A/N: I'm going to try to update more regularly from now on ^_^ So... look
for a new chapter every two days, possibly three. Kudos to the two people
who reviewed chapter three. I am currently unable to see the reviews due
to the fact that fanfiction is slow, but I would like to pass free band
lollipops out to all. This is my first fic, and I never expected to even
get more than three reviews. And one more thing.. I apologize for Kaurea's
Mary-Sue-like behavior. The story does shift somewhat over the next few
chapters.
I awoke to find Elrond by the side of my bed, much like he had done the first time he healed me. After I saw the stern look in his eyes, I was sorely tempted to just clench mine shut again and hope that he had never noticed that I was awake. Sadly, the elf lord was far more alert than I had hoped.
"Kaurea...you are awake. How do you fare?" He asked me, a concerned look on his face. I sighed. That question was the one posed to me most often, and I had already grown sick of answering it. So I simply turned my head so that I was facing away from him, a frown on my face.
"You screamed things after you fainted. Do you recall what you said?" My breath caught in my throat. I could not even remember saying anything after passing out. As a matter of fact, I did not even remember who found me lying on the floor, though I suspected that it was Aragorn. Immediately, I pulled myself into a sitting position as quickly as I could.
"What did I say?" I asked Elrond, feeling rather suspicious. Could he be trying to trick me? Perhaps I had really said nothing and he was just trying to fool me into talking. I had not known him that long, hardly long enough to really get a feel for what he was like. Elrond merely raised his eyebrows at me and waited a little while before speaking.
"I know this may be difficult for you to speak about, but you mentioned the name Merheyl. Was she someone you knew?" My stomach sank and tears pooled in my eyes, for I had not heard her name spoken in so long. The humans had forbidden me from speaking unless I was spoken to and I was also to never mention anything about Merheyl.
"She was my mother." I whispered, a single tear streaking down my cheek. "And she is dead for a long time now." Elrond blinked a few times in amazement, then leaned down and stared down at the bedsheets for a moment. I almost could not believe the look of sadness that was now upon his face.
"You are my niece, Kaurea. Merheyl was my sister. When my brother Elros and I were small, we were taken captive in an elven war. Merheyl swore she would find us and so she tracked us as far as she could. We never saw her again, but I had heard rumors many years ago that she was a human slave, I never believed them because I thought she was so much stronger, that she could overcome anything that crossed her path..." Elrond's voice choked and he stopped.
The humans killed my mother no less than three years ago. I can still remember the look upon her face the day she was sentenced to die, the day they slashed all of her beautiful dark hair from her head and sent me away, far away, to travel with a band of evil doing men heading for the elven lands. I can remember nothing but pain and misery from then on.
I leaned over and wrapped my arms around Elrond as he wiped a tear or two from his eyes, as I took comfort in the fact that I had finally found my home and what was left of my shattered family. Elrond, meanwhile, cleared his throat and slowly but lovingly withdrew from my grasp.
"I will find someone to tutor you in elvish. That should keep you from wandering around before I allow you." Elrond said, changing the subject. I nodded meekly, realizing that I did not want to discuss Merheyl for any longer. My memories were probably just as painful as Elrond's.
///\\\
The next morning dawned bright and new as all morning do in Rivendell. I was still unable to leave my bed under the strict orders of Lord Elrond, but I hardly minded. He had said that he would send a tutor for me. I dearly hoped that it would be someone that I could relate to, someone that could be both a friend and a teacher.
But the noon meal passed and there was no sign of either Elrond or the tutor her had promised to send. I began to grow impatient and fidgety. Aragorn had stopped by for only a moment in the morning and had left suddenly, claiming that he had important matters to attend to. While I did not doubt that he had more important things to do than to sit by my bedside, I sorely missed talking with him.
Suddenly, the door to my room burst open and one of the dark haired twins that I had seen walking yesterday with Aragorn burst in, a happy grin upon his face. Though I gave him a strange look, I was grateful for any type of company that I could find.
"Elrohir, son of Elrond." He said with a quick nod in my direction. It was only then that I noticed the large amount of textbooks that he carried in his arms. He plopped them down on my bedside table somewhat clumsily and I could not hold back a small laugh. Was this the tutor Elrond had gotten for me?
His gray eyes were kind as he picked up one of the textbooks and pulled up a chair next to my bed. I had somehow managed to stop laughing and take a long, serious look at him. Something in my mind clicked, and I realized something.
"You are Elrond's son?" I questioned him, not sure if I had heard him correctly when he first spoke. He merely nodded and flipped briefly through the book, humming a little under his breath. He was my cousin, but apparently Elrond had not told him of the conversation we had only the night before. In a way, I was grateful.
"I think we shall start with the basics..." Elrohir said to me as he leaned the book closer to me so that we were both able to read it. Sighing with content, I listened attentively as he explained the elven language of Quenya for me, then began to teach me how to make those beautiful words flow off my own tongue that was so used to the harsh language of men.
I awoke to find Elrond by the side of my bed, much like he had done the first time he healed me. After I saw the stern look in his eyes, I was sorely tempted to just clench mine shut again and hope that he had never noticed that I was awake. Sadly, the elf lord was far more alert than I had hoped.
"Kaurea...you are awake. How do you fare?" He asked me, a concerned look on his face. I sighed. That question was the one posed to me most often, and I had already grown sick of answering it. So I simply turned my head so that I was facing away from him, a frown on my face.
"You screamed things after you fainted. Do you recall what you said?" My breath caught in my throat. I could not even remember saying anything after passing out. As a matter of fact, I did not even remember who found me lying on the floor, though I suspected that it was Aragorn. Immediately, I pulled myself into a sitting position as quickly as I could.
"What did I say?" I asked Elrond, feeling rather suspicious. Could he be trying to trick me? Perhaps I had really said nothing and he was just trying to fool me into talking. I had not known him that long, hardly long enough to really get a feel for what he was like. Elrond merely raised his eyebrows at me and waited a little while before speaking.
"I know this may be difficult for you to speak about, but you mentioned the name Merheyl. Was she someone you knew?" My stomach sank and tears pooled in my eyes, for I had not heard her name spoken in so long. The humans had forbidden me from speaking unless I was spoken to and I was also to never mention anything about Merheyl.
"She was my mother." I whispered, a single tear streaking down my cheek. "And she is dead for a long time now." Elrond blinked a few times in amazement, then leaned down and stared down at the bedsheets for a moment. I almost could not believe the look of sadness that was now upon his face.
"You are my niece, Kaurea. Merheyl was my sister. When my brother Elros and I were small, we were taken captive in an elven war. Merheyl swore she would find us and so she tracked us as far as she could. We never saw her again, but I had heard rumors many years ago that she was a human slave, I never believed them because I thought she was so much stronger, that she could overcome anything that crossed her path..." Elrond's voice choked and he stopped.
The humans killed my mother no less than three years ago. I can still remember the look upon her face the day she was sentenced to die, the day they slashed all of her beautiful dark hair from her head and sent me away, far away, to travel with a band of evil doing men heading for the elven lands. I can remember nothing but pain and misery from then on.
I leaned over and wrapped my arms around Elrond as he wiped a tear or two from his eyes, as I took comfort in the fact that I had finally found my home and what was left of my shattered family. Elrond, meanwhile, cleared his throat and slowly but lovingly withdrew from my grasp.
"I will find someone to tutor you in elvish. That should keep you from wandering around before I allow you." Elrond said, changing the subject. I nodded meekly, realizing that I did not want to discuss Merheyl for any longer. My memories were probably just as painful as Elrond's.
///\\\
The next morning dawned bright and new as all morning do in Rivendell. I was still unable to leave my bed under the strict orders of Lord Elrond, but I hardly minded. He had said that he would send a tutor for me. I dearly hoped that it would be someone that I could relate to, someone that could be both a friend and a teacher.
But the noon meal passed and there was no sign of either Elrond or the tutor her had promised to send. I began to grow impatient and fidgety. Aragorn had stopped by for only a moment in the morning and had left suddenly, claiming that he had important matters to attend to. While I did not doubt that he had more important things to do than to sit by my bedside, I sorely missed talking with him.
Suddenly, the door to my room burst open and one of the dark haired twins that I had seen walking yesterday with Aragorn burst in, a happy grin upon his face. Though I gave him a strange look, I was grateful for any type of company that I could find.
"Elrohir, son of Elrond." He said with a quick nod in my direction. It was only then that I noticed the large amount of textbooks that he carried in his arms. He plopped them down on my bedside table somewhat clumsily and I could not hold back a small laugh. Was this the tutor Elrond had gotten for me?
His gray eyes were kind as he picked up one of the textbooks and pulled up a chair next to my bed. I had somehow managed to stop laughing and take a long, serious look at him. Something in my mind clicked, and I realized something.
"You are Elrond's son?" I questioned him, not sure if I had heard him correctly when he first spoke. He merely nodded and flipped briefly through the book, humming a little under his breath. He was my cousin, but apparently Elrond had not told him of the conversation we had only the night before. In a way, I was grateful.
"I think we shall start with the basics..." Elrohir said to me as he leaned the book closer to me so that we were both able to read it. Sighing with content, I listened attentively as he explained the elven language of Quenya for me, then began to teach me how to make those beautiful words flow off my own tongue that was so used to the harsh language of men.