~*~* A/N: I know, I'm bangin' out these stories like crazy! What did you expect? lol. I have no life. 'Wait til next week, I have a vacation! lol *~*~
"Why are you making me do this?" complained Nilatarien, known throughout the village simply as Nila, throwing a glare up at her father, Firathradion.
"Nila, this is important. We live in a very dangerous place. This isn't Bree, where all you have to worry about is someone's stray ferret."
"I know, father, but there are men in the village to protect me," she continued, a glare on her face.
"You will not always be within the protection of our village, Nilatarien," said her father warningly, and she stopped arguing, knowing that the use of her full name meant he was quickly becoming annoyed.
"Fine," she muttered, and held up the practice, wooden sword he had handed her just moments ago.
"Now, I'm going to advance. Keep your footing!" he insisted, then swung his sword in her direction. She held her sword up gingerly, blocking his swing.
"Good! Now, you advance." Half-heartedly, she swung her own sword at him, and he blocked quickly.
"Your heart is not in it," he said, throwing his hands up.
"Of course it is not, father. I am not a fighter."
Nilatarien, with a grin, approached her best friend. She was standing by a tree, looking out across the Anduin.
"Aina!" Nila exclaimed, and the other girl jumped into the air.
"Nila! You frightened me!" Aina cried, and then shared a grin with her friend. "What puts you in such a jovial mood?"
Nila shrugged, leaning against the tree, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Well whatever it is, it's a wonderful escape from your crossness of the past several days." Nila stuck her tongue out at Aina, and the two giggled.
Nila, with long brown hair and brown eyes, was plain, as far as the women from their village went. Aina, properly Ainadaliel, however, had long blonde hair and stunning violet eyes, and was considered one of the prettiest among the girls their age. Nila was eighteen years of age, and Aina was seventeen.
"What were you looking at?" asked Nila, glancing out across the shore.
"I was watching the orcs. Their movements are strange today; something must be afoot," Aina replied, squinting her eyes, continuing to gaze across the Great River. Nila strained her eyes to see, but could not.
"You have archer eyes," she said, accusingly, and Aina laughed, tucking a tuft of blonde behind her ear.
"Well, my father is training me in it, after all."
"My father is training me in swordfighting, though I do not understand why. A girl like me needn't fight."
"But strong men like me won't be here to protect you forever!" exclaimed their friend Forrester, running up behind them.
"Forrester," said Nila warningly, looking down upon him, literally. The boy, who was the same age as they, was several inches shorter than both of them.
"Good day, Aina," he said softly, kneeling to greet the girl. She threw Nila an amused look, and looked down at him, as he watched her from the tops of his green eyes.
"On your feet, you great ass," said Nila, and Aina and she burst into giggles.
"Of course, make fun of the short boy," said Forrester, standing with a small growl.
"Have you come for a reason, or just to annoy Aina and I?" asked Nila, skipping about on the grass. Aina continued to watch the river, a look of worry on her face.
"Aye," said Forrester, "your father asked me to retreive you."
"Probably more sword-fighting," said Nila with a sigh, and she turned to Aina. "Are you all right?"
"Something is different," she said, and took a smell of the air. "Something is strange here; something new."
"Well, come on, you can tell your father all about it," replied Nila, grabbing her arm. "We have to go back to the village."
~*~* A/N: Hope you enjoyed, and please reveiw!! *~*~
"Why are you making me do this?" complained Nilatarien, known throughout the village simply as Nila, throwing a glare up at her father, Firathradion.
"Nila, this is important. We live in a very dangerous place. This isn't Bree, where all you have to worry about is someone's stray ferret."
"I know, father, but there are men in the village to protect me," she continued, a glare on her face.
"You will not always be within the protection of our village, Nilatarien," said her father warningly, and she stopped arguing, knowing that the use of her full name meant he was quickly becoming annoyed.
"Fine," she muttered, and held up the practice, wooden sword he had handed her just moments ago.
"Now, I'm going to advance. Keep your footing!" he insisted, then swung his sword in her direction. She held her sword up gingerly, blocking his swing.
"Good! Now, you advance." Half-heartedly, she swung her own sword at him, and he blocked quickly.
"Your heart is not in it," he said, throwing his hands up.
"Of course it is not, father. I am not a fighter."
Nilatarien, with a grin, approached her best friend. She was standing by a tree, looking out across the Anduin.
"Aina!" Nila exclaimed, and the other girl jumped into the air.
"Nila! You frightened me!" Aina cried, and then shared a grin with her friend. "What puts you in such a jovial mood?"
Nila shrugged, leaning against the tree, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Well whatever it is, it's a wonderful escape from your crossness of the past several days." Nila stuck her tongue out at Aina, and the two giggled.
Nila, with long brown hair and brown eyes, was plain, as far as the women from their village went. Aina, properly Ainadaliel, however, had long blonde hair and stunning violet eyes, and was considered one of the prettiest among the girls their age. Nila was eighteen years of age, and Aina was seventeen.
"What were you looking at?" asked Nila, glancing out across the shore.
"I was watching the orcs. Their movements are strange today; something must be afoot," Aina replied, squinting her eyes, continuing to gaze across the Great River. Nila strained her eyes to see, but could not.
"You have archer eyes," she said, accusingly, and Aina laughed, tucking a tuft of blonde behind her ear.
"Well, my father is training me in it, after all."
"My father is training me in swordfighting, though I do not understand why. A girl like me needn't fight."
"But strong men like me won't be here to protect you forever!" exclaimed their friend Forrester, running up behind them.
"Forrester," said Nila warningly, looking down upon him, literally. The boy, who was the same age as they, was several inches shorter than both of them.
"Good day, Aina," he said softly, kneeling to greet the girl. She threw Nila an amused look, and looked down at him, as he watched her from the tops of his green eyes.
"On your feet, you great ass," said Nila, and Aina and she burst into giggles.
"Of course, make fun of the short boy," said Forrester, standing with a small growl.
"Have you come for a reason, or just to annoy Aina and I?" asked Nila, skipping about on the grass. Aina continued to watch the river, a look of worry on her face.
"Aye," said Forrester, "your father asked me to retreive you."
"Probably more sword-fighting," said Nila with a sigh, and she turned to Aina. "Are you all right?"
"Something is different," she said, and took a smell of the air. "Something is strange here; something new."
"Well, come on, you can tell your father all about it," replied Nila, grabbing her arm. "We have to go back to the village."
~*~* A/N: Hope you enjoyed, and please reveiw!! *~*~