Chapter Thirteen
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SUMMARY: Let's back up a bit and see how all this got started.
Vildan wakes up in the Healing Hall, only to find that mild-mannered Lusiël is more dangerous than anyone could have possibly guessed. This witch is bent on revenge, and the best way she can hurt Vildan is to destroy everything he holds dear. Can he save his baby niece?
At the cliff, the sons of Elrond were seconds away from saving Vildan, but he slipped through their grasp. But Elrond is not ready to give up just yet.
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"Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to."
― Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven
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Rivendell, July 2945 T.A.
"See?" Nana took Melui's hand and helped her stroke the smooth feathers on the falcon's head. "Are they not soft? Did you know that Horthô, is the fastest falcon in Middle Earth?"
Melui shook her head and tentatively petted him again. "He must be very strong."
"He is, and when Lord Elrond needs to tell people things, writes out messages on paper, I attached them right here," at a command the falcon sticks out his left leg, his long, sharp claws relaxed. "Then I tell him to fly to places like Gondor, Mithlond, and even to the Elvenking up North."
"Does he not get lost?"
"No, my sweet. He knows where he needs to go. Sometimes I send two of his friends along to protect him."
"Why?"
"Some messages are very, very important, and Lord Elrond and I need to be sure nobody will try and stop him."
Melui's parents normally went on trips with Lord Gildor a couple of times a year. Though she missed them, she was used to having Laniër come to stay while they were gone. But this last time, when Ada and Nana said they had to go, something in Melui's stomach told her it would be bad, and she burst into tears and begged them to stay.
"Laniër will stay with you like always, and you will have a wonderful time! You love her, yes?"
"But why do you have to go?" she wailed.
Lord Elrond is sending Gildor to the White Towers especially, and I must send news of what he wants us to find out."
"Could he not send somebody else?"
"There is no one else, Iellig; Dalron has gone to visit Lothlorien and will not be back until the fall." Meássë studied her face. "What is wrong?"
"I just feel scared," Melui told her mother. "You and Ada have to stay?"
Naneth pulled Melui into her lap. "I do not want to leave you Iellig, but we have to. But after we get back, I will see if Dalron could take the trip for me next time. Does that make you feel better?"
"Yes, Nana," she said, but she did not feel any better.
In the weeks that followed, Melui closed her eyes at night and told herself that Ada and Nana would return, and all would be well.
Mostly she wished Uncle Vida were here. He would fix everything.
Two days before her parents were supposed to leave, Laniër came to visit. Nana had to nudge Melui to be polite and not sulk.
"Melui, be nice." Nana pursed her lips and made excuse. "I am sorry," she said to Laniër. "Our little one does not want us to go."
"I cannot blame her," Lusiël smiled and kissed Melui's cheek. "But I will make sure we do something fun every day." She winked leaned over to whisper in Melui's ear, "If you're very good, I will let you eat cake after lunch and supper."
Melui," Nana said. "I need to speak with Lusiël; could you play in your room for a few minutes?"
She went to her room but stayed near the door to listen, hoping that Nana had changed her mind, but all she heard were snippets of conversation:
"What is wrong, Meássë?"
"I did not want you to hear this from someone else."
"That sounds ominous," Laniër laughed.
"I know how you feel about Vildan, Mellon nîn."
"I do not understand what you mean," came the tentative reply.
"Laniër, I am your closest friend, and I have watched you this past year. I do not think you understood yourself how much you would miss him. Am I right?"
"Yes." Laniër said softly. "I know he has only ever seen me as a friend, but yes, I wish it were more. Why do you ask this?"
"Because I love you both very much." Nana sighed. "I have thought long and hard about all of it, and there is no other way but to just say it outright. I received a letter from him last week, asking for my advice."
"What happened."
"Laniër, he has fallen in love with the foster-daughter of King Thranduil."
"Does…does she love him back?"
"He believes so, though they have not spoken for each other. Vildan did not want to ask the Elvenking for permission to court her until he had my blessing."
"What are you going to do?" Laniër's voice was sad.
"I do not want to hurt you," Nana said. "That is the last thing I would ever want to do, but he is my brother, and I cannot make him feel something when he does not, nor can I force him to stop when he does. I have to support his choice."
"Of course, you do," Laniër was trying not to cry. "It is my own fault for not realizing sooner, when I had the chance."
"Ai, naeg," the kitchen chairs scraped across the stone floor. "Do not be grieved," Nana said in a muffled voice. "The Valar has someone wonderful in mind and he will be everything you could ever dream of."
Melui had to find a way to stop Ada and Nana from leaving, and after a few minutes of thinking hard, she came up with a perfect plan.
After lunch, Nana put her down for her nap and said she would be out weeding the vegetables, Melui pretended to go to sleep, but waited until the back door closed. pulled her boots on, crept into the kitchen to fill her pockets with cookies and rolls, went through to the sitting room and stretched her arm up as far as it would go, and pulled the front door latch. When it clicked, she froze, fearing Nana had heard, but after a moment or two, she slipped out, leaving the door slightly open.
After hiding behind trees and bushes to keep from being seen, made her way to Estel's treehouse—the pinnacle of her aspirations—undetected by hiding behind bushes and trees, and when her hands reached that first board of the ladder, her hands trembled with excitement. She'd has always wanted to do this, but everyone said she was too small. It didn't matter that she could only reach the next rung if she stood on the very tips of her toes, and grasped the next with her fingertips, she slowly made her way up.
At last, with a triumphant sigh, Melui finally reached the tree house, pulled herself onto the flet, and took in the amazing panorama of her home city. To the far right was the—Melui couldn't say it—was the circle of bushes the people liked to walk. 1 Behind her was a view of the barracks and the practice yards, probably Estel chose this tree so he could watch the Army spar and train.
It was perfect; nobody would think to look here, and if Ada and Nana could not find her, they could not go away. With a determined smile, settled down into the small hut Estel had built, pulled out only one cookie—she had to make them last—and had a snack.
The sound of weeping startled her, so she crawled over to the edge and looked down. It was their friend Laniër, and she was crying. Another dark-haired Elleth, Laniër's cousin (she couldn't pronounce her name) came and spoke to her. The Elleth had come to the house with Laniër a few times, and though Nana and Ada seemed to like her, Melui didn't; and she always felt scared when she was around.
The cousin said something to Laniër, but then she stopped and looked all around her. Did she see who was hiding in the tree? Melui scooted back unto the hut to hide again, but when she heard them talk about her Uncle, her curiosity got the better of her, and she slowly inched back to the edge to see what was going on below.
Laniër was still crying, but her cousin looked very, very angry.
"How could Meássë do that to you?" she stomped and waved her hands. "I have heard that Elleth is nothing more Silvan, not good enough to wipe Vildan's boots! And she would rather see her brother with that?"
"It is not Meássë's fault." Laniër took out a handkerchief and wiped her nose. "She only wants her brother to be happy."
"Meássë is a fool, and so are you. She has no right to keep pushing that brat of theirs onto you. And this is how she repays your kindness?"
"Lusiël," Laniër said, "you do not understand."
"Go to Mirkwood, and fight for him!" Lusiël urged. "Once he sees you again, he will come to his senses and bring you back here and marry you!"
"I am not going to do that," Laniër lifted her hands outward. "And do not speak unkindly of Meássë or her child. We all used to be friends, remember? What happened to turn you against her?"
"I have just come to my senses, that is all."
"No, cousin," Laniër said. "You have been a recluse ever since Lady Celebrian sailed, but you never were hateful and aggressive like this!"
"I have never been hateful to you," Lusiël said earnestly. "I could kill Vildan for betraying you like this!"
"He betrayed no one. Vildan has only ever seen me as a friend." Laniër's eyes filled.
"I am tired of seeing you taken for granted like this, and I will not just sit by and watch you suffer," Lusiël straightened and turned to leave. "Leave it to me, dearest. I will straighten out this mess."
"What could you possibly do?" Laniër asked in alarm, as her cousin turned away.
"Mark my words," Lusiël turned back said, with a smile that made Melui's chest hurt. "I promise: by this time next year, I will be dancing at your wedding."
"No! You will only make things worse; just stay out of it! Please!"
Just then, the Elleth stared up into the trees, looked straight at Melui's with narrowed eyes that glowed a sickly green.
A chill of pure terror ran down Melui's spine. She scooted back, not caring about the noise she made until she in the farthest corner of Estel's treehouse. She curled up into a tight ball, closed her eyes tight and started to cry.
It wasn't until the sun was starting to go down, that she dared to come out again. Melui sniffled as she carefully made her way down to the ground. She started to cry in earnest and ran home as fast as her short legs could carry her.
She was crying so hard she did not hear someone shouting her name, nor did she see who grabbed her and scooped into his arms.
"No!" She screamed and punched and kicked to get free, "No! I need my Nana!" she cried, barely able to catch her breath. "Nana!"
"Shhh…" a low, soothing voice broke through her hysteria. "You are safe now, Iellig. Do not cry." Ada clutched her to him with relief. "We have been looking all over for you." He smiled, though his eyes were red and wet. "Ai naeg! You are shaking like a leaf!"
Melui could only bury her head into his chest and cry harder.
"Melui!" Nana ran down the street to meet them and threw her arms around them both and squeezed so hard, Melui could not breathe, then shook her arms. "De athae i Belain!Do not ever ever run away like that again!" Then Nana held her again. They were all crying now.
"Where did you go?" Ada asked, but Melui couldn't say. She gripped his neck and held on tighter.
"Is she hurt?" Nana asked, checking her arms and legs.
"I do not think so, but let us take her to the Healing Hall, just to be sure."
"I see no injuries," Lord Elrond said, "but she has certainly had a fright." He gently grasped her chin and his blue eyes searched hers. It was like what Lusiël did, but this wasn't horrible, it was nice. "Can you tell me what happened, child?"
But Melui, no matter how hard she tried, couldn't make those words come out of her mouth. She had admitted to climbing up to Estel's tree house—Nana gasped, but Ada looked proud—but whenever she tried to tell them what she saw, nothing would come out. Melui grew frustrated and pounded at her head to make the words come out, but Lord Elrond gently grabbed her hands and held them away.
"No, child." Elrond said, concern in his eyes. "Do not hurt yourself like that."
"She will not tell us anything?"
"No, though clearly she wants to. I think it wise not to press her just now. What she needs is a good sleep," Lord Elrond said. "Take her home, and give her a good dinner." He handed Ada a small pouch. "Put a pinch of this into her juice, before she goes to bed and see how she is in the morning."
"Yes, My Lord."
"Ask her caretaker to bring her see me every few days while you are gone. I want to keep an eye on this." He gave her parents an apologetic smile. "Under any other circumstance, I would tell you to stay with her—"
Melui's eyes widened in hope.
"—but I need you to go with Gildor." He sighed.
"We understand, My Lord," Ada said, and Nana bowed her head, too.
Her heart fell.
"I should send you to bed without supper," Nana scolded on their way home.
"Leave her be, Hervess nîn; the child has learned her lesson the hard way." Ada tilted his head and smiled at Melui. "Is that right? No more running off, do I make myself clear? And if you try this nonsense while Laniër is watching you, she has our permission to spank you."
"Yes, Ada," Melui sniffed. "I am sorry I scared you." I just do not want you to go."
"Ai, my child," Ada sighed. "I will miss my little daughter every minute we are away, but your Nana and made a promise to Lord Elrond to serve our people whenever they need us."
"Why?"
"Because Lord Elrond works hard to give us a good life here, and we all must work together to protect our home and our people. Uncle Vildan does the same."
"I wish he was here to take care of us."
"He will be back soon," Ada booped her nose. "And will probably have a trunk full of presents for his Little Beauty. Would you like that?"
"Yes, Ada," she said and leaned against his shoulder.
When Nana and Ada kissed her goodbye, she tried to be brave. Then she woke in the night with a terrible, terrible dream and knew she would never see Nana or Ada again. She screamed and ran outside to go tell Lord Elrond that Laniër's cousin did it, but something knocked her down, and she never spoke again.
Until there was cold rain and a knife to her throat. and
A long, long fall. Then water on her face, in her mouth, and Uncle Vida promising to not let go.
And he didn't let go, until she was on land again, and Lord Elrond came to help.
And Melui was crying and calling to Tôrano Vida as she tried to wake him up.
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Rivendell, 5th of March 2946 T.A., the Healing Hall
"Lusiël; you are awake!"
Vildan was stirred from his sleep to the sound of Elladan's startled voice, and saw the Elleth rise carefully from her bed.
"I think so…" she groaned, rubbing her abdomen. "I am only a little sore; Lord Elrond healed my wounds nicely."
"You really should not be out of bed until my father approves it," Elladan rose from his chair beside Vildan and approached. "Here; allow me to help you lie back down."
"No," she held up a hand, still looking down at her stomach. "I feel fine."
"Well, at least allow me to check your wounds," he said. "We know who stabbed you, and I am sorry for it. I had no idea of Laniër's true nature, or we could have prevented all this."
The Elleth laughed softly, "It is my true nature you should be worried about."
In that instant, Vildan realized who really had been behind all this. Shy, quiet, Lusiël who hid behind the looms of her tapestries, who almost never showed up at public functions or festivals, an only then for a few minutes before she made her excuses and left again. Next to her gregarious, friendly cousin, Lusiël was barely noticeable; Vildan had hardly exchanged a half-dozen sentences with her in his entire life, which was true with almost everyone in Imladris, but for Elladan, who went out of his way to be kind, in an attempt to draw her out of her shell.
His heart slamming against his ribs, Vildan's slowly, cautiously slithered out of his bed to go to his niece—
"Do not move!" Lusiël's hard voice scraped at the air in the room like fingernails against a chalkboard.
Vildan's feet were cemented to the ground, his hands still clutching his blankets as if they had been sewn onto his fingers.
"What are you doing?" Elladan said angrily, grabbing the knife in his belt.
Lusiël raised her arm and bent her fingers. The weapon clattered to the floor, as Elladan grabbed at his throat as his feet lifted off the ground.
"Stop this!" Vildan shouted. "It is me you are after," he said. "Just free him and Melui and I will do whatever you want.
Lusiël nonchalantly return her gaze to Elladan and, with a shrug, waved her hand and effortlessly sent them crashing to far wall, knocking him unconscious as instruments and tools clattered off a nearby tray. Another flick of her finger took care of the guards outside and the clang of armor hit the floor.
Lusiël, showing no sign that she had ever been injured, as she marched over to Melui's bed and pulled down the covers.
"You said you would let her go!" Vildan struggled against his invisible restraints.
"I said nothing of the sort," She grabbed Melui's arm and dragged her out of bed. The Elfling's body went rigid in terror and another guttural moan fell from her mouth. Furious, the Elleth bend down and stared into the child's face. "Do you want your Uncle to die?"
Instantly Melui relaxed and cooperated.
"You will never get away with this," Vildan said furiously.
"Will I not?" Lusiël laughed. "Every Elf within these halls has been incapacitated. Oh, do not worry; it is only temporary, until I can get away with the child. With one exception." Her tone grew menacing, "My dear, darling cousin will pay for her treachery with her life." She turned and made for the door.
"Please! Take me with you, at least!"
"No," she turned and narrowed her eyes. "You will follow."
And she was gone.
Vildan wanted to scream for help, but it took energy away from the effort to free himself from whatever had taken him. He sobbed and pulled and pushed and prayed, and when suddenly he was freed, he barely managed to keep his balance.
Still clad in the pajamas he had put on the night before, he scrambled barefoot out into the corridor where Thenin lay unconscious on the polished floor, a small pool of blood coagulating under his head. Vildan bent down and pressed his fingers against his neck and breathed a silent prayer of thanks to find him still alive, and kept running.
Everywhere he looked, Elves were slumped on the floor, on benches, and he could do nothing but ignore them. His child was taken, and he would die before he let anything happen to her.
Vildan wasn't surprised to find the courtyard empty. It had been raining nearly non-stop for the past two weeks, and it hadn't let up today. The he shielded his eyes to keep out the water as he searched the area for some clue as to where they might have gone, and when he found nothing, he fisted his hands and screamed in frustration.
He ran to the stables wishing more than ever that he still had Mistanâr but when he found Hûrthenon agitated and all but throwing himself against the door, Vildan sent up a prayer thanking the Lord Thranduil and Falarion for their choice.
"There is no time for saddle or bridle, Mellon nîn," he pulled the door open on its rollers to hard it bounced back, and grabbed the stallion's nose. "Pi law dín, eth gwand," he begged, his last words came out as a sob. "Natho nin, listo!"
The huge chestnut yanked his head free and let out a deafening neigh and pawed the ground as if to say, what are you waiting for? With a grateful sigh, Vildan threw a blanket over his back, mounted him and barely had enough time to duck as they exited the barn.
Vildan felt foolish for doubting the beast; Hûrthenon clearly understood the situation, and took off at a dead run, heading for the North Gates. There was nothing to do but lean forward, bury his hands into the stallion's mane and hang on.
The Gates were open wide, and the guards, both good friends, lay on the ground. Aldon was still, looking up at the rain with lifeless eyes. Naeven was clutching his chest and coughing up blood.
Vildan tore his gaze away, knowing that he was leaving his friend to die alone, but he could not stop. Vildan's roar of anguish was followed by a murmured prayer that Naeven would, either in this life or the next, understand and forgive him. He tried to blink away the wetness in his eyes, not knowing if his blurry vision was from the rain or his own tears.
As Hûrthenon's pace slowed to a careful walk, Vildan realized where they were. The Îfnan Bruinen was a hundred feet ahead, and Lusiël had Melui by the arm, shaking her and shouting.
Vildan jumped from the stallion and raced toward them. "Melui! Do not hurt her, Lusiël. Do not be afraid, Dailên nîn! I am here!"
"Do not come any closer, or I'll throw her in the river."
"Why are you doing this?" Vildan held his arms out. "I have no weapons. I cannot hurt you, Lusiël. Just tell me what I have done to hurt you, and I will put things right if I can."
"It is too late for that," the glow in Lusiël's eyes, wrenched Vildan's gut, but the sight of his baby made him focus.
"I did not understand, Lusiël, but I do now. I never meant to hurt Laniër—"
"But you did! All her life, Laniër has loved you, wanted you, and you break her heart by casting her aside like she is trash? Like she was nothing? And for what? Some low-born, Silvan peasant who is not fit enough to lick her boots. You broke her heart!"
"Why are you punishing Melui for this? She is just a baby!"
"A baby whose talents go beyond what even Elrond can see." She rolled her eyes in disgust. "I went to a great deal of trouble to bring you and my cousin together, and I wasn't going to let this brat get in the way."
A guttural, primitive noise came from deep within. "I will marry Laniër," was the only thing he could think of to say.
Lusiël's eyes bulged in amused surprise. "Say that again," she scoffed.
"You have my solemn vow as a Vanguard of Imladris. If you release Melui from this spell and let her live, I will wed your cousin, and never leave Rivendell again."
To his shock, Lusiël laughed. "Oh, the irony!" she hooted. "Only now are you willing to give Laniër her heart's desire?" Her demeanor changed instantly to fury. Her demeanor changed to fury. "Because it is a vow you cannot keep! It is too late!"
"What do you mean?" he wiped the rain out of his eyes. A flash of lightning illuminated the scene, followed by a clap of thunder so loud, they all flinched.
"Because I had to kill her, you fool!" She screeched. "When she realized how hard I worked to get you back here, all I had done to help her, she tried to kill me." She pointed to her chest. "Me! Right up until her last breath, she was protecting you!"
And it dawned on him. "You loved her," he said.
Lusiël's eyes dimmed. "It should have been me," she worked her mouth to keep control. "We have that in common, at least. All my life, I loved Laniër, but she was too blind to see it. She loved you, and you never bothered to notice."
Her grip on Melui loosened and the knife lowered from the skin of her neck. Vildan took a small step forward and said. "You loved Laniër enough to put her happiness before your own, thought it must have been agony. That takes a great deal of courage."
"I just wanted her to love me," she stared at the ground. "I could have taken her away from here, to a place where no one could disapprove because we are related. I would have made her happy."
"I believe you," Vildan said and slid forward again. "Maybe I did love Laniër because she was always meant to be yours, and she would have understood that, before too long."
Her eyes flew up to meet his, and they seemed almost normal. A flash of lightning, and something glittered on her neck for barely a second, then disappeared again. Vildan slowly reached out his hand—
Behind him, hooves and feet the squelched in the mud.
With a growl, Lusiël once again put the knife to Melui's throat.
Vildan stifled a scream as a drip of blood mixed with the rain on the baby's throat.
Another clap of thunder.
The ground gave way.
And he jumped.
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The Ford of Bruinen, 5th of March 2946 T.A.
When the branch holding up Vildan and Melui gave way, just seconds before he and Elrohir could pull them to safety, Elladan pulled his brother back up, fell to his knees and screamed in frustration.
"They still have a chance! Get up," Their Adar ordered sternly. "we will follow them down the river! Hurry!"
The rescue party ran parallel to the river, looking for glimpses of the pair.
"By that rock! They are alive!"
"Over by that tree!"
"There they are!"
Praise Varda, the rain had stopped, and they neared the Ford of Bruinen, the horses needed no urging. led the way, with the riderless Hûrthenon by his side. The chestnut stallion from the North had become a good friend to all the beasts in Lord Elrond's stable, and the absence of any bridle or saddle only served to add to their respect.
"There they are!" Elrond pointed up ahead. Vildan was face-down in the water, not moving. Melui was beside him, crying and pushing at his arm.
Hûrthenon wisely pulled back, allowed the Elrond and his sons to get to his master first, but stayed nearby, watching.
"Get him out of the water, now!" Adar shouted as he dismounted, ripped off his cloak and ran to Melui. He picked up the hysterical child, and tried to turn her away, but she struggled against him and reached her arms toward Vildan.
"They will help him, child. I must see if you are hurt, then I will take you to him, all right?"
Elladan and his brother fished their friend out of the water and carried him over to the patch of grass. Elrohir felt his neck for a pulse, then pressed his ear to Vildan's chest. "His heart beats but it is weak."
Elladan nodded, and began chest compressions until Vildan's upper body jerked back to life, and they turned him onto his side as he vomited and coughed up the liquid in his lung and stomach. When he settled, they put him on his back and checked for other injures.
One eye was bruised and swollen shut, there was a cut along his cheek and under his jaw, his pajamas were torn to ribbons and a there was a deep, ugly gash along his left leg that needed immediate attention.
Elrohir had fetched their saddlebags full of supplies, and Elladan grabbed his bottle of spirits and pulled off the cork. "I am sorry this is going to hurt, but I must clean the wound in your leg." His brother held him down while he carefully dribbled the alcohol straight into the cut, then dabbed away the dirt and matter.
He was busy repeating this process and assumed that Vildan had either fallen unconscious again, or Elrohir had put him to sleep. When he was satisfied, he placed his hand over the wound and sealed it.
"Gwanunig?" Elrohir murmured softly, his eyes full of worry.
Vildan was awake and watching Melui as Elrond gave her a cursory examination.
"She is crying," he rasped, through cracked lips.
"Thanks to her brave Uncle, she is not badly hurt. You saved her, Mellon nîn."
Vildan coughed a few more times. "She is talking?"
Elrohir gave him a silent nod and moved down toward Vildan's feet. Elladan moved to keep Vildan from seeing his legs being poked and pinched, but he needn't have worried. Vildan's only focus was on his niece.
"I see that," Elladan clasped his hand and smiled. "Lusiël is dead, and it appears that whatever spell she used on the child has died with her."
"Laniër is dead, too." Vildan's good eye filled with tears. "She killed them all."
"Laniër was very brave, Mellon. Braver than any of us ever could be; she lost her life trying to protect Lusiël from hurting anyone else." Out the corner of his eye, Elrohir met his gaze. He shook his head sadly, then silently rose and went to speak to their Adar.
"I need to—"
Vildan tried to sit up, but Elladan gently held him down with a small laugh. "If I let you overexert yourself, Ada will banish me to the Dead Marshes for a decade. Not even for you will I tolerate that smell!"
"But I need to see my child!"
"All in good time. And do not worry about the crying. It is clearing all the water from her lungs. See? Elrohir is telling Ada to bring her to you!"
"Why do they look so worried?" Vildan asked.
"Because you are a mess," Elladan said drolly. "I should have brought a mirror, so you could see yourself."
But Vildan was not fooled. "You are keeping something from me."
Elladan opened his mouth, but was saved by the approach of his father who squatted down and placed a bundled-up Melui into Vildan's eager arms.
"Vida!" she wrapped her arms around him.
"Oh, Melui, my dear, dear child…" Vildan held her tight and wept. "I am so happy to see you again."
The child cuddled into him and touched his face. "Your eye is hurt."
"Yes, but it will get better," he sniffed and kissed her all over her face and in her hair. "I love you."
"I love you, too. I was scared."
Vildan laughed. "I was, too, but I have you now."
"I did not let go," she said. "You told me to hold on and I did."
"Yes, you did," he cupped her cheek. "I am so proud of you."
Vildan was too wrapped up in their reunion to notice Elrond's careful examination. His skilled hands moved along his arms, legs and his abdomen with a concentration that Elladan and his brother had always envied.
When he was finished, his eyes said it all. Elrohir took Elladan's place as Elrond took him aside.
"I had hoped your brother was mistaken," Ada whispered sadly. "Vildan's spinal cord has been torn in two."
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ELVEN TRANSLATIONS:
Arnœdiad a Inglor – "The Labyrinth of Inglor" was an outdoor maze-like structure built by Gildor, in honor of his father, Inglor.
Dailên – "Little Beauty," Vildan's nickname for his niece, Melui.
De athae i Belain!– Thank the Valar!
Ma, Nana – Yes, Mommy
Natho nin, listo! – Help me, please!
Pi law dín, eth gwand – If we do not find her, she is dead
1 SCOM, Ch. 6: /works/26090521/chapters/67649222