Not So Long
~
Elrohir paused for a moment, he really did not want to lie to Valora or Vittorio but he didn't think he was quite ready to tell them who he really was, what would he do?
"Um, I've met a few." Elrohir said casually.
"Really!?" Valora was very interested now, "Tell me all about them!" She demanded.
Elrohir decided he'd just talk about the other elves and not himself, "I knew a few when I lived in my home. I was good friends with one, Elladan." Elrohir stopped it hurt to think about his brother but if he told the story this way he wouldn't be lying, just not telling the whole truth either.
"For some reason that sounds familiar." Valora though for a moment. Elrohir paused, it was more than possible that his father, and he himself along with Elladan were mentioned in whatever book she had read.
"Or maybe that's just close to what the elf in the book was named." Valora shook her head and looked back at Elrohir.
"Yes, well, possible. Elladan and I were extremely good friends, close as can be." Elrohir smiled fondly at memories of their more than happy childhood. "He likes to cause mischief and I was always there helping him get out of trouble."
"He was like your brother?" Vittorio asked.
"Yes, more than you know." Elrohir said quietly, he still hadn't lied yet.
"Was he beautiful, what did he look like?" Valora asked, her eyes were bright. Elrohir could almost see her imagining Elladan in her mind.
"He looked a lot like me. He had long dark hair, beautiful dark eyes, very tall, and very handsome." Elrohir pictured Elladan laughing in his mind, always happy, always cheerful.
"He sounds wonderful." Valora said in a sort of dreamy far-of voice.
"He was wonderful, the most wonderful person I know." Elrohir felt a lump in his throat, would he ever see his dear twin again? The thought hit him like a rock at that moment, "I don't know if I'll ever see him again." Elrohir looked down at the floor, he felt like crying, and running away, maybe even turning violent all at once.
"It's ok Elrohir, I cried when I was sold into slavery. There is nothing to be ashamed about, you have more than every right to be upset right now. This should never happen to anyone, especially the way if happened to you!" Valora stood and walked around the table to embrace Elrohir. He was comforted by her embrace she stroked his soft hair and let his head rest on her slender shoulder.
Vittorio said nothing, he had gone through the same thing when he came here, and Valora had been there to comfort him. He felt bad for Elrohir, he couldn't imagine being free all his life then suddenly tricked into becoming someone's slave, it must be more than horrible. He wanted to get Elrohir out of here, he didn't know why he felt so strongly about it but he was willing to try anything to help Elrohir out.
"I'm sorry, I just miss my family and friends so much, I never should have left home. I left Elladan all alone, and my father, they must be worried." Elrohir stopped, they wouldn't be worried he was supposed to be in Lothlorien, they though he was safe and happy in Lothlorien. It could take years before they realized something was wrong. And Galadriel had not known that Elrohir had been in Lothlorien, no, he was wrong she had known. But after he left she probably though nothing of it, a brief visit was not unusual by him and Elladan.
"It's ok. We're going to get out of here, no matter what it takes. I've been thinking of a plan to get out for a few weeks now." Valora said quietly to Elrohir after he lifted his head from her shoulder.
"Is that why your efforts seized?" Vittorio asked her.
"Yes. I was thinking of new ways-" Valora stopped talking, Giolla was coming down the hall, "shhh." Valora warned and moved back over to her plate.
"Vittorio, I have a job I want you to do." Giolla said, in a surprisingly pleasant voice.
"All right, I'm coming." Vittorio gave Elrohir a hopeful smile and followed Giolla out of the room. Valora watched the two walk off.
"I'll tell you the rest tonight in out room, it'll be safer." Valora whispered before she began to clear the table.
"Valora, there's something I want to tell you." Elrohir couldn't hold it in any longer, he had to tell her who he was.
"Yes?" Valora asked as she took up his plate and bowl of barely touched soup.
"How are you two doing?" Cook had come back in the room from where she was picking fresh vegetables in the garden outside.
"We're fine." Valora smiled.
"My, you look as though you have been crying." Cook came over to Elrohir and looked at his sad face.
"It's nothing." Elrohir wiped his wet cheeks dry.
"That's ok, we all have our breakdown when we are sold, it's only natural." Cook patted him gently on the shoulder, "Maybe one of Valora's ideas will work now that there is three of you, hmm?" Cook smiled and left Elrohir to start dinner preparations.
"I hope so, Cook, would you come with?" Valora turned at look at Cook.
"Heavens no child, my brother is gone, there is no point for me to leave, I'm an old woman I'll stay here and keep Lord Cyril company." Cook waved her hand.
Elrohir felt the tears welling back up and he forced himself to relax and not think of his brother, no matter how much that hurt.
"What did you want to tell me Elrohir?" Valora continued.
"Uh, come with me for a second." Elrohir stood and walked to the study where they had lounged earlier that morning.
"What is it?" Valora implored as she followed him.
"I-" Elrohir sighed, ok here it goes, "I'm an elf." There, he had said.
"What?" Valora stared at him, her mouth slightly open in shock.
Elrohir pushed his hair back to show her his delicately pointed ears.
~
~
Elrohir paused for a moment, he really did not want to lie to Valora or Vittorio but he didn't think he was quite ready to tell them who he really was, what would he do?
"Um, I've met a few." Elrohir said casually.
"Really!?" Valora was very interested now, "Tell me all about them!" She demanded.
Elrohir decided he'd just talk about the other elves and not himself, "I knew a few when I lived in my home. I was good friends with one, Elladan." Elrohir stopped it hurt to think about his brother but if he told the story this way he wouldn't be lying, just not telling the whole truth either.
"For some reason that sounds familiar." Valora though for a moment. Elrohir paused, it was more than possible that his father, and he himself along with Elladan were mentioned in whatever book she had read.
"Or maybe that's just close to what the elf in the book was named." Valora shook her head and looked back at Elrohir.
"Yes, well, possible. Elladan and I were extremely good friends, close as can be." Elrohir smiled fondly at memories of their more than happy childhood. "He likes to cause mischief and I was always there helping him get out of trouble."
"He was like your brother?" Vittorio asked.
"Yes, more than you know." Elrohir said quietly, he still hadn't lied yet.
"Was he beautiful, what did he look like?" Valora asked, her eyes were bright. Elrohir could almost see her imagining Elladan in her mind.
"He looked a lot like me. He had long dark hair, beautiful dark eyes, very tall, and very handsome." Elrohir pictured Elladan laughing in his mind, always happy, always cheerful.
"He sounds wonderful." Valora said in a sort of dreamy far-of voice.
"He was wonderful, the most wonderful person I know." Elrohir felt a lump in his throat, would he ever see his dear twin again? The thought hit him like a rock at that moment, "I don't know if I'll ever see him again." Elrohir looked down at the floor, he felt like crying, and running away, maybe even turning violent all at once.
"It's ok Elrohir, I cried when I was sold into slavery. There is nothing to be ashamed about, you have more than every right to be upset right now. This should never happen to anyone, especially the way if happened to you!" Valora stood and walked around the table to embrace Elrohir. He was comforted by her embrace she stroked his soft hair and let his head rest on her slender shoulder.
Vittorio said nothing, he had gone through the same thing when he came here, and Valora had been there to comfort him. He felt bad for Elrohir, he couldn't imagine being free all his life then suddenly tricked into becoming someone's slave, it must be more than horrible. He wanted to get Elrohir out of here, he didn't know why he felt so strongly about it but he was willing to try anything to help Elrohir out.
"I'm sorry, I just miss my family and friends so much, I never should have left home. I left Elladan all alone, and my father, they must be worried." Elrohir stopped, they wouldn't be worried he was supposed to be in Lothlorien, they though he was safe and happy in Lothlorien. It could take years before they realized something was wrong. And Galadriel had not known that Elrohir had been in Lothlorien, no, he was wrong she had known. But after he left she probably though nothing of it, a brief visit was not unusual by him and Elladan.
"It's ok. We're going to get out of here, no matter what it takes. I've been thinking of a plan to get out for a few weeks now." Valora said quietly to Elrohir after he lifted his head from her shoulder.
"Is that why your efforts seized?" Vittorio asked her.
"Yes. I was thinking of new ways-" Valora stopped talking, Giolla was coming down the hall, "shhh." Valora warned and moved back over to her plate.
"Vittorio, I have a job I want you to do." Giolla said, in a surprisingly pleasant voice.
"All right, I'm coming." Vittorio gave Elrohir a hopeful smile and followed Giolla out of the room. Valora watched the two walk off.
"I'll tell you the rest tonight in out room, it'll be safer." Valora whispered before she began to clear the table.
"Valora, there's something I want to tell you." Elrohir couldn't hold it in any longer, he had to tell her who he was.
"Yes?" Valora asked as she took up his plate and bowl of barely touched soup.
"How are you two doing?" Cook had come back in the room from where she was picking fresh vegetables in the garden outside.
"We're fine." Valora smiled.
"My, you look as though you have been crying." Cook came over to Elrohir and looked at his sad face.
"It's nothing." Elrohir wiped his wet cheeks dry.
"That's ok, we all have our breakdown when we are sold, it's only natural." Cook patted him gently on the shoulder, "Maybe one of Valora's ideas will work now that there is three of you, hmm?" Cook smiled and left Elrohir to start dinner preparations.
"I hope so, Cook, would you come with?" Valora turned at look at Cook.
"Heavens no child, my brother is gone, there is no point for me to leave, I'm an old woman I'll stay here and keep Lord Cyril company." Cook waved her hand.
Elrohir felt the tears welling back up and he forced himself to relax and not think of his brother, no matter how much that hurt.
"What did you want to tell me Elrohir?" Valora continued.
"Uh, come with me for a second." Elrohir stood and walked to the study where they had lounged earlier that morning.
"What is it?" Valora implored as she followed him.
"I-" Elrohir sighed, ok here it goes, "I'm an elf." There, he had said.
"What?" Valora stared at him, her mouth slightly open in shock.
Elrohir pushed his hair back to show her his delicately pointed ears.
~