What The Actual? (LotR x Reader)

Rivendell Already Got Lit, Apparently

Those had probably been the most insufferable two weeks of your life.

Two weeks. Two weeks you walked through Mirkwood with the most annoying twat in all of Middle-Earth. Two weeks of non-stop moving. Two weeks of non-stop quarrel. Two weeks that felt like a lifetime of suffering.

You finally arrived at the borders of Rivendell, tired and sore, and took a moment to allow yourself to process. The whole trip was terrible, to say the least. Too boring to bother and dwell on.

For him, it was just as bad. He was forced to leave his kingdom in a time of need because of you, but worst of all, he had to deal with your whining. Constant as the stars above. Never silenced once.

You had to deal with someone who was terrible at conversations, who was meaner than Sauron, and who forced you to rise at sunset and trek until dark. It was a rough two weeks, and you did not know how you managed it, but you did.

Now you stood at the Last Homely House, and the peacefulness was welcoming. Too welcoming. You were still not a big fan of the whole 'more Elves' sort of thing. If they were anything like the Mirkwood inhabitants, then you might as well go back to your prison cell. Jail was a much higher step-up than being in the company Elves.

Your gut curled again at the thought of why you were there instead of in your old cell, the mangled flesh of the Orcs flashing in your mind, and you felt bile rise in your throat, burning the skin on its way.

"I'm going to vomit."

Legolas cast you a brief side-eye.

You made a noise in response; as if your vomit would be wasted on him anyway.

You eventually moved on and took in the sight, taking a small step closer and a heavy breath. The air there seemed fresher than anything you've ever breathed. The whole city was bathed in light like a sanctuary, the soft waters running over the falls as all sorts of flowers bloomed left and right, falling into the valley. Even the buildings radiated calmness, a serene eye in the storm that was Middle-Earth, but you just felt sick. You couldn't forget about the raid one moment it seemed.

The prince sent one last look towards the surroundings, a bittersweet sight, before urging you up the hill towards what you could only guess was where the party was at.

~

There was no party.

You entered the village, grim expressions out of place. You crossed a stone bridge over water so clear it was like liquid air, looking at the high surrounding mountains. Awe you wouldn't admit you had filled your mind as large waterfalls dripped down in a veil of cover, almost as if the Elven realm was a hidden away from prying eyes. making your way through the changing trees, you noticed the green leaves slowly shifting to gold and reds, crunching the dead ones on the ground with your stride. You looked around at the pale buildings, seeing Elves outside moving about at a leisure pace, their robes silk and shiny, and received countless stares.

So did Legolas, but his received stares were a lot more welcoming. Well, not for him. He stood proud and tall--but uncomfortably so--as they whispered and smiled to the prince of Mirkwood they guessed was there for the council. He approached a particular woman, talking to another with soft brown hair, and cleared his throat, but their focus was on you, the odd human who wore odd clothes and was covered in filth no matter how many times you wallowed into a river. And by Vala, what was that smell?

"Where is your Lord Elrond? It is urgent." Her brows quirked and she kept her eyes trained on you, speaking to the other. Being stared at was exhausting. Yes you looked like the scum of the Earth, what was new?