For chapter 7-
Hey y'all, the stories back! Once again, as always, thanks so much for all the love. Thanks to The Lead Mare for the review. And for pointing out some typos. This is brings up a good point. There are probably going to be typos and grammatical errors, so sorry about that. I try to get these out fast, so y'all don't have to wait long, but also because my life is about to get pretty busy soon, and I want to have a head start. So forgive me for any typos. Yay for me, I get to describe elves! Hurrah! And for the record, the dress I imagine Arwen wearing is indeed that see throughish lilac number from Two Towers. For some reason I always liked that one. So yeah, this is a long one. And thanks to Borys for providing the inspiration for the awkward conversation Between Elrond and Aragorn. Anyway, enjoy this chapter in lovely Imladris! And sorry if this feels like it's slowing down or anything. Don't worry, the plot is coming, I promise. To be honest? i just really like writing about elves. But I'm getting out of hand. Enjoy
Ailith couldn't believe the world around her. She kept thinking this was a dream, but she knew it wasn't. She realized her mouth was open, but she didn't care. Estel smiled at her.
"It's beautiful isn't it?"
She could only nod. They had reached an arching gate, carved of pale stone shaped like vines and trees, birds and flowers. It opened onto a courtyard of broad paved stones, fragrant fruit trees, and fountains. The house, if it could be called that, was just beyond the courtyard. Estel stepped through the gate. She froze suddenly unable to move. He turned back towards her.
"It's alright Ailith." his face was illuminated in the fading twilight. She took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold, coming to stand behind Estel.
"Will...will the lord of this house or some of his kin greet us, or do we go in? How will they know we're here?"
"As it happens, they always seem to know." He stood calmly. The sound of footsteps whispered lightly through the courtyard. Out of the trees two tall men came. Not men, elves. She felt her heart thud when she saw them. Elves. The creatures of her stories. And they were here. They were beautiful, almost glowing with a soft light. The two of them were identical, long dark hair, keen shining gray eyes, filled with knowledge, faces of such strange beauty. They were clad in soft gray tunics. When they saw Estel their faces lit up in identical smiles, and she saw a flicker in their eyes that almost reminded her of her friend Willard, who she had run wild with, playing pranks. But then he had died in an accident in the stables. She shook herself. One of them spoke.
"Mae govannen little brother!" He rushed forward and hugged Estel, laughing. Then he saw Ailith standing behind him. When his eyes met hers she was fairly sure she emitted a small squeak. Both of the elves were standing before them now. She moved next to Estel, took a deep breath.
"Mae l'ovannen, hir vuin." she said, her voice quivering slightly. Hir vuin was for one lord, how did she say it to two? She didn't know. But she saw surprise and even some delight flash in their eyes when she spoke to them in their tongue. She saw Estel smile out of the corner of her eye. They nodded their heads to her and laid their hands on their chests briefly. She saw one of them look curiously at Estel, as if trying to silently ask him who she was. They both spoke in unison.
"Mae l'ovannen, hiril vuin." They looked enquiringly at Estel, who took this opportunity to speak.
"Ailith, I present to you the Lords Elrohir and Elladan, sons of the Lord Elrond of Rivendell. My Lords, I present to you the Lady Ailith." She felt a rush of gratitude fill her when he called her the Lady Ailith. She was anything but a lady, and yet the fact that he had said it made her almost want to cry. Many things made her want to cry these days.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Ailith." One of them, she couldn't tell which, said to her. Just then a voice, melodic as a clear stream, beautiful as chimes in the wind, yet strong as a river, drifted across the courtyard.
"My brothers run off and don't even bother to call me. What kind of courtesy is it to leave me to find out by myself that our long wandering traveler has returned?"
Ailith felt the air leave her body when she saw the woman approaching them. She felt like she was seeing Luthien. But this creature was in the flesh, so she was more beautiful then any image of Luthien in Ailith's head. She glowed. Or it seemed that way. An inner light seemed to illuminate her skin, smooth and soft as satin. Long hair, dark as night, flowed about her, braids like dark rivers and waves cascading down her back. Luminous large blue-gray eyes shone out from a face more beautiful than any she had seen. They were filled with joy and sadness both. And a deep wisdom, the wisdom of years. She wore no jewelery but a simple silver chain around her neck, vanishing into the folds of her dress. Her dress. It was a light lilac gossamer, draping around her, floating. Ailith had never seen anything like it. She was mesmerized by this creature. Too beautiful to exist it seemed, yet she was walking towards them. Her lovely eyes met Estel's, and Ailith saw him change next to her. He smiled, and suddenly the blood and grime didn't matter. The woman's eye's found hers. She couldn't move or speak. The woman tilted her head, her eyes questioning. She stopped before them.
"Greetings. Welcome to Imladris. She nodded her head to Ailith. I am Arwen."
Ailith was having a hard time forming words, or even thoughts, so Estel stepped in again.
"Ailith, this is the Lady Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond. Arwen, this is the Lady Ailith, a traveling companion in need of the rest of this valley." Estel knelt and kissed the womans hand. Ailith thought that it may have been a longer kiss then was strictly necessary. Evidently the brothers agreed. Two pairs of identical brows raised in unison. Estel noticed and stood up. She almost thought he looked embarrassed. That was new.
Arwen. Luthien's descendant. Ailith managed to speak.
"El sila erin lu e-govaned vin." she said softly. Arwen smiled at her.
"El sila erin lu e-govaned vin to you as well. You speak some Elvish I see." She laid her hand gently on Ailith's shoulder. "You must have traveled far and hard Lady Ailith, I imagine you are tired. If it's alright with you, I'll take you to wash up before the evening meal. My father wishes to speak with Aragorn."
"Thank you my lady, that would...Aragorn?" she sounded like a fool, she realized belatedly.
"I am known as Aragorn here." Estel said.
"You have enough names for many men." She said, quickly shutting herself up and blushing. But the two elf lords laughed, and Arwen smiled. One of the twins put his arm on Estel's shoulder. The other one, who had somewhat more serious eyes, spoke.
"We will take our leave then. Ada will want to speak to Estel at length. He asked for Arwen to come to, but I think our sister may be needed to help our guest." Arwen nodded in agreement.
"Yes, talk his ear off. We best get started now. Doubtlessly the Lady Ailith will be glad to finally wash in a washtub, and eat real food." The other brother smiled.
"I will see you at dinner than." Estel smiled at both of them, he limped as he turned away. Arwen noticed.
"You're hurt." she looked at him, her eyes worried.
"I am fine Arwen, your father will see to the wounds. Ailith has a wounded leg as well."
"I can see to that." she turned to her brothers "Make sure the foolish man actually takes care of himself." She lay her hand gently on Ailiths shoulder.
"Come, you need some rest."
Ailith followed her. She felt like she would gladly follow her anywhere. They crossed the courtyard and entered the house. Elegant pillars, tapestries, winding hallways opening into windows that viewed the gardens and rivers of the valley. The entire house seemed to be alive with a sort of magic. Ailith had never been anywhere so beautiful. Other elves walked by them, nodding to Arwen, each one of them looking at Ailith curiously. She was aware of how she must look to them. Ragged, filthy, wearing torn clothes, her hair in tangles. She looked like a stray dog. But Arwen kept her hand on her shoulder, and her aura seemed to protect her.
"I'm sure you're very hungry Ailith. We'll just clean up in my chambers, and then we will go to dinner."
"Thank you my Lady."
"Arwen is fine." She looked at her. "Here we are."
The room was large and beautiful, windows opening onto the outside world, tapestries on the wall woven with two trees, one with the sun in its branches, one with the moon. Elegant pillars held the roof aloft, carved like vines. A bed with soft silver blankets sat like a cloud. Beautiful designs were etched into the floor. But for all that there was an air of comfort. A desk sat in one corner, an open blank paged book laying on it. A quill and ink, shaped like birds sat nearby. Shelves of books lined the walls, and light filtered in through a skylight. The room felt warm and safe. It smelled like lilacs and old paper. She noticed a beautiful wardrobe, and next to it there was a full clear mirror. The only mirror in Bree was the scratched one in the tailors shop. Ailith couldn't help but walk over and look at herself. She was surprised at what she saw. She almost yelped. The girl looking at her was not the same as the girl who had looked in the mirror and realized she had grown into a woman's body. She was thin, to thin, she looked starved. Matted hair lay wild about her face. Cuts and bruises were everywhere. Her cheeks had sunk. She looked wild, sinewy, like some woman from legend who lived in the woods. But she also noticed a difference in her stomach. So slight it was unnoticeable at first. But she saw it. just slightly rounder. She couldn't imagine any but her seeing it. She blushed when Arwen walked over.
"Take your time. There is a bath in the next room."
Ailith followed her through a door into another room. She gasped in delight. The walls and floors were tiled in beautiful patterns, and in the center, there was a large pool. The water shimmered, some steam rising of its surface. Glass bottles sat on the edge. A small fountain bubbled in the middle. The room was illuminated by soft light.
"I think it would do you good to bathe. I can brush your hair, if you are fine with my staying here."
"Thank you My Lady, but you don't have to.."
"Nonsense. I used to do the same for a young elf maid who stayed here awhile. Think of it as a favor to me, I miss playing at being an older sister."
Ailith just nodded. She thought maybe this was what being under a spell felt like. But it wasn't unpleasant. She slipped out of her filthy clothes and slid into the water. It was warm and fragrant, smelling of roses. She sighed. Arwen handed her a small bottle of pearly white liquid and told her t rub it in her hair. It smelled like lilacs. The bubbles in the bath hid her body from view. That was well. She didn't want Arwen to see the near invisible rise of her stomach. Once she had rubbed the stuff through her hair, Arwen began brushing it. Her hands were gentle and sure. It should have hurt but it didn't.
"Lana, my sister, she would brush my hair."
"Lana. That is a beautiful name. I always wished for a sister. Tell me Ailith, where do you hail from, and what brings you here?"
"I'm from the village of Bree. I'm no Lady, I'm the daughter of a man who used to work at the stables and cut wood,but now prefers to spend his time drinking. I had a mother, but she died, so my sister raised me. She was my best friend. The stories she told me were what kept me going. Luthien and Beren were my playmates, I imagined they were my parents. I grew up running around wild, fighting, and sometimes stealing. Then Lana left, and they told me she had run of with a vagrant, and I was alone. So I left. And I was attacked by orcs, and Estel saved me." She finished. What had just happened? It was as if a floodgate had opened. She had barely stopped herself from revealing the rest of the story. Arwen continued to brush her hair.
"You have not had an easy lot. That must be why you have so much strength in your eyes." She ran the brush through one last time. "There. You know the story of Beren and Luthien?"
"Some of it. I thought it was a myth, but Estel told me otherwise. He told me I'd hear it in full here."
"And that you will."
"You look like I imagined Luthien. Estel said that she is your ancestor."
"That is true. Luthien Tinuvial is my distant fore mother."
"I never imagined I'd meet elves."
"I hope we don't disappoint?"
"No. You don't. "
Arwen smiled at her.
"What was your mother's name Ailith?"
"Haleth, it was Haleth."
"That is a beautiful name. The name of a great woman from the past as well. She led her people. My mother was, is, known as Celebrian."
"Your mother...is she here?"
"No. That we share. She was injured, traveling to see her kin. My brothers found her, and my father healed her body. But not her soul. She had to leave for the lands where my people all go in the end. So she is gone. It isn't easy to lose a mother." Arwen's eyes were kind. Ailith missed Lana more than ever.
"Why don't you dry off while I find something for you to wear?" Arwen handed her a soft towel and stood up, leaving the room. Ailith wrapped the towel around her shoulders and let her mind wander.
xxxxxxx
Aragorn found himself looking into the deep gray eyes of his adopted father. Coming home was always a relief to him, but at the moment he was feeling somewhat cornered. He suspected that the fact that Elrohir had been talking to him in a rather loud voice about just how long he had kissed Arwen's hand wasn't helping.
"You had a habit of bringing strange creatures home with you when you were a boy Aragorn, but bringing a mortal girl who you found in the woods is by far stranger then the cat, a bobcat was it? That you brought back."
Elrohir snorted. Elrond raised his eyebrow.
"She was alone in the woods, being attacked by orcs ada." he often found his tongue slipping, and still referred to Elrond as ada sometimes.
"I didn't say not to save her, of course save her, but to bring her here? I have nothing against humans, as I hope is obvious, but bringing a strange girl back to Imladris? I'd say that is a distinctly impulsive move, and not one I'd expect to see you make. Is there a reason this girl is so important to you?" Elrond leaned forward, lacing his fingers.
"I could hardly leave her in the woods, I told you her story, what I know of it. And I was in haste to get here. There were no other settlements close by to leave her at. And even if there were, it wouldn't feel right."
"What you know of her story. So you think there's more to her. Estel, I thought you were more careful. But I suppose a pair of lovely eyes does that?"
Aragorn suppressed a groan. Elrond was ever testing him.
"A pair of lovely eyes is not the reason I brought this child back to Imladris." He put particular emphasis on the word child. "If you truly think that I'm th sort of man who acts on that sort of whim, I'm not sure how you could be the same man that raised me." He realized he was pinching the bridge of his nose. This was a habit her had developed early in life. He found himself doing it when he was nervous or frustrated. At the moment he was both. He continued before Elrond could go on. "I brought Ailith here because she was lost and alone, and she needed help. And if you want the full truth, which I'm sure you will discover anyway, I've grown rather fond of her." Elrond raised his eyebrow. Aragorn sighed. "In the same way I imagine you grew fond of me ada. And I am not afraid that any secret she may be keeping is something horrible. She just needs to find her place."
Elrohir spoke up.
"So what you're saying Estel, is that you're not enamored with a pair of pretty eyes, but that you're more of a wet nurse?"
"What he's saying, Elrohir, is that he cares for a lost and injured girl in need of a feeling of security. I'd hope you'd do the same." Arwen was standing calmly in the doorway. She was looking disapprovingly at Elrohir, in a perfect imitation of her father. She smiled briefly at Aragorn before walking in and addressing Elrond.
"I knew you would do this ada. The poor man needs rest, not an interrogation." She looked at Aragorn's still untreated wounds "He also need healing." She finished pointedly. Elrond smiled at his daughter and stood up.
"I think this has gone on long enough. Bringing a girl back here was hardly a wise move, but it was a just one. I can't fault you for your compassion." Elrond finally put his hand on Aragorn's shoulder and smiled. "And my daughter is right, you do need healing."
"So does Ailith. Speaking of which, is she alright Arwen?'
"Yes. I treated the wound, and she fell asleep in the bath. She's sound asleep in bed now. I came to see what was happening.
"Alright, come Aragorn, it's time we took care of your injuries." Elrond made for the door.
"I'll take care of his wounds ada!" Arwen said, her face a picture of innocence. Elrond didn't even turn.
"No you won't."
Thats all for now folks. Originally this was gonna be way longer, but I'm falling asleep, so I hope you like it. And if not, chalk it up to me not sleeping:) New chapter soon.
