Haldir had ignored my friends’ many warnings and agreed to show me around which I had been very grateful of. Lothlorien’s armory was much larger than Rivendell’s and people were in and out all the time.
Once he had given me the ‘grand tour’ of the armory he suggested that we go see what everyone else was up to.
"What, leave?" I asked, "But we’ve only just arrived!"
Katy mumbled something inaudible under her breath and Haldir began to get nervous, thinking I might actually be as bad as they had warned, "You can come back later if you wish." He told me.
"Just a little while longer, then I’ll be ready to leave, honest." I told him.
"Okay, what, five more minutes?" He asked.
"How ‘bout five more hours?" I asked.
His face reddened as he realized he should have heeded their warning, "You can not spend five hours in the armory." He told me.
"Why not?" I asked.
"It is not healthy! Besides, you will get in the way of the warriors." He explained.
I ignored him.
"We told you it would be impossible to get her out." Merry said looking at the floor, Pippin and Katy nodded their agreement.
"Any ideas, since it was you who let her stay?" Stacey asked.
Haldir shrugged, "I can only think of one thing:" They all leaned involuntarily towards him as he lowered his voice to tell his plan, "We must leave her here until she tires of it."
"That’s your plan?!" Katy exclaimed.
"She’ll never tire of it!" Stacey exclaimed.
"She would not even come out when Elrond summoned her last time!" Pippin agreed.
"Yes but you did not leave her be long enough. If we leave her alone and do not bother her to do differently, she should grow bored and come out willingly." He explained.
"You do not understand this is Rachel we are talking about here." Merry informed him, "She would not betray a room full of swords if you offered her a kingdom! She is a very stubborn lady."
Haldir smiled, mirth evident in his eyes, "Yes that is what everyone told me about Rumil."
"Who’s Rumil?" Stacey asked.
"He is my brother, he was once obsessed with practicing archery until we allowed him to do so all day and all night until he grew bored. He now practices only in moderation." Haldir told them while leading them out of the room.
They came back to check on me two hours later and I was still staring at the intricate elf-weapons. They came back three hours that only to find me still there, all that had changed was I was in a different part of the room.
They came back to check on me after dinner and were somewhat relieved to see I was no longer staring mindlessly at the swords, but dismayed to see I was no longer there at all and they did not know where I had gone.
They asked an exiting elf if he had seen where the maiden went that had been in the armory recently and he directed them to a building a few talons away. Haldir shook his head in dismay when he saw the talon the elf was pointing to.
"What?" Katy asked.
"What is it?" Stacey asked almost simultaneously with Katy.
Haldir sighed, "You shall see." He said and led them over to it.
When they pulled back the curtain door and entered the hot building their eyes widened and Stacey banged her head on the nearest wall.
They saw me bent over something across the room, completely absorbed in what I was doing and not noticing them enter. I straightened, smiling at my work, and thanking the elf who had helped me. I held up my sword, admiring something on the blade.
The others began to walk over and their movement caught my attention. I smiled widely when I saw them and walked to meet them halfway.
"I thought you’d still be in the armory." Katy said.
"Nay." I told her slipping into old-speech for dramatic purposes at which the girls raised an eyebrow to, "I have found something far greater than admiring the craftsmanship of others." I told her, "To make something with your own hands has much more appeal."
Katy put a hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter she felt coming, "So what did you make?" She asked.
I held up my sword for her to inspect. Engraven on the blade she saw ‘Katy’ in fine print. Just above that she saw scores of elvish penmanship trailing up the blade.
Her jaw dropped open, as well as those of the other two present. "Did you do that??" Stacey asked.
I nodded, "With the help of Master Lerialion." I told them. "I was admiring a particularly beautiful sword in the armory when Lerialion saw me…"
*Flashback*
I was staring at a huge sword leaning against the wall. I reached out and gently brought my fingers over the elvish engraved all up the blade.
"Do you like it?" A voice behind me asked.
I looked up at the elf and smiled, "Yes, it’s really cool!" I told him.
He laughed, "May I assume ‘cool’ is a good attribute?" He asked.
I blushed, "Yeah, it means awesome, good… That kind of stuff." I told him.
He smiled at me, "You must be one of the maidens that came in with that strange group late last night."
"Yep, I’m Rachel." I told him, offering him my hand in greeting.
He shook it, "I am called Lerialion." He told me.
"Elves have such strange names." I confided in him, "I hope I can remember it. Do you know what this sword’s name is?" I asked him.
He nodded, "It is Hyaranefuine." He told me.
"That’s a nice name. What does it mean?" I asked.
"Cleaver of shadows." He told me.
We stood in silent, admiring the blade’s beauty for a while until I spoke again. "I wish I could make swords like that." I sighed.
I heard the elf give a short laugh and looked up to see his eyes twinkling with joy, "Would you like me to teach you?" He asked, "It has been a long time since I have had a student, but I could not reject one so eager to learn."
My eyes widened with understanding, "You made this sword, didn’t you?" He nodded, "That’s so cool! I feel like I’m in the presence of a celebrity or something!" He smiled at me even though he wasn’t sure what I was talking about, my tone seemed to indicate these were all positive attributes.
"May I take that as a yes?" He asked.
I smiled wider, "Yes! Of course! Wow, me? I’m going to learn to make swords?!"
We left the building, Lerialion leading the way with me following behind him, practically bouncing with excitement.
*End Flashback*
"And he helped me to engrave my sword, see?" I showed them the blade I held again, "I carved it’s name on it and Master Lerialion even taught me elvish spells that will help protect me and grant it power as I fight!"
"I am afraid she is giving me too much credit." Lerialion said coming over to where we were. "All I did was show her how to use the tools and how to write the spells, she put everything on her sword by herself." He told them.
They stared at me wide-eyed in amazement. Katy was the first to recover, "Cool! I want my sword engraved!" She exclaimed.
"I don’t even get a sword." Stacey mumbled, barely audible.
The old elf laughed, "Tomorrow, perhaps." He told Katy, "It is time for you young ones to be getting to bed."
"Okay." I said, reluctantly agreeing to my three friends’ surprise, "I’ll see you tomorrow, Master Lerialion. Thank you for helping me." I hugged the tall elf and walked out.
My companions’ mouths dropping open again. Stacey and Katy raced outside closely followed by Haldir.
"I thought you didn’t like hugs!" Stacey said as she stepped in front of me.
I shrugged. "How come you never hug me?" Stacey asked again.
I smirked, "You never taught me how to engrave my sword." I told her, "Besides hugs have their places. I hug my brother all the time and sometimes my other family members too, to say thank you. And that old elf is so nice! Lothlorien elves are really much nicer than Rivendell elves, you know." I told them, "He even taught me how to say the spells and what they mean!"
They were still too amazed by this new outbreak to say anything out loud. After a brief silence during which the three followed closely behind me I turned to Haldir, "Um… Which way is the pavilion?" I asked.
Katy rolled her eyes, "I’ll show you, after walking back and fourth so many times today I think I know." She told me and took the lead.
And so we went. Katy leading the way with Haldir beside her, ready to correct her if she made a wrong turn. Me behind them contemplating what I should make next and beginning to think of eating as my stomach began to growl. Stacey came last, still busy pondering and mulling over the events of the last half an hour. Had I really hugged that elf? Maybe she was just seeing things.
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