Chap 65 Lord of the Rings!

*My opinions on who and what of the trilogy. Mwahahah, no offence intended for LOTR fans. Just for fun, besides Frodo sucks.

Golden time Lover(Sukima Switch), My favorite Dream (Lyriel)

Nuada

Kayfas was his cousin, but in their family, cousin typically means brother as well. Uriel is the second- youngest of them, number four. They live far away doing various things.

"Any of them are healers?" I massaged his shoulders. He beamed.

"No they want to be freer. My eldest brother Tebin is an actor. Never stays in one spot for long. We lost contact… Four is a rare statistic this day, isn't it? Nuada."

"Yes. Go on." I rubbed more oil on my palms.

"Jesse is into sculpting, but I think he may join the priests at the Itacha Temple. We write very often, when I'm able I want to continue. He must be worried. The youngest boy Latas can't quite decide what he will do. He loves history and studying. We're closer than Tebin is."

I nodded, finishing the last region on his left. Uriel lay down on the pillows. I wanted to encourage him not to feel so down, it is normal for our kind to be estranged when we're older. Yet, it didn't seem right. I nudged Laira to change the topic.

Yay a free story! I love that! More more!

It worked. Uriel was so much better from the Illness, could hear this projection. He pretended to be annoyed. "I want a free story in return. Tell me, Halfling. Nope reading from the book is dull."

She considered. "Hey wanna know Lord of the rings? Nuada watched it too. It's the first movie we gave him. Right? (I smiled) Let's give our commentary. Frodo Baggins, I dunno why he can be a hero. He's such a weakling always fainting and freezing up. When the Eye, that's the baddie stares at him he can't move. So I'm like- idiot! Asshole, move! When friends protect him he'll not be hurt. But they get injured….." As usual her commentary has elements of flashing back and forth. They are not in order. Our audience looked baffled and confused.

Laira talks with a lot of gestures and sound effects too. She described the elves in LOTR as 'pssh pssh' when they use the arrows. We laughed. Couldn't remember the dwarf's name who was shortie for now, Aragorn, the brother (I think it starts with B), Gandalf the wizard, Merrin and Pippin… Sam.

I said, "Hey enough. Please use proper language. That sounds like… wind."

"Nah, wind is woohoooo. So Legolas the hero who won't die, will pssh very fast from anywhere. He will see very far. He's Aragorn's friend, the others are snobbish to him. Aragorn can talk elvish. I like him!" she gushed. "My second favorite is Gandalf. You, Noowa?"

"I like him as well, Frodo is a hobbit. He cannot fight, can't blame him. I think Legolas is effeminato… sissy in other words. He's never been in war, I have doubts." I snorted.

Laira laughed. Uriel smiled. "Sounds good. What is the objective again? A ring only? But it's rings in the title."

I vaguely remembered why-- it was in part 2. "Yes many many of them but this One ring they call it, is most potent. When Frodo wears it, he will vanish. But the evil can see. Black magic, I think. Where were the other rings?"

"Maybe 17 rings, I forgot exactly. Funny is they think orcs are, ok don't be mad here, (I Sensed this and growled) elves corrupted. So they become meat eaters and look old, black. Ugly the orcs always look like shit. Tolkien's standard issue. Good are nice, bad are ugly. Are you angry, friend? Can I call you Ree? "

He smiled and took her hand. "No I am not. Ree sounds funny. Don't. My name is short enough." It is unusual, but for the healers they choose another name which's longer. He told us- Thonuhim Nim'muil. "Sadly I forgot what it means. What about you?"

I shook my head. "Silverlance is my longest."

My soulmate scratched her head. "So cool. I think I have one on my official papers, Natasha. Or Nicole."

We thought it was great too. My old friend guessed how long the entire movie would take. "Two hours… what! So long. My god, why is that? Will I fall asleep?" he exclaimed. I found it surprising he's patient but he cannot take long durations.

I supplied, "Each one is three hours. Haha I pause it to use the toilet. The action is more in part two and three. I didn't like us siding with humans."

Laira pointed out, "Hey the orcs look worse. There wasn't choice."

"Indeed. It's just not… right to me. One was Haldir, he could use sword. He led some men in. The father, forgot his name, of our people was against Arwen marrying Aragorn. He said his human ally couldn't destroy that stupid ring. That's true, too weak." I shook my head.

Uriel felt very confused though he was very happy. Laira looked around for a DVD player. If not she could use a lappie. "What's that?" we asked.

"Short for laptop."

I thought it was a dog. Uriel got up and touched the black box. "This one? Box?"

The child leveled us an outraged look. I cleared my throat. Remember we're not tech-advanced. But we're true honorable people. I will sever ties with you. Despise us eh?

Not at all monsieur. I don't. She replied cheerily. "Oh yea once I connect the player we're all good to go. That one Uriel is a cable box." My friend never watched tv, so she went through the labeling and demonstrated. He smiled.

We sat back to watch. He said, "Let's watch from the middle. What is the recommended order to see?"

Halfling said she had seen from the back. "Coz when the first and second came out, I wanted to watch, but no one'd go with me. Not that great reviews anyway. Then when ROTK (return of the king) came out I had to! Second one is ok."

I closed the casing. "Hmm didn't have trouble with who they were? I couldn't catch the names." I smiled, admission of weakness.

*****

He fell asleep through the dialogue. I didn't want to call him up. "Why?"

Later when the battles start. He is tired. Hungry? I opened up a packet of chips. I don't like it much but the occasional snack is all right. At the correct moment, I shook him. He wouldn't sulk upon waking unlike me. I'd holler at interruptions. Just ask sister, haha.

"Will he die?" he said of Aragorn the moment in the ghost cave. He bravely showed them the magical sword.

Overall he loved the movie. He couldn't wait for the ROTK installment. Laira suggested, "You can watch it anytime, I've stored it with Elf ." She held out the chips. He took one more.

I glared. "Don't I have a name?" The healer chuckled. Oh you're just Elf now. Nice! I want to say that too from now on.

"Looks like I have no more face* left. Anyone continuing this ridiculous notion will be tortured." I declared, shaking my fist. I put on my ferocious warrior glare, an expression I gave specially for the monsters I fought.

Joe popped in, literally like a cat. "Hey! Uriel I've to come to visit. I made you a present." He was about to hug my companion, but placed the bag on the table and shook his hand. My companion laughed.

"I have missed you too. Is it Jonathan or Joshua?" he blinked, squeezing back.

"Dunno. Nuada prefers me to be Joshua. So never mind." The boy gestured he was fine standing so I pushed back the chair. He had made a few pencilholders. Showing how versatile the containers could be, the boy explained in detail what to use. It can even contain water. It is indeed his talent with materials.

I remembered. "One day when things are better, we can go to the shop selling clay. Would you like to?" (I had promised to take them, but so much had happened it was impossible. Hopefully the shop was still standing)

"Yea! Ok!"

Uriel was father to many kids. The healer had his own honour, he was naturally close to some orphaned children from a ruined town and pitied them. People would think- it's so filthy and dirty to touch them, they haven't bathed' But I was very astonished that Uriel knelt, his clean robes dirtied in the process, to comfort them.

He was more chatty today. Good, it meant his usual fervor was back. En route to recovery! Speaking in our tongue annoys the Halflings because we should translate, but I don't want them to understand adult-matters. "Giniúint Mhuire gan Smál, Cén uair" Do you want to see the orphans when you're better?

He was sticking his hand into one container. Softly, he replied, "All right. Críochnóidh mé amárach." I'm not sure when I will get my strength up.

Sadness emanated from my heart and I sought to control my expression.

Joe did not mind though he looked very curious. Laira's gaze cut from mine to his. I nodded gently.

Uriel was quiet for a while, then he queried how long he had been out for.

"Aeons." They concluded. I pressed my nose bridge.

"One thing, does any young elf grow a beard? Or moustache? Nobody will tell me."

I indeed would not tell her. I don't intend to grow a beard so I don't care. My friend found this comical. "Beards… nope most of us don't shave. But we've body hair. The very ancient ones might have beards." My grandfather and father had beards, they were many centuries old.

******

I offered to get some food. My stomach needed food, how annoying. Joe was helping the patient to button his shirt.

When I came back, he had closed his eyes to rest. Propped against the pillows, the shoulder length mane had thinned and turned snow pale. He had requested to see his family, so they had come once. Uriel said they were affected by his weakened appearance. He was determined to look better soon.

"Hey will people get heart attack seeing my skeleton?"

"Cad é atá tú a dhéanamh, Heru en amin." Don't be vain, my lord, I meant.

He took a deep breath, his usual smile turning into a scowl. They smiled at my tone. I let him sock me in the stomach, but it did not hurt. He never gets those very serious temper issues I struggle with, nor rash to condemn people. I have yet to see Uriel explode in vulgarity, haha.

"He hurt my feelings." He sniffed.

Laira shook her head. "Prince is quite cocky eh? Don't look at me, now friend's also agreeing."

I had no smile nor glare at all. "Finish up the food. There will be ice cream." He enjoyed his first time of the cold dessert. The older healers felt cold foods would weaken his coughing. Today he was allowed.

"Can't wait to have more. This is what you ate, lucky, Nuada," Uriel acted a very sad deprived boy. Halflings wanted to buy some. "Haha, thank you. But it will have to be in a cold place… we have no fridge. Our desserts are mostly warm."

*********

Laira's voice in my ear. I was dreaming. "Hey, Nuada didn't hear me? why?" instead of hurt pique like most girls, she stared at me intensely.

I took out what I had drawn for fun. A sun moon and stick figure drawing. It's much worse than kindergarden.

Can't go on display! It's very bad. I shook my head. Some of them were collecting art, Nuala's knitted clothes, cookies, handmade things for charity. It was Cultural heritage week and the fey taking refuge here wanted to celebrate by having some kind of exhibition. Sapien said, "Wow Nuada. You have talent!"

No. people will laugh and I will be hiding. "Who will buy mine? It's so ugly. If people don't flee from my scarred visage."

"You're not ugly, that's shallow of them. We all think you're so popular."

"Really. In what way?" I patted my lap. Resting my chin on her head, I held her like this if she missed having a father. Laira hummed for a while. She listed all my good qualities and perceived good qualities.

She made her thumbs come together in a gesture for love. I responded too.

"Still love is lower on my list. Honour is the most important value to live by. Remember that. Empty people can't understand it. Let's pass this on to our future." I envisioned many many of us standing firm in such a pose.

Not anime-style in my perfect thinking. I cannot draw it.

*this means face in asian context, face saving means not speaking out of turn so that others will not be embarrassed. Haha.