Chapter 13

The Office

I hurriedly picked my satchel back up and made a dash for the door and closed it behind me.
I sighed, I wasn't ever the type to talk back or be sent out the class, it was so unfair! He didn't have the right to say I was insolent for dating my teacher! It was different here in Middle Earth and that had nothing to do with my performance in his class. Besides what was his problem with me anyway? I did all my assignments, I kept Orcrist safe when he loaned it to me, I did everything right!

I fumed and paced around the hall, I didn't even notice quiet footsteps approaching me, I jumped suddenly when I felt a hand on my shoulder; it was Legolas.

He looked down at me with a concerned expression on his face.

"What is it?" He mumbled softly.

I sighed, "I'm in trouble... It's Thorin."

Legolas raised an eyebrow, I'd heard that Thorin and Legolas didn't particularly get along.

"What happened?" He asked.

I slumped my shoulders, "I was late to class- Thorin called me insolent...for being with you."
I clenched my hands and looked into Legolas's cold expression.

"He what?"

I could tell he was mad, I was about to open my mouth when Thorin's door opened, and he briskly walked over to Legolas and I.

He noticed Legolas standing next to me and sneered. "It looks as though you proved my right, elfy." He spat in my direction, obviously referencing to Legolas coming to my rescue.
"Did your prince come to save the day?" He questioned mockingly.

I HAD it with Thorin and his prejudice! He couldn't just talk to me like that! He was supposed to be professional

Legolas stepped in before I could lose my temper. "Enough."
He said calmly gazing at Thorin, "So this is about Vanaéze being late to class?"

Thorin crossed his arms. "Not only that. She disrespected me in front of my class, and to be frank her attitude has never been the best." He scowled at me.

How ironic

My attitude was bad? Yeah right. I had always been polite with Thorin, up till now.

Legolas frowned and dropped his voice to a whisper, "and what of her 'insolence', what was that?" '

Whoa

I thought as I observed Legolas's intensity and Thorin's startled look. This anger was clearly more deep seated than my episode with the dwarf king.

Thorin quickly lowered his voice, I wouldn't have heard him at all if I hadn't had elven ears,
"Why don't you learn from the past and leave things be."

I pretended like I didn't hear that comment, (I obviously wasn't supposed to) although I couldn't help but frown and wonder what that meant. Legolas and Thorin started bickering, and were gradually getting louder...

If they didn't settle things soon...

"What is going on here!" Grumbled Gandalf who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Thorin stuck his jaw out and crossed his arms, "This...Elf is trying to tell me how to discipline my student!"
Thorin spat out the word "elf" as though it were a poison, I scowled at him.

"He is unfairly accusing this student of insolence." Legolas defended, I gulped, I knew I wasn't being insolent, but I hadn't exactly been polite while exchanging words with Thorin.

Gandalf then turned to me, "Master Thorin, Vanaéze please come with me to the Teachers lounge."

Legolas was about to protest but though better of it and tried to give me an encouraging look. Hopefully everything would be okay, I shouldn't depend on Legolas to help me, that would only prove Thorin right.

Gandalf lead us down a long corridor to a room none other than the teachers lounge. The teachers lounge was an interesting place indeed.

It was in a hidden room with a set of enchanted dwarf doors, similar to the ones in Moria. I couldn't hear the password Gandalf uttered but sure enough, the stone doors quivered and slide open. The actual room itself was expansive. It was warm, cozy and contained a perfect blend of different cultures throughout Middle Earth in its decor. Gandalf had me stop in what appeared to be a sitting room for refreshments while he lead Thorin back into some sort of wizard office.

I glanced around, I was the only person there at the moment.

A fire place was built into the front of the room and countless numbers of shelves covered the walls. Surprisingly enough each little shelf had sets if scrolls and some sort of label underneath it. I glanced around...nobody was here...perhaps I could look at a scroll or two? I silently walked over to the shelves. Peering closer at the labels I realized with a jolt that each label was actually a name.

A students name.
My eyes widened with shock.

I found a label that read 'Vanaéze' and reached for a scroll inside. I slowly unfurled the scroll to find that my hunch had been correct. On the parchment was an assessment of all my fanfictions. I turned to a loose paper. Each teacher had read and commented on each of my stories.

They had been reading my fanfics, all of them.

Of course I figured they knew about the fanfics, that's why the students came here after all, right?

I felt a deep blush crept onto my cheeks as I slapped my hand across my forehead.

"Oh no." I groaned.

I wasn't expecting this. A certain comment caught my eye. It was a response to one of my simple yet romantic Legolas fanfics...and the author of this response had been Legolas himself.

"Some things are better left unseen" cautioned a voice that had just entered the room.
My face turned deep red again, "Gandalf!" I hurriedly rolled the scroll back up and put it in it's shelf.

"I...I really didn't mean to..."

Gandalf just smiled and winked knowingly. "Come with me dear."

Uh oh 
I thought following him back into his office, my heart beating louder in my ears.

I was surprised to see Thorin still sitting in Gandalf's office.
Gandalf sat down and grumbled a bit while adjusting some old papers on his rickety desk.
"Vanaéze, I am aware of the current situation, for we know all that goes on in this school."

I suddenly thought of the palantir's and Galadriel's mirror being used like security cameras...

Gandalf continued, "Because of your disrespect to Thorin I am assigning you to a detention." Gandalf had a mischievous look on his face, I couldn't help but wonder why.

Gandalf then turned his attention to Thorin,
"And Thorin, for reasons previously discussed I think it only fair that you be the one to oversee Vanaéze's detention, yes?"

My eyes widened, but I had to stifle my expression, Thorin was being punished too, and getting a taste of his own medicine! Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

I watched Thorin struggle to keep a calm nature.
"Yes." Thorin barely grumbled out, his face twisted into a knot of frustration.

"Good. You two are assigned to Ent chores Wednesday night of next week. You are dismissed."

'What in the world are Ent chores?' I wondered, standing up to go back to class. I made my way back out to the lounge area and through the dwarf doors into the long corridor.

I was surprised to see Thorin waiting for me outside the door. It was obvious he was mad, but some other emotion shone in his dark blue eyes.

"You best be careful." He paused looking at me directly, "Not everyone is what they seem to be."

And just like that he whirled around and stomped off to his classroom.

What in the world was that? A threat? I crossed my arms and turned the opposite direction to go to Eowyn's class. The sooner next Wednesday would come, the better. I wanted to get this detention over with, and I had a week to wait.