Luineraugwen: Thank you to the people who reviewed. Sorry it took so long to update but I make it a habit of writing out each chapter then typing it up. I like to write it all first because 1) it's something good to do during class when I've done all my work and 2) instead of backing up all the files, I've got all the story written out so I can't loose it. I keep all my stories that are written out in a large purple folder that's going to have to be replaces soon.
Also I've upped this story to the R rating because of this chapter. Any questions email me or leave it in a review.
Warning: This chapter contains, I guess you can call it, graphic violence as well as a non-consensual sex scene. If you don't wish to read it, although it provides knowledge of a darker side of Alexis's past, don't read the first amount of typing in Italics. The second is just a memory of Elladan's and isn't harmful. Be warned and read at you're own risk and please feel free to call me a mean bitch again. There will also be a bit of swearing in this chapter too.
Cho-Freak-Dragon: Sorry but I think I might have to rate this chapter R because of something I've written. Don't worry, I might decide to put it back once I finalize something. Thanks for putting me on your faves. Also if you can't read R then I suggest you don't read the first part in Italics. But don't worry, you've catch onto what happened when Elladan speaks.
Feathers of Snow: Honeypot: Yeah a lot of people seem to be sad that she's dead. A friend of mine almost beat the crap out of me when she found out. She still continues to have a go at me now. Friend screaming in background That was one of the hardest things to write, except for something that happens in this chapter. It was really hard to choose the words.
Jeregrin Took: Build a bridge and get over it!!!
Disclaimer: See chapter 1.
The news of Candace's shockingly disturbing death had spread throughout Rivendell like wildfire and the fact that Alexis had been the only one anywhere near the child made the elves suspicious about her. Many already suspected that she did it but so far she couldn't tell her side of the story because Alexis still hadn't woken up yet. Lord Elrond and Elladan visited her bedside everyday but Elladan spent most of his time sitting in the chair by the fireplace reading a book but ever vigilant for sounds of Alexis waking up.
Elladan refused to believe that Alexis had killed Candace and he made it known to anyone who dared mention it around him. Candace had been Alexis's only living relative and Alexis loved and cherished the young girl with all her heart. Someone else, someone without a heart did that to Candace, not Alexis.
The elf's mind was trailing off as he tried to think of someone who might want o kill Candace but a groan brought him back to reality. In two large strides he was standing next to the bed. Alexis's eyes were opened slightly and she lay there staring at something or nothing behind his shoulder. The blank expression on her face almost reminded him of the one Candace wore when he first saw her dead a few nights ago.
"Alexis...Alexis, how do you feel?" Elladan asked placing a hand on her shoulder but she showed no sign of feeling it. This worried him and he immediately sent a message to his father telling him that she was awake then he took his seat back at the bedside and tried to get her to respond but he didn't succeed.
"Are you sure she'd awake?" Elrond said slipping through the door unnoticed.
"Aye, I', sure but she's not responding to anything I do or say" Elladan replied moving out of the way so his father could check on Alexis.
'Alexis, can you hear me?" the lord said but Alexis continued to ignore them. The lord even resorted to gently slapping the girl's cheek but even that didn't work.
"Could the shock of seeing Candace's body like is was cause Alexis's mind to slip?" Elladan asked quietly and his father was silent for a few minutes before he answered.
"Candace was Alexis's only living relative left from where they came from. Now add the fact that they really don't know or trust anyone except the other. Now that Candace is had been murdered, Alexis is left alone. Her niece meant the world to her and perhaps now because she's gone, Alexis doesn't believe there's any reason why she should continued living".
"That's most probably the reason adafather but now that almost everyone in Rivendell believes that Alexis is responsible for Candace's death. Alexis probably thinks that she's the main suspect and that there's no real reason to live because she'll just be executed anyway" Elladan said sadly.
"Unfortunately Alexis is the main suspect. The two were alone while I went to get the necessary herbs. Anything could have happened after I left" Elrond reminded his on who immediately jumped to the young woman's defense.
"Don't tell me that your one of the ones who believes she did it, adafather or is this just because you don't like Alexis?" I overheard the conversation you and nanethmother had the night of the party and I agree with her. Let me live my own life, don't live it for me" Elrond rose angrily to his feet but before he could say anything, Elladan stormed out of the room.
"No Elladan, I don't think that Alexis did it but it certainly looks that way" the elf lord said into the empty room. He turned back to Alexis and then sat down in the chair his son occupied. "Please Alexis don't give up now, there are plenty of people who care about you in Rivendell, especially my son. Come back to us, tell everyone what happened, prove that we're wrong in believing you killed Candace" he added sadly brushing a lock of hair out of her face.
Elladan raced down the halls, pushing people out of his way while other turned to watch him. He continued running, not caring what everyone thought. He ran and ran and ran until he found himself in one of the gardens. It had rained for the past few days and the ground was still slick with mud and water, in small amounts. The trees and plants flashed pasted him in a flurry of color until all of a sudden, it stopped. Elladan had caught his foot in a tree root and landed on the ground. He clenched his hand, trying to squeeze the water out of the mud in his anger. His father, his own father believed that Alexis, the woman he loved, had murdered her own niece. Elladan lifted his head in realization. Yes, he'd finally been able to confess that he lived Alexis but he knew that no matter what he's suddenly realized would save his love from the law his father would have to deal her.
Small but heavy drops of rain began to fall and the elf half-heartedly got to his feet, a forlorn expression on his face. He began walking back to the cover that Rivendell offered, not caring that he was soaking wet. Elladan ignored the stars he was receiving and eventually he found himself in his chambers, dripping wet and facing his concerned father.
"Ada..." Elladan's voice was dry and cracking. He gave up trying to speak and his father immediately embraced him.
"My son, what has happened? Never mind that now, let's get you out of these clothes and into some warmer ones" Elrond said helping his son out of the wet garments. Soon after the two elves sat in front of a raging fire. Elladan was still cold and he continued to shiver involuntarily so his father wrapped a blanket around his shoulders.
"Now, what is troubling you?" Elrond asked. He knew it was a stupid question but Elladan needed to get everything concerning Alexis off his chest.
"Ada, what do you plan to do with Alexis? Will you wait until she regains consciousness and actually speaks to us or will the trial commence straight away?" Elladan asked sadly and his father thought about it for a few minutes.
"Like I said before, Because of Candace's death, Alexis doesn't think that she has any reason to live. I've got a female guard and handmaiden constantly posted inside her chambers. Personally, I'd rather wait until we somehow get her to talk to us but I've got a few of my advisors breathing down my neck about he trial. They want to have it soon, as soon as possible" Elrond answered. Now that he actually thought about it in depth, he realised just how much trouble Alexis was in.
"Without Alexis's testimony at the trial, she'll be give a death sentence for sure" Elladan whispered quietly.
"That's where I need your help. Even though your powers aren't as strong as your grandmother's, you might be able to see into her mind and find out exactly what happened that night" Elrond implored his son. Elladan looked at his father, dead in the eyes and concluded that he wasn't lying or joking around.
"But like you said, I'm not as strong as grandmother and I might not be able to see everything. Why can't grandmother come here?" Elladan knew he was acting childish. He knew Lady Galadriel couldn't come to Rivendell just because of a murder trial. In truth, Elladan wasn't confident about his skills. He'd never been able to actually 'read' someone's mind and if he did it and failed during the trail, it would be a loss of time.
"Elladan, "Elrond embraced his son warmly. "I can see in your eyes that you already know the answer to your own question. But I can also see fear in them. Be confident about your skills. You love Alexis very much, I see that now and nothing I can do will sway your feelings. Understand that you are the only one who can save her life. Quite a deal of pressure has been placed on your shoulders my son, but don't forget your family and friends. They can help you through all this". The elf lord broke away and stood up. "Unfortunately I must take my leave. I have a meeting with Erestor and Glorfindel, among others about the trial. I'll inform them of your decision then" he said embracing his son one last time before exiting the room, his maroon robes billowing behind him. Elladan sat where he was, silently pondering what his next move would be. Deciding on what he'd do, he stood, discarded the blanket and headed out the door to Alexis's chambers.
After gaining entry from the guard outside her chambers, Elladan entered the dimly lit room and saw Harliel, a handmaiden assigned to watching over Alexis, sitting in a rocking chair finishing her embroidery.
"Good afternoon, Harliel. How is she doing now? Any change?" he asked and the she-elf, which was used to his frequent visits, looked up to face him and smiled. Elladan now noticed why his twin liked Harliel. She was unique and different from all the other elves in Rivendell. Her hair, strangely, was a golden red and her eyes, a piercing green. Just like Elrohir said, she was one of a kind and his...if only she'd notice him.
"Nothing has changed since you last looked in on her. Although I do believe she had gone to sleep since then" Harliel answered politely.
"It is most unfortunate and sad that Alexis had become this way. She holds so much grief for someone her age and not all of it is because of Candace's death. Something else haunts her subconscious mid, something that causes much grief. Unless Alexis pulls herself out of this hole she's dug, she will fade quickly. I can feel her slipping and at this rate, there'll be no reason to hold a trial. She'll be dead before then" Elladan said taking a seat next to the bed and taking Alexis's small hand in his. Then he turned to Harliel and said, "Do you believe she did it?"
"I don't know Alexis as well as you milord but whoever murdered Candace had a black, evil heart. Candace was a lovely girl. So playful, kind and polite. Alexis raised her very well considering she did it alone. Having done that, I don't believe that Alexis could have brought herself to do it. It would be impossible to do such a brutal thing or at least that's what I believe" Harliel replied looking at Alexis's still form on the bed.
"At least I know there are people on her side other than myself" Elladan whispered. The two elves turned in surprise as Alexis tossed in her sleep and let out a small whimper.
"No Soto, they didn't do anything to deserve this" She whispered agonizingly. "They're innocent". The last part of her words ended in a painful scream that almost tore Elladan's heart out of his chest. Alexis wasn't physically hurt so there wasn't really an explanation as to why she was in so much pain. Oh course the idea that she was suffering from the dreams she was having reigned supreme.
"Harliel get my father and tell him to bring some sedative herbs with him" Elladan said immediately going into action. At the rate she was screaming at now, Alexis would have alerted the whole of Rivendell to her distress. Not that half of them would come anyway. He placed a hand gently over her mouth but that only caused her to thrash around more.
"Easy Alexis, easy. It's me Elladan. Calm down" the elf whispered but Alexis didn't ease up at all. In fact she clamped down hard with her teeth, causing his hand to bleed a bit and then she continued to scream as though someone was going to rape her. Elladan felt as though his head was about to burst from the incredible headache he was getting but he still continued to try and make her calm down.
"Glorfindel, help Elladan hold her down!" Elrond ordered bursting into the room, his advisor on his heels. Between the both of them they were able to hold Alexis so she wouldn't hurt herself while Lord Elrond poured a herbal mixture down her throat. But even that couldn't calm her and she continued to thrash around. Fortunately she had stopped screaming.
"She's a strong one" Glorfindel said as he firmly held her legs against the mattress.
"Why isn't the mixture working? Could this be fever induced?" Elladan asked his father, who was muttering elvish spells under his breath, trying but failing to sedate Alexis.
"No it's not the fever, it is an inner demon or memory that she has to fight. The herbs cannot help her in this fight" Elrond said putting his palm down on her forehead and quickly withdrawing it because of the pain he felt. "Elladan, Alexis is experiencing excruciating pain. You must enter her mind and tell us what she is fighting against. We must help her as best we can".
Elladan looked at his father. The younger elf wasn't exactly sure he wanted to see what she was dreaming of but now wasn't the time for him to suddenly become a coward. Not when Alexis needed him the most. Elladan nodded and Elrond took his son's place. Elladan cleared his head and gently put his hand on her forehead, fighting the urge to pull back like his father did. Pain shot through his hand, up his arm and throughout his whole body. He bit his bottom lip to stop himself from crying out and he forced all of his energy into reading her mind.
Elladan broke through the barriers of pain, grief, self-pity, suicide, death, self-loathing as well as many others until he came to his destination. Images flashed passed him in a whirl of colors and they whizzed around until they formed a moving picture that told him a story.
The night sky was grey with rain clouds and smoke filled the air with heavy fumes. He could hear women screaming and men shouting war cries as they ran in front of Alexis. Elladan was experiencing the scene though her eyes and he felt everything she did. Her hands were bound tightly behind her. A dark skinned man dressed in nothing but breeches spotted Alexis and charged towards her, an axe raised high above his head. A loud noise rang out and the man dropped dead at her feet, his dark eyes staring at her accusingly.
"See just how savage these people are. One of them attacked you even though you are unarmed and tied up. To you doesn't that seem savage?" a man said coming into Alexis's line of view. He carried a smoking pistol and a sword. He had broad shoulders, large muscular arms and legs. His eyes were sharp and he stood close to six feet tall.
"That would be because of you, Soto. Even though it is our job to assassinate certain people, we don't normally destroy a whole village. You and the other are just doing this for the fun of it. These people are just trying to protect themselves and their families" Alexis protested and Soto laughed cruelly.
"We don't need to be paid just to have fun, Alexis. All work and no play makes your life very dull" Soto replied as he ran off, shooting people as he went. More screams erupted from a small hut that he went into and Alexis took this a ca chance to escape. She couldn't see any one of Soto's other minions' standing around so she immediately began to reach for the dagger concealed in her boot. She grabbed it and maneuvered it till she was able to cut the rope that bound her wrists. After freeing herself, Alexis unsheathed her sword, which resembled something like a Japanese katana, and began searching for her old comrades. She spotted one terrorizing several women as they ran out of their burning hut. He cornered one of them against a tree and held her there while she screamed. Alexis snuck across up behind him quietly and drew the blade of her sword across his throat. Blood spurted out of the gash and mainly ended up all over the two women.
"Go!" Alexis hissed urgently and the woman ran away, stumbling in her hast. Alexis then began to move the villagers to somewhere safe, killing her former comrades when necessary/ The women and children fled into the hills surrounding the settlement while Alexis and the men stayed behind to defend the what was left of the smoldering village. Soto's minions circled the warriors while Soto himself stood behind the lines, looking directly at Alexis and holding her intense gaze.
"Capture, don't kill them. Not now at least" he ordered and the men attacked. Alexis had trained with these people for most of her life so she wasn't surprised to see most of the villager warriors' fall almost immediately. After all of the villagers had been captured and bound, they turned their eyes on Alexis. She twirled her sword around a few times before changing to her fighting stance. Many of the people she now faced used to be friends of hers, even the women, but now they were her enemies.
They all attacked at the same time causing Alexis to watch every inch of ground around her. These people were as cunning as foxes so she had to be careful. She cut through their flesh like lightning through the sky and soon several of them lay dead on the blood soaked ground. Somehow one of them managed to spear Alexis in the side. It wasn't a deep wound and she continued cutting down her enemies. After a while, the blood lose began to slow her down. Her vision became hazy and her movements sloppy but Alexis continued to fight. She knew what Soto would do to her because of her treason and for that, Alexis would father die. Someone grabbed her from behind, successfully putting her in an arm lock while another person hit her hard in the stomach with the wooden handle of his spear. More people came and attacked her even if she didn't try to get up.
"Enough" Soto said stopping them from doing any further damage. "Bring her over to the rest of them. She can watch as we kill them all" Alexis was dragged to her feet as her captors pushed her over to the other women and children who had been caught. She saw the blood-covered woman she had saved earlier, kneeling a few meters away, a small boy clutching her skirts. Alexis saw other frightened children being held in their mother's arms, crying their little eyes out.
"See Alexis, you evacuation plan for these people back fired didn't it. Now you and the women, as well as the children, have to witness the last of the villager's warrior's final moments. For these women, their suffering will soon be over, for the will join their husbands, fathers, uncles and sons in due time" Soto said lifting Alexis's head with his whip. His voice was filled with hunger and malicious delight. Soto often turned this way on their missions and his behavior always made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
A metallic clicking sound made Alexis turn her head. It was the metal ammunition magazine cartridges begin loaded into the automatic machine gun. She swiveled her head in disgust. It wasn't their job to eliminate whole villages of people. It would be a massacre just like the Holocaust. Hundreds of thousands of people killed just because their beliefs, language were different and Alexis now realized that Soto had turned into a lunatic.
"Fire!" the man ordered and the gun immediately went off. The air was filled with multiple sounds. The firing off of the bullets, the men's dying screams, the children crying but the grieving wails of the women drowned out most of them. Alexis watched in horror as scores of bullets drove themselves into the men's bodies. Blood spurted everywhere, all over the ground, all of the women and children. The air was rank with the stench of blood and death. Alexis could taste the familiar copper substance as though she was drinking it. It was that strong.
Soon all the dead carcasses were left where they'd fallen and the women and children were heard into the pit where the men lay. Alexis looked up into their faces and registered what they were feeling. Fear, anger, hate, sadness, anxiety and finally defeat. The older women sat quietly by themselves, sitting proudly with their heads held high, trying to give the assassins the best glaring of their life. The younger girls cradling their children in their arms, trying their best to mimic their elders. They knew it was useless to retaliate. Even if they could win, the men were dead and so was the village. They had no male family members left, no village, nowhere to go and most certainly no reason to continue living other than the children.
Alexis heard the metallic click again as she made eye contact with the woman she'd saved. Her brown eyes held no sign of fear in them. Instead they were filled with determination. Alexis smiled to herself and concluded that this woman was a warrior. Prepared to defeat any danger and stare death straight in the face. The woman caught her eye and Alexis nodded in understanding. There was something about this woman that Alexis respected deeply. The gun went off and Alexis watched every bullet bury itself in its victim as though she was watching it in slow motion. Blood jetted out of the wounds and all over Alexis again. Seconds later it was all over and smoke drifted off into the grey sky from the gun. Alexis surveyed the scene before her. Many of the victim's eyes were still open, staring at nothing with their dead expressions.
"Bring the traitor over here" Alexis heard Soto say from behind the spectators. She was once again dragged roughly to her feet and pushed towards Soto then pushed to her knees when she'd arrived there.
"Alexis, you've been a part of this clan for quite a few year. We took you in when you had nowhere else to go. We trained you in our ways and this is how you repay us? We gave you food, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, yet after all that you shove it in our faces like dirt! You tried to help these people escape and for your actions they're all dead. You killed several of your comrades and friends to do this. Now in our eyes you are a traitor and a murderer and this is what we do to people like you!" Soto hissed angrily and he grabbed a tuff of Alexis's hair in his large fist, dragging her to her feet and pulling her into the last remaining hut. Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted Nathaniel hiding in the middle of the group, hie eyes looking at her with sympathy. He knew what Soto would do to her and it didn't matter that he and Alexis were friends. Nathaniel had no sway over what Soto decided and he wouldn't be able to talk the larger man out of it.
Once they were inside the hut, Soto threw Alexis on the rough wooden floor and he drew the dagger from her boot.
"This is a beautiful dagger. You had it with you the found you. It was your father's, or at least that's what you told us" he said running his finger along the blade absentmindedly. He whole demeanor changed and he seemed to be kinder but it was the calm before the storm. His eyes snapped up and his attitude changed completely. Soto was back to his old self again. "And this is how we treat traitors".
Soto grabbed another tuff of hair and tilted her head back, leaving her throat exposed. Alexis though he was going to cut her throat open with it but she then realised that it wasn't his style. How right she was. Instead of cutting her throat, he slipped the blade between her flesh and the tight leather material of her shirt and cutting it loose. Alexis figured out what he was planning and her self-defense mechanism kicked in. She lashed out at Soto with her hands, not caring if she hurt him or he hurt her in return. She hit him in the eyes, making him reel but as soon as she tried to get up, he shoved her back down, a maniacal grin plastered on his face.
"Ooo feisty. This'll make it even it even more fun. Breaking your spirit and body all in one go. But first so you don't fight back" he pulled a piece of rope off his belt, wrapped it around her wrists, tying them together then tying the other end to a pole. "There all done. Now, where were we?" he snarled and drew the blade down the front of her shirt, ripping it open to expose her breasts.
"No wonder Nathaniel liked you. He always went for the weak, pathetic and petite ones" Soto said harshly biting her chest without remorse. Alexis bit down harm on her tongue to stop herself from crying out. She wouldn't scream for him. She wouldn't even give him the time of day. "Come now, don't tell me that doesn't hurt" he said biting down harder but she still continued to stay silent. "Okay suit yourself but it's only going to become even more painful! Let's see you stay quiet this whole time". Right after he said that, Alexis tried to switch her mind off but she could still feel her pants being pulled off and her underwear being cut by the blade. At this point Alexis closed her eyes, knowing what would come.
"Hey, open you're fucking eyes bitch!" Soto said backhanding her across her cheek, causing her eyes to open. Soto was naked from the waist down but that wasn't what she noticed first. Soto held the dagger above her head so she could see it, the sunlight dancing off the silver blade. He gently lowered it, running its tip over her bare flesh until it reached the junction between her legs. He raised his eyebrows and smirked at her. Alexis caught onto what he would do and she barely had the time to brace herself as Soto plunged the sharp object insider of her.
Despite the pain something made her arch her back against Soto's muscles body. The taste of her own blood filled her mouth as she bit down harder on he tongue, refusing to scream. Soto did this several more times at different angles, trying to make her scream or cry but Alexis didn't. He withdrew the dagger and showed it to her. Blood ran freely down the blade and drops of it flew off as Soto threw it away. Alexis turned her head to watch it spiral through the air and imbed itself on an angle in the wooden wall.
"Don't think that that's the end of it. That was only the beginning" Soto whispered dangerously. Alexis lifted her head so she could glare at him. He smirked at her then plunged himself into her. Alexis attempted to block herself off from the world and amazingly it worked, although not that well. She could still feel every thrust and movement he made. The fact that he was doing this straight after the dagger issue made everything immensely painful. Soto continued, slapping and beating her for not screaming, which she still refused to do.
"GODDAMNIT WOMAN, SCREAM!" he yelled angrily slapping her again and in return Alexis spat all the blood that had been accumulating in her mouth at him. He wiped the blood out of his eyes and hit her again and again.
"STUPID, INSOLENT BITCH!" he snarled and thrust his hips harder. A small noise escaped her lips and she bit back but not before he heard her. He smirked again and thrust harder, determined to make her scream. It didn't work and Alexis's lips remained tightly sealed. Soto's lips descended onto hers and he forced her mouth to open so he could kiss her. His hand began to untie the rope from the pole and as soon as he did, Alexis lashed out again and again in a feeble attempt to get him off of her but he didn't budge. He dragged her to her feet before throwing Alexis against the wall and pushing his bulky body against hers, successfully squashing Alexis. Soto's big head was in the way and so her vision was limited so she didn't see him searching for the dagger imbedded in the wall. She failed to feel or detect anything he was doing until he shoved the tip of the dagger into her buttocks. The surprise, humiliation of what Soto was doing to her and the pain she was feeling was combined was for Alexis and she finally screamed in agony, loosing her fighter with Soto and giving in. Now that she had started, Alexis couldn't stop screaming then it all stopped.
Elrond and Glorfindel had pulled Elladan away from Alexis almost as soon as he begun to scream. Whatever she had been creaming about wasn't pretty. Elladan showed them this with the expressions that passed across his beautiful elvish features, his body language and by the small trickle of blood from the side of his mouth. Their problems multiplied when Alexis began to scram in pure agony. Elladan had stopped and was being held against hid father's chest in an attempt to stop him from shaking but as soon as he heard Alexis, he broke away from Elrond's embrace to go to Alexis's side. His steps were slow and sluggish but he made it. Elladan gently ran his fingers through her hair before placing his forehead on hers.
Elladan knew exactly what she was feeling. Every slap, every ounce of pain, he flet it. He even felt the same sense of humiliation, violation and guilt about letting Soto do that. Elladan wasn't aware that their minds would create such a powerful bond so that he could feel everything she did. Actually the whole ordeal was firmly imprinted in his mind and he could still feel the pain in his lower abdomen. Soto hadn't physically harmed him but by Alexis remembering while their minds were connected, he felt everything she did.
Because of this new revelation, Elladan respected Alexis even more. She'd survived a painful rape at the hands of one of the he'd even seen, lived to tell the tale and lost her only living relative and was till alive, although she probably didn't want to be at this very moment. This made him wonder just what had made her live for all those years? She must have been only 14 when she was raped and she had to be close to 19 now so what had happened in those 5 years.
Elladan let his mind drift into complete calmness and he forgot the memory for the moment. If she's been able to show him that then he should be able to show Alexis one of his own memories. Hopefully it would calm her down.
A beautiful clear voice rung out through the clearing. The day was bright and sunny with a gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the tree. Celebrian sat underneath the tree in the shade it offered. She was singing softly to herself in the language of her mother's people. Her blonde hair flowed softly in the wind along with the hem of her pearl white dress.
Playful laughter could be heard as the two twin elflings came into view. They ran around the tree and their mother, trying to catch one another. In the end they laid their heads in Celebrian's lap and listened to her sing. A bird sat in the tree above them and joined in with the she-elf. Another singer came along. It was Elrond with young Arwen cradled in his arms. He sat down next to his wife, adding his strong voice to that of Celebrian's and the bird.
Tears had been silently running down Elladan's cheeks as he suddenly realised that he's been singing softly in elvish. The song was exactly the one that his mother had been singing when they sat under the tree. His parents had often sung it to their children as a lullaby and Elladan longed to sing it to his own children.
He opened his eyes and was relieved to see that Alexis had calmed down completely. She was sleeping soundly and breathing normally as Elladan stood up straight, his tears dry now.
"Elladan, what did you see?" Elrond asked putting a hand on his son's shoulder. Elladan looked around the room. It was only his father, Glorfindel, Alexis and himself. Elrond that dismissed Harliel just after he arrived. Elladan knew he shouldn't lie to his father but most of what he'd seen of Alexis's memory was beyond words. How much could he possibly tell them before the full-blown shock of what he'd experienced became too much for him? In the end he decided on just giving three words that would get the message across.
"She...was...raped" he whispered. Elrond and Glorfindel gasped and Elladan decided that now was a good time as any to sit down. He collapsed on the lounge in front of the roaring fire. He leant forward and ran his hands through his dark hair in exhaustion. The older elves came and sat next to him, putting a comforting hand on his back. Elladan closed his eyes, the lack of sleep catching up to him but he snapped them open again and sighed in frustration. He couldn't even close his eyes without reliving some part of the dream.
"But Elladan, that was only a dream" Glorfindel said surprising the two of them but Elladan was already shaking his head before he'd finished the sentence.
"No Glorfindel, that was no dream. It was one of her memories. I swear. I could FEEL it" Elladan whispered. He then went on to tell them about the clan, the people they were attacking, the massacre, Soto, the weird machine that killed so many people, Alexis's so called treason, her punishment and the dagger but loosely. He couldn't find the words or the heart to tell them but that didn't matter, they were already in enough shock as it was. Alexis had been through Hell and lived to tell the tale.
Luineraugwen: Thank god I finally finished this chapter. I have a few questions for my readers. 1) Should I keep this story rated R? I swear that that was probably the one and only chapter of it's kind in this story but I still need your help. Desperately.
2) Is this story a Mary Sue?
Feel free to email me anytime and ideas are welcome.