Upon Earth's Opening

Chapter 2 : Elrond’s Suspicions

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Lord Elrond set down the letter and turned to consult Aradan once more.

“You said that your troops found her one day wandering alone in the woods?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And all you know about her is her name?”

“Yes, sir.”

Elrond leaned back in his chair, eyeing the letter on his desk as if by looking at it once more it will make more sense than the last time he had looked at it. However, no such luck.

“Why does Thranduil want me to look raise this girl?” he asked Aradan, the Elvenking’s advisor.

“He thinks you have the skill to heal her, my lord,” Aradan answered.

“She looks in perfect health to me, Aradan,” Elrond speculated.

“Yes... but,” Aradan trailed off. Elrond raised his eyebrows. “Thranduil thinks she might be... haunted.”

“By what, might I ask?” Elrond rose and walked over toward the window. The young girl, Caen, was standing in the middle of the courtyard, staring at the centerpiece fountain.

“I do not know... demons of her past? I think Thranduil knows something that the rest of us do not,” Aradan speculated aloud.

“What past? She’s too young to have a past,” Elrond grumbled. Out in the courtyard, Caen was stirring around the water with her small hands and smiling.

...Elrond couldn’t turn her away. That would be discourteous, especially taking into consideration that she’d already been turned away once. And she might be company to Arwen, when she was older.

“She may stay,” Elrond said finally.

Aradan bowed. “Thranduil is most thankful,” he replied.

“I’m sure he is,” Elrond stared once more at the child. This will be interesting, he thought, to gain two daughters almost simultaneously. Elrond wouldn’t send this girl to a foster home in the village. Just by looking at her he could tell that she had been abused.

No, there were no broken bones or bruises, but she was abused in the worst kind of way: to the soul.

Yes... this will be very interesting.