Chapter 14
By the end of the week Melissa had decided that walking bare foot from the lake to Rivendell was less exhausting than being trapped in a room with three inquisitive elves all eager to learn how to speak English. Her fingers were cramped and sore from using chalk on primitive slates both to write words and to draw pictures to get the meaning of the words across. The elves all learnt incredibly fast; she had thought when Elladan had presented her with the chalk and slate that she would teach them a few basic words and perhaps introduce them to numbers. After only an hour they had memorized the alphabet and had the skills to count beyond one thousand.
From there Elladen had started pointing to objects within the room and then when those were exhausted he encouraged her to draw objects and name them. Melissa wasn't an artist by any stretch of imagination and had the elves scratching their heads looking very puzzled at times when they couldn't recognize what object she had tried to depict. Gimli had made an effort to keep up with the elves but halfway through the first day had found himself a quiet corner to sit in and 'rest his eyes'. In the days following he would visit daily but wouldn't remain with them long before getting bored and wandering off to find something more interesting than watching Melissa play charades to keep his attention.
The elves had also attempted to teach Melissa some more of their language and writing; on the first day one of the twins had placed a beautiful book in front of her and for a moment Melissa had been very excited. She loved to read and seeing that the elves had books and not just chalk and slate had boosted her spirits. She had reverently wiped her hands on her robe before very carefully opening the leather embossed cover. Inside were thick pages of white bleached parchment hand written in beautiful flowing script that made no sense to her at all. There were a few illustrations of stylized elves performing various tasks all hand painted in vivid colours. It was a work of art not just a book and Melissa had grinned at the elves as she carefully turned the pages and studied the pictures.
Unfortunately she had great difficulty in comprehending their writing. After the first day the elves stopped trying to teach her their language and instead encouraged her to continue to teach them hers. This should have been easier for her but the elves were very demanding and every evening after eating her fill in the communal dining room she would go soak in the baths before shuffling off to bed where her dreams would be full of swirling elvish script and her own crude drawings and messing writing.
As Legolas learned more English he was able to talk to her more and answer questions that had been puzzling her. The elfin woman had apparently left Rivendell sometime ago for a reason that Legolas either didn't have the words to explain or didn't wish to tell her about. He made it clear that all the elves would be leaving Rivendell at some point to rejoin their women. He had shrugged when she had asked when and told her he didn't know. Melissa had frowned at that; she wished it would be sooner rather than later as she was interested in meeting these almost mythical creatures. She held her tongue though as she didn't want to appear ungrateful to Legolas for the care he had given her.
It was a relief when her period ended but the knowledge that it would return in only a few weeks made her determined to come up with a better system for feminine hygiene. She also got very tired of wearing the robes that she had been supplied with. They seemed to her to be little more than glorified nighties. They offered no form of support for her breasts and while she was now used to not wearing undergarments that didn't mean that she wanted to go commando for the rest of her stay here. However she was uncertain how to remedy this; she didn't want to appear unappreciative of the care that the elves were all giving her and she knew it wouldn't be a simple case of nipping down to the local shops to buy what she needed.
She did ask where the clothes she had worn when she arrived at Rivendell were but Legolas informed her that they had been washed and returned to Gimli. Melissa did think that was a complete waste especially as Gimli still hadn't taken advantage of the baths but she kept quiet and continued to wear the loose robes while continuing to hunt around for any art depicting an elfin woman wearing anything other than ornate and flowing robes.
On the seventh day, lessons were suspended. Legolas informed her over breakfast that the twins had other duties that they couldn't put off any longer and Melissa was free for to do whatever she wished. Melissa had grinned at the thought of a day away from chalk and slate and both Legolas and Gimli had chuckled over her enthusiasm and had left her at the table to finish her breakfast; they apparently were also happy to have a lesson free day. Wriggling her toes in the shoes that had been provided her Melissa pondered on what to do. Glancing around the hall she saw it was mostly empty; elves had gone off to do whatever they were supposed to do. Having been secluded in a school room for a week Melissa wasn't sure what they actually did so decided that she would learn more about Rivendell.
An elf was clearing the table and Melissa nodded her thanks as he took her now empty plate. As he left the room she decided to follow and so gathered an armful of plates and cutlery and trotted after him. He glanced over his shoulder as she followed, nodded, then slowed his pace so that she could catch up. Rivendell, she knew from experience, was a maze of passages and she was aware that the elves knew of her terrible sense of direction; this particular elf obviously had no wish for her to get lost in her efforts to follow him.
They went down the hall took a sharp left turn then down a set of steps to a huge chamber that was obviously a kitchen. Along one wall was a large fire and beside it were what appeared to be ovens set in the wall. Running down the center of the chamber was the largest table Melissa had ever seen and the walls were covered in shelves that were for the most part empty of items. Those closest to the fire did have earthen jars sitting on them and each jar was engraved with elfin script. Some massive jars were on the floor lined up like soldiers against the wall and hanging from the ceiling were a number of shiny pans so polished that they reflected the flames of the fire.
Working at the table was an elf who was kneading what Melissa assumed as bread. He paused as she followed the other elf in and bowed to her before continuing his task. The elf carrying the dishes walked to a sink that Melissa hadn't spotted when she first entered the room. Quickening her pace she followed and placed her load of dishes next to those that the elf had carried. He nodded and left; Melissa assumed he was getting another load. She looked towards the sink and thought that it would be helpful if she start washing but her eagerness evaporated when she realized that there were no taps over the huge stone sink and she had no idea just where the water would be sourced from. She turned to ask the elf kneading bread for instructions but he shrugged at her words and continued to knead.
Feeling embarrassed Melissa retraced her steps passing the other elf who had a large armful of empty plates. When she returned to the dining hall she found that it was empty and the tables had all been cleared. Frowning she left the hall and decided to explore some more of Rivendell. She had been stuck inside for too long and was eager to get some fresh air. Legolas had warned her that it was dangerous to wander out of Rivendell's boundaries and she had no intention of going far. She just wanted to get a feel for the place and to try and find something anything that would give her a clue as to why she was here.
Leaving the building was a task in itself. She knew that only a small portion of Rivendell was still used but even the inhabited portion was still extensive and seemed to follow no logical design. There were many enclosed courtyards and corridors that didn't appear to lead anywhere. Balconies graced some of the rooms giving tantalizing glimpses of the outside green world but finding a door that actually led out to it took some effort. She couldn't even ask anyone as the elves were nowhere to be found.
Finally she found the way she had originally entered the building a week prior when she had arrived at Rivendell. The steps down to the courtyard had been recently swept but had been several large muddy footprints marred their gleaming whiteness. Some horses were tethered before the steps their heads low and grazing off dried grasses that had been placed before them. Melissa gave the beasts a wide berth; she had never felt comfortable around horses and her brief journey on horseback with Legolas hadn't changed her mind. Once past the horses Melissa grinned and threw her head back to squint at the sun. It was so nice to be outside at last.
The sky was a perfect blue, not a cloud in sight, and Melissa sighed in contentment at the feel of sun on her skin again after so long being cooped up indoors. She couldn't help but chuckle and spin in a circle arms flung wide at the sudden feeling of freedom before coming abruptly to a stop. She was far too close to Rivendell and was embarrassed at the thought that some perfectly groomed hottie would see her cavorting like a child. Determined to carry on her celebration of freedom away from perfect eyes, she picked a random direction and set off down what looked to be a well trodden path to see what she could discover.
Melissa didn't have to go far before she found a large pool of water fed by a waterfall and, in turn, drained by a waterfall. The path led to the edge of the pool, followed around it and continued on down the slope of the hill following the flow of water to what appeared to be another pool further down. Even in the shade of the hill, the warmth of the sun followed her as she walked, enjoying the sound of falling water and mindful that the path was damp and slippery in places due to the constant misty spray.
The second pool was larger than the first, crystal clear and inviting. The path continued to wind its way down the slope, but Melissa hesitated at continuing down. The trek back up would be more exhausting than going down and she didn't want to wander too far from the safety of Rivendell. She well remembered the attack back in the woods when she first met Legolas and Gimli; her throat still was slightly bruised from that encounter.
Stretching her arms above her head once more, she closed her eyes luxuriating in the feeling of freedom and peace she felt. Kicking off her shoes, she allowed her toes to sink into the moss covered ground. The rhythmic sound of water falling was almost hypnotic and she turned to look at the little waterfall that was feeding the pool before crouching down and touching the surface of the water with her fingertips. The water was so clear, she could see the stones at the bottom of the pool, the pond weed waving lazily in the current, even a few tiny fish who seemed to be enjoying the sun filtering through the water just as much as she was.
One of the stones lying at the bottom glittered enticingly; its colours different from those that surrounded it. Leaning closer she allowed her hand to sink further into the cool water, reaching out to try and claim the stone as her prize. The bottom of the pool was deceptively deep; with the water up past her elbow she seemed to still be no closer to getting her objective. Pouting, she reached further in before coming to an abrupt stop as the back of her robe near her neck was firmly grasped.
Thinking that Legolas or Gimli must have followed her, she turned her head to smile at them and their concern that she was going to fall into the water. A stern looking man with shoulder length brown uncombed hair and an impressive scar that puckered one of his cheeks stared at her, his large hand fisted with the material of her robe. He grinned as her own smile faded, revealing several chipped teeth before pulling her towards him. Melissa couldn't help but give a startled screech and pull away from him, throwing her weight in the direction of the pool in an attempt to be free. The thin material of her gown, not designed for such roughness, gave way at the front. The sound of material ripping was startling loud as the gown parted and gravity took care of the rest. Melissa felt herself fall forward as the gown gave way, her arms pulling free of the sleeves as she plunged face first into the pool.
Spluttering as her head broke water, she immediately covered her breasts with her arms in an attempt to hide her nakedness and took a deep breath ready to scream for help before looking to see exactly how close the strange man was. The four tiled walls of her bathroom reflecting the bright light sourced by a light bulb made her squint. The still warm bubbly water in the bath tub covered her legs, although a significant amount of water was on the floor.
Melissa blinked and then jumped as her telephone began to ring.
She was home.