Mandi
By Haldirsbaby
Chapter Seven: Verbal Cat Fight
Saralonde walked back into Mandi's talan. Looked around, then walked to the back where the bathing room was. From the other side of the door, she heard the faint sound of weeping. Her heart-strings were tugged hearing such a sound. The girl within was deeply troubled. She knocked softly upon the door. "Lady Mandi? You alright?" she asked through the door.
She heard the sound of water sloshing and the faint and muffled words from within. "Yeah, be out in a minute." Mandi said, she knew trying to sound chipper.
"I will set out your night things and then be in the sitting room." she told her.
"Okay."Mandi said acknowledging the fact.
Saralonde stood back from the door and stared at it. She bit her bottom lip, and turned. The girl was lost, she knew it and felt it. Only once before in her life had she seen this sort of trouble, and it was Haldir that had suffered. But just how far gone Mandi was in her sadness and isolation she did not know, but it was certain, something had to be done.
Saralonde walked into the bed chamber and pulled out the chemise night-dress, the matching robe and the slippers from the wardrobe, then proceeded to finding her the undergarments she knew Mandi would need. She laid them out upon the bed.
She went to the sitting room.
Mandi...
Mandi sat in the tub, the water turned cold from sitting there so long. She thought on her next course of action. It was obvious to her that Haldir would be a hindrance in her plans on leaving. She knew deep down, he had been serious.
She felt so out-of-place here, among the most beautiful creatures this world, she knew, had to offer. Their lifestyles were so much more different from her own, and she knew beyond anything, that there was no way for her to fit in. Not that she wanted to in the first place. She was used to doing things on her own. She did not need help, and frankly, she was not sure that she even wanted any.
Her mind was tired of thinking about what to do or even how she got to be here in this place. The lady had told her she could not return home. Why? What had happened that brought her here? Was she dead in her world? Had she been injured and was in some sort of coma? Or was it just a sick joke the Valar was playing on her? Whatever it was, Mandi did not care, she wanted to go back. At least in her time and world, people may look down on fat people, but at least she knew there it was more common. She slid down in the water a little, and closed her eyes. Feeling relaxed some and a vision flashed before her. It shook her awake, but it did not stop. The vision continued with her eyes wide open.
Images of her standing in front of her peers, their laughing at her for something, but what she did not know. Then she was walking through a hallway and was being taunted by others, names, horrible one called out to her. She felt the pain of the words, striking her hard upon her heart. Truly, deep down she was a good girl, loved life, it was just life handed her the worst of the cards. She could not win for losing. Her parents, who were supposed to love her unconditionally, loved her only conditionally. What a joke the old saying was. At the age sixteen, her father left her mother, telling her that his 'fat' daughter was an embarrassment to him, then proceeded to divorce her. Her mother resented her for the fact that 'daddy' leaving and proceeded to killing herself just to get away from her own daughter. Some parents God had given her to. The two idiots never cared not once about her.
The next thing she remembered was a man, on top of her, with two others holding her down. The struggle was the hardest she had ever been through. She remembered that her mind drifted. But the pain that followed gave her a little strength to report the attack, though it left her scarred deep down. In an instant she remembered one thing, but it was blurred some. The flash of metal, the sharp edge of a knife and the same three that attacked her before. The knife came down, then her world went black. Next thing she knew she awoke in Middle Earth. Questions came. Did she die? What had those men really done to her? Or was she unconscious and this was her mind in a coma? But whatever had really happened, she found herself in a place that she had never expected.
She loved the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, and the Silmarillion stories, she had idolized them since she was old enough to read. Why? Because in the world of Middle Earth, people did not look down on others. Especially the elves. The elves loved all life, respected it, cherished it.
She opened her eyes, tears falling silently. 'Huh' she said silently to herself. 'I am a joke.' she slid down in to the tub, wetting her hair, then came up. She put the soap to her hair and began massaging.
She had to get away, had to leave and find her own way back. She bit her lip, 'But who will help me?' she asked herself.
She thought a moment. Only one could help her. Gandalf. He was a powerful wizard. At least by the Return of the King. Then it hit her. What year was it here? Had the Ring of power been found yet, have they passed through the realm yet? If they had not, she could always join in the quest, and get herself killed. 'That would be good?' she thought she quickly threw that idea away. 'Nah, that would do no good. Haldir would stop me from that as well.' She would just have to ask Saralonde.
She washed off, and quickly got out of the tub, and dried off.
A knock came to the door.
"What?" she called out hatefully, as she fought to put on the gown.
"Lady Mandi, you alright in there?" she heard Saralonde ask.
"I am just hunky dory. Trying to figure out this stupid night-gown." she said continuing her fight.
"Perhaps if you allow me, I could help you." the elleth suggested.
Mandi let out an irritated breath. 'If you must." she said finally giving up on figuring out the stupid ties.
The door slowly creaked open. The elleth walked into the room, her face passive and devoid of emotion. She looked Mandi over from head to toe. "The gown fits you well, I see the ties have confused you. Here let me." she said reaching out and beginning to lace the ribbons on the gown. "Here you are. All done." she said smiling at Mandi.
Mandi looked down. Simple that was, she rolled her eyes. "DAH!" she said sarcastically at herself.
Saralonde looked at her. "What does that mean?" she asked.
"It's an expression. People use it in my world, when they feel stupid over the smallest and simplest of task. Sarcasm, do you guys not have that here in Elfville?" Mandi asked hatefully. She shoved past the elleth and left the room, and entered her bedroom. Or the room she would use to sleep tonight, but tomorrow, not be in at all.
Saralonde bit her lip in thought, feeling a little lost about what to do next. This child was so much worse than Haldir was. She followed the girl in to her bedchamber. "Mandi. Has it ever occurred to you, that people may actually like you better if you were a little more tolerant of others?' she asked.
Mandi was about to climb into bed when she heard the question. She stopped, her back to the elleth, and turned to scowl at her. "Look here, Miss-All-too-Beautiful-to-have-people-hate-me, look at you, then really look at me. You say that cause you are born beautiful, fair, and perfect. I, other hand, am this.." she waved her hands down her body, then looked at the elleth, "fat wide load that no one wants! Got it?" she stared at the elleth. Saralonde did not understand it fully, sure she understood the hurt, but the self insults, no. Mand gave up, threw her hands in the air and talked to the ceiling. "I do not even know why I bother. Not like I will stick around long enough to get it through to them. Why me?" she asked aloud, not pointed at anyone.
Saralonde just stared at her. "Mandi, you know if you leave. Haldir will hunt you down, and bring you back. To leave would be folly to you. Give us a chance to help you." she urged.
"Haldir is not my boss. He is not my husband," she stopped at that, made a disgusted face, "not that I would have him, and he is not my father. No one, I do mean, NO one will tell me what to do. Got it?" she said venomously.
Saralonde, sucked in her bottom lip, held it, then let out a sigh. "Got it. Just one thing," she stopped and looked Mandi, "Haldir will not give up on you, no matter what. Once the lady has given the task of helping you, he will not fail. He will stop at nothing to see it done. I will warn you, it will do you no good to fight him." She warned, turning to face the door, but was stopped when Mandi spoke.
"So tell me Sara!" Mandi said sharply, "How is it you know him so well?" She looked at the elleth, who turned and stared at her back. Then it hit her. "Oh, wait. You and-" she stopped, smiled and nearly laughed. "Haldir and you? You were lovers. Oh, how nice. Tell me, Sara, what happened there? Did he dump you, or did you dump him?"
Saralonde felt her fist gather up at her sides. This girl was beginning to get to her, far more than what Haldir had. "My relationship with Haldir is no concern of yours, but if you must know, I cannot lie. Haldir and I were Lovers at one point, many years ago. But I found that I was not his true life mate. Once it was seen, we remained true, good friends. I help him, he helps me. There. I said it. Now if you will excuse me, I tire of you hateful attitude." she turned and stormed from the room.
Mandi stood there stunned that the elleth lost her cool with her. She had pushed one too many buttons. She laughed to herself. Stupid elleth! She climbed in the bed and covered up. Finally some peace. Perhaps she will wake up and this had all been a really bad dream.
In the window...
Haldir stood in his talan, having heard the argument that ensued across from his talan. The two had butted heads. He had heard Saralonde only raise her voice once in his life and that was when he was young and acting out because of his ill-treatment from other. But that raised voice got to him then. Perhaps, it would with Mandi.
He stood there watching the door to the talan. Saralonde opened the door, slammed it shut, and shook it off. She looked at him, smiled silently and nodded. It was her way of telling him, that she handled it. She continued down the wooden walkway to her own home. He watched the door wondering if Mandi would emerge. After many minutes all was clear.
He turned in for the night.