FOLLOW ME

The next morning Aegeria was abruptly rid of her sleep by the loud sound of glass crushing on the floor. She heard a female voice saying something but she didn't understand it at all.

"Hello there!" She said with a shaky voice. An elleth stood up since she was collecting the broken glass.

"Good morning lady Aegeria. I am sorry if my clumsiness woke you up." Said the elleth.

"Don't worry about it I would wake up anyway, so sooner the better in my opinion. What is your name?"

"I am Aethriel, and as you can clearly see I am a healer. From now on till you recover I will be at your service." Aethriel slightly bowed to Aegeria.

"If there is anything that you are in need of, feel free to ask me." Aethriel continued.

"Actually there is something, my head still aches it is not as much as it did yesterday but still it bothers me. Is there something that you could give me?Aegeria asked.

"Of course there is! Just let me deal with this mess I made and then I will bring you the medicine you asked for."

With that she left and Aegeria watched her and couldn't help herself thinking how beautiful this elleth was. She had wavy, honey-coloured hair, deep green eyes that were almost the colour of malachite, tall and slender, while she moved it seemed as if there was a circle of unexplainable lightness around her. She simply emanated pleasant energy, Aegeria could feel it and subconsciously knew that she would get along with this elleth. When Aethriel returned she immediately gave Aegeria the medicine and notified her about what was expected of her that day.

"So lady Aegeria you do know that you should take a bath and wash your hair, well I will see if that is possible considering the injury you have, then a seamstress will come here to take your measures so you could have something to wear and lastly, if you need a fresh breath of air we can go for a walk. "

"There is no need for you to call me a lady, my name is sufficient enough. Is there any chance that you could bring me something to eat because if I do not eat soon we are going to literary hear my belly grumbling which probably won't sound at all nice and everything that we need to be do will probably fail miserably." Aegeria pleaded.

"Oh sorry, I totally forgot about breakfast, do you wish to eat something specific? "Aethriel asked.

"No, whatever you bring will serve the purpose, thank you."

"Alright, I will be right back." Aethriel hurried to kitchens and Aegeria went to the lavatory to wash her face, when she got back Aethriel was waiting for her with a bowl full of colourful fruit in her hands. They sat at the desk; Aegeria started devouring fruit while Aethriel was looking at her and when she gained courage she asked:

"Aegeria, can I ask you something?"Her voice was shaky and insecure.

"Sure, why do you even ask me such a question?"Aethriel blushed a little.

"Where do you hail from?" Aegeria almost chocked she looked Aethriel straight in the eyes she stopped eating frozen at the moment then she closed her eyes with that expression of ''trying to remember" and continued...

"Frankly, I myself am not sure about that but if I recall correctly I hail from far north-west. I do not know the reason why my parents left to live in such a remote place and among people. Anyway they were killed during an orc raid while I was about 650 years old and it tore my heart apart. Those were very hard times for me but the help came from ones I least expected it; people. They showed me the way out of the perpetual grief in which I was stuck for a long time. I still clearly remember that day as if it happened yesterday. Something changed in me, my perception of reality turned for 180 degrees and all it took was a little accidental push. It was an ordinary spring day, the sun was shining brightly upon our little village, and roofs were glimmering in shades of gold while birds chirped happily. I was on my way to market when all of a sudden I felt someone tugging at my dress. I spun around only to see a little girl no more than five years old with a broad grin on her face and she said to me:

"Follow me!" and sprinted off with another boy. I quickened my pace and after three turns or so I found both of them in a small clearing towering over a basket. The girl took a pup from the basket and came to me carrying it. It was a small black-furred ball. She looked at me with her big blue eyes and in amazement said:

"Look, he is different like you are! "

To that I said:" Pardon me?" The girl was on her tiptoes her hands as high as they could reach.

"His eyes! One is brown and the other is blue!"

"But my eyes are of the same colour." I answered."

"They are but your hair isn't, it makes you different."

"You speak truth but still there is something you got wrong... "I lowered myself and smirked at her.

"What?" She asked baffled."

"It is not him but her!" I smiled."

"How do you know? Her eyes went bigger."

"I suppose there are more of them in the basket?"

"There are four more!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"Great! Come I will show you." So we both left over to the basket and I showed her how to distinct male and female dogs.

That was the beginning of my so to say baby-sitting career. It was so wonderful to take care of children; they are honest, interesting and simple. Sometimes they bother, get angry, are up to some mischief but you have to be patient and have nerves to deal with them, and believe me sometimes you cannot believe how smart they are, they observe our world in so different way than we adults do. That intrigued me the most about them and that is why I gained deep affinity for them. But to an every nice thing in a life there comes an end. Eventually I decided that life among people is not for me since I am immortal being and they are not so I started exploring my kin and as you can see I ended up here in Mirkwood."

"My condolences, you have been through a lot, I cannot even imagine how hard it must have been to lose both of your parents... If it ever happened to me I do not know if I would have enough strength to overcome such grief but I am glad that you overcame it."

"You only think that, you would be amazed to see how all of us are strong that is to say, how strong our will for survival is. But let us chat about brighter themes. Pray tell me something about yourself!" Aegeria stated encouragingly.

"I am 830 and a healer obviously. I have been here all my life and that's pretty much it. I live a simple and dull life." Aethriel said disappointingly while Aegeria grinned.

"Well, we are going to change that soon by spicing it up!" They both giggled. Aethriel stood up and got behind Aegeria to examine her head injury.

"You have a nasty injury but by the looks of it the open wound itself has healed, but the swelling will take few more days to heal properly. It is no wonder that your head aches. I am going to prepare you more of the medicine so that you have it just in case."

" So it is few more days of torture for me. Do you know how hard it is to sleep with that on the back of my head? Absolutely wonderful if you prefer to sleep on sides and I do but the problem is the rolling part; every time when I roll over I forget the swelling and feel a sharp pain bolting through my head."
"It will pass; now let us go to baths! They left chatting still.

"This may sound stupid since I do not know your custom but how do you bathe?"

"Here in the king's palace we have public baths which consist of a pool, hot tubs, a steam room and dressing rooms. There is also a schedule when you can use it since elleths and ellons use it separately. From 6 am till 8am it is used by ellons, from 8am till 10am is time for elleths and so every two hours throughout the day the exchange occurs. In my opinion baths are one of the best spaces in the entire palace."

"You are kidding me right? You really have all that in baths? Confusion was written all over Aegeria's face.

"I am not kidding with you and yes, we do have all that stuff."

"If only I knew that before, I would get much sooner here!"

The main entrance to the baths was a marble arch which straight sides were carved forming a figure of an elleth at each side. The one on the left held a bowl from which water ran out in a pond beneath and the elleth on the right held a water lily in her hands. Above was inscription in Sindarin. Upon entering the whole inside space was immense and natural light passed through a hole on the roof. Everything in this room was naturally made from rock and it looked like an enormous cave. Dressing rooms were at two extreme side ends of the antechamber while in the middle of it was situated a rectangular room of small dimensions. On its entrance was carved a large sun with curved rays that slid off the doors on to the walls. It was a steam room and the air around it wafted with the aroma of lavender. Further on, or to say behind the steam room was naturally oval shaped space slightly modified by elves to serve them a purpose. On the left side a waterfall fell down in a big round greenish pool fringed by marble stone. The water from the pool then ran slowly on the other side divided into 2 miniature streams. One of those streams was directed towards a compact boiler room which was not visible since it was built into cleft in the rock. The water was heated and then used in hot tubs. On the opposite side of the pool were cabins of smaller and bigger sizes. The small ones had a massage table in it and the bigger ones had bathtubs. When two of them arrived in antechamber Aegeria's jaws dropped, upon seeing this Aethriel burst out laughing hardly managing to say what she wanted to.

"Told you so!" She pulled Aegeria to their dressing room where they both undressed and took their bathrobes leaving the room. Aegeria felt a ray of fright crossing her being so she slowed a bit just to see what is Aethriel going to do.

"So Aegeria you can choose where to bathe; hot tubs or cold pool?"

"I think the cold pool will do better than the hot tub. Somehow cold water always brings me back to my senses, I feel more alive."

"True, heart beats more and pumps more blood and you feel warmer that is to say, more alive. The only problem is how to get in the pool..." Aethriel's bathrobe slid from her and found itself laid against the hard white marble floor. Second later there was a splash, ripples forming on the crystal surface and a slender figure moving forward beneath the surface of the pool. Aegeria had no second thoughts and she too dropped the bathrobe and jumped, opening her eyes while underwater she felt the coldness swirling around her body. It felt good. In front she could see Aethriel emerging out of depths and then she did the same thing.

"I feel reborn! This place is extraordinary; no words can describe how amazed I feel at the moment. This is a sort of a sanctuary for both mind and body! The pool, the waterfall, the whole setting is outstanding!"

"It is, and as I already said it is one of my favourite rooms in all of the palace. The only other room that I find amazing is the ballroom in the south part of the palace. Perhaps I will show it to you one day, maybe you will even get a chance to go on a celebration feast."

"How does a regular Woodland feast look like?"Aegeria was all ears.

"Large amounts of various food and wine, lots of singing and dancing until the dawn. But all that does not matter if you do not have right people to spend that joyful time with."

"Who do you spend time with?"

"My best friend is Leuthalen, she is a chief cook. We have known each other for a long time, she is older than I am and smarter too." Aethriel giggled.

"Shall we go back to the dressing room? I am starting to feel cold."

"Sure." Aethriel answered.

Back in healing rooms they waited for seamstress to come, continuing conversation they have started.

"And is there anyone whom you consider a pain in the ass? Aegeria asked freely and Aethriel chuckled upon hearing her words.

"There is one elleth whom both Leuthalen and I detest and her name is Visariel. Her father is member of the king's court and one in the charge of the trade between Laketown and our Realm. You should only see how she behaves in front of other elves, like she is a queen. Just mention of her makes me
annoyed."

"Judging by what you have told me she seems to be an arrogant stuck-up bitch. Sorry about my language, I know that elves do not swear but when you are around people for centuries this is what happens!"

"I do not mind it just be careful when around elves of higher social status they will think poorly of you."

"I will try to but I do not promise that I will manage it 100%."

There was a knock on the door, a seamstress came in.

"Lady Tillieth it is nice to see you. This is lady Aegeria." Aethriel greeted and introduced Tillieth to Aegeria and vice versa. Lady Tillieth started to take Aegeria's measures, she was an older elleth of around 4200 years, her warm brown eyes every now and then skimmed over Aegeria.

"Lady Tillieth I would like to know when will I be able to wear clothes you are to make for me?" Aegeria asked her eyes fixed on Tillieth's.

"Probably in 2 days and you will get 3 dresses."

"3 dresses..." Aegeria felt disappointed and went on:
"Is there any chance that you could make me leggings and whatever goes with it instead of a dress?"

"King's orders were crystal clear Lady Aegeria."

"But I do not even like to wear dresses, also it is not the king who will wear them but I am and frankly I do not care about his orders. Please lady Tillieth could you do it. It would make me extremely happy and I promise to return the favour! Moreover I need something in what I can train, jump and run around and with a dress on I hardly think it will be possible." There was a gleam of hope in her eyes as she saw a small smirk upon Tillieth's face.

"You lady are a very stubborn elleth, I can see it in your eyes. Since I do not wish to bicker with an elleth such as you I will do as you wish."

"I admit that sometimes I am stubborn but what did you mean with an elleth such as me?"

"It is simple; you are different, one of the special sort." Upon hearing this Aegeria was utterly confused.

"What special sort? What are you talking about?"

"That streak you have is a proof that Valar wanted you to be special. Was there an accident of any sort during your mother's pregnancy?" Aegeria froze remembering her mother's words...

"There was... when our hut was accidentally set on fire, but why does it even matter?"

"Oh, dear child you have absolutely no idea... There is a birthmark somewhere on your body and the very reason why you have it is because your mother survived that accident and it also indicates a sort of a closer connection with the Valar than we normal elves normally have. It seems that I have said much more than I should have...Pardon my lady, I am going off." Tillieth stood jumped, greeted Aethriel and abruptly left the healing room.
Both of elleths were bewildered standing frozen one opposite the other. Then Aethriel came to her senses and slowly moved to Aegeria to sit on the bed.

"Aegeria, I really have no idea what was that she said but if you want me to check it out I will."

"And I know less than you do, you can check it although I have no idea where do you need to start..."

"Do not worry, the royal library will be a good start but the problem could be the king because he issues a permit."

"Oh splendid! Is there anything that can go unnoticed by that bugger?"

"Aegeria you know very well that you should watch your tongue. If someone hears you there could be punitive measures taken against you and believe me you do not want to experience the wrath of the king crushing upon you." Aethriel reproached.

"So there is no freedom of speech in his magnificent kingdom? Come on, you cannot tell that you disagree about him being a bugger because he is, perhaps not total but a tiny bit of him is! I am100% sure about that."

"You are a batty elleth and I must admit that the king is a bugger but you did not hear me saying it!"

"At least I will come to my right mind and he will be a bugger forever! Once a bugger, forever a bugger!" Aegeria almost fell over from the bed laughing until she cried, the scene making Aethriel to laugh out loud too.

"So you rest and I will try to deal with the bugger and then I'll see you in the afternoon."

"Sure, you know this made my day, actually the bugger made it. See you soon then!" They both laughed to that and Aethriel left.

Hello there folks. I would like to explain why Diana isn't Diana anymore, I mean she is but I thought it would be sort of necessary to rename her since she is in new surroundings and therefore a new self... and she is already making up info about herself (but who wouldn't) but we will see how far she will get with it... anyway your opinions are important and I would like to know what you think about the story so far... (I actually never thought that I would care about your opinions but I do and only now I see how it is to be a "writer" and sincerely hope that you will write sth in return...) I hope you will enjoy it! =D