Chapter 2
The very next day, I woke up early to the light touch of Aerin. The sun had bearly managed to rise in the valley and show the waterfalls in all its glory.
"What time is it, Aerin? It feels like I have barely slept any at all."
Aerin smiled as she helped me out of bed and showed me my training clothes used for weapons and combat training.
"It's just after sunrise, My Lady. I was told by Lord Glorfindel to have you dressed and fed early as this day will belong."
Great a long day of weapon and combat training. Well, it would be nice to stay outdoor, not reading old books for and train on pronouncing words once. Perhaps it even would be fun tho I am sure my teacher Enestor would have a say about it.
"Aerin? What is my trainer like? What can I expect from him? Is he like Elrond?"
She smiled as I got dressed and slowly started speaking of him.
"Well, My Lady, he is fair. Tall and strong. A great warrior of old. It is said that he once killed one of the worst of the enemy's warriors. If it's true, I do not know. But he is strict. He demands perfection. The fact he is to be your trainer tells me you will be one of the best warriors in Imladris."
As she talked about Glorfindel, I got done dressing in my new gear. It was effortless to move in, light and arms, legs, chest, and back. Everything was protected from whatever blows I would take. It was brown and green in color. Made to fit tight to the user, and it showed every feminine form I had. Never before had I felt like this.
"I must say Aerin. I do love the clothes you pick for me. It's like you know what I will love before I do myself. I am so happy you are my helper" I said and smiled at the sweet elf beside me
Seeing her smile and blush to my praise of her work was the best thing I had felt. Her cuteness and love for her work were inspiring, saying the least. And she made me feel all warm inside too.
"My Lady, you are too kind," Aerin said as we left my room and walking to the training yards of the garrison.
As we walked down, we met and greeted a lot of known faces. Even some new I had never seen before. But then I do not think they had been up in the main house either. As we came down to the yards, the captain sent me into the armory room To see Glorfindel.
Aerin bid her farewell for now and that she would be back later after her other chores were done.
Seeing the armory first hand, I was stunned by all the weapons and armor. The smiths working on even more as a tall elf in light training armor came towards me.
"Lady Itarriel?" He said and bowed his head a little.
"My name is Glorfindel. Lord Elrond asked if I could make a warrior of you. And I must say I am happy. I said, yes."
Smiling to the elf lord before me, I bowed my head and greeted with my right hand on my heart.
"You are too kind, My Lord. But I will do my best to make you and Lord Elrond proud and not feel like you have wasted your time."
He looked at me and grinned.
"You are very humble, aren't you? Well, it is my pleasure to train anyone to defend themselves against the evil in this world. At least someone Lord Elrond is so fond of"
Smiling and keeping my head a little bowed, he leads me to a table of wooden weapons. Swords. Long knives spears and arrows.
"Now, we need to find something that will fit you. You seem agile and fast, so let's try out the long knives. Useful for blocking and quick attacks. Swords are also suitable for blocking and attacking but can be slower. Tho the wounds made are often more profound. And yes, Bow and arrows. A weapon all elves are experts in. And so will you be."
Having no choice on the Bow and arrows, I brought them with me a sword and the long knives. But for the spear, I did not fancy the size of it and let it stay behind.
"Now, let's start with the sword and knifes stances, blocking, and attack."
As he explained and showed me how to do it, I tried to copy him. Slowly the blocks and attacks made sense, and we turned up the speed. More and more of the warriors stopped and watched us as we seemed more to dance than a fight. As he turned up the pace even more and disarmed me from the sword, I pulled the knives and tried to respond. But in the end, he was too fast. I could not follow him at all.
As I fell to my knees, then I heard cheering from those that watched us. I was surprised as I hadn't seen them as I was so focused on the fight. I was seeing the hand of Lord Glorfindel as I looked at him again, pulling me up to my feet, and we started over. Hours went by as the training got rougher and rougher. The harder I got hit, the happier I was, it was training blades and not real blades.
"Please, my Lord," I said, catching my breath, "can we get something to drink and a short break. I can't follow you anymore. You are too fast for me."
He smiled and seemed a little winded himself. As he too noticed the crowd around us.
"First day of training and already asking for brakes? That is not a good little elf. But perhaps it's not a bad idea. We went hard there for your first day. You got fire in you, and I must say I do love it."
As we sat at the benches in the training ground, we small talked, and about how I should treat all the bruises he had made sure id get tomorrow, in a way we both knew that I would be very sore tho it would not stop training. He had the task of training me and for my wish to never be abused by anyone again. I saw this as my chance to learn how to fight and stand up for myself.
"Ready My Lady? No time to waste. You have talent. But we will make you unbeatable."
Smiling as my arms legs and body hurt from the hits of the wooden weapons.
"I am ready, My Lord. I won't give up so easily," I said, getting my knifes ready as I felt most comfortable with them.
The day turned into evening as a crowd watched us train. The Screams made it sound like a war in the yards as Lord Elrond himself, along with Aerin, came to see what was going on.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE ELDAR ARE YOU TWO DOING" Screamed Lord Elrond as the other elves moved away from the yard and tried not to catch anything of the Lord's anger.
Glorfindel and I stopped our fight as u let out my last scream of pain as his training blade hit me and looked at Elrond with bowed heads.
"I am sorry, My friend" Itarriel has a fire in her I have not seen since the days of Gondolin… I was lost in the joys of our sparing and allowed it to go too far.
"I am sorry to My Lord. I let my eagerness to learn and to fight back. I failed you."
As we both felt ashamed of it, I also felt proud that my trainer saw potential in me, even tho I had a long way to go and even more to learn.
Elrond looked long and hard on us both. But it was Glorfindel that got the most of his anger. I was not a warrior yet, and he couldn't let loose like that with a novice. After his yelling, Elrond told us to go and get ready for the evening meal as we had been training hard all day. We even missed lunch.
"I do forgive you both, but I am very disappointed in you, Glorfindel. I thought you could be trusted to teach Itarriel. But It seems she needs a new teacher when it comes to weapon training. It was too careless of you." Lord Elrond said as he moved back to the house.
Aerin came to me and helped me back as well as I needed some help with my very very sore body. But it was not the first time she had helped someone that had trained too hard.
"If you Don't mind me saying, My Lady. We were all in awe seeing you and Lord Glorfindel train like that. You are far more determined than most novices that get such a beating by their trainer."
I smiled at her and caught my breath as we entered the house.
"Aerin I am also shocked about that and how My Lord Glorfindel thought I had talent. Not even close, and please... It's Itariell for you. I see you as my friend more than anything else."
As the words came out of my mouth, she smiled and got me to my room as she went for plants and mixtures to help me heal and to hide the pain after training. I slowly got out of the training clothes tho it was painful with them. I was pleased I had them on, or it would have been even worse. As I got to my bed, Aerin came back and started to apply the plants and mixtures and handed me a tea that also helped with the pains and very visible bruises.
"Seeing how much you enjoyed the sparing with Lord Glorfindel, I am sure I will be good at treating your wounds. My… Oh, Itarriel." She said as she almost slipped up
Smiling back at her and feeling the pains of the healing plants as they were applied on the wounds tho it kind of helped slowly. At least the damaged parts felt more relaxed and refreshed. As she cleaned up her herbs and pants and found me some beautiful clothes for evening food, she helped me get dressed. A beautiful blue covered with silver thread in it. Even tho it shoved some bruises on my arms and chest.
Aerin looked at me and blushed at me, walking around me slowly, making sure it fitted me well.
"You look stunning Itarriel. I hope you like it?"
I smiled at her and showed off a little in it.
"Yes, sweet Aerin, I do love it, tho I have never really worn a lot of dresses in my life."
She walked up to me and took my arm and led me out of my room toward the balcony where Lord Elrond and Lord Glorfindel waited for me. Hunger was the first thing I felt as I had not eaten since morning food. But the gaze of Elrond was also on my mind.
As we all greeted each other and sat down, the cooks came with the finest foods in Imladris. Goose freshly hunted with salad, potatoes, and bread. The best bread anyone has ever tasted. I felt like a true princess that had been taken to the best restaurant that had ever existed.
Listening to the great lords as they spoke about older days and the up pick in orc raids, I started to listen a little more carefully as it was long since I had heard Elrond mention orcs for the first time.
"Orcs My Lords?" Are they near here?
Both of them looking at me and smiling and explained that the borders were very well defended, and it was nothing I needed to worry about. But they feared that a old darkness was returning to the world.
"But from what I saw earlier, you have nothing to worry about Itarriel, for such weapon handling from a beginner just shows that you will one day become a great warrior. Maybe one of the Imladris guards?" Elrond said.
"Yes, she did surprise me for one. I am sorry I lost control like that, I will make sure to restrain myself more next time and not make your body a beating bag. Itarriel. For you and your skill and will to train hard brought me back to a time when I trained another young elven girl. She had your skill for a beginner that's as rare as the gifts of the gods themselves. But from what I hear, you might already be blessed by them by your estranged arrival here."
Smiling and blushing at them both as I swallowed my last piece of food and took another sip of the sweet juice-like drink.
"I just hope that I won't be a burden for anyone here. And I will do my best to be of any service you may want or require of me My Lords."
Elrond and Glorfindel both smiled and Elrond responded.
"My dear. You are the perfect guest, and you are more than a guest. You are in my house, and that's eternal. You are to be known as Itarriel of Imladris."
I choked on the drink as I heard what Elrond said to me. Coughing for air as I slowly managed to ask.
"Does that mean I am your daughter, My Lord?"
Elrond smiled along with Glorfindel
"Yes, my dear, I guess I see you as my daughter and my kin. Why I got so angry at my friend earlier for hurting you."
My eyes widened as he spoke. Strange as it was to feel so much love from a man I had known for nearly a month now. But I was proud of my new title, and I think he saw it in my eyes.
Glorfindel's smile was not to be mistaken as he opened his mouth to speak too
"Itariell you do not need to use my title, as you are the daughter of my friend I would be honored if you also only went by my name. If you feel comfortable with it."
Leaning my head to the side and smiling as he spoke.
"That will be fine, But only if it goes both ways," I said and bowed a little in respect as he nodded as well in agreement.
With the cooks coming with desert and the small talk went on into the night, I bid good night as I knew training would be even harder the next morning.
As we were all heading to bed the horns of the valley rang. Someone where coming and as my new Adar ran towards the bridge over the waterfall in haste I ran after him with Aerin right behind.
A man came slowly over the bridge on his horse with the squire siel of Isildur on his chest.
"Adar," I said without even knowing worrying as the man was clearly exhausted from where he had come from. With that, the man demounted and came closer to Lord Elrond and with that pulling the shards of a sword out of his bag. "My Lord," the man said with despair on his face.
"Isildur?" Elrond said as he took the shards of the sword.
The man gathered himself and slowly said with great sadness.
"My King Isildur is dead"