Not So Long
~
Elrohir sat in between Valora and Vittorio who were both falling asleep in the bed. Valora had her head resting on Elrohir's lap and he was absentmindedly running his fingers through her long, dark hair. He looked down at the girl and realized that he was starting to have affections for the human. He thought it funny, him falling in love with a mortal.
Just as Elrohir was letting his mind wander off he heard shouting from in the common room. Vittorio jumped in his sleep and nearly slipped of the bed, he would have succeeded if Elrohir had not grabbed him at the last minute.
"Get him!" Someone shouted very near to their bedroom door. Now both Valora and Vittorio were awake and looking around to see what was going on.
"It's out there." Elrohir nodded to the door and the three rushed to it to see if they wanted to dare a peek.
Someone let out a very painful moan and there was a sudden thump against the door.
"Where are they?!" A man's voice shouted. It sounded familiar for some reason to Elrohir.
"Uh!" Valora gasped and cracked the door open ever so slightly to see out, "It's Lord Cyril!" Valora smiled.
"What?" Vittorio look out over her head and sure enough Lord Cyril and four of his most trusted men where fighting against three of Yorrick's men.
Elrohir looked out just in time to see Sorely have his head lobbed off by one and the men and Lord Cyril had Yorrick pinned against the wall and was threatening him with a short knife.
"Where are they?" Lord Cyril demanded.
"HERE!" Valora couldn't hold it in any longer.
Lord Cyril looked over to Valora and lowered his knife.
All of Yorrick's men were dead and Cyril's men were now watching the scene before him.
"Valora, I came after you three after I heard what had happened from the Cook. Giolla was sentenced to the yard and she will remain there for the rest of her days. Along with the women who sold you Elrohir, I had not known of that before. I am deeply sorry, you are free." Lord Cyril left Yorrick and the man slumped to the ground.
Valora flung the door open and ran to Cyril, she embraced him and placed a kiss on his cheek.
"Valora, I'm so sorry for everything that has ever happened to you. I am going to abolish slavery when we return home, you will come back with me won't you?" Cyril still had his arms around Valora.
Elrohir suddenly understood everything. Lord Cyril had always loved his servant girl but it was unheard of for a Lord to have relations other than for their pleasure with someone below them. Giolla had hated Valora because of that and consequently Vittorio for protecting her.
"I will go back with you, Cyril, you know I will." Valora smiled and a tear slipped down her cheek.
"I officially free all three of you. You may all go and do what you please as free people." Lord Cyril looked up at Elrohir and Vittorio who stood before him.
"Thank you." Was all that they could say.
Elrohir suddenly felt a great relief wash over him, he could return home. And yet, a part of him didn't quite want to leave just yet.
"We will leave now and return home before sunup." Cyril instructed and immediately the group made ready to leave. Lord Cyril had wisely brought two extra horses for Elrohir and Vittorio and as for Valora, she rode with Cyril.
~
The sun was just rising as the castle came into view.
"It's beautiful, like it never was before." Valora sighed. For once the sun was a welcoming sight for her and Vittorio, not a signal that work was just to begin. It was a symbol for their new life, a real life that was only just to begin.
"Are you going to return home?" Vittorio asked of Elrohir as the two walked into the kitchen.
"I will, just not yet. I feel that I should stay for a few more days. What will you do?" Elrohir asked.
"Now that Valora is happy I think I will leave her on her own. I would like to return to my family." Vittorio sat at the table.
Lord Cyril entered the room and the two stood to greet him.
"Please, sit down. Do not bother with such formalities now. I want to thank both you, especially you Vittorio, for watching over Valora. You must have always know I have cared greatly for her and now my father has passed away I will take to action what I have always dreamed of doing." Cyril sat with the two at the table.
"Cyril, I feel that you should know this now." Elrohir said, "I am an elf."
Lord Cyril looked at Elrohir, curiosity in his eyes, "A first-born? And you were made slave in my home? How can this be forgiven?" Lord Cyril looked absolutely horrified at the thought.
"You were never angered with for this. I am Elrohir, son of Elrond."
"The Lord Elrond of Rivendell?" Lord Cyril looked even more abashed.
"Yes but, take no worries I have no ill thoughts against you. I will leave soon and I will leave in peace and return home with naught but kind words and thoughts of you." Elrohir smiled and it calmed Cyril.
"That makes me feel better. Again, I'm sorry for everything. My father and Giolla were very persuasive people but their ill words and omens are now gone forever and Valora will be my bride and it will be right." Cyril smiled as he said this.
"My time here is done, Lord, I will make ready to leave tomorrow. I thank you for the kindness and hospitality you have shown me and I too leave in peace and kind thoughts." Vittorio bowed and left to attend to his bags.
"I thought about staying but I think that I should return to my brother and see how my friends are faring that I left so long ago. I wish all the best for you and your bride." Elrohir bowed also and left to find his original clothes.
He left that very evening on a horse that Lord Cyril insisted he take. He was going home, to his father, his friends, and most importantly his brother.
~
~
Elrohir sat in between Valora and Vittorio who were both falling asleep in the bed. Valora had her head resting on Elrohir's lap and he was absentmindedly running his fingers through her long, dark hair. He looked down at the girl and realized that he was starting to have affections for the human. He thought it funny, him falling in love with a mortal.
Just as Elrohir was letting his mind wander off he heard shouting from in the common room. Vittorio jumped in his sleep and nearly slipped of the bed, he would have succeeded if Elrohir had not grabbed him at the last minute.
"Get him!" Someone shouted very near to their bedroom door. Now both Valora and Vittorio were awake and looking around to see what was going on.
"It's out there." Elrohir nodded to the door and the three rushed to it to see if they wanted to dare a peek.
Someone let out a very painful moan and there was a sudden thump against the door.
"Where are they?!" A man's voice shouted. It sounded familiar for some reason to Elrohir.
"Uh!" Valora gasped and cracked the door open ever so slightly to see out, "It's Lord Cyril!" Valora smiled.
"What?" Vittorio look out over her head and sure enough Lord Cyril and four of his most trusted men where fighting against three of Yorrick's men.
Elrohir looked out just in time to see Sorely have his head lobbed off by one and the men and Lord Cyril had Yorrick pinned against the wall and was threatening him with a short knife.
"Where are they?" Lord Cyril demanded.
"HERE!" Valora couldn't hold it in any longer.
Lord Cyril looked over to Valora and lowered his knife.
All of Yorrick's men were dead and Cyril's men were now watching the scene before him.
"Valora, I came after you three after I heard what had happened from the Cook. Giolla was sentenced to the yard and she will remain there for the rest of her days. Along with the women who sold you Elrohir, I had not known of that before. I am deeply sorry, you are free." Lord Cyril left Yorrick and the man slumped to the ground.
Valora flung the door open and ran to Cyril, she embraced him and placed a kiss on his cheek.
"Valora, I'm so sorry for everything that has ever happened to you. I am going to abolish slavery when we return home, you will come back with me won't you?" Cyril still had his arms around Valora.
Elrohir suddenly understood everything. Lord Cyril had always loved his servant girl but it was unheard of for a Lord to have relations other than for their pleasure with someone below them. Giolla had hated Valora because of that and consequently Vittorio for protecting her.
"I will go back with you, Cyril, you know I will." Valora smiled and a tear slipped down her cheek.
"I officially free all three of you. You may all go and do what you please as free people." Lord Cyril looked up at Elrohir and Vittorio who stood before him.
"Thank you." Was all that they could say.
Elrohir suddenly felt a great relief wash over him, he could return home. And yet, a part of him didn't quite want to leave just yet.
"We will leave now and return home before sunup." Cyril instructed and immediately the group made ready to leave. Lord Cyril had wisely brought two extra horses for Elrohir and Vittorio and as for Valora, she rode with Cyril.
~
The sun was just rising as the castle came into view.
"It's beautiful, like it never was before." Valora sighed. For once the sun was a welcoming sight for her and Vittorio, not a signal that work was just to begin. It was a symbol for their new life, a real life that was only just to begin.
"Are you going to return home?" Vittorio asked of Elrohir as the two walked into the kitchen.
"I will, just not yet. I feel that I should stay for a few more days. What will you do?" Elrohir asked.
"Now that Valora is happy I think I will leave her on her own. I would like to return to my family." Vittorio sat at the table.
Lord Cyril entered the room and the two stood to greet him.
"Please, sit down. Do not bother with such formalities now. I want to thank both you, especially you Vittorio, for watching over Valora. You must have always know I have cared greatly for her and now my father has passed away I will take to action what I have always dreamed of doing." Cyril sat with the two at the table.
"Cyril, I feel that you should know this now." Elrohir said, "I am an elf."
Lord Cyril looked at Elrohir, curiosity in his eyes, "A first-born? And you were made slave in my home? How can this be forgiven?" Lord Cyril looked absolutely horrified at the thought.
"You were never angered with for this. I am Elrohir, son of Elrond."
"The Lord Elrond of Rivendell?" Lord Cyril looked even more abashed.
"Yes but, take no worries I have no ill thoughts against you. I will leave soon and I will leave in peace and return home with naught but kind words and thoughts of you." Elrohir smiled and it calmed Cyril.
"That makes me feel better. Again, I'm sorry for everything. My father and Giolla were very persuasive people but their ill words and omens are now gone forever and Valora will be my bride and it will be right." Cyril smiled as he said this.
"My time here is done, Lord, I will make ready to leave tomorrow. I thank you for the kindness and hospitality you have shown me and I too leave in peace and kind thoughts." Vittorio bowed and left to attend to his bags.
"I thought about staying but I think that I should return to my brother and see how my friends are faring that I left so long ago. I wish all the best for you and your bride." Elrohir bowed also and left to find his original clothes.
He left that very evening on a horse that Lord Cyril insisted he take. He was going home, to his father, his friends, and most importantly his brother.
~