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Secret Hurts
Chapter4
Dinner was a slow and necessary evil for Aldalóme. She was tired, her body was sore, and she was suspicious of everyone but Elrohir, who found it amusing that she trusted only him. Elladan shot her a glance now and again, but as he was seated on the other side of his twin, he couldn't really get a good look. Aldalóme had been asked to sit at the high table, and though she did not know much of this world, she knew it was an honor.
"Aldalóme, what is your favorite season?" Elrohir asked out of curiosity.
"I have none."
"But milady," Lord Glorfindel spoke for the first time to the new elleth, "Surely you have a preference?"
"When I am neither warm nor cold, and no pain or suffering is around me," Aldalóme replied quietly as she stopped conversing with the elves and finished her meal in silence.
"Elrohir, please accompany the lady Aldalóme to Lord Glorfindel's study," Lord Elrond ordered his son.
"Of course, my lord father," Elrohir nodded dutifully.
"Father," Arwen whispered to Lord Elrond, "I do not like this new elleth; she did not wish to wear a dress to dinner and she told me that she would not wear one again unless you requested it."
"She is an unusual elleth, my daughter. Her past haunts her, and I'm afraid it may cause her to fade," Lord Elrond sighed regretfully, then turned his ear to listen to what Elrohir was saying to Aldalóme.
"Aldalóme, why don't you trust my brother?" Elrohir frowned.
"I would have, not to long ago, but my trust has been betrayed many times. However, I do trust him to a certain degree, and I trust you because you were kind to me, and… I just want to trust you," Aldalóme shrugged. "Sometimes something makes my decisions for me, causing me to trust certain individuals for no reason at all, and it has never failed to find me someone I can trust."
"We should head to Lord Glorfindel's study," Elrohir sighed as he thought deeply about her answer. Together they walked until they arrived at Lord Glorfindel's study.
"Lady Aldalóme, it is a pleasure to meet you," a tall man with a graying beard smiled down at her, as she looked up at him her face flashing with confusion. "I am Gandalf the Grey."
Aldalóme frowned as she thought… Mithrandir… Gandalf… I know that name, "As it is mine to meet you."
"She does speak as eloquently as you said, Elrond," Gandalf smiled, his wizened eyes twinkling.
Elrond, Glorfindel, Elrohir, and Gandalf stood in the room, watching and waiting for Aldalóme to begin. "I'm not really an elf; I'm human, mortal," Aldalóme final got out. "I was sitting in a tree, when a storm came upon me. Lightning struck the tree I was in, and it fell. I believe I was crushed beneath its branches. I'm not from this world, I'm from Earth."
"How do you know that you are not of Middle Earth, Aldalóme?" Gandalf questioned the elleth before him that claimed to be a human child.
"Because you have no advanced technology, and there are no elves where I come from," Aldalóme stared into Gandalf's eyes, begging him to see the truth.
"She seems to speak the truth, but then how did you became an elleth?" Gandalf frowned.
"Maybe it was because Elrohir was the one to find me, I really don't know," Aldalóme turned her gaze to the floor.
"Maybe a spell would reveal your true identity," Lord Elrond suggested. Aldalóme shrugged, as it mattered not but for her to return to her normal self.
"I will try, Aldalóme, but do not get your hopes up," Gandalf frowned and began to speak in another tongue, and a bright wave of light flashed in the room.
When everyone regained their sight nothing had changed with the elves and the wizard, but Aldalóme's ears were no longer pointed and she was once again, human. Aldalóme reached for her ears and found them once again to be rounded, "Thank you!" She leapt at Gandalf and hugged him tightly.
"You are quite welcome, little one," Gandalf chuckled as soon as he caught his wind.
"I'll no longer have to look at a stranger in my reflection!" Aldalóme's happiness consumed her and she began to run around the room, to give each elf a huge hug.
"You're welcome," Lord Elrond gasped out in surprised when she hugged him. She had but shrunk a little, and her hair shortened to its true, manageable, length.
A knock came on the door, and a young Estel walked into the room and was surprised to see a young human girl, hugging his foster father, turn to Lord Glorfindel and do the same, and lastly he saw her hug his foster brother Elrohir, and to his amazement she started to lead the confused elf into some odd sort of dance. Lord Elrond and the others were having a terrible time not trying to laugh at poor Elrohir who had become the girl's best friend in such a short time, "Father," Estel finally made his presence known.
"What is it, Estel?" Lord Elrond frowned.
"I just wished to know what that blinding light was and now I am curious as to why a mortal girl would be dancing with my brother," Estel blinked.
"The blinding light was magic preformed by Mithrandir, and this human girl is Aldalóme, she was an elleth when she arrived in Imladris, but it appears a spell was cast on her and now she is back to her true form," Lord Elrond grinned as Estel nodded.
"Gandalf, may I go with you when you leave?" Aldalóme had released Elrohir, after apologizing for the awkward dancing, and tugged on Gandalf's sleeve.
"Why do you wish to go with me, Aldalóme? You would be happy here in Rivendale," Gandalf frowned.
"Please Gandalf? I wish to see what else this world holds," Aldalóme pleaded with the wizard.
"As you wish, you may join me when I leave in a few days and journey to Hobbiton."
"Thank you, Gandalf!" Aldalóme hugged the wizard again.