Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not my own, yadda yadda yadda. I'm not making any money off of this. (Though I wish I could.)
A/N: Well, Talya has managed to get Thorin to look at her in a bit of a different light. After a month of traveling with them and keeping up with them, and then saving Kili's life, he finally has a begrudging respect for her. This chapter is going to be mostly filler, unfortunately, while the crew gets themselves settled in.
While this story is based mostly on the movie, I will be following the timeline of the books too, to a certain extent. For example, the company will spending a lot more time in Rivendell then shown in the movies. In the books, they stay there for more than two weeks.
PS... This chapter is brought to you by Dustbunnyprophet and reviewers like you. :)
Thorin and I walked side by side through the passage until finally we met up with the others. We rounded a bend and my breath caught in my throat.
The valley stretched out before us as far as the eye could see. A vast sea of greens met my eyes for everywhere I looked, there were growing things of unbelievable hues, flowers blooming in every color imaginable. Flawless silver buildings rose from the ground, their forms reflecting the rays of the sun brightly. The detail, even from this distance, was astounding, for each structure contained amazingly intricate designs and patterns carved with obvious care. Mist rose from the nearby river, adding an ethereal cloak to the valley below.
"The valley of Imladris. In the common tongue, it is known by another name." Gandalf's voice was soft, as though he did not want to disturb the beauty below with harsh tones.
"Rivendell," Bilbo and I spoke the words at the same time and we looked at each other, unshed tears in our eyes reflecting back the unbelievable beauty of the elvenhome.
"Here lies the Last Homely House east of the sea."
"This was your plan all along," Thorin said, his voice again pitched low and dangerous. He had stepped forward to look out over the ledge we stood on, but now he turned to face Gandalf. "To seek refuge with our enemy?"
"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill will you will find in this valley is that which you bring yourself." Gandalf answered, turning to face the angry dwarf with narrowed eyes.
"You think the elves will give our quest their blessing?" He spat out the last word. "They will try to stop us."
"Of course they will. But we have questions that need answering. If we are to be successful, then this will need to be handled respectfully, and with no small degree of charm. Which is why you, Master Dwarf, will leave the talking to me."
Gandalf turned as he said this and began down and long and winding path. Bilbo and I looked everywhere in awe. Every once and awhile, we would tear our gaze away from our surroundings to glance at each other in disbelief. Fili and Kili, too, seemed curious, but they hid it a hell of a lot better. I felt like I should be picking my jaw up off of the floor.
We came to an oblong flat ledge at the bottom of a set of stairs that led into the heart of Rivendell. Tall and elegant forms strolled along the paths nearby, their movements so gracefully flawless in an almost feline way. I glanced at Thorin, whos mouth was drawn into a thin line. His attention was turned to the top of the stares, where an elf had begun to approach. As I took in his immaculate form, I began to felt more and more insignificant. Long brown hair flowed down his shoulders and back in waves of silken perfection. His skin was flawless and seemed to permeate a soft glow of an almost imperceptible light.
I studied his face as he stopped before us. His face was ageless. If he had been human, I would have guessed he would be no older than 25. His eyes, however, were another story. They were shockingly bright and clear, the irises a smoky grey color that held a depth I could not begin to imagine.
He was tall. Ridiculously tall, at least six foot, probably more.
"Mithrandir." He spoke, offering a short and graceful bow to the wizard. His voice was soft and lilting, very much like the music I had always heard it described as.
"Ah, Lindir," Gandalf returned the bow and where I had always thought he was graceful and gentlemanly, even his movements looked crude.
I could not tear my eyes away from the creature before us, my ears straining to listen to the words that Gandalf and he spoke.
"Lastannem I athrannedh I Bruinen."
"I must speak with Lord Elrond."
"My lord Elrond is not here,"
"Not here… Where is he?" Gandalf asked, his tone suddenly worried. Lindir flicked his eyes behind us and made a gesture.
Suddenly, the horns we had heard earlier where back in full force. The sound of hooves thundered towards us and we turned to face the rapidly approaching elven warriors on their mounts. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a familiar green canvas bag and then, a familiar horse among them. I smiled when I realized it was Grey-mane
Thorin barked out a few harsh and guttural words and suddenly, my arm was grabbed and I was pushed, along with Bilbo, into the center of the rallying dwarves. They pressed in close, their weapons drawn. The elves slowed as they neared, riding in a tight circle around us. They, too, had their weapons at the ready, answering the unspoken threat the dwarves were offering up.
They stopped finally, their mounts snorting and pawing at the ground. One elf pulled away from the rest and dismounted his silver-white horse. His hair was so dark it was nearly black and it reached well down passed the middle of his back. Carefully plaited braids came down from his temples and were swept back and secured under the rest. Deep blue eyes roamed over our group and I felt his eyes on me for a moment before Fili tugged me behind him and out of the elf's line of sight.
"Gandalf," His voice was much deeper than Lindir's had been. I leaned ever so slightly so that I could peer around Fili's head. The two embraced briefly, a look of genuine affection passing between the two friends.
"Lord Elrond, mellon nin. Mo evinedh?"
"Farannem lamhoth I udul o charad. Dagannem rim na lant Vedui." Elrond paused. "Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders. Something…or someone," he cast an appraising look on us. "…has drawn them near."
"Ah, that may have been us." Gandalf answered. There was a little bit of shuffling and I watched Thorin stride forward to face Elrond.
"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain." The elf-lord said, inclining his head towards the dwarf. Even though Thorin was tall for a dwarf- standing just a little taller then me, Elrond still towered over him.
"I do not believe we have met,"
"You have your grandfathers' bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled as King under the Mountain."
"Indeed. He made no mention of you."
The anger was back in his voice and I frowned. Lord Elrond acted like he did not hear the implied insult and instead, looked out over our little rag-tag gang.
"Nartho I noer, toltho I viruvor. Boe I annam vann a nethail vin."
Gloin snarled to my left and I bit back the urge to roll my eyes.
"What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?"
"No, Master Gloin. He is offering you food." Gandalf answered, exasperated..
Gloin 'humped' at that, and my companions all turned to each other.
"Food? Well, it would be nice to eat something other than stew," Bofur said "No offense meant, Bombur."
Bombur snorted.
"I could go for a few rashers of bacon, myself." Gloin said, his voice reluctant.
"I'd just be happy with a bath," I muttered to no one in particular. Gloin turned back to face Lord Elrond.
"Ah. Well. In that case, lead on."
The elven warriors began to dismount, and as soon as the dwarves had began to spread out, I slipped past and headed towards Grey-mane. I ducked out of the way of a tall blonde elf and came to stand before my horse.
"Grey-mane, you fuzzy bastard!" I said with affection. I reached forward as he stretched his head out to me and I smoothed my hand over his nose. I moved closer to him and threw my arms around his neck. "I am glad you are alright,"
"He seemed most anxious to return with us," I heard a lilting voice behind me. I turned and looked up (and up) at the blonde elf I had dodged. For a moment I couldn't speak. Me, speechless. Who would have thought.
"Now I believe I have found the reason why." The elf smiled then and offered a deep bow. "Welcome to Rivendell, horse-friend."
My voice stuck in my throat, and I had to clear it a few times.
"You have my thanks, Master Elf, for the return of my dear friend." That was diplomatic, right?
"Oh, ho! And here we find a jewel among dwarves!" He said with a laugh, looking up at his fellow warriors.
"You speak much sweeter then your dwarven companions," He said, chuckling merrily. "Perhaps you will act as a stream to their stone, polishing away their rough edges so they too may speak with such grace."
I almost thought there was a hidden innuendo there, but I brushed that thought aside before I could blush. His words were teasing, but I knew he didn't mean anything by it, so I smiled despite myself.
"That well may be, but a few well placed stones can still block even the mightiest of streams. I fear my efforts would be wasted."
He smiled warmly and laughed, then uttered something in elvish I didn't quite catch before turning and leading his horse away.
"Christ, that was painful," I muttered into Grey-manes neck.
"Talya…?" Bilbo called. "Are you coming? The elves have offered us a place to bathe before dinner."
I looked over to him to find that he was standing with two other elves, waiting on us. I took Grey-manes reins loosely in hand and caught up with the three.
"I can take him to the stables, my lady, and there he will receive good care," One of the two elves said, holding out his hand. I hesitated a moment, hating to have to leave him already. I had grown very attached to him in our travels. I finally nodded and un- clasped my ruck sack from his back before handing off his reins to the elf.
"Go on, Grey-mane. You deserve a rest after all we've been through. I will visit as soon as I can," I patted his neck and he leaned in to me a moment. The elf bowed his head and headed off, Grey-mane following close behind. I rearranged my bow and quiver before picking up my ruck sack and followed Bilbo and the second elf.
"Lord Elrond has requested that I show you to the bath houses," The remaining elf said, extending a hand out to me. I wasn't sure what to do, and it must have been obvious, because the elf chuckled and, with a smile, reached for my hand and tucked it in his arm. Bilbo bit back a laugh at my very obvious discomfort and I had to really fight back the urge to flip him off.
The elf lead us deeper into Rivendell, pointing out different sights, such as the library, the armory, and the stables.
We stopped before a large, relatively enclosed building that had to have been four or five stories high. Two female elves began to approach, smiling in welcome.
"And here I leave you, my lady, in the very capable hands of the elleths." I narrowed my eyes a little and was almost positive he put a suggestive hint to the word 'capable' and I wondered if the elves were really as innocent as everyone claimed them to be. One of the females chuckled softly and I was almost sure he had been flirting with her. He let my hand go with a bow of his head and left with Bilbo. I turned to face the two waiting elleths.
One stood just a littler taller than the other, but both had the same rich brown hair and green-blue eyes. After a moment, I realized they were probably related.
"Come, my lady. No doubt that you have had little chance to relax on your travels. The baths are warm and there is still quite some time 'ere the dinner bell rings." The shorter of the two said, stepping aside to wave me towards the doors. Feeling very self-conscious, I followed behind the taller one as she headed inside.
We passed through an intricately carved set of doors and, once again, I found myself struck nearly dumb by the intricate patterns and the delicate craftsmanship of even the tile beneath our feet. We climbed a set of stairs and I was led through another set of doors into a very spacious room. There were walls around three sides, the far side being completely open with an amazing view of the waterfall in the distance. A tree stood just outside, its low hanging branches acting like curtains, dipping down to touch the balcony that arched out gracefully from the room. Soft green curtains fluttered in the light breeze.
There were panels off to the side of the room with many hooks, each carved in the likeness of swans and other water-fowl. Where it should have looked silly, it looked right at home here among the elves.
In the center of the room was a large marble bath. Apparently, elves had the luxury of some sort of indoor plumbing because it was filled with steaming hot water. I sighed longingly and my two guides smiled at each other. The taller one led me to the panels.
"Undress when you are ready, my lady. If you leave your things on the hooks, we will see to it that they are cleaned and mended, and returned upon the 'morrow. There will be a clean towel just inside"
"Uh… Thank you," I stepped behind the curtain, leaned my bow and quiver against the wall and dropped my ruck sack. I pulled my knife out of its place in my pants pocket, making sure the sheath was tightly in place, and tucked it into my bag. Then, I began to peel my jacket off and winced when the fabric stuck to the blood that had dried around my pulled stitches.
I let my jacket drop, then leaned down to tug off my filthy boots, followed by my very holey and stained socks. My undershirt followed, then my bra, pants, and finally underwear. Now that I looked at the pristine white of the floor, I realized just how filthy my clothes were. Everything was stained with mud, dried blood, and grass. A solid line of dirt and grime was edged around my wrists, my ankles, and I'm sure, my neck. I had a wicked farmers tan going on and I was also *way* hairier then I usually let myself get, and I was sure I must look part-dwarf.
I looked at the bright white towel that was hung on a nearby hook and made a face. I really did not want to wrap that around my disgustingly dirty body, but I supposed I didn't have much of a choice. I grabbed it off the hook and shook it out. The material was similar to terry cloth back home, but so much softer. It was huge. Once I wrapped it up under my armpits, the bottom of the towel dragged the ground and I could easily have wrapped it around myself twice.
I stepped out from behind the panels and stood there awkwardly. My eyes caught sight of mirrors that were hung on the opposite wall and I winced. I had thought I looked bad at the Prancing Pony. My hair was greasy as hell, slicked back against my skull in a thick clump. I had a metric crap-ton of scratches and bruises, ranging from purple to yellow. My face was streaked with dirt and I looked so much thinner than I had before. My cheek bones stuck out more than I remembered, and even my nose seemed thinner. I risked peeking down at myself while the elves busied themselves around the room. I could easily see my ribs and the padding that used to sit around my waist had disappeared. I had to admit, though, the last few weeks in the wild had done wonders to tone my muscles. I saw a six-pack starting, something I hadn't seen on myself in years.
"You are injured," I jumped, not realizing that one of the females had come so close to me. I wrapped the towel back around myself sheepishly.
"Yeah… Oin… One of the dwarves, stitched it up a few days ago, but I tore it open again when we were escaping the orcs," I answered. I looked back at my arm and made another face. It was crusted with blood and gaped in a few spots were the stitches had ripped. The area around it was a mottled purplish- black color, the outside a sickly green.
"Well, come into the baths. Take your time to clean up and relax. My sister, Sithiel, has taken your things to be washed, and will return with clothing to wear while you stay here. I will return shortly to tend your wound and, if you would like, to fix your hair." She smiled warmly at me and, again, I had a feeling that she, like the male elf before, was teasing me. It seemed to be a common trait.
"Alright… What is your name, if I may ask?" I felt like I had been rude up until this point, having not even asked their names.
"Maerwen, my lady."
"May-are-when?" I knew it didn't sound quite right, but she nodded and gave me a bright smile. " I am Talya."
"Well met, lady Talya." She gave me a small bow and I returned it awkwardly. She gave me one last smile, then turned and left out the doors. I took a glance behind the panel where I had left my ruck sack and was relieved to find that it was still there. I really didn't want them to find my ammo and accidentally set it off or something.
I climbed the short steps into the bath and stepped in.
I let out an embarrassingly loud groan as the warm water enveloped me. I was *really* glad the elves had left before that particular moment.
Maerwen or her sister, I wasn't sure which, had left a tray on a small table next to the tub. On it were various glass vials of what I assumed were soaps, shampoos, and lotions, as well as a scrub brush and a few wash cloths. There was also an ornate silver comb and what looked like a pair of nail clippers, complete with a small pick.
I sniffed the various scents, and, settling on a mild blossom-scented one, I poured a liberal amount on a cloth and set about scrubbing myself.
It didn't take long for the water to turn to a dingy grey. Just as I was debating climbing out, the door opened and Maerwen slipped in.
"Oh, and what do we have here? Has an elleth been born from the road-wearied traveler I had set my eyes upon before?" She laughed joyfully and joined me, coming to stand next to the tub.
I smiled good naturedly at her light mocking. I had always thought I was pretty in a girl next door sort of way, certainly nothing exotic. But next to the elves, even the elven males, I felt positively drab.
She had me climb out of the tub and, while the water drained, she cleaned up my arm. She put some sort of cream on it that numbed it, thank god, re-stitched it, then wrapped a linen cloth around it. She re-drew the bath and I settled back in to soak my weary body.
We settled into a comfortable silence and she began to help me wash my hair and take out the snarls. She rubbed some sort of oil into it and brushed it until it lay smooth and shiny on my shoulders. I grinned to myself as I thought about the hair products of home, and how the elves would make a killing in the hair care market. Once I imagined Elrond in a Loreal commercial, I had to draw the line before I started crying from laughing so hard. Maerwen laughed along with me, though I am sure she thought I was absolutely insane.
I asked her for something to shave with and, though she glanced at me oddly, she found a straight razor after searching for awhile. She left it on the side of the tub and, explaining she had to be on her way and that she would see me later, left.
I took my time in the bath, carefully cleaning under my finger nails and toe nails. Just before getting out, I shaved my armpits and legs, then used a lotion Maerwen had pointed out on them. I marveled at the softness. After weeks of traveling with the boys, I was loving the simple pleasures of bathing and having smooth legs.
Once out of the tub, I clipped my nails and then set about cleaning up. I felt guilty for leaving muddy prints and dirty towels all over, so I did my best to wipe up the mess I had made and then threw everything in a pile.
It wasn't long after that Sithiel returned with a few bundles of clothes in hand. She had brought a dress to my dismay, but explained that she had also brought several pairs of pants and tunics, unsure if I would feel comfortable amongst my companions in a dress. Relieved that she thought about such a thing, we set about finding me clothes. I settled on dark brown leggings with a leather belt and a midnight blue long-sleeved tunic. Thank god elves seemed to have also come up with the concept of a built-in bra because I really did not want to be flashing anyone.
I pulled on the only clean pair of underwear remaining from my ruck sack and tugged the leggings in place. They were a close fit, my butt having toned up some with all the running and riding I had been doing, but they were comfortable and easy to move in. I tied the belt off into place and tugged the tunic over my head. It was form fitting without being obscene, thankfully. The material was similar to suede, but so much softer. I tied the neck line, which stopped just above my breast, closed, then straightened it out. The bottom of the tunic was a little long, stopping just a little past my butt.
Sithiel offered to braid my hair in the elvish style, but I declined politely. I really didn't know how the dwarves would react to my current look, let alone if I decided to adopt an elvish 'do. Instead, I let it hang free for a change, parting it down the center and pulling it so that it lay down my right shoulder. Finally, Sithiel handed me a pair of black boots. They had been her own at one point, but once she had stopped traveling as much, she found little use for them.
I pulled them on and laced them up. They were supple and comfortable, just like the rest of the outfit. The boots came up to just under my knees and I laughed dryly. On an elf, they were probably only supposed to be calf-high.
The final touch came in the form of a light cloak, the same midnight blue as the tunic.
I stepped back and admired myself in the mirror. Despite the fact that my arm was wrapped and I had little scratches and bruises here and there, I thought I looked pretty damn good. Well. Until Sithiel stood next to me.
"I doubt your companions will recognize you, my lady," She said.
"Indeed," I said softly. With my hair down and with clothing that fit my body much more closely then my uniform, I definitely looked like a *girl* and I wasn't necessarily sure that was a good thing. I had worked really hard to get them to try to think of me as one of the guys, so to speak.
Once I gathered my ruck sack, bow, and quiver, I followed behind Sithiel as she showed me to the guest rooms. The dwarves had 'politely' declined, she said, citing that they would rather stay in a group outside. Lord Elrond had insisted, though, that I at least be given a room for privacy if I decided I wanted it. I appreciated the thought and made a note to thank him.
The room was small and simple, with a bed, a small dresser, a table with a basin on it, and another table with chairs. There was also a panel, much like the one in the bath rooms, to change behind. I dropped off my things and followed behind Sithiel once more as she led me towards the common rooms where the dwarves were waiting for food.
As we neared, I could here the loud and rough voices of the dwarves and I smiled. It faltered, however, when I caught sight of my reflection again. It made me nervous, this sudden show of feminism, and I once again hoped that it would not make them think differently of me.
A/N: If anyone is curious, check my profile for the link of what I imagine her outfit to look like.