I'm sorry for the late update, I had a lot of work in real life... and I fear this chapter isn't as good as I whished. I had to set things right firstly. Hope you enjoy it nonetheless!
GRuth: I'm really glad I did :) Welcome back!
TheButterflyCurse996: Ah, on thursday :P Yes, I saw it twice already! Love it! But at times it can get really creepy... Make sure you have someone next to you of whom you can squeeze his hand ;)
"This is your fault you know." Legolas just casted an irritated glance at his friend.
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, Aragorn, we'll go for a ride! It will relax you! Oh, and why wouldn't we go to the Northern Part of Fangorn Forest? It's not that dangerous, mere mortals just avoid it and most who dare to enter have mysteriously disappeared! Let us go there! No wonder there had to happen something, especially when you are around," Aragorn grumbled.
"I vaguely remember you agreeing with my proposition."
"You almost dragged me with you!" Legolas snorted.
"Don't act so foolish! You're a king and a Ranger. I would not be able to drag you anywhere against your will. You wanted for a long time already to go out, and my insistence was nothing but a convenient excuse."
"Shut up, stubborn elf."
"Foolish Ranger."
They were sitting in a small cell, with a tiny window high above the ground. Just after they had been thrown in here, Legolas had climbed up to it and had peered through it. It looked upon a market place without a market. Some men were setting op a kind of stage, with a great, white canvas besides it. When nothing really special happened, the elf had dropped down, and since then, they were sitting face to face in the small cell.
"What do you think they mean with the Hunger Games?" Legolas asked.
"I don't know. The 'Games' sounds fun, but I do not like the 'Hunger'-part."
"Neither do I."
"Perhaps they'll let you starve, and the one who can resist the food the longest, wins."
"Mmm, could be. Then I guess there won't be any humans who participate. Or perhaps there are two matches."
"I just don't understand then why they wanted to know our age. It matters not for elves."
"Yes, but I had my hair covering my ears, and it was dark. Perhaps they didn't see I'm an elf?"
"Then you would be a human of 2931 years old. Sounds good."
"Well, at least I can play a game. You have to into the mines."
"We'll see about that."
Before Legolas could comment, the door swung open. Two of the man in white, they were called Peacekeepers apparently, escorted a lady. Both Aragorns and Legolas' mouth fell open. She was dressed in a ridiculous dress with broad shoulders, all in purple, just as the gigantic flower upon her grey, wide coiffure. Her face was painted in white, but her lips had been coloured in a purple-red colour, which made it seems like she was pouting. Her voice was high-pitched when she spoke.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Two young men who wanted to run from our lovely country? Now, I can not imagine why one what do that…" She looked at them questioningly, but this time, Aragorn had learnt his lesson and decided to remain silent. Legolas however, was determined to get a misunderstanding out of the world.
"My lady, I fear you are mistaken. My friend her is indeed a human, but I'm an elf. Las Greenleaf, at your service." He bowed and managed to show his ears at the same time. To his amazement, the woman let out a nervous laugh, that she quickly smothered behind her hand.
"Manners you have, I have to admit. Someone just needs to teach you not to lie. But we'll fix that, don't worry." Legolas' astonishment was clearly visible upon his fair face. He was on the verge of answering, but Aragorn quickly stamped him with his foot and gave him a meaningful gaze. The elf kept silent.
"That's better already," the lady smiled, looking from the one to the other and rubbed her hands. She seemed incapable of standing still for one second. At the same moment, a strange sound, almost like a hoarse horn, penetrated the air.
"Ah, the signal! Come, come, follow me!" She turned and wriggled away. The two Peacekeepers pulled Aragorn and Legolas upon their feet and escorted them behind the lady, with their hands pushing them upon the back. Aragorn and Legolas exchanged a glance, but decided not to struggle. When the strange sound arose again, Aragorn quickly bowed his head towards the elf.
"How can you be so stupid to say you're an elf?" His words were almost drown by the noise, but Legolas' elvish ears heard them nonetheless.
"In case you didn't notice, I am an elf."
"Legolas! Not all men accept your kin as they do in Gondor and Rohan! Even Eomer thought you were sorcerers! You can praise yourself lucky that she didn't kill you!" A strangled laugh.
"She? She couldn't kill a fly if she wanted to." The horn ceased, and Aragorn was forced to content himself with a furious gaze thrown at Legolas. The elf ignored him.
The purple lady didn't seem to have noticed their short conversation. Quickly, she sped through the halls and opened some doors. A few minutes later, they found themselves outside and surrounded by men, children actually, who were walking the same direction they did. None of them openly looked at the two strangers, but most kept throwing glances at them out of the corner of their eyes. There was suspicion in them, and a hint of curiosity.
"We are not very welcome here, don't you think?" Legolas whispered.
"Nay. But look at them! They look as if they are going to their own execution! I wonder what is happening here." A pinch in his back made him shut his mouth. Silently, they strode along, passing the accursed fence at one place. With a small gesture, Legolas pointed at a rusty plaque upon it. 'No entry behind this point'. He looked at Aragorn and grinned sheepishly. Therefore, he didn't see the little girl that had stopped before him, and almost fell over her.
"My apologies, little one. I hadn't-"
"Hé! Watch yourself! Come, Prim, let's go." A tall, black-haired girl grabbed the hand of the fallen one, and turned to continue their route, but Prim didn't move.
"Careful! Don't you see she's crying? I think she's hurt." Legolas gently laid his hand upon her lithe shoulder.
"You need not fear me, little one. Are you in pain?" Prim looked at him with great eyes, shook her head, then hid behind the taller girl, who quickly embraced her, completely ignoring the elf. Aragorn moved closer to them. It enervated him that none of the other children halted. They just looked at the scene, but never slowed down.
"Legolas, ereb neth. Istas ù sen ardh. Tir fael a golwen. (Legolas, leave her. We know not this world. Just look and learn.) Suddenly, someone besides him clacked her tong.
"Manners, young gentlemen. It's very impolite to speak in a foreign language when you are with people who don't understand that dialect. Come, come. The ceremony will start in a minute." Right. He had forgotten about the purple lady. The words had left his mouth just before he could stop them.
"Eavesdropping is also very impolite. And now that you mention manners, it is deemed courteous too that one introduces herself to strangers after said strangers have given their names first." Aragorn wasn't completely sure, but he thought he had seen a triumphant laugh upon the face of the dark-haired girl, before it was wiped off. The purple lady however smiled frugally, as if suddenly she had swallowed a citron.
"My name is Effie Trinket. A pleasure to meet you." Aragorn just looked at the outstretched, gloved hand. Did she really expect him to kiss it? After a moment of hesitation, Effie pulled back her hand, sniffed elegantly and wiggled away. Immediately, the Peacekeepers pushed their prisoners forwards.
"Sorry, little one. Have to go apparently," Legolas whispered quickly at the little girl, and was rewarded with a half-hearted smile, before he was dragged away.
They followed the stream of kids for some minutes, until they saw some tables. Everyone went that way, and gave their hand to Peacekeepers behind them. Aragorn couldn't see what they were doing, and before he could ask Legolas, they had taken a side street, and the scene was hidden by the poor, black houses. They took the first street on the right, and then again, and Aragorn understood they had walked around the crowd gathered around the marketplace and that they now stood before the stage. Upon chairs up there, an elderly man and woman were sitting. They wore the same weird clothes as everyone here, only were they a bit more chic.
Effie climbed the stairs, and went to a strange, iron thing in the middle of the platform. Immediately, the whole place fell silent. Aragorn shifted nervously. He hated not knowing what was going on. Again, the Peacekeepers pushed him and Legolas towards the stairs. When they had reached the stage, Effie beckoned them. The elf and the Rangers took place around her.
With a short gesture, the lady ticked upon the iron thing. Aragorn almost jumped when a sharp sound surrounded him, far louder then it should have been. He looked at Legolas, but the elf looked as startled as he himself did, he guessed.
"Welcome, welcome! The time has come to select one courageous young man and woman for the honour of representing District 12 in the 74th Annual Hunger Games." The Ranger fought the urge of covering his ears with his hands. Effie's screamy voice sounded ten times worse through the iron. Legolas didn't fare any better.
"But first, I got something for you, brought all the way from the Capitol." Suddenly, the white canvas transformed in a kind of window, on which images were shown. They spoke about a terrible war, and the peace that had followed. It reminded Aragorn faintly of Galadriel's mirror. He quickly glanced at the audience. The children were attentive, but their eyes were dull as if they had seen this plenty of times before.
"Im ù inc im sui sen,"(I do not think I like this) he whispered to Legolas, but Effie shot a furious glance at him and he deemed it wise not to pursue this conversation. The images halted. When the purple lady spoke again, Aragorn and Legolas found themselves in the centre of the attention.
"You see that we have some strangers here! Since they refuse to tell us why they left their District, the Capitol thought it wise to punish them as a father punishes a disobedient son. The exact punishment, he let to District Twelve to decide... So after long deliberation the mayor and I have decreed that Las Greenleaf will participate in the Hunger Games of this year." A sigh of relief arose from the right side of the crowd, where the boys were standing. Apparently, none of them wanted to play the Games. The following words however, quickly replaced their relief with renewed fear and anger.
"In dialogue with the Capital, we have decided that, since we do not know where he comes from, he will play in name of District Thirteen. Strider will be his mentor. This means…" The lady paused and walked towards one of the two great glassy bowls, "that you all still have the chance for the honour of representing District Twelve! Ladies first." After some moments, she took a little paper out of it and unfolded it.
"Primrose Everdeen!" For seconds, nothing happened, but Aragorn followed the shocked gazes and saw the dazed expression upon the face of the girl Legolas had collapsed with. Off course. Prim. With a pang of compassion, the man saw her walking slowly at the stage when suddenly, the dark-haired girl stormed forwards. When Peacekeepers caught her, she squirmed hysterically. Aragorn wondered what kind of Games could turn that strong, proud girl into this state.
"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!" In the confusion that followed, she ran to Prim and embraced her. The little girl was crying. The tall one started speaking to her, but Prim didn't listen and clung to her. Another boy turned up and led Primrose away. Legolas looked ready to leap from the platform to help her, but a small gesture of Aragorn stopped him. This was not their place. Instead, he looked grudgingly at Effie, who didn't noticed it. She was beckoning the dark-haired girl.
"Come up here, dear. Come, come, don't be shy."
The girl straightened her shoulders and climbed the stairs.
"What is your name, dear?" Her voice was lifeless.
"Katniss Everdeen."
"Well, I'll bet that was you sister?"
"Yes."
"Let's gave a warm applause for our very first volunteer!" Effie started clapping, but halted when no one followed her. Instead, the children slowly brought three fingers to her mouth and stretched it before them in a solemn, respectful gesture. For a moment, the purple lady didn't know what to do, then she smiled swiftly.
"Well, now for the boys!" the lady continued nervously and went to the other bowl. The same ritual was repeated, only this one, the name of the chosen one was Peeta Mellark and there was no one who volunteered in his place. He too, was led upon the podium, where Effie started to say something more. Aragorn wasn't paying attention anymore though. He tried to smile at Katniss and Peeta, but they were staring right before them. They looked both proud and etched by the harsh pen that had drawn life in this District, but Katniss had an air of intangibility around her, where Peeta was far more warm and open. He was also the first to stretch his hand to the girl when Effie asked that. Katniss took his hand only after a hesitation, and only with a cold and emotionless stare.
"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour!" Effie suddenly concluded, and wriggled towards the backside of the podium. Katniss, Peeta, Legolas and Aragorn followed her, while the last two couldn't help but wondering what, in the name of Illuvatar, was going on here.
Please review! You would make me very happy if you do! :)
xXx Archiril