AN: First of all, I got a really interesting question in a review, which I shall answer here. NO this story will NOT have adult themes. The plot bunny says that the maximum there will ever be is kissing. Thats it. Also no curse words. Or very very rare, and they then are needed in the plot. Secondly, Thank you so much for the love!
I also want to reply to two reviewers, a thing I couldn't do because you guys either (unfortunately) disabled your PM or are a guest:
the8horcrux : Ahhhh thank you so much! I'm glad you like it so far! Hopefully you like this chap as well :) Your request has been noted. I admit orginally I hadn't planned to have much interaction between Aragorn and Alysae. But now. Ive changed my mind. There will be a scene in three chapters (I think). It all will be revealed in time! Thank you so much for your review :))
Legolas-is-mine : I guess you'll have to read to find out ;) Don't worry, its soon! Thank you for reviewing! And yes. I belive too that Thranduil inside is a big softie! But he hides it well! ;)
On with the story:
. . . Chapter 4 - Nasty little creatures . . .
.~.
"Let the sky rain potatoes. Let it thunder to the tune of Greensleeves."
Shakespeare, 'The Merry Wives of Windsor."
.~.
The sunlight strengthened along the pale walls of the chambers, effectively waking her up. These bedchambers were her unofficial permanent room and everything had stayed the same since she had last seen it. Although the bed looked a little smaller every time she visited.
When they had reached Imladris the day before, servants had taken her to her room where a warm bath had awaited. She had closed her eyes and allowed herself to rest.
Now, she wanted nothing more than to lay back, close her eyes and drift back to sleep, and willed the pounding in her head to go away. However, a knock on the wooden door and a muttered "My Lady you are awaited for breakfast" prevented her from doing so. She groaned. She was a guest of Lord Elrond's and as such she had to get up and force herself to stay awake.
"My Lady?" a feminine voice asked through the door. Alysae quickly sat up and attempted to rule out her tangled hair down a bit.
"Enter," she called out. A timid elleth maid with dark hair entered the room, wringing her hands together. Alysae raised one eyebrow; she wondered why the maid seemed so scared of her. Perhaps… perhaps she had heard about Thranduil's infamous temper and was afraid to offend his daughter. She nearly laughed.
"Yes?" she asked the elleth.
"I am to ready you for breakfast, my lady."
She sighted. "Of course."
Then she was dressed in one of the fine dresses she had brought with her and her hair was brushed and left down with only a braided crown for ornament that circled the back of her head. Truth was, she truly had no care in her appearance, all she wanted was to gain some more sleep, for they had reached Imladris late and they had ridden all day long to reach it.
She splashed some water on her face to cool her skin and hopefully help her stay awake. After that she wandered the long corridors in search of the Breakfast Parlour, or wherever food would be served. In fact, she was so drowsy that she did not see the figure standing in front of her until she inelegantly bumped into it.
Her face smacked against a strong back, her eyes closed inadvertly. She felt soft velvet against her cheek for a split second before she pulled back.
"I am so sorry!" she said with horror.
The figure turned around, long dark hair spilling down his back, and smiled broadly.
"Alys!" said Elladan. He wore a long velvet tunic that shone a light purple and his silver eyes twinkled. "I did not know you were coming."
She returned his smile. "Well met, Elladan. It was decided rather quickly for we have an important matter to discuss with Lord Elrond."
His eyes became serious. "Indeed these times are dark and all news that reach us seem to be dire." He offered her his arm. "But where are my manners? Let me escort you to breakfast." Alysae looped her arms through his and walked with him.
"It has been so long since I last came here," she said.
"Well wasn't it only a year ago?"
She chuckled. "To a mortal a year seems like an eternity!"
"It feels like last week you were just an elfling!"
"A human child," she corrected.
Elladan nudged her with his shoulder. "To us you shall always be like an elf. Thranduil adopted you as his own, and so have we."
"I suppose so," she muttered. They had reached doors that led outside where voices could be heard, and the sounds of cutlery against plates rose in the air. Laughter trickled too, some gruff and deep, others melodious and sweet. Curiosity nudged at her.
They walked along a small path made of marble stone, and trees stretched out on either sides. Soon, she could see a sort of opening where tables were dressed, and lots of different people were sat. The noise only grew louder and she stared at small strange men with long large beards at a table nearby, there were other Men with travel worn clothes too.
"Are those dwarves?" she whispered-asked.
Elladan laughed. "Yes, and you might find them particularly unpleasant." He wrinkled his nose.
Finally, they reached a long table, with fine cutlery and a delicate white cloth stretched on top of the stone. Lord Elrond sat at the head of the table, looking regal with the silver circlet that sat upon his long midnight hair. She noticed that Legolas was also sitting at this table, next to a blond elf, Glorfindel. A small person with curly hair was sat at the table as well, with various other elves who held places of importance. She caught Arwen's eye from across the table, who winked at her.
"Good morning," she said, announcing her presence. "Lord Elrond," she inclined her head.
"Finally!" said Legolas with a teasing smile. "I thought you'd lost yourself again." She glared at her brother.
"Oh, you are there as well," she said. "It is such a pity that your snores did not wake me up earlier."
Legolas looked indignant. "I do not snore!"
"Well, I am sure that all the kitchen staff at Mirkwood might have a different opinion on the subject," she replied as she sat down next to Elrohir, with Legolas on her right. Elladan chuckled and sat next to his twin.
"We said we would not mention it anymore!" he hissed. She laughed and the conversations resumed. The sweet scent of fruits and honey drifted around, colourful birds chirped in the high branches overhead. As she buttered a soft piece of bread she noticed the strange small person staring at her curiously. He immediately looked away.
She mentally raised an eyebrow.
"How are you?" she asked turning to Elrohir.
He took a sip of his cup. "Wonderful. It is great seeing you again."
"Yes," interjected Elladan. "He was very excited to see you, Alysae, when I told him you were there." Elrohir choked on his drink and glared at his twin. Alysae knew that they had a bond which allowed them to speak to each other in their mind and feel each other's emotions, but seeing it in action was always a little unnerving.
"Very funny, Elladan," she rolled her eyes.
Elladan smiled a mischievous smile. "Oh, but I was not joking."
She was about to respond when a sharp pain stabbed at her chest, nearly making her flinch. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists willing it to go away. Not now. At her sharp intake of breath, Legolas turned to her.
"Are you well?" he said with concern.
Her fingertips were starting to go numb, her head throbbed painfully. She knew the symptoms. She took a shuddering breath and forced her eyes open. Legolas and Elrohir were staring at her worriedly. Conversations were still going on, so no one else had noticed. Good.
It was still painful, but it was slowly going away, she noted with surprise. She glanced down to see one of her hand clasped in Legolas and the other fisted in the fabric of her skirt.
"I am fine," she managed. Glancing up, she saw Elrond's silver eyes on her, unreadable. It was as if he had seen what had happened to her.
"Are you sure?" asked Legolas.
She raised her chin. "Yes."
She could feel the twin's eyes on her, along with her brother's but she ignored them and reached for her glass, gritting her teeth at the slight pain in her chest.
Turning to Elladan, over Elrohir, she asked, "Weren't you saying something?"
"No," interjected Elrohir quickly. "How… was your trip? Did you encounter many Orcs?" Alysae glanced at him, surprised to see him cutting in. He was usually a more reserved person.
"Great," said Legolas grimly. "One of us was gravely wounded, but we did not encounter as many orcs as I thought we would."
Alysae cursed herself for not having thought of it before. "How is Miraven?"
"He is stable, thanks to the tending of Lord Elrond."
She breathed a sigh of relief. Then she peered curiously around the open room. "Where is Erkas? Is he with Miraven?"
"Yes, he will not leave his side," replied Legolas.
She nodded and reached for a plum in an overflowing bowl in front of her. Her arm was still a little bit sore from the cut she'd received yesterday, but it was freshly wrapped in bandages. It wasn't like she had never sustained worse injuries before anyways.
For the rest of breakfast, she pretended that nothing abnormal had happened, and so did her brother and the twins.
-xxx-
Later that day, Alysae, the twins and Legolas stood outside, under the covers of the tree. She was watching the bubbling water of a stream, which ran under the bridge they were currently on. Elladan and Legolas were having a heated argument, whilst Elrohir watched, with an exasperated smile.
The warm rays of sunshine caressed her skin, in a way she hadn't felt in a long time. Mirkwood was enveloped in a sort of constant darkness, and the caves did not allow much sunlight to filter through. Alysae hadn't felt this alive in a long time.
Her long golden locks fell down her back, the curly ends reaching the middle of her back like a trail of gold. A pale blue dress hugged her figure in billowing waves that crashed to the ground, long flowing sleeves adorned with incrusted pearls. Other than the simple circlet on her head, she wore no other jewellery except for a fine necklace with a single moonstone.
Gruff voices filtered through the wind and Alysae looked up in curiosity. A group of dwarves were walking to the covers of some trees, a few meters away from them.
"I wonder what business dwarves have in Rivendell," she mused out loud.
Elrohir appeared next to her. "They arrived a few days before you did, and they insisted that what news they bring are of the most importance. They refused to tell anyone besides my Adar."
Alysae considered the small individuals, with large rough beards and stout bodies. "I have never met dwarves before."
Legolas and Elladan joined them to peer at the newcomers. "Well, I shall introduce myself," she said, moving forward.
Legolas grasped her wrist. "Careful," he said. "They are nasty little creatures."
"I shall not judge until I have met them for myself." She gently shook herself out of his grasp and walked towards the dwarves.
They appeared to be engaged in a heated discussion, some of them waved frantically with their arms.
"-long enough in here!" she heard a dark-haired dwarf say.
"We must trust the judgement of Lord Elrond," replied a red-haired one.
"Elves," spat the first dwarf. They growled at each other, glaring towards the Hall of Fire.
Alysae cleared her throat. "Excuse me."
Immediately, the dwarves stopped their clamour to glance at her suspiciously. "Yes?"
"I have never met dwarves before and thought I could introduce myself," she began in Westron. "My name is Aly-"
A grunt rudely interrupted her. "An elf!"
"I am no el-" she spluttered dumbfounded.
Another dwarf scowled at her, "We have no business with elves!" With that, the company of dwarves turned their backs on her and walked away, leaving her standing there, open-mouthed.
Finally, she shook herself and crossed her arms. "How rude!"
Feeling a presence behind her, she turned around to see Legolas, Elrohir and Elladan with various expressions on their face, from grim, to amused to appalled.
"Told you," said Legolas.
"You were right," sniffed Alysae. "They are nasty little creatures!"
The other elves burst out in laughter, and after a while, so did she.
-xxx-
"How long do we have to stay in Rivendell?" asked Alysae. Legolas was sitting next to her, inspecting his many arrows. They were in the gardens, enjoying the cool air and the specks of light that filtered through the trees.
"I have talked to Lord Elrond, and Mithrandir," he began.
"Mithrandir is here?" she exclaimed, pleased.
Legolas nodded. "Yes. And Lord Elrond wants to hold a Council where we shall deliver our news. Unfortunately, it shall only occur when a Hobbit named Frodo Baggins fares better."
Alysae tucked a leaf between the two pages where she had been reading and closed her book. "A hobbit? What is that?"
Legolas shrugged. "I have never seen one either. They are supposedly really short creatures."
Alysae wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Like dwarves?"
"No," he paused, considering. "Hobbits are very unlike dwarves."
"Then what do they look like?"
"I truly have no clue. Now let me finish this, Alys." He looked down at his work again.
Alysae sighted and opened her books. For a while they were silent. Legolas slightly hummed under his breath, and the gentle sound of pages turning filled the air.
Then, she broke the silence, "But what do they look like?"
Legolas sighted.
-xxx-
The next day Alysae returned to the gardens alone. She sat alone on a cool stone bench and reveled in the nature around her. For some reason, she could almost sense the feelings of nature, the life within the trees humming like an intricate song. It was calling out to her.
For now, she embraced the solitude. She was to ride with the twins and her brothers in the afternoon, and she needed to think without being interrupted.
The other day, when she had had another of her 'attacks', it had stopped. For some reason unknown to her, she hadn't fallen unconscious. Was it because of Rivendell? Or was it Lord Elrond? She knew he was a skilled healer, but he had merely looked at her! But then, that meant he knew. And yet, he has not approached her on the subject.
She furrowed her brows. Should she seek him out or-
"My lady?" A joyful voice interrupted.
She opened her eyes to see three small men. They were shorter than dwarves and had big furry feet.
"Are you alright?" asked one with blond curly hair.
"Yes," she answered carefully.
"You looked troubled, my lady," said another.
"Nothing important," she looked at them curiously. "I am sorry, I have never seen a creature the likes of you, shorter than a dwarf and with large hairy feet. What are you?" She tilted her head.
"Oh but we are hobbits my lady!" said the third one.
"Hobbits!" she exclaimed. Finally, she had met one. Well, three for that matter.
One of the hobbits nodded energetically. "And not just any hobbits, we are companions to the ringbea-"
A hobbit next to him elbowed him. "Shut up Pippin!"
Alysae looked at them curiously. "Are you familiar with Frodo Baggins?"
"Well of course, my Lady!" said the hobbit named Pippin. "You see, we are his closest friends."
"So your name is Pippin?"
"Peregrin Took, at your service," said Pippin.
"Meriadoc Brandybuck," said the hobbit next to him.
"The name's Sam. Samwise Gamgee," said the last one, slightly blushing.
"What fine names," said Alysae. "I am Alysae." She decided she would not ruin everything by saying who she truly was. When people learned that she was the adopted daughter of Thranduil, there was some suspicion and usually fear. Not exactly the best of impressions.
"Where do you people live?" she asked curiously.
"We are from the Shire, Lady Alysae," answered Meriadoc.
"Oh please, call me Alysae."
"Then you can call me Merry. And that's Pippin and Sam."
"Merry, Sam and Pippin," she said trying out the names.
"What are you doing here so far away from your homes?"
Merry looked at her seriously. "I'm afraid we cannot tell you, my Lady."
Alysae nodded. So it was a matter of importance, she thought intrigued.
"What about you, my Lady?" asked Sam. She stared at him hard until he corrected himself, blushing, "Alysae."
"Just has some things to tell Elrond," she waved her hands dismissively. Better be cautious.
Sams eyes widened. "You are familiar with Lord Elrond?"
She chuckled. "He has known me since I was but a child."
"Do you live with elves, Alysae?" asked Pippin curiously.
"Yes, Pippin. I was raised with elves and they are my family."
"Aren't you human?" Pippin leaned in curiously.
"Pippin," Merry hissed.
"What?"
Alysae chuckled. "Worry not, Merry. And yes," she turned to Pippin, "I am human."
"But how?" He spluttered. "Aren't elves immortals? Do you live in Rivendell? Do you know how to speak elvish? How old are you? Where-"
Alysae interrupted him. "Please slow down." She stood up and gestured to the bench. "Please sit on the bench, I shall sit on the floor and we shall all be the same height."
"My lady," began Sam but she held up a hand.
"Please," she insisted. "I like the contact of the marble floor and you won't be standing up all the while I talk." She plopped down on the floor as she spoke. Grudgingly, the hobbits sat down on the bench facing her. Now they were eye to eye.
"So to answer your question, Master Hobbit," she crossed her legs, "yes elves are immortals but they can be slain in battle. No, I do not live in Rivendell, but I am familiar with the elves here. I can speak elvish," she said with a mischievous smile. "I speak Sindarin and Silvan." Along with a little bit of Quenya, she thought. "As for my age, it is not polite to ask it of a lady, is it not?"
Sam blushed. "I am sure Pippin did not mean to be rude, my La- Alysae."
"Do not worry, I do not think so as well." She smiled at them. "I'd love to hear more about the Shire, would you tell me some of your stories, please? But first," she leaned forwards, "how did you know I was human?" Her encounter with the dwarves had proved that she sort of looked like an elf (at first glance, at least), and yet, the Hobbits had immediately known she was human.
"Oh that's easy," said Pippin. "Although you are dressed in their fine garnements, and wear your hair in such the style of elves, and even if you have the fair traits of one; there is something about you that does not immediately scream, 'I am ancient!'"
Alysae laughed heartedly whilst Merry elbowed his cousin. "Pippin!" he hissed. "Dont you go insulting Lord Elrond like that! Or any other elves for that matter."
"Well, it is true," she said with a merry twinkle in her eyes. "Most elves are ancient."
"See?" said Pippin with a grin. "She agrees with me!" Merry rolled his eyes, and Sam simply looked exasperated.
"Thank you for answering my question, Pippin," she said leaning back. "Now would you tell me an interesting story from the Shire?"
"All of our tales are more than interesting!" cried Merry haughtily. "Isn't that so, Sam?"
Sam nodded. "Yes, my L- Alysae," he caught himself quickly. "The Shire is most famous for the best stories ever told!"
"Then, pray, do tell," said Alysae. "For my heart would be gladdened to know more about the ways of hobbits."
The hobbits obliged merrily and she was swept into tales full of mirth and merriment.
-xxx-
Edited as of 8/11/2020