, you know."
Estela was surprised. "He does?"
"Yes," Aragorn grinned. "It is somewhat amusing, actually. I do not mean to pry, Lady Estela, but what manner of things did you argue with him about?"
They had almost reached the dining hall. Estela stopped walking, and then suddenly the words were flowing before she could stop them. "I decided not to tell my sister about Galadriel's Prophecy, and he disagrees with me on this. I know I should listen to him, considering that it does involve Adonnenniel's fate, but I just can't bring myself to tell her."
"I must agree with Legolas on this matter," Aragorn said immediately. "However, if you are utterly incapable of telling your sister, then settle on a compromise. Tell her when you feel ready to. If not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then after we leave Lorien. Allow her to enjoy her days here without the knowledge of the Prophecy burdening her if you wish. However, you must tell her eventually, and be prepared for her anger when you do."
Estela took a moment to process what he had said. "Alright," she said slowly. "Though I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk with Legolas about it right now." In truth, Estela felt horribly embarrassed, and did not wish to speak with him about this in front of everyone else. "Do you think I should just skip dinner and talk with him tomorrow?"
"No," Aragorn said, shaking his head. "I do not think you should refrain from attending dinner, but if you are adamant in not discussing the matter with him until later, then simply sit with your sister instead. She did ask for you, after all."
Estela nodded. Aragorn was good with girl advice. "That's a good idea. Thank you, Aragorn."
"You are very welcome," he said, sounding sincere.
They started walking again, and soon reached the dining hall. Estela gazed around the long table, and then seized an open spot across from her sister.
Adonnenniel was amused, though somewhat annoyed.
It was dinner time, and it appeared that everybody had somehow played musical chairs. She was awkwardly wedged between Boromir and Gimli, while the hobbits were on the other end of the table with Aragorn and Legolas. Estela was seated across from her, and for some reason was really quiet.
Adonnenniel eyed her fellow table mates. For one of the first times in her life, she was unsure of how to make easy conversation. Estela didn't seem responsive to anything, Boromir looked kind of depressed, and Gimli was just sat there and snarfed down meat. Adonnenniel sighed, wondering who had decided to mess with the seating chart. She glanced around the table, trying to find the culprit, and that was when she saw something pink lying on the centerpiece plate.
"What is that?" she exclaimed.
"Pardon?" said Boromir, looking surprised.
"That…that thing! The pink blob with green things coming out of it. Is that some kind of food?"
Gimli grunted. "That is known as dragon fruit, lad. Have you not seen it before?"
"No, I haven't. It looks kind of scary. Could you pass me one of them, Boromir?"
A brief grin flickered across Boromir's face as he handed one of the pink fruits to her. Adonnenniel put it down on her plate, trying to figure out how to eat it. "Do I peel the green things off?"
"No, you simply slice it in half with a knife, My Lady." Boromir handed her a knife.
"Oh," Adonnenniel said. "Hot dog or hamburger style?" She looked up to see Gimli and Boromir staring at her with utter confusion. Estela still seemed distant, but was now looking slightly amused.
"Umm…Horizontally or vertically?" Adonnenniel remedied.
"Vertically," Boromir sighed. "Here." He took the knife and dragon fruit from her, and then sliced it in half. After doing so, he sliced it again and again into small wedges. "Try it." He handed her a piece.
The inside of the fruit was pure white, with black seeds scattered throughout it. Sort of like a slice of watermelon, the outer pink part was still there. Adonnenniel hesitantly took a nibble.
"Oh my gosh! This is incredible!" she exclaimed. It tasted kind of like kiwi, except sweeter and with a softer texture.
Gimli and Boromir exchanged a glance. "I am glad you enjoy it," Boromir said after a moment. "I find it odd that you had not tasted it before."
Adonnenniel shrugged, and reached for another piece. "Say, Boromir. I've been wondering something. Why do you carry around that big shield with you all the time? Doesn't it get heavy?"
He stared at her with confusion. "For the same reason I carry a sword. It is a weapon."
"Yeah, I get that, but how exactly would you use a large chunk of metal to win a fight?"
"It is not for disarming your opponent or use in an offensive attack. A shield is for defense."
A look of dawning apprehension appeared on Adonnenniel's face. "Oh. I sorta get it."
Estela suddenly bumped into the conversation. "Adonnenniel, haven't you ever seen a movie with sword fighting? Shields are for blocking arrows and swords."
"Umm…I think I saw that one about 500 shirtless guys who died because some creepy dude with a lot of bling had a crapload of elephants. Oh, and the main character had a black beard and lotsa anger management issues. He shoved some poor skinny guy into a well."
"Do you mean 300?" Estela laughed.
"Oh, yeah, whatever. They used shields in it, though."
Estela nodded. "The Greek phalanx battle technique. They would…"
"No," Adonnenniel groaned. "No more history, Estela. I'm so not in the mood for it right now. Last night I had this horrible dream that I had to take a history test in school, and I failed."
"Was it on China by any chance?"
Adonnenniel's eyes widened. "You can read my mind!"
"Yep," Estela smirked.
Adonnenniel looked frightened, and abruptly turned away from her sister. "Hi, Gimli."
Gimli looked startled that she had addressed him directly. "Hello," he said gruffly. "What do you want?"
"That side of the table was really creeping me out, so now I'm talking to you."
He chuckled. "A worthy reason."
"So how are you liking the food now that they loosened up and started giving us better stuff?"
"Everything here is prepared so finely," he grunted. "The bread should the tougher, the meat rawer."
Adonnenniel gasped. "Eeew. No way. If they served raw meat, then I would so ditch the joint."
"You would do what?"
"Umm….I'd leave. See, I don't eat meat. At all. And raw meat…That's just inhumane."
"We are not of the same mind in this. Meat is delicious!" He reached for a large chunk of meat, and bit into it unabashedly.
"There's no way I could convince you otherwise?"
"None, My Lady, there is none."
"Hmmm. Okay then. So tell me. What's your weapon of choice? Aragorn has his fancy smancy sword, Legolas has those bows and arrows, and Boromir's got his sword and shield. How about you? A mace, perhaps? I thought I saw you swinging around something metal when we were in Moria."
"I wield an axe," Gimli said, sounding proud.
"You know what's really weird?" Adonnenniel said. "All of you guys have weapons that sorta reflect your personalities. You're blunt like an axe. Boromir seems kind of defensive and guarded, like his shield. Legolas can be pretty distant, and you use bows and arrows to fight from a distance. And I feel like Aragorn faces problems head on like how you face your opponent when sword fighting."
Gimli looked amused. "An interesting observation, no doubt."
"Yep," Adonnenniel nodded. "I bet someone did that on purpose…"
"Legolas?" Estela said quietly. It was after dinner, and most of the others had dispersed, leaving her and Legolas alone at the table. "I'm sorry."
He did not reply for a moment, and then spoke stiffly. "It is fine."
"I really, truly am sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice at you or avoided you for the rest of the day."
Something in his features softened. "Walk with me, Estela." He stood up, and pushed his chair under the table. Though confused, Estela followed him as he left the dining hall.
"Where are we going?" she said tentatively.
"To the library," he replied without looking at her.
"How come?" she asked, surprised.
"You have not studied Sindarin today. I do not wish for you to fall behind."
Estela stopped walking. "Legolas, please look at me."
He stopped walking, and stared at her. "Yes?"
"I…I acted so childish and immature earlier. I hope you don't think of me that way now."
"Estela, one minor argument does not alter the way I think of you. It is of course understandable that you acted erratically. Ever since Galadriel told you of her Prophecy, I have expected you to be saddened. Yet you remain as cheerful as ever. I believe that your pent up emotions spilled into our conversation."
Estela shook her head. "There's no excuse for how I behaved. If I blamed it on the Prophecy every time I acted out, that would be unfair."
"Regardless of the reasons for your behavior, consider yourself forgiven, Estela." Legolas started walking again, and she hurried to match his pace.
They walked in silence until they reached the library, and then began their usual routine of studying. Sometime during the lesson, Estela felt the tension between them noticeably dissipate. Soon, they were talking and laughing together again.
Estela returned to her room that night in much better spirits. When she got there, she saw Adonnenniel sitting awake on her bed wide awake.
"Hey," Estela said. "How was your day?"
Adonnenniel narrowed her eyes. "It was you, wasn't it?"
"Come again?"
"You're the reason everybody played musical chairs at dinner tonight. You sat across from me, where the hobbits normally sit. So then they moved to the other end of the table where Boromir and Gimli normally sit. So then they moved next to me."
Estela laughed. "I thought dinner was entertaining," she said as she sat down on her bed and fumbled with the strings on the back of her dress.
"It was," Adonnenniel admitted, "But I think I like sitting with Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo better. They're better conversationalists than Gimli or Boromir."
Estela just rolled her eyes. "Could you help me with this?" she asked. Wearing dresses all the time was really starting to become a hassle. Adonnenniel sighed, and walked over to her sister. She deftly undid the strings.
Adonnenniel pulled the last string. "There you go. You should really learn how to do that yourself, you know."
"I stink with dresses," Estela sighed. "I really wish my overalls hadn't vanished."
Adonnenniel giggled.
"What?" Estela said suspiciously.
"Oh, nothing…"
Coming Up Next!
-A short chapter. Sorry. Finals+SOLs+family visiting+a new season of Dr. Who=No time.
Another Author's Note: I realize that I've had them in Lothlorien for way too long. I'm just enjoying writing my own scenes instead of sticking strictly to the ones from the movie/book.