The Sisters [A Hobbit Fanfiction]

Chapter 29

Thranduil decided Runa had had enough recovery time. After several hours of cold hard reality sitting in a throne that could be described with the same words, he felt she would be up for talking.

He hadn’t yet told her that he, or anyone else, knew of her mixed parentage… perhaps he could use that to his advantage. Surely she was hiding it for a reason.

Thranduil was still struggling to accept the fact that she had dwarven blood flowing in her veins. The elvish bit made things a bit easier to swallow, but he was starting to consider throwing her in a cell with the others to rot.

Ignoring the healers that glanced curiously at him, he made his way to the room tucked into the recesses of the wing and entered without warning.

Runa, surprised from where she was attempting to stand, jerked and, slipping, fell with a yelp. Thranduil stood in the doorway, frozen in surprise.

“What are you doing?” he finally asked. From her pile on the floor, Runa let out a hiss of pain as she sat up,

“I thought I’d learn the polka,” she retorted acidically, using the bed to pull herself upright. “Why are you here?”

Thranduil raised an eyebrow,

“I said we needed to talk…”

“Oh yeah…” She sat down on her cot, pulling the blankets over her legs. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Why were you trying to get up?” asked Thranduil suspiciously, distracted from his purpose. Runa rolled her eyes,

“I told you: I’m learning the polka. Now get to the point so I’m not late for my dancing lesson.” Thranduil considered pressing the subject, but decided against it.

“I want to know what you are doing in Mirkwood-”

“Catching butterflies…”

“... with,” Thranduil plowed on, ignoring Runa’s sarcastic interruption, “a band of disgusting dwarves.”

“Well it is a tale of much woe…” Runa began launching into her story. Thranduil sighed and sat down. This might take a while.

*    *    *

“Hello,” greeted Legolas calmly, entering and offering Nienna the plate of food. She took it slowly, watching him the whole time and then backed away to resume her seat.

Legolas stood there and fiddled with his bow, suddenly uncertain as Nienna delicately sampled a slice of red apple. Glancing up at him, she paused, then quickly swallowed, asking,

“Can I help you?” Legolas glanced at her, shifted uncomfortably, and finally said,

“Could I… talk to you?”

Nienna almost choked on her fruit. Through the wall, she heard Nora burst into muffled laughter.

“Can I stop you?” asked Nienna critically, recovering her bearings. Legolas paused.

“Yes,” he answered simply, causing Nienna to blink in surprise. He didn’t go on, but waited for some kind of permission, which, with a sigh, Nienna finally gave him.

“Very well.”

He moved to sit on the stone bench opposite her, shifting his quiver and looking at her curiously and presumably gathering his thoughts. In the moment of observation, Nienna was faced with an unforeseen problem: To eat or not to eat.

Now her stomach was vehemently telling her to gobble down all the food on the plate, but her elven pride insisted she eat slowly, carefully measuring her chewing before soundlessly swallowing.

Cursing Legolas and her stomach and her pride, she ate slowly, waiting for Legolas to get to the point. However, he didn’t seem to know where to begin.

“You look nice,” he finally said, and once again Nienna’s food lodged in her throat.

“Thank you,” she finally managed, not sure how to react to this. “Silvia let us bathe and gave us a change of clothes.”

“Dresses suit you,” said Legolas simply, smiling a little.

“Well they’re rather inconvenient when one’s livelihood is killing stuff,” said Nienna, trying to cover her mortification.

“I suppose so…” agreed Legolas, before lapsing into a silence that felt like it was slowly stabbing Nienna’s soul.

“Why are you here?” Nienna bluntly prompted, sick of waiting.

“I was curious,” Legolas responded instantly and one of Nienna’s brows shot up. Seeing her look, Legolas hurried on to explain,

“About why an elf would travel with dwarves.”

“That’s why you came?” asked Nienna in disbelief. Either Legolas was extremely curious or he was beating around the bush. Nienna suspected the latter.

“And,” Legolas went on, “what kind of elf you would be?”

Ah… this was a problem… Nienna internally panicked, but outwardly kept her face serene as she said,

“How can I help ease your royal mind?” Legolas glanced at her, noting the sarcasm, but didn’t comment on it.

“What’s your name?”

“Nienna.”

“Nienna…” he repeated, trying it out. He smiled slightly, signaling it has passed as acceptable. Nienna barely contained a celebratory tribal dance as her face remained cool and blessedly free of a blush.

“And why are you traveling with dwarves?”

“Well, the other ladies that I travel with decided to help them out.”

“You were okay with that?” Nienna shrugged,

“They are the first dwarves I’ve actually met. And as far as I can tell, they are no more stubborn or difficult to deal with than elves. Their honesty and bluntness is quite refreshing actually.”

Legolas seemed at a loss for words for a moment.

“Oh… well… who do you travel with normally?”

“My pet unicorn Dixie.” Legolas missed the sarcasm that time and his forehead furrowed in confusion. Nienna sighed,

“That was sarcastic. I travel with the other females you captured… not including the chicken and its master.”

“Really? My dad, Thranduil, says you claim to be the Sisterhood.” That had Nienna on her feet, eyes flashing.

“Claim?! We don’t just claim! We are!”

“You can be the Sisterhood,” said Legolas calmingly. “There can be more than one group called the Sisterhood.”

Nienna looked at him, her face eloquently expressing how done she was with him.

“There is only one group called the Sisterhood Prince of Fools and you just met them.”