Chapter 2(I DO NOT OWN LOTR)
Arain followed behind her grandfather as he made his way towards the thrown hall she was now a girl of thirteen falls and she had heard he was meeting an elven envoy form Mirkwood and she was not going to miss that chance. Even though no one had talked about it around her, Arain knew what it was that her true mother was. So she followed stealthily behind her grandfather, slipping into the room just before the doors closed, and hiding amongst the shadows behind a pillar. Carefully so as not to be seen, she peeked around the corner and tried to control her delight when she saw the graceful elf standing in the middle of the room and talking quietly to her grandfather.
"King Barden, it is a pleasure to meet with you. But before we continue with this meeting I think it wise to know you have a shadow." The elf said in his lightly accented voice. Arain started, he must have seen her come in but she had been so careful.
Her grandfather sighed, "Come on out now Arainya." She winced her grandfather never called her by her full name, so she grudgingly came out of her hiding spot. "This is my granddaughter Arainya. I was expecting her to try something like this." The girl winced again.
The elf kneeled down to the girls level and offered a kind smile, "Ma goven, tela mellon ni. I am Tallish."
"M-ma goven." Arain replied with a small bow feeling slightly embarrassed about being dressed in such awful and ragged men's clothes. "What dose tela mellon ni, mean?"
"It means 'my young friend', but it seems to me you know what ma goven means."
"I know a little elvish but not much." She replied, and Tallish looked at her for a moment before gently placing a hand on her head, his eyes widened slightly then he smiled once again.
"I can tell you have a question for me but first I must wonder why you are skipping your lessons with your Nanath?"
Arain flushed slightly, she wasn't sure how he knew that. "I don't like them. Lessons with my aunt hold no interest for me." She had never heard the elvish word for mother before but it wasn't hard for her to figure out, and she felt that word was not befitting her aunt as she was not her true mother.
Tallish laughed, "No, I dear say they do not. Very well ask your question."
"I need a name, not for myself but for my colt, I've had him for months and I cannot find a name that fits him. I've looked in Dalish, the common tongue and even the tongue of Dwarves but still I cannot find one that is right for him."
"Ah, I see. What type of name are you seeking for him? He must be special to you if you are going through so much trouble to find a proper name for him."
She nodded vigorously glad that someone understood, the others didn't understand why she cared so much what she called her horse, because to them it was just an animal meant to carry them and do their bidding. That was not the kind of relationship she wanted with her horse. "He may be a horse but I do not want a master servant relationship with him, I want him to trust me and be my friend, he is spirited and strong but I can tell he is loyal to those he respects and cares for." Arain said proudly, she had been working with the colt for several months now and they had built a strong bond with each other and soon she would ride him. "I don't know why but I believe his name must be elvish, for no other name seems to fit him, I would look myself but I know very little of the elven tongue."
"Well, after hearing that I believe the name you are searching for is Zatalon, it means trusted bearer." Tallish explained and watched as the girl spoke it several times to herself, he noticed she had no trouble with the strange syllables and pronunciation of the elvish tongue like most humans did.
"Zatalon, yes that is his name it fits him perfectly. Thank you." Arain said she had always know Zatalon's name would be elvish, she gave a bow to each and said the elvish goodbye and ran to tell her colt his name.
"She is spirited that girl, she is part elvish is she not?" Tallish asked.
"Yes, her mother was an elf of Mirkwood, but after my son died at a border fight she sub came to grief, Arain was only three when they both left her and is now left in the care of my daughter."
"I sense those two do not see eye to eye."
"No, they do not. Arain is wild and free spirited." Barden said with a laugh, his daughter and granddaughter most certainly did not see eye to eye.
"It will only become even more so, her elven blood is stirring and soon will make itself present, she already has the light step of an elf, it won't be long before she acquires other features." Tallish said.
"Yes, I am aware. She has the mind and talent for fighting, and is too restless for the life of a lady and needle work. I try to tell my daughter this but she refuses to listen and continues to try and make that girl what she simply is not, she is a girl that breaks the mold of what a woman should be and if my daughter continues to try and push her… I'm afraid she will flee one day." The King said sadly.
"Have you considered that is where her destiny lies, somewhere away from these walls?"
"It has crossed my mind, and even though I know it is selfish I do not wish it to be so. She is all I have left of my first born son and of Tavega her mother. We may have been from different races but I was rather found of her. But, in my heart I know that Arain will leave one day, I just hope that day will not come too soon." He said sadly, thinking of the happy child before turning his mind to the thoughts of the trades.