Disclaimer: I do not own nor pretend to own the world which Tolkien created, I only use it to escape my own world.

Chapter Eleven

Dresses

I awoke a day later, the grime was washed from my body and my soiled dress exchanged for a nightgown. I got up, dressing slowly. Then upon opening my door, I wandered into the kitchen. I was still pale and my hands hadn't stopped shaking yet, but being back within the comforts of Mirlaic's flet had calmed my nerves. She was standing over the fire as I sank into a chair. Her long hair was in a simple braid and she smiled as she turned to look back at me.

"Feeling better?" She asked gently as she set a cup of something that looked warm and smelled great in front of me. I gave her a kind of sarcastic laugh and held up my hands which were still shaking.

"A little." I picked up the cup and sipped the liquid, closing my eyes as its warmth spread throughout my body.

"Sore?"

I nodded. "How's Ana?"

"She's doing well, she sprained her knee, but it is healing fast." She sat opposite of me and held out her hand. "Let me see your arm."

I glanced down at my right wrist in surprise, I had laid it in my lap and only now did I realize that it was bandaged.

"You broke it." She said as she massaged it with her deft fingers. "But I've seen worse."

I nodded, wincing as she pressed harder and looking into the cup at the amber liquid that filled it.

"The whole village is talking about you." She continued, rising and retrieving one of her numerous ointments from a shelf. "It's amazing what stories can go around in only one days time."

I shook my head, "I don't even want to think about it. I was so scared Mirlaic, I was so scared I almost wet myself." She chuckled softly. "I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, by all means I should be dead."

"No one in this world had the right or wisdom to judge life and death Victoria. That is a decision that belongs to others who are much greater then us. That is up to the creators."

"Still...I just...stood there."

She stopped rubbing to ointment on my swollen wrist and looked into my eyes. "Sometimes bravery comes in small packages Victoria. So small we do nor even know they exist. Not many would have saught the company of those in the forest in the first place. We overcome our fears to become something great. You will see Victoria, just wait."

"There was not an ounce of bravery in me then Mrilaic."

"Well, obviously it just wasn't your time yet."

News of the orc sped through the village and once again the young Elves set out to find and to destroy any enemy host that was present on the borders. A few of the neighboring villages had not been so lucky. There had been an open fight in the ones farther South, many had been wounded. And a few had died. I was left home the day Araviniel and Mirlaic set out to help with the wounded. Cudir had been called, but promised to be home by late May. The young Elves left and the village seemed so quite without their presence.

Ana was on the road to recovery and less then a week later she was able to walk again without support. Apparently for Elves, the ability to heal quickly is natural. Unlike them, my wrist was in a splint and sling and would stay that way for a good long time.

Talorta became slightly overprotective after the attack as the day progressed and would often follow me around everywhere. I had noticed that his lameness from Zach's accident had all but gone. He walked with barely a limp now, and was as fresh and strong as if nothing had ever happened. But though I was thrilled about his miraculous recovery, I had lost something dear to me that weighed heavily on my mind, all of my drawings. I told Mirlaic about them finally and as always, she told me not to cry over spilt milk and bade me to start with a fresh start. So I did.

Two weeks had passed since the attack, little to no news of the fights with them in the South reached us. Each day was spent in fretful prayer and I spent as much time as I could with Ana, Elenowen, and baby Turwethiel. Mirlaic had returned five days past, but Araviniel had stayed behind to assist with the wounded that were coming in from the front lines. Ana's leg had healed, but my wrist was still bound useless in a sling, so as much as I wanted to start drawing again, I could do only very little at a time before I would get an ache that would burn and fester enough to bring teats to my eyes.

I spent long hours and shed many tears working on portraits of Faerlain, Mirlaic, Talorta, and Araviniel. The days melted into nights like rain upon the shore. I spent as long as I could with Ana, for her silence had increased after Cudir left. I was sitting outside her flet watching her play with her sister that day. Elenowen was at market and I would draw as much as I could while I basked in the sunlight.

The young Elf grew closer to me in spirit, if such a thing were in fact possible and sometimes I would imagine she was my sister. Which was something I had always wanted. I was sketching her play, a pleased smile on her face while Turwethiel gurgled with happiness. Ana had a dreamy expression on her milk white face as she looked contentedly at the bundle of joy bouncing about in her lap.

I had told her Cinderella again, it was her favorite story. She turned to me very slowly. "I believe I favor the prince very much Victoria."

"Do you? I believe I favor him to." I had to fight to suppress a giggle when she had said 'favor'.

"Do you think I have a prince?"

"Undoubtedly, he will come for you when you are all grown up and sweep you up onto his gleaming white steed and gallop with you into the sunset. He will be handsome, and strong."

"I should you like yo meet him too Victoria, when he comes I mean."

I smiled. "We'll see Ana. That is a very long time away." I didn't add that I'd probably be dead by then.

"Do you have a prince Victoria?"

Faerlain's face swept into my mind for all fo an instant before it disappeared. "I think so Ana." I said softly.

"Do I know him?"

"Perhaps."

She grinned, but didn't say anything more. Sometimes I wasn't sure just how much she knew. Ana was clever for her age, very, very clever. Her eyes turned and I followed her gaze as she stared at something behind me. It was Alphril, I gave her a friendly wave as she approached rapidly.

"Suilad Victoria." She called out as she neared us, there was a spring in her step and a gleam in her eyes that was unmistakable, and also something I had never seen before. "Could I entice you to follow me back to my home?"

My eyes lifted in surprise. "Uh...Yes. Of course... something wrong?"

"Oh, no. Nothing's wrong, nothing at all." She chuckled, glancing at me every once and a while and holding back a smile.

"What's this about Alphril?"

"Oh, you'll see. I received a package for you."

Ana was by now at my side and pulling at my arm. "Come on Victoria, even I've never gotten a package before."

I laughed, "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Please Victoria." I was already set on going, Alphril's little chuckles held too many questions for my curiosity to ignore. But what really won me over was the small light that had entered Ana's eyes. She had been very quiet after Cudir left for the front lines again, and I knew she was very worried about him. I smiled down at her, then glanced at Alphril, "All right, I'll come."

I loved the way Alphril's shop smelled, of spices, herbs, new fabric, and sweets. It reminded me of Faerlain somehow. I loved to just stand there and soak it all up whenever I visited her. Which was more often since Araviniel had left for the South to help with the wounded. The shop itself never really seemed to change, the shelves stocked with fabrics, tools, sweets. It was like a little old-fashioned Adams or something. There was a long table towards the back that served as a sort of counter/register. And was set just to the right of a door that went into the back room where she kept extra supplies and any mail that came in through here.

"Here it is." She said, I was sitting in the large chair where I had first met Ana. Unlike on that cold wintry day nearly a year ago, it was beautiful out. And the fire place was vacant of any flames.

The package was actually a rather large wooden box. Made from what looked like white Dogwood bark. Of this I wasn't certain however, because...well...do Dogwoods even grow in Middle Earth? "What...? Who's this from Alphril?"

She sat down opposite of me and set Ana on her lap. "That's he funny thing, it bore no name. A messenger brought it this morning."

I turned it over, shook it a little. But upon hearing nothing, I peered suspiciously at it and looked up at her again. She was laughing,

"Iell you look like a little Elfling on the winter festival. Go on, open it!"

I turned it right side-over, there was a leather binding that secured the lid. I untied it. Inside was a soft piece of large green leaves. I lifted them up, and then stopped, my mouth dropped in astonishment. It was a dress. I dropped the leaf, it was not just any dress. It was THE dress. It was blue, like the sky after a storm. Flowers, they looked like Star-Flowers were imprinted on the bodice and down the sleeves, and a belt woven of the same design, only in a pale green, was wrapped around the waist. I ran my fingers over the silken material and I gingerly lifted it up. My eyes wide with wonder. I held it close to me, running my eyes over it again and again. It smelled of the woods after a spring rain.

"It's beautiful." I whispered, quite at a loss for words.

"There's more." Ana said, now in front of me and pointing underneath where the dress had lain. There was a crown. A crown of soft green leaves and fresh flowers in an array of pastel pinks, blues, greens, and silvers. I set the dress down on my lap and then lifted the crown from it's place. I found that it had long strings of flowers that hung down from it and that would flow through my hair.

"Who did this?" I asked in astonishment.

Ana was gently touching the flowers of the grown and staring at it with eyes that were wide as my own.

"I don't know." She said. "The messenger only said, 'The sender of this package said you'd know who sent it after the festival.' And then he was gone."

I nodded in acknowledgment, running my fingers over the designs on the bodice before gently folding it once more. Then I looked back up at her. "Then I'll have to go, won't I?" A grin seeped onto my face and Ana giggled and Alphril laughed.

"I just have one question, what exactly is this festival?"

Ok, as you can see I'm having a bust of creativity for this story, expect an update soon! The climax of this part is rapidly approaching, (I probably already told you al that... :) But I thought I'd give you another heads up.

Thanks again to my Beta, Kiann!!! :)

Namarie,

Luthien Anaclime

TO BE CONTINUED