Disclaimer: Again nothing is mine besides the cracked storyline and my original characters, everything else belongs to its rightful owners and no I earn nothing with it.
Thx again to all readers, followers and all who have this as favorite.
Special thx to "through the Mirror Darkly"; someone seems to know how to motivate an author to work quicker ^^. 233 thx for your review too, yes I never liked how the Hobbits spent so much time in Imladris in the books and never trained or even looked at a map… that just won't do. I mean naivety isn't the same like stupidity and to head out on a life threatening journey without preparation is stupid. I also thought that their best chance would be to attack from distance so the others would have an easier job to protect them.
Today we will see more interaction between Lyra and Elrond hope you will enjoy it XD.
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Chapter 11: Missing
Elrond couldn't think of a reason why Lyra would miss the departure of the Hobbits.
Their friendship had been obvious, so why wouldn't she come to wish them farewell as they headed out to a very dangerous journey? As the Hobbits had appeared in their new gear at the morning he had been surprised. Slowly he had realized what the witch had been up to in the last two months but he should have realized before that Lyra would have kept her word to help them.
He had been able to feel the spells in their clothes but it was also their change in behavior, they had become much more serious and looked like they had an idea what was awaiting them. It seemed that Lyra had put lots of thought and strength into the task of preparing her friends. So why wasn't she there?
He asked Frodo as they came down the stairs but the Hobbit only shrugged and told him that she probably just slept. He also mentioned that the witch had wished them luck at the evening before. What was going on?
He decided that he had shown far too much patience with her. He should find out what happened to her, no he had to. After the fellowship had vanished through the hidden crack like rift in the stone wall which was the natural border to the valley, the elves slowly retreated back to their work.
Elrond also left and went to find Iowen who was the one in charge of the guests and most likely the one who knew where the young witch was. Iowen was a capable help and she had a lot of patience while tending to humans, dwarves, elves and hobbits.
He questioned her a bit about her experiences with the guests and wasn't surprised that she also found the Hobbits to be the easiest and most happy guests she had in her care. The information on Lyra was sparse to say the least and the elven maiden couldn't help him with his task to find her. The only things Iowen could tell him about her were things that worried him even more.
"My Lord I'm sorry but in the last months I haven't seen her regularly, the bed was always unused and even if she enters her chambers at night I can't find her there in the mornings if I try to deliver her news or try to sway her to join the meal in the hall."
Iowen swallowed, she hadn't seen her Lord angry very often since her stay in Imladris but she knew that he wasn't a person someone would mess with. At this moment his eyes showed a kind of anger that caused the urge for her to run away and hide somewhere.
Elrond was indeed angry but mostly at himself in all the time he had studied with her, he had ignored her exhaustion in respect of her privacy. He hadn't wanted to push her to talk about what had happened in her world, always hoping that she would overcome her grief and sorrow. He had hoped that she would tell him on her own accord. Now it seemed that he should have kept a closer eye on the fact that she didn't join them at the meals.
"Iowen have you any ideas what is going on? I mean I thought she just didn't like great gatherings and would eat in private rather than with us..."
"No my Lord I don't know what she had been doing but she spent most of her time with the Hobbits. I made sure that they would look out for her so that she at least would eat something as she had skipped all meals."
"Why haven't you told me how serious the situation was?"
"You had so many troubles already and Lady Black promised me that it would change soon and that I shouldn't worry."
"Thank you for your concern for me. Next time please tell me immediately if one of my patients doesn't eat anything for over two months, no matter how busy I seem."
"I will."
She bowed to him politely.
With a stern nod he left Iowen behind and went to Lyra's room. If he wouldn't find her there he had no other choice than to call for the guards to search through the entire valley. He sighed; hopefully nothing too bad had happened to her. The elven lord reached her door and felt something odd. There seemed to be some kind of wards. Why hadn't he felt them before? Where they just installed but why? He suspected now, that he would find her inside as there was no reason for wards if there wasn't anything to guard.
The layers of power were interwoven with his own protection for Imladris. He found that they felt so similar to his own shields that he would have nearly missed them if they hadn't been installed so hasty and unfocused. Lyra seemed to have not used her usual calculated precision while creating them. Something nagged at him as he remembered her pale and exhausted features; maybe she hadn't been able to do it properly. This caused the question why she had felt the need for them at all; maybe she didn't want to be disturbed. He couldn't care as it seemed that something had happened to her… So he knocked.
As expected he didn't get an answer. Against all politeness he started to take down the shields. It didn't take him more than a few tries as they were so similar to his own power that he had no difficulty to untangle them. He entered and to his shock he found the room empty. He went inside and looked around but there was nothing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He had no choice now… he focused on calling for Glorfindel and explained the need to search for Lyra. He felt concern coming from the ancient being. After they had decided to trust the young witch, Lord Glorfindel had started to feel respect for her and something like care. It had been a slow process but once in a while she had started to come out of her shell and what he found there had been a witty, partly sarcastic but good hearted being. She reminded him in many ways of Erestor. His friend had grudgingly admitted the same after they had a thorough talk. One thing had made him cautious though.
"If she truly reminds you of me then I only hope she had different reasons to become like this."
That sentence alone had been enough to make Lord Glorfindel pause. He knew what his friend has been through and that true healing would probably only wait for him in the blessed realm. She seemed so strong on the outside… Maybe it was because of their similar fates but he agreed with Elrond's conclusion that she maybe hadn't been able to find peace after her experiences.
He organized five of his most trusted guards and started to search the entire valley. Elrond was sure that she was still in the valley as he would have felt if she had crossed the border. Also there hadn't been any reports of leaving witches or small black cats and after her secret had been revealed the guards had been briefed to look out for small black cats too.
While the guards started with looking first in the places she had frequented the most, Elrond decided to stay in her room and look around. The lord was still puzzled about finding nothing there... what had she tried to protect with the wards? He sighed, if he couldn't find her in there than maybe he would at least find a clue on where she left too.
It took the guards less than thirty minutes to check the library, healing ward, Erestor's and Elrond's office, the spot at the fountain, the garden with the healing plants and the rooftops of Imladris but their report was disappointing.
Nothing
Elrond sighed and focused again on the ring of power which gleamed on his finger. His senses reached out but he couldn't find her inside his borders.
How could that be possible?
He was sure that she hadn't left Imladris but then oddly enough he felt a disturbance; it was just a soft tingle but very close to him. He told Glorfindel about it and the warrior told him that he would be there soon to help him. The disturbance the Lord felt was inside the room and this time it was much more foreign than the hasty wards he had detangled before.
With a soft glow around him, Glorfindel entered the room; it showed his worry about the witch as he had normally more control about his appearance. He nodded softly to Elrond before trying to focus on the wall next to the entrance of the room. At first he didn't notice anything but Elrond pointed at the spot. In the wall left from the door, Elrond was able to sense a strong fabric of power and it showed all of the accuracy he was used to see with Lyra's creations.
After some moments Glorfindel could sense it too, he was puzzled he hadn't seen such advanced spell work very often. The vibes were foreign and felt so different from anything he had seen before but it was a neutral feeling, not good and not evil. Both elves went to the spot and worked carefully through the glamour and wards.
It was a door? Elrond was more than surprised but then he had never questioned her about how far her powers reached. It had taken them another hour to remove charms that made the part look like the wall and then they had found this... He was fascinated with how Lyra had added a door to his building without anyone noticing it.
"Glorfindel please inform the guards to return to their posts, I'm quite sure that we will find Lyra behind this strange door."
"Yes I will be right back then but please don't try to take down these wards while I'm gone. They seem strong enough to cause serious harm and it would be more secure to try it together."
Elrond nodded in agreement and waited. While Glorfindel was gone he tried find more information about the strange door. It looked quite odd with the nearly black wood and silver ornaments. He connected himself to the wards and it was a disconcerting feeling but not aggression he could feel. He couldn't sense danger. They felt solid and strong but passive as if they waited for him to attack first before answering. He thought about it for a while and came to the conclusion that they wouldn't let anything pass but wouldn't attack them either as long as they didn't force them to.
As his old friend came back he shared his findings with him. Both agreed on the strategy to remain calm and friendly as to not provoke any counter attack. Elrond soon found out that the wards had some kind of consciousness similar to the plants he worked with. Glorfindel stood back and waited as Elrond connected with the unfamiliar presence. He hoped nothing bad would happen or that he would be able to aid him in case something went wrong. Meanwhile worked Elrond on contacting the wards, curiously he greeted them and asked why they didn't fight him. As with the plants he didn't receive words as answer just feelings but he had lots of experience with translating those impressions. What he felt from them as answer could be translated with.
"Our creator holds great respect for you and has no wish that harm befalls you but we aren't allowed to let anyone pass not even you. Retreat, now!"
Lord Elrond didn't listen to them. He was so close to find Lyra that he didn't want to give up. So instead of leaving he sent on his feelings and intention. The wards seemed to understand that he was worried for their creator and wished only to help her. They felt that he told them the truth.
Elrond waited patiently, a few minutes passed by and nothing happened but suddenly something snapped and he felt that the wards gave in and let him shove them aside. Finally he reached the handle. With the hand on the doorknob he turned around and gave the other elf a sign that everything was all right and that they could pass through the entrance.
They stepped inside and what the elves saw there amazed them, even more than they had thought possible. Both of them had seen quite many things in their long lives, both good and bad but that someone could magically add so much space that was new. Elrond stood in a small corridor from which different doors led to different rooms.
The light was dim and they saw an old worn carpet on the floor which had seen better times. It was full of dirty footsteps and dust. The floor was made of dark wood but it couldn't be seen much of it as there were piles of book and boxes lying around making it difficult for the two elves to find a way through it. Glorfindel told him that he would take the left side and Elrond went to the right door with a nod. Both knew that they needed to be careful... in a magical environment things were never what they seemed.
Glorfindel carefully opened the door and looked inside, there he found a room full of cauldrons and other pots, phials, glass flasks in all height and form in an odd contrast to the corridor the room seemed neat and tidy. Every instrument was carefully placed, completely clean and in correct order but with one look it was clear that Lyra wasn't inside so he closed the door again.
Opposite to that room on the right side Elrond found what could have been a comfortable library with reading chairs and small tables but it was a mess. That was even an understatement; the furniture was mostly buried under piles of books of all size and forms. Scrolls were lying across the room and most parts of the floor were covered in invaluable documents. The parchment sheets that he saw had mostly odd runes on them and circles with geometric forms on them.
Carefully he went inside the library and tried to not step on any of the valuable scripts. He had to bite back a reply about making such a mess with such a valuable treasure but he focused on the task of finding Lyra. Always hoping that she didn't lie buried under one of the heavy looking piles of books that dominated the room. Some minutes later as he only found some fragile looking instruments but no witch he decided to turn back and search the next room.
Meanwhile Glorfindel had followed the corridor to the second door on the left side and found a storage room full with dried plants and powders of all kind and sorts. Again the room was completely clean and tidy and again without the witch... not that there had been much space for anything else than the shelves which held the ingredients. With being armored he had a hard time to get back out of it without destroying anything which was kept there. The room had been nothing more than a big cabinet.
The door opposite to the storage room was locked as Elrond reached it and he decided to look in the unlocked rooms first and would only come back if necessary. Glorfindel reached the last room on the left side and found that it was nearly empty, just some small bowls lay around and a pile of papers which showed warding circles and drawn rune work lay on stacks in a corner, again no witch. Then he heard a worried gasp and left the room to look for Lord Elrond.
He had found her. In the last room which had been opposite to the entrance at the very end of the corridor. Hastily and without losing much more time Elrond went to the unmoving body that was dropped on a bed. He calmed as he saw her steady breath but was distraught again at how ill and worn she looked. She still wore the same green robes as he had so often seen her with.
Her face was even paler than normally and he could clearly see black rings underneath her eyes. She didn't wake as he tried to call out for her. It looked like she had barely reached the room and dropped on her bed and never moved once since. Glorfindel came in too and saw the scene his face mirrored his worry and tried to shake her but she wouldn't wake. Elrond put a hand on his shoulder and told him to be careful. The other elf only nodded.
Elrond took in her appearance on more time and checked her pulse. As far as he could say at the moment she seemed in a very deep sleep and too exhausted to wake up but not physically hurt. Deciding that she would find the best rest in the healing ward they picked her up and carried her out of the room.
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She woke. Everything was bright, much too bright for the small bedroom in her flat. What happened? Lyra carefully opened her eyes. She lay in a huge bed with white linen. The bed stood in a beautiful open room.
Lyra swallowed, her throat was dry and she had a horrible headache. It took a while before she could piece together what she was seeing as her mind seemed a bit slow, like she was still sleeping. Upon seeing the light wood which the beautiful furnishings were made off, she knew that she was in the healing ward.
Someone had even dressed her in some night-clothes. Carefully, she got herself in a sitting position while she fought down the bad feeling that she was in serious trouble... how did she get to this place and what did Elrond think about what had happened... she tried to evaluate in how much trouble she was.
"I'm glad you woke."
The deep voice of Imladris Lord showed disappointment and as Lyra faced him she knew that this wouldn't be over anytime soon. The elf's beautiful grey eyes held concern and his jaw showed the stiffness of suppressed words. She knew that the only reason he didn't berate her on her stupidity was that he had too much style as to lash out on one of his patients. She also knew that it was a close call.
"Lord Elrond how long have I been sleeping?"
"From the morning on after the fellowship left which was when Lord Glorfindel and I were able to find you, it has been nearly two days."
Lyra swallowed again, she couldn't be angry with the elf for being so disappointed with her, she had been in a worse condition than she had thought. She looked down on her blanket and her hands turned to fists.
Only her friends had ever cared for her in such a way, that they had been disappointed if she did something that would hurt her. Her family hasn't even noticed that she lay unconscious in the garden for three days. She even had been very glad for that, because if they would have known that her brain was downloading memories of seventeen years of the first timeline, they would have most likely killed her.
With a deep breath she looked up and faced Elrond again. Concern shone through his amazing dark grey eyes that she could stare in for a long time, her thoughts seemed to swim away again. It took a while before she was able to focus again.
"Thank you."
He just nodded and took place on a chair next to her bed. Then he reached for a cup that waited on a tray next to her and gave it to her. She took it and drank the herb mixture slowly.
"Did the wards hurt you?"
Elrond noticed that her voice showed concern for them, that she feared that they had been injured while entering her flat.
"No they seemed to respect me and after I made my intentions clear that I came to help you, they let us pass."
Lyra was puzzled, how would the wards know if they could trust someone, but on the other hand she had to be glad, she wouldn't have forgiven herself if these kind beings had been hurt by her wards while trying to help her. How long had they been searching for her until they had discovered the flat? She didn't want to think about the expense of finding her... it was her fault. Maybe the guilt had shown on her face as Elrond decided that it was a good moment to continue their conversation.
"Lady Black, please tell me what have you done to get into such a condition and why?"
Again she felt a pang of guilt as she looked at him. He had been nothing but kind to her and she caused him to worry for her. She tried to explain the situation.
"I have worked to help the Hobbits with their gear, so I looked up all kind of charms and rituals. There had been a lot of things to prepare and I also wanted them to have a good set of potions with them. You know in case they would get in trouble or even injured. The time was so short to get everything done and it took its toll but I'm not regretting that I tried to help them."
At her words he grabbed her hands and his eyes were wide with horror as he already knew what the answer to his next question would be.
"Have you slept at all during the last two months?"
"No."
The elf's face paled even more, he had enough experience with mortals to know how bad it could get if they didn't got the sleep they needed. It could kill them.
"How have you even managed this?"
"I used some potions to stay awake and some nutrient potions too so I wouldn't need to eat."
He put his hands back and his chin leaned on them again, he looked very much the same as he had at the council while being under Sauron's attack. It took a while before he found words again.
"Yet you look like you have lost too much weight in this short time."
He had spoken calm and without malice, only concern and something like resign were in his voice. She looked embarrassed; yes the potions shouldn't be used as substitute as they were invented just as addition to normal food… She couldn't even look into his eyes and just stared at the blanket as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. Suddenly she heard a movement and a moment later she felt how Elrond softly put his hand on her chin and moved her face so she had to look at him.
"Lyra you will listen to me now, you will never do something so stupid again, have you understood that?"
"Yes"
He nodded before letting her chin go and turning to a side table. The tray with food for her stood there and he handed the plate with some light cost to Lyra. She took it gratefully and ate some bites. He watched her pale scarred face and couldn't help himself, he cared for her.
He cared for the funny being that with all her wit could be so childish carefree if it concerned the healing arts and her beloved potions. While she was busy eating and focusing on the food Elrond couldn't help but smile, she had wormed her way into his heart. He couldn't remember when he had stopped to draw away from the steely attitude she showed to the outer world and started to see the caring person that she was to her friends.
Maybe it was when he found out that she was the cat that comforted him in the garden and had joined Erestor in his mission to get him drink some tea, that he had started to see beyond the surface. Elrond sighed he still knew nearly nothing about her. Where did she come from? What had she lived through? He still watched her as she slowly finished the plate.
"Lyra I want you to know that you can always confide in me, if you ever need to talk about what happened to you and I expect you to come to me and inform me about your next insane project that will nearly kill you, before you start on it."
Had she heard right, did he offer her to listen to her sorrows? Why would he do that, why did he spent so much time with her, that wasn't normal not even if she studied the healing arts under him. On the other side, she had comforted him; maybe they had something like a friendship, then?
"Lord Elrond, are we friends?"
Her voice was a mere whisper and it held hope in it. She looked directly at him and somehow he felt that caring feeling again. Elrond knew he shouldn't bind himself to mortals in a way that he cared too much. That's what he had sworn to himself while grieving for his twin.
After being orphans they had no one besides themselves to confide in. His brother had been everything to him but than they had to decide. Would they choose the path of mortality or the way of the Eldar? It still broke his heart as his brother had chosen to become the first king of Numenor. Their fates had been separated and Elrond had dreaded the day he had to lose him forever. After that he thought he would never be able to care for anyone again...
He had sworn to not get too close to mortals and now? Now he was foster father to Aragorn. It would be hard enough for him to lose him, the one he loved like his own children one day and now he knew that he cared for this woman too. He hadn't missed how her voice was so hopeful and his heart clenched at the thought that she most likely had lost many of the people she had considered her friends before.
The being in front of him had stranded in a complete different world, where she knew no one and hoped that he would be a friend to her. After he put the plate to the side board again, he took her hands in his.
"Yes Lyra if you want to, then I will consider you my friend."
Her smile was honest and again he noticed how beautiful it made her, regardless of how many scars haunted her face. Before he knew what he did he touched one of the lines on her cheek. Her eyes widened in surprise. His heart clenched at the thought on how she had received those scars and he admired her for her strength. This young woman had faced more evil in her short years than most of his kin during the ages of their lives and despite all of it she was strong. She had found the strength to live on and even to care about others, like her stupid act of friendship to the Hobbits showed quite clearly.
Lyra saw that Lord Elrond was far away with his thoughts, he still had his hand on her cheek but it seemed as if he remembered something that happened long ago. She didn't know it but she was right.
He was lost in his memory on how he had sat on Celebrian's side begging her to fight for their family. He would have done everything if she had just decided to fight, to come back to them; to live but his wife hadn't been able to find a reason to live on. It had been weeks after tending her wounds and saving her body. Weeks of constant fight for her survival when he finally felt relief at first... as it seemed that she would recover from the injuries and then his deep fall as he had to accept that she didn't want to be healed.
The lady of Imladris had given up; she had nothing in the world of the living that was worth for her, to fight for. Her husband had been able to heal her body but not her soul. She hadn't wanted to live in a failing injured body, yet Elrond would have never minded if she had just lived for herself, their children and for him. With clear words she had told him.
"Don't imprison me here. I wish for death to claim me, you have no right to force me to stay. Here is nothing in this rotten place that I desire. Let me go."
It had pierced his heart more than anything. Nearly broke him but he would have never forced her to stay... he had sent her to the sacred lands and hoped that the Valar would be able to do what he had failed to accomplish. He had hoped that they would be able to save her soul.
He shook himself out of his thoughts and blinked back his tears. Then Elrond noticed that Lyra had fallen back to sleep, her face leaning in on his hand. He smiled softly and let her rest. One night's sleep and some good meals should be all that she needed to get back on her feet.
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Thank you to everyone for reading this story :)) I wanted to share my happiness about reaching 30 000 views. That has been much more success than I had ever dreamed of.