Author's Notes: I a kinda realised before i posted the last chapter that it was gonna be like 6,000 wordsslingzap I have spilt it up into two chapters.
The Feast Of New Faces and New Friends
Back in my chamber I found a dress had been picked out by unseeing hands. On the bed laid a sleeveless ivory dress that became lighter the further down it went. At the bottom it was almost cream in colour. This had been a birthday gift from Elrond and family that I had never had a chance to wear. Along with the dress laid a bright, clean silver circlet made delicately by craftworthy hands back in Doehas. The precious metal was caught the light and lit up the room.
Before dressing I washed myself, scrubbing away the dirt and smell of the earth. I placed my wavy brown hair in one loose braid that ran down my back whilst wrapped up in my bathrobe. The sight of sunset was close and near. I placed upon my head the silver circlet. The metal was cold on my skin yet it was also calming. I dressed myself in the dress of light fabric and stood before the world on the balcony. The scene from the balcony was quiet and peaceful. Birds flew quickly across the sky trying to out fly the setting sun and the leaves that hung from trees swayed in the wind with grace. I looked out onto the peaceful and elven city of Rivendale as day took its final breaths of light. The sun began to sink behind the black sea in the west. I turned my back on the sunset and went back into my chamber.
Now cloaked in a maroon cloak that fell to the ground in a cascaded of dark crimson fabric, I made may way through the corridors keeping my head low. Music floated in the air and the sound of laughing and jolly words were to be heard as I got closer the feasting halls. I passed more and more people and felt as if everyone was judging me. If only I could read people's minds like Sir Wraythin, maybe then I might have a bit more confident. A tall guard stood at the doors of the feasting halls. His eyes were ever watching his surroundings. With a quick nod he moved out my way and allowed me to enter the feasting halls.
I slipped in quickly trying to draw the least attention as possible. I crept quickly into the shadows of the room and drew the hood my cloak back. My braid hung over my right shoulder. 'Seek out someone you know. Avoid people who look like they can annoy you and do not find the twins. You don't want to see them fools first' I thought to myself as I leaned again a pillar looking at the table seeking out a kind face I recognised. Elrond sat at the head of one table with Glorfindel and Gandalf to his left. On his far right sat Arwen. Thankfully the twins were no where in sight and must have been talking to someone away from the tables. But someone who I had already met was in deep convocation with her. Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood sat to Arwen's right talking to Arwen in quick paced Elvish. I drawed my attention away from Arwen and Legolas and began to look for the Halfings.
I found three of the Halflings sat together laughing and joking about their times in the Shire. "Remember..." Pippin fell silent. The small group looked up and fell silent, their laughter had ended. "Your..." Merry's words drifted off. For some reason he couldn't quite gather his words together. "You, small Hobbits are now talking to the young Queen of Castdeia, your folk might call her the Lady of the Northern Woods." I turned to see who had said my title and found Gandalf the Grey Wizard. His beard and hair was white and was as thin as fine dark silver thread. Under his snowy brows were dark eyes which were as dark a pieces of coal that were set before licking flames. "I am not Queen and you must remember that, Gandalf. I may have some control but I do not wish to use it." I knew my words were too stern for such a merry feast but it was the truth. Gandalf's snowy brows knotted together. His wrinkled hand rested on my shoulder and drew me away from the Halflings and listening ears. "Do not think your father would be pleased with the fact that his daughter lies to her acquaintances about her title. The council keeps your uncle as Regent because you still young in your years for an immortal. I heard from Lord Elrond that you are making the important decisions in Castdeia and are only taking the counciling of others and not their commands or judgments" His words may have seemed to be rude by others who may have been listening in but his voice was proud and filled to the brim with his pride in life.
He soon carried on with his words: "That is true, I must admit. What you fail to see is that I am not old enough. The rules states for me to have full control I need to be either 3000 years old. I am not at that age yet."
"But you still have your title as Queen. It does not matter of the amount of power you have. The moment your father died you became Queen but some still saw you and still see you as the Princess of Castdeia. No matter what you do or say you are the heir and the heir you shall stay until death parts you from this land"
"What a brightening thought, dear friend? My death...I do wonder what will bring death upon me. A blade? An arrow? A hand? Or maybe lose of hope? I wonder..." I trailed off fantasying my own death. I had wondered what it was like to have Death's hand boring out before my spirit. Would I take His hand like an old friend? Would I die alongside my friends or would I be just be another Nymph ruler burried in the catacombs under Doehas with a loney tomb of stone that echoes with lost souls and lost seconds.
"Enough depressing thoughts. Shadows too often pass across your face. Your pessimism will not do the world any good."
"I just wondered... I see the possibilities of the future yet nothing is clear like a windowpane or as a reflection on an unmoving lake. Do not think I fantasise about death nor the end, all the time. You must remember I am I like any other living thing in this world, I would want to know the reason why I die yet again I also fear it greatly. I mean who doesn't?" I paused for I knew my next words were with harsh judgment. "The immortals think of running away from this land, the Dwarves hide away in their mountains, the Halflings do not understand what is the come and Men fight amongst their own quarrels. Only a few people stand between the Darkness and it's chosen path. I know these words are not merry with joy but in them are fragments of truth cracked with my own worries and fears." I finished with a shiver running down my back like a cold breeze had swarmed into the room. Gandalf laughed loudly making the heads of many guests turn to see what had caused the outcry. I smiled "You sound more like your parents the older you get. You have the tone and truth of your father and the fairness of your mother and bit of your own character mixed in. I must go now to talk with the Lords of Rivendale while they are all in one place"
"And I wish to talk to Arwen and avoid the twins." I walked away and went to see Arwen.
Luckily for me, Arwen and Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood were on the brink of finishing their conversion when I arrived. Which would stop any interruptions by myself or any comments about my lack of sleep three days ago made by Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood. With neves of a broken sheet of ice, I sat down beside Arwen where there was a free place. "I wondered were you were. I was about to tell my father to get some guards looking for you or even my brothers to go hunt you down."
"I've been talking to the three Halflings or Hobbits as some may call them. Then Gandalf wanted a word so I am sorry if I did not come earlier."
"Apology accepted seen as though you are one of my oldest friends."
"Arwen, you'd accept my apologise even if I hit you with a stray arrow or if I broke your circlet in half. You'd probably even accept the apology of a Troll if there ever came a chance" I joked as I tried to avoid looking at Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood.
A small smile was forming in the side of his mouth like a farmer who'd killed the thief. "Thats if the Troll hadn't eaten you, of course." I finished off. Arwen rolled her eyes then looked at Legolas. "This is Queen Tara of Castdeia, the daughter of the late King Vidon. Tara, meet Prince Legolas of the Mirkwood realm, son of King Thranduil. I don't think you two have ever met in your 2749 years upon this earth."
"We haven't." I blurted out quickly with no care over forming a sentence. Legolas shifted in his seat knowing it was a lie. I looked desperately around the room hoping to find something to draw Arwen away.
My eyes soon laid down upon a Dwarf with a long grey beard acting with drunken actions and a rowdy mouth with foul words. Stood by him was a rather insulted Elf who was stood getting to ready to land a painful punch upon the Dwarf's jaw if he made another jest about his beliefs about his heritage. "Arwen, your the best peacemaker here. Do you think you could bring peace to the quarrel happening over there?" I pointed towards the arguing Dwarf and Elf. Arwen sighed, she knew all too well that it was never a good idea to have Dwarves and potent Elvish cocktails in the same room, for it never ends well when a Dwarf in influenced by 85% alcohol whilst in the company of Elves. "With pleasure as I would prefer to see a feast with no drunken fights or quarrels." She left the table and walked over to the quarrel. Without wasting my attention I quickly turned to the Prince of the Mirkwood realm. His smile fell short. "Listen here. Do not speak a word of three days ago. Do not mention the woods, do not breath a single word of it in fact."
The Prince dropped all noticeable emotions. His face became straight with no emotion just plain like a bored child listening to an old tutor rant on about one subject they already knew. "Why, my lady?" he questioned quietly like a the breaths of a small mouse. I turned away ignoring his question. "I am sorry, my lady. But I should like to know why you say such a thing with worry and why you were walking in the woods so late at night? I swear I shall not let my tongue slip so long as you answer my questions." his words were trustful and quiet.
"Because I do not wish to plauge the mind's of already worried people whom I could trust with my life and kingdom." I stopped and made sure I was not looking at any people in particular. But it seemed one answer would not satisfy the Prince's inquisitive mind and thoughts. "That is one answer. In what way could their knowing of three days ago affect their minds? You seemed troubled three nights ago, your mind never concentrating on any subject not even your kingdom. Not to mention your answers were short and slightly forced. You mind was on other matters at the time and I could tell. Though you seemed to have forgotten at that present time your subconscious mind had not." Great! Another person who could read me like an open book left out on the table!
"I couldn't sleep" I answered knowing it was a lie but I couldn't manage it. I hated lying. "Fine, I'll tell the truth. I wouldn't sleep, not after the nightmares." My voice was as quiet as the beats of butterfly wings. I looked around not trusting those who were near by. Maybe I was being paranoid but the sharp ears of Elves will pick up sounds miles away with or without their own acknowledgement. It seemed to me after liking around that no one had paid attention to my save Prince Legolas. "Thank you for your words of truth. I shall not utter a word of your bad dreams to anyone unless it risks a life."
Arwen soon came back once the confrontation between the Elf and the drunken Dwarf had ended. Elladan and Elrohir sat beside me during the feast usually taking about their last hunt or about their day with Legolas who listen intently. It was odd knowing that me, Arwen, Elladan, Elrohir and Legolas were close to the same age, if not the same age. Legolas was born on the 1st equinox and I was born on the summer solstice. Elladan and Elrohir were born two years ahead of me and Legolas on the 19th of December and Arwen was born ten years after myself on the 7th of February. It was rare to meet anyone your age in the immortal world and even rarer to meet a group of people who were born in the same decade as yourself. Not forgetting the over three members of The Six Nighthunters who were out traveling together somewhere in the world.
The feast ended and guests of all matters of background made their way to the Hall of Fire for tales of old and songs of old days. I listened intently with my eyes closed and my back up against the cold marble pillar. The fair voices of the free people who set on the ground of the Halls of Fire could be heard for miles around. Distant travellers who heard these voices fell into these songs, though many of them did not know the words. The ever blazing fire still blazed brightly bringing hope to all those who doubted in room. No negative feelings were in the room, only hope and joy. I heard the pitter patter of over seized feet and opened my eyes.
The three Halflings who I had previously met were bounding over to me, followed by two other Halfings. "Hello, you three. Had your fill I hope?"
"Yes. We have as a matter of fact. This is Frodo Baggins, my cousin and this is his uncle Bilbo Baggins." Pippin said with joy and a giddy laugh. Merry once again swiftly elbowed his best friend but this time I could see no reason to do so. Did Merry have a tick of some sort? My answer was soon given. "Your majesty. Sorry I forgot. Please don't have me head."
"And why would I wish to do that, Master Peregrine Took? I do not put people to execution or corprel punishment or any punishment for that matter. Well...unless they are Orcs or evil Men or ruffians which you are neither" I turned to the Baggins's. I bowed my head in politeness.
I was almost speechless when I saw Bilbo Baggins. It had been so long since I had seen a elderly person other than Gandalf. Had I really forgotten what age looked like on the skin of Mortals. Upon his face was a large grin surround by arching wrinkles. His hair was white like wisps curling of clouds. His skin tanned like he bathed in sunlight too often. I knew the tales. He was the only Halfling in the Battle Of Four Armies and the Halfling who traveled with Thorin and his company. His nephew Frodo Baggins looked up at me blankly. A mod of curly brown hair set on his head. He had freakishly bright blue eyes like a person had grabbed a handful of the sky on a fine clear day and placed it in his eye sockets. "Thank you." Frodo said quietly. "Your the one that lead the Black Riders north, if my assumptions are correct."
"Do not speak anyone of their names here in the open." I warned him. His head dropped down so he looked at his large feet. "I am whom you speak of. Yet, I should be congratulating all of you for making it to Bree alone and to you Bilbo Baggins for sorting out the troubles in the Lonley Mountain so long ago." I shock the old Halfling's hand lightly and straightened myself up again so I towered over them.
The tanned wrinkled checks of Bilbo Baggins turned red of either embarrassment of me saying his deeds or from sudden withdrawal from oxygen. "It was nothing, really." his murmured bashfully. "I've never met a Nymph before. Your kind are quite like the Elves but different in some way I cannot explain. I see your ears are not as pointed and your eyes seem more awake and alert. Thank you for helping out my Frodo. He is very dear to me. Almost like the son I never had." He ruffled his nephew's hair. In reaction Frodo ducked out of his uncle's reach in embarrassment. I breathed out through my nose unable to hide the fact that I found it humerus that Bilbo and Frodo were so a like, yet, distant relatives. What type valour was in these small people that made them have the boldness of a Eagle and the heart's of pure iron dipped in gold? I noticed that the tales lead by the Elves had finished and the room awaited for our convocation to end. "I do believe the guests of the Halls of Fire await to hear your tales of bravery, Master Bilbo Baggins." I turned the old man round to face the watching eyes and slipped away out of view of prying eyes. And so I listened to the tale of Desolation of Smauge in the words of Bilbo Baggins of the village of Hobbiton of the Shire... Some of the guests yawned with boredom. Evidently they had no manners and low attention spans. Bilbo sighed and folded his arms across his chest. "You must try to think of the heat of Smaug's breath and the size of his mouth. He could easily swallow anyone of you in one small gulp." A loud snore was heard coming from the dwarves were seated on the ground.
Maybe it was time to give them something to think about. I came up behind Lord Elrond and whispered into his ear. "Shall I make them think twice about thinking dragons are mere giant lizards that are nothing to fear?" I whispered so quietly that only the sharpest of Elves could hear. "Maybe. Do not scare them too greatly that they will fear ever setting down here." He answered. I smirked then slipped away behind a large pillar out of everyone's views. The sound of crackling flames filled my ears. I used the flames of the log fire and took control of them. I made their crackles seem like the loud moans and groans and breaths of a dragon. I forced the flames to darken which dimmed the light in the room. I blew out all of the torches in the room, sending a cold breeze down the hall. Now only the flames in the log fire remained. In a swift shift of thought, I made the flames jump out in the form of a great dragon's head who breathed out smoke into the air. The dragon at my will bares its fiery teeth. I made a ball of fire at the back of flame dragon's mouth and made it change into a dark red colour like the colour of blood that belonged to the people that Smaug had purged so many years ago. This red fire was completely harmless and could no hurt a soul, though it did look deadly. The fire ball jumped out from the dragon's mouth and exploded in the air making harmless sparks fall upon the audience. All them seemed awake and alert, some muttered that it was Gandalf's trickery or the trickery of the Darkling which some dared name my race.
I sent the dragon back into the log fire and looked around at the audience. Most of the Elves knew of my trickery but the visiting Elves looked at one another in shock. But it was the Dwarves reaction that pleased me the most. Some of the them now sat up straight looking at another with no words to say but the small mutter of 'magic'. I went back to Lord Elrond. "I shall take my leave now. Before one of the Dwarves makes a bold and unintelligent remark that'll end in his beard set alight." I joked though I could tell that Lord Elrond found little humour in my remark. Before I could turn and make for the doors I was stopped by his invasion to a council meeting. "One moment. You are to come to a meeting tomorrow morning as a representative of the Nymphs. If you seem it correct for your kind to have a representative."
I nodded knowing of the subject that the council will be speaking of.
The One Ring. That object was a fear of many of my kind for it nearly brought destruction to Castdeia. The Nymphs lost many brave men, too many in fact. Never would we undermined the power of Orcs and Evil Men. A mass army tried to attack the borders of Castedia during the rise of Sauron's power. Castel forest, the forest which laid just out of Castdea's became a battle ground. My father used to say that all guard used their gifts to the maximum level. Yet, still the opposing army made their mark. They shot down some our Phoenix's and horses and killed too many Nymphs. One final plan was put to use when we noticed that the army was just reforming after each onslaught. All the power's of the Guard were put together. Those with elemental powers sent waves of their power at the enemy. Those with mental powers targeted the whole army all at same time and those with physical power like unimaginable speed or strength killed any enemy that came too close. The army retreated back to Mordor soon after realising their fight was never going to win so long as the Guard still had a leader. Never again did someone dare to attack our borders.
"I shall come" I answered as came away from my thoughts. I left the Halls of Fire and went straight back to my room. The moment I set myself under the covers I felt the dizziness of drifting off too sleep.