Rory was very upset indeed. She felt frightened, and for the first time in years, on the edge of tears. She had been enjoying her time in Rivendell, and now she just wanted to leave, to go home and forget all about Middle Earth. But she couldn't go home, she was here for a purpose, and even when that was done, if Frodo was successful in destroying the Ring, then the three Elven rings would loose most of their power, and it was very doubtful Rory would get home, ever.
This meant she would have to make a life here in Middle Earth. But she had not planned for a man to be part of that life, and certainly not a part- elven man. Not that she had anything against elves, but she was sure Jessryn was very mistaken about who she was, and what she wanted from her life. She had no intention of getting married and having some bloke tell her how to live her life, and what she can and can't do. This had as much to do with her lack of interest in romance as her past experiences. She had also never been in a situation to deal with a guy except through friendship or beating the shit out of anyone foolish enough to assume she wanted more than a friend, and she told Elrond this.
'So, you see, I have no idea of how to deal with Jessryn, except to tell him if I ever see him again, I'll kill him', she said at the end of a long, emotion filled speech to Elrond.
'You really mean that!' Elrond had never been so astounded by anyone in his life. 'You would kill Jessryn because he has fallen in love with you?'
'Yep, as far as I can figure there's no other way to deal with this. If I have to threaten him, or hurt him to make him understand I'm not interested I will. And he'd better get the hint, or I would try to kill him', she said, the determination, and the threat clear in her voice.
Elrond was stunned into silence. That Rory could be so set against Jessryn, or indeed any man deeply shocked him. As did her statement that could not deal with Jessryn except through violence.
'Why do you fight the chance for happiness and love so hard, Rory?' Then a flash of intuition hit him, and he thought he had the answer. 'Do you truly believe that you are so unlovable?'
'Yep', was her reply.
For the about the third time that morning, Rory had floored the elf. Elrond looked at her staring into the distance, tears sparkling in her eyes. Carefully he choose his next words, for arguing with her would only cause her to become angry.
'Why is that, Rory?
She shrugged, refusing to answer him.
'Dear girl, there must be a reason.' He said
Still she did not answer, but this time it was clear to Elrond that she was thinking about something, so he tried a different tactic.
'What is it you think of? What troubles you so deeply that you cannot speak', he asked.
'You know', it was only two words, but at least she was talking again, he thought.
Elrond laid his hand over Rory's, to comfort her before speaking again. 'Your stepfather', he said, certain he was right.
'Yes', she said, still looking at the river in the distance.
'It is because of what he did to you, that you feel this way?'
'Yes and no' was Rory's confusing reply.
'Rory, you will have to be clearer, I do not understand what you mean', Elrond said.
'He made Mum hate me', she said.
'That cannot be right! No mother could hate her child. Perhaps your mother was angry with you, and you mistook that anger for hate,' Elrond said trying to soothe her, for he could tell she was very close to loosing control of herself.
'Oh no, she hates me. She told me so every day, and I might only have been a kid, but I knew, I could tell by the way she looked at me that she meant every word', said Rory.
Having gotten Rory started talking of her problems; Elrond was reluctant to stop, even though she was crying now. He felt he had a debt of honour to Rory for saving his life, and more, he considered her a true friend. He strongly believed she needed to deal with these problems before she could be happy, and if he could help he would.
'How did this happen? Why do you think your mother came to hate you?' he asked.
'Mum knew what going on. And because she couldn't cope with thinking her husband could do that to me, she blamed me. That made her hate me, and treat me like a slave. Of course, my stepfather encouraged her', said Rory.
'You felt you had been abandoned and betrayed by the one person who should stand by you and love you through anything', said Elrond very gently.
Rory collected her thoughts, 'Yes, that's it', she said. 'I never really thought like that before', she said, surprised.
Elrond was now silent. After a couple of minutes he said 'I too, was abandoned by my mother when I was a child, the circumstances were different but I know how it feels', he sighed deeply.
Now it was Rory's turn to feel stunned.