Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's and the plot, everything else belongs to Tolkien and those who currently own the rights to his work.
Chapter 6 – Send her away
Third Age 2552
Lord Elrond took his midday meal on the terrace adjacent to his study. The kitchen staff, as always, prepared a lovely mix of fresh fruits and vegetables, smoked meats and an assortment of pastries for the hungry household. Arwen and her charge arrived just as the stewards finished setting the table. Elrond thanked the elves for their incredible work before he, Arwen, and Eruanna sat down to their meal. For some time, the conversation dwelled on everyday topics. It was the first time since the elleth arrived in Imladris that Elrond had the chance to speak with her in such an intimate setting. Elrond was surprised by Eruanna's ease with conversation. It was strange that one could seem old one moment and young the next. At times Eruanna would comport herself as Arwen's age mate and then suddenly, she'd seem so very young.
In Elrond's early years his guardian, Maglor, often commented on how aged Elrond and his brother appeared, though the Eldar still considered them children. After some 6,000 years, Elrond was finally given the opportunity to see in this young elleth a reflection of himself as a child. They really were very much alike, he and Eruanna, both of whom had seen far too much cruelty during their early years.
When their plates were finally emptied, Elrond decided it was time to address the topic that had brought them all together. "How are you settling in, Eruanna?"
"Well, Lord Elrond, although," she paused, looking down at her hands. "I miss my grandparents."
"Of course you do. I would be more concerned if you claimed not to." Elrond looked to his daughter who sat quietly at Eruanna's side. "Arwen tells me you have been suffering from nightmares."
Eruanna looked up at Elrond in surprise and then back at her hands. She shrugged her shoulders, "They are just bad dreams," she replied in an unsuccessful attempt to dismiss the past nights' events.
Elrond would not allow the child to shrug them off so easily. The elf Lord had been unsure prior to their meal exactly how he would deal with this confrontation. After careful study of the elleth during their meal, he decided that a direct approach would be best. It would not behoove him to coddle or speak down to Eruanna for though the elves considered her so, she was not truly a child.
"Eruanna," he began in a serious tone, "Your grandfather told us about the Mirkwood wardens. That is why he brought you here, so you would be safe. You know that, do you not?"
"Yes," Eruanna choked out. She knew her grandfather told Elrond why she needed to leave her home, but it was not something she felt comfortable discussing; not with Ithilwen and certainly not with the Lord of Imladris.
Elrond watched the elleth body language change as her distress increased. He knew better than to stop now. The elleth needed to hear these words. "Arwen is here to take care of you. She wishes to help you, as do I. But we cannot help you if you keep the memories locked inside." He looked to his daughter who placed a comforting hand atop of Eruanna's. "You must speak of these things. They will not haunt you so, if you speak of them."
Eruanna stared down at her hands shaking her head. "No," came the trembling voice.
"Eruanna, you must. It is the only way you will heal. Ada knows of what he speaks." Arwen spoke softly to the elleth who seemed on the verge of tears.
Eruanna pulled her hands away from Arwen's. Her unsteady voice rose in volume. "I can't."
"Eruanna," Arwen reached out to the child again but Eruanna stood abruptly and shouted at the elven Lady. "No! Leave me alone."
Before Arwen could respond to the elleth's outburst Eruanna fled the terrace, running down the steps and disappearing into the garden.
"Eruanna!" Arwen made to follow her but was halted by her father.
"No Arwen, allow me. I will find her. Wait here." Arwen saw the concern on her father's face and nodded. She watched her father disappear into the garden and nervously paced the terrace, awaiting his return.
Elrond followed the elleth's tracks which led deep into the garden. Elrond had been a great tracker in days of old but he needed no great skill to follow the young one's trail. It had taken Elrond many years to learn to hide his own tracks as it did not come naturally to him as it did to the elves. It seemed Eruanna, too, would need training in stealth if ever she were to travel abroad. It is no wonder the Mirkwood wardens were able to find her so easily.
Elrond found Eruanna sitting on a carved stone bench in a small grove on the far end of the southern paths. Eruanna wiped the tears from her face when he appeared before her. Elrond glanced around the small glade remembering another young elleth he'd often found hiding here. "Arwen would come here whenever she was angry with me. It is good to know this spot has not been forgotten."
Eruanna stood, surprised by the elven Lord's presence. She had expected Arwen to come chasing after her, not Lord Elrond. She'd felt terrible for raising her voice at the Lady and for her poor behavior in Elrond's presence. Eruanna promised her grandparents she would make them proud, but they would be quite ashamed of her if they'd witnessed her tantrum before the elven Lord.
Elrond met the young one's eyes. "Come back to the house, child." Elrond took a few steps closer to Eruanna.
Eruanna was trapped in the alcove, the only way out was blocked by the elven Lord. A wave of panic shot through her as Elrond's hand contacted her left arm. Eruanna's free arm reacted on instinct. Without thinking, she drew back her arm and struck Elrond hard across the cheek.
Elrond released the child's arm and lifted a hand to his cheek, shock clearly visible on his face. Eruanna possessed quite a strong arm for such a small elleth. When Elrond looked back up at the child he saw tears streaming from her terror filled eyes. She backed her trembling form into a tree. Elrond thought she looked close to collapsing. He moved toward her again, this time more wary of the elleth's hands. She brought them up so to protect herself.
"Please don't," Eruanna pleaded though uneven breaths.
Elrond stopped in his tracks, realizing that the child was fearful of retribution for the blow she'd landed. He took a step back and spoke softly to the frightened elleth. "I would never hurt you, child. I give you my word."
Eruanna broke down into racking sobs. She slid down the tree to a seated position and wept, hugging her knees to her chest.
Elrond approached the elleth carefully and sat down on the ground beside her. He pulled the child into his arms and held her as he'd held Arwen when she needed comforting.
"I'm sorry," came a shaky voice.
"Shhh. All is well," he brushed her long hair away from her eyes. "You will never have anything to fear in my house. I told your grandfather I would protect you and I will, unto the ending of the world. I promise you."
Elrond waited until the elleth's breathing steadied before taking her chin in hand and turning her face so he could see her eyes. "You must promise me something too, Eruanna. You must promise me you will speak to Arwen about your nightmares. You can keep them inside no longer. Do you understand?"
Eruanna nodded. "I understand," she whispered.
"Good, now shall we return to the house? Arwen is waiting for us. She will eat all of our dessert if we do not return soon."
Eruanna giggled at the thought of the beautiful elven Lady devouring their pastries. Relieved by the sound of the elleth's laughter, Elrond stood and offered his hand to Eruanna. After helping her to her feet the pair walked in silence back to the house, each lost in their own thoughts.
Arwen sat on the settee fidgeting nervously when she heard the familiar sound of her father's footfalls approaching the terrace.
"Ada, Eruanna." Arwen approached the pair as they ascended the steps. "Is everything alright?" She looked back and forth between her father and the elleth on his arm. "What happened to your cheek, ada?" Arwen noted the red mark evident on the elf Lord's face.
Eruanna blushed crimson and her gaze dropped to the floor.
"Eruanna and I have come to an understanding," Elrond stated cryptically.
"I see," Arwen was not certain she saw at all, but it was the only response that seemed appropriate.
"I must return to work now; Erestor will begin to wonder what happened to me." Elrond placed a kiss on Arwen's forehead and, nodding to Eruanna, left them alone on the veranda.
Arwen turned her attention back to Eruanna's tear stained face. "Are you well, child?"
Eruanna nodded, "Yes. I am fine."
"What happened in the garden?" Arwen asked curiously.
"I hit him," Eruanna hung her head shamefully.
"You what!" Arwen could not contain her shock at the elleth's words. "Why?"
Eruanna sat down on one of the settees and pulled her knees up to her chin. "I was afraid," was her quiet reply.
Arwen sat beside the smaller elleth, "Ada would never hurt you. Why were you afraid of him?"
Eruanna closed her eyes. She could do this, she could tell Arwen. Lord Elrond said it would get better if she told someone. She took a deep breath and began.
"They are not nightmares," her voice trembled slightly. "I wish they were."
Eruanna walked home quickly from her neighbor's talan. Eruanna's grandmother ordered her out of the house earlier that day. In recent months, Eruanna had become increasingly reluctant to leave her house. She would not wander out of sight of her home unless her grandmother ordered her to do so. This morning Ithilwen gave her the task of taking some newly harvested vegetables to their neighbors and exchanging them for others that Eruanna and Ithilwen were not currently growing. Eruanna was unable to avoid the task and so she kept up a quick pace hoping to avoid meeting anyone along the way. Her hopes were in vain. Eruanna was nearly home when Feredir dropped out of the tree and landed in her path.
"It's been awhile, little one. Now I know you've been hiding from me." Feredir's smiling face filled Eruanna with dread.
She took a step backwards for each foreword movement he made until she'd backed herself into a tree. For a moment Eruanna considered crying out to her grandmother who was no doubt within hearing distance, but she could not bring herself to make a sound.
"I've missed you." Feredir reached out a hand to touch Eruanna's face but the elleth knocked his hand away before he could make contact. Anger shot through the ellon's eyes. He grabbed Eruanna by her arms and slammed her hard against the tree trunk, drawing a painful cry from the tiny elleth.
"That wasn't very nice," he hissed.
Eruanna was beyond terrified, she could not break the ellon's grip, nor could she find the courage to call out for help. She came back to her senses when the ellon pressed his mouth down hard upon hers. He released her arms and his hands moved roughly across her body. Her hands freed, Eruanna pushed desperately at the warden but she was unable to move him.
Eruanna fell to the ground as Feredir's body was thrown backward and into another large tree.
"What in Eru's name do you think you're doing!" Maeron shouted at his brother. It was not a question. Maeron had stood by, silently watching his older brothers torment the peredhel child for nearly two years but he would be silent no more.
"What do you care, Maeron…." Feredir did not have the chance to finish his sentence.
"She is a child, Feredir! How could you do this?" Maeron's words were painful to his ears.
A sneer twisted the other ellon's face. "She looks like no child to me." Feredir cast a cruel glance at the elleth frozen at the base of the tree.
Maeron shook his head. He knew not who the ellon was that stood before him now. "If you were not my brother…" Maeron's voice was lethal. "Get out of here!"
Feredir looked at his gentle brother as though he'd never seen him before. He took several steps backward into the wood, turning his back on Maeron only when he was a safe distance away.
Maeron turned his attention back to the elleth. She climbed shakily to her feet, using the tree as support. "Are you alright, child?" Maeron asked. The elleth turned her tear stained face to him but made no reply.
Maeron picked up the basket she'd dropped and made to hand it to her. The elleth backed away from him. "It's alright. Take the basket. Your grandparents will want those vegetables, will they not?"
The elleth lifted a trembling hand and took the basket from him. Maeron was at a loss for what to say to the child. He had not said much more than a few words to her since he'd arrived on these borders. In fact, he'd done everything he could to avoid her and his brothers' harassment of her. It shamed him now- that he had not put a stop to it sooner. He'd never imagined Feredir and Sadron's mistreatment of the child would go this far.
"Do you need help getting home?" he asked her.
The elleth shook her head. She slowly inched her way past him and without a word walked off in the direction of her home.
Maeron watched her retreating form until she faded into the woods. He stood there a long time, an invisible battle consuming him from within. His decision made, he turned back to the woods. He had a task to perform and he hoped that in doing so, some of his honor might be restored.
Haldor watched the sun as it made its way leisurely to the horizon. It was nearly time to call it a day and return to his wife and granddaughter. Haldor had spent the afternoon chopping a felled tree for firewood. The physical labor made the old warrior feel rejuvenated. He missed the training fields and border patrols and looked forward to returning to his duties when Eruanna reached majority.
Haldor sensed the approaching warden before hearing his voice. "Mae govannen, lord."
Haldor shifted his attention from the pile of wood to the young warden standing some five meters away. "Mae govannen, warden, can I help you?"
The young warden looked around nervously. "You are Lord Haldor, advisor to the king?"
Haldor was not entirely surprised that the ellon knew his name. Haldor was not exactly unknown among the Mirkwood wardens, many of whom Haldor himself had trained. "I am. How may I help you, warden?"
The ellon paused as if unsure whether he wished to answer his question. "Has your granddaughter returned home this eve?"
Haldor's attention was now completely on the ellon before him. "You know Eruanna?" He was curious as to why this stranger would be asking after his child.
The ellon's nervousness showed. "Yes, sort of, I…I wanted to be sure she is well."
"Of course she is well." Haldor replied, thinking of Eruanna's smiling face when he left her and Ithilwen earlier that day.
"I would suggest you be certain of it, sir."
The seriousness in the ellon's voice made Haldor's blood run cold. "What do you mean by this?" Haldor's voice rose in concern.
The young warden took a step back. "I only meant. I think she may be injured." He stumbled over the words not wishing to say more than he had to.
Haldor calmed some at the warden's response. Eruanna always found a way of getting into some sort of trouble, but if the ellon thought she'd gone home then it could not be too serious. Haldor was thankful for the warden's concern and attempted to allay his fears. "Eruanna has always been prone to accidents when she is not paying attention…."
"They were not accidents." The warden interrupted Haldor's words.
Haldor was silent for a moment. "What do you mean 'not accidents'?" His grip tightened on the ax. The young warden glanced nervously at the tool in the old warrior's hand, aware that it could easily be used as a weapon.
Maeron took another step away from the ellon but he could not leave until he warned the warrior the danger his child was in. "You must send her away. If you love her, you will send her away."
"What is it you are telling me?" Haldor asked, his voice a mix of anger and fear.
The young warden, afraid of saying anything more, moved further into the darkening woods. "I'm sorry. Tell her I'm sorry."
Haldor watched the ellon disappear into the trees. He might have gone after the warden if not for the panic that gripped him. Haldor dropped his ax and ran home on swift feet. It was not far. He arrived minutes later to find his wife singing on the porch of their talan.
"Where is Eruanna?" Haldor's voice was unsteady.
The sight of her husband in such a state brought Ithilwen immediately to his side. "She is in her bedroom. Why? What is wrong?" Ithilwen asked, concerned.
"Did she say anything when she came home?" He gripped his wife, holding her at arm's length.
Ithilwen, confused, thought it best to simply answer her mate's question. "Only that she did not feel well. She went to her room to lie down."
Haldor's voice caught in his throat. He grabbed his wife's arm and pulled her along with him to Eruanna's door.
"What is this about, meleth nin?" Ithilwen's voice trembled at the state her husband was in.
Haldor could not respond to his wife's question, for in truth, he did not know the answer. He knocked gently on Eruanna's door and heard his granddaughter's voice call out from the other side. Haldor opened the door and easily spotted Eruanna in the starlit room. She lay on her side facing the window wrapped in lights blankets.
Haldor entered the room, his wife in tow, and sat himself on the bed. Eruanna did not turn to face him and the ellon could not find the words to begin.
"Your grandfather is worried about you, Eruanna," Ithilwen broke the silence.
Eruanna responded to her grandmother's words but did not turn to face them. Her voice trembled slightly. "I don't feel well. I just want to sleep."
"We must speak first," Haldor stated, finally finding his voice. "Eruanna look at me."
Haldor reached out a hand and grabbed Eruanna's shoulder to turn her toward him but he quickly released her when the child cried out in pain.
Haldor looked back to his wife whose face and gone pale with the sound her granddaughter had just made.
"Eruanna. Eruanna look at me," Haldor demanded but the child would not turn. "Let me see your shoulder."
The child shook her head.
"That is not a request Eruanna," Haldor's voice rose in anger and though it was not directed at her, the child shuddered at the emotion in his voice.
Ithilwen placed a calming hand on her husband's shoulder and sat down on the bed. She reached for the back of her granddaughter's nightgown and undid the first two clasps. She slid the neckline over the elleth's shoulder revealing an angry bruise running from her shoulder down along the center of her back. Ithilwen raised a hand to her face, her mouth open in shock.
"What happened, child?" The elleth asked.
"I fell." The words slipped pathetically from Eruanna's lips.
"You did not get this in a fall!" Haldor yelled, causing Eruanna to curl up into a tighter ball.
"Haldor!" Ithilwen's eyes begged for her husband to control his rage.
Haldor looked at the child and immediately regretted his harsh words. The elf took a long calming breath. He looked at his wife who, so horrified by the sight of Eruanna's injury, looked on the verge of collapse. Haldor knew he had to take control of the situation so his wife would not break down in front of Eruanna. "Ithilwen, go and get some herbs for pain and some healing salves."
Ithilwen stared silently at her husband unable to make a verbal response. She looked down at Eruanna, afraid of what injures might be left unseen. Haldor reassured her with a nod and she left the room to gather the supplies. Ithilwen made it all the way to her own room before being overcome by tears.
Haldor watched his wife go. He placed a gentle hand on Eruanna's head, caressing her hair reassuringly, as he'd done on many troubled nights in the past. Haldor could hear his wife sobbing on the other side of the house. He'd known by the look on his wife's face that this task would fall to him.
As a warrior, Haldor had tended the injuries of many wardens both male and female but none of it had prepared him for this. "Eruanna, I must check you for other injuries. Do you understand?"
The child shook her head. "No," was her weak reply.
"I must child," Haldor took a deep breath and continued unbuttoning the back of her sleeping gown. The bruise ran all the way down her back as if the child had been slammed against a wall. He placed a hand on her arm and another muffled cry escaped her lips. "Does it hurt there as well?"
He pushed the sleeve down her right arm to the elbow revealing a perfect handprint, complete with finger sized welts darkening her upper arm. Haldor froze. The words of the warden echoed in his head. They were not accidents. Haldor could not breathe. Eruanna's broken wrist and ankle, the burn on her hand, she'd said they were accidents and he believed her. Why wouldn't he? She was not as graceful as an elf and had often had falls and other accidents while growing up. But she'd not had such an incident for many years, and then, she broke her wrist. Haldor fought hard to remember the exact date. It was nearly two years ago, two years!
The words came out of his mouth. He spoke them to no one but himself as if these things could not be real unless he spoke them aloud. "It was not an accident. Your wrist, someone broke it. And the other injuries…."
He placed a hand on the child's head, battling his own guilt and shame at not having seen how his granddaughter was suffering, "Why did you not tell us someone was hurting you? Why did you say they were accidents?"
Haldor did not expect an answer but Eruanna responded to what sounded like disappointment in her grandfather's voice.
"I'm sorry," Eruanna's voice trembled. She did not want her grandfather to be disappointed in her.
The sound of his granddaughter apologizing for another's cruelty broke Haldor's heart. "No. You have nothing to apologize for, my child. It is your grandmother and I who must apologize, for not seeing you were in pain. It is our duty to protect you."
Eruanna rolled onto her back and looked at her grandfather with tear filled eyes. Haldor pulled her into a seated position and carefully wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she wept into his chest. "You are so very brave, my child." Haldor rocked her until the tears passed.
Ithilwen returned to Eruanna's room, healing salves in hand, her face still puffy from her own tears. She sat on the bed where Eruanna remained cradled in her grandfather's arms. Ithilwen kissed her granddaughter's cheek. "Here, these will make the pain go away."
She opened the jar of numbing salve and began applying it to Eruanna's back.
Eruanna's spirit calmed as the pain diminished. She was forced to shift in order to allow her grandmother access to both of her arms.
When Ithilwen was finished she hesitated, "Do you have any other injuries?"
Eruanna shook her head and Ithilwen's relief was palpable. The elleth refastened the clasps on her granddaughter's nightgown before hugging her carefully. The three elves stayed that way for some time offering comfort and strength one to the other.
It was Haldor's voice that broke the silence. "You must tell us what happened, Eruanna. You must tell us who hurt you."
Eruanna closed her eyes tightly. She did not want to tell her grandparents about Feredir and Sadron, about the laughing ellyn. She didn't want her loved ones to see her as the wardens did -a clumsy, ugly, half blood freak.
Haldor, sensing his granddaughter's uncertainty, gave her a reassuring squeeze.
Eruanna began the tale from the beginning and ended with the past day's events. It was not an easy story to tell and she was afraid that her grandparents might be angered that she had kept it all a secret.
Haldor and his wife sat long into the night listening to their child relate the events of the past two years, events that Eruanna had somehow managed to keep hidden from them. When the tale was done, they tucked Eruanna's exhausted form into bed and retired to their own rooms.
Haldor stared out his bedroom window for a long time wondering where the ellyn who had hurt his baby were at that very moment. Haldor had never imagined he could feel such immense hate for another elf, but at that moment he wished for nothing less than a band of orcs to come upon Feredir, so that they might inflict a slow and painful death.
Ithilwen moved to the window, wrapping her arms around her husband's waist and resting her head on the small of his back. "Will they be punished?" Ithilwen asked.
Haldor shook his head. "I wish I could be sure." He sighed, knowing the prejudice that Thranduil's court held for the peredhel. Even if with all of his influence Haldor could have the two ellyn punished for their crimes it would not change the truth of the matter.
"Even if the wardens who did this are punished there will be others, others who believe as they do. She will never be accepted by the elves of Mirkwood."
Ithilwen hugged her husband tightly. "What will we do?"
Haldor was silent for a long time searching for an answer to his wife's question.
"Imladris," Haldor whispered. "We must take her to Imladris. She will be safe there, with her own kind."