Chapter Three
Throin and Everard spent the next few weeks travel fighting. Not physical fighting, rather verbal. They let it be known that neither liked the other much. If truth be told they didn't like each other at all. Throin was gruff and blunt, caring little for the warm friendship and love Thendel and Everard shared. In contrast Everard was warm and open, up for a laugh but knowing just when his best friend needed comfort.
If truth be told they each believed the other was not good for Thendel, which led to many a heated debate over the fire at night. When Thendel fell down the steep ravine they were descending, Throin was there to help her up and support her until she could walk on her own again. Unable to assist because of his size, Everard spent the next few days and nights sulking moodily and nothing Thendel said could coax him into song.
He snapped out of it easily enough when Thendel had her nightmare again. A recurring one that hit her when she least expected it. The young Hobbit was by her side instantly, holding her tightly as she wept for her lost family as again and again she pictured their deaths. Throin could only watch self- consciously knowing there was little he could do.
This night was nearing the end of spring and the rains were starting to abate. The air was warm and balmy as they rested on the banks of the river Greyflood. The trio had a small fire lit to boil water and warm some of the bread they had cooked a few nights before. The rich smell of toasting bread drifted through the small dell in which they lay mingling with the smells of drying grass.
The day had been a lazy one, spent fishing on the river's bank and hunting randomly through the undergrowth for plants to stock up their dwindling supply. It had been decided that they would head for the small fishing community on the banks of the river Anduin where it met the sea. Ered Anduin it was called. However they had barely enough food to reach there unless they stopped over at one of the new towns that had been built up since King Aragorn's ascent to the throne. None of them liked that idea much.
Although both Everard and Thendel longed for the sounds of other voices and sweet music that they missed. The songs and rhymes they sang to while away the evening hours were becoming repetitive even to them. Song without music had lost its earlier appeal. So, while Thendel and Throin tended to their meal Everard was busy building a crude version of a lute.
Twisting the hairs he had pulled from Thendel's head tightly and rubbing them with the fat of a rabbit he deftly made the strings. The body seemed to be the hardest thing to make but Throin looked up and muttered gruffly.
"I can carve you out the body young un's. Though with only a limited set of tools it shan't be good."
Thendel eagerly agreed and soon the sounds wood-carving echoed around them. It was so rhythmic that the two watching were lulled to sleep. Throin continued on, humming a dwarf's song under his breath and tapping his foot in time to the knife carving away at the piece of wood lying in his arms. The sun set before them in a blaze of color and the fire died down without the attention of the trio and still Throin sat carving.
Darkness had fallen when he put it aside and roused Thendel. Using the carvings they quickly had the fire lit again. In the light of the flickering flames two forms could be seen. Throin growled low in his throat but Thendel leaped to her feet and went to sit before them. Gold glinted in the light of one of the creature's hair.
"Collach, R?nfuin; you have returned. Did you find what you sought?"
"Aye Min Tithen, though it seems it was little welcomed by your friend here."
Her face wreathed in smiles she hugged Collach close to her before starting to laugh. Collach soon joined her when Throin's face darkened.
"Throin dear, you know they couldn't help it." Thendel scolded gently, earning her a benevolent smile from R?nfuin. "Oh how I have missed you both. It seems so long since I saw you before." Holding her hand out, she pressed it lightly to R?nfuin's forehead. The dark elf took her hand in his own and kissed it lightly.
"Dear daughter of my heart, I have missed you also. It seems you have grown more joyful since I saw you last." R?nfuin stated calmly, his gaze falling in the sleeping Hobbit.
"Oh yes, I love Everard dearly and he has shown me how to be happy once more." The young girl paused briefly and looked into the eyes of elf that had adopted her as his daughter intently. "It was you that sent him Adar?"
"No that was Collach's doing, my cousin sent him a dream whilst he slept. A simple thing to do though not something I believe in indulging in. But the flame burns brightly in Collach's heart - it is futile to dissuade him once his mind is set."
Both elves and the human turned their gaze to the sleeping Hobbit. Stretching out her arm, Thendel brushed a lock of blonde hair from his face lightly. Throin grunted again and returned his attention to the fire. However the sound of Throin's voice awoke Everard and for an instant the angelic smile that had been on his face darkened. Upon seeing Thendel and the two elves looking at him intently he smiled again. Blue eyes shone with laughter as he jumped up.
"I know you," He said to Collach as he planted himself by Thendel's side, "You're the elf from my dreams."
R?nfuin stared at his cousin incredulously to which the blonde elf grinned sheepishly.
"You showed yourself to him cousin? That goes against everything either of us believes in. Why did you do it?"
Collach sat still for a few minutes, obviously thinking deeply. If he was going to get R?nfuin on side again he would have to choose what he was about to say very carefully.
"It was purely an accident, I was thinking to hard about Thendel being by herself to worry about showing myself to the Hobbit. I fear I might have let a bit of myself into the dream without realising it until it was too late. By that time the Hobbit had realised I was there and his dream-self demanded to know who I was." Winking at Thendel he couldn't resist adding, "I mean it's not everyday a young Hobbit gets to see an elf so utterly ravishing as myself. I could not disappoint him."
Shaking his head R?nfuin let the matter drop and nodded his head in the direction of the eastern horizon. The wisps of clouds that streaked the sky were already stained a pale pink color against the dark blue of the night sky. The stars still glittered in the heavens.
"Arien, she who guides the sun, will arise soon and Tilion shall leave our sky. Plans we must make, wither shall we head?"
"Ered Anduin." Thendel replied, her gaze still caught by the magnificence heralding the arrival of Arien, the Maia. "To learn of my father."
R?nfuin nodded his ascent and both he and Collach set about packing up the camp. Together they helped share the load and doused the fire. As the sun appeared over the tree tops, casting a pale golden light on the swaying green ocean and the ripples of the blue, they set off once more.
What little clouds marred the perfection of the pale sky fled at the coming of the Maia and her vessel so that no shadow dimmed their path. Bird call sounded around them, and joyous once more Everard took up the lute, and prepared to string it. To his astonishment it was done, the rich burgundy of the wood shone as though waxed and the strings were tuned to perfection. The soft, warm sounds joined in chorus with the trills of the birds.
Throin and Everard spent the next few weeks travel fighting. Not physical fighting, rather verbal. They let it be known that neither liked the other much. If truth be told they didn't like each other at all. Throin was gruff and blunt, caring little for the warm friendship and love Thendel and Everard shared. In contrast Everard was warm and open, up for a laugh but knowing just when his best friend needed comfort.
If truth be told they each believed the other was not good for Thendel, which led to many a heated debate over the fire at night. When Thendel fell down the steep ravine they were descending, Throin was there to help her up and support her until she could walk on her own again. Unable to assist because of his size, Everard spent the next few days and nights sulking moodily and nothing Thendel said could coax him into song.
He snapped out of it easily enough when Thendel had her nightmare again. A recurring one that hit her when she least expected it. The young Hobbit was by her side instantly, holding her tightly as she wept for her lost family as again and again she pictured their deaths. Throin could only watch self- consciously knowing there was little he could do.
This night was nearing the end of spring and the rains were starting to abate. The air was warm and balmy as they rested on the banks of the river Greyflood. The trio had a small fire lit to boil water and warm some of the bread they had cooked a few nights before. The rich smell of toasting bread drifted through the small dell in which they lay mingling with the smells of drying grass.
The day had been a lazy one, spent fishing on the river's bank and hunting randomly through the undergrowth for plants to stock up their dwindling supply. It had been decided that they would head for the small fishing community on the banks of the river Anduin where it met the sea. Ered Anduin it was called. However they had barely enough food to reach there unless they stopped over at one of the new towns that had been built up since King Aragorn's ascent to the throne. None of them liked that idea much.
Although both Everard and Thendel longed for the sounds of other voices and sweet music that they missed. The songs and rhymes they sang to while away the evening hours were becoming repetitive even to them. Song without music had lost its earlier appeal. So, while Thendel and Throin tended to their meal Everard was busy building a crude version of a lute.
Twisting the hairs he had pulled from Thendel's head tightly and rubbing them with the fat of a rabbit he deftly made the strings. The body seemed to be the hardest thing to make but Throin looked up and muttered gruffly.
"I can carve you out the body young un's. Though with only a limited set of tools it shan't be good."
Thendel eagerly agreed and soon the sounds wood-carving echoed around them. It was so rhythmic that the two watching were lulled to sleep. Throin continued on, humming a dwarf's song under his breath and tapping his foot in time to the knife carving away at the piece of wood lying in his arms. The sun set before them in a blaze of color and the fire died down without the attention of the trio and still Throin sat carving.
Darkness had fallen when he put it aside and roused Thendel. Using the carvings they quickly had the fire lit again. In the light of the flickering flames two forms could be seen. Throin growled low in his throat but Thendel leaped to her feet and went to sit before them. Gold glinted in the light of one of the creature's hair.
"Collach, R?nfuin; you have returned. Did you find what you sought?"
"Aye Min Tithen, though it seems it was little welcomed by your friend here."
Her face wreathed in smiles she hugged Collach close to her before starting to laugh. Collach soon joined her when Throin's face darkened.
"Throin dear, you know they couldn't help it." Thendel scolded gently, earning her a benevolent smile from R?nfuin. "Oh how I have missed you both. It seems so long since I saw you before." Holding her hand out, she pressed it lightly to R?nfuin's forehead. The dark elf took her hand in his own and kissed it lightly.
"Dear daughter of my heart, I have missed you also. It seems you have grown more joyful since I saw you last." R?nfuin stated calmly, his gaze falling in the sleeping Hobbit.
"Oh yes, I love Everard dearly and he has shown me how to be happy once more." The young girl paused briefly and looked into the eyes of elf that had adopted her as his daughter intently. "It was you that sent him Adar?"
"No that was Collach's doing, my cousin sent him a dream whilst he slept. A simple thing to do though not something I believe in indulging in. But the flame burns brightly in Collach's heart - it is futile to dissuade him once his mind is set."
Both elves and the human turned their gaze to the sleeping Hobbit. Stretching out her arm, Thendel brushed a lock of blonde hair from his face lightly. Throin grunted again and returned his attention to the fire. However the sound of Throin's voice awoke Everard and for an instant the angelic smile that had been on his face darkened. Upon seeing Thendel and the two elves looking at him intently he smiled again. Blue eyes shone with laughter as he jumped up.
"I know you," He said to Collach as he planted himself by Thendel's side, "You're the elf from my dreams."
R?nfuin stared at his cousin incredulously to which the blonde elf grinned sheepishly.
"You showed yourself to him cousin? That goes against everything either of us believes in. Why did you do it?"
Collach sat still for a few minutes, obviously thinking deeply. If he was going to get R?nfuin on side again he would have to choose what he was about to say very carefully.
"It was purely an accident, I was thinking to hard about Thendel being by herself to worry about showing myself to the Hobbit. I fear I might have let a bit of myself into the dream without realising it until it was too late. By that time the Hobbit had realised I was there and his dream-self demanded to know who I was." Winking at Thendel he couldn't resist adding, "I mean it's not everyday a young Hobbit gets to see an elf so utterly ravishing as myself. I could not disappoint him."
Shaking his head R?nfuin let the matter drop and nodded his head in the direction of the eastern horizon. The wisps of clouds that streaked the sky were already stained a pale pink color against the dark blue of the night sky. The stars still glittered in the heavens.
"Arien, she who guides the sun, will arise soon and Tilion shall leave our sky. Plans we must make, wither shall we head?"
"Ered Anduin." Thendel replied, her gaze still caught by the magnificence heralding the arrival of Arien, the Maia. "To learn of my father."
R?nfuin nodded his ascent and both he and Collach set about packing up the camp. Together they helped share the load and doused the fire. As the sun appeared over the tree tops, casting a pale golden light on the swaying green ocean and the ripples of the blue, they set off once more.
What little clouds marred the perfection of the pale sky fled at the coming of the Maia and her vessel so that no shadow dimmed their path. Bird call sounded around them, and joyous once more Everard took up the lute, and prepared to string it. To his astonishment it was done, the rich burgundy of the wood shone as though waxed and the strings were tuned to perfection. The soft, warm sounds joined in chorus with the trills of the birds.