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━━━━»•» act one. age of ruins

03. the valley of imladris «•« ━━━━

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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ third age ━━ year one

𓇻 eriador; imladris {rivendell}

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THE VALLEY OF IMLADRIS WAS LIKE A GEM PLACED AT THE ROOTS OF THE MISTY MOUNTAINS. It was carefully hidden away in the surrounding landscape and Elgarain doubted that anyone who wasn't Elf kind could find it on their own. A path, carved masterfully to completely disappear into the surrounding nature, led them into the home of Lord Elrond. And once her eyes saw the hidden valley, she swore her heart stopped for a moment.

Carved into the valley of a scar that ripped through the landscape, Rivendell was surrounded by high cliffs, shielding it from unfriendly eyes. Waterfalls came tumbling down into the deep, forming rivers and lakes of deep blue color. Trees grew everywhere and the houses were built around them, so much so that at times it was hard to see where nature began and Elf architecture ended. Everywhere she looked colors of deep brown and lively green greeted her. The air was filled with sweet smells and the sound of rushing water in the distance.

The arches that formed the windows and doors and the gentle curves carved into the pillars reminded her of home. It warmed her heart to realize that even though they lived far away from each other, the residents of Rivendell were still her people. All across Arda were traces of her home to be found, treasures scattered around the landscape where her people had made themselves at home. It was comforting and suddenly the thought of spending time here didn't seem quite so daunting anymore.

Her eyes were torn away from the beauty surrounding her by three Elves approaching them. Two looked like guards, clothed in golden armor that shone in the morning sun. But they weren't holding weapons, instead they both held a banner in their hands. A white flag waving peacefully in the summer breeze. On it was Lord Elrond's symbol painted. Elgarain wished she recognized it from her studies, but instead the image of the Elven army marching out of Lindon briefly crossed her mind. Banners waving in the wind as they marched south...

"Mae govannen," the third Elf spoke. He was wearing a plain purple robe and had a friendly smile on his face. "I eneth nîn Lindir. My Lord Elrond has sent me to show you to your chambers and show you where your horses can rest. The Aranel and her guard are to come with me after, for Lord Elrond desires to speak with you."

Elgarain looked to Gyda, a little at loss for words.

Her guard nodded. "Lead on," she spoke with a simple nod of her head.

Lindir bowed his head and led them further down into the valley. Their path led over a bridge, taking them into Rivendell. They followed the Elf in purple into a courtyard where he dismounted his horse. He gestured towards a low building on their right. "Your horses can rest here."

Elgarain dismounted and removed her saddlebag before taking her horse by the reins and guiding it to where several Elves were waiting for them. She handed her horse over to one of them, watching as the animal was brought into the stables through a beautiful arch overgrown with bright green ivy.

"Your chambers are this way," Lindor spoke, leading them on into the city of trees and arches.

They followed the Elf up several sets of stairs and down a hallway that was wrapped around a thick oak tree. Several pillars stood on their left, supporting the roof. Each of them were carved with unique patterns of leaves and flowers. It took all her willpower not to stand still and study the intricate designs.

Finally Lindir came to a halt in front of a long hallway with several doors. "These are your chambers. I will give you a moment to wash up," he said with a small bow, before disappearing down the hallway.

Elgarain watched him leave before turning back to the hallway ahead of her. Galion had already opened the door on the right, laying claim to the room with a small smile tugging at his lips. She chose a door on her left but before she could enter, Gyda called her name, making her turn back.

"Don't take too long, Lord Elrond is expecting us," she said.

"I won't," Elgarain promised.

She entered her new chambers and for a moment she simply stood there. The room was round and gave a beautiful view on the gardens below. Patterns were carved all alongside the walls, giving it a homely feel. A bed stood in the middle of the space, lilac silks placed on it, soft enough to almost tempt her into jumping on it. But one look at her mud-ridden riding clothes was enough to change her mind. She put her bag down and walked over to the stone basin that stood beneath a large mirror. It was filled with water and a towel lay waiting next to it.

She washed her face and untangled her braid to comb through her hair. After she managed to struggle through the many knots, she quickly changed out of her riding clothes and into one of the dresses she'd taken with her. She chose her favorite, a white dress with long sleeves and golden patterns painted on the skirt. Her eyes drifted back to meet her reflection. Her skin was no longer as white as it used to be, instead it gained some color from riding beneath the sun for weeks. It made her green eyes even more vibrant. For a moment it felt like she was staring at a complete stranger, but then she took a deep breath, shook her head and walked away, forcing the image from her mind.

For a second she doubted, her hand on the door handle as she stood frozen. The moment she stepped outside her new life would begin and the time of being young and free would be over. Lord Elrond would teach her all she needed to know to be a good Queen and lead her people into this new age. She threw a look over her shoulder into the room, a small voice inside of her crying out to just stay here in the safety of these walls. But she knew that wasn't an option. And so she straightened her shoulders and made her way out into the hallway.

Gyda was already waiting for her in clean leather clothes. Elgarain offered her a small smile, her body suddenly tense with nerves. She had met Lord Elrond before, but never without the company of her father by her side. It felt strange to be in his house without adar next to her.

Elgarain took a step forward, doubting about the way she should go but Gyda moved with confidence to her right, clearly having been given directions by Lindir earlier. Elgarain didn't bother to try and remember the way through the many hallways, her mind occupied by watching the beautiful designs of the Hidden Valley, trying to take it all in.

Beside her, Gyda cleared her throat making Elgarain turn to look at her, wondering why the Guard seemed so uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Are you excited to start learning under Lord Elrond?" She questioned.

Elgarain nodded. "Yes." She tried to keep her voice void of emotion, but still heard her own uncertainty echoing through her tones.

"That's good." Gyda nodded as they descended a set of stairs that led them back to the courtyard filled with the large oak tree. "You'll be a good queen soon."

She couldn't help the way her shoulders tensed at those words and she picked up her pace, hoping they weren't far away from Lord Elrond's study so she could escape the watchful gaze of her guard. She felt as though Gyda could look into her very soul, knowing very well what she wasn't saying. It made her uneasy.

They rounded a corner and Elgarain felt relief fill her at the sight of Lindir waiting for them besides one of the doors. A smile played on his lips as he watched them approach. "I see you tamed you hair, Gyda." Lindir joked, his tone suggesting the two had met before but Gyda didn't so much as smile at his jest.

"Is Lord Elrond ready for us?" She asked instead.

"Yes." The Elf confirmed, and Gyda wasted no time in stepping forward and knocking on the door.

She could hear a faint invitation to enter and just before the two of them entered, Elgarain could hear Lindir mumble. "Just like your father." His eyes were focused on Gyda's back, his words went unnoticed by the Elf but Elgarain heard them and felt herself smiling slightly. Apparently she wasn't the only one who'd noticed the resemblance in duty-bound seriousness in both Gyda and her father.

Lindir returned her smile before closing the door behind her.

The room they entered was large and filled with bookcases that covered entire walls. Scrolls and maps were displayed all throughout the study, proudly placed on tables and behind glass cabinets. Candles were lit all around the room, despite the golden sunlight coming in through the many windows. Large archways gave a view on Imladris, the sound of the waterfall gently lingering in the distance.

A dark oak desk stood in front of one of the arches and before it stood Lord Elrond himself. Cloaked in a velvet red robe that made him appear even taller than he already was. His long dark hair was braided in complicated patterns, emphasizing the silver band in his hair. The lines of time were carved into his face and yet he didn't look old by any means. Only his eyes gave away that he'd lived many more centuries than his appearance would suggest. They held kindness as he watched Elgarain and Gyda approach.

Elgarain noted Gyda kept her distance, remaining a few steps behind her and it made her uncomfortable. She shifted from leg to leg beneath his gaze, despite the warmth his grey eyes held.

"Gi nathlam hí, Elgarain a Gyda," he spoke with a small bow of his head.

She bowed her head in return. "Annon allen."

"I hope your journey was without trouble," he spoke, watching the two of them closely.

Elgarain knew looking at Gyda would answer his question no matter what her words would be and so she forced herself to keep her gaze focused on him. "It was," she said with a small smile.

Still, she couldn't help but feel like her lie was discovered with ease, but Lord Elrond made no mention of it. "I will grant you and your party asylum for as long as it will take for you to complete your lessons, as your mother requested," Elrond spoke. "I only ask that they make themselves useful as long as they choose to remain."

Somehow Elgarain couldn't help but feel those particular words were meant for Galion and she wondered what transpired between the two of them for the Elf Lord to feel the need to say this out loud.

"We will, my Lord," Gyda spoke up from behind her. "The Aranel has requested that I teach her how to fight. In the time left the others and I will help you keep the borders safe."

Lord Elrond nodded at her words, seeming pleased with her notion. "Now would you give me a moment alone with the Aranel?"

For the smallest of seconds Gyda seemed to doubt, but with one last look at Elgarain she made a small bow and left the room. The door closed softly behind her, the sound echoing through the sudden silence in the study.

"Are you prepared for your lessons?" He questioned, his expression solemn. "You must be willing to put in all effort, I will accept nothing less."

She swallowed thickly and nodded then. "I am."

Something changed in his expression, it wasn't anger but a certain sternness that made her wince all the same. "I would hear the truth from you now, child."

The weight of his gaze felt heavy on her small shoulders and she wished for nothing more than to disappear, to be somewhere else entirely, away from all of this. But his eyes pinned her in place and she knew she couldn't avoid saying it out loud any longer. "I'm-" she started but interrupted herself to take a deep breath, thinking quickly of how to tell this to the man who'd been so close with her father. "I'm afraid," she finally admitted.

His eyes remained stern but his voice was kind as he spoke. "Being afraid of the burden placed on your shoulders is nothing to be ashamed of. But if you are to become my apprentice I must know if you're willing to put that fear aside."

A sudden fatigue took hold of her, settled in her bones and made them feel heavy. She wished for nothing more than to be alone with her thoughts but Lord Elrond's meaning was clear. If she couldn't put this feeling aside, he wouldn't train her and she would have already failed in taking her father's place. She refused to return to Lindon a failure, it didn't matter how afraid she felt by the task awaiting her. She couldn't fail. And so she straightened her shoulders and looked right into those age old eyes. "I am," she said and this time there wasn't a trace of dishonesty in her heart.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Very well. Our lessons will begin tomorrow. Now, if you would please call Gyda back inside."

She nodded and turned on her heels, only to stop and look back at the very last moment. "Adar said something to me before he left," she said, her voice soft with sudden nerves but Elrond listened and made no motion to send her away. "He said our people would need a ruler who could heal them after the war." Suddenly she didn't know how to continue, the idea forming in her head seemed too deranged to even speak out loud, but she'd started now and some part of her knew Elrond might have guessed her intentions already. "I'm not my father," she continued. "I could never inspire our people the way he could. But maybe there is another way I could heal them. A way I could use my skills to help others." She was skilled in working with her hands and making her own paint had required a vast knowledge of different plants. It seemed as though it was written in the stars for her to go this path. And who better to ask than one of the most skilled Elven healers of Middle-Earth? "I wish to be trained as a healer beside my duties as Queen."

For a moment Lord Elrond simply looked at her. The words seemed to cling to the air like a fog as he contemplated her question. Finally, he spoke, his voice carrying that same weight as before. "It will take many hours of hard work, child. I trust you have thought this through?"

She had not thought it through, in fact the idea hadn't occurred to her until moments before but she noted the amusement in his eyes as he looked at her, and realized he had come to that same conclusion. But still, that didn't mean her determination to do this was any less. Her lessons to prepare her for her royal duties would be much easier to endure if there were other lessons she could actually look forward to. If she could learn to use her skills with her hands to provide for her people, then every bit of hard work would be worth it.

"I have," she said, voice loud and clear.

"Then I will teach you," Lord Elrond spoke, a finality in his voice that made her nod and turn to the door.

She opened it and found Gyda and Lindir standing in the hallway, both looking at her as she walked up to them. "He wishes to speak with you," she said, looking at Gyda.

The brunette nodded and disappeared into the study, closing the door behind her.

Elgarain wished for nothing more than a warm bath and a long night's sleep but as she stood in the hallway she realized maybe she should have memorized the way back to their quarters.

"Do you need assistance, Aranel?" Lindir questioned, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Eh, I think so," Elgarain said, smiling sheepishly at him.

His smile grew as he led the way. "You will learn soon enough."

She hoped so, because soon there'd be a lot she'd have to learn and memorize. But after one glance at the Elf, she realized he wasn't merely talking about memorizing hallways.

°∴,*⋅✲✦ ( ♕ ) ✦✲⋅*,∴°

𝕬𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝕹𝐎𝐓𝐄 . . .

Lord Elrond is a pain to write accurately, woah. I hope he didn't feel too oc in this chapter. If you guys have any feedback don't hesitate to let me know! But despite the absolute pain to get the dialogue right, I did really enjoy introducing Elgarain to Rivendell. She's gonna spend a lot time here hehe.

Also, this was the last chapter with little baby Elgarain. I'm gonna miss her but I'm also really looking forward to introducing ya'll to the more mature version of Elgarain. And besides, if we're gonna skip in time, some familiar faces might show up, who knows ;)

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and if you have any thoughts please let me know in the comments!

xx Nelly

ELVISH TRANSLATIONS:

Mae govannen. I eneth nîn Lindir ― Well met, my name is Lindir

Gi nathlam hí, Elgarain a Gyda ― You are welcome here, Elgarain and Gyda

Annon allen ― I give thanks to you