| eireen |
 RE: Overcoming (scripted)
on: April 04, 2005 08:01
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((The first time of the co-post between me and Nar  ))
Thearl sighed, and once again wiped his eyes carefully, just to make sure there were not any tears left. He doubted that it would help much, since his eyes were so red and swollen, that even the least perceptive person would guess that he had been crying hard. Now, standing in front of Andy's door, Thearl was trying to compose himself for his sister's sake. He actually could not remember if she had ever seen him in a state similar to the one he was in, and guessed that she had not. Therefore he was trying to do everything he could to make himself look a little better, just for her sake. But still, he was now only a shadow of his usual self. The hard emotional ordeal made his proud shoulders, always so proudly straightened, sag. Even Thearl's entire stance was different, not so proud and strong anymore. For the first time in four years it was possible to see how much the Blight and not eating much affected Thearl—it was impossible to tell how thin he was when he was holding himself proud, but now, it was painfully clear how skinny he had become. Finally Thearl knocked on the door. He could not delay that any longer, he knew he could not. And he did not want to delay it any longer either. Because the longer he would wait, the harder it would become, Thearl realised. And besides...he had made up with Bacall, and there was hope in his heart that maybe he would find out that all he was thinking about Rethe and her attitude was wrong. He hoped that it would be so, even if that would mean admitting the mistake he had made. But he would do that gladly if it meant having his little sister back.
The door opened and Andy stood there. He offered Thearl a slight smile of encouragement and held out his hand, beckoning the young man to come inside. "I'm glad you came, Thearl," he said softly. "Rethe is here already, she's in the parlor..."
Thearl entered the house, and just looked at Andy. Suddenly he was feeling so tired, and was not sure if he had enough energy to actually face Rethe.
Andy smiled, seeing Thearl's reluctance. "It'll be alright, son...I've talked with her, she knows everything you told me. I must warn you though, she is very hurt. She has been crying a lot"
Thearl looked at Andy. “So am I,” he said softly, “so am I...” Then he added, “When I was walking here, I was sure I wanted to talk to her. Now I'm not so sure anymore, but I guess that I have to do that...thank you."
Andy nodded. "Yes, you do have to," he said softly. "And you are welcome. I hate to see such pain in a family...it should not be so." He put his hand on Thearl's shoulder. "Would like to get freshened up a bit before you go in? Or are you ready enough?"
Thearl shook his head. “Thank you, but I think I will go and talk to her right now, because if I wait a little longer, then I might just run away," he admitted, and then moved towards the parlor. There was no time to waste.
Andy smiled slightly as he followed Thearl into the parlor. Rethe was there, sitting on the couch with a teacup in her hand. She was not crying, but it was clear that she had been crying pretty hard not too long ago. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were stained from tears. When the men entered she looked up. She didn't say anything, she just looked at Thearl, and seeing him made her tears well up again, though she was able to keep them from falling by biting her lip. She looked at him for a moment, then looked down at the teacup in her hands. She carefully placed it on a table by the couch, then just stared at her lap.
Right now Thearl felt really like turning and running away. He was so tired of it all, and seeing Rethe in that state did not help him at all. He knew she had been crying because of him, because of what he said and did, and even though he felt very hurt because of the way in which she acted this morning, he still could feel guilt filling up his heart at huge speed. He moved slightly forward towards the couch, but still did not say anything. He did not know what to say.
After a moment, and nothing happening, Andy put his hand gently on Thearl's back and led him to the couch. "Sit down, Thearl," he said quietly. "Why don't you begin by telling Rethe your plans for tonight..."
Thearl sat down just as Andy told him to, but when he heard his words, he looked up at the older man, surprised. “My...my plans?” he asked.
Andy nodded. "Yes. Tell her what you told me...about your living conditions..."
Thearl still looked a little confused. Finally he looked at Rethe and said in a soft voice, “I am not coming back home tonight. I have just talked with Devin and he allowed me to stay at his house..."
Rethe shook her head, not understanding. "But why, Thearl? Why would you want to leave home...leave me?"
“I...I just can't go on like this... I need some place where I can rest...find some peace...." Thearl said quietly, not truly able to explain his reasons. He guessed he was not even aware of all of them, but he felt the need to do that move, to leave the house at least for a while.
Rethe still didn't understand. "But...but, Thearl...I don't understand...what happened? I thought we were alright."
“I also thought that we were...but it seems that we are not..." the man said, sighing quietly. "I guess we never were..." he added.
Rethe narrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?" she exclaimed. "Thearl...what do you mean we were never alright? I don't understand..."
Thearl looked at her. “I...today, when I heard...I realized that maybe I have...maybe I have never truly known you...it seems to me that I have been living in my own world...and things that I thought were right....things I thought were true...maybe they were not true at all..."
The expression on Rethe's face was just becoming more and more confused. "Thearl...what did you hear? I don't know what you're talking about or what you mean."
"I heard you talking with him...about...about what happened..." Thearl said quietly.
Rethe nodded. She understood that much. "So...you heard that...then what? What did you hear that could make you think you were wrong about me all these years?"
“Can't you see it?” Thearl asked, becoming devastated. “I just...found out that I was wrong...all those years I was so wrong thinking....thinking that you needed my protection...I went on believing that I was doing the right thing, not...not telling you about that...but now it became painfully clear to me, that I needn't have bothered, because you didn't need it at all..."
A tear found its way down Rethe's cheek and her lip trembled. "You couldn't have known, Thearl. You thought you were doing the right thing...you wanted to protect me, and I admire you for that. But how does knowing that cause all this heartbreak? I thought you would be glad to know that I don't hate daddy for what he did, that I still love him...I thought you would be glad..."
“Rethe, I...I just got terribly hurt today, when I heard the way...the way in which you were talking about what happened...about my past..." Thearl said, sighing quietly, and then tried to focus on what he wanted to say, trying to choose the right words to explain everything to her. Because now he wanted to make Rethe understand why he was so hurt, why he reacted the way he did. They needed to be able to trust each other again, they had to keep their close relationship...how could he even think of destroying something so valuable, something so important, which without any exaggeration, had been the cornerstone of his life? “I know, and I understand that...that you may not be able to understand what I have gone through and how much it has hurt me, how many wounds it has left that are still fresh...I don't want you to cry over what happened...or pity me, my dear sister...but I...I wanted to ask you about a little bit of understanding. Because the way in which you talked about it today, the tone of your voice...it hurt me, because it sounded like if you were talking about something ordinary, like split milk...and maybe you really feel it that way...as a thing that doesn't hold much importance...but for me, Rethe, for me that is the most painful thing that has ever happened to me...and to hear it being discussed this way, hurt me more than I can tell..."
He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before he continued, still looking at Rethe. Pain was visible on his face, and the tone of his voice was earnest, he wanted to let her know how he felt, and what he felt. “For me, my little sister, the past and all those beatings...everything that I had to endure...are the worst memories of my life... they are the past, yes, but they have never truly healed. Almost every day I keep remembering them, they haunt my dreams...sometimes some comments the Mayor makes, bring them forcefully back to my mind...you, my sister, can never know and fully understand what it feels like...?" The man bowed his head as silent tears began to stream down his cheeks, and his voice was shaking slightly. “What it feels like when you are afraid to come back home...and how that is when fear is so strong that you rather choose to sleep in the bushes outside than your own bed...You had the luck never to have heard our mother crying together with me when she was taking care of bloody welts on my back and legs...you cannot know how that feels when your father holds you in such a strong grip that it seems to be breaking your hand with one of his own hands, while viciously beating you with the other..."
Thearl paused, finally looking up at his sister and swallowing hard to be able to carry on. “These...these images, and many more, I keep seeing in my mind...they still hurt, hurt so badly...I still haven't forgotten, I can't forget them no matter how hard I try...and," he said hopefully, locking his sad gaze with Rethe, "I hope that now you are able to understand why it had hurt me so much...so badly...can you?" he asked hesitantly, begging her with his eyes, full of tears, to understand. Now he was holding his breath, waiting for her to answer... If she could not understand him now, after he had laid his bare heart in front of her, then she would never be able to.
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| Narbeleth |
RE: Overcoming (scripted)
on: April 04, 2005 09:32
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((here's the second part ))
The whole time Thearl was talking, Rethe just sat silently, listening, not interrupting, letting him get it all out. Tears were streaming down her face by the time he had finished. And when he looked at her, waiting for her answer, she couldn't stand it any more. She broke into sobs and threw her arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder. "Oh, Thearl...I'm so sorry...I never thought...I never really understood...I...I'm sorry..."
And Thearl felt relieved, so much relieved when he was sitting, holding his sister close. He needed her so much, she had been his entire life, and the knowledge that she seemed to understand him now was something incredible. For the first time in all those years she knew everything about him, without any more secrets that needed to be kept away from her. Tears were falling from his eyes freely now, while he hugged his sister even tighter, not willing to let go of her. Ever.
Rethe held onto her brother for a full minute, just crying. But finally she found her voice. There were still some things that bothered her, and she had some questions. "But, Thearl," she said, not moving away from him. "Why did you need to run away? Why couldn't you just tell me this? The knowledge that you thought I don't care...that...hurt so bad, Thearl. Because I do care...I've always cared. How could you think that I don't?" Finally she pulled away and look him in the eyes. The hurt she felt clearly evident in her own eyes.
Thearl met her gaze. “It's just...it is because the last few days were really terrible for me. The past was forcefully pushed back into my life by the Mayor and the way he threatened me. Then Devin found out, Bacall betrayed me, and he told you. And you were hurt, I could feel it, and that hurt me even more, adding to all the pain and hurt accumulating for some time. And today, after I heard that, it was just too much...too much for me to bear...I have lost my faith in everyone and everything around me...I wanted nothing but death..." he admitted.
"Thearl..." Rethe said quietly, more sobs escaping. "I have faith in you...I've always had faith in you, and I love you, and I care about you so much." She paused and put her arms around him again. When she spoke again her voice was quiet. "We've always been able to talk about everything together...no matter what it was. If one of us was hurt or confused...about anything...we could always rely on the other to help us through it. I don't want that to change...I don't want us to grow apart."
“Neither do I,” Thearl said very quietly, hugging his sister close. What he was saying was meant only for her. “I have understood that now...and I apologize... I'm not acting as usual, since I have no more strength...I'm sorry, my little sister, for hurting you..."
"It's alright, Thearl," Rethe whispered. "I forgive you...but..." she paused and swallowed hard. "Will you...could you forgive me for not fully understanding? I didn't know...but that doesn't mean I don't care..."
“I can't forgive it,” Thearl said softly, “because I have nothing to forgive...you couldn't have known, and I was wrong to draw my own conclusions too quick, without even asking you.” It was not an easy thing to admit that he had been wrong, but it was the only right thing to do, and Thearl was aware of that. “And that is something I won't forgive myself, and no pain or trouble is any excuse here..."
"Are you still going to move out?" Rethe asked. She pulled away and looked at him again, worry in her gaze. "Are you still going to leave me?"
“I...I don't know...” he said softly, now not entirely sure what he should do. “But moving out could never mean truly leaving you, my little sister..."
"What do you mean?"
“Even if I were to live somewhere else, we still would be seeing each other a lot..."
"But why would you need to leave?" Rethe begged. "Why would you want to leave? I don't understand."
“Look at me, my little sister...” Thearl said softly. “What do you see?”
Rethe leaned back and looked at him for a moment. "I see my brother, whom I love more than anyone in the world...I see him broken...tired...only a shell of what he once was." She paused. "But that doesn't matter, Thearl. I need you with me...and I know that we can get through whatever comes our way, together." She paused again. "Look at me, Thearl...what do you see?"
Thearl smiled slightly at her words, and tried to lift their spirits a little. “Nice try, my little sister, but no matter how many times you will ask this question, my answer will always be the same—I see my little sister..." But then, turning more serious, he said. "I think I will stay at Devin's for a day or two—I need some good rest and time to think...but then, I guess, I can come back to you..."
Rethe smiled slightly, even though her lip trembled. "Please do," she said softly. "I couldn't bare having you gone...I would miss you so terribly." She put her arms around his neck again and whispered into his ear. "I love you so much, Thearl."
“I love you too, my little sister...” he said softly, hugging her close. He felt so much better now that he knew everything was all right between him and Rethe, and he was feeling very tired, he needed sleep, and sitting so with his sister, on a comfortable couch, made him feel even more sleepy. And he was beginning to feel very hungry, since he did not even eat breakfast.
After a few minutes Rethe finally opened her eyes and pulled away from her brother. She wiped her eyes, then smiled and reached up her hand to wipe some of his tears way too. Then she glanced over to where Andy had been, but the man was gone. They hadn't even noticed when he left the room. She turned back to Thearl and smiled again.
Thearl smiled, slightly, catching himself that he had almost fallen asleep. “What will you do today, hmm?” he asked her softly.
Rethe sighed and shrugged. "I don't know...Thearl?" she asked hesitantly. "Could we...could we spend some time together? Could we walk by the lake and just talk...about anything and everything, but not the Blight or elves, or you and daddy...but just be together and talk, like we used to do? Could we do that?" She looked pleadingly up at him, a little afraid of his answer.
Thearl shook his head slightly. “I have to go back to Devin pretty soon now, unless you want him to run all over Esgaroth trying to find me, which he had threatened to do. And I need some sleep, or I will fall asleep on my feet soon...but if you give me just two or three hours, then we can go together for as long a walk as you wish. Will you agree?" he asked, and then added, "And I'm not going to the Council tonight, so we wouldn't have to come back too quick."
Rethe swallowed and looked down at her lap. "Could...could I go with you?" she asked. The truth was she didn't want to be separated from him right then. She wanted the comfort of his presence. She was afraid that if she was left alone she would just cry. And she was tired of crying. Tired of the pain of tears. She wanted to be happy again...and she was always happiest when she was with her brother.
Thearl looked at her. “Of course you could, if you want to. But I'm afraid that I can't stop myself from sleeping..."
Rethe looked up and smiled with relief. "Then I will sleep beside you," she said. "Like when we were younger...do you remember?"
Thearl suddenly smiled brightly as his mind filled with that memory, a happy one for a change. "Of course I do. That would be just great," he said, and then kissed her on her cheek.
Rethe smiled and stood up, taking Thearl by the hands and pulling him up with her. "We should find Andy...I think he decided to leave us alone..."
Thearl stood up, and then looked around. "Yes, we should find him. I owe him so much...he stopped me from making the worst mistakes in my life...and he has given me so much..."
"I know what you meant now," Rethe said. "When you said he was an extraordinary man. He is..."
Thearl smiled, nodding. "Yes, he is. Do you like him?"
"I do, very much," Rethe said, threading her hand through the crook of Thearl's arm, she smiled up at him.
"I am glad to hear that, my little sister, because today Andy became very important to me, very close..." Thearl said softly.
"Today?" Rethe said. "What do you mean?"
Thearl looked at Rethe, trying to think of a good way to explain everything to his sister. "You see, today, when I needed much support, Andy was there for me. I trust that man with my life. And since he has no son, and I have no real father, he agreed to take that place in my heart," Thearl said, smiling weakly. "He's like a real father to me..."
Rethe looked up at her brother, a smile on her face and a single tear in her eye. "Thearl...I'm...I'm so happy for you...it's what you've always wanted..."
Thearl nodded. "It is..." he smiled, pulling his sister into his embrace and kissing her on her cheek. "And that is why I am so glad to hear that you like him too. Now let's go and look for him, alright?"
"Alright," Rethe grinned, and, still with her arm around her brother, they went into the kitchen in search of Andy.
They found him there, sitting at the table with a cup of tea. He was leaning back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling as if lost in his thoughts. When they entered he looked at them and smiled when he saw how close they were to each other. "Well, this must mean everything has been worked out," he said.
Thearl smiled. "It has," he said softly. "Thanks to you."
Andy smiled and stood up. "I'm just glad I could be of some use," he said. He came around the table and put his hand on Thearl's shoulder. "So, you know what you're going to do now?"
Thearl nodded. "We're going to get some rest first, and then we are going on a long walk. And in a couple of days I think I will go back home."
"That's grand," Andy said. Then he looked at Rethe. "You treat this brother of yours well, little girl. He's been through a lot."
Rethe smiled slightly and nodded. "I will," she said, squeezing her brother closer to her.
Then Andy looked at Thearl again. "And you treat your little sister well, young man. She is slowly learning about you, and realizing that her brother is not who she always thought he was can be a hard thing to cope with...just be understanding and patient."
Thearl nodded. "I was thinking a lot about what you had told me while I was on my way here, and now I am sure I will not make the same mistake again," he said earnestly, looking at his new father. It felt so good to know that he finally had someone who cared for him in that way, one of his biggest dreams ever had come true. He had a father—he would have to get used to that thought, but it was already bringing him much joy.
"Well, good," Andy said. "Will you stay for tea? Or do you need to get going?"
Thearl looked at Rethe with a silent question in his eyes. He was very tired and would like to sleep as soon as he could, but if his little sister would like to stay for tea with Andy, then he guessed he could manage to stay awake a little longer.
Rethe studied Thearl for a moment. She could see how tired he was. He had been through a lot today already and it was barely past noon. She knew he needed some rest. She turned her gaze to Andy. "Thank you, Andy, that's kind of you to offer. But I think we should be going...Thearl needs his rest."
Thearl smiled weakly at Andy and then looked with gratitude at his little sister. "I'm sorry that we won't stay...but I can barely stay awake now, and really need some rest..."
Andy waved it away. "Oh, that's no problem at all. You two have a good remainder of the day, and, Thearl, you get some good sleep. I'll see you both again soon I'm sure." He smiled. "Let me walk you to the door..."
Thearl smiled as he followed Andy to the door with his sister at his side. "Thank you, for everything," he said softly. "And have a good day too," he added, and then briefly embraced Andy, hoping that the other man did not mind.
Andy smiled and returned Thearl's embrace, hugging him strongly and slapping him lightly on the back. "You take care, Thearl. And come by and see me soon, I'll be thinking about you."
"I promise I will. Most likely tomorrow," he said softly, smiling. It felt so good to have a father at last. "Good bye," he added, putting his arm around his sister.
"Good bye," Andy said, then he looked at Rethe and put his hand to her cheek. "I would love to see you again also, little lady," he said. "So make sure you get your brother to bring you once in a while."
Rethe smiled. "I'll make sure of that," she said. "Good bye, Andy, and thank you so much for everything."
"You are most welcome," Andy said quietly.
Thearl smiled, glad to see that Rethe really liked Andy, and the man also seemed to like her. "Come, my little sister, or you will have to carry me to Devin's on your back..."
Rethe laughed, and with a last wave to Andy they began walking away. Rethe rested her head against Thearl's shoulder as they walked, so glad to have him at her side again.
"I'm so glad to have you here, my little sister," Thearl said, smiling, and then kissed her on the top of her head. "I love you so much..."
"And I love you, Thearl," she whispered.
Thearl just hugged her closer, and so the siblings made their way towards Devin's house. Together.
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| Vanalosswen |
RE: Overcoming (scripted)
on: April 05, 2005 03:02
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((Bit of an update on Ran and a response to Eireen's post))
Raniean slept late for once, breaking every habit he had ever set for himself in his long lifetime. He was woken late in the morning by the combined efforts of the sun shining in his eyes and repeated poundings on his door. He sat up, his long hair falling away from his sleep-flushed face, and winced at the light. “Ai,” he murmured, shading his eyes. “Too bright…”
The pounding started again, and Ran scowled at the door. “I’m coming, I’m coming!” he called at whoever was at the door. “Wait a moment…” He slid his long legs out of bed and groaned. After the scout left the night before, he had remained awake and working for several hours until his drooping eyelids forced him into bed for a long night’s rest. His mouth felt drier than the plains of Gorgoroth; he paused by the nightstand to grab a mouthful of water before answering the door.
“Yes?” he asked, managing to change the word from a snarl to a civil question at the last instant.
“Sorry to bother you, Captain.” The pounder was a young messenger. He didn’t look like he had run all the way from somewhere far away, so Ran was less inclined to be forgiving at the moment. “This message just came in for you, and the messenger said it was important you get it immediately.” The messenger sniffed. “It’s from Rivendell.” He proffered the message as he said that, his body language saying he didn’t think something from Rivendell deserved the attention of one of the senior captains.
Ran was suddenly wide-awake. “Rivendell?” He took the letter and looked at the writing on the outside. He didn’t recognize the handwriting, but it was definitely addressed to ‘Captain Raniean, Border Guard’. He flipped it over to look at the seal and his whole face lit up with the brightness of his smile. “Ah…”
The messenger cleared his throat, and Ran focused on him again. “Ah, yes,” he said, remembering that messengers were usually given a small tip to properly thank them. “One moment…” He slipped back inside his room, setting the letter reverentially on the bed as he passed it, and grabbed his money purse. After a moment’s deliberation, he picked out a copper piece. It would have been silver, as the message was of great importance to him, but the messenger had been unbelievably rude. Stepping back out, the captain handed the money to the messenger and closed his door before the messenger could say anything.
Sitting slowly on his bed, Ran picked up the letter and turned it over so the seal faced up. He had only seen this seal once, but it tended to stick in the memory: the seal of the house of Lord Golion, his adopted Ada and father of his gwador, Arthion. “Now, who is writing me?” he wondered aloud. “Is it Ada or Arthion?” He sat staring at the envelope for a moment longer before laughing self-depreciatingly. “Well, I’ll never know if I don’t open it,” he said, sliding a finger under the seal and breaking it.
The handwriting revealed inside the folded paper was neat and firm; exactly what Ran would have expected of his adopted Ada. The letter read as follows:
My dearest ion,
It has been a while since I heard from you last, and my father's heart is worried about you. How are you, my son? Every day I pray to the Valar so that they keep you safe and bring happiness into your life. We all miss you greatly here in Imladris, especially Arthion. He misses you so much that he cannot find a place for himself anymore. And since his friend invited him to come to Mirkwood, he decided to accept this invitation. I don't know if you heard about it yet, but Arthion is coming to Mirkwood, and he is going to spend a few next years there. In fact, I think that he will have just started his journey by the time you will receive this letter.
And thus, ion-nín, I wanted to ask you to take care of your gwador. I know that Arthion is not an elfling anymore, but you know how fragile he really is. He received as much healing in Imladris as he could, but now he just needs to find his courage inside of his heart. I know he has it, and that he is strong, but all this is still weak and delicate. Therefore I beg you to protect him as best as you can when he is in Mirkwood. Maybe he could even stay with you in your house? This way you would be able to spend more time together.
I also wanted to inform you that I am going to visit you and your brother in some time, and maybe will even come to stay in Mirkwood for some time with your mother, so that our family could be reunited again. I really hope that this would be possible, since I miss you so much, ion-nín...
Until that day, I will keep on thinking about the both of you, and I hope that at least the two of you will be together soon, and happy to be reunited.
With the best wishes,
Your ada.
Ran smiled and closed his eyes. “Arthion…” he whispered. “So you have decided at last to come and visit me. I am glad.”
‘Glad’ was a bit of an understatement. If it were not for the fact that he liked to be considered sane by those under him, he would have turned cartwheels down every hallway there was in Eryn Lasgalen, whooping with joy. He hadn’t seen Arthion in years, and he missed his gwador deeply. Beyond that, Lord Golion himself might come as well, though later than Arthion. In the place of the gleeful celebration he wanted to show, the captain contented himself with a soft squeal and threw himself back to lie on his back on his bed, grinning foolishly up at the ceiling.
“Oh, do I have preparations to make!” With that, he jumped to his feet and changed quickly into a clean uniform. When he was on patrol, he never wore uniforms: they tended to get ruined too easily around him, and the seamstresses had asked him to please wear his own clothes when there was a chance that someone would get hurt. He tended to use his tunic or cloak to staunch blood flows, and blood was the hardest stain to get out. To make up for not wearing a uniform officially, he wore them when he was on palace duty, which he was during the feast.
Grabbing his cloak and throwing it about his slender shoulders, the slim captain left his small house and headed for the main palace. Though he tried to keep his joy down to a containable level, he couldn’t resist temptation when he came to an empty corridor. He turned three cartwheels in a row, landing with a muffled laugh. He didn’t whoop with joy, as he knew any extra sound would bring someone running. Once he had got that out of his system, he headed for the main gates, knowing Arthion would have to pass through them first.
He wasn’t precisely in charge of the gate guards, as such, but they all knew and respected him and would usually do what he wanted, within reason. They straightened up as he entered the small guardhouse above the massive gates and saluted. “Greetings,” he said, nodding to each of the young guards.
“Greetings, captain,” the most senior of them replied. “What can we do for you?”
“I’m expecting an important guest within the next few weeks,” Ran said, leaning comfortably against the edge of a table. “His name is Arthion, son of Golion of Rivendell. When he arrives, I want him directed immediately to my house.” His piercing green gaze swept from guard to guard, quelling any desire to laugh in anyone. “This is very important to me,” he added very quietly, “and there will be repercussions if he is misdirected.”
The guards looked at each other. Finally, the senior one reached for a piece of chalk and marked on the blackboard kept in the guardhouse ‘Arthion of Rivendell to be directed to Captain Raniean’s house. Important.’ This was, Ran knew, so that anyone who was on guard when Arthion arrived would know what to do with the strange blonde elf.
“What does he look like, sir?” the senior one asked, setting the chalk back where it belonged. “In case he comes on our watch,” he added in answer to the question in Ran’s arched eyebrow.
“You will know him,” Ran replied calmly. “He is a bit shorter than me, as most are, and he has blonde hair like Prince Legolas’.” He knew that not many elves came to Mirkwood with blonde hair; it was something of a rarity nowadays.
“Blonde hair, yes sir. Is there anything else we can do for you?”
Ran shook his head and pushed himself up again. “No, I think that will be all. Thank you for your help.” With that, he exited the guardhouse and headed down the stairs to the main courtyard.
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| kellymulder |
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| Ireth_elfmaiden |
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| kellymulder |
RE: Overcoming (scripted)
on: April 22, 2005 09:21
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((cowritten by me, Nar and Eireen enjoy  ))
Thearl smiled slightly as he and Rethe approached the door of Devin's house. His friend would have a huge surprise when he saw that Rethe had come with him, of that Thearl was sure. He looked at his sister. "Ready to make a surprise to Devin?" Thearl asked.
"He is not expecting me, is he?" Rethe asked. She smiled slightly. "I hope he likes surprises."
"Me too," Thearl said, grinning, and then knocked on the door. "This will be priceless," he whispered. "Just watch him closely..."
Rethe grinned and bit her lip to keep from laughing.
"Shh...be quiet or you'll spoil the fun," Thearl said, though he had a hard time trying not to laugh himself.
Devin hurried through the empty house, his arms full with what others would call clutter, though to Devin, and he hoped to Thearl as well...it were priceless memories. He entered the kitchen and dropped the items on the table, then he heard someone knocking on the door. That had to be Thearl, he thought. Devin hoped that the talk with Bacall had cleared up Thearl's mind a bit…he couldn't stand his friend being this desperate. Quickly he hid the precious memories in a closet, he would take them out and surprise Thearl with it later on. Only he didn't see that he forgot one of the items, a doll with a broken leg was still on the kitchen table.
Devin hurried back to open the door. As he opened it he saw, to his enormous surprise, Rethe and Thearl standing in front of it, both smiling and grinning happily. "Err...hello...Thearl..." he felt blood going to his cheeks. Great! He thought, why? Why did he have to blush? "Hi, Rethe..." He added in a softer voice. "What a surprise..."
And that was the end of Thearl's ability of stopping himself from bursting out laughing. "Hello, Devin," he finally managed, shaking with laughter.
Rethe laughed too and hugged Devin. "Was it really a surprise?" she asked. "I just thought I would come along with Thearl...I hope you don't mind."
"No, sure I don't mind...I was just surprised." He reddened even more when Rethe hugged him, her soft body pressed to his for a moment. "I didn't expect you two to come together, after everything that happened. But come in, I'll make you some tea."
"Thank you..." Rethe said, pulling away and looking to her brother.
Thearl did not say anything, as he just stood, watching Devin carefully. He had noticed something which had really disturbed him, and he was sure he would have to discuss that with Devin later, when they were alone.
"Come on, Thearl," Rethe said, tugging on his hand.
Thearl followed his sister, but he was still eyeing Devin carefully. He asked himself quietly if what he had seen was really there, but then, it surely was. Devin was still blushing, and for sure he was not blushing because of him. And that left only Rethe...
Devin lead the two of them into the kitchen. "So, I assume you've cleared the air between yourselves?" he asked when he felt he had got a grip on himself again.
Rethe didn't say anything, deciding to let Thearl answer that question.
"Yes, we did," Thearl said, and then his gaze landed on the doll sitting on the table. "What is..." he began, and then moved forward to block the item from Rethe's sight, looking questioningly at Devin. "So, will you make some time?" he added hastily, hoping that Rethe did not notice his
earlier question.
"Will I make some time? Time for what?" Devin asked, frowning, not completely understanding what Thearl meant.
Thearl almost hit himself on his head. "Tea, I meant tea," he said quickly, blushing. He was so busy trying to hide the doll that he did not notice that he was rambling without making any sense at all.
Rethe giggled and looked at Thearl. "That was funny," she said. "What was that about?"
Devin looked at Thearl, wondering if he had gone crazy. "Yeah...sure I'll make..." He stopped as he saw the reason why Thearl was acting so weird. The doll! Rethe's doll! It was still on the kitchen table!
"Oh, it's nothing, really," Thearl said quietly, looking at Rethe, while at the same time he moved the doll with one hand behind his back. "I just got lost in my thoughts and wasn't paying attention to what I was saying..."
Rethe noticed Thearl's movement. "What are you doing?" she asked, trying to see behind him. "What was that?"
"Oh, nothing," Thearl said, taking a step back. "Maybe you'll help Devin with the tea?"
"Thearl..." Rethe said, her tone warning slightly. "Come on, what are you hiding?" She tried to go around him to see for herself.
Devin quickly moved towards the sink and grabbed the kettle. "Can you look for some tea bags Rethe? I'm sure there have to be some in the small closet behind your back." Devin said, hoping he could distract her.
"You heard Devin," Thearl said, not giving her any chance to see what he was holding.
Rethe grabbed Thearl's arm, trying to force him to show her what he was hiding. "Oh no you don't!" she said. "It's too late now, I know you're hiding something, now what is it?"
"I won't show you," Thearl said, taking a quick step back, so that Rethe, surprised by the sudden action, had to let go of his arm. "Devin," Thearl said, asking for help from his friend.
"No, you'll never see it," Devin said with a small grin. He walked towards Thearl, ready to stop Rethe if she was going to try to do anything to see the thing Thearl was hiding.
Rethe lunged at her brother again, grabbing his arm, she tried to pull it around so she could see, but he was pretty strong and held his arm in place.
"Rethe, you must understand, it's something private, and it'd make Devin very uncomfortable if you saw it," Thearl said. In the end it was Devin's fault they were in trouble now, so he could pay this way. But where from did he got that doll in the first place?
Rethe tried to dodge past her brother. If she couldn't pull his arm around, then she would go around herself...
"Devin!" Thearl exclaimed, urging his friend to do something to stop her.
Devin understood the hint, it was time for him to play...He pulled up a sad expression. "Rethe please...don't..." he said.
Rethe paused for a second and looked back at Devin, confused. "What? Why?" she asked.
Thearl decided to help. "Rethe, he can't tell you what it is, since it'd make him as uncomfortable as if you actually saw it, don't you think? Give him a break..."
Rethe smiled mischievously. "It would make him uncomfortable?" She said. "All the more reason to see what it is..." And she tried to dodge behind Thearl again.
"Oh, don't!" Thearl said, moving towards the door. Rethe followed him, glad to play this game, still trying to reach his arms, which he held behind his back the whole time.
"Rethe please don't...it...it is my...my dairy I left on the table. It is nothing of your business," Devin said in a dramatic voice.
Thearl looked seriously at Rethe, taking a step backwards just in case she still wanted to see it.
Rethe laughed. "Your diary?" she said. "Give it to me, Thearl!" she lunged at him again, wrapping both arms around him and grabbing the item he held in his hands. But he wouldn't let go. "That doesn't feel like a diary," she said.
"Aww..." Thearl exclaimed, and broke free out of her hold. "Devin!" he said, retreating to the door, and pushing it open with his leg.
Devin ran after Thearl and opened the door further so Thearl could escape with the doll. And that was what Thearl did, he just ran away from the kitchen, and towards Devin's room. How did it come to that? Devin closed the door immediately after Thearl so Rethe was unable to follow her brother.
Rethe tried to push past Devin so she could follow her brother, but Devin was blocking the door. "Come on, Devin, let me through..."
"No, I won't..." Devin said earnestly.
Rethe reached for the door handle, trying to push past. "Come on, Devin," she said again. "You two are acting like children..."
"And you're not? You should see yourself, Rethe, you look exactly like a curious twelve-year-old," Devin said, smiling slightly.
Rethe looked Devin in the eye, trying to think of something that would make him lose his concentration enough so she could slip past him. Finally she grinned, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him quickly, right on the mouth.
Devin leaned against the door, following Rethe carefully with his eyes to make sure she didn't escape. Then he saw Rethe stretching towards him. What the...what was she trying to do?! Suddenly he felt her soft lips pressed against his own. Panic, love and happiness ran through his veins. Did she...did she really like him? Was this really happening? He couldn't believe it.
In the meantime, Thearl opened the window of Devin's bedroom, and after checking that no one was following him, he hid the doll in the bushes just outside the window that once had been full of flowers, and now were only a sad, yellowish reminder of their former glory. Then he closed the
window, and went back to the kitchen.
But before Thearl managed to announce his comeback, he saw something which made him stop dead in his steps, and staring wide-eyed at the scene in front of his eyes. They were kissing! Devin and Rethe were kissing!
Her distraction had achieved the desired effect. Devin was quite shocked, and she was able to push past him before he had recovered his senses, but she didn't get far before running headlong into Thearl. She nearly fell backwards from the force of hitting him. But Thearl managed to catch her, overcoming his initial surprise as she hit him. Rethe was breathing heavily and laughing so hard she couldn't catch a breath even if she wanted to. "Where is it, Thearl?" she managed, realizing he didn't have it with him anymore.
But Thearl was not laughing at all. He just looked at Devin and at Rethe. "What was that about?" he asked quietly.
Devin still stood their, shocked, surprised, and then angry when he realized Rethe had just used it to fool him. Unable to move, he watched Rethe and Thearl talk.
"What was what?" Rethe asked, at first not understanding. "Come on, Thearl, where'd you hide it?"
"Why did you kiss Devin?" Thearl asked his question more precisely this time, able to see how bad his friend was now feeling. They would have to talk later about it, but still he did not find what Rethe did funny at all.
Rethe stopped and looked back at Devin, seeing him still standing there in some sort of shock. "I...I don't know...I needed to get past him, I needed a distraction...is there a problem?" she didn't understand why they were so upset about it.
"And you think it was right to do so?" Thearl asked. He was feeling really sorry for his friend.
Devin stared at Rethe, still unable to believe what she had just done to him. It was a joke? A distraction? How could she play him like that? Didn't she have any feelings at all?
"It was just a playful kiss, Thearl," Rethe said. "I didn't mean anything by it. Friends can kiss each other can't they? And Devin is one of my closest friends, more like a brother to me. I don't see what the problem is..."
Thearl shook his head—it was hopeless. Surely she could not see what she did. So, not wishing to talk about it any longer, so that his friend would not feel even worse, Thearl said finally, "Let's get some tea."
Rethe sighed in exasperation, then nodded.
"So, let's move back into the kitchen," Thearl said, and then waited for Rethe to go first, before turning to Devin. "Are you alright, my friend?"
Devin sighed and tried to get a grip again. He still felt confused and angry but he didn't show it. He had to act right now, and luckily for him he was a good actor. He knew Thearl knew what was going on but that was something he could deal with later on. "I'm fine, Thearl, there's nothing wrong," he said.
"I'm sorry," Thearl said, placing his palm on Devin's shoulder. "Let's go into the kitchen," he added quietly.
"Yeah, I promised to make tea." Devin said grinning. He could feel Thearl's concern and the questions he wanted to ask. With a soft whisper he asked, "Where did you put the doll?"
"Outside the window...though where did you take her from?"
"I found her in the shed; I thought you would like to see it again… of course I didn’t know you would bring your sister with you, but I'll tell you about it later. Rethe is waiting for us, let's go," Devin said in a hurried voice.
Thearl nodded, hoping that Rethe did not overhear anything they had said.
Rethe was sitting in the kitchen, tapping her fingers on the table impatiently. "Are you two coming?" she called.
"Yes, we're coming," Thearl called back.
As they got back into the kitchen Devin quickly made some tea and put it into three mugs. He placed them in front of his friends and sat down himself.
"So," Rethe said, sniffing the contents of her mug before taking a sip. "Are either of you going to tell me what that thing was you were hiding?" Thearl shook his head. "Why not?" Rethe asked. "Though I can probably guess what it was, since I got a pretty good feel of it at one point..."
"Because it was a personal thing." Devin replied.
"I'd say," Rethe laughed. "Since I know what it is..." she looked up at the ceiling and sipped her tea.
"You don't," Thearl said.
"Why then, do you insist on seeing it, if you already know what it is?" Devin answered.
"A very good point," Thearl added, smiling.
Rethe laughed. "Because, I want to see exactly what it looks like, and I want to have the image of the two of you holding one seared in my memory forever!" she laughed again.
Thearl looked at his sister. She really seemed to know what he was hiding. Devin gave Thearl a worried look, she knew...he thought.
Rethe laughed again at the looks the two men gave. "That's right, I do know. I felt it behind your back, Thearl...a pretty old, ragged thing I must say..."
Devin sighed in relief, she didn't seem mad at all. Despite the thing she had just done to him, and he was still angry about that, he didn't want to upset her.
"Well...so what will you say about that?" Thearl asked finally.
"Thearl, why in the Dragon's name do you and Devin have a doll in your possession?" she laughed, still not able to believe it.
"It's not my house," Thearl said.
"But I have a feeling the two of you are in this together," Rethe said, giving each of them a knowing look.
Thearl looked at Devin. "Maybe we are, or maybe we aren't..."
Devin just nodded, he didn't want to tell Rethe the story, it was so...stupid.
"Oh come on," Rethe said, rolling her eyes. "The way you two were protecting each other. I'm sure you're in on it together."
Devin sighed "...Who wants more tea?" he asked.
"Not me," Rethe said. "I want some answers to my questions. You really think I'm going to give up so easily?"
"Do you, Thearl?" Devin said, ignoring Rethe's last remark.
"Yes, please," Thearl answered.
"So two tea it is..." Devin mumbled while putting up the kettle.
Rethe folded her arms across her chest and suck her lip out in a pout. She sniffed dramatically, looking away and faking hurt. "Fine...if you don't want to tell..."
"Then what will you do?" Thearl asked softly.
"Here is your tea, Thearl..." Devin said while sitting down at the kitchen table again, looking from one to the other, wondering what was going to happen.
"Thank you," Thearl answered, still looking at his sister.
"I'll...I'll not fix you dinner for a whole week," she said, not completely serious.
"Oh Rethe, come on," Thearl said, quietly.
"What?" Rethe said innocently. "I can't be silly? You two certainly are."
"We all are being silly here. Why don't we take that as a final conclusion and talk about something else?" Devin said grinning.
"We're not silly...we're just...careful, that's the right word. Careful," Thearl said, looking at Devin.
"Maybe that's a better conclusion..." Devin said, meeting Thearl's eyes.
"I really think it is. So, what are we talking about?" Thearl asked.
"Okay, fine," Rethe said, holding up her hands in surrender. "I won't press about it anymore, it's quite worn out its fun by now anyway." She stared into her teacup, swirling the dregs at the bottom.
"I can't believe my little stubborn sister's just given up! I won!" Thearl exclaimed.
Rethe grinned up at him, then reached over and started to tickle him without mercy.
"Oh, break it," the man gasped, trying to move away. "Help, help!"
Rethe just tickled him harder, getting out of her chair so she could reach him better.
"Hey, Stop that!" Devin said in a loud voice, trying to sound threatening. "You can do that at home, but not in my house!"
"Ah ah, Thearl! You deserve it!" Rethe said, then she glanced at Devin. "You want to be next?" she asked.
"Rethe please," Thearl gasped amongst his laughter.
"You should try it..." Devin said in a low voice, trying not to smile as he said it.
"I just might," she said, still tickling her brother. "Do you give up, Thearl?" she asked.
"Yes, I do, I do..." Thearl gasped.
"Well, you will have to catch me first!" Devin said, not able to hold his laughter any longer.
Rethe's eyes widened at Devin's challenge, but she took it. In a second she had let go of her brother and was darting toward Devin.
Thearl was just lying on the floor now, trying to catch his breath.
Devin ran for it, out of the kitchen, up the stairs, into his former room. There he opened the window and climbed into the tree that stood next to it.
And Rethe was right behind him the whole way, nearly catching him a couple times, but he had the long-legged advantage. When he climbed out his window she protested. "Hey, that's not fair! No leaving the house!"
Devin grinned evilly at her and stuck out his tongue. "You're never going to catch me in here!"
"Maybe not," Rethe said. "But you're not going to be coming down either. I hope you like spending the night in trees, Devin!" She cackled dramatically.
"Oh, I love trees," Devin said while giving her a big smile. He was not going to tell her that he could climb down this tree very easily.
"I do too, Devin," she said, grinning back at him. Then she was out in the branches of the tree, climbing through them very easily. All the years of following after Bacall and her brother paying off.
Devin's mouth fell open when he saw Rethe climbing into the tree. He quickly shut it and climbed down to avoid being captured and tickled by his best friend's little sister. He jumped the last piece and then walked back into the house where he blocked the door so Rethe couldn't follow him.
"What are you doing?" Thearl asked, leaving the kitchen.
Rethe was only a few feet behind him the whole way, but not close enough to reach the door before he blocked it. She banged her foot against it hard. "Let me in, Devin!" she yelled. "Let me in!"
"Only if you promise not to tickle me!" he called back.
"I'm not making any promises!" Rethe said. "You deserve it now more than ever."
Thearl just stood watching the entire scene. "You children, are hopeless. I think I'll just go to bed, and let you play."
"Well then you'll have to stay outside. Or find another way to enter." Devin grinned. "Wait Thearl, close the window in my room please or else your sister can come in that way. And what do you mean by going to bed, it's only afternoon?"
"Let me in, Devin!" Rethe yelled, banging her foot against the door one more time. Then she left quietly and climbed back up the tree into Devin's room.
"I need to get some rest, my friend. I'm so tired..." Thearl explained.
"I can understand Thearl," Devin said in a worried tone, his happy mood was gone immediately. "There's still a bed in my room, but there won't be any blankets..."
"That's okay. I just need some rest," Thearl looked at Devin gratefully.
"I will walk with you upstairs Thearl," Devin said.
Rethe crept back down the stairs and then stopped before she reached the bottom one. She just stood there, watching the two.
"Thank you, you're a real friend..." Thearl said quietly.
"shall I stay here while you're resting? In case you'll need something?" Devin offered.
"No, thank you, I guess I'll fall asleep at once...but will you...will you stay with me at night? I know it's a lot to ask...but I..." Thearl's voice faltered, as he looked pleadingly at Devin. He really needed his friend’s company right then.
Rethe sat down on the step and wrapped her arms around herself, not liking the sound her brother's voice had taken on.
“Sure I will Thearl… we already discussed that, it’s no problem at all… I will just go home now and tell Dora and Athele that I will stay here tonight… I will come back as soon as we’ve had dinner and Athele has gone to bed…”
"Thank you, that means a lot to me...and Rethe promised to stay with me now..." Thearl said, hugging his friend.
Devin hugged Thearl back... "You are lucky to have a sister like that, Thearl, you really are. I understand that everything is good between the two of you and that really pleases me."
Rethe smiled slightly at those words of Devin's. Then she rested her head against the banister, closing her eyes.
"It is..." Thearl said quietly, and pulled away. "So I'll go to sleep then, we'll meet in the evening, right?"
"Right," Devin replied, smiling reassuringly.
"Thank you," Thearl repeated, and then turned to walk upstairs. And it was then when he saw his sister. "I'm going to sleep now," he said quietly.
Rethe opened her eyes, then nodded at him. She stood up and put her arms around her brother, and from this higher vantage point she was able to hook her chin over his shoulder.
"Am I to carry you up?" he asked.
"Only if you want to," she said, not letting go of him. "I can walk though..."
"Yes, I can see," Thearl said, lifting his sister up. He was so tired...
When Devin was sure the two of them had disappeared into his room he went to get the doll out of the bushes. He found her at the place Thearl said he'd hid her. The doll looked even filthier as she had earth and leaves in her hair right now. With a little smile he walked back into the kitchen and hid her with the other memories in the closet. Then he took his coat and left the house, he wanted to get his stuff for tonight.
Thearl entered the bedroom carrying Rethe, and then set her down on the bed. "Here you go...though I'm afraid there aren't any blankets..."
"That's okay," Rethe said. "I'm still wearing my cloak, we can share it." She took her cloak off and handed it to Thearl. Surprisingly, she was feeling rather tired as well.
Thearl laid down on the bed beside his sister. "Good night, then," he said softly, handing the cloak to her so that she was warm and covering himself with it as well.
Rethe snuggled back against her brother, pulling one of his arms around her. She closed her eyes. "I love you, Thearl," she whispered.
Thearl only murmured something quietly, since he was already falling asleep.
Rethe sighed, then kissed the back of Thearl's hand. She was herself asleep in only a few minutes.
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| eireen |
RE: Overcoming (scripted)
on: April 23, 2005 01:23
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((Back to Arthion again. This post is the result of a sleepless night, but I hope you’ll enjoy it anyway ))
Arthion smiled as the soft wind began to play with his hair. This was a beautiful day, the sun was smiling at his face, and the shadows of the mountains were finally gone. His trip through the High Pass that he had taken after leaving Rivendell had proven to be easy enough, and the elf was extremely glad to find himself on the other side of the Misty Mountains.
The knowledge that the first part of his journey was over, and definitely ended up being a success, made Arthion feel really good, and allowed him to start to believe that he was ready to be in the wilderness on his own again. He had finally managed to overcome his fear of leaving the safety of Imladris, and there he was, breathing the free air again! It felt so wonderfully to be able to do that.
“I’m free,” Arthion said softly to himself, closing his eyes for a moment, and just relishing the touch of the wind on his face, and the sun, and the birds singing. “It’s a beautiful day…” he added after a while, and then smiled. But his smile suddenly faded, and his quick instincts nearly pushed the elf forward to take cover in a huge oak tree he was standing under. He could smell fire, probably a campfire, and not far away from him, which meant that there was a possible danger he had to be aware of.
Remaining completely silent, the young elf took in a deep breath, trying to see if it was a campfire as he thought it might be. “Salab chelegnen,” Arthion muttered softly under his breath. “The icy herb,” he repeated. So indeed, this fire was a campfire, and right after recognising the smell that filled the air, Arthion was no longer wondering whether he should approach it or not. The decision was obvious.
The elf moved through the trees as silently as a shadow. He had recognised the herb’s smell, and that told him already a few things he needed to know. This was an elven herb that was being prepared, and this alone meant, that the stranger or strangers who were preparing it were either elves, or someone who had some contacts with elves, since they had to have acquired the knowledge of the herb’s usage from the elves. Another thing that was obvious was that the stranger needed help. Salab chelegnen was used to deal with fever, and a high fever at that. So, whoever was there, they needed some help. Help he could provide. But still, even though he did not expect this someone to be his enemy, Arthion decided to act very cautiously, and approached the campfire with utmost attention and care. No sound could betray him, he knew that.
A few more careful and noiseless moves in the branches covered with thick leaves, that provided a perfect shelter, took Arthion right over the fire. The elf glanced down, and could see two men around it. One of them was lying on a bedroll, and was covered with a few blankets. He was shaking, and one look at him was enough to tell that he had a high fever. The other man was kneeling beside his friend, and he was preparing the herb that he hoped would help the fever. Looking at their clothing, the way they acted, and their weapons, Arthion was sure that these men were rangers, and that they might be in need of help, depending on what was wrong with one of them.
Giving it only a quick thought, Arthion decided to make his presence known to the both men. He was not afraid of them, and he knew that he had nothing to fear from them, since they were rangers, and rangers were elven friends, as he knew very well. He was used to meeting rangers, and being around them, since many of them visited Imladris, and were welcome there.
Wishing to forewarn the rangers about his presence, Arthion made a slight noise, hoping to catch their attention, which he did. The kneeling ranger looked up, thinking it was a bird that made that slight noise when leaving a tree, and was just about to look back at his sick companion, when he heard a soft voice.
“Avo ‘osto, im edhel a neston,*” the voice said, and before the ranger managed to grab for his weapons, his hand stopped in mid-motion as his ear recognised that it was an elf who was speaking.
“Na vedui!**” the man exclaimed softly, looking up at the elf who just climbed down the tree gracefully, and approached him. The man bowed his head in respect, and seeing that the elf looked at him slightly puzzled, he guessed that he must have probably heard his soft exclamation.
“The Valar must have heard my prayers, for they allowed us to meet you on our path, my lord,” the man said, bowing once again.
Arthion looked at the ranger, then at his sick companion. “I’m glad that my path crossed with yours if there’s something I can do to help,” he said. “What is yours and your companion’s name?” he asked.
“My name is Caladon, and this is my friend, Ladion,” the Ranger answered, looking at the elf.
“It is my pleasure to meet you,” Arthion said softly. “My name is Arthion of Rivendell,” he introduced himself, deliberately omitting everything that could betray his noble origin. Not that he was ashamed of it, but Arthion always thought that it was much easier if no one knew that he was a lord. “But tell me, what happened to your friend?” the elf asked, returning his attention to what seemed to be most important at the moment.
“He was hit by a goblin arrow as we were trying to make for the High Pass,” Caladon said. “So we had to turn back, and I removed the arrow, but he’s been getting worse ever since. He’s having fever, and I’m afraid that the arrow’s tip might’ve been poisoned. It penetrated his hip very deeply,” he added, giving Arthion all the information he could, and was looking anxiously at the elf who began to examine Ladion.
“I’m afraid that the arrow must have been poisoned,” Arthion said after looking at the wound, which did not even start to heal. “How many days have passed?” he asked, taking his bag off his back, and starting to search through it for his herbs’ bag.
“Nearly two days,” Caladon said quietly. “Is there…is there something you can do to help him?” he asked, worry clear in his voice.
Arthion looked up at the ranger. “I will do all I can, I promise,” he said. “Your friend is a strong man, he should endure the poisoning, which rarely is lethal when dealt with. I have the right herbs, I believe I can help him.”
“Le hannon…***” the ranger said, looking at Arthion gratefully.
“You’re welcome,” Arthion answered, and then began to prepare his herbs. This was going to take a lot of time…
******************
The day was drawing to the end when Arthion finally finished treating Ladion. He was feeling exhausted, as the man had been extremely weak, and Arthion ended up being forced to feed him with his own energy in order to keep him alive. This worked, and Ladion was feeling much better now, free of fever and pain, and sleeping peacefully. Caladon, feeling very grateful to Arthion for helping his friend, and seeing how exhausted the elf was, nearly forced Arthion to take some rest, while he would be on watch, and the elf was in no shape to argue much, so he agreed. He had told Caladon, however, that the ranger was to wake him in the middle of night, so that he could watch over the camp while the ranger slept some too.
Caladon, on seeing that Arthion had no bedroll on him, wanted to lend him his own, but Arthion politely refused, saying that his cloak was enough for him. He lay down on the grass near the fire, wrapping his cloak around him, and crossing his hands on his chest, and allowed himself to drift towards his dreams after making sure that Caladon would wake him up for his watch, or earlier, if something unexpected happened to Ladion. Though still, even in his sleep, Arthion decided to say on his guard, just in case…
But before the last hold Arthion had on his consciousness lessened entirely, the young elf focused all his thoughts on his gwador. He wondered, even though far away as he still was, if Ran could feel that he was thinking about him. Arthion began to wonder what Raniean was doing now. Whether he was on a patrol, or at home resting…or maybe he was working at his desk right now. Or talking to someone…
Arthion closed his eyes for a moment to cover the tears that welled up in his eyes. He had missed his gwador so badly, and he wanted to meet him so much... And even though there was not much time left until their meeting, somehow Arthion could not wait. If he only could, he would probably not be able to stop himself from calling for Ran to come and meet him. Feeling that his drowsiness was taking hold of him, he gathered whatever energy he still had left, and send it to Raniean, hoping that his gwador would be able to feel it, and would know in that way that Arthion was thinking of him.
“I love you, gwador nín,” the elf whispered softly, as he fell asleep, surrounded by the memories of the wonderful time he and Raniean had spent together in the heart of the forest of Imladris soon after they had met. “I miss you, gwador nín …”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Avo ‘osto, im edhel a neston – Fear not, I’m an elf and a healer.
** Na vedui- At last.
*** Le hannon- I thank you.
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| AerhÃril |
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| Vanalosswen |
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| AerhÃril |
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| AerhÃril |
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| kellymulder |
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| Narbeleth |
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| Raynn |
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| eireen |
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| Ireth_elfmaiden |
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| AerhÃril |
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| kellymulder |
RE: Overcoming (scripted)
on: May 27, 2005 09:39
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((cowritten between me and Raynn ))
Devin thought of what he had to say to Athele as he walked up to the front yard of his grandfather's house. That he wouldn't be staying tonight, and maybe something about the council as well... he wondered what she thought about it. Still in thought, Devin reached the door and opened it.
Athele was a little shocked when she reached for the door handle and it swung in all by itself. Outside Devin stood and his sudden appearence had startled her. "Devin! You startled me," she exclamied, then laughed and let out her breath she had not even noticed she was holding.
Devin smiled, as soon as he had control of himself again, he had been startled too. "You startled me too, Athele." He paused and then added, "It's good to see you, I was actually just looking for you."
"Really? I wanted to see you too," she said as she slipped out of the door and stood beside him. "I am on my way to the council, are you coming?"
"Oh, yeah... that's right... there's a second council tonight... No, I am not coming, I promised to keep Thearl company tonight."
Athele raise her eyebrows, " All night? He is not a baby anymore, is he alright? He's not sick is he?" Athele said. She was really worried that if someone like him, young, strong and influential, got sick then what was in store for the rest of them?
"No, Thearl is not sick..." Devin said, noticing the worry on Athele's face. "He is just going through a very rough time right now..."
"Rough time? Well, if it is Thearl that is going through a rough time, then I better not ask, I know somethings are to be left unsaid," Athele said, remembering her own secrets and rough times she had shared with Rethe when they were younger. "So, you are going to stay the night at Thearl's?"
Devin nodded and wondered what his cousin knew about Thearl that made her say that. "Yes, so I won't attend the council, and to be honest... I do not really feel up for it either. But you should keep your eyes and ears open, my dear cousin..."
"Oh...you want me to be a spy?" Athele said jokingly. "To make sure Dwelian is not up to no good!" Athele smiled and patted Devin on the shoulder, which was a little difficult since Devin was a good deal taller than her. "You know," she said, "I went to last night's council and I am a little afraid of the things he is saying," Athele said more soberly.
Devin smiled. "That's not what I meant, I just want you to pay attention if something strange is happening."
"Okay, strange, what do you mean? Do you want me to tell you if some woman gets up and speaks her mind in a group full of men? That happened lst night, you know." Athele smiled knowing full well that he knew that.
Devin grinned. "I don't think that will happen again, if I have to be honest," he said, thinking of Caelyn as he started to walk towards the town hall. He banned Caelyn out of his mind and examined Athele. Suddenly he noticed something. "What do you have on your face?" he asked, pointing at her bruise.
Athele knew when she met him that he was going to notice her bruised face, no matter how hidden she thought it was. "Um...what? I don't see anything. Hey Devin," she said pointing to a dog up ahead, "it would be nice to have a dog like that when the Blight is over and we have enough money," she finished, hoping that had distracted him.
"I will make sure you get one once the Blight is over..." Devin said, still looking at the bruise. "You must know where it comes from, it is really bruised, Athele," he added.
Athele shrugged and started walking faster, she knew she would have to tell Devin. If she did not tell him then she would be aiding her grandfather's cruel behavior, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. "I know where I got it," she said slowly, not wanting Devin to explode once he heard the truth.
Devin continued. "Come on Athele... Don't lie to me." Though in his mind a terrible suspicion unfolded. "It.... it's not grandfather who has done this to you, is it?" he asked softly.
Athele stopped and looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "He threatened me and told me not to tell you," she whispered. "It does not hurt anymore."
Devin saw the pain in his cousin's eyes, the fear, and inside anger rose. The man had gotten too far this time! Nobody touched his family! He opened his arms towards her, inviting her to embrace him. "We cannot stay in that terrible man's house," he whispered softly.
"No, it is okay...he can't hurt us now," she said as he embraced her. "Grandfather is dying and he will never rise from his bed again. The healer came earlier while I was out and told mother to prepare for his death." She sighed and looked up at him. "We fought, he and I, about my same fear I expressed to you yesterday. He threatened to marry me off to a rich, mean old man. I yelled back and said some pretty nasty things to him, and to retaliate he slapped me." She finished, feeling good about telling someone.
"The awful man..." Devin said, feeling even angrier than before... "But you are right, if he's dying...he will not harm us anymore." He paused and then added, "And I will do everything to prevent you from getting married off to a person you are not in love with."
Athele smiled and blushed, a person she was in love with...now who might that be, she wondered and hoped Devin had not noticed. "Thank you," she said. "But promise me, don't do anything to get revenge or anything you men do to regain the honour of a woman." Athele looked seriously into Devin's eyes.
Devin saw the blush on Athele's face and wondered for a moment what she meant by it. But then the moment had past, and he forgot about it again. "Athele.. .the man hit you..." He answered
"So, he will be dead soon and cold in his grave before I think of him again. It does not matter," she said rather sternly. "Anyway, we are nearing the hall and I wanted to talk to you about something important."
"If you are sure..." Devin said a little reluctantly. He looked at her. "You are?" he asked, afraid of what she was going to say as he had a slight feeling of what it might be.
"Well, you in fact. Thearl asked me to talk to you about your eating habits. It has to stop, we need you Dev, we can't have you passing out while you are supposed to be helping us, protecting us. And I won't have it any longer, you are going to eat or else." Athele was surprised at how stern she could be and congratulated herself.
Devin sighed, he had been right... "Look at how skinny you've become Athele...You need the food more than I do..."
"That is so silly, I will die from hunger but you won't? Are you so impervious to starvation that you can keep on not eating and not die from it, hm? " Athele glared at him and then stepped back so that she could see him better, it was getting dark. "If you don't eat then I won't either!" she challenged.
"Athele... please don't do this.... And I do eat, only less than usual. Please don't be silly...I am managing, really."
"Really?" she said her anger rising. "Then why did I hear about you passing out? I see you don't eat, I am not blind, Devin! I have lost weight but that is fine, we all have, but not eating your share is stupid and irresponsible. And if you don't stop then I will make you. I know you must think me not able to handle you or you can easily get out of eating something." She started to calm down. " I have an idea, you eat what I put in front of you and I will eat a few bits more than that, deal?"
Devin sighed and wondered why everyone was this worried, they didn't even know about what happened at Caelyn's and he was not planning to tell them. "It's not that I don't think you cannot deal with me, Athele, I... I just am so worried about you all, people start to get sick, people die and I do not want to cause more grieve in my family, not if I can prevent it from happening."
Athele started to tear up in frustration, did he not get it? Was he so dense? "Stop it, Dev, you are the only man in our family and it is your right and responsibility to care for us, but you can't do that if you are weak. You just can't, I need you to be strong for me. Will you eat for me? Will you take my offer and eat what I put in front of you? I will still eat more than you if you so wish."
Devin looked at her, tears in his eyes. "I... I will do whatever you say Athele. I will take your offer... but only if you'll eat more than I will do," he said softly.
Athele smiled, unsure if he was telling the truth. She decided that he was and hugged him. "Good. I'm glad to hear it. And if you see Rethe tonight then you can tell her we worked it out and also tell her of our deal, she will probably want to feed you the same way."
Devin smiled, though the thought of Rethe was still painful at the moment... after what had happened this afternoon. "I'll do that, though I think she will be home again when I go back."
Athele nodded, she had seen a barely perceptible look of pain cross her cousin's face, then vanish. She decided not to ask, knowing that it probably involved Rethe, and Athele did not want to pry into a spot that was sensitive to her cousin. "Okay, if you go home before going to Thearl's, then you can find a couple potatoes and a bit of dried meat, you won't have to eat their food if you don't want to," she said as she loked up at him.
"Thanks, Athele... I haven't had dinner yet so I think I am supposed to eat that now." He smiled and sighed. "But you are right, I do not want to eat their food, that's their own ration. I feel bad about being forced to eat some of Thearl's food yesterday already."
"Yes, I know, I always feel like giving them some of ours to compensate for the food we eat." Athele saw some other people near them, she looked intently at their faces hoping to notice someone she knew, like Bacall. "Anyway, we are getting close to the town hall," she said as she looked back at him. "So your not coming in? If you go home don't forget to bring your extra change of clothing, I won't have Thearl or Rethe thinking I don't keep house or have clean clothes for my family," Athele said, half jokingly, she always loved to play mother to Devin.
Devin looked down, slightly amused by his younger cousin. He was a grown man and he wasn't very likely to forget clean clothes, but he knew she loved playing his mother. "I won't forget it, mum," he said jokingly.
Athele smiled and nodded. It felt good to banter with Devin. It felt like the old times, the times before the Blight. Then she became serious and looked deep into his eyes. " Thank you, Dev. I almost believed that you would not listen to me, and it would have been your funeral we were going to go to next," she said, then sighed.
Devin's smile disappeared. "How could you think that, Athele? I have no intention at all to leave this world, I am not done with it yet. I would never leave you guys behind if I can help it."
"I know, it's just that you have been acting very...stupid lately, everyone has noticed it and we were all worried that because you were so adamant not to eat that it would wear you down and eventually kill you," She said, hoping not offend him. "I love you and trust you, and I am so glad that you have agreed to eat on a regular basis."
Devin sighed, not knowing what to say to that. It meant so much to him that his friends and family cared so much about him. He would have to change something, not only for himself, but to make his family stop worrying about him. He didn't want them to be afraid of what might happen to him, there were other things to worry about... "So am I," Devin said after a silence.
Athele smiled, and reached up to cup his cheek in her small hand. "I am the only child by my parents. They wanted a son very much, but all they had was me. I know they would not have given me up for anything, and I feel like that about you. You are my brother, not only my cousin, and I will not give you up for anything. Especially this Blight that wants to take us all," she said softly.
"And you have been more than a sister to me... and I would do everything to protect you," Devin replied, his heart filled with love for his younger relative. It was true, he had after all, nearly stopped eating for her and the other persons he cared about.
Athele looked down, tears blurring her eyes, the world was falling apart around them, but they had this small moment of peace, knowing they were not alone. And knowing they were family and would stick together.
"We will manage, Athele, we will overcome the Blight."
"Overcome? I think that is a good word to discribe us, overcomers, becouse we will perish if we do not," she finished, then looked at the town hall. "I don't want to keep Thearl waiting, I suppose I should let you go. I have no more fears now."
"I am happy for that... and you should probably go as well... The council is about to start."
"Yes, I will go be your spy and bearer of news to mother." She smiled and laughed. " I will see you tomorrow."
"Thanks, Athele." Devin said on a serious tone. "And now go and be a spy, I will see you tomorrow indeed. Take care."
"I will, you too. Say hi to Rethe for me...oh and Thearl too," she said as an afterthought.
"I will," Devin said with a smile on his face. "Now go, before you'll be too late and they won't let you in."
"Alight I am going...see you later," she ran ahead of him, then stopped at the door to the hall, she turned back and waved. She looked every bit the happy girl she was. She then disappeared through the door.
Devin smiled and waved back at her, feeling that some things would never change, at least he hoped that. Then he turned around and headed to his grandfather's house to eat dinner, as he had promised to Athele.
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| Narbeleth |
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| AerhÃril |
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| kellymulder |
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| AerhÃril |
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| Ireth_elfmaiden |
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| AerhÃril |
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| kellymulder |
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| Narbeleth |
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| Raynn |
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| Ireth_elfmaiden |
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| kellymulder |
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| AerhÃril |
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