Disclaimer: See chapter 1.
Aurthor's Note: Just wanted to give a heads up. The flashback scene in this chapter is a little disturbing. Not really bloody, but disturbing all the same. I want to thank those whoare reviewing this story. It's my first LOTR fan-fic, and I appreciate the input.
A Gift or a Curse
Legolas and Aragorn both sat beside the bed that Atavus was sleeping in. They were talking in hushed tones trying not to wake her.
"Your Ada knows." Legolas said broaching a touchy subject.
"I know. I hoped to keep her secret as long as possible. I'm not sure what his reaction will be, when she's well." Aragorn said thoughtfully.
"You think he'll make her leave." It was a statement not a question.
"I don't know. My Ada is fair, but he has to look towards the safety of all his people, and he doesn't know her like we do. I'm afraid what his decision might mean for her." Aragorn said imagining his father's ire.
"I already know what will happen." She had the uncanny habit of always knowing when they were speaking about her even though she slept.
"If you know so much what are we speaking of?" Legolas asked.
"Your talking about the fact that Lord Elrond read my mind last night and knows exactly what I am, and he will have no choice but to ask me to leave Rivendell. And I have no choice but to do exactly what he wishes." She answered sitting up and looking out the balcony window at the beautiful landscape surrounding Rivendell. She had never imagined a place this beautiful could exist. She felt a pang of regret at the thought of leaving to never return. But she knew she could hold no place among the elves.
Neither Legolas nor Aragorn could dispute her words. She would have to do as Lord Elrond wanted, but that did not stop them from trying to sway his mind.
"How are you feeling?" Aragorn asked changing the subject.
"Well sprinting would be out of the question right about now, but I do feel much better." At that moment the door swung open and Lord Elrond and his twin sons entered.
"Good morning all." Lord Elrond spoke as he inspected the room's three occupants. They all looked fit, even if they looked as if the hangman's noose was around their necks.
"Morning Ada." Aragorn was the only one to answer.
"I have asked that breakfast be brought to us here. We need to have a conversation." Lord Elrond continued. Elladan and Elrohir stood near the door not saying a thing, but Aragorn could see by the looks in their faces, that they knew what their father wanted to speak of.
"Lord Elrond I know what you want to speak about, but first I would like to apologize for entering Imladris without your permission. I had to make a split second decision, and I let my concern over Estel guide me. In normal circumstances I would never have entered your realm like I did." Atavus felt she owed the apology and was not too proud to speak it.
"I thank you for your words, but now I must decide what to do with you. You have seen the secret way into Rivendell. Not many know it. And some of the things that I have learned about your kind distress me greatly." He sat in a chair closest to the balcony doors, waiting for his words to impact her.
"What do you mean, my kind? As far as I know I am the only one like me." She asked confused.
"At this time you are the only known living ……." He paused not know what word to use that would not offend her.
"You can say it. I've heard it all my life. Throwback." She said the disgusting word with a little more vehemence than she intended, but it had to be said.
"Yes well as far as we know you are the only living one. But there have been others in the past, especially during the first age. I hate to tell you this, but most were used as spies for Melkor and Sauron. Actually during that time the elves for the most part accepted your kind, until they were betrayed time and time again." This was almost too much for Atavus to accept. The one thing she would have given anything for was to be accepted by the elves she so resembled, but her own kind had destroyed hope of that acceptance to serve the darkness she hated most of all. How could they? But she knew how they could. She had been on the receiving end of Mordor's torture on many occasions, but in her case it was just for the fun of the orcs and the Witch King. There was no real purpose behind it. She wondered then if they had tried to bend her will like they had the others if she would have been able to withstand it? Maybe not.
"I understand Lord Elrond. I was unaware of the history. I now understand what your decision must be. I'm sorry to have forced you to make it." She bowed her head knowing that she was signing her own death warrant, or at least a lifetime of imprisonment.
"What are you saying Atavus? You aren't even going to try to defend yourself." It was Aragorn. He could not believe that she would just give in. "Ada if she won't defend herself I will."
"Hush Estel." Elrond started.
"No I will not. She cannot be held responsible for the sins of her entire race. She has done nothing wrong. She escaped a horrible life as a slave of Mordor. She saved both Legolas, and my lives, along with countless other humans in the time she has been away from Mordor. She has done nothing wrong, other than wanting to live a normal life." He said stalking from one side of the room to the other.
"If you would give me a chance to speak, I would agree with you Estel." Elrond said quietly after his youngest son finished his tirade.
"What?" Was the combined response from everyone present.
"Ada you can't mean that you will do nothing about her." It was Elladan. He and Elrohir had more reason to hate orcs than anyone, after the torture of their mother at the hands of the creatures.
"I would not say I was going to do nothing. I would request one concession from you Atavus." Lord Elrond spoke looking her in the eyes.
"What do you wish my Lord?" She answered.
"Last night I saw a brief glimpse into your mind, enough to realize what you were, but little more. Will you allow me to search your mind again so that I can be positive that no evil lurks there?" It was a lot to ask. She was a very private person. She would have to bear her soul to him, but how different was it to when she touched the souls of those she healed.
"Yes you may." She finally decided. She knew they might never trust her, but she would do her part by being as open and honest as she could.
Lord Elrond stood and crossed over to the woman still sitting on the bed. He sat before her, and softly touched her temple. She could feel him probing her mind. Normally she would have so many walls put up that he could have seen little, but now she consciously pulled them down herself so he could see it all. She was so ashamed of the pain and degradation she had been forced to suffer during her life as a slave, but she could not stop him from seeing it or he would think she hid something.
For a brief moment a particular memory sprung forward, that she had thought was long forgotten.
The young girl was in the main dinning hall of Minas Morgul. She was among many slaves that were there cleaning. There were also a few of the orcs in the room, devouring raw meet, and making jests about picking one of the slaves as a second course. They always did that. She was used to it, but they had never actually taken one of the slaves for this reason. There Master kept them in line for the most part.
Unfortunately she had moved too close to the group of orcs as she scrubbed the floor. Before she realized what happened one of the vile creatures fell on the wet floor before her. She could not help the giggle that left her lips. But she would regret the sound. The orc that fell made his way to his feet and grabbed her by the ear.
"What's this? Since when do we have one of the accursed elves here?" He said showing her ears to the others.
"Don't you remember that one, Ugluk? It's not an elf. It's the little throwback." Another of the creatures taunted pulling her other ear.
"You mean it still lives? We haven't killed it yet." The one called Ugluk snarled smelling her. "I wonder if it's as tasty as one of them?"
Unwilling to just stand there and let them abuse her she noticed that the creature that was taunting her had a small dagger attached to his belt. The orc hadn't even imagined that she would try to defend herself, so he did not stop her as she grabbed the dagger and sliced it across the hand that held her ear.
She had heard many orc curses before but she believed she learned a few more that day as Ugluk threw her to the ground and started pounding on her back mercilessly. But he wasn't satisfied to just beat her. She learned the meaning of true pain that day, as she was taken to the torture pits in the lowest parts of Barad-dúr. That's also the day that the orcs learned of her speeded healing ability. From that day on she was taken down there often. The orcs enjoyed the fact that they could torture her, then leave her for a day and come back to find her completely healed and ready to be tortured again. Some called her healing ability a gift, but for a long time she considered it to be a curse.
Elrond pulled his hand away from her temple as he saw that final memory that she had even been hiding from herself. "I'm sorry child." He said as he noticed her silent tears that had begun to fall. He turned and looked at the others in the room. He could see the looks on their faces. Aragorn and Legolas were concerned about Atavus, but their devotion to her would serve them and her well. Then there were Elladan and Elrohir. He would have to speak in private to the twins. They would not understand why he was willing to give her a chance. "My decision is this, and I will hear no arguments to it. Atavus does not need to pay for the sins of an almost extinct race. She has done nothing to be punished for, but Atavus I would like it if you stay here in Rivendell for a while. If you don't mind I would like to study this healing ability that you possess."
He could hear the socked gasps from his twin sons, but ignored them. "And also I would like Atavus' secret to stay within these four walls. I'm afraid I must inform Lady Galadriel, and Mithrandir, but other than those two all that may be said is that she has an extraordinary healing ability." He could see the angry looks passing between the twins. "Is that understood?"
"Yes Ada." Elrohir conceded first.
"Yes Ada." Elladan added grudgingly.
"Now will you stay with us for a while Atavus?" He asked her smiling.
It was all she wanted. "Of course Lord Elrond."
Review comments:
Karone Evertree: Well I could have left Elrond in the dark, but I needed him to discover the part about her kind being spies for future chapter development, but by all means keep guessing. I like to hear different ways I could have went.
