Chapter Thirty-Five
I sat waiting patiently for my turn in the water, knowing that the temperature I wanted would scald the sensitive skin of my nieces and nephews which meant waiting until all four were done. I was unsurprised to find that Nikki had caught up with us, though it was completely unnecessary. Within a matter of minutes Elrond had sorted out the four, and efficiently had the piles of soiled, soaked children's clothing waiting to be taken to the laundry and four shivering children in warm water, long robe sleeves pushed up past his elbows.
"I believe the saying is, it's not my first ride on this pony," the elf's voice was amused as he glanced back at Nikki as he dumped easily a small pitcher of clean water over Cayden's head.
"I've never gotten him to ever sit in the tub, how'd you do it?" she asked staring at him as Cayden laughed and splashed, "He's going to give you a bath too, you know."
Elrond's expression was faintly bemused, "No more than your daughter is going to soak Miriwien if she doesn't pay attention." he directed Nikki's attention to where a slender elf was assisting the girls in their baths.
"Amanda Rose and Caitlyn Desiree!" Nikki scolded her embarrassed as the water spilled over the edge soaking the lady's dress, "You two behave yourselves."
The female glanced over her shoulder the laughter in her expression as she spoke fluidly, clearly not aware that Nikki didn't speak the tongue well, ["It is quite all right, for girl-children too soon flower into ladies and forget what it is to enjoy simple pleasures."]
Nikki's brow furrowed trying to make sense of it as I shivered, trying to stop my teeth from chattering, "O-kay whatever," she decided obviously that Miriwien didn't mind the free bath, "You look like hell," she said to me her expression shifting to concern.
"I'm fine," I shook my head as I shivered beginning to examine my legs wincing as both were bruised and putting weight on them was becoming uncomfortable, "She said, by the way that it was okay, that little girls too quickly become little ladies and forget fun." I added with a smirk, "Where'd you go wrong?"
"Same place you did," Nikki answered realizing that I had been deflecting attention away from my injuries as Elrond finished up with the boys, "You get in there, I'm sure I can deliver the kids to their dad's and invade Des you look like hell."
"Oh bite me," I replied as Elrond rounded up the four and delivered them to Nikki.
"No biting allowed, and I believe Miriwien will show you to where the others will be gathered," Elrond said mildly, "And no, it was not a bother," he said nudging her subtly toward the door though that was about the last thing I wanted quite yet as my head was spinning and I had to sit down, "Sit down before you fall down," he said closing the door behind him.
Bossy ass. I thought to myself as I leaned to pull off the ruined flats I had been wearing wincing at the warped leather as I pulled it off and cast it aside and began doing the same to the other, as I looked up at him, "You're not planning to stay in here are you?" I asked him cautiously watching him as there was something familiar, too familiar about him that I couldn't place yet and I wanted a bit of time alone to think.
He frowned and I realized that he would have and at my obvious discomfort he relented partly, "I had planned to, partly because you appear to be in a great deal of discomfort, but if you wish I will wait for you to finish." there was a sense of disappointment in his tone and I frowned slightly thinking quickly of a way to spare some of his feelings.
"Maybe you could do something for me," I said hesitantly looking to him uncomfortably, "I need something reasonably presentable to wear, and a walking stick, and I think you can find both while I bathe." I phrased it as a statement, though my tone was more of a question that allowed both of us a small breather from the fact the air fairly crackled with electricity between us.
As the door closed behind him I gratefully stripped down and sank into the blissfully hot water, and let the heat soak into my body in a way that only someone who has injured themselves knows that it hurts and feels like heaven at the same time. I soaked for a solid quarter-hour and then set about scrubbing the sea-water and filth off of myself and set about cleaning out my hair using the nearby bottle that resembled it and was rewarded with the subtle scent of vanilla as I rinsed out the soap from it, feeling the tangling duel of the pendants I wore around my neck as they slid along their chains and after finishing climbed out a little more unsteadily than I wanted to admit.
A soft knock interrupted my drying and as such I had to leave my hair down around my face and shoulders the white I knew was stark against the vibrant red and looked up to find Elrond's stunned face and realized after a moment he stared at the pendants I wore for about three seconds before he regrouped rapidly and held out a small stack of folded fabric in one hand and a staff of what appeared to be some dark wood in the other, "Here, these should fit without a major refitting by the seamstress, the cobbler is inspecting to see if he has anything that might possibly fit your feet but barefoot in Lorien is not uncommon," he said as I let him in again and he shut the door carefully.
I turned and carried the pile to the bench I had used to sit on while drying off and examined what he had brought, not paying a lot of attention to where the elf was until the subtle warmth was behind me causing a small surprised squeak to escape my lips.
"Infernal stubborn woman," I heard him mutter without ire, if anything there was a flicker of something close to amusement and ... something else that was tickled my senses in a way that was eerily familiar and I couldn't remember why.
"Well if you've got a suggestion smartass I'm all ears."
"No, you're all attitude, but that's al right." he corrected with a softer sigh, "Here," he said picking up the jade-green tunic and rolled it so that it would be easier to pull over my head and I could still wriggle my arms into it.
"You have to back up," I said breathing in a scent that was sending a current I didn't want to deal with up my spine, "Or I'm going to lose my balance."
"As you wish," he answered and moved to my left as I dressed in the loose, comfortable slacks and looked at both with a frown and then shook off the feeling that I had seen it before as he reached for a darker green robe that stopped around my ankles and pulled my hair out of the collar of it. "Now you look a bit more comfortable." he remarked as I untangled the pendants and left one to sit under the tunic and the mystery one out in the open.
"Well other than the coffee," I feel pretty much like myself again." I answered him as he guided me out the door, "This should be interesting I wonder if they can go an hour without trying to kill each other." I mused as I realized that there was tension in the glade and I stopped short realizing why there was.
To one side, sitting placidly with several of the Lorien guards aimed with arrows knocked was Camtamin and the look of murder in all four of the older siblings as well the tears streaming down Autumn's face my eyes narrowed as I wrapped another layer of control around my temper. "What is the meaning of this?" I heard Elrond beat me to the question in fluid elvish when one of the Lorien guard who had no bow drawn but was standing between Camtamin and Autumn bowed once and approached as I looked over the scene.
["As was your request, several of the Galadhim stayed in the trees near the unexpected ones and this man,"] The elf's irritated jerk of his head indicated Camtamin ["Defied all orders and directions to stop and came across the young miss, who was only looking at the Lady's garden and when she didn't answer, I think to his satisfaction he struck her in the face,"] temper, leashed flared across his face at this, ["It was then that Orophin and I intervened and escorted him to here where you would likely bring Miss Raina. To determine what must be done.']
I, meanwhile had heard enough and gave the elf a small smile as I used the staff comfortably as a walking-stick and more easily than I had the cane. "What do you want." I demanded glaring at him feeling the stares of the elves.
"I already got it you stupid little girl," he sneered, "You're right before me."
"And hitting my sister was the way to do what precisely? Besides piss me off because that you do by breathing." I replied frostily, "What do you want." I demanded again impatiently glaring at him knowing that arrows or no arrows aimed at him that I was not falling into the line his delusions dictated that I should would incite a blind rage that I could use.
"She didn't tell me anything useful, like where I'd find my wayward child to take her home."
"Newsflash, I'm not lost and I'm not going anywhere with you." I retorted sliding my foot behind me for balance thankful for the loose pants that disguised my move as I saw his body posture change subtly.
"You're going to go with me, nice and quiet and nothing here has to be any more disturbed than you being here does." he said lunging at me as I danced out of his reach drawing him also out of the point blank range of the bows, but away from my sisters.
I laughed, the sound icy cold and mirthless, "No. I'm not, furthermore you can't make me." I taunted never taking my eyes off him, "Just like you couldn't make me do then what you wanted without violence you resort to it now." I spat slowly turning away from my emotions knowing to show any anger would only fuel his drive to attack. I knew I was on borrowed time, before the fact I wasn't rising to his bait and in fact inciting his temper with a steady, deliberate feeding of a fire and offered one final barb lapsing into my native tongue {"Face it old man you couldn't take out the child you can't take down the woman!}
I heard Nikki's sharp intake of breath as she was close enough to hear my words and the way she held onto her children was indicative that they were trying to get in the way, {"Stupid, little girl you're going to fall as hard as the rest of them,} he growled pulling out a whip, one of the few things that truly frightened me and I shoved aside the fear in a hurry, there was time for a meltdown later right now I had to get him preferably into the rushing river I was backing slowly, certainly toward ducking as he cracked the whip with a vicious SNAP at me shifting fighting styles to counter the viperous lick of the whip in the air. The whip snapped close to my face this time curling just enough that I could spin catching it with the end of the walking-staff and popped my wrist so that it would draw the whip tight and allowed the feral glee of what I was going to do as soon as I heard it...
"Let it go you little craven witch!" I heard the command and the glee spread out from me as I flipped the staff so that it would send the whip's tip at him even as I used the momentum to flip myself through the air slapping the staff against the back of his knees and kicked the small of his back to send him forward with the tip of the staff jammed against his neck into the soft grass shaking with rage I didn't yet feel.
"You're going to get up, dust yourself off and get the hell out of my life." I hissed as I heard the trees around me groaning with the strain of the rage I couldn't feel but others likely did, "And stay out!" I added turning away from him considering the discussion over.
"Look out!" I heard Nikki's shriek as an arrow sailed past my hand so close that I could feel the wind of it on my fingertips.
"You were told to leave," the heavily accented voice spoke from my left as I realized two seconds too late that he had not, no surprise, done what I had asked, having ended the quarrel born of violence with peace.
"Not without her," I felt myself being lifted off the ground by my throat and the icy prison I had encased myself in shattered and the pain and fear I hadn't allowed myself to feel began a violent ricochet off of everyone and everything around me, beginning and ending with my nerves. I felt myself flying into the air at an unnatural pace that meant that when I landed it was going to hurt.
"Oh no you don't," I heard the lyrical voice as my back collided with a hard stomach as I was midway through the fourth.. or fifth flip over in the air "Ai, Elbereth its like holding fire," he swore to no one as I thrashed free as that fire was in my skin whirling around to find out what ... who had been hurt all through eyes that burned and tears that threatened.
"Let me go, Glorfindel, please." I muttered as I realized that it was the golden-haired Seneschal that had caught me in mid-fall.
"Easy, don't get in the middle of that," he said lowly putting his hands on my shoulders, "Trust me, this is not a normal in the city of Lothlorien."
I was shaking teary-eyed and supported more than half by Glorfindel's steadying, unafraid hands as Camtamin lunged past the twins' firm grip and a blade I hadn't seen him with previously in hand aimed at me when a swirl of dark burgundy velvet swirled around both Glorfindel and I and intercepted him snapping the curved blade out of his hand and a moment later he was dangling in the air nose to nose with Elrond whose words were nearly silent the grey eyes flickering with restrained rage.
"When next we meet, the field of battle will be running red with blood not darkened with the splintered of innocent trees." he spat with disgust and I realized a barely-controlled desire to murder - how much did he know or did he guess of why I was so afraid.
["My Lord, we will escort this man from Lorien's borders."] I did not recognize the elven male speaking to Elrond with a manner that spoke of rank, and of respect as the bow was not drawn from his back as Elrond passed him with a look that I didn't need to have translated in any sense of the word.
But I was going to have to explain a lot to a lot of very upset people. Yippee. Thanks, Camtamin I really wanted to lay this all out of the table you jerk.