Chapter IV: Lessons
Lyla followed Elhael down the hall, a huge smile on her face. At last, she had been able to communicate with someone, and, more importantly, she was finally released from her room. That, in itself, was a miracle. She had begun to think that they were going to let her rot in that room.
They continued walking until Elhael stopped before an immense doorway. He gave her an awkward smile and led her inside. Lyla's mouth dropped open as she looked at the sight before her. The library was beautiful with exquisite marble columns and lavish tapestries throughout. The shelves were lines with more books than she had ever seen at the Fort Collins library, or any library, for that matter. Elegant tables and chairs filled the room, and she saw several other men and women working in the library as well. She glanced over at Elhael and smiled at his amused expression. She lifted her hands in an exaggerated shrug, and he laughed softly.
She walked toward the shelves and began browsing the endless number of books, Elhael following close behind. She selected several and carried them over to one of the tables. She sat down and Elhael sat across from her, a curious expression on his face. She watched him for a minute, and then she picked up one of the books and pointed to it.
"Book," she said.
He smiled and repeated the word. He pointed to the book as well.
"Parf," he said.
"Parf," she repeated.
They both grinned and continued on in this practice for a long while, each saying a word in their own language, and each repeating it in the others'. Lyla grinned. Things were definitely looking up.
Elhael glanced at Lyla as they walked away from the library. It had been a profitable day, for they had each learned some of the others' language. He smiled at her.
"Are you hungry, Lyla?" he asked, motioning to his mouth.
She grinned and nodded. He smiled and continued to walk, but she grabbed his arm. He looked at her, and he frowned as she pointed to his pants.
"Pants," she said in her language, and motioned to herself.
He could not keep the shock from his face. Was she actually asking for pants? It was so rare that women wore them that he thought he had misunderstood her. He pointed to his pants and then to her.
"You want pants for clothing?" he asked.
She nodded, and he raised an eyebrow. "Very well," he said, as he nodded. He made an eating motion again. "Do you wish to eat first?"
She shook her head. She pointed to his pants again and gave him a pleading smile. He could not help but grin at her expression. Perhaps women wore such things where she was from. He nodded and led her to the seamstresses.
The seamstresses greeted him warmly, but their shock was evident when he requested shirts and pants for Lyla. But they agreed to make them, and Lyla grinned when he nodded to her, telling her that they agreed. It was well past the evening meal when they left the seamstresses, so they went to the kitchen and ate a small meal there.
When they were finished, Elhael escorted Lyla back to her room. He paused before the door and smiled at her.
"Rest well," he said.
She smiled. "Garo bost vaer," she repeated.
He smiled and gave her a slight bow. "Until tomorrow, Lyla."
"Abarad, Elhael."
She smiled at him and entered her room, closing the door behind her. He smiled as he walked down the hall. It had been a very good day.
Lyla sat on her bed and looked at the package that lay before her. The seamstresses had finally finished her clothes, and Elhael had brought them to her before he had to leave for his meeting. She opened the parcel and found three shirts, three pairs of pants, and several belts. There was even a pair of black leather boots. She smiled. I have officially entered Heaven.
She quickly removed the dress she had been wearing and put on one of the pant outfits. She could not keep from sighing as she fingered the material. It was thin and soft, and it felt wonderful on. Not to mention, it was so much more comfortable than a dress.
She sighed. Elhael was meeting with Lord Elrond, and he would be unavailable to help her with translating today. She grinned. Now that she was wearing pants she could do something that she had been unable to do in a dress: go for a run.
Lyla ran around the courtyard and watched the people as she passed. Elves, Elhael had called them. She had always thought that Elves were nothing but a fairy tale, but now that she was here, she didn't know what she believed anymore. Many of the Elves stared at her as she ran by, and she frowned. What are they staring at? Haven't they ever seen a woman jog before?
She continued to run, but gasped as an Elf darted out from one of the side buildings. He was directly in front of her, and she was not going to be able to stop in time.
Glorfindel walked quickly down the hall, his arms laden with scrolls. He had much work to do, enough to keep him occupied well into the night. He walked into the courtyard, and, much to his surprise and ire, he felt someone run into him, knocking him to the ground. He looked up and saw a woman staring down at him, shock written on her face.
She said something to him in an unfamiliar language, and she reached out to help him up. However, he was far to upset with her to accept her assistance. He was also embarrassed that a woman had knocked him down. He was the Balrog Slayer, after all. He waved her hand away, and he jumped to his feet. He looked her over, his eyes filled with contempt.
"You should learn to be more cautious," he said in annoyance.
Her eyes widened for a moment, but then they quickly narrowed. She crossed her arms and glared at him. She said something in that language again, rolled her eyes, and ran away. He stared after her for a moment. He had thought she was running to her room, but it appeared that she was running around the courtyard. He had never seen her before, and he assumed that she must be the woman that had recently been brought to Rivendell. She glanced at him from across the courtyard, and she gave him an arrogant wave. His eyes narrowed, and he turned away from her. He gathered up his scrolls and continued on. I do not have time for this.
Lyla lay in her bed and stared up at the ceiling. It was late, but she couldn't sleep. She was missing her home and her family, and that was keeping her awake. She sat up and glanced around the room. What wouldn't I do for a television about now?
She looked over at the nightstand and saw a book and her notes sitting on top. She sighed. She couldn't bring herself to open that book and try to translate more. She loved that she was beginning to learn the Elven language, but she was tired and needed a rest from it. She rose from her bed and changed out of her nightgown. Perhaps a walk will do me some good.
She left her room and ambled down the corridor. When she reached the garden, she smiled and took a deep breath. The air smelled so sweet; it was almost intoxicating. She looked around in amazement. The sky was dark, yet there was so much light, for the Elves seemed to glow. Several Elves were singing, and the enchanting melody floated throughout the garden. Lyla smiled as she listened. The music was beautiful, so ethereal and gentle. She had never heard anything quite like it. She sat on a bench and continued to listen, and she grinned as she realized that she could understand a few of the words.
Lyla looked up at the night sky and smiled. She loved the night. She felt some sort of connection with it. She had always been the night and Jared had always been the day in their relationship. He had always been outgoing, and he had tended to look on the brighter side of things, and no matter where he was, he had always seemed to shine. She, on the other hand, was more quiet and reserved. She tended to look more on the darker side of things, more of the "glass is half-empty" mentality. Maybe that is why he…no! No, I am not even going to allow myself to think about him. She crossed her arms and frowned. He had caused her nothing but pain, and she was not going to blame herself for his betrayal.
She had every intention of continuing to brood, but the music broke into her thoughts. She sighed and allowed the music to soothe her troubled spirit, and her eyelids began to feel heavy. She lay back on the bench and closed her eyes. I'll only rest my eyes for a few minutes before I go back to my room. But her body had other plans, and it was not long before Lyla drifted off to sleep.
She awoke to the feel of a gentle hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw a lovely maiden smiling down at her in amusement. Lyla could feel the heat rise into her face, and she gave the Elven woman a sheepish grin. She quickly sat up and rose to her feet.
"The music was lovely," she said.
The maiden gave her an awkward smile, and Lyla sighed. She nodded to the maiden, and then hurried back to her room. As she crawled back into bed, she wondered if she would ever truly understand these people, and, more importantly, she wondered if she would ever see her home again.
Translations:
Parf — Book
Garo bost vaer — Rest well
Abarad — Until tomorrow