Sentiment’s Turn Chapter 6
        The Whole Story

Although Legolas had observed Violet and seen her work, she had not yet met him. King Elessar knew she needed to speak with an elf, but wished to make that first meeting as easy as possible on her.

He called her to his study, to discuss the matter before introducing her to Legolas. “I do not think that you are necessarily an elf, but neither are you an orc. Since orcs are said to have been elves once, I thought that would be a good place to start searching for your identity. Legolas has seen some of your needlework, he agrees that it is too beautiful to have been crafted by such a dark race as the orcs. I want you both to come to a private breakfast with me tomorrow morning so you can meet each other. Be sure to look your best. Until then, you are dismissed.”

“Yes, my lord.” Violent exited, her mind cluttered with contradicting thoughts. Surely if a man, an elf, and four hobbits agreed that she was not an orc, they were right. However, how could she be of a different race altogether than her parents? If she was born to Orcs, how could she possibly have been free from the darkness of mind and soul that was the doom of that whole race? It made no sense, and yet it was so.

It was with some apprehension that she approached the King’s personal dining table the next morning. She wondered what the elf would think once he saw her. (She did not realize that he already had.)

As she entered the room, she stopped, frozen in amazement. The elf was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Here truly was one of a graceful and noble race. She found herself staring at him, yet unable to meet his gaze.

“Sit down, Violet. Legolas is used to such reactions from mortals meeting one of the Firstborn for the first time. I had not told you this, but he has already observed you. He is ready to help you discover yourself. You are probably a race all unto yourself, and we wish to help you discover what kind of race that is.”

Unable to speak, she merely nodded and complied.

“You call yourself Violet,” Legolas began, “but surely orcs did not give you that name?”

“No, my real name is in the black tongue, which I do not wish to speak here. I named myself after the flower when I left them.”

“Tell me a little bit about your youth,” Legolas said, “so I can determine where you are coming from.”

“I was born in an orc-cave in the northern mountains. I had seen little of the outside world, for female orcs do not generally go raiding with the males. As a child, I was fed and clothed, but little else. Orcish families have little if any love. I began learning to sew as soon as I was old enough. For recreation, we children were sometimes allowed to help torture prisoners, but I hung back. I was sternly reprimanded and even beaten for my refusal, but I could not change. Somehow, I was just too sensitive to inflict such pain on another.

“No one came remotely close to understanding me except my grandmother. She also was a seamstress. Although she tortured others when she was told to, she did not enjoy it. She told me that we were bound to kin before outsiders, and that obedience was more important than love. I did not know if that was true. She seemed to be the only one who truly seemed to have any love or loyalty at all; the rest of my kin obeyed out of fear, rebelling if they wanted too and thought they could do so without being caught.

“Since I did not join in recreational torture, I had to find other ways to amuse myself. I would sometimes sneak out of our cave and look at the world around us. The sunrise over the mountains was my first encounter with beauty. We were low enough on the mountain that I could occasionally climb down to the valley. That is where I first saw flowers. Once, I hastily picked a few and carried them back to the cave under my clothes. I pilfered a bit of cloth and material, and started trying to make patterns with the thread.

“I helped a traveler escape once, and he asked me what I wanted in return, if he could give me anything. I asked for a bit of colored thread, and somehow he managed to get some to me a month or so later without getting recaptured. That is how I made the dresses I wear now.

“When I heard rumor from returning raiders that Gondor was putting up a fight against Sauron himself, I took supplies similar to those carried by raiders and ran away to try to find this place. I encountered little danger, for evil things thought that, as an orc, I was an ally; while honorable people would not attack unless they were attacked first. Eventually, as you know, Sauron was destroyed and I made it here to the city.”

“Was this grandmother of yours still living when you left?” asked King Elessar.

“Yes, as far as I know she is still alive.”

“Are there any men in your ancestry on her side?” Legolas asked. “That might explain the unprecedented compassion.”

“As far as I know, Saurman’s minions were the first half-men half-orcs there ever were.”

“Perhaps not all orcs really are orcs at heart;” King Elessar commented, “you are dismissed for now.”

The king wondered about her story. Was it possible that Violet’s grandmother had been like her, only less courageous? Could she have developed yet more dislike for the pain of others now that she could no longer be under Sauron’s mind control? He wished he could meet her.