Not So Long
~
Valora stared at Elrohir in shock. His ears were now showing out from under his dark hair.
"I didn't want to let anyone know yet, I'm sorry." Elrohir said quietly, wishing Valora would say something.
"I don't believe it." Valora's eyes were still wide in shock, "You're- you're a real elf?" Valora closed her mouth and regained regular breathing. Her eyes were still transfixed on Elrohir's ears.
"Yes, well, half-elven because my father was half-elven but my mother wasn't." Elrohir smiled and dropped his hair, though his ears still pointed through his hair.
"Why?" Valora murmured in a hushed tone.
"Why what?" Elrohir looked back at her.
"You came here? Of all places." Valora stepped toward Elrohir as if she thought that he might disappear at any moment. "Can I touch your ear?"
Elrohir thought this a very strange question but then again Valora had never seen an elf and pointed ears were not generally common among men.
"Sure." Elrohir shrugged and Valora lifted a soft hand to gently touch the tip of his pointed ear. A shiver ran down Elrohir's spine, it felt good.
"This is so-I'm.this isn't real." Valora stared into Elrohir's eyes.
"Yes, I am an elf and I am here before you, you're equal." Elrohir took Valora's hand and lead her to the couch where the two sat side by side.
"I never though I'd actually meet a real elf and I have. You have no idea how amazing this is." Valora's whole face was lit with happiness. Elrohir felt no remorse about telling her.
"I am Elrohir the son of Elrond Peredhil, the half-elven and brother to my twin Elladan and the Evenstar of our people Arwen." Elrohir proudly told Valora. If Valora had looked shocked before now she was appalled.
"You're the son of Elrond?" She said after moment.
"Yes, you know of him?" Elrohir looked into her eyes.
"He was the one in the book I read, you're, you're from, I can't remember the name but I know where!" Valora thought hard for a moment.
"Imladris, Rivendell?" Elrohir answered for her.
"Yes!" Valora looked excited and devastated at the same time. "You are the son of an elf-lord, you have no business being a slave for some poor Gondorian lord, especially under the 'care' of that witch Giolla." Valora said very suddenly.
"It's all right, I got myself into this mess, I'll find a way out, even if it takes until Giolla dies." Elrohir gave her hand a light squeeze.
"No! Who knows how long that hag will live! Forever just to spite us! No, we are going to get you out of here and you can return home! I'll help only if you promise me one thing." Valora looked Elrohir right in the eye, and mischievous glint suddenly flaring up.
"Whatever you ask." Elrohir nodded.
"You must take me traveling with you." Valora smiled.
"What?"
"I need to get out and see the world, there is so much out there and I have seen nothing but these two small towns in South Gondor and I hate it!" Valora pleaded with Elrohir.
"All right, ok, I promise. You help me and you and Vittorio escape and I'll take you with me." Elrohir agrees. Valora smile with delight and hugged Elrohir.
"Oh, sorry, I couldn't help myself. Am I allowed to do that? Or is hugging an elf bad?" Valora drew back from Elrohir looking confused, "Thanks for telling me now I don't know how to act around you." She joked.
"Just like you have been, I don't like being to formal really." Elrohir shrugged, though he was beginning to think that he wouldn't mind putting on the impossible formal robes if it meant he could be free.
"Okay, that's good." Valora nodded and stood, "Let's go find Vittorio-are you going to tell him?"
"I should, I told you. How do you think he'll take it?" Elrohir was sure Vittorio would take it smoothly enough.
"Tell him tonight in our room when we go over our escape plans." Valora didn't seem concerned that he'd take it wrong which relieved Elrohir.
"VALORA, ELROHIR!" Giolla screeched through the hallways, her voice reverberating through the stone halls.
"WHAT!?" Valora screamed back just as loud, though mostly just to annoy Giolla.
"DINNER" Giolla answered angrily.
"Well, seems Lord Cyril will be early tonight." Valora smiled and the two headed towards the dining room.
Cook was already waiting but Vittorio was not in sight, this seemed to upset Valora greatly. Elrohir watched for him during the whole of Lord Cyril's meal but he did not show up.
"You two can go off to bed early tonight." Giolla smiled as she passed Valora and Elrohir. Elrohir sighed gratefully and headed towards the secret stairs in the kitchen. Valora suddenly rushed past in a fit of tears.
"Valora?" Elrohir called after her and raced to catch up with her.
Elrohir entered their small, shared room to see Valora sprawled across the bed sobbing into her pillow.
"Valora, what is the matter?" Elrohir sat down and rubbed her back reassuringly.
"Vittorio." Valora sobbed and turned to face Elrohir, her cheeks were doused in tears and her lip trembled.
"What about him?" Elrohir wasn't quite sure what this all meant.
"Giolla, she had him sent back to the stable I know she did! She was in a good mood all through dinner and she let us come up here early! She never does that! Never!" Valora wiped the tears from her eyes and looked out the window sadly to try and see to the stable.
Elrohir's stomach dropped, she was right. Giolla had been in an exceptionally good mood. He had a sudden feeling Vittorio was gone because he had come.
~
~
Valora stared at Elrohir in shock. His ears were now showing out from under his dark hair.
"I didn't want to let anyone know yet, I'm sorry." Elrohir said quietly, wishing Valora would say something.
"I don't believe it." Valora's eyes were still wide in shock, "You're- you're a real elf?" Valora closed her mouth and regained regular breathing. Her eyes were still transfixed on Elrohir's ears.
"Yes, well, half-elven because my father was half-elven but my mother wasn't." Elrohir smiled and dropped his hair, though his ears still pointed through his hair.
"Why?" Valora murmured in a hushed tone.
"Why what?" Elrohir looked back at her.
"You came here? Of all places." Valora stepped toward Elrohir as if she thought that he might disappear at any moment. "Can I touch your ear?"
Elrohir thought this a very strange question but then again Valora had never seen an elf and pointed ears were not generally common among men.
"Sure." Elrohir shrugged and Valora lifted a soft hand to gently touch the tip of his pointed ear. A shiver ran down Elrohir's spine, it felt good.
"This is so-I'm.this isn't real." Valora stared into Elrohir's eyes.
"Yes, I am an elf and I am here before you, you're equal." Elrohir took Valora's hand and lead her to the couch where the two sat side by side.
"I never though I'd actually meet a real elf and I have. You have no idea how amazing this is." Valora's whole face was lit with happiness. Elrohir felt no remorse about telling her.
"I am Elrohir the son of Elrond Peredhil, the half-elven and brother to my twin Elladan and the Evenstar of our people Arwen." Elrohir proudly told Valora. If Valora had looked shocked before now she was appalled.
"You're the son of Elrond?" She said after moment.
"Yes, you know of him?" Elrohir looked into her eyes.
"He was the one in the book I read, you're, you're from, I can't remember the name but I know where!" Valora thought hard for a moment.
"Imladris, Rivendell?" Elrohir answered for her.
"Yes!" Valora looked excited and devastated at the same time. "You are the son of an elf-lord, you have no business being a slave for some poor Gondorian lord, especially under the 'care' of that witch Giolla." Valora said very suddenly.
"It's all right, I got myself into this mess, I'll find a way out, even if it takes until Giolla dies." Elrohir gave her hand a light squeeze.
"No! Who knows how long that hag will live! Forever just to spite us! No, we are going to get you out of here and you can return home! I'll help only if you promise me one thing." Valora looked Elrohir right in the eye, and mischievous glint suddenly flaring up.
"Whatever you ask." Elrohir nodded.
"You must take me traveling with you." Valora smiled.
"What?"
"I need to get out and see the world, there is so much out there and I have seen nothing but these two small towns in South Gondor and I hate it!" Valora pleaded with Elrohir.
"All right, ok, I promise. You help me and you and Vittorio escape and I'll take you with me." Elrohir agrees. Valora smile with delight and hugged Elrohir.
"Oh, sorry, I couldn't help myself. Am I allowed to do that? Or is hugging an elf bad?" Valora drew back from Elrohir looking confused, "Thanks for telling me now I don't know how to act around you." She joked.
"Just like you have been, I don't like being to formal really." Elrohir shrugged, though he was beginning to think that he wouldn't mind putting on the impossible formal robes if it meant he could be free.
"Okay, that's good." Valora nodded and stood, "Let's go find Vittorio-are you going to tell him?"
"I should, I told you. How do you think he'll take it?" Elrohir was sure Vittorio would take it smoothly enough.
"Tell him tonight in our room when we go over our escape plans." Valora didn't seem concerned that he'd take it wrong which relieved Elrohir.
"VALORA, ELROHIR!" Giolla screeched through the hallways, her voice reverberating through the stone halls.
"WHAT!?" Valora screamed back just as loud, though mostly just to annoy Giolla.
"DINNER" Giolla answered angrily.
"Well, seems Lord Cyril will be early tonight." Valora smiled and the two headed towards the dining room.
Cook was already waiting but Vittorio was not in sight, this seemed to upset Valora greatly. Elrohir watched for him during the whole of Lord Cyril's meal but he did not show up.
"You two can go off to bed early tonight." Giolla smiled as she passed Valora and Elrohir. Elrohir sighed gratefully and headed towards the secret stairs in the kitchen. Valora suddenly rushed past in a fit of tears.
"Valora?" Elrohir called after her and raced to catch up with her.
Elrohir entered their small, shared room to see Valora sprawled across the bed sobbing into her pillow.
"Valora, what is the matter?" Elrohir sat down and rubbed her back reassuringly.
"Vittorio." Valora sobbed and turned to face Elrohir, her cheeks were doused in tears and her lip trembled.
"What about him?" Elrohir wasn't quite sure what this all meant.
"Giolla, she had him sent back to the stable I know she did! She was in a good mood all through dinner and she let us come up here early! She never does that! Never!" Valora wiped the tears from her eyes and looked out the window sadly to try and see to the stable.
Elrohir's stomach dropped, she was right. Giolla had been in an exceptionally good mood. He had a sudden feeling Vittorio was gone because he had come.
~