Hope - A Lord Of The Rings Chronicle

Spotty and Whisper

What to do? Music, maybe?

I shrug, standing upward. On my way through Rivendell's corridors, I look out for people I know, until I spot the wizard walking with Elrond.

"Gandalf!" I smile

"Raina?" he smiles back at me "What is it?"

"Do you have a fiddle, I can borrow?"

Elrond managed to hail a nearby servant, who retrieved the instrument and its bow.

"Thank you!" I told all of them, then returned to my seat by the stone bench.

My fingers grasped the bow, my chin hugged the instrument, and the light reflected off its sheen. I warmed up at first, getting a feel for the instrument, playing little melodies and tunes. When I finished that, I started to play several different tunes, mostly Celtic, before I started playing "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen.

The vibrations ring throughout my chin, the song flows through my fingers, tendons, nerves, until all that surrounds the air are my notes ringing out into the sky. All I can hear is the accompanying music, feel the stares of the enthralled audience as I play to thousands, smell the mahogany wood and thin string on the violin.

"You play very well." a voice says.

I jump, pulling the string and making a loud sour note ring out into the air. I turn, removing the instrument, and feel my cheeks heat up at the site of Legolas.

"Oh. Uh...hi Legolas..T-thank you."

I blink.

"Oh. P-please. Come sit."

He nods moving closer. I make space for him to sit down, placing my book on my lap, my whole body tensing up as he joins me.

"What song was that?"

"It's called Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen."

"I can't say I've heard of that one. Is it of your...residence?"

I shrug.

"You could say that."

Silence falls as Legolas and I keep watching each other, my eyes gravitating towards his blue ones. I clear my throat, staring at my lap.

"How long have you been playing for?"

"All my life." I smile "What about you? Do you play anything?"

"The flute." He says, blue eyes looking off into the distant garden

"Cool. I don't know that many people that play that, and usually..they're all women. You'd have to play something for me one day."

He nods.

"One day."

I gulp, temperature increasing. Legolas and I aren't touching, but being in this close proximity unnerved me. I'm suddenly aware of a slight stain on the front of my trainers, and the fact that my glasses had started to fall down my nose.

"Do you play often?"

I blink.

"As often as I can stomach."

He turns to face me.

"What do you mean by that?"

I sigh, before looking up.

"The memories...they haunt me....there are too many."

He nods, before smiling faintly.

"What about you?" I ask