Rescued Lord

Rescued Lord

Chapter four- New Day

A knock on the door returned him from the dark dream. Sleepy, he
blinked in the shining morning. His first day in Imladris was
waiting for him... The door opened and Lindir stepped inside,
dressed in a fair-blue tunic and leggings and a shoes a shade
darker. He looked around the chamber in surprise when he didn't find
the dark-haired elf in the bed.

So he approached the fireplace where the dark eyes of the elf, sat
on the hide, watched him from beneath his matted hair. "Good
morning." He reached out his hand to the dark elf to help him stand
up. In the same moment a fair-haired she-elf entered and brought a
silver tray with breakfast. She bowed slightly and then she started
to collect the things on the table to take them away.

When the doors shut behind her Lindir pushed the dark elf to the
table. "I think it's time to eat something because there is a very
long day before us."

'Us?' he wondered but obeyed and took a piece of the sliced apples.
Curiously, he watched the fair elf opening the wardrobe built into
the one of the walls. Lindir curved his lips in satisfied smile when
he took out a white tunic, brown leggings and boots.

Seeing that the dark elf had finished the breakfast, he came to the
door and opened them. "Could we? Niende will take care of your dogs
when she comes to tidy your room... Come."

Lindir led him through many corridors of Elrond's house, through all
its wings and time to time he opened a door so that "there are the
chambers of Lord Elrond" or "here is the dining hall" did not sound
so blank.

"The library." They met a high door with silver mounting. Lindir
halted because he realized that he did not hear any footsteps behind
him. The dark elf stood before the door and watched them longingly.
He did not know why, even he did not know whether he could read but
the word library evoked something familiar. "Do you wish to look
inside?" Lindir came back.

'Oh yes, he would like to.' He nodded.

The silver handle clicked and the arched chambers with lines of the
book-cases full of books and scrolls all sizes appeared before him.
He stepped into the sacred silence and approached the nearest case.
Carefully he raised his hand and his fingers touched the back of one
book. He withdrew it and caressed its binding. Such a familiar
sensation! He closed his eyes and turned over the leaves quickly.
The quiet sound of the turning pages interrupted the silence and ran
through his whole body. Yes, he knew it. He knew that sensation of
holding a book in his hands and of listening to its charms. He
closed the book and took a deep breath. 'Only if he could remember!'

"Could we continue?" Lindir's voice sounded after a while. "You can
come back here whenever you want."

He nodded and returned the book on its place. He himself shut the
door behind them. He will come back, soon!

But before long, he was not so certain, because they entered the
baths and Lindir ordered him to take a bath. Even he was not sure he
could survive till the moment when he would open the door to the
library. Lindir and some other two elves, who appeared from nowhere,
rushed for him because he did not seem clean enough. He tried to
protest first but after some time his strength ran out and after the
tenth bucket of water they spilled on his head, and he resigned and
stopped counting the tubs they passed him through.

Nearly he wanted to sigh with relief when he sat on the chair
wrapped in the warm bath towel. But his attention was caught by the
hands with combs, hair-brushes and scissors. The experienced fingers
took his long hair so that they could unmat his many years
ofuncombed tresses.

After a few hours Lindir seemed to loose his control and cut the
dark hair so that he would not ortuortured anymore. But then in his
green eyes gleamed with silver tears, those none could explain, and
he continued his work.

At the end they washed the dark hair again, combed and braided them.
Then Lindir slid down on the seat tired and gave the dark elf the
cloth he found in the wardrobe in the morning. "Well, much better,"
he appreciated his work when the dark-haired elf came into his
view. "Now there's the last thing..."

He stood up heavily so they could go on. They passed the kitchen
where Niende prepared the late lunch for them and then they came to
the gardens. They visited the buildings that were contiguous with
Elrond's house, even the store rooms, the stables and the guard
room. At the end Lindir stopped near the house where a long-haired
she-elf in the silk silver robe stood in front of. She smiled
friendly and those melodically words caressed her lips. How much he
wished to understand her!

"This is Valë," Lindir introduced her.

He tilted his head in greeting. So many new names he had heard that
day. Only if he could say them...

They followed the merry babbling she-elf into her house. He found
himself in the halls full of the rolls of various fabrics, with
frames for embroidery and weaving. There were beautiful she-elves
sitting in the circle and working. Some of them sewed, others
embroidered or made bobbing-lace. Their quiet singing accompanied
their work. Without interrupting they saluted their friendly
greetings.

"So how can I help you?" Valë addressed to Lindir.

"My dear lady, we need everything," Lindir laughed. "Did not rumors
reach your ears?"

Conspiratorially she leant to him. "Some of them. Who knows the
whole truth about the noble mind of Lord Glorfindel who bought the
unknown elf from the human merchant, about the kindness of Lord
Elrond who gave him a place in his house, and the three dogs which
Lady Arwen gave him in compassion so that he could have not been
alone and lost in a new home." She withdrew and shruggeWe wWe will
make clothes for everybody, Lord Elrond or just the ordinary foreign
elf."

"But he is not... ai," Lindir bit his lip not to continue.

Valë's eyes gleamed. "You know something more, my dear song-bird.
Something more then was said, more then is known."

But Lindir only shrugged his shoulders and turned to the dark elf
who was looking around the hall. "Come, Valë will take your sizes,"
he addressed.

The fair she-elf sneered at Lindir annoyingly but she immediately
approached the dark-haired elf to do her work.

"I will leave you now," Lindir excused himself. "Valë will take care
of you, won't you, my dear?" He did not wait for her answer. "Shall
I send somebody for you later or will you manage the way back?"

Of course he will manage. No doubt the house of Lord Elrond was
large but he was sure that he could find his room.

"So let us start. At first we will need two or three robes, some
tunics, leggings may be four at least, and a cloak... Ilindë, could
you fetch Fingorn? He will make boots for you... yes, a cloak,
perhaps two." The dark elf blinked completely surprised when he
heard the waterfall of words that although they were not in common
tongue he understood them. "Let the work begin!" Valë ran to the
rolls of fabrics to bring them and spread them around them. The soft
silk flew and whispered.

"For the inner tunic under the robe... but what color? One should be
fair..." She started to flap the fabrics, scowling at them, and then
she threw them behind. "... and the other dark. Yes, the dark will
be the best... blue? ... gray? ... It's really difficult."

For long minutes, hours she flew around him like a shiny dragon-fly,
the fabrics piled up and interlaced in colorful heap. And he had no
idea which was chosen for him. He bent down where a piece of the
black silk stuck out.

"A black one?" She tore it out his hand. "Black, black?" Then she
threw it away too. "I think it's all," she announced him.

'All? So what did she choose?' He could not ask, even he had no time
because Valë pushed him through the door with good night wishes. He
looked around. It grew already dark. He should return to the house.
He looked around once more to find the direct way to Elrond's house.
He didn't want to go the rounds.

The elves were passing, fair-haired in their fair robes, smiling...
whispering. Yes, they whispered when they passed him. He did not
understand but he knew they talked about him. He wished to know what
they said. He had learned a few word during the day when Lindir had
talked to other elves they had met. But he understood entirely only
Valë. He recognized that language. He knew it was from the time
before. Before then... Only if he remembered!

To his surprise he reached the airy Elrond's house without getting
lost. Again he stopped in the large hall he had seen the first of
the all chambers when he had arrived to Imladris. He looked at the
arched ceiling. It seemed to be so high but in fact it was not.
Slowly he reached the center of the hall and looked around at the
walls decorated with half-pillars and paintings. He should view them
in the daylight. The scenes seemed so familiar...

"Here you are!"

He jerked startled when a voice interrupted his thoughts. His heart
quickened its rhythm and he gasped for a breath. With wide eyes, he
turned to face approaching Lord Elrond. what should he do? He knew
that the noble elf was a ruler of Imladris but he had no idea what
he should do, how he should behave. He felt his throat tightened
with every Elrond's step. Nevertheless he managed to move his head
at least to tilt it in greeting when Elrond approached him. The silk
tresses caressed his face and hid them. He was not used to them yet.

Elrond reached his hand to touch his chin and raised his head.
Immediately the dark elf shivered under his touch and those scared
wide eyes looked at him. What could Elrond want from him?

"I nearly did not recognize you," the ruler smiled and withdrew his
hand when he realized the dark elves was uncomfortable. He watched
him curiously. The fair face seemed so young and even cleaned the
first that had to catch the attention were those huge chocolate eyes
framed with long lashes. Every she-elf would kill to have them. When
he concentrated on his features he found that in spite of being so
incredibly delicate there are written many centuries in them. So the
dark-haired elf was not so young. He wished to know his story. He
wished to know how he had gotten to live with humans. Elrond's eyes
traveled down his body. The elf was the same height as him. But even
that casual look assured him that the elf had not been well. He was
too skinny!

"Will you join me? The dinner will be served soon," he looked in
those dark eyes. And again he felt like a hunter watching the eyes
of fawn which he had chased out of the safe of a forest.

The dinner? With Lord Elrond and with everybody of his household?
That was not a good idea. The elves from Imladris watched him the
whole day. They whispered. He wished to understand them when he was
not able to speak with them. He felt lost. And now he should spend a
dinner-time with them? No, that was definitely not a good idea. But
could he refuse? He tried to shake his head.

For a while Elrond watched the fair face hidden behind the long dark
hair. He noticed its softness when he had raised his head. He had
never sense such softness. Not even the golden silk of Lord
Glorfindel could match the black tresses.

"Very well then. Certainly you had a hard day. I will let the dinner
deliver to your room... But I wish to talk to you tomorrow. You will
join me for a dinner?" In fact it was not a question, it was an
order.