DISCLAIMER: I do not earn any money from this literary composition.

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Chapter VII

Growing in Knowledge

"...my strength is made perfect in weakness."

2 Corinthians 12:9

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That afternoon, I found out that Kelvin was actually the mayor of the town and he had several people out looking for me. I got a lot of shade when I told them about the Derali that saved me, but I knew that they have years of bias against the Avari and elves in general so I didn't let it bother me too much.

The ones who fully believed me were Darcy and the little girl who had given me the flower. Soon after the townsfolk dispersed the little girl's mother led her away and we; Darcy, Kelvin, Cardia, and I walked back into the house. While Kelvin and Cardia refrained from the subject, Darcy kept asking me about my experience with Silvius and only silenced her questions when Kelvin gave her "the look" at the dinner table.

After helping clean up, I retreated to the loft with Darcy and quickly changed to lay down on my bed.

"Elanor." I heard Darcy whisper.

Rolled over to face her, "Yes?"

She held out the pouch to me, "Here is your money. I found it on the table before my parents woke up."

"Keep it." I said refusing the money, "You and your parents need it more than I do."

"I can't-"

I cut her off with a raised hand and a smile, "Consider it a gift to repay your family for taking me in."

She smiled back as tears welled up in her eyes, "Thank you, Elanor. I'll tell mama and papa in the morning."

"Good night." I smiled.

"Good night, my friend." she whispered back before placing the coins in a safe location and blowing out the candle.

I rolled back over and heard her get into bed a fall swiftly into slumber but I was not so fortunate in my sleep. My thoughts kept me awake. Specifically one thought.

The night before I had been almost completely useless in my strength. My arms now burned from lifting the tree branch and casting force behind it to defeat the mercenaries, but even then I was too weak to do hardly anything. I was unable to fight against the man's strength even though I have had years of training in self defense, as he easily rendered me unarmed by twisting the branch out of my hands. I still managed to get away but I kind of cheated in the process.

All of these weeks, nearly a month without training and keeping up my strength really showed through last night. 'I can't let that happen again.' I determinately thought, 'Tomorrow I'm going to set things right and get my body back to the gymnastic, butt kicking machine that it used to be. If I'm really here in Middle-earth, I am not going to stand on the side lines and be the maiden in distress.'

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I awoke the next morning when the dawn had yet to be broken and changed into my pants and put on a loose under shirt that Darcy had lent to me. I crept out of the house, slipped on my shoes, and started my regular routine; the one Will had helped me make. First I started out with a warm-up of stretching and running in place to get my blood pumping before I started on push-ups. I did quite a few of those until my muscles screamed at me then began squats until my legs ached. I used the door frame of the small herb shed as a pull-up bar and managed to get out four and a half before I had to stop due to my arms being on fire with pain.

I collapsed on the ground and wiped away the sweat on my brow with a sleeve. I looked up in the sky and noted that the sun was just barely coming over the horizon. 'Plenty of time for some fighting practice.' I thought. I got up looking around for something to hit and found a bale of hay and some rope which I used to raise the hay off the ground. I looped the rope over a beam in the ceiling and tied it to the hay bale with an overhand knot. I would have secured it better if my knowledge of knots existed. Lewis was the one to call for that.

I did a couple of rounds with punches before a few front kicks and one or two roundhouse kicks with both legs. I was surprised to find that my knowledge of self defense hadn't totally been erased from my mind. In fact, it was like Will was there beside me; coaching me through each set. It gave me comfort in a way, to know that I have something to remember him by that would stay with me.

"Elanor!" I heard Darcy yell from behind me. I turned around and received yet another tear filled hug.

"I thought you left!" she cried.

"Good grief, Darcy!" I laughed in English and pulled away from her continuing in Braric, "I came out here to practice! I'm not leaving."

She nodded and choked back her tears, "I'm sorry. It's just that... you not only feel like my friend but... you are my sister too. I couldn't bear if I lost someone else like that."

I smiled sympathetically and hugged her again, "I understand." I pulled back then with a grin, "But let us not dwell on things that are not! I haven't left. So be happy!"

She gave a small laugh before asking, "You said before you came out here to practice. What is puzzling me is what you are practicing."

"The truth is that," I started to explain, "I only got out of that bad situation night before last because of luck and a helpful Derali. I used to be quite versatile in fighting and..." I paused for a moment to come up with a word for gymnastics, "jumping? But I haven't practiced in a while so my skill has lessened a lot. So, I need to get it back up to where it was and improve further if I'm going to stand a chance against... enemies."

"I see." she nodded.

After a moment she turned to me with a pleading expression, "Will you teach me?"

I scrunched my eyebrows, "Why?"

Her face dropped, "Well, because of the mercenaries. Do you remember the day before yesterday when they were in town?" I nodded and she continued, "Well, one of them grabbed my wrist and wouldn't let go, and I couldn't do anything about it. The only thing that saved me was one of his companions demanding that he come speak to them. That's why I made us leave so early. Elanor, I... don't want to feel helpless like that again."

My heart sunk, 'This happened right in front of me. And I didn't even do anything about it!' Then the anger and fury of a thousand suns filled my soul, 'How dare they!' If I got my hands on them now! I'd scatter their innards from here to Mordor! But I managed to keep all of rage inside my clenched fist while I held a smile on my lips, "Of course I'll teach you. You deserve to know how to defend yourself."

She smiled back and hugged me, "Thank you." She then released me form the hug with a jerk, "Oh! Mama has breakfast ready now."

I smiled with clenched teeth, "Alright, I'll meet you inside."

She nodded and skipped back to the house. I smiled until she disappeared behind the door and when I heard the door click shut I whirled around and kicked the hay bale so hard it jerked out of the knot and flew into the back of the shed. I seethed there for a while, and must have looked like a pacing predator as I walked back and forth imagining different ways in which I would have avenged Darcy if I would have payed attention that fateful day.

A few minutes later my anger was nearly all dispersed thanks to that satisfying kick and the seething afterward. I cooled off some more through calming my breathing before I walked back into the house for breakfast.

"So," began Kelvin after I sat at the table with a slice of bread and some milk, "Darcy tells me that you were practicing fighting this morning."

I nodded while taking a bight out of the bread. He continued with a question, "Who taught you?"

I swallowed the bread, "My brother Will. He... used to be in the army."

Kelvin nodded and let the conversation die while I finished off my breakfast. After thanking Cardia, Darcy and I started to walk out of the house but Kelvin called out to me, "Elanor."

I turned to him and he continued, "We don't accept charity." He slid the pouch of money across the table.

I raised a brow, "It is a gift to repay you for your kindness..., and where I am from, it is insulting to return a gift." I took hold of the pouch and slid it back to him.

He smiled, "Then I thank you."

"You are welcome." I nodded back before following Darcy out to the herb shed. Where we gathered up our supplies and began our journey to the market.

On the short trip down, I was suddenly regretting working out so vigorously. The only thing that didn't hurt was my face. Everything else, however, stung like the fires of Hades, but I forced myself on. If I wanted to get back into shape fast, it would be necessary to feel a little pain along the way. No pain no gain, after all.

When we entered the market square it seemed like everyone froze and started muttering to themselves and casting weird looks at me, but after a few moments everything returned to normal. I looked at Darcy and we shrugged it off as best as we could before setting up shop, but I couldn't help but eavesdrop one group's conversation.

"Did you hear? That girl is involved with the Derali." voice one said.

"I did! But really it's no surprise. She was odd to begin with, and her accent is strange as well." voice two replied.

A third voice chimed in, "Don't forget how she has her nose stuck in that silly book all the time. She should be out working instead of wasting her time with that foolishness."

'Foolishness!' I thought angrily, 'Reading is the main foundation of learning anything!'

Darcy saw my face and placed a hand on my shoulder and whispered, "Ignore them, Elanor."

I nodded and turned my head in another direction but everywhere I turned to, everyone was talking about the same thing. The Derali, mercenaries, and me!

Wait. A man to my right just said something.

I rushed over to him, "Excuse me sir. What did you just say?"

He turned to me grumpily, "I said that is sure is odd that none of the other mercenaries have shown up yet. You did say you only saw one of them being killed. We had all better hope they made it out alive or the Eastern Guard will come to investigate. If that happens, the only one who will take the blame is you. Now run off! I have better things to do than talk with a Derali sympathizer."

He turned away rudely but I didn't care. I numbly walked back over to Darcy's stand and sat down behind it in silent thought, 'What did happen to the rest of the men? Did Silvius kill more of them than I thought he did? Why couldn't he just get away and leave them alone?' I nearly slapped myself, 'Dang my forgiving nature! They deserved it. They were going to kidnap us both!'

Then I sighed, 'No, they didn't. Some of them might not have been as bad as the rest.'

I straightened up, determined, 'I will find out what happened that night, and I know just the elf who's going to tell me.'

I then leaned back in confusion, 'But what did the man mean when he said the Eastern Guard would come to investigate? Could they really be so bad that even the people they are protecting are afraid of them?'

I put my chin in my hand. 'I can see why I would be blamed for this.' the thought of that sent a shiver of fear down my spine, but still, 'How could a police force be so oppressive?' I sighed again, 'So many questions. So little time.'