- - CALINA - -
Gandalf stood in the largest of Rivendell's training arenas, looking up at the crowd that loomed above like vultures. His eyes wandered over the crowd. Their faces harbored glares of muted disdain, all which were directed towards Calina as she strode up silently behind him.
Long gone were the elegant braids and graceful dresses, for Calina was now sporting a pair of lightweight pants and a long sleeve shirt that was fitted with a leather chest plate and bracers. Courtesy of Arwen, her hair was tied in a single, thick braid that sat draped over her shoulder. Her sword was at her hip, a dagger was strapped to her thigh, and a boot blade was placed snugly against her right ankle. Indeed, she looked ready for what to come.
Upon her approach she smiled, and they walked side by side as they moved to the center of the arena. Gandalf's staff kicked up dust as he went. Despite the wide brim of his pointed hat, he was already squinting under the glare of the morning sun. "A test on swordsmanship is your first trial. To pass, you must force your opponent to yield." Gandalf instructed as they came to a stop in the center of the arena.
"Sounds simple enough." Calina acknowledged, her hand already on the hilt of her sword. "Who's my opponent?" She looked to Gandalf in answer, but another voice beat him to it.
"That would be me." She spun around to see none other than her ranger companion walking towards her. He looked much like he had during their travels to Rivendell save for the fact that he no longer had his cloak and he was wearing a fresh set of clothes. Even from a distance, she could see his white teeth smirking at her. Gandalf chuckled, beginning to walk out of the arena.
She slapped one of her palms to her forehead. "Of course I'd be fighting you. Why am I not surprised?" She said hotly. Aragorn chuckled, still failing to hide his grin as he came to stand across from her.
A shout suddenly called out from the balconies above. Calina's eyes filtered through the crowd until she saw a small hand waving down to her. She smiled seeing Frodo wave excitedly with the rest of their friends around him. Merry then leaned over the banister. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he gave a loud shout, "Don't be afraid to really give it to him!"
"Yeah, show him who's really better with a sword!" Pippin added just as boisterously. From below, Calina stifled a laugh, and Aragorn shook his head. The Hobbits were already receiving a good number of queer looks from those around them, to which Gandalf hastily yanked at the back of their shirts and pulled them down to shush them.
Despite being taken down from their perch, Merry and Pippin were swift to poke their heads through the banister's stone spindles. "She's fought off more than her fair share of Black Riders. She'll beat him for sure!" Merry said exuberantly.
"But Aragorn has fought just as well. He is a ranger after all." Sam added with a twinge of worry.
"Be that as it may, I'm sure she'll kick his rear into next week." Pippin added, his eyes never leaving their companions below.
Below, Calina took notice of Aragorn shifting his grip on his sword, "Getting a bit antsy over there?" She teased.
He looked her dead in the eyes, "I have been waiting for this for a long time."
Calina stiffened, "For what?" She asked, her tone turning hurt as she spoke bluntly, "Another chance to stab me in the chest?"
"No. The chance for a real fight. A fair fight." Aragorn declared. A gust of autumn wind blew between them and tousled their hair with its speed.
A voice hollered down to them, halting any further discussion, "Competitors, ready your weapons!" In two well-practiced motions, the duo drew their blades and fell into a fighting stance. Two longswords were now glimmering in the autumn sun, hovering motionless in the air as they waited. There was now a permanent smokey scar on her blade from her encounter with the twins. A silence draped itself over the crowd as everyone waited for the announcer to speak. All eyes were locked on the pair below as they stood unmoving.
Crisp and clear, the word was spoken, "Begin!"
There was an immediate clash of metal on metal, which caused some of the unprepared members of the audience to jump in surprise. Mouths and eyes began to gape at the dance that was taking place below them. Dust clouds were already floating from the packed ground as the waltz of blades carried on, the pair of warriors clearly putting everything they had into the fight as they moved throughout the arena.
Calina swiftly evaded a strike to the chest and used the momentum from her dodge to lift her blade far above her head. The blade floated perfectly above her in a show of well-practiced skill before it came down on the opposite side, crashing into the opposing blade. Miraculously, her strike managed to push Aragorn back.
After countering her attack, the ranger called out to her in broken words, "I always wondered—" Sidestep. Lift. Downward swing. "How are you able—" Block. Counter. Strike. "–to handle such a sword?" Indeed, such massive double-handed longswords were difficult to wield, even by men's standards. To see Calina handling one so brilliantly had always left Aragorn curious.
Between a set of quick breaths she smirked and moved to strike at him again, "I had an excellent teacher—" She let out a war cry and for a few intense seconds, neither of them could speak, for their blades clashed in rapid succession. Calina eventually leapt back and ended her flurry of attacks, breathing heavily.
Sensing her prolonged delay, the ranger took matters into his own hands, leaving Calina to dodge his blows. When their swords met yet again, Aragorn used the sheer strength and power he had over her to force her back. They could each see the fire in the other's eyes, and the sweat trailing down their faces. Relentless, he forced her to step back again and again.
But she parried his every move, for what she lacked in strength and power, she made up for in speed and agility. Then she saw it: Aragorn had slowed just enough between blows that put her at the advantage. Having found her opening, she outright ducked out of the path of his blade and whirled around him out of harm's way. By the time the ranger whipped around to face her, she was now a solid number of paces away, and his string of attacks had been forced to end.
They were smirking at one another, each holding a defensive stance as they caught their breath. "Your skills are impressive." The ranger admitted, starting a series of careful footwork and making his way towards her.
"As are yours." She complimented as he rushed at her once again.
- - BOROMIR - -
From above, onlookers were commenting on the spectacle as it carried on below them. As much as many of them might not have cared to admit it, regardless of how the trial ended, it was apparent that the Shadow Walker was far from an amateur with a sword.
Boromir kept his eyes locked on his sister, forever assessing her form as she battled. Though his gaze never broke, he called out to Pippin, who had asked about the curious nature of his sister's sword, "Yes, it is thinner and lighter than most. Given her petite form, it was a much-needed adjustment."
"But wouldn't that make it more susceptible to breaking?" Merry asked, his eyes alight with exhilaration. He flinched as one of Aragorn's attacks got particularly close to Calina. He relaxed as he watched her once again slither around the ranger's blade unscathed.
"Not if you have the right material." Boromir answered. During the discussion, all eyes remained fixed on the battling pair. The man couldn't help but slip a proud smile, happy to see all the effort he'd put into ensuring she'd be able to handle herself in battle had paid off. She wielded her sword with deadly grace, and as Aragorn had swiftly come to find out, she was not to be taken lightly.
"Where did you find such an alloy?" The wizard suddenly inquired, his eyes daring to break from the fight to look at the man beside him.
Boromir did not meet his gaze, his answer illusive, "When your father is the Steward of Gondor, such are not hard to come by." Gandalf knew he would get no further explanation from the man, so he returned his attention back to the battle.
- - ARAGORN - -
He brought his blade down once again and wasn't surprised to see it blocked, their swords now locked in a pressure battle. He could've easily overpowered her, but refrained. He also knew that she could have swiveled her way around him, but she didn't. In between breaths, he spoke, "Shall we end this?"
"Yes." Calina answered, leaping back. Aragorn immediately advanced, and there was a clash for each swing that followed, and for each, Calina took a step back. Her fatigue was obvious. She had slowed, and would be unable to dodge his next attack to her flank. He would be the victor.
But the ranger was then reminded that there is a first time for everything.
Calina flung her sword to the ground and dropped to the ground, kneeling so low she almost kissed the dirt. As Aragorn's sword cut through the unexpected vacantness of open air, he misstepped. As he faltered, she sprung up and launched herself towards the unsuspecting ranger. Mid jump, she grabbed at his bottom wrist while slamming her knees into his stomach. He reflexively dropped his sword as he fell backwards.
Now a victim of gravity, Aragorn slammed into the ground with Calina's knees lodged squarely in his gut. He was winded and coughed violently, trying to catch his breath. As he did, he felt something cool press against his jugular. His eyes snapped open. Calina was hovering above him, a grin on her face and a small blade glimmering in her hand.
"Do you yield?" She asked simply.
He answered between painful gasps, trying to re-inflate his lungs, "Yes."
In a motion as swift as the last, she leapt off him, the little blade still in her hand. Aragorn propped himself up on his elbows, panting. After his breath finally returned, he lifted his head, and saw that a hand was being presented to him. It was Calina.
He cocked a grin, taking her hand as she helped him up. "Well fought." He said.
"Thank you." Oddly enough, he watched her eyes shoot off to the side as she began to scuff the dirt. He eyed her curiously, "Do not think this will weaken our accord. You bested me in a fair fight, and in front of a large audience no less." He added, making sure the humor of his last few words translated clearly.
To his proclamation, Calina visibly relaxed, "Thank you, Aragorn."
The man then went over and picked up his longsword, returning it to its sheath. Both of them looked up to the crowd. Some were shouting in angered disbelief, a few in rallied excitement, but most were silent, too stunned to react. They headed back across the arena towards the staircase that led to the balconies, walking side by side as they went. As soon as they reached the top, they were bombarded by the Hobbits, all who were chatting jubilantly.
Pippin eventually yelled louder than the rest, "I told you she'd beat him!"
"Well done." Boromir praised, ruffling her hair. She smiled proudly back up at him, shooing his hand away. He then clapped a hand on Aragorn's shoulder, "And to you as well, Aragorn. You nearly had her bested."
"You clearly taught her well." The ranger added.
"That was no easy feat. When I first began to teach her the sword, she was not only painfully horrible at it, but it took her quite a while to get a handle on even the basics."
Calina blushed in embarrassment, "Your lessons were brutal and I am not a quick learner when it comes to these things!" The others laughed, amused at her flusteredness.
"Perhaps I should give you a refresher course then dear sister, if you still feel they are so brutal." Boromir teased. All color vanished from Calina's face. Her reaction earned yet another round of laughs from her fellows.
"Boromir, might you be able to teach us the sword as well?" Frodo asked.
"It would be my honor, little one."
"Excellent! When can we start?" Merry piped in, his eyes blazing with excitement.
Gandalf chimed in, "There will be a luncheon for us quite soon, but afterwards, there will be plenty of time before Calina's second trial. If you so wish, you may do so then so long as this is alright by your teacher."
The Half-lings looked to Boromir hopefully. He smiled at them, "After lunch it will be then." He agreed. The Hobbits' faces all split into the widest of grins and they immediately began talking to one another as Gandalf led them all off to the luncheon.
- - CALINA - -
As they walked, Calina noticed that Sam had fallen behind. His brow had furrowed in a troubled manner, and his eyes were locked on his feet as he lagged behind. She stopped and waited for him to catch up, "What's the matter Sam?" She asked as he came up to her.
"I'm no good with a sword." He confided.
She gave him a sympathetic smile, crouching down in front of him, "You know, I said the exact same thing when I first started. But every master swordsman was once a beginner. So don't be so hard on yourself before you've even really begun."
Sam peeked up at her, "Alright. But if it turns out that I'm still horrible at it afterwards, I get to say I told you so."
"Don't worry. I sincerely doubt you'll be worse than I was." They then resumed to follow after the others.
The Hobbit looked up to her, skepticism clear on his round face. "Were you really as bad as Boromir said?"
"I was the worst my brothers and father had ever seen, actually." Her words came off as a murmur near the end for having admitted something so embarrassing.
"Honestly?"
"You have no idea." She grimaced at the memory. "You can ask Boromir more about it during lunch. I'm sure he'd be overjoyedto tell you a story or two. In fact, he'll most likely turn it into a lesson on how not to wield a sword."
"My goodness." Sam said as he tried to imagine Calina being utterly horrible with her sword. A few moments later, they arrived at the courtyard where they were to have lunch. Merry and Pippin pounced on the banquet with Sam and Frodo following close behind. Soon, everyone had a plateful of food and was sitting around enjoying their meal, some on the ground, others on elegant garden benches.
Merry began to juggle apples while the other Half-lings hovered around in mirth. Merry motioned for Sam to toss in a fourth apple, but as soon as he did, two of the apples fell on his head while the other two landed on the ground.
They all laughed as Boromir picked up one of the fruits that had rolled away. "Eat your food." He said, his reprimand half-hearted and laden with amusement. He bit into the apple, tearing its red flesh open.
"You would be one to scold them." Calina chided just as playfully from her seat beside him, popping a grape into her mouth. He chuckled, leaning back against the bench they had taken up. The Hobbits continued to mingle, and Aragorn and Gandalf were casually talking with one another. Calina leaned her head against her brother's shoulder with a yawn, letting her eyes fall shut. Neither of them said a word, content with the serenity the moment had to offer.
.
Calina sat up and stretched, realizing that she must have dosed off at some point. She looked around. All of the food had been cleared away and everyone had disappeared. She stood, dusted herself off and began to mosey her way around. 'As long as I stay in the city, I have nothing to worry about.' She thought idly, letting her feet take her wherever they pleased.
She wound her way along until she found herself in one of the city's smaller courtyards. The space was simple, with nothing but short cut grass and a hedge taking up one corner. Oddly enough, the unkempt plant had a cleanly cut top, and a few white flowers dotted here and there. It took her no more than ten steps before she found herself standing before the spindly bush. She brushed her hand against one of the flowers. They were small things. Their petals were delicate as they strived to fight their inevitable death that came with the onset of autumn. She watched a group of the white petals fall, failing to hold on against a sudden breeze. Her eyes followed them to the ground, landing near their curling brown companions.
But as she looked, she noticed something odd. There was some sort of flat surface poking out at the base of the shrub. Crouching down, she pulled back the leaves to reveal a wooden corner. She looked around, fortunately finding no one. So, in her moment of curiosity, she started to pull apart the hedge to reveal whatever it was hiding. After a moment of tugging, she cleared away the top of the hedge.
What it revealed left her befuddled. It was a large wooden box with a perfectly square rim. However, it had no top. She leaned forward and looked into the gaping hole. 'It's a well.' She surmised. She grabbed onto the wooden lip and peered further down. It was pitch dark, but somehow felt strangely familiar. Glancing around, she found a little stone nearby and dropped it into the well, but it never landed. Instead, a violet light appeared like an endless tunnel into its own self made sort of void.
Without so much as a second thought, she flung herself over the edge and down into the well.
She was enveloped in the glimmering light. It seemed to hug her in recognition before suddenly pulsating and darkening in hue. Looking down, Calina saw something manifest from deeper in the well. It was a terrifyingly massive centipede that had the torso of a beautiful naked woman with flowing black hair. Their eyes met. The woman's jaw unhinged in a monstrous way to reveal fangs as long as daggers. The creature began to slither towards her, revealing two extra sets of arms, all of which began to stretch out towards her.
Memories came rushing back in an instant. There was no sound, but she could suddenly see so much. A faraway country, an ancient temple, the well and its light, the centipede woman…
Then there was pain. It shot through her hip where a star shaped scar had always been. She buckled and clutched her side, wincing at the phantom pain. Looking up, she saw the centipede woman was closing in. Reflexively, Calina raised her arm and opened her palm…
Something reignited within her violently. It shot through her like water bursting through a dam. 'I know this feeling. It's what always tries to suppress the curse whenever I lose control.' She focused, and immediately a bright violet light shot from her palm straight into the centipede woman. Upon contact, the monster turned into purple dust, and Calina once again found herself alone. The well's magic suddenly began to fade and she felt herself begin to fall. Looking down, she could see the ground below. She braced herself for impact–
- - BOROMIR - -
He was nothing short of startled when Calina jolted awake. It happened so aggressively that she lurched off the bench and tumbled to the ground in a heap. He immediately dropped down beside her, "Calina! What's wrong?" He asked worriedly. The others heard the commotion and hurried over as well.
Gandalf kneeled down, "Look at me." He asked her. Although she did, her eyes were fogged. The wizard spoke, "The first of her memories have returned. Give her a moment."
To this proclamation, everyone fell silent until Calina's breath had evened out. Once it did, Boromir finally spoke, "Calina, what is it? What did you remember?"
Now calm, Boromir helped her back onto the bench and she told her audience what she remembered. "I just wish I could have heard something." She added, noticeably frustrated.
"At this stage it is to be expected. As time goes on, your memories will return in greater clarity." Everyone seemed to accept Gandalf's answer. "But now we must be going. The second trial will begin shortly and I doubt our host will be pleased if the guest of honor is late." To his declaration, the group gathered themselves and headed off.
.
After a modest walk, they arrived at a grand veranda. Beyond it was yet another marvelously well groomed courtyard. There was an intricate white-marble fountain in the center with a number of cobbled paths meandering through it. Elrond was already present, standing beside a curved table. On it lay what appeared to be every sort of weapon imaginable.
Gandalf gestured towards the Elf Lord, to which Calina nodded. "First, I'd like to be rid of this." She quickly removed the leather armor. She handed it to her brother, who immediately looked uneasy. "I need all of the advantages I can get, Boromir. This is a test of stealth, after all." She then turned and headed over to the Elf Lord.
Boromir watched her move off. "You really need to start having more faith in her," Aragorn suggested.
His comment earned a glance from the man. "It is not that I do not have faith in her. I do not have faith in her enemies to follow the rules of fair engagement." Boromir clarified.
"You believe the trial is rigged?" Aragorn asked.
"Not necessarily. But it is no secret that Elrond wishes for her to fail. After her last performance, I'm sure he will try and make things even more difficult."
"Well, at least she can pick her own weapon." Sam looked towards Calina, who was now scrutinizing the contents of the table.
One of Pippin's eyebrows rose, "Is it just me, or does it look like she's looking for something?" Indeed, Calina was moving along the table, eyes clearly searching for something in particular. She then stopped, eyes lighting up upon finding what she was looking for.
An even more confused and oddly anxious look crossed Boromir's face. 'Just what does she think she's doing? She knows what'll happen if she uses that bow…' He mused as he ran a hand over his mouth as he watched her indeed, choose and bow and arrow as her weapon of choice. "Just what is she up to?" He muttered, watching his sister sling the bow and quiver over her shoulder before walking back to Elrond.
The others looked at him quizzically, "Up to? What do you mean, up to?" Merry inquired, his head snapping back and forth between Calina and Boromir. The man in question remained silent, eyes boring into his sister with questions he knew he could not ask at that moment. They watched another short exchange between the Elf Lord and Calina, the elder motioning to one of the paths in the courtyard that was dotted with red markers.
"Come along." Gandalf said suddenly, beckoning everyone to follow.
"Where are we going?" Sam asked, stepping in tow behind the wizard, but not before glancing back at Calina as she began to make her way down the trail.
"To where the final leg of this trial is to take place." Another fifteen minutes of walking passed before he stopped, coming to the edge of a great stone balcony that looked out over a massive garden. The space was laden with mature trees, shrubs, and tall grasses, with the only clear space being the stone paths that wove through it. Off to the right below them was a stone wall with an archway leading off into another area.
"Because Calina's task is a test of stealth, there is not much to see during this trial. If we were to see anything, it would be here." Gandalf informed them.
"She is to come through there." Aragorn gestured towards the archway, noticing the continuing trail of red markers flow out into the garden. There was a rustle in one of the trees, but the Hobbits were ignorant to it. Boromir and Aragorn shared a knowing look.
'This is certainly going to be a challenge.' Boromir thought worriedly.
"She has more opponents this time, so it will be some time before she arrives." Aragorn continued, leaning against the banister.
"How many are there?" Frodo asked, standing along the rail with him.
"Ten."
Merry guffawed, "Ten?! That's hardly fair!"
Boromir joined them, clenching his wrist behind his back, "And knowing Elrond, if any of them so much as brush her sleeve, she will be forfeit."
Sam stood on his tiptoes to look over the marble rail, vaguely noting a few vines climbing along the white stone. "So how long do you think it'll take before she gets here?" The Half-ling inquired.
"She has until dark, so it could be minutes or hours. Given the time, I'd say that she has no more than three hours total. If I were you, Hobbits, I would make myself comfortable. We may be here for a while." Gandalf then found himself a bench to sit on and closed his eyes. Now, it was a waiting game.
Boromir strode off to lean against the wall, muttering something about the bow and arrows while Frodo walked over to the wizard. His gaze was troubled, "Do you think she'll be able to do this, Gandalf?" He cracked an eye open, seeing the trepidation that was clearly strewn across the young Half-ling's face.
"Yes, I do. In fact, I have a feeling that she will only continue to surprise us." This answer put Frodo at ease, and his disposition regained buoyancy. He then walked to stand beside Merry along the banister, staring out across the garden in wait for their companion's arrival.
.
A fair stretch of time had passed, for the sun was starting to get low in the sky. Most of the company had not moved from their resting places, save for the Hobbits. Sam and Pippin sat with their legs swinging out between the spindles of the railing, Frodo was resting against it with his chin on the rail, and Merry was leaning on it while focusing on the task of picking his fingernail.
The stillness of the scene was interrupted at the sound of approaching footsteps. All turned their heads to see Lord Elrond and Arwen appear. The beauty smiled at them before walking over to the rail while her father strode towards Gandalf, where the two conversed quietly.
Arwen joined the others as they searched across the motionless garden, "She has not yet arrived?"
"No," Came four simultaneous replies.
Pippin carried on, his face pressed in between two marble bars, "She must be getting close. The sun is about to set."
As if on cue, a voice yelled out from just beyond the archway. Judging by the hot and evidently furious tone, Calina had indeed arrived at the garden. "Be on your guard!"
The remaining spectators all hurried to the edge of the balcony, eyes shooting across the garden. Yet as they looked, all was still.
Without warning, Frodo's hand shot out, pointing far across the garden, "There! I saw her!" With prying eyes, everyone scoured around, missing whatever Frodo had seen.
Merry looked accusingly at his fellow Half-ling, "Maybe your eyes were playing tricks on you, because I didn't see anything."
"I saw her, I'm certain of it!" He promised excitedly.
"Are you sure? Because it's getting hard to see much of anything." Pippin commented, his eyes plastered in a panning motion across the garden.
"But seeing as how the sun's going down, she'll have the shadows to her advantage again." Sam announced rather happily.
"Unfortunately not." Gandalf's voice was low, his words earning looks of confusion from the others. "That spell, while suppressing the dark magic, also greatly suppresses the skills that come with it."
The Half-lings looked horrified. Arwen began to fiddle with hair while Aragorn sighed heavily. Boromir had to step away from the balcony entirely, folding his hands on the back of head as he began to pace. Sam was hanging on to optimism, "But she's already almost made it, and without even being able to shadow jump. That's impressive, no doubt!"
"Almost will not be enough for her to win this trial." Elrond stated crisply.
A sudden rustle near one of the trees below sent heads snapping. "There! Did you see?" Merry yelled boisterously, "Something, well, blonde I guess. If that makes any sense." For a moment, everyone watched a nearly invisible chase throughout the garden. The slightest rustle of leaves, a glimpse of black or yellow, and once, the scuttle of a tiny stone were the crowds' only inclinations that there was anything worthwhile happening down in the garden.
Aragorn suddenly spoke up, looking to Elrond as he posed his question, "Who did you say her final opponent was?"
A coy grin appeared on the Elf Lord's face, "Prince Legolas of the Woodland Realm." Aragorn nodded blankly while Arwen began to chew on her bottom lip.
"He's quick." Boromir commented, barely catching another trembling among the tall grass in the ever darkening garden.
"He is one of the best." Elrond supplied.
Merry couldn't stop himself, "Oh, so that means he's got an arrogant, royal stick shoved up his—"
But before he could finish his shrewd remark, violet light exploded from across the garden, immediately silencing them all in utter shock and astonishment. The light soared towards a maple tree at breakneck speed. Upon contact, its base was instantly obliterated, and the rest of the tree began to plummet towards the ground.
To everyone's surprise, a tall figure leapt from its branches. While some of their group had never met him before, they could only assume this was the Prince. As soon as he was airborne, another stream of light shot through the sunset sky and just barely slipped past the Prince's head. A few of the onlookers sighed in relief. However, everyone was soon concerned for their own well being, for the path of light was continuing straight towards them.
In a burst of movement, they all dove out of the path of the ray of light. Fortunately, all of their backs were turned as it made an ear splitting 'crack' as it collided into the wall behind them.
It took a moment for the group to regain their bearings. "And that," Boromir stated affirmatively, pulling himself up from the ground with a huff, "is why Calina is not supposed to use a bow."
Pippin collected himself and walked over to the wall, inspecting the smoking arrow that was now embedded in the wall. His expression became puzzled, "But what's this doing here?" The others hurried over to see the Hobbit with a large black feather in his hand.
"That is impossible." Elrond's face was then contorted into a mix of bewilderment and indignation.
The voice of Calina said from behind them as she climbed over the banister, "With all due respect, Lord Elrond, Elves aren't the only ones who can be stealthy and skilled with a bow." A pleased smile was lighting up her face as she walked towards them.
The Hobbits sprung over to her and were now yelling in with boisterous joy. Her brother came to stand before her, "While I am proud of your outstanding performance, I must ask as to what on earth convinced you to pick up that bow?" A look of scolding hinted with worry had befallen the man's face upon asking his question.
The eyes of his sister fell to the floor, her fingers now twiddling with one another. "I just had this feeling it would be different this time." Her eyes slunk upwards, her expression cheeky, "And you'll have to admit, it was."
"You really weren't kidding when you said your powers made things explode." Pippin commented.
"Your skills are impressive." Through the darkness, a smooth voice broke out as a blonde, almost platinum, haired figure threw himself up over the banister and came to stand in front of them. He was tall, lean, and as handsome as the Elvin folk come. He smiled, bowing to Calina, "Well done."
Though Calina smiled and bowed in return, she quickly made her way back over to her brother, grabbing onto his arm, "I think I'm quite ready for dinner now."
"I can imagine. Arwen, would you mind showing us the way?" Boromir asked politely.
"Of course." The She-Elf joined them and began to lead them away.
As they walked, Calina continued to hold onto his arm, Boromir taking a quick glance back at the Prince. 'Well, this certainly must be awkward for her. She hasn't acted this nervous since her first few months in Minas Tirith.'
As they walked into the dining hall, Arwen called out to Elrond, noticing that he had begun to carry on down the corridor rather than enter the dining all. While the others had already entered, she remained in the doorway as she called out to him, "Are you coming father?" She asked, hand still on the door.
"Unfortunately not. There are things I must tend to for tomorrow's trial. Goodnight." Elrond smiled, but the expression contained no joy. Arwen watched him go for a moment before sighing and followed in after the others, forcing her concerns away so as to enjoy the evening's festivities.