[Manardariel]

Have you ever seen any apples like that?”

Fascinated, Fiona stared up at the round, scarlet-red appels weighing down the large trees in the Swan Garden. Next to her, Elena was cradeling a babydoll she´d found. Now she looked up too, her eyes spreading in suprise.

“Fiona, they look just like my uncles! His apples were the roundest in five villages! He always said that you can´t grow apples like that: you have them, or you don´t. I always wanted to have a little appletree like that, but tthen, then they- the trees, they were all burnt...” she sniffed, but seemed to recover quickly. “They tasted wonderful!” she added.

“I bet they did...” Fiona said slowly. She still felt a bit uncomfortable about Elena´s watery revivals, but she kept her tounge behind her teeth- there were more pressing maters now. Like how to get one of those apples. Fiona grabbed the lowest branch of the apple tree and swung herself into the highter branches. She picked two apples and dropped them into the grass, before jumping down herself.

Grinning broadly, she handed on of the apples to Elena, who looked horrified.

“What now” Fiona asked, exasperated.

“You can´t just eat the apples! They´re not yours! And look what you´ve done to your dress! And that´s not yours either!” Elena shrieked

“All right, keep your head on. It´s only a dress! And these apples- you´ve got to ea them before they start to rot!” She sank her teeth deeply in the fruit. “Absoloutly delicious!” she told Elena, but laughed un der her strict look. “Okay, okay. I´ll go to the Swan Lady and tell her I´m sorry I broke her dress and that I won´t do it again. All right?”

Elena nodded, than happily bit in her apple.

“Girls, I want you to take a nap. You must be so worn out!” The Swan Lady walked in the garden, smiling kindly down at them. Elena shot Fiona a sharp look, who roolled her eyes impatiently in return. Elena stuck her tongue out at her. Fiona crossed her eyes and wiggled her ear back. They caught each other´s eye and burst into a heep of giggles.

“Umm, Miss Swan Lady...” Fiona said, biting her lip. “We –err, all right, I thought those apples of yours looked so good, so I...I climed up the tree and picked two. And I ripped your dress, too. I´m sorry; I won´t do it again!” She looked up at the old lady, who smiled kindly.

“Did you like the apples? She asked. Both girls nodded happily. “Off to bed then!”

Fiona couldn´t sleep. She wasn´t tired, not at all. On the contrary, she felt restless, restless- and worried.

“Elena?”

“Yes?”

“Are you asleep?”

“No.”

Fiona sighed deeply and turned over in bed.

“Fiona?”

“Yes?”

“Never mind.”

Fiona heard Elena sob in her pillow.

“Miss Priss? You okay?”

“Hmmm”

“Hey-?”

“What?”

Fiona stared at the wall. What did she want to say? And how? She sat up in bed.

“Elena, do you think- do you think Porridge and Daddy and Hurin and Beren and Beor and Aragorn are okay?”

Elena sniffed. “I don´t know.” She wispered softly.

Suddenly, Fiona got up. She knew it was crazy, but she had to do it- she just had to! “I´m going to check if they´re okay; and what happened to our house. You coming with?”

Say yes, Elena, say yes. Please say yes. I can´t do this without you. Please say yes

[ September 03, 2003: Message edited by: Manardariel ]