"Estel," from behind me, I heard the voice beckon me. I look up from my book immediately and as I turn, hide it behind my back. Elrond stands in my doorway, staring curiously. "reading are we?" he wondered, speaking in Elvish Sindarin. I licked my lips, taking the book out from behind my back as Elrond walks in. He took the book gently from my grip and looked at the pages.
"Gandalf brought it to me," I told Elrond, continuing to speak in our mother tongue. He looked up at me and gave a faint smile. "I know I am not supposed to be reading when I have free time and I am sorry Elrond, but I-"
"I don't mind as much as your teacher would," he responded, cutting me off mid sentence. I gave a slight nod. "with that said, I recently watched you shoot a bow and yield a weapon." he smiled lightly. "Everyone is beyond impressed with your recovery, it would be better if you don't recover as fast as you are. Questions will rise, you know how elves can be."
"Yes sir," i always felt very comfortable around Elrond, but I knew to tread lightly around him better than most, in fact, I knew Elrond better than most. He found me outside in the woods that night so many years ago now. I would have died out there if it were not for him, so I felt I had a special bond with him. He was always very cautious of me, so cautious that I was not allowed to pick up a bow until my tenth year. He must have had reasons as to why, but he's never told me them.
"Use your free time as you wish, Estel." he instructs, handing me back my book. "Recovery of the mind is important as well." I nodded and watched him walk by me, sitting down atop my bed and glancing around my tiny chamber. He patted the spot beside him, motioning me to sit. I took my place beside him, he didn't look to me as he spoke. "The Prince of Mirkwood is returning,"
"Legolas?"
"Yes Estel, tomorrow morning," he looked down at me, watching my reaction. I hold my breath and try not to react even though my heart was doing flips and hitting my ribs. I didn't how to feel. "how long has passed?"
"It's been years," I told Elrond who gave a slight nod. "when my mother passed," I recollected. "it was the next day."
"Ah yes," Elrond remembered. "so it was." he watched me carefully. "And you are okay?" I nodded.
"Of course," I lied. "of course I am okay."
I picked up my bow later that day and walked about Rivendell, trying to find a quiet place to practice. I don't tend to walk about the other elves, I've always been an outcast. I've never belonged to anybody and I think, being a skilled female fighter scared them. It scared them that they didn't know whom I really belonged to. If I were, say, Elrond's daughter, they would understand where my skill came from. But I am nobodies biological daughter so my skill causes them to fear me and where I really belong. I am an elf nonetheless, but nobody treats me like one. It seems people will fear that of which they do not know, more than they will fear known evil.
I walked through the forest and found it to be a struggle, as per usual. Elven ladies are often required to wear dresses if they are attending to important business such as missions. As I continued, I was met with Malgelir, son of Thurilosdir (thurin+lost). He was crouched amongst a few children, pointing things out to them in the trees. Mal is a kind soul, his name actually translating to 'Golden Happy Person'. I was planning on avoiding him when our eyes met and he smiled at me, his hair a similar color to mine and his eyes a dark brown. A child tugged on his light brown hair to catch his attention and he went back to teaching the children about their surroundings. I watched for another moment before slipping away.
I found a quiet clearing, far enough away so that I could practice my aim from different positions. I lay down my bow and arrows, picking up a rock and marking an X on a tree about 50 feet away. I walked back to my kit and picked it up, holding it in a ready position as I took a breath. I let go and watched it hit the middle precisely. I ran forward, retracting the arrow and running for a tree, climing about a quarter of the way up and shooting from there. When I retrieved the arrow, I found it had hit the X again. I continued on this way, putting myself into different positions and shooting at the same place. Sometimes I lay down on the ground, others I tried shooting in mid air. I only missed twice by more than 4 centimetres.
