We found the dining hall quickly (for once) and soon had spotted the hobbits. Frodo was there with them this morning too… And Sam, but he’s not nice to me so we don’t care about him (I think he thinks I’m weird). Anyway, it’s not like *he* was the one who got hurt.
We walked over since we didn’t see Aragorn anywhere. "Hello hobbits. Glad to see you’re feeling better, Frodo." I said pleasantly, then under my breathe added, "It’s about time." This earned me another strange look from Legolas… I think he overheard.
"Hello." The all said, then Frodo asked me, "Have you been enjoying your stay?"
"Um… Yes, it’s been fine I guess… Have you seen Gandalf?" I asked.
"He was with me when I woke up this morning, why?" Frodo asked.
"I need to talk with him about a matter of much importance." I told him simply, "If you see him again, could you tell me?"
"There is a feast tonight since Mister Frodo is better." Sam said, "I am sure Gandalf will be there."
"Thank you Sam," I said, "I’ll have to look for him then." ‘wow,’ I thought, ‘Sam’s actually being nice, this could be scary…’
"Right," Sam said, "But I do not think you should go dressed like that… Have you been wearing that stuff the whole time we have been here?"
"No, of course not!" I replied with indignity and looked down at my pants (they’d been washed but were kind of torn), "I wore a nightgown they gave me to bed… Besides what’s wrong with wearing jeans? All the important woman from where I come from wear pants! It’s dangerous to wear anything else!"
Sam looked at me skeptically, "I still do not think you should dress like that to a feast… Lots of important people will be there."
"Yeah well, I think you shouldn’t dress like *that* going there either!" I retorted.
"Why not? I am not a lady, I can wear pants all I like!" Sam argued.
"Well I am a lady, so *I* can wear pants all I like!" I retorted starting to get annoyed when I saw Katy and Stacey (I guess that settles it, she really isn’t dead) walk in. "Tell them that women mostly all wear pants from where we come from!" I beseeched them (heheheh, ‘beseech’ is such a funny word).
"Yep, almost every woman wears pants where we come from." Stacey agreed.
"It’s normal." Katy put in.
Sam just shook his head. No way he was going to win against all three of us.
"Heheheh, I win." I told Sam quietly. He just glared at me. "Why does everyone keep doing that?!" I asked suddenly.
Sam was baffled and Merry asked, "Why does everyone keep doing what to you?"
"Everyone’s always glaring at me!" I exclaimed, "What did I ever do to you? You’re so mean Sam!"
Everyone looked at Sam who was now blushing and trying *not* to glare at me. "Lots of words have been used to describe Sam, but I do not think that ‘mean’ has ever been one of them." Frodo told me.
"But he doesn’t even have a good reason not to like me!" I exclaimed, "It’s not like I stole *his* sword or anything!"
"But you are always so inconsiderate of poor Mister Frodo, like when he got sick you wanted to ride on the pony instead of him!" Sam defended himself.
This time I blushed, "That’s only because I knew he’d get better Sam! I would think of all people you’d at least have faith in Frodo!" I tried to turn this back on him.
Sam angrily stood up, "How could you know Frodo was going to be alright?" He asked me angrily, "Even Strider was not sure if he would make it!"
"Yeah, well I guess I just have more foresight than ‘Strider’!" I told him, getting up also, "And besides, I was right! See, he’s better. Didn’t I tell you he’d be fine Merry?" I asked him.
"Oh, no you don’t." Merry backed away, "You are not going to drag *me* into this!"
Things were starting to get heated between Sam and I when Gandalf walked in with Elrond to be greeted by a peculiar sight. The usually mild-mannered Sam was yelling at the usually quiet Rachel who was yelling pretty loudly herself, and the other hobbits, elves, and assorted humans (Katy and Stacey included) were all standing back at a safe distance.
"What is going on here?" Elrond asked walking over to us, his voice demanding attention.
Sam and I meekly looked up at him like two children who got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. "Um…" Sam wasn’t sure what to say.
"He started it!" I said, quickly seizing the moment to blame Sam.
"What?!" Sam was momentarily confused, "I did not!"
"Did too, here I came in ready to be nice and all, and then you go insulting the traditions of my people!" I knew this would probably gain me some points with Elrond.
" ‘Insulting the traditions of your people’?" Sam asked, "When did I do that?"
"You said I shouldn’t wear pants even though I said that that’s what women in my home do!" I accused.
Elrond sighed realizing he would have to play mediator like he had when his own sons were young, "Sam, you do not know where these maidens are from and therefore should respect their traditions even if they seem strange to you."
"But she is mean to Mister Frodo!" Sam said defiantly.
"Frodo, do you feel Lady Rachel has been mean to you?" Elrond asked looking down at Frodo who had crept nearer along with most of the other bystanders.
"Not really. I think she was maybe just a little confused when she first met us." Frodo said.
"Alright Sam, Frodo says it is fine so you do not need to take offense of what he does not see as a problem." Elrond said strictly.
"Yes sir." Sam said quietly and I noticed he was starting to blush again.
"Good. Everything is settled then, so try to get along, okay?" Now really wasn’t the time for this Elrond noticed, not while there were so many more important things to discuss.
"Yes sir." We both answered. But as soon as I was sure Elrond was out of ear shot (even for elvish hearing) I added told Sam quietly, "He likes me best."