Chapter Three:
The Lady Galadriel was the most stunning person Kayla had ever seen. She
seemed to glow with an ethereal beauty. There was nothing Kayla could think
of to compare her beauty with. All the other elves paled in comparison.
"My-my Lady." Kayla stammered. She was lost for words.
"You are not from these lands." There was no hint of questioning in her
voice.
"No."
"You do not know what brought you here?"
"No." Galadriel moved to Kayla's side. She looked deeply into the young
girl's eyes. She seemed to be looking for something.
"You have no cause for fear. No harm will befall you while you keep company
with the Elves." Galadriel gave her a small smile. "Come. We will walk for
a bit."
Galadriel led Kayla through the forest. Kayla could feel why the Elves loved the woods so much. It was in the air. It surrounded you and made you feel safe and content. Time had no meaning here. Kayla glanced sideways at the Elven lady and saw that she was also being examined. Kayla coloured at this. "Do you believe that Elves exist now?" Galadriel asked her, though she knew Kayla's answer. "At first I refused to believe it. I saw Legolas come from the trees and I thought he was a mental case. And them he brought me here and there were Elves everywhere, and I thought that you all couldn't be crazy. And then when they were talking it was like it all clicked into place before. And all this, it's just so familiar, like a memory but I have never seen anything like this before. It sounds crazy, I know, but I really feel as if I've been here before." Galadriel looked at her knowingly. "Sometimes there are places we remember without ever seeing. As if you had been there before the manu, the spirit you would say, met with your body."
With that, they stepped out into a clearing. There were many Elves gathered around large trestle tables, laden with foods of every variety. Kayla's stomach gave an appreciative growl. Galadriel beckoned over an Elf maiden. She spoke to her in Elvish and then turned back to Kayla. "Yavanna will take you to prepare yourself for dinner. You must feel uncomfortable after the events of today." "Thank you, Lady." Kayla was led away from the foods to a small hut type building. Inside was a basin with water and a towel, a change of clothes and a hairbrush. "I will wait, in case you are in need of help." "Thank you."
The cool water did wonders for Kayla's spirits. She washed her face, arms and neck and dried off on the soft towel provided. She then quickly shed her tee shirt and blanket and pulled the bundle of clothes toward her. She let out a gasp when she saw what had been provided. The dress was a deep scarlet. It had a scooped neckline and sleeves that draped down, not at all unlike a Japanese kimono. What made this dress so different though, was the sprinkling of jewels sewn expertly on to the dress, giving it the look and feel of fire, blazing red-hot. Kayla slipped into the dress and turned to see into the mirror that was standing against a wall of the hut.
*Who ever said that I was plain, obviously had never heard of Elvish fashions,* Kayla mused. The dress brought out the rosiness of her skin and was greatly enhanced by her dark eyes and hair. She stepped into the slippers that were also provided and moved to comb the tangles out of her hair. She brushed it till it shone and fixed two silver combs onto each side of her head. She took a deep breath and she moved to the door of the hut. "Yavanna?" Kayla called and Yavanna moved to her side. "You look lovely, lady." "Thank you. Now let's get a move on. I'm starving," replied Kayla as the two women moved back to the feast.
A hush fell over the Elves as Kayla stepped back into the clearings. She was a far cry from the dirty, dishevelled girl Legolas had found in the forest. Lady Galadriel stood and beckoned her over. "I am sure you feel more comfortable now, Kayla." "Yes, thank you. The gown is exquisite." "I had a feeling you would like it. Now if you would have a seat. The feast may begin. I have seated you next to Legolas. I thought you might feel slightly less out of place with someone you have met before." Kayla smiled and moved to her seat, inwardly seething. How would she be able to bear the presence of Legolas, who thought of her as some evil burden that he should have left to die in the bushes?
Upon reaching her seat, Legolas stood and helped her into her chair. Kayla smiled her thanks and it was met with the indifferent face of her dinner partner. He played the perfect gentleman all through the luxurious feast, but Kayla could not help but feel hurt at his indifference. *If he hates me this much, he could at least show it. Not just pretend that I don't exist. He is so infuriating,* Kayla fumed to herself. Meanwhile her partner was having very different thoughts. He was lost in memories of a woman he had met when he was much younger, trying to keep the look of absolute shock off his face.
*How can I have not have noticed the likeness before? She looks so much like Melian. But this girl is a mortal. How is this possible?* Legolas could feel the pain of his lost love rise again, and he did nothing to push it aside. Just for tonight he wanted to remember Melian, the Elven woman he had fallen in love with and was intended to marry before she was killed by Orc raiders. Legolas knew Kayla wasn't Melian, but she looked so much like her, and his polite but cold attitude was to keep him from feeling the ruthless pains of loss. From the head of the table the lady Galadriel looked at the unlikely dinner partners and smiled to herself. It was only a matter of time. She smiled sweetly down at Legolas, pretending not to know what thoughts were running through his mind.
Soon the feast was over and the elves started moving away from the clearing. Legolas stood and offered his arm to Kayla. "Shall I escort you to your room, arwenamin?" "Thank you, but I don't know where that actually is." Kayla looked away, trying to stop her anger from showing. "I'm sure I can find it." She stood and threaded her arm through his and they moved off. They stopped to thank Galadriel for the fine meal and then they set off through the forest. A short distance later they came to a large building, rather like an apartment block built, once again, into the trees. Legolas led Kayla to one of the rooms. "I hope you enjoy your time here with the Elves." "Thank you. I'm sure I shall." Kayla was still fuming because of his earlier behaviour. She took a composing breath, "Are you staying here long?" "No." Kayla took the answer as an almost physical blow. He was the only person she knew around here. He didn't like her but she would feel lost without him, and his eyes would be sorely missed. "Oh?" She did a fine job at masking her disappointment. "I have a council to attend and then, hopefully, I shall journey back to Mirkwood." "Oh, but the last council you attended ended very differently, if you remember." Kayla regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. She did not want him to get mad at her again. "I was forgetting that you knew so much of my history. But you are probably right. Anyhow, it is late. I will let you get your rest. Goodnight, arwenamin." And with that he strode off back into the forest.
Kayla turned, and examined her lodgings. The only piece of furniture was an enormous bed that seemed to take up the entire room. There was a nightgown folded neatly at the end and Kayla gratefully shed the red dress and pulled the nightgown over her head. She hung the red dress over the end of the bed and slipped between the covers, settling her head on the pillow. *Maybe when I wake up, I will be back in London. Maybe I am dreaming all of this.* Kayla was asleep within moments.
Galadriel led Kayla through the forest. Kayla could feel why the Elves loved the woods so much. It was in the air. It surrounded you and made you feel safe and content. Time had no meaning here. Kayla glanced sideways at the Elven lady and saw that she was also being examined. Kayla coloured at this. "Do you believe that Elves exist now?" Galadriel asked her, though she knew Kayla's answer. "At first I refused to believe it. I saw Legolas come from the trees and I thought he was a mental case. And them he brought me here and there were Elves everywhere, and I thought that you all couldn't be crazy. And then when they were talking it was like it all clicked into place before. And all this, it's just so familiar, like a memory but I have never seen anything like this before. It sounds crazy, I know, but I really feel as if I've been here before." Galadriel looked at her knowingly. "Sometimes there are places we remember without ever seeing. As if you had been there before the manu, the spirit you would say, met with your body."
With that, they stepped out into a clearing. There were many Elves gathered around large trestle tables, laden with foods of every variety. Kayla's stomach gave an appreciative growl. Galadriel beckoned over an Elf maiden. She spoke to her in Elvish and then turned back to Kayla. "Yavanna will take you to prepare yourself for dinner. You must feel uncomfortable after the events of today." "Thank you, Lady." Kayla was led away from the foods to a small hut type building. Inside was a basin with water and a towel, a change of clothes and a hairbrush. "I will wait, in case you are in need of help." "Thank you."
The cool water did wonders for Kayla's spirits. She washed her face, arms and neck and dried off on the soft towel provided. She then quickly shed her tee shirt and blanket and pulled the bundle of clothes toward her. She let out a gasp when she saw what had been provided. The dress was a deep scarlet. It had a scooped neckline and sleeves that draped down, not at all unlike a Japanese kimono. What made this dress so different though, was the sprinkling of jewels sewn expertly on to the dress, giving it the look and feel of fire, blazing red-hot. Kayla slipped into the dress and turned to see into the mirror that was standing against a wall of the hut.
*Who ever said that I was plain, obviously had never heard of Elvish fashions,* Kayla mused. The dress brought out the rosiness of her skin and was greatly enhanced by her dark eyes and hair. She stepped into the slippers that were also provided and moved to comb the tangles out of her hair. She brushed it till it shone and fixed two silver combs onto each side of her head. She took a deep breath and she moved to the door of the hut. "Yavanna?" Kayla called and Yavanna moved to her side. "You look lovely, lady." "Thank you. Now let's get a move on. I'm starving," replied Kayla as the two women moved back to the feast.
A hush fell over the Elves as Kayla stepped back into the clearings. She was a far cry from the dirty, dishevelled girl Legolas had found in the forest. Lady Galadriel stood and beckoned her over. "I am sure you feel more comfortable now, Kayla." "Yes, thank you. The gown is exquisite." "I had a feeling you would like it. Now if you would have a seat. The feast may begin. I have seated you next to Legolas. I thought you might feel slightly less out of place with someone you have met before." Kayla smiled and moved to her seat, inwardly seething. How would she be able to bear the presence of Legolas, who thought of her as some evil burden that he should have left to die in the bushes?
Upon reaching her seat, Legolas stood and helped her into her chair. Kayla smiled her thanks and it was met with the indifferent face of her dinner partner. He played the perfect gentleman all through the luxurious feast, but Kayla could not help but feel hurt at his indifference. *If he hates me this much, he could at least show it. Not just pretend that I don't exist. He is so infuriating,* Kayla fumed to herself. Meanwhile her partner was having very different thoughts. He was lost in memories of a woman he had met when he was much younger, trying to keep the look of absolute shock off his face.
*How can I have not have noticed the likeness before? She looks so much like Melian. But this girl is a mortal. How is this possible?* Legolas could feel the pain of his lost love rise again, and he did nothing to push it aside. Just for tonight he wanted to remember Melian, the Elven woman he had fallen in love with and was intended to marry before she was killed by Orc raiders. Legolas knew Kayla wasn't Melian, but she looked so much like her, and his polite but cold attitude was to keep him from feeling the ruthless pains of loss. From the head of the table the lady Galadriel looked at the unlikely dinner partners and smiled to herself. It was only a matter of time. She smiled sweetly down at Legolas, pretending not to know what thoughts were running through his mind.
Soon the feast was over and the elves started moving away from the clearing. Legolas stood and offered his arm to Kayla. "Shall I escort you to your room, arwenamin?" "Thank you, but I don't know where that actually is." Kayla looked away, trying to stop her anger from showing. "I'm sure I can find it." She stood and threaded her arm through his and they moved off. They stopped to thank Galadriel for the fine meal and then they set off through the forest. A short distance later they came to a large building, rather like an apartment block built, once again, into the trees. Legolas led Kayla to one of the rooms. "I hope you enjoy your time here with the Elves." "Thank you. I'm sure I shall." Kayla was still fuming because of his earlier behaviour. She took a composing breath, "Are you staying here long?" "No." Kayla took the answer as an almost physical blow. He was the only person she knew around here. He didn't like her but she would feel lost without him, and his eyes would be sorely missed. "Oh?" She did a fine job at masking her disappointment. "I have a council to attend and then, hopefully, I shall journey back to Mirkwood." "Oh, but the last council you attended ended very differently, if you remember." Kayla regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. She did not want him to get mad at her again. "I was forgetting that you knew so much of my history. But you are probably right. Anyhow, it is late. I will let you get your rest. Goodnight, arwenamin." And with that he strode off back into the forest.
Kayla turned, and examined her lodgings. The only piece of furniture was an enormous bed that seemed to take up the entire room. There was a nightgown folded neatly at the end and Kayla gratefully shed the red dress and pulled the nightgown over her head. She hung the red dress over the end of the bed and slipped between the covers, settling her head on the pillow. *Maybe when I wake up, I will be back in London. Maybe I am dreaming all of this.* Kayla was asleep within moments.