There and Back Again: A Girl's Tale

Chapter 11 Hiding

Chapter 11 Hiding

Their time in Rivendell stretched on past three days without much notice. For the first time since her arrival in Middle-earth, Elwen felt able to relax.

The place was a paradise. Elwen roamed the woods and walked the streams, relishing in the fact that there were no farmer-eating trolls or blood thirsty orcs lurking in the shadows. They could rest unmolested all night without anyone needing to stand watch. The borders were secure and in the Valley of Imladris, Elwen was safe.

Yet her mind did not go undisturbed. Her secret weighed heavily upon her shoulders, yet every time she opened her mouth to reveal all, she found that she could not.

During their third day in Rivendell, Elwen determinedly avoided the dwarves and, instead, wandered around with Bilbo Baggins.

Bilbo found that Rivendell also agreed with him. As a child in the Shire, the hobbit had begged and pestered his mother for stories about the elves. To Elwen's chagrin, she found that Bilbo knew more about her father's people than she did. She made an effort to commit his stories to memory.

After one such tale, Bilbo eyed her rather strangely.

"You can tell me, you know," he said a bit awkwardly. "Whatever it is that's troubling you. You can trust me."

Elwen felt a surge of fondness for the hobbit, nearly moved to tears by his kindness. It was tempting, the thought of unburdening herself to Bilbo, to be able to talk and work through it with someone else who was just as lost as she in this wide, wild world.

She held back, however. She trusted Bilbo and knew he would never tell a soul if she asked him not to, but she knew it would be selfish to bring him into her confidence. It was one thing for her to keep a secret from Thorin and the others, but she'd not make the good Master Baggins an accomplice in her lie by omission.

"You're a good sort of fellow, Bilbo. Did you know that?" She reached out and hugged him quickly. He stammered his thanks, embarrassed, but squeezed her back nonetheless.

"Lord Elrond offered to let me stay here for a time," Bilbo confided, looking pensively at the trees surrounding them.

"Are you going to stay?"

Elwen knew the journey had not been an easy one for Bilbo, and he was probably terribly homesick. If he chose to stay, she wouldn't judge him for it.

The hobbit opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a voice calling for them. It was Dori telling them to come for supper if they wanted any. Elwen looked around and was surprised to find the sun was beginning to dip low in the sky. Time sped by quickly when one was not on the run from deadly creatures, after all.

Dinner went fairly smoothly. Elwen had started insisting the dwarves gather actual wood from the forest to build their fires instead of breaking up more bits of furniture. She'd also put a stop to bathing in the fountains. They had conceded and began to seek out a washroom.

Thorin, she noticed, seemed especially well groomed that evening. His beard was freshly trimmed and his clothes seemed to have been laundered as well. She found herself unable to take in his appearance without flushing. How can someone so grumpy be so dashing? She glowered a bit as her own thoughts betrayed her.

Fili whistled when he looked up from his plate and saw her moving into the firelight.

"You look like an elven princess!" Ori said, sounding delighted.

Elwen wrinkled her nose. She had been looking through the wardrobe in her chambers and stumbled upon a dress unlike any she'd ever seen. When she'd pulled it out, she was surprised she nearly dropped it because the material was so smooth and water-like between her fingers. It was the color of fresh lavender, and though there was no occasion for it, Elwen couldn't resist putting it on that morning. It was cool against her skin and clung where it was flattering. It was perfect, as if it had been made for her by sorcerers. She wouldn't have been surprised if a little elven magic seeped into every part of life there in the valley, including the making of clothes.