First off, I would
like to dedicate this story to my mom. She instilled in me a love
of reading and fantasy. It is because of her that I can do what I
can. I wish she could read what I write, today. She would
say it is a vast improvement over what I wrote when I was
younger. Thank you, Mom.
I own no part of any copyrighted
materials. I barely own my house. I own my own creations
only. This is just an obsession of mine that is getting out of
control. (Just ask the Dude, who does not get Tolkien at
all. I know, sacrilege).
Later chapters will deal with
stronger issues. (Death, attempted rape, ultimately maybe some sex, but
in confines of marriage).
Time sometime in the TA. May
run until 3021. This is a rewrite of an earlier story. Any
similarities were intended. It is a rewrite. Both are
posted under my name, but different titles. If you have read the
original story somewhere, I hope you will like this one better. I
do. I plan on four parts running up to 2004 AD. (Yeah, try to
figure out how that will work)!
Thank you to Havetoist for reading
over chapters 3- 5 for me. I have been unable to convince someone
to beta for me, so she finally consented to check it out. And
also to Ingole for her help with the passage in chapter 3 concerning
Elves and the class system, and Havetoist for the idea.
If you have any questions about
issues dealt with in this story, please let me know. I have read
the books and seen the movies, but as it is a very complex world that
has been woven, I cannot think that anyone knows everything about
it. So, if I have slipped up somewhere, I would appreciate
knowing of it. Issues with the vacillation between American and
UK English are due to reading too many historical novels. I
happen to like some of the spellings (which did not make my English
teachers or professor happy) You will just have to deal with it.
Issues with phraseology will be
squelched. I find it difficult enough to read the style of
Tolkien's writing, I am not about to try to emulate it in mine.
Besides, can you imagine actually speaking that way? The Elves
developed the languages. I would think they would have had enough
eloquence to create an easily spoken language. So, although I
have tried to keep it formal, I hope it is not cumbersome.
Outside of a very few words (Ada,
sell, Iell) I have used little actual Elvish. This is partly due
to the fact that I am not knowledgeable enough to just whip out the
words I want. But it is mostly because the story is set in the
Elves' world. It would be redundant to use Elvish words when they
are already speaking Elvish. So, only a few choice words.
Again, deal with it.
Update: I now have a beta. I
want to thank Marcia, who graciously volunteered to do this for
me. I am not sure if she wanted to do it because she wants to see
the chapters before they are posted, or if my canon deviations were
annoying her. Either way, I do not care. She has been
wonderful and very kind to me. There are a few changes in the
story, mostly minor errors, added elvish where she felt warranted and
clarification on some points. I would also like to thank
Andreth. Any questions I have concerning canon, or feasibility,
she has jumped in and given me her two cents worth. With
inflation, I figure she is worth several dollars. As along as I
am updating the intro, thank you to everyone who jumps in on the
threads at OSA concerning canon. Your maddening habit of
wandering (and I use that term with extreme looseness) has made for
very entertaining reading. So, in the future, wander away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Butterfly Effect
Chapter One
Two elves And A Boat
The boat drifted into shore. Elladan stepped out into the water
to grab the rope hanging from the bow. He shouted at his brother
to come and help him.
“Where did
this come from?” Elrohir asked, reaching down and taking the end of the
rope. He glanced up and down the shore.
“I do not know, but I claim it and everything in it.”
“Good luck
with that.” Elrohir looked at the less than sea-worthy
craft. He wrinkled his nose. “It reeks! It smells as
if an army of Orcs had sailed in it. It will never sail anywhere
again. Moreover, if it did, what would you do with it then? You
would be the laughing stock of the Rangers.”
“Well, we can see what is in it.”
“We do not
have time for this. We are already late starting back. The
commander expected us back two days ago.”
“So, shut up and help me.” He proceeded to start at the bow and search the small vessel.
Elrohir
started on the other side. He had almost made it to the back when
Elladan let out a yelp of pain.
“Find a fishhook?” Elrohir laughed at his joke.
“What are you doing here?” Elladan said softly.
Elrohir tried to
look over his brother’s shoulder. He could not see much, but
gasped when Elladan pulled a small form up by its arm. It was
hard to tell exactly what they had found. The being seemed bent
on remaining where they had found it. It was struggling so that
it took the both of them to get it ashore without any
damage.
Elladan lay
on his back trying to hold the creature. Elrohir moved back to
get a closer look. What he saw was a small child.
“It is a
human girl.” He looked around for signs of any
others. “I cannot see where she might have come from. There
are no settlements close. We found nothing in the boat.
What do you want to do? We are already past due returning.
Arathorn will be concerned.” He laughed. “You should see
yourself. You look like an Orc attacked you.”
“Before you
laugh at me, you should see yourself. You are not too pretty
either. Help me get her up.”
Elrohir
reached out a hand to help the child up. He saw the eyes for the
first time. They were an intense shade of blue. They
regarded him for several moments.
“Are you going to help me or not. Quit mooning.”
Elrohir took
her hand and stood her up. It occurred to him that she had not
made a sound the whole time. Not even a whimper.
“We have to get back. What will we do with her?” he asked.
Elladan
shrugged. “Take her with us? We can take her to
Imladris. Father will know what to do. He is always taking
in strays, anyway.”
“I will carry her, but she needs a bath first.”
The child
did not struggle as they cleaned her up. They were surprised to
see her skin was lighter than theirs. Except for the hair
and a spattering of spots across the face, she could be an elf…well,
that and her less than mannerly behavior.
Elladan handed her up to his brother. She squirmed away from the horse.
“I think she is afraid of your horse,” Elladan said.
“And they say you are the dumb one,” said his brother, rolling his eyes. “Just give her here.”
Elrohir set
the child in front of him. He felt her lean back against him and
relax. A small hand stretched out to touch his. He felt a
stirring in his chest. He thought his heart stopped for a beat.
“This is not good,” he muttered to himself.
They rode
for the rendezvous with the other Rangers. They had been sent to
scout the seacoast from the Bay of Balfalos north to the River
Gwathló. Elrohir was concerned as they had expected to be back by
now. He hoped the rest of the company was not far from their
appointed meeting place. The child would slow them down even
more, but they could not leave her. He had fed her and it seemed
she would never stop eating. He had no idea how long she had been
in the boat, but it had to have been days. He had taken one of
his spare shirts and fastened it on her as a gown. It was not
pretty looking, but it was clean.
The first night
Elrohir had fallen asleep against a tree. When he woke, he had
found the girl lying next to him, her head in his lap. He looked
up to see Elladan smiling at him.
“You make a good mother.”
Elrohir threw him a disgusted look.
It took them a week to find the company.
Arathorn listened to Elladan give their report.
“We followed the
coastline. We then followed the river back to Tharbad. We
heard of no unrest through the White Mountains. We did hear that
something is stirring in the Blue Mountains. However, if there
were Orcs about, they kept themselves well hidden. We found nothing of
import. Except this.”
He nodded to
Elrohir. His brother came forward holding a bundle. As
Elladan unwrapped it, Arathorn saw it contained a child. He
glanced at the brothers.
“Where did you find her?”
“On the
coast. She was in a boat, a rather un-seaworthy boat. If
not for Elladan’s curiosity, we would not have found her. She was
hidden in a compartment, under a tarp.”
“There were no others?”
“We only took a couple of hours to look, but we found nothing.”
“What do you plan to do with her?”
“We were thinking
of taking her to Imladris. Our father should know what to
do. If not that, we could take her to an Edain village. I
know of one family that would care for her. But I really would
like to ask my father first.”
“Very well. You have leave to go. Give my regards to Lord Elrond. When will you return?”
“As soon as we can. Give us six weeks.”
“Meet us at
Bree. I want to circle north of the Shire. Gandalf is
concerned. He cannot say why, but if he worries, I worry.”
“We will leave as soon as we can get ready.”
They spent the
next hour getting provisions and gear packed. When all was ready,
they went to Arathorn and bid him farewell.
“I have written
out reports to date for your father. Be careful. You are
skirting the south end of the Shire. I do not trust that
area. There have been reports of sporadic raids on villages south
of there.”
“We have
heard. I want to go into the Shire. I know a family there
with a small daughter about this one’s size. I think they will be
able to help with some clothing.” Elrohir looked back at his
horse where the girl sat.
“Very well. That may be safer. I will see you in six weeks.”
They mounted and started north.
****
A Rosa By Any Other Name Is Still A Prize
It took them four
days to reach the Shire. They did not do much talking the first
day. Before dark, Elladan found a campsite far enough off the
road to go unnoticed. He saw to gathering firewood and starting a
small fire while his brother unsaddled and took care of the
horses.
They ate cold
travel rations that night. The girl did not like them much, but
hunger drove her to eat them. After she had gone to sleep, they
sat by the fire.
“Where do you think she came from?” asked Elladan.
“I have no
idea. My experience in finding humans in boats is minimal.
I suppose it could have been a shipwreck.”
“She does not look like one who has spent much time on the sea. Her skin is too fair.”
“Well, wherever it is, I would venture a guess that she is alone now. We may never find out.”
“If I had to
guess, I would say Rohan. They are fair. And the hair is
light enough, although an odd shade.”
“What would a child from Rohan be doing on the west coast?”
Elladan shrugged.
“I thought we were guessing. That is my guess.” He grinned.
“Do you think Father will send her to the village?”
“More than
likely. She will be better off with her own kind. Benerd
and his family will take her in. They lost their daughter last
winter. I know Mares cannot have more children. She will be
grateful for the opportunity.”
Elrohir looked down at the sleeping child lying in his lap.
“How could anyone leave one so small?”
“Who can explain
the ways of men? Those we know would not, but the world is filled
with all kinds.”
“Remember Arwen at this age?”
“Reluctantly. She followed me everywhere. I could not get
rid of her. I miss her now. Maybe we can go to Lorien in
the summer and see her.”
“If all is settled
here it is possible. I would not mind seeing her. Do you
think she will ever go home?”
“She misses Mother
too much. In Lorien, she can move without the constant reminder
of her. You should talk. When was the last time we were
home?”
“It has been a while.”
Elladan stretched out.
“I would not mind sitting in the lap of luxury for a while.”
Elrohir snorted.
“Even when you
were sitting there, you would not sit still. You were always
restless. You got me in such trouble.”
“I think you have it twisted. You were the one causing trouble.”
“I think Father would disagree with you.”
“We will just have to ask him.”
They both fell
silent. It was peaceful watching the sunrise. They seldom
took time to enjoy anything these days. There was too much to
do.
When the child
woke, they ate and resumed their journey. The next three days
were repeats of the first. By the time they reached the Shire,
they were so bored, they almost wished something would happen.
They rode several
miles into the Shire before coming to their friend’s home. People
laughed and ran short distances with them along the way. The
Shire folk seemed to have no worries. It was well they did not
know what passed beyond their borders. The twins hated the
thought of what could happen to these gentle folk. They at last
came to the home of Gradin Took.
Elrohir dismounted and took the girl in his arms. He looked back at his brother.
“Are you coming?”
“And listen to you
try to explain why you have a child? I would not miss it.
It will prove to be too entertaining. “ Elladan laughed as he
slid off his horse.
Elrohir scowled at
his brother’s back. Entertaining, indeed. He turned and
went to the round door set in the hill. Before he could knock on
the door, it swung open and a small body wrapped itself around his legs.
He laughed at the tiny girl.
“Hello, Rosa. Is your father home?”
“He is in the garden. Did you bring me something?”
“Elladan
did. Go ask him.” He grinned as the girl attacked his
brother. Now he would have to come up with something.
Elrohir went
around the small hill to the rear of the dwelling. He found
Gradin tending his roses. They were beautiful this time of
year. The man took much pride in his garden, and with due
cause. They were the finest roses in the Shire.
Gradin looked up as Elrohir came around the side of the hill.
“Greetings. And so unexpected.”
“Greetings to you also. We had some time and I have a favor to ask.”
“Where is your brother?”
“He was waylaid by a small Halfling. He must now come up with payment for entering her realm.”
“Come, sit down. Would you like some tea?”
“That would be welcome.”
By the time Gradin
had returned with tea for everyone, Elladan had appeased the offended
Halfling and came around to the back. Gradin set the tray on a
wooden table. He poured three large cups and one tiny one for
Rosa.
“How have you
been, Gradin? We were much sorrowed to hear of the passing of
your wife last winter. How is Rosa?”
“We are
fine. She has done much to take my mind off the last few
months. I do not know how her mother kept up with her. It
is a full time job. But what do you have, Elrohir?”
Elladan sat back and relaxed.
“We found this
girl on the coast. We are taking her to our father. I
thought that maybe you would spare some clothes for her. She had
nothing.”
“She was alone? How could that happen?”
“We have no
idea. She has not spoken. The boat she was in would not
have made it past the shoreline if pushed back in.”
“Let me see
her.” Gradin reached for the child. To the twins’ surprise,
she went to the Halfling. She grabbed him around the neck and
started crying.
“Well, maybe she is a lost Shire child.”
“I do not think
so,” said Elladan. “She is too big. I think she might be
from Rohan. We disagree, but she has the looks.”
“Wherever she is
from, she was loved. Look how easily she came to me. Only a
trusting child would do that. What will Lord Elrond do with her?”
“We are not
sure. Probably place her with a family I know in a village east
of Rivendell. They lost a daughter last winter. I think
they would welcome her.”
“Here,” Gradin said, handing the girl back to Elrohir. “I will be right back.”
He went into the house. Within minutes, he returned with a small bundle of clothes.
“You can try
these. They are too big for Rosa. There is a good lady down
the road who makes clothes for her. I think she has other than my
daughter’s welfare in mind, but I would not be adverse.” He
grinned. “She is kind and not hard to look at.”
The twins laughed at their friend. Elrohir held up several dresses and trousers.
“I think these
will do. I thank you for your generosity. Someday, you must
visit us in Rivendell. I know my father would like to meet
you. We have told him so much about you and your family.”
“That is all well
and good, but I think it will be a long time before it is safe to
travel outside the Shire. There are rumors even here for those
who listen.”
Elladan was startled. “You have heard things?”
“There are words
circulating concerning a certain land to the east. Not everyone
listens, but those who do are worried.”
“We thought you were well insulated against such rumors.”
“They manage to
seep in. Do not worry. Not all listen or believe. It
is fortunate. It is also fortunate that a few do. Ignorance
will kill as surely as a blade.”
“That is an odd philosophy for a Shire man.”
“I admit that it
is, but I am in a minority. Most are concerned with the daily
living of life. Other than Rosa and my roses, I have little else
to fill my days. Therefore, I listen. I hear all sorts of
things. I heard a tale the other day about a people from the far
east. They settled in the White Mountains south and west of
here. They have had dealings with few. A very tight and
suspicious lot. Strange customs. You may want to check
there for missing persons.”
Elrohir looked down at the child who had climbed back in his lap.
“That is a great
distance from Balfalos. How do explain the appearance of so small
a child so far from there?”
“I am not
explaining anything. I am repeating what I have heard. It
may be best to forget what I have said. If they lost a girl
child, she can only be better off. What little I have heard
suggests their women are used mainly for chattel. Little status
and no rights. I can only think she might fare better anywhere
else.”
“Father will know
best what to do. I wish she would speak. Even if only her
name. I would like something more than child or girl.”
Rosa came over to
Elrohir. She took the girl’s hand and pulled her from his
lap. They went into the house. The adults sat and drank
their tea. Before long, they were startled by the sound of
giggles coming from the house. When they emerged, both girls were
smiling and wearing Gradin’s shoes. The men laughed at the young
ones trying to walk in boots that went well above their knees.
The joy on the girl’s face transformed her into a very pretty sight.
“Ela taught me a new game,” said Rosa.
“Who did?” asked Elladan.
“Ela. She likes shoes.”
“Is that her name?”
“Of course, silly. My name is Rosa.”
“Ela,” Elrohir said. He was rewarded with a look from the child.
“How did you get her name, Rosa?”
“She told me.”
“The unknown
language of children,” interjected Gradin. “They will speak to
each other when to no one else.”
Elrohir switched
to the Westron tongue and spoke to the girl. She tilted her head
at him in confusion. He then switched to Elvish. She seemed
to be sorting through what he said. Suddenly, she smiled and
nodded. She understood some form of the tongue of elves.
“I guess our trip
into the Shire was more than luck. Thank you for your help,
Gradin. We must be getting on. We have only six weeks to
get back to Bree.”
He turned to Rosa. “Thank you for your help. Now we can call her by her name.”
“You are welcome,”
Rosa said, very solemnly. “Good hunting. May butterflies
always tumble your tummy.”
Elrohir glanced at Gradin.
“Her own
farewell. She made that up after tumbling down a hill. She
said it felt good, so she did it all afternoon. You are
lucky. She only says it to those she really likes.”
“Well, Lady Rosa,
I will look for butterflies everywhere. When I see one, I will
remember you and your blessing.”
He turned and
started around the hill. Ela ran up and grabbed his hand.
He looked down in surprise. He glanced back at Elladan. His
brother was grinning like a besotted man.
“Mother.”
They were met by Gradin, who had gone through the house. He handed Elladan a sack.
“You might find
she likes these better than travel food. It is some of Rosa’s
favorite pastries and bread. There is also some cheese.
Remember this, children get fussy when tired. Do not overdo it
with her. Let her decide when you stop.”
“Thank you for the
food, and the advice. Also for the clothing and news. And
you remember the butterflies.”
Gradin laughed.
“Come again.
I enjoy our visits. The elves do not come into the Shire much
anymore. You are all missed. I value and cherish our
friendship.”
“As do we.
We will come any chance we get. And do not forget about our
invitation. You would be most welcome in Rivendell.”
“I will think on it. Come, Rosa. It is naptime. I feel tired.”
The brothers
laughed at him as they each gave Rosa a hug and she planted a kiss on
each one. When Elladan put
her down, she ran to her father.
“Goodbye, Ela. Remember the butterflies.”
Ela nodded and
turned to Elrohir. He picked her up and put her on the horse,
then climbed up after her. When Elladan was mounted, they turned
north to catch the Great East Road. They would make better time
staying on the main roads than going cross-country with a
child.
****
The afternoon was
pleasantly spent riding through the Shire. People waved and
children ran after them. It was unusual, but not unheard of for
elves to ride through the Shire. They stopped in a small wooded
area far from any dwellings for the night. Ela had not fussed,
but they did not want to give her a chance.
Elrohir slid off
his horse and lifted her down. She went over to a log and sat
down. Elladan saw to the horses while Elrohir got their supper
ready. They decided to have no fire, since they were still in the
Shire. Ela turned from the food they ate and nibbled on the
pastries Gradin had provided. She tried the cheese and ate every
bit they gave her. When supper was finished, she went sat next to
Elrohir and snuggled up to him. He smiled down at her.
“Ela,” he said, touching her shoulder. “Elrohir,” he said, touching his chest.
She cocked her head and said “Elf.”
“Yes, but my name is Elrohir. That is Elladan,” he said pointing at his brother.
“Elldan.”
“No, Elladan.”
“Elldan.” she insisted.
“Very well. Elldan.”
“Elf,” she said pointing to him, again.
“Elrohir.”
She said several
words the elves did not understand. They picked out two that
sounded familiar. Da and Elf.
“Well, at least she can speak. I was beginning to wonder,” said Elladan.
“I do not recognize the language, but maybe Father will.”
“We had better follow her example. We have a long ride tomorrow.”
Elrohir looked down and saw she had fallen asleep.
****
Must The Past Always Catch Up With You?
Elladan woke the
next morning to see his brother looking at something. He crawled
over to the log Elrohir was resting against. Looking towards the
woods, he saw Ela crouched down. Raising himself up for a better
look, he saw she was petting a rabbit. He turned to Elrohir.
“How did she get so close?”
“She just walked up to it.”
One of them must
have made a movement the rabbit noticed. It jumped and ran.
Ela stood and watched it go. Turning, she made her way slowly
back to where the brothers waited.
Without a word,
she picked up the small bag that had held her supper. She looked
up expectantly at the men.
“Would you not like some breakfast before we go?” Elladan asked.
She did not
understand what he had said. He pantomimed eating. She
nodded. Putting down the bag, she sat on the log, waiting.
Elrohir removed the food from his bag and offered her some. She
shook her head.
“You must eat
something.” He tried again. She picked up her bag and
stood. Well, they could not force it down her throat.
They finished
eating and saddled the horses. She went over to Elrohir’s and
waited to be put on. He reached down and lifted her up into the
saddle. They rode out to the path that led to the main
thoroughfare through the Shire. Neither of them said
anything. The girl sat quietly on Elrohir’s horse.
“Maybe we could stop in Hobbiton for some food,” Elladan finally broke the silence.
“I really did not
intend to go that far north, but we may have no choice. Unless we
can find something before then.”
“Elf?” Elrohir almost missed the soft word.
“Yes, Ela?”
She patted the horse. A string of nonsensical words came from her.
“Horse,” he said.
She repeated the
word several times. Getting a response from her, the twins were
reluctant to let her lapse back into silence. They kept up the
word game for several miles. It was almost noon when they came to
a small cluster of buildings. Without a word, they stopped their
horses and surveyed the tiny village. A woman leaving one of the
houses finally decided them. Slowly approaching, Elladan called
out a greeting. She glanced up at the strangers and smiled.
“Well, hello and
welcome you are. Don’t see many of your kind ’round these parts
anymore. Fritzi, come here. See who’s come a visiting.”
A man came from around the back of the dwelling. He also smiled to see the elves.
“Welcome, welcome. What can we do for you?”
“Thank you for the
kind welcome, sir. We would like to buy some food. It seems
our small companion does not care for the hard and tasteless food of
the traveler.”
“I can’t say as I blame her. Come, we can help you.”
They dismounted
and Elrohir lifted Ela down from the horse. She walked up to the
woman and looked up at her. Something in the child’s eyes must
have spoken to the Halfling; she took the girl’s hand.
“We will be back. Seems she has a need.”
The twins looked
at each other. Why had they not thought of that? How long
would she have kept going?
“Come ’round
back,” said the man. “I think you will be more comfortable out
there in the garden. House was built for wee folk. By the
by, name’s Fritzi, wife is Meri.”
“My name is Elrohir and this is my brother, Elladan. Thank you for your kindness.”
“Think nothing of it. We do not get many visitors here. How far do you go?”
“We are going to Imaladris. That is where our father lives.”
“Imladris.
That is one beautiful city. Don’t care for the mountains, myself,
but if I did, that is the place to live.”
“You have been there?”
“Years ago.
I went at the behest of Gandalf. He needed messages and such
taken to Lord Elrond. I was free at the time, so a couple of
friends and I offered to go. A most gracious and generous host,
he was. I could never repay him for his kindness to us. I
would wish all people were like him.”
The brothers grinned at each other.
“I think we may know of a way to repay him. He is our father.”
“You don’t say. Well, fancy that. I did not know he had children, other than the girl.”
“We travel
much. Right now we are with the Rangers. We are taking time
to deliver this girl to Lord Elrond.”
He glanced at the
door as his wife came out, carrying a tray of sandwiches and
drinks. The girl followed her.
“Meri, these gentlemen are going to Imladris. Their father is Lord Elrond.”
“Oh, that is grand. I love to hear him tell of the magnificent city there.”
She handed each of them a plate of food and a mug of cider.
“I hope this meets your needs. It is all I have prepared.”
“This will do
fine. We had breakfast, but the child would not eat.” They
all turned to see her devouring her sandwich. She picked the mug
up and sipped the liquid. Deciding that it would not hurt her,
she drank all of the cider. She did not ask for more, but when
Meri gave her more food and drink, she ate all of that, also.
“She does have an appetite,” said Fritzi.
“When she likes the food.”
“How is it you are traveling with such a small one, and human at that?”
Between the two of them, they told the story once again. Meri clucked her tongue.
“Such a sad tale. No one to care for her.”
“I know a family
that will take her in. If my father chooses not to keep her in
Imladris,” said Elrohir. He looked over at Ela. She sat on
the ground, playing with some clay pots.
“I will be back,”
said Meri. She went into the house. Ten minutes later, she
returned with a knapsack. She had a pile of things in her arms.
“Come here,
child,” she said. Ela immediately rose and came to her.
Mari held up a couple of dresses and tunics. There was also a
small pair of soft-soled boots. She had even found a rag doll.
“There were our
daughter’s. As she had three sons, they are of no use. I
have also packed some cheese and fruit for her. There are some
pastries and bread.”
“How can we repay your kindness?”
“It is not you who are paying us, we are repaying your father.”
“We thank
you. I will be sure to mention you to him. We must go
now. Again thank you for your hospitality.”
“We are glad to be able to help.”
They all walked
around to the front of the house. Elrohir went to get Ela, but
she ran back and gave Fritzi a hug, then Meri.
She rambled off some words. They managed to pick out ‘butterflies’ and ‘tummy’.
“I see she has met Rosa.”
“We stopped there yesterday. Graden is a good friend.”
“He is indeed that.”
Elrohir managed to
get Ela on the horse and swung up after her. Elladan took the
knapsack and placed it on his saddle. They turned and waved
farewell to the Halflings.
****
Chapter Two
And Just When Life Was Getting Boring
The two days it
took them to leave the Shire were uneventful. It would be another
three or four at the pace they were traveling to reach Imladris.
They stopped for lunch and again for the night only. The girl
never complained. Their word game was giving her quite an
extensive vocabulary. Not that she used it much. She seemed
to be storing the words. She only spoke when spoken to and it was
usually peppered with words they did not understand. She seemed
to understand more of what they were feeling, rather than what they
said.
When they were a
good distance from the Shire, Elladan silently turned back and
disappeared for several hours. When he rejoined his brother, he
seemed agitated.
“Calm down, brother,” cautioned Elrohir. “You know she picks up on your emotions. What is it?”
Giving himself
several minutes, he replied, “We have a shadow. I do not know who
or what yet, but they are back there.”
“We are still a day out of Imladris. How many are there?”
“At least five or six. We may be able to outrun them, but we cannot fight with the child.”
“Then we will have
to move it along.” He gave his horse a slight kick in the
sides. Before long they were moving at a slow canter. They
had gone for three hours when he felt the girl start to fidget
slightly.
“We need to stop soon. Ela is tired and we need to eat.”
Elladan looked
behind them. The way was straight and flat with no trees to
hinder his view. He saw nothing.
“You go ahead and
see to her. I have the trail food. I will go back and
watch. Here.” He threw the bag containing her food and
clothes at Elrohir. They rode on while Elladan dropped
back. Ela glanced back around Elrohir. She looked up at him.
“Elldan? Where does he go?”
“He is just riding back a ways. Do not worry. Come, we will stop up by that tree and eat.”
Reaching their
goal, he dismounted. He got Ela down and hurriedly fixed her a
sandwich and poured water into a small metal cup Meri had given
her. She ate and then disappeared into the bushes. Elrohir
gathered up their things and repacked them. After several
minutes, he decided to go get her. She came out and went to
him. He picked her and put her on the horse. He had just
mounted when Elladan came riding up.
“We ride.
They have the scent and have picked up the pace.” He grabbed the
bag his brother threw at him. They rode at a hard canter.
Elladan dropped back once more. Ten minutes later, he
caught up with them.
“The chase is
on. Pick it up, brother.” Elrohir kicked his horse again
and the animal shifted into a fast, hard run. They were just shy
of the foothills leading into the Misty Mountains. He clucked his
tongue at the horse; if possible, they were going faster. He
reached the start of the hills surrounding Imladris. Still riding
hard, they came to the pass through the hills. He slowed the
horse down to a walk. They could not run down the other side of
the pass. He let the horse pick its way down. The sheer
drop on one side and the mountain face on the other left no room to
maneuver. He hoped they had enough of a head start to reach the
entrance to the valley. Without looking back, he knew his brother
had dropped back again. He kept all of his concentration on the
path ahead. Surprisingly, he felt no fear from the girl.
She had her hands on his legs for balance, but there was no sound from
her. He heard a cry from behind.
“Ride, brother! They are fast on our heels!”
He spared a look
ahead. He could see the valley entrance and the bridge now.
It was only a short distance. He pushed the horse as fast as he
dared. Finally reaching the bridge, he shouted to the guards.
“We are followed. Elladan is behind me. Let none else pass!”
The guards ran to
the outer end of the bridge. The enchantments surrounding the
hidden valley would keep a wanderer out, but it would not stop arrows
flung at a rider coming in. Elladan dismounted as his horse
stepped onto the bridge. He drew his sword and turned to join the
guards fanned out across the width of the wide span. The riders
behind the elves drew up on the trail above them. They could no
longer see their quarry, but the elves could see clearly that they were
men. Dirty and coarse men. Not those that usually came to
the hidden city. The men eventually turned and headed back up to
the pass.
The captain of the guard turned to Elladan, who was standing next to him.
“What passes?”
“I do not
know. We picked them up a slow day’s ride out. We have been
traveling at a slower pace than normal.”
The captain glanced at Elrohir and the child on his horse.
“I see. Yes
the travel would be slow. I have sent a rider to your
father. He was not expecting you.”
“Yes, well, we
were not expecting to be here, either. We will go on now.
Do you have things in hand?”
“I do not think they will try the barriers. Most find them very uncomfortable.”
Elladan
laughed. He mounted his horse and followed his brother.
They rode for the stables below their father’s house. He looked
up at the residence. What a magnificent place. It was
everything the outside world whispered about. Those who had never
seen it could describe it just from rumors.
He gabbed Ela’s bag and started up the steps leading to the main terrace.
****
A Butterfly Is No Substitute For A Bull In A China Shop
Imladris lay
in a valley below the Misty Mountains. The white buildings that
marched down the valley and up its sides were interspersed with long,
narrow waterfalls. The effect was breathtaking. Any
outsider fortunate to have visited the Elven city proclaimed it the
most beautiful thing they had ever seen.
Its ruler,
Lord Elrond Halfelven, was reputed to be the wisest and most patient of
leaders. He had built the city as a refuge from evil. It
was a refuge now for any seeking asylum. He did not care if they
were Elven or Human. He had offered refuge to the children of
Isildur, the last Great King. Even the Dwarves were
welcome. It was a place of healing and learning.
He had been
pacing for a day now. Something was not right. He had felt
it. For some reason, he knew it involved his sons. It had
been two years since he had seen them last. Even his friend
Glorfindel could feel the unrest. When the rider had come up with
the news that the twins had arrived at the bridge riding hard, he had
sent for his chief advisor.
Erestor had only
just arrived when Elladan came up the steps to the terrace. He
was dirty and looked worn. He went to his father and bowed his
head.
“Elladan, what has happened?”
“We were riding
with a riddle for you and picked up a shadow. It followed us all
the way through the pass. We only lost it when we crossed the
bridge.”
“Where is your brother?”
“He follows. He brings the riddle. Hello, Glorfindel. Greetings, Erestor.”
They turned as
Elrohir at last came up the steps. Elrond looked hard at his sons
when he saw what his eldest one held.
“What is this?”
“We found her on
the coast. We wanted you to see her before we took her to Benerd
and Mares. I know they will take her in.”
They told them the whole story, from finding the child to the race for the valley.
“Is it possible they were after the child?” asked Erestor.
“I could not
say. There was no one on the beach. We searched for a
couple of hours, but we had to get back to our company. You know
how Arathorn worries.” He grinned.
Elrond’s steward, Erentil came from the house.
“Dinner is ready.”
“Thank you. Erentil, would you take this child to Seldala and ask her to see to her?”
“Yes, Lord Elrond.”
He gently took the
sleeping girl from Elrohir. She settled on his shoulder. He
went back into the house.
“We will wait dinner while you change and clean up,” Elrond said to his sons.
They nodded and
went to their rooms. Twenty minutes later they entered the dining
hall, bathed and changed. They had just sat down when their
father’s housekeeper came into the room, leading the girl. They
had to admit, she looked much different. Her pale skin was
lighter than theirs with a dusting of freckles across her nose and
cheeks. Her hair, falling to her waist, was a color not unknown,
but the intensity was unusual. The setting sun caught the auburn
hair and sent streaks of bright copper shining through it. Her
bright blue eyes took in everything around her. Glancing at the
woman, she turned to Elrond and made a formal bow. He solemnly
nodded his head to her. Seldala led her to the two empty
seats. While Elladan jumped up to hold Seldala’s chair, Erestor
gracefully rose and held the child’s. When they had all sat down,
the serving girls brought out the food.
“Well, do you have a name?” Elrond asked the girl.
She looked at him but said nothing. He glanced at his sons.
“Rosa Took said her name was Ela. That is all we have been able to find out.”
“Elldan,” she said.
“Yes, I am Elladan. And you are?”
“Elrénia.”
“Well. That is the first time she has offered any information to us.”
“Rosa Took.
Is that not Graden’s daughter? I was saddened to hear of her
mother’s passing last winter. How are they?”
“They do
well. Graden even hinted that a lady down the road might have
more in mind than making dresses for Rosa. I think he may wed
again.”
Elrond laughed.
“We also met Fritzi and Meri. I do not think we asked their name.”
“I remember
Fritzi. He was very much taken with the city. Said he was
eager to return to the Shire, though. I guess now we know why.”
Erendil entered and whispered in Elrond’s ear.
“It seems we have more guests. Bring them in and two more chairs.”
By the time
Erendil had brought the chairs, the visitors had arrived. Elrond
stood and went to the pair.
“Haldir! Rúmil! How good to see you. Is all well?”
They bowed their heads, hands over their hearts.
“Thank you, Lord
Elrond. All is well. I have brought greetings and messages
from my Lord and Lady. Rúmil decided that he wanted to see life
outside the Golden Woods. I fear he may never wish to leave
Imladris. Lady Seldala,” he nodded to her. Cooling
slightly, he turned to the twins. “Elrohir, Elladan.” He
nodded to Glorfindel and Erestor.
“Come, join us for dinner. You must be hungry.”
“Truth told, we
are. We came straight through.” Their chairs happened to be
placed across from each other, next to Glorfindel and Elrénia.
Haldir looked down at the child beside him. He looked at Elrond
and raised an eyebrow.
“A riddle.
From the west coast. My sons brought her just today.” He
nodded towards the twins. They told the tale of finding the girl.
“That is extraordinary. What will you do with her?”
“Put her to bed and wish her good night.”
Haldir nodded at
the slight reprimand. He had forgotten for a moment where he
was. This was not his Lord and not as plainspoken. He would
do well to remember that. Rúmil had missed the exchange. He
and Glorfindel were deep into a story about balrogs. Haldir had
cautioned his brother about the subject. Glorfindel could go on
for hours.
Elrond
frowned. He respected the March Warden of Lórien, but his
arrogance did not sit well with him. It may serve him on the
border marches, but it did not help him in diplomatic situations.
“How is your other brother?”
“He is well, my lord.
“He has a son, does he not?”
“Yes. Elldar. He is two years old.”
“I thought so. They must be very happy.”
Haldir appeared to think about that.
“Yes, I suppose they are.”
“Elf,” Elrénia started, but finished with gibberish. Her voice was just barely audible.
“Ela, you must
speak Elvish. It might be thought rude to speak a language no one
understands.” Haldir noticed that only Elrohir answered the girl.
“Elf, where do we sleep tonight?” She said her words slowly and carefully.
“You will sleep in a nice big bed in a room next to Seldala. How is that?”
“And Elldan?”
“He has his own room.”
“And you, Elf?”
Haldir was getting
annoyed at the child calling someone Elf. Could she not remember
his name?
“I have my own room.”
“And does
Glorfindel and Erestor have their own rooms? And Lord
Elrond?” So she could remember names.
“Yes, sell. We all have our own rooms. Some of us even have our own houses.”
“What about the angry one?” she whispered.
“Who is that, sell?”
She quickly glanced up at Haldir. She had finally caught Rúmil and Glorfindel’s attention.
“Have you met this little one before, brother?” Rúmil asked with a grin.
“Why would she think me angry?” he asked, trying hard not to show his anger.
*She can feel it* said Elrohir, switching to Westron. Why subject the child to Haldir’s temper.
Haldir did not see
the hesitant hand reach over to his. He jerked at the feathery
touch on his wrist.
“Do not do that again,” he said, harshly.
Ela blanched and stiffened. A quiet stream of words came from her.
“Elvish, Ela,” came from Elrohir.
She got down from her chair.
“I did not mean to
hurt you.” She turned to Elrond. “Please, do not put me
back in a boat.” She ran from the room.
Elrohir ran after
her, leaving his father to deal with the situation. He went to
her room. Looking in, he did not see her at first. The door
to the cupboard was ajar and he could see a tiny boot. He went
and sat on the bed.
“Do you want to
talk to me?” He watched the boot disappear. “Do not worry
about him. He does not know about children. You scared him.”
“Elvish, please,” he said when she answered him.
“I scared
him? Why is he so angry? Ada said elves were nice. HE
is not nice. Maybe Da was right, not Ada.”
“Who is Da?” He suspected, but wanted her to say it.
“Nana’s
adar. He was not nice. He said elves were bad. Will
my nana come and get me now? I am tired. I want to go
home.”
Elrohir glanced up as his father halted at the doorway.
“Where is home?”
“I do not know. I am lost. In the big hills.”
“Can you tell me your adar’s name?”
“He said it was Gondol, but that is wrong. It was something else first.”
“He changed it?”
“Da did not like him. Or me. He was angry at Nana.”
“Will you come out? My adar would like to talk to you.”
“Is he like a da. I do not like Da. He put me in the boat. I did not like it.”
“My adar is very nice. He would never put you in a boat. Unless you wanted to.”
The cupboard door
opened very slowly. A small foot stepped down onto the
floor. Another followed. She was out, but still behind the
door. Peeking around, she saw Elrohir on the bed. She ran
to him and grabbed his legs. He picked her up and sat her on his
lap.
“There. See, no one is angry at you.”
“HE is.”
“No he is not. He wants to speak with you, when you decide it is alright,” said Elrond.
“Do I have to?”
“No, but it is the polite thing to do.”
She sighed. “Ada said I must always be polite.”
“Do you want to come back down to dinner?”
“No. I am not hungry.”
“Very well. I will give your regrets.” Elrond looked at his son.
“Do you want company?” Elrohir asked her.
“Elf, do you know where my things are?”
“They are in your cupboard.” He went over and showed her where her clothes and doll were.
“Do you want to play with me?”
“If that is what you want.”
Elrond left his
eldest son sitting on the floor playing with dolls. He remembered
a scene very similar when Arwen was a child.
****
Miss manners Takes A Holiday, But Comes Back Early
Breakfast the next
morning was uneventful. Ela had sneaked a look around the door
before entering. Not seeing the cause of her unhappiness, she
entered the dining room and took a seat next to Elladan.
“Did you sleep well?” asked Erestor.
“Yes. It was noisy. The water runs too loud.”
“It is difficult for one not used to it. Does it bother you?”
“No. It is just noisy.”
“May I ask you a question, sell?”
“You may,” she said just as formally.
“What is your age? I mean, how old are you?”
“I know what you meant. I am ten years old. Nana made me a cake last summer to mark it.”
“I see. Ten years old. I must say, you do not look that old.”
“It is Nana’s fault, she says. She is very old and beautiful.”
“Oh, how old is she?”
“I do not know. She always just says centuries. What does she mean?”
“A century is one hundred years.”
“I know that. What does she mean?”
“That I would not know, never having spoken to her.”
“Well, Ada was
very old. He said that men and elves were friends. He lost
his someone in the war.”
“What war?”
She shrugged her shoulders.
“Some last something. He did not like to talk about it.”
“Do you know your adar’s name?”
“He said it was Gondol, but he lied to me. I did not think elves lied.”
Erestor glanced
over at Elrond. He had agreed to question the child, but she was
not acting like a six-year-old child. Her speech was too
mature. He was not sure how to answer her questions.
“Elves do not lie.”
“Then why did he tell me his name was Gondol?”
“Maybe he had a
reason for changing it. You said your da did not like him.
Maybe that is why he did it.”
“And maybe he just lied to me. Where is the Elf?”
“Do you mean Elrohir?”
“Yes, that is who I mean.”
“He is down at the stables. Why?”
“Because talking to him does not make my head hurt.”
Erestor sat back
and raised his eyebrows. He thought he heard a muffled chuckle
from Elrond.
Suddenly Ela jumped up and ran for the door. She almost collided with Haldir and Rúmil.
“I would like a word with you,” Haldir said, just a trace of haughtiness to his voice.
“I am not ready to be polite,” was the response as she slid past them and ran down the hall.
“Someone had better curb her attitude. It will get her into trouble,” he said quietly to his brother.
“Yes, just like the trouble you always got into.”
He chose to ignore the remark.
“Lord Elrond, at your convenience, I have the papers in order for you.”
“Very well. I will see you in an hour in the library.”
Haldir nodded and they left.
“What did you think?” Elrond asked Erestor.
“Either she is
lying about her age, does not know or there is something else at
work. She cannot be ten years old. However, her speech and
abilities seem to belie that. Right now, I do not know what to
think.”
“I happen to know
that Benerd is away visiting relatives in Rohan. He will not be
back for several months. I will keep her here until they
return. Will you see to her education while she is here? I
think we can learn much from her. I would like to know what
language she speaks.”
“If that is what you wish. Do you think she will fit into a Edain family?”
“She seems very adaptable. I do not think there will be problems.”
“Then I will see what I can teach her. She seems bright enough.”
****
Train Of Thought Is A Good Thing, Unless Derailed
Within days, Ela
had explored every room in the house. She had even found an old
tree house that the twins had built. She had discarded her dress
for the day. She wanted to climb and trousers were so much
better. She had sat down with her doll and some blocks when she
heard a noise from below. Glancing over the edge of the platform,
she saw the one person she had been avoiding.
“Go away. You are not welcome here.” He strained to hear her words.
“I just wanted to
apologize. You startled me. That is why I reacted as I
did.” The softness in his voice matched hers.
“I am not ready to be polite. You should not be here.”
“Do you have to be polite for me to apologize?”
“Ada said I must be polite. Until then, I will not speak with you.”
“We are speaking now.”
“No, I am speaking
AT you, not WITH you. Now you will please remove yourself and
leave me alone. You make me uncomfortable. Ada said I do
not have to do anything that makes me uncomfortable.” Her tone
changed. “Besides, you are also uncomfortable. Why?”
“What kind of question is that? I am not uncomfortable.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I am…”
Why was he arguing with a child? Because she was right.
Children made him very uncomfortable.
“Now that we have
settled that, would you like to come up? It is easier to talk
when you do not have to look up constantly.”
Haldir looked at the rickety centuries old platform.
“I do not think that a sound idea. Why do you not come down?”
He heard nothing,
then saw a pair of boots come flying in his direction. He barely
missed getting hit by one, but caught the other one with his
forehead. She climbed down, barefooted, until she was about five
feet from the ground. She jumped gracefully and landed on her
feet.
“Did my boot hit
you? I would like to apologize.” By the smirk on her face
as she turned from him, he knew that she was not sorry.
He led the way to
the garden in the rear of the house. She followed him at a short
distance. He sat down on a bench. She sat at the other
end. He saw a book sticking out of her bag.
“What is that?” he asked.
“A book.”
“I can see that. About what?”
“Geography.
It seems that I must learn about the land. Lord Erestor has
decided that he will teach me.”
“What have you learned so far?”
“That Imladris is the center of the universe and Lórien is somewhere out in the fringes.”
“Really?”
“No. But it
almost got a rise out of you. Imladris is a haven. For
anyone. Lórien is only for elves. The other major holdings
are the Grey Havens and Mirkwood. Men are allowed there. Do
you not find that strange? The major realms of men are Gondor and
Rohan. Mordor is of no good to anyone. The east is bad, the
west is good. North is a wasteland and south for men.”
“Well, it seems you have learned a lot. What do you intend to do with your knowledge?”
She shrugged.
“I want to learn
about people. Why elves are good and men are not always. I
really like the Halflings. Rosa was so nice to me. Are all
Halflings like that? And I want to meet a Dwarf. They seem
so fascinating. Small people who live in caves. Do you not
think that exciting?”
“Let me see, elves
and men are the way they are because of their natures. The
Halflings are very special people. No one wants to meet a
Dwarf. And caves are bad places.”
“Elves are not
always nice. I have read some of the things they did. They
were no better than men. And what of Melkor? Was he good?”
“Stop!” he said,
laughing. “I think you should ask these questions of
Erestor. He is a teacher, I am not.
“Do you not know everything? You are an adult.”
“My knowledge lies in other directions.”
“What do you know?”
“I know much of the geography and the peoples of our land. I also know of weapons.”
“Ada said weapons never solved anything. They only kill.”
“I would like to meet your adar.”
“Well, you will need to speak to Namo about that.”
He looked at her in shocked silence.
“Do you know who Namo is?”
“He keeps the ones who have passed. Is that something you did not know?”
He was saved from answering by the bell calling for the noon meal.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes. I am hungry.”
****
Hey Diddle Diddle, The Cat And The Fiddle
Everyone was
surprised when they showed up for the meal together. Ela bowed to
Elrond and took her seat. Haldir nodded.
*I would speak with you later,* he said to his host.
Elrond nodded and
began to eat. The meal was peppered with tales of the Rangers and
news of Lórien. Haldir thanked the Valar that Glorfindel was not
present. He was tired of hearing of balrogs. He noted that
his brother was also missing. Seldala asked Ela how she had
passed the morning. Haldir sat through her account of their
conversation. Elrond just raised an eyebrow.
When they had
finished, Seldala suggested a nap for Ela. The twins left for a
foray into the near mountains. Haldir followed Elrond and Erestor
to the library. There he reported the conversation as it had
actually taken place.
“How could she know so much of the ways of elves, yet be so ignorant of them?” Haldir asked.
“One explanation
is that she is Elven. I know it seems far fetched, but she
mentioned her father did not like to speak about the war. What
war do you know of that would be ‘some last something’ to a
child?”
“Another explanation would be that she is a compulsive liar and made the whole thing up.”
Erestor frowned at
Haldir. “The things she says are too consistent. A
compulsive liar trips himself up. Have you caught her in a lie?”
Haldir thought back. “No, I have not. So, a blow to the head? Maybe in the boat?”
“Again, the facts
she has given do not support that theory. She picked up Elvish
very quickly. I think she knows a form of it. Not pure, but
maybe a pidgin form of it.”
“Well,” said
Elrond, speaking for the first time, “We have only three, maybe four
months to solve the riddle. Then she will go to Misty Havens and
live with a family there. She will be well taken care of.
They lost their only daughter last winter.”
Haldir rose and addressed Elrond.
“We will leave in the morning.”
“Very well. I will have things ready for you to take back to Celeborn.”
Haldir took his leave. Elrond sat back and pondered what had been discussed.
“Do you think she is Elven?”
“Frankly, I doubt
it. She looks neither Sindarin nor Noldarin. The woods
elves are disinclined to mate with men. They place themselves
above the Sindar in that respect. They would not water down the
lines. I think it likely that Elladan was right. She
probably is from Rohan. She may have misunderstood things she
heard concerning the ages of her parents.”
“I am not sure. However, teach her what you can and learn also from her.”
Erestor bowed his head. He turned and left the library.
****
Erestor looked
over the paper Elrénia had given him. Her writing was neat and
precise. Just as he demanded. He corrected the few mistakes
and handed it back. He watched as she redid the work. He
knew he pushed her hard, but he would not lower his standards just
because she was not Elven. Knowledge was something to be learned,
not handed out on a silver platter. He also knew that she spent
too much time in the library trying to keep up with him. In two
months, she had mastered the alphabet and numbers. She could
write simple ideas down and count to a hundred. Her Sindarin had
improved. There were fewer nonsense words included in her
speech. All in all, he was satisfied with her progress.
“I will return,”
he said, touching her shoulder to get her attention. He went out
into the garden, where he had seen Elrond.
“Erestor. How does it go today?”
“Very well. She is adept, for a human.”
“I have heard from
Benerd. He will not return for another six months. It seems
his brother’s wife is with child and not doing well. They want to
remain for a while longer. Their sons are returning, but I
hesitate to send her without the parents there.”
“I agree.
The wait will not hurt her any. She is like a sponge.
Everything I teach her soaks in. When needed, she knows exactly
what is correct.” He hesitated. “Have you seen her room
lately?”
“No, but I heard. Where did she find a cat?”
“She said in the stables.”
“Can you spare her
lessons this afternoon? I would like to take her riding.
She has been stuck in the library too much.”
“Certainly,”
“Thank you. Tell her we go after the noon meal.”
“Very well.”
He went back into
the library. Ela was not at the table. He looked around and
was beginning to get angry she had left, when he saw her on the
terrace. He saw her playing with something near the
railing. Walking out, he saw it was a raven. He was going
to shoo the bird away, when he realized she was talking to it.
And not in Sindarin. She reached out and stroked the bird’s
head. He could hear her softly croon a song. Out of the
corner of his eye, he saw Elrond had come to the window. Several
minutes went by before she shooed the bird herself. She turned,
shocked to see the two elves watching her.
“I am terribly
sorry, Lord Erestor. I know you told me not to leave the library,
but the bird wanted a song.” She started to run for the library.
“Stay, sell. You have done no harm. Your work is completed for the day?”
“Yes, Lord.
I corrected all the mistakes and went on to the next lesson. I do
not think I made many errors.”
He gave her a rare
smile. Walking over to a small table, he motioned her to join
him. He laid down paper and a pen.
“You have done
very well. This afternoon, Lord Elrond wants to take you
riding. You are excused from lessons the rest of the day.”
“Oh. But what of the one I just finished?”
“I will look over it and we can discuss it tomorrow.”
She was quiet. She picked up the pen and dipped it in the ink. She drew for a few minutes.
“Lord Erestor? May I ask you a question?”
“Yes. If it is in my power, I will answer.”
“Why are some men good and some bad? And are there bad elves? And what about Melkor?”
“Wait. Slow
down. I can only answer one question at a time. It is the
nature of men to be what they are. Most are good. They live
by codes similar to those of the elves. They obey the laws.
Then there are some who do not believe the law is for them. If
they want something, they feel they should have it. The same can
be said for elves. We have laws and codes. But sometimes
things make even elves do what they would not ordinarily do. Are
you thinking of the Kinslayings?” At her nod, he continued.
“They were driven by grief. It is not excusable, just
understandable. But remember, at the time, they did not perceive
their actions as evil. It was only afterwards that they realized
the harm they had done. That is why you must be ever mindful of
your actions and words. As for Melkor, it seems even the Valar
can be jealous and greedy.”
“The angry one does not like me. Why?”
“Do you mean Haldir?” She nodded.
“He is not used to
children. They make him uncomfortable. He is used to
commanding and being obeyed. Children do not work that way.
I thought you did not like him.”
“He is alright. He needs to loosen himself. He is too stiff. He needs a woman.”
Erestor blinked.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Down at the
stables. When I got my cat. Why does everyone think I do
not hear Elvish. I can speak it, does it not mean I can
understand it?”
“I think it best
if you avoided the stables. It is no place for a young
girl. It could be dangerous.”
“I am not afraid. Even the old snake under the flooring likes me. He told me so.”
“You can speak with snakes?”
“Well, no.
But he felt like he likes me. The horse in the end stall does not
like the snake, though.”
“You were near the
horse in the big stall? You must never go near him. He
is too dangerous. Promise me you will not go back to the
stables.”
“How will I go riding this afternoon?”
“You must promise.”
“Very well. But who will feed the snake?”
“That snake was fine before you came, he will survive.”
She drew for a while.
“Were you ever a child?”
“Yes. A long time ago.”
“Did people tell you what you could and could not do?”
“Yes. They told me for my own good. Otherwise, I would not have grown up wise enough to teach you.”
“Ada was very wise. And my Nana was very wise to wed him. She always says so.”
“May I ask you a question?”
She thought about it.
“I will answer, if it is in my power.” He smiled at her imitation of himself.
“Where is your Ada?”
“He is with
Namo. That is what Nana says. Da was very angry.
Haldir is not that angry. I could learn to like him.”
“But your Ada?”
“Oh. Da did
not like him. Told my Nana she was a bunch of things. I do
not remember all of them. Foolish. Traitor.
Worthless. Whore.”
“Alright. I understand. What happened to him?”
“I do not
remember. It was not good. But he is better now. Namo
will take care of him. Do you think he will let him come visit?”
“That is a question I cannot answer. What of your Nana?”
“She was unhappy
with Da. She cried for days. He finally told her to shut up
if she wanted to keep the spawn. What is that?”
“Yet another question I cannot answer. Where is your Nana now?”
“I think she went
swimming. I woke up one morning, and she was gone. She told
me to stay under the cover so I would not get wet. But she would
not hide with me. Does it storm much here? I have not heard
any thunder.”
“No, it does not storm often. Your Nana was in the boat, and then she was not?”
“Yes. Do you have a cat?”
“No. Was it storming when your Nana left?”
“Yes. She
cried a lot. She said something about her nana, but I do not
remember. Do you talk to birds?” He was having trouble
keeping track of the conversation.
“Sometimes. But they do not talk to me.”
“Does that make me
a…a…witch! That is what Da called Nana! He said it was
wrong to talk to animals. If you had a cat, what color would it
be?”
“I think yellow. What is a witch?”
“I do not know. Something bad? So, if my cat has kittens, and one is yellow, you will take it?”
“Yes, sell.” She looked up at him. He was rubbing his temple.
“Does your head hurt?”
“No, sell,” he said, wincing. “What have you drawn?”
“It is a picture
of Ada, the last time I saw him.” Erestor was extremely disturbed
to see that she had drawn a figure hanging in a tree.
****
Chapter Three
Not Enough Dwarves In The Bureau
“Did you hear that?” Erestor said to Elrond as he entered the library.
“Every word. I can understand why you have a headache. Is she usually so disjointed?”
“Only if she is
asking the questions. If I ask them, she stays on subject.
This was the worse one yet. What do you think of this drawing?”
Elrond took it and studied it.
“This is most unsettling. This is her father?”
“That is what she said.”
“It seems her da was most unhappy with her father.”
“Are you still planning on sending her to Benerd?”
“I still think it is best. She needs to be with her own kind.”
“What if you find men are not her own kind?”
“That is a bridge I will cross if it appears.”
****
Within another two
months, Erestor was pleased to tell Elrond that Elrénia was reading and
writing at a level consistent with an Elven child of the same apparent
age. He had decided to take her to the village down the
valley. She would do well with the experience.
When he came to
get her, he found her waiting. She had on her best dress and new
shoes. She had found someone to braid her hair. Except for
the freckles and the ears, she looked Elven. She took the hand he
offered. They went down the road.
“Did you look at my papers this morning?” she asked.
“There is to be no
discussion of schooling today. It is a holiday. We are
going to look around and see what others are doing.”
“Yes, Lord Erestor.”
They walked quietly. When they reached the town, she looked around.
“Do people live like this? Bunched up?”
“Some do. Where did you live?”
“In the forest. Just us.”
“Then it is time
you saw how others live. In Gondor, they live much closer.
Sometimes even in houses above each other.”
“Do they like it?”
“I suppose some do. Others may have no choice.”
“I would not like it. I would miss the trees.”
“As would I.
Here, wait for me. I will be right back.” He turned into a
shop and left her standing by the door. She looked at the
different people around her. She saw mostly elves with a few
men. There were even a couple of Halflings, but no Dwarves.
“What are you
looking for, sell?” She jumped slightly at Erestor’s
question. She had not heard him behind her.
“I wanted to see a Dwarf. I know there are some here, but I do not see any.”
“Nor will
you. There are only a few right now, and they tend to stay in
their own part of the village. They are accepted here, but not
necessarily welcomed by all. Come with me.”
He had a small
package he put in his left hand and took her hand with his right.
He led her on down the street. There were a few who turned and
stared at them. The farther they went, the less elves they
saw. Erestor stopped before a small dark house. Knocking on
the door, he stepped back. When the door opened, Ela was
delighted to see that it was a Dwarf standing in the doorway.
“Lord Erestor. What a surprise!”
“Dorga. I have a request.”
“You have a request of me? Certainly. Anything I can do.”
“My young student has a desire to meet a Dwarf. I thought you might be inclined to speak with her.”
“I had heard you had a new pupil. I would be happy to meet her. Come in.”
They entered the
dwelling, Erestor ducking to clear the lintel. When inside, he
stood up, but still had to watch his head on the rafters. Dorga
immediately pulled a chair from beside the wall and placed it near the
table. The Elf gracefully sat down, relieved. Ela was
amused, but knew better than to laugh.
“Ela, this is
Master Dorga. He is here to handle the trade arrangements between
his people and Imladris. Dorga, this is Elrénia. She is
staying at Lord Elrond’s for a while.”
“I am honored,” she said in a soft voice. “I have wanted to meet a Dwarf for so long.”
“Well, I am
honored, also,” he replied, managing to hide the laugh that threatened
to explode at her formality.
“Do you live here all the time?”
“Yes. This
is my home for now. When my time is up, I may just stay.
This is a very good place to live.”
“Yes it is. I hope Misty Havens is as nice.”
“Misty Havens?” he asked.
“That is where I
am going. I do not know why, but I must live with my own
kind. Do you not live away from your own kind? I do not see
the difference, but I am just a child, and…”
“Ela,” Erestor said, forestalling one of her question tirades.
“I am sorry, Lord Erestor.”
“No apology is
needed. I just do not think it polite to take up much of Master
Dorga’s time the first visit.”
“I can come back?” she asked, excitedly.
“Certainly. I have no objections.”
“Thank you.
This is the best day ever. Well, except when I got my cat.
Do you like cats? Do you have one? What color do you think
is best?” She stopped at the touch on her shoulder.
“I think we have taken enough of Master Dorga’s time. We will come again.”
“Yes, Lord Erestor.”
“Thank you, Dorga. You have no idea how much this means to her.”
“Anytime.”
They left the house, Erestor rolling his neck to relieve the catch caused by ducking the doorway.
“That was very exciting. He was nothing like the Dwarves in the books.”
“That is because
you have only read books written by elves. I assure you history
from their point of view will differ greatly. I will see if I can
find a book written by a Dwarf.”
“Is it a lesson, or for fun?”
“You would read it either way, so what is the difference?”
She thought on that for a moment.
“You are right. There is no difference.”
They walked back to Lord Elrond’s residence in silence.
“Did you enjoy your trip?” Lord Elrond was sitting on the terrace.
“Very much. I met a Dwarf. He said I may come back.”
“Who was it?”
“Dorga. He
was most gracious.” The words rolled slowly from her
tongue. Elrond had to cough back the laugh. She was
beginning to sound too much like Erestor.
“You should go to the kitchen. I think the cook has something for you.”
“Yes, Lord
Elrond.” She bowed her head and walked sedately from the
room. They could hear her light footsteps running down the
hall. Elrond smiled.
“It is good to have a child in the house again.”
“It is good to have such a bright pupil.” Erestor replied.
“We have something to discuss.”
“I thought as much.”
“I have heard
again from Benerd. His brother’s wife has died, leaving him with
a newborn baby. Mares is bringing the child back with them.
I do not think it a good time to burden them with another. I
would like to keep her here.”
“Are you asking me as your advisor, or her teacher?”
“Both.”
Erestor put his hands behind his back and walked to the railing. Turning, he looked at his lord.
“There would be
difficulties. You have not taken in a child of men for many
years. Do you remember the problems relative to their
upbringing? The aging differences will be hard enough.
There are no other children her age or race here now. How will
she learn the things she will need later? I do not doubt our
abilities to raise her, just prepare her for the outside world.
Others had difficulties adapting. Some returned, never to leave
again. Others drifted, never fitting in with their own. As
for her, she would receive one of the best educations available, but
what good will it do her out there? She is already far past the
normal intelligence for one of her age and race .”
“You have already thought this through.”
“I have foreseen the possibilities. That is what you expect from me.”
“Yes, it is.
I agree with all you have said. But I think she is already too
advanced to just put her into the outside world. She would not
fit into the lifestyle of a rural farmer.”
“That is true. So, the best thing for now is to leave her here. She will not be disappointed.”
“Good then. I will inform her at lunch. Will you stay?”
“I have several
things that need my attention. I will come back this
evening.” He bowed and walked back down the steps.
II
A Sticky Mess And A Funeral
Elrénia
thought hard on how to best torment Caldelen today. It was her
favorite pastime. She never forgave him for calling her
Orc-spawn. She knew what that was. She was not
stupid. In fact, she was very intelligent. Most of her
adopted people took her size as an indication of her age and
abilities. That was their problem.
She had
lived in Imladris for five years. She was small and looked to be
twelve. Her long copper hair was now gold and kept at
shoulder length. It was braided at the sides and pulled back,
just like Elrohir’s. She wore only breeches and a tunic, gotten
for her from one of the Edain villages by Elrohir. Only a blind
man could not see she emulated him at every turn.
It did not
help that he spoiled her whenever he was home. He brought her
hair clips from places he had visited. He brought books he
thought would interest her.
Seldala,
Elrond’s housekeeper despaired of her ever using the gentle graces she
had been taught. She could sew and had learned to entertain
guests. She knew how to behave in a social setting. She
could not cook. That seemed beyond her capabilities for
now. She would wear a dress only if Elrond or Erestor required it
of her.
On the other
hand, she could use a child’s practice bow and had a small knife.
She could ride a pony well enough to stay on it. When her
schooling did not require her presence, she would be out with Caldelen,
an Elf child near her age.
Only Erestor
could command her attention for more than necessary to learn a new
skill. She still had the maddening habit of questioning a person
to death.
She had been
working on a special present for her adoptive father, Elrond. She
had finally learned to stop saying Lord Elrond. She even
sometimes referred to him as Ada. Erestor had helped with part of
the surprise and Seldala had aided with the hard part.
But, first,
to take care of Caldelen. He had put her cat in a box
again. She knew that there was only one thing he treasured as
much as she did her cat. His bow.
She had crept down
to his father’s house when she thought no one was looking. She
went to the window that opened into his room. Jumping up, she
grabbed the ledge and pulled herself up. Carefully looking to
make sure the room was empty, she dropped to the floor. Going to
the cupboard where he kept his weapons, she slowly opened the
door. She lifted his bow. It was a work of art.
Carved with stags and horses. She did not have the heart to
destroy something so beautiful, so she took all of his arrows and broke
them into small pieces. Leaving them in the middle of the floor
where he would be sure to see them, she climbed back out the
window. As she turned, she ran into Elrohir. He had seen
her sneaking off and followed.
“Ela, what
were you doing up there?” he asked. He knew she had done
something in Caldelen’s room. “I hope you do not get into too
much trouble.”
“Not near as much as he will be in if they find out what he did.”
“What did he do?”
“I cannot tell you. I swore to secrecy, but if it comes out, I will give you every detail.”
She took his hand and led him away from the house.
He followed her back up to his father’s house. She sat on a bench on the terrace.
“Elf, can I leave here?”
“Where would you want to go?”
“Anywhere. I
want to see the places I have read about. I want to visit
Rosa. We write, but it is not the same. I want to see
Lórien. I want to see the crowded houses of Gondor. I want
to see flat land.”
“Is there anywhere you do not want to go?” he laughed.
“Mordor. But even that would be different.”
“What has Ada said?”
“I have not asked him. Lord Erestor said it was foolish and I should not bother him.”
“If I could talk him into it, where would you like to go first?”
“Lórien. I
would like to see Arwen. And the trees. Lord Erestor says
they live up in the trees. I want to see that. He says it
is very beautiful.”
“It is.
“You will ask?”
“Yes, sell, I will
ask. Come now, it is time to eat. I would like to be gone
when Caldelen comes home.”
“He deserves
it. He put my cat in a box again. If we were not such good
friends, I would not like him.”
Her twisted logic made him laugh.
“Besides, when Ada goes into the lib…” She slapped her hand over her mouth.
“Ela, what about the library?”
“I cannot tell you. I did not do anything. Caldelen did it.”
Elrohir almost ran
through the house to the library. He looked around, not seeing
anything amiss, at first. When he went behind the desk found a
small pile of books strewn about and covered with oil. They were
Ela’s books and Ela’s perfume oil that he had brought her.
“Oh, Ela. What happened?”
“We were talking
and started arguing about something. He became angry and said he
would get even with me. I tried to stop him, but he pushed me
down.”
“What were you arguing about?”
She hung her head. “Nothing.”
“Apparently it was something.”
“He called me an
orc-spawn. He said I was just a human. I told him I was as
good as any Elf, and better than some. I did not kill my
kin. He turned white and I thought he was going to hit me.
Then he stomped off to the library.”
“You have to tell Ada.”
“Not me. I swore. An oath is binding. I would never break an oath. Not for anything.”
“Elrohir,
Ela. Come it is time…What happened?” They both swung around
at Elrond’s demand. Ela was annoyed to see Caldelen standing
behind Elrond. He had a smirk on his face. Erestor came in
behind them.
“Did you do this?”
“No, Ada.”
“Then who did?”
She glanced at Caldelen. “I cannot tell you.”
“You will tell me.”
“I cannot.” She looked Elrond in the eyes.
“Then go to your room until you decide to tell me.”
She looked at
Caldelen. He stood silent with a small smile on his lips.
Not so small that Elrohir missed it. He would have a talk with
the boy later. Meanwhile, he turned to his father.
“She did not do this.”
“Then who did?”
“I do not know, but surely the one who did it will be honest enough to admit it.”
There was no response. Elrohir chanced a look at Caldelen. He was smiling even more.
Stooping down to
her level, Elrohir said softly, “Ela, you must tell him. It is
not right for you to take the blame for this.”
“I cannot. I
gave my word. Lord Erestor says that if you do not keep your
word, you have nothing. It is alright. I have already dealt
with him.” The smirk left Caldelen’s mouth. He reached for
her, but met Elrohir’s arm.
“You have caused enough damage. Go home, little boy.”
Stung by the words, Caldelen turned and sulked off.
“I will go to my
room now, but I will probably starve to death before the guilty one
confesses. So I will tell you now. Thank you for letting me
live here, Lord Elrond. Thank you for teaching me, although it
appears it is to be a wasted effort, Lord Erestor. And thank you,
Elf, for all you have done for me. Please make it a grand
funeral. Lots of flowers and cats. Do not forget the
cats. And find a home for mine. She will be very
lonely. And do not forget the snake under the stables. And
I have not been near the stallion in the end stall. Please
explain to Dorga why I cannot visit him anymore. Do not disturb
me. I wish to die in peace and silence.” With that she
tossed her head, turned and walked regally to her room.
“I think it is
safe to say she did not do it.” Erestor commented, when he could
do so with a straight face.
“I am inclined to
agree, however, I would not have missed that for anything. She
has a flair for the dramatic.”
“Are you still going to punish her?” Elrohir asked his father.
“Only until
supper. I do not want to ruin her preparations for her
death. She is so looking forward to it.”
“I know who did it.” He looked at his father.
“As do I.
She would never damage a book. And your gifts are precious to
her. I will send for him later and handle it. And he will
know she did not tell on him.”
Is An Oath Binding If It Strangles?
****
Caldelen was
furious. Not only had she broken all of his arrows, but now he
had to answer to his father. He did not see what the great deal
was. They were just some books. He did not see the use in
teaching a human, anyway. It was not like she would live long
enough to benefit. Stupid waste of time.
He picked up the
shards of arrows and put them in a box. He had paid dearly for
those arrows. He had taken on extra chores in the stables in
exchange for them. He thought about all the hours spent mucking
out stalls, and walking horses, and the grooming. She had
destroyed them in minutes. Over some stupid books. And then
to tattle. How human of her. She did not even know to keep
an oath. He was just finishing up when his father came to his
room.
“Lord Elrond wants to see you. You will change and be ready in ten minutes.” Delandor said.
“Yes, Ada.”
He washed himself
and changed into more suitable clothing to meet with the ruler of
Imladris. His only happy thought came from the fact he knew she
would be in her room. He went out into the living area. His
father was waiting.
“We will go now.”
Caldelen nodded.
As they walked up
to the large home at the end of the small valley, Delandor tried to
explain why what he had done was wrong. He thought he was getting
through, when Caldelan spoke.
“I do not
understand. They were just books. She is just a girl and
human, at that. Why all the fuss?”
“Do you really not know?” asked his father, astounded.
“No, I do
not. A hundred years from now, she will be dead and I will still
be wondering why everyone is upset.”
“I thought you were friends.”
“We are!” he sounded surprised that his father thought otherwise.
“Then why would you do something so destructive to her?”
“She made me
angry. She told me that she was as good as I am. That she
did not kill her kin. Humans do that all the time. All they
do is have babies, then kill each other.”
“Where did you hear this?”
“From some of the
visiting elves. The ones from farther north. They said
humans will not survive because they cannot stop killing. Then
she says we kill our own kind. I could not let that go.”
“You were
wrong. That is not what humans do. They are a very kind and
generous people, for the most part. There are some bad, but then
there are some not so good elves.”
By this time they
had reached Elrond’s home. He welcomed them and led them to the
terrace. He sat in one chair and motioned Delandor into the
other, leaving Caldelen standing.
“How are you?” Lord Elrond asked the boy.
“I am well, Lord Elrond.”
“I am glad to hear that. Do you know what happened to my library?”
Caldelen squirmed a few moments, but could not see a way out without lying.
“I ruined some of Ela’s things.”
“Yes, you did. She is very upset.”
“She will get over it. She is just a…”
“Do not finish that sentence!” Elrond thundered.
Caldelen stepped
back. He had never seen Lord Elrond anything but gracious.
Elrond angry scared him.
“Whatever you may
think of a person, destruction of their property to hurt them is
wrong. The books did not belong to you. They and the oil
were gifts to her. They were cherished. Not unlike your
bow, which according to my son was her target. Knowing how much
it meant to you, and how beautiful it is, she could not destroy
it. Who is the bigger person here? And so you understand,
she did not tell who did it. Elrohir told me. It did not
take one of great intellect to figure it out. She would never
destroy those things. You were the only one with anything to
gain.”
“It was just some books! I will replace them.”
“And where will
you find books written in Dwarfish and the language of the Shire?
Those were gifts from Elrohir and Rosa. They cannot be
replaced. The oil alone was worth more than several horses.
But that is not what matters. They were worth much more to
Ela. They were from friends. Real friends. The kind
that are thoughtful and think of her. I think a time apart will
do you much good. I have spoken to your parents and Lord
Erestor.” Caldelen flinched at the advisor’s name. “In one
week, you will return and begin studies with Ela. Maybe a little
education will help you understand.”
“Studies? With Lord Erestor?” Ela had filled him in on how hard he was on her.
“Yes. Now you may go.”
Caldelen looked at his father, begging with his eyes.
“I am honored,
Lord Elrond, that Lord Erestor would agree to take my son as a
pupil. I am sure he will not embarrass me or himself.”
Caldelen’s shoulders sagged as he turned to leave.
“Will you stay for supper?”
“No, thank you. I do not want to add insult to injury. He is smarting enough already.”
“I
understand. She is in her room preparing to die because she knows
he will never confess. It is so good to have children here again.”
“I hope we survive it.”
“I, too, friend. I, too.”
****
Ela moped around
for the next week. Her impending death had been staved off by the
invitation to dinner. Her stomach saved her from eternal
sleep. She did not ask what Caldelen had said. She just
graciously accepted the offer and showed up.
The first day
Caldelen was to join her, she was in the library when her appointed
time for studies arrived. Lord Erestor entered shortly after she
did, with the boy following. She smiled and nodded to her
friend. She then turned to Lord Erestor and sat expectantly with
her hands folded in her lap.
“What did you learn last week?”
Without missing a beat she said, “Mordor is not the most dangerous place.”
“How so?”
“A friend is a
friend only as long as you can trust them. Then they will turn on
you and stab you in the back.” She heard Caldelen gasp from his
end of the table.
“No, sell. That was not the lesson.”
“Well, that was the message.”
“Why did you not tell Lord Elrond who ruined your books?”
“I made an
oath. You said that a man who does not keep his oath is a man
with nothing. Ada said I must always keep my word.”
“Today we will discuss when it is wrong to keep an oath.”
“That is a contradiction. If you break your oath, it is not an oath.”
“Fëanor made an
oath. It was binding on him and all of his sons, who also took
the oath. Was it just?”
“To whom?”
“To Fëanor and his sons.”
“Yes, to Fëanor . No, to some of his sons.”
“How was it just?”
“Melkor killed his
father. He was angry and wanted to avenge the deed. He
vowed to destroy Melkor. That was a good thing.”
“What of his sons?”
“He had no right
to force them to follow him. The path they chose led to pain and
suffering for those in no way involved.”
“Very good. Now, was the oath just to the Teleri?”
“No. They
had every right to decline selling ships to them. Anger is no
excuse for what they did. Neither is grief. Most of his
followers only left because they were unhappy. The oath was only
a reason.”
“Was the oath just to the Valar?”
“It was their fault.”
“How so, sell?”
“If they had not called the Eldar in the first place, it might never have happened.”
“A valid point, but it does not answer the question.”
“No, it was
not. The Eldar could have left at any time. They were not
forced to stay. They only used the death as an excuse.”
“Now, take all of that and tell me, should Fëanor and his sons have kept the oath?”
“The oath was
binding. They felt they could not break it. Fëanor did
himself and his descendants much harm. Melkor was destroyed, but
at the needless cost of many innocent lives. It also destroyed
the equality of the Eldar. It caused some to think they were
better than others. It took a classless society and created a
hierarchy. It damaged the relationships between the different
elves beyond repair.”
“So, is it wrong to break an oath?”
Caldelen watched her closely.
“Yes, it is.”
She smiled slightly as she saw Erestor reach up to rub his temple.
“How so, sell?”
“An oath is an
oath. However…” He glanced at her, hesitant to hear what
she may have twisted from the lesson this time. She glanced slyly
back at him. “It must be heavily weighed from all sides what an
oath would entail. Only then can it be determined whether or not
you should swear it. It should not be made lightly or in the heat
of emotion. If the oath will cause undue harm to any, it must not
be sworn.
“Very good, sell,” he said, softly.
****
“Why did you not
tell on me?” They were laying in the grass down by the
river. They had ridden their ponies through the meadow and eaten
their lunch.
“You are my
friend. I knew that sooner or later you would tell them. Do
not ever make me swear an oath again. I do not appreciate lessons
based on my mistakes.”
“Do you not ever want to be with your own kind?”
“What are my own
kind? I am lost. I feel I do not belong in either
world. Not good enough for you and too good for them. Dorga
knows how I feel. I think that is why we are good friends.”
“The Dwarf? He is stupid.”
“Caldelen, do you
really want to make me angry, just when we have made up? You do
not know him. He is very intelligent. He knows things you
could not possibly learn in even your lifetime.”
“Yeah, like what?”
“For starters, he
has manners. Yours are sorely lacking. You have no idea who
you may offend. It would stand you well to acquire some.”
“I do not need manners. I will be a warrior. My bow and knives will be all the manners I need.”
“You should speak
to Haldir the next time he is here. Or better yet, his brother,
Rúmil. He could tell you how far no manners can get you.”
“You know the March Warden? How?”
“I threw my boots at him and he very graciously caught one of them with his forehead.”
“You did not! You threw shoes at the March Warden?”
“Well, he had insulted me. It was the least I could do.”
“I cannot believe your nerve.”
“Well, I was only ten at the time.”
“You are still only ten.”
“Joke if you will, you will not get a rise out of me today.”
“Why not?”
“Because Elrohir is supposed to be back. He said he would only be gone a week.”
“So what?” He still had not forgiven him for the dressing down he got before he left.
“So what? I
will tell you what.” She jumped up and grabbed her pony.
Jumping on, she was halfway to the stables before he caught her.
“Tell me what?”
She ignored
him. Kicking her pony, she rode off at a gallop. Caldelen
saw what had spurred her on. Elrohir’s horse was in the
paddock. By the time he reached the stables, she had unsaddled
and quickly brushed off her pony. She carefully avoided the large
stalls in the end of the stables. He saw her bend over the hole
in the floor. He shook his head. Stupid snake.
Without a backward
glance, Ela ran to the house, Caldelen following. She went in the
back and hurried to her room. Washing up and changing her
clothes, she ran a brush through her hair. Deciding that she was
presentable, she hurried through the house. She finally found
them on the terrace. Waiting at the door to be noticed, she came
out at Elrond’s nod. She formally bowed to Elrond and
Erestor. She nodded her head at Elrohir. She pointedly
ignored Caldelen, who was standing to the side.
“Hello, Elf. Have you come to rescue me?”
“Not yet. I have gained permission for you to go to Lórien this summer.”
“I suppose that will do.”
“I did bring a friend for you.”
She turned to the
figure coming up the steps. From the corner of her eye, she saw
Caldelen straighten up in surprise.
“March Warden. How good to see you.” Her tone was neutral.
“Lady.” His was likewise cool.
“How fares your cloistered realm?”
“The fringes do not sear as does the center.”
The others looked at each other.
“Then may I inquire of your brother? I do miss his smile.”
“He is well. He sends greetings. He could not come this time.”
“Would you convey my disappointment? May I get you some refreshments?”
“Only if you are not making or serving them. My forehead still hurts.”
“I will inform a server that they are required more than I.”
She went into the house. Caldelen went after her.
“That was cheeky. How could you speak to him that way?”
“What way?”
“So
disrespectful. I know you. You only get so polite when you
are getting ready to insult someone. There was one coming.
I could feel it.”
“My, you are a
ellon of many talents. First you have impeccable manners.
Now you are able to divine the future. Where ever would we be
without you?”
“Bah! I am done talking with you! I am going out where the ellyn are.”
“Be sure to tell them you are there. I would not want them to mistake you for a child.”
****
“Tell me again that she is not an Elf. How old did you say she is?” Haldir asked Elrond, with a grin.
“Yes, would you care to explain that little exchange?”
“Long story.
An apology not very graciously accepted. I bring word from Lady
Arwen and my Lord and Lady.”
“What does my daughter have to say?”
“That she would like to come for a visit.”
“She does not need to ask.”
“She thought it
best to ask this time. Her grandparents are bringing her.
They plan on leaving Lórien in four months. Lady Arwen thought
you might want advance notice.”
“That was most thoughtful of her. Does Celeborn have a reason for coming?”
“I was told to inform you that he wishes to discuss the growing problem in Mirkwood.”
“What of Thranduil?”
“You know their history. That is all I can say.”
“Yes, unfortunately, I do know. Well, we shall be ready.”
“Elendil, will you see to the March Warden’s needs. He will join us for lunch.”
Elendil nodded and waited for Haldir to follow him.
Elendil returned to the terrace.
“Lunch is ready, Lord Elrond.”
“Thank you.
We will be right in.” He and Erestor went inside, leaving
Caldelen sitting alone. They stopped at the library.
“A visit concerning Mirkwood, without Thranduil. Is that wise?” asked Erestor.
“Not wise, but it
may be necessary. If we can help stem the flow of evil spreading
out from the south of Mirkwood, then we must offer our aid.
Whether Thranduil will accept is another matter.”
“He still will not be happy to hear of it.”
“I suppose not,
but he will not come here and I truly believe that Mirkwood will fall
before he will step foot in Lórien.”
“He is stubborn.”
“He feels he has reason. We must respect that. But if he asks, help will be given.”
****
When they entered
the dining room, Elladan, Elrohir and Ela were already seated.
Haldir waited by his chair. They waited until their elders had
sat down, then began eating.
“Did you enjoy your ride this morning, Ela?” Elrond asked her.
“Not especially. I do not think Caldelen likes me anymore.”
“Why is that, Iell?”
“He makes fun of me and calls my friends stupid.”
“Who does he call stupid?”
“Dorga. He
says Dwarves and men are stupid. I know that Dorga is not, am
I? If I am not an Elf, does that make me stupid?”
“No, you are not,
and I think that is enough about stupidity. I think I know what
Caldelen’s problem is. Are you ahead in your studies?”
She glanced at Erestor. He nodded to her.
“Yes. And it
makes him angry that I ask for more work. He cannot wait to get
out of the library. I can ride better, also. He does not
pay close enough attention to his pony. I wish I had more
friends. Then it would not always be just me and Caldelen.”
“There is nothing
to be done for that. However, I would say that Caldelen’s problem
is that he is jealous. You are further along in your studies and
have fallen off your pony enough that you pay more attention to what he
is doing. Do you not think this is true?”
“I suppose it
could be. I do not care. I am tired of his pettiness.
May I go to the village tomorrow?”
“Why do you want to go?”
“To see Dorga. He said he has something for me.”
“How are your studies?”
She waited for Erestor to reply.
“If you get everything done in the morning, I see no reason you may not go.”
“Who will go with you?”
“I will ask Caldelen.” She looked at Elrohir. “Unless you would like to go, Elf.”
“I would be honored. When would you like to leave?”
“I think after lunch.”
“Very well. Go finish your lessons.” Lord Elrond’s tone was clearly a dismissal.
“Do not let her
stray too far,” he said to his son, after she had left the room.
“For some reason, I feel uneasy.”
Elrohir
laughed. “You always said that when one of us wanted to exercise
a little freedom. She is no different. How old is she,
anyway?”
“According to her,
fifteen. If I had to guess by her level of maturity, I would say
about ten or so,” Erestor replied. “She is not aging as a
human. That again brings up the question of her parentage.”
“We still have no
answers on that subject. I suspect, though, that she knew what
she was talking about when she said her father was old enough to at
least remember the Last Alliance. Her mother is a question.
She clearly is not full Elven, if any. I will put out feelers
again for information. It could be something will surface.
Meanwhile, keep an eye on her. I am not at all pleased with the
turn her relationship with Caldelen is taking. I had hoped one
her own age would be of benefit. I do not want to see her hurt.”
“You cannot
protect her from the world. No matter how hard you try, she must
eventually go out on her own. We did. And we were prepared,
because of you and the others here who saw to our upbringing. She
will be fine.” Elrohir placed his hand over his father’s.
“You are right. I worry overmuch. Go. Enjoy the day. When do you leave?”
“I must be gone by
the day after tomorrow. Elladan is meeting me in Bree. He
will have finished his assignment by then.”
“See if you cannot both be back in five months. Arwen would like to see you.”
“I think we can arrange that.”
“Go now. Leave old men to their work.”
“I will do that, when I see some old men.” Elrohir laughed as he went through the door.
“I will send
letters to my contacts tomorrow,” said Erestor. “It will be
difficult to decide what to do with her unless we can find out who her
parents were.”
“I know. See
what you can find. I will check my sources. Maybe someone
will have remembered something by now.”
“I will take my leave now. I am sure that I have an anxious student waiting.”
“Do not keep her waiting.”
Erestor nodded and
left. Elrond sat at the table and pondered the troubles that came
with raising children. He decided that they were well worth them.
Chapter Four
Tea For Two, Or Three, Or Not.
****
“Come on, Elf. You are too slow.” Ela pulled at Elrohir’s hand. “We will miss tea.”
“You dragged me down here for tea?” Elrohir laughed. “We could have had that at home.”
“Not this kind of tea. Lord Erestor says it is not fit for a lady. Even he does not like it.”
He glanced back at
Caldelen, sulking behind them. He had not been happy that Ela had
invited the boy, but there was nothing to be done now.
She had been up at
dawn and in the library before breakfast finishing her lessons.
She was taking no chances that she would not be allowed to go to
Dorga’s. She had put on trousers and a tunic. So, this was
an informal visit.
She continued to pull on his hand until they had reached the center of the village.
“Wait, Ela. I need to go in here for a moment.” Elrohir pleaded, stopping outside a small shop.
“I will meet you
at Dorga’s. Do not tarry. We will not wait for you.”
She laughed as he motioned her on.
She waited for Caldelen to catch up to her. They walked in silence for two or three blocks.
“Why are you so quiet?” she asked.
“You make enough noise for the both of us.”
“That is not very kind. If you did not want to come, why did you?”
“I had something to do. Do you want to help me?”
“Help you what?”
she asked, suspiciously. He never wanted her help, unless it
might get her into trouble. She understood their relationship
better than he did and avoided most of the punishment that was meted
out when he was caught, an avoidance he did not thank her for.
“I am meeting some friends and they said they would like to meet you.”
“I do not know. I told Elrohir I would go straight to Dorga’s. I will just meet you there.”
“Do humans have no sense of adventure? Why do you always do the safe thing?”
“Because that way I do not get punished by Lord Erestor or Lord Elrond. I do not enjoy their methods.”
“They have never laid a hand on you!”
“They do not need
to. Their displeasure is enough. There is nothing in this
world worse than a displeased Elf. They will not speak to
me. That is enough to keep me in line.”
“Soon they will send you out into the world of men and you can do as you please.”
“Why do you say
such mean things? They will not send me away. This is my
home. They are as close to a family as my own parents were.”
“Never the less,
when you are of age, you will have to go to an Edain village to find a
husband. There is no one here for you.”
“Maybe I will go
and maybe I will not. However, if you are the only offering the
elves have, I would be better off with the Orcs. So I will take
my chances on not finding a husband.”
He scowled at the back of her head as she started towards Dorga’s. He ran after her.
“Wait!” he said,
forcing himself to smile. “I am sorry. I should not have
said those things. Will you forgive me?”
“There is nothing to forgive. Do your friends really want to meet me? Why?”
“Because they have never seen a human raised by elves.”
“What does that matter? I would look the same if I have been raised by men. That makes no sense.”
“I think they may know who you are. They said something about an uncle.”
“You are making that up.”
“I am not.
They have been looking for a girl that fits your description.
They said she was taken from her home by bandits.”
“Oh. And why
would bandits take a child? There is not much of a market for a
small child. And besides, I was not taken from my home. At
least not by myself. Nana was with me.”
“I am just telling you what they said.”
“Well, I guess it
would not hurt to meet them. But only for a moment. Dorga
is expecting us, and I told Elrohir that that was where I would be.”
“It will only take a minute.”
He lead her down
an alley between two shops. It was dark and cool between the
buildings. She slowed half way down the alley.
“Caldelen, this does not feel right. I am going back.”
She turned to see a man had entered the alley behind her.
“Caldelen!” she
turned back to find him gone. “Caldelen!” The panic in her
voice was unmistakable. She faced the man behind her and backed
away from him, right into another man. Spinning, she looked
frantically for an escape. By now there were three of them.
One of them reached out and fingered her hair. She jerked from
his touch. He laughed and said something she did not
understand.
“Leave me alone!” she said, her voice barely audible.
‘Do you not remember the language of your mother?’ The man spoke in Westron.
She searched desperately for an escape.
“Caldelen!” she called again.
‘You mean the Elf imp? He is gone.’
“Elrohir!”
‘You would do well
to shut up, girl. I have orders to bring you back, or make sure
you never come back.’
Her eyes widened as she realized what the man meant.
‘Why,’ she asked.
‘Your uncle needs to either have you in hand, or be assured you are out of the way.’
“Ela!” One of the men started at the sound of Elrohir’s voice coming from out on the street.
“Elf!” she called, as loud as her voice would sound.
‘I did not want it
to end this way, girl, but you leave me no choice. It would have
been better if you had come willingly.’
He reached for
her, but suddenly found himself holding his stomach. He had not
seen the knife she held in her hand. He looked down to see a gash
from one side of his abdomen to the other. He knew he had only
minutes left to contemplate his life.
‘Bitch!* he
said. He grabbed her face and slammed her head into the stone
wall behind her. Had he the strength, it would have killed her,
but his body would not respond to his will. He managed one more
blow before he fell to the ground, Ela tumbling on top of him.
One of the other men reached to finish the job. Before he could
lay a hand on her, he was flung into the wall. The remaining man
could hear his companion’s neck snap. He turned and ran.
Elrohir was torn between chasing the man and seeing to Ela. He
went to her and picked her up. She was covered in blood.
“What is going on?”
“Dorga, get me a horse! Quickly!”
The Dwarf asked no
more questions. He went to the stable behind his house and got
the horse that belonged to his neighbor. He put a bridle on her
and brought her around front. Elrohir carried Ela out of the
alley and handed her to Dorga. Jumping up on the horse, he asked
a passing man to hand the girl up to him. He then started for
home as quickly as he could through the village. Dorga followed
as fast as his legs would carry him.
Clearing the edge
of the small town, Elrohir kicked the horse into a gallop. He
rode the animal up into the garden behind his father’s house.
Calling for help, he slid off the horse, Ela still in his arms.
“What happened?” Erestor was the first to come out of the house.
“I am not
sure. I am not even sure how much of this blood is hers.
She was attacked in an alley. I think it a good idea someone find
Caldelen. He was nowhere to be seen.”
Elrohir carried
Ela to the small infirmary Elrond kept in his house. He had laid
her on the bed and started checking for wounds when his father came in.
“I do not know!” he answered the unasked question. “I found her this way. What is wrong?”
“Leave me to look
at her. Go, get cleaned up. Send Elendil back with warm
water and clean towels.”
Elrohir went
quickly to get his father’s steward. Going to his room, he went
over what had happened. The boy was not with her. Something
was not right. She would not have gone down that alley on her
own. Something, or someone, had convinced her to go. He
should never have let her go alone. He should never have let
Caldelen go with them.
He returned to the
infirmary as soon as he was cleaned up. He found Seldala with
Elrond and Erestor. They had gotten Ela cleaned up and changed
into a clean nightgown. She was lying on her side and his father
was examining her head.
“None of the blood
was hers. Except a small amount on her skull. She will have
a headache when she wakes up, and her nose is broken, but I think that
is the extent of the damage. We will know in a few hours.
Meanwhile, has anyone found Caldelen?”
“He showed up with
Dorga. The Dwarf says he met him on his way here.
Caldelen told him Ela had been attacked. He asked for
help,” Erestor said, from where he was standing by the
window. There was an odd note to his voice.
“I want to speak to him.”
“He has returned home.”
Elrond turned back to the bed.
“I have done all I can for now. She will sleep for awhile. Seldala, will you stay with her?”
“Certainly, Lord Elrond. I will send for you when she awakes.”
He left the room, followed by Erestor and Elrohir. They went to the library.
“Something does
not fit,” Elrohir stated. “She would not have gone off by herself
like that. She told me she was going to Dorga’s.”
“No, she would not have tarried. She was going for tea, was she not?” asked Erestor.
“That is what she
said.” Elrohir grinned. “She said something about you did
not think it fit for a lady.”
“It is not.
It is foul. He mixes it with a bit of that drink he is so fond
of. It tastes like swamp water. There is nothing refined
about it.”
Elendil came to the library door with Dorga.
“Master Dorga! It is good to see you.” Lord Elrond rose and greeted the Dwarf.
“Lord Elrond. How is she?”
“Sleeping, for now. It will be hours yet until she wakes. Would you like some wine?”
“Yes, thank
you. This is most upsetting. I was surprised when Elrohir
showed up at my door without Ela. When I told him she had not
shown up, he went to find her. I ran here as quickly as I
could. Does anyone know what happened?”
“Not yet.
The guards say there are two dead men. One, apparently, she
killed. Elrohir took care of the other one. I want to
know how they gained access to Imladris. The wards should have
prevented their entrance to the valley.”
They were interrupted by Seldala.
“She is awake, Lord Elrond.”
“Already? She should have slept for several hours. Who is with her?”
“Haldir wanted to stay. I saw no harm.”
“No harm leaving
her with one she considers the angry one?” Elrond asked lightly,
a small smile tugging at his lips.
“He did not seem angry to me. I left him singing a lullaby.”
“Then I will go
see to her. Please, everyone, go to the dining room and get
something to eat. It is getting late.”
He went up the
stairs that led to the bedrooms. He stopped in the doorway when
Haldir put his finger to his lips. He could hear the ellon
speaking, but no response. Softly crossing the room, he sat down
next to the March Warden.
“Can you tell me what happened, sell?” Elrond had never heard him speak so softly.
She started to shake her head and almost gave into the nausea that threatened every time she moved.
Licking her lips, she whispered, “No.”
“Do not worry. You can tell us later. Lord Elrond needs to see your head now.”
“No!” she said, fearfully. “Do not touch me.”
“He only wants to examine your wounds.”
“NO!” She
tried to move away. Something in her face must have told him what
was coming. He grabbed the wastebasket sitting beside her
bed. She managed to get her head over the basket before the
nausea finally erupted. Lying back, her skin was white as
chalk. Elrond got a damp cloth and tried to wipe her forehead and
mouth. She turned her head and was rewarded with another bout of
dizziness and near vomiting.
“Where…is …Seldala?”
“I am here,
sell.” She came into the room. Taking the cloth from
Elrond, she wiped Ela’s face. The girl calmed down. There
was sweat glistening on her forehead and upper lip from fighting the
nausea. Elrond handed Seldala a glass of water. Ela managed
a few swallows before sinking back onto the pillow. Within
minutes she was asleep.
“What was that about?” asked Haldir.
“She was alone in
that alley for several minutes before Elrohir found her. We do
not know the intent of those men. If it was kidnapping, that
would be one thing.” Seldala paused. “If they meant
something else, that could explain her fear. It would be better
to check her when she is asleep. Go, I will sit with her.”
“Thank you. I will come back in two hours and check her.”
Elrond left the room, Haldir behind him.
“What do you intend?” Haldir asked.
“First, I intend
to make sure she is alright. Then I want to know how those men
got past the wards. They had to have come in with
someone.”
“I would like to stay a few more days, but then I must be getting back. You have my aid, if needed.”
“It is
appreciated. You have my leave to remain as long as you
can. Go and eat. I am sure they are still in the dining
room. I will be down shortly.”
He went back to
the doorway to Ela’s room. Standing there watching her sleep, he
thought back on the last five years. No, he thought back
ever further, before she came. How could one small child
have made such a difference? It had always been that way.
He loved children. Maybe that was part of the reason he had
welcomed every child of the Dunedain he had taken in. Distant kin
or not. He would continue the practice until there was no longer
a need.
But there was
something different about this child. He was not sure yet what it
was, but he felt it. The riddle of her past held the key to her
future. If only he could solve it.
Smiling at
Seldala, he turned and walked down the stairs. Going into the
dining room, he found the men still sitting at the table, even though
the hour was late.
“There was a
trader came in a week ago,” Dorga was saying. “I wondered at the
time why he needed three assistants for a negotiation. But I
figured it was not my business.”
“Did you know the trader?” asked Elrohir.
“I did not. He was a man, that much I can tell you. Closemouthed.”
Erestor rose and walked over to the window bench where Elrond had sat down.
“How is she?”
“Still
sleeping. She would not let me touch her. Only
Seldala. I think the pain may go deeper than just her head.”
“She will bear
watching. Head injuries are unpredictable. I have seen men
walk away from a battle, only to drop dead days later.”
“As have I.
The knot on her head would indicate the probability that the blow did
no more harm than the apparent surface damage, but I will pay close
attention to it.”
“Have you spoken to Caldelen?”
“Not yet. What do you think his role in this?”
“I believe he had
something to do with it. I only hope it was through
ignorance. I would not like to think he would deliberately put
her in harm’s way. However, I know that he is jealous of
her. I am not sure why. Lately he has had a cruel bent in
his comments to her. Not when he thinks anyone is listening, but
it is there.”
“I will speak with
him tomorrow. There is nothing else to be done tonight. I
will send Elrohir and Haldir to the village tomorrow to ask concerning
our trader friend. No matter the initial intent, in the end, he
tried to kill her. I would know the reason.”
“I will see you in
the morning then.” Erestor nodded to Elrond and left, pausing to
say goodnight to the others. Elrond turned and looked out the
window. His peaceful valley was not the safe haven it was
yesterday.
****
It took Elrohir
and Haldir two days to ferret out the information they were looking
for. But it was long enough for the “trader” in question to
remove himself from their reach. He and his remaining assistant
had been seen leaving the valley the same day as the attack, before the
guards had been alerted. The search gained them only a
name. Indrel. They had no idea who or what the name meant,
but they would not forget.
Hearts, Pride And Legs Heal, And Life Goes On.
****
Within a week, Ela
had ventured out of her room. She would not leave during the day,
but early evening would find her in the library. She told Seldala
the light hurt her eyes. She would not speak to any of the other
elves. Erestor shifted his hours so that he could continue her
lessons at night. She would not answer any of his questions or
comments, but did the work assigned to her. The one time Caldelen
came to the house, she disappeared. No one saw her leave, she was
just gone. It did not escape Elrond nor Erestor’s notice.
Elrond’s talk with the boy had gotten nowhere. He claimed the men
knew Ela and wanted to talk to her. He got scared when things
turned rough and ran to get help. He did not find it odd that the
one person he ran to was beneath his contempt.
A month after the
incident, Glorfindel entered the library, looking for Elrond. He
had been out of Imladris at the time of the attack. He found Ela
sitting in the corner of the window seat, crying. Unsure of
whether or not he should approach her, he paused in the doorway.
“Can I help?” he asked softly.
She shook her
head, slowly. The nausea had disappeared for the most part, but
the dizzy spells still caught her by surprise.
He turned to go.
“Wait.” He just caught the whisper.
Crossing the room, he sat down as far from her as the bench would allow.
“You went to the
Halls of Namo.” He knew she was aware of how much he disliked the
subject of his death and return. If she was asking, she had a
reason.
“Yes.”
“Why did He let you come back?”
“I cannot answer that question. Why do you ask?”
“If he let you come back, maybe he will let Ada come back. I need him.”
“I do not think
that is a hope to cling to, sell. I am only one of two who have
ever returned. It is not reasonable to believe your adar will be
allowed to come back.”
“Who speaks of
reason? It is not reasonable to murder a man because you do not
like his race. It is not reasonable to leave a deranged woman and
small child in a boat guaranteed to sink. It is not reasonable
for my uncle to want me dead. If I was reasonable, I would not
have thoughts of walking off the terrace, without the benefit of the
stairs. What is reason? I only know what I want. What
I need. My adar.” She paused. “He looked like
you. I remember. But his hair was more silver. Yours
is gold. More like the March Warden’s. If you asked Namo,
do you think he would release him?”
“I do not think
that it is possible. Only the Valar know why they make the
decisions they do. We can only accept.”
“It is not
fair. We were happy. There was no reason to do what Da
did. Do men go to the Halls of Namo? I often wonder where
my nana is. She was not Elven. It is sad to think they are
not together.”
Glorfindel sat
back. He had gotten more information from her than all the
searching done by his friends. He was anxious to get it to
Elrond. Another piece to the puzzle.
He looked back at
Ela. Her head was leaning against the window frame and she had
fallen asleep. He rose and lifted a throw from a chair and
covered her with it. He closed the door when he left. He
did not waste any time finding Elrond.
****
Ela made her way
down the back hall leading from the kitchen. She was carrying a
pot of tea and two cups. Elrond had invited Dorga since it was
evident that Ela would not leave the grounds. She had ventured
only as far as the gardens behind the house. Even then, she would
go only so far into the gardens. She was always within reach of a
door.
Erestor happened
to come up behind her. He was about to speak to her when she
seemed to lose her balance and fell against the wall. The dropped
teapot and cups shattered on the tile floor. Ela crumpled down on
the floor, her back to the wall. She was holding her head and
silently crying. He reached down to comfort her, but she
flinched. Without saying a word, he bent down and started
to pick up the broken pieces. When she was sure she would not
pass out, Ela helped him. When they had the mess cleaned up, she
followed him back to the kitchen. He helped her prepare another
pot of tea. She got down two more cups and placed them on a
tray. She allowed him to carry the tray to the small table in the
garden. Setting the tray down, Erestor turned to leave. He
smiled as his hearing picked up the almost inaudible voice saying only
two words, “Thank you.”
“You are welcome,” was his soft reply.
****
Elrond went to the
library window. He had been startled by a noise from the
garden. The only thing he saw when he looked out was Dorga and
Ela, having tea. The weekly visits had been going on for a month
now. She was smiling more and Erestor informed him that she was
speaking to him again. This was the first time he had heard her
laugh in almost three months. She still would not leave the
grounds. He was concerned that she refused to see Caldelen.
He had been there four or five times to see her, but she informed
Erentil to tell the boy she was indisposed. If anyone she did not
know came, she disappeared. If they did not belong to the small
group that inhabited her world, she had nothing to do with them.
Her lessons
progressed at a much quicker pace, now that she did not have to wait
for Caldelen to grasp what she picked up the first time. She was
already past the level of education a human child would have
received. If she had gone to Misty Haven, she would probably have
settled down with some farmer and had children by now. She showed
no interest in settling down with anyone. She did not seem
inclined to ask the normal questions for one of her age.
As preparations
began for the arrival of Arwen and her grandparents, Ela was released
from most of her lessons. She still spent far too much time in
the library, but Elrond had found her in the kitchen and shadowing
Erentil. She did anything anyone asked of her. Except leave
the house and surrounding gardens.
“Would you like to
go to the village?” Erestor ventured one day. She had worked hard
the day before and he had found her in the library, sleeping over her
lessons.
“I do not think so. I have enough to do here.”
“You have done enough. You should come and get out.”
“Are you asking me to, or telling me to?”
“Asking, as always.”
“Then no. I cannot.”
“Very well, then. Tell Lord Elrond I will return this afternoon. What will you do today?”
“I have that new book Elrohir sent me. And a letter from Rosa. That will keep me busy.”
“Read in the garden. You need some sun.”
“What, my pale
skin is not attractive enough, you want it pink?” she laughed.
“Besides, it will bring out even more of the cursed spots.”
“Learn to live with them, sell. They are a part of you. And they are not so bad.”
“That is because
you do not have any. I am sure my father would have thought them
cute. Ugh. Such an odious word. Cute. That is
what people say to be kind. ‘Well, she is not beautiful, but she
is cute. Is that puppy not cute? What a cute Orc’.”
“I have never heard anyone say an Orc is cute.”
“I am sure there is a mother Orc somewhere saying it. Surely they think a baby Orc is cute.”
“I do not believe that Orcs are born. Where do you get these notions?”
“I am cursed with an inquisitive mind. I heard someone say that.” She looked at him, slyly.
“You lurk in far too many corners for your own good. Are you ready for Arwen’s visit?”
“For the most
part. There is nothing much left to do until the last week
before they arrive. Who is coming with her?”
“Her grandparents,
Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. More than likely Haldir will
come. Maybe his brother Rúmil. Several others you do not
know.”
“May I have a lock for my door?”
“Whatever for?” Her change in directions took him off guard.
“To lock it. Why else would one need a lock?”
“Why do you feel the need for a lock?”
“I just do. Do I need a reason?”
“You should have a reason for all you do.”
“Well, then, I would like one to keep my cat in.”
“Your cat uses the window. Do you need a lock for that as well?”
“Now that you
mention it, yes. I thought the door would be more
reasonable. Then I could get the window lock.”
“Your mind runs in circles, sell.”
“That would explain the dizzy spells. I am sure they have nothing to do with a hard blow to the head.”
She watched the reason for her request finally dawn in his eyes.
“Can you never just say what is on your mind?”
“What, and deprive
you of the joy of the riddle? You think too much like a man and
an adult and an elf. It is really simple. I am
afraid. The locks would make me not so afraid.”
“They cannot get here, Ela.”
“They could not
get into Imladris, either. I never said it was a rational
fear. Does the fear need to be valid to be felt?”
“Of course
not. If it will make you feel safer, I will speak to Lord
Elrond. I see no reason why he would refuse you.”
“Thank you.
“Meanwhile, get some rest. And go out to the garden.”
“Yes, Lord Erestor. I will, as always, comply.”
“Haldir is correct. That attitude will not serve you well.”
“As it is the one
thing that is totally mine, I think I will hold onto it a little
longer. And he should talk.”
“Go. Read your book.”
“Have a pleasant day.”
He turned and left the library.
****
Ela went to her
room and got the small box she kept her writing things in.
Grabbing her new book, she went out into the garden. Trying to
decide where best to sit, she happened to glance up at the old tree
house. Slinging the box over her shoulder and stuffing the book
in the front of her shirt, she climbed up the tree. Settling
down, she read the letter from Rosa first. Leaning back against
the trunk, she wrote out an answer to the letter. She then picked
up the book Elrohir had sent her. She had just gotten started
when she heard someone in the garden. Peeking over the edge, she
saw it was Caldelen. Careful to make no noise, she sat and
watched him through a crack in the planking.
“Ela, I know you are up there. I want to talk to you.”
She said nothing. He circled the tree house and tried to see her.
“Why are you so mad at me? I used poor judgment. I did not know those men would hurt you.”
Still nothing from above.
“You are being childish. Come down so we can talk. If you do not, I will come up there.”
“Go away.
You are not welcome here. You did not just use poor
judgment. You were stupid. What did you think three grown
men would want with a girl? To say hello, we are your kin and we
want you to come home?”
“That is what they said.”
“And you were just
angry enough with me to not think any further than what you
wanted. I do not need friends like you. I want you to
leave. Now.”
“I am coming up. I cannot talk to you this way.”
She started to panic.
“You cannot. It is not safe. You are too heavy.”
“I am not.”
“There is not
enough room. I am warning you, Caldelen. Stay down.
If you do not leave me alone, your arrows will not be the only things
broken.”
He began to climb the tree.
“Stop, Caldelen! It will not hold us both!”
“You are just a girl, and human at that. What do you know?”
“I know enough to
have you banned from here. I did not tell anyone what really
happened in that alley. I saw you. You did not use poor
judgment. You set me up. Was it all your idea, or were you
just handy?”
He stuck his head over the edge of the platform.
“Who would believe you? That blow to your head so scrambled your memories, who can say what happened?”
“I have never
lied. They would believe me. You, however, are a poor
excuse for an Elf. I wish I had never met you.”
He climbed up and sat down on the floor of the tree house.
“See. I told
you it would hold both of us. Now, I want to talk to you. I
am sorry you were hurt. I did not want that to happen.”
“You are only
sorry they failed. I will not accept your apology. Get
down, before I push you down.”
“I am not leaving until we settle this.”
“You can leave the way you came up, or the fast way. I am done speaking to you.”
She turned and tossed her box to the ground. Before she could pick up her book, he had grabbed it.
“Give me that,” she spat at him.
“Another priceless treasure from that meddlesome Elrohir? Why does he waste his time on you?”
“Because he is a real friend. Now give it to me.”
She reached for
her book, but instead met with his elbow. He had not meant to hit
her, but he did not really feel sorry about it. She jerked back
and grabbed her face. Realizing she was in danger of falling off
of the platform, he tried to hold onto her arm. She lashed out
and left four long, bloody furrows on his cheek. He howled and
let go of her. He noticed the tree house had started to sway.
“Jump, Ela.”
The cry came from the ground. She recognized the voice, but could
not place it. Her eyes were tearing so badly she could not see,
but jumped instinctively. No matter how graceful she could be,
she had never jumped from eight feet before. She could not see
and set her bearings, and so landed hard on her right leg. She
heard a bone break and felt the hot white agony that shot through her
body. The hand that managed to catch her arm probably saved her
from more injuries. Looking up, she still could not see well
enough to see who it was.
“I tried to grab her!” That voice she recognized. She tried to get up.
“Lie still. You have a broken leg.”
“Haldir? What are you doing here? You should not be here for another two weeks.”
“Do not worry about that. What happened up there?”
“I would ask a favor.”
“What is it, sell?”
“Tell
that…that…Elf that the next time I speak to him, it will not be you,
but my father standing between us.”
“Are you injured, Caldelen?”
“No, March Warden. It was not a difficult jump.” His voice carried just a trace of a sneer.
“Then I suggest you hightail it for home, before I let her up to finish whatever was going on up there.”
Caldelen looked dumbfounded.
“We were just talking and I was teasing her about her book. There was an accident.”
Leaving Ela lying on the ground, Haldir walked over to the boy.
“I heard what went
on up there,” he said in a voice so soft Caldelen struggled to hear
it. For all of its softness, it carried a menacing tone that few
had ever disregarded, and they were all dead. “You would do well
to go and not return. If I hear that you bothered her again, I
will be sure that Elrohir and Lord Elrond know what really happened in
that alley. Is your life worth that little to you that you would
risk their wrath?”
The boy’s mouth
dropped open, then closed. A look came over his eyes that Haldir
had seen before. Hatred was such an ugly emotion. Caldelen
turned and walked away. Haldir could hear him muttering about
humans and Dwarves and the lowlife of the earth.
Hearing a gasp,
Haldir turned back to the fallen girl. She had tried to get up
again. He went and picked her up.
“You will not tell anyone how this happened, will you?”
“I am sorry, sell,
but Lord Elrond is not going to let either of us off that easily.
I will not tell what I overheard, but you must tell him how you fell
out of the tree. I think you will find him understanding.”
“He will not be if he finds out what I omitted telling them. Why, again, are you here?”
“We left earlier than planned and made good time.”
“Then there are others here, as well?” He was startled at the panic in her voice.
“Yes. We came with a group. Why?”
“Will you take me to my room the back way? Then ask Him to come up?”
“What is the problem? Lord Elrond will want to see you right away.”
“I know, but I
need to go to my room.” He could sense her groping for an
excuse. “I forgot to let the cat out. She will be anxious.”
“The cat.”
“Yes, the cat. Are you deaf? She does not like being cooped up. Please, can we hurry?”
“Very well. But I want to meet this cat.”
“You will, just get me to my room.”
He carried her in through the kitchen and up the back stairs. Once in her room, he looked for the cat.
“I see no cat.”
“She must have gotten out on her own. Good. Now you may go get Him.”
“Ela, is this a game?”
“Oh, yes.
The worse one I have ever played in my life. When Lord Erestor
returns, would you ask him to see me?”
He sighed and turned to leave.
“The door, please,” she called.
He shut the door. Shaking his head, he descended the stairs to find Lord Elrond.
He found him on the terrace with Lord Celeborn.
“Did you find her?” Elrond asked.
“Oh, yes, I
did. She would beg your indulgence. She is in her room and
would like to speak to you.” Haldir’s tone let Elrond know that
something was amiss.
“If you will excuse me, Celeborn. I will return shortly.”
Haldir followed him into the house.
“What happened?” Elrond asked.
“She fell out of
the tree house. Her leg is broken and her pride shattered.
Other than that, I think there is something else going on with
her. She would not let me bring her through the house. She
insisted I use the back stairs. Used her cat as an excuse.”
“I have not had
time to prepare her for visitors. We have only gotten her to
leave the house in the last two months. She will not leave the
grounds. She refuses to see Caldelen and will disappear if
strangers are here.”
“That would explain the fight in the tree house.”
“Fight? What fight?”
“She and Caldelen
were in the tree house arguing when I found them. It was not
meant for such activity and started to collapse. I told her to
jump, but she could not see and missed me. I sent the boy home.”
Elrond reached for the doorknob to Ela’s room. Before he could turn it he heard her call out.
“Who is it?”
“Haldir said you wanted to talk to me.”
“I just bet he did.” he heard her mutter. Then louder, “Please, come in. But no one else.”
They entered her
room. She was sitting up on the bed her leg stretched out in
front of her. Elrond could see the bruising and swelling from the
break.
“What happened?” he asked, looking over her leg.
“What did he tell you?” she countered, looking at the March Warden.
“That you fell from the tree. Should he have said more?”
“No. That is what happened. I fell.”
“You have never
fallen before. How is it you fell this time?” Elrond turned
the leg and straightened it out more.
“A dizzy spell? Maybe I blacked out.”
“And the black eye that you are going to have tomorrow?”
“Maybe Haldir is not as quick as I thought.”
“Why is there blood under your fingernails?” He went to the end of the bed and picked up her foot.
She looked down at
her fingers. “Well, that defies explanation. Did I
accidentally scratch you, March Warden?” He winced at her sharp
gasp when Elrond jerked her foot and the bone slid back into place.
“No, you did not. Maybe another reason is in the offing.”
“No, I have no other.” She winced as Elrond ran his hands up her leg.
“Hold still, Iell. This may hurt.”
“And you could not have warned me about the other? That did not hurt?”
“You would have tensed up. I needed you relaxed.”
“Thank you for that. Who is downstairs?
“Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel.”
“How long are they staying?”
“I told you,
several months. Hold still.” He laid his hands on her leg
and held them there for several minutes.
“Can I stay with Dorga?”
“No. It would not be seemly.”
“Lord Erestor said he would return this afternoon. Did he know they would come early?”
“I believe so.”
“He did not mention it. Why is it unseemly? We are friends.”
“Yes, you are. I thought you did not want to go to the village.”
“I do not, but I do not want to stay here, either. Did Lord Erestor speak with you about the locks?”
“What locks?”
“Nevermind. Dorga.”
“Young girls do not just stay with older men.”
“What are we doing?”
“That is different.”
“How?”
“Do we really need this conversation now? Erestor will be back and then you may ask him.”
“Is the Elf coming?”
“Next week. He and Elladan both. Why?”
“I just thought they might help me build the tree house back up.”
“Why do you not ask Caldelen?”
She glanced over at Haldir.
“He is too busy. I do not wish to disturb him. He is disturbed enough already.”
Haldir coughed to hide a small laugh. It earned him a look from Elrond and a glare from Ela.
“Is there something you need to tell me, Ela?”
“No, Lord Elrond. There is much I want to tell you and more I probably should, but not today.”
“You may come down in a couple of hours. Let the leg rest until then.”
“May I eat here? I do not feel like company right now.”
“You will have to come out of this room, sooner or later.”
“Later would be better. Can I stay in here for a couple of months?”
“Now you are being silly.”
“I know. Go down to your guests. I am sure they are much more interesting than my broken leg.”
“I am going. And the leg is no longer broken. Just rest it.”
“May I have a drink of water?”
“You may.”
Elrond went over to the wash stand and poured a cup of water.
Haldir saw him slip something into the cup before he turned around.
“Here, Iell. Drink this.”
She drained the cup.
“I would have slept with out the herbs, you know.”
He smiled at her and watched her eyes slowly close.
Chapter Five
And Life Goes On
****
Supper that
evening was a pleasant affair, but Ela did not appear. She asked
for something sent to her room. Elrond made several trips up the
stairs throughout the evening to check on her, but found her reading or
playing her lute. She had picked one up in the Hall of Fire
downstairs and started playing around with it. She was passable,
but her songs left much to be desired. Dorga’s influence on her
creative processes was definitely a negative.
Ela did not come
down to breakfast the next morning. Her room was empty when he
checked. He found her in the kitchen, with Dorga. They were
laughing over a pot of his tea. He had forgotten that today was
Tea Day. She glanced up at him, standing in the door.
“Would you care to join us?” she asked, graciously.
“Do you have enough?”
“Certainly. We always have enough.” Dorga’s voice boomed in the large room.
Elrond took the
empty chair and waited while she poured him a cup of tea. He took
a sip and nearly spit it back into the cup.
“How do you like it?” Ela asked, with a twinkle in her eye.
“This is…most…interest...I cannot lie,” he said. “This is really foul.”
“I know. Is
it not great?” she laughed at him. “It is an acquired
taste. Unfortunately, neither of us know anyone who has acquired
a taste for it. Still, you must admit, it is interesting.”
“Oh, I will give
you that. No wonder Erestor will not have tea with you. And
I now understand the face he makes.”
“He would only try it once. You have to keep at it. Eventually, you may like it.”
“How long will that take?”
Dorga thought about it. “I know of no one who likes it. So, I guess, never.”
He and Ela were overcome with such fits of laughter, neither of them could speak.
“Then why do you drink it?” asked Elrond.
They sobered up and looked at each other.
“I do not know!” they said, together, which caused them to erupt into more laughs.
Elrond shook his head and proceeded to finish the tea. He stood and bowed to them.
“Thank you for the tea. It was most gracious of you to invite me.”
Ela nodded her head and managed to lose the smile on her lips.
“You are most welcome. Thank you for the company.” She looked at Dorga and they broke down again.
Elrond turned to leave and saw Erestor in the doorway.
“I see you have
been introduced into their little society. Is that not the
foulest stuff you have ever drunk?”
“Yes, and worth every drop.”
“Aye, it was at that.”
****
Ela had finally
wrangled Erestor from the meetings and such long enough to check the
work she had been doing on her own. He was pleased with
her. She had very few mistakes and had managed to argue her point
on two of them, and win.
“Lord Erestor, may I ask a question?”
“You may. I
will answer if it is in my power.” It was good to engage in the
words games once again.
“How long can I stay here?”
“Until we need it for a meeting.”
“Not the
library. I meant Imladris. Caldelen said that I must
someday go out into the world. Is that true?”
“You may stay as
long as you like. This is your home. You may wish to
someday leave. That is when you must go. Not before.”
“How will I find
people who will accept me? I am not like your average
human. I do not think I will fit in.”
“There is truth to
that. You may need to go to one of the cities. There your
differences would not be as noticeable. You have wanted to visit
Gondor. It is a great city.”
“Maybe I will just stay here. There are men here. They would not think me strange.”
“That is also
true. Your path is one you must take. No one can choose it
for you. What of Lórien? You once wanted to go there.”
“I am not so sure,
anymore. Besides, there are no men in Lórien. Just more
elves. How would that work out?”
“Life does work itself out, sell. When it is time to choose, the choices will be there.”
“Thank you for the
locks. I feel better. I only wish…” She stopped at
the slight sound of approaching steps in the hallway outside the
library. Erestor looked up to see Lord Celeborn standing in the
doorway.
“Who were you speaking with?” he asked.
“Just Ela,” Erestor answered, turning back to find himself alone in the library. He sighed.
“Someday I would
like to meet this Ela. I have been here for five days and have
yet to see any evidence she exists.”
“Once she makes herself known, you may change your mind,” was all Erestor had to say.
****
Ela made her way
through the garden. She had carefully made sure everyone was
occupied elsewhere before venturing out into the open. Drawn by
noise coming from the tree house tree, she wandered that way.
Looking up, she saw Haldir nailing boards across a wooden frame.
She quietly climbed the tree and stuck her head up between two of the
boards.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I am rebuilding the tree house.”
“Why?”
“Because it needs it. If you are going to insist on using it, it should at least be safe.”
“I was going to ask the Elf and Elldan to do it.”
“Now they will not have to.”
“You have totally
missed the point. I wanted them to do it. I know why they
will do it. Why are you doing it?”
He sat back
against the trunk. Regarding her for several moments, he searched
for the reason he was doing it.
“Because it means something to you, and I wanted to do it for you.”
“Okay.” was all
she said, climbing the rest of the way up. She picked up the bag
of nails. “May I help?”
“You may. But be careful. Do not fall.”
“Do you plan to push me?”
“No.”
“Then I will not fall.”
He turned from her, smiling.
They spent a
pleasant afternoon. She tried to help with the nails, but he had
to straighten out more than she hammered in correctly, so he told her
that she could just supervise. When they were almost finished,
Rúmil found them. He was followed by a younger Elf. Haldir
felt Ela stiffen and looked down.
“Rúmil, have Elldar go back into the house for a moment. I forgot my knife. It is by the bed.”
Rúmil spoke to the
boy and he went back to the house. Haldir’s brother then jumped
back as a pair of small boots came sailing out of the tree house.
They were followed by Ela, dropping from the platform.
“I must say, sell, that was better than the last time,” Haldir called down.
“Well, I am not blinded and do not have you trying to catch me this time. Who was that?”
“That was Elldar, our nephew. He wanted to see the fabled land of Imladris.”
“How old is he?”
“About your age. Maybe a little younger.”
She waited until he had come out of the tree.
“He seems… Sorry,
I have to go.” Before he could look around, she was gone.
The reason for her going was just entering the gardens.
“Your knife was
not there. I looked… There it is! You have it! Why
did you send me for it, if you already had it?”
“Long story, Elldar. I apologize.”
“Who was up in the tree house with you?”
“Lord Elrond’s foster daughter.”
“I did not think she really existed. We have not seen her. How is it you have?”
“Another long story. Did you enjoy your hunt?”
“Yes, but I do not
like our guide. He was very disrespectful. We ran into Lord
Elrond’s sons and some other Rangers and Caldelen was not nice to them
at all. Yes, do not say it, another long story.”
“Well, maybe Ela
will show up for dinner tonight. She cannot resist
Elrohir.” Haldir began gathering up the tools and scraps from his
project. With Rúmil and Elldar helping, it did not take
long. They finished with just enough time to get ready for dinner.
Later, at the dining table, Rúmil leaned over to his brother.
“It seems that even Elrohir could not convince her to come down.”
“She will. She just needs more time. There are too many around she does not know.”
“And never will, at this rate.”
Elrohir excused
himself early and left the room. He made his way to the
kitchen. Passing through, he picked up a tray and took it up the
back steps. He knocked on Ela’s door.
“Who is it?”
“Come, this tray is heavy. Do not make me stand here all night.”
He heard the lock
turn and the door opened. She allowed him to place the tray
on the table before rushing to him and giving him a hug.
“I could hardly
wait for you to get here. What took you so long? I have
been waiting for hours. There are too many people in the house.”
“Slow down,” he laughed.
“I cannot. I have been stuck in here for too long.”
“Ela, you can leave anytime you want to.”
“That is what you think. Every time I look around, there is someone I do not know.”
“Do you want me to help you?”
“No,” she said reluctantly. “It is something I must do myself. But I do not have to like it.”
“Well, I will be here for a week, so by the time I leave, we will have you out of your room.”
They spent a not
so quiet evening. She told him about the book he had sent.
When Elladan knocked on the door, she dragged him in to play a
game. It was close to midnight before she settled down enough to
go to sleep.
They ran into their father as they left her room.
“I think she may come out tomorrow,” said Elrohir.
“Well, that is
sooner than I expected. She will have to anyway. Tomorrow
is Tea Day and she has not missed one yet. I think you two should
join her.”
“I have a pressing matter to attend to, but Elladan is free. I really think he should experience it.”
“Why do I get the feeling you are setting me up?” asked his brother.
“Because he is,”
replied their father. “You did not see her after the
attack. She has come a long way. I sat through their little
tea party last week just to hear her laugh.”
“All right.
I will join them, if asked. I will see you in the morning.”
He went into his room.
“Goodnight, Ada. It is good to be home.”
“And good to have you here. Goodnight.”
He stopped long
enough to try Ela’s door, but it was locked. He shook his head at
her need for the lock. He hoped she would outgrow it soon.
****
Elladan rose early the next morning, but Ela was already in the library. He walked in and sat down.
“Why are you up so early?”
“I have to get
here early so Lord Erestor can go over my lessons. If I wait
until later, he is stuck in meetings. And then I do not have
access to the library. What are you doing today?”
“I heard there is to be a party. I thought I might try to get an invitation.”
“If you are
referring to our tea time, you do not have to come just to make me feel
good. We take it very seriously. It is a solemn occasion
where two friends can discus weighty matters.”
“Well, if you do not want me…”
“However, if you happen to drop by, you may be invited.”
“I may see if I am not busy.”
“Good morning, Ela, Elladan.”
“Good morning, Lord Erestor.”
“It is time for me to leave.”
“Afraid you might learn something?” she teased.
“My head is so full of knowledge, I feel it may burst.”
“Go, run and play
with your bows and arrows. Tea is at two. Do not be
late. It is only good when fresh.”
He nodded at Erestor, with a smile, then hurried out the door.
“You invited him to tea?”
She shrugged. “He invited himself.”
“He is in for a surprise.”
“Oh, yes. I am sure the Elf had something to do with it.”
“Undoubtedly. Now, let me see your lessons.”
They spent the
next three hours going over her work. After assigning the next
week’s lesson plan, he released her for the day. She put her
books and papers in her room and went down to the kitchens.
Peeking around the
doorway, she saw a tray sitting on the small table. She went over
and sat down. Dalgren, the cook’s assistant brought her over some
fresh tea.
“Did you remember that today is Tea day?” Ela asked her.
“Yes, I did. Is he bringing that mess again?”
“Yes, he is. There will be three of us today. May I help in here for a while?”
“Well, there is bread to make. I know how you like punching the dough. Would that be alright?”
“That would be great. May I make some for tea?”
“No, I made some cakes, yesterday. They will go better with the tea.”
“Thank you. I will go change and get an apron.”
She went back
upstairs and put on an old dress. After coming back down, she
stopped at the pantry and got an apron. It was too big, so
Dalgren helped her tie it up. For the next two hours she happily
kneaded and punched bread dough. Dalgren managed to get half of
the dough from her for lunch.
“You should go get cleaned up, Ela. No one would even recognize you. Lunch will be ready soon.”
“I think I will just stay here. It is quiet and peaceful.”
“You know it will
not be, in an hour. Besides, you cannot…” her words trailed off
as she made a deep curtsy. Ela spun around to find herself
looking up at Lord Celeborn. Having no where to run, she found
herself imitating Dalgren.
The ruler of
Lórien took in the small cook’s assistant. Covered in flour, with
her hair pulled back, she seemed unremarkable. Something about
her eyes before she lowered them drew him. Her low curtsy was
more than necessary and he felt her unease.
“Excuse me, may I
bother you for some tea?” Ela looked back up to see he was
speaking to her. She glanced at Dalgren, who nodded to her.
The manners drummed into her won out. Ela sighed and went to the
cupboard for a pot and a cup. She made the tea and put it on a
tray.
“Thank you…what is your name?”
Without thinking, she whispered, “Ela.” Realizing what she had done, she turned and ran for the steps.
“I am sorry, my lord. She is not at ease with strangers.”
“Yes, Lord Elrond spoke to me about her. Is she always in the kitchens?”
“Oh, no, my
lord. Usually she does not leave the library. She spends
hours in there. She comes here to help and to vent her
frustrations.”
“Such a sad situation. Please, thank her for the tea.”
“Yes, my lord.”
****
“Ela, you must
come out.” Elladan had been knocking on her door for ten
minutes. “Dorga is here and it is past two.”
“I do not feel like tea today. Ask him to come back tomorrow.”
“He cannot. Unlock the door and I will come in and we can talk.”
“Where is the Elf?”
“He had an appointment. Can you not talk to me?”
“Where is everyone else?”
“Father and Lord
Erestor are in the library meeting with my grandparents. Haldir
and Rúmil are out hunting. There is no one to run into.”
After five more minutes, he heard the lock turn.
“Alright. I will come down.”
“Good. Dorga says the tea is getting stale.”
They went down the
stairs and into the kitchens. Dorga was at the table, but rose
when Ela approached. She sat down and waited until the other two
had also sat down.
Dorga poured tea
for the three of them. He and Ela watched to see Elladan’s
reaction. He drained his cup and reached for the pot.
“You like this stuff?” she asked.
“I have had worse. It is a fairly foul potion, though.”
“My estimation of
you has risen, Elf,” said Dorga. “You should have seen your
father trying not to spit it back out.”
“That was funny,” Ela chimed in.
They sat and drank
tea and passed an hour. No one entered the kitchen to disturb
them. Elrohir’s pressing appointment was at the other side of the
door, insuring that they were undisturbed.
“I have a poem,”
said Ela. The jokes and poems had gotten progressively
worse. Elladan was glad his father could not hear some of the
jokes.
‘There was a young Elf from Rivendell
Who did not treat others well
He fell off his horse
Broke his neck, of course
And now he resides in…’
“Ela, I do not think that is very nice.”
“It was the nicest
thing I could think of. Besides, this is our party and we can say
anything we want. I have to be nice out there. In here, I
can say what I want.”
“Still, it is not very nice.”
“I did not intend
it to be. You invited yourself here, so if you do not like it,
you may un-invite yourself.”
“In that case, it seems there were these two soldiers from Gondor…”
Elrohir walked into the kitchen.
“Elladan, I do not
think she needs to hear that particular story. Father will not
thank you for telling it.”
“Oh, Elf.
You could have waited a couple more minutes before coming in. You
stood out there long enough.”
“Not much gets by you, does it?”
“Not much.
The eyes are not as good, but I do have the ears of an Elf.
Remember that.”
After the tea
party, Ela finished up her lessons for the day. She then wandered
out to the tree house. She noticed that Haldir had put a roof on
it. Well, that defeated the whole purpose of a tree house.
Now how could she see the leaves above her? Climbing the tree,
she settled down against the trunk and pulled the book from the front
of her tunic. She got through the first chapter when she realized
she was no longer alone in the garden. Sneaking a look over the
edge, she saw Lord Celeborn walking among the rose bushes.
Sighing in frustration, she rolled back from the edge. There was
no way she could get down without notice. She froze when she
heard voices.
“Good afternoon, Lord.”
“Good afternoon, Haldir. What brings you out here?”
“I wanted to finish up the tree house.”
“Is it for the child?”
“Yes. She likes to read up there. Has she come down yet?”
“No. I do not think she knows I am here. I have been very quiet.”
“She knows.
See her foot sticking out over the edge? When she reads, it
twitches. It is not twitching. She is not reading.
Ela!” They watched the foot slowly recede.
“Come down. I want you to meet someone.”
“We have met,” was her soft reply.
“Not formally, I believe. It is not polite to refuse to meet guests.”
“They are Lord Elrond’s guests. My guest left an hour ago.”
Celeborn looked at Haldir.
“The Dwarf.
She has a fascination for Master Dorga. He introduced her to his
version of tea.” He turned back to the tree. “You know it
is rude to hide up there. What will Lord Erestor think?”
“He will think I
have reverted to my childish ways and will understand the reasons for
it. Do you not have some Orcs to slay? Or some other needy
human for which to build a tree house?”
“Not today.
I wish to see you. Come down. Would you leave the ruler of
Lórien standing with a crick in his neck?”
“Tell me, how does one rule the fringes? Boots.”
Haldir grabbed one boot in the air and caught the other before it could hit his lord.
“You aim is unerring, as always.”
“Thank you, March
Warden. Book. And be careful, please.” She dropped
the book into his waiting hand. Flipping over the edge of the
platform, she swung gently and dropped to the ground.
“Ela, this is Lord Celeborn. Lord, this Elrénia, Lord Elrond’s foster daughter.”
Celeborn took in
her appearance. She was small, only four feet tall. Her
light hair had shimmers of red when the sunlight hit it. She wore
it pulled back in a series of small twists, tied with bright ribbons to
match her tunic. He saw that her fair skin carried a trail of
freckles crossing her nose. He could not determine if her ears
had an actual point, or were just oddly shaped. Her eyes drew
him. The were a bright blue. They definitely contrasted
with her hair.
“Indeed, we have met. The tea was very good.”
She did not say
anything for a moment. Haldir could see she weighed whether or
not to trust Celeborn. Something must have made up her
mind. She bowed very formally.
“You are
welcome. But if you want real tea, you should come next
week. Dorga makes the best tea. Are you
Sindarin? You look like it. My father was Sindarin. I
think. No, I am sure.”
“Ela, that is a personal matter. You do not ask people such questions when first meeting them.”
“Then how will I find out anything? Who is minding the fringes, if you are all here?”
“The fringes?” asked Celeborn.
“Lórien. A very private joke.”
Haldir turned at
the look in Ela’s eyes. He saw Caldelen at the other end of the
garden. When he turned back, Ela had moved behind him.
“March Warden, I have been looking for you,” Caldelen nearly shouted.
“What can I do for you?” Haldir could barely contain his contempt for the boy.
Caldelen frowned at Ela.
“Do you not have some books to read or dolls to play with?” he asked her.
“Do you not have some friend to set up and betray?”
“I thought we put that behind us.”
“I am sorry, but
it is standing right out in front of me. Besides, you interrupted
us. I was inviting Lord Celeborn to tea.”
“Run along, we will talk later.” He tried to sound so grown-up, Ela smiled.
“I do not think we
will. Have you spoken to my father? You will have to deal
with him. Now, why do you not run along and go find one of your
man friends.”
“Caldelen, have
you forgotten our talk? You would do well to leave and come back
when she is willing to speak with you.”
“Why do you all put such store in her? She is just a child.”
“You are both
childish. However, her childishness has not brought any to
harm. Yours has.” He turned to Celeborn. “It is
almost time for dinner, Lord. I suggest we go and get ready.”
They followed the
path back to the house, leaving Caldelen standing in the middle of the
garden.
“I think I will watch my back for a few days. You did not make him happy.”
“Are you still so afraid of him?”
“Only because he
hates me so. I do not know why. We were friends. Ada
and Lord Erestor said he is jealous. I do not know of what.
He has the perfect life. He is male and an Elf. What more
could he ask for?”
“Do you think that is the perfect life?”
“Is it not?
Men can do whatever they want. Go hunting, fight, leave the
valley. What can girls do? Sew and stay home. And
elves. He has so much time. He could learn everything there
is to know. He has enough time, he could visit everywhere in
Middle Earth. Why would he be jealous of me?”
“How are your lessons going?”
“Lord Erestor is
not displeased.” Haldir smiled. Erestor and Elrond were
very pleased with her progress. “Not that I would do anything to
displease him. The punishment is too hard to bear. Do you
know he actually threatened to stop teaching me if I did not stay out
of the stables? What kind of threat is that? And what about
the snake? Did he stop to think that he was punishing the
snake? For something I had done? What kind of rationale is
that?”
“Ela,” said Celeborn. “How old are you?”
“Fifteen. I
have been here five years and I was ten when I came. Anyway, that
is close enough. How old are you?”
“Ela,” Haldir cautioned.
“He asked first.”
“I did,” Celeborn agreed. “I am a great deal older than you.”
“Do you remember
the Last Alliance? My father used to talk about it. He
would always get very sad.”
“Your father was at the Last Alliance?”
“I do not think so. He always just said he lost someone then.”
“Who was it?”
“I do not recall ever hearing his name.”
“Maybe someday you will remember.”
“Maybe. I
remember more now than when I came. I have to go feed my
cat. Do you like cats? I have an extra kitten. I must
find a home for him. One cat is enough.” She looked up at
Celeborn. Bowing, she said, “It was a pleasure meeting you.
Enjoy your dinner.”
“Are you not joining us?” asked Haldir.
“Certainly not. I have my dinner already set up in the kitchen. I will be most happy there.”
“What about the feast before we leave? Will you join us then?”
“Who is invited?”
“I do not know.”
“I will consider it. But no promises.”
“Very well.”
She turned and seeing people in the Great Room, turned down the back way through the kitchens.
“That went well.” Haldir sighed.
“What did you expect?”
“You are the first
person she has spoken to outside of her close friends in three
months. I apologize for the questions. She is very
inquisitive. Sometimes she acts very mature, other times, well,
her age. It is difficult to figure out how old she really
is. I have trouble following her questions at times.”
“She is forward.”
“But she does not
mean to be rude. Her thoughts sometimes run ahead of her.
She can run circles around Caldelen, which could explain the trouble
between them.”
“I would like to speak with her again.”
“I am sure, now
that she knows you, you will have the opportunity. She really
craves knowledge. If you try the library in the early morning,
you may find her.”
“I will bear that
in mind.” He turned to go to his room. Haldir went to the
rooms given him and his brother.
A Stalk Of elves
****
True to her word,
Ela did not come in for dinner. Elrohir found her in the kitchen,
helping ice little cakes for dessert the next day. She smiled
when he came into the room.
“Haldir told me about your adventure today. So, you met my grandfather. What did you think?”
“He is very tall. And silver. And old.”
“That is all true. Have you met my grandmother?”
“No, you know that I have not. Truth? She scares me a little.”
“How so?”
“I can feel
it. She knows things. Can you not sense it? It is
like a fog, spreading out from her.”
“I have never
heard it put that way before. Yes, she does know things.
She has a special gift. Why does she frighten you?”
“What is mine is
little and I do not want to share. I am afraid she will look at
me and see.”
“See what, sell?”
She looked down at the cake she had just finished. Setting it down, she took off her apron.
“I have to go.” Before he could stop her, she had run up the stairs.
****
Before light the
next morning, Ela was on her way to the library. She laid her
books and papers neatly on the table and sat, waiting for
Erestor. She closed her eyes and thought back on her short
life. It was a hidden ability she had discovered. If she
thought hard enough, she could see things. Some things were
frightening, others merely puzzling. She was trying to remember
her life before her da had found them. Her thoughts were broken
by the awareness she was no longer alone. Without opening her
eyes, she knew who was in the room.
“Good morning, Lord Celeborn.”
“Good morning.”
“May I help you with something?” she asked.
“I was just
curious.” He walked over to a shelf holding a small collection of
odd books. “I am wondering why these books written in Dwarvish
and the language of the Shire are not with the others.”
“They are
mine. Dorga helps me with the Dwarvish. My friend Rosa
sends me interesting books about the Shire. The Elf brings me
other books from his travels.”
“Do you speak Dwarvish?”
“Not particularly well. I can ask for food and tea. I can make other needs known.”
He smiled at her.
She opened her eyes.
“What were you doing when I came in?”
She cocked her head at him.
“Lord Erestor will be here soon. Did you have need to see him?”
“No. I was hoping to see you.”
“Why? Do you
need tea? Or did I say something yesterday I should not
have. Haldir seems to think that I did, although he is not angry
with me.”
“No, I do not need
tea. And you said nothing yesterday that was wrong. Haldir
is very protective.”
She snorted. “You do not look like you need protection.”
“May I ask a question?”
“You may. If it is in my power, I will answer it.”
Not so subtlety reminded of Erestor, Celeborn glanced at the child.
“Why do you want to come to Lórien?”
“Is it not permissible? I realize that I do not live there, but I have always wanted to visit.”
“Why?”
“It is not
here. I read about all of these places, yet I have not left
Imaladris since arriving. Before that, I cannot remember leaving
my home, until my da found us and dragged us to the White
Mountains. My father could see things. He was not home when
Da came. That is why we did not leave. My mother could not
see him coming. She cried and begged him to leave us alone.
I think he might have, but my father arrived and my da was so
angry. Gondor would be a nice place to visit. Lord Erestor
says that they live on top of each other there. They no longer
have a king, but will again, one day. And Rohan is very
flat. That would be interesting to see. Can you keep a
secret?”
“I think I can be trusted.”
“I would not mind
seeing even Mordor. There is something there. I do not know
what, but it is interesting. I can feel it stir. Can
you? It is like my cat, when she wakes up. She yawns and
stretches, then sometimes, just goes back to sleep. Would you not
think she gets enough rest? She sleeps all day, then half of the
night. She would not make a very good Elf. I think she is
going to have kittens again. That will not make the snake
happy. He does not want any competition for the mice in the
stables. The horse in the big stall does not like the
snake. But the snake does not mind the horse. Horses do not
eat mice. However, they like the grain that draws the mice.”
Celeborn just
looked at her in fascination. He did not even try to count the
threads of topics she had just covered. He had never tried to
converse with someone so erratic. He understood what Haldir had
meant about her thoughts running ahead of her. He himself thought
through things at great length before speaking. He weighed his
words carefully. She just said whatever came into her mind.
Not that he found her ramblings incoherent. Her thoughts made
sense; he just could not always find the connections between her
statements.
She closed her eyes.
“Lord Erestor is coming. You are welcome to remain, but you may find the lessons boring.”
“No, I will leave you to your studies. May we talk again?”
“Anytime.
The weighty matters of the world do not consume my days. After my
lessons, I have nothing to do all day.”
“Then I will see you later.”
****
Ela crouched down
beside the bush. She had been stalking Haldir’s nephew for about
two hours. He seemed as lonely and bored as she was. She
had just made up her mind to speak to him when Caldelen showed up.
“Hello. What
was your name, again?” The condescension in Caldelen’s voice was
heavy. Ela waited to see what Elldar would do.
“It is Elldar. You are the girl’s little play-friend, are you not?”
Ela could see Caldelen bristle at the words.
“I do not play
with her. She is just a child.” He glanced around and
lowered his voice. “And human, at that. I came to see your
uncle. But if you like, I can show you around.”
“Why would you
want to be around me? I am younger than she is. Would that
not make me a child? And how old are you anyway? You cannot
be much older than either of us.”
“Never mind, little boy. Where is your uncle?”
“I am sorry.
He went off with the ellyn, to go hunting. Real hunting.
Not that little journey through the woods we took, chasing coneys.”
Ela could not
contain herself any longer. She burst out in quiet laughs.
Both boys turned when she stood up.
“About time you came out,” said Elldar. “I was losing patience.”
“Why are you spying on us?” Caldelen’s tone was angry and showed too much of his true feelings.
“I was not spying
on you, Elf.” The way she said Elf made it an insult. “I
was following him. I could care less what you do, as long as it
is not here. You are not welcome here. Go away.”
“Where are all of your protectors now? Did they desert you?”
“I need no
protecting, except from you. I am not afraid of you. I just
dislike you. Now go away, before I tell the Elf you were sniffing
around again. By the way, you had better find a new place to hide
your bow. The present one is too obvious.”
Caldelen’s look
spoke of great sorrow for Ela if she should be caught alone
again. He turned and stomped off.
“Do you know where he hides his bow?”
“I have no
idea. But he does not know that. Now he will go and move it
yet again. I am narrowing down his hiding places.”
“You are as subtle as an Orc attack.”
“I have been
accused of that before. That one does not understand
subtlety. He only understands hard directness.
“I have noticed that. I wondered if you really existed.”
“I do. It is
because of him that I avoid others. He is not to be
trusted. Do you want some lunch? Ada and the others will be
tied up for hours yet. They argue back and forth about the best
way to handle things.”
“What things?”
“I am not supposed to know, so I am certainly not going to tell you. Are you hungry, or not?”
“It is too early to eat. I want to go to the stables.”
“Have fun,
then. I am not allowed down there. I will see you after
lunch.” She turned to go back to the house.
“Wait. Why are you not allowed in the stables?”
“There is a
stallion in the last stall. He does not mind my being there, but
it worries Lord Erestor. He made me promise not to go alone
anymore.”
“You would not be alone. I will be with you.”
“You do not
qualify as an adult anymore than does Caldelen. No, if I want to
go, I will wait for permission.”
“Are you always so biddable?” he asked.
“Have you ever
been subjected to severe reprimand by Lord Erestor? It is not
pleasant at all. Once, he would not speak to me for three
days. Just because I went to the village without
permission. No, I do nothing without asking first. Caldelen
was forever trying to get me to do things, but he only wanted to get me
in trouble. Most of the time, he paid for it. Another thing
to endear me to him. He does not strike me as an
overly-intelligent being.
“I feel the same way. He is very angry. Is it all directed at you?”
“I have no
idea. We do not converse any longer. Mostly we just spar
with words and insults. So far, I feel I am winning. I am
sure he has a differing opinion.”
“Do you still want to go to lunch? I guess I could eat now.”
“We would do well
to eat now, before everyone else comes in to eat. We will get the
best pick of the food. Today is larder day. The cook fixes
whatever is left from the weekend. You can have the most amazing
mixtures of foods. They do not even have to go together.”
“That sounds…interesting.” He did not sound convinced.
“You will see. Come on. They are returning from their hunting. We have to hurry.”
He did not think to ask how she knew they were returning.
****
Lunch was not as
bad as he had imagined. Mostly it was just ordinary food.
There were a few surprises. He had never had cake with rice and
peas before. And he did not think that chicken and watermelon
should be on the same plate. But, it was interesting. They
were sitting in the kitchen when Elrohir stuck his head in the
door. Seeing Ela with Elldar, he withdrew before she saw
him. He smiled as he went into the dining room.
“Why do you look so smug?” asked his brother.
“You will never guess who is in the kitchen.”
“She is always in the kitchen.”
“But who is with her?”
He thought of whom all she had met.
“The boy?
Well, that was fast. I thought it would be a few more days before
she would approach him.”
“Who is she, and what boy?” They both turned and stood as their grandmother entered the room.
“Ela is in the kitchen with Elldar.”
“I want to meet this girl. Everyone seems to have seen her but me.”
“She will not see you yet,” cautioned Elrohir. “You frighten her.”
“Whatever have I done to frighten her?”
“You have done
nothing. She can sense you. She is afraid you will see
inside her. Just be patient. She will come around.”
“Did you see who is in the kitchen?” asked Arwen, coming into the dining room.
“Yes. We were just discussing it.”
“Caldelen was up
again. He comes on the pretext of seeing Haldir, but I think it
is just to provoke her. She sent him packing, again.”
Haldir came in with Rúmil. They had cleaned up and were just sitting down, when Haldir looked around.
“Has anyone seen Elldar?”
“Kitchen,” he heard from three different voices.
“Not alone?”
“No. They were just finishing their lunch.”
“Good. He was getting bored. I saw Caldelen coming down the hill earlier. Was he up here?”
“Yes,” said Arwen. “She sent him home.”
“That boy means her no good.”
“I have spoken to
my father about it,” replied Elrohir. “It will get worse, now
that she is wandering out of the house more.”
Erestor chose that
moment to enter the room. Glancing across to the other door, he
saw Ela peek into the room. Seeing Galadriel, she quickly
withdrew her head.
“Excuse me,” he said, and crossed the room.
Going into the kitchen, he was surprised to see Elldar.
“You wanted something, sell?”
“I want to go to the stables. Is there someone free who can take me? Maybe go riding?”
“I will see. I will be right back.”
He returned to the dining room.
“Elrohir, are you free this afternoon? Ela would like to go riding.”
“I think I can clear my schedule. Can she wait until after lunch?”
“She will wait. Thank you.”
When he went back into the kitchen, she was heading for the back stairs.
“Thank you,” she called over her shoulder.
****
Elrohir could hear
laughter as they ran down the field. He had pulled his horse
back, allowing her pony to take the lead. She was lying flat on
the pony’s back. Elldar was trying to keep up with her. He
finally overtook her and they raced to the bend in the river. He
won, but was not sure if she let him, or not. He did not
care. He did not get much opportunity to ride like this in
Lórien. Too many trees. He was enjoying himself very
much. That is, until Caldelen showed up.
The older boy rode
out of the woods. He glanced back up the field to see Elrohir was
still some distance back and riding slowly.
“I see you are still stuck on a pony.”
“You will have further to fall when you get careless.”
“I am not careless. I have earned the right to ride a horse.”
“Mucking out stalls does not earn you the ability to ride. It only earns you a mount.”
“Still, I am on a horse and you have only a pony.”
“One I have not
fallen off of lately. Where were you last week? Oh, yes,
sitting in the paddock in the mud. I noticed you have changed
horses, yet again. Can you not find one gentle enough that likes
you?”
“I will show you
who can sit a horse.” He grabbed the reins of her pony and
jerked. Elldar reached for him, but it was too late. Ela
ended up on the ground, under her dancing pony. She yelped when a
hoof clipped her leg. Elldar reached up and pulled Caldelen down
from his horse. By the time Elrohir came riding up, Elldar had
the older boy pinned to the ground and was sitting on him.
Caldelen was shouting and trying to hit Elldar, but his uncles and
father had not trained him to lose a fight. He had not hit
Caldelen once.
“What is going on
here?” demanded Elrohir. He had come riding up when he saw the
third rider at the bend.
“I thought I would see how the grass is coming along,” was Ela’s reply, from the ground.
“I was just showing this boy how we grow up in the woods,” was Elldar’s answer, still sitting on Caldelen.
“This is all her fault!”
“How could this
possibly be my fault? You made him throw me. If you would
grow up, you would not have these problems. Why do you hate me
so? Is it the human blood? Well, I have news for you; I
have no human blood. Not a drop. Moreover, if my parents
were here, they would tell you that. Just Elf and Indrel.
Nothing else. And if you were to ask, either is nobler than
you. I feel sorry for you. You have nothing. Only
your hatred for me. I know that my parents loved me and someday I
will find out who I am.”
She stood up and
limped over to her pony. Shrugging off any help, she got back on
and rode for the stables.
“Come on, Elldar. You uncles will be worried if she shows up and you do not.”
“Gladly.” He mounted his pony and followed Ela.
“You are not
welcome anymore. Do not come up to the house. Leave her
be. Do not speak to her. Do not even look at
her.”
He turned his
horse and galloped off towards the stables. Arriving, he found
Ela outside waiting for him. She brushed down her pony and waited
to turn him out. She waited until he had taken care of his horse.
“I want to go inside.”
“Come on, then.”
She followed him as far as the large hole along the wall.
“Hello,
snake. I am sorry I have not been down. It is that
Caldelen. Yes, I know you do not like him. Neither do
I.” She sat down and waited. Within minutes, a large snake
had come out of the hole. It caressed the back of her hand with
its tongue. She rubbed it between the eyes. A look of
contentment came over her.
After a few minutes, the snake crawled back down into its hole. She got up and went over to Elrohir.
“I am ready, Elf. Thank you. I missed him.” She walked ahead of them back to the house.
Chapter Six
Running Through The Chasms Of My Mind
****
Ela went to the
study to speak to Elrond. Finding it empty, she, she went back
past the library. Entering, she stopped in front of the shelf
that housed her personal books. Closing her eyes, she turned her
thoughts inward and savored an early memory of her parents. An
unremembered feeling entered her consciousness. Uneasiness
settled as she realized she was no longer alone. She did not open
her eyes, but frowned.
“That was not polite,” she said softly.
The other one felt as if a door had slammed shut.
“You have a rare gift. Most cannot feel nor block me.”
“That does not make it right.”
“No, it does not. Of whom were you thinking?”
“My parents. How happy we were.”
“What happened to them?”
“I am sure that Lord Elrond already explained that. Is there need to bring it up again?”
“You are a most unusual child. Who was your mother?”
“Depending on whom
you would ask, a goddess, temptress, witch, savior, whore,
traitor. Shall I continue?”
“No.”
There was silence for several moments.
“Are you happy here?”
Turning, Ela opened her eyes. Galadriel noted the slight gleam in their depths.
“As happy as I can
be. My parents are dead. I was torn from my home.
However, I have found a home here. I am most content, for
now. The time will come when I must leave, but until then, this
will do.”
“Why must you leave?”
“Does not everyone
leave at some point? You are no longer in Valinor. Lord
Celeborn is no longer in Doriath. Eventually, everyone comes and
goes elsewhere. Someday, I will go to another place.”
“You are correct. Do you know where you will go?”
She shrugged, a most unattractive habit of hers. “Not yet.”
“May I ask a question?”
“Another one? Yes. If in my power, I will answer.”
“How old are you?”
“I am
fifteen. I was born at mid-summer. In fifteen years, I will
mark my thirtieth birthday. If I were at home, my mother would
make me a very pretty dress. There would be a celebration, with
guests and gifts. At that point, I will be considered no longer a
child, but starting on my journey towards adulthood. In another
ten years, a man will be permitted to speak for me. Then it would
be a matter of waiting until we decided to wed. I do not think my
mother liked the last part. She said she would never force me to
wed. I would choose. That is why she left her people.
They did not approve of my father. Actually, they hated
him. They forbid her to wed him.”
“Do you know why?”
“He was
different. My mother said that her people did not like any who
were different. His looks, his manners, his speech, all pointed
to the fact he was not one of them. She did not care. She
loved him anyway.”
“If you found a man you liked, when would you wed?”
“Anytime after my
fortieth birthday. When we felt it was time. There is no
hurry. My mother was seventy-five when they wed. She was
far older when I was born. She had angered her father by refusing
any others. There was none left who would have her, no matter
what she brought them. She was…” Galadriel could see her
struggle for a word. “She was obstinate. No man wants a
woman he cannot control.”
“That is unlike elves.”
She grinned.
“Yes, that has occurred to me. I have seen that also among
men. They want a woman who can think, not blindly follow a
man.” She looked into Galadriel’s eyes. “You are very
strong. You can think. You would not blindly follow any man
nor allow one to lead you. Yet, are you wedded. Moreover,
your Lord is not a man to be led. It seems you suit each
other.”
“You see much more than you admit. Tell me of your father.”
Ela closed her eyes.
“He was
fair. All silver. Even his voice. When he spoke, it
was like water running down a hill. His touch was like a
feather. When he touched me, I felt safe and happy. He
could fix anything. Once, I fell from a tree. I hurt my
arm. He fixed it and did not tell my mother. She worried so
about me. My mother said I should be as lucky as she was.
To find one who made me safe.”
Without opening her eyes, she said, “Good morning, Lord Erestor. We have a guest.”
“So it would seem. Good morning, Lady.
“Ela, you are excused to prepare for tonight.”
“Yes, Lord Erestor.” Nodding, she left.
Elrond came in through the terrace door.
“What do you think?” Erestor asked.
“She is a very
unusual child. She believes her father was Elven. I am
inclined to agree. There is a wall I cannot penetrate. She
is adept at blocking her thoughts. She also has an ability to
read things around her. She knew who I was before she saw
me. Have you noticed this?”
“Some of it.
She seems able to feel emotions. So far, it is as erratic as her
questions are. She said the snake in the stables liked her.
When asked if he told her that, she said no, she just felt it.
There have been the problems with Caldelen. He is very jealous of
her. She noticed this early and has been avoiding him for
months. I do not think the boy knows how serious it is.
Elrohir and Haldir both have spoken to him.”
“Have you found out who her mother’s people were?”
“Not yet,” replied
Elrond. “We have two names, and small bits she has given.
Elrohir said she mentioned the word Indrel last week. She
mentioned it again yesterday. I know of no people by that name,
but the far southeast is an open and mostly unknown area. He will
check it out when he returns to the Rangers. It seems the older
she gets, the more she remembers.
“It may be that
the attack on her brought forward memories and abilities that were
meant to remain dormant for yet a while. She will bear
watching. She says she is fifteen, yet her words speak of
maturity beyond that, while her actions often prove her younger.
She is torn. She is trying to fit in to our world, while
remembering her own. The young are known to do foolish things
when confused.”
“The
watching for now will not be a problem. She barely leaves the
house and only goes as far as the gardens. She will not leave the
grounds without an escort.” Elrond paused and looked at
Galadriel. “Thank you for speaking with her. I had hoped
you could reach her. I know she is hiding something.”
“When the time
comes, I am sure she will share with you. I will see you at
lunch. I promised my husband a walk in the gardens.”
Both men bowed to her. She went in search of her Lord.
Misery Loves Company
****
The feast set for
that night was an elaborate affair. Seldala had seen that Ela had
a new gown to wear. She had argued about wearing it, but since it
was insisted upon, she made the best of it and did not fuss too
much. It was a deep sapphire with slippers to match.
Seldala had even found ribbons for her hair in the same shade. By
the time for dinner had arrived, she was actually looking forward to
the evening.
When she finally came down the stairs, she found Elldar had also been required to dress up.
“I do not feel so bad, now,” she said to him.
“Why, because I am miserable?”
“I did not want to
wear this. I would rather have worn my trousers and a
tunic. This feels unnatural.”
“Not to mention it looks unnatural.”
“At least I can take my shoes off during dinner. No one ever notices.”
“Do you do this often? I mean the fancy dinner thing.”
“More than I
like. Whenever someone important comes to see Ada, I have to
dress up. It is most unfair. They did not come to see me.”
“Well, I cannot wait to get out of these clothes.”
“That will not be
very long. We will be excused early. They will be up all
night dancing and singing and drinking.”
“Well, that is something. What will we do?”
“We can go up to
my room and play a game, or go to the library. I still have some
work to finish for Lord Erestor. Then there is always the tree
house. Sometimes I spend the night there. It is peaceful,
once you get used to the waterfalls.”
“Let me know when we can leave. At home, I do not usually have to attend these things.”
“All right. You decide what you want to do later.”
She turned as Seldala came down the stairs.
“Are you ready, Sell?” she asked.
“As ready as I ever am for this.”
“Then, come
on. They are waiting.” Seldala smiled as Erestor came up
behind her and took her hand, placing it on his arm.
“Come, younglings. It is time for dinner.”
Elldar shrugged, a
habit he had picked up from Ela, and put her hand on his arm, imitating
Erestor. He led her into the dining room to the places assigned
to them. After holding her chair for her, he took the seat next
to hers. Ela gave a start when she heard a voice behind her.
“That is my chair, boy. Go sit somewhere else.”
Elldar looked back at Caldelen.
“I was not aware
you would be here. Please forgive me. I had not realized
this was your chair. One moment please.” He looked at the
back of the chair and then turned it over. Haldir watched him,
confused. What was the boy doing?
“Again, I
apologize, but your name does not seem to be anywhere on this
chair. Maybe they are switched. Would you like help finding
yours?”
Haldir’s elbow
slipped off the table. He was hard pressed to keep from
laughing. He expected a comment like that from Ela, but not
Elldar. She was becoming a bad influence.
Caldelen turned
red and looked around. Most of the adults had glanced away, but
he caught a glimmer of a smile on Elrond’s lips. Since his
parents had been invited, there had been no choice but to include
Caldelen. Elrond did not have to like it. He had warned
Erentil to keep an eye on the boy. Even with so many there, he
did not entirely trust him.
The conversation
during dinner flowed around and over Elldar and Ela. They had
their heads together quietly talking to each other. If one
happened to look up, the one sight that drew their attention was
Caldelen glaring at them from down and across the table. Haldir
caught his look more than once. He had warned Rúmil earlier that
Caldelen would be attending. Whenever his younger brother could
tear himself away from Glorfindel’s tales, he also watched the
boy.
Before she knew
it, dinner was over. The company that usually prompted these
events had always bored Ela. This was the first time she had ever
enjoyed herself.
Elrond led
everyone into the Fire Room. There were roaring fires in both
fireplaces. The season might be warm, but the night had cooled
down. Glorfindel went over to where the musical instruments were
waiting. He picked up a lute and started to tune it. Three
others went over and picked up flute, lute, and a drum. At his
nod, Ela went and got her lute. Although not proficient, she
could keep up on some of the songs. As they started to play,
Elrond led Arwen out into the open. Ela smiled to see Erestor and
Seldala move onto the floor. Soon, the area was crowded with
dancers. Elldar sat close to Ela and watched her fingers strum
the strings. Her small fingers faltered some, but it seemed more
due to lack of size to fit the neck of the lute, than lack of
ability. Looking around the room for his uncles, his eyes rested
on Caldelen. He was watching Ela avidly. Elldar heard a
very sour chord and glanced at her. She had stopped playing,
staring at Caldelen. Elldar sensed that she had felt the older
boy’s emotions. He took the lute from her and took her hand.
“I want to dance,” he said.
She allowed
herself to be led out to the floor. Neither of them was very good
at dancing, but they laughed at each other and had fun. A hand on
his shoulder startled Elldar. He looked up to see his eldest
uncle standing behind him.
“When you are finished, I would like a dance.”
“Certainly. You may have it now.” Elldar stepped back.
Haldir took Ela’s
small hand in his and placed his other hand on her shoulder. She
concentrated on her feet, willing them to keep from stumbling.
“It is easier if you do not watch your feet. Just feel the rhythm. Let the music guide you.”
She looked up into
his eyes. He was struck with the vividness of them. They
glittered with a small inner light. The freckles crossing her
nose had deepened since she had begun spending more time
outdoors. The deep crimson of her hair had lightened to gold,
streaked with fire. The light from the lamps and candles gave her
tresses a life of their own. If he used his imagination, he could
make out tiny points on her ears. He wondered, not for the first
time, who her father was.
“Where did you learn to dance?” she asked.
“From my mother. She used to dance with me when I was a child.”
“Where is she now, if it is permissible to ask?”
“It is. She faded when my father was killed.”
“That must have been hard for you.”
“It was. It
left me with two small brothers. Than in itself was hard
enough. They were not the easiest of children to raise.
Still, they turned out well enough.”
“How old were you?”
“Just short of my majority.”
“How could she just leave you like that? Did she not love you?”
He broke his gaze
from her eyes. He had not discussed this in so many years.
She could feel the pain.
“I am sorry. I did not mean to pry. It is not good for me to ask such questions.”
“It is
alright. I see Elldar is impatient to reclaim you. Thank
you for the dance.” He nodded to his nephew, who came forward.
“Thank you,
Elldar. Watch your other uncle. If he can tear himself away
from that girl in the corner, he will be over to bother the two of you.”
They glanced over
to where Rúmil was chatting with an older girl. Ela remotely knew
her. Dariela, or something like that.
Elldar firmly took possession of Ela’s hand and swung her around.
“He will have to find us first,” he laughed, moving into the crowd.
“That was interesting,” Ela commented. “This night is full of surprises.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, this is the
most fun I have ever had at one of these dinners. Your uncle is a
walking revelation. And, Rúmil is interested in more than
balrogs. I wonder what else this evening will bring.”
They had worked
themselves to the doors leading to the terrace. There were
several couples already drifting from the overheated room to the cool
air outside.
“Would you like something to drink?” he asked.
“That would be
nice. Ada has some wine set aside for us. It is slightly
watered down, but still tastes good. Just ask Erentil.”
She watched him go back into the house.
“Finally, I thought he would never leave.”
She spun around at
the words and came face to face with her former
friend.
“Go away. I
do not know how you managed to be allowed to attend, but you are not
allowed to speak to me.”
“If I was not
allowed, do you not think someone would have stopped me by now. I
want to talk to you. About us.” He slowly worked her over
to a dark corner.
“There is no
us. You ruined that months ago. Even before that day in the
alley. If you leave me alone, you will not have to worry about
anyone else finding out. Not because I would spare you, but I do
not want anyone finding out how stupid I can be. I wish that I
had never met you.”
“That will make
the future difficult. I plan on asking that I be permitted to
exchange rings with you.” He waited for her response. He
saw Elrohir come out onto the terrace, looking for something, or
someone. He was startled by the laugh that sounded in his ear.
“You are what!”
she exclaimed, between laughs. “You cannot be serious. I am
too young. You are too young. Go back to our game of hiding
your bow. You have a better chance of keeping it from me than
gaining my acceptance of you. I know what kind of husband I want,
and you are not it.”
He grabbed her arm and shook her. “Stop it. Do not laugh at me!”
“I cannot help it.”
“What is going on here? Caldelen, let go of her. Ela, what are you doing?”
She held up her hand. When she could speak again, she looked at her brother.
“Oh, Elf. He has told me the funniest joke. I could not control myself.”
“Would you care to share it?”
“Oh, no, it was too stupid. It made no sense. It had no point.”
“Then why was it so funny?”
“It was the delivery, and the teller. Someday, I may share it, but it is too precious now.”
Elrohir scowled at the boy.
“Come on, Ela. Elldar is looking for you. He has your wine.”
“Goodbye,
Caldelen,” she said, bowing slightly. “Our talk has been most
enlightening. I trust you will learn from it and do nothing you
will regret.” She turned before he could say anything.
Elrohir followed.
“What did he say?”
Elrohir asked when they were inside. He went over to a bench
along the wall. They sat down and waited for Elldar to find them.
“Will you tell your father?”
“No unless it will harm you not to.”
“He wants to exchange rings.”
He stared at her,
speechless. “That was the joke? I can see how you would
find it funny, but he was not amused. He is very angry right now.”
She
shrugged. “That is not my fault. You know how dense he
is. I told him to his face I do not want him. He just
insisted on speaking to Ada. I would love to hear that
conversation.”
“Ela, this is not a game. The boy is serious.”
She sobered and
looked up at him. “Do you not think I know that? What would
you have me do? Tease him with false promises? I have told
him no. I have pointed out the reasons, least of all that I do
not like him. Short of dragging your father into it, what can I
do? He knows I cannot claim I love another. I am too young
for even that game.”
“But you do,
correct? There is another. There is nothing wrong with
that. Now is the time for you to explore your options.
Decide your future. Does this other one know?”
“No,” she
whispered. “It would not be right. Besides, would I not be
better off with one of my mother’s people? They must have a
reason for wanting me back.”
“No good
reason. You should forget about them. You are more Elven
than anything else, even if only by upbringing. You would not fit
into their society. Trust me. I have seen it. Those
raised in the closed confines of the havens of elves do not do well in
the outside world. It may have been a disservice to have kept you
all these years, but you have not been unhappy, have you?”
“No. Lonely,
sometimes, but never unhappy. And, you have been a family to
me. I have been honored to be permitted to live here. Lord
Elrond has been very good to me. Even Lord Erestor has done
everything he could to teach me. I would not throw any of that
away. Besides, I think your father was glad to have a child
again. Maybe he would like more.”
“Do not even think
that,” he laughed. “We do not intend to settle down as long as
the unrest exists. Moreover, I have not seen Arwen hastening
towards a relationship with any. Maybe another waif will show up
in a boat.”
“Maybe, but I would not bet on that happening again. When you leave, will you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Will you look for my mother’s people? I would only like to know. I feel like half of a person.”
“I will.
Here comes Elldar. I think it best you stay in here for the rest
of the evening. Do not wander outside. It is only by chance
I found you this time.”
“I will not leave. Besides, this is the first time I have ever had fun.”
“I will blame that on Elldar. Company makes even the most tedious task bearable.”
“Thank you, Elf.”
He smiled. “Are you always going to call me that?”
“Do you object? I will stop only if it bothers you. Not because it bothers Haldir.”
He laughed. “I do not. Enjoy your evening.” He rose to leave, as Elldar reached them.
“I want a dance,” she called after him. He raised his hand and waved it in acknowledgement.
“Where did you go? I looked outside and you were gone.”
“I am sorry. I had to see to something.”
“Is everything alright?”
“It is for now. Keep an eye on Caldelen. He is very unhappy right now.”
“How much longer do you want to stay?”
“Unless you want
to leave, I would like to stay a little longer. I am actually
having fun. Who would have thought it?”
“I know my uncle
would like a dance. I am not sure why. He is all over that
girl over there.” They both glanced to where Rúmil was sitting
with yet another girl.
“I do not know that one. He is persistent.”
“He is fickle. I can think of at least four girls back home. He knows he is safe here.”
The object of
their discussion looked up to see them staring. He spoke to the
girl and came over to them.
“Would you care to dance?” he asked Ela.
“Certainly. Although you might be more comfortable with the girl you just left.”
“No, I want to dance with you.”
He took her
hand. Elldar watched as they gracefully started to dance.
She had improved with the evening. He had seen his eldest uncle
speaking to her; maybe he had helped her.
As they danced,
Haldir watched her from time to time. It escaped her
understanding, until she saw that he was also watching her former
friend, who was also watching her. The look on the boy’s face was
too easy to read. Haldir thought it time to remove the temptation
from Caldelen’s reach. Striding over to where Elldar sat, he
joined him.
“How do you like it here?”
“It is different. Too formal, though. I miss home.”
His uncle laughed. “So do I. I think it would be alright for you to leave, if you want.”
“I will ask her. She promised a dance to Elrohir. Is she really coming to visit this summer?”
“Yes.”
“Good. It is lonely being the only child around. Do you think she will miss all of this?”
“Probably not most
of it. She does not like the formality any more than you
do. It is just something with which she has grown up. I
know she is happiest when in the library, or in her tree house.”
“Then she will fit in. All we have are trees.”
They both watched as Ela came towards them. She was flushed and her eyes were lit up.
“Your brother is a terrible flirt.”
“He does do a lot of it.”
“No, I mean he is terrible. Someone should teach him how to do it. He is so obvious.”
“Well, it has
stood him well for a long time. As he is not yet wedded, his
technique has either done him harm or good, depending on how you look
at it.”
“I would say it has done him good. He is not ready for that.”
“Are you ready to
leave? I would like to see you to where the two of you are going
to spend the rest of the evening.”
“I promised the Elf a dance. When we are finished, I can leave, if Elldar wants to…”
“My turn.”
Elrohir came up beside them. He took off with Ela before she
could finish her sentence.
“Are you sure she will not miss all of this?” asked Elldar.
“Her brothers
leave the day after tomorrow. We leave in three days. Soon
it will be just her and the few here. She will not have anything
much to miss.”
Before she could
return after the dance, Elrond had claimed her. She was kept busy
the next few dances. The only one she turned down was
Caldelen.
By the time she returned to Elldar, she was ready to leave.
“I want to change, then I think I would like to go to the tree house. It is not too cold.”
Elldar agreed and Haldir followed them to the back of the house.
“I will meet you
in the kitchen,” said Elldar. She nodded at him and started up
the back stairs, Haldir following.
“I will not be
long,” she said, outside her room. She went in and closed the
door. He noticed she did not lock it. Soon her need for
locks would be far away. Within minutes, she opened the door back
up. She was dressed in leggings and a wool tunic. He smiled
to see her clutching a blanket and her doll. Fifteen, huh?
He saw past her that she had laid her dress carefully over the chair.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes. I want to stop in the kitchen to get some snacks. Dalgren will have a basket ready.”
He led the way
down the stairs. The promised basket was on the small table in
the corner. Elldar had not come in yet, so they sat down.
“If you live in trees, are your tree houses on the ground?” she asked, grinning.
“Not everyone
lives in the trees. Actually, not even most do. Orophin and
Gariel live in a house outside the city walls.”
“Oh. Do you live in a house?”
“Rúmil and I both live in a talan.”
“Why does Orophin not?”
“Gariel will go up into the trees, but she prefers the ground. It is handier.”
“Where does Arwen live?”
“She lives with her grandparents, the Lord and Lady.”
“I think it will be different from Imladris. Quieter.”
“It is.
There are no waterfalls. Just the Celebrant. However, to
hear the wind in the mallorn trees is worth the trip. Lórien is
surrounded by the plains of Rhovanion on two sides. The Misty
Mountains are to the west and Fangorn to the south.”
Elldar came into the kitchen, interrupting their talk.
“I am ready,” he said.
Haldir picked up the basket and saw them to the tree house before returning to the party.
Indulgence Can Be Painful
****
For the next
several days, Elldar and Ela were inseparable. Except for her
lessons in the early morning hours, they managed to spend every waking
hour together. Elrohir and Elladan took them riding, but did not
let them out of their sight. Haldir found them in the tree house
one day, reading one of her Dwarvish books. It was a book of
children’s stories. He did not understand her fascination with
the literature of Dorga’s people. Personally, he did not think it
well written or of any benefit.
She came into the
library to talk to Elrond. He was at his desk finishing up some
correspondence. She waited patiently until he was done.
Erestor came in with another stack of papers. Elrond looked up at
her soft sigh.
“Did you need something, Ela?”
“Just a request.”
He set aside the letters and went to sit beside her. “What is it?”
“My birthday is soon.”
“Yes.”
“I have decided what I would like.”
“And what is that?”
She glanced from one to the other.
“Earrings.”
“Earrings? You want to put holes in your ears?”
“Yes. I have thought long about it. I think that I would look good in earrings.”
“Ela, elves do not pierce their ears. It is just not done.”
“Why not? I think Lady Seldala would look beautiful with earrings.”
“It is just not done. Elves do not pierce their ears.”
“You mentioned
that. Well, then if I am only half Elven, then I will get the
Indrel half pierced. That way, I will offend no one.”
Elrond sat back. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Yes. Dorga
said that the human healer in the village could do it. It is
safe. He does it for the others.”
“And if I say no?”
“Then I will be disappointed, but I will not. I will wait until I can do it myself.”
“Are you absolutely sure about this?”
“Yes.”
“It will hurt.”
“More than when you healed the broken leg? More than getting kicked by my pony?”
“Alright,” he laughed. “You have made your point. You have my permission.”
“Thank you, Ada.” She gave him a quick hug and ran from the room.
“Earrings?” Elrond said to Erestor.
“Her flights of independence take a different path than did your other charges.”
“Yes, they do. I will take her tomorrow. She wants to visit Dorga, anyway.”
****
Dorga was more
than a little surprised to see Elrond, trailed by Elldar, with Ela the
next day. He ushered them in and found a chair for the Elf.
Elldar had never met a Dwarf before. He had mixed feelings about
going there, but found the small man very interesting. Elldar
received more than a healthy dose of bad poetry and worse songs.
He would have to remember to edit his reports of his visit to Imladris
when speaking to his mother.
Pouring tea for them, Dorga glanced at Elrond.
“So, what brings you to my humble abode, Lord?”
“It seems your bad
influence on a certain girl. She wants to have her ears pierced,
and it seems I have you to thank for it.”
The Dwarf
laughed. “Do not blame me for that. I only told her where
to go. I did not want her to have just anyone do it. But I
did tell her she had to gain your consent.”
“Well, thank you
for that. She waylaid me yesterday. I brought her down to
have it done. I hope she knows what she is doing.”
“Most of the women of men and Dwarves have it done. It is not an uncommon practice.”
“It is among elves.”
“I would not worry. It is just two small holes.”
“In otherwise perfect ears. Why is it so important?”
“In some cultures,
it is a sign of maturity. In others, a sign of
unavailability. With her, it is just a desire to flex her
wings. She saw several of the village girls with earrings and
wanted to fit in.”
“It will not help her in Lórien.”
“So, you intend to
send her there? It will be less handy for a certain elf I
know. How does she feel about it?”
“I have not yet told her. She will not take it well.”
“You have a flair for understatement. I expect she will fight tooth and toenail.”
“Aye, she will fight it, but she will go.”
“She will. I
shall miss her. She has been a joy. I look forward to our
visits. I will have to remember to send her some of my tea.”
“The elves of Lórien will not thank you for that. Send plenty.” They both laughed.
Elrond looked over to where Ela was showing Elldar some of Dorga’s trade samples.
“It is time, Sell. Your appointment is soon.”
“Yes, Ada. Thank you, Dorga, for your hospitality. I will see you tomorrow for tea?”
“Yes, child. I will be there.”
“Goodbye, then.” She went to the door and waited while Elrond and Elldar gave their goodbyes.
Walking down the street, Elrond noticed that she was moving slower.
“Second thoughts?” he asked.
“Maybe just a little.”
“Good. I would not feel you had thought it through if you did not have them.”
They stopped in
front of the healers shop. Ela took a deep breath and went
through the door that Elrond held open for her.
“Lord
Elrond. I did not know you would bring her personally.”
Melkin came to greet them. “Welcome. Are you ready?” he
asked Ela.
She nodded.
“Come then.
I have everything waiting.” He led her into the private
room. She sat down in the chair.
Elrond followed,
but kept out of the way. He saw her blanch at the sight of the
needle, but she did not say anything.
“This will numb it
up a little,” said Melkin, rubbing a swatch of cloth on her ears.
“You will still feel a pinch, but nothing worse.”
He waited several
minutes to allow the anesthetic to take effect. He then picked up
a large needle and placed a small piece of hardwood behind her
earlobe. Quickly pushing the needle through her ear, he heard her
gasp. Pulling the needle out, he placed a drop of alcohol in the
hole. He then placed a very small stud in her ear. Moving
to the other side, he repeated the process. Handing her a mirror,
he sat her up.
“How do you like them?” he asked.
“They are
beautiful. I like them. I cannot wait to show
Dalgren. She said I would not be able to go through with
it. What do you think, Ada?”
“Your Indrel ears look beautiful. Come, it is time to go. How much is the fee, Melkin?”
“It is taken care
of, Lord Elrond. It was a gift for her birthday. The Elf
paid for the earrings and the piercing was my gift.”
“What elf?”
“He just said he was The Elf,” Melkin said with a grin.
“Elrohir. Ela, what did he have to do with this?”
“Not much.
He said that if I could talk you into it, then he would get me the
earrings. I did, and he did.”
“Lórien is in trouble.”
****
The next
day, Ela was in the library before light. Dorga would be there at
two and she wanted to be done long before then. She went over her
lessons one last time before Erestor was to arrive. Satisfied,
she folded her hands and closed her eyes.
Erestor came through the door, interrupting her thoughts.
“Ela, you are
excused this morning. Dorga has sent word he cannot come this
afternoon. He asks if this morning would suit.”
“How can one have afternoon tea in the morning?” she asked, opening her eyes.
“I am sure you will find a way.”
“Would you care to join us, lord?”
“You know the answer to that very well. His tea is a poison that will slowly kill.”
“Probably.
Nevertheless, it would be a pleasant way to spend a millennium. I
have a kitten yet. Did you change your mind?”
“No, sell.
One is enough. Go now. Get ready for your tea. He
will be here in two hours.”
“That is enough time to see the snake.” She stood and bowed. “Thank you, Lord Erestor.”
“You are welcome.”
****
“Would it be much trouble to have tea on the front terrace? Ela asked Dalgren.
“No, sell. Are you sure?”
“Yes. I want to look out over the valley. I am tired of the mountain behind us.”
“Very well. I will see to it. How many will there be?”
“Maybe four. Do you have cakes today? Dorga loved them last week.”
“I think there may be some stale ones from the other night. How will that be?”
“Better than nothing, barely. I know you made cakes yesterday. Please say you made extra.”
Dalgren laughed. “You know I did. Yes, there are enough for your tea.”
“Thank you,” she said, giving the older woman a hug.
She went out to
the terrace to see if it would do. She found the broom in a
corner and started sweeping up the leaves that had blown from the
trees. A squirrel chattered under one of the small tables.
Ela went over and crouched down.
“What are you
doing here? There are no nuts. If you wait, there will be
cake. How does that sound?” The animal cocked its head as
if listening to her. Suddenly, it bolted from the terrace.
Ela turned to see Galadriel sitting in a far corner.
“Lady,” she said standing and bowing politely.
“Come here, sell.” Ela warily went over to her.
“You do not like me much, do you?”
“I did not know it was required of me to like you.”
“It is not,” the woman said, laughing. “However, why is it you do not?”
“I cannot
say. I do not care to have someone read my private
thoughts. They are mine. They are the only things I
have. You reach out and try to see what is there. If I
wanted to share, I would. It should be my choice.”
“I understand. I will try not to intrude upon your thoughts.”
“Thank you.”
“What did the animal say to you?”
“Nothing. He
does not speak elvish and I do not speak squirrel. He was just
looking for food.”
Dalgren came out,
followed by one of the kitchen help. They bore trays of cups and
cakes. Setting them down on a table, Dalgren turned to Ela.
“Will you require anything else, lady?”
“Maybe another cup. You never know who may drop in for tea. Are you making bread this afternoon?”
“You know I have already done it. You should not spend so much time in the library.”
“Well, maybe tomorrow. Thank you, Dalgren.”
“You are welcome.”
“You could join us,” Ela said.
“Yes, and I could
wed an Orc. However, we both know I will do neither. Enjoy
your tea. I see Master Dorga coming up the steps.”
Ela ran over to
the head of the steps. Running back to the table, she set the
cups just so. She laid out napkins and tiny plates. By the
time Dorga had finished his climb, she had everything the way she
wanted it. He handed her a small bottle, which she poured into
the teapot.
She turned as Lord
Celeborn came through the door. She bowed and showed him his
chair. He in turn held hers out for her. When they were all
seated, Ela poured the tea.
Celeborn thanked her and took a sip. They watched to see what he would do.
“This is not the
worst mixture I have ever drunk. I remember an old Dwarf who made
his so strong, it could melt the cup.”
“Then how did you drink it?” Ela asked.
“Very quickly.”
She sat for several seconds, and then broke out in laughter. Dorga joined her.
“I do not believe that you have ever drunk this before.”
“Believe what you
will, I have had it. Once. However, that was enough.
You do this every week?”
She nodded her head as she bit into one of the little cakes.
“We have been
doing it for almost five years. Caldelen quit after a couple of
weeks. He said we have no taste. Of course, he did not
understand the poetry and the jokes were over his head.” She
looked at him. “Would you like to hear a poem?”
“Very well.”
“An Orc said to a lady
‘How do you do?’
She turned to look at him
And said, ‘The same to you.’
It bothered her not
That he was not her kind
For it was soon discovered
She was totally blind”
“That was interesting. Where did you learn that?”
“From the
Elf. He did tell me not to recite it to his father, but you are
not his father. He told me some others, but I cannot tell them to
you.”
“What are you doing?”
Ela looked up to see Elldar standing in the door.
“We are having tea. I would invite you, but it is for adults.”
“You are not an adult.”
“Yes, well, in that case you may join us then, but do not tell your uncles. They would not approve.”
He sat in the
empty chair. She poured him a cup and waited. He took a
large swallow, and then realized what it tasted like. Ela later
swore he turned at least three shades of green before he managed to
swallow the rest of the mixture.
“What is this stuff?”
“Tea. Was
there something wrong with it?” She turned to the Dwarf. “I
told you, Dorga, it has to be fresh. Now he will probably get
sick.”
Elldar looked
stricken. He was caught up in a coughing spell when his uncles
came up the steps. The sight they beheld was priceless.
Celeborn had a very small smile on his lips. Ela was laughing so
hard there were tears running down her cheeks. Dorga was looking
out over the valley. Then they noticed their Lady sitting in the
corner, smiling.
“What is wrong with the boy?” Haldir demanded.
“I think he is getting ready to throw up,” laughed Ela.
“His tea went down wrong,” said Dorga.
“His mother will never let him leave Lórien again,” added Celeborn.
“Would you like some tea?” asked Ela, innocently. She managed to take a drink with a straight face.
“Tea?” said Haldir.
“Yes, tea.
We are having a tea party. That is what you drink at tea
parties. Tea. And cakes.”
“Very well. We will have some tea,” he said, humoring her.
“That is not a
good idea.” Elrond walked out onto the terrace. “It is
laced. With poison, I think.”
Haldir decided to
take his chances. He and Rúmil both accepted cups. By the
time they got it down, everyone was laughing so hard, Erestor came out
to see what the commotion was. He shook his head in disgust.
“It is bad enough
you indulge her and allow this foul ritual, but to let her suck others
into it, that is not right.” He turned and went back to his
office.
Ela suddenly stood
up and took a step towards the edge of the terrace. The cup she
was holding shattered on the stone paving. She went as far as the
railing would allow and even leaned over. Her gaze was fixed on
the mountains to the northeast.
“Ela, come away
from the edge,” Elrond said to her. “Ela! Get her!”
She had leaned out farther than was prudent.
“They are dying!”
she cried. She backed down from the railing. Celeborn was
closest and caught her before she fell to the ground. He almost
dropped her in shock. When he looked down into her face, there
was blood running from her nose. “Help them, please! They
are dying!”
Chapter Seven
A ‘Sight’ Not Beheld
****
“Who is dying?” demanded Elrond.
“The people.
So many.” Galadriel reached out to help her. When she
touched the girl, she recoiled as if burned. Elrond looked at
her, but was drawn by exclamations from the others.
Looking up towards the mountain, they could see smoke.
“Where is that?” asked Haldir.
“Misty
Haven. Edain village, just over the mountain.” Elrond
looked down at Ela. Her eyes were open, but she did not see
anything. He took her from Celeborn and went into the house with
her.
“What happened?”
asked Erestor, meeting him in the hallway. He could see that Ela
was pale, and the blood on her shirt. His thoughts were drawn
back to when Elrohir had brought her from the village, months ago.
“I do not yet
know. Find Seldala.” He went up the stairs to Ela’s
room. Laying her on the bed, he found a towel and wiped the blood
from her face. His hand touched her cheek. He drew
back. The thoughts he had felt were chaotic and horrifying.
He had seen people slaughtered. Women and children. Was
this what she had seen? He looked down at her. She was
sweating and her skin was white. Her eyes were
unresponsive. He moved aside as Seldala came in. She took
the girl’s hand in hers. He was relieved that she did not seem to
feel what he had felt. He left and went back down to the
terrace. There he found Celeborn and Galadriel, looking up at the
mountains. Elldar sat in the corner, trying to be
inconspicuous.
“Haldir and Rúmil
left with your sons to investigate,” Celeborn spoke softly.
Looking down at the blood that soiled the front of his robe, he did not
know how to ask the next question. “She saw what happened.
Did you know about this?”
“No. Did you feel it? When you touched her?”
“Yes. As did Galadriel.”
“Who is the man hanging in the tree?” she asked, coming closer.
“You saw that?” She nodded. “Her father. He was murdered by her mother’s people.”
“Elrond, that
child is very troubled. Her people tried to kill her. Her
parents murdered in front of her. She cannot even sort out what
she is. From what you have told us and what we have seen, how
could she ever live in the outside world?” Her voice was soft and
carried much concern.
He sighed, in
resignation. “I do not think she could. She has doubts
about it. She has already spoken to Erestor. We have
discussed it at length. I have reconciled myself to the fact that
she will probably never leave Imladris. Unless to another haven.”
“Do you think to
send her to Lórien? Who would care for her? She is too
young to be on her own. How would she adjust, after living
here? It is vastly different. It will not be what she is
used to.”
“I no longer know
what to do. If she stays here, I am afraid she will come to more
harm. Caldelen has a dislike for her that could destroy both of
them. I know he is not innocent in his part of the attack on her
four months ago. He arranged to deliver her to those men. I
just cannot prove it. Whoever they are, they are determined to
have her. I fear they will try it again. Is it still all
right that she visits later this summer? By then, we may have
sorted this out.”
“Of course,” said
Celeborn. “She will be welcome. I am assured that Gariel
will make a place for her.”
“Thank you. How are Orophin and his wife?”
“They are
well. I am sure that they are missing their son by now. At
least she will have a few friends when she arrives.”
“I am sorry your
visit had to be so involved. At least we settled on a plan for
Mirkwood. Will you be staying much longer?”
“I think it time
to return home. Your hospitality and home are both gracious, but
I miss Lórien.” Elrond chuckled at Celeborn.
“It surely must be quieter.”
“At times. However, it has been an enjoyable visit. Has Arwen decided to return or stay?”
“I think she will
return with you. She is glad to visit, but she cannot stay
yet.”
“She is, as
always, welcome. I look forward to Ela’s visit later. She
is a most interesting child. Erratic, but interesting.”
“I am sure Erestor
could fill you in on erratic. He has had the main dealing with
her for five years. I am surprised he does not have more
headaches.”
Seldala’s pause in the doorway interrupted the conversation.
“She is asking for you,” was all she said.
“I am coming,” he replied. “Excuse me,” he said to Celeborn and Galadriel.
“May we come?” asked Galadriel.
“You may try. She will not let many past her door. You may be disappointed.”
“I will chance it.”
“Very well then. Follow me.”
They went into the
house and up the stairs. Seldala opened the door to Ela’s
room. A scent of lavender floated out.
“Sell, you have
company. Is it alright?” They could hear her ask the
girl. They could not hear her answer.
Seldala turned to
Elrond and nodded. He entered the room, Celeborn and Galadriel
behind him. Ela was sitting in her chair by the open
window. Elrond took in her pallor and looked deep into her
eyes. At least they were bright again.
“How do you feel?” he asked her.
“Like I have been dropped off a cliff. What of the people?”
“Your brothers went to see. They should return by tomorrow.”
“They will not
find much. Those men were thorough. Only
the outlaying areas will have escaped. The men were brutal, but
not very intelligent. They should have made sure of the fringes
first.”
Galadriel’s eyes lost their focus as she looked out the window.
“The child is correct. Not many in the village are left.”
“I guess that men are also able to commit kinslaying. Caldelen was right.”
“No, Iell, he was not entirely right. Only some men would do this. Most would not.”
“What difference
does it make if you cannot tell who will and who will not? You
cannot trust anyone.” She looked at him with pain in her
eyes. “Men kill, Indrelan kill, I know one elf who would like
to. Are there no people not bent on killing someone?
Wait. The Halflings. They have no history of murder.
Are they the only ones?”
Elrond knelt down beside her.
“You must
understand that all were created with a mind and will. It is up
to the individual to decide whether good or evil will rule their
life. Greed and jealousy are strong motivations for some to
choose evil.”
“Will you one day choose to go to the west?”
“When my time is done here, yes. Why?”
She
hesitated. “Men are destined to stay here. They have no
hope of Valinor. What they have for them and their children is
what they can build here. Elves have an escape from this
land. When they tire of the battles here, they can leave.
Of what would you have to be jealous? This is just a way stop for
most of you. It is those who will stay behind who will carry
on. They are the ones who have the courage. To face the
future with only the hope of death at the end of their lives.
What is my future? Do I have a choice? If I did, I would
stay.”
Elrond could think of nothing to say to her.
Celeborn took the
opportunity to survey her room. It was sparse, but she did have a
few belongings scattered on shelves. There were books neatly
stacked on a desk. She had her clothes neatly folded and on
shelves in the cupboard. The only thing he could see out of place
was a large grey striped cat sitting in the window behind her. He
stepped back as something crossed his foot. Looking down he was
amused to see a tiny yellow kitten batting at the hem of his
robe. He reached down and picked up the creature. It was so
small in his large hands you could not see it. He stroked its
neck and was rewarded with a loud purr. Ela looked up at the
noise. Celeborn stood with a smile on his lips. She smiled,
taking in the strange sight of the Lord of Lórien playing with a kitten.
“He needs a home, you know.”
“Ah, but would he stand the journey?”
“No,” she
agreed, “He is too little. I think closer to home would be
better. Besides, the cat would miss him. He is the last of
his litter. She would like to have him a little longer. No
child should have to leave before they are ready.” She looked at
Elrond as she said this.
She looked around at each of the adults.
“I am not ready. When the time is right, I will accept, but not yet.”
Erentil, searching
for Elrond to announce dinner, found them still in her room. “We
will be right down.” He had not noticed how late it was.
“Will you join us, Iell?”
“I do not think so. I am not hungry.”
“I will have Seldala bring you up something later.
“Thank you.”
“Rest now. I will see you later.”
“Good night, Ada.”
Elrond closed the door behind them.
“She knows. Somehow she knows about Lórien.”
“You give her too
much credit. She knows she is to visit later this summer,”
Celeborn said as they walked down the stairs.
“It is more than that. You have not spent enough time with her to know it.”
Galadriel frowned. “I think that she knows she will be leaving soon. Not when, but soon.”
“She has spoken to you?”
“In a round about
way. We spoke on the terrace earlier today. She said that
when she feels it is time, she will leave.”
“I am afraid that
the time may not be of her choosing. Short of banishing Caldelen,
she is not safe here any longer.”
“We will welcome
her when she comes. Whenever that may be.” Celeborn still
held the little kitten.
“Thank you, Celeborn. I think late summer will be soon enough.”
He went to the dining room door and motioned them through. “I am hungry. Shall we eat?”
****
Ela was waiting on
the terrace the next afternoon when the party returned from Misty
Havens. She carefully waited back from the railing, mindful that
Erestor was watching her. She had come down for breakfast, but
had not shown up for lunch. When asked, Dalgren said that they
were having a picnic in the tree house. No one needed to inquire
as to who “they” were. Elldar was missing as well.
“They are coming!”
she called, running past the library. She did not stop, but went
to the kitchen for glasses and wine and water. She carried the
wine out, followed by Dalgren, carrying the water and glasses.
The placed their burdens down on the table and had set them out just as
the returning party reached the bottom of the steps leading up from the
terrace. Ela was extremely annoyed to see Caldelen had insinuated
himself into the small group. He was as thick as an Orc.
Elrond came out of
the house as his sons reached the terrace. He saw with surprise
that Benerd was with them.
“Benerd. I am pleased to see you survived. And your family?”
“We lost only our home and some livestock. Most were not as fortunate.”
“Come. Have some wine. Where is Mares?”
“She is
coming. She could not travel as fast with the small one. In
addition, it seems she is to bless us with another one. They are
several hours behind us.”
“Elf,” Ela said quietly to Elrohir. “Where are Haldir and Rúmil?”
“Do you worry for them, Sell?” he asked, a smile in his eyes.
“Only because Elldar would be concerned.”
“Do not drag me into this!” the boy declared.
“Do not
worry. They come with Benerd’s wife and child. I will let
him know that you asked for them, though.”
“Do not bother
yourself. I was only concerned. It is no big thing.”
She turned to get glasses of wine for everyone. She pointedly did
not get one for Caldelen.
“What of me?” he asked her.
“Wine is not good for children. You know that.”
Elrohir stepped between the bristling elf and the girl.
“Why do you bait him so?” he asked softly, only for her ears.
“Because he is too dense for subtlety.”
Elrohir fetched the boy wine, himself.
Close enough to
catch the conversation, Celeborn just smiled. She had a spirit he
admired. It reminded him of somewhat of Galadriel when younger.
Ela went back into
the house to help Dalgren bring out sandwiches and more wine.
When everything had been placed on the table, she went to Erestor.
“Lord Erestor, may I have leave to wait below? I find it too close up here.”
Glancing at Elrond, who nodded slightly, Erestor looked down at the girl.
“Do not wander far. Ask Elldar to go with you. I will keep watch from up here.”
“Thank you.”
He watched her go over to Elldar and speak to him. He saw from
the corner of his eye that Caldelen’s gaze never left her. It was
a mixture of intense dislike and something Erestor did not expect to
see. Desire. Elrond had better get the girl to Lórien, and
soon, he thought to himself.
****
The party from
Misty Havens entered Imladris from the east. As he crossed the
meadow on the far side of the river, he saw Elldar and Ela
waiting. Since they did not know the people with them, he
suspected that they waited for him and his brother. For some
reason, it made him smile.
“What is so amusing, brother?”
He just pointed across the river.
“Ah. Who do you suppose they wait to greet?”
“It is more likely a matter of who is on the terrace.”
“There is that. Have you spoken to Lord Elrond yet?”
“No. I hope
I do not have to. It is really not my place to interfere in the
affairs of his subjects.”
“But if he is a threat to her, why would you not?”
“I am not sure if he is just words or not.”
“Ha!” Rúmil
snorted. “You have seen the way he watches her. If he does
not try to kill her, he may do something worse.”
“Not after I talk to Elrohir.”
“He leaves today. What good will that do?”
“He can tell his father things that I should not. I will leave it up to him.”
They halted at the near side of the bridge where Elldar and Ela awaited them.
“March Warden,” she said, coolly and formally. “Rúmil.” He got a grin.
She turned to the woman with them.
“Lady Mares, I
presume. I hope your journey was not too difficult. I am
sorry for your loss. How is the child?”
“It was difficult, but necessary. Thank you and the child is fine. May I ask your name?”
“This is Lady
Elrénia,” said Haldir, with none of his usual arrogance. “She is
Lord Elrond’s foster daughter. It is she who was to come to you
five years ago.”
“Please, it is
just Ela. Lady is for someone who does inhabit tree houses and
throw boots at March Wardens.”
Haldir laughed.
Ela took the
bridle of Mares’ horse and led it to the stables. Haldir helped
her dismount. She leaned heavily on his arm as he put her
down. Ela reached to help and suddenly drew back. Haldir
glanced at her.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You carry a child,” she said to the woman.
“Yes. How did you know? I only found out days ago.”
Ela looked up in wonder. “She will be very special.”
“She?” asked Mares.
“Yes, she. A blessing after all you have lost.”
Mares started crying. Haldir helped her up the stairs.
At the top, Benerd came running when he saw she was crying.
“What is wrong? Is it the boy?”
“Ask the girl,” was all she could say.
Benerd looked at Ela questioningly.
“I did nothing. I swear.”
“Ela told Mares she was carrying a girl child,” Haldir said.
Benerd looked from Ela to his wife.
“How do you know?” he whispered.
She shrugged. “I could feel it. Can you not?”
Erestor decided it
was time to pull Ela out of the discussion. He had noticed that
she was winding up for one of her question tirades. He did not
think anyone needed that right now. He sent her into the house to
ask Seldala to ready some rooms.
Benerd took his
nephew from one of his sons. The boy looked unaffected by his
journey. Benerd was just thankful they had all escaped. So
many of his friends and neighbors had not. According to Elladan,
the village was gone. What survivors there may have been, had
fled. The twins had found Benerd’s family hiding in the woods
back from their farmstead. They had escaped with practically
nothing.
“Erentil,” said
Elrond, “will you send for Dorga? Tell him we will need clothing
and give him sizes. He will know where to get it. Also,
find out if that house in the bend of the river is still
available. It is small, but is a good farm.” He turned to
Benerd. “There is a small house not far from here. It will
serve for now. Should you decide to stay, it can be enlarged.”
“You do not have to do that, Lord Elrond. We can find lodgings for now.”
“You are a good
friend of my sons. I would not turn you away. If it does
not suit, you may find accommodations later. For now, you need a
place to stay. Tonight you will stay here. I will send
someone to make sure the house is ready.”
“Thank you,” said Benerd, bowing.
Elldar had taken
over Ela’s job of pouring wine and water. He also ignored
Caldelen. Haldir decided it was well they were leaving
soon. He would not like to explain to his younger brother why his
son had damaged one of Imladris’ fair ones.
****
After Mares had
eaten, Ela showed her to a room for the night. The girl had gone
to the garden and picked flowers to brighten up the room. She
turned down the bed and got towels for a bath. She showed Mares
the bathing room and went back to find a sleeping gown for her.
By the time the woman was finished bathing, hot tea and cakes were
waiting in her room. Ela returned with a gown.
“I have made you
tea and found a gown. Lady Seldala is taller, but she likes her
gowns shorter, so it should fit. Would you like the window open
or closed?” Mares had a hard time hearing the child.
“Open is fine.” She dropped her towel and put the gown on, while Ela turned around.
“I must warn you,
if the window is open, you may get a visit from my cat. She
thinks any open window is an open invitation to come in.”
“I do not mind. I like cats.”
“Well, then, if
you decided you cannot live without one, I may be able to scrounge one
up. Do you like yellow?”
“Yellow is very pretty.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“May I ask you a question?”
“You may. I will answer if it is in my power.”
“Benerd told me
that Lord Elrond was to send us a child of men. I apologize, but
you do not look like one of us.”
“My father was Elven. My mother was Indrelan.”
“What is Indrelan?”
Ela
shrugged. “When I remember, I will let you know. One of the
many secrets in my head awaiting a sharp blow to knock them loose.”
“Ela.”
She swung around at the voice from the door.
“Lord Erestor. I did not hear you come up the stairs.”
“I do not think it polite to burden Lady Mares right now.”
“Yes, Lord
Erestor. I apologize, Lady Mares. It is a bad habit, my
erratic babbling, or so I have heard.”
“Stay out of corners, child. It will get you into trouble.”
“And I have not enough of that. Did Caldelen go home?”
“Ela,” his voice warned.
“Apologies, Lord Erestor.”
“Go to bed, now, Sell. I will be in the library before first light.”
“Yes, Lord
Erestor. Good night. And to you, lady.” She danced
between the doorjamb and her teacher.
“I am sorry if she bothered you.”
“She was no bother. She got me tea and a gown. She was very helpful.”
“Very well. Sleep well, lady.”
“Thank you, Lord Erestor. Good night.”
****
The next morning,
Ela was in the library shortly after her teacher. He went over
her work and found it satisfactory. She sat with hands folded and
waited.
Elrond came into
the room. He sat down at the large table. She did not need
to look to see Erestor standing by the window, hands behind his back,
gazing up at the mountains. By the timing, she figured he had
been waiting until Erestor was finished with her.
“I would speak with you,” he said after several moments of silence.
She waited.
“Lady Galadriel
spoke to me concerning a conversation she had with you. She said
that you discussed some of the customs of your mother’s people with
her.”
“Yes. Some things I remember.”
“Would you tell me?”
She looked over at him. “What more do you need to know?”
“In fifteen years, you will be old enough to be spoken for. Is this correct?”
She nodded.
“Then you may wed after forty.”
Again, she nodded.
“Is the choice yours, or your father’s?”
“It is my
father’s. He would accept the man’s offer if the dowry was
acceptable. Then we would be able to get to know each
other. When we felt the time right, we could wed. My mother
did not like this custom. That is one reason they left. She
turned down all of her would-be suitors for my father. It made Da
very angry. I am not sure why. All she said was that she
did not want that for her children.”
“Why did they not go to your father’s people?”
“I do not think there were any left. He never spoke of anyone.”
Elrond sat back.
“What is it you really wish to ask?”
“That day in the
village. I think those men were your mother’s people. For
some reason, they want you back there.”
“That does not
take a great deal of deductive reasoning. Would you not rather
ask what happened that day?”
“Will you tell me?”
“It will not make you happy.”
“I will still listen.”
“Caldelen pushed
at me to go with him. I refused, at first. However, he
started taunting me about leaving Imladris. Since he insisted
that all they wanted was to meet me, I gave in.” She glanced at
the window. “You have taught me well, but there is a streak of
foolishness that still lies within.” Turning back to Elrond, she
said, “I gave in and started down the alley. Within a short
distance, I knew I had made a mistake. I tried to turn back, but
there was a man behind me. Another appeared in the back of the
alley, followed by a third. They said that my uncle wanted me
back, or dead if I refused to return.”
“Do you know why?”
“Not yet, but I will.”
“I want you to go
to Lórien this summer. Elrohir set it up for you to visit.
Celeborn has granted permission. Will you go?”
“What did Caldelen do now? That is the only reason you would push for this.”
“I warned you she would question,” came from the window.
“For some
unfathomable reason, in spite of his desire to do you harm, he has come
to me. He wants you to trade rings with him.”
She snorted softly.
“Is that likely to
happen in this millennium? We are both too young. It is not
permitted to even consider it until I am thirty. He will not be
old enough for another twenty or so years. Is he not a little
premature?”
“Yes. That is why I want you to go to Lórien. You will be out of reach to him there.”
“Are you so
sure? He has spoken to the March Warden several times about going
there himself. What would stop him?”
“For all of their
seeming graciousness and gentleness, the Lord and Lady of Lórien are
not as lenient as am I. They cannot afford to be. They are
too close to the east. I believe you will be safer there than
here.”
She just sat
there. She looked into his eyes. He saw a brief flash of
fear cross before she closed hers.
“There is more, is there not?”
She sighed.
“Is there not always more?” She remembered that day. Too
clearly. But she would never tell anyone what she saw just before
the man had hit her. Glancing up into the shadows of the alley,
she had seen Caldelen standing and watching. She would not ever
forget the smile on his face.
Elrond leaned back in his chair. “Will you go?”
“I suppose if you feel strongly enough, I will go. When may I return?”
“I cannot answer that. It will depend on circumstances.”
“Very well.”
She rose and picked up her books. She paused at the door.
“You know that the fringes will not be as comfortable as is the center.”
“One day you and Haldir must explain the joke to me.”
He heard her laugh as she went down the hall.
****
For the three days
remaining until the party from Lórien left, Ela did not allow herself
to be alone, except in her own room. She helped Mares and Seldala
with what ever she could. Mares began to actually regret not
having had Ela come to live with them five years ago. She was
inquisitive and helpful. She asked questions concerning every
aspect of the life of men. Mares laughed when Erestor finally
rescued her by keeping Ela home.
Caldelen had not
heeded the warning given him by Elrohir before he left. He
believed that with Elrohir gone, none would stop him from trying to see
Ela. Haldir had finally gone to Elrond and told him what had
happened in the tree house. To say that Elrond was less that
pleased would have been an understatement of the grossest kind.
Haldir had never seen him so angry. He understood that part of it
was at him for withholding what he knew.
“How could you have kept this from me?”
“As you pointed
out to me years ago, it is not my place to question what chances in
your realm. I did warn the boy, as did Elrohir.”
“He knew?”
“He has known for
long that things were not right between the two of them. We both
suspected Caldelen after the attack. I told him the rest a week
ago. The boy does not heed warnings.”
“Then she will go
to Lórien now. It is already arranged. It will require
little effort to ready her to go now.”
“That may be best.”
Elrond looked closely at Haldir.
“Will you watch her for me?”
“I will, as much
as possible. Orophin is on the eastern marches. He lives in
Caras Galadhon. He will be in a better position to look out for
her.”
“Celeborn has
suggested that. She would be comfortable around Elldar.
Arwen will also be close. I must speak to Celeborn.” It was
clearly a dismissal. Haldir turned and left the library.
That had gone better than he had expected.
After speaking
with Celeborn, Elrond sent for Ela. She paused in the doorway,
seeing Celeborn, Galadriel and Erestor in the library. A tingling
of foreboding ran down her spine.
“You wanted to see me?” she asked.
“Come in,
Sell. Sit down.” She glanced warily around at the
others. Erestor smiled slightly. Elrond would never
learn. The child could sense the emotions drifting through the
room.
“I want you to go back to Lórien with Arwen.”
“That is not possible. I have too much to pack.”
“You do not have that much.”
“I have an appointment for tea in a few days. It is too late to cancel.”
“I will take care
of that. And your cat. And the snake. Anything
else?” He thought he had covered all of her excuses. The
one she gave next surprised him.
“I do not want to
leave. I have thought about it. This is my home. If
you do not want me here anymore, I should go to my mother’s
people. That is where I belong.”
Elrond looked at
Erestor in exasperation. Dealing with a child was hard
enough. Dealing with this one was proving to border on impossible.
“I do not want you
to leave, Ela. It is for your own good. I do not feel you
safe here, anymore. If you stay, you may come to more harm.”
“Ah, Haldir spoke
to you. I knew he would, eventually, but he did hold out much
longer than I thought he would. If I go to my mother’s people,
then I will no longer be in danger. They want me, they will have
me.”
“The question
remains, why do they want you? No one has come openly to claim
you. If their intentions were honorable, that is what they would
have done. They came like thieves and used violence. That
is not the way of someone who means you good.”
“You have a point. I still do not want to leave. I have changed my mind.”
“How old are you?”
She hesitated, feeling a change in his direction. “Fifteen.”
“How old is your majority?”
“You cannot hold me to that! That is not fair!”
“Until you are
thirty, I can. And I will. You will be safer in
Lórien. I have to do what is best for you.”
“What of my education? Do the fringes have an Erestor?”
“We have very good teachers. Maybe in directions that you have not had here,” Galadriel said.
She looked from
one adult to another. The tears threatening to spill spoke of her
resignation. She was defeated, and knew it.
“Very well,” she said softly. She rose and left the room, silent.
“You will have your hands full,” Elrond commented.
“She will settle when she sees what Lórien has to offer.”
“My concern,” said
Erestor, “is how she will be accepted. She does not look
Elven. Will your people make a place for her? I do not mean
to be indelicate, but the elves of Lórien are not known for their
openness.”
“That is true,”
laughed Celeborn. “But she comes with us. That will make a
difference. And her ties here will help.”
“I can make that
easier. I have been considering adopting her. It will give
her some standing. She will need all the help she can get.”
“Well, we have packing to finish. Will she be ready by tomorrow?”
“I will see to it,” said Erestor.
Age And Maturity Do Not Walk Hand-in-Hand
****
Ela did not leave
her room the rest of the day. She kept her door locked and anyone
walking by could hear movement. She did show up at dinner.
She wore a gown and slippers rather than her usual leggings and
boots. Her hair was done up in twists and braids. Standing
behind the chair next to Elldar, she waited as he jumped up to hold it
out for her. Haldir shook his head. Such formality would be
lost in the everyday world of Lórien. The adjustment would be
hard.
“Are you packed, Ela?” asked Elrond.
“Yes,” she said, playing with her food.
“Do you need any help?”
“No.”
“Did you find enough baskets for your clothes?”
“Yes.”
“What else are you taking?”
“Books.” Her
one word answers were annoying Haldir, while eliciting amusement from
the others. It was apparent she was still angry at leaving.
“Do you want anything else?”
“My pony.” Haldir smiled. Two words.
“I thought to give you a horse. You will not be able to keep up on a pony.”
“You know I cannot
ride a horse. I will ride my pony. He knows me and I know
him. And I want to take my cat.”
“Ela, you cannot
take her. She is used to life here. She would not
adjust. You cannot do that to her.” The moment the words
were out of his mouth, he realized his mistake.
“And yet, you do that to me,” she said softly. “Perhaps you would like to adopt the cat.”
“Where did you hear about that?”
“She lives in the corners, Elrond,” said Erestor.
“I think she will find that harder to do in Lórien.”
“Wills and ways,
Ada,” she said sweetly. She turned abruptly to Celeborn.
“Do you have butterflies?”
“Butterflies?” he asked, slightly off balance at her change in subjects.
“Yes, butterflies. You know, little caterpillars that turn into big flying insects.”
“I know what a butterfly is. Yes, we have them. Why?”
“Do you have hills?”
“Yes, we have hills. Again, why?”
“And what of cats. Do you have cats?”
“No. We have no need of cats.”
“Butterflies, hills, but no cats. The fringes need enlightenment. I will take the kitten.”
“It is a long journey, Ela. It is not for tiny kittens,” said Elrond.
“Then it will have
to be the cat. You can keep the kitten here, as it is not right
to take children from their home.”
Haldir rolled his eyes.
“I will take the
cat. Will that stop this inane conversation?” He could feel
she was maneuvering to get what she wanted.
“Certainly,” she said, smiling.
Erestor exchange a look with Elrond. It was good to see someone else caught in one of her verbal loops.
“I apologize, Lord Celeborn, but I have a question.”
“Anything,” he
replied. Haldir’s head came up sharply. Contrary to what
Erestor and Elrond may think, she had caught him not a few times in her
question circles. Celeborn had had only a taste of it.
“My letters. How will I get them?”
“What letters?”
“From Rosa
Took. And Dorga. And the Elf. If I am in Lórien, how
will I get them? And the books they send me?”
“I am sure Lord Elrond will see that they reach you.”
She nodded. “Can I send letters? How will they get them?”
“I will see to it.”
“Is there a library?”
“Yes. We have a large library.”
“Where will I live?”
“Where would you
like to live? Elldar’s parents would let you live there.
You may live with Arwen. Anywhere you like.”
“Anywhere?” she asked, a gleam deep in her eyes.
“No, Ela. That will do,” Erestor’s tone stopped the next comment.
“But why can I not stay here?”
“It has been
explained. You will not argue your way out of it. It is not
fair to trick Lord Celeborn. He does not know your ways.”
“Yes, Lord Erestor. I will not do it again.”
“I think it is
time you went to bed, Ela,” said Elrond. “You have a long day
tomorrow. Erentil will bring your things down. I will see
you in the morning.”
“Yes, Ada. Good night, everyone.”
Haldir told Elldar that he should turn in, also. He nodded and left behind Ela.
They waited until both were gone.
“I believe that I will retire also,” said Arwen. “Goodnight, Ada.”
“Goodnight, Sell.”
Erestor waited
until Arwen had withdrawn. “Do not let her suck you into one of
her games. She will question until you no longer know what the
original subject was. By the time she comes around to her point,
you may have agreed to anything. I am sure Haldir could tell you
how persuasive she can be. She means no harm; it is just her
way. However, I think it one of the reasons Caldelen does not
like her. For an elf, he seems gifted with less than usual
intelligence, . He does not understand a great deal of what she
says to him. It infuriates him that he believes she thinks him
stupid. She does not, but she knows he does not understand
subtlety or sarcasm. And she uses them like a sword with him.”
“I will be
careful.” It was obvious he thought Erestor was
exaggerating. After all, she was only a child. He had
handled children before.
“Do not
underestimate her intelligence because of her size. She may look
twelve, but she has the wits and education and maturity of one much
older.”
“I think we understand each other,” said Galadriel.
“I hope so.”
The conversation drifted to other topics. By midnight, all had turned in for the night.
----
Well before light,
Ela dressed and went to the kitchen for a drink. She took her
glass to the library to look around one last time. She felt it
would be a long time before she returned. The shelf looked empty
with her books gone. She had packed them in a saddlebag with the
few clothes she was taking. All would fit behind her pony’s
saddle. She had packed her doll and personal belongings in a
small knapsack. The bottles of oil that Elrohir had sent her were
wrapped in thick cloths. Several small stones from the river were
included, along with a shed skin from the snake, the things she
cherished from her short life there.
She moved about
the room, her eyes closed, savoring the memories. The endless
lessons drilled into her brain. The countless discussions.
The rare smile given by Erestor. She paused, realizing she would
miss him most of all. He had never accepted that she could not
learn, but had given no quarter, either. He had been as hard on
her as he had been on the twins and Arwen. And she had learned.
She started. She was no longer alone.
“Why are you here?” she asked.
“To ask you to stay.”
She spun around at Caldelen’s words.
“It is because of you I am forced to leave!”
“I want a dance. You danced with the March Warden.”
“He has manners. And respect. You do not.” She saw her words did not please him.
“I still will have a dance.” He reached for her hand.
“You are brave coming here after all that has happened.
“I have to talk to
you. Come with me.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her
towards a corner. She pulled back and tried to get her hand
free. He was stronger and gripped her wrist harder.
“You are hurting me, Caldelen. Let go.”
“Not until I can talk to you.”
“Let go! If you do not, I will scream.”
“Everyone knows
that you cannot scream that loud. Anyway, there is no need.
I just want to talk.”
“I do not! Now let go!”
He abruptly pulled
her toward the door. He shut the door behind him and she heard
the lock turn. Frightened now, she ran for the window. He
reached her before she could open the latch.
“Now, I have some
things I want to say to you. I have decided that you will
suit. I would like to see you more. I want to go to Elrond
and ask permission to see you. I want you to tell him you agree.”
“Are you
mad? Why would I do a fool thing like that? You are either
mad, or stupider than I gave you credit for. You tried to get me
kidnapped and almost killed.”
“That was a mistake. I know that now. I have changed my mind.”
“You have changed
your mind? About hurting me? About hating me? What
girl would not be swayed by that?”
“Exactly. Now, we can go out and speak to Elrond. I knew you would see things my way.”
He reached out,
took her shoulders, and tried to kiss her. His mistake became
painfully obvious when he doubled up with a yell. Her well-placed
knee had cooled his ardor somewhat. Without thinking, he stood up
and slapped her across the cheek. The blow was enough to knock
her down. He jerked her back up by her arm.
“That was not wise.” He pushed her up against the wall.
“Stop this,
Caldelen. We are both too young. I do not want this.
You are making things worse.”
“I want this. I want you.”
“I do not want
you. I never have, and I never will. Get that through your
head. There is another.”
“That boy? He will never make you happy.”
“And you
will? I will spend the rest of my life waiting for the moment you
tire of me and throw me away. No, I will not have you. I
will have a ellon. A real husband. One who knows how to
treat a elleth. One like my father. Who will cherish and
protect me. You will never do that. All you think about is
what you want. What you need. I pity the one who accepts
your offer. It is a promise of a life filled with pain and
suffering.”
He held both her
hands in one of his. With the other hand, he held her chin,
squeezing until she cried out. “It will be your life. You
do not know what you want. I will have to make the decision for
the both of us. Now, you will tell Elrond what I say.”
He kissed her,
hard, bruising her lips against her teeth. She maneuvered enough
to stomp on his foot, and was rewarded with another slap. Her
right hand slipped out of his grasp and she reached for his face,
dragging her nails down his cheek. He staggered back, grabbing at
the scratches. She could sense below his surface emotions
now. What he was feeling terrified her. What he had in mind
almost caused her to faint. She ran for the door, turning the
lock. Before she could open it, the door pushed into her,
knocking her to the floor. She tried to scramble away, but was
picked up from behind. She fought, turning in his arms and
managed a blow before she heard the words.
“Ela, calm
down. Ela, it is alright.” She stopped her struggles as the
voice finally broke through. She buried her head in his shoulder.
“I want to go
home. I want my adar. Please.” Her words were almost
incoherent, mingled with tears and sobs. “Please, take me home.”
“Ela, you are
home.” Erestor looked around the room. It was empty and the
window stood open. He went over to the sofa and sat down, still
holding her.
“What happened?”
She was silent.
“Will you tell me what happened?”
“No,” she said.
There was a noise
at the door. He looked up to see Elrond. Erestor shook his
head. Elrond backed out into the hall. He turned to
Erentil, who had followed him.
“Get me Delandor! And his son! Now!”
“Let me see,
Sell.” Erestor turned her face towards the light. The
handprint was unmistakable. He could also see bruises the shape
of fingers forming along her jaw. She winced when his hand
brushed her left wrist. He saw there were red marks there, as
well.
“I know that
Caldelen did this. He is the only one who would. Will you
not tell me what happened?”
“No. I will
be gone today. The sooner, the better. I only wanted to
remember.” She cried into his shoulder. “This was my
favorite room. Now he has ruined it. Why can he not just
leave me alone?”
“I cannot answer
that, Ela. I do not understand him anymore than do you.” He
stood her up. “Come. We will forget him and share a last
breakfast. I will miss you, child.”
“And I you. I wish I did not have to go.”
Erestor stood and
took her hand. They went down the hall to the dining room.
Elrond was the only one there yet. Ela could feel the fury
emanating from him as he saw her face.
“The others will be down soon. I wanted a few minutes with you. Are you ready to go?”
“I am now. Any reservations I had are gone.”
“I am sorry, Iell. I will see to him after you are gone.”
“Do not bother. He is already gone. You will not find him in Imladris.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I
would know if he were still here. His feelings, if possible, are
even stronger that yours right now. I would rather have your
anger directed at me than what he felt.”
“You have an eight day journey ahead of you. Stay close to the others and do not stray.”
“Yes, Ada.”
“Ah, Celeborn. Good morning. It will be a good day to travel.”
“Indeed. Galadriel is upset. Would you know anything about that?”
“That depends upon what upset her.”
Celeborn was
staring at Ela’s bowed head. He could see the red marks on her
cheek. She refused to look up. He raised an eyebrow at
Elrond, who shook his head.
“May I be excused?” she asked quietly.
“If you wish.”
“Thank you. Please let me know when it is time to leave.” She went into the kitchen.
“That is a change of events. What happened?”
Erentil came in and whispered in Elrond’s ear.
“As near as we can
piece it out, Caldelen came to see her this morning. It did not go
well. By the time Erestor went to the library, the damage had
been done. That was a message from Delandor. The boy is
gone. He left before daylight.”
“We will watch for him in Lórien. He will not be welcome.”
Slowly everyone
drifted in for the morning meal. Elldar asked about Ela and was
told she was finishing packing. It was not a very good lie, as
all knew she was packed.
After breakfast
was finished, those leaving gathered on the terrace. Seldala went
to get Ela. Elrond hugged and kissed Arwen. He then said
goodbye to everyone else. He was finished before Ela
appeared. There was a sharp intake of breath from Haldir and
Rúmil when they saw her. She kept her head bowed. Elrond
took her to the bench and sat down.
“Remember,
Ela. This will always be your home. You may come back when
it is time. You will always be welcome here.”
“I know. Thank you for everything.” He took her in a firm embrace and kissed her forehead.
“Go. Show Lórien some culture.” He laughed.
She turned to Erestor.
“May I ask a question?”
“You may.”
“Would it be permissible to hug you goodbye?”
“I would be disappointed if you did not.” She ran and threw herself at him.
“Please tell Dorga I am sorry about leaving like this.”
“He
understands. He sent you a gift. With the promise to send
more.” He placed a large bottle in her hands. She looked up
in wonder.
“Tell him thank you. And I will wait for his letters and tea.”
“He knows, Sell, he knows.”
She turned to
Seldala. Giving her a hug, she whispered in her ear, “He would be
a fool to let you go.” The startled elleth smiled and looked at
Erestor.
“I am ready.”
She and Elldar led
the way down the stairs. They reached the stables first and
mounted up. They waited for the others.
“What happened?” Elldar asked her.
“Unrequited
love. Love scorned. Frustrated male. Take your
pick. If I never see him again, it will be too soon.”
Haldir mounted and reined his horse over to hers.
“Where is the whelp?”
“I do not
know. He is not here any longer. Even if he were, I would
not tell you. His blood is not worth it. Trust me, he is
more trouble than he is worth.” She did not look at him.
“If I see him, he may not reach adulthood.”
“The very reason I would not tell you where he is. Why sully your life?”
“Because the next time you will not get off so easily.”
“Which is why I am trusting you.”
Rúmil rode over to them.
“He is gone.”
“I could have told you that. You will not find him.”
Haldir looked at Ela. “How do you know?”
“I do.”
“Come, the day is not getting any younger.”
They turned at
Celeborn’s words. Waving goodbye to those on the terrace, they
rode for the bridge leading to the village. No one could see it,
but it would be years before Ela returned.
****
Three days after their departure, Elrond welcomed a courier from
Arathorn. His steward ushered in Delorfilad. They sat and
had a cup of wine. After finishing his, Delorfilad turned to
Elrond.
“We have
found her people. Your daughter’s. Your sons asked a Ranger
company to listen for rumours of a new people. While patrolling
the lands west of the Shire, they found a village hidden in the White
Mountains. They were refugees fleeing armies in their own
land. They had been on the western sea for over a year before
reaching our shores. Yrorcyn, the Ranger captain had heard of
your daughter and seen a resemblance. He asked them about
her. The people refused to talk and fired upon the patrol.
When Yrorcyn finally got things straight, he found out that the people
were attacked by beings similar to us. The men would treat only |