To Estella Bolger, it made little difference whether the Elves of Lothlorien joined their traveling party or not. The thought of three more big, armed folk actually made her feel safer… and if it upset the Diamond of Long Cleeve, then she was all for it. She did not really understand why Diamond despised Haldir of Lorien so much, especially when she seemed to like everyone else she ever met, and neither Merry nor Pippin had been able to explain it to her adequately.

Granted, Estella did feel guilty now about her jealousy towards Diamond. She had not forgotten the kisses they had shared the night before, or how it had felt being held in those soft arms. And then there was Merry, who had gone out of his way to make breakfast for her, and pick flowers out of Elrond's garden for her. Maybe she really ought to turn her attention to him after all…

But how could she, when such a succulent creature as Peregrin Took walked the earth? Estella had loved Pippin forever. Forever.

Gimli the Dwarf had kept silent during their meeting with Elrond in the library. When the Elf King dismissed them and they all shuffled out into the hallway, he called out loudly to Legolas and Ciendriel that he was going to stroll in the garden and quit the party. Merry, Pippin and Diamond were engaged in a huge debate about whether it was too late for Second Breakfast and if they should just head straight into Elevensies, though it seemed too early for that.

Estella decided that this would be an excellent time to indulge her curiosity. Surely with a little flattery, the old Dwarf would spill to her the whole tale about Diamond's dislike of Haldir. It wasn't gossip, she told herself as she hurried after him at a discreet distance. It was self-protection. If she was going to travel with Haldir, she really ought to know about him. Especially if it was juicy and involved Diamond.

Why didn't she just ask Haldir? Maybe because he was so big and mean-looking. He always seemed to have some sort of haughty expression on his face, and he looked at both Legolas and Ciendriel with an expression in his wicked blue eyes that Estella was only just beginning to understand. His two adorable brothers, on the other hand, seemed to be nothing like him in personality. They looked fairly easy-going and good natured, but it was hard to judge them when she didn't speak a word of Elvish.

Gimli trotted down the steps into the garden, humming to himself. She watched him stretch his limbs, then saunter slowly through the little pathways, stopping now and then to sniff a fragrant bloom. Even as involved in following the Dwarf as she was, Estella noticed how tranquil and beautiful the garden seemed. She crept closer, trying to think of an excuse to be out here alone and to bump into Gimli.

"Are you going to track me all day, lassie, or come out and say hello?"

Estella jumped guiltily and showed herself. "How did you know I was here?"

"I admit you were pretty stealthy, for a Hobbit. 'Twas that big hole in the chrysanthemums that gave you away."

"Oh," she said, blushing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you."

"'Tis no bother, lassie. Believe me, it is not," Gimli said chuckling. He looked her over with his small eyes, and Estella found herself blushing even more. "A right pretty one you are, too."

"Thank you," said Estella, trying to think of a way to lead into her questions. "I was just wondering…"

"Wonder no more, my dear, wonder no more. I know why you're here, and I'm glad you are!"

"You do?"

Gimli grinned and nodded. "You're not the first Hobbit lass to tread these paths. Angelica near married me, she did."

Estella was so surprised by his words that she forgot to be confused. Though she really did not know what he was talking about, she was even more curious. "Really!"

"Yes, yes she did. I just kept thinking, I should have proposed to her before Pip. I'd have made her a Queen. Still, they make a right jolly little couple, and Aragorn seemed to approve. That's King Elessar to you -- I'd take his word above near any other." The Dwarf was rambling now, and spawning more and more questions for Estella. "What's done is done, I suppose. I would not come between them for the world."

More guilt. That was exactly what she was trying to do, come between Diamond and Pippin. What sort of girl was she, anyway? Maybe it was time to stop, time to give up and admit that Pippin did not love her, and never would.

"Don't look so sad, lassie," Gimli said. "I would never hurt the pair of them. I count them among my nearest and dearest. Angelica and me, that's all in the past, it is. And lucky for you, too!"

"Lucky for me?"

"Yes…" Gimli sidled closer to her and smiled. He waggled his eyebrows -- or at least Estella thought he did. He was so hairy that it was hard to tell. "After all, if I hadn't let her choose Pippin, I would not be free to sport with you, now!"

Alarm raced through Estella. Sport with her? What did he mean, sport with her? Before she could ask him or explain that the only sport she had come out here in search of was gossip, Gimli pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

The Dwarf was the third person to have kissed her in two days. The part of her mind which was not panicking marveled at the fact that once Merry's mouth had opened up the floodgate, it seemed everyone wanted to molest her lips. Each kiss had been completely different, too. Merry had been demanding and arousing, forceful and lustful. Diamond had been sweet and tender and seductive. And Gimli…well, the kiss he was giving her now as she struggled in his arms was heady and powerful, but also slightly scratchy with all that beard.

Before she could push away from him or decide that she liked it and surrender, someone threw their arms around her waist and dragged her backwards away from Gimli. Estella stumbled and fell down on top of her attacker, gasping for breath.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck!" Gimli thundered. "What in the blazes do you think you are doing? You have interrupted a perfectly nice rendezvous!"

Merry?

Estella jumped to her feet as he let go of her waist and turned to see him sprawled on the path, looking angry. He jumped to his feet and swung a fist at the Dwarf, catching Gimli in the nose and spinning the Dwarf nearly completely around. Estella let out a shriek.

"Merry! Stop it! What are you doing?"

"Protecting you," Merry growled.

"Ow!" said Gimli, holding his nose. "Have you gone mad? Protecting her from what?"

"I don't need any protecting!"

"He was kissing you," Merry said.

"I'm well aware of that," Estella said, putting her hands on her hips.

"She followed me out here," said Gimli. "Clearly she desired my company, and I can see why. I did not know you had this jealous streak, Meriadoc. You never showed it with Pippin or Angelica."

"This is different," Merry bellowed. He rounded on Estella. "We're supposed to be in love."

"Oh, please," she said, irritated. "And that's an excuse to hit one of your best friends in the nose? Especially knowing that it is all a sham?"

"A what?" said Gimli.

"A sham!" Estella yelled in Merry's face. She saw a wounded look flash into his blue eyes, but she ignored it. "Yes, that's right, Gimli. We were just pretending to be in love. Despite the flowers and the breakfast and all that, it was all fake!"

"Is this true, Meriadoc?"

All the wind went out of Merry's sails. He sagged, looking deflated. "Why are you giving it up?" he asked her so sadly that she instantly regretted giving the game away to Gimli.

What a mess. She had not meant to kiss Gimli, and she certainly did not desire to rendezvous with him, or whatever he had called it. But she could not let Merry get into a fight with him, either, especially when the truth was that their so-called love was nothing but a fraud. She didn't understand why he even cared! This certainly could not be about keeping up appearances.

"Gimli," she said, turning to the Dwarf, "I owe you an apology. I really just followed you out here to ask you why Diamond hates Haldir of Lorien, since no one else will see fit to explain it to me."

"Well, that's easy," said Gimli. "Angelica loved him, once, and he spurned her."

"A Hobbit loved an Elf?" Stranger and stranger, Estella thought.

"Literally."

"Well. Thank you. But I did not mean to lead you on."

"Oh, it's all right, lass. I understand. That was some kiss, though. And if you're not really with Merry, perhaps we can share another." Gimli winked at her.

Estella turned to Merry. "I think you should apologize to Gimli."

Merry looked at Gimli, his face etched with guilt. "Gimli, I…"

Gimli reached out and put a hand on Merry's shoulder. "It's all right, laddie. I believe I do understand. In time, you'll understand, yourself."

"What?" said Merry, frowning.

Gimli chuckled, but then his amusement faded and he froze stock still. "Shhh! Listen! Do you hear it?"

"Hear what?" said Estella. She concentrated hard, and after a moment discerned a faint humming in the air. "What is that?"

Merry looked at Gimli, his eyes wide. "It can't be!"

"Only one thing makes a sound like that," Gimli said. "An advancing army of Uruk-hai soldiers."

"Uruk-hai?" said Estella.

"The great advanced Orcs created by the evil wizard Saruman," said Gimli.

"I thought they were all dead!" Merry said. "Wiped out. Then again, we were attacked by a small band of Orcs no so long ago. They nearly ate Haldir."

"Gandalf told me that a few parties had been spotted roaming the plains. I would never have guessed they would wander so close to Rivendell! However, they are unpredictable, without a leader in Saruman."

"What could they want?" Estella gasped.

"Probably food," Gimli said grimly. Estella could guess what such creatures might eat. She didn't ask if Hobbit was on their menu. "We had best warn Elrond!"

"We had best get down," Merry hissed.

He grabbed Estella in one fist and Gimli in the other and hauled them out of the path into a thick hedge. The leaves and branches poked and scratched Estella, but she hunkered down beside Merry, her heart racing. A fraction of a second after they disappeared into the bush, the garden was over-run.

"Let go of me. We should fight!" Gimli growled.

"There are too many of them," Merry said. "Besides, where exactly is your ax?"

"My ax! I've left it in the bedchamber!"

"Right where my sword is. And Estella has no sword. Hiding is the best option!"

Estella clung to Merry as the army of Uruk-hai began to trample through Elrond's garden. There had to be over a hundred of them. They were large, frightening looking creatures, thick and dirty. They ran through the flower beds, utterly destroying them. They knocked over Elrond's prized statue of Nimrodel. They made a huge noise now, grunting and bellowing their war cries as they flooded towards the House of Elrond.

It was hard to see much more than the big feet of the monsters, and to do anything other than pray that they did not run through this hedge and stomp on all three of them, or discover them and kill them. She heard a responding cry and the thrum of bowstrings as the Elves came forward to meet their attackers. Arrows whooshed through the air.

"We're saved!" said Merry.

"Not yet," said Gimli. "As you said, there are too many of them."

"Can you see anything?" Estella whispered to Merry. She was almost too terrified to open her eyes.

Merry crept forward slightly to peer through the leaves. Pounding feet still thundered all around them, but perhaps due to the thickness of the hedge, they were spared. "There are perhaps a dozen Elves," he whispered miserably. "They're felling the Uruks as fast as they can, but they're way outnumbered."

"Take them alive!" came a roar from one of the Uruk-hai leaders. "Make all the Elves our prisoners!"

"I'd rather be dead," Gimli muttered. "Uruk-hai are not the most merciful captors."

"I see Orophin and Rúmil!" Merry added. "They've joined the fight."

"I should be out there," Gimli said miserably.

"You wouldn't do anyone any good by dying," Merry said practically.

"I could take a few of them with me!"

"With your bare hands?"

"Yes!"

"Shhh!" said Estella. "They'll hear us."

For a few long moments the three of them huddled together silently, listening to the sounds of the battle flying around them. Estella thought about Pippin and Diamond, and Bilbo and Frodo, and Legolas and Ciendriel, and Lord Elrond and all of the other Elves inside the palace. Were they being taken prisoner even now? Were they able to hide? Or would they fight?

"They've taken the Elves," Merry said after a few minutes. "Two have fallen. I can't see who they are. They've left the dead and dragged the others inside. No.. oh no… I think that might be one of Haldir's brothers."

"No! Not the lads," said Gimli miserably. "I never did care much for that miserable sod Haldir, but Rúmil and Orophin are as fine as any Elves I know."

They sat in the hedge for what seemed a long, long time after the Uruk-hai had entered the palace, even though Estella knew it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Finally Merry said he thought it was safe for them to come out.

"We must see to the bodies," Gimli said, "And then form a plan for getting to our weapons."

"And to our friends," Merry added.

"I can't believe it," Gimli said miserably as they crept near the fallen Elves. "Not both of them."

Estella felt tears spring to her eyes as she recognized the still forms Orophin and Rúmil of Lorien.