Dinner came and went. Elrond had left the girl in the hands of the healers and had gone to join his guests for dinner. In two days time, they would have a council meeting and he needed to be rested. The conversation that night rested mainly on the mysterious girl. Boromir, the man who had brought her in, was trying to answer what he could. Most of his answers were along the lines of 'I don't know.'
After dinner, and when most of the guests had gone to bed, Elrond went back to the healing wing. She was sitting up and was sipping from a bowl of soup that had been sent up. Elrond went over and sat down beside the bed.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
"I am fine. Thank you, for helping me," she said.
"You had no serious wounds, though it looked a lot worse."
She said nothing as she drained the rest of her soup. In the firelight, her skin looked translucent. Her hair was light gold, verging on silver. She was thin, almost starved looking.
"Do you know how you came here?" Elrond asked after a few minutes of silence.
"I don't know. I went to sleep and then I woke up in the forest. The only thing was, my head hurt."
"Your head hurt? How?"
"Like somebody dropped something on it or like I got dropped on it."
"Do you know where you are?"
"I wasn't told. The man who found me never told me."
"Would you like to know?"
"Please."
Elrond looked her straight in the eyes, "You are in Rivendell, one of the final elvish refuges left in Middle Earth."
"Middle Earth?" the girl asked.
"Yes. Does that sound familiar?"
The girl didn't answer as she leaned back into the pillows. She wore a shocked expression, like she wasn't expecting the answer. Elrond watched her for a few minutes as the new information sank in.
"Where are you from? Somewhere close?" he asked, breaking the silence.
The girl looked up, "No. My home is on the planet Earth, not Middle Earth."
"I have never heard of Earth. What is it like?"
The girl sighed, "It used to be a bright and sunny place. Now it is nothing but dark clouds and war-ravaged land. There is no beauty left anywhere on the planet."
"What happened?"
"I remember too well what happened. There had been a worldwide war going on. Weapons that were forbidden to be used were being used, bringing death to many a city. We finally got word that the war was going to be over, and it would be in time for my birthday. The day before my birthday, a bomb went off and the sky clouded over. We haven't seen the sun since."
"And why are you here? Would it have anything to do with this war?" Elrond asked.
"No. The war has been over for almost seventeen years. I think it might have something to do with my occupation."
Elrond didn't ask before he stood up, "I will let you get your rest. Maybe in the morning, things will be clearer for you."
"Thank you," she trailed off.
"Elrond."
"Thank you, Lord Elrond."
"Before I leave, what is your name?"
"Kendra Elvira Connor. Call me Kec for short."
"Good-night, Kec."
After dinner, and when most of the guests had gone to bed, Elrond went back to the healing wing. She was sitting up and was sipping from a bowl of soup that had been sent up. Elrond went over and sat down beside the bed.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
"I am fine. Thank you, for helping me," she said.
"You had no serious wounds, though it looked a lot worse."
She said nothing as she drained the rest of her soup. In the firelight, her skin looked translucent. Her hair was light gold, verging on silver. She was thin, almost starved looking.
"Do you know how you came here?" Elrond asked after a few minutes of silence.
"I don't know. I went to sleep and then I woke up in the forest. The only thing was, my head hurt."
"Your head hurt? How?"
"Like somebody dropped something on it or like I got dropped on it."
"Do you know where you are?"
"I wasn't told. The man who found me never told me."
"Would you like to know?"
"Please."
Elrond looked her straight in the eyes, "You are in Rivendell, one of the final elvish refuges left in Middle Earth."
"Middle Earth?" the girl asked.
"Yes. Does that sound familiar?"
The girl didn't answer as she leaned back into the pillows. She wore a shocked expression, like she wasn't expecting the answer. Elrond watched her for a few minutes as the new information sank in.
"Where are you from? Somewhere close?" he asked, breaking the silence.
The girl looked up, "No. My home is on the planet Earth, not Middle Earth."
"I have never heard of Earth. What is it like?"
The girl sighed, "It used to be a bright and sunny place. Now it is nothing but dark clouds and war-ravaged land. There is no beauty left anywhere on the planet."
"What happened?"
"I remember too well what happened. There had been a worldwide war going on. Weapons that were forbidden to be used were being used, bringing death to many a city. We finally got word that the war was going to be over, and it would be in time for my birthday. The day before my birthday, a bomb went off and the sky clouded over. We haven't seen the sun since."
"And why are you here? Would it have anything to do with this war?" Elrond asked.
"No. The war has been over for almost seventeen years. I think it might have something to do with my occupation."
Elrond didn't ask before he stood up, "I will let you get your rest. Maybe in the morning, things will be clearer for you."
"Thank you," she trailed off.
"Elrond."
"Thank you, Lord Elrond."
"Before I leave, what is your name?"
"Kendra Elvira Connor. Call me Kec for short."
"Good-night, Kec."