After a meal that even Laurelen could not fail to enjoy, Elrond and
Aragorn were walking outside under the darkening sky out of the earshot of
others.
"How does Laurelen seem to you, Elrond?" Aragorn asked.
The lord of Rivendell sighed. "That is something I wish to speak with you about. She has been here such a short time, that I cannot tell for sure how she is. She seems well enough looking from the outside, but inside. She has seen much hardship, and there is worse that she did not say. But the thing which worries me most is when I see her eyes." Elrond paused and frowned. "Her eyes. they are shadowed, clouded like a dead thing's eyes. Every once in a while, something will lift the veil and a spark can be seen." He smiled sadly and turned to look at Aragorn. "But when you have lived as long as I, you learn to see past veiled eyes and faces. I have seen what lies behind, and it makes me all the more afraid for her.
"They are cold, Aragorn, colder than the ice on the mountains. And at the same time, they burn like a smith's fire. It is anger, hate, and a need for revenge that kept her alive when you found her.
"Still, there is hope for her. I watch her with the young halfling, and with my daughter, and even with you. You three seem to be the only ones she trusts, and when she is around you, she lets part of the wall that she has built between herself and the world come down. The road to healing will be long and hard for her, but there is hope that she will succeed."
Aragorn nodded slowly. "I feel much the same as you. But until the healing comes, what is to be done?"
Elrond looked at him closely. "I see your meaning. You cannot always be in Rivendell, and the young one is uneasy outside of your company." He sighed again. "This has created a great burden on all of us. We shall hold a council again in a few days to decide what shall be done."
* * *
The council was held nearly a week later, directly following the evening meal. Laurelen and Poppy were not told of it, and Aragorn was absent on the grounds that this was an Elf matter, and there was no need to involve a Man in it. Elrond excused him, but told him cryptically that he was more involved than he realized. Aragorn asked what he meant, but Elrond simply said that they would speak together later.
As the members of the council sat in their chairs, Elrond began without ceremony. "I have called you this evening so we may decide the fates of the young halfling and elf. The questions before us are not only whether they should be allowed to stay, but what is to be done if they do or do not stay.
"But before we come to any decisions, I wish to remind you of who this elf is, the youngest of our kindred. I know some of you remember the beginning of her line, but others among you were not yet born. It is to you that I speak." Here he looked mainly at his daughter and two sons, but also glanced at a few others. Finally he breathed in and began.
"Many years ago, even by our reckoning, a line of elves was started. It was in the days when men first turned to evil, and suspicion grew between our two races. Given to us by Manwë, it was said, were elves who were more like men in appearance. They were to act as ambassadors, for it was thought that men would not distrust those who looked like them. However, this turned out false. Evil had corrupted men, and they were treacherous. So these elves were given a new task. They acted instead as spies, passing themselves off as men. They became warriors with sharp swords instead of sharp tongues. But their occupation was dangerous, and many died in duty. This child is the last of the line." Elrond looked around into the eyes of each of his council members.
"All of you know her story, for she told it last time we came together. And now I ask, what is to be done?"
The elves sat quietly, thinking and occasionally talking softly to one another. Finally one of them stood forward. "I see no harm in letting her stay here. There are few other places we may send her, and I do not think she would fare well in the golden wood. The only other possibility is sending her to Thranduil in Mirkwood. I hesitate to place such a burden on his shoulders. For a burden she may become." He looked hard at Elrond.
The lord of Rivendell met his gaze. "Yes, Glorfindel, she may indeed become a burden on us. She has been through much pain, and more that she has not told us of. But there is another who has a part in this. Aragorn, son of Arathorn. She looks to him as a daughter to her father. I fear that to separate her from the little support she has would destroy her.
"But are we all in agreement? I wish to hear what others would say."
One of Elrond's sons stood forward now. "I agree with my father and with Glorfindel that Laurelen should stay in Rivendell. But I wish to add another point. She has suffered much the same as my mother, though she survived, and my mother has passed on to the Undying Lands. There are none of you here who would have grudged my mother the care and support should she have stayed in Middle-Earth. I think that the young one deserves the same."
"Well said, my son. Are we all in agreement over this issue?" Heads nodded around the circle. "Then, on to another issue. What of the halfling?"
Now Arwen stood forward, much to the surprise of the elves. She rarely spoke at council. "I have seen these two together. They are like sisters, and to separate them would be cruel. The halfling, Poppy, has nowhere else to go, and no other friends than Laurelen. Laurelen needs Poppy as much as Poppy needs her."
Again there was a wave of heads nodding around the circle. Elrond bowed his head for a moment, and then spoke. "It is decided, then. Poppy and Laurelen shall stay in Rivendell. But what will happen to them remains to be seen. This council is dismissed."
"How does Laurelen seem to you, Elrond?" Aragorn asked.
The lord of Rivendell sighed. "That is something I wish to speak with you about. She has been here such a short time, that I cannot tell for sure how she is. She seems well enough looking from the outside, but inside. She has seen much hardship, and there is worse that she did not say. But the thing which worries me most is when I see her eyes." Elrond paused and frowned. "Her eyes. they are shadowed, clouded like a dead thing's eyes. Every once in a while, something will lift the veil and a spark can be seen." He smiled sadly and turned to look at Aragorn. "But when you have lived as long as I, you learn to see past veiled eyes and faces. I have seen what lies behind, and it makes me all the more afraid for her.
"They are cold, Aragorn, colder than the ice on the mountains. And at the same time, they burn like a smith's fire. It is anger, hate, and a need for revenge that kept her alive when you found her.
"Still, there is hope for her. I watch her with the young halfling, and with my daughter, and even with you. You three seem to be the only ones she trusts, and when she is around you, she lets part of the wall that she has built between herself and the world come down. The road to healing will be long and hard for her, but there is hope that she will succeed."
Aragorn nodded slowly. "I feel much the same as you. But until the healing comes, what is to be done?"
Elrond looked at him closely. "I see your meaning. You cannot always be in Rivendell, and the young one is uneasy outside of your company." He sighed again. "This has created a great burden on all of us. We shall hold a council again in a few days to decide what shall be done."
* * *
The council was held nearly a week later, directly following the evening meal. Laurelen and Poppy were not told of it, and Aragorn was absent on the grounds that this was an Elf matter, and there was no need to involve a Man in it. Elrond excused him, but told him cryptically that he was more involved than he realized. Aragorn asked what he meant, but Elrond simply said that they would speak together later.
As the members of the council sat in their chairs, Elrond began without ceremony. "I have called you this evening so we may decide the fates of the young halfling and elf. The questions before us are not only whether they should be allowed to stay, but what is to be done if they do or do not stay.
"But before we come to any decisions, I wish to remind you of who this elf is, the youngest of our kindred. I know some of you remember the beginning of her line, but others among you were not yet born. It is to you that I speak." Here he looked mainly at his daughter and two sons, but also glanced at a few others. Finally he breathed in and began.
"Many years ago, even by our reckoning, a line of elves was started. It was in the days when men first turned to evil, and suspicion grew between our two races. Given to us by Manwë, it was said, were elves who were more like men in appearance. They were to act as ambassadors, for it was thought that men would not distrust those who looked like them. However, this turned out false. Evil had corrupted men, and they were treacherous. So these elves were given a new task. They acted instead as spies, passing themselves off as men. They became warriors with sharp swords instead of sharp tongues. But their occupation was dangerous, and many died in duty. This child is the last of the line." Elrond looked around into the eyes of each of his council members.
"All of you know her story, for she told it last time we came together. And now I ask, what is to be done?"
The elves sat quietly, thinking and occasionally talking softly to one another. Finally one of them stood forward. "I see no harm in letting her stay here. There are few other places we may send her, and I do not think she would fare well in the golden wood. The only other possibility is sending her to Thranduil in Mirkwood. I hesitate to place such a burden on his shoulders. For a burden she may become." He looked hard at Elrond.
The lord of Rivendell met his gaze. "Yes, Glorfindel, she may indeed become a burden on us. She has been through much pain, and more that she has not told us of. But there is another who has a part in this. Aragorn, son of Arathorn. She looks to him as a daughter to her father. I fear that to separate her from the little support she has would destroy her.
"But are we all in agreement? I wish to hear what others would say."
One of Elrond's sons stood forward now. "I agree with my father and with Glorfindel that Laurelen should stay in Rivendell. But I wish to add another point. She has suffered much the same as my mother, though she survived, and my mother has passed on to the Undying Lands. There are none of you here who would have grudged my mother the care and support should she have stayed in Middle-Earth. I think that the young one deserves the same."
"Well said, my son. Are we all in agreement over this issue?" Heads nodded around the circle. "Then, on to another issue. What of the halfling?"
Now Arwen stood forward, much to the surprise of the elves. She rarely spoke at council. "I have seen these two together. They are like sisters, and to separate them would be cruel. The halfling, Poppy, has nowhere else to go, and no other friends than Laurelen. Laurelen needs Poppy as much as Poppy needs her."
Again there was a wave of heads nodding around the circle. Elrond bowed his head for a moment, and then spoke. "It is decided, then. Poppy and Laurelen shall stay in Rivendell. But what will happen to them remains to be seen. This council is dismissed."