The two original characters are of my creation. Do not take.

Hugs. Kisses. Etc.
Enjoy
Reona

Chapter 2



Something wet and cool was moving against his chest. Elrond shuttered and the touch stopped, retreating from his body. A groan escaped his lips as the pain of his body made itself known to his semi-conscious mind. A soft touch rest on his cheek and a musical voice began to mummer at him. The half-Elf tried to open his eyes and was almost blinded when he managed to open them into slits. A shadow replaced the bright light and the soothing voice became slightly clearer. It was speaking a very old form of Elvish, one that had been old even back in the First Age. Elrond tried to open his eyes again and was rewarded with the hazy outline of a person leaning over him, colored in whites and greys. Tears leaked from his smarting eyes and pain vibrated through his head, making him groan again. Something cool was laid against his forehead, easing the pain, and the voice continued to whisper to him. Darkness descended again as Elrond fell back into unconsciousness.



Soft splashing and a rhythmic crunching sound met Elrond's second return to consciousness. He lay against something comfortable that he could not identify. The burning pain of before had dulled to a whole body ache, unpleasant but bearable. Opening his eyes proved to be easier than before as well and the half-Elf found himself staring straight up the large trunk of a tree. The high leaves kept out the full force of the sunlight from above and Elrond drifted pleasantly for a moment. Suddenly his memory came to the forefront of his mind and he remembered the orc attack. Carefully he moved his eyes, not wanting to risk moving any parts of his body just yet. On both sides of him were large tree roots, creating a type of cradle that he was resting in. To his left splashed a quiet spring and a small blue pool of water. His grey eyes looked to his right and found a small meadow ringed in white birch trees, the forest beyond hidden. Bursts of colorful wildflowers decorated the green grass of the meadow. Wherever he was, he was not in the orc's possession but neither was he with his family.

The rhythmic crunching sound finally drew him to look in front of him to find a woman sitting by the edge of the pool, a little distance away from his feet. She had on a white dress and long white hair fell down her back like a cloak. Her face was hidden from him as she bent over a small bowl, using a mortar stone with deft twists of her graceful hand.

Suddenly, she paused in her work and slowly lifted her head. Her white hair fell back from her face and Elrond saw that she had pointed ears and smooth skin. However, he let out a gasp as her white eyes turned toward him. Without pupil or iris, the woman's eyes were a field of white. She did not smile as she opened her lips to speak. "Elrond Peredhil, I am glad you are awake." Elrond blinked as he heard the musical voice from before only this time she was speaking in Quenya. "I was becoming worried that your head injury was more grieves than I could care for," she continued.

"Whe…" Elrond's words trailed off as his throat seized. The woman stood and came to him with a small cup of water, carefully allowing him to drink the cool liquid. Elrond cleared his throat again as she took away the water and tried to speak once more. "Where is my family?" he asked softly, his voice raw.

The woman returned to the water's edge, taking up the mortar again. She waved one hand toward the edge of the meadow and started to grind once more. "They are beyond the meadow. You are safe here," she answered. With a last hard twist of the mortar in the bowl, she set it aside and picked the bowl up. She came near Elrond again and settled on the ground besides his feet. "I must change your dressings again," she told him.

That was the first time that Elrond noticed that he was not wearing his own clothing. Instead he was wearing a pair of loose black pants and a white shirt. His long hair was undone and lay about his shoulders. Elrond looked down at his bare feet where the woman was unwrapping a bandage from his left foot. "I'm sorry, but your clothing was ruined. I shall have to have them repaired," she told him. She took off the bandage from his ankle and foot and Elrond saw a wound that had to be several weeks if not over a month old. The skin was pink and marred by three jagged lines of red. Remembering how badly the wound seemed before, Elrond fearfully tried to wiggle his toes and sighed when the digits obeyed his commands with only slight pain. He felt the woman gently touch the injury and looked up at her face. "You will have full mobility when I'm done, Elrond," she told him.

"How long have I been unconscious?" asked Elrond.

"A day and a half," answered the woman.

Elrond gasped. That could not be! "Only a day and a half!" he exclaimed. But his wound looked almost fully healed!

The woman cocked her head at him. "I would have healed your wounds completely by now but I had to go slowly. The orcs had clawed into the bone around your ankle and almost as deeply on your chest and shoulder," she said. "I wanted to make sure I left no scares."

Elrond stared at her. "Who…What are you?"

"Who and what I am is not important," replied the woman. She looked up from examining his ankle and Elrond was slightly unnerved by her white stare. "If you must call me something, then call me Silivren."

"Glittering white?" questioned Elrond.

The woman lowered her head again. "I think it is most appropriate." It was, Elrond saw; with her hair and clothes there was not a color other then white upon her. Then Elrond witnessed the woman's next great accomplishment. She placed her hands above Elrond's foot and her fingers began to glow. The white glow fell down upon Elrond's injury and he felt gentle heat gather around his foot. The pinkness of the new skin faded and the red claw lines dulled. When the glow stopped and Silivren lifted her hands it seemed as if another few weeks had past for the injury in a matter of seconds.

Elrond felt an odd tingling sensation in his foot until the woman spread some of the crushed herbs from her bowl over it and began to wrap his ankle again. "Valier," whispered the half-Elf in awe, sure that he was in the presence of a female god.

Silivren shook her white head while securing the end of the bandage. "I am not one of the Valar, Elrond." She picked up her bowl and came nearer to his head. "I must treat your chest and shoulder," she explained as she reached for his shirt. Silivren opened the silver buttons and pushed aside the cloth to reveal another white bandage wrapped around his chest and right shoulder. She took them off carefully and Elrond looked at his body in astonishment. Four claw marks, the skin around them pink and the groves only a discolored red, run from just under his heart to his hip and four puncture wounds decorated his right shoulder. He didn't remember these wounds and must have gotten them after he fell unconscious. Sweet Eru, he should be dead.

"You nearly were dead," said Silivren as she leaned forward to examine the claw marks. She frowned over a particularly red patch of skin and continued to speak, "These marks went down to the bone and you almost bled to death before I could get to you."

Elrond stared at her. "Can you read my mind?"

One corner of Silivren's mouth curved slightly upward. "Only when you think loud enough," she replied. She touched the red patch and Elrond hissed as pain burned in that area. He jerked his head slightly and white lights exploded in his vision, his head starting to pound and dizziness attacking his senses. "Shhh. Shhh," cooed Silivren from far away. The world swam before soft warmth surrounded his body and Elrond felt himself drift gently for a moment. "Elrond? Open your eyes please," said Silivren's voice, closer now. Elrond found opening his eyes to be no hard task and was once again looking at the white lady kneeling next to him. She lifted her hand from where it rested lightly on his forehead and sat back. "Please do not make any quick movements, Elrond," Silivren said. "Your head wound was quite severe and not fully healed yet."

"So I found out" said Elrond sourly.

"Does anything else ail you?" asked Silivren, concern coloring her voice.

Elrond found that his chest no long burned as it did before and looked down to find the red marks faded again, the crushed herbs already soothing the strange tingling sensation that followed Silivren's healing ability. The half-Elf shook his head carefully, just a slight movement from side to side. "No."

Silivren nodded and shifted a little to better get at his still untreated shoulder. "I only have your shoulder to treat and then I will replace the bandages. After that I will get you some food," she said. Her examination of the puncture wounds was swift and then she placed her hand over his shoulder. The glow and warmth returned, sealing the holes completely and soothing the skin. The tingling sensation was quickly removed with the herbs and then Silivren wrapped Elrond's torso in bandages. "I believe that this will be the last time I will need to put on bandages," she said. "I was afraid of infection before but that concern has past at this stage."

"Thank you, Silivren," said Elrond.

The woman buttoned up his shirt while she nodded in acknowledgement. She then scooped some water from the spring and had him drink again, for which he was grateful. Silivren packed the cup and mortar into a hollow in the tree, her movements now quick and sharp like a birds. She stood and Elrond could now see that she wore no shoes on her feet. "I will get you some food, I know you are hungry," Silivren said. Elrond's stomach took that moment to grumble in agreement and her lips lifted again. "Is there anything you would like?" she asked courteously.

A thought drifted through his mind but he would not say it to his host. "No, nothing special," he answered.

Silivren cocked her head at him again and Elrond got the instinct impression that she was not using her white eyes to see. "Liar," she said. The white woman turned and headed for a small gap in the trees. "I will get you some honey cakes," Silivren announced as she disappeared out of the meadow.

Elrond blinked and sighed; having your mother-in-law root around in your mind was annoying enough without two people doing it. He laid his head against the comfortable cradle he rested in, closing his eyes. His body no longer hurt completely, although a twinge would make itself known every once in a while and a dull pain had settled behind his eyes. The soft splash of the spring was soothing to his ears and a light breeze drifted over him, a welcome friend.

A noise alerted him that he was not alone in the meadow but alarm could not enter his mind in this place. Unconcerned, Elrond opened his eyes and turned his head to find a horse in the meadow with him. The animal was facing away from him, head lowered to pull lush shoots of grass to eat. Its white coat glowed in the sunlight and its blond tail swished back and forth. The horse reminded Elrond a little of Asfaloth, Glorfindel's faithful mount.

The half-Elf smiled as a colorful butterfly landed on top of the horse and it lifted its head. Elrond gasped in astonishment, sitting up a little. He thought nothing that no pain came from his actions as he stared at the being in the meadow with him; for it was no mere horse that stood before him but a unicorn. A long, spiral horn graced the unicorn's forehead and star silver eyes now looked at him. Elrond now saw that the being's build was slimmer than any horse he had ever seen and that its hooves were cloven. The wind played with the unicorn's mane and tail as it turned and calmly walked over to him. Elrond pressed himself back as the unicorn neared him and froze as it lifted its nose to him. The softest of velvet touched his cheek and Elrond stared into liquid eyes inches from his own.

Hesitantly, Elrond raised a hand and rested it against the unicorn's cheek. He patted along the silky coat and the unicorn's eyes lowered halfway in pleasure. The half-Elf became bolder and moved his hand around to scratch the unicorn's forehead. The mythical beast shifted and Elrond stilled for a moment as the unicorn folded its legs under itself and sat beside him. It nudged his palm meaningfully and Elrond returned to petting. He raised both hands and ran his fingers through its soft mane, scratching around its ears. After some time the unicorn rested its head in Elrond's lap, a delicate breath of air escaping in a sigh.

Elrond didn't know how long he'd been idly stroking the unicorn until he noticed Silivren standing next to him or how long she had been there staring at him. Before Elrond could shake off the sleepy peace he had fallen into, her lips curved into a small smile. "I wondered if he would show up," she said. A soft noise came from the unicorn and Silivren chuckled. "Don't get up on my account."

"You know…him?" asked Elrond.

Silivren folded her legs beneath herself to sit, setting a woven basket in her lap. "His name is Gailuin and I have known him for a long time," she answered. The unicorn raised his head and tried to stick his nose into the basket but Silivren pushed his head away. "Yes, yes. I brought you apples," she said. Her hand disappeared into the basket and came up with the red fruit. Gailuin took it from her hand and began to munch the treat. "Greedy thing," muttered Silivren.

The white lady's hand disappeared again and she came back up with a honey cake, much to Elrond's surprise. "I brought honey cakes, like you wished," she announced. She gave the cake to Elrond, who gratefully began to eat. Silivren then came up with an orange and leaned sideways, sticking her hand into the tree hollow. She pulled a knife out and began to peel her fruit. Two cups were then pulled from the hollow followed by a clay plate on which she put the orange slices. Elrond was beginning to think that everything could be found in that hole.

Silivren continued to pull out from her basket grapes and strawberries as well as strips of dried meat and a small mithril canteen of wine. "Where did you find all this?" Elrond asked.

Like before, Silivren waved a hand toward the edge of the meadow. "Beyond the meadow," she answered. Elrond sighed and accepted another honey cake when Silivren offered him one.



Silivren = glittering white
Gailuin = of the bright light

Who do you think the white lady really is?

Jibade - I'm so glad that you like the start of the fic!

Firefall - Yep, Elrond is really gone. He isn't going to pop out of the woodwork. As for where he is? Hmm, you'll find out.

And to the both of you...I don't like long lulls in action. The 'full gallop' is usually how I write. Want things to happen! Have to get going! Besides, it's a ride in the woods. How do you exaggerate on a ride through the woods? Lol!

elsgal - Hmm, Robin Hood? Which Robin Hood? I suppose that I could have gotten Elrond's shooting from that but I wasn't aware of it. Glad you like.