Relief
She though she was back in her bed at home in Rhun. She could hear the rustle of the leaves in the trees and smell the scent of pine. There was a light laughter in the air and she called out. "Lissy." Her sister did not answer and she frowned and opened her eyes. She saw branches and large platforms above her in the tree. She moved her refreshed body and found that she was not bound anymore. Confused, she sat up and found that she lay on one of the platforms, on a soft bed. Sunlight lit up the forest around her and she looked about in amazement. Lorien. This was Lothlorien. She had never been here before. The place filled her with a sense of awe and calm.
"Who is Lissy?" A voice broke her thoughts and she whipped her head round to see Legolas sitting cross-legged on the platform watching her. She had not realised that she had been calling out. "Who is Lissy?" he asked again. His face showed no emotion whatsoever. She gazed at him and sighed. "She is my sister." He nodded and then got to his feet. "I assume you would like to bathe. There is a pool on one of the platforms; I will take you there." She swallowed back acid that had risen in her throat and got to her feet then followed him down the steps from her platform.
The bathing pool was surrounded by white muslin material that just showed the shadow of movement beyond. Steam rose from the curtains above and when Legolas pushed them back, she sighed in happiness at the sight. Oils and fallen leaves clouded the pool surface and their scent filled the air. She stepped onto the marble platform and took the towel and soap that Legolas handed her. He also gave her a light grey dress to wear while her tunic was washed. "I will wait out side," he said. He still didn't trust her, she realised. As the prince left the pool closing the curtain, she put the towel and dress on the ground and the soap by the poolside. Then she unfastened her tunic and pulled it off, and then pushed her leggings off. She saw the bandage and wondered if she could get it wet. "Legolas," she called. "What?" came his voice from the other side of the curtain. She was slightly annoyed to hear that he was actually making sure she didn't escape again and then looked back down at her leg. "What do I do about my leg; can I get the bandage wet?" There was a pause and then she shrieked as the curtain opened. Thank the lord she still wore her underwear. His eyes took a quick look at her body then he knelt down to unwind the bandage. Elimay could feel her cheeks redden at the intrusion. Looking at the wound, Legolas saw that it was healing well and it was probably okay to put it in the water. The lesion had closed and there was just a raw red line with the black of the stitches. "I'll have to remove those stitches. It's healing well enough to be okay without them," he said, standing up again. As he stood, Elimay felt his body just brush hers ever so softly and took a step back. "Right. Thanks." He looked down at her and did not make a move to leave. The angry expression had gone from his face and had been replaced with an appreciation for the sight of her body. Elimay shifted uneasily. "You can go now." He seemed to snap out of a trance and took a step back. "Yes. Call if you need anything." With that he left, closing the curtains.
She stood there for a minute or so, trying to grasp what had just happened. Then she quickly snapped out of it telling herself not to be so silly, stripped completely and lowered herself into the hot water with a sigh. The days of dirt seemed to melt from her skin as the water touched her and she waded out into the centre of the pool. It was just deep enough for her to touch her toes to the bottom without putting her face beneath the water.
She reached for the soap and lathered it over her skin, wiping all the dirt, blood and grime away.
When she was finally clean, she pulled herself out of the water, dried and pulled on the light grey dress. Picking up her dirty clothes and the towel, she looked at the curtains. She knew Legolas would be waiting for her and she didn't really want to face him right now. She needed some time on her own. Even though she knew he would be angry at her later, she slipped out the back. There was no point in her escaping now; she knew the Lady would help her.
As she climbed down the stairs and gave the dirty clothes to a maid, she heard a voice in her head. It pulled her up the stairs and before she knew it she was standing on the royal flet before Galadriel herself. Elimay bowed her head low in respect and looked up again to feel fear and awe when she was caught by the lady's blue gaze. Her long blonde hair fell down the sides of her pale face and over the shoulders of her flowing white dress. There was a welcoming smile on her face. "Welcome Elimay of Rhun. I am Galadriel." Elimay smiled and put her palms together as she had been taught to do before her superiors. "I apologise for my attempted flight from your forest and for injuring Haldir. I did not mean any disrespect." Galadriel seemed to laugh although the sound was more like a whisper of wind. "The sight was amusing to watch. You are strong woman my dear. But your actions are understandable; there is much hurt and fear that you hide." "Yes," Elimay nodded. "I am tied to one choice and there is no way out for me." Galadriel shook her head. "On the contrary there are many choices for you to make. You see the easy way out but I think you are beginning to see a new way. You cannot kill the prince, even though you believe it would save your family. But remember this; your master is not good, he does not give you promises that he keeps." Elimay frowned. "But we have an understanding..." The queen sighed and looked back at the dark haired elf. "You will discover in time. But now my advise to you is not to set your views so tightly. You are freer than you think and only you can make things work." Elimay didn't know how to take this advice but she found that it gave her some hope. Maybe there was a way out of all this fear and instability. "Thank you my lady. I underestimated your kindness." "Please, stay in my forest as long as you wish. Oh, and when you see Legolas, tell him I would like to speak with him." Elimay bowed her head again, putting the tips of her fingers to her forehead with the palms still together. When she looked up again, the lady was gone.
She though she was back in her bed at home in Rhun. She could hear the rustle of the leaves in the trees and smell the scent of pine. There was a light laughter in the air and she called out. "Lissy." Her sister did not answer and she frowned and opened her eyes. She saw branches and large platforms above her in the tree. She moved her refreshed body and found that she was not bound anymore. Confused, she sat up and found that she lay on one of the platforms, on a soft bed. Sunlight lit up the forest around her and she looked about in amazement. Lorien. This was Lothlorien. She had never been here before. The place filled her with a sense of awe and calm.
"Who is Lissy?" A voice broke her thoughts and she whipped her head round to see Legolas sitting cross-legged on the platform watching her. She had not realised that she had been calling out. "Who is Lissy?" he asked again. His face showed no emotion whatsoever. She gazed at him and sighed. "She is my sister." He nodded and then got to his feet. "I assume you would like to bathe. There is a pool on one of the platforms; I will take you there." She swallowed back acid that had risen in her throat and got to her feet then followed him down the steps from her platform.
The bathing pool was surrounded by white muslin material that just showed the shadow of movement beyond. Steam rose from the curtains above and when Legolas pushed them back, she sighed in happiness at the sight. Oils and fallen leaves clouded the pool surface and their scent filled the air. She stepped onto the marble platform and took the towel and soap that Legolas handed her. He also gave her a light grey dress to wear while her tunic was washed. "I will wait out side," he said. He still didn't trust her, she realised. As the prince left the pool closing the curtain, she put the towel and dress on the ground and the soap by the poolside. Then she unfastened her tunic and pulled it off, and then pushed her leggings off. She saw the bandage and wondered if she could get it wet. "Legolas," she called. "What?" came his voice from the other side of the curtain. She was slightly annoyed to hear that he was actually making sure she didn't escape again and then looked back down at her leg. "What do I do about my leg; can I get the bandage wet?" There was a pause and then she shrieked as the curtain opened. Thank the lord she still wore her underwear. His eyes took a quick look at her body then he knelt down to unwind the bandage. Elimay could feel her cheeks redden at the intrusion. Looking at the wound, Legolas saw that it was healing well and it was probably okay to put it in the water. The lesion had closed and there was just a raw red line with the black of the stitches. "I'll have to remove those stitches. It's healing well enough to be okay without them," he said, standing up again. As he stood, Elimay felt his body just brush hers ever so softly and took a step back. "Right. Thanks." He looked down at her and did not make a move to leave. The angry expression had gone from his face and had been replaced with an appreciation for the sight of her body. Elimay shifted uneasily. "You can go now." He seemed to snap out of a trance and took a step back. "Yes. Call if you need anything." With that he left, closing the curtains.
She stood there for a minute or so, trying to grasp what had just happened. Then she quickly snapped out of it telling herself not to be so silly, stripped completely and lowered herself into the hot water with a sigh. The days of dirt seemed to melt from her skin as the water touched her and she waded out into the centre of the pool. It was just deep enough for her to touch her toes to the bottom without putting her face beneath the water.
She reached for the soap and lathered it over her skin, wiping all the dirt, blood and grime away.
When she was finally clean, she pulled herself out of the water, dried and pulled on the light grey dress. Picking up her dirty clothes and the towel, she looked at the curtains. She knew Legolas would be waiting for her and she didn't really want to face him right now. She needed some time on her own. Even though she knew he would be angry at her later, she slipped out the back. There was no point in her escaping now; she knew the Lady would help her.
As she climbed down the stairs and gave the dirty clothes to a maid, she heard a voice in her head. It pulled her up the stairs and before she knew it she was standing on the royal flet before Galadriel herself. Elimay bowed her head low in respect and looked up again to feel fear and awe when she was caught by the lady's blue gaze. Her long blonde hair fell down the sides of her pale face and over the shoulders of her flowing white dress. There was a welcoming smile on her face. "Welcome Elimay of Rhun. I am Galadriel." Elimay smiled and put her palms together as she had been taught to do before her superiors. "I apologise for my attempted flight from your forest and for injuring Haldir. I did not mean any disrespect." Galadriel seemed to laugh although the sound was more like a whisper of wind. "The sight was amusing to watch. You are strong woman my dear. But your actions are understandable; there is much hurt and fear that you hide." "Yes," Elimay nodded. "I am tied to one choice and there is no way out for me." Galadriel shook her head. "On the contrary there are many choices for you to make. You see the easy way out but I think you are beginning to see a new way. You cannot kill the prince, even though you believe it would save your family. But remember this; your master is not good, he does not give you promises that he keeps." Elimay frowned. "But we have an understanding..." The queen sighed and looked back at the dark haired elf. "You will discover in time. But now my advise to you is not to set your views so tightly. You are freer than you think and only you can make things work." Elimay didn't know how to take this advice but she found that it gave her some hope. Maybe there was a way out of all this fear and instability. "Thank you my lady. I underestimated your kindness." "Please, stay in my forest as long as you wish. Oh, and when you see Legolas, tell him I would like to speak with him." Elimay bowed her head again, putting the tips of her fingers to her forehead with the palms still together. When she looked up again, the lady was gone.