Chapter Six:
Laurel and Lord Elrond walked in silence for a while. The gardens seemed never-ending, but eventually they rounded a fountain and came upon a stone bench, which Lord Elrond gestured for her to take a seat on. Laurel nervously sat down. Her palms were starting to sweat and shake, her heart was racing and her breathing started to pick up.
"Be calm, my child," Lord Elrond said as he took his seat beside her. "You are very special," he said softly, taking her shaking hands in his. Laurel looked into his eyes, not sure what she would find there, but she hadn't expected sympathy. He had a soft, genuine smile, not at all appearing angry or mistrusting as she thought he might. Maybe he hadn't even seen anything, she reasoned.
"I saw what you did with that tree." Damn. Guess he did see that then. She shuffled uncomfortably, not sure what to say. He squeezed her hands for comfort before beginning. "I was in the dining hall, awaiting your arrival, when my sons expressed their concern over your lack of appetite, said that you ran off again, so I checked your room to see if I could help in any way." Laurel's cheeks began to heat up. It seems everyone knew now that she wasn't eating. "Do you know what I found in your room?" She stayed silent, wishing to just be thrown out already and to not have to endure this tongue lashing she was about to receive.
"I saw a rope of vines artfully twisted together to form a rope and a young woman trotting off into my gardens." He looked her in the face, drawing her attention up from the ground. "Is there something you would like to tell me, my dear?" Laurel had so many thoughts running through her head. Should she tell him? Should she not? Did Saruman know she was here now? Would he throw her out? Would they kill her? A stray tear streaked down her cheek before she could stop it. Lord Elrond let go of her hands, instead drawing her into a hug he clearly thought she needed. It was at that moment that she could hold the flood back no longer. Tears poured down her cheeks, her chest heaved with sobs as she buried her head in the elf's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry!" she weeped, hiccuping a few times. Lord Elrond rubbed her back in soothing circles before he let go and held her at arms length so he could see her face.
"What ever for, child?" he asked, wiping away another stray tear from her cheek. Laurel took in a shaky breath.
"I know I'm different, just please don't send me back to Saruman! I can't go back there! I ca-"
"Saruman?" he said in alarm. "What relation do have with the white wizard?" He took her hands in his again, this was obviously very hard for her. "You can tell me anything, child. I promise you that I will not judge you, nor reveal your secrets should you wish to keep them concealed. You have my word." Laurel looked into his eyes, seeing his concern for her, which she felt was genuine. She took a few deep breaths and steadied herself. It was a long and involved story, but she did her best to recount it to Lord Elrond. He listened attentively, his countenance never wavering.
By the end of her story she felt like an enormous weight had been lifted from her chest. She had never told that story to anyone before, and he wasn't attacking her, which was a good sign in her book! His eyes softened as he squeezed her hands.
"I am truly sorry for what Saruman has put you through, and I can assure you that your gifts are to be celebrated, not hidden. No one here would wish you harm. We will protect you and you are welcome to stay here for as long as you need. Although, I am not quite sure how to solve the debate surrounding your dining habits without revealing your story." He rubbed his chin in thought with one of his hands.
"Maybe, it would be okay.. if we told a few people.." she said hesitantly. Still not sure if the others were as trustworthy as Lord Elrond was.
"I think that would be an excellent idea, do you know who you would like to share this information with?" he asked with a smile, pulling her to stand. She thought about that for a moment. There were not very many elves here that she considered close enough to her to divulge her secrets, just yet. Lord Elrond could sense her hesitation.
"How about this, we tell no one about your gifts for now, and I will inform the others that you dislike large gatherings and feel more comfortable dining in your room. Does that sound fair?" Laurel nodded with a smile. Now she wouldn't have to explain herself anymore! Then another thought came to her mind.
"I am frequently asked where I am from, but I don't know where I was born, or even where that tower was. How do I answer those?" she asked. He gave a thoughtful pause before answering.
"Perhaps we can tell them you are from Bree. It is a human village close to the Shire. I believe that should suffice," he offered. Laurel nodded her head. It sounded like a good enough idea, as long as they didn't ask anything about Bree. She smiled at the old elf in front of her. The tree was right, Lord Elrond is a very good elf.
"Thank you, for keeping my secret, and for allowing me to stay," she embraced him once more, deciding she liked hugs. Saruman never hugged her as a child, or anytime after that, so these were new to her, but they were nice.
"Would you like me to escort you to your rooms?" he offered with a small smile, arm at the ready. Laurel smiled back, but shook her head.
"I think I want to find that waterfall I saw earlier." The elf smiled down at the young woman, happy to see her at ease.
"Walk just beyond those pine trees and then over the small stream and through the hedges, you should find it easily enough," he assured her. He straightened up, giving her one last glance before turning back to relay his message to the others in the dining hall. Laurel turned in the direction of the falls, solely based on the sound of the rushing water she could hear from where she was, and started walking.
It didn't take long for her to find the waterfall. Lord Elrond's instructions really helped. She had stretched out, laying in the soft grass next to the large, clear pond that the waterfall fed into. She smiled at the warmth of the suns rays on her face. Closing her eyes, she drifted to sleep, feeling better about her life today than she had in a very long time.
When Laurel awoke, she found herself surround by various animals. She let out a tinkling laugh and took stock of the new group of friends she had amassed. There were five deer, two of which had fawns with them, there were a few rabbits, some squirrels, a turtle or two, lots of different songbirds, and butterflies of course. She held a finger out for a little bluebird to perch on. It twittered happily in greeting, drawing a chuckle out of her. She turned her attention when she felt something cold nudge her arm. She saw one of the fawns to her left and reached out with her free hand to stroke its soft, spotted fur. The squirrels were chasing each other in a circle around her and a large orange and black butterfly rested on top of her head. She loved this part of her gift!
She spent a few hours just sitting there with her new furry, or scaly or feathery, friends, just chatting about her day and asking them what they thought about Imladris and the elves here. There was a general consensus that they liked it here. They weren't hunted, as the elves did not consume meat, and the grounds were well-looked after, so there was plenty of food and shelter to go around. Eventually the sun started to set in the sky and Laurel knew it was time to go. She waved goodbye to the animals and trekked back through the hedges and over the stream and through the gardens, to try and find her room again. She really needed to remember where that was. As she approached a large archway that connected the main halls to the garden, she ran straight into something very hard. Laurel stumbled back, the heel of her foot catching on the edge of a stair step and teetered backwards.
Whatever she ran into had fast reflexes and caught her before she could tumble down the stone steps. She opened her eyes to find herself staring up into the eyes of Legolas. Her breath caught for a moment. She blushed when she realized how close they were. Legolas had pulled her in close to his chest as he caught her, but soon released her now that he also realized the position he put them both in.
"Lad-, Laurel," he corrected, "I feel I must apologize for my behavior this morning." Laurel's eyebrows shot up at this. What did he have to apologize for now, she wondered. "I was unaware of your wish to distance yourself from your home in Bree. Lord Elrond explained to us that your reasons for leaving were your own and that you wished to keep that private. So I apologize if I had offended you."
"Oh!" Laurel picked up on the story Lord Elrond had weaved on her behalf. "That's alright, no harm was done," she assured him. Legolas smiled brightly at her.
"Would you like to join me in the Hall of Fire? Some of the others are there now," he offered with a grin. Laurel didn't know how she would feel around a bunch of people, and the hesitation showed on her face. Legolas' smile faltered a bit. "Or we could go for a walk in the gardens?" he asked instead.
"I appreciate the offer, Legolas," she gave him a sheepish look, "but I just came from the gardens and I think I just want to return to my room." Legolas masked the slight pang of dejection.
"Then at least allow me to escort you to you room," he offered, holding his arm out to her. Laurel smiled, now that was an offer she could accept, otherwise who knew how long it would take for her to find her room. She nodded with a grin and took his arm, letting him lead her through the halls.
"So, how are you liking Rivendell?" he asked as they walked.
"What is Rivendell?" Legolas stopped and look down at her in surprise.
"Rivendell is Imladris, I used the name Rivendell because that is the name usually used by your people, whereas elves refer to it as Imladris," he explained, walking down the hall again.
"Oh," Laurel said, casting her eyes down to her bare feet. "I didn't know that. I had only ever heard it referred to as Imladris. But I like it very much here. The elves are very hospitable, the gardens are beautiful, and the trees here are magnificent," she said with smile, remembering her time down by the waterfall and in the gardens.
"Well then, you would have loved to see the Greenwood in its prime," Legolas said with a sad smile.
"What is the Greenwood?"
"Perhaps you know it by its other name, Mirkwood," he said, somewhat dejectedly. "It has more trees than there are grains of sand on a beach. They are tall enough to touch the clouds, and the summertime brought the most beautiful wildflowers you could ever image."
"It sounds wonderful," Laurel glanced up at him, watching his sad small dissolve into a happier one.
"It was."
"Is is not anymore?" Legolas shook his head.
"A sickness has overtaken much of the forest," he explained. "Spiders stalk the forest, the air smells foul and thick. It is nothing like the Greenwood of old." Laurel saddened at the thought of the dying forest. She hoped she never had to see a sight such as that. Legolas stopped once they reached her door.
"How did you know where my room was?" she asked, slightly suspicious of how he knew exactly where to go.
"My room is right next to yours," he pointed down the hall to the next room on the right.
"Oh," she felt a tinge of redness creep onto her cheeks.
"I will leave you to rest, my lady," Legolas said with a slight bow. "If there is ever anything you might need, please do not hesitate to ask." Laurel nodded with a smile.
"Thank you, Legolas," she said, slipping into her room and shutting the door behind her. Legolas grinned to himself. He liked the way she said his name. But then a slap of realization hit him. What was he doing? Practically fawning over this human girl had had just met? This was not like him at all! Even if he did like this woman, there was no way his father would allow him to court her. It would be best for the both of them to keep their relationship as that of friends and nothing more. He nodded to himself and strode off to his room. Opening the door, he kicked off his boots and removed his tunic. He made his way to the bathroom, hoping a hot soak in the tub would help him calm his mind.