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 17 – Friends and lovers

Eruanna spent the next several days on her own. She kept close to her talan fearful that if she wandered off she might never be able to find her way back. The city was a vast maze of trees and buildings and no one had yet had the time to show Eruanna around. She felt strangely alone in this city, even if there were thousands of elves milling about. Lady Arwen had rooms in her grandparants' talan and although Eruanna dined with the noble family each night, her guardian was constantly being swept away to meetings and events which Eruanna was not permitted to attend. The same was true of Erestor. They had not been in the city twelve hours before a knock at their door and an elaborately written scroll saw Erestor called off to a meeting with Lord Celeborn's counselors…a meeting that, after many days, had yet to be concluded.

Searching for something to occupy her time, Eruanna pulled out the blank journal Erestor gave her and decided to work on her drawings. She'd taken up illustration as a sort of practical hobby, hoping that one day when it was her turn to write great stories that she would be able to illustrate the books herself just like Erestor had done. Prior to their arrival in Lothlórien Eruanna determined to write a diary if her experiences in the Golden Wood and a diary containing pictures drawn by her own hand. Eruanna sat down on the portico, took out her pencils and began to draw the view from her talan. Little by little the wood before her was captured on the blank sheet of paper. Eruanna was so engrossed in her work that she did not hear Marilla approach.

"Your drawing is quite good." Marilla said from over her shoulder.

Eruanna nearly jumped a meter at the sound of Marilla's voice. She looked up to see the blond elleth studying the drawing carefully, as if to make sure Eruanna had captured every tree and twig in sight. Marilla had become a regular visitor in the past week, carrying messages to Eruanna from Arwen, Erestor and the Lady of Lórien. Marilla was several centuries older than Eruanna and yet seemed in many ways much younger. She had a carefree spirit and an easy smile, traits not commonly attributed to Erestor's greatest student.

"Oh, hello." Eruanna relaxed a bit at the sight of the elleth, having just been jolted out of the quiet, meditative state she'd been in prior to her arrival.

"I didn't mean to startle you." Marilla said, feeling badly for having come upon Eruanna in such a way. Arwen had warned her that Eruanna's hearing was not as keen as an elf's, but Marilla was not known for having a quiet presence and had never before surprised another with her approach.

"It's alright." Eruanna brushed aside Marilla's apology, after all, it wasn't her fault that Eruanna did not hear her coming. Eruanna stood abruptly, realizing for the first time that it was rude to stay sitting on the wooden floor when someone was trying to deliver a message. "Did the Lady send you?"

"Actually, she did." Marilla smiled, "She thinks you might like a tour of the city."

Eruanna's face fell slightly. She did want a tour of the city but she had hoped it would be with Arwen or Erestor. Eruanna sighed, "Arwen was supposed to show me around yesterday but she was called away and Erestor…." Eruanna shrugged.

"Lord Celeborn's advisors have abducted him." Marilla nodded in understanding.

"I've barely seen him for the last five days!" Eruanna cried before plopping down on one of the benches lining the porch.

Marilla could not imagine being in Eruanna's position. She'd lived in Lothlorien all her life and knew practically every ellon and elleth by name. The only two people Eruanna knew in the city had been dragged off on business, leaving Eruanna alone.

Well, that is something I can remedy.

"That is why the Lady asked me to keep you company. I think she knew you were feeling a bit displaced, what with Lady Arwen and Lord Erestor called away nearly every moment of the day." Marilla said this as she took a seat next to Eruanna.

"You don't have to." Eruanna looked up at the other elleth. She did not want Marilla to feel obliged to keep her company. "I'm sure you'd rather be doing something else."

"Don't be silly!" Marilla exclaimed. "If you turn me away I'll only spend the rest of the day standing around the palace waiting to be called on. I'd much rather be outside in the fresh air. What say you?" Marilla hoped Eruanna would accept her offer. She'd much rather spend time with a female agemate than carrying trays of tea to council rooms.

Eruanna could detect no deception in Marilla's bright eyes and decided it would not be so bad to have someone other that Arwen and Erestor to talk to. "I suppose I wouldn't mind the company and perhaps a better view of the city."

"Excellent!" Marilla jumped to her feet. "I'll show you the very best places to swim and eat. And the best place to watch the stars." She grabbed Eruanna's arm dragging her to her feet, "It will be wonderful, come on!"

"The Lady's grandsons are quite handsome." Marilla was still in awe of the fact that Eruanna had spent weeks traveling with them and lived in their home.

"I suppose they are." Eruanna shrugged. She was not sure exactly how they had come upon the topic of Elrohir and Elladan but the way in which Marilla simply swooned at their names made Eruanna a bit uncomfortable.

"You suppose?" Marilla nearly fell over at her companion's words. Was the elleth blind? "Have you not seen them? You do live in their house, don't you?" She could not believe Eruanna was not in agreement with her over Lord Elrohir and Elladan's admirable physical qualities.

"Yes, but the Lords are away much of the time." It was true. Eruanna rarely saw them and it was only on this last visit that she had developed any sort of relationship with them.

"But when they are in Imladris, what do you think of them?" Marilla was curious as to why this question was so difficult for Eruanna to answer.

What do I think of them? A fine question, but Eruanna was not sure how to respond. They were both very beautiful - a fine mixture of their father, and after seeing both Galadriel and Arwen together, what Eruanna assumed to be a beautiful mother.

"They are both fair of face." Eruanna could admit that much, but their beauty was overshadowed by darkness, that same shadow that for many years had warned Eruanna to keep her distance. "I think, perhaps, when you know someone personally, you see more of them than what is on the surface."

Marilla had to agree with that. She'd known many a handsome ellon who was not so very attractive upon more careful scrutiny. Marilla did not wish to delve further into what it was Eruanna saw in the twin Lords, as she could tell the subject was upsetting her. "Lord Erestor!" she called out suddenly.

"What about him?" Eruanna's face carried a rather puzzled expression.

Marilla raised an eyebrow at her, "There are many ellith in Lothlórien who've tried to ensnare Lord Elrond's Counselor. They will no doubt attempt to do so during this visit. I'd think him quite a fine catch myself, if it were not for his seriousness."

Eruanna thought about the ellon who she thought of as a father. Erestor could be a stern teacher and a rather intimidating Lord but Eruanna knew him much better than that. She'd been held in loving embraces and seen the gentleness in his heart. She loved him very much. "Erestor isn't like that once you get to know him, he is very kind and compassionate," she paused, "though I will admit, he does have a rather severe aspect which makes his gentler qualities difficult to see."

Eruanna continued walking along the path oblivious to the look Marilla was giving her and the fact that she'd stopped in her tracks. Realizing she'd lost her companion, Eruanna looked back and found Marilla staring at her oddly, "What is it?"

Marilla grew a bit uneasy for the first time during their long circuit around the city. This particular topic of conversation had not been stumbled upon entirely by accident. Many of the court ladies had beseeched Marilla to interrogate Eruanna and now that the moment had come, she wasn't sure she wanted to proceed. Marilla decided at last to simply tell Eruanna of the gossip-mongerers' talk rather than lie about it. "Some of the ladies were wondering…"

When Marilla didn't continue Eruanna prodded her, "Wondering what?"

"…why you and Lord Erestor are sharing a talan." Marilla finished the sentence quickly.

"Why…," It took a moment for Eruanna to register what it was Marilla had just said and another moment to realize the implication of her words. It was Eruanna's turn to babble. "They don't…they think…me and Erestor!" Eruanna nearly chocked on the words, shaking her head vehemently. "He's my teacher…my friend…he's like my father. That is all!"

"I told them so." Marilla admitted proudly. She'd told those foolish ladies that he and Eruanna were not a couple but they had not listened.

"You did?" Eruanna was surprised by Marilla's confession and even more so by the fact that she'd given her relationship with Erestor any thought at all.

"I've seen the two of you together. You are not lovers." Marilla's stated matter-of-factly.

"Of course not!" Eruanna could not imagine why the others would think so.

Marilla smiled at the elleth and taking Eruanna's arm in hers, began leading her once again down the path. "So then, who might you like to have as a lover?"

Eruanna's eyes widened at Marilla's terribly direct question and she answered without thinking. "No one!"

Marilla gave Eruanna a disbelieving smile. "No one?"

Eruanna found the whole idea completely foreign. It was not something anyone had ever asked her nor was it something she'd ever thought about. All of the ellyn she knew in Imladris were teachers and guardians and friends. All of them looked at Eruanna as a child, a member of the family and Eruanna felt the same. There was no one that Eruanna thought of in that way…as if on cue a flash of memory shot to the front of Eruanna's mind. A memory of a tall blond warden helping her with her pack, his smiling eyes, his lips brushing the skin of her hand… Rumil. "I…maybe…," she found herself saying.

"Ohhhhh, there is someone," Marilla danced joyfully at Eruanna's side, "do tell."

Eruanna shook her head, aware that Marilla would no doubt know the ellon about whom she thought. "It's not…I don't really know him."

"You don't have to know him!" Marilla exclaimed. This elleth is hopeless. Marilla decided that very instant to find out from Eruanna whom it was she thought of and to divine a way of getting them together. "Who is he? What does he look like?"

"This is ridiculous." Eruanna was feeling backed into a corner and had no intention of telling anyone about her thoughts of Rumil. "I don't wish to continue this discussion."

Marilla heard the anger in Eruanna's voice and immediately revised her original plan of getting the name from her. "You must really like him if you will not tell me who he is."

Eruanna sighed, "I do not know him well enough to like him." Why doesn't this silly elleth understand?

"Would you like to?" Marilla asked, her tone serious.

"Like to what?" Eruanna voice sounded tired.

"Would you like to know him?" There was none of the earlier overexcited jubilance in Marilla's voice. It was merely an honest question and Eruanna gave her an equally honest answer.

"I suppose," Eruanna said slowly, "it would be nice to see him again." She thought of the warden's last words to her.

I hope to see you again soon, Eruanna.

Did he truly wish to see her again?

"Well, if you tell me his name…," Marilla suggested once more but she was cut off by Eruanna.

"Perhaps, some other time," Eruanna continued down the path. "Shall we discuss something else?"

"I suppose we could think of something else to speak of," Marilla said with an exaggerated sigh, "but it won't be anywhere near as interesting."