Chapter 7
/It was beautiful here,/ she reflected, /Meredith would've loved the trees./
Swallowing hard, she forced her mind from her sister, afraid of the path her memories would take. Lying still on her bed, she detached herself from her body and catalogued her injuries: her head was bandaged, probably had a few nasty scratches. She felt her arms lightly, her hands skimming over the fresh scars.
Placing her fingers on her belly, she thought for a moment. She didn't have this one at the hospital; it must've come from the truck. /Come to think of it, what did happen with the truck?/ she wondered /And why aren't I dead?/
/Who is he? Why does he want me? What were those words he repeated to me? Elenia Beriadthêl?/
Turning on her side, wincing again at the pain of her wound, she waited for him to return.
His bearing graceful, the Lord of the House walked quickly to the girl's room, impatient to see her. His eyes keen, he noticed the two shapes outside her doors.
"Aduial vaer, iynnen. El man?"
"Mae, Ada, sui istal. Tell us, who is this new sister we have acquired?" asked his eldest son.
"And why weren't we informed?" grumbled the elegantly slouched form of Elrohir.
"E man sad?" asked Elladan, pointedly ignoring his brother.
"She is resting, my sons. I was about to wake her for her midday meal. Even now, she will only eat when I am in the room," Elrond sighed his frustration.
"Well, Ada, perhaps it is time for her to meet with her new family, yes? It has been four days. After all, she is our sister now. She'll have to be introduced to us sooner or later, anyway," spoke Elladan importantly.
Elrond merely raised his eyebrow at his son, then turned his thoughts inward.
/Yes, she will need her family to be made known to her./ he thought /Though I know she'd prefer it to be later, rather than sooner, perhaps this is for the best. Yes, and I will be with her lest they overwhelm her with their…exuberance./
"Very well, you shall eat with us. With you being family, perhaps she will be convinced to eat with you in the room."
He paused, then looked sternly at the tall Elves before him.
"This is not to be boasted of to Prince Legolas; you are meeting the girl because you are family. He will meet with her when she is better prepared to deal with his questioning. Understood?"
Elrohir lowered his head. /How does he do it? How does he always know?/
Bowing his head, Elladan quirked an eyebrow in his brother's direction, followed by an annoyingly superior wink, at least to Elrohir. Ignoring the behavior of his sons, Elrond strode to the doors, and gently knocked twice, opening the door at the soft voice within.
The first thing he noticed was the presence of the room. It was focused on a thin form, lying on pillows in the bed. His eyes watched the bright smile on the girl's … woman's? ... lips fade and the color of her face to drain away so quickly he feared she would faint. Her green eyes turned distant, an invisible barrier between her and the others in the room. A protective shell of ice encasing the summer leaf, beautiful yet fated to die blackened and frigid by its very defense.
The signs of past abuse were apparent even to his eyes; his Lord had trained him well. Looking over to his father now, he knew now the reason behind his forcefulness between him and Legolas; this woman's condition would likely have aroused his father's paternal instincts, now that Arwen was married to Estel in Minas Tirith.
Sighing, he stood just inside the door, allowing his younger brother entrance into the room, and his father to tend to her dressings. The girl's eyes, however, did not change; they remained empty unless they looked on Elrond, then were filled with accusation. /She had trusted only him,/ he realized /And now he's brought us, strangers, into her room, where she is vulnerable. This might take some time./
Elrond was not surprised to see her reaction to the twins, but in truth, he was disappointed. He tended to her injuries carefully, noting her stiff responses to his touch and the distance in her eyes. The detachment in them was no less bearable than the betrayal in their depths when she turned her gaze to him alone.
Sighing, he finished his inspection, and washed his hands in bowl. Taking a chair, he motioned for the twins to come forward, missing her sharp recoil against the wall.
While their father did not see her reaction to them, Elladan surely had. He had also seen her eyes cast aside her indifference, only to be filled with fear and panic. Still a few paces from the bed, Elladan stopped. Bowing formally, he said to the frightened girl:
"Suilon le, Elenia. Im mûlel, muinthêlen."
Elrohir looked puzzled at his brother's reserve in his address, then decided to make up for his twin's coldness. He sat on the bed, unheeding of his father's warning eye and the girl's alarm.
"Gil síla or i lû o govadedem, pen-velui. Im Elrohir, iôn o Elrond: Maethor vereg o Imladris."
He placed a hand on her arm.
He touched her! Crying aloud, she lashed out at him with her nails, wanting blood. He pulled away from her quickly, so that she missed his face, and caught her wrist. Twisting about, frantic to escape from his grip: in her desperation, she clawed at his wrist, raking its flesh with her nails, bleeding him and whimpering at the same time.
"Daro!" came a loud command.
The girl stopped her struggles, panting, eyes alight with anger, pain, betrayal, and…horror? Elrohir bit his tongue as the pain came, sharp but bearable. Annoyed at her reaction to his flattering greeting, he let go of her and held his hand to his side. Elrond came forward with a bandage, and cleaned his son's injury.
"Is this any way to greet your family, Elenia?" chided Elrond gently, "Though I agree with you, he was being too obsequious, you really mustn't do him bodily harm. He is, after all, my son."
Gently, he soothed her, holding her limp form to him and stroking her hair. She looked at Elrohir with frightened eyes, eyes that bespoke her horror at what she had done. Crawling from her support against the wall and from Elrond's arms, she ignored the pain that stabbed at her gut.
Once she reached the edge of the bed, she took his injured hand in hers, and cradled it. She looked up at him:
"I am-I am so s-sorry. I-I don't like strangers. Are you Ada's son?"
He nodded stiffly, still annoyed with her. She looked pensive as she stared down at his hand. Quietly, she said:
"Then you are my brother; I've never had a brother before."
The other Elf, the one who had given her some space between them, came forward, his steps cautious and long, allowing her some distance still.
"And now you have us; trust me, you'll rue the day you were born when you're in one of our jokes."
He smiled slightly then, his teeth perfect. She liked this one; he was more formal, not as open as the other one, but then, he wasn't as…happy…as the other one, it seemed.
"What're your names, again? I don't know how to speak Elvish."
"Well," said the Elf, "My name is Elladan, and that," he indicated, "Is my brother Elrohir; we're twins, you see."
Smiling slightly, she answered, "Of course! The only way for two people to be as opposite as you two are would be if you were twins…or an old, married couple. And, seeing as how you're identical, I'm going to go with twins."
Elladan grinned slightly at her.
"We'll have you speaking Sindarin before you know it, never fear."
She smiled again. Not a shy quirk or a mere lifting of her lips; this was her smile-of-a-thousand-suns, the one that had won Elrond's heart. Just as it took the heart of his eldest son.
Legolas was angry as he paced the room. His footsteps quick and light, he growled under his breath as he thought. Seven days! Seven days since he had arrived, and he still had not seen her. Since she had awoken, Lord Elrond had had to take his meals with her, leaving the twins, his friends, and himself to dine together in the Hall. Oh, Valar, what a nightmare that had been. He liked the twins, truly, but their sense of humor was so…childish.
Forcing himself to remain still, he cast one more contemptuous glance at the door of the woman's chamber, then stormed out of the foyer to find his friends.
"A week, Isénduil; a week! Seven days we have been here, and still neither hide nor tail of the woman. How am I supposed to question her if Elrond does not allow me to see her?"
Sighing, he collapsed on the ground, his hands pressed to his eyes. His friend sat down beside him, suppressing a laugh at his friend's impatience.
"Tári, you were never patient. Your father has given you leave from your Mirkwood duties; why not enjoy yourself?"
Legolas replied stiffly:
"I have my responsibilities to my home. I cannot justify shirking them when they are needed."
"Oh, leave it alone, Legolas. You cannot see her until the Lord feels she is fit for your questioning," said Haldith, coming from behind them and sitting down:
"You are giving yourself frown lines. Quite unattractive."
Legolas frowned at her, she smirked. He realized what he was doing, and scowled at her even more. Haldith burst out laughing, and even Isénduil cracked a smile. The Prince scowled a few moments longer, then gave in to their mirth.
The three friends sat on the hill overlooking the Bruinen, their laughter fading though their smiles were bright.
"You are right, my friends. It has been so long since I had time away from my duties, and even then, I joined the Fellowship and fought in the War of the Ring."
"Not much time for relaxation, I imagine," sympathized Haldith.
He looked at her with new eyes.
"You have changed, Haldith. Not that I miss your…thoughtfulness, but how is it that you are so gay and free?"
She looked down, a slight blush heightening the color of her cheeks.
"Well, you helped me lay aside my grief for Haldir."
She glanced up at him.
"You know that of all my brothers, I was closest to him. He taught me when our father could not, and our mother passed to the Halls of Mandos. His death…broke my heart. My brother had meant so much to me; more than a lover or a friend ever could. And then he was gone."
They were silent, the trees swaying in a gentle breeze. With a sigh, Legolas leaned against the trunk behind him, and allowed the sunlight to warm him. He closed his eyes, at peace with his surroundings, the low talk of his friends buzzing in his ears. Breathing in the heavy scent of the sun rays, he dozed, sleeping lightly, his breath even and calm.
Elrond was very pleased, overall, with the twins' visit. He couldn't help the slight grin that pulled at his lips as he looked down at his daughter, wearing a light shirt over her bandages.
"What do you think of them, Elenia?"
She sat upright on her pillows, and smiled back cautiously at him.
"I think Elladan likes me better than Elrohir."
"Well, you did scratch him."
"Yes," she grinned mischievously, "At least I'll be able to tell them apart. The one who likes me smiles, and the other one scowls."
He laughed, leaning forward to take her hand. She gave it to him without hesitation.
"Iellen," he said, his eyes more serious, "Will you take dinner with us?"
She tilted her head, questioning.
"Not here; out in the dining room. There are other guests here, the ones who brought you. I believe they would wish to see you as well."
Lowering her head, she wrapped her arms around her, and thought deeply. She raised her head to him, and said carefully:
"If they're the ones who brought me to you, or you to me, whatever it is, then I should thank them. And, if-if you are there, as well as Elladan, even Elrohir, then, then I think I could do that over dinner."
His eyes grew kind, and held a glint of…pride? He was proud of her? She felt warm inside, her heart lifted by his pleasure in her decision.
"There is something else, pen-dithen. It would not be appropriate for you to appear wearing only your current trousers and shirt. Would it be…acceptable if I were to send a maid to you later, with a suitable dress?"
She wrinkled her nose in his direction, quite adorably in his opinion.
"As long as it's nothing pink or turquoise, I'll wear it. For you."
He smiled, hugged her softly, gentle of her dressings. Walking to the door, he turned around suddenly.
"I will send Sílanor to you; she is very kind and has- so Arwen told me- a sweet sense of humor."
"Thank you, Ada. I'll make you proud, I promise."
He looked at her, tenderness in his smile.
"You already do, pen-dithen. Echadel faeren veren, iellen."
A.N.:
Tari means "high, lofty"
Elenia means "star of the void"
Sílanor means "sunshine"
Translation:
Aduial vaer, iynnen. El câr man Good evening, my sons. How are you?
Mae, Ada, suil istal Well, Father, as you no doubt guess
E man sad Where is she?
Suilon le, Elenia. Im mûlel, muinthêlen I greet you, Elenia. I am your servant, my sister. (Formal form)
Gil síla or i lû o govadedem, pen-velui. Im Elrohir, iôn o Elrond: Maethor vereg o Imladris A star shines on the hour our meeting, lovely one. I am Elrohir, son of Elrond: Mighty Warrior of Imladris.
Daro! Halt! (or Stop!)
Iellen My daughter
Pen-dithen Little one
Echadel faeren veren, iellen You make my spirit joyous, my daughter