The Lay of Afarfin and Melviriel

A Chance Meeting

It had been years since Afarfin and his brothers had crossed the sea back to Beleriand. Years since blood had coated their hands and their swords, at least, the blood of their kin. All the orc blood black as it was could not seem to wash away the vision of his blade stained red once the battle was over and they were on the ships sailing from the Blessed Land. Even now in this forest his mind still lingered upon that memory even though it was a dark and truely dangerous place to be when one was paying attention. However had had been given leave from his Lord Finrod of Minas Tirith had ordered him to take leave. Of course he had meant for Afarfin to stay inside the great fortress watch tower and rest, but he had ridden out almost the same day to hunt orcs in the wilds. And yet they alluded him as did bandits. He had of course ridden south rather than north towards Morgoths fortress but now he found himself near the border of Doraith in the Brethil forest. Here wild men were the most he was likely to find, boars and wolves perhaps were the biggest threat and yet the forest seemed for the most part at peace for the moment and his troubled heart rested at the sight of the sun trickling through the heavy canopy overhead. He was upon a small trail, one that he figured was made by elves, or men, for certainly no deer would create such a wide path for itself.

Likely troops from Doraith headed out this way for it was amongst the swiftest routes north, it was the one that he would take to return to Tol Sirion, he pulled his horse up looking bainfully at the path that had denied him a run in with any foul creatures. In such days such a journey made unspoiled was normally something to be thankful for yet he wanted to spill dark blood, and wash his blade further. In his thoughts a rustle came from beside him and his horse pinned it's ears backed and snorted angrily and the Noldo drew his sword immediately thinking that perhaps the Vala had heard his frustrations and were giving him some dark servant of Morgoth to slay. Instead though, a slender figure, a young ellon he thought at first out hunting for his family appeared obscured by the heavy brush. However once they reached the road they stopped looking him over once and looking at the drawn sword before paying him no more heed. Though they wore the garb of a young hunter and carried a bow, and seemed to know how to use it by the two hens held in hand, it was no boy that stood before him but a woman who upon realizing what he was, proceeded to ignore him and pluck burs from her hair for a moment before heading further south as if he did not even exist. He though was quite aware of her existence, she was a strange beauty to him, pale and slender with hair black like the night and eyes to match a thunderhead of Manwe himself.

"You frightened me!" He said calling after her before starting to follow her as she started down the path setting her bow over her shoulder and marching at a speed that most Noldorian Captains would laud in their soldiers. She glanced over his shoulder and gave him a scowl. "And what is a woman like yourself out hunting for? Surely the men of Doraith are far more skilled-"

"Leave." She said cutting him off with a glare that would have frozen a balrog in place.

"At least tell me your name. I'd know that much at least so that I could tell my Lord that the King of Doraith now has women hunting for his table."

"I hunt for my table. Leave." Her tone was perhaps colder than it had been before, and Afarfin frowned, surely a young woman such as herself would have a young husband or even a son to make sure that there was food enough for their table.

"I have never heard of a woman providing such a feast on their own." Her pace was swift now though on his horse he had no problems keeping up with her.

"You clearly are from a far nobler house then my lord. Now leave me be. I would prefer to get the hens home to clean them."

"You speak with a tongue that has been trained almost in the ways of the court yet you would call me a Lord?" Afarfin said with a chuckle, "No my lady I think you are confused I am but a lowly soldier of the house of Finrod to the North. I should think you out rank me."

"Yet you ride a horse and I walk. Hardly the case my lord I should think." She said glancing about occasionally pulling berries and a few plants from the side of the path sticking them in a pouch about her belt. Afarfin was not use to such behaviour from a woman and followed intreged by her, especially since he had not gotten her name.

"At least tell me your name so that I might know who I have had the honor of speaking with."

"We are not speaking." She said calmly as she reached a clearing in the path. "And I am going home so unless you know some way of getting through the Girdle uninvited you might as well leave." She said stopping at the edge of the clearing looking at him.

"I do not know any such way, but I know the girdle is not for another mile and I will get your name from you in that distance I should hope." Afarfin said with a smile dismounting from his horse and leaving him to graze and rest in the clearing while he continued on following the young elleth. As he looked at her while she walked he guessed that she was perhaps twenty years his junior, still young, but old enough to have wed by now, and old enough to be in the courts of Doraith so the fact that she was not intreged him. She walked in silence though and gave him no attention, and soon dispite his onslaught of questions they were at the river that barred the path to Doraith's borders. And she set down the hens and sat at the edge of the water and pulled her boots off for a moment resting her feet in the cool water and he wondered at how long she had been out for for her to take such pleasure in the cold water of the Sirion. On the far side of it he knew lay Doraith, and not far to the South lay another smll just of the guarded realm and he knew he could go no further without raising the wrath of King Thingol himself. Across the way though he heard a loud laugh, one that cause the elleth he had been following to stand up and grab her boots and head back to the forest she had just left her hens in hand. Afarfin stood in shock for a moment before he heard a voice clear as day itself ring out over the lake. "Little Melviriel seems to have caught herself a suitor at last. A bush man to match her wild ways!" The peel of laughter caused Afarfin to blush in anger, and embaressment not for himself but for the woman he had followed. Immediately he went after her despite figuring that would only make their teasings worse.

"Melviriel? That is your name?" He asked inside the protection of the trees, this was not how he wished to have learned her name by any means this seemed a cruel way to learn it and the elves across the river had upset her so that he found her wiping tears from her eyes with the back of her sleeve. She gave him only a small nod and glanced out towards where the elves were across the lake. He looked there as well and his brow knit with anger.

"You would deny me your name and treat me like I am child being annoying and nothing more, yet the words of that elf bring you to tears and turn you to a subservant maiden?" He grabbed a hold of her arm.

"Saeros has the Kings favour, he sits on his council, and my family..." She paused looking at the river. "We are welcome guests in Doraith, but we are not kinsmen of Lord Thingol." She said softly.

"And he would use that against you? He is a foul and cruel beast to do such a thing I must say." Afarfin said gripping her tighter in his anger at this Saeros, not even realising it until there was a small whimper from her and immediately he released her. "Forgive me, such cowardice from one that is part of the courts, I would show him the broad side of my blade if I were so allowed but alas my lady, I have no rights in Doraith and I must leave you to deal with him." He lowered his head and looked into her eyes, and her breath caught he could feel it, fearful of him. "I know you have the will to deal with such things, surely King Thingol will not treat you poorly if you stand up to this fool Saeros." He said wiping away another tear that had just begun to form. "I will be back in three fortnights, I would see you again and pray you bring Saeros along so that I may teach him better manners. There was a small nod from Melviriel and he smiled and released her.

"Farewell my lady." With that she turned and headed from the forest traveling straight south, and he watched until he could see her no more, figuring she had passed into the Girdle of Melian and he had to ride back now for Tol Sirion.