Element of the Heart - A Lord of the Rings/Legolas Fanfiction

Chapter 5: Transforming Soul and Sword

Lord Elrond introduced Evangeline to her trainer – not himself, but Lord Daurion, an old friend who had fought by his side during many battles. Judging by the surprise on Evangeline's face, Elrond knew her thoughts:
Do you not wish to train me? Am I a disappointment that you do not wish to correct yourself?
Nay! Elrond felt the opposite. When he first took the earthborn in, he thought it would be no different than guiding the dwarves of Thorin's company, advising Gandalf, or taking on a quest from a council with Galadriel. He was wrong.
She was young. Though she had already learned so much of the world by reading profoundly and observing silently, there was so much she did not know. She had never experienced the darkness before, and he never wanted her to. She should be allowed to thrive – free from the burden her destiny has placed upon her. But alas, it was not to be. A prophecy was written by the Valar, who knew what was best. Elrond had no doubt that Evangeline, along with the wizards, were the Valar's answer to the rising darkness.
He did not wish for her to face it. She ought to stay in Rivendell. She is happy here...and safe.
But protecting her was not what caused him to decide against training her himself. 
A few days ago, he had finished explaining to Evangeline the relevance of the different seals of elven kingdoms. Once he finished, Evangeline stood up to leave.

"Ci athae, Adar (Thank you, Father.)."
Elrond slowly turned from the window to her. She was picking up three large volumes and preparing to leave. She is not even aware what she has called me.
Evangeline sensed him watching her and faced him. Her eyes widened only slightly and her brows raised in concern. "I am sorry-"
"No. Do not be." Elrond turned completely around and walked up to her. Laying a hand on her shoulder, he looked into her eyes. She needed to believe the full truth of what he was about to say. "If you wish for it to be so, Evangeline, it will be so. I do not believe the Valar wished for you not to have a family."
Evangeline's earthy brown eyes peered into his – searching, challenging, and finally, understanding. "Even though I am not an elf. Has Arwen-"
"Speak to her yourself. You know she will have no objections to considering you as a sister. And neither do I to considering you my daughter."

Ever since, Elrond knew his role in her life was changed. He was to care for her, guide her, and give her the emotional aid she needed. Yet he knew it would be too easy for Evangeline to confuse the role of a father and the role of a trainer. Elrond knew that whoever trained her needed to be thorough, relentless, and honest. Regardless of how he felt about her, her role in life would never be the same as Arwen's. Lady Galadriel had spoken of her being a warrior, a fighter, an un-doer of Anorath's evil. Evangeline needed to be trained like no other. She also needed a father.
Elrond wanted her to have both. If he decided to train her, she would have a confused mix of the two. She would never experience what it means to have a family. His solution was the tall, dark-haired elf whom he knew he could trust with his life. Daurion had done so during many battles they had fought together. Therefore, he could be trusted with the secret of the earthborn, and the role of being her trainer.
Daurion wasted no time. He immediately gave Evangeline a spare, full-sized sword and demonstrated dozens of different stances, strikes, and blocks. Evangeline dropped her reading and practiced the forms for hours a day. Two months later, she began to spar.
Lord Elrond now stood on a balcony overlooking Rivendell. Down below, Evangeline was in the middle of her tenth training session with Daurion. Elrond frowned. Evangeline's strikes were strong, but her sword was too large for her smaller frame. Its weight and length prevented her from properly blocking Lord Daurion's blows. The match ended almost before it began. Evangeline was on the ground, chest heaving and Daurion's sword an inch away from her face.
"Block before you hear your enemy's sword. And adjust your balance more," Daurion said.
Out of nowhere, Arwen ran down the stairs onto the circular training ground. "Evangeline, toss the sword aside."
Evangeline gasped, frustrated. "If I cannot handle a simple sword, I am not even fit to fight a..."
"Use these instead?" Arwen produced two matching elven blades, each blade as long as her arm. They were simple and unadorned, but they were light and sturdy.
Evangeline accepted them from Arwen and balanced them in her palm. "Do elves commonly fight with two swords?"
Daurion shook his head. "I have heard that a few of the elves in Mirkwood carry battle knives almost a foot shorter than the swords you hold, but never two swords." He ran his finger on the flat of one of the blades, observing them. "These are much shorter than the typical length of an elvish sword. Their plain design makes me think that a wielder-in-training made them, though I cannot fathom why his master directed him to make two of this size."
Daurion directed Evangeline on how to adjust her thinking and her techniques if she decided to use the swords. Neither noticed that Arwen's sleeves were long enough to cover the palms of her hands. Neither knew of the hidden burns caused by working with red-hot metal or the pain-staking hours put into creating weapons of a size that the elves had never made before.
After three weeks of practice, Evangeline was noticeably quicker. She struck hard and blocked the blows she anticipated from Daurion. This time, she stood her ground for over five minutes until Lord Daurion delivered a lightning fast C- strike, flinging one of Evangeline's sword thirty feet away.
She sheathed her one sword in disappointment, but was surprised to see Daurion nod in approval. "Good, that was much better. You can keep using the swords as long as you practice sparing with a regular-sized one every so often."
"Thank you. Do you wish for me to go another round?"
Daurion frowned. "Evangeline, you have learned quicker than any elf I have taught, but you are not an elf. Your endurance will never be as so.  Read, rest, or practice your element under Arwen's sight. We will spar for three more rounds in the evening, but that will be all for today."
"Very well." Evangeline picked up her other sword and sheathed it unhappily. Daurion did not let her rest out of a generous kindness. He doubted her.
For the next ten years, at least six days a week, Evangeline trained with Daurion. It took her longer to grow in strength and agility than most elves, but she was consistent. Unlike most elves, she only had to dedicate her time to training. Because of it, Daurion taught her more than any of his former students. Yet, she lacked certain abilities of the elves. Most noticeably was that she tired easily. She never asked for breaks during rounds, but when she tired, her strikes were not as calculated and her blocks were dangerously slow. In addition to her lack of endurance, Daurion reminded her of other weaknesses, even if she managed to pull off a successful block-and-strike or more complex strike series without break the flow of the battle. "You are beginning to familiarize yourself with the fashion I fight in. If another were to face you, your time to learn their patterns and habits would be mere seconds. Even that might be too long."
At times, Evangeline wanted to throw her sword down and stare Daurion down. But that is the way of a child, she reminded herself. I cannot afford to turn down this chance. If I do, I may never learn to fight. Perhaps if I speak to Arwen about it, she will tell me something I can do to improve my stamina. Evangeline began towards the library, where she knew Arwen would be.
Lively sounds drew her gaze to the entrance of Rivendell. Birds of all different colors and sizes flew over and around the stone entry. Following them was a short quaint-looking character with a tangled brown beard almost as long as he was tall. Elrond was not in sight, so Evangeline ran down stairs, over bridges, and through walkways to greet the stranger. The only visitors she had seen enter Rivendell happened to be messengers, who were always on horses. At least half of them were from Mirkwood, though she never knew what business they were about. They were only there to speak to Elrond. Her job would be to simply welcome them if Arwen was not there. If asked, she would introduce herself as an elf with no family now under Elrond's care. "Welcome to Rivendell, Lord....?"
The little man paid no attention to her. He frantically turned this way and that before spinning around in circles. "Spiffwit! Where is Spiffwit?"
"I am sorry. Whom do you speak of?"
"Spiffwit! Where are you?" He froze, then raised his finger. "Oh." He lifted his hat to reveal a little hedgehog fast asleep. It yawned and opened it beady black eyes. The man picked it up and cradled it, whispering something. He held it out to Evangeline. "Carry him will you? I need to make sure Borno and Spock aren't bothering each other."
"Of course." Its fuzzy little paws tickled her hand. She smiled. Clearly this traveler is neither elf nor man. He seems most similar to dwarves, based off of the books I have read at least. Yet, why is he surrounded with all these creatures?
Lord Elrond came with a warm greeting, "Lord Radagast! How do you fare? How stands the Green Woods?"
The stranger, Radagast, shook his head. "Not good. Not good at all! And neither is Saruman."
Elrond looked alarmed. "What has happened to the White Wizard?"
"I know not of his encounter with Sauron years ago, only, that he did not fare well. He must have been wounded greatly, because he hasn't come out of his tower, even unto this day. Of course, it's only made him grumpier than usual..."
"Does he need help, Radagast?" Elrond tried to get him to the point.
"Of course not! When I drove by on my sled of rhosgobel rabbits, mind you, he poked his white head out of his little window and yelled at me to get my four-legged bouncers back into the forest!" Radagast looked utterly insulted. "Bunnies hop, but rhosgobel rabbits run!"
Evangeline quickly turned away to hide her smile. She was just in time to see Arwen walking her way with a bow in hand.
"Come, Evangeline. It has been a few days since your last practice."
"Arwen, please..." Evangeline's voice gave into a desperation that she only openly expressed to Arwen. "You may give me all the years of Middle Earth, and I will still have yet to hit the target a child would."
Arwen handed Evangeline her bow. "Regardless of whether or not you were made for archery, it should not stop you from trying to improve your aim." She smiled warmly. "Come."
Evangeline and Arwen settled for practicing on the empty courtyard across from Elrond and Radagast.
"Would you like any refreshments or supplies before you leave?" Elrond asked.
"Oh, yes! Some butter-bread would be nice. Spiffwit loves butter-bread!" Upon receiving two whole loaves, he added, "Oh, and do not ask me to give any to Saruman! I will be stopping by to see how he fares before I return to the Green Woods."
Elrond agreed. "Tell Lord Saruman to remember the prophesies of old, and not to give up hope..." Evangeline's arrow whizzed by his head, missing the target by almost ten feet. Elrond winced. "...yet."