Disclaimer: I don't own lotr :(
A Willful Heart
Chapter 1: Ulrich
"Don't be foolish."
"But Ulrich!"
"Enough!" His eyes flashed dangerously in anger, slamming his fist against the table as emphasis. The girl he was trying to intimidate neither flinched nor pulled her gaze away, the muscle in her jaw ticking in annoyance.
She held his look stonily, knowing there would be consequences. But despite that, her anger towards her mentor won out. How could he do this to her? Her brows furrowed in anger, and seething, the woman turned her face away, unable to continue to look into the man's eyes, fearing she might say something she would later regret. She had trained far greater years than most other warriors. She wanted to use her skills on the field, to both prove her worth and to help those weaker than she. Why could he not see that?
"Evelyn."
His voice permeated the swirling thoughts of anger in her mind, but she refused to look at him again. A few tense moments passed between them.
"Evelyn. Look at me."
His voice was almost a plea. She could not deny him when he took on that tone of voice. So, all the anger and tension left her body in the form of an exhaled breath, and she slowly lifted her head, eyes focusing on his yet again.
The man took his time to speak, raking a large hand through his hair. He was weary. The lines on his face and the gesture spoke that much. Her mentor did not delight in making her angry. Although she hated this decision, she knew he had a reason for why he wished to keep her away from the fight, and even more, another reason why he wished to withhold such information from her.
Hesitantly, she spoke before he. "I will be patient, Ulrich." She touched his shoulder, smiling as a sign of good grace. Though, what he did not know would not hurt him.
The man returned a smile gratefully. She would not understand something he could not quite understand yet either. Her skill was great, and yet, there was held within her spirit a kind of warmth that he did not wish to be extinguished by the darkness of battle. Of death. It was the kind of innocence that had always been present within her ever since he had come across her that night, when she was still just a child who had seen less than 15 winters.
Ulrich felt as though he carried the weight of the world over his shoulders. He was hungry and exhausted from the day's journey. It was fortunate of him to have found this small village, else he would have to lay his head on the cold earth for another night.
The inn he had walked in was quaint, and it seemed that this place received few guests, for all eyes pinned on his form the moment he walked in the shelter.
The innkeeper was very welcoming, and the stares were not hostile, holding solely curiosity. It seemed they knew not of what he was. Thus, it would be safe to stay the night.
Ulrich ate a quiet supper, glad no one wished to disturb him. It was a pity peace did not last.
"Sir, sir!"
He looked up from his meal, seeing and unexpected guest sitting across from him.
A dirty, ragged little girl gave him a wide smile and leaned her head on the table, intent in watching him eat. The gaze that lingered on his meal indicated a ravenous hunger.
She looked to be, after all, a street urchin.
He gave a heavy sigh within him own self. This girl, it seemed, would not leave until he gave her some food.
Before he could offer her the rest of his supper, a terse bark disturbed the quiet.
"Evelyn! No one wishes to be disturbed by one such as you! Get you home!"
A hand clamped down on the girl's thin arm, preparing to hoist her out the door.
"Nay," Ulrich reached across and gripped the man's shoulder, forcing him to cease his movements. "She may stay. Her company is welcomed."
The man shot him a neutral look and left, muttering about strange guests and their strange ways.
He paid the other no mind, and gave the child his food, which she ate with such enthusiasm it brought mirth to his eyes. As she ate, she chattered about everything that happened that day and of everyone in the village.
He would indulge the girl tonight. After all, he would leave on the morrow.
xXx
It seemed Eru had different plans for him.
He had found the girl in early morning, sleeping outside his door. It seemed he gained a loyal companion who would not leave his side.
The girl prattled away all morning as he went about buying and selling as he needed. The weather was already growing warmer.
Ulrich was one of the few of his kind who did not travel with a companion or two, and it suited his tastes rather well, for he preferred to be alone. Yet this girl would not let him be.
"I must leave, child."
Those words left his lips before he could ponder upon kinder words to say to one so young. It was quite foolish of him, and it was something he rarely did in his usual slow, methodical ways.
But the damage was done.
Hearing his words, he immediately saw traces of tears grow larger in the corners of her eyes.
Aye. It was terrible of him to speak so harshly. It was no surprise she had taken to his company so well. From what little he had seen, most of the people did not welcome her presence among them. The old avoided her, and the children were very hostile.
But the little thing surprised him, for she then stood up to her full height, not at all tall enough to intimidate a boy-child, much less a full grown man like he. Once the traces were wiped away with dirt streaked hands, she puffed out her chest, putting on a brave face. She would not cry, no.
Instead, she gave him another of her toothy grins, the ones he had grown so used to seeing in his short time he had spent here.
"Come, come!" She tugged on his hand, intending to lead him to an unknown place. "Come with me!"
He obliged, and was quickly led down many streets by a small hand, impatiently tugging on his. The gesture made him amused. Most strangers, let alone friends dared touch him so intimately.
He was led to the very edge of town, and further into the forest surrounding the small village. The sight which met his eyes troubled him. Why would the child bring him here?
A cabin, which seemed to have been burned some time ago, leaned to the left, as though it were an injured animal struggling to remain upright.
"This is my home!" The girl-child proudly proclaimed, puffing her chest out in emphasis. "You must come in with me!" Her hand again met his and tugged fervently.
Ulrich felt his brows knit together in displeasure. He did not like what he saw, but he entered her home as she wished, indulging her.
The home was littered with broken, burned furniture. Little could be scavenged, but at the very least, the pile of quilts and pillows in the corner seemed clean and untouched, though threadbare and poorly made.
He stood there as she bustled around the place, looking here and there for…something.
He began to think upon the next, most sensible course of action. Although it seemed more trouble than it was worth, Ulrich knew he could not leave to child to continue living in such poor, meager conditions. At the next town over, he could leave the child with a friend of his, and pay her for the trouble.
A cry of triumph broke his train of thought.
He jerked his head up, eyes seeking the girl.
A patched bag was slung over her thin shoulders, and a tattered grey cloak wrapped about her slight form. Boots that were much too big for the child enclosed her feet, and in her hand she held a golden locket.
His eyes met hers, their depths swimming with stubborn courage.
"I am coming with you. You cannot leave without me."
His chest rumbled with an amused chuckle as he bent down, gently taking the necklace from her fingers.
Once he clasped it securely around her neck, he gazed into her eyes somberly.
"Aye. That you are."
xXx
The man ran a hand through his hair, greatly amused by the memory of their first meeting. They had traveled far, the two of them, and he had decided several days before reaching Bree that he would not leave the girl with his friend.
By that time, she had begun her training with him, which had begun after the incident where he had caught her playing with his weapons. She had shown raw talent that could easily be polished to perfection, before he had rebuked her for playing with such dangerous things.
Somewhere along the way, he began teaching her all his knowledge which she took to eagerly, whether it be the language of the elves, Sindarin, or the art of healing and herbal remedies.
And, most importantly, in all their time together, her cheek did not diminish, something which kept his days with her quite amusing and interesting, different every day.
Aye, she had most surely changed him. Now, he wondered if he could bear the long silences in travels alone, without her voice breaking the quiet.
Again he wondered what he would do with his most recent quarrel with Evelyn.
She was a good warrior, and his reasons of denying her wish to battle were queer. It was almost as if she had become his daughter…but, he supposed, it was exactly that.
A grunt escaped his lips. Perhaps he would indulge her, one more time. He was getting much too old to fight after all, and he would rather be by her side for the first few before he became too weary to fight.
He looked all over town and could not find her.
Aye, she had cheek to disobey his orders. 'Twas a shame she had left without notice.
xXx
Damn.
She cursed under her breath, feeling her ankle throb to the beat of her heart.
Her ankle best not be twisted, lest Ulrich discover she had left without his permission.
To her fortune, the sharp pain began to fade into a dull thrum. The damage would most surely show in a few days, however, it was better than the inability to walk at all for as long as a fortnight.
She collected herself, standing up as gracefully as she could, yet still gently favoring her left foot. The pain would soon pass, else she might become a burden to the other men in the hunt.
She had brought little, and was easily able to cover her limp, for the pain was not so bad as it had seemed when she had fallen. She slipped back into place just behind the others as though she had not left, for they had not gotten very far from where she had fallen, once again arguing over which way the orcs had gone.
The girl rolled her eyes and held in a sigh. She was after all, a much better tracker than they seemed to be.
Several days passed before the encounter.
By then, Evelyn's ankle was only sore, and she was ready to fight. Every time her mind wandered, her blood would sing through her veins, excited by the prospects of battle.
Oh how she had waited long enough for this day to come. Even without Ulrich's calming presence by her side, she would enjoy herself and put her training to good use.
Unfortunately, the battle did not go as well as she had imagined it would.
It was a slaughter.
She parried and twisted, narrowly avoiding the rusted blade of the orc before her. Though the fight was long from over, she could not help but wish for a bath. The blood of orcs smelled foul to her nose, and the stench seemed to almost blind her as well.
But at the very least she was alive.
The village men lay about her, most dead or in their last breaths, crying out piteously. The rest had fled the fight, and she did not blame them for their cowardice. Now she understood why Ulrich would not let her come, though it was much too late to turn back. She felt a strong urge to avenge the deaths of these innocents, who had sought to right the wrongs these orcs had left them in the destruction of their homes and families.
It was also in this way that she would pay for her disobedience.
She heard the thrum of a blade rush through the air and by instinct, she fell to the ground and rolled, feeling her lungs jar agonizingly on the packed dirt ground. As she heard the dull thud of the enemy's weapon, just a hairs-breath away from her ear, she leaped to her feet, thrusting her sword forward, as far as it would go into her target.
Her strength wasn't enough.
The impact made her arm grow numb as it slipped uselessly to her side. The blade merely dented the armour, and had not even pierced the monster. It would not come out, and the beast was again, swinging down for a blow over her unprotected head.
This is where she would cease to exist, among evil creatures such as these. How piteous.
"Evelyn, you fool, move!"
A familiar voice caught in her ear, and her chest clenched, her heart swelling in hope. Ulrich!
The hope in her heart brought forth another surge, the will to live, and her limbs were thrown back into motion. She dove and slid between her assailant's legs, just in time before she felt, yet again, the dull thud of the orc's sword hitting the ground almost cruelly. But this time, it brought about relief which coursed through her veins and sang a sweet song under her skin.
She was alive.
The blade bit the ground, just as the head was promptly removed from orc's shoulders.
"Come, girl!"
A tone of urgency filled his voice as he grabbed her arm, propelling her before him, and pushing her to run at a speed she had never reached before.
It seemed as though they had run for days before he allowed them to stop. By then, her legs would no longer support her and Evelyn fell to her hands and knees, breathing in good air that quenched the fire in her lungs. It took a few more moments before the girl was able to brave speech.
"Why did you come to my rescue, Ulrich?"
She could not bear to look her savior in the eyes.
It took a few moments before he answered. It was his slow, methodical way that allowed her to calm from the fear that had run through her blood just moments before. Ulrich was here, and she need not fear any longer for her life. Though he be angry, no permanent damage would come upon her.
At that thought, she smiled wryly.
"You have become my daughter."
Evelyn stilled at his words, discomfited at the lack of rebuke coming through his mouth.
Although she had known this for the seemingly countless winters they had been together, it was rather strange to hear such an admittance from his lips. Almost as if…Nay. She could not bear to finish such a morbid thought. Nor would she allow him to continue such nonsense. She knew him well enough that he spoke only what was necessary, when necessary. The man had a purpose in bringing up such intimate words to her now.
Ulrich stared at the girl he had raised, his gaze even upon her filthy form. It was high time he began telling her. They had been together almost one hundred winters, and his days were growing slim. He had journeyed many strange places with the girl by his side, and she had been a loyal friend these many years. She was a bright girl, and would have seen the strange looks given them whenever they entered any large city, and yet, she asked nothing of him. Moreover, the years they had been together had been much longer than the life of just any man. But never before had he spoken of his past, nor had she hers, other than bits and pieces of the nostalgic, heartwarming memories of her mother and father. What was she hiding? Or was it that she had no wish to know?
A hand ceased his thoughts. Her hand. It was slight, but in it held much power. She had worked long and hard to gain the calluses and filth that caked the appendage, and even harder for the will to live this day.
"I thank you. You have become like a father to me, as well, Ulrich. You are much more to me than just a mentor or a teacher." Her eyes twinkled brightly, expressing her sincere thanks to him in their warm depths. " 'Tis unfortunate, but I think we best be leaving. Night will soon fall upon us, and we must get to safety."
He grunted in agreement, allowing her to help him to his feet before he took lead, guiding her through the woods towards the village they were currently living in.
Perhaps he would keep his secrets to his own self for a little while longer.
As they walked and the light dimmed to darkness, Evelyn took no notice of Ulrich's gait, heavier than usual, nor of his pained, labored breathing.
The man had been wounded.
A/N: I'm surprised at the amount of people that have viewed this piece so far! And I'm really looking to hear REVIEWS from you guys! Please? I would completely appreciate constructive criticisms and reasonable flames about the plot, or grammar, or whatever. I hope my mild archaic language is fitting the fanfiction too! Thanks for reading.
~fubunny