A loud scream was the first sign that the injured Elleth was awake.
Erestor would have certainly preferred a far more gentle warning, as the Elven Lord was not a fan of throwing bandage rolls halfway across a room. Instead of chasing the rolls as the bounced across the room he instead turned to face the Elleth, who now sat straight up in the bed. Her hair was flung wildly around her, a deep bruise marring the left side of her face. Her hazel eyes were wide and wild as she opened her mouth to scream again.
Elrond moved quickly to soothe her, his voice gentle.
"Hush, young one! You are perfectly safe here. No harm will come to you while you are under this roof." He assured her, holding his hands out in a sign of peace as he carefully sat on the edge of the bed.
The elleth watched him for a moment, slowly taking in his words. Eventually she seemed to relax ever so slightly.
"Where am I?" She demanded, eyes darting between Erestor and Elrond.
"You are in Imladris- in the care of Master Elrond himself." Erestor informed her, sharing a glance with Elrond. "Can you tell us your name?"
"I…I do not know it, my Lord." The reply was quiet, unsure. Her hand seemed to reach up to the hollow of her neck, as if to touch a necklace that no longer rested there. "I feel as if… As If a dark cloud fills my mind."
"Atar!" The door suddenly flew open as the three Sons of Elrond tumbled into the room- seemingly responding to the scream. A moment later Arwen slipped into the room behind them.
"Is all well?" Estel asked as he took in the occupants of the room. "We heard a scream and feared the worst!"
"Estel feared the worst. We simply followed out of curiosity." Legolas added, attempting to lighten the mood.
"All is well- our new friend was frightened when she awoke in a strange place." Elrond assured them, his eyebrows slightly raised at the small group.
"Unfortunately, it seems that she is unable to tell us who did this to her- nor can she tell us what her name is. "
"I believe we may be able to assist with that- we think her name may be Luhtarë, Atar. We found this on the path, not far from where we found her." Estel stepped forward holding out a wooden pendant. The Lord of Imladris took it, quickly turning it over in his hand. A faint rose was painted on one side of the slightly damaged pendant. On the other side was the name Luhtarë, carved in tiny letters.
He frowned slightly before turning his attention to his patient once more.
"Luhtarë- does the name sound familiar to you at all?" He asked.
"It…It does not sound unfamiliar." She responded, rather unhelpfully. "I feel as if I should know it." The elleth looked down at her hands.
"Until your memory returns- or we find a clue to tell us otherwise, I believe it would be best if we refer to you as Luhtarë. It is far better than no name." Elrond half smiled.
"My daughter, Arwen will assist you if you need anything else." He gestured to Arwen, who gently inclined her head with a smile as she stepped forward.
"Would you like for me to remain with you for a while? I can tell you all about Imladris if you'd like." She offered. The injured Elleth seemed to hesitate before nodding slowly.
"I would enjoy that, Lady Arwen. Thank you."
While Arwen quietly began to converse with Luhtarë, Elrond turned to the others.
"Erestor, the moment Glorfindel returns from his Patrol I would ask that you brief him of what has happened. He should arrive by noon tomorrow morning, if all is well." Erestor nodded.
"Of course- until then, I believe I may remain here. If Luhtarë's memories return, it would be best if one of us were here to hear what she remembers."
"Good thinking." Elrond agreed, smiling slightly. "The rest of you, I ask that you assist me in looking into this…mystery. I think it would be best if we began with some research." He held up the pendant that Estel had discovered. "I believe this symbol may be a clue of some sort, as is the name Luhtarë."
"I'll have food and tea sent to you." Elrond assured them.
"Perhaps some wine as well?" Elladan suggested, a twinkle in his eye. "Tea is all well and good, but I'd prefer something stronger to keep me awake."
"We shall see, Ion Nin." Elrond responded, quirking an eyebrow in amusement. "Now, go. The sooner we find something the better."
Legolas, Elladan and Estel simply nodded in response, quickly leaving the room. Elrohir moved to follow before pausing, catching his Father's eye. Understanding the unspoken request Elrond nodded, following Elrohir out of the room and into the corridor.
"Atar, I have a feeling of unrest. I cannot place my finger on the reason why." Elrohir sighed, his grey eyes meeting those of his Father. "It troubles me." He confessed. Elrond reached out, laying a comforting hand on the younger twin's arm.
"Whatever it is, Ion Nin, shall be revealed in time. Until then, we must remain vigilant." The Elf Lord replied quietly.
Please review if you're reading! Reviews encourage updates!