The Teacher

Chap 5

Slowly they all walked in the direction that Will had indicated.
“How far away is the pond Will,” Elrond asked, worried that his friend would not be able to make it. They were going to meet Will’s niece, Penda.
“It is just over this rise” Will answered, as he struggled to walk up the small hill. Elrond looked down at his old friend. It was hard to see him like this.

The years had not been kind to him. His grey hair was dull and thinning, not the jet black that he remembered; and, although he tried not to show it, Elrond knew he was in great pain. Even his eyes had grown dull. As they walked in silence, his thoughts went back to
The conversation they had had a short time earlier.

“My time here is ending my friend” Will had said, “And before the end comes I would see that what family I have is taken care of. The girl you spoke of, Penda, is my niece.
She has lived with me for the past three years, and although I was reluctant to have her here, she has brought me great joy. I do not want to leave her in this world alone, so, I ask you now, if you would take her, not as your ward, but as your student, when you return to Imladris.”

Elrond was stunned; This was the last thing he had expected to hear.

“I know this is a great thing that I ask, but I would not ask it of anyone else. You see my friend, she is as you, Half-Elven, and although she has d fod for well othrethree hundred years, she has never been given a chance to learn the Elven ways. She has never made the choice to live as an Elf or Human. I would have her learn the ways of the Elves, before she makes that choice, and you are the only one I trust. What say you?”

Elrond looked at Will and without a second thought said “I would be honored to do this for you, my dear friend.” Glorfindel and the others couldn’t believe what they had heard. The red haired wildcat would be traveling back to Imladris with them.

“There’s one more thing Elrond. Penda does not know of this. As you have already had the misfortune of finding out for yourself, she has a temper. I fear she may feel betrayed that I did not speak to her first. Your trip home may be unpleasant.”

“Do not worry yourself with that Will, we will manage.” Elrond told him.

And now, here they were, standing at the top of the rise, watching Penda as she pulled her
boots on. They all watched as she stood and walked over to her horse. Then with little effort she jumped to his back. Turning the horse, she noticed for the first time, her uncle and several others, standing there, watching as she rode towards them.

She wondered who they were. As she got closer she suddenly recognized their clothing and the one with the golden hair. “No” she thought to herself, “that can’t be them.”
Getting closer though, she realized that it was the group of strangers she had met earlier, she wondered what, if anything, they had told her uncle. She had meant to tell him about them , but she had been busy trying to get cleaned up.

She looked at the tall one with the long dark hair, he seemed to be their leader. He looked back at her, his smoldering eyes staring deep into hers. She was reminded of how he had made her feel earlier, when she had been lying on the ground, with him on top of her, his
weight crushing her into the ground. How her nipples had become hard as pebbles, and the heat she felt in her stomach and further down between her legs when he had forced her legs apart with his. She had never felt anything like it before.

“Uncle, we have visitors” she said as she slid from the horse.

“Yes Penda. I want you to meet a dear friend of mine, Elrond, Lord of Imladris.”

“Lord of Imladris? You’re an Elf?”

“Yes Penda” Elrond answered, “We are all Elves. May I introduce my sons, Elladan and Elrohir, another close friend Glorfindel, and my guards Aerandir and Amros.”

“What brings you here milord?” she asked.

“As I told you earlier, I have business with your uncle. Also, I would like to thank you for the directions you provided earlier, they were most helpful.”

Penda just stared at him, waiting for him to say something to her uncle about what had happened earlier, not knowing that he already had.

“Your welcome milord. I was concerned that you might get lost. I am glad to see that you arrived with no problems. Will you be staying for dinner?”

“Yes they will Penda” said Will, “In fact they will be staying for a day or two, am I correct Elrond?” He had seen the tension building between the two and wanted to stop it. He wondered what else, if anything, had transpired when they met earlier.

“Yes Will, that is correct, but it will depend on how the things we discussed earlier, goes.”

“You did not mention that you had seen them earlier Penda.”

“No uncle, I was dirty, and needed to clean up.”

“Dirty? You looked fine when you rode up.”

“I felt dirty” she said, glaring at Elrond.

Glorfindel did not miss the look she gave his friend and he knew the meaning behind it.
“This is going to be interesting.” He thought to himself.

“I also understand there was a ‘slight’ altercation between Elrond and yourself.”

“Slight, you call what happened slight?” said Penda. “Uncle, he grabbed me by the wrist and threw methe the ground!”

“Yes, young lady, but I believe that was after you slapped him across the face, and then tried a second time.”

“But uncle, he spied on me, and then lied about it!”

“Never refer to him as a liar again Penda! He is the most honest person I have ever known. He was trying to save you from being embarrassed. It is your own fault for being
caught without so much as a shift on. You are lucky that it was Elrond that came upon you. There is no telling what a party of men would have done to you! Now, apologize to him, for slapping him and for calling him a liar!”

Penda looked at her uncle then at Elrond and the others, then back at her uncle.
“I will apologize for calling him a liar, but, wild horse’s could not drag one from me for slapping him.” Turning to Elrond she said “Lord Elrond, I apologize for calling you a liar. I cannot judge what your character is since I don’t know you and it was unfair to me. I hope you will accept my apology and perhaps let me make it up to you.”

”I accept you apology Penda, and perhaps one day I will find a way for you to make it up to me.”

Penda doubted it. For surely, once his business was finished with her uncle she would never set her eyes on him again.

“I’ll go on up to the house and start dinner uncle”, then giving a Will a kiss on the cheek, she headed for the cabin, Celahir following close behind her.

“When will you tell her?” Elrond asked.

“Tonight, after dinner” Will answered. Slowly the Elves and man walked back towards the house.