Disclaimer: I own nothing
Arabella Thorne: Yes, I appreciate your questions. However, if you want the answers, you have to keep reading! ; )
**********
"Lady Arwen--" Feanor began.
"Just Arwen, please," Arwen corrected. Arwen had gotten used to the girl's manner, but it chilled her.
"Sorry. I was only wondering. . .the boy who came to see me, why doesn't he come anymore? Did I do something wrong?" Feanor's lower lip trembled, and she chewed on it. Arwen was sad just looking at this girl's weak state. It had been nearly two weeks, and Arwen knew the girl would heal, but she feared the time it would take.
"No, Estel's just. . .honestly, every day he waits outside the door. I tell him he can't see you, so he won't disturb you," not a total lie. Every day he did stand outside, but Arwen told him he could go in--and he refused.
"Oh. Well, if he wants to. . .I mean, I wouldn't mind it if he were to. . .it wouldn't bother me, that is, if he said hello once in a while," Feanor tried not to contradict Arwen, and Arwen smiled.
"I will tell him," she agreed. She saw how much Feanor wanted him to come.
**********
"Where is that miserable human?"
"Arwen," Elrond said, half-warning.
"Where is Estel?" Arwen asked, more composed.
"Practicing with his sword, most likely," Elrond answered. "Why do you seek him?"
"Feanor asks of him. He tells me he is drawn to her, and I know he often guards her door, yet he cannot go in and face her." Arwen sighed.
"He has been acting strangely lately, I'll admit. Ever since that night I found him in my study he's been rather quiet and angry, and generally unhappy."
"Well, whatever it is, he won't hurt this girl. I won't stand for it." Arwen made a motion with her hands, to emphasize the point.
"Then you are going to tell him?"
"No, Ada, it wouldn't be right."
"Very well. This girl is under your care, as I said before, but think before you act--you know what she's been through."
**********
"Estel! There you are!" Arwen had managed to find him at last, outside Feanor's door. She kept her voice at a whisper, in case the child was asleep.
"Hello, Arwen." He leaned against the wall. Something kept him coming here. He still feared the girl, the look in her eyes, yet he felt as though he had to protect her. From what, he didn't know, but he did need to look out for her.
"You have to go to her," Arwen said. She usually kept herself from mortals, but this girl. . .she pitied the girl, and somehow wished her well. Estel was hurting her by staying away, the girl thought of the two as friends! "I need to go see my father. You had best go and speak with her."
Estel stood for a minute, then forced himself to move. Feanor was sitting cross-legged on the bed. She still looked like a wraith, but far less pale and skinny. She was beginning to look human. As soon as she saw him, her face lit up.
"I thought you forgot about me," she admitted.
"Oh, I couldn't," he said, though at times he wished he could. She haunted his dreams. What was wrong with her? Why was she so like that? Why would no one tell him? He twisted the object in his hands. Looking down, he saw that it was the book of fables he had thought Feanor would like.
"Here," he said, holding the book out to her, "I think you'll enjoy reading this." She took the book nervously. She hardly breathed as she turned the pages, lingering on the illustrations, then setting it down.
"Thank you," she said quietly. Something was wrong, though. She wouldn't look at Estel, and kept her head bowed--even more so than usual.
"Can you read?" Estel asked. Feanor shook her head. "No?" he was shocked. "Is that common in Gondor? Arwen did say you were from Gondor, right?"
"I am from Gondor."
"I heard that there was no illiteracy there. Would you like me to teach you?"
"Very much," Feanor said, nodding. Estel left to get something to write on so he could begin easily--with the alphabet. Feanor was a quick learner. She copied every letter he drew with an uncanny defiance in her manner. Within an hour, she was reading shorter words, and stumbling with the longer ones.
"Can we stop now?" she asked after a while. "I'm sorry but I'm just a bit tired--"
"It's fine," Estel said. "Don't apologize. We can work on it tomorrow, or whenever you're ready."
"Thank you." Estel was gathering the papers on the floor, with sloppy letters drawn on them, and by the time he had made a neat stack, Feanor was asleep. She had curled into a ball with one arm around her neck protectively, and the other over her face. Estel stopped and stared. Something was wrong with this girl.
Slowly, Estel pulled the girl under the blankets. With the warmth, he hoped she might relax. She didn't. He couldn't see how she got any rest with her muscles ready to spring. He would have to do something for her.
Again, Estel was surprised. He had never felt this close to anyone, this protective. This new sensation made him uneasy. What would happen if he failed?
A/N: Okay, feedback please! I really need to know what people think and if you have any guesses about what is happening to Feanor. Also, should I put in more soft moments between the two or a big clue to her past in the next chapter? Thanx! ~Balthasar
Arabella Thorne: Yes, I appreciate your questions. However, if you want the answers, you have to keep reading! ; )
**********
"Lady Arwen--" Feanor began.
"Just Arwen, please," Arwen corrected. Arwen had gotten used to the girl's manner, but it chilled her.
"Sorry. I was only wondering. . .the boy who came to see me, why doesn't he come anymore? Did I do something wrong?" Feanor's lower lip trembled, and she chewed on it. Arwen was sad just looking at this girl's weak state. It had been nearly two weeks, and Arwen knew the girl would heal, but she feared the time it would take.
"No, Estel's just. . .honestly, every day he waits outside the door. I tell him he can't see you, so he won't disturb you," not a total lie. Every day he did stand outside, but Arwen told him he could go in--and he refused.
"Oh. Well, if he wants to. . .I mean, I wouldn't mind it if he were to. . .it wouldn't bother me, that is, if he said hello once in a while," Feanor tried not to contradict Arwen, and Arwen smiled.
"I will tell him," she agreed. She saw how much Feanor wanted him to come.
**********
"Where is that miserable human?"
"Arwen," Elrond said, half-warning.
"Where is Estel?" Arwen asked, more composed.
"Practicing with his sword, most likely," Elrond answered. "Why do you seek him?"
"Feanor asks of him. He tells me he is drawn to her, and I know he often guards her door, yet he cannot go in and face her." Arwen sighed.
"He has been acting strangely lately, I'll admit. Ever since that night I found him in my study he's been rather quiet and angry, and generally unhappy."
"Well, whatever it is, he won't hurt this girl. I won't stand for it." Arwen made a motion with her hands, to emphasize the point.
"Then you are going to tell him?"
"No, Ada, it wouldn't be right."
"Very well. This girl is under your care, as I said before, but think before you act--you know what she's been through."
**********
"Estel! There you are!" Arwen had managed to find him at last, outside Feanor's door. She kept her voice at a whisper, in case the child was asleep.
"Hello, Arwen." He leaned against the wall. Something kept him coming here. He still feared the girl, the look in her eyes, yet he felt as though he had to protect her. From what, he didn't know, but he did need to look out for her.
"You have to go to her," Arwen said. She usually kept herself from mortals, but this girl. . .she pitied the girl, and somehow wished her well. Estel was hurting her by staying away, the girl thought of the two as friends! "I need to go see my father. You had best go and speak with her."
Estel stood for a minute, then forced himself to move. Feanor was sitting cross-legged on the bed. She still looked like a wraith, but far less pale and skinny. She was beginning to look human. As soon as she saw him, her face lit up.
"I thought you forgot about me," she admitted.
"Oh, I couldn't," he said, though at times he wished he could. She haunted his dreams. What was wrong with her? Why was she so like that? Why would no one tell him? He twisted the object in his hands. Looking down, he saw that it was the book of fables he had thought Feanor would like.
"Here," he said, holding the book out to her, "I think you'll enjoy reading this." She took the book nervously. She hardly breathed as she turned the pages, lingering on the illustrations, then setting it down.
"Thank you," she said quietly. Something was wrong, though. She wouldn't look at Estel, and kept her head bowed--even more so than usual.
"Can you read?" Estel asked. Feanor shook her head. "No?" he was shocked. "Is that common in Gondor? Arwen did say you were from Gondor, right?"
"I am from Gondor."
"I heard that there was no illiteracy there. Would you like me to teach you?"
"Very much," Feanor said, nodding. Estel left to get something to write on so he could begin easily--with the alphabet. Feanor was a quick learner. She copied every letter he drew with an uncanny defiance in her manner. Within an hour, she was reading shorter words, and stumbling with the longer ones.
"Can we stop now?" she asked after a while. "I'm sorry but I'm just a bit tired--"
"It's fine," Estel said. "Don't apologize. We can work on it tomorrow, or whenever you're ready."
"Thank you." Estel was gathering the papers on the floor, with sloppy letters drawn on them, and by the time he had made a neat stack, Feanor was asleep. She had curled into a ball with one arm around her neck protectively, and the other over her face. Estel stopped and stared. Something was wrong with this girl.
Slowly, Estel pulled the girl under the blankets. With the warmth, he hoped she might relax. She didn't. He couldn't see how she got any rest with her muscles ready to spring. He would have to do something for her.
Again, Estel was surprised. He had never felt this close to anyone, this protective. This new sensation made him uneasy. What would happen if he failed?
A/N: Okay, feedback please! I really need to know what people think and if you have any guesses about what is happening to Feanor. Also, should I put in more soft moments between the two or a big clue to her past in the next chapter? Thanx! ~Balthasar