AN: This chapter takes place after chapter two of Marvel-Tolkien Fangirl's Spectrum: The Harpist's Tale. Please read it first. Thanks!

They kept mentioning my eyes, the mortals. I stared at myself in the mirror placed above a washing basin in the washing room. I stood in the lonely room, dressed in a strange gown that had been given me to replace the clothing from the elf. It was almost impossible to keep shut, but I had managed. They had also given me a pair of slippers that felt good on my sore feet.

My eyes were different than theirs; I decided they were right to think it strange. The colors in my eyes had reds blended with oranges and violets, green blended with blue and yellow. My hair was different, as well. It was fairer than even the fairest of others I had seen in my short time here, and when the light caught it the right way, I could see tinges of blue in it.

"Very unusual," I whispered, using the same words that the Mortals often did.

I heard footsteps in the other room, and peeked out of the washing room to see a mortal man dressed in strange black attire, unlike anything that I had seen thus far. He had short dark hair, and was looking around the room in a manner that made me feel uneasy. When he saw me, he smiled a smile that seemed to be trying to reassure me.

"Hello," he said, in a coarser accent than I had become accustomed to in my short time on land. "I'm Peter North; I'm a doctor who works in the hospital. Would you like to take a seat?"

I walked over to him, pulled a blanket off the bed to wrap around myself. I didn't completely trust the gown I had been given. "I would prefer to stand."

Dr. North nodded. "Do you mind if I sit?"

"Of course not."

Dr. North sat, continuing to smile. He had with him a metal-bound paper book and a pen. "Do you mind telling me your name?"

"Ninniach," I responded, and he wrote in the book. I was fascinated by the pen. "That holds its ink within itself?"

Dr. North smiled again and handed me the pen. Tentatively, I took it. "Haven't you seen a pen before?"

I shook my head.

"Where are you from, Ninniach?"

I remained silent for a moment, and then handed the pen back and moved back towards the single window of the room. "I do not believe that you would believe me."

Dr. North's brow furrowed. "Why do you say that?"

"I mentioned Valinor to-" I cut off as I saw recognition in his eyes. "You know of Valinor?"

"Yeah, I'm a huge Tolkien fan," he responded, and the smile on his face became quite condescending. "So, if you're from Valinor, I guess that means you're an elf, then? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, with those ears."

Self-consciously, I touched the point of my ear. "No, I do not believe that I am."

Dr. North's smile remained the same. "Then what-"

"You do not believe in the Valar," I interrupted flatly.

"I didn't say that," Dr. North said slowly, the smile slipping from his face. His brow furrowed.

I clasped my hands. "Then you do believe in the Valar?"

"I... don't think that we know everything in the world. Tolkien's stories could be based on some sort of-"

"Do not lie to me."

Dr. North's eyes widened fractionally as he studied me. Eventually he nodded. "No, I don't believe in the Valar. Tolkien's stories are good stories, but that's all they are. There is no such thing as beings like the Valar, elves, dwarves, orcs-"

"Was there something specific that you wanted, Dr. North?"

He shook his head. "I just wanted to talk."

"You are not as sincere as you would like me to believe. What sort of doctor are you? You have not even inquired as to my health." I narrowed my eyes as I contemplated the man. "Ah. You think my mental state is fractured and I am a confused child."

"I would never-"

"I already told you not to lie to me," I said, and I felt a burning in my chest. Was it anger? "It matters not if you refuse to believe the truths that are clearly evident to my mind, but speak the truth and do not mock me for it!"

Dr. North stood. "Look, all I want to do is help-"

He reached out a hand to touch my arm soothingly, but withdrew it sharply, hissing between his teeth. To my surprise, I saw blisters rising on his fingers from where it made contact with my skin. He looked up at me with confusion on fear in his eyes. I took a step back from him, my anger disappearing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," I said.

"I, uh..." Dr. North stared at me for a while longer, and then started backing towards the door. "I'd better go."

He left quickly, and I pulled myself up onto the narrow bed, looking at my arm. There were three small spots from where he had touched my arm, and they glowed slightly.

"No unhallowed hand can touch me without suffering pain," I whispered, remembering, it seemed, from another lifetime, similar words spoken over me. I looked up at the door, where Dr. North had disappeared. "Who are you, Peter North, and what is it that you really want with me?"

#

It was almost an hour later when one of the mortals that I recognised from before entered the room. Julia, I remembered, a nurse. "Hey, Ninni- Do you mind if I just call you Nin? I'll never be able to pronounce your name properly."

I shrugged. "All right."

"Thanks. We just need a little blood to run some tests on, okay?" Julia said brightly.

I looked at the strange equipment she had brought and hesitated. "What for?"

Julia shrugged, checking the clipboard that hung on the end of the bed. "The doctors just want to check your levels, that's all. It's fine. We normally don't do this for patients admitted for hypothermia, but you're a special case, aren't you?"

"A special case?"

"We don't get many girls who've been washed ashore in the middle of a storm," Julia replied with a smile. "Here, take a seat-"

Julia and I both jumped when three new mortals entered the room suddenly. Two men and a woman. I glanced nervously at Julia, who was herself looking nervously at the new arrivals.

"Dr. Brightman, I didn't think you handled-" Julia started.

"Thank you, Nurse Flemming," the woman interrupted with a melodious voice. "I believe that you were about to take a sample of blood from our strange patient?"

"She's not really that strange," Julia protested weakly, but turned back to washing her hands.

"Of course not," Dr. Brightman replied coolly. "I meant unique."

The new mortals studied me in a way that made me feel not so much unique as a prized horse. I tried to ignore them as Julia pulled on a pair of the tight-fitting gloves that people around here used so often. She set out a bunch of equipment and tried to smile at me. It seemed as though she was just as unnerved, if not more unnerved, then I was by Dr. Brightman and her two men.

"Can you just rest your arm there?" she asked, pointing to the armrest of the chair I sat in. I did as she asked. Julia wrapped a band around my upper arm and told me to make a fist. She tapped the inside of my elbow and then wiped it with a small damp square, and then did some stuff with her equipment before inserting a small needle into the raised vein that was there. There was a small sting, and Julia smiled reassuringly at me. The smile dropped as the tube attached to the needle began to fill. She gasped.

"Amazing," Dr. Brightman breathed, stepping closer. The two men that she had brought with her narrowed their eyes.

I looked down at the tube, which was rapidly filling with a soft golden light and looked back up at them. "This is wrong, isn't it?" I asked Julia.

She looked up at me, her eyes widened. "Your blood is-"

"Thank you, Nurse Flemming," Dr. Brightman interrupted. "Hurry up and finish. There is obviously something wrong with this patient and she should be isolated immediately."

"What does that mean?" I asked the doctor.

"You'll be put in a room that is further from other patients, just until we figure out what's wrong with you. I must say, this is incredibly exciting. I have never seen anything-" Dr. Brightman cut off abruptly, possibly because of the glare Julia was giving her. The doctor cleared her throat, and then attempted not to sound so excited. "These men will stand outside your door to make sure you don't receive any unwanted visitors. There was a homeless man inquiring about you earlier."

The elf. He had followed me to the hospital. I inhaled sharply between my teeth. Julia was busy finishing her job. When she removed the needle from my skin, she pressed a piece of gauze to my inner elbow. Dr. Brightman left, and the two men took up positions on either side of the door. I gazed at them for a moment.

"They're not there just to keep him away from me, are they?" I asked Julia as she gathered up her equipment. "They're to make sure I stay here."

Julia glanced at the men as well. "Of course not, Nin."

"I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but I would appreciate it more if you didn't lie."

"I don't know what's going on," Julia confessed quietly. "I'm sorry."

She left, leaving me alone. I sat down on the bed again, looking out the door at the two men standing guard and shivered. I wasn't sure what was worse, being a prisoner again or knowing that the elf knew where I was. If I tried to escape, I could end up in his clutches, and that would be even worse, wouldn't it? I shivered again, recalling the grey eyes. Who was he, and what did he want from me? If he was here to prevent my return to Valinor-

I sat up straighter. If he was here to prevent my return to Valinor, was he not succeeding, by keeping me in such a fear of him that I dared not leave this obvious prison? Slipping to my feet, I walked to the door and cleared my throat nervously.

One of them men looked at me. "Can I help you, ma'am?"

"Might I get some other clothing to wear? I feel indecent in this gown." Was it a lie to leave out the stronger motivation was that this strange gown did not seem to be the type that mortals wore outside this building?

"I'll see what I can do, ma'am, but can you please stay inside your room for the time being?"

I nodded once and retreated again. How was I to escape? I didn't know what to do.

Send me aid, I prayed to the Valar. Please, help me!

Moments later, another man, dressed in blue clothes similar to what Julia had worn, approached my guards, carrying a bundle of clothing. One of the guards checked the tag that was clipped to his shirt, and then waved him in. I stiffened as he walked in.

"Please," the elf said quietly, approaching me slowly, "please listen."

"I will hear no words from a servant of Melkor!"

He flinched as the sound of the name, stepping back from me. The two guards glanced in, one of them narrowing his eyes suspiciously. The elf did not look at me, but I could see horror in his expression. I pulled my knees to my chest as he set down the clothes on a chair. He spoke in a low tone.

"I know that many of my past actions have served the one you speak of, but it was never in my heart to do so. I also know that there is no way to atone for the evil I did in foolish, wretched pride, but please, believe me when I say has never once been my will to serve the enemy." He looked up at me, and I saw true pain in his grey eyes.

I stood, studying him. I did not see deception in his bearing, and inhaled. Had the Valar answered me with this elf? As I gazed at him, the red eyes shone in my memory, but perhaps... I nodded once. "I believe you."

Relief washed over his face and he spoke quickly. "It is not safe for an elf to remain with mortals. Will you come with me?"

I hesitated once more before nodding. He glanced over his shoulder; one of the guards was speaking in a low voice into the cuff of his shirt.

"Dress quickly," the elf murmured to me. "I will return soon."

He left, and I shut the door to quickly change from the strange gown into the clothing he had brought. He had even brought me shoes, and though I did not like the feel of the heavy things on my feet, I supposed that they would protect my skin. I was hardly dressed before an urgent voice began to shout. I flinched. It seemed to be coming from the ceiling.

I heard two thumps in the corridor, and then the elf slipped into the room. I saw the two mortal guards lying on the floor. "Did you kill them?" I cried in horror, certain that I should not have trusted the elf.

"No, they are merely unconscious." The elf grabbed the chair and smashed it against the window. The glass shattered. The elf then propped the chair against the door and then grabbed a blanket off the bed to wrap around his arm to clear the bottom of the pane. He held his hand out to me. "Quickly. They will be here soon."

Was it too late to change my mind? I only hesitated a moment before accepting his help. I climbed through the broken window onto the flat roof of the level below us. With his arm around my shoulder to ensure that I didn't slip, the elf hurried me across the roof to where a large tree was growing. It was a fair jump, but with elvish ease he made the leap. I summoned my courage and followed, hitting the trunk of the tree hard. I cried out as the bark bit into my hands.

It was a simple matter to scale down the tree, and at a full-out run, we left the hospital behind. I let the elf lead me. We dodged up paths and through buildings, not stopping until we were out of the town. I leaned over, gasping for breath.

"I have not run like that for years," the elf wheezed. It took him a little longer than me to even out his breathing, and when he did, he gestured for us to continue walking. "I have many questions, elleth," he said, "but I must ask you this first. Where is the Silmaril?"