Homecoming, A Gift for Elrond
by Ithilin Palandiriel
ithilinpalantir@netscape.net
Rating: R
(Some violence, torture, strong language)
Nothing graphic but if you are one of those squeamish sorts, please don't bother reading this.
Summary:
Legolas, on his way to Rivendell, finds himself waylaid by a battered she-elf. But things are not what they seem. Will a lost one find home or will her worst nightmares come true.
Disclaimer:
Mine! Mine! Mine! (Sighs resignedly) OK, not mine! : ( Just playing in Tolkien's sandbox for a while. : )
Author's Note: Please Read and Review. Updates depend on your critiques
Homecoming, A Gift for Elrond
The day dawned cold, gray and misty. Legolas hated traveling in this kind of weather, but then who didn't. Even though elves didn't feel the cold as humans did, the damp and chill still crept into one's very soul, not to mention it made any kind of travel very uncomfortable.
The scent of snow was on the air. He had been very lucky to get through the High Pass this late in the year. He flexed his long slender hands trying to keep them warm but was unsuccessful. Fortunately he was only a days journey from Rivendell and Lord Elrond's delicious hot cocoa. The very thought of wrapping his hands around a large steaming mug of the confection warmed the elven prince.
A soft moan to his right caught his attention. Turning toward it he found himself horrified by the sight that met his eyes. A young raven-haired woman was bound tightly to a tree, her small uncovered feet dangling just shy of the ground.. Her scant dirty clothing was bloody and torn from a recent beating.
"Please, no more." She moaned painfully as he approached, "Please, Ada. Please stop."
"Hush, tithen pen," Legolas slipped one of his daggers from its sheath on his back and cut her down from the limb. "I will not hurt you."
She did not brush the matted dark hair from her face and made no effort to look at the elf prince. "You should not have done that, my lord." She said softly, "He will be back soon. I will be beaten worse for your efforts."
"Who will be back?" Legolas brushed the hair away from her face. Frightened silver-blue eyes stared back at him from a very elven face. Anger rose in his throat.
The girl looked away from his steady gaze as if ashamed. "Ada." She whispered, "If he finds that I have disobeyed again . . ."
"Come young one, I will take you to Rivendell. You will be . . ."
"No! They will hurt me!"
"Who?" He asked, not understanding her fear.
"Ada says I am not like them. Ada says they do not like my kind." Sheer terror swirled in her blue eyes. "Ada said I belong to no one but the masters of his house."
Legolas shook his head, "But you are hurt. If you stay out here much longer you will die of exposure. I will not have that on my conscience."
"Elves do not accept my kind." She sobbed.
"I am an elf. As are you." Legolas was totally confused now.
"I am not like them or you. I have no race." She said sadly.
"Lord Elrond will not refuse to give you aid. I promise."
The faint flicker of recognition passed across her face at Lord Elrond's name surprised him. Who was she? She was Elf, of that much he was certain.
He felt his anger rise again as the girl turned from him revealing the angry bloody welts on her back. Legolas winced, recalling his own experiences with sadistic family members in the past; knowing that it wasn't completely impossible for these things to happen. He understood the pain this one was going through very well. Yet over all, Elves rarely treated their children this way.
"Ho! Legolas!"
Three riders halted their horses a short distance away and dismounted. Even beneath their fur lined cloaks, Legolas could tell who they were. Aragorn and Lord Elrond's twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir, covered the distance between and clasped the Mirkwood prince in a fond embrace. Their joyful crush warmed him and made him wish he had thought to bring his own fur cloak.
"Ada said you would be here for the Yule Festival. We've been looking for you for weeks now. Why so late?" The happy light in the older elf's eyes shone brightly until he caught sight of the she-elf, "What is this?"
"She's hurt, Elladan. We must get her back to your father's house quickly."
The young woman tried to flee but in her weakened state she stumbled and fell. Legolas was at her side instantly.
"No! No! Please no!" She whimpered, trying to fight the elf prince off. "I have no right to ask aid."
"Hush, little one," Elladan said soothingly, kneeling next to the girl. "We only seek to help. What is your name?"
"El . . . El . . .Eldariel."
Both Elladan and his twin gasped softly, glancing at each other in shock. It couldn't be. She had been dead close to a thousand years now.
Elrohir recovered first, "How old are you?"
"I . . . I don't know." She stammered, shrinking from their touch.
"Sîdh, tithen pen. I will not hurt you." Elladan whispered soothingly, slowly moving toward her, "My father is a healer."
The sound of a twig snapping caused the four elves and the human to turn, weapons drawn. A tall, heavy set man stumbled drunkenly out onto the path. His greasy, flame colored hair was tousled and matted with bits of food. His bloodshot green eyes swept over those who stood in his path.
"It's Ada!" Eldariel whimpered weakly. Pure terror swirled in her eyes.
"How dare you bloody elves try to make off with my property!" the man slurred, staggering toward them.
"Property?!" the twins growled, advancing on the rotund human. "She is an elf. She is no man's property."
Eldariel stood, trembling from fear and cold. "They only wanted to help, master. They did not know."
"Like hell, they didn't." he hissed, pulling her away from the others. "You are nothing, whore. No one, not even your own father, will ever want you. Stupid meddling elves. Thinking that you can just take what you want."
Both Elladan and Elrohir jumped after the human as he yanked the she-elf off into the surrounding forest, only to be held back by Legolas and Aragorn.
"Elladan, Elrohir, we can not help her right now." Legolas said softly, keeping a firm grip on the elder twin's arm. "We are ill equipped to attempt a rescue. Not to mention something tells me that there is a story behind this that involves Lord Elrond somehow."
"Legolas is right, El." Aragorn said. 'Let's go home and tell Ada about her. Maybe he can help us."
"No," the twins said simultaneously, looking at where the man had dragged the she-elf. "Not Ada. We'll discuss this with Glorfindel and Lindir."
"Why?"
"Ada should not know until the Yule Festival." Elladan explained, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "It would be a wonderful gift to have the whole family there, with the exception of Amme of course."
Aragorn and Legolas shook their heads, not understanding. What did they mean? The whole family would be assembled once they returned home.
"Come on," Elrohir said heading for the horses, "we have much to do. And Estel, Legolas, if you two so much as breathe a word of this to Ada, you will be doing our hair and chores for the rest of the month."
* * *
Crack! The whip came down hard and cut across her already bloody shoulders.
"What do you mean by speaking to elves, whore?" He said as the lash kissed her skin again. "You think you're better than me, your master? You have been with this family for centuries. We took you in when your own father disowned you. You have caused nothing but grief and trouble for everyone. Maybe I should sell you the Corsairs."
"No, master, please. I'll try harder. I'll not speak to any one again unless you tell me to." She pleaded painfully as he hit her again. She would do anything, say anything to make him stop.
She often wondered how she ended up like this. A slave to the House of Ladros. Long years had past but she could not forget the light and life that was before. The laughter and song before the darkness of slavery took her. The tall, dark haried elf who would toss her in the air as though she weighed no more than a dried leaf. Sometimes in the night she could still hear the soft lilt of his words as he told her bedtime stories.
"A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
silivren penne míriel . . ."
The voice seemed to belong to a different time. A time when she felt loved and safe.
Morion, like his fathers before him, was cruel. She was treated worse than all the other slaves in the house simply because she was an elf. Though her body healed quickly her heart and mind did not. Yet today there had been a glimmer of hope that her own kind could accept her. The three tall elves wanted to help her. One of them had said his father was a healer. In her experience, healers were kind, people she could trust. 'Twas the Yule Festival after all. Shouldn't one hope that the light would return and warm the earth. Maybe she should hope for her freedom as well.
by Ithilin Palandiriel
ithilinpalantir@netscape.net
Rating: R
(Some violence, torture, strong language)
Nothing graphic but if you are one of those squeamish sorts, please don't bother reading this.
Summary:
Legolas, on his way to Rivendell, finds himself waylaid by a battered she-elf. But things are not what they seem. Will a lost one find home or will her worst nightmares come true.
Disclaimer:
Mine! Mine! Mine! (Sighs resignedly) OK, not mine! : ( Just playing in Tolkien's sandbox for a while. : )
Author's Note: Please Read and Review. Updates depend on your critiques
Homecoming, A Gift for Elrond
The day dawned cold, gray and misty. Legolas hated traveling in this kind of weather, but then who didn't. Even though elves didn't feel the cold as humans did, the damp and chill still crept into one's very soul, not to mention it made any kind of travel very uncomfortable.
The scent of snow was on the air. He had been very lucky to get through the High Pass this late in the year. He flexed his long slender hands trying to keep them warm but was unsuccessful. Fortunately he was only a days journey from Rivendell and Lord Elrond's delicious hot cocoa. The very thought of wrapping his hands around a large steaming mug of the confection warmed the elven prince.
A soft moan to his right caught his attention. Turning toward it he found himself horrified by the sight that met his eyes. A young raven-haired woman was bound tightly to a tree, her small uncovered feet dangling just shy of the ground.. Her scant dirty clothing was bloody and torn from a recent beating.
"Please, no more." She moaned painfully as he approached, "Please, Ada. Please stop."
"Hush, tithen pen," Legolas slipped one of his daggers from its sheath on his back and cut her down from the limb. "I will not hurt you."
She did not brush the matted dark hair from her face and made no effort to look at the elf prince. "You should not have done that, my lord." She said softly, "He will be back soon. I will be beaten worse for your efforts."
"Who will be back?" Legolas brushed the hair away from her face. Frightened silver-blue eyes stared back at him from a very elven face. Anger rose in his throat.
The girl looked away from his steady gaze as if ashamed. "Ada." She whispered, "If he finds that I have disobeyed again . . ."
"Come young one, I will take you to Rivendell. You will be . . ."
"No! They will hurt me!"
"Who?" He asked, not understanding her fear.
"Ada says I am not like them. Ada says they do not like my kind." Sheer terror swirled in her blue eyes. "Ada said I belong to no one but the masters of his house."
Legolas shook his head, "But you are hurt. If you stay out here much longer you will die of exposure. I will not have that on my conscience."
"Elves do not accept my kind." She sobbed.
"I am an elf. As are you." Legolas was totally confused now.
"I am not like them or you. I have no race." She said sadly.
"Lord Elrond will not refuse to give you aid. I promise."
The faint flicker of recognition passed across her face at Lord Elrond's name surprised him. Who was she? She was Elf, of that much he was certain.
He felt his anger rise again as the girl turned from him revealing the angry bloody welts on her back. Legolas winced, recalling his own experiences with sadistic family members in the past; knowing that it wasn't completely impossible for these things to happen. He understood the pain this one was going through very well. Yet over all, Elves rarely treated their children this way.
"Ho! Legolas!"
Three riders halted their horses a short distance away and dismounted. Even beneath their fur lined cloaks, Legolas could tell who they were. Aragorn and Lord Elrond's twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir, covered the distance between and clasped the Mirkwood prince in a fond embrace. Their joyful crush warmed him and made him wish he had thought to bring his own fur cloak.
"Ada said you would be here for the Yule Festival. We've been looking for you for weeks now. Why so late?" The happy light in the older elf's eyes shone brightly until he caught sight of the she-elf, "What is this?"
"She's hurt, Elladan. We must get her back to your father's house quickly."
The young woman tried to flee but in her weakened state she stumbled and fell. Legolas was at her side instantly.
"No! No! Please no!" She whimpered, trying to fight the elf prince off. "I have no right to ask aid."
"Hush, little one," Elladan said soothingly, kneeling next to the girl. "We only seek to help. What is your name?"
"El . . . El . . .Eldariel."
Both Elladan and his twin gasped softly, glancing at each other in shock. It couldn't be. She had been dead close to a thousand years now.
Elrohir recovered first, "How old are you?"
"I . . . I don't know." She stammered, shrinking from their touch.
"Sîdh, tithen pen. I will not hurt you." Elladan whispered soothingly, slowly moving toward her, "My father is a healer."
The sound of a twig snapping caused the four elves and the human to turn, weapons drawn. A tall, heavy set man stumbled drunkenly out onto the path. His greasy, flame colored hair was tousled and matted with bits of food. His bloodshot green eyes swept over those who stood in his path.
"It's Ada!" Eldariel whimpered weakly. Pure terror swirled in her eyes.
"How dare you bloody elves try to make off with my property!" the man slurred, staggering toward them.
"Property?!" the twins growled, advancing on the rotund human. "She is an elf. She is no man's property."
Eldariel stood, trembling from fear and cold. "They only wanted to help, master. They did not know."
"Like hell, they didn't." he hissed, pulling her away from the others. "You are nothing, whore. No one, not even your own father, will ever want you. Stupid meddling elves. Thinking that you can just take what you want."
Both Elladan and Elrohir jumped after the human as he yanked the she-elf off into the surrounding forest, only to be held back by Legolas and Aragorn.
"Elladan, Elrohir, we can not help her right now." Legolas said softly, keeping a firm grip on the elder twin's arm. "We are ill equipped to attempt a rescue. Not to mention something tells me that there is a story behind this that involves Lord Elrond somehow."
"Legolas is right, El." Aragorn said. 'Let's go home and tell Ada about her. Maybe he can help us."
"No," the twins said simultaneously, looking at where the man had dragged the she-elf. "Not Ada. We'll discuss this with Glorfindel and Lindir."
"Why?"
"Ada should not know until the Yule Festival." Elladan explained, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "It would be a wonderful gift to have the whole family there, with the exception of Amme of course."
Aragorn and Legolas shook their heads, not understanding. What did they mean? The whole family would be assembled once they returned home.
"Come on," Elrohir said heading for the horses, "we have much to do. And Estel, Legolas, if you two so much as breathe a word of this to Ada, you will be doing our hair and chores for the rest of the month."
* * *
Crack! The whip came down hard and cut across her already bloody shoulders.
"What do you mean by speaking to elves, whore?" He said as the lash kissed her skin again. "You think you're better than me, your master? You have been with this family for centuries. We took you in when your own father disowned you. You have caused nothing but grief and trouble for everyone. Maybe I should sell you the Corsairs."
"No, master, please. I'll try harder. I'll not speak to any one again unless you tell me to." She pleaded painfully as he hit her again. She would do anything, say anything to make him stop.
She often wondered how she ended up like this. A slave to the House of Ladros. Long years had past but she could not forget the light and life that was before. The laughter and song before the darkness of slavery took her. The tall, dark haried elf who would toss her in the air as though she weighed no more than a dried leaf. Sometimes in the night she could still hear the soft lilt of his words as he told her bedtime stories.
"A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
silivren penne míriel . . ."
The voice seemed to belong to a different time. A time when she felt loved and safe.
Morion, like his fathers before him, was cruel. She was treated worse than all the other slaves in the house simply because she was an elf. Though her body healed quickly her heart and mind did not. Yet today there had been a glimmer of hope that her own kind could accept her. The three tall elves wanted to help her. One of them had said his father was a healer. In her experience, healers were kind, people she could trust. 'Twas the Yule Festival after all. Shouldn't one hope that the light would return and warm the earth. Maybe she should hope for her freedom as well.