Elerrina could feel the four pairs of eyes in the room turn to look at her, piercing into her like daggers. Part of her mind wished for her to sink deep into the comfortable chair and disappear, but she remained still, her eyes frozen inside the powerful grey pair of Elrond's. So he did know his visions had been shared, although, if what she had seen was the entirety of them or merely glimpses, she did not know. And did not want to know.
"Well of course. She and Elladan both saw them Ada. Elladan just said they ran past them"
Elrohir was the first to speak, completely misunderstanding the meaning of the Elf-Lord's words. Elladan, however, remained silent. His eyes were looking at his father and his still frame sitting on the arm of her chair told her that he had not missed what Elrond meant.
"What do you intend to say with she saw them? Are you referring to your visions?" asked Elladan directly to his father, both elves completely ignoring the confused Elrohir whose gaze now darted to her, wide eyes studying her figure as if he had never seen her before.
"Precisely"
The Lord of Imladri's voice was calmed and composed as he turned to look into his eldest son's eyes. She would have thought he was merely having a conversation at a dinner table had it not been for the way in which he reached a hand to his temple, his elbow resting on the chair's wide arm.
"How is that possible?" The voice of the golden haired warrior made her suddenly remember of his presence in the room. His ice blue eyes had finally left her to look down to the worried Elf-Lord, his voice hinted with confusion.
"Why did I see through you, my Lord?" Elerrina barely recognized her voice for she had not thought she had the courage in herself to voice the question that plagued her mind. She felt the silvery grey eyes of Master of Rivendell gaze at her quietly, imbedded with the knowledge of many millennia.
"I believe it was me who saw through you, Elerrina" She felt herself go cold at his words and her heart stopped inside her chest. The look in his grey eyes was the same wary expression that he had given her on the night she first saw the ring on his right hand, as if judging whether or not she was threat.
"The visions were not mine, my Lord" She was sure of that part: the images had not been produced by her mind. Elrond nodded his hear slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.
"That is correct. The visions belonged to me. But I believe it was you who showed them to me." After a moment of silence in which every pair of eyes seemed to direct itself to the dark haired Elf-Lord, he continued explaining.
"I heard Vilya's restlessness and I summoned it to look through the valley. I had forgotten the connection you have with the ring, a connection that I do not completely understand. Every vision I called went also through your head, if I am not mistaken, in a chain reaction. You can see Vilya, and now I confirm that you can see through Vilya, and therefore, as I wield it, through me. And yet, my visions were of no use. I could hear the warning, but could find no danger whatsoever, nothing was out of place."
Elerrina felt the quickly flying images of the river, different parts of the forest, waterfalls, streets, cliffs and more parts of the forest return to her mind. What she had seen had been the Elf-Lord's search through the valley's perimeter. She felt embarrassed as his eyes continued to pierce into hers, she felt as if she had intruded in something she was not supposed to see. Yet she did not move, she fought to keep her expression frozen in place, her green eyes staring steadily into the silver ones, awaiting the rest of the explanation.
"What surprised me deeply was when the chain inverted itself. It was then that I noticed I had shared all the images with you for I then found myself on the receiving end of the chain. I saw the orcs through your eyes as they ran below you two. After you had seen them with your eyes, I was able to find them in my visions and I saw the rest of them. Three other groups farther west, and a large one steady in place. What concerns me is that if you had not ran into them, I would not have been able to see them."
The words floated tensely in the air. All the elves that occupied the warm room seemed lost in them, minds working quickly, absorbing the new information. She remained frozen on her seat, as she had been for the entirety of the conversation. Her eyes were kept locked in the grey pair that seemed to scrutinize her very soul. Her mind was racing, if either because of new questions or fear, she did not know, but the rest of her body seemed to have deserted her, not responding to her anxious mind.
She could hear the ring and see it gracefully glowing upon the Elf-Lords right hand. And yet she had not imagined that the fascinating jewel could hold a connection to her mind, a thread that therefore also linked her to Elrond's mind. So that was the reason why he had been able to speak into her head a couple of hours ago. It was because of that link between their minds, but they were not directly linked. It was a chain, and the piece that enabled the connection, that allowed for the sharing of images and words, sat elegantly on Lord Elrond's third finger.
"That explains how they got so close to the Valley" Elrohir's voice broke the silence like shattering glass. His eyes travelling quickly form his brother to his father and to Glorfindel, as if not sure if any of them could answer his question.
"A blind spot" whispered Elladan and she turned her yes to look into his face but his serious and worried expression on his handsome features gave her little comfort.
"This is not a coincidence." She saw Elrohir lower his eyes to his lap, frustration clearly reflected on his face. "Three groups of orcs behaving that way and managing to get this close to the borders completely out your sight, is not a coincidence"
"They remind me of..."Elladan's slow voice trailed of as he exchanged a look with his twin, equal pairs of silver eyes looking puzzled and concerned at the same time.
"Of the group we encountered while on our trip. When we found Elerrina. It is not the usual behavior. They must be acting under guidance."
Elrohir finished his twin's sentence, looking directly at his father. The Elf-Lords brow was furrowed deep in thought and if he had any opinion about the matter he kept it quiet for the moment.
"Then, whoever or whatever it is that is guiding them knows about your powers. They must know about it to be able to create blind spots. Although I still do not comprehend how this is possible" She saw Elladan hold his head in his hands in a clear act of frustration.
"Did they see you?" Glorfindel's eyes dance from her to Elladan as he voiced the question. "Did any of the orcs see you? Or do they still believe they run unseen?"
"No. They did not see us" Answered Elladan lifting his head to look at the golden haired warrior.
"Good. They were not counting that she would work as our window. I could have a patrol ready to part by the morning if you whish so, my Lord"
Glorfindel was looking at Elrond, waiting for the Lord of Imladris to decide what should be done. His serious gaze held a glint of pain as he watched upon the dark haired elf, almost as if he regretted the inevitable pressure that now fell on his friend's shoulders.
"Should we attack fist?" said Elrohir from her right.
"No." The Elf-Lord's firm reply made all pairs of eyes turn directly towards him, expectant. "That would be foolish. We do not know their number, nor do we know their intentions. We will play it as if we had not seen them, if an ambush into valley is in their minds, it will work to our advantage if they believe we are unprepared. However, we do not know if this is the case, perhaps they travel somewhere else"
"No orc ventures so close to an elven realm while travelling! Are you going to do nothing while they prepare to attack?" Said Elladan suddenly, his voice agitated with anxiousness as he jumped from the seat's arm.
"We still do not know and I am not going to make assumptions on the matter, Elladan!" Elrond rose to his feet as he spoke, his voice raised and filled with unquestionable authority while his stern eyes bore into those of his eldest son. She could feel the tension, the fears, the concerns, all floating in the air, making it so heavy it felt hard to breathe. After a moment, Elladan sat down again, reminded that the decision was not his to make.
"Forgive me" she heard him say as he calmed down some of his anxiety and tried to think rationally. She wanted to hold his hand and offer as little comfort as she could, but every part of her body seemed to have been turned into stone, and she remained merely an observer in the agitated room.
Elrond sighed as he sunk back into his chair, his eyes closed and a hand to his temple. All traces of the mighty Elf-Lord who had just reminded his son of his place completely gone.
"Glorfindel" The Balrog Slayer turned quickly to the low voice of his Lord. "Send a patrol tomorrow morning to run the perimeter. Tell not to go out of the borders, it is not safe."
"Yes, my Lord"
"And is Erestor still awake? I want him to appoint a council meeting early tomorrow."
"I will send someone to find him"
"Thank you"
With that, the golden haired elf walked past them and exited the room. The shutting door echoed loudly in the stunning silence and in the room roamed a feeling of emptiness. Both of the twins kept their gazes fixed on their father, their expressions now gentle, concerned and troubled. There was nothing left for them to do at the moment, and yet she could sense by their frozen figures that neither wanted to leave the Elf-Lord by himself.
Slowly, Elrond rose to his feet and walked towards the large oak desk that laid some feet to their left. She saw him lean his weight on the polished surface, his back to them as he let his head hang down, looking into the many neat piles of paper.
"Ada.." Whispered Elrohir as he too stood and started to approach the elder elf, stopping only halfway, unsure if he should continue. His barely audible voice was trailed with sadness and concern.
Elladan imitated his twin almost instantly, though silently. He stood there, his shoulder next to his replica's as equal pairs of hurting silver eyes stared at the Elf-Lord's back. Not sure of what to do, Elerrina stood up, but remained by her seat. Her body responded to her again, as if the tense spell that held her frozen in place had finally broken. She felt uncomfortable in the room at that moment, like an extra person in the family reunion.
As if he had heard her thoughts, Elladan turned to look at her, his silver eyes gentle as wide grey orbs that welcomed her openly. The lightest of smiles appeared on his lips as he motioned for her to go to him, the pained edge in his smile making her heart sink to the ground.
Silently she walked to his side, unwilling to break contact with those silver eyes that brought peace to her racing mind, even in their troubled form. She took comfort in his closeness and silently he reached for her hand, entwining his fingers in hers and leaning his cheek on the top of her head. She felt useless at the moment, and hoped that he too could get comfort from her presence as he continued to stare at his father's back.
"Ada.." whispered Elrohir again, the sound so soft that she started to doubt Elrond had heard it.
"Go to sleep, my sons" Came the Elf-Lord's calmed and soothing reply. "There is nothing more you can do for now. Get some rest; you must be tired. You too, Elerrina."
The twins hesitated for a second before they decided to comply with their father's request. Slowly they walked towards the pair of wooden doors, Elladan still holding Elerrina's hand firmly. Elrohir opened one of the heavy doors and stepped out into the large corridor, she and Elladan following behind.
"You too should also rest, Ada" said Elladan softly, sparing one last glance at the only figures left in room before he closed the door behind him.
Outside, the air felt lighter, free from the troubles that had placated their minds. As they silently made their way through the deserted corridors of the house, the conversation that had taken place in the Lord's study became more distant to her, as if it had happened in a different day and time. The silence made the house feel bigger and the corridors longer, and soon she did not know for how long they had been walking but to her it felt like hours.
The twins led her through areas of the house she had not yet seen, climbing up multiple elegant staircases and crossing regally adorned halls. She wondered if once they reached her chambers she would find Faelilla there, as she had the night before. She wondered if she would be able to sleep at all for the rest of the night, or if her many unanswered questions and horrific images would keep her awake.
Finally they stopped at the end of an ample corridor, facing another beautifully carved wooden door. She could not see it clearly in the darkness, but knew that it was not the door leading to her own bedchamber. Elladan pushed the door open and walked inside the room, Elrohir following behind, entering last.
The room was a beautiful bedchamber, brightly lighted by many candles. She had not seen a bedchamber as big as this one before in her life, and it suddenly made her own chamber here in Imladris, with its fine lavender tones, seem small. An oversized bed laid at the center of the room, its pale gold covers shinning in oranges under the candlelight, and the thin tree branch design of the wooden headboard was a craft to admire. An ample rounded balcony emerged from one side of the room, three times as big as the one in her chamber, and she noticed that this one overlooked the whole valley. She could see the faint lights from the tiny houses and the thin platinum gleam of the many waterfalls, all framed by the heavy pale gold curtains. It was Elladan's bedchambers.
She saw Elrohir throw himself on the bed comfortably, a sudden grin on his lips as he looked at his twin with his eyebrows raised.
"So what exactly happened tonight?" She could hear the mischievousness in his tone as his eyes travelled to their entwined hands. "Did you finally kiss her?"
She heard herself chuckle as a round pillow landed flatly on Elrohir's face.
"Go to your room" Said Elladan and she guessed that he had tried to sound annoyed at his brother for teasing him, but could not hide a wide grin from appearing on his lips.
"Oh believe me, I have no intention in staying here." With his wicked grin still on his face and his mischievous eyes looking teasingly at his brother, Elrohir got up from the bed and started to walk to the other door in the room. She guessed the door probably connected to the other twin's bedchamber.
"May I?" she asked turning to Elladan and pointing towards the large balcony. She felt like a child asking a question like that, and knew that Elladan would not mind, but felt that she needed to ask permission since it was not her room.
"Of course." Said Elladan looking at her with puzzled eyes. "You do not need to ask"
Giving him a soft smile in return, she made her way to the elegant balcony, her green eyes dazzled by the view of the entire valley before her eyes. It looked so peaceful under the stars, and the rippling sound of falling water murmured a sweet lullaby to the sleeping forest. The tranquility of the sight made her forget all the events of the night, easily erasing all the troubling visions from her mind as her own ears welcomed the song from the cascading waters.
She heard Elladan approach from behind her, and seconds later she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist as he rested his chin on her left shoulder. She could feel his face right next to hers, their cheeks brushing slightly as she relaxed under the sound of his steady breath.
She turned around in his arms to face him and wrapped both of her arms around his torso, resting her head lightly on his chest. She felt him place a gentle kiss on the top her head as he softly started stroking her long golden hair with one hand, the other still holding her close to him. They remained in silence, simply standing, until the lullaby from the waterfalls slowly started to drift her away, her mind dancing now to the soft melody as she felt herself starting to doze off, feeling safe in the arms of the son of Elrond, even if she knew what her dreams would bring to her: Dead bodies floating on the red colored river, and a pair of lifeless green eyes staring blankly at the empty sky above.