A/N: Okay, okay, I know this has been a long wait, but if you go to school, specifically middle school, you would know how much homework there is...with the addition of five extra classes. Also, I had SBAC testing this whole week so I couldn't work on this story AT ALL :( And besides, I do have to put my own life(not kidding) before fanfiction...right?

Well anyway, since I haven't replied to reviews for so long(I just realized that I use the phrase "so long" too much in writing), I've got a special little gift for the ones who reviewed the previous chapter.

KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi: Hehe glad you found that funny! But you'd better be surprised for whatever comes in this chapter...I had some evil plans in mind.

Gwestiel: I understand, it's hard to wait. But don't worry, you'll be really relieved when you actually read it, I learned that from personal experience.

ME(Guest): You'll see. Grimmund has some strange reasons for hating the poor elfling...you'll see way later in the story. But for who she's going to meet at night...You will never know...just kidding! :)

CandySlayerGirl: Thanks for reading this and reviewing! I'm glad you were able to make it through all 12 chapters without falling asleep like I did when I attempted to reread it. XD Okay, about your question: NO no no, you are right, there is a pretty big age gap between Legolas and Kelsie, considering that she is only twelve in this world, and that's way too young. They'd better just be really good friends.

Indigostartherandomkitty: Thanks for reviewing! Many people are wondering why Grimmund hates Kelsie so much. You'll know in the later chapters...He has quite some strange reasons.

So those are the responses to reviews. Like I said, I will be doing that again when I have enough reviews. Anyway, onto the chapter!

Chapter 13: The Feast of Chaos

The lock slid into it's place. The satisfied click of the door sounded throughout the room. Then, all was silent. Deathly silent.

A minute passed. Three minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. Yet, nothing happened. The room was like the cold, arctic wind, so lonely, so distant. And so silent. All except the lone figure standing in the middle of the room.

Kelsie was swept in a endless torrent. Or at least on the inside, she was. The events that had happened were buzzing all over her head like a swarm of bees invading her head. First, the vision. Next, the message. And finally, the worst of all, her exclusion from the journey.

It was like receiving a moldy apple on your birthday. Kelsie had actually been looking forward to the quest. She wanted to make a contribution, to help the poor and helpless, and to save the world from the shadow. But now, all because of Grimmund, those opportunities were shattered.

No, it's not all because of Grimmund, she willed herself to show the slightest bit of mercy to her newest enemy. If it weren't for the vision, I might still have a chance. Despite her adventuresome and courageous attitude, she still felt a little creeped out by the vision. She wondered who the deep, mystical voice belonged to, and what they wanted to talk to her about. Had the person planted her in the flashback just for that purpose? Or were they trying to torture her with the comforts of her past?

Even as she thought about her friends, tears leaked through her eyelids. They ran down her cheeks, staining her clothes. She lifted her hands to wipe them away, but couldn't bring herself to. These were the tears that defined her friends. Whenever she thought of them nowadays, she thought of her old world. To wipe all of that aside would be cruel. Dreadfully cruel.

"Why did the vision just have to come at such a time?" she muttered to nothing in particular. It had brought back memories that made her cry, and worse, ruined her chance for adventure. She didn't like to think about it, but that's what the vision made her do. It glued her mind to it with no way to escape until she really took it into consideration.

"At least I still have the feast to attend," Kelsie said in an attempt to brighten her spirits. To her surprise, it actually worked. It had been days since she had last eaten, and even an elf couldn't stay full forever. Besides, she was willing to get a taste of Middle-Earth food.

Kelsie swiped the book off the table and threw it under her bed, not caring if it got penetrated by the sharp end of her bow. She had already memorized the information in the book, and there was no point in returning it to the library, since it was in the paralyzed village anyway.

She walked over to a wooden closet next her bed, and opened it, realizing that it was a wardrobe. There were a variety of clothe, mostly dresses, ranging from color to design, along with some accessories in a box. She didn't usually care much about fashion, especially dresses, but she had to admit, they were beautiful. As she tried to memorize the designs in her head, she found a note on a side of the box:

Miss Kelsie,

We hope you enjoy your stay. King Eomer insisted that you be treated with everything you want, as payment for your good deeds. We have carefully selected some outfits that we will fit you well. Meanwhile, we wish you a great day and hope that you will find your stay here suitable.

She smiled a little, glad that they wanted her to feel comfortable. Carefully putting the note on the table, decided to chose something to wear.

Knowing that it was almost time for the feast, she tried to untangle her hair - it had gotten very tangled through all those fights - bringing some tears of pain in her eyes. She pinned the two strands of her hair back with a dark, shimmery pin she found in the wardrobe. Then, she took off her pale green combat coat vest and replaced it with an elegant, long one. It was a darker shade of green but had a sparkly golden neckline. It flowed down her back like a cape, ending with a bright golden embroidery patterns. The pin was cherry red, matching the scarlet lining of the coat vest. It fit her perfectly, like it had been made just for her.

Since she usually didn't fuss over what to wear, Kelsie didn't bother to select a new dress. But she did choose a different pair of boots to wear for the night. The boots were light brown with golden and green vines running through the sides. Fresh green leaves sprouted out of them, stretching over to the middle, where both sides met with along a long golden clasp. She walked around in them and found that they were comfortable and active, just like her usual pair.

Once again, she kept her quiver of arrows strapped to her right leg, just for safety. Ever since her third encounter with the shadow, her sense of protection had increased a lot. After all, it was partially the arrow that kept the shadow from swooping down on her.

Soon, Kelsie heard a knock on her door. She walked over, testing her new boots along the way, and opened the door. Unsurprisingly, but also to her joy, both Legolas and Gimli were standing there, in formal outfits, wearing delighted expressions on their faces.

"You look nice," Legolas commented, leading her out of her room. He was wearing a light blue tunic with silver lining along the edges with matching dark blue leggings. Kelsie shrugged and nodded, trying not to grin to much. "Yeah, yeah, I get that a lot," she finished sarcastically, making both of them chuckle. Truth be told, she made almost everything sound sarcastic.

Kelsie lightly skipped ahead of the group, her worries almost completely washed away in her excitement for the feast. She had never been to a real big feast before, the most she had been to were restaurants and fast food. But this feast really rung her spirits high, for not only was it a grand feast with lots and lots of food - it was a feast with king. Nothing could go wrong tonight. After all, a feast with the king, especially in Middle-Earth, is like an equivalent of Disneyland.

But again, once being a 'normal, everyday' middle-schooler on Earth, she didn't have the best table manners when it came to eating. Just like the time at lunch when she was caught laughing like a maniac while chewing and ended up spitting her food out. She didn't want to think of what would happen if she did that at the feast.

Soon, the three of them approached a pair of heavily guarded double-doors with a guard standing on each side. Kelsie could almost smell the food wafting through and out the dining room. She slowed down a little to wait for Legolas and Gimli, who were chatting with each other, so they could all enter together.

"Your identification, please," said one of the guards. Kelsie had to keep herself from rolling her eyes - she had gotten quite used to that in Middle-Earth. "Kelsie, Legolas, Gimli," she announced confidently, pointing to each of them in turn. The guards looked a bit surprised to see her speak so boldly, but nevertheless, they opened to great doors to let them in.

Immediately, the low chatter Kelsie suspected had been rumbling through the dining room fell silent. All eyes turned as the three of them advanced into the room. Kelsie tried to slink to the back, but unfortunately found herself to be right in the center of attention. Stifling a groan, she stood proud and straight as she strode towards the grand dining table.

A smile broke over King Eomer's face as the three of them stood at the table, waiting to be seated. "Welcome, my friends, Legolas, Gimli, Kelsie. Please, come sit down and enjoy," he motioned to three vacant seats next to him. Kelsie nodded to Legolas to take the lead, and he reluctantly took the seat next to the king. Gimli, of course, sat down next to his friend, and immediately started to fill his plate with food. Finally, Kelsie sat down next to him, eyes growing with wonder - and hunger - at the sight of so much food.

Thankful when the chatter started to resume, she selected some vegetable, ham, and cream rolls to eat first. Then, she scooped some fruit salad from a large bowl. Deciding to choose more later, she eat some of the salad, careful to keep her mouth closed this time.

"Wine, Kelsie?" She turned to see Gimli holding a cup of wine to her, being careful to note the streaks of wine streaming down his beard.

"Er, yes, please," she answered as politely as possible, glad that her voice did not crack like usual. Clutching her napkin nervously, she watched the dark, red wine poured into her glass like strands of scarlet ribbons. She had never tasted wine before - she wasn't really allowed to by her parents - but this time, she decided to go off script. After all, she had more freedom and independence in this world, something that she had always yearned for.

Kelsie took a sip of wine and almost spat it out. It tasted like extremely strong, sweet and bitter juice, a flavor that was much too strong for her. She swallowed a few gulps of fruit salad to diminish the way-too-strong taste before attempting to sip a bit more. Thankfully, it was better this time, as she started to get more used to it.

Even though she didn't quite talk to anyone at the feast, except for a few questions answered, she still found it exciting. Finishing the last of her salad, she started on some bread topped with a strange butter. It was quite crunchy and perhaps a bit salty, just the right taste. And to be honest, it actually tasted pretty good with her wine.

Just as Kelsie was about to scoop some chicken, she noticed a something pass through the door. Not through a crack in the doorway - it went right through the door. It had gone so quickly that she barely had any time to register what she saw. She dropped the spoon unconsciously, and leaned over her chair to take a better look.

She flinched at a light tap on her shoulder, only to find that it was Legolas. It seemed that he had also noticed what she saw. He tilted his head towards the door, communicating silently with her. She read his eyes, knowing what he was thinking - could it possibly be...?

Kelsie scanned the perimeter of the dining room, looking for the source while earning some weird looks from some of the people present. The guard sitting to her right also noticed the strange way her eyes narrowed piercingly like swords of ice. Thankfully, he was the only one near her, since the others were too busy chatting to notice.

"Young elf, what, may I ask, is troubling you?" he asked politely, with a hint of concern.

Kelsie managed to shoot him a quick glance to indicate that she heard. "Keep your guard. I sense something has intruded the feast," she commanded in a harsh tone. As the guard nodded briskly, she wondered how much tougher she had gotten ever since she landed here. First, her courage. Then, her fighting skills. And even the ability to lead and command, something she had never ever been granted before.

Suddenly, through a gap between two heads, she saw another flash of the figure. It was dark and mysterious, yet it had a glint of danger to it. Like the shadow of a criminal. But the problem was, she hadn't seen anyone walk by, and she was sure of it. After all, her elven vision didn't lie. It was a shadow and it didn't have an owner.

Wait...shadow...that sounded suspicious enough...

"No!" Kelsie suddenly slammed her hands on the table, attracting the attention of half the guests, including the king. The all started at her, startled at her abrupt movement. A few opened their mouths to inquire what was astray, but the sounds that made their way up their throats were instantly cut off.

Kelsie's heart hammered against her chest as the speculation cut it's way into her mind. No...it's n-not possible...it cannot possibly be back now... But even her thoughts couldn't battle the suspicion that rose above. Her hand moved instinctively to the knife meant to be used to cut meat.

The deep, demanding voice of King Eomer vibrated through her thoughts, sending a startled jolt through her body. "Miss Kelsie, what is troubling you so deeply?"The elfling replied without hesitation.

"I think the shadow is here."

And right at that moment, as though on cue, the scandalous shadow burst into view, floating right above the center of the table, right in the view of every single person.

While cries of shock and confusion erupted throughout the table, Kelsie leapt onto her seat, feet firm, knife in her hand. To her left, she heard Legolas and Gimli also jump to their feet, grabbing the weapons nearest to them(which turned out to be a fork and smaller knife). She brandished her knife at the shadow, daring it to come nearer.

"What are you doing here, shadow? I thought you were off to paralyze more people," she growled, her eyes flashing in resentment. She had flipped her hood on the second he saw the shadow - now she looked as mysterious as the shadow itself. Not to mention that she was burning on the inside. Her anger and frustration, was all stored inside her, daring to explode at any moment. She thought she had had enough of the shadow, but she was wrong. Completely wrong.

Kelsie was about to warn everyone else at the table to prepare their weapons, but it was too late. As silent as a night could be, the shadow swooped straight at the heads of the guests at one end of the table. A few of them managed to dive down just in the nick of time. But the others weren't so lucky. When Kelsie resurfaced from where she had ducked under the table, she could see three paralyzed figures, as cold as death.

That was all it took. One precise swipe of the shadow, enough to wipe out three of the guards. Kelsie realized how thankful she should be for all the weapons in the world. But she would have to save her thanks for later - she was still in the middle of a battle. She looked up and immediately thrust her knife forward in a haste. It seemed like the shadow hadn't forgotten her after all.

"Foolish elfling, you thought you could get rid of me so easily, didn't you?" it hissed, a terrible, cracky noise, sending everyone at the table, except for Kelsie and King Eomer, into a blur of shock and confusion.

The king had pulled out his sword and was holding it in front of him protectively. He scowled at the shadow menacingly, threatening to chop it into pieces if it dare touch any more of his people.

"Weapons out!" he commanded fiercely. "Keep your guard! Whatever you do, don't let the shadow touch you!"

Kelsie nodded curtly before glaring daggers at the greatly despised shadow. "Well, not nice to meet you again, shadow. You're not welcome here," she growled dangerously. Yet it seemed to have no effect on the shadow.

"Learn some manners, elfling. If you knew who I was, you wouldn't be talking to me like that."

While unleashing her death glare on the shadow, she silently measured the distance between them. If she could manage to leap off her chair, she might catch the shadow right off the tip of the knife and safely land on the other side. With the shadow gone once and for all, her troubles would be decreased by at least thirty percent.

But again, it's going to be very risky. She could feel the heat all the room's eyes on her, almost patiently waiting for her to make the next move. Even King Eomer was watching her, rather than taking charge of the situation. All she had to do was measure her luck and leap at the right moment. Then, she might land correctly on the other side and take the shadow down, too. But if she were to land right on the feast, or worse, miss the shadow, then all would be lost.

Knowing this was her only chance, Kelsie took a deep breath, launched herself into the air...

...and missed.

A/N: MUAHAHA Finally another cliffhanger! And probably the best one I did so far. *runs away from the mob of angry people who hate cliffies*