Once I got to the study's double doors, I saw they were ajar and so I
pushed them open slowly, and found the room empty.
Hearing Elvish coming from the recovery room I had used, I went in and stood in the doorway. Elrond was bending over the unconscious girl, who lay unclothed beneath his gaze. I brought a hand to my mouth. She was stripped and bruised everywhere! Someone had obviously taken a dislike to her with a whip or a switch!!
Appalled, I walked in and stood next Elladan who was helping his father clean and slave her wounds.
Neither elf said anything to me and I stood silent (only coughing a little) for a few minutes and then went back out into the study to await them. I flung myself on the couch and wrapped myself up in my cloak as I was cold and tired. The study was warm from the fire and making myself comfortable, I snuggled up against the pillows and fell asleep.
Coughing, I woke up, and found myself in my bed. Just by feel, I could tell it had to be a couple of hours later. My head felt a bit stuffy and my throat scratchy.
Sitting up, I noticed a goblet on my bedside table. I picked it up and smelled it. Nose wrinkling, I sighed. It sure would be something to find my table empty of all but flowers sometime! I drank it down. Gaghh! Thick and herbal, for the cough no doubt.
But I wanted to find out about the girl. Who was she? What was she doing there by the river? Who had beaten her?
I swung out of bed and went and grabbed my cloak, which was thrown over one of my chairs. I was just wearing my chemise, but I figured, under my cloak, who would know?
I rushed down the corridors in a quick hobble (still not completely used to my balance sans some toes) until I reached the study. Coughing I knocked on the door. Elrond, who raised an eyebrow at my appearance, opened it. Coughing again, I looked up at him. "What happened to the girl? Who is she? Why was she beaten? Did she travel here all by herself?'
Elrond held up a hand with a laugh, "I was just coming to see you. Let us talk in your room."
I looked around his tall form. "Can I see the girl first? Is she all right?"
"She is sleeping Marie. I will know more in the morning. Elladan is with her right now. Come, you need to sleep as well."
"Well, no, not really, " I said coughing again, "I must have slept a couple of hours just now. "
"Barely an hour Marie. Did you drink what I left you?"
"Oh sure." I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, yawning and coughing at the same time. "Blechhhhh!" I then put a hand over my mouth. Wait, I had promised no more snarky comments!
He smiled out at the corridor. I hitched my cloak around me tighter and then as we reached my room, I flung the cloak off on the chair I had gotten it from and jumped back into bed.
Covering myself with the quilt, I yawned again and waited for him to pull up a chair. The minute he got comfortable, I leaned forward and said, clutching my hands together, "Well, who is she? What's happened to her? Tell me all!"
The elf lord leaned back in his chair smiling, the candlelight (someone had lit them in my absence) glittering in his eyes. I loved it when his eyes were dark and sparkling like that. They were especially compelling as he was wearing a dark blue robe over black silk pants.
"You need to tell me what happened. You fell asleep before I could ask."
"Okay. Well, I got sleepy because I was just a bit tired from my ride is all. It's kind of cold out there too." I coughed for emphasis and leaned back against the pillows and continued, "Well I and Carenloth took the road down to where the river turns west and I took a little break to have some water and that's when I found her, by the river's edge. No one was nearby," I yawned hugely and blinked a couple of times. "She was just lying there. I got her to wake up and helped her to mount Carenloth, but the minute I did, she tried to spur Carenloth away, but she was having none of it and threw her. That's how she got her head hurt. I then got her in a fireman's hold and---"
"Fireman?'" he repeated puzzled.
"Ah, well never mind. I'll have to show you sometime. And then I mounted Carenloth with the help of a boulder and here we are!" I yawned again. I was feeling tired. Darn it, the stupid goblet! I coughed and rubbed my face. "What happened to her?"
"Someone has beaten her rather thoroughly with a whip. And this is not the first time."
I swallowed dryly at that. How horrible!! Barely able to keep my eyes open, I mumbled, "Well, I am glad I got her here, poor thing. I'll bet she has a tale to tell."
Elrond stood with that and came over to the table and blew out the candles. Putting a hand on my shoulder, he said softly, "It was fortunate for her you came along. Sleep now Marie. We will talk again in the morning."
Nodding, I slept. Dumb goblet.
I kind of slept through the morning. I must have been more tired than I thought. When I rolled over, I could tell by the sunlight it was mid day. I got up slowly because my head felt kind of woolly. Was I never going to get rid of this cold/bronchitis? I saw that my feet had been re-bandaged yet again. I shook my head. Sighing heavily I also saw another goblet on the table to the right of my bed. Well, nothing had changed. I drank the goblet and got up and dressed.
Only marginally hungry, I decided I wanted to see about the girl before I did anything.
Fluffing my hair as I went down the corridor, I knocked on Elrond's study doors and smiled up at Elladan. "Why good morning, or should I say afternoon mistress Marie!" I made a face at him as I entered. "Good afternoon to you to my lord." I even bowed slightly. "Is Lord Elrond in with the girl I found?"
Elladan nodded. "She woke up several times in the night because of bad dreams, in spite of the sleeping draught I gave her. She has a bit of a fever now and Father is redressing her wounds."
I sat on the couch. "Do we know her name yet?"
Elladan nodded and leaned against his father's desk. He was dressed in dark green and blue and looked splendid. "Her name is Hennar and she says she is from Bree."
"Hennar. That's a neat name."
Elladan cocked his head at me. "Neat?" Her name is neat?"
"Uh, that is just an expression from where I am from."
Elladan nodded slowly.
"So, what happened to her? Who beat her?"
Just then Lord Elrond walked in, wiping his hands. "She is escaping an unhappy marriage, Marie." He went to his cabinet of medical supplies and pulled out several bags of dried herbs and taking a few pinches from each, ground them in a mortar. As he did so, he continued, "She feared for her life and so left her husband who beat her because she complained she did not want to leave her home. She claims they were never happy together. The two were on their way to Laketown."
Lord, a victim of wife-beating.
"Will she be all right?"
Putting the herbs in a goblet, he poured a little wine from a crystal decanter over the concoction and stirred it.
"With rest and food, she shall be." Closing the cabinet, he paused and looked at both of us. "It is her unborn babe I am more worried about." He turned and went back into the room. I looked at Elladan with a helpless expression and he sighed and lowered his head. I could not stop myself, and followed the elf lord into the room. Hennar was pregnant too? Oh my goodness. Elrond was just holding her head up and encouraging her to drink. Bringing a hand up she tried to hold the goblet herself, but Elrond ignored her and she finally finished it, making a face. Boy did I know all about that!
She eyed me over the goblet and when Elrond lay her head back, he slipped past me out of the room, and I sat on the edge of the bed, picking up her right hand. "How are you feeling?" What a dumb question, but I did not know what else to say.
Elrond came back in and said quietly, "She does not speak Sindarin or Old Dwarish I am afraid, just Westron." He spoke to her in that language for a moment and then she replied in a husky voice.
"She is sorry she tried to take Carenloth Marie. She got frightened and thought you were an elf. She had been running for days and had no idea of where she was."
I laughed out loud and pulled my hair back to show Hennar my ears. She thought I was an elf!! How utterly cool!!
"Is she still frightened? Is there anything I can do to help?" I paused and looked at the elf lord. "Ah, does she know she's pregnant?"
He nodded. "I have told her. She did not know before."
"How did you know then?"
"I can sense the spark of new life within her. The babe is alive, but weak. We must get Hennar to eat more and rest."
"How far along is she?"
"Only a few months. I am not certain about the nature of human pregnancy, my only dealings with the condition have been with Elves." He added mildly, "You will probably know more than I in this case."
I raised my eyebrows at him. Son of a gun! I knew something Elrond didn't know...in the health department! Wow!
"What will happen to her?"
"She cannot be returned to her husband in this condition. I will send a message to Bree to her family and apprise them of the situation." He smiled at me, folding his arms. "I will not throw her out on the East Road either Marie."
I grinned. "Okay. Just so I know."
Laughing, he turned to Hennar and spoke to her awhile. She turned and smiled at me, trying to cover up a yawn. Ooh, well, so that's how it was. I patted her hand and stood too.
Smiling at Elrond, I left. I had lots to think about. What could I do to help this poor girl? I mean, she looked only about 18 or so. And she had a monster for a husband. I winced at the image of her life.
I went out of the study, wrapped in thought, not even saying goodbye to Elladan, who was obviously waiting for us.
As I went out in the hall, I saw Elrohir striding towards me. "Marie! How are you today! Have you met our new guest? Oh wait, you are the one who found her! Well, have you been introduced?"
"Yes my lord, her name is Hennar and she's from Bree."
Elrohir nodded. "I heard she's escaping a husband who beats her." He leaned in close to me before entering his father's study, "I want to see if I cannot interest Elladan in tracking down the monster. He should face the results of his behavior."
I could almost hear him adding in disgust: "Humans!"
I nodded, thinking of several other unsavory human actions towards the weak and helpless. Ah, Elrohir, you have no idea...
"I would like to help. Do you suppose I could come with?"
Elrohir laughed and patted me on my shoulder, but I kept my face serious.
Pausing just before he opened the door, he said in an equally serious tone, "We shall see Marie. We shall see."
Bowing to him, I continued on my way and he slipped into the study.
Well, I guess it would behoove me to learn some Westron to help Hennar feel more comfortable here.
I went to the library and went to the shelves where I knew the language books were shelved. Finding a well-thumbed copy of a Sindarin-Westron lexicon, I tucked myself into a comfortable window seat niche overlooking a large fountain, now silent and frozen.
It was clouding up again, which meant snow soon. Looking out at the winter landscape, I sighed heavily, thank goodness I had found poor Hennar. How awful it must have been for her to have left on foot, pregnant and in the snow. I couldn't imagine her trek to this part of the Misty Mountains had been any kind of picnic. Especially if she was injured.
I did wonder why she had been frightened thinking I was an elf. Surely she had never been mistreated by one!
Shaking my head, I got more comfortable and began studying the lexicon. Westron didn't look too difficult. Certainly not as hard as Sindarin, which is much more sibilant and well...fascinating. (Ahh, you should hear the twins speaking!! Their voices compliment the other. And when they and their father speak together, well, well...I could listen for hours!)
A few days went by, I read up on my Westron (and practiced a little with one of the twins or Elrond, whom ever I crossed paths with) and at last, on the fourth day, the bandages stayed off! Free at last!
The first thing I did was go riding, wrapped up in a thick wool cape and gloves. I stayed out most of the day too and just enjoyed being out in the cold crisp air. My cough was pretty much gone too.
So when the sun began to throw long purple shadows across the snow, I headed back to Rivendell tired, but happy. A little cold, but I would survive. I had to get my strength back.if I was planning to leave. And actually I hoped that I could go with the twins and find that farmer.
My breath steaming around me in a cloud, I hopped off Carenloth and took her into the stables and tiredly groomed her and settled her for the night. Just as I was throwing a blanket over her, I heard a horseman come into the stables. I peeked over the stall door and saw Elladan clatter in on his stallion.
Perfect timing. As I finished up with Carenloth, I went out and latching her stall gate, I went over to the elf lord.
"Good evening my lord. Where have you been today?"
"Ah Marie! Good evening. I and Elrohir were out determining the direction of the Hennar's husband, based on what she has told father."
As he was speaking, Elrohir trotted in and slipping off his stallion, pulled him into the stall next to Elladan's.
Greeting him, I leaned up against a central pillar and watched the two by lantern light as they took care of their horses. It was very pleasant!
When they were done and hanging up their tack and putting away their brushes, I asked Elrohir, "Well, your brother has told me you both went tracking the husband. Any success?"
Elrohir looked at his brother and nodded. "We at least know the direction the man took, and because of the weather, we don't actually think he has gone much further."
I tipped my head at them. "Why is Hennar afraid of Elves?"
"Ada says," Elorohir answered, brushing his hair back, "It is not uncommon to find Edain who have been frightened with tales of-of our ferocity and how we do not like humans."
"What? And people believe this?"
Elladan spoke up, "Most are probably from small villages or isolated homesteads. There is no one to tell them otherwise. "
Elrohir added, his expression rueful, "I once heard in a tavern two E-Edain talking and glancing at me, one told the other, "I hear they like to torture humans for sport."
"Oh please." But I realized looking at their faces, they were absolutely serious.
As I commented earlier, well humans were capable of all kinds of creative.thinking.
Shaking my head at the well-known idiocy of the human imagination, I followed behind the two Elves as they went to the House.
As we climbed the stairs, Elladan looked back at me. "And what did you do today?"
"Rode and rode and rode! It was so nice to get out and ride in the crisp air." I grinned at him.
"And your feet?"
"They are fine. Really. They're a little cold, but so is the rest of me."
Elladan nodded and we went into the House in companionable silence. And I only coughed a couple of times.
They headed off to their rooms and I strolled back to mine. I was tired, but not exhausted. And I really did feel good. It had been nice to get out.
Hearing Elvish coming from the recovery room I had used, I went in and stood in the doorway. Elrond was bending over the unconscious girl, who lay unclothed beneath his gaze. I brought a hand to my mouth. She was stripped and bruised everywhere! Someone had obviously taken a dislike to her with a whip or a switch!!
Appalled, I walked in and stood next Elladan who was helping his father clean and slave her wounds.
Neither elf said anything to me and I stood silent (only coughing a little) for a few minutes and then went back out into the study to await them. I flung myself on the couch and wrapped myself up in my cloak as I was cold and tired. The study was warm from the fire and making myself comfortable, I snuggled up against the pillows and fell asleep.
Coughing, I woke up, and found myself in my bed. Just by feel, I could tell it had to be a couple of hours later. My head felt a bit stuffy and my throat scratchy.
Sitting up, I noticed a goblet on my bedside table. I picked it up and smelled it. Nose wrinkling, I sighed. It sure would be something to find my table empty of all but flowers sometime! I drank it down. Gaghh! Thick and herbal, for the cough no doubt.
But I wanted to find out about the girl. Who was she? What was she doing there by the river? Who had beaten her?
I swung out of bed and went and grabbed my cloak, which was thrown over one of my chairs. I was just wearing my chemise, but I figured, under my cloak, who would know?
I rushed down the corridors in a quick hobble (still not completely used to my balance sans some toes) until I reached the study. Coughing I knocked on the door. Elrond, who raised an eyebrow at my appearance, opened it. Coughing again, I looked up at him. "What happened to the girl? Who is she? Why was she beaten? Did she travel here all by herself?'
Elrond held up a hand with a laugh, "I was just coming to see you. Let us talk in your room."
I looked around his tall form. "Can I see the girl first? Is she all right?"
"She is sleeping Marie. I will know more in the morning. Elladan is with her right now. Come, you need to sleep as well."
"Well, no, not really, " I said coughing again, "I must have slept a couple of hours just now. "
"Barely an hour Marie. Did you drink what I left you?"
"Oh sure." I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, yawning and coughing at the same time. "Blechhhhh!" I then put a hand over my mouth. Wait, I had promised no more snarky comments!
He smiled out at the corridor. I hitched my cloak around me tighter and then as we reached my room, I flung the cloak off on the chair I had gotten it from and jumped back into bed.
Covering myself with the quilt, I yawned again and waited for him to pull up a chair. The minute he got comfortable, I leaned forward and said, clutching my hands together, "Well, who is she? What's happened to her? Tell me all!"
The elf lord leaned back in his chair smiling, the candlelight (someone had lit them in my absence) glittering in his eyes. I loved it when his eyes were dark and sparkling like that. They were especially compelling as he was wearing a dark blue robe over black silk pants.
"You need to tell me what happened. You fell asleep before I could ask."
"Okay. Well, I got sleepy because I was just a bit tired from my ride is all. It's kind of cold out there too." I coughed for emphasis and leaned back against the pillows and continued, "Well I and Carenloth took the road down to where the river turns west and I took a little break to have some water and that's when I found her, by the river's edge. No one was nearby," I yawned hugely and blinked a couple of times. "She was just lying there. I got her to wake up and helped her to mount Carenloth, but the minute I did, she tried to spur Carenloth away, but she was having none of it and threw her. That's how she got her head hurt. I then got her in a fireman's hold and---"
"Fireman?'" he repeated puzzled.
"Ah, well never mind. I'll have to show you sometime. And then I mounted Carenloth with the help of a boulder and here we are!" I yawned again. I was feeling tired. Darn it, the stupid goblet! I coughed and rubbed my face. "What happened to her?"
"Someone has beaten her rather thoroughly with a whip. And this is not the first time."
I swallowed dryly at that. How horrible!! Barely able to keep my eyes open, I mumbled, "Well, I am glad I got her here, poor thing. I'll bet she has a tale to tell."
Elrond stood with that and came over to the table and blew out the candles. Putting a hand on my shoulder, he said softly, "It was fortunate for her you came along. Sleep now Marie. We will talk again in the morning."
Nodding, I slept. Dumb goblet.
I kind of slept through the morning. I must have been more tired than I thought. When I rolled over, I could tell by the sunlight it was mid day. I got up slowly because my head felt kind of woolly. Was I never going to get rid of this cold/bronchitis? I saw that my feet had been re-bandaged yet again. I shook my head. Sighing heavily I also saw another goblet on the table to the right of my bed. Well, nothing had changed. I drank the goblet and got up and dressed.
Only marginally hungry, I decided I wanted to see about the girl before I did anything.
Fluffing my hair as I went down the corridor, I knocked on Elrond's study doors and smiled up at Elladan. "Why good morning, or should I say afternoon mistress Marie!" I made a face at him as I entered. "Good afternoon to you to my lord." I even bowed slightly. "Is Lord Elrond in with the girl I found?"
Elladan nodded. "She woke up several times in the night because of bad dreams, in spite of the sleeping draught I gave her. She has a bit of a fever now and Father is redressing her wounds."
I sat on the couch. "Do we know her name yet?"
Elladan nodded and leaned against his father's desk. He was dressed in dark green and blue and looked splendid. "Her name is Hennar and she says she is from Bree."
"Hennar. That's a neat name."
Elladan cocked his head at me. "Neat?" Her name is neat?"
"Uh, that is just an expression from where I am from."
Elladan nodded slowly.
"So, what happened to her? Who beat her?"
Just then Lord Elrond walked in, wiping his hands. "She is escaping an unhappy marriage, Marie." He went to his cabinet of medical supplies and pulled out several bags of dried herbs and taking a few pinches from each, ground them in a mortar. As he did so, he continued, "She feared for her life and so left her husband who beat her because she complained she did not want to leave her home. She claims they were never happy together. The two were on their way to Laketown."
Lord, a victim of wife-beating.
"Will she be all right?"
Putting the herbs in a goblet, he poured a little wine from a crystal decanter over the concoction and stirred it.
"With rest and food, she shall be." Closing the cabinet, he paused and looked at both of us. "It is her unborn babe I am more worried about." He turned and went back into the room. I looked at Elladan with a helpless expression and he sighed and lowered his head. I could not stop myself, and followed the elf lord into the room. Hennar was pregnant too? Oh my goodness. Elrond was just holding her head up and encouraging her to drink. Bringing a hand up she tried to hold the goblet herself, but Elrond ignored her and she finally finished it, making a face. Boy did I know all about that!
She eyed me over the goblet and when Elrond lay her head back, he slipped past me out of the room, and I sat on the edge of the bed, picking up her right hand. "How are you feeling?" What a dumb question, but I did not know what else to say.
Elrond came back in and said quietly, "She does not speak Sindarin or Old Dwarish I am afraid, just Westron." He spoke to her in that language for a moment and then she replied in a husky voice.
"She is sorry she tried to take Carenloth Marie. She got frightened and thought you were an elf. She had been running for days and had no idea of where she was."
I laughed out loud and pulled my hair back to show Hennar my ears. She thought I was an elf!! How utterly cool!!
"Is she still frightened? Is there anything I can do to help?" I paused and looked at the elf lord. "Ah, does she know she's pregnant?"
He nodded. "I have told her. She did not know before."
"How did you know then?"
"I can sense the spark of new life within her. The babe is alive, but weak. We must get Hennar to eat more and rest."
"How far along is she?"
"Only a few months. I am not certain about the nature of human pregnancy, my only dealings with the condition have been with Elves." He added mildly, "You will probably know more than I in this case."
I raised my eyebrows at him. Son of a gun! I knew something Elrond didn't know...in the health department! Wow!
"What will happen to her?"
"She cannot be returned to her husband in this condition. I will send a message to Bree to her family and apprise them of the situation." He smiled at me, folding his arms. "I will not throw her out on the East Road either Marie."
I grinned. "Okay. Just so I know."
Laughing, he turned to Hennar and spoke to her awhile. She turned and smiled at me, trying to cover up a yawn. Ooh, well, so that's how it was. I patted her hand and stood too.
Smiling at Elrond, I left. I had lots to think about. What could I do to help this poor girl? I mean, she looked only about 18 or so. And she had a monster for a husband. I winced at the image of her life.
I went out of the study, wrapped in thought, not even saying goodbye to Elladan, who was obviously waiting for us.
As I went out in the hall, I saw Elrohir striding towards me. "Marie! How are you today! Have you met our new guest? Oh wait, you are the one who found her! Well, have you been introduced?"
"Yes my lord, her name is Hennar and she's from Bree."
Elrohir nodded. "I heard she's escaping a husband who beats her." He leaned in close to me before entering his father's study, "I want to see if I cannot interest Elladan in tracking down the monster. He should face the results of his behavior."
I could almost hear him adding in disgust: "Humans!"
I nodded, thinking of several other unsavory human actions towards the weak and helpless. Ah, Elrohir, you have no idea...
"I would like to help. Do you suppose I could come with?"
Elrohir laughed and patted me on my shoulder, but I kept my face serious.
Pausing just before he opened the door, he said in an equally serious tone, "We shall see Marie. We shall see."
Bowing to him, I continued on my way and he slipped into the study.
Well, I guess it would behoove me to learn some Westron to help Hennar feel more comfortable here.
I went to the library and went to the shelves where I knew the language books were shelved. Finding a well-thumbed copy of a Sindarin-Westron lexicon, I tucked myself into a comfortable window seat niche overlooking a large fountain, now silent and frozen.
It was clouding up again, which meant snow soon. Looking out at the winter landscape, I sighed heavily, thank goodness I had found poor Hennar. How awful it must have been for her to have left on foot, pregnant and in the snow. I couldn't imagine her trek to this part of the Misty Mountains had been any kind of picnic. Especially if she was injured.
I did wonder why she had been frightened thinking I was an elf. Surely she had never been mistreated by one!
Shaking my head, I got more comfortable and began studying the lexicon. Westron didn't look too difficult. Certainly not as hard as Sindarin, which is much more sibilant and well...fascinating. (Ahh, you should hear the twins speaking!! Their voices compliment the other. And when they and their father speak together, well, well...I could listen for hours!)
A few days went by, I read up on my Westron (and practiced a little with one of the twins or Elrond, whom ever I crossed paths with) and at last, on the fourth day, the bandages stayed off! Free at last!
The first thing I did was go riding, wrapped up in a thick wool cape and gloves. I stayed out most of the day too and just enjoyed being out in the cold crisp air. My cough was pretty much gone too.
So when the sun began to throw long purple shadows across the snow, I headed back to Rivendell tired, but happy. A little cold, but I would survive. I had to get my strength back.if I was planning to leave. And actually I hoped that I could go with the twins and find that farmer.
My breath steaming around me in a cloud, I hopped off Carenloth and took her into the stables and tiredly groomed her and settled her for the night. Just as I was throwing a blanket over her, I heard a horseman come into the stables. I peeked over the stall door and saw Elladan clatter in on his stallion.
Perfect timing. As I finished up with Carenloth, I went out and latching her stall gate, I went over to the elf lord.
"Good evening my lord. Where have you been today?"
"Ah Marie! Good evening. I and Elrohir were out determining the direction of the Hennar's husband, based on what she has told father."
As he was speaking, Elrohir trotted in and slipping off his stallion, pulled him into the stall next to Elladan's.
Greeting him, I leaned up against a central pillar and watched the two by lantern light as they took care of their horses. It was very pleasant!
When they were done and hanging up their tack and putting away their brushes, I asked Elrohir, "Well, your brother has told me you both went tracking the husband. Any success?"
Elrohir looked at his brother and nodded. "We at least know the direction the man took, and because of the weather, we don't actually think he has gone much further."
I tipped my head at them. "Why is Hennar afraid of Elves?"
"Ada says," Elorohir answered, brushing his hair back, "It is not uncommon to find Edain who have been frightened with tales of-of our ferocity and how we do not like humans."
"What? And people believe this?"
Elladan spoke up, "Most are probably from small villages or isolated homesteads. There is no one to tell them otherwise. "
Elrohir added, his expression rueful, "I once heard in a tavern two E-Edain talking and glancing at me, one told the other, "I hear they like to torture humans for sport."
"Oh please." But I realized looking at their faces, they were absolutely serious.
As I commented earlier, well humans were capable of all kinds of creative.thinking.
Shaking my head at the well-known idiocy of the human imagination, I followed behind the two Elves as they went to the House.
As we climbed the stairs, Elladan looked back at me. "And what did you do today?"
"Rode and rode and rode! It was so nice to get out and ride in the crisp air." I grinned at him.
"And your feet?"
"They are fine. Really. They're a little cold, but so is the rest of me."
Elladan nodded and we went into the House in companionable silence. And I only coughed a couple of times.
They headed off to their rooms and I strolled back to mine. I was tired, but not exhausted. And I really did feel good. It had been nice to get out.
