Late Autumn, 3016: Thranduil's palace in Greenwood the Great
"Lady Elaeanyl, we have received word from the patrols that the envoy from Imladris is scheduled to arrive later this afternoon based on the reports from our guards along the road," one of the palace workers informed her during breakfast. She had been in the palace for four entire days now and she was getting anxious just waiting around. She finished reading about the decades she missed in as much detail as Thranduil's libraries allowed, she picked up her new garments from the seamstress, and she had explored the city and palace grounds often. Frankly, she was bored.
She smiled, "Thank you. I will be having lunch with the King this afternoon and then I was planning on going to the training grounds before then. I want to be notified as soon as they are in sight, if you could?"
The elf nodded, "Certainly."
Thranduil had offered to have lunch with her to talk over the recent events that concerned her. He had seen much of Glorfindel over the past decades and he was as frequently in touch with the elves of Rivendell and Lothlorien now that war was likely on its way. Her appearance certainly meant that something would be happening sooner rather than later.
Thranduil had admitted that he hadn't travelled out of his realm in many years because he simply was too busy, but that he sent his son on many visits in his stead. She had suspected that it was more likely that Thranduil had become reclusive at the start of the third age and was still apprehensive of leaving his realm or involving himself in conflicts outside his own people.
Nell finished her breakfast and headed down to the courtyards where many elves were sparring and shooting at targets with bows, spears, and daggers. She spoke to the elf in charge before taking her set of twin blades to the arena where elves, mostly warriors on leave, were practicing. She spotted Hebedon talking with another ellon from the group that brought her to the palace earlier in the week.
She smiled and walked over, "Hello, Hebedon. How are you doing?"
He smiled back, "I'm doing well. How have you been? How is your foot?"
'Ever the healer,' she thought to herself.
"It's doing well. The scab came off yesterday morning. The skin is a little sensitive, but it will be fine in a few more days."
"Good, I'm happy it's healing. It was quite a bad cut when I bandaged it on the road. Are you here to spar?" Hebedon asked, motioning at her blades.
"I am. I was hoping you would join me? I don't know anyone else here," She explained.
He smiled, "It would be my honor."
"Thank you," Nell smiled back. "I'm fear I'm out of practice."
"Nonsense, I have heard you are plenty capable of taking even our most talented soldiers to the ground," Hebedon responded, clearly a little weary of fighting a seasoned warrior.
She blushed at his flattery. "I doubt it. Your colleagues seem to know what they are doing. You all are very good at what you do. Plus, I am out of practice."
"Be that as it may, I've heard the rumors going around the city," He said honestly.
"Do I even want to know what these rumors are?"
"Eh, probably not," Hebedon blushed slightly. "They might be rooted in truth, but I believe many of the palace workers have added their own embellishments to the stories I've heard."
"Undoubtedly," Nell agreed. She remembered the rumors that had gone around about Glorfindel when he came to Imladris. They were not always truthful or flattering.
Hebedon led her to a circular area marked out by bricks laid in a small trench in the ground. They both pulled out their blades from their sheaths and prepared to spar when the circle was empty. She stretched a little before handing her sheaths off to one of the elves watching the fight. Another ellon she recognized from her time in the forest signaled the spar to begin.
Hebedon and Nell circled each other, occasionally engaging with a clash of metal that rang out through the training grounds. She was analyzing any source of weakness Hebedon may have. He was taller and stronger than she was, but she was slightly faster.
Elaeanyl saw how he often kept his right side open as he attacked. He was strong, much stronger than she was, and each time their blades met Nell could feel the impact travel through the bones in her hands and arms.
It soon became obvious that blades were not his weapon of choice. She easily found herself parrying and sidestepping blows once she got a feel for his style of fighting. He wasn't very fluid using his weapons and transitioning between his attacks and defense. He was proficient, but she knew she could beat him even with her being out of practice and using weapons that were inferior.
She wasn't quite comfortable with fighting yet. Perhaps it was her weapons, they weren't of elven make and they didn't feel right in her hands, but it could also be the fact that she hadn't fought in this kind of combat in many years. The movement came to her easily. Her muscles remembered the movements and actions like it was yesterday, but she had a hard time recognizing his next moves.
Nell lunged at the ellon right after she parried his attack. He had left his side open to attack again and she took the advantage. He had just moments to recognize what she was attempting and jumped out the way of the flat side of her blade at the last second.
She could hear a murmur of appreciation come from the small group of warriors that were watching their fight from outside the brick circle. She tuned them out and focused on Hebedon again.
The fight went on for a few minutes until Hebedon lunged with his left blade, she quickly ducked and raised her blade to his side and gave him a firm whack with the flat edge. He stumbled back and the elves watching cheered as she signaled an end to the sparring.
Putting her blades in her left hand, she offered the other to Hebedon.
"You did well, Hebedon. You keep your sides too open when you attack, though. Try to keep your arm closer to your sides so you can protect yourself from any blows that may come as you attack an enemy." She offered.
He nodded in thanks before gathering his sheaths and joining the other elves outside the perimeter. A few other elves who witnessed her sparring offered to spar with her after she had finished and she happily accepted the practice opportunities. Eventually the crowds died down and she was getting tired, so she said farewell to her last opponent and left the circle.
She gathered her sheaths as well and walked further down the grounds to the archery ranges. They were crowded with many elves shooting arrows with deadly accuracy down the range into the targets. She watched them smoothly pull arrows from their quivers, draw their large bows, and release the arrow smoothly before starting the process again.
Some elves were experimenting with moving targets. Others were in strange positions trying to train their bodies to be able to hit a target, no matter what circumstances they found themselves in. Some were laying on the ground, others were sitting or standing on replicas of trees and rock formations. There were a group of warriors around a building, talking, cleaning their bows, and making more arrows.
Inside the building were all sorts of bows, large and small. There were a variety of curves, styles, and draw weights, yet all were made of wood with wonderful decorative etchings that flowed down the bow. Most had the traditional vines and leaves, but some had beautiful script or etchings of animals. An ellon was sitting at a workbench carving into piece of yew, concentrating at the shape he was making.
She sat there watching him take strips of wood away from the long piece of wood. It was slowly taking the rough shape of a bow. His movements became more careful and precise as the took smaller and smaller strips away from the wood, stopping every so often to check the balance of the piece and measure the length.
After a few more minutes, another soldier approached the bowmaker, holding his bow out, pointing to the arrow rest and speaking in soft tones she couldn't make out. The bowmaker took it in his hands and examined it before grabbing a dull arrow from his desk and drawing it back. He held his position for a few seconds before letting the tension out of the string slowly. He handed the bow back to the soldier, talking and rummaging around his desk until he found a dirty rag covered in what looked like rottenstone, an abrasive powder. He rubbed the arrow rest down and handed the bow back. The soldier tested his bow again and smiled, he nodded his head in thanks and left the building.
Elaeanyl quickly made her way over to the bowmaker before he could start working on the bow again. He looked up at her from his desk, "Hello, I'm Frehael,
how may I help you?" He asked melodically.
"Mae govannen, I'm Elaeanyl, I'm looking to have a new bow made. I lost mine some time ago and need a replacement." She said. Technically it wasn't a lie. She did lose her bow about three thousand years ago…
"What type of bow was it?" He asked.
"A recurve from Imladris. It was made of elm, it was very much like that one, but the draw length was shorter." She said pointing to a bow that was hanging on the wall. He nodded marking this down.
"Why don't you test that bow so I can measure your stance and then we can decide what needs to be specialized," he said, grabbing a roll of long marked ribbon. "I fear I do not have the same skill of our kin from Imladris, but I shall do my best to make a bow that will please you."
Elaeanyl smiled before carefully taking the bow in her hands. It was well worn and had a few small nicks along its length. There was a long crack down it's body that wouldn't affect how the bow fired, but it made the bow unusable in any battles because it would be prone to breaking if it sustained more damage to its body.
She drew the string back and stood with her back straight and legs relaxed as she had been taught to do. She held the string back as the ellon measured the length of her arm and the height of her arm holding the bow away from her body. He nodded and she lowered the bow.
"That bow was made for someone who is much taller than you. So, I'll need to adjust your bow's height and draw length. You are strong and your form is good, so I think you will benefit from a little extra power in the bow itself, but you will be more comfortable with a shorter bow" Frehael explained.
"I agree. I would like a thinner grip and the sight window slightly lower than the one on this bow," Elaeanyl said, she also disliked the string, but that was something every archer made for themselves. Each archer liked a different thickness, different serving lengths, different materials and resins, and different knots for the nocking points.
"I can do that. Do you still want an elm bow or do you have a different wood in mind? We have stocks of rosewood, yew, maple, and oak, but we can find many other woods in the forest or from our trade partners."
"Yew will be fine. There's no need to send someone into the forest." Elaeanyl said. Honestly, she wasn't that good of an archer where types of wood would affect her aim or ability to shoot. She wasn't about to send someone into the forest and risk the danger just so her new bow looked like her old one.
"Alright, then. It shouldn't take me more than a few days to finish the bow. Do you want me to keep the bow here for you to pick up, or do you want me to have it sent to you?"
"I'm expecting some of my kin to be arriving here later this afternoon, so if you could have it done soon, I will come pick it up before we leave to head back to Imladris." She said, feeling guilty about rushing him.
He nodded, "I will send a messenger to you as soon as it is finished," Frehael said.
"Where are you staying?"
"Please, just send Hebedon or Rynor to come and get me when it's finished," Elaeanyl said, not really knowing what her rooms were called.
"Of course. The quickest I can have it completed is tomorrow night," the ellon said. She suspected he knew who she was and would have worked overnight to get it done if she asked him to.
"Thank you, Frehael."
He nodded and drew a hand to his chest in farewell. She mirrored his action as he went to the back of the building where wood logs were stacking up against the wall.
Nell left the training grounds and made her way back through the stone halls to her rooms. It was nearly noon and she wanted to take a bath before she had lunch with the king. When she reached her rooms, Garniel had a warm bath drawn for her. An elegant dress was folded neatly on the bed and a luxurious robe was hanging on the door to the tub room. The warm bath did wonders for her muscles that were worked hard during her training. The gentle soaps and fragrant hair products were wonderful. Her skin was clean and soft and her hair fell over her shoulders and down her back. As she brushed it, the tangles fell free easily.
She sat in her robe and looked out over the forest as her hair dried. The canopy was a mosh of reds, yellows, golds, and the occasional green of a pine. They swayed in the breeze and it looked beautiful and untouched.
There was a soft knock on her door that drew her out of her thoughts.
"Yes?"
"My Lady, the king is finishing his last meeting of the morning. I'm here to escort you to the royal dining halls," Garniel said, her head poking around the door frame.
"Thank you Garniel. I just have to change into the dress and braid my hair, then we can leave."
"Do you need any help?"
"I would appreciate some help, Garniel. Thank you," Elaeanyl said. She had seen all the lacing on the dress and knew it would be difficult to tighten and tie the ribbons by herself.
Garniel helped her into the dress and laced the back up. She then had her sit on one of the chairs by the hearth as she braided Nell's long blonde hair into a series of loose braids flowing throughout her soft curls.
"There. Now we can head out." Garniel said as her fingers flattened a few strands that were out of place.
Elaeanyl and Garniel walked quietly down the halls of the palace. Elaeanyl passed a series of large windows and saw herself in its reflection. She was tall, elegant, and yet her muscled arms and posture indicated that she was active and could defend herself if needed.
The halls they walked through became more and more elegant the further they went. Tapestries were more saturated and the paintings showed more elves instead of the nature scenes that were in the other halls of the palace that she could see. There were more windows that looked out over the forest here too. She couldn't imagine living in caves when she first heard of these halls, but she soon realized that it was a beautiful place and that it had been transformed to make the elves feel like they were living under the canopies of the trees of the forest instead of the cold stone.
Finally, Garniel stopped in front of a set of intricately carved wooden doors. Guards were stationed outside the door and saw them approach. Garniel said something quietly to the guard on the left of the doorway and handed him a written letter. He broke the seal and read the parchment. He looked up at his partner and nodded. They opened the doors and she saw what she assumed to be the royal halls. They were elegant, yet comfortable. Beautiful paintings and tapestries hung on the walls of the antichamber. Thick rugs lined the floors and light streamed in from balconies and arched windows.
One of the king's personal servants guided her to the dining room. A large, dark table ran along the center of the room. Many of the chairs looked unused and untouched, yet three of the chairs had spots of wear on them. One was obviously the king's chair because it sat at the head of the table. Another probably belonged to his son. The third could belong to another elf or perhaps it is used primarily for guests. The servant pulled out one of the well-used chairs and offered it to her. She sat and gracefully waited for the king to arrive.
"My lady, the king is running slightly late, and he sends his apologies," the servant announced.
"It is perfectly fine. Thank you."
She waited silently for a few minutes before one of the intricate doors opened. The king walked in gracefully.
"Lady Elaeanyl, I'm apologize for being late, the reports from the patrols were long today," Thranduil said as he sat in his chair, pushing a few renegade strands of hair from his face.
"I understand completely, Hir nin. I expected you to be busy, you have immense responsibilities here." Elaeanyl said smiling. She remembered how busy everyone had been when war was on the forefront.
Thranduil nodded and gestured at the servants with his hand. They all came in and set down platters of food on the table before being dismissed. Thankfully, this lunch seemed to be of the more informal occasions since she didn't see any servers.
"Please, take what you wish. There is plenty for the both of us. It seems that the kitchens out did themselves, yet again," Thranduil told her and pointed to the trays full of food. It was much more than two elves could finish in a day, let alone a single meal.
Nell smiled in thanks and added some dishes to her plate as Thranduil did the same. She ate in silence for a few moments before Thranduil glanced over at her.
"My lady, it is strange to see you here. We were close enough during the war, if I may, to be considered distant friends, and seeing you here after all those years is extraordinary."
Elaeanyl smiled, "Yes, I would say that we were friends, your highness. We saw much of each other during the war. I would like to be considered one, once again."
Thranduil smiled, "Of course, Elaeanyl, and please call me Thranduil. So, tell me about your time before you came to Ered Mithrin."
"Well, Thranduil…" Elaeanyl began. It was odd calling the king by his given name, but then again, she didn't call him a prince or even a lord often before his father's death. "After I died, I went to the Halls of Mandos where I was offered a return to Arda. I was reborn in an age far after this one during a time of great war. Many men died, including my father." She started. They paused their conversation to thank the elleth that brought in a jug of fresh water.
"He was one of the Dunedain. There were no elves in this age, nor dwarves or orcs. Just men, and the dunedain, who by some reason, had survived through the ages. My mother raised me on her own. On the night of my fiftieth birthday, I remembered my past life, just like Glorfindel did. Eventually, I felt it was time to return here and I let my fëa lead me back. I ended up in a valley of Ered Mithrin and travelled here." She explained.
"An age with no elves, orcs, or dwarves. How strange. It must have been very different." Thranduil said. He looked rather disturbed with the fact that there were no elves at all where I was growing up.
"It was. Men will eventually find much knowledge and will have technology and industry that surpasses all those that have ever graced Arda."
At this revelation, Thranduil frowned and lifted his eyebrows. Clearly, he hadn't expected the realms of men capable of creating much other than war, death, and destruction. Nell ignored this and continued.
"Strangely enough, being the only elf wasn't that difficult. The only alarming characteristic was that I didn't age, besides that, the men had no recollection of any other intelligent life living besides themselves. Any stories of elves or dwarves were tales and lore by that age."
Thranduil raised an eyebrow, "How disappointing."
She laughed and took a sip of her water. "Quite. It was quite alarming to me at first. I had no idea why I wasn't aging. At first, I thought it was just good blood, but really it was not normal and people started to notice."
"What would they do?"
"They would ask questions a lot of the time, but if I thought they were suspicious I would leave town and go live somewhere else where nobody knew me."
"Hmm," Thranduil frowned in distaste. They ate in silence for a while. Nell didn't really want to talk about her troubles with men, especially if it was going to make Thranduil more biased against the mortals.
"So, I have read much of the history of the time I lost. Is there anything I should know that wouldn't be in any books," She inquired mischievously.
Thranduil grinned. He could be a terrible gossip for one who spent so many years distancing himself from anyone outside his realm.
"Well, Elrond has four children. A daughter, Arwen, twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir, menaces… and a foster son, a dunedain man, Estel. He is all too close to my son. They get in all types of trouble when together." Thranduil told her. She noticed a bittersweet look flash across his face when he talked about his son.
"Elrond is fostering a mortal in Imladris?" Nell asked the King to draw him from his thoughts.
"Yes, I couldn't imagine why, but he seems fond of the boy," Thranduil said. "It's an ill-fated task if you ask me."
Nell frowned, but Thranduil must not have noticed since he went on.
"Celeborn and Galadriel are the same as always. They mourned for Celebrian, but they have healed and their realm remains mostly untouched by shadows."
"What of Glorfindel?" Nell asked and the king's head turned toward her quickly. He clearly had hoped to not speak of Glorfindel. Moments later he schooled his expression again.
"Your brother is, well, you'll see," Thranduil said, avoiding her eyes by looking out upon the forest.
Oh, he was not getting off that easy.
"Thranduil… what about Glorfindel?"
"It is not my position to share Glorfindel's life," Thranduil said softly, but with unquestionable authority.
"Thranduil, he is MY brother. I give you every right to speak of his state of being." Elaeanyl spoke, clearly and forcefully.
Thranduil's eyebrow raised at her show of force. He was obviously caught off guard at being told off in his own home. Clearly nobody had dared to do that to the King in many ages.
"Nell," He started with her nickname. It was the first time he had dared use it.
"No, you must tell me," She sternly told the ellon.
"I must not do anything. Last I checked I was the King of this realm, not you," Thranduil warned her. "Yet, I am not cruel. If you really wish to know I shall tell you everything."
"Please, Thranduil," Nell asked the king pleadingly.
"Very well," Thranduil nodded and took a drink of water before beginning. "If you're insistant. It isn't a pleasant story."
Nell nodded at Thranduil, "I'm certain."
"When you were dying, your brother was fading," Thranduil started.
"Fading?" Nell interrupted. Thranduil sent her a warning glance.
"Yes, fading. If you would let me tell the entire tale, I'm sure your questions will be answered, Lady Elaeanyl," Thranduil said annoyed.
"Sorry, go on," She placated.
"He was fading. The signs were faint at the beginning, and I doubt you saw them in your condition, but I saw them, as did Elrond. When you passed into the halls, we all knew we were going to lose him as well. The grief of losing his only family member left broke his fëa." Thranduil explained. He was keeping eye contact with her and she could see the ghosts of the past in his blue eyes.
"He was fading. He wanted to fade, yet it was like the Valar wouldn't allow it. He explains it better than I can, but for many years he was in that state," The king sighed.
"He was fading for years!" Nell gasped. It was unthinkable. Fading was one of the worst fates that an elf could have. The soul tears itself away from the body before the body is ready to release the soul. It causes horrible side effects before the soul passes from the body or the elf overcomes the fading. She had witnessed the fading of her sister firsthand after Gondolin fell. It was painful to watch her sister suffer. In most circumstances, fading is quick, and the pain only lasts a few hours before the fëa is released, yet her brother had suffered for years
Thranduil ignored her outburst and continued his tale.
"Elrond did all he could do for your brother, but he only started to heal and return to us after Elrond's children were born. They gave him a purpose, I suppose. He saw it as his duty to protect those elflings."
'Her brother didn't deserve that pain,' Nell thought. She fought back tears at the mere image her brain gave her of a fading elf.
"Eru…" She said, paling at the thought of her brother's suffering.
"Yes, it is something that I never want to witness again," Thranduil told her honestly.
"He didn't deserve that. Nobody deserves to suffer like that. Thank you for trying to look after him."
Thranduil nodded, "It was Elrond who looked out for him most of the time."
"Still, thank you for everything," Nell told the king sincerely.
"I dare say he was trying to get your brother wed last I saw of him. Glorfindel was having none of it," Thranduil spoke, changing the tone of the conversation.
Elaeanyl smiled, but there was still sadness in her eyes, "Glorfindel, married, now that will be a day I thought I would never live to see."
Well technically she didn't, but maybe she will see him wed now.
Thranduil didn't know whether he should glare at her or laugh, so he sat there in an uncomfortable silence.
"Yes, well, to the annoyance to both the ellith of Imladris, Lothlorien, and here, he remains unwed and uninterested."
Elaeanyl smiled. Glorfindel was a sweet ellon and he was strong and had prestige, but she never saw him settling down with a wife and having elflings.
"I've heard reports from my soldiers that you went to the training grounds this morning. You beat many of my best warriors this morning. I also heard you inquired about a bow."
"I did, but I fear your reports are a little construed. I did beat some of your men, but I wouldn't say they were your best. However, I did inquire about a bow. Frehael said it should be ready before I leave the Greenwood."
"I will speak with him and make sure it is done." Thranduil said.
"Thank you. Also, if you could send some supplies to my rooms as well? I am going to need to make arrows," She asked of the king.
"Yes, Yes. I will see it gets done."
The rest of the meal went quickly as Thranduil filled her in about the finer details of the impending darkness reaching in his forest and in the south. After the lunch ended, the king walked her back to her rooms and sent one of his servants to fetch supplies to make arrows.
Once she had the tools and items she sat on the floor and quickly started to prepare the poplar shafts. Once they were shaved and smoothed into a straight rod, she swept the curled wood shavings and dusty offcasts and poured them into the fire. She added the sharp arrowheads securely before adding the feathers she prepared as fletchings at the end of the arrow. She carefully tested the weight and balance of the arrows before setting them aside.
She worked for a few hours until a small pile had accumulated on the floor next to her, there were at least three dozen arrows on the ground, and an average quiver holds about twenty arrows. She would have to keep the rest protected in her pack for emergencies.
As she was picking up the last feathers from the floor, a soft knock came from the hall.
She rose and walked over to the door, Hurion stood on the other side, "My lady," he greeted her. "The envoy from Rivendell has arrived. They are in the throne room, discussing an accident that occurred in the forest… King Thranduil sent me to fetch you. Are you ready to leave or should I wait in the corridor for you?"
Elaeanyl frowned, "Thank you, Hurion. I'm ready to leave now."
The walk seemed extremely long, she was anxious to see her brother and any old friends, yet she was worried about the accident Hurion mentioned. The halls were busy, especially as they got closer to the throne room, servants, advisors, and warriors bustled around, hurrying to finish their workday and go home to their families.
Hurion stopped outside the large chamber's doors, "This is where I must leave you. I must visit one of my men." He said as he opened the heavy door for her.
Thranduil stood in the center of a group of about ten elves, all dressed in travelling cloaks. Elaeanyl looked around for the familiar golden hair of her brother, but saw it noticeably missing from the group. She frowned and walked into the room.
Thranduil greeted her with a hand to his chest, and the other elves turned. Many didn't know who she was, for they must have been born after she had died, yet there were four ellyn that gasped and looked at her in astonishment. Two were identical in all but clothing, they must have been Elrond's sons, the third was Erestor, a close friend and advisor to her brother and Elrond. They had met multiple times in the Second Age. The last wasn't an ellon at all, after she looked at him more closely, he was obviously a man.
"Elaeanyl, but this cannot be!" Erestor proclaimed, rushing at her. He stopped a few feet away from her and looked closer at her, his eyes widening as he recognized her features.
"Yet, it is. The Valar saw it important that I return to Arda. I will tell you the entire story after you answer one question."
Erestor nodded, "Of course."
"Where is my brother?" Elaeanyl inquired. Erestor was a wonderful advisor to Elrond, but he was never a diplomat or a strategist. She found it implausible that Elrond would send him by himself to the Greenwood during a time of impending war. He was a proficient warrior when he was needed, but he lacked the abilities needed to be a great military leader. That was always her brother's strength.
Erestor sighed, "Your brother is with us. He took an arrow meant for one of Elrond's sons late the night before last. Thranduil had his guards escort Glorfindel to the healing halls."
Elaeanyl paled, but the Elvenking interrupted Erestor quickly, "Your brother is expected to be fully recovered by the end of the week. The blood loss and damage were minimal, but the arrow contained a common poison. The healers have probably administered the antidote and stitched the wound already. They are very skilled with these ailments."
"Yes, well, I would like to see him right away," Elaeanyl decided. She trusted Thranduil wouldn't lie to her about this, but she couldn't let Glorfindel suffer any longer than he had to.
"Elladan, Elrohir, please escort Lady Elaeanyl to the healing wards. You two ought to know where they are by now. You seem to reside there a majority of the time when you visit the Greenwood." The king jested darkly.
The twins bowed, almost mockingly, and approached her, "So, you're truly Glorfindel's sister, Lady Elaeanyl?" One asked.
"Yes. You must be Elrond's sons?"
"Yes, I'm Elrohir and this is Elladan," One of the elves said. She didn't know if she could believe them, but she nodded anyways. They looked very similar. She would have said they were completely identical, but she could tell Elrohir had a small, faint scar above his left eyebrow that hadn't completely faded yet.
"Call me Elaeanyl or Nell. I've always hated being a lady," Nell said in hopes that they wouldn't continue to use her title.
They led her out of the large chambers and down a series of winding halls.
"So tell us, do you have any embarrassing tales of Glorfindel's past?" One inquired mischievously. She could almost tell that this was their way of distracting her from worrying too much about her brother.
"Oh, do I." She smiled, "We can trade stories. I find it hard to believe that my brother was on his best behaviour for the past three thousand years."
The twins laughed, the sound bounced melodically off the walls of the stone hall they were walking through. Ahead of them was the end of this hall, perpendicular to another, creating a sort of T in the halls. There were a set of double doors in front of her. One of the twins opened the door and held it open for the group. The room inside was a soft, comforting white. It was clean and had pristine beds lining the walls. Most were empty, yet a few had elves sitting or lying on them, receiving care from the healers.
A few beds in on her right lay a golden haired ellon, tunic off, laying on his stomach. A healer washed a deep wound on his back, just below his shoulder. The wound wasn't bleeding much anymore, yet, the veins around it were a strange greyish-green hue.
"There's no need to fuss. I'll be fine," The ellon complained, his voice like music to her ears. Her vision blurred with tears of happiness. She laughed at his antics. He was always one to avoid a healer at any cost. A strange mentality for an elf who was good friends with Elrond.
He tried to push himself off the bed and find the elf that laughed, it was so familiar a sound, yet the healer held his shoulders down. "Stay down! I have to finish cleaning the wound and stitching it, then I need you to take the antidote." The healer scolded him before turning to her and the twins.
"Out, all of you! You may wait in the antechambers until I have finished with my patient." The elleth demanded, her posture stern.
Elladan and Elrohir basically dragged Elaeanyl from the room before she could say anything to the other elleth.
"Trust us, you do not want to be on Vyahel's bad side. She runs these wards and what she says goes, even the king has a hard time getting what he wants from her. She's not above locking us in a room or sedating us," One of the twins explained as he sat on a couch near a warm hearth.
Elaeanyl paced the length of the room, anxious to see her brother. Time passed slowly as she paced. The twins had left earlier to wash up and change from their trip, but they promised her that they would return soon. Outside a window she could see the sun falling slowly below the canopy of the trees, the sky splashed with pinks and purples.
A healer entered the room and approached her. She was small for an elf and had very dark hair and eyes, perhaps she was a Peredhil. The wood elves had darker hair and overall complexions, but it was rare to find one with hair and eyes as dark as hers. She must be part mortal.
"Vyahel has cleaned and stitched Lord Glorfindel's wound. She administered the antidote to the poison, and she also gave him a mild pain-relieving tea. He is asleep now, but you may go ahead and visit him, but he probably will not wake until tomorrow morning" She said.
"Thank you," Elaeanyl said, following the elleth into the larger room. Her brother was laying on his stomach, his arm tucked under the pillow, asleep. His eyes were half open, which worried her, but he didn't look to be uncomfortable or to be in any pain, so she guessed a long healing sleep would do him well.
She sat in a chair next to the bed and gently pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes. He hadn't changed much in his appearance. He wore his hair differently now, yet his face was still youthful unchanged.
His upper back was covered in white bandages and the skin that was showing was angry and bruised, and the veins were discolored. His skin was also hot to the touch, sweat was beading on his skin as well, telling her that her brother was running a fever.
Elaeanyl took the hand that wasn't underneath the pillow in her own. It was warm and she could feel the callouses that had formed on his palm and fingers from his weapons. She didn't mind the thin film of sweat that had settled on his palm as she gave his hand a small squeeze.
"Mae Govannen, muindor," She said, a smile on her face. She sat by his bed for many hours, telling him about her time on Earth and about the time she spent with their parents and siblings in the Halls of Mandos.
The sons of Elrond arrived when the sky was dark and the stars shone over the forest, it was very late in the night. They were wearing clean clothing and carrying a tray of food.
"We are sorry that we're late. The king had called us to a meeting that lasted a few hours," Elladan said, placing the tray on the table next to her chair.
"You should try to eat something. It's getting late and we know you missed dinner today," Elrohir said as he pulled another chair up to the other side of the bed.
"I will eat soon. Thank you," Elaeanyl thanked him.
Elladan went over and filled a bowl with cool water. He warmed it on the stove until it was lukewarm and brought it over to the bed. He dipped a clean cloth into it and wiped the dirt, grime, and sweat from Glorfindel's skin.
"He hates it when he is dirty. Can't stand it,' Elladan explained. She laughed; he had always been that way. He was a nightmare to live with when he was dirty and irritable whenever he couldn't bathe right away when he got home.
"So that hasn't changed? I thought his obsession with being excessively clean would've changed after the war. We were all filthy for weeks on end," She laughed. "There was one day when a few of us were so dirty I don't think the enemy could tell who was a man and who was an elf."
"Not in the slightest. He still has a fit whenever Adar has him discuss his time on patrol before he can make it to the baths," Elrohir smiled.
"Elrohir, do you remember that summer he was on patrol and it rained for the entire week?"
Elladan laughed, "Yes, he came back looking like a drown cat. Didn't ada have to cut the snarls out of his hair?"
"No, that was the year he got tree sap in his hair, that's the time he changed the way he braided his hair. He was mortified," Elrohir explained. Honestly, Nell didn't blame him. Most elves take pride in their hair and take pride in wearing it long or in intricate braids that can tell everything from one's parentage to their marital status or battlefield accomplishments.
"I remember how dirty he was every time he returned from patrols. It was like dirt, mud, and even blood was attracted to him. He hardly ever returned clean," Nell remembered. "It drove the palace staff insane. There was only so much laundry that could be sent out."
"Trust us, the maids mutinied a few decades ago, and we all have to do our own laundry now, well except for Adar, because he is too busy."
Elaeanyl laughed, and the twins exchanged many more stories from the past few decades as she ate her dinner. They left well after midnight when she told them to go back to their rooms. They were basically falling asleep where they sat.
Elaeanyl wiped Glorfindel's brow down before pulling his hair back from his face and laying a soft blanket over her brother's sleeping form.
She pushed her chair back, pulled off her shoes, and put her feet on the bed. She leaned back on her chair and quickly fell asleep.
The sun slowly filtered through the healing halls in the morning. It was a bright day and the morning rays woke Elaeanyl slowly. She had a crick in her neck from sleeping in the chair all night and she didn't feel well rested, but hopefully her brother would be awake and she could sleep in her given bed tonight.
She looked over at Glorfindel, who was still asleep on the bed. His eyes were more open now and his cheeks had a healthier colour to them. He still looked like he had a slight fever and his skin had a certain sheen to it, but he felt less warm than last night. Overall, he looked better than when she saw him last night.
She heard a chair creaking across the bed from her. She looked over and saw Thranduil sitting in the chair, quietly reading from a scroll. There was a pile of files sitting on a table next to him.
"Hmm, Good Morning." She yawned.
"Yes. I've decided to do my morning work here. I felt like someone should be here when your brother saw you. He might think he's hallucinating, and the twins don't have the best reputation of being trustworthy." He explained, offering her a cup of warm tea.
She accepted it with a nod of thanks and sat back in her chair.
"I suppose that is wise."
"I've already spoken with Vyahel, she expects him to wake in the next few hours. She says we shouldn't be alarmed if he is disorientated at first, it's just a side effect of the antidote and the tea he was given to reduce the pain." He warned.
"I expected that," She said, truthfully, she and her brother always had strange reactions to some medicines and herbs. Her other brother, Terendel, had wild hallucinations whenever he took any type of pain-relieving herbs or teas. He usually made for good stories afterwards when the hallucinations were pleasant.
"I wanted to thank you for everything. You have been very generous," Elaeanyl said sincerely.
"You're very welcome. It's the least I could do for an old friend and her brother," Thranduil shrugged.
"Well, it means a lot to me."
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Vyahel arrived and shooed them away to examine Glorfindel's wound and change his bandages. Elaeanyl was going to offer to stay and help, but the look in Thranduil's eyes prompted her to stay quiet.
"Is she really that scary?" She questioned.
"Absolutely terrifying. She takes her duties very seriously. I don't like to impede on her orders. My job is to be the best leader I can be for the Greenwood. Keeping a good healer happy and able to do her job is key to the success of the realm." He explained.
"Is that true, I've heard from a certain pair of elves that even if you did order her to do something she didn't feel right doing that she wouldn't do it."
"Perhaps," Thranduil muttered.
She smiled and turned her attention to Vyahel. She watched Vyahel spread a thick speckled cream over the sutures in Glorfindel's back and replace the white bandages around her brother's back with the help of the other small elleth that let her into the wards last night.
Once they were done, they motioned for Glorfindel's guests to come back to his bedside. They sat for about an hour more before Glorfindel started to show signs of waking. At first he readjusted his arms and rested his head on his left bicep, hiding his eyes from the sun, minutes after that he tried to roll onto his back, which was thwarted by Thranduil gently rolling him back onto his stomach before he could roll over his wound. After that he woke fairly quickly.
Elaeanyl took his hand as he groaned, blinking his eyes. He rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand before he turned his head toward her slowly.
His eyes grew wide and his mouth opened, but no words came out. Her vision blurred by the tears that welled up. Glorfindel tried to push himself off the bed, but his vision must have him seeing double because he quickly got green in the face and lay back down again. His eyes focused on her again and he promptly vomited over the sheets and floor.
Thranduil jumped back from the ill warrior, grabbed a bowl that was holding pins for bandages, upturned it, and thrust it under Glorfindel's retching body.
Elaeanyl stood there helpless as the King and the healers tried to help her brother. Another healer took the bowl from the grateful king and other healers and assistants entered the room.
"Here, my Lord," She could hear the small elleth say as she handed him a glass of water with what looked like mint leaves. Glorfindel swished the water in his mouth and spit it into the bowl and groaned again.
"Glorfindel, my friend, let's move you over here," Thranduil whispered into Glorfindel's ear and helped the weak warrior move to the clean bed next to them.
"Thranduil," Glorfindel said weakly. "I fear I must be hallucinating."
"Hallucinating? What makes you think that?" Thranduil asked kindly as Glorfindel tried to make himself more comfortable on the new bed.
"I saw someone who has long forsaken these lands."
The king stared at the other golden-haired elf and raised an eyebrow as if to say, 'are you going to help me or not?'
"Muindor," Elaeanyl said quietly as she cautiously approached her brother.
"Elaeanyl… You can't be real…" He muttered before he buried his head underneath his arm again. Thranduil got up and closed the thick draperies near the bed, casting a shadow over Glorfindel.
"Glorfindel, I assure you, she is real," Thranduil said, softly, resting a firm hand on Glorfindel's uninjured shoulder.
"She cannot be, she died. I was there…. You were there!" He rambled as he turned to confront Thranduil with tears in his eyes. There was so much pain etched on his face and Nell knew most of it wasn't physical.
"I know. I know." Thranduil said, a dark look in his eyes, "Drink this. It'll help with the headache," he said as he raised a cup that Vyahel had left on the bedside table.
Glorfindel nodded, tears now running freely down his cheeks. Thranduil made sure he drank the entire glass before setting it back down and gently pushing her brother back into the mattress, where he dozed off into a light sleep again, muttering about hallucinations.
Elaeanyl sighed and wiped her eyes clear again. She pulled up the blankets over her brother and started to pace the long hall created by the beds in the ward. Thranduil gave her space, but kept looking over at her, but after a few minutes he spoke up.
"Come sit. He is just in shock and the medicine is messing with his mind right now. When he wakes again, he will be able to comprehend everything better," Thranduil said, turning his attention back to the papers in his hands.
It was nearly noon when Glorfindel awoke properly. He pushed himself up and sat on the bed before he looked around. He saw Thranduil intently reading his papers in the chair next to the bed, and then turned his head and saw her. His eyes went wide.
"Elaeanyl?" He whispered.
"Mae govannen, muindor. The Valar saw it imperative that I return to Arda." She greeted him, wiping the tears that leaked from his eyes with the corner of her sleeve.
He smiled, still in shock, and clasped her hands in his. "Eru, I cannot thank them enough. My prayers have been answered. I never thought this day would come. I never thought I would see you or any of our family again…" He muttered, his eyes never leaving his.
Thranduil silently picked up his papers and left them to reunite in peace.
Their reunion was briefly broken up by Vyahel asking Glorfindel questions, but they spoke excitedly for the next hour and a half about their time separated, before Glorfindel started to doze off.
"Elaeanyl, go rest. Go see the sun, visit with the twins, I expect you'll like them, I'll be fine. I'll see you at dinner." Glorfindel promised, before looking over at Vyahel with hope filled eyes, she nodded her approval. He smiled widely.
"I will hold you to that, muindor." She said, before giving him a careful hug and leaving the healing wards. She headed back to her own rooms and drew a bath and set out a change of clothing.