We packed up camp and started walking. We talked as we walked, learning
more about each other as we went along. Every now and then I glanced over
my shoulder, hoping I wouldn't see any orcs.
"You will love Rivendell Eloria! It is full of elves for you to meet and befriend. Lord Elrond, he is in charge of all of Rivendell, will surely have a place for you to stay." Sam rambled.
"Who are these friends of yours that we are meeting? More Hobbits?" I asked.
"No. We are meeting Aragorn, a human man who is betrothed to the daughter of Elrond. Her name is Arwen. Aragorn is the King of Gondor! Gimli is a rather grumpy dwarf. You get used to him. He is a great friend and ally." Frodo Explained.
"We are also meeting our friend Gandalf. He is a great wizard and old friend. And then there is Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood. He is an elf like yourself." Merry finished for Frodo.
"What is Rivendell like?" I asked breathlessly.
"It is beautiful! There are no words to describe its beauty. It's like living in a big tree house." Pippin explained.
"I hope they'll let me stay there." I sighed.
We walked a few hours more. The sun was beginning to set and we were almost to Rivendell. Suddenly there was a noise behind us. I turned around and saw Orgath and his men in the distance.
"Quickly! We must run! Orgath has found us! He is right behind us!" I quickened my pace.
We ran as fast as we could, trying to put some distance between the Orcs and us. An arrow whizzed by my ear, and then another one. It seemed hopeless. They were going to catch up to us at any moment. I knew my punishment would be severe if he caught me. I didn't know what would happen to my new friends. Would they be killed?
I stumbled over a tree root and lost my footing. I fell to my knees. All four hobbits surrounded me and tried to get me to my feet.
"It's no use," I whispered. "He has caught us."
All of a sudden arrows were flying towards Orgath. I looked up and saw a group of Elvin men standing with bows drawn. They all fired in rapid succession. I looked back at Orgath and saw that he was running away. I hoped I would never see him again.
The hobbits helped me to my feet and I stared in awe at the group of elves before me. One of the elves stepped forward and took my hand.
"Are you all right?" He asked gazing at me with his blue eyes.
"Thanks to you and your friends I am." I replied.
"How about you guys? Are you all in one piece?" He asked the hobbits.
"We're fine Legolas." Frodo replied.
"How did you know we were in trouble? I asked Legolas.
"Elves can have an ability to sense danger when it is near. You should have the same ability." Legolas answered. "I also knew that the hobbits were on their way to Rivendell so when I sensed the danger I came out to check on them."
"I don't think I have this sense." I replied. "But then, I wasn't raised among elves so maybe I never developed it."
"We are certainly lucky you showed up when you did." Sam laughed.
"Ah, we could have taken them!" Pippin claimed.
We started walking towards Rivendell and it only took us a little while to get there. It was more beautiful than I could ever have imagined. I gasped when I saw it.
"If you think this place is beautiful you should see Mirkwood." Legolas chuckled. "I will show you to your room where you can freshen up. Then I am sure Lord Elrond will want to meet you."
"Thank you." I replied.
Legolas took me to a grand room. There was a smaller room inside of it that held a small tub. I couldn't remember the last time I had taken a bath. I couldn't wait to soak in the tub. Legolas left me alone and I filled up the tub. I took off my clothes and slid into the water.
"This feels good," I sighed.
I must have drifted off while I soaked, because I was soon startled by a knock on the bathroom door.
"Who is there?" I asked.
"My name is Lania. I am a maidservant of Lord Elrond. He asked me to bring you some new clothes for you to wear. I will leave them on your bed." A young female voice answered.
"Tell Lord Elrond I said thank you. I will be out shortly." I replied.
I heard the outer door open and close. I got up out of the tub. Clad only in a towel, I walked into the bedroom. I looked at the clothes on my bed. One of the dresses caught my eye. It was a beautiful emerald green and royal blue. I held it up and it looked to be just the right size. I put it on and looked at myself in the mirror. I couldn't believe the transformation. It was as if the poor slave girl never existed.
I twirled around and caught sight of my back in the mirror. I gasped when I realized the back of the dress was low enough to reveal the scars and bruises that covered my back. I couldn't let Lord Elrond see my back like that. I looked round the room and found a shawl to wrap around my shoulders. As soon as I had it on, there was a knock at my door.
"Just a moment….." I walked over to the door and opened it. A pair of piercing blue eyes stared back at me.
"I have come to fetch you for Lord Elrond's meeting." Legolas extended his arm to me.
I threaded my arm through his and we headed down the hallway. We walked in silence for a while. I looked around at all the different rooms we passed.
"Earlier you said something that had me confused. You said you weren't raised with elves and therefore hadn't honed your sensing skill. Where were you raised then? And how did you come to meet my hobbit friends?" Legolas asked.
"It is a long sad story and I only wish to tell it once. If you don't mind waiting, I will tell it in front of Lord Elrond for I am sure he wants to know my tale as well." I replied.
"I don't mind at all." Legolas responded.
He led me through a doorway and into a large room. We walked over to a set of chairs and sat down. I looked around the room trying to figure out which elf was Lord Elrond. Suddenly, everyone quieted down and another elf came through the door. I figured this was Lord Elrond, because of all the respect the other elves were giving him.
"I understand we have an unexpected visitor." He looked at me warmly. "Please, enlighten us with your tale."
I stood up and looked around the room. Then I stared into the stern yet compassionate face of Lord Elrond. I cleared my throat and began my tale. "My name is Eloria. A long time ago a band of Orcs came to my village and killed everyone in it but me. This included my adoptive parents. The head orc, Orgath, decided to take me as a slave. He raised me in his home. I was brutally whipped and treated badly. A short while ago, he decided I was to marry him. I refused and escaped. Then I met up with the hobbits and they led me here."
I sat down and looked at Legolas. His face was forlorn, as were most of the faces of the other elves in the room. There was an uncomfortable silence and I waited for Lord Elrond to respond to my tale.
"Well, it seems we must welcome you as the newest member of Rivendell! I give my word that you will be safe from orcs in the boundaries of our city." Lord Elrond smiled.
"Thank you!" I cried.
"You will love Rivendell Eloria! It is full of elves for you to meet and befriend. Lord Elrond, he is in charge of all of Rivendell, will surely have a place for you to stay." Sam rambled.
"Who are these friends of yours that we are meeting? More Hobbits?" I asked.
"No. We are meeting Aragorn, a human man who is betrothed to the daughter of Elrond. Her name is Arwen. Aragorn is the King of Gondor! Gimli is a rather grumpy dwarf. You get used to him. He is a great friend and ally." Frodo Explained.
"We are also meeting our friend Gandalf. He is a great wizard and old friend. And then there is Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood. He is an elf like yourself." Merry finished for Frodo.
"What is Rivendell like?" I asked breathlessly.
"It is beautiful! There are no words to describe its beauty. It's like living in a big tree house." Pippin explained.
"I hope they'll let me stay there." I sighed.
We walked a few hours more. The sun was beginning to set and we were almost to Rivendell. Suddenly there was a noise behind us. I turned around and saw Orgath and his men in the distance.
"Quickly! We must run! Orgath has found us! He is right behind us!" I quickened my pace.
We ran as fast as we could, trying to put some distance between the Orcs and us. An arrow whizzed by my ear, and then another one. It seemed hopeless. They were going to catch up to us at any moment. I knew my punishment would be severe if he caught me. I didn't know what would happen to my new friends. Would they be killed?
I stumbled over a tree root and lost my footing. I fell to my knees. All four hobbits surrounded me and tried to get me to my feet.
"It's no use," I whispered. "He has caught us."
All of a sudden arrows were flying towards Orgath. I looked up and saw a group of Elvin men standing with bows drawn. They all fired in rapid succession. I looked back at Orgath and saw that he was running away. I hoped I would never see him again.
The hobbits helped me to my feet and I stared in awe at the group of elves before me. One of the elves stepped forward and took my hand.
"Are you all right?" He asked gazing at me with his blue eyes.
"Thanks to you and your friends I am." I replied.
"How about you guys? Are you all in one piece?" He asked the hobbits.
"We're fine Legolas." Frodo replied.
"How did you know we were in trouble? I asked Legolas.
"Elves can have an ability to sense danger when it is near. You should have the same ability." Legolas answered. "I also knew that the hobbits were on their way to Rivendell so when I sensed the danger I came out to check on them."
"I don't think I have this sense." I replied. "But then, I wasn't raised among elves so maybe I never developed it."
"We are certainly lucky you showed up when you did." Sam laughed.
"Ah, we could have taken them!" Pippin claimed.
We started walking towards Rivendell and it only took us a little while to get there. It was more beautiful than I could ever have imagined. I gasped when I saw it.
"If you think this place is beautiful you should see Mirkwood." Legolas chuckled. "I will show you to your room where you can freshen up. Then I am sure Lord Elrond will want to meet you."
"Thank you." I replied.
Legolas took me to a grand room. There was a smaller room inside of it that held a small tub. I couldn't remember the last time I had taken a bath. I couldn't wait to soak in the tub. Legolas left me alone and I filled up the tub. I took off my clothes and slid into the water.
"This feels good," I sighed.
I must have drifted off while I soaked, because I was soon startled by a knock on the bathroom door.
"Who is there?" I asked.
"My name is Lania. I am a maidservant of Lord Elrond. He asked me to bring you some new clothes for you to wear. I will leave them on your bed." A young female voice answered.
"Tell Lord Elrond I said thank you. I will be out shortly." I replied.
I heard the outer door open and close. I got up out of the tub. Clad only in a towel, I walked into the bedroom. I looked at the clothes on my bed. One of the dresses caught my eye. It was a beautiful emerald green and royal blue. I held it up and it looked to be just the right size. I put it on and looked at myself in the mirror. I couldn't believe the transformation. It was as if the poor slave girl never existed.
I twirled around and caught sight of my back in the mirror. I gasped when I realized the back of the dress was low enough to reveal the scars and bruises that covered my back. I couldn't let Lord Elrond see my back like that. I looked round the room and found a shawl to wrap around my shoulders. As soon as I had it on, there was a knock at my door.
"Just a moment….." I walked over to the door and opened it. A pair of piercing blue eyes stared back at me.
"I have come to fetch you for Lord Elrond's meeting." Legolas extended his arm to me.
I threaded my arm through his and we headed down the hallway. We walked in silence for a while. I looked around at all the different rooms we passed.
"Earlier you said something that had me confused. You said you weren't raised with elves and therefore hadn't honed your sensing skill. Where were you raised then? And how did you come to meet my hobbit friends?" Legolas asked.
"It is a long sad story and I only wish to tell it once. If you don't mind waiting, I will tell it in front of Lord Elrond for I am sure he wants to know my tale as well." I replied.
"I don't mind at all." Legolas responded.
He led me through a doorway and into a large room. We walked over to a set of chairs and sat down. I looked around the room trying to figure out which elf was Lord Elrond. Suddenly, everyone quieted down and another elf came through the door. I figured this was Lord Elrond, because of all the respect the other elves were giving him.
"I understand we have an unexpected visitor." He looked at me warmly. "Please, enlighten us with your tale."
I stood up and looked around the room. Then I stared into the stern yet compassionate face of Lord Elrond. I cleared my throat and began my tale. "My name is Eloria. A long time ago a band of Orcs came to my village and killed everyone in it but me. This included my adoptive parents. The head orc, Orgath, decided to take me as a slave. He raised me in his home. I was brutally whipped and treated badly. A short while ago, he decided I was to marry him. I refused and escaped. Then I met up with the hobbits and they led me here."
I sat down and looked at Legolas. His face was forlorn, as were most of the faces of the other elves in the room. There was an uncomfortable silence and I waited for Lord Elrond to respond to my tale.
"Well, it seems we must welcome you as the newest member of Rivendell! I give my word that you will be safe from orcs in the boundaries of our city." Lord Elrond smiled.
"Thank you!" I cried.