~Ok, heres the deal. You read the story, only if you promise to review
afterwards! Nothings free in life, but the only price for reading this is a
review. Besides, it's a nice thing to do, everyone likes getting reviews.
Don't u? I am standing by my word that there are no errors in this story. I
have read and have a deep understanding of the trilogy, also I own several
other interpretive books, such as a guide to middle earth by Robert Foster,
and excellent piece of literature that gave me much of the information for
my story. So if u think there's a mistake in this story, you're wrong!
Unless it's spelling and grammar. I ain't a good English person. That's it,
finally. So hurry up and read the story!~
Alana was a young girl of thirteen years. She was a special person. Not in her looks, for she was quite plain in that category; blond hair, green eyes that turned a deep aqua when she was angry (that happened once in a blue moon), and a pretty face, not beautiful, but pretty. It wasn't that she rarely showed emotion, a slight smile or frown sufficed, or that she was small in stature, a sight that betrayed how strong she really was.
It was in the fact that she was unable to hear and talk.
Alana could read lips easily enough, and was a whiz at picking up body language. She could follow a conversation between two people, and if one of them knew ASL, or even if they didn't, she could join in with her own opinions. For she had been born into a silent world and never what music or anger sounded like. And she never lashed out at people, often because she didn't have any friends.
There were the odd people that took the time to stop her in her school halls, make sure she was looking at them, and then ask a common question. Such as "how are you doing?" She would answer with a thumbs up like she always did, then smile faintly and continue walking. She would walk until she found an unobtrusive corner in her school, and sit down with the prize that she constantly carried with her.
For there was only one thing that could bring the child out of her silent world. She would sit quietly, and bury her nose in a book. Allowing her imagination to take her into a bright universe of song and dance, of danger and heroes, of love found and lost. There was something about her when she read, something that clicked. She was no longer a little deaf'n'dumb girl in a large school, she was watching the prince kill the dragon and rescue the princess, then sweep her away to his kingdom.
Then her watch would vibrate, and she would see that the school bell had just rung, and she must get to her next class. She would put her book away, and re-enter the drab world that she lived in.
It was math that she hated. The teacher had a slight problem with facing the blackboard when he spoke. And if he spoke with his back to the class while he worked on a problem, she would not be able to read his lips and hence not know what in the lords all holy name he was doing. It was extremely frustrating, for he strongly believed that Alana should be going to a special school for people with special needs, not making his job all the more difficult by asking him to constantly repeat things. So he never gave her any other attention then he gave the other students. Alana believed that she should also be going to a different school, but her parents were not the kinds of people who let her back down from a challenge.
When they had realized that their newborn daughter would be permanently unable to use two of her senses, they had vowed that she would lead as normal a life as everyone else. But it is easier for the people, who have never experienced something, to talk lightly of it. For Alana, her life was meant to be normal, but because her parents pushed her so hard to try and be normal, she found herself giving up. She didn't try to make friends, didn't offer to do something with anyone. She kept to herself, in her own silent world.
~*~
Alana was bent over her homework in her room. She was pushing the buttons on her calculator harder then she had to, but the algebra was frustrating. It was darn near impossible!! Her other classes weren't anywhere near this hard, then she had to remember that her other teachers helped her as much as they could. She hit the addition button quite hard, imagining it was her math teachers' head. She hit it again, and at the same time felt a presence behind her. Alana turned to see her pristine mother staring down at her. She watched her mothers' lips carefully. Alana's mother never talked to her daughter using sign language, because to her and her husband, there was nothing wrong with their daughter. They treated her like they would treat any other child.
"How was school?"
Alana knew what was expected of her, and gave her mother the customary thumbs up sign. She was not allowed to do anything else, for there were no challenges in her life. It was the people who had cancer or other life threatening diseases that had challenges in their life.
Alana's mom, Mrs. Whit, strode out of the room. Her daughter watched her go, realizing once again that her parents asked questions out of formality, nothing else. She turned back to her math.
~*~
It was very dark that night. Alana was looking out her bedroom window into the ravine behind her house. The pane was open, allowing the breeze to enter and cool the teenagers' temper. She was back to her math. It was nearing midnight, and she knew her parents were in bed, but she could not have anything to eat until her homework was complete and correct. Tears of frustration ran down her cheeks and dripped onto the algebra.
Then she sat bolt upright, springing toward the ceiling and pushing her chair over with a loud clatter. Her hands started to tremble. Then it happened again. She heard something. It came floating up from the canyon. Her tears disappeared and sweat from terror broke out.
The sound was beautiful and frightening. She could not identify it, for it was the first sound she had heard in her entire life. Someone was singing.
Curiosity overrode her terror, and picking up a sweatshirt, she climbed out her window and landed silently on the ground. Moving to the south, she heard the sound getting louder. She smiled at the tinkling melody.
Alana hopped from one rock to another, but she dropped to one knee quickly as she felt something fly over her head. Her knee cracked painfully on the granite. She looked up and saw a bird alight on a branch. She stood up, and ignoring the twinge in her knee, continued on.
The singing got closer, until she peered between two branches, and saw an ethereal being sitting on a rock. She was wearing an old style white dress, but the fabric didn't seem to be of this world, as it gave off a soft blue glow. She was singing to a bird perched on her finger.
Alana gasped at the beauty of the woman. The being turned to look at her and Alana saw a sliver crown perched on her head. The beautiful face spread into a kind and gentle smile.
"Welcome child"
A shiver went up her spine. The woman's voice seemed to be as godlike as her presence.
"I need you child"
Alana's eyebrows perked. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Disappointment burned within her, she still could not talk. The woman's smile turned to one of sympathy.
"You will help me child"
Alana moved to ask a question the way she had been for the past few years, her hands, when the ethereal being lifted a hand.
"No child, it will make sense in its own time"
Confusion swam in her eyes, before they closed, moved by a power beyond mortal comprehension. She felt the world tilt, and tried to move her body into a position so that when it fell she wouldn't be hurt too badly. But she never landed.
~*~
When Alana awoke, it was no longer night. She listened hard, and found that once again, she was deaf. But then she realized something else. She couldn't sense things anymore. Normally she could sense objects and movements, but this time, she couldn't. And she didn't know where she was. Nothing looked familiar. Alana stood up from the soft ground.
Turning slowly in a full circle, she surveyed the soundless scene. It was a forest that much was obvious by all the trees. And the plants. Lots of green. Alana looked around desperately for the women, but there was no sign of her. She twisted around until she was sure that she had seen every part of the woodland. With a sigh of annoyance, she decided to climb a tree and see how large this forest was. But then she looked at the tree, and saw it would be much harder to actually climb the thing.
~*~
Narbeleth silently moved through the trees, his arrow already strung on the bow. He was hunting a deer for the feast that was set for the next night. The stag was listening to the wind, its ears perked. Then it pawed the ground anxiously, its keen ears twitching. The elf realized that the animal had picked up a strange sent, as it was staying stalk still.
Fearing that orcs might be about, he moved his intense eyes around the forests trunks. They picked up nothing out of the ordinary. He looked to the deer again, and saw it was gone. Cursing his ill fortune, Narbeleth moved forward, determined to find the source of his lost preys uneasiness.
~*~
Alana jumped one last time for the branch. Her fingers missed it and once again she landed on her sore knee. It jarred and jolted painfully. Growling in annoyance, she stamped her foot. Turning around with her arms crossed she looked through the tree trunks, trying to estimate how long the forest went on for.
Narbeleth landed silently behind the invader, an arrow notched on his drawn bow. The tip pointing dangerously close to the girls' neck.
"Speak your intentions human"
The human, however, didn't react. She continued to stare off into the distance. The elf repeated his command and again, the person didn't say anything. To his utter amazement, she moved a step back, almost impaling herself on his arrow. He was forced to take a step back, but she had felt the tip on her neck, and had spun around with a gasp. A hand immediately went up to the back of her neck, searching with a touch for anything that was wrong.
He asked her what she was doing here, in the woods near Rivendell, but she continued to stare at him. Openmouthed and with more then terror showing plainly in her eyes, the girl gaped.
Alana knew what was standing before her, she had read the lord of the rings trilogy dozens of times, she had memorized it. The series were her favorite books, for J.R.R. Tolkien wrote great descriptive scenes, and Alana had no trouble imagining herself in Middle Earth. Except, now she was in middle Earth, staring at an elf. Excitement ran wild through her veins, banishing most, but not all, of her fear.
She reached out slowly, and touched the hard arm of the elf. A smile came over her face.
Narbeleth watched her carefully; lowering his arrow after she hesitantly touched his arm. He didn't feel threatened by her in the least. She was after all, obviously mad. The girl was grinning like a complete fool and touching his arm. She still had not made a sound.
He took her hand, and looked into her eyes.
"What are you doing here lady?"
Her smile shrank. Her eyes squinted at his face, then her other hand came up to try and feel his pointed ears. His other hand caught hers, and asked his question again, this time with more force. She had been watching his lips however, and responded with a shrug. He raised an eyebrow.
"What is your name lady?"
Alana tried to take one of her hands out of his grasp so she could sign it to him, but he held on tight. She shot him an annoyed look, and tried again to pull her hands free. This time he let go, albeit cautiously. He watched her in confusion as her hands flew through the air in quick gestures, before she gave him a smile.
Yes, he thought, she most certainly is mad. Telling her to follow him, the elf moved back toward Rivendell. Alana watched the elf move off, she had not read his lips, for she was looking at the clothes he wore, forest greens in the forms of leggings, shirt and tunic, and not his face. But when he left. She felt like she had no choice but to follow, wondering excitedly if the one ring had been destroyed yet.
Narbeleth checked over his shoulder every now and then to make sure she was still following, and wondered how Lord Elrond was going to figure her out.
~*~
The lord himself was talking to two of his sons. Estel the ranger, and Elrohir, twin brother to Elladan. The other twin was returning from a long visit to his grandmother in Lothlorien. He was due to arrive home the next night, and a surprise feast would be waiting for him. A polite knock came on the door. Looking up, Elrond bade the person to enter. Narbeleth did so, giving a respectful nod of his head to the three occupants of the room as he shut the door.
"* My lords, I found a human girl wandering in the forest *"
The two elves and the man leaned forward in interest. Estel frowned in confusion.
"* She was just, wandering? *"
Narbeleth chewed his bottom lip, trying to find the right way to say what he thought about the human he had 'found'. Elrohir knew his friend well, and gave him some encouragement.
"* Just spit it out Narby *"
Smiling, the elf spoke out that he thought the girl was out of her mind. The other three frowned in confusion, and Narby quickly recounted the meeting, and the several hours of walking back to Rivendell, in which the girl had not answered any of his questions. Elrond stroked his chin reflectively.
"* She was silent this entire time? *"
Narbeleth nodded his agreement. Elrond nodded pensively, before he stood up and moved toward the closed door.
"* Is she in the foyer? *"
"* She should be my lord, but her eyes like to wander, especially around the beauty of Rivendell. She might have drifted off *"
The lord nodded, smiling at the thought of someone else enjoying the splendor of his kingdom. He opened the door and left.
Elrohir and Estel, their interest piqued, followed after their father. But as Narbeleth had predicted, the teenager was not in the foyer, nor was Elrond. The two went out one of the many doors leading off the lobby; unfortunately, it was the one that the lord had not gone down when he had followed Alana. Narbeleth went off to his room to relax.
Elrond watched the newcomer from an arch behind her. She was staring over the balcony railing at the surrounding land. He cleared his throat to alert her to his presence, but as he expected, she didn't react. Smiling slightly, the Elvin lord moved forward and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. Once again, she did the expected. She jumped a good foot high in the air, only Elrond's other hand keeping her on the balcony and not over it. She placed a hand over her racing heart. Breathing deeply, she scowled slightly at the smiling Elvin lord. She recognized him as Elrond, but didn't know how to proceed. She brought her hands up to ask a question, but brought them back down shyly when she remembered that no one in middle earth knew American Sign Language. The gesture was not missed by the other person on the terrace. Lord Elrond maneuvered himself into her direct line of sight and tried something that had worked on one of his old Elvin friends.
He spoke quietly and clearly, pronouncing each word accurately. Alana read it clearly.
"How are you feeling lady?"
She smiled at his concern and that he had called her a lady; and gave a thumbs up sign. The Elf was pleased that his idea worked. Ceredic, one of his oldest friends, had hit his head hard when they were younger, and he had lost his hearing for several centuries. Until his Elvin healing abilities had corrected the defect. During that time Ceredic had learned to read lips, something that had amazed Elrond then and still did now.
She blushed when he continued to stare at her. His gaze made her uncomfortable. He tapped her on the shoulder, made sure she realized that he wanted to ask a question, and then spoke clearly.
"What is your name?"
She cocked her head to one side, trying to think of how to tell him. Smiling brightly, she reached for his hand. Slightly confused, but willing, he allowed her to turn his hand until his palm was up. Taking her index finger, she carefully wrote the latter A in the palm of his hand. She looked up into his eyes, searching for understanding. He said the letter out loud and her smile widened. She wrote the letter L, and he repeated it.
Estel and Elrohir watched as their father said her name.
"A.l.a.n.a.Alana?"
She grinned like a little schoolgirl and clapped twice. He smiled in understanding. Then looked over to his two sons.
"*Alana is deaf, so make sure she is looking at you when you talk *"
Then he pointed to the other two people, then back to her. And he was gone. Alana looked around, trying to see where the lord had gone.
"He does that a lot"
Estel explained, but then realized that she had not heard him.
"* This will be difficult *"
Elrohir told his brother. Aragorn nodded. He moved forward to touch her arm and get her attention. She jumped back, hitting her knee against the balcony railing. Hissing in pain, she moved a hand to her injured leg. Grimacing slightly, she shot a scowl at Aragorn for startling her. He moved back at bit with his hands raised in defense and innocence. Her head tilted to the side as she recognized him as the Ranger.
Her smile came back as she looked behind him and saw one of the twin sons of Elrond. Which one she didn't know, but he was defiantly one of them. Elrohir saw she was staring at him, and thought that perhaps she was waiting for him to say something.
"Would you like a tour?"
He asked, mimicking his fathers' words, clear and punctuated. Her face lighted up, and she nodded eagerly. Elrohir moved forward gracefully and took her hand, she blushed brightly. The elf and man noticed, but said nothing as they moved off toward the other side of the Elvin kingdom. ~*~
Elrond sat down to dinner with a sigh. He looked over at his two sons trying to explain what food lay in front of Alana. She was starving, but she refused to eat food unless she could identify it fully. Many of the elves were talking of the feast the next night. Alana tried to read their lips, but all of them were talking in Elvish, and she didn't do much more then confuse herself.
She turned slightly to face Estel. She tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at the rest of the elves. He did what every other elf had done to her since she had arrived, misunderstand her.
"They're elves"
He said hesitantly, not knowing what she was asking. She rolled her eyes in obvious irritation. She put her hand to her mouth and moved it away, the obvious ASL sign for talking. He bit his lip.
"Your welcome?"
She hit her head on her hand. Elrond chuckled. She tried one last time. She pantomimed talking, moving her arms and such, and then shrugged. Estel gave her a blank look. Sighing heavily, Alana glumly put her chin in the palm of her hand. At first she had thought that living in the series would be fun, taking nothing seriously. Now, it was starting to sink in. She was in Middle Earth, surrounded by elves that couldn't understand her. An image of her parents flashed through her mind, of school, of her life before this. A tear escaped down her cheek.
Her eyes closed, and suddenly, she heard it again. Her eyes shot open, and her head came off her hand. Several elves stopped talking. She shot her head around wildly, trying to find the singing.
"Alana?"
Aragorn moved to put an arm around her shoulder but she jumped up, bumping the table. All conversation stopped. She turned violently in a circle. Elrohir stood up as well, but the human was already racing out the door.
"Alana!"
He called out, knowing she couldn't hear him.
"*Go after her!*"
Aragorn and Elrohir did as their father commanded and sprinted after her. Narbeleth was walking to dinner when he was bowled over by a deaf girl. She landed hard on him, driving her elbow into his ribs and winding him. Then she was up, racing again. Narby rolled onto his stomach and watched her nearly take out a statue.
Estel and Elrohir arrived in time to see Narbeleth getting off the ground, and Alana stop. She appeared to be listening for something. Then she was off again, her legs pounding the ground as she followed the sound of something only she could hear.
"* What is she doing? *"
Narby asked as he joined the chase. The other two shook their heads. Alana broke out into a clearing. There, sitting on a log, was the being again. She was playing a harp of silver and singing.
"Child"
She smiled sweetly and placed the harp beside her. She patted the side of the log, indicating that Alana should sit. She did so, breathing hard.
"Look at me child"
Alana did, her eyes still wet, and saw that the lady's eyes were silver.
"It is almost time"
She moved a hand to brush some of Alana's hair off her face; the touch was as cold as ice. The human stood, and the lady smiled once more before she disappeared in a shower of silver dust. Alana swayed.
"* Where did she go? *"
Elrohir asked, swiftly looking around the trails of Rivendell. Aragorn glanced to the ground and raced off down one of the trails. The two elves followed him. They saw Alana standing up through the trees. She was beside a log, then, she was falling. Estel lunged forward in a vain attempt to catch her, but the lady fell out of his reach. She hit her head hard on a rock, and lay still.
Breathless, the trio knelt beside her, Elrohir feeling her neck for breaks, while Aragorn made sure she was still breathing. Narbeleth's eyes roamed over the clearing. He took an involuntary step back, nearly tripping over his friends.
"* The Harp of Elbereth *"
He whispered. Hearing him, the twin son of Elrond looked up, but the musical instrument had vanished, just as the god who had played it. The children of the elves exchanged glance. Then looked down at the girl.
~*~
Elrond massaged his temples wearily. It was dawn and the child had still not awoken. She had been brought back, unconscious, by his ranger son. She was lying on the bed in front of him. Silently sleeping in a silent world.
And to add to that, one of his trusted elves had seen the harp of the most powerful god in Elvin mythology. He massaged harder. Then his keen eyes caught something that he hadn't noticed before. High up on Alana's cheek, there was a sparkle of some kind.
Intrigued, he brought a finger up to run along her cheek. Pulling it away, he gasped at the silver teardrop. Hyperventilating, he recognized the mark of Elbereth. She stirred in her sleep, moving restlessly. Picking up the hem of his robe, the lord ran off to his library, telling the first elf he saw to watch over the sleeping human.
BindBale, who was unfortunately the first elf Elrond had seen, sighed in annoyance and moved into the girls' room. Out of all the elves in Rivendell, he was the only one who felt strongly in his dislike for humans. He sat down in a chair opposite the girl, wondering what it was about her that had caused the Lord to run out in such a hurry.
He got up and moved out to the balcony, watching the sun rise on the day that had been eagerly expected by many. Today, Elrohirs' twin brother was coming back from his 6-month stay with his Grandmother, The lady of the light in Lothlorien. He heard a sound behind him, and BindBale turned in time to see a flash of light go off. His eyebrows drew together in confusion as he moved toward her bed. She was sleeping peacefully. He looked around once. Then moved back to his old seat and sat down with a book he pulled from his tunic. He could not have known that the silver teardrop had vanished from the sleeping girls face.
~*~
Elrohir knocked carefully on his fathers study. There was a grunt of approval for him to enter, and the elf did, bearing his tray of fruit. He placed the ornate tray on a side table and looked over his fathers shoulder. Elrond was very busy reading a chapter on the Elvin Gods. Specifically on one named Elbereth. She was the Goddess of wisdom and life, an ethereal being in silver.
"* Father, why are you reading that? *"
The lord leaned back against his chair. He wiped his hands tiredly down his face.
"* I saw the mark of Elbereth on Alana's cheek this morning *"
Elrohir's eyebrows met in confusion.
"* But, my lord, Estel and I were just up there visiting her, we saw no such thing *" The ruler of Imladris looked up sharply.
"* We went up to see if she was awake yet, poor Aragorn blames himself for not being fast enough to catch her, he blames himself for her fall. So we went up, and BindBale was reading in a corner, upon seeing us, he quickly presented her as our charge for the day, and left quite hurriedly. Estel waits with her. I came- *"
But Elronds mind was quick and sharp. He clapped a hand on his sons shoulder and moved toward the door. With his child behind him, he moved toward the guest rooms at a quick pace.
Aragorn turned around when the door was opened. He was staring out into the woods from the window, waiting patiently for his foster brother. Elrond nodded to him, but moved toward Alana. He saw then, that the mark was truly gone. Doubt festered in his mind. Had he truly seen it?
"* Father? *"
Aragorn questioned, moving closer. But his parent shook his head, and moved away.
"* Since she has not waken all day, I fear the wound may not be what we expected *"
His sons looked at him in confusion. He sighed heavily.
"* She will be alright, and she will waken when she is ready, for the gods have placed their blessing on this child *"
Elrond left the room to await the arrival of his third son.
"*You speak in riddles *"
Elrohir whispered at his fathers retreating form. Only Estel heard him.
~*~
The joyous horns sounded at mid-afternoon. Elves came out in large groups to welcome home their prince, and the Lothlorien elves that had escorted him. Elrond clasped hands warmly with Haldir, thanking him for returning his son to him safely. The other responded that his presence was not really required, for the lords son was very skilled with his weapons.
Elrohir stood with Aragorn behind his father. They waited, albeit impatiently, for their brother. He dismounted at the foot of the crowd, and passing the reins to another, walked regally through the throng. All those that looked into his eyes saw implanted there a deep wisdom and understanding, but of what they couldn't tell. He moved up to his father and bowed low.
"* My Lord, I have returned *"
His father smiled with pride at the change in his son. The young elf he had sent off was still there, somewhere in the person that stood before him. But overshadowing that presence was the gift that his son had been borne with. A gift that had been nurtured and shaped by the caring hands of the Lady of Light, for she also shared the gift his son had inherited.
He placed a hand on his sons shoulder, and saw something in Elladans eyes that flickered, before it vanished, too quick for even the Lord himself to be aware of what he saw. He removed his hand, and a slight wrinkle was on his forehead, because there was a feeling that he had gotten from his son, something that was there before he left, but was now gone.
"* Let us go then, for a feast has been prepared for you, my son. Prince Elladan of Rivendell. *"
His other two sons grabbed their brothers' arms and ran off with him to the tables. It was then that Elrond realised what his son had lost. No longer could Lord Elrond sense something that had always been with his son, from the time he was a babe until he had left for Lothlorien. Elladan had lost his innocence. And this troubled Elrond severely.
~*~
The Elves sang and danced, laughed and ate that evening. Elrond forgot his troubles for a time, and laughed and sang with the rest of his kindred. Haldir was telling a humorous tale of Elladans first days in Lothlorien that had the whole table in an uproar. The person, who the tale centred on, took the embarrassing story in his stride, for though he smiled with the rest of them, the laughter never reached his blue eyes. Only his family noticed.
When the tables were cleared, and the dancing started in earnest, Estel pulled his brother to the side.
"* What is it that ails you brother? *"
Elrohir joined them.
"* I sense something powerful here, a presence that awes me with its supremacy, but I cannot find it *"
Elladan was looking around even as he spoke, and the other two could not make much sense of his words. For they had not had dealings with the Gift.
"* Is it Fathers ring? *"
Estel asked, referring to the most powerful of the rings created, Vilya, which their father wore. But Elladan was clearly agitated.
"* No, it is something more, something bigger. *"
"* Could it be- *"
Elrohir had whispered to his younger foster brother, yet his twin heard and turned to face him. Estel nodded that it might be, and he pulled his brothers with him up to the guest rooms.
They entered quietly, for she was still asleep. Elladans eyes were very large, and there was a slight hesitancy about him. Elrohir and Aragorn did not understand, but their brother told them to wait by the door. They did, more awed by the fact that they had heard their brothers' voice in their heads, then anything else. Elladan truly was gifted strongly with his grandmother's powers.
He moved forward, until he was beside her bed. Kneeling so his chest was equal with the mattress, he tentatively raised a hand to touch her bare hand.
Images burst unto him. Too fast and too jumbled for him to understand. With an effort, he calmed them, staying on the outer limits of her mind. Being careful not to get too close. He blanketed her mind with calm, slowing down her thoughts so he could read them. But her mind could not be halted, or even slowed, and they remained a whirlwind of colour and sensation. The power of her astonished and frightened him. He tried again. And was able to catch a glimpse of something, but then it was gone and his connection broken, as her eyes snapped open.
She jumped away from him instantly, fully awake. Estel and Elrohir moved forward quickly. She fell from the bed, but was up and pushing against the wall faster then anyone thought possible. She was shaking violently and her eyes were huge. Her breath came in rapid gulps. Elrohir moved to calm her, speaking reassurances that he knew she couldn't hear, and held her as her trembles moved through him. Estel moved to his brother, gripping him by the shoulders and looking into his shocked eyes.
"* What has happened here? *"
Elrond asked, in a terrible voice. The others save Alana looked up to see their father standing in the doorway with Haldir behind him. Elladan removed his younger brother's hands from his shoulders and stood to face the Lord.
"* Father, do you know who that girl is? *"
Elrond remained silent, studying the scene.
"* Father, she has seen the gods *"
Elronds' eyes, along with those of the other elves snapped to Elladan.
"* I saw, in her mind. She was talking to Elbereth *"
Alana buried her head in the comfort of Elrohirs' shoulder. She felt violated. Someone had been in her, aware of her thoughts in ways that she had never deemed feasible. Someone had connected to her in an extremely personal and private way. Her quaking did not cease, and there was absolute silence in the household of Elrond, Lord of Imladris.
~Ok dokey, so that's that. A review would be great payment for you reading my hard work. I had to read the trilogy again to refresh my memory. Then I had to sit at my computer and think for about two months. Review damn you! I might carry on with another chapter. If I get enough feedback. *Hint*~
Alana was a young girl of thirteen years. She was a special person. Not in her looks, for she was quite plain in that category; blond hair, green eyes that turned a deep aqua when she was angry (that happened once in a blue moon), and a pretty face, not beautiful, but pretty. It wasn't that she rarely showed emotion, a slight smile or frown sufficed, or that she was small in stature, a sight that betrayed how strong she really was.
It was in the fact that she was unable to hear and talk.
Alana could read lips easily enough, and was a whiz at picking up body language. She could follow a conversation between two people, and if one of them knew ASL, or even if they didn't, she could join in with her own opinions. For she had been born into a silent world and never what music or anger sounded like. And she never lashed out at people, often because she didn't have any friends.
There were the odd people that took the time to stop her in her school halls, make sure she was looking at them, and then ask a common question. Such as "how are you doing?" She would answer with a thumbs up like she always did, then smile faintly and continue walking. She would walk until she found an unobtrusive corner in her school, and sit down with the prize that she constantly carried with her.
For there was only one thing that could bring the child out of her silent world. She would sit quietly, and bury her nose in a book. Allowing her imagination to take her into a bright universe of song and dance, of danger and heroes, of love found and lost. There was something about her when she read, something that clicked. She was no longer a little deaf'n'dumb girl in a large school, she was watching the prince kill the dragon and rescue the princess, then sweep her away to his kingdom.
Then her watch would vibrate, and she would see that the school bell had just rung, and she must get to her next class. She would put her book away, and re-enter the drab world that she lived in.
It was math that she hated. The teacher had a slight problem with facing the blackboard when he spoke. And if he spoke with his back to the class while he worked on a problem, she would not be able to read his lips and hence not know what in the lords all holy name he was doing. It was extremely frustrating, for he strongly believed that Alana should be going to a special school for people with special needs, not making his job all the more difficult by asking him to constantly repeat things. So he never gave her any other attention then he gave the other students. Alana believed that she should also be going to a different school, but her parents were not the kinds of people who let her back down from a challenge.
When they had realized that their newborn daughter would be permanently unable to use two of her senses, they had vowed that she would lead as normal a life as everyone else. But it is easier for the people, who have never experienced something, to talk lightly of it. For Alana, her life was meant to be normal, but because her parents pushed her so hard to try and be normal, she found herself giving up. She didn't try to make friends, didn't offer to do something with anyone. She kept to herself, in her own silent world.
~*~
Alana was bent over her homework in her room. She was pushing the buttons on her calculator harder then she had to, but the algebra was frustrating. It was darn near impossible!! Her other classes weren't anywhere near this hard, then she had to remember that her other teachers helped her as much as they could. She hit the addition button quite hard, imagining it was her math teachers' head. She hit it again, and at the same time felt a presence behind her. Alana turned to see her pristine mother staring down at her. She watched her mothers' lips carefully. Alana's mother never talked to her daughter using sign language, because to her and her husband, there was nothing wrong with their daughter. They treated her like they would treat any other child.
"How was school?"
Alana knew what was expected of her, and gave her mother the customary thumbs up sign. She was not allowed to do anything else, for there were no challenges in her life. It was the people who had cancer or other life threatening diseases that had challenges in their life.
Alana's mom, Mrs. Whit, strode out of the room. Her daughter watched her go, realizing once again that her parents asked questions out of formality, nothing else. She turned back to her math.
~*~
It was very dark that night. Alana was looking out her bedroom window into the ravine behind her house. The pane was open, allowing the breeze to enter and cool the teenagers' temper. She was back to her math. It was nearing midnight, and she knew her parents were in bed, but she could not have anything to eat until her homework was complete and correct. Tears of frustration ran down her cheeks and dripped onto the algebra.
Then she sat bolt upright, springing toward the ceiling and pushing her chair over with a loud clatter. Her hands started to tremble. Then it happened again. She heard something. It came floating up from the canyon. Her tears disappeared and sweat from terror broke out.
The sound was beautiful and frightening. She could not identify it, for it was the first sound she had heard in her entire life. Someone was singing.
Curiosity overrode her terror, and picking up a sweatshirt, she climbed out her window and landed silently on the ground. Moving to the south, she heard the sound getting louder. She smiled at the tinkling melody.
Alana hopped from one rock to another, but she dropped to one knee quickly as she felt something fly over her head. Her knee cracked painfully on the granite. She looked up and saw a bird alight on a branch. She stood up, and ignoring the twinge in her knee, continued on.
The singing got closer, until she peered between two branches, and saw an ethereal being sitting on a rock. She was wearing an old style white dress, but the fabric didn't seem to be of this world, as it gave off a soft blue glow. She was singing to a bird perched on her finger.
Alana gasped at the beauty of the woman. The being turned to look at her and Alana saw a sliver crown perched on her head. The beautiful face spread into a kind and gentle smile.
"Welcome child"
A shiver went up her spine. The woman's voice seemed to be as godlike as her presence.
"I need you child"
Alana's eyebrows perked. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Disappointment burned within her, she still could not talk. The woman's smile turned to one of sympathy.
"You will help me child"
Alana moved to ask a question the way she had been for the past few years, her hands, when the ethereal being lifted a hand.
"No child, it will make sense in its own time"
Confusion swam in her eyes, before they closed, moved by a power beyond mortal comprehension. She felt the world tilt, and tried to move her body into a position so that when it fell she wouldn't be hurt too badly. But she never landed.
~*~
When Alana awoke, it was no longer night. She listened hard, and found that once again, she was deaf. But then she realized something else. She couldn't sense things anymore. Normally she could sense objects and movements, but this time, she couldn't. And she didn't know where she was. Nothing looked familiar. Alana stood up from the soft ground.
Turning slowly in a full circle, she surveyed the soundless scene. It was a forest that much was obvious by all the trees. And the plants. Lots of green. Alana looked around desperately for the women, but there was no sign of her. She twisted around until she was sure that she had seen every part of the woodland. With a sigh of annoyance, she decided to climb a tree and see how large this forest was. But then she looked at the tree, and saw it would be much harder to actually climb the thing.
~*~
Narbeleth silently moved through the trees, his arrow already strung on the bow. He was hunting a deer for the feast that was set for the next night. The stag was listening to the wind, its ears perked. Then it pawed the ground anxiously, its keen ears twitching. The elf realized that the animal had picked up a strange sent, as it was staying stalk still.
Fearing that orcs might be about, he moved his intense eyes around the forests trunks. They picked up nothing out of the ordinary. He looked to the deer again, and saw it was gone. Cursing his ill fortune, Narbeleth moved forward, determined to find the source of his lost preys uneasiness.
~*~
Alana jumped one last time for the branch. Her fingers missed it and once again she landed on her sore knee. It jarred and jolted painfully. Growling in annoyance, she stamped her foot. Turning around with her arms crossed she looked through the tree trunks, trying to estimate how long the forest went on for.
Narbeleth landed silently behind the invader, an arrow notched on his drawn bow. The tip pointing dangerously close to the girls' neck.
"Speak your intentions human"
The human, however, didn't react. She continued to stare off into the distance. The elf repeated his command and again, the person didn't say anything. To his utter amazement, she moved a step back, almost impaling herself on his arrow. He was forced to take a step back, but she had felt the tip on her neck, and had spun around with a gasp. A hand immediately went up to the back of her neck, searching with a touch for anything that was wrong.
He asked her what she was doing here, in the woods near Rivendell, but she continued to stare at him. Openmouthed and with more then terror showing plainly in her eyes, the girl gaped.
Alana knew what was standing before her, she had read the lord of the rings trilogy dozens of times, she had memorized it. The series were her favorite books, for J.R.R. Tolkien wrote great descriptive scenes, and Alana had no trouble imagining herself in Middle Earth. Except, now she was in middle Earth, staring at an elf. Excitement ran wild through her veins, banishing most, but not all, of her fear.
She reached out slowly, and touched the hard arm of the elf. A smile came over her face.
Narbeleth watched her carefully; lowering his arrow after she hesitantly touched his arm. He didn't feel threatened by her in the least. She was after all, obviously mad. The girl was grinning like a complete fool and touching his arm. She still had not made a sound.
He took her hand, and looked into her eyes.
"What are you doing here lady?"
Her smile shrank. Her eyes squinted at his face, then her other hand came up to try and feel his pointed ears. His other hand caught hers, and asked his question again, this time with more force. She had been watching his lips however, and responded with a shrug. He raised an eyebrow.
"What is your name lady?"
Alana tried to take one of her hands out of his grasp so she could sign it to him, but he held on tight. She shot him an annoyed look, and tried again to pull her hands free. This time he let go, albeit cautiously. He watched her in confusion as her hands flew through the air in quick gestures, before she gave him a smile.
Yes, he thought, she most certainly is mad. Telling her to follow him, the elf moved back toward Rivendell. Alana watched the elf move off, she had not read his lips, for she was looking at the clothes he wore, forest greens in the forms of leggings, shirt and tunic, and not his face. But when he left. She felt like she had no choice but to follow, wondering excitedly if the one ring had been destroyed yet.
Narbeleth checked over his shoulder every now and then to make sure she was still following, and wondered how Lord Elrond was going to figure her out.
~*~
The lord himself was talking to two of his sons. Estel the ranger, and Elrohir, twin brother to Elladan. The other twin was returning from a long visit to his grandmother in Lothlorien. He was due to arrive home the next night, and a surprise feast would be waiting for him. A polite knock came on the door. Looking up, Elrond bade the person to enter. Narbeleth did so, giving a respectful nod of his head to the three occupants of the room as he shut the door.
"* My lords, I found a human girl wandering in the forest *"
The two elves and the man leaned forward in interest. Estel frowned in confusion.
"* She was just, wandering? *"
Narbeleth chewed his bottom lip, trying to find the right way to say what he thought about the human he had 'found'. Elrohir knew his friend well, and gave him some encouragement.
"* Just spit it out Narby *"
Smiling, the elf spoke out that he thought the girl was out of her mind. The other three frowned in confusion, and Narby quickly recounted the meeting, and the several hours of walking back to Rivendell, in which the girl had not answered any of his questions. Elrond stroked his chin reflectively.
"* She was silent this entire time? *"
Narbeleth nodded his agreement. Elrond nodded pensively, before he stood up and moved toward the closed door.
"* Is she in the foyer? *"
"* She should be my lord, but her eyes like to wander, especially around the beauty of Rivendell. She might have drifted off *"
The lord nodded, smiling at the thought of someone else enjoying the splendor of his kingdom. He opened the door and left.
Elrohir and Estel, their interest piqued, followed after their father. But as Narbeleth had predicted, the teenager was not in the foyer, nor was Elrond. The two went out one of the many doors leading off the lobby; unfortunately, it was the one that the lord had not gone down when he had followed Alana. Narbeleth went off to his room to relax.
Elrond watched the newcomer from an arch behind her. She was staring over the balcony railing at the surrounding land. He cleared his throat to alert her to his presence, but as he expected, she didn't react. Smiling slightly, the Elvin lord moved forward and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. Once again, she did the expected. She jumped a good foot high in the air, only Elrond's other hand keeping her on the balcony and not over it. She placed a hand over her racing heart. Breathing deeply, she scowled slightly at the smiling Elvin lord. She recognized him as Elrond, but didn't know how to proceed. She brought her hands up to ask a question, but brought them back down shyly when she remembered that no one in middle earth knew American Sign Language. The gesture was not missed by the other person on the terrace. Lord Elrond maneuvered himself into her direct line of sight and tried something that had worked on one of his old Elvin friends.
He spoke quietly and clearly, pronouncing each word accurately. Alana read it clearly.
"How are you feeling lady?"
She smiled at his concern and that he had called her a lady; and gave a thumbs up sign. The Elf was pleased that his idea worked. Ceredic, one of his oldest friends, had hit his head hard when they were younger, and he had lost his hearing for several centuries. Until his Elvin healing abilities had corrected the defect. During that time Ceredic had learned to read lips, something that had amazed Elrond then and still did now.
She blushed when he continued to stare at her. His gaze made her uncomfortable. He tapped her on the shoulder, made sure she realized that he wanted to ask a question, and then spoke clearly.
"What is your name?"
She cocked her head to one side, trying to think of how to tell him. Smiling brightly, she reached for his hand. Slightly confused, but willing, he allowed her to turn his hand until his palm was up. Taking her index finger, she carefully wrote the latter A in the palm of his hand. She looked up into his eyes, searching for understanding. He said the letter out loud and her smile widened. She wrote the letter L, and he repeated it.
Estel and Elrohir watched as their father said her name.
"A.l.a.n.a.Alana?"
She grinned like a little schoolgirl and clapped twice. He smiled in understanding. Then looked over to his two sons.
"*Alana is deaf, so make sure she is looking at you when you talk *"
Then he pointed to the other two people, then back to her. And he was gone. Alana looked around, trying to see where the lord had gone.
"He does that a lot"
Estel explained, but then realized that she had not heard him.
"* This will be difficult *"
Elrohir told his brother. Aragorn nodded. He moved forward to touch her arm and get her attention. She jumped back, hitting her knee against the balcony railing. Hissing in pain, she moved a hand to her injured leg. Grimacing slightly, she shot a scowl at Aragorn for startling her. He moved back at bit with his hands raised in defense and innocence. Her head tilted to the side as she recognized him as the Ranger.
Her smile came back as she looked behind him and saw one of the twin sons of Elrond. Which one she didn't know, but he was defiantly one of them. Elrohir saw she was staring at him, and thought that perhaps she was waiting for him to say something.
"Would you like a tour?"
He asked, mimicking his fathers' words, clear and punctuated. Her face lighted up, and she nodded eagerly. Elrohir moved forward gracefully and took her hand, she blushed brightly. The elf and man noticed, but said nothing as they moved off toward the other side of the Elvin kingdom. ~*~
Elrond sat down to dinner with a sigh. He looked over at his two sons trying to explain what food lay in front of Alana. She was starving, but she refused to eat food unless she could identify it fully. Many of the elves were talking of the feast the next night. Alana tried to read their lips, but all of them were talking in Elvish, and she didn't do much more then confuse herself.
She turned slightly to face Estel. She tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at the rest of the elves. He did what every other elf had done to her since she had arrived, misunderstand her.
"They're elves"
He said hesitantly, not knowing what she was asking. She rolled her eyes in obvious irritation. She put her hand to her mouth and moved it away, the obvious ASL sign for talking. He bit his lip.
"Your welcome?"
She hit her head on her hand. Elrond chuckled. She tried one last time. She pantomimed talking, moving her arms and such, and then shrugged. Estel gave her a blank look. Sighing heavily, Alana glumly put her chin in the palm of her hand. At first she had thought that living in the series would be fun, taking nothing seriously. Now, it was starting to sink in. She was in Middle Earth, surrounded by elves that couldn't understand her. An image of her parents flashed through her mind, of school, of her life before this. A tear escaped down her cheek.
Her eyes closed, and suddenly, she heard it again. Her eyes shot open, and her head came off her hand. Several elves stopped talking. She shot her head around wildly, trying to find the singing.
"Alana?"
Aragorn moved to put an arm around her shoulder but she jumped up, bumping the table. All conversation stopped. She turned violently in a circle. Elrohir stood up as well, but the human was already racing out the door.
"Alana!"
He called out, knowing she couldn't hear him.
"*Go after her!*"
Aragorn and Elrohir did as their father commanded and sprinted after her. Narbeleth was walking to dinner when he was bowled over by a deaf girl. She landed hard on him, driving her elbow into his ribs and winding him. Then she was up, racing again. Narby rolled onto his stomach and watched her nearly take out a statue.
Estel and Elrohir arrived in time to see Narbeleth getting off the ground, and Alana stop. She appeared to be listening for something. Then she was off again, her legs pounding the ground as she followed the sound of something only she could hear.
"* What is she doing? *"
Narby asked as he joined the chase. The other two shook their heads. Alana broke out into a clearing. There, sitting on a log, was the being again. She was playing a harp of silver and singing.
"Child"
She smiled sweetly and placed the harp beside her. She patted the side of the log, indicating that Alana should sit. She did so, breathing hard.
"Look at me child"
Alana did, her eyes still wet, and saw that the lady's eyes were silver.
"It is almost time"
She moved a hand to brush some of Alana's hair off her face; the touch was as cold as ice. The human stood, and the lady smiled once more before she disappeared in a shower of silver dust. Alana swayed.
"* Where did she go? *"
Elrohir asked, swiftly looking around the trails of Rivendell. Aragorn glanced to the ground and raced off down one of the trails. The two elves followed him. They saw Alana standing up through the trees. She was beside a log, then, she was falling. Estel lunged forward in a vain attempt to catch her, but the lady fell out of his reach. She hit her head hard on a rock, and lay still.
Breathless, the trio knelt beside her, Elrohir feeling her neck for breaks, while Aragorn made sure she was still breathing. Narbeleth's eyes roamed over the clearing. He took an involuntary step back, nearly tripping over his friends.
"* The Harp of Elbereth *"
He whispered. Hearing him, the twin son of Elrond looked up, but the musical instrument had vanished, just as the god who had played it. The children of the elves exchanged glance. Then looked down at the girl.
~*~
Elrond massaged his temples wearily. It was dawn and the child had still not awoken. She had been brought back, unconscious, by his ranger son. She was lying on the bed in front of him. Silently sleeping in a silent world.
And to add to that, one of his trusted elves had seen the harp of the most powerful god in Elvin mythology. He massaged harder. Then his keen eyes caught something that he hadn't noticed before. High up on Alana's cheek, there was a sparkle of some kind.
Intrigued, he brought a finger up to run along her cheek. Pulling it away, he gasped at the silver teardrop. Hyperventilating, he recognized the mark of Elbereth. She stirred in her sleep, moving restlessly. Picking up the hem of his robe, the lord ran off to his library, telling the first elf he saw to watch over the sleeping human.
BindBale, who was unfortunately the first elf Elrond had seen, sighed in annoyance and moved into the girls' room. Out of all the elves in Rivendell, he was the only one who felt strongly in his dislike for humans. He sat down in a chair opposite the girl, wondering what it was about her that had caused the Lord to run out in such a hurry.
He got up and moved out to the balcony, watching the sun rise on the day that had been eagerly expected by many. Today, Elrohirs' twin brother was coming back from his 6-month stay with his Grandmother, The lady of the light in Lothlorien. He heard a sound behind him, and BindBale turned in time to see a flash of light go off. His eyebrows drew together in confusion as he moved toward her bed. She was sleeping peacefully. He looked around once. Then moved back to his old seat and sat down with a book he pulled from his tunic. He could not have known that the silver teardrop had vanished from the sleeping girls face.
~*~
Elrohir knocked carefully on his fathers study. There was a grunt of approval for him to enter, and the elf did, bearing his tray of fruit. He placed the ornate tray on a side table and looked over his fathers shoulder. Elrond was very busy reading a chapter on the Elvin Gods. Specifically on one named Elbereth. She was the Goddess of wisdom and life, an ethereal being in silver.
"* Father, why are you reading that? *"
The lord leaned back against his chair. He wiped his hands tiredly down his face.
"* I saw the mark of Elbereth on Alana's cheek this morning *"
Elrohir's eyebrows met in confusion.
"* But, my lord, Estel and I were just up there visiting her, we saw no such thing *" The ruler of Imladris looked up sharply.
"* We went up to see if she was awake yet, poor Aragorn blames himself for not being fast enough to catch her, he blames himself for her fall. So we went up, and BindBale was reading in a corner, upon seeing us, he quickly presented her as our charge for the day, and left quite hurriedly. Estel waits with her. I came- *"
But Elronds mind was quick and sharp. He clapped a hand on his sons shoulder and moved toward the door. With his child behind him, he moved toward the guest rooms at a quick pace.
Aragorn turned around when the door was opened. He was staring out into the woods from the window, waiting patiently for his foster brother. Elrond nodded to him, but moved toward Alana. He saw then, that the mark was truly gone. Doubt festered in his mind. Had he truly seen it?
"* Father? *"
Aragorn questioned, moving closer. But his parent shook his head, and moved away.
"* Since she has not waken all day, I fear the wound may not be what we expected *"
His sons looked at him in confusion. He sighed heavily.
"* She will be alright, and she will waken when she is ready, for the gods have placed their blessing on this child *"
Elrond left the room to await the arrival of his third son.
"*You speak in riddles *"
Elrohir whispered at his fathers retreating form. Only Estel heard him.
~*~
The joyous horns sounded at mid-afternoon. Elves came out in large groups to welcome home their prince, and the Lothlorien elves that had escorted him. Elrond clasped hands warmly with Haldir, thanking him for returning his son to him safely. The other responded that his presence was not really required, for the lords son was very skilled with his weapons.
Elrohir stood with Aragorn behind his father. They waited, albeit impatiently, for their brother. He dismounted at the foot of the crowd, and passing the reins to another, walked regally through the throng. All those that looked into his eyes saw implanted there a deep wisdom and understanding, but of what they couldn't tell. He moved up to his father and bowed low.
"* My Lord, I have returned *"
His father smiled with pride at the change in his son. The young elf he had sent off was still there, somewhere in the person that stood before him. But overshadowing that presence was the gift that his son had been borne with. A gift that had been nurtured and shaped by the caring hands of the Lady of Light, for she also shared the gift his son had inherited.
He placed a hand on his sons shoulder, and saw something in Elladans eyes that flickered, before it vanished, too quick for even the Lord himself to be aware of what he saw. He removed his hand, and a slight wrinkle was on his forehead, because there was a feeling that he had gotten from his son, something that was there before he left, but was now gone.
"* Let us go then, for a feast has been prepared for you, my son. Prince Elladan of Rivendell. *"
His other two sons grabbed their brothers' arms and ran off with him to the tables. It was then that Elrond realised what his son had lost. No longer could Lord Elrond sense something that had always been with his son, from the time he was a babe until he had left for Lothlorien. Elladan had lost his innocence. And this troubled Elrond severely.
~*~
The Elves sang and danced, laughed and ate that evening. Elrond forgot his troubles for a time, and laughed and sang with the rest of his kindred. Haldir was telling a humorous tale of Elladans first days in Lothlorien that had the whole table in an uproar. The person, who the tale centred on, took the embarrassing story in his stride, for though he smiled with the rest of them, the laughter never reached his blue eyes. Only his family noticed.
When the tables were cleared, and the dancing started in earnest, Estel pulled his brother to the side.
"* What is it that ails you brother? *"
Elrohir joined them.
"* I sense something powerful here, a presence that awes me with its supremacy, but I cannot find it *"
Elladan was looking around even as he spoke, and the other two could not make much sense of his words. For they had not had dealings with the Gift.
"* Is it Fathers ring? *"
Estel asked, referring to the most powerful of the rings created, Vilya, which their father wore. But Elladan was clearly agitated.
"* No, it is something more, something bigger. *"
"* Could it be- *"
Elrohir had whispered to his younger foster brother, yet his twin heard and turned to face him. Estel nodded that it might be, and he pulled his brothers with him up to the guest rooms.
They entered quietly, for she was still asleep. Elladans eyes were very large, and there was a slight hesitancy about him. Elrohir and Aragorn did not understand, but their brother told them to wait by the door. They did, more awed by the fact that they had heard their brothers' voice in their heads, then anything else. Elladan truly was gifted strongly with his grandmother's powers.
He moved forward, until he was beside her bed. Kneeling so his chest was equal with the mattress, he tentatively raised a hand to touch her bare hand.
Images burst unto him. Too fast and too jumbled for him to understand. With an effort, he calmed them, staying on the outer limits of her mind. Being careful not to get too close. He blanketed her mind with calm, slowing down her thoughts so he could read them. But her mind could not be halted, or even slowed, and they remained a whirlwind of colour and sensation. The power of her astonished and frightened him. He tried again. And was able to catch a glimpse of something, but then it was gone and his connection broken, as her eyes snapped open.
She jumped away from him instantly, fully awake. Estel and Elrohir moved forward quickly. She fell from the bed, but was up and pushing against the wall faster then anyone thought possible. She was shaking violently and her eyes were huge. Her breath came in rapid gulps. Elrohir moved to calm her, speaking reassurances that he knew she couldn't hear, and held her as her trembles moved through him. Estel moved to his brother, gripping him by the shoulders and looking into his shocked eyes.
"* What has happened here? *"
Elrond asked, in a terrible voice. The others save Alana looked up to see their father standing in the doorway with Haldir behind him. Elladan removed his younger brother's hands from his shoulders and stood to face the Lord.
"* Father, do you know who that girl is? *"
Elrond remained silent, studying the scene.
"* Father, she has seen the gods *"
Elronds' eyes, along with those of the other elves snapped to Elladan.
"* I saw, in her mind. She was talking to Elbereth *"
Alana buried her head in the comfort of Elrohirs' shoulder. She felt violated. Someone had been in her, aware of her thoughts in ways that she had never deemed feasible. Someone had connected to her in an extremely personal and private way. Her quaking did not cease, and there was absolute silence in the household of Elrond, Lord of Imladris.
~Ok dokey, so that's that. A review would be great payment for you reading my hard work. I had to read the trilogy again to refresh my memory. Then I had to sit at my computer and think for about two months. Review damn you! I might carry on with another chapter. If I get enough feedback. *Hint*~