Poppy and Laurelen were left alone in the room. Soon, another elf
brought hot water for them and left silently. The hobbit wasted no time in
washing and dressing in the new clothes, which were by far the nicest she
had ever worn. Laurelen just stood there, looking rather dazed. "Aren't you
going to get dressed?" Poppy asked, making Laurelen shudder as she came out
of her trance.
"Uh? Oh, yes. I am sorry, but all of this," she made an expansive gesture, "reminds me of many things I have not remembered in a long time. About my life before." Here she trailed off. Her mouth closed and Poppy caught a glimpse of pain in her friend's eyes before they acquired the shielded look that the young hobbit had come to know too well. Every time this subject came up, Laurelen seemed to close herself off in a hard shell, and wouldn't talk to anyone for hours afterward. Not that she talked to anyone except Aragorn and Poppy anyway.
Staying silent, Laurelen washed and put on the clothes that had been laid out for her. She looked strangely uncomfortable in the dress. Poppy had never seen her dressed in any clothes other than the rags she had been found in, and later in the spare breeches and tunic Aragorn had given her. The hobbit was surprised at the change. She looks more like an elf, Poppy thought to herself.
There was a knock on the door, and Arwen entered carrying a tray with food on it. "I thought you would like to eat by yourself for tonight." Her voice hinted that someone else had given her this idea, and Laurelen nodded gratefully. She did not feel like meeting anyone else yet.
Arwen left the tray on a table by the door. The smell of food was almost overpowering. They had not eaten since breakfast, and it was evening now. The elf and the hobbit fell to, Laurelen almost outdoing Poppy in the quantity of food consumed.
They finished quickly. And Poppy decided she wanted to go for a walk. Laurelen would have rather stayed in the room, but she didn't want to be left alone. So she followed Poppy.
The hobbit wandered about in the halls of the fortress for a while, Laurelen close behind and looking about nervously whenever they encountered anyone else. Finally they went outside, and the elf girl breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone else was inside, either still eating or wandering about on various missions. The stars were just coming out, and both of them just stood there for a while watching them wink and twinkle in the dusk.
Laurelen heard soft footsteps behind them and whirled around, breathing in relief when she saw Arwen standing there. "My father bids you to come to the council courtyard. He wishes to speak with you."
Poppy and Laurelen found themselves following her again. She led them to a huge open courtyard with many chairs placed in a circle. But as they walked in, Laurelen saw the people gathered there and stopped dead. She backed up from the arched entrance and stood in the shadows. Poppy and Arwen didn't notice and continued on. Aragorn got up to meet them as all of the gathered turned toward them. "Arwen," he said, "where is the young one?"
Arwen turned around and realized Laurelen had not followed her. But before she could say anything, Aragorn spotted the golden eyes peering out from the dark shadows. Laurelen had heard him speak, but still would not come out of her comfortable darkness. He told her to come forward, but she snarled a word at him and retreated farther back.
The Ranger turned helplessly toward one of the other elves in the council circle. He sat in the most ornately carved chair, and was one of the few other dark-haired elves around. He stood quietly and with grace. His face was neither old nor young, and his deep blue eyes held both sternness and gentleness. He spoke to Laurelen softly from where he stood. Poppy was at this point finding it really irritating that she could not follow any of the conversations that went on because they were all in Elvish. She could speak some, but the language Laurelen had taught her was different from the one spoken in Rivendell.
But the elf's words had the desired effect upon Laurelen. She cautiously edged out of the shadow where she stood. The other elves refrained from looking her way, and instead turned back toward the center of the circle. Aragorn and Arwen took their seats, leaving her and Poppy alone on the edge of the circle. Poppy did not seem in the least intimidated, but Laurelen was shaking and her eyes kept darting back and forth nervously. She could meet no ones' eyes.
The raven-haired elf spoke again, this time in Common for Poppy's benefit. "Welcome to Rivendell, young ones. I am Elrond, master of this house and the valley. We have summoned you to this council so that we may help you answer some questions about yourselves, and also so that we may answer some of our own questions. But in order to do this, I will need your trust and confidence. I know you have been hurt in your life," he was now speaking directly to Laurelen, "but I am asking you to trust your own kindred. We wish to help you, not hurt you."
Laurelen still looked nervous, but she nodded. Aragorn motioned Poppy over to stand next to him, so Laurelen was alone. But she didn't even notice. She was buried in memories, trying to bring back what she had buried to keep away the pain. It was no easy thing Elrond was asking her to do. Finally she looked up and asked, "What do you wish to know?"
"Everything. But start at the beginning. What is your first memory?"
"My first memory. It has been so long."
Elrond chuckled. "Maybe for you, young one. You are barely to your first century." The other elves smiled knowingly.
Laurelen seemed to loosen up at the mild teasing. "My first memory is of a stream and grassy meadows, surrounded by steep mountains." She was speaking slowly and thoughtfully. "It is a valley. And there is a fortress in it with many other elves." Her eyes widened. "It must be this valley. Rivendell. I was wondering. I thought it looked so familiar here. And I remember an elf with dark hair and." Laurelen broke off. She looked hard at Elrond. He smiled almost imperceptibly and nodded.
"Yes, it is myself you are remembering, and Rivendell. Continue, Laurelen."
"I remember Rivendell more clearly now." She stopped and rubbed her forehead. "I buried these memories long ago. It is hard to bring them back again.
"I remember living here when I was very young, playing in the stream, climbing about on the grass. But with my parents." Laurelen almost choked, but recovered and took a deep breath. "We traveled often. I remember that. But we always came back here, where it was safe and quiet. My parents went often to distant lands, and took me with them. They spoke many languages, and were teaching me. But they never told me what they traveled for.
"But one day, when we were heading back to Rivendell.here, something happened." Laurelen broke off and could not continue. Her face twisted as she tried to keep from crying, but she would say nothing more for a long time.
"Uh? Oh, yes. I am sorry, but all of this," she made an expansive gesture, "reminds me of many things I have not remembered in a long time. About my life before." Here she trailed off. Her mouth closed and Poppy caught a glimpse of pain in her friend's eyes before they acquired the shielded look that the young hobbit had come to know too well. Every time this subject came up, Laurelen seemed to close herself off in a hard shell, and wouldn't talk to anyone for hours afterward. Not that she talked to anyone except Aragorn and Poppy anyway.
Staying silent, Laurelen washed and put on the clothes that had been laid out for her. She looked strangely uncomfortable in the dress. Poppy had never seen her dressed in any clothes other than the rags she had been found in, and later in the spare breeches and tunic Aragorn had given her. The hobbit was surprised at the change. She looks more like an elf, Poppy thought to herself.
There was a knock on the door, and Arwen entered carrying a tray with food on it. "I thought you would like to eat by yourself for tonight." Her voice hinted that someone else had given her this idea, and Laurelen nodded gratefully. She did not feel like meeting anyone else yet.
Arwen left the tray on a table by the door. The smell of food was almost overpowering. They had not eaten since breakfast, and it was evening now. The elf and the hobbit fell to, Laurelen almost outdoing Poppy in the quantity of food consumed.
They finished quickly. And Poppy decided she wanted to go for a walk. Laurelen would have rather stayed in the room, but she didn't want to be left alone. So she followed Poppy.
The hobbit wandered about in the halls of the fortress for a while, Laurelen close behind and looking about nervously whenever they encountered anyone else. Finally they went outside, and the elf girl breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone else was inside, either still eating or wandering about on various missions. The stars were just coming out, and both of them just stood there for a while watching them wink and twinkle in the dusk.
Laurelen heard soft footsteps behind them and whirled around, breathing in relief when she saw Arwen standing there. "My father bids you to come to the council courtyard. He wishes to speak with you."
Poppy and Laurelen found themselves following her again. She led them to a huge open courtyard with many chairs placed in a circle. But as they walked in, Laurelen saw the people gathered there and stopped dead. She backed up from the arched entrance and stood in the shadows. Poppy and Arwen didn't notice and continued on. Aragorn got up to meet them as all of the gathered turned toward them. "Arwen," he said, "where is the young one?"
Arwen turned around and realized Laurelen had not followed her. But before she could say anything, Aragorn spotted the golden eyes peering out from the dark shadows. Laurelen had heard him speak, but still would not come out of her comfortable darkness. He told her to come forward, but she snarled a word at him and retreated farther back.
The Ranger turned helplessly toward one of the other elves in the council circle. He sat in the most ornately carved chair, and was one of the few other dark-haired elves around. He stood quietly and with grace. His face was neither old nor young, and his deep blue eyes held both sternness and gentleness. He spoke to Laurelen softly from where he stood. Poppy was at this point finding it really irritating that she could not follow any of the conversations that went on because they were all in Elvish. She could speak some, but the language Laurelen had taught her was different from the one spoken in Rivendell.
But the elf's words had the desired effect upon Laurelen. She cautiously edged out of the shadow where she stood. The other elves refrained from looking her way, and instead turned back toward the center of the circle. Aragorn and Arwen took their seats, leaving her and Poppy alone on the edge of the circle. Poppy did not seem in the least intimidated, but Laurelen was shaking and her eyes kept darting back and forth nervously. She could meet no ones' eyes.
The raven-haired elf spoke again, this time in Common for Poppy's benefit. "Welcome to Rivendell, young ones. I am Elrond, master of this house and the valley. We have summoned you to this council so that we may help you answer some questions about yourselves, and also so that we may answer some of our own questions. But in order to do this, I will need your trust and confidence. I know you have been hurt in your life," he was now speaking directly to Laurelen, "but I am asking you to trust your own kindred. We wish to help you, not hurt you."
Laurelen still looked nervous, but she nodded. Aragorn motioned Poppy over to stand next to him, so Laurelen was alone. But she didn't even notice. She was buried in memories, trying to bring back what she had buried to keep away the pain. It was no easy thing Elrond was asking her to do. Finally she looked up and asked, "What do you wish to know?"
"Everything. But start at the beginning. What is your first memory?"
"My first memory. It has been so long."
Elrond chuckled. "Maybe for you, young one. You are barely to your first century." The other elves smiled knowingly.
Laurelen seemed to loosen up at the mild teasing. "My first memory is of a stream and grassy meadows, surrounded by steep mountains." She was speaking slowly and thoughtfully. "It is a valley. And there is a fortress in it with many other elves." Her eyes widened. "It must be this valley. Rivendell. I was wondering. I thought it looked so familiar here. And I remember an elf with dark hair and." Laurelen broke off. She looked hard at Elrond. He smiled almost imperceptibly and nodded.
"Yes, it is myself you are remembering, and Rivendell. Continue, Laurelen."
"I remember Rivendell more clearly now." She stopped and rubbed her forehead. "I buried these memories long ago. It is hard to bring them back again.
"I remember living here when I was very young, playing in the stream, climbing about on the grass. But with my parents." Laurelen almost choked, but recovered and took a deep breath. "We traveled often. I remember that. But we always came back here, where it was safe and quiet. My parents went often to distant lands, and took me with them. They spoke many languages, and were teaching me. But they never told me what they traveled for.
"But one day, when we were heading back to Rivendell.here, something happened." Laurelen broke off and could not continue. Her face twisted as she tried to keep from crying, but she would say nothing more for a long time.