Taurwen glanced behind her once before continuing quickly on her way. The
sky swallowed up any hope of stars, casting the inky stain of night across
the land. She wrapped her thin cloak tighter and lowered her head to the
wind that had begun to blow. She shivered and watched her feet kick the
pebbles and stones as she hurried down the path. She was close to Inn, and
she knew that she shouldn't be scaring herself so much these days. She had
walked this very same path many times before, at all times of day. It had
never frightened her before, or caused her to glance over her shoulder
worriedly and peer into the unseen depths. But lately there had been a damp
feeling of fear and darkness that had seeped into all the cracks of the
town of Mullbrook and caused goose bumps to remained permanently raised on
her skin. She strained her slightly pointed ears to take in any foreign
sound, any sign of a pursuer. She knew she was just frightening herself,
but she couldn't help it.
There had even been talk of the past when such feelings and gloom had ruled before, but these things were generally dismissed and the gloom regularly blamed on the weather. But Taurwen had never felt such dark spirits and forboding notions. She tried vainly to ignore them, as all there was to do was wait. She had been alive only 20 years, a mere infant in the eyes of the elves but a young woman in human years. She had often wondered how long she would live, given that she was half elven and half human. Would she live to see this unspeakable horror? She felt a shudder rip through her spine again and began to run the last few yards to the Inn door.
The Silver Pint Inn had been her home since she could remember. Rufus had treated her like his own daughter, and when he had died he had left her in the care of his niece Kristance. Taurwen (or Taury as they knew her) worked as a bar maid and Inn servant, and lived in a room above the pub. Because of her striking beauty, she was hassled often by the male clients to give them a bit more than lager and wine. They saw her as a delicate, almost frighteningly attractive creature. Not many besides those that worked with Taury in the Inn knew that she was a peredhel, or half-elf. Her mother had been an elf (Taury didn't know which kind, and probably never would) who had met and loved a soldier of Gondor. They had had a kind of love that Taury couldn't even dream about, a love that surpassed all boundaries of passion and depth, a love that was now only a memory. After Taurwen had been born, they had moved here to the outskirts of Minas Tirith.
Taury could still remember the last day she had seen her mother. Taury had only been ten years old, with an unruly mop of chocolate curls. Her mother had looked worried, with a faraway shimmer in her gray eyes. They had been outside picking marigolds for her father's welcome home gift when the soldier rode up. Taury remembered how she had at first rushed to him, and taken him in her little arms, thinking her Papa was home. But the man had only stiffened and Taury remembered being horrified that the man she was embracing was not her strong father with his raspy chin and blue eyes. Her mother had stood there, the flowers gently tumbling from her long fingers. She had known long before Taury had, that Papa wasn't coming home. Her mother's eyes had filled like pools of melted silver, gently spilling over her smooth cheek. She had simply nodded, not taking the sword offered to her, the weapon of her slain lover. She had turned from Taurwen and the soldier, who looked down at the confused child before gently pressing the heavy object into her fingers. He had leapt onto his horse and ridden away, like a demon had been on his heels. Taury had stood there, watching him leave and fingering her father's sword, salty tears flowing. Where was Papa? She had dropped it then, watched it clatter on the ground, before turning and flying after her mother. Her mother had been inside their small cottage, packing things into a bundle. She had turned stone faced to Taury and told her that everything would be alright. They had ridden to a small Inn a few towns away, The Silver Pint, near the forests skirting Gondor. Her mother had folded the bundle into Taury's arms and with a kiss on her forehead, she had left her. Taurwen had stood there for hours, even after night had fallen, certain that her mother was returning for her. The old innkeeper, Rufus, had tried to coaxe the forlorn child inside but to no avail. He had returned the next morning to find the beautiful child huddled in a small ball on the cold ground, trembling uncontrollably. The once dark, shiny ringlets of hair had straightened to a pale gold, and the child would not speak for days.
The Inn had been her home since. She never heard from her mother again, nor had she ever seen another elf. She knew in her heart that her mother had left her only daughter to flee back to her own people and die. But everytime after she saw marigolds, she gathered some and kept them in great quantities in her quarters. She would sit at the window on her free time, gently caressing the soft petals of the flower, keen eyes still searching the forest for the return of her mother.
Taurwen shut and bolted the door behind her. She took off her cloak and moved closer to the fire. A slumbering Kristance sat in the large easy- chair by the fire, softly snoring. She always waited up for Taury to come back from her long walks in the forest, and always ended up falling asleep. Taury gently covered the sleeping woman with a blanket before kissing her on the forehead and heading up to her room.
| | |Please review!!! I promise that if you review, I will….um….OH!| |I'll give each and everyone one of you free hair barrettes!!! | |YEAH!!! (I work in a little children's clothes store, and we | |have lotsa hair doo-dads). So review!!! PLEASE. | |3 blondie |
(disclaimer- doodads only for those special reviewers that live within a fifty mile radius of me cuz I got no kachinkage)
There had even been talk of the past when such feelings and gloom had ruled before, but these things were generally dismissed and the gloom regularly blamed on the weather. But Taurwen had never felt such dark spirits and forboding notions. She tried vainly to ignore them, as all there was to do was wait. She had been alive only 20 years, a mere infant in the eyes of the elves but a young woman in human years. She had often wondered how long she would live, given that she was half elven and half human. Would she live to see this unspeakable horror? She felt a shudder rip through her spine again and began to run the last few yards to the Inn door.
The Silver Pint Inn had been her home since she could remember. Rufus had treated her like his own daughter, and when he had died he had left her in the care of his niece Kristance. Taurwen (or Taury as they knew her) worked as a bar maid and Inn servant, and lived in a room above the pub. Because of her striking beauty, she was hassled often by the male clients to give them a bit more than lager and wine. They saw her as a delicate, almost frighteningly attractive creature. Not many besides those that worked with Taury in the Inn knew that she was a peredhel, or half-elf. Her mother had been an elf (Taury didn't know which kind, and probably never would) who had met and loved a soldier of Gondor. They had had a kind of love that Taury couldn't even dream about, a love that surpassed all boundaries of passion and depth, a love that was now only a memory. After Taurwen had been born, they had moved here to the outskirts of Minas Tirith.
Taury could still remember the last day she had seen her mother. Taury had only been ten years old, with an unruly mop of chocolate curls. Her mother had looked worried, with a faraway shimmer in her gray eyes. They had been outside picking marigolds for her father's welcome home gift when the soldier rode up. Taury remembered how she had at first rushed to him, and taken him in her little arms, thinking her Papa was home. But the man had only stiffened and Taury remembered being horrified that the man she was embracing was not her strong father with his raspy chin and blue eyes. Her mother had stood there, the flowers gently tumbling from her long fingers. She had known long before Taury had, that Papa wasn't coming home. Her mother's eyes had filled like pools of melted silver, gently spilling over her smooth cheek. She had simply nodded, not taking the sword offered to her, the weapon of her slain lover. She had turned from Taurwen and the soldier, who looked down at the confused child before gently pressing the heavy object into her fingers. He had leapt onto his horse and ridden away, like a demon had been on his heels. Taury had stood there, watching him leave and fingering her father's sword, salty tears flowing. Where was Papa? She had dropped it then, watched it clatter on the ground, before turning and flying after her mother. Her mother had been inside their small cottage, packing things into a bundle. She had turned stone faced to Taury and told her that everything would be alright. They had ridden to a small Inn a few towns away, The Silver Pint, near the forests skirting Gondor. Her mother had folded the bundle into Taury's arms and with a kiss on her forehead, she had left her. Taurwen had stood there for hours, even after night had fallen, certain that her mother was returning for her. The old innkeeper, Rufus, had tried to coaxe the forlorn child inside but to no avail. He had returned the next morning to find the beautiful child huddled in a small ball on the cold ground, trembling uncontrollably. The once dark, shiny ringlets of hair had straightened to a pale gold, and the child would not speak for days.
The Inn had been her home since. She never heard from her mother again, nor had she ever seen another elf. She knew in her heart that her mother had left her only daughter to flee back to her own people and die. But everytime after she saw marigolds, she gathered some and kept them in great quantities in her quarters. She would sit at the window on her free time, gently caressing the soft petals of the flower, keen eyes still searching the forest for the return of her mother.
Taurwen shut and bolted the door behind her. She took off her cloak and moved closer to the fire. A slumbering Kristance sat in the large easy- chair by the fire, softly snoring. She always waited up for Taury to come back from her long walks in the forest, and always ended up falling asleep. Taury gently covered the sleeping woman with a blanket before kissing her on the forehead and heading up to her room.
| | |Please review!!! I promise that if you review, I will….um….OH!| |I'll give each and everyone one of you free hair barrettes!!! | |YEAH!!! (I work in a little children's clothes store, and we | |have lotsa hair doo-dads). So review!!! PLEASE. | |3 blondie |
(disclaimer- doodads only for those special reviewers that live within a fifty mile radius of me cuz I got no kachinkage)