A/N: Just wanted to let you people know once more (as if you didn't
already) that I do not own anything or anyone in the story but the stuff
that doesn't immediately bring an image to your head (i.e, Míriel and her
imaginary crew).
Chapter 3
The next morning the pitter-patter of the twins' bare feet pulled Glorfindel from his dreams into the bright sunlight streaming through his window. "Glorfi, wake up!" they cried together in excitement.
Glorfindel groaned as he rolled onto his stomach. His knuckles scraped the smooth stone floor, but he took no notice. His groans grew louder and more complainant as the twins proceeded to take the liberty of jumping up and down on his bed, with him still in it, until he got up.
"Aeiri!" he shouted, his head still fluttery from sleep. The twins halted their assault, and stared down at him with their large, round blue eyes. He rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes. "What is it?" he asked in a softer tone.
"Míriel is awake, and in the garden," Elladan said matter-of-factly. "She asked for you."
"She spoke?" Glorfindel nearly fell out of the bed in his rush to stand.
"Sort of," Elrohir answered, chewing on a fingernail. "She keeps saying your name over and over. That's it, nothing else."
"Go then, and tell her that I shall come." Glorfindel tripped over the sheets lying partly in the floor and somehow managed to catch himself at the last minute. He tugged on the same trousers he wore the previous day and another shirt, pulling his boots on as he ran. Sure enough she was in the garden, with Estel. He was patiently explaining to her how to play chess; she was sitting on the opposite side of the chessboard, listening carefully to his words. Elrond stood in the doorway of the pavilion, watching them.
Glorfindel paused beside his friend, and watched them for a moment. "Has she spoken?" he said softly.
"Once," Elrond said, looking at the blond elf. "She stumbled over your name.she has been sitting there with Estel for almost a half hour."
"He seems to keep her occupied," Glorfindel said with a smile.
Estel looked up as Elladan and Elrohir ran out to them, chattering that Glorfindel had come, and was standing with Elrond to the North of the Garden. At the sound of Glorfindel's name Míriel quickly stood and held out her hand, which Estel took hold of, and hurried her over to where Elrond and Glorfindel stood.
She skittered to a stop before them, and, seeming at a loss once she was there, fidgeted and clasped and unclasped her hands, staring at the ground. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, she raised her eyes.
"Hello, Míriel," Glorfindel said softly, stepping forward and extending his hand. She glanced down at it warily. He frowned. "I will not hurt you."
She furrowed her brow doubtfully; before she could do anything, however, twin pairs of hands clasped her own and she looked down, startled.
Elladan and Elrohir were grinning up at her, tugging on her hands. Estel stood behind Elladan, sucking his thumb with wide eyes. After a second, he tugged on her white shift and Míriel knelt down gracefully to the children's height and Estel whispered excitedly in her ear while the twins leaned on her to hear what their foster brother was saying. After a moment, Estel pulled away and Míriel nodded, then rose again to her feet.
"Glorr...Glorrfinndel." She struggled with the name, but did not stop. "Mm.Mírree-ell."
Glorfindel raised his eyebrows in surprise, and glanced at Elrond. "Very good, child," Elrond said in a soothing tone. "I am called Elrond." He paused, and upon seeing her understanding he continued. "This is Estel, and Elladan, and Elrohir. They are my children." He gestured to each child in turn.
Míriel smiled down at them, kneeling again and studying the faces of the twins intently. The boys stood still and let her eyes roam where they would, and when she was finished they would say their names to her again and she would nod. Then she turned to Estel and smiled softly at him, causing the little boy to blush furiously and wind his toe into the ground. Then, they all blushed furiously and, giggling, ran away. She tilted her head slightly, as if listening to them go, wearing a smile as she turned back to the elf lords. Then smile dropped from her face and she looked down, suddenly shy. This time, when Glorfindel raised his hand to lift her chin she did not flinch away, merely looked at him with more curiosity than fear in her face. "Glorrfinndel," she whispered. "Elllrrrond." "Glorrfinndel?"
"Yes, I am here," he responded.
Míriel looked up at the darker elf and studied him closely. With raised eyebrows, Elrond stepped closer.
"Come, Míriel," he said gently. "There is much we need to talk about, if you are ready."
Míriel's eyes moved from side to side, as if somehow trying to figure out what was going on, and he felt a wave of pity as he saw nothing but fear in her face. "You do not have to go if you are not ready, child."
She moved slightly closer to Glorfindel, and looked up at him with searching eyes.
"I think she wants you to decide for her, my old friend."
Glorfindel put his arm lightly around Míriel, and turned her slightly to face Elrond. "Come, child. It will be alright."
But would it? Glorfindel could not help but wonder. It was obvious that some wretched spell of the dragon had stolen not only her identity but also her memory-all of it. Poor child cannot even remember how to speak, he thought sadly. They could teach her how to speak again, surely, but where would she go from there? He knew Elrond would not turn her out, nor would he attempt to find her any other home if she did not wish it. He wondered what would happen to her.
They led her into the library and prepared her a glass of wine before sitting around her and asking questions. Most were along the lines of from where do you come? Do you have family?
After an hour Elrond finally leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers lightly together just under his chin. The girl looked tired from the effort of trying to respond to all his questions, and but Glorfindel leaned forward. "Are you tired, aeir?"
She nodded.
Glorfindel smiled, and stood. "Then I suggest you get some rest before dinner, for I wish to show you around Lord Elrond's lovely abode."
Míriel raised her hand shyly, and as Glorfindel's larger one closed around it, she smiled and rose from her chair. Elrond rose as well, and bowed slightly to her as she passed. His eyes met Glorfindel's and he smiled slightly as they left the library.
~*~
Glorfindel noticed her eyes raking over every inch of Elrond's home as they went down one of the many corridors. He paused at a heavy wooden door along the way. "This is my chamber," he said softly. "I am close to yours, only four doors down. Come, we are almost there."
She nodded imperceptibly, and continued. When they finally reached her chamber, he explained that Elrond's chambers were one down on the left and the washroom was directly across from her own. She let go of his hand then, and went to Elrond's door, then to the washroom door, then walked back up the hall and to Glorfindel's door.
He nodded approvingly. "Good," he said. "Now you know where everything is. Let's go inside, and familiarize you with your surroundings."
He led her inside, then to all the furniture and the window, detailing everything they went to. He explained that at least two dresses would be made for her by morning, and she nodded with excitement in her eyes. She turned her face up to him, and offered a smile he could not help but return. Then, seconds later, she yawned.
Glorfindel laughed. "Forgive me, aeir," he said. "I get ahead of myself. You need to rest; I will see you soon, yes?"
She nodded again and walked slowly to the bed. Feeling for a moment around on the silken coverlet, she pulled it back and climbed inside. It did not take long for her eyes to close and minutes later, her even breathing belied she had slipped into sleep.
~*~
Screams tore through the Last Homely House and Elrond tore through the corridors at a dead sprint. He knew the voice, and where it came from; what he did not know was why she was screaming. Surely there was no orc or Warg or dragon in Imladris? Either way, pain from her desperate calls was searing through his mind like a hot iron, as if she were somehow inside his head shouting for him.
He burst into her room only to find her on the floor, crouched into as tight a ball as she could manage. The sheets were wrapped around her ankles and she was kicking at them as best she could while staying as close to the wall and floor as possible.
Immediately she was clinging to him as he whispered softly in her ear, telling her he was there and she was safe; as her sobs began to abate she reached up and placed her fingertips lightly on his forehead-
--and all went black.
Before he could register what was happening, a brilliance of colors exploded in his mind, and he found himself standing on a grassy knoll, watching as three young maidens on horseback frolicked through the fields. One had streaming blond hair, almost white, and a ready smile and musical laugh. Míriel, he realized.
The sun began to set, and one of the girls wanted to return, but Míriel adamantly refused and with a smile, rode off further from the other two girls, who protested. The all-to-familiar sound of shrieks met his ears, and he turned just in time to see a band of orcs rushing the hill towards the girls. They screamed and spurred their horses on, but Míriel was surrounded before she could reach the others.
"Go, go!" he heard her screaming to them. "Kerrë! Fetch Kerrë!" The two other girls, with terrified, desperate faces, spurred their horses away from the siege of their friend. Elrond tried to move his feet in an effort to help Míriel, but he found none of his limbs would function properly; indeed, not at all. He could not even shout as she was pulled from her horse.
He wanted to close his eyes as the orcs began to make sport of her, tearing first her clothes then her flesh as they raped her; he wanted to shout, to kill them, to make them stop hurting her. But he could do nothing.
As the stars began to appear, the clarity of the scene before him began to haze. Elrond. He heard his name somewhere, and suddenly, he could move. He opened his eyes and found Míriel lying limply in his arms and Glorfindel behind him, as well as Estel and the twins clinging wide-eyed to the blond elf's legs.
Chapter 3
The next morning the pitter-patter of the twins' bare feet pulled Glorfindel from his dreams into the bright sunlight streaming through his window. "Glorfi, wake up!" they cried together in excitement.
Glorfindel groaned as he rolled onto his stomach. His knuckles scraped the smooth stone floor, but he took no notice. His groans grew louder and more complainant as the twins proceeded to take the liberty of jumping up and down on his bed, with him still in it, until he got up.
"Aeiri!" he shouted, his head still fluttery from sleep. The twins halted their assault, and stared down at him with their large, round blue eyes. He rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes. "What is it?" he asked in a softer tone.
"Míriel is awake, and in the garden," Elladan said matter-of-factly. "She asked for you."
"She spoke?" Glorfindel nearly fell out of the bed in his rush to stand.
"Sort of," Elrohir answered, chewing on a fingernail. "She keeps saying your name over and over. That's it, nothing else."
"Go then, and tell her that I shall come." Glorfindel tripped over the sheets lying partly in the floor and somehow managed to catch himself at the last minute. He tugged on the same trousers he wore the previous day and another shirt, pulling his boots on as he ran. Sure enough she was in the garden, with Estel. He was patiently explaining to her how to play chess; she was sitting on the opposite side of the chessboard, listening carefully to his words. Elrond stood in the doorway of the pavilion, watching them.
Glorfindel paused beside his friend, and watched them for a moment. "Has she spoken?" he said softly.
"Once," Elrond said, looking at the blond elf. "She stumbled over your name.she has been sitting there with Estel for almost a half hour."
"He seems to keep her occupied," Glorfindel said with a smile.
Estel looked up as Elladan and Elrohir ran out to them, chattering that Glorfindel had come, and was standing with Elrond to the North of the Garden. At the sound of Glorfindel's name Míriel quickly stood and held out her hand, which Estel took hold of, and hurried her over to where Elrond and Glorfindel stood.
She skittered to a stop before them, and, seeming at a loss once she was there, fidgeted and clasped and unclasped her hands, staring at the ground. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, she raised her eyes.
"Hello, Míriel," Glorfindel said softly, stepping forward and extending his hand. She glanced down at it warily. He frowned. "I will not hurt you."
She furrowed her brow doubtfully; before she could do anything, however, twin pairs of hands clasped her own and she looked down, startled.
Elladan and Elrohir were grinning up at her, tugging on her hands. Estel stood behind Elladan, sucking his thumb with wide eyes. After a second, he tugged on her white shift and Míriel knelt down gracefully to the children's height and Estel whispered excitedly in her ear while the twins leaned on her to hear what their foster brother was saying. After a moment, Estel pulled away and Míriel nodded, then rose again to her feet.
"Glorr...Glorrfinndel." She struggled with the name, but did not stop. "Mm.Mírree-ell."
Glorfindel raised his eyebrows in surprise, and glanced at Elrond. "Very good, child," Elrond said in a soothing tone. "I am called Elrond." He paused, and upon seeing her understanding he continued. "This is Estel, and Elladan, and Elrohir. They are my children." He gestured to each child in turn.
Míriel smiled down at them, kneeling again and studying the faces of the twins intently. The boys stood still and let her eyes roam where they would, and when she was finished they would say their names to her again and she would nod. Then she turned to Estel and smiled softly at him, causing the little boy to blush furiously and wind his toe into the ground. Then, they all blushed furiously and, giggling, ran away. She tilted her head slightly, as if listening to them go, wearing a smile as she turned back to the elf lords. Then smile dropped from her face and she looked down, suddenly shy. This time, when Glorfindel raised his hand to lift her chin she did not flinch away, merely looked at him with more curiosity than fear in her face. "Glorrfinndel," she whispered. "Elllrrrond." "Glorrfinndel?"
"Yes, I am here," he responded.
Míriel looked up at the darker elf and studied him closely. With raised eyebrows, Elrond stepped closer.
"Come, Míriel," he said gently. "There is much we need to talk about, if you are ready."
Míriel's eyes moved from side to side, as if somehow trying to figure out what was going on, and he felt a wave of pity as he saw nothing but fear in her face. "You do not have to go if you are not ready, child."
She moved slightly closer to Glorfindel, and looked up at him with searching eyes.
"I think she wants you to decide for her, my old friend."
Glorfindel put his arm lightly around Míriel, and turned her slightly to face Elrond. "Come, child. It will be alright."
But would it? Glorfindel could not help but wonder. It was obvious that some wretched spell of the dragon had stolen not only her identity but also her memory-all of it. Poor child cannot even remember how to speak, he thought sadly. They could teach her how to speak again, surely, but where would she go from there? He knew Elrond would not turn her out, nor would he attempt to find her any other home if she did not wish it. He wondered what would happen to her.
They led her into the library and prepared her a glass of wine before sitting around her and asking questions. Most were along the lines of from where do you come? Do you have family?
After an hour Elrond finally leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers lightly together just under his chin. The girl looked tired from the effort of trying to respond to all his questions, and but Glorfindel leaned forward. "Are you tired, aeir?"
She nodded.
Glorfindel smiled, and stood. "Then I suggest you get some rest before dinner, for I wish to show you around Lord Elrond's lovely abode."
Míriel raised her hand shyly, and as Glorfindel's larger one closed around it, she smiled and rose from her chair. Elrond rose as well, and bowed slightly to her as she passed. His eyes met Glorfindel's and he smiled slightly as they left the library.
~*~
Glorfindel noticed her eyes raking over every inch of Elrond's home as they went down one of the many corridors. He paused at a heavy wooden door along the way. "This is my chamber," he said softly. "I am close to yours, only four doors down. Come, we are almost there."
She nodded imperceptibly, and continued. When they finally reached her chamber, he explained that Elrond's chambers were one down on the left and the washroom was directly across from her own. She let go of his hand then, and went to Elrond's door, then to the washroom door, then walked back up the hall and to Glorfindel's door.
He nodded approvingly. "Good," he said. "Now you know where everything is. Let's go inside, and familiarize you with your surroundings."
He led her inside, then to all the furniture and the window, detailing everything they went to. He explained that at least two dresses would be made for her by morning, and she nodded with excitement in her eyes. She turned her face up to him, and offered a smile he could not help but return. Then, seconds later, she yawned.
Glorfindel laughed. "Forgive me, aeir," he said. "I get ahead of myself. You need to rest; I will see you soon, yes?"
She nodded again and walked slowly to the bed. Feeling for a moment around on the silken coverlet, she pulled it back and climbed inside. It did not take long for her eyes to close and minutes later, her even breathing belied she had slipped into sleep.
~*~
Screams tore through the Last Homely House and Elrond tore through the corridors at a dead sprint. He knew the voice, and where it came from; what he did not know was why she was screaming. Surely there was no orc or Warg or dragon in Imladris? Either way, pain from her desperate calls was searing through his mind like a hot iron, as if she were somehow inside his head shouting for him.
He burst into her room only to find her on the floor, crouched into as tight a ball as she could manage. The sheets were wrapped around her ankles and she was kicking at them as best she could while staying as close to the wall and floor as possible.
Immediately she was clinging to him as he whispered softly in her ear, telling her he was there and she was safe; as her sobs began to abate she reached up and placed her fingertips lightly on his forehead-
--and all went black.
Before he could register what was happening, a brilliance of colors exploded in his mind, and he found himself standing on a grassy knoll, watching as three young maidens on horseback frolicked through the fields. One had streaming blond hair, almost white, and a ready smile and musical laugh. Míriel, he realized.
The sun began to set, and one of the girls wanted to return, but Míriel adamantly refused and with a smile, rode off further from the other two girls, who protested. The all-to-familiar sound of shrieks met his ears, and he turned just in time to see a band of orcs rushing the hill towards the girls. They screamed and spurred their horses on, but Míriel was surrounded before she could reach the others.
"Go, go!" he heard her screaming to them. "Kerrë! Fetch Kerrë!" The two other girls, with terrified, desperate faces, spurred their horses away from the siege of their friend. Elrond tried to move his feet in an effort to help Míriel, but he found none of his limbs would function properly; indeed, not at all. He could not even shout as she was pulled from her horse.
He wanted to close his eyes as the orcs began to make sport of her, tearing first her clothes then her flesh as they raped her; he wanted to shout, to kill them, to make them stop hurting her. But he could do nothing.
As the stars began to appear, the clarity of the scene before him began to haze. Elrond. He heard his name somewhere, and suddenly, he could move. He opened his eyes and found Míriel lying limply in his arms and Glorfindel behind him, as well as Estel and the twins clinging wide-eyed to the blond elf's legs.
