Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Lord of the Rings or any of the characters mentioned. They all belong to the wonderful genius known as J.R.R Tolkien. Theowaine, Lor'iahail, and Nessa are mine! ALL MINE! MWAH HA HA!
This is mainly an introductory chapter to my OC, Lor'iahail. Legolas is mentioned in passing, but don't worry! He'll be in the coming chapter MUCH more. You shant be disappointed XD.
"Never, not once, in my entire 2,000 years did I think my daughter could singlehandedly lay waste to an entire city of Man. Lor'iahail, what do you have to say for yourself?"
I could not believe Ada was putting all the blame on me. Sure, maybe I was the one who started the flame, but it was Theowaine who pushed me into the explosives. And maybe I should have used better judgment when it came to lighting the torch in an explosives chamber…
"Ada, I refuse to take all of the glory. Theowaine also participated in the laying-to-waste of that city of Men. And she is of the race of Men! This city of Man was corrupt and vile, I do not regret what happened, Ada. Nor does Theowaine, or any of the other women we rescued. And I'd do it again!" The look on his face wasn't very impressed.
I don't believe I've ever seen my Ada look at me like that before…He was very angry…
"Dolle naa lost, child! These women you speak of, they were harlots, no? Employed in the city where you and your mortal companion were explicitly told not to enter, correct? You deliberately disobeyed my orders. You should be ashamed of yourself!" He spoke harshly, making me cringe. This wouldn't end well.
"Ada, if you'd just allow me some freedom every once in a century, maybe I could control myself a little better. If I am cooped up for long periods of time, I get adventurous! It is hardly my fault!" I tried to argue this point many times before, all to no avail.
The Elf was stubborn—and he wonders where I get it from.
He turned an unnatural shade of deep red before taking several calming breaths. Surely he was not so angry that he could not even reply to my common pleas?
A few moments passed in complete, tense, silence. I did not speak, fearful for my life. I sure hoped Theowaine's guardian wasn't being as harsh as my Ada. "Ada, are you alright? Should I send for a healer?"
Okay, I couldn't control myself. But, I was truly concerned for his life. Elves can't die from self suffocation, can they? Not two seconds later, I needn't worry about that any longer.
"Kela!" He exclaimed, catching me off guard. He had never told me to go away before.
"But Ada-" I began, being swiftly cut off.
"DINA! KELA!"
And with that, I scrambled very ungracefully away from my Ada and made haste to leave his presence.
As I ran, a wave of a very unfamiliar, and very unpleasant, emotion swept over me. I was suddenly very aware of my failures. I couldn't stand to be in the presence of such beauty and perfection, such were the walls of the castle Rivendell. I ran for several minutes, earning many strange looks from passing elves, but I did not care.
I realized where my feet were leading me just as I came face to face with a lovely dapple grey mare. She was surprised, and startled by my sudden appearance. As was I! Without thinking, I gripped tightly to her long, flowing mane and threw myself upon her back. With a whinny of confusion at my urgency, she reared back and, as soon as her hooves hit the soft soil, bolted forth with a passionate intensity.
"Rima, Voronwer!" I commanded her. She ran faster than ever before, my most loyal friend, my Nessa.
As we began our journey through the city, I heard the frantic voices of guards yelling after me to stop.
"Tampa, arwenamin!" I heard the familiar voice of my handmaiden, Leimesna, calling for the same thing.
I pressed Nessa further on, passing the city gates soon afterwards. The cries of the Guard Elves and of Leimesna died down. Not even my sensitive Elf hears could hear them any longer. "Keeping moving, Nessa, do not stop. Let's get lost in the wind!"
She ran faithfully for a full day, not once faltering. As we entered the second day of our travels, however, she began to slow and I could feel her strength to go on wane. Our journey came to a halt along side an unfamiliar, yet calm, river.
As I watched Nessa drink and graze in the warm sun, I contemplated the reasoning behind my sudden need to escape my home in Rivendell.
The tension between my Ada and myself had been growing over the months. Ever since I'd tried to disguise myself as a male and go to battle with some wood Orcs left straggling from after the fall of the Great Eye, and rather dismally ended up in the Healing Room with a dislocated shoulder and a missing tooth, Ada had been less than receiving of me.
I think I resented him for his pride, which I had severely dented when he discovered I had gone into battle. Then, events took place that I had little to no control over, in my opinion, which led to my further estrangement. And I think he resented me for not being the Lady he had thought I would be, and possibly for disregarding my duties for instead roaming about the lands, making mischief, as he called it.
And I do believe the destruction of that city of Men really took the prize for insolent incidences in which I was involved. It was only a matter of time until one us released all the—I'm not quite sure what, really—frustration, perhaps, that we had stored up. I just happened to do so first, by which I ended up by this river bank with my dappled mare. It strikes me as odd that my Ada hasn't sent anyone to look for me. I've been gone for two days. Surely he'd be concerned, no? These past days, I've seriously been considering maybe not ever going back to Rivendell. I think we, being Nessa and myself, could survive in the wilderness. But, I'd definitely have to go back once—to acquire my possessions and such. A weapon of sorts and a few days' provisions would be enough to get by until we stopped at a village of Men to restock.
I could possibly even drag along Theowaine. She'd love to come on an adventure with me. And I most certainly think two ladies going off into the woods with no guidance, only the bare essentials, and without any real knowledge of the world around us is a true adventure. Theowaine will agree!
My stomach growls in a very unladylike fashion—it was time to return to Rivendell. Not that I can't survive on the berries and wildlife, I'd just rather eat a wholesome meal before I set off on my journey across Middle Earth.
"Tula sinome, Nessa. It is time we head back home." Nessa is happy to be returning home. She tosses her head back and lets out a pleased neigh before trotting up to me. She nuzzles my neck playfully, nudging me softly.
"Patience, dear one!" I can't help but to laugh at her antics. She may be just a horse to some, but she is one of the truest friends any elleth could ask for. I quickly hop astride her strong back and with the silent command of "Rima!" we are off.
Two Days Later—
Nessa and I arrive at the city gates, both worn from travel and very hungry. "Yallume! We are home, Nessa." I tell her, patting her neck affectionately. "Lle ume quel." I hop down from her back and begin lead her towards the stables. She deserves a good rest. As we make our way, however, I notice the surprising lack of Elves! I haven't seen one since we arrived. Surely there should be some walking among the grounds on a fine evening such as this.
It is then that I hear the sound of a great gathering coming from the Dining Hall. Why I hadn't noticed it before is lost on me, but now that I've heard it, I can't stop my curiosity from taking wing. Nessa nudges me from behind, wondering why I've stopped in the middle of the path, and impatient to get to the stables.
"Tampa Tanya!" I command her as she continues to push the small of my back. With a none-to-gentle nip to my shoulder, she finally has my attention focused on the trail to the stables. "Tanya awra…" I mumble, shooting her a scowl. She looks back at me with a look that says "An lema?" as sarcastically as equine-ly possible.
When we arrive at the dimly lit stables, I encounter something I had not expected. There, sleeping soundly in Nessa's stall is a lovely white steed. And he most certainly does not belong in Nessa's stall. I lead her in and take a closer look at the stallion. I've never seen him before. As I look around for any Elf that could possibly explain to me why this stallion was in Nessa's stall, my eyes are drawn to a shiny leather saddle with a deep green saddle blanket underneath it. It is embroidered in silver with a foreign crest, one I recognize as the sign of Mirkwood.
What is a horse from Mirkwood doing in my mare's stall? I am bewildered, but I put that mystery in the back of my mind to solve later. Right now, Nessa needs somewhere to rest and regenerate for our next adventure. We continue down the length of the stable and I see several more foreign horses occupying the stalls of the Rivendell equines.
"Mankoi naa llie sinome?" I whisper in frustration to myself. Nessa seems to agree, huffing in agitation as we find more and more stalls occupied by the unfamiliar.
When we reach the end of the stable's length to find no room available for Nessa, I decide to take her to pasture. There is a spring in a valley north of the pasture where I can bathe her and myself. I grab several handfuls of oats, a bright juicy apple, and a full body coverlet for her and then I lead her back out of the stable.
I am annoyed and slightly curious as to why I have to trek all the way across the castle grounds in the first place. As soon as she is bathed and fed, I will see what commotion is happening up at the castle.
It takes us nearly fifteen minutes to reach the pasture, seeing as we are both travel worn, and when we pass through the gates I see this is where all of the Rivendell horses have been placed! "Ed' I'ear ar' elenea!" I moan in frustration. I see the horses frolicking about in the spring, relaxing and whatnot. Nessa's bath will have to wait—as will mine.
"Amin hiraetha, Nessa. Here—" I pause, feeding her the carrots, dropping the apple and oats at her feet "Eat and relax, I'll come later tonight to bathe you, I promise." I sigh, draping the blanket over her and clasping it shut at her chest bone.
I turn from her and head back towards the castle. Maybe I will skip seeing what's going on in the Dining Hall, I am exhausted!
Twenty Minutes Later—
I enter the castle quietly. No need to alert any waiting guards to my presence. Last thing I need is for my father to catch me walking in from a four day expedition, dirty and smelly. Wouldn't that be pleasant?
No, I think not.
I make my way towards my room, located on the Eastern Wing. Hopefully there won't be many guards prowling around, due to the fact there seems to be a great feast going on. My stomach growls fiercely, making my cheeks heat up in embarrassment—wouldn't that be something? Being caught because my hunger pangs were too noisy?
My room is within sight when I suddenly hear something odd coming from the Dining Hall. It seems as if there is a toast being made, a rather humorous one, considering all the chuckling and snorts echoing about. I stop and listen, after double checking I am alone in this hallway.
"—and may the Valar be with the Prince of Mirkwood as he attempts the impossible, once again! It seems as if fighting the Armies of Mordor outnumbered, protecting the Halflings of the Shire, and bringing Middle Earth to peace was not the end of the dangerous and life-threatening acts the Prince would accomplish—"
Oh! So the Prince of Mirkwood is in town. He was apart of the Fellowship of the Ring many years ago. My mother told me about him and the Fellowship, before she got sick. That is why there are so many of those horses here. How convenient. Rivendell was playing host to the Prince, possibly even the King of Mirkwood—that means Theowaine and myself can make a getaway, all without being noticed! Oh joy! Things are going to work out for me, after all! I just have to lay low for a few days, get back my strength, pack, and then we can be off!
I was so excited about this news that I failed to notice what the rest of the toast was about. I didn't care! I would be on an adventure in less than a week if I played my cards right, so to speak. With extra measured steps, I made it to my door and entered my room, which was surprisingly lit with candles. Immediately, I was suspicious. Not quite of what, yet, but I knew something was not quite right.
I held my ground for a few excruciatingly long moments before deciding there was no one waiting in my room to jump out at me. My ears heard nothing but the rushing of the river and the soft wind caressing the trees. So, without another minute lost to my suspicions, I ran to my bathroom in pure joy. I lit a flame under my bathing tub and let the water pour from the faucet system in the wall. My joints tingled with anticipation as I watched the steam rise from the tub.
Without another thought, I stripped out of my dirtied robes and lowered myself into the most wonderful bath ever.
Forty-Five Ridiculously Long Minutes Later—
I indulged in that bath quite long enough, for when I stepped out, I was as wrinkled as my great grandmother Loriela. I snickered to myself before walking to my wardrobe. Believing I wouldn't be seen, I chose the first thing my eyes lay upon. A simple green silk and velvet tunic with a pair of stolen breeches were what I grabbed. My father was not aware I owned such an unladylike outfit, for he surely would've had it burned. I had nicked it from a store when Theowaine and I had last gone 'exploring'.
I swiftly pulled on the extremely comfortable outfit and threw my waist length brown hair into a horsetail. I'd worry about braiding it tomorrow. Unlike the other elleth, I don't always have to look graceful and like a lady; especially not when I was about to go and bathe my horse. Making my body a statue, I listened to see if the celebrations down stairs had ceased yet. I heard only the murmurs of the slightly intoxicated and the shuffling of sleepy feet. It seems everything is wrapping up.
With the stealth expected of a warrior, I slipped out of the open window in my room. No need to risk unnecessary detection by walking the halls. I made great haste and was soon at the gates to the pasture once again. I entered and quickly spotted my dappled mare. She lay resting in a patch of wildflowers, the moon shining on her making her coat seemingly illuminant.
"Arwenamin, Nessa!" I whispered softly. Nessa's grey face shone white in the moonlight, an exasperated gleam in her deep brown eyes. She hopped up on her great legs and trotted towards me, nudging my pockets and hand, looking for a treat.
"No, Nessa, I didn't bring anything. I haven't even eaten myself." I told her, stroking her long face. "But, guess what! I know who is here and hogging the stables. Would you like to know?" She brayed and snorted, very unladylike indeed.
"Ha ha! Well, let's get you washed off and I'll tell you. I think you'll be very interested." So I led her down to the spring, happy to see that most of the horses were asleep on their feet and not in the spring.
I make quick work of the dirt and grime caked on her hooves and tail, gently brushing through her mane. "The Prince of Mirkwood and company are visiting Rivendell for who-knows-how-long and do you know what that means?" When Nessa continued to look at me, I continued. "It means that as soon as I find Theowaine and tell her my plans, we can start packing for our next great adventure, and the best part? No one will notice! The Valar surely are in agreement with my plans, after all!" I told her enthusiastically, working the dirt from her coat steadily.
After a half hour or so, I decide Nessa is clean enough. With a slap to her hindquarters, she is out of the spring and cantering happily around the pasture. She runs straight at me after a few minutes of her silliness and looks like she will crush me! She suddenly rears back, and with a thundering clang, stomps down next to me, shaking her still wet coat at me and drenching me.
"A YEE! Tampa Tanya!" I laugh loudly, doubling over in uncontrollable shakes of laughter. I suddenly clamp my hand over my mouth. I heard the gates to the pasture open right as my laughing died out. All I can think, is 'Oh no, you hollow headed orc. You've been discovered!'.
I motion for Nessa to calm down and I hop astride her back as fast I possibly can. With two swift kicks to her hind legs, we dash off and down the pastures hill, I silently praying to the Valar that we were unseen.
I jump off her back and command her to lie down. Hiding behind a large stone, I look for whoever entered the gates. I don't see anyone at first, but then I suddenly see the white stallion that had been placed in Nessa's stall when we arrived running down the same hill we had just come down. I begin to curse my lack of luck and crouch down, low to the ground so that whoever had released him in here wouldn't see me if they decided to come looking for him.
It seemed like hours that I laid there behind the boulder, praying that I was quiet enough to remain undetected. Finally, after much running back and forth on the white stallions' part, his master called him back.
"Arod! Tula sinome!" The voice was masculine, but extremely smooth, like a running stream, or warm milk and honey. I really liked that voice.
But, I could not be concerned with it. I listened for another ten minutes, and then, at long last, I heard the sound of footprints fading away and the clanking of a gate. Without waiting any longer, I told Nessa to get up and go rest. I'd fetch her blanket tomorrow, but as for now, I was ready to get back in the safety of my own bedroom.
I stood up and looked around once, and seeing no one around for several hundred feet, I made my way back towards the tree that I would climb and enter my bedroom by. Once I was safely back inside my now dark room, I let out a sigh of relief.
And not two seconds later, I had a knife pressed against my throat.
Dun, Dun, DUN! What will happen next? Tune in next week for more!
Elvish Translations:
Dolle naa lost: Your head is empty
Kela: Go away
Dina: Be quiet
Rima, Voronwer: Run, Loyal One
Tampa, arwenamin: Stop, my lady
Tula sinome: Come here
Yallume: At last
Lle ume quel: You did well
Tanya: That
Awra: Hurt
An lema: Long journey?
Mankoi naa llie sinome: Why are you all here?
Ed' I'ear ar' elenea: By the sea and stars!
Amin hiraetha: I'm sorry
R&R if you want more!
Comments, ConCrit, or other stuff is welcome! But, keep the flames to your self. You saw what happened…The review place is a chamber of explosives all in its self ;)