DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything of Tolkien's. I don't know if it sends a notification out when I replace chapters, but the first two chapters have been rewritten.
Ella awoke with a cry, and looked wildly around her. Athwenyë was bent over her speaking softly to her and smoothing her hand across Ella's forehead. The girl let out a shaky breath as she sank back into the soft mattress and gave Athwenyë a small smile. The Elf returned her smile and gently pulled the blankets off Ella; she helped her stand and walk over to the small table. There was a tray with bread and jam on it, as well as a glass and pitcher of water. It was a smaller meal than before, intended to acclimate Ella's body to food slowly as not to make her ill.
Ella sat down and began to eat, but as soon as she finished her first slice of bread she became aware of her awkward situation. Picking up the plate she held it out to Athwenyë, offering her the other remaining slice. The Elf shook her head and smiled at her kindness, and she motioned for the girl to continue eating. As soon as she had drained her glass Athwenyë picked up the tray, motioned for Ella to stay sitting, and left to the kitchens. Ella now had a better opportunity to look around her bedroom.
It was moderately sized and, from her table, comfortably housed a bed directly across from the table. The walls were cream coloured with dark wooden beams running from ceiling to floor. There was a bedside table in between the bed and the wall, and next to the bed was a large window, from which fading sunlight streamed through. To the right of the door, against the wall, was a wardrobe, and to the left of that was another door which Ella presumed led to a water closet of some sort. In the middle of the room, on the stone floor, was a large, oval-shaped dark green rug. There was a small painting hanging above the bed of a waterfall with flowers blooming along the banks below the falls. The water shimmered as though it were moving, and every time afterwards when Ella returned to her room it was as though new flowers had blossomed while she was gone.
The sharp stomach pains slowly began to return to Ella, and it wasn't long after that Athwenyë returned to her room. She helped the girl stand and walk back to her bed, and once she was settled again the Elf pulled a chair back to her bedside. For a while they were silent, and it felt awkward, as it would when two people are expected to keep the others company without having proper words to speak. Ella could feel her eyes beginning to feel heavy; the room grew darker, and Athwenyë stood and lit the lamps hanging from posts next to Ella's bed, the door leading out, and next to the wardrobe. A golden light soon washed the room, giving off a warm glow that made the room even more comfortable. By the time Athwenyë had sat back down Ella had fallen back into her dreams.
The mattress reeked of urine, sweat, and mold but it was either that or the bare floor, and Ella decided to take her chances with the mattress. She wrapped herself as best she could with the thin tarp she had found and did what she could to get comfortable. Upstairs she could hear a baby crying, men arguing over a card game, and the grunts and groans of two lovers who had managed to find a room to themselves. She was nearly asleep when someone landed on top of her,
"Hello pretty lady." the man's breath was putrid, "Would ya mind sharing yer mattress with a lonely, ol' fellow? It's been so long since I've had a comfortable bed, and having a young lady to share it with would make it all the sweeter." His hands started to grope over her body, and Ella began to thrash and kick at him,
"Get off me!" she screamed, and a well placed kick removed his hands. She took this chance to run, leaving her mattress and tarp behind.
"Come back pretty lady!" he shouted after her, but Ella was long gone by then. She continued to run, putting as much distance between her and creepy man.
Her eyes snapped open, and Ella found that she was panting and sweating as though she had been running. She had kicked her blankets to the foot of her bed; sitting up she looked around her room. Athwenyë had left and there was only one lamp burning, but the door had been left open. Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed she carefully stood and hobbled over to the door. It must have been early morning; the sky was grey and orange at the rim, and the birds were singing as they woke up. Far off Ella could hear the loud roar of the waterfall whose river she had crossed the day before. She walked across from her door to the railing and looked down.
There was a small courtyard below her; it was circular, and in the center was a garden over flowing with flowers and stone figures. Directly across from her room, down in the yard was a stone bowl, protruding from the wall. A spout of water poured into it, and it was spilling over into the flowers beneath it. Extending from the fountain were murals going in either direction around the courtyard, and there were four benches placed along the walls. The flowers had not yet opened yet in the early morning hours, but from where she stood, Ella could see that some were vibrant shades of scarlet and lavender, others were white, and some were golden. They looked so different than the flowers that grew at home, so much more alive, if that were the way to put it.
So entranced was she, by the garden, that Ella didn't hear the soft footsteps approaching her,
"Ella?" The girl turned to see that Athwenyë had returned.
Ella pointed down to the site below her, then to herself, and then down again. The elf smiled as she realized what the girl wanted, but shook her head. Athwenyë moved to stand by the girl; her legs were starting to shake ever so slightly, and she gently wrapped her arm around her and guided Ella back into her room. Ella hadn't realized how tired her legs were until she started to move, and more and more she began to lean on the elf.
Athwenyë brought Ella to one of the chairs beside the table and helped her sit; the girl gratefully leaned back into the chair and shut her eyes. Athwenyë moved towards the bed and began to make up the sheets so that Ella could lie down and rest. A soft thump caused her to turn back to the girl, who was now standing and leaning heavily on the table. Ella took a tiny step towards the bed, and tried to grasp the footboard on the bed. Athwenyë quickly went to her side and helped her climb into bed. It wasn't long before she was asleep again; Athwenyë tucked the blankets around her and resumed sitting in the chair, although this time she brought a book to pass the time.
The next time Ella opened her eyes there was a warm beam of sunlight across her face. Squinting, she turned away and saw Athwenyë reading next to her; although when she saw the girl was awake she put down her book and smiled.
"Good morning." The way she spoke was slow and very articulated. Ella smiled and nodded, but then Athwenyë gestured towards her and repeated the phrase. The girl furrowed her brow in a moment of confusion before understanding her meaning.
"G-good morning." Her mouth felt thick as she spoke the new words, unsure if it was even the correct pronunciation. She felt a little better when the Elf smiled broadly at her, and she followed her out of bed and over to the table.
Athwenyë had brought what appeared to be oatmeal, and as Ella ate she noticed that she was beginning to feel stronger. When she had finished her small meal, the Elf poured tea for the two of them and offered Ella a cup. Ella gratefully took it, and then pointed to it with, what she hoped was, an inquisitive look across her face.
"Tea." Athwenyë explained, and Ella repeated it before slowly taking her first sip. It was very hot and she could identify the flavors of mint and rosehips, but was lost on the other spices within it.
Athwenyë watched carefully as the girl sipped her tea. She was very small for a woman; if she had to guess she would say she was only about 16 or 17 years of age. From what she could tell her hair was some shade of brown, although it was difficult to discern what color it was while it was so short. Her skin was pale and seemed to stretch across her bones, and there were bruises and cuts in various stages of healing. Athwenyë could not comprehend why this girl would be so thin and in such a state upon her arrival in Rivendell. She gave her head a small shake, and finished her tea. Going to the door across the room, she went inside and began to draw hot water for Ella.
Seeing her silent companion leave, Ella quickly drained her cup and followed. Her guess the previous night had been correct, the door lead to a bath room. It was a small, round room with a tub in the middle. Opposite from the door was a small spout from which Athwenyë was drawing water from, and Ella could see steam rising from the water. To the left of the door was a table with a basin built within it and a hook with a towel was next to it. To the right was a small linen closet with towels and soaps within. Ella shifted uncomfortably, feeling awkward and useless, especially when Athwenyë looked up and smiled at her. The Elf paused in her task of filling the tub and moved towards Ella; gently pulling at the small ribbon at the throat of Ella's nightgown. Ella's arms snapped to her chest to hold the material up and she took a step back.
"I can undress myself!" She had spoken before she could realize that it would do no good, Athwenyë wouldn't be able to understand her anyway.
The Elf smiled and resumed filling the tub. Quickly retying the ribbon, Ella moved to help her but was gently shooed away. Athwenyë paused again, and this time pointed to Ella and then to the tub. Although Ella understood her meaning, she stayed put. It was more than a little unnerving undressing before someone and then being expected to bathe while they remained in the room. It wasn't long before the tub was filled, and Athwenyë moved towards Ella to, once again, attempt to help her undress. This time Ella backed away from her, and Athwenyë paused in her steps and nodded, finally seeing the girl's discomfort. She turned away from her and Ella took the opportunity to rip the nightgown off and sink into the water. Athwenyë moved across the room to get the soap, all the while keeping her back to the girl to allow her a small measure of privacy.
As soon as the bar was placed in Ella's reach, she quickly began washing herself. The warm water felt marvelous, and she could feel all the soreness melting out of her muscles. As soon as she had finished cleaning herself she stood and accepted the towel that Athwenyë had held out for her. Quickly drying herself, she stepped out of the tub and wrapped the towel around herself securely and then tapped Athwenyë on the shoulder to indicate that it was alright for her to turn around. Ella was then lead out of the bathroom and she sat on the bed while Athwenyë went to the wardrobe and pulled out two gowns, one was pale yellow and the other was lavender. She held them up for Ella to look over and choose to wear. The yellow one was embroidered with a lighter cream on the sleeves and hem, while the lavender had silver embroidery and a small intricate belt. Ella pointed towards the yellow gown, and Athwenyë returned the other to the wardrobe and gathered the necessary undergarments.
Once Ella had dressed and Athwenyë helped her lace up the back, the Elven woman took her by the arm and led her out onto the terrace. Ella couldn't stop looking at everything they passed, and she found herself wishing she could look in all directions at once. It was warm out, and all of the flowers Ella had seen the night before had opened. It felt so peaceful in this place, Ella almost felt as though she were floating in a dream. It wasn't long before they had stopped before a pair of dark wood double doors with lighter wood engravings. Athwenyë knocked and a voice inside called out to her. The Elf pushed the door open, and gave Ella a gentle push inside before following her.
Elrond stood from his seat at his desk when the two entered, and he beckoned for them to sit in the two chairs on the opposite side of the desk. As the two took their seats, he pushed a piece of parchment paper across towards Ella, who took it and looked it over. There were finely scripted letters across the paper, and it reminded Ella of the charts of the alphabet that would be found in kindergarten classrooms.
"Since she cannot speak any Westron, we will teach her until she can remember her speech." Elrond spoke to Athwenyë, "She will come to this office to study the language, and you shall help her practice and perfect her abilities as you are able."
"Yes my lord, I am most eager to help her." Athwenyë responded.
"We will begin with the basics: the Westron alphabet, simple needs, greetings, and other common phrases." Elrond instructed, "She will also begin to learn how to write the language. You will instruct her and mentor her while she stays here in Imladris. I have already written for her some phrases, and you may make new phrase sheets for her to practice with as you see fit."
Ella watched the two speak for a short while before beginning to let her gaze wander about the room. It was very ornate and yet very simple at the same time. There was a scribe desk behind her and behind Elrond was a small balcony. To her left there were tall bookshelves, and a small staircase leading to an upper level with more bookshelves. To her right was the pair of double doors and off to the side were a couple of armchairs that looked very comfortable. She snapped back to the present conversation when Athwenyë placed a hand on her arm.
Athwenyë was holding several papers in her other hand and she stood, pulling Ella with her and guiding her to the scribe desk. The two sat and Athwenyë placed the papers in front of her and arranged them in a manner to help Ella read along with her. She then placed blank papers directly in front of Ella and set a quill and ink well nearby for her to write with. A swishing noise behind them told Ella that Elrond was overseeing her learning for today, and a strange nervousness settled into her stomach that she couldn't explain.
"Let us begin, Ella." Athwenyë calmly spoke, and she began to point to the various phrases and spoke them aloud for Ella to repeat.
*sheepishly comes out from hiding* So…it's been a while hasn't it?