BYE!!!

Haha, you guys totally rock. Not even kidding in the slightest. :D
SO.
This is going to be short, because I wrote it down yesterday and today in math class after we were done testing, by hand. Also, as a very fair warning, I must tell you that this is cheesy. Not in the yum way, but in the oh-my-lord-it's-a-cheese-tidal-wave kind of way.
Got it?
Okay. :S
It's an "excerpt" (of course, to be a real excerpt it would have to have been taken out of a passage, which it's not) from the Talon story, just something random that is part of the plot, and most likely won't live to see the final (haha...) copy. ;P
Henceforth...
Actually, I just wanted to say henceforth. I'll get to the story now. ;D

This part comes after Talon disappears (I know, I know...) for a long time and Adele (I'm REALLY starting to grow on that name) kind of grows cold towards the whole situation. He comes back, and they fight (the main part being skipped,) and this is how the "fight scene" "ends"... "Supposedly".
Remember - This is written after lunch, when I was warm, fed, and tired. Ignore the stupidness. Bwahaha.
;)

-----

He glared at me with an overwhelming intensity, his voice irritable. "Why are you trying to fight me, Adele? What choices I make are exactly that - my choices."
I stubbornly tried to hold his gaze. "But when your choices affect other people, even if you don't know how deeply, it begins to matter to them, too."
He frowned and took a step towards me. I felt myself tense up without thinking. "And who," he countered wryly, in a much calmer voice, "would my choice to leave affect? Apparently, you know these people better than I do."
"I..." I dropped my eyes and began pacing the room. "Vitali, Dante', and Merian, for one. I didn't even see them most of the time you were gone."
"Dante' and Merian went to Merian's mother's palace for several weeks." He said coldly. "Vitali knew where I'd gone, but I asked him not to tell you." The frustration had left his face, replaced with a look of some teacher explaining things in a simpler way for an uncomprehending child. In this case, me.
His blue eyes watched me patiently as I stooped pacing and tried to make sense of the words running freely in my head.
"This... This was all some kind of setup?" I asked miserably.
"Yes. In a way, I guess. I didn't mean to even come back until I was sure you'd left but... Circumstances came up. Vitali had assured me that instead of actually having to break a commitment with you upon our marriage, it would be better to disappear."
I stood still for a moment, looking at the warped wooden floor in my pathetic shack. Only three weeks ago, I'd been living in Salida, Colorado, sure that I didn't have any kind of overly exciting future beyond that town. I could feel my eyes burn with the memory of my old home.
"I was killed by a hit-and-run with a truck." I said my voice breaking. "To be dragged through weeks without hearing anyone from someone who was supposed to be my fiancee? That was pure hell. I would've rather died again than not have had any word from you." Once again, I glared through angry tears at his slightly stunned expression, a gorge of imploding emotions welling up inside of me, before I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor.
Talon looked at me curiously, biting the inside of his cheek, before quickly walking towards me and kneeling down on the floor. A small smile twitched across his lips as he turned my head towards him. "Adele," He said softly, holding out his hand. "Dance with me."
I couldn't help being confused, but seeing that he wasn't going to pull anything, just like the last time we'd danced, I put my hand in his. Instantly, a familiar yet strange warmth swarmed my senses. Noticing the amazed expression I had, Talon grinned childishly.
"You've missed me, haven't you?"

-----
VIOLA! Tis complete... At least, that part is.
I LOVE YOU ALL, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU POST NEXT!!!

♥.your.online.sister.
Laurebell.

Testing...

Okay, I'm just seeing if we start commenting on a new post, if blogger will cooperate again.
Kthnxbye! Lol.

Annapants

GOODBYE...

To the awesomest of awesomeness! To the amazingest of amazingness! To the belovedest of belovedness! TO LAUREN R. REYNOLDS!! Writer, comrade, friend.

BOY, ARE WE GOING TO MISS YOU!!
*Sob, sob, sob, sob, sob, sob, sob*

Examples of her awesomeness:
“It's a little of complete insanity mixed with curiousity and a blinding amount of made-up bologna.
Yay, bologna!”

“Bwahaha, Keila. We're in the same boat in the writer's block sea. Except that I jumped out and decided to swim for a while, writing some stuff, before I realized that I couldn't swim and had to jump back in.
Stupid boat.”

“I'm all about the stone, cold, sexy, sweet, amazing vampires. :E”

“Corin's cute. (:
I'd date him....
Well, okay, he doesn't exist yet, but I'd totally date a guy with the NAME Corin.
Haha.”

“IT'S ALL GOOD, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I'VE COME PREPARED.”

Examples of how we are going to miss her:
“I know! Thats like, six months ago! And I'm sooo glad you joined WR, your like, the life of the site! (Other than, you know, Katie and Kelia... lol)”

“Awwwwwww, Thanks Lauren*blushes and hugs you* You're an awesome writer too!!! You all are!!! “

“Anywho, Lauren thoughs are REALLY REALLY GOOD!”

“---Hey Lauren I took a look at your blogspot, that story thingy with Talons that you wrote is PHENOMANAL! .....wow spelling problem there. I just kind of died and came back when I read it*boucnes up and down* PLEASE tell me you're gonna post it here. please, please, please, please, please, please, pppppppllllllllleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaassssssssssssssssseeeeeee”

“I don't know what we'd do on this site if you weren't around Lauren, it would be TOTALLY BORING!”

“LOVE YOU!!”

So here on Writing Rants we would all like to say...

GOOD LUCK!

And, HAVE FUN!

And, MAKE SURE YOU MEET A HOT ALEX PETTYFER TYPE ENGLISH BOY WITH THE CUTE ACCENT, AND BRING HIM BACK WITH YOU!!!!!!!

And, DON’T GET TOO ATTACHED TO EUROPENESS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO COME BACK, BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T WE WOULD ALL DIE, AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE THREE MURDERS ON YOUR HANDS!!! :O :D

And finally,WE LOVE YOU, WE’LL MISS YOU, BUT FAREWELL, SWEET SISTER!



P.S. Also, HAPPY 9 MONTH ANNIVERSARY, WRITING RANTS! If we were having a baby, it might be born now! :D
Okay, okay, raaaandoooom. Lol.

My play plot

So, since I'm doing Script frenzy too, I decided to post my play plot. Dont ask me why. But anyways, its based on like ALL the fairytales, and I have no idea how any one would do it on the stage.

READ SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY.

A girl is a slave to her step mother because her father had died. She decides to run away. She gets lost in the enchanted wood, and meets a nice old lady who invites her to her house. The girl decides to pick berries first. While she is picking them a wolf shows up and finds out where she is going. He decides to eat the grandmother and then eat the girl. Upon arriving at the old ladies house, he is turned into a bony old lady by the grandmother who actually is a witch. The witch lets the wolf pose as her, and hides. The girl enters the house, and at once recognizes the wolf as not being the grandmother. She wanted to know why he had wanted to eat the witch, he said he was really an enchanted prince and had been turned into a wolf by the witch. He had quite enjoyed being a wolf, until the other wolfs told him he was not being evil enough. So he decided he had to eat an old lady and beautiful girl. The girl feels sorry for him and wants to help him, but the witch bursts in and locks her up in a high tower. She says to the wolf, “As you
wanted to eat me, I will return the favor and eat you!” She turns him into a very plump little boy and locks him up with the girl. The girl finds an old dusty potion in the corner of the tower, and being very silly, tastes it. It makes her hair grow and grow and grow and grow. She braids it and the enchanted prince climbs out the window. The witch discovers that the girl is trying to escape, but the enchanted prince has fallen desperately in love with the girl and wants to save her. So he concocts a potion to make the witch go to sleep forever. He threw it while the witch was in the room, but unfortunately he had bad aim and it hit the girl. She falls asleep, and the witch cuts off all her hair. She braids it and pretends she is the girl, calling for the enchanted prince. The prince comes and starts up her hair to save her, but the witch drops the hair. Miraculously, the prince does not fall to his death but is carried away on the wings of a giant white bird. The prince finds himself in a cottage with seven short dwarves, who are all very mad at the bird. He learns that they are slaves of an evil queen, who wants a beautiful girl to strengthen her beauty spell. The bird was supposed to have gotten a girl, but he got the prince instead. The prince says he can helps, and so dresses up as the evil queen. He tells the witch that she has a beautiful girl, and so the evil queen demands it. The girl is not very pretty, and the witch thinks she is being very clever by giving the queen her. The prince wakes the girl up, and plans to escape for the forest once and for all, but the dwarves insist that the girl had to go to the queen pretty or not. And so the prince is still trying to rescue the girl. He storms the castle and roars at the evil queen. The evil queen, only hearing the roar, thinks it is her long lost love who was turned into a beast by the witch, who only needs a beautiful girl to fall in love with him to turn him back. She was doing the beauty spell so she would be more beautiful. She says a spell which is supposed to reveal true form, and at the same time the witch finds out her deceit and turns the prince back into a wolf. The queen is heartbroken and cries and cries and forgets all about the girl. Mean while the prince rescues the girl, but the girl does not recognize him and runs away in fright. The prince is very sad, but offers to help the queen. He tells her she is beautiful already, so they go out to find the beasts castle. They find it, but as the queen was already in love with the beast, the breaking of the spell does not work. The witch, to get back at the prince, gives the girl a love potion and makes sure the first person she sets eyes on is the beast. And so the beasts spell is broken, but the wolf is sad because he is sure the girl is naturally in love with the beast. But the queen really is clever and senses treachery, and so turns him into a frog and instructs him on what to do.So while the girl is wandering around the forest moping because the spell is still on her, the prince shows up as a frog and wins her heart. Something that will be said somewhere is “The only thing that can break the strongest of spells is pure love.” So they go happy to the queen,and he gets turned back into a prince. But his parents will not allow him to marry the girl, so they get the queen to make a pair of glass slippers that will hypnotize anyone that sees them. So they get permission. And it is revealed that the witch is actually the girls stepsister, and so the prince banishes the witch and her mother to aforeign land. They all live happily ever after.

The main girls name is Lucy, because her stepsister will call her Lucinder instead of Lucinda. The prince's name is----Corin! I love that name. The stepsisters name might be Miranda, but might not. And the evil-not-really queens name will be Vivian.

It's going to be a musical, since I write songs too. And I wrote a song during nano for my novel, but I'm going to use it for the beginning right before Lucy decides to run away.

What is the place that you call home?
What is the place that holds your heart?
How can it be that they are two different places?

Do you like to stay or roam?
Do you like your place called home?
Do you want a place to start?
Do you want a different heart?

What is the place that you call home?
What is the place that holds your heart?
How can it be that they are two different places?

Usually I dont have tunes for my songs but I wrote one for this one. I dont know what my other songs are going to be like, but I'm glad I have a beginning. :D :D :D I cant wait to start!!!!

KrazyK

Warning: This is going to be Looooonnng

All right. So here's the story I've been working on most recently, in fact, I only started it last Tuesday, so it took less then two weeks for me to finish it!
Maybe that's why I'm so tired...?
Lol.
Anyways, I got the idea from a writing prompt, from my fabulous book full of them, and the prompt was 'Write about the Elephant in the room.' So that's what this story evolved from. I don't think it's my best writing and I think it's kind of blocky, (maybe because I wrote it by hand at night...) but I like the CORE of it, you know? :D
And this is probably going to be the LONGEST post I'll ever post, so sorry bout that, but I just figured it would be easiest to post the whole thing at once, instead of in sections. And sorry for any typos that I'm sure are still in it. Like I said, I'm rather weary. ;)
Here we gooooooo....

This is a rather remarkable story.
It’s a little strange.
A little funny.
A little sad.

It’s about an elephant.

One day, in my social studies class at school, an elephant walked into our classroom. There was no warning, no commotion, no nothing. It just sauntered in. And it was really big. I’m not talking huge, or even gigantic. I’m talking ginormous. The elephant was ginormous.
It stood there, in the middle of our classroom, shuffling it’s feet and swinging it’s head from side to side. Our teacher, Mrs. Graystone, was standing pressed against the wall with a sort of half shocked, half terrified look on her face. I had a suspicion that this had not exactly been planned. No, I did not think it was part of the show and tell.
From the back of the room, I heard a squeaky “Oh my god!” and suddenly the room was a buzz with confused noise. Listening to the confusion, I coughed back a laugh. I guess it was a little unusual for an elephant, (an extra large one, even,) to come sauntering into our schoolroom like that was exactly where it belonged. Personally, I thought it was pretty cool. This kind of thing didn’t happen every day, right?
“Quiet down everyone!” Mrs. Graystone shouted, finally taking charge of the nearly chaotic classroom. “And stay exactly where you are! No one move. I - I’m going to get the principle.” She glanced nervously over at the still calm elephant, and then half stumbled out of the room. I watched her go with a slight frown. What was so scary about an elephant? Sure they were big, but they were also friendly and intelligent, and not very violent. Without even thinking, I scooted my chair back and stood up. All eye’s were suddenly on me, including the elephants. Feeling strangely calm, considering the circumstances, I walked forward and held out my hand. The elephant nuzzled it gently, getting my palm a little slimy. Frankly, I didn’t care at all. An elephant was touching me! I reached up with my other hand to stroke its trunk. It was leathery feeling, but almost soft, in a way. Slowly, other kids started to get up, coming one at a time to touch the elephant. The massive carefulness and respect in the room was surprising, considering we were in a 10th grade classroom. But this elephant just seemed really, really special. It had managed to walk through our entire school and into our classroom without being noticed, after all.
Suddenly, the elephant turned it’s massive bulk, and headed for the doorway. Kids scattered out of its way, but I followed instinctively. “Amy, where are you going?” one of my friends half whispered, as I followed it out of the room. My long brown hair swished as I turned around, and I immediately became aware that the elephant had stopped moving. I could feel it’s eyes boring into my back expectantly, like it wanted something from me.
“I don’t know,” I answered all of the curious and astonished kids facing me, “but I think - I think it wants me to follow it.” I looked at it to confirm my suspicion, but it sort of shook its head, and then started touching all of the kids behind me with its trunk.
“You want all of us to come?” a usually obnoxious boy asked the elephant directly, like it was a person. In answer, it turned and started thumping down the hallway. All of us looked at each other for one flabbergasted moment, and then rushed after it. I reached it first, and without thinking, grabbed hold of it’s tail. Then the girl behind me grabbed my hand, and the kid behind her grabbed her hand, and we formed a long line of kids linked to one thing.
An Elephant.
And the strangest thing was, no one tried to stop us.
We sauntered right out of school, and all the way through town, keeping hold of the elephant the entire time. I almost let got of its tail once, when it stepped off a side walk curb and right into a busy street. But amazingly, all of the cars started pulling over to let us through. It was like the elephant was Moses, and we were walking through the red sea. And the funniest thing was, it stopped for all the red lights. I’m not even kidding you. I can’t imagine what the drivers going by must have thought. They were just driving along on blue skied October day, when they turned onto main street and suddenly came upon a huge elephant standing in the middle of the road, with a long gaggle of kids trailing behind it, all of them just waiting for the light to turn green, along with everyone else.
Once it had gotten through all the red lights, the elephant ended up taking us to Spillers Field. For the last couple of weeks, there had been a circus camped out on the field, and it was still there. When I saw all the brightly colored tents, and actors walking around, I realized where it had come from. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before!
I heard several “oohs,” of understanding from behind me, as everyone else realized it too. A strange feeling of disappointment washed over me, almost like I’d been expecting the elephant to be something more special then just a circus performer. But that was stupid. It was just an elephant, I had to remind myself.
He had not stopped walking once we’d reached the field, but kept plodding right on, towards a big tent in the center. The strange thing was, no one paid any attention to us. I kind of hunkered my shoulders and tried to look inconspicuous, but I didn’t think it would have mattered if I hadn’t. It was like the elephant was making us all invisible or something. And where I would have thought there’d be stable hands running around frantically, worried sick at the disappearance of a one of their biggest performers, (literally!) there was none. In fact, there weren’t many people around at all, and everything seemed strangely calm. We walked right up to the big tent in the center of the field, and then went in. And what we saw in there made my stomach drop, and a bad taste come into my mouth.
The tent was full of animals. I’m not talking nice, orderly clean stalls, with plenty of space here either. Oh no. I mean dirty, messy, cramped animals stuffed in together. There were six horses over in one corner, in a tiny pen, and they were practically walking on each other, it was so tight. The sides of the tent were lined with tiny barred cages, filled with snarling cats and goats and all types of animals. They all looked so, so miserable. The smell in there was horrible, as there was animal dung everywhere, and the little food and water I saw scattered around was all filthy. Then I saw the elephants. Oh my god, the elephants. There were two of them, and around them in a circle were long stakes that they were tied tightly too, along with being tied together. They couldn’t move a hair, and I could see their muscles straining against the ropes. They had big red welts where the cords where cutting into them, and it looked extremely painful. Was this where my great elephant had come from then? This horrible, horrible place? I couldn’t believe that I had actually gone and seen the circus, when they were treating their animals like this.
As I looked around in horror, cries of disbelief and outrage rose up from behind me. I was glad to know I wasn’t the only one to find this absolutely disgusting. Letting go of the elephants tale, I walked forward to it’s head, and gently stroked its trunk. What had it been through? It turned and looked at me, and in its dark brown eyes, there was no anger, but only a deep, deep sadness.
“Guys,” I said, turning to all of the kids behind me. “We can’t let the circus get this elephant back. Look at this place. It’s horrible!”
“So what should we do?” asked a girl named Laura, voicing all of our thoughts.
I bit my lip, thinking. “First, we should get out of here. I know for some reason no one’s noticed us yet, but that could change anytime.” Kids nodded in agreement, so I went on. “Does anyone know of somewhere we could take it?”
Brandon, the usually obnoxious kid I’d mentioned earlier, spoke up. “We could go to my house. My parents are gone for a couple of days, and we have a sheltered back yard.” His usually goofy face was for once very serious, but I still had trouble trusting him. What if he did something stupid and ruined everything?
“Okay...” I agreed reluctantly. “Where do you live? Is it far?”
“No, we can walk there from here,” Brandon answered quickly. “I can take him.”
“Probably we should split up,” Laura broke in. “I know at least my parents will be wondering where I am. I don’t know about you guys.”
“Yeah, I can take him to my house, and then we can meet there later,” said Brandon.
“Wait a minute!” I protested. “I - I don’t know how the elephant will act if I’m not there and I need to see if your house will actually work!”
“What, do you not trust me or something?” Brandon challenged. Laura stepped in-between us, holding up her hands and saying:
“Why don’t you both go to Brandon's house and get the elephant settled, and we’ll all come by when we can.”
“Fine!” Brandon and I said together, but it was obvious neither one of us was happy. Laura, who seemed oblivious to this fact, quickly went to a flap in the tent and peered out. “The coast is clear guys,” she announced. “Lets all go out one at a time, and try to look inconspicuous.” With a grin, she slipped out, and was gone. Slowly, the remaining kids trickled out behind her, with promises of coming to Brandon's as soon as they could. Finally, just me, Brandon, and the elephant were left standing there.
“Well, are we going?” I said tersely. Maybe I should have tried to be more nice, but this boy just really got to me for some reason.
“Yes your majesty,” Brandon replied typically, and then turning, he walked out without a backwards glance. I, on the other hand, took one long last look around. I smelled the horrible stench, and saw the animals suffering, and determined to do something about it, if there was anyway I possibly could. Then, placing my hand on the elephants leathery side, we walked out together.
Brandon's house was really nice, I had to admit. It was huge, which meant if we stuck the elephant in the back, it couldn’t be seen from the road. Which was definitely a good thing. We walked the entire way there, but didn’t say one more word to each other. We were both lost in our own thoughts, I guess. That, or we were just mutually avoiding each other. Probably both.
We had to speak once we’d arrived at our destination and brought the elephant in back though, and we stood awkwardly for a moment, staring at the ground and the elephant and anything but each other. “We need a plan of action,” I finally spat out.
“I know,” Brandon nodded, apparently deciding not to be annoying, for the moment. “What are we going to do, just leave him out here?”
“I don’t know. Do you think it will wander off?” I bit my lip worriedly.
Brandon shook his head. “If it wants our help, it’ll be smart enough to stick around. But I think we should totally stop calling him an it, don’t you? Got any good elephant names?” He grinned, and I found myself laughing a little. Whoa, what was happening here?
“Uh, Leo?” I suggested.
“Uh, NO!” he immediately retaliated.
“Fine!” I said. “What about something that’s sort of short for elephant. Ele - Eli?”
“Eli, the elephant!” Brandon said, pretending to be a circus announcer. I full out laughed then, and he grinned at me. “I like it!”
Why had I never noticed this boys smile before??! Whoa, whoa, whoa, I thought. This is Brandon Applegate here, the number one most obnoxious boy in class, and all around trouble maker. Do NOT go making friends with him!
“So,” I said, wiping the smile off my face. “Now that we’ve got that settled, what are we going to do?”
“Lets try going inside,” Brandon said, a little sarcastically, and where a minute ago it wouldn’t have bothered me, it did now.
“Okaaaay,” I said, rolling my eyes with irritation, “but it is your house. You kinda have to invite me in.”
Brandon narrowed his eyes at me, and then muttered “whatever,” and headed towards the house. All I could do was follow, feeling very uncomfortable.
Once inside, we went to the living room, which was big and uncluttered and had huge glass windows through which we could see Eli easily.
“Nice!” I said in admiration. Brandon didn’t reply, but walked strait to a bookcase, from which he pulled what appeared to be a telephone book. “What are you doing?” I asked, instantly curious.
He turned and brought the book back to me, saying, “I think we should call a lawyer.”
“Huh?” was my educated reply.
“You saw how those animals were being treated, right?” he said, sitting down on the couch. “Well, I’m pretty sure there’s laws against treating animals like that. I mean, there’s got to be. Probably you have to have some sort of license to run a circus, and if we got a lawyer or something, maybe we could get their license taken away.”
“Wow,” I said, sitting down next to him. “You’ve gotten this all figured out, haven’t you?” For once, I wasn’t being snarky or sarcastic. I was genuinely impressed.
“Not really,” Brandon said seriously, “I don’t know what we should do about Eli. If we did get a lawyer to help us, would we get in a major trouble for taking him?”
“I don’t know,” I frowned. “Maybe we should just go one step at a time. First I’m going to call my parents.”
“You’re going to tell them?” His eyes bugged out a little in alarm, and I couldn’t resist a smug smile.
“Yes. I’m going to tell them I’m working on a project about elephants and cruelty to animals at a friends house.” I hesitated the tiniest bit on the word friend, and I saw a flicker of something in Brandon's eyes. Darn it, he had noticed. Stupid, stupid me.
“Ah, of course,” he said smoothly. “All the truth, except for the friend bit. Tell me this, dear Amy. Why, exactly, do you have such a low opinion of me?”
“I-” I stammered, feeling my cheeks beginning to heat up. “I don’t!”
“Oh right,” Brandon stood up, with ice in his eyes. “That’s why you ignore me in class. That’s why you didn’t trust me enough to take the elephant here myself. And that's why you look at me like I’m a worm, and stop yourself when you start smiling or laughing at something I’ve said!”
“I ignore you in class, because if I didn’t I wouldn’t get any work done!” I said, reverting to the only accusation I could defend myself on. Now I stood up, to face him. “You’re completely obnoxious, rude, and stupid. Of course I don’t want to be friends with you!”
He looked at me levelly for a moment, his face hard. “What basis do you have to say that I’m stupid?” he finally asked in a quiet voice. “Have you ever even looked at any of my work?”
“Brandon, I didn’t mean-” I cut in, feeling horrible, but he wasn’t done,
“As to obnoxious, disruptive, and rude,” he continued, “something comes over me when I’m stuck in a classroom. It makes me unable to sit still, controls my thoughts, even if I fight it. But it’s not ME. Whatever you do Amy, don’t pretend you know me!” Then he turned on his heel, and walked quietly away. I sat down heavily on the couch, and put my head in my hands. This day that had seemed so magical at first, was turning really, really sour. All because I’d made some judgments about someone I didn’t really know, and then couldn’t let it go.
Hearing a tapping on the window, I looked up to see the elephant staring at me thoughtfully through the glass. ‘Right,’ I thought. I didn’t know what to do about the mess I’d made with Brandon, but I did know what I was here for. And so I picked up the phone book, and flipped to the Ls.
I couldn’t get through to the first lawyer I tried, but with the second one I had more success. Unfortunately, as soon as I managed to get his secretary to pass me on to him, my mind completely froze up. What the heck was I going to say?
“Hello?” said a man on the other end of the phone line, “how can I help you?”
“Um,” I stammered out, my mind spinning frantically, “my name’s Amy Mcphee... I was wondering if you could answer some questions?”
“Sure Amy,” the man said in a friendly voice, “my name’s Don. I’ve got a spare moment, so what would you like to know?”
“Well,” I said, swallowing and trying to get a grip on myself. “I was wondering about circus regulations, and animal treatment.”
“Oh?” said Don, sounding interested.
“Say someone saw some animals being treated badly at a circus,” I said, more in control now. “What could that person do about it? Could they, like, shut the circus down?”
“There are rules and laws about animal treatment in circus’s,” Don said, sounding much more cautious now, “but what you could do about anything illegal is... questionable. I don’t work in this area, you know, so I’m not the best person to ask.”
“But you are a lawyer?” I questioned him, beginning to feel a little desperate, “so you could take on a case like this if you had to?”
“I could...” Don said hesitantly. There was a pause, and then he blurted out, “Amy, if you’ve seen some animal mistreatment, the first people you should to go is your parents. You’re in high school, aren’t you?”
“How did you...” I trailed off in complete befuddlement.
“I saw your name and picture in the paper recently, in the article about high school volunteers at the animal shelter.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling profoundly disappointed. He would never help us now, I was sure of it.
“I’m really sorry kid, but talk to your parents about it, okay? I can’t help you.” To his credit, he did really sound like he felt bad.
“Okay,” I agreed in defeat. Hanging up the phone, I had no idea what to do next. Telling my parents was out of the question. They were both working, and besides, there was the elephant to deal with.
“We’ll send him pictures,” Brandon spoke from the doorway of the living room, and I looked up, surprised.
“What?”
“We’ll send him pictures of what we saw at the circus. Maybe that will convince him.” He wasn’t looking at me, but outside at Eli, and his tone was kind of formal. No more goofing around for us, I guessed, feeling a little sad.
“I don’t have his e-mail,” I said, wishing I had asked for it.
“Doesn’t matter,” said Brandon, still not looking at me, “I can find it.” And so saying, he turned and left the room. I followed, feeling helpless yet again.
It didn’t take long for him to Google Don and find his e-mail address , so after a few quick calls, (one to my parents, and one to Laura, who couldn’t come by), we decided to head back to the circus to take pictures. I was really quite scared, but I certainly wasn’t going to let Brandon see that. Our luck had been incredibly good last time, and we hadn’t gotten caught, but I really wasn’t sure that would happen again. Besides, this time we weren’t bringing the elephant, and I had this weird idea that maybe he’d had something to do with our incredible invisibleness. I was glad to see that Brandon looked a little nervous himself, as he grabbed the camera and we headed out.
It wasn’t long before we were back at the circus. There still weren’t a whole lot of people around, although this time, a few did give us weird looks. Despite this, we managed to make it all the way to the center tent. Pulling the flap back, we both went in, and I immediately wrinkled my nose at the smell. It was even worse then I’d remembered. Brandon started taking picture after picture, and without even thinking, I went over to the elephants. Their muscles were quivering from straining against the ropes, and I felt tears stinging the back of my eyes. How could anyone do this to them? Silently, I reached up and began working on the knots that imprisoned them.
“Hey! What are you doing?” An unfamiliar voice broke the silence. I spun around to see a big, burly guy running at Brandon. Brandon looked over his shoulder in alarm, and then started sprinting towards me, as I was close to a flap in the tent where we could escape. It was obvious he wasn’t going to make it, as the huge man gained on him.
“Catch!” he suddenly called out, throwing the camera, just as the man tackled him. I managed to catch it, but didn’t want to leave him. “Run!” he yelled at me, struggling away from the man. So that’s what I did. I ran like my life depended on it, and you know, maybe it did.
I heard the man shout, “stop that girl!” and then several other cries that sounded like curses. A few people responded to his shout, and set off after me, and I looked over my shoulder to see that they were gaining. ‘Darn it!’ I thought, and tried to make my legs go a little faster, even though my muscles were already screaming at me. Just as I thought I was lost for sure, Eli suddenly came barreling around a corner, and strait for me. The people chasing me scattered, and as Eli ran towards me, I thought surely we were going to collide. But somehow I must have grabbed hold of his trunk, and amazingly he swung me up onto his back. I know that sounds crazy, and I have no idea how it happened, but that's the truth. One moment I was on the ground, the next, I was sitting on an elephant.
It was probably the most amazing thing that had ever happened to me.
Just then, Brandon came running out of the tent, with the big burly guy not far behind. He ran up to us, and adrenaline must have given me super strength or something, because I managed to pull him up behind me. The next moment, we were out of there. Those elephants; they may look big, but boy can they run!
Now, I may have said that being up on an elephant was amazing, but actually riding one was not. It was really, really bumpy, and Brandon and I were sort of just hanging on for dear life. It was terrifying, but about halfway back to his house, my huge adrenaline rush got to me, and I started laughing hysterically. Brandon kind of gave me a look, and then his face changed, and he started laughing too. His laughter just made me laugh more, and boy the time we got back, we were just one big ball of bounced around giggly-ness!
Sliding off the elephants back, we were both grinning like idiots. “Come on!” Said Brandon, full of energy, and we ran into the house. Once at the computer, it was only a matter of minutes before the pictures were uploaded, and they were on their way.
“What do we do now?” I asked, as ‘Mail sent successfully,’ popped up on the screen. “Just wait?”
“Yeah,” said Brandon, nodding. “We can try calling him in an hour, if he doesn’t get to us first. I think the pictures will really do it though. I mean, if he has any feelings for animals whatsoever, they should.”
“It is awful,” I greed. “I hate to see anything treated like that!”
“Yeah,” he said again. Standing, he added “hey, why don’t we go watch TV or something, to distract ourselves.” Things seemed a little awkward, so I agreed hurriedly.
When we arrived at the living room, it was revealed that it was raining outside. The huge glass windows showed Eli standing miserably out there, as the rain poured down in long, silvery streaks. “Oh, that looks not fun!” I said, immediately feeling sorry for him.
“Hey,” said Brandon quietly, “you want to... bring him in?”
“Like, inside?” I said, grinning at the idea.
“Well yeah. If you don’t mind, that is.”
“Mind?” I said, laughing, but then frowned. “But what if he, like, ruins some of your furniture, or... poops...” I bit my lip with embarrassment at the idea.
“You know,” he replied, staring out into the rain, “I don’t think he would. I don’t know, there just seems to be something special about him. I’m not sure he’s a normal elephant.”
“Wow,” I said, looking at him with respect. “That’s weird, because I’ve been thinking the exact same thing.” Then I broke into a grin. “Come on, lets do it!”
“Okay!” Brandon said, grinning back at me.
Running into the rain, neither of us minded getting wet, in fact, it was kind of fun. I put my hand on Eli's slippery wet side, and we led him in. There was no way he should have been able to fit through the doorway, in fact, now that I thought about it, he shouldn’t have been able to fit through our classroom doorway either. But somehow, he did. As we padded through the house, with Brandon on one side and me on the other, I had to laugh a little. “You know,” I said, “I think this has been the strangest day of my life.”
“Oh, not for me,” said Brandon, “I’ve done a few stranger things.”
“Like what?” I said skeptically.
“I could tell you,” he replied, “but then I’d have to kill you.” I snorted, and then stopped walking, thinking. Brandon stopped too, but the elephant, somehow sensing he needed to get out of the way, kept right on going. Brandon and I were left facing each other, and I swallowed hard.
“Look,” I said, meeting his eyes. “I’m really sorry for the things I said. I - I was wrong about you, and it was stupid of me to think that I-”
“Hey,” he interrupted. “I was wrong about you too. I guess Eli’s taught us a few things, huh?” His smile was small, but it went all the way to his eyes. I blew out a large puff of air, and then grinned.
“He sure has.”
We were sitting on the couch and watching TV, a little more then a half an hour later, when the phone rang. I jumped quite violently, I’m afraid to say, and Brandon and I exchanged a nervous look. Silently, he stood, and walked toward the blinking, ringing phone. Next to the couch, Eli shuffled his feet nervously. I held my breath as Brandon picked up, saying “Hello?” Then he turned to me and gave me a huge grin. It had worked! It must have!
“So?” I asked eagerly, as he finally hung up after a short conversation that felt like it had taken hours, to me at least.
“It wasn’t the lawyer,” Brandon said seriously.
“It wasn’t?” My heart sank.
“Nope!” He grinned, unable to keep a strait face any longer. “He forwarded the pictures to a detective. Apparently that’s who we should have gone to in the first place.”
“Oh!” I said, immediately realizing how obvious this conclusion was. Detectives deal with animal mistreatment cases all the time. Like, duh!
“So, detective Slater said he would check out the circus, and thanks for alerting him”
“That's all?” I said, feeling disappointed. “We don’t get to help him or anything?”
“No,” Brandon looked just as disappointed as I felt. “But...” he said slowly, “he did say he was going there now. We could...” He trailed off, but I didn’t need him to finish.
“Lets go!” I cried.
“Are you sure?” he said, “we could get in trouble.” I gave him a look, and he widened his eyes and held up his hands, saying “fine! I surrender!”
“Good,” I said smugly. And so, we headed out into the rain once again. This, our third trip to the circus that day, wasn’t so fun and fascinating as the others. For one thing, it was still pouring, and it was very hard to see. Therefore, we were greatly relieved when the huge (albeit sopping), tents came into view.
We were heading towards the main tent once again, when I heard voices, and pulled Brandon behind a booth to hide. The big guy who’d tried to stop us walked by with another guy, who was dressed more nicely, and had a badge and a gun strapped to his belt. “The detective!” Brandon whispered, and I nodded. They were talking just loud enough for us to hear, and I strained my ears to listen.
“...Needed to check for animal mistreatment,” the detective was saying.
“Well, I don’t know why we would get charged,” the big man replied. “But you can check our our animal tent. There ain't many in there because we’re getting ready to leave. It’s a bit of a mess though...” Their voices faded out as they got further away, and Brandon and I glanced at each other, and then followed. The loud squelching of our boots in the mud seemed like thunderclaps to me, and I tried not to flinch every time I took a step. Fortunately the sound of the rain covered up any noise were making pretty well. Ahead of us, the detective and the guy went into the tent, and Brandon and I peeked in through a flap. My jaw dropped, and we looked at each other in dismay. The place was practically empty, with only a few animals penned in neatly, and although it was still a mess, it looked a whole lot better then when we’d seen it.
“Well,” we heard the detective say, “everything looks fine in here.” Brandon started tugging on my arm furiously, and we stumbled away from the tent to talk quietly.
“Someone gave them a heads up!” Brandon looked the most angry I’d ever seen him. “Who? Who could have done it?”
“That’s not important!” I hissed. “We can’t let the detective walk away, we need to find the animals!”
“Right,” Brandon said, focusing back on me. “They’ve got to be somewhere. Where could they have...” his voice trailed off, as his eyes landed on the patch of woods that lay only the edge of the field. The perfect covering for a bunch of animals, right?
Suddenly, I became intensely aware of movement behind us. We both froze, and then slowly turned around, to face the detective. There was a little silence, and then he spoke. “Are you the two kids who sent those pictures?” Beside him, the big man glowered.
“Yes sir,” I said, not even thinking about lying. This was a detective, remember, and that would just be stupid.
“I told you not to come back,” the detective spoke directly to Brandon now.
“Yes sir.”
“You kids have photoshop?” he asked suspiciously.
“Yes. I mean no, we didn’t do what you’re thinking!” Brandon stammered out.
“Mmmm,” the detective nodded, obviously not believing him for one moment. “I think you two should come with me. Sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Brown,” he turned to the other man, who was still glaring at us. I swallowed, trying to get some saliva in my very dry throat, and forced myself to speak.
“Wait detective Slater,” the words came out kind of squeaky, and I faltered. Brandon quietly took my hand and gave it a squeeze, and a surge of confidence filled me. “I know that you don’t believe us, but I swear that there are mistreated animals here somewhere. If you would just look around some more...”
“I don’t have time for this,” the detective said with annoyance.
“Just check in the forest then!” I pleaded, growing desperate. “Imagine how many animals they could hide in a forest if they wanted to!”
“Little girl, you watch too much TV,” the big man said, looking nervous as the detectives eyes automatically scanned the forest, through the rain. Then he turned back to us, and my heart sank.
“I’m going to have to agree with that-” he started, but then spun around as he caught a movement in the corner of his eye. We had all seen it. There was something in the woods after all. “On second thought,” he said quietly, “I think I will check it out.” He started walking towards where we’d seen the movement, and Brandon and I grinned at each other joyfully, before following.
“Hey wait!” Mr. Brown called after us, sounding close to panic. He barreled past us and stopped right in the detectives path, panting heavily. “You don’t have authorization to search anywhere except the main tent!” he said desperately.
“Mr. Brown,” the detective said smoothly, “surely you realize that the woods are hardly circus property? Besides, I have authorization to search anywhere I need. So now, if you would please get out of my way...”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” said Mr. Brown, planting his feet. Brandon and I slowed to a stop behind the detective, and watched nervously.
“And why would that be?” he asked. The big man only tightened his lips grimly. The detective nodded, and then suddenly moved to the right. Mr. Brown blocked him. He moved to the left, and Mr. Brown blocked him again. Brandon and I glanced at each other, and then split, running around the brute in opposite directions. The detective saw what we were doing, and almost got by, as Mr. Brown reached for both of us, but at the last second he turned away from me, and swung his fist at the detectives jaw. He had Brandon by the sleeve, and I backed away, as the detective leered from the hit. Everyone seemed to freeze as he looked up, his eyes steely and gray.
“Mr. Brown,” he said, a bruise already forming on his jaw, “you do realize I have a gun, don’t you?” Slowly, ever so slowly, he pulled it off his belt, and my eyes followed it instinctively. My heart was racing like a horse. Obviously it didn’t have the same effect on Mr. Brown though, because he snorted.
“It’s not loaded I bet!” he sneered. Next to him, Brandon was tugging on his sleeve, trying to get away.
“Let go of the boy,” said the detective evenly. Mr. Brown tightened his hold on Brandon's arm. All in one motion, the detective stepped forward, raised his arm, and fired into the air. I jumped, and I could see Mr. Browns hands begin to shake, as he let go of Brandon.
“Now you’ll be so kind as to accompany us to the forest,” said the detective, not pointing the gun, or even threatening in anyway. Even so, Mr. Brown gulped, and turned towards the woods, his entire body tense with fear. We followed behind him, our footsteps the only sound except for the dripping of a strong rain. It had petered out by now, thank God, but I was absolutely soaked.
It took only a few minutes for us to reach the woods, but it was plenty of time for me to get completely nervous. What if we were wrong? What if no one was there at all?
I didn’t have to worry for too long, though, because as soon as we stepped into the dark woods, we immediately began to hear unhappy cries. Animals were crying, somewhere in there. The detective took the lead now, and we followed the noise to a tiny clearing, where packed together were just about all of the animals in the circus. Just as we broke into the clearing, one of the men on guard was in the process of kicking a cat that had strayed to close to the edge. The man looked up with terror in his eyes, as the detective made a small growly noise in the back of his throat. They were caught red handed.
Despite the awfulness of seeing the animals so miserable, I couldn’t help grinning. We had done it. We had helped save these animals, and everything would be all right now. That's what I was thinking, until Laura stepped out of the trees. I inhaled sharply at the site of her angry, almost sad looking face, and I felt Brandon stiffen beside me. What was she doing here?
The detective had been speaking in a flat, angry tone, although I hadn’t really been listening, when Laura interrupted him. “Detective!” her voice rang out across the clearing.
“Who are you?” he asked, looking confused.
“I’m one of the daughters of this man,” she nodded towards Mr. Brown, and I gasped. “I realize maybe my Dad hasn’t been doing everything right,” she pleaded, “but if you shut the circus down, he’ll lose his job!”
“I’m sorry,” the detective said, looking troubled, “but the law is the law, and you have not been treating your animals right!”
“Well then,” said Laura, her eyes narrowing, “there’s something you should know.” Her gaze swept to us, and there was nothing but hatred in it now. I began to get a very bad feeling. “These two,” she hissed, “they aren’t all innocent. I happen to know that they’re keeping a stolen elephant at their house!”
“A stolen elephant?” the detective looked incredulous. “You mean one of yours?”
“Uh, yes!” Laura said quickly, her eyes sliding away from his. Brandon turned and looked at me, both of us thinking the same thing. She’s lying. But if the elephant wasn’t the circus’s, whose was it?
I didn’t have time to puzzle over this long, as the detective turned to us and said, “what do you have to say about this?”
“She’s lying!” I said quickly.
“That’s ridiculous,” Brandon said at the same time. “I mean, how would we have stolen an elephant? They’re huge!” We glanced at each other, as the detective scrutinized us, and I grimaced. Why couldn’t at least one of us have been a good liar?
“Well,” he said, after a pause, “I’m sorry, but I guess I’m going to have to check your house, after we get finished here.” My heart sank, and my mind began to race desperately. What would we do? It wasn’t just like we could run in and hide Eli, I mean, he was an elephant! I looked at Laura angrily, but instead of looking smug, she just seemed miserable. Amazingly, I found myself feeling a little sorry for her. I could sense that Brandon was not sharing my feelings though; he looked boiling mad. I glanced at the detective, who was now on a cell phone, probably calling in the troops, and then risked talking to Brandon.
“What are we going to do?” I said quietly.
“I have no idea,” he replied grimly. “I can’t believe it was Laura! She always seemed so nice and sincere and...”
“Shhhh,” I shushed him, as the detective put away his cell phone. We couldn’t risk talking anymore, since he was already suspicious of us. So while we waited for the police to come, I tried to think of a plan. But none came.
By the time the detective was ready to come with us, the entire clearing was pretty empty, and we had been standing in the damp for more then two hours. I would have enjoyed the site of Mr. Brown being led away in handcuffs more, if Laura hadn’t been trailing sadly behind. Even Brandon looked a little remorseful.
“Well kids,” said the detective, turning to us when things were cleared up at last. “I guess you’d better take me to your house then. And don’t try any funny stuff, it’ll be better for you if you don’t.”
“Yes sir,” Brandon and I said together. We led the way out of the woods, knowing it was all over for us. The detective would take Eli, and we would probably get in huge trouble. What was I going to tell my parents? The only nice thing about the situation was that we got to ride in the car instead of walking back, this time, but that was small comfort.
As we pulled into Brandon's driveway, Brandon and I looked at each other for one long moment, and then took hands and climbed out of the car. The detective was already out, and walking around the house, looking for any signs of an elephant. ‘This is it then,’ I thought, ‘in a moment he’s going to find a massive footprint or something, and then...’ I shivered, and Brandon put his arm around me. A tiny sliver of hope sprang up in me as the detective came back around the house, smiling in a friendly way.
“Well, I didn’t find anything. My guess is to believe you; that girl was probably lying just to get you in trouble.” Brandon and I grinned in relief but then our smiles faded ase he continued. “I’d better just check in the house real quick, even though I know it’s pretty ridiculous.” He laughed, and then opened the front door and went in. Brandon and I stared at the spot where he’d been in horror, and then ran after him. We skidded to a stop as we came into the living room, where he was standing, and stared around in wonder. Where was Eli?
“Nice house!” the detective said to us with a grin.
“Uh-uh thanks,” Brandon stammered out.
“Well, looks like everything’s fine here. Sorry for bothering you, and thanks for all your help. You might have to come into the station...” his words blurred together in my mind, drowned out by my confused thoughts. Eli could not have possibly gone out the front door, he wouldn’t have been able to open it! So where had he gone? The detective left, but Brandon and I just continued to stand where we had come in, a little numb from the whole ordeal.
“Eli?” I finally called out. My throat was raspy, and it came out dry and whispery. “Eli?” I tried again, and it was louder this time, better. Brandon put a hand on my arm, shaking his head.
“I think he’s gone.”
“But how?” I questioned. “Where could he have gone?”
“Maybe back to the land of the elephants,” Brandon said, beginning to smile, “where he’s the king.”
“He was special,” I said, smiling too now. “Maybe he is from another land. Maybe he only comes here occasionally to help hurting animals.”
“It could be,” said Brandon. “It could be.”

Later that night, Brandon and I were sitting on the couch, eating pizza and watching a movie, when I suddenly heard a noise. “Did you hear that?” I asked, instantly aware. “It sounded like something was tapping the window.”
“Could it be...?” Brandon started, and then we both bolted off the couch, and ran out of the house. We slowed once outside, breathing in the cool night air.
“It’s probably not...” I said.
“We shouldn’t get our hopes up...” he said. Then we turned the corner, and stopped. There stood Eli, even bigger then I remembered, even more beautiful.
“Ohhh,” I breathed, the air whooshing out of me. Eli turned his head, and then walked towards us. We held out our hands to touch his trunk for the last time, and he nuzzled both of our faces gently. Then he turned, and started walking away. A tear slipped down me cheek, and then Eli... disappeared.
“Goodbye,” said Brandon, taking my hand, “King of the Elephants.”

Okay. I think I'm going to go take a nap now. Snnoooooooore.
Lol!

LOVE,
Annapants

Finally!

I am so, so tired of writing this darned post! This is now the THIRD time!
:O
Okay. Sigh. I’ll try my hardest to be cheerful. Rofl.
So... I haven’t posted in FOREVER! Sorry guys, inspiration has been running low, but it’s all come back! I am INSPIRED!
Anyway, ahem, this is the summery of my play, which I am posting especially for Katie since she’s the only one who doesn’t know what it’s about. And we couldn’t just leave her in the dark, now could we?! (Plus, someone Very Special *cough, L, cough* told me to. :D) So.
I haven’t decided, as of yet, whether it’s going to be a play with music or a musical, but it is definitely going to have songs, I can tell you that. Which is awesomely exciting, but also terrifying, since I’ve never really written songs before. :O
Ah well, moving onward...

In a world much like our medieval age, religion controls almost everything, including music. Only music that has been written by and approved of by the Church is allowed to be played and listened to. But then, there is the music makers. They create, play, and listen to illegal music, because they simply can not survive without it. They meet in dark, candlelit places, to join in the world of song for at least a short while.
When my MC stumbles upon one of these groups, she finds the music enchanting and the people intriguing. There is a slight problem though, for her adopted father is one of the highest priests in the the order of the Church. The same Church that makes this beautiful music illegal. If either her Father or the music makers found out who she really is and what she is doing, she would pay the price of her life. My MC can not stay away however, and joins the music makers. She thinks she has a horrible voice, so she just goes to listen. And in listening, she becomes especially interested in a boy her age, who has a beautiful voice. When she finds out that her father and his cronies are onto this boy, she has to warn him. But in doing so she loses her cover, and his trust.
She convinces him into fleeing, and goes with him against his will. Soon they start falling love, however, and he teaches her how to sing. They gain a following of music makers, who want to overthrow the church. But they're also being chased by my MC’s father. He finally catches them and brings them to the Queen, who is really the head of the whole religion since she’s such a big supporter of it. My MC thinks they might be able to persuade the Queen that music is good, until she finds out the boy is actually the Queens son, and he was planted into the Music Makers as a spy. MC is furious, and heartbroken. The Prince tries to tell her that he’s been changed, and he believes in music now, but she won’t listen.
MC is presented to the Queen to plead her case. The prince is there too, and the MC can not even look at him. She speaks to the Queen only, about music and the Creator. The Queen is unmoving, and in desperation MC begins to sing. The Queen calls the guards to take her away, but before they can the Prince unexpectedly gets up. He turns to the Queen and tells her if they’re taking MC, then they’re taking him too. Then he walks down the steps to MC, singing ‘their song,’ (the song he originally got her to sing, when he was teaching her,) right to her. The Queen begins to weep, because the song and their love is so beautiful.

Annnnnd that's where my poetic inspiration for summery-ness ran out, so I went to bed.
Lol!
Obviously, the Queen realizes that un-church-ified music is good too, and it alll ennndss hapillyyyyy.
Yay.
Okay so I know it’s kinda sappy. (Kelia admitted shamefacedly that she thought it was WAY too lovey dovey. Where upon I went “WHAT’S WRONG WITH THAT!!!????” and she sort of turned red. Lol!) And that summery barely covers some of what I think it (might) be about. But as sappy as it may be, I’m kind of in love with it. Lol. Lets just see if I can write it, right?
And, ahem, NAMES! So I went to that baby names site (THANK YOU KATIE!) and selected a few for my female and male main characters. I’m going to tell you all of them, and you have to tell me which one’s you like best. That’s an order, not a request, mind! :D
Okay, for FMC I have Annora and Cara. I think maybe Cara, but I like them both. For MMC, I have Bastien, Cedric, Corin, and Eric. I’m not really sure about any of those. I thought at first Eric, but I don’t know.... Opinions?
Anyways, be expecting more posts from me in the near future, because the Top Secret Project I’ve been working on is almost finished, (teehee), AND I started another story!
WooHoo! Life is good. Except it’s going to be bad if this doesn’t post again. It’s going to be veeeerrrry baaaaaaad.
Lol!

Loveyoualltopieces:
Annapants

Where'd you get your genes?

Alright. So I'm posting the story, but first...
I'M OFFICIALLY PUBLISHED!
I had to tell you, It was too cool.
http://www.newcastlepacer.com/main.asp?SectionID=46&SubSectionID=97&ArticleID=912&TM=3587.449
[it's a newspaper for the Southside of Oklahoma City! WOOT!]

Anywahhyys. For the record, all of the story SO FAR is going up here. If you've read it, skip closer to the bottom to where you left off. :)
By the way, don't kill me. It's not a pretty ending so-farrr.

I looked up at him, confused and appalled. “What’re you doing?”
A gleam of amusement lit his eyes. “I’m inviting you to dance with me. One dance, and you can go back to sitting here and looking like you’d rather be somewhere else. Hasn’t anyone ever asked you before?”
No, they hadn’t. But he didn’t need to know that.
“But…”
“But what?” He had a familiar resilient look around him. “Dancing doesn’t mean we’re in love, Samantha.”
I hesitated, noticing the crowd around watching us like hawks, and sighed. “Alright.”
Taking my right hand, he pulled be out of the chair and guided me to the floor. I was shaky at first, as he moved me hands to where they were supped to be, one reaching up to his shoulder and the right one staying where it was, enclosed in his own hand. His left hand rested on my waist and I suddenly grew nervous as he started guiding me around.
It truly wasn’t the first time I’d danced, but before, it had been with guys who thought they were going to get something more from me, back in my own world or dimension, or whatever it was, and the person I was dancing with had never ever been this dangerous, let alone my pretend fiancée.
But, as Talon had said, dancing didn’t mean anyone was in love.
“Relax,” He whispered, chuckling. “I haven’t hurt you yet; you can trust me somewhat.”
I actually smiled, despite my best efforts, as he took complete control. He danced like no one else I’d met, and the close proximity between us began to slowly dissipate in my mind as we glided around the floor.
Trust Talon. Who would have thought, only weeks ago, that I’d be dressed in the most beautiful dress ever imagined, stuck in a warped period, dancing with what had started out as my enemy.
The song passed, but neither one of us made a move to exit the floor. Another song, another dance, and more. Both of us stayed quiet except for his occasional chuckle when I stepped on his feet.
Halfway through the third song, I did something completely second-nature and moved my left hand from his and wrapped it around the other side of his neck and leaned on him.
He stiffened up for a minute, then pulled my hands back with a smile that didn’t reach his stony eyes.
“Sorry.” I whispered.
“I can’t let you do that.” He whispered back, his voice strained. “You’re too close.”
I nodded and looked down at my hands.
“You don’t need to apologize, though.”
I half-smiled up at him, feeling stupid. “Thanks.”
He nodded and looked distractedly away at an approaching figure who obviously had been trailing us, then seeing us stopping, had decided to approach.
“My lord,” She said sweetly, curtsying.
I felt myself get disgusted. Anissa, her skin startling against her olive green gown, stood beside Talon, ignoring me as much as possible.
Talon turned to her and smiled politely. “Lady Anissa, what can I do for you?”
She didn’t even glance at me and kind of giggled in a bashful-little-girl-who’d-been-dared-to-ask-her-crush-out way. “I would consider it an honor if you would grace me with a dance, Talon. What does a lady have to do to get the most handsome person here to herself for a while?”
He looked back at me, I could feel it, but I was already turned around and headed back to my spot.
In all, I didn’t look at Talon for the rest of the night. I really didn’t care enough. Erick danced with me several times, surprising me that he had that much energy. He grinned like an idiot and told me that he thought I was gorgeous a thousand times, and actually, that was close to being the high-point of the whole night. He made me laugh, and I really needed it after my Talon encounter.
“Loosen up a little, Samantha. You seem very tense about something.” He finally said. “Can I help?”
I looked at him and saw the knowledge of another Traveler, one who’d accepted the kind of life he was going to live.
I took a big breath and stopped dancing. He followed suit and looked at me solemnly.
“You never told me much about being a Traveler,” I explained, and he frowned.
“Let’s take this outside. People will begin to talk if we don’t.” He said, and escorted me outside with all the grace of an actual Arvian citizen.
“Now tell me, what’s bothering you about that?”
I sighed. I really didn’t know how to say it. “I guess the whole concept of jumping.” I tried to clarify. “You know, changing eras, dimensions, or whatever.”
He smiled warmly. “Sam, you’re taking this all too seriously. You’re only a, what, junior in high school? This is your new life – you jump from plane to plane, most of it things that no one would even think about existing, and learn by trial and error. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
“And what doesn’t make me stronger kills me.” I said dully. “But that’s not my problem. How do you control your jump?”
He was quiet for a minute, and when he looked at me, it was with sad eyes. “I’m sorry, Sam. I can’t tell you that, because I really don’t know. I think that you randomly skip around whenever whatever forces control Travelers decides until you’re ready to be replaced. And when it gets to be that time, I think you just stop jumping. You stay where you are and you become one of the people around you.” He stopped and took a drink, gazing out over the dark blue sky.
“It’s truly a coincidence that you happened to jump to my plane. When you showed up in Harlan’s house, it was complete luck that I saw you before anyone else did. Otherwise, you would have had to fend for yourself and discover everything that Travelers are supposed to know on your own. I had to until my third jump. By then, I think I caused more problems than I solved.”
I looked down at the marble under my feet, then back up at Erick. “What if I wanted to stay somewhere? What if I ended up having a family and relationships and a normal life there?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know what would happen, except that you would leave and they’d still be there.”
He looked over at me, his eyes wistful. “Don’t fall in love, Sam. It hurts too bad to leave and come back, only to find out that they don’t even know you.”
He sighed, took another swig of his drink, and smiled again. “Well, I’ve kept you out here long enough. There’s probably a line of people waiting to dance with you. After all, you and Talon are supposedly engaged, and you’re the lovely bride.”
When Erick had successfully made sure that I was in my chair, he rejoined the dancing, swaying around with various girls, acting more as a jester than a forty-seven-year-old man. I watched him, brooding over what he’d just told me, unconsciously picking at my dress. My eyes raked across the dance floor, picking out the different colors of gowns, who was wearing them, and who was dancing with the gown-wearer.
Eventually though, I ended up thinking about what my life really was. Obviously, my family thought I was killed in some kind of freak accident because my demensional body, the one I was used to having, was long dead.
I shuddered. I was dead because someone up in who-knows-where had wanted me to be a Traveler.
So then, what was I, if I wasn’t alive? I’d asked Erick about it before, but he’d only said that...
“Lady Samantha, why are you wearing white?”
I smiled at the child in front of me. She, herself, had to be ten years old, wearing a black gown and a princess crown, meant for adornment of the future ladies rather than nobility.
“What do you mean?” I asked, confused but almost happy to have some other conversation besides talking to myself, even if it was a child.
“You’re wearing white, the color of avalibility, when the color of the house is black.” I looked at her blankly, and she went further in depth. “When you get engaged, you wear the color of the house. It lets people know that you’re taken by someone from that status. I’m Merian Zavian, Dante’s fiancee and your soon-to-be sister-in-law.” She smiled a big toothy grin.
I stared at her in disbelief. She was so young. “You’re getting married? But... How old are you?” I blurted.
She didn’t really understand what I was talking about, I could tell by the way she looked at me, but she answered anyway. It sounded like she was the older one.
“I’m nine. I’ll be ten in forty-three days. Most people are usually married by the time they’re eleven. I’ve been engaged to Dante’ since I was six months old.”
I pitied the girl, but she was beaming like it was the best thing in the world. I smiled weakly. “That’s great, Merian. I’m very glad to have met you.”
“As well am I, and I can’t wait until we’re officially family. Anyway, Dante’s probably getting impatent.” she said, and with that, she smiled and left me to dither in my own thoughts.
How sick and twisted, I thought bitterly, but at the same time, this was the norm for them. I had noticed, when looking around, that there was almost no one sitting with me on the chairs that lined the side of the room, and Merian’s statement about eleven being the normal age to get married explained why.
At the same time, though, it left a major question open: why wasn’t one of the most highly sought after bachelors, Talon Cavalay, married at nineteen?
I sighed, and finally hunted out the two most stunning people in the ballroom out of curiosity. Annisa was talking animatedly, and he was laughing at her, swirling her around like she was Cinderella and not the evil stepsister.
I stood up and made sure that I wasn’t being watched. I was so sick of being the observer when happy things happened and not being able to interfere with the balance; to throw myself into the crowd, blend in, and have some kind of chance at a little of the happiness.
But no. As a Traveler, I was destined to sit on the sidelines and complain as my whole self-being fell apart with the gloom.
I didn’t care that my fake fiancee was dancing with a completely gorgeous, single witch. It was the atmosphere in the room that was crushing me.
My whole intent was to go back to the palace by myself. I knew I would be close to the only “Lady” there who wasn’t still dancing, but it was worth it if I could cry myself to sleep and get rid of the numbness that came with not belonging where I was.
I walked around the floor, making sure that no one noticed that I was alone and headed in a beeline towards the door.
A stabbing pain hit me three quarters of the way around the room, and my vision blurred as I began seeing tiny dots of assorted colors. All of the sudden, I couldn’t breathe, and looked down to see a red stain blossoming on the side of my beautiful dress. Tears filled my eyes. I couldn’t think of anything except for the fact that the one dress that I’d ever worn that could even qualify as a wedding dress and was about the closest as I was ever bound to get, was ruined.
Someone shrieked my name, but I couldn’t see who from the way my vision was clouding up. What had just happened? Was I getting ready to jump? Was I really dying this time – For real?
I purposely didn’t try to stop myself from passing out. If there was anyway I could possibly avoid feeling the pain of my lungs, seeing my stained dress, and tasting the bile that had risen in my throat, it was fainting.
That, luckily, was something I found that I was still able to do.

I was in a dark house with red liquid all around my legs. It swept around me quickly, threatening to knock me over at any step. The fact that I was wearing my white gown wasn’t helping.
“Hello?” I yelled through the halls. “Is there anyway I can get out of this pla...”
I looked down at the thick substance. It was rising, and with it, the house was creaking in a manner that was almost like laughing.
That’s when it hit me that the scarlet liquid wasn’t just paint or water; it was blood. My blood to be specific, and with this realization came the intense feeling of utmost dismay. I could feel my energy drain with every attempt I made to walk and the blood grew higher up, staining my beautiful dress.
Furious tears ran down my cheeks as weakness and exhaustion took over. If I wanted to live, I had to fight, and that was all there was to it. Noise resembling thunder pounded inside the house and a horrifying ringing sound pierced my eardrums.
The current of blood grew harder as I screamed over the noise. I wasn’t going to make it. No one could help me, no one could save me now...
I stopped being able to feel the tears, and my lungs quit on me as I fell face first into the crimson life-blood that now would not bring me any life. It was over. I’d lost.
As I looked away, right before I fell, I noticed that the door was only inches away.

“Ugghhhh...” I groaned pitifully, my lungs aching. I tried to roll over, but a quick spasm of pain quickly stopped that idea. My eyes stayed clamped shut, keeping any light that there could possibly be wherever I was, out.
“Hello, Lady McKenna,” a happy male voice said to my unopened eyelids. “Welcome back. We thought we’d lost you for a while.”
At that, my eyes shot open and I attempted to roll over. With a swear word that Erick had told me was better used on a foreign plane, I collapsed back into the bed and clenched my teeth in pain.
After a moment, the hurting stopped partially, enough to the point where I could function somewhat normally, I sighed.
“Where am I?”
I opened my eyes and looked over at the person I was speaking to out of sheer curiousity. He looked to be about my age with blonde hair that fell down over barely visible chocolate-pooled eyes.
These people married at eleven-years-old, I reminded myself grimly.
“You’re in the Medic Center. I’m Kanden.” He gave me a moviestar smile and then went back to looking concerned. “Do you remember how you got here?”
I knew better than to nod. “Um, yes. Is everyone still at the party?”
He frowned. He had no clue what a party was.
A chuckle in the corner made me turn my head and I yelped at the pain.
“Oh, come on, Sam. You’ve slept for three days. I don’t think anyone, even your people, could dance for that long.”
I closed my eyes. Wonderful. Talon was back to being bitter. Being the bigger person, I chose the second grade way of handling it by sticking out my tounge. I ignored his laughing and turned back to Kandon. “So, why am I in here?”
He looked lost. “You just said you knew...”
“Well, yes, but why did I pass out?”
Poor Kandon was utterly confused, and the expression was beautiful on his angel face.
“I think she means what was the cause of her pain when she was at the party.” Talon cleared up, looking at me with an intensity that I hadn’t seen since the day I’d arrived. It sent chills down my spine like I was his prey who had just been caught in a trap. Not that I had the upper hand in this situation, though. I was the one who couldn’t move out of bed.
“It was just poison.” Kandon resolved, shrugging, like it wasn’t a big deal.
“Someone poisoned me?” I asked, doing my best to lean up on my arms. “I almost died again because someone poisoned me?”
“It’s not surprising,” Talon added for no one’s benifet. “Half of the population would love to see me fail to protect my fiancee.” He snarled the last word, and Kandon frowned.
“I think I’ll take my leave now. It was an honor meeting you, Lady McKenna.” He said, standing up and making towards the exit.
“It’s Samantha, or just Sam.” I replied weakly as he walked out the door, leaving me alone with my fake fiancee and a whole lot of undeserved hatred.
It was quiet for at least ten minutes after Kandon left, before Talon sighed and sat at the foot of my bed.
“Samantha,” He began solemnly, “You could’ve been killed.”
I grimaced. “Oh really? I had no clue.”
He was looking at the rocks on the opposite wall. He wouldn’t meet my eyes. “You need to stay close to me, do you understand?”
“Stay close to you?” I asked, a hint of skeptisism in my voice. “I was poisoned and almost dead because of someone who hated you, and you want me to stay close to you?”
He started to say something, but stopped after the first syllable and restarted, slower. “It would be better for people to see us that way, no matter what the risk is. My image is at stake to the common people, and if I don’t keep it up, the people will lose all respect and pride in me. You understand, right? Love was not a factor – ever. It’s all a mutual setup so we can both get what we want. I want the respect, you want the disguise. This way, it will still work out in the end.”
A sick feeling hit my stomach and I felt like I was going to throw up, but this time, I knew it wasn’t because of the poison.
“I didn’t go out with you because I loved you.” Nick said all over again, his laughter at my stupid adoration for him filling my ears. “Don’t you get it, Sam?”
“You know,” I said, biting the inside of my cheek and keeping my voice relatively calm. “I don’t think I do understand. I didn’t understand then, I don’t understand now. It must be something that all guys are programmed with; some sort of egotistical thing that makes them think that everyone loves them and that their image is all that keeps them where they are.” I felt the ring around my left finger. It meant nothing, I knew, but it was a sign of my biggest and most hideous charade.
“I can’t do this. I can’t pretend that I’d ever be in love with anyone as heartless as you. You can use someone, even if they let you, but that still doesn’t make it right to hurt them and act like they’re nothing.”
He swore. “That’s what you didn’t understand, isn’t it? You don’t get it that my people are naturally open. We do things that may even resemble your fickle ‘love’.”
He looked me dead in the eye. “But dancing doesn’t mean we’re in love.” He held out his hand, his eyes hard, and I placed the ring I’d been figiting with into his palm.
“You were always nothing to me. You were never anything to anyone. You do understand that though, don’t you, Traveler? The concept of using people?”
He walked out of the room, and I could swear that I heard him mumble the word ‘hypocrite.’

Soooo....
They both now hate each other with a deep passion.
I don't even know if that last part will stay.
I cranked it out in an hour and a half, and it's now almost 1am.
The things I do for love. :)
Justtt kidddinngg.

♥ times a mahillionbazillion.

---///EDIT///---

So, I'm rewriting the fight. I don't love where it led me. Haha. :)
This is supposed to be mid-book, here, and it wasn't working out too happily, so after he sits down
on her bed and says "you could've been hurt", that's all nonexistant. Possibly. I don't know. We'll see. :)
Love.
L.

PEEPS!

LOL okay so I was gonna wait for someone to post something else before I posted this but it's been over 6 days and I hate to see this site die-and I'm bored I've been writing none stop(except for the exception of the latest book in b-club-PEEPS ROCKS!(hence the name of this post) I never put that down(I couldn't I was glued to it) and slightly deprived myself of writing). As it is in the LOTR fan fic I'm about to post I'm going on my 4 or 5th chapter(or more), I have a Harry Potter Fan Fiction going on but I don't like it nearly as much as the LOTR's one. I'm posting this at like 11 at night so PLEASE forgive spelling mistakes.

Disclaimer: as always-I do not own the original cannon or anything. The original cannon are the wonderful creations of the magnificant J.R.R. Tolkien





LOTR's Fan Fiction Time Frame: Pre-Fellowship era (at the moment)
Chapter 3: Truth
By Katie L.(If you all don't know me by now too bad! j/k (just kidding) lol)


Lenia walked over to a horse paddock early the next afternoon. She hadn't bothered to change so her attire was that of the night before(Bandages and a skirt). Her long jet black hair drifted in the wind as she leaned on the fence while watching a familiar young man ride a horse, "You ride beautifully, My Lord." Her crystaline blue eyes sparkled like a small child's.
Legolas turned and smiled while holding up a hand, "It's Legolas." He corrected her as he made his way toward her still seated upon his horse. "As for the riding, " he continued, "I love horses."
"They seem to feel likewise." She smiled playfully at Legolas eyes still twinkling.

"Feeling better, my wander?" He asked her as his keen eyes scanned her.
"Some what, I guess. Enough to stand for a period of time-Though I slept late, and there are several other things which aren't normal." she indicated her substantial injuries.
"It will take sometime for you to fully heal." He dismounted and walked to her. "If you don't mind me asking-what mess did you enroll yourself into injure yourself so extensively?" He himself indicated her injuries.
"Oh that." She said as Legolas walked over more and crossed his arms over the fence. "You see I was traveling from my home land in the North and the Shire with a group of Rangers I've been spending the past year training.. Our goal was to find my mentor, Strider, and the 4 hobbits he was traveling with and distract the Wraiths that were after them till they reached safety. But me and my company ran into trouble with 40 or so orcs and 4 or 5 of the Wraiths. There was an enormous fight. I was the only one left standing, a long with my horse-if you wish to call it standing." She glanced down at her wounds.
"On the contrairy, Lenia, you seem quite skilled in battle to get out of that mess alive." He said and looked at her young unaged face. "I've never heard of elves mingling with Rangers-I'd have to say this is a new one."
"I'm only half eleven but I still contain their ablities." Her mischievous eyes twinkled once again.
"So are you a Ranger-or do you just mingle with people of rough nature?" Legolas inquired.
Lenia laughed merrily and smiled, "I'm a ranger of sorts." was her only replied
"You enjoy horses?" He tried to change the subject to a more open conversation as he indicated the horse he'd been riding moments ago.
"I love them." Her eyes lit up like the stars at the mention of horses, almost like a child in a candy store.
"Come here." Legolas said as he helped her gently over the fence, "Would you like to ride one?"
Lenia looked at him and before she spoke Legolas already knew her answer by the look in her eyes, "That would be wonderful!"
Legolas smiled, helped her onto his horse and climbed up behind her, "We won't ride hard, the last thing on middle earth we want to do is cause you further damage."
"Thanks." She said as she rolled her eyes and smiled while starting to trot around the arena.
"Where are you from, Lenia?" Legolas inquired, trying to find more about this unusual elven ranger.
"Nastar, in the Realm...er pardon Land of Rhamdal, it's to the north and east of here. It's a positively beautiful place, quite like a mix between here, Lothlorien and Rivendale. I miss my home often when I leave but I positively adore traveling and," She paused suddenly, "Where are my weapons?" She whipped her head around in an accusasional stature while causing herself to get dizzy.
Legolas quickly slowed the horse down making his grip upon her small waist firmer, "Shh, Shh, relax, Lenia, your bow, arrow and other weapons are being patched, polished and taken care of as are your other possessions that you carried."
Lenia nodded lightly leaning back closing eyes. Legolas placed a hand on her forehead feeling her tempeture, "Your tempeture is rising again."
"I can tell." Her voice was quiet once more. Legolas trotted back to the gate and slipped off of the horse before helping Lenia down, "Let's get you inside so you can lie down and rest."
"No." Lenia lightly shook her head as much as possible, "I do not desire to be trapped within four walls."
"I'll take care of that." Legolas said as he picked her small body up within his strong arms. Compared to his muscular 6ft plus frame her small femine 5'4" frame looked almost like a child within his arms as he walked up the castle's stairs. Instead of taking her to the guest room she had been in the night before he took her to his room. His room was full of open windows and skylights. "This okay?" He asked as he laid her down upon his bed.
"Where'd you take me, Legolas?" Lenia's tired crystaline eyes ran over the sun drenched room like a waterfall. The wind blew the trees and ruffled both the curtains and Lenia's hair.
Legolas pulled the silken bed covers from beneath her and tucked her beneath them, "My chambers." He walked out of the room once more and arrived back with all of the medicinal equiptment he had set up in the guest room the night before.
Lenia started to get up to help him but he went over and stopped her, "No, stay lying down you need the rest." He laid her back down and tucked her in once more as he placed a damp cloth on her forehead.
"I feel I should be helping." Lenia said as she ran a weak hand over her tired eyes.
"Don't, you just relax, Lenia, that's the best thing you can do to help me and yourself right now." Legolas said as he poured her a glass of water. "I'm not a skilled healer and our healer's are out of town. I'm afraid this is the best I can do."
Lenia smiled lightly, "What you're doing it wonderful, once I'm well enough to travel I'm heading onword. I promised Strider I'd meet him on the outskirts of Rivendale. He's a skilled healer, he'll be able to help me with anything I need."
"A Ranger a skilled healer? I've never in my life heard of a ranger being a healer." Legolas said with raised eyebrows as he placed the cup of water on his night stand next to Lenia.
"He's not a normal ranger, he's quite skilled and gifted in many ways out of the-persay 'ordinary'" She said closing her eyes.
"I see." he wet down a damp cloth and started recleaning her wounds, "Rest, Lenia, you need it." Before Legolas finnished talking Lenia was gone into a deep sleep unaware of the never ending presence of the elven prince.

CHAPTER 4: Vistors of the wood

Within several days time Lenia had regained most of her health and strength which pleased her to the highest element.
Lenia walked over to Legolas' room and gently rapped on it, "My Lord Legolas?" She knew he disliked her calling him that but it was a habbit that was hard to break.
Legolas sighed, why did she have to call him that. He stood and opened his door smiling broadly at her, "Lenia." He said folding a piece of paper within his hands and placing it within a tuck of an envelope.
"What's that?" Lenia questioned her mischevious eyes now fully of curiousity.
"Oh just a letter." Legolas smiled kindly at her.
"From whom?" She inquired further getting suspicious.
"Lord Elrond of Rivendell, he's requesting my families pressence at a council meeting in 5 days time, I leave today." Was his reply.

"Let me go with you, Legolas, my Lord, let me accompany you on the journey to Rivendale. If I go with you I can find Strider, please if I don't go soon he'll think I have fallen in battle." Legolas had to admit the only bad thing about her regaining her health and strength was she seemed to get more stubborn and persistant..

"No, Lenia, I will not allow it." He shook his head, placed the letter on his night stand and turned to face her. "Your strength may be returning, Ranger from the North, but you are still in absolutly no condition to travel. You are just barely stable to began with. I will not risk your health just so you may accompany me and reassure your friend, not now anyway." Legolas looked firmly within her blue crystelline eyes with his own.

"I am stable enough to take a 5 day journey and need be cut down a few Orcs as well." Lenia crossed her arms as stubborn fire danced within her eyes.

"There would be no Orc cutting for you even if you came along, I wouldn't allow it. You are not coming." Legolas said determind.

"Who do you think you are!" She accused angerly.

"Some one who deeply cares about your well being." He replied cooly.

"You," She started but never got finnished as a guard stepped into Legolas' room.

"My Lord, you have visitors at the gates, they are requesting you immediately. Something seems to be a miss and they believe you can help."

"Thank youm Glehid." Legolas said as he stood and Glehid dissapeared down the hall. "Excuse me, Lenia." He said and walked outside to be met by a party of elves at the bottom of the staircase.

"What have you done with her!" An upset and angry guard-like elf growled.

"Who? What have I done with who?" Legolas questioned quite confused.

"The Princess!" the man-elf said this time causing Legolas more confusion than ever and it showed upon his face.

"What princess? There is no princess here." Legolas said worried that a fight might break out.

"No princess indeed!" The man-elf said piercing his eyes through Legolas.

"Relax Shylman." Lenia's musical voice said as she walked up behind Legolas.

"Lady Lenia." Haldir said walking up from the back of the party of elves, "We hoped to have found you here."

"Haldir." She smiled stepping from behind Legolas, now fully dressed in her ranger attire, "What brings you here?"

"Your horse." He gestured over to a black Indian half-bred, "She came to Lothlorien and alerted us of your condition, your were worried and sent us out to find you. When your horse led us to the place where you sent her off we were able to follow your pools of blood to here. We, the Lady of the Wood and your grandfather were concerned you had been taken down by Orcs. What happened?"

"Anita." Lenia said as she walked over to the horse and stroked her head, "Thank you my gallent warrior." She murmured into Anita's ear before turning to reply to Haldir, "Me and my company of Rangers were attacked by Orcs as you probably well already know from my grandparents."

"Actually they spoke no word of what happened to you-aloud anyway. They read your note, they Lady of the Wood went into a trans-like state and spoke quietly with Celeborn before sending us this way. Where are your fellow rangers and your brother?" Haldir paid not attention to Legolas as he kept his eyes and full attention on Lenia.

"Tripton and my company fell in the battle with the Orcs. They were devoured there was barely anything left when I left. All I could recover of my brother was his sword, bow, arrows and quiver." Lenia spoke with an abnormally stable voice as she talked about her brother.

The elves murmured in prayer for the fallen rangers and the grandson od Galadriel. "Lady Lenia, I have orders from your grandparents to bring you to Lothlorien till you are healthy then we'll escort you home where you can rest till you regain full strength or the rangers need you." Haldir said breaking the silence after awhile.

Lenia turned to look at Haldir, "I can do no such thing whether or not my grandparents ordered it."

"Lady Lenia," Haldir started before Legolas cut him off.

"Haldir, I believe what Lenia meant was that she was coming with me to Rivendal, to the house of Elrond where she can get proper healing. Our healers have been gone and I've been treating her to the best of my ability but she still need further healing." Legolas glanced at Lenia who smiled with sparkling eyes at him. Haldir shifted unsure, "we will have several others traveling with us, the loving grandparents of her need not worry about their granddaughter's safety." Legolas continued.

Haldir looked from Legolas to Lenia, "Alright, Lenia, but please be careful and alert us when you arrive so the Lady of the Wood will not worry for your safety."

Lenia walked over to Haldir and met his eyes, "Lord Legolas will keep me safe, so will the light of Eldar and my artilary. My grandparents have nothing to worry about. I am in the best of care, Haldir."

Haldir took her hand in both of his, "Be careful." He lightly kissed her forehead before turning to the male elves who accompanied him, "Let's head on back." He turned to Legolas, "Take good care of her." he lightly bowed his head to him before they left.

Lenia turned to look at Legolas, "Were you being truthful, am I coming with you?"

Legolas looked at Lenia and sighed, "Sadly, yes, but only because Strider's probably worried about you and I want you to get proper healing. Besides, I'd like to get to know you more."

Lenia smiled greatfully at him, "Thank you, for everything."

Legolas smiled back at him, "You are most welcome." He looked over the horizon, "Let's head out soon, best to do it now before nightfall. The more ground we cover in the light the better. We shall reach Rivendal within 5 days time-will you be able to make it?"

"I told you before, my Lord, but I will make myself make it if it becomes nessicary." Lenia said firmly.

Legolas placed his ageless hand upon her shoulder, "All I wish is that we arrive with you in no worse health than you are now."

Lenia smiled at him, "I'll go get my things." She turned and walked back within the castle.

"Princess?" Legolas muttered to himself before walking inside himself.

CHAPTER 5: Forest Rain

"Lenia?" Legolas spoke as he walked up behind her.

Lenia turned from watching the rain under the large pine tree she was sitting beneath to look at Legolas, "Yes?"

Legolas held in his hands two bowls of soup, "Soup?" He held one out to her.

Lenia took it and smiled kindly at him, "Thank you, my Lord."

"Legolas." He corrected her, "How many times do I have to tell you that?" He smiled at her, for the one of the very first times his tone was teasing.

"Sorry, old habbits are hard to break." She smiled sheepishly before taking a sip of soup.

"Well now, I'm holding up my end of the bargin-why don't you tell me about yourself?" He looked at her as he spoke.

Lenia laughed and smiled as she leaned against the pine's trunk. "My father is the son of Galadriel and Celeborn of Lothlorien, I spent some many days of my 'youth' within those woods with my cousin, Arwen Undomiel, before returning to my homeland of Nastar."
"Nastar? You've mentioned it before-but I have never heard of it otherwise." Legolas said thoughtfully.

"It does not surprise me, we live in the Rhamdal Realm-of which of told you before-which closely neighbors many men-kind ruled kindoms. Most elven kindoms are not aware of us or the fact we even exsist for many reasons." She lightly took another sip of soup.

"How and why did a lady-a princess of such elegant background decide to joing such a rugged group as the Rangers?" Legolas looked at Lenia as he moved his wooden sppon around in his soup while he watched her eat. Lately she had gradually been eating less which concerned him, so seeing her eat the soup made him happy.

Lenia smiled slightly, "I never had been a typical, love to be waited on, pampered princess-so the life style of a ranger always intrigued me." She looked down at her bowl of soup and moved it around with her finger. "When I was some where between 13-15 years of age something happened within my personal life that cause me to be erm.....depressed, moody and at times dangerous. To control my feelings and get away to put my mind on other things I trained to be a ranger which helped my immensly in several ways."

Both sat in silence for several minutes. Legolas could tell by the way Lenia spoke that she wasn't in the mood to tell him what exactly happened so he wasn't about to puch the subject further. "You know Haldir well?" Legolas asked breaking the silence that had been laced with the sound of rain.

"Quite well actually." She looked at him, "He visited my home when I was young-he helped escort my grandparents-so it was hard not to get to know him. Once I got to know him well he baby-sat for me often and when I spent time Lothlorien he showed me around and looked after me. Me and him are about as close as me and Strider, and that is saying something." A smiled spread across her face as she spoke Strider's name.

Legolas smiled at her, "Considering you speak of him so often and in such high regard I'd say that's quite the compliment." Legolas said looking at her.

Lenia smiled sheepishly as a light rose color crept upon her cheeks but was shadowed by the darkness of the weather around them.

"Once the rain stops we'll head out again." Legolas said while taking his eyes off of her and taking a spoonful of soup.

Lenia looked at him her cheeks now their normal pale tone, dusted with freckles dew to too much sun exposure. "You make the rain soud like a bad thing." She said critizing the tone of his voice.

"Well," Legolas started. "the rain is detouring us from Rivendal."

"Yes, that is so." She herself started as she placed her unemptied bowl of soup on the ground and crawled over to where the large pine's limbs ended and stuck her hand into the cold, wet rain, "Though, I have alwats thought of the rain as the Gods tears whether from happiness, saddness, proudness, or laughter. So as I see it-it's a blessing to be within it's presence , or better yet be in it." She smirked and got out from beneath the pine and stood in the rain letting the cool, pure, water drench her from head to toe.

"You are going to catch cold." Legolas said placing his empty bowl beside him.

Light merry laughter escaped Lenia as she lightly twirled in the cool, water rain. "Why does thou not enjoy the rain, My Lord?" She settled her playful child like eyes on him before twirling again in the rain like a child.

"I enjoy the rain, it's just it's detouring us." He looked at her, "And you're going to catch a cold-you're sick enough as it is already."

Lenia smiled as she pushed a lock of long drenched black hair out of her face while wiping off her dripping brow, "I am perfectly healthly! Besides-the rain never killed anyone."

"No, but phenomia can." Legolas pointed out.

Lenia smiled and walked back over to him, "I am not worried about catching cold, My Lord, I have been in far worse weather."

Legolas smiled back, "Maybe so, but at the moment I think the best thing for you to do is sit down, finnish your meal, and get some rest."

"Of course, My Lord." She said respectively and smiled kindly at him, sat down and began eating while watching the rain. Legolas looked at her bewildered, she hardly ever listen to him-was it something he had said?

'3 days, Lenia, three days.' Lenia told herself inwordly, 'In three days you'll be reunited with family, Gandalf, the Hobbits, and Strider-in three days everything will go back to normal.........won't it?' She looked over to the direction of Mordor, 'No.' A nagging voice came at the pit of her stomach but she shoved it away and told it to be quiet as she ate.