Sahara tossed in the bed that had been given her. It was the softest and warmest thing that she had ever slept in, but still could find no peace. She likes these foreigners, with their gentle touch and ideas of 'equality', and what they called 'freedom'. She wanted to see more of these foreign lands, and learn more of these people. She had a great thirst for learning, and consumed any kind of information put before her. They had told her that Galdrion would be leaving for a place called 'Imladris' tomorrow, and her curiosity was peaked. It was said that they had a great library there, full of all the knowledge of all the races, such as the small furry footed creatures of legends known as hobbits, or the short ones with a lot of hair, known as dwarves. Apparently they existed in these lands, and were not simply the creatures of legends. Maybe some of the elves kept them for pets? She vowed to find out, then sobered at the thought of having to travel to Imladris in the company of Galdrion. She still belonged to him, no matter what these kind foreigners said. He still had taken her First Blood, making her meaningless to all others, for she had nothing left to give any other male. She wanted to go to Imladris, so very much, but her fear of Galdrion was far greater. It was then, as she tossed in her bed, these strange ideas clouding her mind, that she felt a gentle voice curl through her mind, silvery in tone, and powerful in nature.
Come and speak with me, child. I am in the garden. Curious, she stood and went to her window, where she saw a shining female standing beneath it. She ran from the talan, snaring her body robes as she went, covering all her body but her eyes. It didn't matter how kind these strangers where, you never know who was about, or where Galdrion was. The body robes offered her a kind of protection, a kind of safety, even from other females. She walked to the blonde female, entranced by her brightness, her beauty. She had never seen anything like her.
"Do you desire to go to Imladris, Curios One?" the female asked gently, having felt her curiosity from her own talan, such was the strength of it.
She spoke, her eyes down cast. "Oh yes, My Lady. I have heard such wonderful things about it, they have an extraordinary library, and I desire to go there more then any where else in this world."
Galadriel placed her finger under Sahara's chin, and raised her head to look in to her eyes.
"You must not hide any more Sahara. Those around you desire to hear what you have to say, and see your eyes, your face. You do not belong to Galdrion ruling, unlike his other wives, who have known little other than his hand, and will stay with him. But yet you still wish to go to Imladris. Do you refuse to go because you fear him so?"
Sahara tried to avert her eyes, but instead, feeling a new sensation of strength creep over her, settling in to the very marrow of her bones, she met the Lady's gaze. "I fear him, but I think my desire to see Imladris is greater still than this fear."
"Then, Courageous one, would you like it if I sent Rumil, the warden who brought you here with Ardenia, with you, to ensure the only one who touches you is by your choice, so that you still may see this wondrous library?"
She nodded empathetically. "I would like that more than anything else in the world, My Lady! Is there any way I can repay you for your kindness?"
"Run along to your talan, child, and get some sleep. Rumil has a vigil of his own to keep over Galdrion, and this will serve his purposes very well." Sahara bowed the flat sprawling bow of her people, that given to people of the highest respect and honour. And for the first time in her life, she meant it all the respect and awe that this box entailed. She got up, and returned to her talan, and slept peacefully, a happy smile on her face, her thoughts no longer plaguing her. She was going to the libraries of Imladris!
Galadriel smiled. She did hold a fondness for Imladris's librarian, Erestor, and she thought that it was high time that he had some happiness also. She cleared the vision of the young dark skinned elf and the handsome Imladris elf embracing from her mirror, and returned to her talan. Yes. She mused to herself. High time.
Elladan and Elrohir were at a loss. They had left presents outside of Allarahs door daily, silks, perfumes, expensive spices and wines, rare objects, and yet still she spurned them. Neither had received anything other than a kiss on the cheek for weeks.
"Do you think maybe that Adar may have been fooling us?" asked Elladan, as they sat on the edge of the balcony outside their rooms that night.
"Why would he? He's never done so before, and still, what reason would he have?"
"Well, he is related to us…"
They both looked at each other, shaking their heads. They'd been had. By their own father. At great personal expense, and at a cost to their dignity. They both burst out laughing.
"It's about time someone got us! We haven't been had this good for centuries!"
"I know! That almost makes the fact that we still don't know what it is Allarah wants from us almost bearable." They both fell silent.
"Well then, if Adar doesn't know, or won't tell us, then what is it?"
"Let's think. If we were female, what would we want?"
"Me."
"Elrohir, please. Let us think about this seriously for a moment. What is it that all females want?"
Elrohir stopped and thought long and hard. "I've got it!"
"What?" enquired Elladan eagerly, determined to give it to Allarah as soon as possible so he could have her in his arms again.
"Me."
"Your husband?" asked Glorfindel, his face white in the warm light cast from the fire. "You are not…mine…then?"
"Glorfindel, please. Let me explain."
"Explain what? That you have married another male? That I am nothing but a conquest, a link in your chain!"
"Glorfindel, it was nothing like that! I didn't marry him!"
"Then how is he your husband then!" Glorfindel yelled, unable to keep his feelings under control. Those two words had just spun his entire world out of focus. What if Lorasar really wasn't his? He finally had her, someone who he could hold, and talk to, and be with for all his days that made him feel a better person for having her, and all that felt as though it was being snatched away from him.
"He's my husband because…"she stopped suddenly, as her tears threatened to consume her, and Glorfindel instantly regretted his harsh words.
"What, love, will you not explain to us? Who is this foreigner?" he asked gently, forgetting his own pain for a moment.
"I come from a land differing greatly in customs to this one. Where the males rule, and the females are worth nothing more than the shifting sands beneath their feet. The male who seeks me is Galdrion of Cahras Galadron, a place I was once forced to call home. And he is my husband, because he claimed my 'first blood,' the marriage right of our people, making me his property, as he took my virginity."
Glorfindel was silent, trying to comprehend the multitude of foreign concepts that Lorasar was presenting.
"Was it he who raped who Lorasar?"
"Yes." She whispered quietly, her tears stopping, her old sadness and pain being replaced by a small flame of anger, that burned steadily brighter as they continued to speak, and she thought more of her peoples strange customs, and the torture visited upon the females of her society.
Glorfindel stood up, taking the first item from the study that came to hand. It was a fork.
"Glorfindel, where are you going?" Lorasar asked, standing up and catching his arm.
"I'm going to carve my retribution out of his sand blasted flesh! I do not care what the values of your society are, he has no claim to you now, and will not have you!"
"You intend to carve your retribution with a fork?" asked Elrond, looking somewhat confused.
Glorfindel looked from the fork in his hand back to Lorasar. He put the fork down. "Well, maybe not right away. Lor, what would you have me do? I will not lose you to this ellon just because he has a claim to you also, for mine is far stronger than any he has made."
"You will not lose me, Glorfindel, for I am not going anyway. and my claim to you entitles me to stay here and prevent you from doing anything stupid. But it doesn't change the fact that he is still coming here to retrieve me. Believe me Glorfindel, when I say he will stop at nothing to take back what he believes is his. You must let me take care of this!"
"And risk letting him harm you! No, you are not going any where near him! At least until I've reduced him to little more than dust!"
"Glorfindel, you don't have a choice. You must let me take care of this. This is my battle!"
"I know it's your battle! Only, I'm going to fight it!"
"You can't protect me from everything, Glorfindel! I have to do this for myself!"
The two fell silent, breathing heavily, before Lorasar turned to Elrond. "I will be prepared to meet our visitor upon his arrival to Imladris. Please tell no one of this, my lord. I will see you both later on this evening for dinner." She turned, and left the study with as much dignity as she could muster. Glorfindel stared after her, before throwing himself in to a chair, his head in his hands.
"I'd say, old friend, that that may have been the wrong approach." Commented Elrond.
A/N: Thank you for my reviews. I love reading what you all have to say. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm back from my retreat, and desperate to see a computer, and give you guys the story between these elves! You've gotta love them. and looks like Galadriels seen more than she's letting on in that mirror of hers…hmmm…if I can't have Glorfy, (as it seems that Lady Anck su namun wants him first! Can I have the left overs? lol) Erestor is fine by me too! Would anyone else like a piece of him? mmmm….