Yesenia awoke slowly. Her mind was fairly clear, but it took a few minutes before she could regain control of her body. Her head was spinning slightly, but nothing too debilitating to prevent her from investigating where she was. She was no longer in chains; instead, she was bandaged and lying in a soft, comfortable bed. She looked around and it seemed like she was in an infirmary. She had never seen one before.
The air was clean, entering her lungs fresh. There must have been many trees nearby. Not a dark forest, but leaves that thrived on sunlight to emit pure and rejuvenating air.
She tried to trace her memories to understand what had happened: the orcs, the escape, fainting, and then people. They must have taken her with them, and as her vision cleared and she saw the light coming from the doorway, she immediately realized she was in the hands of elves. A strong sense of unease crept into her chest. She hadn't seen elves in at least two centuries.

She sat up, her head still spinning a little, gripping the edges of the bed. She heard someone approaching, and with a quick snap of her head, she was ready to meet the gaze of whoever was in the hallway. An elf appeared: brown hair, blue eyes, a slim face and body covered in a fitting blue garment, and, of course, pointed ears. Yesenia's first instinct was to cover her ears with two strands of her red hair, but then she thought that if they had treated her, they had surely seen everything. In any case, her hair was already positioned over her ears without her needing to touch it. The elf gave her a gentle, calm smile. She hadn't seen a face with that expression since she had been captured. Seeing it again brought her immense joy and a strong urge to cry at the same time.

"Good afternoon" he said calmly, maintaining the smile as his hands glided along the sides of his body, approaching cautiously.
Yesenia recoiled by a few millimeters.

"Where am I?" Her voice was hoarse and weak, probably from not speaking for a long, long time.

"Stay calm. You're safe here; we're in Lindon, at the Grey Havens" he said, raising his hands in a reassuring gesture, his eyes sincerely worried. The Grey Havens? Was she really in the cities of Lindon? The realm of Gil-galad?

"What is your name?" he asked gently.

"And yours?" she retorted, still on the defensive. By now, it had become her nature to always be on guard. The elf smiled and took a few steps closer.

"I am Elrond, Herald of Gil-galad, and you are in his palace right now" he said with such calm that Yesenia could hardly comprehend. It felt too foreign to her, this life. The life of her parents, who had come from Lindon.

"Why am I here?"

"A company of elves found you along a path where they expected anything but you" he said with a hint of humor. The readhead slowly removed the bandages from her wrists: there were only two round scars, like two indelible bracelets.

"You were on the brink of death when they brought you here. We only want to help you."

"Why??" she asked suspiciously, pulling down the sleeves of her thick cream-colored robe.

"Why not? You were in trouble, and besides, you're an elf" he seemed confused. He didn't understand her discomfort at being there. How could he, without knowing her story?
Yesenia realized after a few moments that her attitude didn't befit someone grateful to those who had saved her life. Maybe she would have preferred they left her to perish.

"Forgive me. I'm not used to good manners, and I fear I've lost mine. But anyway, I am no longer an elf; that privilege was taken from me long ago" this time she touched her ears, sure they had seen them.
The elf stepped closer until he was at the foot of the bed, where he sat on the side.

"I don't know what you've been through, but no one can ever take your identity away from you. You are, and always will be, an elf."
The redhead closed her eyes. She wanted to shout at him that those were just lies, deceptive illusions. She had not been an elf since she hadn't been able to defend herself like one. She hadn't been since she was reduced to a filthy, obedient creature without dignity. She hadn't been one since they had cut off her ears the first night she was captured. They bled for a long time; that was all she still remembered. The pain, and the rest had faded from her mind.
The still silence between the two was interrupted by a laughter and the song of two birds flying past the door, quick as the wind. Despite her thin and tired face, there was a look of curiosity and wonder on the young woman's expression. She hadn't seen such warm, beautiful light since the last time she had been home.

"Are my rescuers here? I'd like to thank them" she said, looking at Elrond and rising from the bed with extreme slowness. Instinctively, he stepped closer to help her, and only when their eyes met did Yesenia see only sincerity and kindness in his gaze. He was good. He was truly a good creature, unlike anyone other than a horse or a squirrel she had encountered.
She had seen darkness in all its forms and was certain that there was none in him. She would have recignized it.
He offered her his arms, which she hesitantly took at first, with a faint smile. He seemed relieved to see her more at ease.

"They're here. As soon as you're ready, I'll take you to them" he added.

"Really, I'm fine. You've healed me completely. I'm just a bit tired, but not so much that I can't thank those who freed me" she bit her tongue as the last word slipped out. Sensing her discomfort, Elrond chose not to investigate, for the time being.

"Very well, I'll call for some handmaidens to help you get dressed" he said, gently letting go of her arms.
The elf was about to leave the room when her voice stopped him.

"Thank you, Elrond. My name is Yesenia" she finally said. The brown-haired elf turned and gave her a smile, nodded slightly, and then continued on his way.

The youngelf sat back down, still incredulous at what was happening to her. She began checking all the wounds she had had for months, left untreated. Her ankles-healed, her wrists-healed, her knees, her right side-it all seemed stitched up and perfectly closed. She couldn't see her back, but judging by the pain, they must have treated the infection.

After a few minutes, two female elves appeared: they were truly beautiful, one with blonde hair and the other with brown hair like oak bark. Their skin was smooth, their physical forms perfect, and their faces gentle.

"You've finally woken!" said one of them as they approached.

"I'm Silwen, and she is Idril." The brunette, who spoke, seemed the less shy of the two, although both gave her sweet smiles. Being around two women made Yesenia relax a little more, even though physical contact still brought a knot to her stomach.

"Yesenia" she simply said with a weak smile, looking at the two. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Four days, though it could have been much longer given how you arrived" said the blonde one, who began pulling a clean dress from a wardrobe in the room, while the brunette led her into a nearby chamber.

"We can help you bathe if you'd like, before you get dressed" the brunette added, looking into her eyes. Only then did Yesenia notice how green they were. A bath? She definitely needed one. She knew she had said it out of pure courtesy, as the smell she emitted wasn't the best.

"That would be wonderful" she said, incredulous but in a calm tone, her voice gradually becoming less hoarse.

"This way then. We've got some fresh peach blossom water that just arrived a few days ago" Idril said with a smile, leading the two into a bathroom. There was a large wooden tub in the center. Yesenia didn't pay much attention to the rest, as the tub already seemed like a mirage.

The blonde placed the pale pink dress on a piece of furniture while the brunette opened the water for the tub and began to remove Yesenia's robe. The latter, unconsciously, pulled away, leaving a confused look on the elf's face.

"F-forgive me... I... could I wash myself alone? It's not because of you... it's just that-" before she could finish speaking, Silwen placed a hand on her shoulder, as Idril joined them.

"You don't need to explain anything. Take your time. You might need help with the dress, so just call us when you're ready. We'll be right here" that kindness and understanding seemed almost fake, not in the sense of being false, but more like something long lost, a vision of something that once existed but had now accepted its disappearance. Idril winked at her, and Yesenia nodded, and the two returned to the previous room.

Left alone, Yesenia began moving without thinking too much. She removed the robe, turned off the water, and poured the peach blossom fragrance left by Idril. She immersed herself in the hot water. Where the wounds were, she felt a heightened sensitivity, but it faded shortly after. A tear slid down her face. Perhaps the hot water was not only melting her nerves but also her soul.
She was in the King's palace, being cared for by a group of elves, the people of her parents, her people, surrounded by kind-hearted individuals who only seemed to want to help her. Could the world turn upside down so easily?
Thinking about it, it had already happened in the past, when she had been kidnapped. Now, it was just happening in a positive way, perhaps.

Once finished, she took a long towel to dry herself, put on the underslip, and looked for Silwen and Idril. The two had stayed outside as promised, and helped her with the back of her dress.

"Are you comfortable? Or is it too tight?" Silwen asked.

"It's perfect, really" she said, this time with a wider smile.

"Very well, now let's take care of this hair" said Idril, directing the girl toward a small desk with a mirror in front. Yesenia sat down without raising her gaze. Was she really ready to look at her face? Idril gently lifted her chin: she actually looked a lot like the reflection she had seen in the lake a few months before, only more detailed. Her cheeks were hollow, with dark circles under her eyes, and her skin was slightly dull.

"Nothing that good food and rest can't fix" said Silwen with a confident grin, placing a hand on her shoulder. Meanwhile, Idril was brushing her carrot-red hair, and braided part of it, creating a delicate and simple hairstyle.

"Here we go" said the blonde, putting the brush down. She was proving to be more talkative than she initially seemed.

"We'll take you to the young warriors who saved you, if you'd like to" added Silwen.

"Thank you, I don't know how I could repay you. If you ever need anything, I'm at your disposal." The two looked at each other, then back at her.

"Kindness doesn't need to be repaid, Yessie. I like that name, what do you think?" the brunette asked her friend.

"I think it's perfect" said the redhead, turning around.