Moon Baby
Chapter One:
Taiya sighed bitterly as she stared at the mess before her. Books were scattered everywhere, the bookshelf was over turned, pictures graced the floor with shattered glass and her favorite book was torn to shreds. She whimpered and sank down in the middle of it all, her step-mother was going to kill her! Tears filled Taiya's eyes at the thought of Karen - the she-monster from hell. Well, that's how she felt about it, and she was positive the feeling was mutual. She sighed, wondering how the book had gotten all the way on the top shelf in the first place. Taiya didn't put it there, all of her books were on the bottom shelves so that she wouldn't risk knocking the shelf over, but she'd done it. Who knew how many books in this enormous pile were ruined because of her clumsiness. She refused to call it anything but clumsiness, she wasn't a klutz - just a little uncoordinated.
She whimpered again, falling backwards in the pile and pulling the hood of her sweatshirt over her face. She pulled her feet out from under her, revealing tan hiking boots and dark blue jeans. She knew she was in for it this time - that is, if she didn't get it cleaned up before Karen got home. Of course, Taiya wasn't known for her cleanliness, she stared up at the cieling after trying to suffocate herself with the hood of the black hoodie and soon she was asleep.
****
She awoke to the sound of voices, rough, foul voices. She opened her eyes as one of the voices said something in a foriegn language and found herself staring up at the tops of beautiful birch trees. Wait, trees? Since when did trees grow in her living room? Suddenly a the head of a dirty, scruffy looking man appeared in her line of vision. He grinned, showing yellow teeth and Taiya screamed. She continued to scream, crawling backwards like a crab until she ran into something. Her screams stopped for a moment and she looked up, only to find herself staring up at another bandit. Another scream was about to rip itself from her throat, but she was gagged quickly. The man whose eardrums she had nearly blown out yanked her to her feet and pushed her forward.
Taiya stumbled over what seemed like the fiftieth tree root and sighed around the gag in her mouth. The men had tired ungagging her two days ago, but had quickly decided against it as she started screaming again. Her hands were bound in front of her and every once in a while, the man holding the other end of the rope would yank on it as if it was a leash. Taiya's wits here frayed and any courage her being had held in the first place was now scattered to the four winds. She felt like a slave, and she figured that that's what she was going to be if she wasn't able to get herself out of it. The man pulled her forward and she flew past him, landing in a heap on the ground. She whimpered as the man unbound her hands and yanked her to her feet, jeering something at her and laughing with the others. He yanked her off into the trees where he threw her against a tree. Her eyes widened when she realized what this man's intentions were and she tried to scream around the gag, but she couldn't get anything out. He advanced on her, running a grimy hand down her cheek, she yanked away from the touch in disgust, wracking her brain for an idea as it began to shut down from her shock. He suddenly grabbed herroughly and pressed his lips to hers and she whimpered. Movement suddenly found its was to her arms and legs, she slammed her knee up into the man's groin and bit his lip - hard. He cursed and collapsed to the ground a few feet away.
Taiya was begining to hyperventalate, she stared wide-eyed at the man
before taking off in the opposite direction. She ran blindly, not knowing
which way she was going, and unable to choose one as tears blurred her
vision. Anything was better than this - even Karen screaming at her. Suddenly
she tripped over a tree root, and with a scream she flew forward, the ground
rushing up to meet her. She slammed into the ground and screamed again
as her ankle twisted. Taiya began to curse angrily as she stumbled to her
feet and continued forward, trying to get away from the fast approaching
vocies.
"Get a grip you idiot," she screamed to herself on the inside. She
stumbled again, and entered a clearing where, much to her amazement, wasn't
a clearing at all. Tall white buildings and waterfalls graced her vision,
and Taiya momentarily forgot the pain in her foot and her terror to gape
in awe. The sound of vocies broke her from her trance and she screamed
as a group of men came nearer to her. She backed up against a tree, tears
pouring from her eyes and her sobs effectively stopped her from screaming.
Her former captors dashed into a clearing and yelled something in their language. One of the new men said something in the same language, and much to her surprise, stepped in front of her. The other men cursed and took off.
****
Aragorn walked over to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder, and
her head snapped up. She looked terrified, and she had a reason to be.
Suddenly she threw herself at him, mumbling what he assumed was thanks
- though hi didn't quite understand what it was that she said, since she
spoke in a language he didn't understand. He held her for a moment until
she passed out from exaustion before picking her up and walking toward
the city. Arwen ran up with a cry, "What happened?!"
"I do not know," Aragorn replied, "She was running from bandits though.
She speaks a language I have never heard before."
"Come, we'll take her inside," Arwen said, leading Aragorn inside and
to a bedroom. He laid her down on the bed before leaving to fetch Elrond.
Arwen immediately called for help, and two other female elves came in.
They began to clean the girl's wounds and washed her as best they could
before dressing her in a nightgown and tucking the covers up around her
chin.
****
Taiya awoke feeling safe and warm. She opened her eyes and stared around her in awe at the beauty of the place she was in. She sat up and noticed the white filmy nightgown she wore. She moved over to the open air window and leaned out, smiling at the sound of birds sining and the sight of flowers below her.
"You are awake."
She turned to see a beuatiful woman walking toward her, dark hair flowing
around her and blue eyes filled with concern. The woman spoke again, "I
am Arwen, you can understand me?"
Taiya nodded and Arwen smiled, "Well, let's get you dressed and then
take you to meet my father shall we? Let's see here, ah, yes!"
She pulled out a pale lavender gown that was unlike anything she had
ever seen. It had a low, circular neckline and sleeves that strangely reminded
her of the sleeves she'd seen in the movies on girls from th middle ages.
The skirt trailed onto the floor, and it shimmered slightly, a sliver embroidery
running up the sleeves and down to sprinkle the bodice of the gown. The
embroidery was simple, yet elegant and Taiya was immediately in love with
it. Arwen helped her dress in it before the other woman sat her down and
brushed out her long golden-brown hair that she usually held back in a
braid. She only realized that her hair was down and showed its true length,
reching down to her hips. Arwen weaved a few tiny lavender flowers into
her hair, sprinkling them over it like lillies on a pond. Arwen then smiled
at her, "You are beautiful."
Taiya blushed, "I'm anything but."
"Why do you say such a thing? You have beautiful eyes and hair, you
are an elf are you not?"
Taiya stared at her reflection and realized that Arwen mean her ears,
she looked at Arwen's ears and noticed the same point and smiled, "I can't
be."
"And how is that," Arwen asked.
"I'm everything an Elf isn't. I'm not graceful. I'm accident prone
and I'm scared by a lot of things," Taiya replied, "But here I feel like
a princess. I'm Taiya."
Arwen smiled, "Then a princess you shall be. Come little sister, it
is time to see father."
"Sister?"
Arwen smiled, "You have no one, your eyes say this. I would have you
be my sister."
"I'd like that."
****
"Father?"
Elrond looked up from his conversation with Aragorn and smiled, "Arwen."
Arwen walked in, leading their new guest in, "This is Taiya, she says
she is not an elf because she is a little clumsy, but I do not belive this."
Taiya looked really confused, for she had spoken in a language she
didn't understand, Arwen however, continued, "She has no family... And
I have always wanted a sister."
Elrond raised an eyebrow and looked at the girl who was trying to hide
behind Arwen. He smiled and held a hand out to her, "Welcome to Rivendell
daughter mine."
Taiya smiled, and took his hand, "Hello..."
"Ah yes, this is Aragorn," Elrond stated.
Aragorn smiled and bowed over Taiya's hand, "It is an honor Lady Taiya."
Taiya turned bright red, and Arwen spoke up, "I am going to show our
new sister around Rivendell."
She turned to lead Taiya out of the room and Taiya went to follow,
but tripped on the hem of her gown, let out a startled squeak and closed
her eyes, expecting the floor to rush up and meet her. Arms surrounded
her and she looked up into the amused gaze of her new father, "You'll grow
out of it." He said simply before kissing her forehead and pushing her
out the door after Arwen.