Title: Gil-galad's Progeny
Author name: Cloudy Day
Author email:
Category: Romance/Action/Adventure/Drama
Rating: PG-13 (rating may go up)
Chapter 02: Language Barrier
Spoilers: Just about everything in LOTRs and then some!
Disclaimer: See Preface
Author's Note: Wow! 2 reviews! Here's the next chapter, it will clear up a lot of things...but here are my answers to the reviews first! Note: I am only keeping my responses to these reviews because I did this years ago. From now on I will not respond to reviews in my story.
To Dragon Confused: Thanks for your thorough review! To respond to you, I must say two things...
On the elvish translations: In this chapter, most of the elvish scenes will be redone in a different POV (point of view) so it will all be translated, except the writing on the tree which will be translated in a later chapter. The reason I didn't translate it right away was to kind of portray Beth's confusion and no knowledge of the language. But if you really want the translation ahead of time, just e-mail me!
On the chapter of author's notes: The reason I did that was so that I didn't have to have chapters of author's notes throughout the entire story, I personally don't like looking forward to an update of a story, only to find when it is updated that it is an author's note. So I guess it has ups and downs. There will be no author's notes in the story. If I have anything to say, it will be on the front page! Sorry if it discourages you.
On the complements: THANK YOU! Yay.
To Celeblas, Silver Leaf: Thanks for the encouragement!
Revised as of 12/3/06
" blah " - Elvish
" xblahx " - English
" blah " - Westron...the common tongue in Middle-Earth...err, normal speech.
It all started with a small twig.
Snap.
Three elves that were high in the trees, deep in converstations stopped talking immediately, and suddenly went tense, ready for anything that might come their way. Silently getting up from their position in the trees, they crept over to where an unsuspecting person, or thing, was hiding. They pulled out their bows and arrows and waited above the trespasser.
"Bows ready..." Said one of them quietly in elvish. "Jump!" And with that they gracefully landed behind the intruder, and pointed their arrows towards it's back. The 'intruder' turned around swiftly, and the guards raised their bows to it's face. When they saw the supposed intruder they were in shock. They didn't expect to see a female elf, especially one as beautiful as she, but they did not remember seeing her ever before in Imladris. They lowered their bows, but they wouldn't just let her go. No one was allowed in the small wood of Vanóre without the Lord of Imladris's permission. So the guards continued with their duties.
"What is your name? What are you doing here? Where are you from?" On of the gaurds said in a commanding tone. The lady looked at him in confusion.
"x Um... excuse me, what are you saying? Could you repeat that in English x?" She said sheepishly.
The guards looked at her in suprise. They did not understand a word she said. Her words were choppy, terribly simple, foreign, and utterly unrecognizable to the elf's ears.
"Don't you understand me? Do you not speak elvish?" The gaurd said, in a less commanding tone, but more of disbelief.
The lady elf just looked at them in bewilderment, and they returned the same expression.
"We should take her to father, Elladan. Perhaps he will know what to do with the lady." Said one of the other gaurds, who looked identical to the elf speaking previous.
Elladan nodded.
"Of course Elrohir, but I dare say, we should put away our bows first. We wouldn't want to frighten the lady, after all." Said Elladan, a small smile gracing his lips.
The third guard, named Dolendír, sighed at the twins antics, put away his bow, and started to walk away. The other two did as well.
And with that, Elladan grabbed the lady's arm gently, but firm, and started to pull her away, out of the forest.
"Come now!" Said Elladan as he pulled the she-elf along. She seemed to be staring in wonder at everything, as if she had never seen elvish craftsmanship before. They walked up a small flight of stairs, and into a long corridor. Still the lady looked around, her eyes never focusing in one spot. Elladan looked at her in amusement, and continued walking.
Finally they were inside one of the main buildings, in front of a large oak door. Elrohir knocked on the door.
"Open!" Said a muffled voice from inside.
Elladan brought the lady inside, Elrohir and Dolendir followed.
"Lord Elrond, we found a lady on the borders of the Vanóre wood. There have been some difficulties in communication, we thought that you should assess the situation." Dolendir told Elrond, whom was engrossed in a book of some sort.
No response.
"Father!" Said Elrohir and Elladan at the same time, getting his attention. He looked up. Never before had Elrohir and Elladan seen their father looked so surprised.
He looked like he had seen a ghost.
"Vanóre?" Elrond said, almost to himself. The guards were confused. That was the name of the wood they found the lady in.
"Release her, Elladan. Thank you, all of you may go. I will handle this." Elrond told his sons and Dolendir. Elladan let go of the she-elf, and departed with his comrades, shutting the door behind them.
Elrond and the lady elf stared at each other for a long time. He couldn't believe it. After all those years, she was back. She was alive. Elrond was ecstatic, but he held it in, being the noble elf he is.
Finally he spoke.
"A star shines on the hour of our meeting. I am happy to see you again, Vanóre" He said with a smile, but inside all he wanted to to was hug her with all his might.
'Vanóre' smiled at him as well, but seemed hesitant.
"x I am sorry, I do not know what you are saying. x" She said sadly. Elrond looked at her in suprise. He didn't understand what she said. He had never heard such a language in all his years of life. Though, it oddly reminded him of Westron.
"Do you not speak elvish?" Elrond asked, thinking she must be joking. He looked at her for any sign of recognition. She didn't respond.
Elrond's face fell, thoroughly disheartened by the news. 'She doesn't remember.' Elrond thought. He doubted she remembered anything.
With a sigh, Elrond took her by the hand, and led her out of his study, though the corridors, and into a bedroom. It was one of the finest guest rooms in Imladris.
Elrond looked at her. She looked around the room, in wonder, but she also looked terribly confused.
"Fear not, my friend. Farewell." He said. Elrond knew that she didn't understand, but there was nothing he could do in his power.
But there was someone who could.
So he left of find the two people who would have the answers he needed: Glorfindel and Mithrandir.
Shooo!
Another arrow whistled through the air, and hit the center of a target attached to a tree. No suprise of course, for the arrows previous had been doing the exact same thing for about two hours.
Glorfindel had been at the arching grounds since luncheon. He was getting restless, for he was to leave for Lothlorien the following morning after completing his request from Lord Elrond, but his trip had been delayed due to an important feast coming up in Imladris. It seemed the day that he wanted to go to Lothlorien was also the day Lord Elrond's daughter, Arwen, was coming back from her visit from the very same wood. It was also the day that Estel (Lord Elrond's 'foster son') was turning twenty.
So Glorfindel had been working off his restlessness by doing some mindless archery. As fascinating as Lord Elrond's library was, sometimes an elf just needed to get some exercise.
Glorfindel drew out yet another arrow, and was about of shoot it too from his bow, when he heard a familiar voice.
"Glorfindel, I am in need of your assistance." Said an oh-so-familiar voice.
Glorfindel turned around to see Lord Elrond, looking at him with a rather serious expression.
All thoughts of even being mildly frustrated with the upcoming dinner fled Glorfindel's mind as he looked at Elrond.
"Here I am, what do you need?" He asked, curious to what troubled Elrond.
"Come to my study." Elrond said, eyeing the elves who stopped their archery to see what the two Lords were talking about.
Glorfindel followed wordlessly to Elrond's study, only taking a short detour to put his archery equipment away.
Once they were in the study, Elrond closed the door, and motioned for Glorfindel to take a seat. When they were both seated on rather cushiony chairs, Elrond seemed to be thinking of how to say what he was about to say. Glorfindel let him think, having the patience only an elf can posses.
After a short while, Elrond spoke.
"It seems Vanóre, the jewel of the Noldor has returned from the Halls of Mandos." Elrond told Glorfindel. Glorfindel's eyes lit up. She was back? This was great news indeed! But that didn't explain Elrond's solemn mood.
"Isn't that a good thing? Shouldn't you be happy, or is there something that I am missing?" Glorfindel said, wanting to smile, but feeling he hadn't heard the whole truth.
"She doesn't remember anything. All knowledge she had of the past is gone. She didn't even recognize me." Elrond said, letting a tone of despair be evident in his voice.
Now that Glorfindel didn't expect.
"But I returned from the Halls of Mandos with my memory intact! How could Vanóre's be altered?" Said Glorfindel, obviously surprised from the news. But Glorfindel knew that the suprise must have been even greater for Elrond, for he had been close to Vanóre.
"That is what I do not know. I was hoping you would have answers." Elrond said.
Glorfindel thought hard, for he too was reborn from the Halls of Mandos. He slayed a Balrog on a pinnacle of rock, and then both Glorfindel and the Balrog fell into the abyss below them. He did not like to think of his death, nor did he want to, but this was an interesting, and saddening case. He had never actually met Vanóre, for she was born shortly after his death. After a moment, he spoke.
"Can I talk to her? Maybe I can see if she can recall any of her time in the Halls of Mandos?" Glorfindel said hopefully. Elrond shook his head.
"She seems to have learned a different language, I cannot understand it. She does not respond to elvish, and I doubt any other language we have in Middle-Earth." Said Elrond, rubbing his temples in stress.
"Well then, we first must be able to communicate with her. Have you sent a messenger for Mithrandir? Surely he can help us with this problem." Glorfindel said, as if it was the obvious answer. Elrond nodded.
"I sent for him not too long ago, but knowing the wizard, he is probably in one of the most inconvenient, unheard of, distant corners of Middle-Ear-" Elrond was cut off by an knock at the door.
Sighing, Elrond stood from his seat, and walked over to his door and opened it.
"Ah, indeed it is good to see you again Lord Elrond. You were in need of my service?" Said, who else, but Gandalf the Grey, with a twinkle in his eye.
After a short recap of the situation, Gandalf nodded in understanding, and suprise. "I have never heard of such a case, but I assure you, we will solve this puzzle before the end. Now, I am sure you wish to speak with Lady Vanóre, so lead me to her room so I shall decipher this language of hers." He said standing up.
And so Elrond, Glorfindel, and Gandalf started walking to where "the Lady Vanóre" was staying.
"So tell me Mithrandir, how did you truly get to Imladris with such speed?" Elrond asked looking to his friend beside him. Gandalf looked at him with an arched eyebrow.
"Your memory is fading Lord Elrond, for I too was invited to this grand feast of yours, was I not? I just simply planned on arriving early, and was nearly in Imladris itself when your messenger found me. Did you assume I used magic of some sort?" Gandalf said with a small laugh.
Elrond laughed dryly with him. A wizard using magic. Who would have thought?
They arrived at the room in short time, and Elrond gave a soft knock. No answer.
A louder knock. No answer.
Elrond sighed, and opened the door a crack.
On the bed lay Vanóre, apparently sleeping.
Closing the door, Elrond turned around. "She's sleeping." He said shortly. Glorfindel raised an eyebrow, but Gandalf smiled.
"That is good, it will make the process easier." Gandalf said as he was about to just walk into her room, but Elrond stood in front of him.
"Process? And when is it proper to enter a ladies room while she is resting?" He asked Gandalf.
"Ah, well, the process. To have her comprehend our language, we must teach her it. And since I doubt you wish to wait a few years to figure out what happened to her, I will use a pinch of magic. And the reason, Master Elrond, I am doing it while she slumbers is so we do not have the lady be frightened of me. I imagine a stranger, speaking a foreign dialogue, and casting a spell on you would be quite alarming. She wouldn't know I was helping. Now step aside, and let me in!" Gandalf said.
Elrond stepped aside, seeing Gandalf's point, and they entered the room.
Indeed like Elrond said, she was sleeping. She hadn't changed out of her clothes, or even made it under the covers. She just lay out on the top of the bed, her silver hair spread out around her. She had her head tilted to one side, one arm bent up so her hand was next to her face, and the other on her stomach. She seemed to glow brighter then many other elves, and the sun shone into the room like a blanket of light.
Gandalf made his way to the side of the bed, and smiled. He too had missed her greatly and was glad she was back, but he got to business. Kneeling down, he put a hand over her head, closed his eyes, and began his spell.
Glorfindel was quite taken aback. He had never seen her in person, but was greatly surprised at her appearance.
Elrond just stood by the bed, waiting patiently.
Finally after a short while, Gandalf removed his hand, and opened his eyes. "It is done." He told them.
"What language did you teach her, Mithrandir?" Glorfindel asked, curious.
"I taught her westron, for in time she will remember quenya and sindarin, but for now you may need to say things around her that best not be heard." Gandalf answers.
And with that he stood, and the three left the room, each looking back on Vanóre one last time before they left.
Author's Note: I know most of the chapter was stuff from the last chapter, but it cleared a lot of things up. I won't be splitting up the elvish again, so all the languages will be in one chapter from now on. Expect a new chapter soon!
R&R!