Chapter Three
Gilraeth came to conscious thought some days later, though he did not will his eyes to open just yet.
"I'm alive," he thought. "Where am I? How did I survive? I must be in a bed somewhere. How did I get home?"
Gilraeth slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times as bright sunlight from a window nearby strayed into them. He heard what sounded like a sigh of relief from his left and turned his head to look. He gasped aloud to see an Elf sitting in a chair next to his bed.
"I must be dreaming," the boy muttered, lifting his head and squinting at the raven haired Elf, who remained unmoving except for the blinking of his storm gray eyes. He bore a small smile to his face as he continued to look at Gilraeth.
"That's it, I'm dreaming for sure," Gilraeth said, louder than before.
"It's not a dream, pen-neth," the Elf finally replied. "You have awoken, much to my relief."
Gilraeth sat up, resting against the headboard of the bed. He looked all around him. The room was small, but it was cozy and cheery. There was a desk and chair on the other side of the room, and there was a small fireplace, which remained unlit. Gilraeth finally turned to look back at the Elf, who was still watching him.
"Where am I? And who are you?"
"You are in Imaldris, or Rivendell, as you may call it. And I am Elladan, son of Elrond, lord of Imaldris."
Gilraeth finally accepted the fact that he was wide awake, and not in a dream at all as he replied, "I am Gilraeth, son of Gomeir. How did I get here?"
Elladan replied, "I followed you for quite some way after coming across your trail while I was headed home. After you'd fallen asleep a few nights before, I took you and brought you here. Does that satisfy you?"
"Wait, you said 'a few nights before'. What do you mean?"
"Exactly that, pen-neth. You have slept for two days straight. We were beginning to worry for you."
Gilraeth nodded, looking down at the white linen sheets stretched on the bed. It all made sense now. The Elf, Elladan, had saved his life. He had also finished the journey for him, bringing him to Rivendell. But Gilraeth had not thought about much after that. His only concentrations had been to get to Rivendell as quickly as possible. Now what was he going to do? He could not go back. Would the Elves allow him to stay?
"What is on your mind, Gilraeth?" Elladan spoke, interrupting his thoughts. Gilraeth jerked his head up.
"Nothing," he lied.
Elladan raised his head slightly, his eyes somewhat amused. He did not point out the fact that he knew it was a lie. "Very well. When you are ready, you may come have a meal. My brother, Elrohir, will escort you then." He stood up. "I have other matters to see to."
Elladan walked towards the door. As his hand turned the knob, Gilraeth called his name softly. The Elf turned and looked back at the small boy.
"I just wanted to say thank you," Gilraeth told him. "For, you know, saving my life and all."
Elladan smiled and nodded. "You're welcome, pen-neth." With that, he left Gilraeth's quarters.
Gilraeth came to conscious thought some days later, though he did not will his eyes to open just yet.
"I'm alive," he thought. "Where am I? How did I survive? I must be in a bed somewhere. How did I get home?"
Gilraeth slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times as bright sunlight from a window nearby strayed into them. He heard what sounded like a sigh of relief from his left and turned his head to look. He gasped aloud to see an Elf sitting in a chair next to his bed.
"I must be dreaming," the boy muttered, lifting his head and squinting at the raven haired Elf, who remained unmoving except for the blinking of his storm gray eyes. He bore a small smile to his face as he continued to look at Gilraeth.
"That's it, I'm dreaming for sure," Gilraeth said, louder than before.
"It's not a dream, pen-neth," the Elf finally replied. "You have awoken, much to my relief."
Gilraeth sat up, resting against the headboard of the bed. He looked all around him. The room was small, but it was cozy and cheery. There was a desk and chair on the other side of the room, and there was a small fireplace, which remained unlit. Gilraeth finally turned to look back at the Elf, who was still watching him.
"Where am I? And who are you?"
"You are in Imaldris, or Rivendell, as you may call it. And I am Elladan, son of Elrond, lord of Imaldris."
Gilraeth finally accepted the fact that he was wide awake, and not in a dream at all as he replied, "I am Gilraeth, son of Gomeir. How did I get here?"
Elladan replied, "I followed you for quite some way after coming across your trail while I was headed home. After you'd fallen asleep a few nights before, I took you and brought you here. Does that satisfy you?"
"Wait, you said 'a few nights before'. What do you mean?"
"Exactly that, pen-neth. You have slept for two days straight. We were beginning to worry for you."
Gilraeth nodded, looking down at the white linen sheets stretched on the bed. It all made sense now. The Elf, Elladan, had saved his life. He had also finished the journey for him, bringing him to Rivendell. But Gilraeth had not thought about much after that. His only concentrations had been to get to Rivendell as quickly as possible. Now what was he going to do? He could not go back. Would the Elves allow him to stay?
"What is on your mind, Gilraeth?" Elladan spoke, interrupting his thoughts. Gilraeth jerked his head up.
"Nothing," he lied.
Elladan raised his head slightly, his eyes somewhat amused. He did not point out the fact that he knew it was a lie. "Very well. When you are ready, you may come have a meal. My brother, Elrohir, will escort you then." He stood up. "I have other matters to see to."
Elladan walked towards the door. As his hand turned the knob, Gilraeth called his name softly. The Elf turned and looked back at the small boy.
"I just wanted to say thank you," Gilraeth told him. "For, you know, saving my life and all."
Elladan smiled and nodded. "You're welcome, pen-neth." With that, he left Gilraeth's quarters.