Eye of the Ice Dragon
by Elarin
rated NC-17 for flashbacks of rape, torture, and cruelty by evil and dark things in future chapters (so the Story Faerie has passed her doom upon the OC).
*
Chapter 2 | The Words We Speak
When the storm had faded away to a calm clear blue sky. Glorfindel, Elrond, and their new-found companion whom they named Telperiel, stepped out of the cave. Glorfindel had given her an extra tunic to wear and the girl was a humorous sight to look at wearing a man's tunic two sizes too large for her and her dissheveled hair tied back with a leather band Elrond had. They were still concerned for she had no boots and in walking she refused to wear Elrond's cloak, but she followed them nonetheless still looking at them curiously.
Ice glittered upon the trees like white jewels cast upon them as embellishment. The snow on the forest floor glowed white and the wind had calmed to a light cool breeze from the west as if a blessing. They trecked toward the east seeking the hidden Forest River that would lead them into Mirkwood. Blind as she was she seemed to know her way and where to step even as Elrond helped lead her.
She seemed to walk easily in the snow and for the most part she was silent as they travelled and seemed not to tire easily as if some strange endurance had grown in her from living out in the wild for so long. It seemed as if her feet did not numb from the snow nor her wounded leg drew her down and she kept up with the two elves as they headed toward the forest river. As they walked they stopped to drink from a mountain stream and Telperiel looked up at the sky squinting her silver blue eyes at the sun. Elrond smiled at the girl.
"What do you see, Telperiel?" He asked her in Quenya, even though she was blind. She pointed up to the sun with a smirk.
-alarima- she told him. Elrond looked up. Perhaps, he thought, she could see shapes and brightness and was not totally blind.
"Anor." he told her. Her smile grew and she blindly reached for a tree nearby her and turned her blind sight to it.
-catanye-
"Galadh." Glorfindel said exchanging a glance with Elrond. Could they learn her tongue? Or perhaps she could learn theirs. She stood up walking toward the stream, following the sound of trickling water and she placed her hands toward the water.
-laranenye- she said.
"Nen." Elrond told her. She fell to her knees and reached down to the snow, laughter in her voice.
-corfalas-
"Loss." Glorfindel said.
They spent their journey in this way and as evening came they had learned many words in her tongue and she had learned many in theirs. Unfortunately, due to her blindness she could only speak the words of what she felt not what she saw. Elrond winced at the thought of not being able to see, not the stars nor the trees, nor the beauty of what was around them. But it seemed that Telperiel made up for her sight for her sense of hearing seemed to be just as keen as their own.
Sometimes she would hum some song amid the silence. Sometimes she would look around her questioningly even though she could not see. Elrond led her through the knots and trails of the forests although it seemed she already knew where she stepped.
After the sun had set low and the stars began to shine like faded embers upon a darkening sky, they stopped for a moment as they neared the river to listen cautiously for anyone that would be following them or seeking the entrance into Thranduil's domain. Although it was guarded the two elves were still cautious.
"Ah! The stars shine brightly this night." Glorfindel said looking up. Elrond smiled at the other.
"Indeed they do." Telperiel's brow knitted in puzzlement.
-eleni?- she asked hearing Glorfindel utter the word 'stars' for it was a strange word to her. Elrond looked at her and both elves felt a pang of sadness and regret at her blindness.
"They are like the sun, Telperiel, but smaller and more beautiful." Elrond told her in his own tongue. She still seemed confused.
She then reached out for Glorfindel and her hands went up upon his face feeling for an identity.
-Glorfindel- she said with a smile. Elrond grinned looking at the bemused look on his friend. She then turned her hands toward Elrond's face and quietly said.
-Vanarie-
"And what does that mean, Telperiel?" Elrond asked her taking the girl's small hands into his looking at her pale face intently. 'She needs food,' he thought, 'and better garments.'
-Vanarie- she said with a small smile.
*
After another hour of walking in silence they had finally reached the river and three golden haired elves had been waiting for them, with two boats. One of them Glorfindel immediately recognized. Clad in green garb and a grey woven cloak was the son of Thranduil. "Legolas! How fares your father's wood?" Glorfindel greeted him. Legolas, prince of Mirkwood smiled at the elder elf and bowed toward Elrond. "I would like to say 'well,' my lords, but I fear a great ill has awakened that we may not speak of here." Legolas told him gravely, "Though we are much honored that you have come!" He managed a smile then his gaze turned to the girl who was being led by Elrond. "If I may ask, my lords, who is this mortal child you bring with you?" The two elves exchanged brief glances.
"We call her Telperiel, we do not know her name, we found her in a cave in Ered Mithrin." Elrond said careful not to mention the mithril knowing Thranduil's whim for mining.
"She is blind," Glorfindel added, "And she speaks a tongue that we do not know of." Legolas raised an eyebrow as his two men pulled the boats in.
"If she is your ward then she is welcome, though I cannot say what my father will think of it."
Elrond laughed easily.
"Fear not, Legolas," Elrond told him, "For Thranduil's irritation with a mortal entering his realms will soon turn to idle teasing when he sees that it is Glorfindel and I with her." Legolas smiled but his look was still dubious.
"If you say so, my lord." Legolas told him as they loaded the boats. Telperiel seemed slightly hesistant realizing she had stepped into water but Elrond gently chided her and she finally came aboard but stayed close to the two she had come to know. Elrond covered the girl with his cloak once more and the three elven vessels began to drift down toward Mirkwood.
"You found her in a cave?" Legolas asked after a while.
-mennalye?- She asked hearing the other elf's voice.
"Legolas." Glorfindel told her.
-Legolas?- She asked turning toward the other in question.
"Does she understand Sindaren?" Legolas asked them bewildered. There were few among men who understood the elvish tongue.
"That is a puzzle to us, mellon." Glorfindel told the other, "We are not sure whether she does or she does not for her tongue almost sounds as ours does but yet it is not our tongue at all."
"Neither do we know where she comes from." Elrond added looking at her.
-aiglos- she said softly as if in respose to his comment. Now the three elves looked at her as she spoke a word in Sindaren they had not taught her.
"Ice?" Legolas asked, "She comes from the ice?"
Elrond looked at the mortal girl covered in his large heavy cloak clearly puzzled.
*
Gandalf peered out of one of the many balconies that potruded to the outside forest from Thranduil's cave. He idly puffed on his pipe his dark eyes looking over the Forest River from under the shadow of his hat. 'Why do I sense something familiar yet strange?' the old Istari glanced up at the stars above twinkling past the woven trees and the growing crescent moon. Many of the elves had retired to sleep and some of the guards were changing upon their watch. Gandalf was here because he had sensed the shadow growing in Mirkwood and he knew that Thranduil was seeking his aid but did not know where to find him. Of course Gandalf was infamous for his unexpected visits, expecially in times he was most needed. The shadow of Dol Guldur had not been lifted, on the contrary, the dark power only grew acting as a medium from its source of darkness in Mordor.
A movement in the river caught his eyes bringing his thoughts back to where he was. Legolas had returned, it seemed, along with the guests from Rivendell. Gandalf smiled looking down seeing Elrond and Glorfindel among them. Thranduil, dressed in his robes of dark greens and embroidered gold greeted them warmly but the elf king's gaze became curious toward the guest that Elrond brought with them it seemd.
Gandalf squinted, turning his gaze toward the elf king's focus. A young mortal girl clad in Elrond's heavy cloak with no shoes and a treated wound done by the elf lord's hand. Her hair was long and in dissarray and she seemed bewildered with the voices around her. Suddenly the echo of a dark memory went through his mind's eye and Gandalf saw the Witch King of Angmar place his ring given to him by Sauron upon his finger.
ni ghash angul thraka-Lugburz ishi ghasha-hai!… agh burzum-ishi krimpatul…!
Gandalf shook the feeling away from him dropping his pipe with a thud upon the floor. He stared back down at the pale faced girl whom Elrond led with him as they entered Thranduil's Halls.
The old wizard picked up his pipe and the feeling of an ill portent passing through him. He had not a clue where Elrond found this child, but he did have a silent idea of whence she came, and the thought troubled him.
*
"Always taking in mortal wards aren't you, Lord Elrond?" Thranduil asked him in good humor but his look turned serious, "And how fares Gilraean, and Estel?" He added in question. They walked into the halls, it was naught like dwarf halls, for vines and night blooming flowers glowed white and upon every wall there were fair carvings and tapestries of old stories and songs. Other elves were about, many of them minding their duties or talking softly to one another.
"They are well," Elrond said, "Estel is quickly beginning to gain elvish features from Elladan and Elrohir."
"I would not doubt that he admires them much." Thranduil smiled, a few younger elvish servants came toward them carrying clothing. "Alas! We shall speak more after, I would have you wash up and change into something more comfortable." Elrond glanced worriedly at Telperiel whom he led along.
"Fear not, my lord," said a young elvish lady who stood by him, "I will lead her and help her bathe and change into this gown." Elrond placed Telperiel's hand into the servant's whose name was Lyra.
"Go with her, Telperiel." Elrond told her soothingly, "I shall see you later."
But worry crossed her features and she turned to blindly clutch to Elrond.
-nariye ona anirim, Vanarie- She said to Elrond with some fear.
"I doubt she will leave us now." Glorfindel said.
"What tongue is that?" Thranduil asked them curiously raising an eyebrow.
"We do not know." Glorfindel told him as Elrond seeked to soothe the mortal girl who did not want to leave them.
"You have the tendency to find the strangest of things." Thranduil told him but not in insult nor in jest. Legolas watched some good humor in his gaze as Elrond finally managed to tear her away from him and finally into Lyra's hands.
"Noro! Noro!" Elrond said laughingly with a smile. It seemed that hearing laughter calmed her and she finally took leave with the elven maid.
"Indeed," said a voice from behind them. They turned to see Mithrandir clad in his usual grey robes and hat and clutching his twisted staff upon his left hand, "You did find a strange thing."
"Have you an answer to our puzzle, Mithrandir?" asked Glorfindel with a smile.
"No and yes." He replied earning a questioning look from all four of the elves. Gandalf smiled at them.
"Lord Thranduil is right though, go and change, rest up a while then we shall discuss all these things! For you have found a strange thing that even I myself would know not of though I suppose to every question there is an answer."
*
"You are pretty for a mortal girl." Lyra said to the girl in a friendly tone as she dried her hair. She had silver blue eyes and pale skin from being too long within a cave. Lyra frowned after she had discarded the girl's old rags. She was much too skinny. 'Ah, well, nothing a good meal cannot fix.' Lyra thought. She was growing fond of her. The little girl was but a bud, in the prime of adolescence in mortal years yet acted with the curiousity of an elvish child. 'It is a terrible pity that she is blind,' Lyra thought but began to learn that the girl found comfort in voices so she did not waste too much time on her thoughts.
"I have found a gown your size," Lyra said with light heartedness in her voice, "It is white and embroidered with silver flowers, and has a silken robe to go over it and I also have a pair of slippers of grey velvet woven in Lothlorien."
-Lothlorien- the girl repeated quietly in a dreamy tone as if she liked the word a lot. –Lothlorien-
Lyra smiled and began singing a song to her as she combed through her long dark hair, a song she had sang to her sisters when they had been small in elven years.
…and the flowers bloom like silver stars and golden hue upon the fields of Cerin Amroth, where breezes sing by glimmer'ng dew upon the early morn, and through the halls of the woven forests of glowing grey mallorn there lives a lady fair, light lies within her sky blue eyes and white golden is her hair…
The elven maid was satisfied to see the mortal girl smiling at the calming song.
"Hmm… I shall have to braid your hair."
-mannalye?- asked the mortal to the elf maid. Lyra raised an eyebrow.
"Lyra." she replied. 'Perhaps she learned some Sindaren from the two elf lords.' Lyra decided.
-Lyra- the girl said quietly. Lyra laughed lightly at her puzzled expression and continued working with her hair.
*
Elrond had finished his bath and changed into the robes Thranduil offered him quicker than Glorfindel had. He wore a pair of dark blue robes and tied his forlocks back. He was worried about Telperiel, wondering if she had fleed from the elven maid. But as soon as he stepped out from his room it was Gandalf who was waiting for him.
"Where did you find her?" Gandalf asked the elf lord suddenly a dark seriousness in his eyes. Elrond quickly regained himself recovering from the surprise to seeing Gandalf there. 'More silent than elves he can be when he wants to.' Elrond thought inwardly.
"In Ered Mithrin, on our way here, within a cave."
"You left something untold to Thranduil, and I would hear it." Gandalf demanded, "I only mean well." He added.
Elrond sighed, "That I know. Glorfindel and I found a trove of mithril in that cave but it has not been touched by any dwarves."
"Was it a hidden cave?"
"I would not call it so, for we found it quite easily." Gandalf sighed.
"Walk with my a while, Lord Elrond, there is something strange about that girl."
"Indeed, she speaks a tongue not common for elves nor men, Mithrandir." Elrond told him as they walked toward the inner gardens of Thranduil's halls, "Do you know it?" Gandalf hissed a sigh.
"Alas! I do not but her presence troubles me." The other said quietly.
Elrond raised an eyebrow but his look was concerned,
"And what trouble does she bring?"
Gandalf only shook his head his gaze turning in yet looking afar.
*
AN: -sigh- my Story Faerie has evil things planned… I like it not…