Primrose touched the strap of the quiver on her shoulder. "There's a family
in Hobbiton who needs some extra food. I said I would go hunt some down. "
"I see." the Elf said, standing. "Well, then, would you mind a companion? "
Primrose's grin stretched from ear to ear. "I sure wouldn't mind. "
The two walked into the forest together. The deeper they went, the more the
branches above seemed to intertwine with one another, blocking out the sun.
Soon, however, they came to a place under the trees that seemed to glow
with its own soft light.
"Greetings, little one." came a voice.
Primrose looked up. Standing by a tree was Iau's father, Thalidae. His
keen, dark eyes were focused on the little hobbit girl, almost as if they
could see right through her. Even though Thalidae
was quite imposing, Primrose had somehow never felt frightened by him (not that she would have admitted it if she had). She curtsied, albeit a bit clumsily. "Greetin's, Mister Thali, sir. " Iau's father nodded. "Primrose." He looked at Iau pointedly. "Wherever you are going, I trust that you are going with the Hobbit lass? " "Yes, father. " "Very good. I shall see you when you return. " Thalidae bowed, the sleeves of the cloak he wore nearly touching the ground. He then passed them, and was gone. Primrose glanced over her shoulder, then up at Iau. "What was that about? " Iau made ready to climb up a rope ladder that hung from a nearby tree. With his foot on one rung, he turned. "Whatever do you mean? " The girl below him rolled her eyes. "Iau, your dad usually stays and talks longer than that--" "He has just recently seen you, as I have." Iaurethirion explained lightly,
running up the ladder. "That's not what I meant!" Primrose answered, calling as loudly as she dared, so as not to disturb the serenity of the place. "He seemed--bothered about somethin', and besides, he was wearin' that robe of his that's all formal-like. What's goin' on? " Iau stopped on his way back down the ladder, sighed and jumped to the ground. His feet barely made an impact. "Prim-mellon....." Primrose stood her ground, folded her arms and looked right into the Elf's face. Slowly and deliberately (partially because she wanted to get her point across and partially because she wanted to make sure the pronunciation was right) she asked, "Mani naa ta? "
FIVE Iau sighed. "Little Friend...." The hobbit girl tapped her foot. She wasn't going to budge until she got an answer, he could see that. Kneeling in front of her, he looked her in the eyes. "Primrose, the forest has become very dangerous. " The girl looked around, then back at her friend, an eyebrow raised. "The danger has not reached here, yet." Iau explained, looking in the direction from which his father had come earlier. "The deep part of the forest has become--Dark, and my father and the other elders..." Primrose noted a sadness in her freind's eyes, and frowned. "Your father and the elders what? " Iau sighed. "They have been discussing--where we should go--before--before the Darkness reaches us. " The young hobbit stood staring a few seconds before she realized her mouth was open. "Go!? What do you mean, go!?! "
SIX Iau looked at her sadly. "We do not wish to go, Primrose; but the Darkness is strong, and we know not from whence it comes. Two of our young ones have already been lost in the Darkness." Primrose thought a moment, then she grinned slightly. She remembered that in the Book, it described the Son of the One above as "The Light". She knew that with Him on her side, no Darkness was to be feared. Primrose looked up at the Elf as he stood. "We'll be fine, Iau. " He returned her gaze. "Ah, mellon, I know you have faith in your 'One Above'. May He truly protect us, because we shall need it. " The two headed into the forest. Above them, the branches of the trees intertwined continuously. As they went, Primrose noticed a haze that seemed to come across her vision. Suddenly, the haze seemed to part like a curtain, and it became so that she saw things in blacks and greys. She stopped. "What in Middle-Earth--?" You see, little one, things are not right, here. We must go back. " The Hobbit girl squelched the fear in her heart. "Fear thou not, for I am with thee..." she murmured to herself. "No, Iau. I am here to help someone. I'm going. " She started forward again. Iautherion sighed and went after her.
To Be Continued.
was quite imposing, Primrose had somehow never felt frightened by him (not that she would have admitted it if she had). She curtsied, albeit a bit clumsily. "Greetin's, Mister Thali, sir. " Iau's father nodded. "Primrose." He looked at Iau pointedly. "Wherever you are going, I trust that you are going with the Hobbit lass? " "Yes, father. " "Very good. I shall see you when you return. " Thalidae bowed, the sleeves of the cloak he wore nearly touching the ground. He then passed them, and was gone. Primrose glanced over her shoulder, then up at Iau. "What was that about? " Iau made ready to climb up a rope ladder that hung from a nearby tree. With his foot on one rung, he turned. "Whatever do you mean? " The girl below him rolled her eyes. "Iau, your dad usually stays and talks longer than that--" "He has just recently seen you, as I have." Iaurethirion explained lightly,
running up the ladder. "That's not what I meant!" Primrose answered, calling as loudly as she dared, so as not to disturb the serenity of the place. "He seemed--bothered about somethin', and besides, he was wearin' that robe of his that's all formal-like. What's goin' on? " Iau stopped on his way back down the ladder, sighed and jumped to the ground. His feet barely made an impact. "Prim-mellon....." Primrose stood her ground, folded her arms and looked right into the Elf's face. Slowly and deliberately (partially because she wanted to get her point across and partially because she wanted to make sure the pronunciation was right) she asked, "Mani naa ta? "
FIVE Iau sighed. "Little Friend...." The hobbit girl tapped her foot. She wasn't going to budge until she got an answer, he could see that. Kneeling in front of her, he looked her in the eyes. "Primrose, the forest has become very dangerous. " The girl looked around, then back at her friend, an eyebrow raised. "The danger has not reached here, yet." Iau explained, looking in the direction from which his father had come earlier. "The deep part of the forest has become--Dark, and my father and the other elders..." Primrose noted a sadness in her freind's eyes, and frowned. "Your father and the elders what? " Iau sighed. "They have been discussing--where we should go--before--before the Darkness reaches us. " The young hobbit stood staring a few seconds before she realized her mouth was open. "Go!? What do you mean, go!?! "
SIX Iau looked at her sadly. "We do not wish to go, Primrose; but the Darkness is strong, and we know not from whence it comes. Two of our young ones have already been lost in the Darkness." Primrose thought a moment, then she grinned slightly. She remembered that in the Book, it described the Son of the One above as "The Light". She knew that with Him on her side, no Darkness was to be feared. Primrose looked up at the Elf as he stood. "We'll be fine, Iau. " He returned her gaze. "Ah, mellon, I know you have faith in your 'One Above'. May He truly protect us, because we shall need it. " The two headed into the forest. Above them, the branches of the trees intertwined continuously. As they went, Primrose noticed a haze that seemed to come across her vision. Suddenly, the haze seemed to part like a curtain, and it became so that she saw things in blacks and greys. She stopped. "What in Middle-Earth--?" You see, little one, things are not right, here. We must go back. " The Hobbit girl squelched the fear in her heart. "Fear thou not, for I am with thee..." she murmured to herself. "No, Iau. I am here to help someone. I'm going. " She started forward again. Iautherion sighed and went after her.
To Be Continued.