A/N Wow a double update in one day... that's new for me. Anyway thank you again for your reviews. As mentioned I do not own LOTR *bows to Tolkien. Reviews are luff!

Title: Forgotten Memories

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/ Drama

Summary: An elven child is found wounded on the banks of the river Bruinen by Glorfindel who takes her to Rivendell for healing. Nobody knows who she is or where she comes from; a blow she received to the head made her forget her past. As she comes of age she decides to join the most perilous voyage in her life in order to unlock her memories.

ada= father

suilaid=greetings


Chapter II: Ada

Days passed and Glorfindel was able to learn many things about his new charge… one she had nightmares. Every night she would wake up crying and he would have to be by her side to calm her down. The child apparently found him a comfortable pillow as she would fling herself in his arms, finish crying and fall asleep. He did not know what her nightmares were about as she had yet to open up and speak to them.

The second thing he noticed about Naerdiel was that the sadness in her eyes never left. It dimmed as she ran through the halls of Rivendell and played near the fountain, but it always returned at night with her nightmares. Glorfindel had asked her once why was she sad, but the elleth simply shrugged, for she did not truly know. She felt something missing, but could not yet tell her guardian. He wondered when she would start speaking… he was afraid that many years would pass till she would trust others.

One night, his worries proved to be pointless. Orcs had been spotted on the other side of the river Bruinen so he and his company led a merry chase to get rid of the unwanted newcomers. Thankfully the orcs hadn't been many and they had managed to destroy their enemies without any casualties. However the query had been tiring and by the time the elven lord returned home it was well past midnight and the child was fast asleep. Completely forgetting about their nightly habits, Glorfindel called the maids to prepare a bath and readied himself for bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow the elf drifted off to sleep.

A mere hour later, small footprints could be heard on the marble floor of the elf's home. A tiny figure crept through the shadows, a deep frown upon her face. Her guardian hadn't been there when she woke up, thus worrying her to no end. What if something happened to him? He said he had to hunt some orcs… what if he got injured? Well then Naerdiel would simply have to make him better, the child vowed. She found him in bed, fast asleep and unharmed; this eased her soul somewhat, but she was still angry that he forgot about her.

She grabbed a handful of the elf's clothes and shook him as powerfully as her small arms allowed her. Glorfindel bolted up blinking and glanced in surprise at the little elleth standing with her hands on her hips in front of him.

"Naerdiel, is something wrong?" he asked still half asleep. The child simply climbed in his bed and curled in a ball by his side, her small fists grabbing the fabric of his clothes.

"Ada forgot about me." She mumbled inaudibly, speaking for the first time since coming to Rivendell, then fell asleep once more.

Glorfindel gently stroke the child's hair, but his hand froze in mid air as he heard her speak. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips seeing that the child had started speaking again. Then he froze again, this time in horror. Sweet Eru, she had called him ada. He hadn't meant for the child to get attached to him as she most likely had parents that were searching for her… or were they? The last days he had been looking for anything a trail, a sign to show him were Naerdiel came from yet he found none. It was as if she fell from the sky on that exact place. Smiling to himself the elf hugged the child and went to sleep as well… No matter the future he couldn't stop himself from caring for the small elleth.

~ 10 years later ~

"Young lady come back here right now." Alassëa who had become Naerdiel's attendant in the years that passed cried out "You're going to ruin your dress."

"I don't care." The elleth said and continued her wild run. "I am not going back to those stupid sewing lessons. I want to learn archery like Ada." She added and climbed a high tree, tearing apart the hem of her dress and staining it with green.

"But, my lady." Alassëa tried to reason with her " 'tis unheard of a lady to practice archery or Eru forbid swordplay."

" I do not want to be a lady." Naerdiel snorted "I want to be a warrior like Ada. I want to ride a horse and patrol the borders making sure the orcs don't come anywhere near our home…"

Her rant was cut short as a solemn looking figure approached the tree, a stern look upon his face, but a twinkle in his eyes.

"What do we have here?" Lord Elrond asked "Shouldn't you be attending sewing lessons, Naerdiel?"

"My lord," Alassëa bowed her head "There is… what I mean to say is… we have…a problem." She finished.

"Really?" Elrond raised an eyebrow "What would that be?"

"I wish to become a warrior like my father." Naerdiel said calmly "Not spend my time cooking and sewing like a housewife."

Lord Elrond allowed a smile to play on his lips… that's what he got for leaving the child in Glorfindel's "capable" hands. Of course the elleth wanted to be like her father…

"Would you not rather move this discussion in my study, Naerdiel?" he asked in a bemused voice.

"Yes, my lord." The young elleth jumped from the tree and straightened her dress, getting rid of the twigs and leaves that got stuck in the fabric. Alassëa returned to her quarters and Naedriel followed Elrond in his study. Taking a seat she took a deep breath and asked once more.

"Please, my lord, let me learn archery and swordplay. I promise I will do my best."

"I am sure you will, child. However you are but 30 winters [1] and that is a little too soon for an elleth to learn archery and swordplay." Seeing the child ready to argue he raised a hand and added "If in 5 years time you attend your lesson without fussing I will ask your father to teach you what you desire, but only if you behave and have mercy on poor Alassëa's soul. I think she aged a millennia since you joined us." He chuckled.

"I promise." The elleth nodded and smiled "I will behave and try not to cause Alassëa so much grief."

"Very well. Now there is another matter I wish to speak to you about." The mirth left the lord's eyes and they turned serious. "Your nightmares. Your father told me that they had lessened in number and that you have told him what they were about. I was wondering whether you would like to share them with me as well… perhaps we can shed some light in your past."

The child stiffened visibly… not even after ten winters had her memories returned to her and this pained her deeply. Had it not been for her ada she would have succumbed to grief a long time ago.

"In my dreams I am in a room, a library perhaps. Books are scattered everywhere and I carry one in my hands… suddenly a fire starts nearby. I can feel the smoke chocking me so I run and enter another room. Behind me the flames are burning down all the books. I continue running, but at one point I stumble and hit my head on a fallen chair. I black out and then I wake up. I used to dream this every night when I first came to Rivendell, but know the nightmare occurs only once a month. Do you think it has something to do with my past?"

"I do not know child. Perhaps someone saved you from the fire and brought you to the banks of the river. But why would that person leave you there?" Elrond sighed. "Perhaps in time we shall learn more."

"Yes, my lord." She stood up and prepared to exit the study "Thank you, for everything." She bowed and took a dash returning to her sewing lessons. She would have to be diligent if she were to join the troops one day.


[1] 30 winters would be the equal of 12 human years as far as I am concerned.