A/N: A thousand and one apologies!! I know it's been almost a month
since I posted…but I warned you! Things got real crazy for a while there;
I had three prelims and a project and just a lot of work in general…ahhh!!!
But Spring Break is soon, and then things should settle down a little
after that (my plans involve catching up on all my readings and getting
ahead with some of my other work). And remember what I said before: I WILL
finish this story! Just bear with me if it's a while between updates, and
don't leave! More will come, I promise!
"Elora!" Dalani cried when she saw the elf ride into the wood. "You've come back to us!" Elora had hardly dismounted when she found herself in a wild embrace. Elora smiled at her fair-haired friend's actions. Dalani had been her first friend in Lothlorien, and the two had been closer than sisters for most of Elora's time there.
"Dalani, I can't breath!"
Immediately the other elf pulled back. "I'm sorry. She said you would be coming soon, we just didn't know when. I'm so glad you're back. You've no idea how boring it has been without you here. Come on, I'll help you get resettled, and then she wants to see you."
Elora did not need to ask who "she" was. Of course Galadriel would want to see her, if only to make sure she was truly back.
Dalani helped Elora carry her bags to her old room, and then left to tell Galadriel Elora had arrived. While she waited for her official summons, Elora looked over her room. It was as if she had never left all those months ago. Nothing had changed; her dresser drawer was even still slightly open; in her haste to pack she had neglected to close it properly.
Elora closed her eyes, simultaneously trying to forget and remember that horrible night. It was after the attack. She had returned here, to this room, with orders to sleep. Orders! Like that would suddenly make her tired. She had sat on her bed, staring out her open balcony doors, all night, wondering what she should do. As the sun began to come up, she quickly made her decision, threw her things haphazardly into a few bags, wrote a quick note to Dalani, and left.
And now she was back.
"But for how long?"
Elora jumped in her skin. Lady Galadriel stood in her room; Elora had not even heard the door open. "My Lady," she said quickly, quietly, bowing low. "I did not hear you come in."
"Because I did not want you to," was the short reply. "Come. We have many things to discuss."
They left the building and began their walk into the woods in silence. Elora did not know where they were going. They soon arrived in a little depression in the earth; there was a small fountain on one wall and a pedestal in the center. Here, Galadriel stopped.
"Sit," she ordered gently, indicating a nearby stone bench. Elora obeyed as the Lady filled a delicate pitcher with water and then poured it into the pedestal. That task completed, the teacher sat next to her pupil.
"I saw you leave, that morning."
Elora looked at her in surprise. "How did you know?"
Galadriel smiled. "I am always awake before dawn. I saw you ride out of the woods, a wild look in your eyes."
"But…if you knew…."
"Why didn't I stop you?" Galadriel finished. Elora nodded. "The answer to that is much more complex. I could not make you stay here. I could not, and cannot, force you to become a healer. I allowed you to leave because I hoped you would somehow find your way back here on your own."
"I have, though…" Elora started, but Galadriel shook her head.
"You still carry with you the scars of the orc attack. Everyone does; the past few months have down little to alleviate the pain of those who lost a loved one. But your scars run deeper; your confidence has been shattered. You allowed the orcs to break you. Yes, you have returned here physically, but your heart has not returned with you. You must be healed, Elora, and the only one who can do that is you. Even Legolas' love cannot fix you, not by itself."
They sat in silence for a few moments before Elora spoke. "You said a war was coming. What will happen to Legolas? What will happen to any of us?"
Galadriel turned to face her, and then pointed to the pedestal. "Perhaps you my find your answers there. In my mirror. Look in it, if you wish."
Slowly, Elora stood and approached the mirror. She stood in front of it for a long time, so close; she needed only lean over a fraction of an inch and she would know.
But she couldn't do it. She turned around to face Galadriel. "Thank you, my Lady. But I am still struggling with my past; I do not think I can handle my future as well."
Galadriel nodded. "It is your choice Elora. And you have many choices laid out for you. What do you choose?"
"I wish to be a healer." The words surprised Elora, but she knew them to be right.
"It will be a hard road to follow. Are you ready for what lies ahead?"
"No," said Elora truthfully. "But I will be. You said this was my fate. I will not hide from it any more." A small part of her old life spark came back into her eyes, just briefly.
Galadriel saw it. She rose and embraced her young student. "Welcome back to Lothlorien, Elora Mossflower."
"Elora!" Dalani cried when she saw the elf ride into the wood. "You've come back to us!" Elora had hardly dismounted when she found herself in a wild embrace. Elora smiled at her fair-haired friend's actions. Dalani had been her first friend in Lothlorien, and the two had been closer than sisters for most of Elora's time there.
"Dalani, I can't breath!"
Immediately the other elf pulled back. "I'm sorry. She said you would be coming soon, we just didn't know when. I'm so glad you're back. You've no idea how boring it has been without you here. Come on, I'll help you get resettled, and then she wants to see you."
Elora did not need to ask who "she" was. Of course Galadriel would want to see her, if only to make sure she was truly back.
Dalani helped Elora carry her bags to her old room, and then left to tell Galadriel Elora had arrived. While she waited for her official summons, Elora looked over her room. It was as if she had never left all those months ago. Nothing had changed; her dresser drawer was even still slightly open; in her haste to pack she had neglected to close it properly.
Elora closed her eyes, simultaneously trying to forget and remember that horrible night. It was after the attack. She had returned here, to this room, with orders to sleep. Orders! Like that would suddenly make her tired. She had sat on her bed, staring out her open balcony doors, all night, wondering what she should do. As the sun began to come up, she quickly made her decision, threw her things haphazardly into a few bags, wrote a quick note to Dalani, and left.
And now she was back.
"But for how long?"
Elora jumped in her skin. Lady Galadriel stood in her room; Elora had not even heard the door open. "My Lady," she said quickly, quietly, bowing low. "I did not hear you come in."
"Because I did not want you to," was the short reply. "Come. We have many things to discuss."
They left the building and began their walk into the woods in silence. Elora did not know where they were going. They soon arrived in a little depression in the earth; there was a small fountain on one wall and a pedestal in the center. Here, Galadriel stopped.
"Sit," she ordered gently, indicating a nearby stone bench. Elora obeyed as the Lady filled a delicate pitcher with water and then poured it into the pedestal. That task completed, the teacher sat next to her pupil.
"I saw you leave, that morning."
Elora looked at her in surprise. "How did you know?"
Galadriel smiled. "I am always awake before dawn. I saw you ride out of the woods, a wild look in your eyes."
"But…if you knew…."
"Why didn't I stop you?" Galadriel finished. Elora nodded. "The answer to that is much more complex. I could not make you stay here. I could not, and cannot, force you to become a healer. I allowed you to leave because I hoped you would somehow find your way back here on your own."
"I have, though…" Elora started, but Galadriel shook her head.
"You still carry with you the scars of the orc attack. Everyone does; the past few months have down little to alleviate the pain of those who lost a loved one. But your scars run deeper; your confidence has been shattered. You allowed the orcs to break you. Yes, you have returned here physically, but your heart has not returned with you. You must be healed, Elora, and the only one who can do that is you. Even Legolas' love cannot fix you, not by itself."
They sat in silence for a few moments before Elora spoke. "You said a war was coming. What will happen to Legolas? What will happen to any of us?"
Galadriel turned to face her, and then pointed to the pedestal. "Perhaps you my find your answers there. In my mirror. Look in it, if you wish."
Slowly, Elora stood and approached the mirror. She stood in front of it for a long time, so close; she needed only lean over a fraction of an inch and she would know.
But she couldn't do it. She turned around to face Galadriel. "Thank you, my Lady. But I am still struggling with my past; I do not think I can handle my future as well."
Galadriel nodded. "It is your choice Elora. And you have many choices laid out for you. What do you choose?"
"I wish to be a healer." The words surprised Elora, but she knew them to be right.
"It will be a hard road to follow. Are you ready for what lies ahead?"
"No," said Elora truthfully. "But I will be. You said this was my fate. I will not hide from it any more." A small part of her old life spark came back into her eyes, just briefly.
Galadriel saw it. She rose and embraced her young student. "Welcome back to Lothlorien, Elora Mossflower."