Dawnstar and Friend

Eleanor’s POV
We are woken early the next day, the morning of October 25th 3018. This is to give us time to get ready for the Council, which though it is day-smart, still takes a while to get ready for.
It being day-smart, our dresses do cover the shoulders and we are all dressed in the colours of our houses, blue and gold for Ginny and I, green for Miriel.
We come into the council chamber only a few minutes before the start of the Council and are glad to see that Legolas is in deep conversation with the other Mirkwood lords he brought with him. This has the result of the fact he doesn’t see us straight away and when he does, there is no time to talk to us as we have to sit down, the Council having been called to order.
The look on our lovely Mirkwood prince’s face when he finally saw us was an absolute classic.
Unfortunately for him he could not do what he obviously wanted to do, which, judging by his expression, was to strangle one of us.
There were several boring speeches by various people talking about what was going on in the outside world before, to our horror; Elrond indicated that Ginny and I should stand up.
I absolutely hate making speeches, but Elrond introduced us (with full titles) and stated that we would tell our story.
Ginny looked at me and clearly expected me to start, so I did,
“As Elrond has just said, I am the lost Princess of Gondolin and for those who do not know my story, I shall give you a quick overview. I was born just before the fall of Gondolin and when the city fell, I was far too young to travel with the rest of the party leaving through my sister’s secret tunnel. So Idril, mother of the line from which the kings of Númenor and then Gondor descended, cast a spell over me which dropped me into another world and made me like the race with whom I was living amongst. This race being humans.”
“That world only had humans and is totally different from this world. That world’s history is much like here; and about a thousand years into the past, maybe a little less, is how this world appears in comparison.”
“While I was there I went through the education system finishing off at university, something I know is only a new invention here and reserved for rich men with nothing better than study to do. This is not the case in our world, it is for useful study and my course that I took was Philosophy and Politics while a friend I made in my first week there took Medicine. That friend is the human who is beside me. This is Ginny and when I was brought across back to this world, she was brought with me.”
“To compensate for the plans they had for us, Ginny, or Virginia to use her full name, was given the lifespan of the eldest Dunedan, the ones who ruled Númenor at its start. She was also adopted by Lord Erestor, the chief-councillor of Rivendell, as his ward.”
“Shortly after we arrived we started learning to fight as well as woodcraft, and not long after that we joined the Rangers of the North and learnt to be one of them. In the intervening time since then we have both fought with the Grey Company and have travelled around the lands of Middle Earth, discovering the world around us. Any questions?”
There were loads. Boromir, oh so predictably, didn’t believe me. I suddenly had an evil idea.
“In our world, which you don’t think exists; we have much more advanced science you know. Not that you would know what science is of course, you are rather monolithic. One of the things is we have discovered the true names of many things and discovered many things as well. One of those things is this chemical called Di-hydrogen Monoxide. It is really a very dangerous thing, and you are aware you have it in this world.” He looks at me, disbelieving me, so I carry on.
“Did you know that only a thimbleful of this stuff can kill you and it is found in virtually every toxin around? Not to mention the fact that the organisms which cause diseases in your body all use it. It exists everywhere and you cannot get rid of it. It is very reactive and can be used to make all sorts of dangerous weapons. You cannot live without it either though, so you life is always on a fine balance, too much or too little. Are you scared yet?” He, and the rest of the Council look like they are suitably scared, and he nods.
I notice Ginny is trying not to burst out laughing. I decide to let her have the punch line and when she has composed herself (the others at the Council clearly think the way she is holding herself is because she remembers some of the vicious things this stuff has caused) she finally lets them out of their misery.
“You probably don’t want to hear this stuffs common name, the one you know it by, do you?” They apparently do. “It’s water!” The looks on their faces are classic. I did love doing that.
Ginny then goes on to describe our world, making sure to use as many big words as possible. She describes heart surgery, amazing feats of medicine like they are every day, she describes cars and planes. She then hand over to me as I give them the abbreviated versions of my physics and chemistry GCSE’s and A-levels then a description of our world politics. I think they get the hint, many of the things we tell them they could not imagine, let alone create, and all of it together is enough to convince the most hardcore sceptic.
Even Legolas and Miriel are looking slightly dazed, though they both knew about our world and, in Legolas’ case, had a short trip there.
After that, the Council gets more boring. We have not let on about our foreknowledge and remain silent for the rest of the deliberations.
One thing that keeps Ginny and I amused, though, is the memory of a video of the Council on YouTube, which had been dubbed rather amusingly.
Somehow imagining Elrond and co speaking with Yorkshire accent is extremely amusing.
After the Council, we try and make a bee-line out of there, but Aragorn wants to talk. You’ll never guess who comes and drags us away.
Yup, you guessed it: a very unhappy blonde prince-ling called Legolas.
Once we are out of there, I suggest we go to my office (something Elrond once insisted I have, though I rarely use it) to talk.
The rooms looks quite cosy, if unused. I sit behind my desk and my friends sit down too, but Leggy does not. He crosses his arms and glares at us.
“I know you three have come through Mirkwood multiple times since you left and Miriel was reconciled with Father, but have you ever stayed long enough to see me? No. One would think you do not want to see me. Lady Virginia, I can understand, but Miriel? You are my sister. And you, Eleanor, when we last met you seemed to hold romantic feelings for me, was that just a game to get me to help you escape?” He looks at me, and I see he is rather hurt. I suddenly feel sort of guilty.
Miriel, who obviously feels the same, answers first.
“We didn’t really think about it. I wanted to leave because I thought Ada would try and keep me there permanently if I showed any signs of settling down and Ginny really wanted to leave because of Uncle Adindel being pretty unpleasant when she was around, so we would rarely stay very long.” A muscle in his jaw tightens at this and his eyes darken.
I get up and move around the desk, nearer to the gloomy Elf in front of me, and place my hand on his cheek, stoking it gently. He looks at me hopefully and I realise he most definitely does still love me. I can’t help my reaction; I throw my arms round his neck and hug him before pulling back.
Miriel and Ginny both rise and leave, realising that we need time alone.
Once they are gone, though not far I am sure, I look at him for a while before speaking.
“You have waited all this time, just for me, and haven’t found another girl?” he nods slightly and I fling my arms round him again.
“I have never wanted another Elf after I saw you, your image burnt itself into my heart and I will never love another.” I gasp, barely noticing how clichéd the line is, so amazed am I that he has waited around 90 years for me.
“In my own world, people wouldn’t wait six months; I could hardly believe you would wait so long. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I was scared that you would have found someone else, I think. I was never quite sure exactly why I was scared of meeting you again, but I was.” I have never admitted, even to myself, that fact. I feel my prince’s arms tighten around me and, as they did 90 years ago I feel his lips travel up my neck. He seems to like doing that.
He soon gets to my lips and we spend a fair amount of time making out and we migrate in the direction of my desk, largely because my legs have given out.
When we get temporarily bored of kissing, I sit on Legolas’ lap on my chair and I give him a rather more padded account of what we have been doing since I last saw him. It is quite amusing to see the flares of brotherly protectiveness when he hears about some of the more dangerous things Miriel did on our journeys.
Part way through the afternoon, I hear a scratching noise at my door and go see what it is.
Okay, time to introduce boyfriend to cat.
I don’t think my cat approves of Legolas. Then again I think my cat thinks I am hers rather than the other way round.
I do get a few amused looks as we go to dinner, me on Legolas’ arm.
I think Erestor and Silva particularly enjoy teasing us, not that I didn’t deserve that, considering the way I tease them. Legolas goes rather pink though.
Thankfully for Miriel, the Dwarves haven’t worked out the relationship between Legolas, Thanduil, and Miriel because I foresee an explosion when they do...
Ginny’s POV
Maybe we shouldn’t have gone to bed quite so late last night as it only feels like I’ve just put my head on my pillow before Eama is gently shaking me awake.
Luckily, the preparations aren’t half as complicated as they are for a ball, but they’re still pretty intensive: extra long bath with special body and hair oils followed by ultra-conservative dress (shoulders and chest covered completely), and then smart hair-do.
My dress is an all-in-one creation today with a long neckline that skims over the top of my shoulders. It is made of sky-blue silk-taffeta and has gold embroidery reminiscent of vines at the neck, sleeve-ends, and hem. My hair is left mostly loose with only simple braids to keep it out of my face. Again, we all wear our circlets.
The Council begins with an onslaught of very long, very boring speeches. Of course, it didn’t help that Ellie and I already knew all they were talking about.
I soon lay my cheek in my hand and let my mind wander dreamily.
I’m brought back to earth with a bump when Elrond introduces Ellie and I with full honours and titles, and indicated that we should stand. Maybe he didn’t want one of the Council’s attendees to actually fall asleep as my body was threatening to do; maybe he didn’t want to fall asleep himself.
I look at Ellie expectantly, well I’m certainly not going to be the one to start talking.
Ellie begins with a brief rundown of her previous life and our world. I smile and nod self-consciously when she introduces me.
As one would expect, we have a ton of questions to answer when Ellie finishes speaking.
However, Ellie doesn’t answer them one-by-one, instead the corners of her mouth twitch and her eyes get an evil glimmer... oooh dear, what’s she planning?
I stare almost dumb founded when she mentions Di-hydrogen Monoxide and, as she continues and the looks of the Council get even more scared, I feel the urge to burst out laughing and put my hands to my mouth to try to hold it in.
As Ellie stops speaking, I glance around at the Council, they are all gripping their chairs with looks of abject horror on their faces. I jump when Ada lays a comforting hand on my arm, clearly believing that I myself am horrified at the thought of this ‘lethal chemical’ (well, I suppose water is technically lethal and a chemical).
I take deep breaths, trying to steady myself and straighten out my face as Ellie looks at me to put the Council out of their misery.
“You probably don’t want to hear this stuffs common name, the one you know it by, do you?... It’s water!”
If I had a camera, I would most definitely be taking a hell of a lot of pictures of their reaction – a sort of a mix between relief, disbelief, as well as a little fear at the new information they have just been given. I continue nonchalantly,
“Let me tell you a little about our world. As Ellie said, I read Medicine at university; being a Healer (Doctor as we know it) is very different in our old world. Everything runs on electricity for a start and we have special areas in the hospital for each type of healing; such as Resus, which is used for people who are in a life-or-death situation.
Resus contains all sorts of interesting machines such as a defibrillator, which has two paddles on it and you use these to send a shock of electricity into the patient’s heart, stopping it for tiniest second so it can get back into rhythm again. Oh and heart surgery! That’s what I wanted to do when I graduated, I would have been able to perform triple bi-passes and transplants and sew up the Aorta...” I sigh,
“Transport is completely different too, way back in history we did use horses, but then cars were invented. I don’t really know much about cars myself, but they’re of metal and usually have five seats, including the driver. They’re generally driven by petrol or diesel; these feed the engine which turns all the cogs and pipes and whatnot to make the car go forward. But, if you want to go somewhere really far away, then lots of people go by aeroplane.
Planes are huge, metal, bird-like contraptions which fly high in the sky; they can take you to the other side of the world in about 24 hours! {Another deep sigh}...It’s wonderful, but again don’t ask me how they work, it’s all to do with gravitational theory, chemistry, physics...hey! Ellie can tell you about those, she actually liked and listened in her GCSEs, I only took them at A-Level so I could do Medicine; always been more of a Biology girl myself, but it takes all sorts I suppose... Ellie...”
I sit as Ellie takes back the conversation; Ada’s staring at me with a look of utter incomprehension on his face. I suppose it was rather a lot of information all in one go and I did gabble my way through it.
When Ellie has finally finished and sits down herself, Elrond, looking dazed, calls the Council to order and everyone relapses into boring speeches and deliberations again; this time, I only stay awake because Ada nudges me at regular intervals.
My bum’s gone to sleep what with all the sitting in the same position on a wooden chair. We girls stretch and try to slip away unseen... yeah right, like that was ever going to happen.
Aragorn corners us, by the look on his face I can see he wants to do more serious talking. Please! No more! My mind is already mush, anymore talking like that and I’m certain it will stay that way.
Legolas rescues us; well it’s really Ellie and Miriel he was looking at. He takes them both lightly by the elbow and begins to lead them away. I follow – I have absolutely no intention of missing what promises to be a rather interesting reunion... in all senses of the word.
Ellie sits behind her desk, Miriel and I recline on Ellie’s sofa, but Legolas stands, his eyes gleaming with a passionately angry intensity.
“I know you three have come through Mirkwood multiple times since you left and Miriel was reconciled with Father, but have you ever stayed long enough to see me? No. One would think you do not want to see me. Lady Virginia, I can understand, but Miriel? You are my sister. And you, Eleanor, when we last met you seemed to hold romantic feelings for me, was that just a game to get me to help you escape?”
A pause... I suddenly and unexpectedly feel very sorry for Legolas; how he must have hurt when he learnt all this. I suppose it did look like we were deliberately avoiding him... well, we were.
Miriel and Ellie also look uncomfortable; the former answers first,
“We didn’t really think about it. I wanted to leave because I thought Ada would try and keep me there permanently if I showed any signs of settling down and Ginny really wanted to leave because of Uncle Adindel being pretty unpleasant when she was around...” Tuh! Well, that was the understatement of the century.
Actions speak louder than words; Ellie rises, moves over to Legolas, and tenderly begins stroking his cheek. They look deeply into each other’s eyes before Ellie suddenly flings her arms around Legolas’ neck and briefly burying her face against him. She pulls back embarrassedly, but without taking her eyes off Legolas’ face.
I nudge Miriel, nodding at the door. We leave them to it. Well, we leave the room.
Once outside, we immediately crouch down and press our ears to the door.
Yet again, all I can hear is the buzz of voices, but then if that were me in there I’d probably be whispering too.
Eventually, the voices stop. I wonder what’s going on now...
That’s where Miriel and I leave them; after all, they do have about ninety years of making up to do...