The Fairy of Middle Earth

Chapter 43: The Dinner Guest

Thranduil was taking care of business in his office. Gondor had sent word back refusing compensation. He had a feeling that would happen. Though the Queen of Gondor wanted compensation of the clothing Juniper ruined simply because Juniper had promised to replace them. It made Thranduil smile thinking of his wife in Gondor. Getting in trouble with the Queen.

There were more missives to go through. Galion had stacked them in order from most important to frivolous. He finds one from Elrond. Breaking the seal he opened it . Elrond's script was elegant yet somewhat barbaric in his opinion. The way he would harshly cut of letters instead of letting them just flow naturally. He had found nothing in the archives of Rivendell concerning the thing he and Juniper saw. Though he was traveling to Lorien soon and wanted to pay them a visit .

Thranduil tossed the letter aside. Of course he wanted to come looking at Juniper. Next to nothing was known about Fae from a medical stand point and she would no doubt be an endless curiosity to him. He went about his business but would stop when he started having a nagging thought. Juniper was eating meat and consuming a lot of it. It was concerning him and he was thinking of having the healers look her over . Perhaps a visit from Elrond wouldn't be so terrible.

Juniper was outside. The spring was there . That day they were moving back to the upper chambers and into the light again. Tauriel , Finnola and Juniper were having a picnic outside the walls of the fortress though Juniper would not go far. They were in a small meadow with the warm sun falling on them and pushing the cold away . The grass had turned green everywhere Juniper had touched and that had not gone unnoticed by her friends. Finnola always so blunt just asked her why that happened. Juniper could only shrug and say " I am not sure. "

Her bear had joined them and lounged lazily behind her . It took her companions a bit to relax about it . She hand fed it little bites of her food here and there . Tauriel ignored Junipers consumption of meat . Finnola however did not. " It's good. I think it's good. " She said. " Meat is meant to be eaten . " As she tore into her lunch of roasted meat and bread. Tauriel did eat meat, as did all elves, just not as much. They did consume a lot plant life.

Juniper was having fish this was a meat she ate before just not a lot of it . She told Thranduil she never met a fish that would talk to her so she didn't feel so bad about eating them but she was also sharing Finnola's meal as well.

Finally Tauriel spoke up. " It's just so strange Juniper . Are you not concerned by this sudden change?"

Juniper frowns. " You sound just like Thranduil. I do not know why its happening. I just really need to eat meat. Its like my body is screaming for it. "

Finnola changes the subject. " We heard from Gimli . His date with his dwarf maiden went so well they have been having meals together everyday. " Juniper giggles.

Tauriel sighs. " Soon I will be the only one with no mate. "

Juniper reaches out and places her hand on Tauriel's shoulder. " Do not think of it like that. Think of it as being the only one that doesn't have to deal with snoring "

Finnola chimes in " Or Blanket stealing "

None of that was making Tauriel feel better. " You just have not met the right one ." Juniper would say reassuringly.

" Or maybe I did and he was taken from me quickly." Juniper and Finnola looked to each other. They both knew the story.

" I don't think that's it at all Tauriel." Finnola said with a smile. " I believe you experienced something special and the good from it was that it started to heal the hurt between 2 races. " Juniper crawls over into Tauriel's lap and hug her.