Be My Voice in This Present Darkness (Legolas x OC)

~Chapter V~

All the things in italics are Vana's thoughts and what she has written.

Vana tried again. And again. Still no words would come. She began to panic and sat up, making wild gestures with her hands.

Elrond gently but firmly took her hands in his. She tried to wriggle out of his hands, but he had an iron grip.

"I'm afraid, Vana, that the poison has affected your voice box. I don't think you will talk again." He didn't want to say it, but he had to.

Vana stopped moving and sat very still. Her body was racked with soundless sobs. Tears poured down her cheeks. Her expression was clear;

"Why?" Her face seemed to say.

Elrond's heart was wrung. Vana was so young... And there was nothing he could do. There was nothing anyone could do. She would always be like that.

He sent for a maid, and gave her orders to bring back a notepad and pen. She soon returned with them (see pic).

"Vana, could you write what happened when you were attacked?" Elrond didn't want to ask, but there was a necessity.

Vana was kept busy for the next minute writing, then displayed her notebook to Elrond.

I was riding behind you when Elena started to slow down. I looked behind me and saw an orc hanging on to Elena's hoof. He was almost dead. Then another orc came and jumped onto me.

I was pulled off, and the long and short of it is; he tried to stab me in the heart, but I moved, so it hit me in the neck and face.

Here Vana started to cry again. Elrond understood there was nothing more to learn without her completely breaking down. He patted her head, and walked out quietly to his White Council Meeting, where he was expected, leaving Arwen — who had just entered the room — to comfort her.

Arwen sat down on the end of the bed.

"Vana." She said quietly. "Vana."

Vana stopped crying and looked at her. "Don't you see I've lost my voice, most likely permanently? Just leave me alone."

Arwen pulled Vana into a sitting position, and put her arms around her.

Vana hugged her back.

When Arwen left, Vana mentally swore that she would be revenged on the orcs that hurt her; even if she dedicated the rest of her life to it.

~3 year time skip~

"Goodbye, my dear." Elrond said. "I'll miss you."

Vana nodded. "I'll miss you too, Adar."

Vana's voice hadn't come back. She had hoped and prayed, but it was gone. Over time, she had developed a sign language that she used to communicate with her family.

Now she was leaving home, to become a ranger. Aragorn had agreed to show her the ropes, and Elrond felt it was time for her to go.

Vana signed to her family that she love them, then mounted the horse beside Aragorn. Arwen waved to them strenuously, until the twins started teasing her about Aragorn, then she subsided.

When Vana and Aragorn were on the borders of Rivendell, Vana pulled the hood of her over her head, to hide her face. Then she took a last look at Rivendell, which had been her home all her life. She might never return.

Then Aragorn said softly, "Vana, we need to move on."

She nodded. They did need to. And her most of all.