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Chapter 10. She dreaded a sudden deep silence….

She dreaded a sudden deep silence when she entered and a lot of unwanted attention, but the banquet, for that was what it was, was merry and took all the attention of the participants. Only a few eyes were cast at her. She noticed how their demeanour turned to one of puzzlement, but she felt no negative judgement as if they were used to strange looking and armed travellers, dining in their halls. Soon they returned to their food and their company.

Collecting her thoughts and wit, she frantically searched for Elladan. He was at the end of the Hall, sitting at a table, higher up on a dais, on the right side of his father.

The sight took her breath away. She stood frozen, staring at him in awe. He was dressed in dark blue, a silver band around his head complimenting his grey and silver eyes. His hair was elaborately braided, shining in the candle light. His eyes wise, his air royal, his face of ageless beauty. Seated next to him was his father. Elrond's timeless face seemed to shine, a star on his brow, he wore his power like a cloak.

Rin saw them that night as mortals rarely saw them; two Elf Lords confident in their power, beautiful and untouchable. And she suddenly felt fearful. A deep fear of losing him.

He had not noticed her yet when she stood there, staring at him. And in this in between moment, she thought of fleeing. She could flee from Rivendell, disappear, and she would never know the pain of losing them. And they would be lost to her eventually, it was inevitable. She could not bare that pain, it would destroy her. She had to protect herself, she had to survive. She must survive to take revenge. The thought burned in her mind. But his beauty held her captive in that moment. She stood there, rooted to the spot, waiting, like a fearful deer in the headlights of a car, for his eyes to capture her. Until finally they did.

He sprang into action, walking towards her, and she seemed unable to move. When he was close enough for her to feel his body heat, he took her hand, pressing a chaste kiss to it, murmuring: "You look beautiful tonight, Rin." He smiled warmly at her, his smile real this time, their argument seemingly forgotten.

She frowned in make belief. "Beautiful? In these worn down clothes?"

He frowned back at her, his eyes travelling determinedly up and down her body. "The clothes suit you, I cannot imagine you in anything else, Rin. But I was not referring to your clothes when I mentioned your beauty." His eyes seemed to penetrate her, reading her thoughts and she felt naked once again, the familiar blush creeping through her skin.

Chuckling, he led her towards the table on the dais. "Please join us. You are most welcome at our table in this House." He pointed to a vacant seat next to a tall elf with golden hair and eyes the colour of cornflowers, his beauty almost suffocating.

She sat down hesitantly, while Elladan pushed the chair a bit towards the table, whispering in her ear: "Are you well, Rin?" She nodded silently.

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The evening passed in a blur. The wine filled her head like champagne. The blond Elf was friendly, introducing himself as Glorfindel, a name she remembered from the books, but could not pinpoint. He was a pleasant companion, his eyes held wisdom and eagerness, his nature was curious and their conversation circled around her homeland and the art of sword fighting. His blue eyes were sharp and did not miss any details while surveying her face with infinite attention. Whenever he moved a whiff of summer seemed to linger. It was difficult to make out, but it reminded her of the smell of the moisture in fresh grass under influence of the sun. It was sweet, warm and filled her senses completely.

The food was delicious and the music and the songs that were sung touched her heart and she noticed after a while to her own surprise, that she was laughing and sometimes even weeping over some stories that he shared. He did not remark on the matter and she felt no shame for it.

In the haze of the evening, she could not help glancing at Elladan. He was deep in conversation with his father and whenever he met her eyes, his face was impassive, his gaze steady. But the merrier her time with Glorfindel, the more dark his eyes became and she almost felt his irritation growing. Glorfindel seemed to notice it as well. Halfway a conversation about the similarities between Elf beliefs on nature and Shinto religion in Japan, he cocked his head to the side and looked at him quizzically.

"Is something ailing you, Master Elladan?" he showed a lenient smile.

Elladan frowned, replying in Elvish, the words clipped and fast.

Glorfindel leaned back in his chair, eyebrows raised. Then, after a short silence he stood from his chair en bowed his head towards him, replying in Elvish.

She noticed Elrond frowning as well and Elladan looked so agitated. What was going on?

When Glorfindel was seated and Elladan caught up in conversation again, she whispered to him: "What was that about?"

Raising a glass of wine towards his lips, he smiled softly. "Well, dear Rin. It seems that Master Elladan is somewhat protective of you."

"Protective?" she felt her cheeks heat up, but she was not sure if it was out of excitement or frustration.

"Indeed. He has kindly reminded me of my rather high age in the light of our rather pleasant conversation."

She blanched and almost cried out: "He did what?"

"Well I think it is clear what he meant, don't you think?"

She stared at Elladan. The heat in her cheeks was indeed caused by extreme irritation. He was behaving like a complete ass and she felt completely flustered and uneasy because of it! She tried to catch his eyes, but he, to her fury, refused to acknowledge her.

Fuming she resumed her meal. The nerve of him! Only this morning he made it clear that she should leave him, no them, alone. And here he was, marking her as his territory, embarrassing her immensely in front of strangers. She muttered inaudibly under her breath, coaxing merry laughter from Glorfindel.

He said softly to her: "Do not worry Rin. I have known him since he and his brother were mere naughty Elflings. His heated remark is telling for his own mental disposition at this moment, let it not trouble you. I, for one, greatly enjoy our conversation. So dear friend, shall we meet tomorrow for a sparring session? I am curious to your abilities with that stunning blade." he nodded towards her katana that stood leaning against her chair.

He added: "And it would be fun to tease young Master Elladan a bit, do you think?"

She laughed, agreeing with him thoroughly. It would be definitely worth her while to tease him a bit! And she bit in a ripe fig, savouring the sweet taste on her tongue.

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When at long last, dinner was finished, Glorfindel bowed to her, thanking her for a pleasant evening and promising her a training session in the training grounds the following morning. When he took his leave, she disappeared into the shadows with a sigh of relief. Pleasant as the evening had been, she felt relieved to be on her own again.

The whole company retreated to a large hall where the only light was provided by a large fireplace. This was the very heart of Rivendell, a place of song and fire. Music filled the halls like champagne. Moving shadows and light shot up towards the ceiling, concealing the physical reality of the space she was in, emphasizing her focus only on the sound that filled it. There were many instruments unfamiliar, but the songs seemed to be of the story telling kind. And although she did not understand the words, they struck a chord deep within her and unnamed emotions surfaced. The songs seemed to build an imaginary world inside her mind consisting of a deep love, longing and regret for forgotten times. And she realised vaguely that this space and time held the very core of the Elves' being. All their stories of love, fear, beauty and regret were remembered, to last forever in music. She sat silently in meditative pose in one of the corners, tucked away in the shadows, listening in awe, riding the waves of emotion with each song that passed.

After a while, she noticed Elladan in a far corner of the hall, talking with important looking elves. She knew him well enough to notice his discomfort and agitation with his companions. Was it bad news they were sharing? Or was he irritated that he needed to discuss business at this hour? Glorfindel stood in between them, and to her dismay, his background slowly came back to her. Of course he was not just any Elf! He was one of the oldest and mightiest of Elf Lords left in Middle Earth! His easy manner during dinner had made her feel so at ease that it did not cross her mind who she was talking to so freely. Her cheeks heated in embarrassment.

A song was initiated that seemed an invitation for many Elves to sing. She heard the words Elbereth and Gilthoniel and she remembered the importance of that song for Elves. She marvelled at the beautiful melody that seemed to anchor itself in her memory, as if it had become part of her.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Elrond standing on the other side of the hall, his figure framed by the night's sky through the large open doors. He turned his head towards her making eye contact while he beckoned her to follow him outside. Hesitantly she stood, was it her he beckoned? She then walked through the hall and followed him into the silent night.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Standing on a terrace watching out over a small river in the valley he said with a slow and deep voice: "Forgive my negligence, lady Rin, tending to my son made me ignore my duties as a host."

"I understand, sir."

"However, you are very welcome here, in the last Homely House."

She didn't say anything but waited for him to continue. "My sons have expressed the hope that I would be able to help you."

She nodded silently, somehow dreading his answer.

His wise eyes locked with her own and he said softly. "I have the gift of foresight, Rin. Many things that will come to pass are clear to my mind's eye. But you, strangely enough, are hidden from my sight. Even now, standing in the heart of my realm, ."

She felt shocked when his sudden keen eyes seemed to pierce her heart. She felt naked in front of the knowledge that she saw there.

"What does that mean?"

"To interpret what is within my sight is a dangerous task, that even the wisest fear to commence. Council is a fickle gift. But in your peculiar case, I will share my personal suspicions with you, for I suspect that you are simply not part of this world."

She felt the hairs in her neck move, a cold chill erupted on her skin. Well. That information was eerily correct. Her mind came to a halt abruptly. In but a few moments, he had stripped her of all pretence and pointed out the foundations of her being and the nature of her existence in this world. Just like that.

Looking into his grey eyes, that reminded her so much of the twins, she felt all resistance to keep the truth from him melt away. She told the twins a half truth, she was from Japan. Where Japan was located they never discussed. The twins did not ask and she did not volunteer the information. But in front of Elrond himself, she found herself unable to keep this from him.

So she took a leap. "I am unable to refute your logic, sir. I come from a country called Japan which is situated on planet Earth. In my world, Middle Earth exists only in a book."

He looked taken aback. "A book?"

"Yes a book. It is a fictional story about the One Ring of Power. Well, I thought it was fictional any way. Your sons are in it as well, sir, although, if I remember correctly, they play a minor part."

She saw his face falter for a few moments until he recollected himself. Although his features creased back into their timeless beauty she could see he was shocked.

His deep voice seemed to slow down even more. "That ring was lost."

"It will be found."

"These are ominous tidings, Rin, and it should not be discussed on the fringes of this merry company." he stared towards the open doors towards the Hall of Fire. The soft music still floating through the night air.

She nodded quietly, worried that she said too much. He smiled at her then, his warm voice filling the space between them, reassuring her.

"Let us meet tomorrow in the sunlight and discuss this matter further. Sleep well and may your dreams be peaceful, you have nothing to fear in my realm. Nothing passes this valley but wind and starlight."

Without waiting for her answer, he turned with a swish from his robes, leaving her wondering if she made the right choice confessing her knowledge of Middle Earth. But she had to tell someone right? If not Elrond, who would she tell?

She sighed. She felt bad somehow for not telling the twins, but she had no idea what their fate was in the story. She did know the general events about Frodo's journey and the destruction of the ring, but she never focussed on Elladan and Elrohir in the story because their part was insignificant. And being honest to herself, she was so distracted about the fact that she was actually in their presence that she forgot about the knowledge she possessed of this world.

A nervous stir erupted in her stomach. What if they got killed because she told them? And how could she know if Frodo was alive yet? It might be centuries before Frodo was born! She had no way of knowing, these Elves all looked age-less any way.

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A soft sound broke her trail of thoughts.

"What did he say?"

The voice was dry, hissing along the stones that marked the border of the terrace, like the scales of a snake. She had trouble relating this voice to the emotional and jealous Elf Lord that sat at the banquet earlier that night. She turned around, arms crossed over her chest, her fingertips caressing the goose bumps on her skin.

"Why do you care?" she said it with an edge to her voice, only now realising how angry she was with him.

He seemed made out of shadows, eyes silver in the light of the stars. "Are you vexed?"

"No, I am not vexed. I am pissed off! What was that all about? Lord Glorfindel was just making conversation with me! Why did you think you can lecture him? You've showed the entire table that I am what exactly? Your possession?" She noticed that she was talking rapidly with raised voice.

She stepped closer to him, raising her chin to look up at him. "You!" and she prodded him with her fingers furiously. "You have not earned the right to regard me as your territory!"

She growled at him, watching his jaw working, his teeth gripping his bottom lip, chewing on it. She continued. "First you explain what is bothering you and your brother! Wanting me and then pushing me away! And why you are taking this. Out. On. Me!" The last words she emphasized by hitting his chest with her fingers, pushing into him with force.

He let her push him while he stared at her, eyes ablaze with fire, his nostrils flaring and jaw working. Suddenly she could feel him collecting his power like a blanket around him, wrapping himself in it, making himself grow beyond the reality of everyday life. She stepped back alerted, hairs on her neck and arms, raised. What was this tiger up to? She always imagined Elrohir to be the scary one, that it would be Elladan that would truly intimidate her, was a surprise.

He grabbed her arm, pulling her into his chest with force and stared wildly into her eyes. She felt his power like a force pushing against her body, it was overwhelming. "You! Your mortal heart cannot understand! You must leave us be! I will not give him up!" And with that he kissed her on the lips, the force of the kiss thus, that it prevented their mouths to open. With a brusque gesture he pushed her away from her and walked off into the dark night, leaving her shaken and severely confused.

After a while she stared into the night, her mind a torrent of feelings and emotions. Why did he keep pushing her away? Why did he kiss her? Was this a goodbye? It was as if he had a multiple personality! Shimatta!

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Slowly a smooth voice drifted towards her. "Are you alright, lady Rin?" It was Glorfindel and he seemed like a beacon in the night, his golden hair illuminated brightly by the moonlight, which seemed to shimmer throughout his body.

"I just don't understand him…..I don't understand them!"

He took her arm smiling. "Come, mellon nin, let me take you to your chambers. The hour grows late."

They walked in silence. His presence was strangely comforting. When they reached the familiar door, he looked at her seriously. "Elves may seem familiar to mortals, Rin, but they are very different. Connections and bonds are perceived in a very different way. The sons of Elrond have a strong bond and your arrival seems to shake the very foundations of it."

She blinked at his riddles about bonds and connections. Why was nobody just more direct in their communication! "Can you not tell me what is up with them? It is driving me insane!" she blurted out.

Glorfindel smiled: "I can only tell you that the twins have been living in a precarious equilibrium, embracing their past trauma's in a reckless way, that seems to keep them from fading. Your coming is like a spark that triggers a fire, causing a breach of that careful balance. And now the one brother is separated from his twin, whilst experiencing this unbalance. It is enough to make him unpredictable."

And with that he turned on his heels and took off in the night. She watched his retreating form, puzzled.