I wandered around until I found my way outside. From previous experience I knew that if any elves were awake they would probably be outside. Soon I came upon one and walked over to him. He was sitting on a bench looking at the stars. ‘Elves are really weird…’ I thought remaining blissfully ignorant to the many times I had done the same, and decided to announce my presence (the elf had a bow and arrows with him so I thought it wise not to surprise him), "Hello, you’re up early." I said thinking that it was actually me who was up early and to this elf it probably wasn’t early at all.
He looked up startled, then looking at me he said, "You must be one of the maidens Aragorn was talking about… You don’t look like you could cause THAT much trouble." He added with a laugh.
When he looked over at me, I was surprised to see that it was actually an elf I recognized, "Legolas?!" I began, "You’re here already?" I wasn’t expecting him for several more days.
"Yes… Why, should I be somewhere else?" He asked confused, then added as an after thought, "And how do you already know who I am… And that I was coming here?"
"Um… That’s easy to explain…" I stammered, trying to get my brain to work properly, "Um… Thranduil sent word… Uh… Word that you were coming, and I overheard Elrond?" I looked at him hopefully to see if he bought it.
He looked slightly abated and decided to let me off the hook. "So, which one are you, anyway?" He asked, making conversation.
"I’m Rachel." I told him, and tried not to laugh when I saw him glance nervously at his knives. "Don’t worry your knives are too little to hold my interest too long." I encouraged him, "And by the way, you don’t by any chance know if one of the others here, Stacey, is dead do you?"
He seemed quite taken aback by this question, "Not that I have heard. Why, was there an attack? Was she sick?"
"Well there were several attacks actually…" I began, then at his worried look added, "But I think those were all just dreams. And no, she wasn’t sick."
"Then, no, I do not think she is dead." Legolas told me.
"Oh." I said, looking a trifle disappointed.
He looked at me with shock, "You wanted her to be dead?!"
"SHE ALWAYS HUGS ME!" I exclaimed, "I cannot get a moment’s peace!" Then seeing the look of shock grow I looked down and said quietly, "No. I guess I didn’t really want her to be dead…" (after all I didn’t want to be the one giving the Prince of Mirkwood a heart attack).
There was silence for a moment, then I looked up with a new look of hope in my eyes, "Have you seen Gan-er Mithrandir anywhere?"
"No… why?" Legolas asked hesitantly.
"He promised I could hold his sword and I haven’t been able to find him anywhere for the last two days!" I told him exasperatedly.
I talked with Legolas a little longer and he was probably starting to think that maybe I wasn’t so weird, especially when I started getting bored… All he wanted to talk about was ‘trees’ or ‘horses’ or even ‘squirrels’… Elves are so strange, I could see talking about horses… But squirrels? Come on! "Did you notice if Boromir, the man from Gondor has arrived yet?" I asked him after a short silence.
"I do not recall a man arriving, but I may by wrong." Legolas told me.
I frowned then asked, "Are Elladan and Elrohir back yet?" (those are Elrond’s sons, by the way)
"Yes. They arrived yesterday." Legolas informed me.
This time I looked at him in shock, "What?! Frodo got better and nobody told me?" I was getting a little irritated, "And what about Elrond’s council? Is that today or tomorrow? Probably tomorrow if Boromir hasn’t arrived yet, right? Are Gimli and Gloin here already, too? Shows me for hanging out with my friends, I missed everything!" I pouted.
"How do you know about Elrond’s Council?" Legolas asked me, "That is supposed to be secret!"
"Um… He told me." I muttered, then added more loudly, "But that’s besides the point! The point is no one ever tells me what’s going on around here!"
Legolas was about to speak when all of a sudden I looked at him and said, "Okay, I’m over it." I got up and asked a baffled looking Legolas if he had eaten yet, and if not if he wanted to join me in the dining hall where we would probably find Aragorn and the hobbits (as it looked to be almost 8:00… Now, I think that’s early, but they do everything early in this place. You’d think they would want to sleep in until 12:00 if they could, but no, they have to go getting up at the wee hours of the morning and wake everyone else up, too, with their confounded singing! Oh, well, at least I didn’t have to go to school).
He agreed and we made our way to the dining hall, I was glad Legolas was there because he had been here lots before and he knew his way there easy.