Ariena opened her eyes; just the short flicker of her heavy eyelids was painful. Light and spots of colour danced across her vision, blurring her surroundings as she tried to focus. Her head spun, it felt as if it was falling through the air. A pressure as if she was travelling at a high altitude had built up inside her aching head, it disorientated her mind and senses.
Her breath was ragged, and she sunk back into the bedding beneath her. Her eyes gave up and shut.
Beneath her she could feel a soft bed of feathers, she sunk into it and it moulded into her body. Above her was a thin blanket, airy and light, gentle upon her skin like fresh breeze. She flexed her fingers, they ached and were slow to move. Heaving. She tried to prop herself, upon moving her torso a searing pain shot through her and she fell back with a hiss of pain. It came from her shoulder and it throbbed terribly. She shifted and again the tension of the muscles as she moved ripped her body apart. She shivered slightly and groaned under her breath. The sensation of pain struck her again like a lightning bolt and she clutched the blanket, gripping it hard. One last jab of agony from the wound at her shoulder sent her reeling inside herself, she blacked out.
A figure, an elf entered, the room where Ariena slept. She was female, and tall with a tightly tied knot of braided chestnut hair. She strode to a near cabinet where bottles of medicine were kept, and fumbled for the right bottle, picking up a few and casting them to the side until she found the correct one. She took off the cork with a quiet pop, and proceeded to untie the bandage around Ariena's left shoulder.
The skin was raw and a crust of dried blood had formed over the flesh. The elf, with delicate careful fingers dripped the contents of the bottle over Ariena's wound. Then from a small packet she took a handful of dried leaves, with a potent herb smell and laid it on the flesh. She walked to a box in the corner of the room, obviously by her manner, she was very familiar with medicine and was a skilled doctor. From the simple wooden casket she produced a bundle of clean white bandages, infused with a fragrant herb. She wrapped it around Ariena's shoulder and disposed of the old blood stained bandage. Ariena was still asleep, her serene face pale. The elf lit an incense candle and muttered a few elvish words, upon saying them the candle flame seemed to grow and flicker in colour. Turning, she walked to the door and left leaving Ariena with a fresh bandage and dressing.
The rays of the golden glittering sun shone through the stain glass window. The plumes of light turned the room to gold, the dust in highlighted in the beams danced like tiny floating jewels. Light shone through Ariena's eyelids and brought her back to consciousness. Her eyes flickered open and she breathed a sigh of contenment for the pain was gone and she felt afresh.
Her hand covered her face as she remembered the fight and blood of before, and she wandered what had become of the elves. Then she remembered Morivanya, galloping away from her. With all her heart she willed Morivanya to've reached Rivendell safely, without harm.
A warm sweet scent filled her nostrils and she sat up and yawned. Immediately she realised she was in the wood elf's kingdom in mirkwood, her destination was reached. She looked around and found herself in a simple room, upon the white pearly walls were hung carved embellished cabinets of oak, and in the corner was a dark oak table but the real feature of the room was the beautiful intricate stained glass window, colouring the sunlight. Laid upon a chair was a glossy pale blue gown, obviously directed for her use. Slightly stiff, she sat up and flexed her neck, arching her back and stretching with a relaxed exhale.
Checking the room for anyone present she stood and quickly slipped off her ragged clothes and changed into the gown. She reached to her bandaged shoulder, it felt slightly tender but the extreme pain was utterly gone. Breathing lightly she stepped in front of a silver mirror, scanning her reflected face. She brushed her delicate fingers through her hair, smoothing it down.
"Ai, beleg menel! *(oh, mighty heaven!)" she muttered, thinking of her stupidity on her journey to think that going alone would be safe, let alone with no weapon! As she pivoted round she saw lying in the corner her pack she had taken off from Morivanya before she left. She had dropped it in the fight but a keen eyed elf who had fought with them must of picked it up and returned it to her. She was thankful for it.
Feeling curious she made up her mind to venture out of this chamber and find someone willing to direct her to her chambers for she was ill familiar with this place, the woodland realm. The door was reasonably light to push open, and the handle was smooth and polished. She poked out her head round the door, and took a delicate step out into what seemed like a short candle lit passage way. From the walls protruded roots from trees, and there were carvings of beautiful trees and woodland scenes everywhere she looked. All the decoration and furniture, seemed to appear twisted and tree like, surfaces and textures resembling plants and bark of the forest world.
Her footsteps echoed on the marble floor, she followed a sound of chatter and hearty laughing. She passed a room, door opened where a group of elves sat at a large table, they were rocking about and seemed extremely childish to her. She realised they must be intoxicated with some sort of alcohol. Her cheeks went slightly red at seeing them so silly, for she was not accustomed to elves in Rivendell, ever acting like that, but she knew wood elves were more of the reckless kind, and fond of the drink. She carried on, down a spiral staircase, unnoticed by them, and reluctant to ask them for direction due to their drunkard behaviour.
As the pathway opened it revealed a larger complex of chambers and high pathways, crisscrossing across to rooms and doors in a large 'dome' like hall. Trees acting as towering pillars grew skyward to form a ceiling of branches. Warm glowing candles and orbs of light illuminated every structure. The complicated architecture and complex of paths intertwining and disappearing into doors and passages seemed quite daunting, but she gazed upon it in awe, for it was nothing like Rivendell. It felt much wilder, a more colloquial mood as well.
Ariena wandered quietly around, without much direction but keeping a mental note of where she had been. It seemed quiet. Then her ears pricked up, she heard the merry hum of an elf approaching her, and the light bouncing footsteps behind her. She swung round and saw her appearing from a round a corner. The other elf's face lit up, she smiled and came towards Ariena who returned her smile, with a subtle movement of her rich lips.
"Hello, you must be Ariena, finally you are well, I see you have been exploring, anyway I am Merewen, I looked after that nasty wound of yours, but it's all clear now then, is it?" Merewen said. She was the same elf who had nursed Ariena's wound, but now she was differently clad, in a brown gown, with a green laced corset and lining, her glossy hair fell loosely around her shoulders now.
"Greetings to you too, thank you for your treatment to my shoulder, I feel quite well now." Ariena replied, slightly too formally compared to the elf she talked to, but in Rivendell, she was accustomed to a very particular and careful usage of language and conversation.
"Here, I shall show you around, you are here to stay, and become family here, with us. Let us be good friends. First comes first, I will show you your chambers." She said to Ariena friendly. "Come mellon."
Ariena smiled at her, gratefully and felt quite relaxed now. They went back to the medicine room where Ariena had been and she collected her bag before following Merewen to her own new chamber. She opened the door and entered with Merewen leading her.
It was a simple reasonably small chamber, there was a comfortable bed with silk blankets and pearly sheets. A mirror reflected the light from the glowing torches and beneath the mirror was a lovely carved table. Embedded in the wall were drawers and a hollowed space to hang clothes. A few glowing candles lit up the room, for deep inside the kingdom a window would be at no use. The walls were carved wood, the room was hollowed from a large tree trunk, like how she imagined the smooth rounded walls of a rabbit's burrow would be like. The delicate pattern of the tree circled around the walls and she traced a spiral of the wood with a slender finger.
Ariena walked around scanning her new chamber with approval. She smiled at Merewen, "Thank you, it is lovely." She said.
"It is good you like it," Merewen said.
"Merewen? I am slightly bemused on what happened earlier, I have a few questions. Do you mind talking with me?" Ariena enquired.
"Of course." she replied.
Ariena smiled and began to talk.