Daughter of Mirkwood [Lord of the Rings | Haldir]

Chapter 4

New Arrivals and New Understandings

As it has habit to do, time continued to pass, and in what seemed like the blink of an eye another decade had passed, and then another, and another until Aeslin found herself well into her fourth century. She graduated from the more mundane medicines and techniques a little over a decade into her studies, and had moved on to study the foundations of elvish medicine. Her knowledge of herb-lore grew exponentially as did her grasp of languages, both written and spoken. The Common tongue was the first she learned under the tutelage of Elrond's aide and advisor, Erestor, before expanding to learn other, less common ones.

Her promise in the arts of healing was extensive, and she devoured the books and texts both Elrond and Erestor placed before her. By the time she had been in Rivendell for just over a century, she was moving onto learning and understanding the more advanced details and intricacies of Elvish healing and medicine. But that only took up so much of her time. As Elrohir had suggested, she taught herself patience, eventually coming to accept that her quest for knowledge would take time, and that time was one thing she had in abundance.

Still, despite her newfound patience, she was hard-pressed to keep herself from anxiously awaiting news from Legolas and Mirkwood. Correspondence was scattered, and occasion for her brother to venture far from Mirkwood was even more rare. She had seen him once since her delivery to Rivendell, and it was entirely too short.

Then there came a morning when, upon rising and preparing for the day, Aeslin arrived in the dining hall only to realize Elladan and Elrohir were absent. It was not the first time she had arrived before them or after them, but there was something different about this occasion. The two of them had been distant and she had been seeing them less often as the weeks passed. Today was the culmination of a pattern.

After finishing her meal the young elf made her way to Elrond's study to begin her daily lessons. Entering what was, to her, a near hallowed space, the study was still cool in the early morning sun, and a great deal of the space was still dim. Still, it was a peaceful place of learning. Paper and books littered the space, while cabinets held wonderful and mysterious objects, each harking to a time and place long ago--for her at least. Today, however, she wasn't overly concerned with the contents of the room, but rather with what was absent. Normally Lord Elrond was already deeply engrossed with one thing or another, but today he was not. He was not even there. Content to wait until he arrived, Aeslin paced over to the terrace that adjoined her mentor's study. It was there that she waited, leaning against the archway that lead outside into the sun, but still covered by the shade of the terrace's roof.

She still stood there, nearly unmoving, when Elrond entered a short time later. At first, he took no notice. But, having a similar pale colouring as her brother, the shade did not conceal her the same way it would have had she been less fair. But as the sun had travelled across the sky, more of the terrace and the study came under it's revealing light. As Elrond entered his study, his attention was caught by the gleam of Aeslin's pale, nearly white, blonde hair in the morning sun. Unable to withhold a smile at the sight of his star pupil, Elrond went to stand beside her.

His sudden appearance startled Aeslin, though she gave no outward sign that he had done so. Turning her gaze to him, she noticed something was different. The skin around his eyes was tight, one of the few outward signs that he was anxious. Suddenly curious, her attention was soon focused solely on him. If Elrond noticed, he made no move to either confirm or deny her observation. Eventually, Aeslin let out a frustrated breath; unable to withstand her curiosity or discern anything that might explain what was going on. So, what better than a direct approach?

"Something is happening. Something that has you concerned and Elladan and Elrohir guarded. They are up to something, and it has you worried. Has it to do with the Dragon?" News had come in the last several years of a Dragon descending from the north to decimate the dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. It was common to hear those around her whispering of the implications of such a thing about Imladris, especially when the constant stream of visitors brought new whispers and thoughts. A hint of a smile appeared on Elrond's face at her boldness. Looking over, he met the pale eyes that were fixed on his face.