A New Way of Life
Chapter 3: The Children
Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
Note: I may have gotten some facts wrong, and if I did, and you notice, please tell me and I will try to change it A.S.A.P. (as soon as possible). Oh, yeah, and thoughts are in italics.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aragorn quickly stood up and quietly and swiftly drew on his cloak and packed the rest of what he had to put away quickly. He put it under a bush and covered what little you could see of the pack of fallen branches and old leaves. Then as smooth and silent as a hot knife through butter he moved though the woods towards the laughter.
He hid behind a great oak, and peeked his head around the trees to see what was going on. A boy of perhaps 10, a girl of 6 maybe, and a small girl about 2 years old were playing at the edge of the woods. They were on the top of a hill that sloped down into a green pasture with sheep dotting the hill and the plain. The field ran into the fork of the River Running flowing down to the Sea of Rhun. A small village of perhaps 15 houses or so was by the river with a small dock where all boats were out on the river. From the shepard staffs the two older children were banging together like swords while the little one clapped and cheered on their names.
* * *
"Go Alda!" Alda concentrated, biting the tip of her tongue, and yet not realized it. She swung her staff down and to the right, but Mar had already brought his down to block hers Suddenly, Alda gave a wolfish grin and switched the way the crook at the top was facing, and yanked. Mar yelped as he came tumbling down. She had caught him in his one weakness, locking his knees. He always did it and thus couldn't move very fast, so he had become more of a defender, and less of an attacker. She had hit and pulled the cook of the staff at the back of his knee and now he sprawled face up, and his knees under him his staff flung out of reach. She put one foot on his chest and one beside his body. She put the crook under his chin as if it was a sword and snarled, "Surrender, or lose your life."
But she couldn't suppress back a laugh that came bubbling out of her, "Or do my chores, your choice." Mar growled, "I'm 4 years older, and yet you beat me most of the time! Fine, I'll do your chores," he agreed sullenly to her patiently waiting face. She stepped off him and started to walk away, but Mar leaped up and grabbed his staff, and lunged. But Alda had turned and slid the straight part of her staff into his crook and pulled. The staff went flying, again.
But Alda's scathing reply to his attack stopped on her tongue as she went stock-still. Mar seeing her face also stopped as did Tana, their younger sister, then they heard the second rustling. And out of the woods stepped a man. He was dark, tall, and lean. He wore a sword, a hunting knife, bow, arrows, a cloak, and the ready look of a fighter. He clapped his gloved hands together, stared Alda in the eyes, and spoke in a deep tone that was light with merriment, "Very good child."
* * *
As Aragorn stepped out from the wood, his experienced eyes saw that the girl stopped at the first sound of rustling and the other two stopped when she did. He applauded their good staff fight and looking into the girl called Alda's clear gray eyes, said "Very good child." He was impressed at her responses and hearing, but it was the boy who spoke first, "Who are you?' his voice wobbled a bit but he got the words out without stammering. "A friend who needs a bed and some hot food, preferably bread if you have any, and I haven't had any I weeks," he told them, "I will pay," he quickly assured them. He quickly sized up the characteristics of the group.
Alda was the fighter and watcher. She had quick reflexes and even quicker ears, eyes, mind, and tongue. She's like an elf with all she can do, he thought wondrously. Mar was the defender, the strength, and the collaborator, but he listened to Alda's quick mind, and the little child's intuitiveness of who was good and bad. He has an air about him, what is it? The little girl must be the runner and the encourager. She looked like one who enjoys running for the sheer joy of running. He was sure the others could out run her, the girl with swiftness, and the boy with endurance. With her slight figure and slim face, and straight blonde hair, she could pass as an elven child at a distance. But all of then have something about them that is familiar, I just can't put my finger on it.
His thoughts were all confirmed when the boy studied him then turned to Alda, she had been studying him since he first came into view and her silted eyes finally widened somewhat. When Mar looked at her she nodded, never taking her eyes off him, and he looked at the little one and said, "Tana, ask Ade." Tana took off running down the hill they were on and across the plain to the small village and entered a house when the chimney was billowing up smoke.
"Where do you come from? And what are you called?" Alda asked, her staff was still leveled in Aragorn's direction from jerking Mar's staff out of his hand. "I come from many places, and am called many things," he answered ambiguously to her derision. "Fine, where did you come form LAST, and what is one name we can call you?" she clarified. "From Esgaroth, two weeks ag-" "Esgaroth!" Mar interrupted, "but that is a month long journey!" "To some," the stranger answered vaguely. "Name," the girl stated again. "You choose," he told her, her eyes narrowed again, but the edges of her lips turned up in a slight smile, "Strider." Aragorn laughed, "A good name Alda." "You listened," she stated as her lips turned down once more. "Well you weren't exactly trying to hide who you all are, now were you?"
After several tense moments in which the two had a stare down, and Mar picked up his staff, she straightened up and lifted her staff. "I'm Aldarida, or Alda. He's Marroc, or Mar," she nodded to the older boy. He obviously trusted her judgment, because he didn't stop her, although his lips tightened. The little girl that just left is our younger sister, Taniaiel, or.-" "Tana," He filled in with a grin. She smiled too, "she is asking Adelard, or Ade our older sister. I'm 6, he's 10, Tana's 2, and Ade is 18." "She now stopped and looked pointedly at him her face betraying no emotion except calm patience. "Strider," he said simply, holding his head high and said nothing more on that subject to her ever again.
Then two people came out of the house. One stood there and waited, the other had burst out and came running, her legs pumping. When Tana got there, she leaned on her knees breathing hard. "Ada...pant... see... -," she pointed to Aragorn, "You," she nodded at Alda and Mar, "...pant.. here," she pointed down. The three understood her rough-cut sentences and obeyed. Aragorn said simply, "my things," and whirled around and walked silently off.
* * *
"Tana, you got your knife?" Alda leaned down and whispered to her sister. Tana simply nodded, still, panting. "If he tries anything on you, cut him and cut him good," she continued to whisper. Tana looked scared, and her eyes widened, but nodded again. Alda then stood up and stared off the way the stranger had came and left. "Well Alda?" her brother asked her. "He's a fighter and his clothes are patched and frayed, what more need I say? He's deadly and he may be desperate, I don't know, but better safe than sorry." "But-" he prompted her, for he could see there was more she wasn't saying, "But for some reason, I want to help him and understand him," she looked confused at her own response and emotions. "Well, we'll try, you're instincts have always helped so far Alda, we'll trust them now." He put a hand on her shoulder and she seemed to take comfort in his support. And then she stood tall and said, "Well, here he comes, Tana tell Ade I trust him, AFTER she gets a good look at him and talks to him."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, I hope you like it, if any one knows a lot about the Numenorean people, I would appreciate it if I could e-mail you and ask you a question, I haven't read the Similarion yet, and I need reference from there before I put up my next chapter. Thanks!
~Kit ;)
Chapter 3: The Children
Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
Note: I may have gotten some facts wrong, and if I did, and you notice, please tell me and I will try to change it A.S.A.P. (as soon as possible). Oh, yeah, and thoughts are in italics.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aragorn quickly stood up and quietly and swiftly drew on his cloak and packed the rest of what he had to put away quickly. He put it under a bush and covered what little you could see of the pack of fallen branches and old leaves. Then as smooth and silent as a hot knife through butter he moved though the woods towards the laughter.
He hid behind a great oak, and peeked his head around the trees to see what was going on. A boy of perhaps 10, a girl of 6 maybe, and a small girl about 2 years old were playing at the edge of the woods. They were on the top of a hill that sloped down into a green pasture with sheep dotting the hill and the plain. The field ran into the fork of the River Running flowing down to the Sea of Rhun. A small village of perhaps 15 houses or so was by the river with a small dock where all boats were out on the river. From the shepard staffs the two older children were banging together like swords while the little one clapped and cheered on their names.
* * *
"Go Alda!" Alda concentrated, biting the tip of her tongue, and yet not realized it. She swung her staff down and to the right, but Mar had already brought his down to block hers Suddenly, Alda gave a wolfish grin and switched the way the crook at the top was facing, and yanked. Mar yelped as he came tumbling down. She had caught him in his one weakness, locking his knees. He always did it and thus couldn't move very fast, so he had become more of a defender, and less of an attacker. She had hit and pulled the cook of the staff at the back of his knee and now he sprawled face up, and his knees under him his staff flung out of reach. She put one foot on his chest and one beside his body. She put the crook under his chin as if it was a sword and snarled, "Surrender, or lose your life."
But she couldn't suppress back a laugh that came bubbling out of her, "Or do my chores, your choice." Mar growled, "I'm 4 years older, and yet you beat me most of the time! Fine, I'll do your chores," he agreed sullenly to her patiently waiting face. She stepped off him and started to walk away, but Mar leaped up and grabbed his staff, and lunged. But Alda had turned and slid the straight part of her staff into his crook and pulled. The staff went flying, again.
But Alda's scathing reply to his attack stopped on her tongue as she went stock-still. Mar seeing her face also stopped as did Tana, their younger sister, then they heard the second rustling. And out of the woods stepped a man. He was dark, tall, and lean. He wore a sword, a hunting knife, bow, arrows, a cloak, and the ready look of a fighter. He clapped his gloved hands together, stared Alda in the eyes, and spoke in a deep tone that was light with merriment, "Very good child."
* * *
As Aragorn stepped out from the wood, his experienced eyes saw that the girl stopped at the first sound of rustling and the other two stopped when she did. He applauded their good staff fight and looking into the girl called Alda's clear gray eyes, said "Very good child." He was impressed at her responses and hearing, but it was the boy who spoke first, "Who are you?' his voice wobbled a bit but he got the words out without stammering. "A friend who needs a bed and some hot food, preferably bread if you have any, and I haven't had any I weeks," he told them, "I will pay," he quickly assured them. He quickly sized up the characteristics of the group.
Alda was the fighter and watcher. She had quick reflexes and even quicker ears, eyes, mind, and tongue. She's like an elf with all she can do, he thought wondrously. Mar was the defender, the strength, and the collaborator, but he listened to Alda's quick mind, and the little child's intuitiveness of who was good and bad. He has an air about him, what is it? The little girl must be the runner and the encourager. She looked like one who enjoys running for the sheer joy of running. He was sure the others could out run her, the girl with swiftness, and the boy with endurance. With her slight figure and slim face, and straight blonde hair, she could pass as an elven child at a distance. But all of then have something about them that is familiar, I just can't put my finger on it.
His thoughts were all confirmed when the boy studied him then turned to Alda, she had been studying him since he first came into view and her silted eyes finally widened somewhat. When Mar looked at her she nodded, never taking her eyes off him, and he looked at the little one and said, "Tana, ask Ade." Tana took off running down the hill they were on and across the plain to the small village and entered a house when the chimney was billowing up smoke.
"Where do you come from? And what are you called?" Alda asked, her staff was still leveled in Aragorn's direction from jerking Mar's staff out of his hand. "I come from many places, and am called many things," he answered ambiguously to her derision. "Fine, where did you come form LAST, and what is one name we can call you?" she clarified. "From Esgaroth, two weeks ag-" "Esgaroth!" Mar interrupted, "but that is a month long journey!" "To some," the stranger answered vaguely. "Name," the girl stated again. "You choose," he told her, her eyes narrowed again, but the edges of her lips turned up in a slight smile, "Strider." Aragorn laughed, "A good name Alda." "You listened," she stated as her lips turned down once more. "Well you weren't exactly trying to hide who you all are, now were you?"
After several tense moments in which the two had a stare down, and Mar picked up his staff, she straightened up and lifted her staff. "I'm Aldarida, or Alda. He's Marroc, or Mar," she nodded to the older boy. He obviously trusted her judgment, because he didn't stop her, although his lips tightened. The little girl that just left is our younger sister, Taniaiel, or.-" "Tana," He filled in with a grin. She smiled too, "she is asking Adelard, or Ade our older sister. I'm 6, he's 10, Tana's 2, and Ade is 18." "She now stopped and looked pointedly at him her face betraying no emotion except calm patience. "Strider," he said simply, holding his head high and said nothing more on that subject to her ever again.
Then two people came out of the house. One stood there and waited, the other had burst out and came running, her legs pumping. When Tana got there, she leaned on her knees breathing hard. "Ada...pant... see... -," she pointed to Aragorn, "You," she nodded at Alda and Mar, "...pant.. here," she pointed down. The three understood her rough-cut sentences and obeyed. Aragorn said simply, "my things," and whirled around and walked silently off.
* * *
"Tana, you got your knife?" Alda leaned down and whispered to her sister. Tana simply nodded, still, panting. "If he tries anything on you, cut him and cut him good," she continued to whisper. Tana looked scared, and her eyes widened, but nodded again. Alda then stood up and stared off the way the stranger had came and left. "Well Alda?" her brother asked her. "He's a fighter and his clothes are patched and frayed, what more need I say? He's deadly and he may be desperate, I don't know, but better safe than sorry." "But-" he prompted her, for he could see there was more she wasn't saying, "But for some reason, I want to help him and understand him," she looked confused at her own response and emotions. "Well, we'll try, you're instincts have always helped so far Alda, we'll trust them now." He put a hand on her shoulder and she seemed to take comfort in his support. And then she stood tall and said, "Well, here he comes, Tana tell Ade I trust him, AFTER she gets a good look at him and talks to him."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, I hope you like it, if any one knows a lot about the Numenorean people, I would appreciate it if I could e-mail you and ask you a question, I haven't read the Similarion yet, and I need reference from there before I put up my next chapter. Thanks!
~Kit ;)