Sorry for the long wait! If any of you are wondering what the heck this has
to do with Lord of the Rings then you must wait! I can tell you that the
duo will be venturing to Mirkwood, why? I cannot tell you yet, but they
will be meeting Legolas, yes the son of the king. So the tension shall be
running high!!
The two companions walked together, back to their camp. They strolled along in silence as the sky turned blood red, signalling the dying of another day. Once at the camp, Geomyr sat and searched trough his pack, pulling out what was to be their evening meal.
"What is it Geomyr, what troubles you?" Asked the Melenet.
Geomyr said nothing. He pulled out a pair of pots from his pack.
"Please talk to me. If you do not tell me I cannot help to make it right." She put her good hand on his shoulder.
"You cannot make it right!" Yelled the ranger. "No one can! They are gone and that is all there is to it! They are nothing more than a memory to me now!"
"Who has gone? I do not understand." Asked Essence, backing away slightly. He had startled her.
"What good would telling you do me? You cannot put it right, so do not even try to understand me, my business is my own."
There was a long, awkward silence. A cool breeze shook the trees.
"Is there anywhere that I can bathe?" Essence finally asked the ranger, in an attempt to change the sore subject.
"There is a small river to the east," said Geomyr, not looking up.
"Thank you." Replied Essence, turning towards the direction of the river. She wondered what he was thinking. What was it that caused him to become so despondent? Did she really want to know? She walked off to bathe and to think.
Geomyr watched her disappear beyond the trees. A horrid feeling of shame wrenched within him. She was merely trying to help, how was she to know what he felt? He buried his face in his hands and let out a short, frustrated groan. He was livid at himself and his short temper, which always seemed to drive people away. He had an awful habit of hurting those who cared. It was then that the notion passed through his mind. What if he had done the same to her? What if she would not return to him?
At the thought of losing such a friend he sprung to his feet and darted off after Essence. Crashing through the trees and undergrowth as he ran. Habits were meant to be broken.
Essence was just beginning the process of removing her boots, not the easiest of tasks when you have the use of only one arm, when the ranger burst out of the greenery behind her.
"Essence..." He began. He was an amusing sight to behold, foliage and plant parts hung from his hair and clothes as he stood gasping for breath.
The confused, yet slightly amused Melenet stood and looked the ranger up and down. Awaiting his message.
"Essence, I apologise. I was wrong to raise my voice to you. I did not mean what I said. It is just..." He walked over to her and took her hand in his.
"It is just that it is still so difficult for me to..."
"To come to terms with?" Asked Essence, her eyes delving into his.
"Yes." Geomyr bowed his head.
"I understand," smiled Essence, giving his hand a squeeze. "I have lost people too, remember."
"I know." He gave her a compassionate smile as their eyes locked again. "Still, there is no excuse for me to talk to you like I did."
"Consider it forgotten." Smiled Essence. "Everyone has the right to get angry sometimes." She squeezed his hand gently again.
"But to feel anger towards a friend is not an act to savour."
"Maybe not, but to forgive a friend surely is." She planted a kiss on his rugged, weathered cheek.
"You truly are a wonder my lady." Grinned the ranger.
"Why do you say that?"
"Never before, in my long journeys, have I met anyone who is as beautiful on the inside as they are outside. It is a rare and wonderful gift that you bear."
Essence felt herself blushing. "Thank you Geomyr. Your kindness outshines any that I have seen. You have a good heart, that is your wonderful gift, which you are keen to share with others. Just do not be afraid to let others discover what it holds inside."
Geomyr nodded his head; his eyes were glazed with tears. "I will leave you now my lady." He raised her hand and kissed it softly. He turned and disappeared back through the undergrowth.
Once she had bathed, Essence made her way back to the camp. Upon her return she saw Geomyr sitting cross-legged on the ground glaring forebodingly at a pile of wood.
"Now this is not the kind hearted Ranger that left me not long ago!" Laughed Essence. "Tell me, what has this wood done to disserve your malice?"
"It is what it will not do that brings it spite." Replied Geomyr, playing along. "It will not burn!"
"Well, my little timber friend you have but one choice." Essence sat down beside the pile of firewood, as if talking to it. "You must either serve your duty and burn, or you must be hated also by me!"
"I would rather burn." Said the ranger smiling at the Melenet.
"The kind hearted ranger returns!" Laughed Essence. "Now, let me try and light these suborn stumps."
Essence placed both her hands atop the pile of wood and closed her eyes. She drew in a deep breath and held it as she sat and concentrated. As she slowly expelled her breath, a small wisp of grey smoke escaped from between her fingers.
Geomyr moved closer to ensure his eyes were not betraying him. As the Melenet let out another breath, the smoke grew thicker and darker. She repeated this until an orange glow appeared to be spilling out from under her hands. Suddenly flames burst out from under them and she quickly drew her hands away, wincing and blowing on them.
"I never have been able to do that without burning myself!" She laughed.
Geomyr was speechless. He had never seen anything like that in his life, he just sat staring at the now roaring fire. "That was." He began.
"Painful!" Said Essence trying to sooth her stinging hands.
"Incredible! Pray, tell me, what other powers do you posses?"
"Well, anything that involves the elements. Earth, air, fire and water." Replied Essence, once again the rangers childlike curiosity amused her.
"I only hope that our travels will allow me to witness more of your enchanting ways."
"They may yet my friend, they may."
The two companions walked together, back to their camp. They strolled along in silence as the sky turned blood red, signalling the dying of another day. Once at the camp, Geomyr sat and searched trough his pack, pulling out what was to be their evening meal.
"What is it Geomyr, what troubles you?" Asked the Melenet.
Geomyr said nothing. He pulled out a pair of pots from his pack.
"Please talk to me. If you do not tell me I cannot help to make it right." She put her good hand on his shoulder.
"You cannot make it right!" Yelled the ranger. "No one can! They are gone and that is all there is to it! They are nothing more than a memory to me now!"
"Who has gone? I do not understand." Asked Essence, backing away slightly. He had startled her.
"What good would telling you do me? You cannot put it right, so do not even try to understand me, my business is my own."
There was a long, awkward silence. A cool breeze shook the trees.
"Is there anywhere that I can bathe?" Essence finally asked the ranger, in an attempt to change the sore subject.
"There is a small river to the east," said Geomyr, not looking up.
"Thank you." Replied Essence, turning towards the direction of the river. She wondered what he was thinking. What was it that caused him to become so despondent? Did she really want to know? She walked off to bathe and to think.
Geomyr watched her disappear beyond the trees. A horrid feeling of shame wrenched within him. She was merely trying to help, how was she to know what he felt? He buried his face in his hands and let out a short, frustrated groan. He was livid at himself and his short temper, which always seemed to drive people away. He had an awful habit of hurting those who cared. It was then that the notion passed through his mind. What if he had done the same to her? What if she would not return to him?
At the thought of losing such a friend he sprung to his feet and darted off after Essence. Crashing through the trees and undergrowth as he ran. Habits were meant to be broken.
Essence was just beginning the process of removing her boots, not the easiest of tasks when you have the use of only one arm, when the ranger burst out of the greenery behind her.
"Essence..." He began. He was an amusing sight to behold, foliage and plant parts hung from his hair and clothes as he stood gasping for breath.
The confused, yet slightly amused Melenet stood and looked the ranger up and down. Awaiting his message.
"Essence, I apologise. I was wrong to raise my voice to you. I did not mean what I said. It is just..." He walked over to her and took her hand in his.
"It is just that it is still so difficult for me to..."
"To come to terms with?" Asked Essence, her eyes delving into his.
"Yes." Geomyr bowed his head.
"I understand," smiled Essence, giving his hand a squeeze. "I have lost people too, remember."
"I know." He gave her a compassionate smile as their eyes locked again. "Still, there is no excuse for me to talk to you like I did."
"Consider it forgotten." Smiled Essence. "Everyone has the right to get angry sometimes." She squeezed his hand gently again.
"But to feel anger towards a friend is not an act to savour."
"Maybe not, but to forgive a friend surely is." She planted a kiss on his rugged, weathered cheek.
"You truly are a wonder my lady." Grinned the ranger.
"Why do you say that?"
"Never before, in my long journeys, have I met anyone who is as beautiful on the inside as they are outside. It is a rare and wonderful gift that you bear."
Essence felt herself blushing. "Thank you Geomyr. Your kindness outshines any that I have seen. You have a good heart, that is your wonderful gift, which you are keen to share with others. Just do not be afraid to let others discover what it holds inside."
Geomyr nodded his head; his eyes were glazed with tears. "I will leave you now my lady." He raised her hand and kissed it softly. He turned and disappeared back through the undergrowth.
Once she had bathed, Essence made her way back to the camp. Upon her return she saw Geomyr sitting cross-legged on the ground glaring forebodingly at a pile of wood.
"Now this is not the kind hearted Ranger that left me not long ago!" Laughed Essence. "Tell me, what has this wood done to disserve your malice?"
"It is what it will not do that brings it spite." Replied Geomyr, playing along. "It will not burn!"
"Well, my little timber friend you have but one choice." Essence sat down beside the pile of firewood, as if talking to it. "You must either serve your duty and burn, or you must be hated also by me!"
"I would rather burn." Said the ranger smiling at the Melenet.
"The kind hearted ranger returns!" Laughed Essence. "Now, let me try and light these suborn stumps."
Essence placed both her hands atop the pile of wood and closed her eyes. She drew in a deep breath and held it as she sat and concentrated. As she slowly expelled her breath, a small wisp of grey smoke escaped from between her fingers.
Geomyr moved closer to ensure his eyes were not betraying him. As the Melenet let out another breath, the smoke grew thicker and darker. She repeated this until an orange glow appeared to be spilling out from under her hands. Suddenly flames burst out from under them and she quickly drew her hands away, wincing and blowing on them.
"I never have been able to do that without burning myself!" She laughed.
Geomyr was speechless. He had never seen anything like that in his life, he just sat staring at the now roaring fire. "That was." He began.
"Painful!" Said Essence trying to sooth her stinging hands.
"Incredible! Pray, tell me, what other powers do you posses?"
"Well, anything that involves the elements. Earth, air, fire and water." Replied Essence, once again the rangers childlike curiosity amused her.
"I only hope that our travels will allow me to witness more of your enchanting ways."
"They may yet my friend, they may."