Chapter 3

My new world

Waking up in the bedroom that Celebrian and Elrond had given me felt weird. It was so spacious. The view over the valley was truly stunning. The music of the waterfalls and the early morning song from Elves doing their chores of making breakfast and such filled the air. It was truly a magical moment.

I stayed in bed for a bit longer as I just listened to their song until a knock came on the door.

"Enter," I said as I made sure to pull the sheets well up and over me.

The door opened and In peeked Celebrian, she smiled seeing me awake.

"Elwen, you are awake. Good may I?" I looked at her and nodded. "Of course My lady" I finally managed to say.

"Did you sleep well?" Celebrian said as she came over to the bed and kissed my forehead.

"I did My Lady," I said as I fought not to pull away. My body was still not used to being kissed or in any way touched in a none painful way. Even if I knew she would not hurt me. "Did you sleep well?" I said trying both to be courteous and in my curiosity.

She smiled at me as she sat on the bed. "I did and I am very happy to know you did too. How does the room feel? I know you have only been here a night, but if you want anything changed let me know and no more of the My Lady comment, I will not have it Elwen"

I looked down in shame at the last bit of her comment, but she still felt like Royalty to me and not addressing her as such felt even more wrong. But then I had been forced to call my former foster dad many things, so that might be why it was so imprinted in me.

"The room is amazing, the bed is so soft, comfortable, and warm. I've never slept so well in my life. It almost makes me feel like a princess and out of my place here…" Not knowing how else to say it I just looked down before continuing to speak "If not My Lady, what am I to call you then?"

"That is good and you are not out of your place Elwen. You have gone through much in your life and it is normal to not feel as if it's right for a while and Celebrian is more than fine dear one." She said and put her hand on my cheek very comfortingly.

"Now how about you get dressed and we will get some breakfast with Elrond?" She said as she got up. "Ohh that is right. Elwen, do not dismiss this idea. But I would like you to have an aid for when I am not able to be with you." My head tilted as Celebrian walked over to the door and opened it.

"Estelwen, can you please enter?" Ohh god was all I could think. Another name to remember and another person to let in…

"Yes, My Lady" I heard from the hallway, and in came a slender, tall female. Her Hair was long and blond, her eyes blue like the sea and her skin pale like the snow in the mountains. She wore a good tunic with what seemed like pants under it. All are very functional and easy to move about in.

"Elwen" Celebrian said just to get my attention.

"This is Estelwen, she has been my servant for many long years, I trust her without a second thought and I hope you will too"

"Hello" Was all I could say as I waved at the Elven woman who entered the room.

"My Lady Elwen, I am happy to be at your service and for whatever need you may have," The elven servant said as she smiled happily and bowed her head with her hand over her heart. The very elven greeting.

"It is very nice to meet you Estelwen, but I am no lady. I'm just well me." I blurted out like a fool, but it was all so beyond me that I had no idea what to really say.

Estelwen smiled and looked at me and then at Celebrian.

"You will need aid Elwen," Celebrain said in her comforting way. "You two just need to get to know each other and I am sure you will bond as I and Estelwen did. Now get ready for breakfast and we will wait for you to get dressed and come down."

Celebrian walked towards the door and Estelwen opened it for her. Then spoke to the servant in Elfish

"Remember my what we told you. She is not used to our life and way of living. She lived with an abusive and hateful group of humans. Be patient with her my friend" Celebrian said.

Estelwen bowed her head to her Lady and answered in elfish. "I will my lady"

"Celebrian?" I asked, not wanting her to go and leave me alone with a stranger. "Yes?" she said and looked at me. "Must you go? Please stay!"

"My dear. Estelwen is not a threat to you, as I said I trust her with my life and hopefully you will too. I will see you downstairs in just a few moments, OK? Be brave now"

Still, in shock at having a servant to aid me and one I did not know I sat in bed looking at the elven woman now standing by the door, missing what she was telling me.

"My lady?" Estelwen said.

"Yes? And I'm still not a lady" I murmured back.

"To me, you are my lady, you are the ward of my lord and lady and such I see you as my lady." Estelwen said with a smile on her mouth "Now if the lady is ready to get out of bed I will get ready a quick bath for you and find you clothing fitting for today's activities"

Shaking my head at her insistence on calling me lady I got out of bed, somewhat shy and trying to cover myself up. "OK… uhm what kind of activities are we talking about?" I asked her.

"Today there are movement activities on the schedule my lady. Lord Elrond wants you to start moving more and regain your strength. You have been tied to the bed long enough." She helped me out of bed and led me to the bathroom and got the tub filled up. It clearly was an advanced system as we had back on earth as the water came pouring after a while. Sure it took longer than a tap back home. But it had the same effect. Elves were remarkable.

"So guess I should take a bath then?" I said as Estelwen stood there waiting.

"Yes, my lady." She commented.

"So I need to undress then."

"Yes, my lady." She commented again. Not taking the hint

"Maybe you should wait outside?" I asked trying not to be disrespectful.

"I am here to serve you, my lady. If you want me to leave I will, or if you want me to help wash you I will gladly do so."

I started to give up on my lady's comments as she clearly would not stop them.

"I do not wish you to see my scars" was all I could say before starting to sip.

"My lady. Lord Elrond and the lady Celebrian have shared your story with me, You were gravely injured and the only people whose fault it is cannot hurt you anymore. Lord Elrond and the lady Celebrian will not allow it. Nor will I my lady" Estelwen gave me a smile and bowed her head as she spoke. Still wowed by her willingness I looked at the tub and it looked warm and nice.

"But you will see me naked Estelwen. I am sure you would not like that…" Before I could speak anymore the servant stopped me and looked at me.

"My lady, I have helped wash the lady Celebrian for many hundreds of years. This is not new to me and if there are any places you would not like me to wash, but do it yourself you can just tell me."

I simply nodded and it was so awkward at first, when I got out of the nightgown and into the tub I felt so embarrassed of her seeing whatever she saw. But to my shock, Estelwen just looked at my face and talked to me before she started to sing. The song was beautiful and soft and with it, I slowly relaxed and let her do what she was clearly doing without even a thought of it.

Not long after she said I was clean and ready to get up and she held a towel for me and packed me up in it as soon as I got out of the tub. She helped me dry off and to dry my hair. Then she hurried off into the bedroom and came back within moments with underclothes, a top with long sleeves that followed my body well, and pants and boots that felt like training clothes.

"Here we go my lady," She said and helped me into the clothes, without looking or peeking. She was clearly good at what she did as the clothes were different from my earth clothes and held together with strings and buttons.

"They fit perfectly! How can that be?" I said surprised.

"They were ordered for you while you were still healing my lady," Estelwen said.

"It is amazing how well they fit if they took my measurements when I was asleep," I said wow.

"That is the advantage of our kin my lady," Estelwen said. "We live so long we truly can master our craft and skill."

"I guess you are right," I said looking at Estelwen. "Thank you for your aid," I said with a smile, even though it had been uncomfortable at first.

"It is my pleasure, my lady," Estelwen said and bowed her head. "Shall we to the lord and lady?" she then asked me.

"Yes, please. I do not know the way" I responded.

"Please follow me, my lady," she said then and led the way. We did not speak as we walked, but many looked at me and bowed at me. Servants I guessed as we were still in the private area of the house and a very strange feeling indeed.

How could I be so okay around strangers? Before I would have been so scared and shivered around someone like Estelwen, but now… it was scary, but not putting me in a frantic state.

Had they healed me in more ways than just my body? Was it the magic of the elves?

At that moment we came into a nice-sized room with Elrond and Celebrian sitting at the table, it was full of food. I don't think I had ever seen so much before.

"Ahh, Elwen," Elrond said and got up and pulled my chair from the table, and had me sit down. "Good morning my dear," He said in a very strange way. Like he cared. "Good morning my lord," I said like a reflex.

"Thank you Estelwen, we will be fine now. Why don't you get yourself something to eat and return in an hour's time?" Celebrian asked her handmaiden" And please be in clothes for movement" Elrond added.

"Yes, my lady," Estelwen said and bowed her head to Celebrian. "My lord," she said to Elrond and bowed to him as well and last of all to me as she gave me a smile too before leaving the room.

"I heard Celebrian say you slept well in your room. That is very good. No nightmares or bad dreams?" Elrond said.

"No… none, I slept very well. In fact, I have never slept so well in my life. I still don't understand it. Normally I have dreams of battles. A woman killed in front of me… darkness and despair, of much I don't know, yet in another way do" That was all I could respond with.

"Good, then the spell worked well," Elrond said very satisfied. "So I am not imagining it? I have never been so calm around others and the fact I was somewhat okay getting help from Estelwen bathing was due to a spell?"

Elrond nodded to what I said. "Yes. We will have to work with your mind for you to truly be okay with everything in this valley and to be able to live a good life" He said in a very sad tone. "When you came to us your body and mind were broken. You were sure of death and to save you we had to calm you down and heal one before the other. But we will get there Elwen, you will get well from this" he took my hand and Celebrian the other.

"We will make sure of it," Celebrian said and gave my hand a firm loving squeeze.

"So I am not well…" Elrond nodded before commenting. "No Elwen, you are not well yet and that is what we will fix next. But for today you will need to move about, you have been chained to a bed or chair for too long. Your muscles need to work again. They have slept all too long.

For the rest of the breakfast, Elrond and Celebrian did most of the talking and I answered whatever question they asked me and I even asked some myself. My mind was still in overdrive as I started to believe I was in Rivendell. But it was so long until the events of the Ring War and all around it. Would I remember everything that would happen? Could I help Middle Earth to be in a better place after the war? Or even during the war? Maybe, but most likely not. After all, I was not a great warrior or commander of Armies.

"Elwen? Are you ok?" I blinked my eyes and saw Elrond and Celebrian looking at me.

"Yes, sorry. I just got lost in my own thoughts" I said somewhat ashamed I drifted so far away that I didn't hear them speak to me.

"Ohh good, we got worried there for a moment. Is the food good? Do you miss anything?" Celebrian said.

"I miss nothing. This food is like falling from the heavens. Never before have I tasted such good food as I have after arriving here." I said with a smile.

"Very well, then you will not be sad I'll have you eat some more, you will need it," Elrond said and added some more to my plate.

"I will burst if I have to eat it all," I said lil wowed. "No you will not, you have lost much weight since you arrived here and even then you were all too thin my dear," Elrond said in what I would later learn was a fatherly way.

Celebrian just smiled at us and ate her food. She knew it would be a long road for me to be happy and healthy without a spell over me, but she knew of none better to help me than her own husband.

After breakfast, Elrond and Estelwen went to the training yard with me. It was well stocked with all from dummies, to training weapons to walls to climb on and a trail to run on around the valley with different obstacles.

"Let's start with a run," Elrond said and looked at the trail. "Try and keep up as much as you can, Elwen. Your body needs to wake up again as the humans you lived with did not know your potential nor do you. It is beyond the time we wake it. Estelwen will you keep your eye on her?" Lord Elrond asked and she bowed in agreement.

I did not know what to say, but I nodded in response. Elrond started to run and Estelwen made me follow him as she ran after me. It was not a slow run, but I did not feel drained by it either. Sure it must have looked clumsy when I tried to copy all of Elrond's movements they were simple as he did not show off for me and when I fell down I landed on my feet mostly or not so I injured myself. If anything I felt my body wake up slowly. As if being in Middle Earth reminded it of what I truly am capable of.

My breath was steady. My muscles did not burn from exhaustion, but they got sore. All the things I expected to happen from all my time locked in the basement, not truly able to move much.

"Well done Elwen, your body is awakening. Still it will need time for it to come to its full potential, but that was a good start. Don't you think so Estelwen?" The lord asked.

"I do my lord. She did very well" Estelwen added, to ensure it for me.

"Let us see how you can handle a blade, or training blades and other weapons. To make sure you are safe." He said with a smile and led me to the fighting yard and several elves looked at me with curiosity yet said nothing.

I was given some training blades. Wooden sticks cut as long as elven knives. Again it started with simple movements, parry and defend, how to move my legs and arms, what to focus on, and how to attack. Then it was repeated with a wooden sword and wooden spear. Last of all was the bow. I was horrible with all of them, but Elrond and Estelwen were very supportive of me and said it would take many years of training to truly master them. After all, I had no training from before whatsoever.

We then cleaned the training yard and Elrond bid his goodbye for now, he had lordly tasks to take care of and I was to go to Erestor with Estelwen, Elfish training extreme basic level was all I could think and I was right. He truly went as basic as he could and treated me like a little elfling. Witch, I was happy about. After all, I knew a few words and such that I had read in the book, but to hold a convocation? Nope, not at all. But from what he said I took it well.

After some time, lunch was served in the study and we ate and talked in general. But whenever Erestor tried to ask me about where I came from I just shut down. Estelwen informed him that all he needed to know and he stopped asking. Instead, we started to talk about the world of Middle Earth and the ages that had long passed from memory except for the elves. Then he mentioned names I had only read of in the books back home while the song sang in my ears. Of how every book I held turned for me into a Middle Earth story or another. Yet I did not understand. I did not want to tell him for I myself thought I was going mad at best.

Then lady Celebrian came to rescue me so as not to overwhelm me on my first day of schooling and I loved her even more for it as my brain was overwhelmed already.

"Dear Erestor, how is your new pupil faring?" she asked as she snuck in on us.

"very well, my lady, she is learning quickly and knows parts of all our great kin's stories, some more than others, and from what I can see she would like to forget others. Witch, I cannot blame her for those are some of the dark times in our history" he added.

"She's learning, that makes me happy to hear. Maybe it has been enough for today? Might you continue tomorrow?" she asked him.

"Of course my lady. I agree, she has been a good student today" he said with a smile.

"Thank you, my lord," I said to him without thinking and bowed my head.

"I only speak the truth, now let us say we meet back here after breakfast tomorrow?" he said with a smile and the lady agreed and she would bring me. We then bid him well for now and went into the hallway, she then went on about asking me about how the run and physical testing went and I said my said and asked if Estelwen agreed with me and she did. We then rounded the corner and there stood an elf, he was familiar to me, yet I did not dare to say it.

Tall he was and straight, his hair was shining gold, not unlike that of Celebrian, but hers also had that of silver in it. His face was young and youthful and joy was plenty in it. His eyes are bright and keen and his voice of music as I would soon hear.

"Lord Glorfindel," Celebrain said with a bow he returned as did Estelwen and he returned it to her and then he came to me. He stopped. Looked me up and down and was taken back by me it seemed and I moved over to Celebrian.

"Is something wrong?" Celebrian asked and put her arm around me.

"No… I am just tired; it has been a long day" I said looking up at her.

"Then I hope to get to know you later, Lady Elwen," he said and I bowed as we moved on "yes lord Glorfindel" I responded as we passed him. I was so ashamed of my behavior yet, I had seen that elf before in my books and maybe even before?

Glorfindel was sure he had seen her before long ago and rushed down the hall after they had left him. He could not get her out of his mind, yet he had to be mistaken, or was he? The doors to Elrond's office were shut yet he knocked and entered without waiting for a response. Elrond sat at his desk ever calm and Glorfindel sat in one of the chairs.

"How may I help you, my friend?" The elf lord then asked.

"Elwen, I think I know her. He then stated with little doubt and Elrond waited for him to continue.

He then told him the story of the lost daughter of Eöl and Aredhel, yet it could not be her. She would be much older and would have been killed during the fall of Gondolin? Would she not?

Elrond sat in deep thought of what his friend said yet little could be proven and she did not say she was so, she even had believed to be of the edain... Many theories were in his mind of how she got there and how she had been in what seemed like a world depraved of elves. Ney, this needed more consultation and thinking. Maybe they should bring Erestor in on the talks.

Glorfindel was sure he felt it on her and by her looks, but if she did not remember. For he had trained her before in the arts of fighting and war, she was a dear friend, and maybe beyond hope she had come back. Unlike so many that died during its fall.

The rest of the day I spent with Celebrian and later Elrond. Both were so kind to me and I wanted to be the best ward for them and learn all that I could. They had given me life and I truly did care for them and now I looked forward to the future I had seen to be.

This was the beginning of many long years. Elrond, Celebrian, Erestor, Glorfindel, you name it, even Estelwen was my teacher in many subjects like how to act with royal visitors and general travelers that seek shelter in the valley. The northern kingdom and Rivendell stayed close even after the war of the last alliance. Though their losses had been horrible in the war they were still a proud and strong people. If only they knew their future.