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

~Chapter II~

Vana ran inside, rushing through the long corridors thankfully without any mishaps, although she had a narrow encounter with a tall painted vase.

When she arrived at Elrond's study, she knocked on the door lightly.

"Come in!" Elrond's voice came from within.

Vana opened the door and sat on the chair opposite to him.

"Well, Vana, what do you want?" Elrond asked, good-naturedly.

She went straight to the point. "Ada, why don't I look like you?"

Elrond felt somewhere in his heart that it was time to tell Vana the truth, or at least as much of the truth as she could understand. He quickly contacted Galadriel though her mind-reading powers to ask hr to come, adding that Vana wanted to know the truth.

"Vana, dear, I think I will have to tell you something I haven't told you before. . ." he began.

"What?" Vana was all ears.

"I think I will wait until your Grandmother is here," he said.

About a minute later, Galadriel entered the room. "Well, Elrond, I have arrived," she said. "You wanted to tell her?"

"How did you know Granny was coming?" Vana interrupted.

Galadriel tapped her forehead. "You remember I can communicate to people without talking?"

"No. . ." Vana said, truthfully.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter," said Elrond. "We are telling telling you something different right now, Vana."

"Okay, tell me then." Vana tapped her foot impatiently.

Galadriel sat down and drew Vana close to her.

Elrond began. "I will start at the beginning. You aren't my child by blood; I adopted you."

Vana interrupted. "Are 'Dan, 'Ro and Arwen adopted?"

"No, they are not. They are my blood children," Elrond explained, keeping his voice gentle. "Your mother entrusted your care to me before she sailed away to Valinor."

"Do I have a father?"

"He is dead," Elrond quickly said. Vana didn't need to know about her father's choice. Not yet. Maybe another day. Another year. Or maybe her sweet mind wouldn't be overshadowed with that thought in her lifetime.

Vana didn't seem too phased, after all, she did have a loving father who still lived. "What did my mother look like?"

"She had black hair and golden-hazel eyes," Elrond said, thinking about Beautuisiel's form becoming smaller and smaller as she sailed away.

"I don't take after her much then, do I?" Vana said, critically. "I have blue eyes and brown hair."

Elrond explained the last few details, leaving out her brother, as Galadriel telepathically advised him. Elrond greatly respected his mother-in-law's opinions.

Vana thanked them both and skipped out.

"Do you think it was for the best?" Elrond looked at Galadriel.

"Yes. She couldn't have handled the news in any more intensity," Galadriel replied.

********

Seven years later. . .

Vana woke up early, and decided to go for a before-breakfast ride on her dappled grey and white horse, . She brushed her hair out in front of her mirror until it was silky-smooth, absently thinking how the light made her hair look darker; almost black.

She walked towards the stables in a lovely frame of mind, thinking of her beautiful horse and how happy it would be to see her. Vana walked into the stall and crooned to her horse. Elena shied away. Vana, puzzled, reached out to stroke the frightened animal. Her skin, reflecting the morning sunlight, looked a pink-yellow colour.

The horse started to knock herself against the sides of her stall, she was so terrified. Vana tried again, but Elena continued to shy away from her. Vana eventually decided a small creature had got in and had scared her horse, and after checking the stall to see it was gone, while her mare reared, went inside for breakfast.

Vana was the first person at the table. Galadriel was staying with them at the present, for some reason Vana didn't know, and she could hear her coming down the stairs with someone else too.

That someone turned out to be , a blonde warrior of Rivendell who often breakfasted with the family. He was in deep conversation with Galadriel over how mallorn sap could be used in medicine. Vana didn't even know what mallorn sap was. She ignored the confusing dialogue.

"And boiling it with athelas produces wonderful results!" Glorfindel said, in continuation of he and Galadriel's talk on the staircase.

Galadriel nodded. "That is most interesting."

When Elrond came in with the twins, followed by Arwen, Vana breathed a sigh of relief. Elrond would know what to do about Elena.

"Adar," Vana began, "Elena acted up this morning."

"In what way?" Elrohir cut in.

"Elrohir, please wait for your sister to finish," Elrond told his son sternly.

"Fine," Elrohir said, not at all abashed.

"It's just as I said; Elena acted up," Vana told them worriedly. "She was really scared."

She wondered why Elrond gave her such a worried look. He stood up and left the room.

Elrohir smirked. "Maybe Elena was worried you'd scare away her mate."

"Be quiet," Vana said, rolling her eyes.