"Wha's dahd?" Merry mumbled through a mouthful of hashbrowns as Frodo set the foot-high stack of binders on the table.
"It's the history of The Ring," Frodo explained, sitting down and grabbing his tray of food from off the top of the stack. "I have to go set up my table in the Great Hall after this." When Merry looked confused, Frodo continued, "Activities Week?"
"Oh, right, right," Merry said, nodding. "I remember. The debate team had a table last year. Aw, bugger, I bet we're supposed to do one for The Palantir! I didn't even think about it. I guess I should ask Radagast. He'll probably want someone to...."
Frodo smiled at Merry as he aimlessly mumbled on to himself. Knowing Radagast, Frodo knew he'd be seeing his friend in the Great Hall later. Merry would certainly be an asset at the newspaper table -- he was a persuasive speaker, and Frodo was sure that, with him working the table, half the student body would be journalists by the end of the week.
Merry's attention finally came back to the present as he stared at Frodo's tower of binders. "So what are those again?"
"Some old issues of The Ring," Frodo said. "Gandalf thought it would encourage people to submit stories if they saw what's been published in the past." He paused for a moment, deep in thought. "At least, I THINK that's what Gandalf wanted me to do. He's very vague when it comes to The Ring."
Merry laughed. "You've gotta love faculty advisors -- they do everything BUT advise. Sometimes I'd think we'd be better off without them."
Frodo nodded. "I think it's okay when the professor is actually INTERESTED in the activity. But sometimes it feels as if Gandalf doesn't even want to TOUCH The Ring. Though I s'pose he has his reasons -- after all, he did see what The Ring did to Bilbo."
Frodo remembered how his uncle used to disappear with The Ring for days at a time. It was this lack of supervision, coupled with a delayed reaction to his parents' death, that had led to Frodo's rebellious stage back in high school. Frodo smiled, thinking of his closet back home at Bag End full of black clothing and leather -- in fact, he imagined it was seeing him in the dog collar that had convinced Gandalf that it was time to take The Ring away from Bilbo. Of course, convincing Bilbo to leave The Ring behind and pursue his own literary interests had been quite a task, but the wizard had persevered and eventually won. And as Gandalf was aware of Frodo's own literary bent, he allowed The Ring to stay dormant for a few years until Frodo, now older and wiser (and dog-collar-free), came to MEU and took it over.
And Frodo LOVED it. The activity complemented his studies in philosophy nicely, giving him a creative outlet for his pent-up angst. And his unerring devotion to the magazine was almost a rebellion in itself -- his friends couldn't quite understand why he cared for it so. Yet despite this, they still supported him, making sure he ate and slept when the weight of The Ring's deadlines grew too heavy upon him.
<<And speaking of friends....>> "Where's Sam?" he asked, looking around the cafeteria for his friend.
"Oh, he's already come and gone."
"Really? When?"
Merry shrugged. "He was here when I got here, snarfing down his food. He kept mumbling something about 'Time to make the doughnuts', and as soon as he'd downed his tater tots he took off."
Frodo smiled, shaking his head. "Poor Sam. How many jobs is he working now?"
"Don't know. And he starts rugby practice today, too."
"Oh, that's right -- ALL the sports teams start this week. Poor Sam. You know, I don't know how Sam does it," Frodo continued, truly amazed at his persevering friend. "Especially since school doesn't come easily for him. But I guess that...."
Frodo trailed off as he saw Merry's jaw drop and his eyes open wide with horror and amusement. He quickly turned around to see what had caused such a reaction and gasped, slowly taking it all in.
Pippin was approached their table. At least Frodo ASSUMED it was Pippin, although he couldn't be sure. The approaching hobbit had Pippin's face, but Frodo never knew Pippin to own a sweater vest, let alone a matching blazer and tie. But probably the most disturbing part of his outfit was the shoes!
"What...the...hell?!" Merry asked his roommate as he neared the table.
But before Pippin could answer, he tripped over his new shoes, bumping clumsily into the table, crashing his tray down with a thud, and knocking over his glass of milk. As Frodo frantically grabbed napkins from the dispenser, handing them to Pippin to sop up the mess, Merry began to smile. And then chuckle. And then laugh.
Once the milk was cleaned up, Frodo stared at Pippin as he calmly sat down as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
"I guess that's what happens when you get dressed in the dark," Merry teased his roommate.
Frodo peered under the table, unable to take his eyes from Pippin's penny loafers. "Why are you wearing shoes?" Frodo asked, appalled.
Merry shook his head, still laughing. "Why are you wearing that ENTIRE OUTFIT?" he asked, wiping tears from his eyes. "You know, Pip, the Harvest Festival masquerade ball isn't for another month."
Pippin rolled his eyes. "I'm not wearing it for the masquerade ball -- I'm wearing it for Pledge Week."
Merry's laughter stopped abruptly. "Wait -- you're telling us you're willing to make an utter fool of yourself like this just for Eta Pi?"
"It's not THAT bad," Pippin said, smiling and straightening his tie proudly before launching into his bacon.
"But why are you wearing shoes?" Frodo repeated, still staring where Pippin's ankles suddenly appeared out of his khakis and immediately disappeared into his penny loafers.
"Like I said -- it's for Pledge Week," Pippin said between mouthfuls. "All the pledges are required to wear the entire pledge outfit -- INCLUDING the shoes -- for the whole week until the big party on Saturday."
Frodo shook his head. "They can't do that, can they? I mean, isn't forcing you to wear shoes considered torture?"
"No, it's considered 'hazing'," Merry said stonely. "Perhaps you missed my article on it last year, when the university officially came out AGAINST it."
"It's not HAZING," Pippin said, clearly annoyed. "It's just an outfit -- that's all it is. You know, if you join the polo team, YOU'LL have to wear an 'outfit'," he said snottily as he made air-quotes around the word.
"That's completely different," Merry said, glaring at Pippin. "That's a sport."
"So?! HOW is it different?" Pippin asked, glaring back.
Frodo felt the tensions rising -- he'd seen them argue over Eta Pi before, and he knew it wasn't something that was likely to be resolved over second breakfast. "Uh...I've gotta go," he said, pushing his chair back, wanting to give them a chance to argue in peace. "Merry, could you dump my tray for me? I've gotta go set up my table."
"What table?" Pippin asked as Frodo stood and started to collect The Ring binders.
Frodo smiled. "I'm sure Merry can explain it to you." <<And maybe that'll give them something other than Eta Pi to talk about,>> Frodo thought with a smile as he hurried off towards the Great Hall.
****
As Professor Halfelven concluded his lecture, Eowyn packed up her books and headed for the door, intending to wait for Faramir. She'd arrived at class late and found Faramir sitting down front instead of in his usual seat. Not wanting to make a scene by walking in front of the entire class, she'd found an empty seat in the back row. But now that class was over, Eowyn was eager to talk to Faramir, to find out what he thought about the lecture and to tell him about her experiences speaking REAL Elvish at the dance.
But her intentions of waiting for him vanished when she reached the door of the classroom and saw the chaos waiting outside in the Great Hall. In the fifty minutes she'd been in class, it had been transformed from an empty imposing hall to a bustling mass of students and tables. Wandering into the fray, Eowyn noticed the banner that was being taped crookedly from the second floor railings announcing "Activities Week."
"Eowyn."
She jumped at the sound of her own name and turned around to find Gimli sitting at a table covered with strange contraptions.
"What is all this?" Eowyn asked, gesturing to the scraps of metal and plastic strewn about.
"Robots," Gimli announced. "Or EX-robots -- we used them in the competitions last year."
"What competitions?" Eowyn asked, not following.
Gimli gestured to the markered sign hanging in front of the table. "I belong to Durin's Choppers, MEU's robotech team. Our team builds robots which then try to destroy the robots from the other colleges. It's great fun."
Eowyn laughed. "If you say so."
"You should join!" Gimli said excitedly, handing her an orange pamphlet.
Eowyn politely took it. "I don't think so -- it doesn't really sound like my kinda thing. Besides I already have the newspaper to keep me busy."
"Oh, I never got a chance to thank you for your article -- you totally helped us win the election. I don't think we could've done it without you."
Eowyn smiled embarrassedly, quickly saying, "By the way, congrats. I'm sure you and Legolas must be very happy."
"Sssshhh!!!" Gimli said frantically, glancing around embarrassedly. He grabbed Eowyn's wrist and pulled her down so that he could whisper, "Don't even mention his name with mine."
Eowyn didn't follow. "Why not?" she whispered back.
Gimli shook his head. "I don't wanna talk about it." He leaned back and seemingly changed the subject, "So, how about that fire drill the other night? What a way to spend a Saturday, huh?"
Eowyn smiled tentatively, her mind racing. <<Should I tell him about the note?>> she wondered, Grima's disturbing words once again flashing through her mind as she shivered at the thought. <<After all, he works for the Redhorn Riders -- he's used to providing protection.>>
<<But I don't need protection,>> Eowyn thought stubbornly. <<I'm not a baby -- I can take care of myself.>>
<<And if it comes to that, I know how to wield a sword.>>
"Yeah, fire drill," she mumbled. "Did they ever find out WHY the alarm went off?"
Gimli shook his head. "I know the engineer who shut the alarm off, and he has no clue. It couldn't have been metal fatigue, so he thinks maybe someone got into the control booth and set it off deliberately."
Eowyn could feel her heart pounding hard. "Do...do R.A.'s have access to it?" she asked, trying not to let her panic sound in her voice.
Gimli shook his head. "I don't think so." He peered at Eowyn suspiciously, asking, "Why do you ask?"
Eowyn shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "No reason." Wanting to change the subject, she glanced around the hall, saying, "There are a lot of interesting booths set up in here."
"Oh, you should definitely walk around. You might even find something that SPARKS your interest," he said, picking up one of the metal objects on the table and creating a blue spark as he cranked its handle.
Eowyn smiled at the pun. "I'll catch you later, Gimli."
The dwarf nodded. "Take care of yourself, Eowyn. And remember, if you need protection at night, walking across campus or whatever, don't hesitate to call."
<<It's the "whatever" that I'm afraid of,>> she thought as she nodded back at him and began to examine the display of pottery on the next table.
****
<<It's amazing,>> Frodo thought as he stared at the students milling about, pondering the philosophy homework he'd read last night. <<Every one of these students is busy in their own minds right now -- thinking, feeling, experiencing -- and we can never really know what is going on in their heads. And even when folks are experiencing the same thing -- for example, this Activities Week -- each one brings their own biases and backgrounds to that experience, so the idea of a "shared experience" can never really be achieved.>>
"Frodo Baggins?"
Frodo jumped, startled by the stern voice, and looked up to see an imposing man staring down at him.
"Uh...yes?" Frodo answered warily, wondering what the man wanted.
But the man's serious expression suddenly broke out into a sunny smile. "I thought that was you." He extended his hand, saying, "I'm Boromir -- we're gonna be on Student Council together."
Frodo smiled, somewhat relieved, and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Boromir. Congrats on winning for president."
Boromir smiled humbly. "And congratulations to you. I think we're gonna have a really good year on council -- the sophomore class alone has men, elves, dwarves, and hobbits represented. I think we'll be able to do really good work together. That's why I'm going around and introducing myself to everyone -- we should at least meet each other before we all go spend the weekend together."
Frodo didn't follow. "Weekend?"
"The Student Council Team-Building Retreat," Boromir explained. "Surely you knew about it."
Frodo shook his head.
"Friday night we're all leaving for a weekend in the woods," Boromir continued. "It'll be a chance for us all to get to know each other and really discuss what we want to achieve this year."
"In the woods?" Frodo repeated warily. Although he'd been camping a few times with Merry and Pippin, he was not a big one for sleeping on the ground.
Boromir nodded. "At the [name of some woodland place] retreat. Each of the classes -- freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior -- will have their own cabin, and we'll participate in class activities as well as ones with the entire council."
"Cabins," Frodo sighed with relief.
"We'll each be getting more information later in the week. But I just wanted to introduce myself now and say congratulations on your win."
"It's good to meet you, Boromir," Frodo said, shaking his hand again. "I'll talk to you later."
Boromir nodded and glanced down at the tattered elections edition of The Palantir he held in his hand. "Say, do you know where the Ecology and Nature Team table would be?"
Frodo shook his head. "No clue."
Boromir shrugged and headed off into the crowd.
"So who was that?" Eowyn asked, approaching the table.
"Hey, Eowyn," Frodo said, smiling at his friend. "That was the new sophomore class president."
Eowyn nodded absently as she paged through some of the copies of The Ring that were strewn about. "I can't believe how many activities there are on campus."
Frodo nodded. "Something for everyone. So, do you write fiction in addition to reporting?"
"Oh no," Eowyn said, shaking her head and quickly setting down the issue she'd been reading. "I think I'll just stick to journalism for now."
****
Faramir didn't realize how late it was until the other students started filling the lecture hall for the next class. He quickly packed up his Elvish books and headed out, certain that Eowyn would be long gone and greatly relieved by this fact. His plan to avoid her by sitting down front had worked, but he had two other classes with her today and he wasn't sure he was going to be able to continue avoiding her. <<But I can try,>> Faramir thought, convinced it was the only way he could stop being a stalker.
Now, as he emerged from the lecture hall, he was surprised to find the Great Hall packed with tables and students. Curious, Faramir began to wander through, looking at the displays. Suddenly a loud screeching sound caught his attention, and he looked over to see a hobbit attempting to drag a large table all by himself. Faramir hurried over and grabbed the other end, quietly helping move the table into position.
"Thanks!" the hobbit said cheerfully, brushing his hands off.
"No problem," Faramir said, trying to place where he'd seen the familiar hobbit before.
The hobbit set his backpack upon the table and opened it, ripping out a piece of paper from his spiral and beginning to scribble something on it with a Sharpie.
"Uh, if that's for a sign," Faramir began helpfully, "I saw some butcher paper over by the door where the set-up seems to be. I could go get some for you."
"That'd be awesome!" the hobbit said distractedly, crumpling up the piece of paper and beginning to pull other stuff from his backpack.
Faramir hurried over and collected a large piece of butcher paper and several strips of tape, figuring the hobbit wouldn't have any.
When he returned to the table, the hobbit was spreading numerous copies of the newspaper about.
<<The newspaper!>> Faramir thought, wondering about the coincidence of helping someone who probably knew Eowyn. <<I'm a stalker when I'm not ever TRYING to be!>>
The hobbit looked up as Faramir approached and smiled. "You got tape, too! Brilliant!" He came around the table and grabbed the butcher paper, putting it down on the floor so he could write on it.
"Can I help?" Faramir asked, feeling funny just standing there.
"You've already helped enough. But thanks for the offer."
"So..." Faramir began awkwardly, watching the hobbit make his sign. "You work for the newspaper, huh?"
"Yep." The hobbit smiled up at him. "YOU interested in writing for the newspaper?"
Faramir paused. <<Maybe it would be fun to work alongside Eowyn.>>
<<What are you doing? You spent all morning thinking of ways to AVOID her, and now you want to join the paper with her?!>>
"Uh...I don't think so," Faramir answered lamely. Gathering his thoughts, he added, "I don't think I'd make a very good reporter."
"Oh, working on the newspaper is about more than just reporting," the hobbit said, continuing to write out his sign. "There's editorials and features, too." He stopped and looked up. "And of course there's non-writing stuff as well -- the editing's really important, and SOMEONE has to do the layout each week." The hobbit turned back to finish his sign and started to laugh.
Faramir looked closely at the butcher paper sign and realized what the hobbit was laughing at -- he had managed to spell out in large letters "THE PALANTI", but he'd written them so big that there was no room for the final "R".
"Obviously layout isn't MY forte," the hobbit said, laughing at himself. After a moment's thought he added, "Could you hand me a piece of paper from my notebook there?"
Faramir obliged, ripping a sheet from the spiral on the table and handing it down to the hobbit, who scribbled a large "R" on it. "That'll do," the hobbit said as he taped the final letter to the edge of the sign. "And if Radagast doesn't like it, he can make his OWN damn sign next time."
"Radagast?" Faramir asked, unfamiliar with the name.
"He's our faculty sponsor. And by my total lack of organization about this whole table thing, you can probably tell that Radagast forgot Activities Week began today." The hobbit shook his head, lost in thought as he taped the sign to the table. "That reminds me," he murmured, "I'll have to track down someone to replace me before my next class."
Faramir wasn't sure if the hobbit was talking to him or not, but he figured he'd done all he could to help the hobbit. And wasn't that Eowyn heading in this direction? "Uh...I think I'm gonna look around at the other tables."
"Oh, yeah, of course," the hobbit said, smiling as he began to organize the display of newspapers on the table. "Thanks for all your help! And if you change your mind about joining the newspaper, just let us know."
"I will. Thanks," Faramir said, hurrying away, hoping Eowyn hadn't seen him.
****
“I definitely want to bring up the tree situation with the council at the retreat.”
Boromir stared at the elf, confused. “’Tree situation’?”
Legolas sighed and handed Boromir one of the pamphlets from the table. “We definitely need to look into planting more trees on campus,” he explained as Boromir flipped through the ENT flyer. “When the biology annex was built last year, many old growth trees were cut down during construction, but no new ones were planted to replace them. Do you know the kind of damage that can occur to the topsoil when trees are removed? I can’t believe Professor White approved the construction – a biologist should know better. Besides…”
Legolas continued with his impassioned speech, but Boromir no longer heard him. Instead, all of his attention had focused on the graceful young woman sitting a few tables away. Her black hair was held away from her face by a jeweled clip that looked suspiciously like it was made of real sapphires, and her short strap dress showed off her elegant figure to advantage. Of course Arwen never looked less than perfect. It was one of the things that had first drawn Boromir’s attention to her. But that was before he’d had to deal with her on the Greek Council. This utterly innocent-looking beauty was a wolf in designer clothing.
As Boromir continued to stare at Arwen, he searched the table for the name of the club she was supporting. When his eyes fell on the TriChi symbol in front of her, his jaw clenched. <<How dare she!>> he thought angrily. <<She’s not gonna get away with this.>>
“Uh, that’s great, Legolas,” Boromir interrupted absently, desperate to go deal with the problem of Arwen. “Definitely bring this stuff up at the retreat. I’ll…uh…see you later.”
Boromir heard Legolas’s sigh and “Yeah, later,” as the man hurried off through the milling students towards Arwen’s table.
“You can’t do this,” Boromir said firmly, placing his hands down on her table as Arwen finished with her latest customer.
She turned to Boromir with the hint of a smile on her face. “Hello, Boromir,” she said, looking amused at his angry stance. “Would you like to buy some lembas?” Her voice was smooth as silk, and lower than typical for a woman. Boromir knew from personal experience that she was an incredibly persuasive speaker. He hadn’t yet won an argument with her in Greek Council, and the fact that she made it look effortless while he often ended up losing his cool infuriated him.
“The TriChis can’t have a table at Activities Week. The rules are very clear on this. Remember? We discussed them last week at Greek Council, which YOU were at.”
Arwen nodded at Boromir, “Yes, I know,” she said calmly, taking money from a hobbit lad and handing him four pieces of lembas.
“Then what do you call THIS?!” Boromir asked, exasperated, as he pounded his palms upon the table.
Arwen looked up at Boromir, her dark blue eyes meeting his gaze directly. “This is a fund raiser, which you would know if you’d read the banner,” she said gesturing to the hand-written sign on the front of the table. “If you follow the news you would know that a large forest fire has broken out in Dale and left a lot of men and dwarves homeless. The TriChis are hoping to help out with some donations. That’s all THIS is about.” Arwen turned away from Boromir dismissively to deal with her next customer.
“Arwen, you can’t have a fund raiser in the Great Hall during Activities Week. It’s…it’s against the rules.” Boromir continued, refusing to give up.
Arwen sighed and looked back up at Boromir resignedly, “Actually it’s not. According to the MEU Student Government Rules and Regulations, fund raisers can be held as long as prior approval is granted by the Student Council. I don’t remember the exact section number, but it's in the by-laws if you want to doublecheck my information.”
“But…but I’M the Student Council,” Boromir insisted. <<Of course, that means SHE is, too, but that’s not the point.>>
“Yes,” Arwen replied patiently, “You’re part of the Student Council now, but you weren’t when I applied for the permit.”
Boromir just stared at her, his arms now crossed in front of his chest. Arwen finally shook her head and laughed, causing several students passing by to stop, wondering what was going on between the two of them.
“I suppose you want to see the permit?” Arwen asked, still laughing at Boromir. She handed him the piece of paper and he instantly noticed the signature on the bottom.
“Your father signed this!”
Arwen nodded at Boromir. “Of course he did. During the summer break and first week of classes, before the new student council is sworn in, the faculty advisor acts for the Council. In case you don’t believe me on that either, it’s further explained in the by-laws. Perhaps I should get you a copy, since you seem rather unfamiliar with it?” Arwen added with an innocent expression.
Boromir sighed in frustration. <<She’s right – she hasn’t actually broken any rules.>>
“Listen,” Boromir began, trying to keep his voice calm. “I understand that you’ve followed the rules as written. But surely you can see that the INTENTION of the Activities Week regulations is to allow students a chance to explore clubs and activities that they might not otherwise know about. Anyone can see the TriChi house across the street, but this is a chance for organizations like the chess club, who don’t have imposing columned buildings, to advertise their existence.”
“So you think that because the TriChis have an ‘imposing columned building’ that we can’t raise money for the people of Dale?” Arwen asked in a deceptively calm voice, a hint of coldness in her expression.
“No, Arwen!” Boromir said, annoyed that she wouldn’t stay on the topic. “What I’m trying to say is that the rules as written aren’t a true reflection of what they were intended for. Surely you, as a pre-law student, can appreciate that discrepancy.”
“And surely you, as a political science major,” Arwen replied, mocking Boromir’s tone, “must be aware that lawyers are required to follow the laws themselves and not just guess at their intentions.”
“But why must you always flout the rules? Is it just some mental exercise for your law classes or something?”
Arwen cocked her head and regarded Boromir for a moment before answering, “Is that what you think? That I’ve bent rules just to see what I can get away with…or maybe just to annoy you? I don’t have to justify myself to you, but as long as I have your attention, the reason that I do these things is because it's my responsibility as the president of the TriChi House to set an example for the rest of the school. For that matter we all have a responsibility to help those around us –“
“Like trying to help your boyfriend get elected to Student Council by having your TriChi girlfriends write in his name on the ballots?”
Arwen stood up, her face just inches from Boromir's, her eyes shooting daggers. "I didn't force anyone to write in his name," she spoke quietly but fiercely. "But I did speak to my sisters about what a great leader he'd be, even if he refuses to see it -- I can't help it if they agreed with me. But why are you so upset -- you won the election. Are you afraid that I was right and Aragorn would've made a far better president than you?"
Boromir gulped nervously as she finished speaking, not sure what to say. Luckily he didn’t have to say anything, for Arwen’s expression suddenly changed as her eyes focused on someone behind him. She smiled warmly and Boromir was struck by the intense beauty of her features as he was still standing so close to her.
“Aragorn – ir cerid anglennach?”
“Not long.” Aragorn replied, stepping up beside Boromir and leaning across the table to gently kiss Arwen on the lips.
<<I guess HE can deal with her now,>> Boromir thought as the two of them started having a discussion in Elvish.
Boromir quietly slunk away, but he hadn’t gotten far before Arwen called out to him, “Boromir – I look forward to discussing this more at the Student Council retreat this weekend.”
<<I’ll bet she does,>> Boromir thought as he went off in search of the new sophomore class vice president.
****
Eowyn wrapped the rest of her lembas in her napkin and shoved it into the outer pocket of her backpack to nibble on later. She then continued walking slowly past the tables, concentrating on the make-shift signs of butcher paper announcing each of the activities. <<Chess Club. Art Appreciation Society. Debating Team.>>
"Nin bain!"
Eowyn jumped at the voice and looked up to see the handsome elf grinning at her. "Elladan -- hi. I...I didn't see you there."
"Too busy admiring my artwork, huh?" he teased, gesturing to the markered sign hanging from the table. "And it's Eowyn, right? Merry's friend?" When Eowyn nodded, he smiled and continued, "So, Eowyn, seeing any activities that you're interested in joining? Say...the debate team?" He winked teasingly at her.
Eowyn shrugged. "I don't think so -- I mean, I'm already on the paper."
"Nothing says you can't do both -- Merry does, you know."
Eowyn paused to consider. Joining the debate team WOULD give her more time with Merry. But she was going to be busy enough. "I don't think I should. I mean, today's the first day of fencing practice, and if I make the team, that'll keep me fairly busy."
Elladan's eyes opened wide with surprise. "Fencing team?" He smiled at her. "And I thought you were plenty dangerous with just your good looks and intelligence."
<<Don't forget,>> Eowyn reminded herself as blushed, <<he's not interested in girls -- don't be stupid and misinterpret his teasing.>>
"Hey, stop bothering the freshman girls," a voice that sounded a lot like Elladan's said from behind her. "You know you're supposed to leave them all for me."
Eowyn turned to see the owner of the voice and her jaw dropped -- standing before her was an exact copy of who was now sitting behind her.
"Well if it isn't my greedy brother," Elladan teased. "Since when do YOU get all the freshman girls?"
"What are YOU complaining about?" his twin teased back. "YOU don't want them. Besides, you get all the boys, so it works out nicely. As if we planned it or something."
"We did -- or rather *I* did." Turning to Eowyn, Elladan said in a stage whisper, "I'm always the one with the good ideas."
"And I'M the one with the good looks," his twin countered. Now it was HIS turn to explain to Eowyn, "So don't let him tell you otherwise."
Eowyn smiled as she watched the twins, too enthralled to speak. <<They're so beautiful, BOTH of them. So ethereal, yet so down-to-earth. I'll never be able to compete with perfect folk like that.>>
<<But Merry said he didn't WANT someone that was perfect. And I'M certainly not.>> And the thought made Eowyn smile.
"Iell bain, tor -- lain o melethron?" the twin asked his brother.
But Elladan shook his head. "Perian meldis."
Eowyn recognized the Elvish words for beautiful and hobbit, but she didn't understand the rest.
"So, Mr. Idea-Boy," Elladan's twin said, "perhaps an INTRO would be nice."
"I was just getting to it," the elf said, smiling. "Elrohir, this is Eowyn -- she works on the paper. And Eowyn, as if you couldn't tell, this is my brother Elrohir."
"Nice to meet you," Elrohir said, taking her hand and kissing it.
<<But he IS interested in girls!>> Eowyn thought with a smile.
As Elrohir let go of her hand, he said, "Eowyn? Oh wow, you're Eomer's kid sister, right?"
Eowyn nodded. "Yeah. Eomer's my brother." Eowyn remembered what Merry had said about Elrohir the night before and added, "You must know him from the polo team?"
"Excellent guess. He talks about you all the time, you know." He smiled warmly at her as he critically looked her up and down. "But I've gotta say, you're much prettier than I imagined."
Eowyn smiled warily, not certain how to take that.
But Elladan was. He laughed, announcing, "My brother -- the KING of the backhanded compliment."
"Huh?" Elrohir then began to laugh good-naturedly at his brother's teasing. "Oh, I guess you're right -- sorry about that, Eowyn. I didn't mean it in a bad way. I just meant that the way your brother talks about you, how you ride horses and used to play soldier with him all the time, I guess I pictured someone...I don't know...more...."
"Butch?" Elladan finished for him.
"Not that there's anything wrong with that!" Elrohir said quickly, laughing. "And not that I'm complaining, either," he said, grinning flirtatiously at her.
"And that's not all," Elladan said. "She's going out for the fencing team."
"REALLY?!"
Eowyn nodded, blushing at all the attention. "If they'll let me. Coach Anderson told me to come to the first practice today."
"Wow, I guess the fencing team is more enlightened than the polo team. And speaking of...." And Elrohir dissolved into a lively diatribe to his brother in Elvish. Eowyn caught the occasionally word here and there -- "horses", "orcs", "plan", even "Eomer" and "Theoden" -- but she couldn't really follow what he was saying.
Finally Elladan interrupted him: "Perhaps we should spare Eowyn from your tirade -- after all, I'd hate to scare the freshmen off so soon."
"No, that's okay," Eowyn said. "I...I should get going anyway."
"I look forward to seeing you at the debate tournaments," Elladan said, smiling meaningfully at her.
"And you should stop by polo practice some time this week," Elrohir said. "I'm sure the rest of the team would LOVE to see you." And he winked at her.
"I'll think about it," she said with a shy smile as she continued on through the Great Hall.
****
Faramir paged through the copy of The Ring that the hobbit had given him as he slowly made his way amongst the tables. Although not really a writer, Faramir had always been an avid reader, often locking himself in his room to read whilst his brother was off playing sports and making friends, and he was now eager to read what other students had written.
<<These are really good,>> Faramir thought, skipping over the Elvish love poem and starting into the next story. He soon stopped walking as he became totally engrossed in the story of a dragon and treasure and secret passageways under a mountain.
"No, Bro, I won't let you do it!"
Faramir looked up at the sound of the familiar voice and smiled. "Hey, Boromir."
But Boromir wasn't smiling. "No. I don't care if you hate me for it, but I simply won't let you commit social suicide so soon into the semester."
Faramir had no idea what his brother was going on about. "What?"
"I know you used to play in high school," Boromir said, gesturing to the table that Faramir was now standing in front of, "but college is different. You should give other things a chance before falling back on things that are easy and comfortable."
Faramir read the banner on the table -- "MEU Chess Club" -- and finally understood what Boromir was talking about. <<Though I DO like chess....>>
"You should come out for the crew team with me."
"What?" Faramir couldn't believe what his brother was suggesting.
"It'd be great. You've only missed one practice -- you could easily catch up."
Faramir shook his head. "I don't really think crew is my--"
But Boromir put his hand on Faramir's shoulder and looked intensely into his brother's eyes. "Please? For me? Just one week. If you hate it, you can quit on Friday and go join the chess club or whatever. But please just give crew a try? I think you might find you really like it. It..." Boromir's voice softened as he added, "...it would mean a lot to me."
There was something in Boromir's quiet intensity that made Faramir acquiesce. "Okay." Boromir's face exploded into a radiant smile as Faramir continued, "But only for a week. And you promise that if I don't like it, I can quit."
Boromir nodded, beaming. "Absolutely -- I promise."
Faramir sighed. <<I'm glad Boromir's so happy -- now if only *I* could share his enthusiasm.>>
"This is gonna be fun, I promise you. Practice tomorrow morning starts at five."
Faramir coughed with surprise. "FIVE?! Wait -- you didn't tell me THAT. Can I change my mind?"
Boromir laughed, playfully punching his brother in the shoulder. "It's too late now. I'll see you tomorrow morning." He turned to go and almost tripped over a hobbit lad who was kneeling down, awkwardly adjusting his new penny loafers.
"Sorry!" Boromir said, letting the hobbit finish and stomp away in his unfamiliar shoes. Turning back to his brother, Boromir added, "And people think the hazing for the MEN house is cruel!" before heading off.
Faramir watched as the milling crowd seemed to swallow up his brother and spit out Eowyn in his place. She smiled warmly as she caught his eye and headed straight towards him before he even realized what was happening.
<<I guess I can't escape now,>> he thought with dread as if a hideous cave troll and not a beautiful girl was now approaching. He realized she looked tired, as if she hadn't slept in several days, and he suddenly grew depressed at the thought of what she might've been doing instead of sleeping.
"Faramir, hi!" she said, sounding more awake than she looked. "Sorry I didn't sit with you this morning -- I got to class late. But why weren't you in your regular seat?"
<<Because I was afraid to sit near you.>> "Uh...I just...."
"You'll never believe what I did this weekend," Eowyn interrupted excitedly. "I actually spoke Elvish to a REAL ELF!"
Eowyn's enthusiasm penetrated Faramir's glum mood and he smiled. "That's great. When did you do that?"
"Friday night at the dance. Elladan -- that's the elf's name -- is a friend of Merry's, see, and he's SO CUTE." She smiled with embarrassment as she added dismissively, "Of course, he wasn't interested in ME."
<<Why not? Can't he see you're perfect in every way?>>
"But it was SO COOL to actually speak Elvish with a real elf!"
"So what'd you say?"
Eowyn blushed. "Well, it wasn't exactly a long conversation. But at least I was understood -- and I understood HIM, too. And you'll never believe this -- I didn't find out until afterwards, but it turns out he's Professor Halfelven's SON! I freaked out when I found out. But Merry said that my Elvish was fine and I shouldn't worry."
<<Of course Merry speaks Elvish. Merry can do EVERYTHING.>>
"Oh, and speaking of Merry, did you see him over at the table for the newspaper?"
Faramir shook his head, peering through the other students to try and catch a glimpse of Eowyn's tall boyfriend. <<I guess the hobbit found someone to take his place after all,>> he thought, unable to see the newspaper table through the crowd.
"Can you believe how many activities there are here at MEU?" Eowyn continued. "It's too bad I'm already so busy -- there are several things I'd sign up for if I wasn't. But what about you?" She glanced at the magazine he was holding and exclaimed, "Oh, I see you have The Ring. My friend Frodo's the editor for it, you know. Do you write?"
Faramir shrugged, shaking his head. "Not really." <<Though maybe writing would help me get my mind off how soft your hair looks.>>
"So what did YOU do this weekend?" Eowyn asked cheerfully.
<<I chased after you like a pathetic puppy and realized that I'm turning into a stalker.>>
"Not much," Faramir answered, shrugging. "Uh...so...I heard about the fire drill on campus Saturday night."
A shadow seemed to pass over Eowyn as he spoke, but she almost instantly was back to her chipper self. "Yeah, being awakened at 3am is never fun," she said lightly, yawning as if to prove her point.
<<I can think of ways that might be fun,>> Faramir thought, immediately blushing, thankful that Eowyn couldn't read his thoughts.
"Actually, I'm a little behind on my sleep because of it," Eowyn said, yawning and rubbing her eyes, and he once again noticed how tired she looked. "I think I'm gonna head back to my room and try to take a quick nap before class."
"Okay," Faramir said as she turned to go. "See you in bio."
"Oh," she said, stopping abruptly and turning back around. "Uh...this is gonna sound silly, but...would you mind waiting for me at the door? So we could walk in together? I...I wanna make sure we sit together."
Faramir looked at her, trying to figure out what it was in her tone that made him feel the sudden need to protect her. "Sure. I guess."
Eowyn breathed a sigh of relief. "That's great. Then I'll meet you at the door to bio in..." she glanced at her watch, "...about 45 minutes."
"Okay," Faramir said as he watched Eowyn walked away into the crowd, realizing that his plan to avoid her wasn't working out quite as he'd planned.
***
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