Chapter Three: Trouble
Maethoriel stood outside the tailor shop and saw that a young boy maybe around Miriel's age of about sixteen or seventeen. He ran up the street being chased by what she only assumed to be a shop keeper. As the boy risked a glance backwards he tripped over a cobblestone and went sprawling onto the street.
The shop keeper caught up to him. The boy tried to get back up to try running again but was knocked back down onto the cobblestones. The shopkeeper kicked the boy in the stomach causing the young boy to curl up in a ball to protect himself. "Maybe next time you won't steal from my shop," the shopkeeper yelled at the boy.
The shopkeeper kicked him again and bent down to grab a handful of his hair, but Maethoriel rushed out onto the street and pulled on the giant man's arm.
"Don't you dare hit him again!" She yelled.
The man dropped the boy and turned to face her. "And who are you to tell me who and who not to hit?" he asked.
"Maybe my father, the king, would like to hear what you've been doing to this poor boy," Maethoriel said simply. It was safe to say that her father would not like the treatment of the boy, but it was also safe to say that he would probably kill her when he dealt with the matter.
"Milady!" he said seeing that she was one of the king's daughters. He bowed deeply. "I'm sorry to have upset you, but this scoundrel has stolen from my shop too many times."
"Then my father shall deal with his punishment. Not you," Maethoriel replied. "Now go on back to your shops." She waved her hand, shooing them away.
She watched as the crowd dispersed and looked over to the boy. He had gotten up and looked down at her in amazement. He looked down upon her as she only came up to his chest. He had blonde hair just touching past his shoulders. He was dressed in what seemed like rags to Mae. He was a skinny, but not so skinny to be gangling. He had a muscular build about him like he did a lot of labor work.
"Th-thank you, my lady," He stuttered.
"It's nothing," she replied. She looked him over with her eyes seeing if he was hurt anywhere. She spied blood on his head. "You're bleeding."
"Huh?" he asked.
"On your head," she replied.
He reached up and touched his head and flinched. He looked at his finger tips to find blood on them. "Perfect," he muttered.
"Come with me. I can have that fixed in no time," she said gesturing for him to follow.
"No. It's fine. I can manage," he said.
"Nonsense," She said, gesturing again. This time he followed her. "I don't believe I know your name."
"It's Bryn, my lady," he said shyly. "I don't think I know yours."
"It's Maethoriel, but you can call me Mae," she said.
"Alright, Mae," He said smiling. "Where are we going?"
"The Houses of Healing," She said.
"The Houses of Healing?" He asked looking down at her questioningly.
"It's where wounded soldiers or sick people go to be healed. My father taught me a few things on healing scrapes and cuts," she replied meeting his gaze. Bryn quickly looked away. He must be really shy,Mae thought.
~~~***~~~
"What is going on outside?" Eldarion asked hearing the noise.
"Probably the boy who's been stealing things from people's shops and carts," The tailor said.
"Stealing? My father would like to hear about that," he said.
"The boy isn't from around here, either. He just wandered in with a group of tradesmen. He's been seen roaming alone for a few weeks now," She added.
"My father would definitely put a stop to that. Has he stolen anything from here?" Eldarion asked.
"No, from what I've heard its always been food. When he first showed up a blanket has been taken and some food and he has been blamed for that too," she answered. "And if I'm not mistaken I do believe Miss Maethoriel was with you wasn't she?"
"She is. What do you mean was?" He asked.
"Well she isn't in here anymore, from what I can tell," She explained.
Eldarion turned to look around the small shop. "Mae!!" he growled. "I'm going to kill her." With that Eldarion stomped out of the shop to find the road busy with traffic and no sign of Mae anywhere. I'm really going to kill her if naneth and ada haven't gotten to her first. He thought.
~~~***~~~
The walk lasted ten minutes before they came to the Houses. Mae quietly led the way in. It was much cooler in the Houses than it was outside. She heard Bryn sigh with relief as he walked into the cold room. The house they had walked into was deserted.
"Okay. No one is here," Mae said walking forward, pulling Bryn along. "Sit here and I'll be right back." Mae sat him on a stone bed and hurried out of the room.
Bryn looked around the giant room. Everything was made out of stone and the bed he sat on wasn't very comfortable. It smelled of herbs and of medicine in the room. It was faint and it seemed it hadn't been used in years.
Bryn jumped as he heard a door open. He turned to find Maethoriel hurrying over to him. "No one's been in here for years," She said sitting crossed legged next to him. She confirmed his thoughts. "Not since after the last war. It hasn't been needed. Which I suppose is a good thing." As she spoke she crushed something in a bowl in her lap. She looked up at him to see him watching her. "You aren't from around here are you?" she asked.
"No," he said simply.
"Where are you from?" She asked.
"I've never really had a home. My father and I travel around together with some of his friends. Usually we stay somewhere in Rohan," he replied.
Mae nodded. She watched him as he spoke. He seemed to be omitting something from his story. It sounded rehearsed. She shoved the feelings of suspicion away. He seemed too nice and shy to be suspicious.
"So you say you and your father travel around. Where is your mother?" She asked.
"She died giving birth to me," he said shyly. He looked down at his feet, eyes watering.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Mae replied. She could see that this was the truth. "I couldn't imagine loosing one of my parents."
"I hope you never do," he replied. "It feels like a part of you is missing."
Mae didn't know what to say to that. She looked down at the herb in the bowl. A few leaves of Athelas. She decided it was crushed enough. "It's ready," she said reaching into the bowl.
She moved Bryn's hair out of his face and spread the Athelas over the cut. He flinched the second she touched it. "I'm sorry," she said as she rubbed the Athelas in.
"It stings," he said.
"I know. It'll stop in a few seconds," she replied. And she wasn't wrong. The sensation died away.
"You seem like you know what you're doing," He said, trying to keep the conversation alive.
"I've fallen and gotten scrapes many times. My ada always showed me how to heal the scrape," she replied.
"Ada?" Bryn asked, not understanding the elvish word.
"It means father. It's elvish," She replied.
"Oh," Bryn glanced down at his feet again, feeling foolish.
"There," She said, finishing. She wiped her fingers off on the side of the bowl. She let his hair fall back over his eyes.
"Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome," She replied. "The Athelas should heal the cut faster."
"I don't know what I can do to thank you," he said.
"You don't need to do anything," She said. "You've already done something."
"What's that?" he asked confused.
"This has been the most eventful and exciting day I've had in a very long time," She said.
"Really?" he asked laughing.
"Yeah. It's sounds a bit pathetic, but I'm not allowed out of the palace walls," She said.
Bryn smiled, but kept quiet. "I should be going," he said after awhile. "Your parents are probably looking for you."
"I guess you're right. I didn't really have permission to be in the market place anyways," she said.
"You didn't?"
"Nope. I just walked down. My brother tried to stop me, but as usual he failed."
Bryn chuckled as Mae led the way to the door. "So you're from Rohan, what brings you here?" She asked.
"Uhmm… well… my father," Bryn said, trying to think if a good answer.
"Oh. Where is he?" She asked.
"Around."
"Where are you staying?"
"An inn," he replied. "I should get back to my father."
"Okay," she said. "Maybe I'll see you around."
"Maybe," he said going off down the path. Maybe, but hopefully not. He thought as he walked down the cobblestone path until he found an alley.
~~~***~~~
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST YOUR SISTER?!" Aragorn roared, making his son flinch.
"Well… we were down in the market p-" He began.
"You took your sister down to the market place after we told you two you could not go!" Arwen yelled.
"No! I mean, she started walking down there and I tried to stop her-" He tried.
"And then you lost her!" Aragorn said, infuriated.
"We were in a tailor shop and I was apologizing to the seamstress and when I turned around she was gone," he managed to say before he got cut off again.
"Eldarion… this is probably the worst thing you've ever done," Aragorn said.
"I'm sorry! She can't have gone too far," Eldarion said.
"It's very hot out! What if she's had an attack?" Arwen said. She stood up from her place at the table and started pacing. Aragorn already stood with his face in his hands.
Eldarion looked down, feeling very guilty and trying to think of something else to say.
Before any of them could say anything else the doors opened causing everyone to look toward the doors. Maethoriel skipped inside over to her parents.
"Hi," She said smiling.
"There you are!" Arwen said hugging her daughter tightly.
"Missed you too naneth," She replied.
"Where were you?" Aragorn said. "And don't you dare lie to me."
She looked to Eldarion stunned to see her. "I was in the Houses of Healing," she replied.
All three of them looked at her curiously. "What were you doing in there?" Arwen asked.
"Well, in the market place when Eldarion and I were in the tailor shop there was something going on in the street," She began. "And I went out to see what was going on and a shop keeper was kicking a boy on the street. I ran over to the shop keeper and told him to stop. I told him I was going to tell you, ada, and then he apologized and I told everyone to go back to their business. I helped the boy up and he had a cut on his head so I took him to the Houses and fixed his head up."
"And this was just a random boy out on the street?" Arwen asked.
"There probably was a good reason the shopkeeper was hitting him," Aragorn replied. "Not that it's right, but he must've done something."
"The seamstress said he had probably stolen something. He had been stealing for a few weeks now," Eldarion chimed in.
"Did he hurt you? Did he try to do anything?" Arwen asked cupping her daughter's chin.
Maethoriel pushed away. "No he didn't. He was really shy. He didn't even want me to help him with his head," She said. "He hardly looked me in the eye."
"I'm just glad that you're okay," Arwen said hugging her again. "You're in trouble, but you're okay."
Mae scowled and hugged her mother back. "I think both of you should go to your rooms. We'll be up in a while with your punishment," Aragorn said.
Eldarion got up from where he sat and followed Mae out of the throne room.
"I can't believe you told them!" Mae said.
"Don't talk to me right now. I'm very angry with you," Eldarion said.
Mae narrowed her eyes at him and went down a separate hallway. She usually took that hallway when she was sent to her room but didn't want to go there.
~~~***~~~
Bryn went down alley after alley avoiding any major street. He weaved in and out of them until he came to the familiar abandoned house he had been staying in. It was the safest place he had been in for a long time. No one had discovered him staying there. In one room there was a window for light, as everything else was as dark as pitch. He had dragged an old mattress into the small room and had a deep blue blanket for warmth. He had not succeeded in stealing any food that morning to he would have to go hungry.
Bryn walked in the doorway (there was no door on the hinges) and straight back to the room with light streaming in. He stood in the doorway to his small bed room, feeling like something was out of place. He looked around the room, not seeing anything. His blanket still lay on his bed, his old sword still lay next to the mattress.
Hearing a creak behind him he slowly turned around to see what was behind him. The next thing he knew, his ears were ringing and he was laying on the floor, blinking stupidly.
Well did you like it?? Please R&R. I hope this chapter answered any questions you had. And gave you some new ones. Review please!
