3. Getting the powers
Aura woke up; still in the white canopied bed she had found herself in the previous day. She groaned and sat up, noticing that the pain in her head had subsided overnight. She stood out of the bed and stretched. She noticed her shoes at the foot of the bed. She walked around the room. It was quite large and almost everything was white. She felt a breeze and walked over to a long curtain which substituted for a door. She pulled it back and walked out onto a wide marble balcony. The cool air felt good and she watched the sun rise, completely oblivious to the fact that she was no longer in the world of mortals.
Suddenly she heard footfalls and knew one of the elves had entered the room. "Are you awake?" Aura immediately recognized the voice of Linde. "I'm on the balcony." She said softly, turning in time to see the brunette elf maiden, clad in a green dress. "I see you are better. Has the pain subsided?" Linde walked gracefully toward her. "Yes, I'm better now." "Come, you will dine with me and I shall restore your powers." Linde took her hand and led her back inside.
"I am guessing you would like to cleanse yourself before we dine?" Linde asked, leading Aura from the room. "Yes, that would be nice." Linde led Aura from the bed chamber, down a broad hall that must have been at least 15 feet wide. All the floors were marble and every so often at the side of the hall near another archway, were marble statues of rearing horses with Emerald eyes. As Linde led Aura, she noticed various other elves, rushing about. Some carried scrolls and inkwells; others carried rich-looking fabric and mumbled about taking measurements for a patron. Some even stopped to gape at Aura, though she did not know why, then hurried away or whispered to each other. Aura stared uneasily back at them then questioned Linde, "Linde, why are they staring at me?" Linde simply smiled and communicated telepathically to Aura. They know we have found you and of the prophecy… "You can talk to me in my mind too? " Aura sighed, "This is very weird." Linde suddenly turned a corner. There was another archway covered with white sheets, sufficing for a door. "You may cleanse yourself in private, here. I will have a maid bring you fresh clothing." Linde turned and left the room.
Aura looked around to find that she was in a vast room containing several marble baths and pedestal sinks. The room was kept very warm, apart from the rest of the- what is this? Aura thought, a palace!
The room was circular and there was a wooden chest at one end. Aura walked up to the chest; inside were many towels and bathing cloths. There was also another chest beside it containing what seemed to be body wash and soap. Aura took of her jeans and sweatshirt and threw them on the floor. She took off all of her under clothes as well and grabbed a wash cloth. The tubs were designed in the shape of an oval and were-like the floors- made of marble. The head of the tub had the head of a horse with emeralds for eyes. Must be the family crest, Aura guessed.
She turned the knob at the top and was surprised to find that the bath water flowed from the horse's mouth, which was slightly ajar. The tub filled fast and Aura stepped into the water. The steam billowed upward and she breathed deeply, inhaling the warmth. Aura picked up the transparent, emerald-green bar of soap she had taken from the chest. It was in the shape of a leaf and smelled like mint….
After bathing for about 15 minutes, Aura stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her. At one of the walls was a mirror. She walked up to it and wiped the steam off the surface to see her reflection. Her wet jet-black hair glistened, steam circulated all around her, and her wide blue-green eyes stared back at her. The mirror fogged up again and she squeezed her hair, attempting to dry it. She noticed an object similar to a tooth brush contained in a stone box on the edge of the sink. She took it up and turned on the tap. She rinsed the tooth brush and found a small vile of what seemed to be a sort of herbal paste. She decided it must have been the tooth paste and poured some on the brush. She began brushing her teeth and the paste tasted minty, the way the soap smelled.
As Aura finished brushing, another elf maid poked her head between the curtains and smiled at Aura. "Fresh clothing…" She presented Aura with a white dress that was elaborately decorated with strings of pearls, icing around the skirts. "Thank you." Aura replied weakly and took the dress. The elf maiden took the clothes that Aura had discarded to be cleaned….
"All clean, now?" Linde asked, as Aura emerged from the bathroom, wearing the white dress which her raven black hair made her look eye-catching compared to the other elves wearing various colors.
After another 3 minutes' walk, Linde and Aura arrived in the dining hall. There was a long wooden table with seats enough for 20 people. There were already elves sitting at the table when they arrived. A handsome elf with black, shoulder-length hair and welcoming emerald-green eyes looked up from a conversation he was having. "Ah, my daughter, Linde-"He trailed off when he saw you. "Wha- it can't be. I say, is that Lomundra?" He gasped and stood, sending his chair to the floor. Aura looked at Linde with a 'what the heck?' type of glance. Linde smiled big, revealing perfectly straight, pearly whites. "Yes, it is, father." The elf came closer to Aura and touched her face ever so gently, as if she were a ghost. "I cannot believe it!" Tears of joy came into the elf's face and he hugged her tightly. All of the elves in the dining hall had turned to stare in awe at Aura. The elf broke the hug and held Aura back by the shoulders. "Why, you've grown, you do so resemble your mother." Aura stared back in confusion. "Who did you call me?" "Father, she does not have any memories of us." Linde answered. "She will soon." He announced to the others that his long lost daughter had been found.
Aura took a seat between Linde and another elf with dark brown hair. Suddenly servants appeared, carrying platters of bread-loaves, and bowls of fruit. Aura took a plate containing a light kind of bread that seemed to dissolve almost immediately after it entered her mouth. All through the meal, Aura had the feeling of eyes boring into her. After several helpings of the bread and a small bowl of fruit salad, she looked up and immediately recognized the ice-blue eyes of Legolas. She looked back down at her plate and felt her cheeks blush. The whole time, Linde had been explaining about Aura to the other elves. She looked at her sibling's flushed cheeks. "I sense that he has a desire to speak with you!" Linde whispered…
After breakfast, Linde led Aura to a library a few minutes away from the dining hall. Legolas and the elf who had called her 'Lomundra' followed. "So…is he-"Aura began. "Yes, that is Nolvo, our father." Linde answered her question. "You could not possibly imagine how much he had grieved when you were taken and mother was killed. He is very excited about your return." They entered the enormous library which was filled to the brim with books and scrolls. Legolas and Nolvo stood off to the side, Legolas's eye never once lifting from Aura. "Here, I shall restore your powers…and your memories. You may need to brace yourself. Now breathe, close your eyes," Aura did this, "and clear your mind." Suddenly everything went white and images, so many blurred memories flashed back into Aura's mind.
