Sydney Olympic Stadium, September 2000...
Some people stand in the darkness
Afraid to step into the light...
Írissë shook her nerves away with a few jumps, loosening her arms and legs. She braced herself, before stepping out of the tunnel, and onto the track of Sydney Olympic stadium. She heard the muffled shouts of the audience cheering for her, and gave as friendly a wave as she could muster, in reality not paying attention to them at all.
The last three months had been a joyful, but busy blur. Írissë had reluctantly dropped the 5000m, long jump, high jump, and steeple chase from her list of events. She would have had to have dropped at least two anyway, but one event was quite enough when one had just gave birth a few months before. She stuck to her strongest event- the 10,000m.
She and Tyelko had moved into an apartment (funded by a very secret and generous loan from coach Oromë, who insisted their results at the Games would most certainly earn them enough to pay him back- so no pressure) She and Tyelko had trained like crazy, often opposite each other, thanks to a little someone who demanded their attention. Írissë bounced back even better than she had expected, thanks to a special training plan she had underwent during pregnancy.
And, most importantly, she and Tyelko had welcomed their baby girl into the world in May. Siofra Aranya Tyelkormiel was her name, and she was the spitting image of her Atar, right down to her little smug smirk. She had stolen the hearts of both the Finwions and Aman, who, after months of gossiping and newspaper headlines and commentaries about what a 'scandal' this lovechild was, could not help but dote the adorable baby.
Some people need to have somebody
On the edge of surrenders inside
Írissë allowed herself a moment away from her focus to glance towards the stands, and could not resist the beam that broke out of her face as she saw a familiar platinum head of hair, in his red and gold tracksuit, smirking and winking at her. Around his neck, he proudly wore the three Gold medals he had achieved for shot, hammer and javelin. But in his arms was a precious something that he held with even more pride...
Don't you worry
It's gonna be alright
Cause I'm always ready
I won't let you out of my sight
Írissë's smile broadened as she gazed upon the bundle in Tyelko's arms, tufts of silvery hair escaping her little hat. Írissë could picture those beautiful green eyes gazing around the arena, as though it were the most fascinating place in the world, she could hear the 'coos' and 'gagas' and giggles and...
Focus Aredhel! she reminded herself.
She locked eyes with Oromë, who simply nodded at her reassuringly, and Írissë took comfort in knowing she had done everything she possibly could to be the best she could today.
A voice announced it was time for her to make her way to the start line, she ignored the fact she hated being put on the outside lane...
She felt the eyes of her fellow competitors on her. She knew that look. She often had that look. Confidence, cockiness...arrogance. They thought her the weakest link. She had just had a baby, she was obviously here just to 'take part'. Aman must have few long distance runners, and her heats must have been luck... She was only seventeen, she must be far from her prime...
Írissë smirked. True, her heats were far from ideal...but...
I cannot wait to wipe those smirks off your smug faces... her competitive nature took over completely.
I'll be ready
(Never you fear) no, don't you fear
(I'll be ready)
Forever and always, I'm always here
Írissë pulled her headphones out of her ears and handed her Mp3 to an official. However, the Baywatch theme tune remained in her head, all through the race...
She felt a swell of pride flicker in her chest, rising above the focus and adrenaline as her name was announced the world. She knew, somewhere in the stands sat her parents and brothers, she knew Tirion would be watching her on their T.V. screens... All her life, this was the moment she had dreamed of. Now that it was here it was surreal...
'On your marks...' CLICK BOOM!
Írissë took off, feeling the thrill of the race in her veins. She settled into lane one, in the middle of the bunch of athletes. She saw three or four already trying to create some space between themselves and the group. She let them. There was a long twenty five laps to go after all...
In us we all have the power
But sometimes it's so hard to see
And instinct stronger than reason
It's just human nature to me
At thirteen laps, Írissë hit the bonk. She did not know how this was happening, this never happened her! But as she dangled towards the back of the bundle of runners, the leaders a good two hundred metres ahead, she just wanted to stop. She struggled. She wanted this race to be over... How could she run another twelve of these endless laps?
But then she saw Aranya in the crowd, looking at her curiously, and suddenly everything changed...
Don't you worry
It's gonna be alright
'Cause I'm always ready
I won't let you out of my sight
Baywatch still fucking stuck in her head for some insane reason, Írissë gradually began to speed up.
Aranya had given her the metaphorical 'kick in the ass' she had needed...
I'll be ready
(Never you fear) no, don't you fear
(I'll be ready)
By fifteen laps, Írissë had left the 'huddle' far behind, seizing sixth place.
Forever and always, I'm always here
Twenty laps, she passed into fourth place...
'Cause I'm always ready
I won't let you out of my sight, no
On the twenty fourth lap, she overtook the runner in second place.
There was about one hundred metres between her and first place.
Stealing one final glance at Aranya, Írissë plunged her heart and soul into the final lap...
I'll be ready
(Never you fear) no, don't you fear
(I'll be ready)
She neither saw nor heard the excited leaps and shouts of spectators rising to their feet... all she saw was the runner she had to overtake...
Everything was a blur. All Írissë knew was to run like the wind, to the line up ahead and pray she was fast enough to-...
She ran by a blur of a singlet and shorts...
She was in first place...
And the line, the line was...
...She had just crossed it.
Írissë woke from her dream-like focus, to a stadium going wild- full of cheering and jumping.
She collapsed over, in both shock and exhaustion, stealing a few deep breaths with her hands on her knees.
When she stood up straight, she was enveloped in a fierce embrace. Tyelkormo had jumped the stand and raced over to her, too quick, strong and famous for anyone to bother stopping him, Aranya still in his arms. Írissë laughed and returned the hug, and then took Aranya from him and held her up, planting a kiss on her head.
Forever and always, I'm always here
Forever and always, I'm always here
That moment- of Tyelko smiling in euphoria and Írissë kissing Aranya, their baby held between them, stealing the show from the medals- was captured forever and published in every newspaper around the world. Siofra became known as 'The Olympic Baby.'
Írissë, as she had promised, did a lap of honour, with Aranya in her arms.
She gave Aranya one final kiss before she gave her back to Tyelko, who stood by her side. It was time to receive her gold medal...
As she kissed her baby, staring adoringly into her face and absorbing the atmosphere, looking high into the crowds, she was puzzled to hear a collection of gasps, whoops, wolf whistles and laughter.
And then she looked down.
Tyelkormo had gone down on one knee...
sSsSSsSsSsssSsSsSsSSss
Of course I made the ending of this chapter like a Disney movie..
Írissë loves Baywatch, her favourite show, hence why she was listening to the music.
Next chapter we will finally meet (a little more) grown up Aranya, and the bopping to the tunes officially begins...
Hope ye liked this, please comment!
SiofraMarina x