Chapter 2a
A tall elf man walked carefully through the small grove of trees. He was yet young, having only reached his majority a few years ago. He could hear the hound dog baying steadily, indicating he held some animal at bay. Probably a dangerous animal, like a bear, the man thought as he pushed his hair impatiently out of his eyes, leaving a dirt smudge the same as he had when a child.
He pushed through a few more trees, and circled around to where the hound bayed. In the years since Celegorm had been given Huan, and they had begun hunting together, the elf had come to know the meaning of the huge hound's various bays, and now as he moved closer to Huan's position he could hear the hound was puzzled. Clearly some unusual situation lay ahead, and Celegorm strung his bow. Anything that puzzled Huan was best kept at a distance he reasoned.
Bow at the ready, Celegorm stepped silently out from the trees, and for the first time saw the creature Huan confronted. It was a small dark-haired elf maid. She was very young, far too young to be alone in the forest, and she was frightened. She had scrunched herself into a tiny depression at the foot of a small cliff and was crying.
'Huan,' called Celegorm. The hound stopped baying and looked enquiringly at his master. 'I see her, my friend, you have done well.'
Huan correctly assumed that Celegorm meant to deal with the girl himself and that he; Huan was to be released from holding his prey. So he trotted up to Celegorm, his tail wagging furiously, and as anticipated received a pat and better yet a small piece of the dried meat Celegorm kept about him as a treat for his four-legged friend.
Celegorm didn't approach the girl immediately. She didn't appear hurt, just confused and frightened, so as he'd been planning to stop soon and cook a meal he lit a fire and started a meal, and as he'd thought, it wasn't long before the child spoke.
'If I come out, will the dog hurt me?' came a plaintive little voice.
'Huan will not hurt you; he never was going to hurt you. He was only telling me he had found you,' replied Celegorm.
'Oh', said the girl. 'Barking is how he talks, then.'
'Yes, it is,' said Celegorm, making sure the girl could clearly see what he was cooking. If she were anything like his youngest brothers, she would soon come over for a meal. 'If you come out, Huan will play with you, as he does my little brothers, and you can help me with a problem.'
The girl had unscrunched herself, and was peering intently at Celegorm. 'He looks friendly now,' she said uncertainly.
'As I said, he will play with you,' said Celegorm.
'I will come out,' she said suddenly, and promptly scrambled to her feet, and came to the fire. Celegorm gave her his cloak to sit on, and a drink from his flask, and as he did he assured himself he was right, she didn't appear to be hurt.
'What problem do you have?' she asked suddenly, remembering what he'd said a few minutes earlier.
He smiled, 'I seem to have prepared too much food. Do you think you could help me by eating some?'
She eagerly agreed, and took a plate from him. He was amused by the speed with which she devoured her food, and astonished by her saving some of her food for Huan. He had taken to the girl quickly, and had lain next to her, his nose resting on her foot. The girl had laughed, and understood that Huan had only been looking out for her.
'I will be going home soon,' said Celegorm. 'It will be my pleasure to escort you to your home, little lady.'
She said in reply, 'I know you.'
'Do you? Who am I then?' he asked.
'You're my cousin, but I don't know your name,' she said.
He looked hard at the girl, and now recognised her. She looked different dirty and untidy as she was now.
'Aredhel?' he questioned, startled.
'Yes,' she said, giving him a questioning look.
'Celegorm,' he said, 'you would know my oldest brother Maedhros quite well.'
She giggled, 'yes I do,' she said. 'I like him, he's nice to me, not like Turgon.'
'Is that why you are out here, alone? Because Turgon was unpleasant?' asked Celegorm
Aredhel pulled a face, 'I don't want to go home,' she said.
'Your parents will worried, Aredhel,' said Celegorm.
'I know, but Turgon will be mean again,' she said, a tear trickling down one cheek.
'No, he will not,' said Celegorm grimly. 'I do believe I will have something to say to your brother.'
'You will?' Aredhel asked, a look of awe on her little face.
'Turgon will not be mean to you again, I promise,' he said, as he began to pack his belongings into his horse's packs.
'You'll take me home, then?'
'Yes. As I said, your parents will be worried,' he said picking Aredhel up and placing her on his horse, which he then mounted too. She snuggled trustingly against her rescuer as they rode home, Huan trotting along beside.
A tall elf man walked carefully through the small grove of trees. He was yet young, having only reached his majority a few years ago. He could hear the hound dog baying steadily, indicating he held some animal at bay. Probably a dangerous animal, like a bear, the man thought as he pushed his hair impatiently out of his eyes, leaving a dirt smudge the same as he had when a child.
He pushed through a few more trees, and circled around to where the hound bayed. In the years since Celegorm had been given Huan, and they had begun hunting together, the elf had come to know the meaning of the huge hound's various bays, and now as he moved closer to Huan's position he could hear the hound was puzzled. Clearly some unusual situation lay ahead, and Celegorm strung his bow. Anything that puzzled Huan was best kept at a distance he reasoned.
Bow at the ready, Celegorm stepped silently out from the trees, and for the first time saw the creature Huan confronted. It was a small dark-haired elf maid. She was very young, far too young to be alone in the forest, and she was frightened. She had scrunched herself into a tiny depression at the foot of a small cliff and was crying.
'Huan,' called Celegorm. The hound stopped baying and looked enquiringly at his master. 'I see her, my friend, you have done well.'
Huan correctly assumed that Celegorm meant to deal with the girl himself and that he; Huan was to be released from holding his prey. So he trotted up to Celegorm, his tail wagging furiously, and as anticipated received a pat and better yet a small piece of the dried meat Celegorm kept about him as a treat for his four-legged friend.
Celegorm didn't approach the girl immediately. She didn't appear hurt, just confused and frightened, so as he'd been planning to stop soon and cook a meal he lit a fire and started a meal, and as he'd thought, it wasn't long before the child spoke.
'If I come out, will the dog hurt me?' came a plaintive little voice.
'Huan will not hurt you; he never was going to hurt you. He was only telling me he had found you,' replied Celegorm.
'Oh', said the girl. 'Barking is how he talks, then.'
'Yes, it is,' said Celegorm, making sure the girl could clearly see what he was cooking. If she were anything like his youngest brothers, she would soon come over for a meal. 'If you come out, Huan will play with you, as he does my little brothers, and you can help me with a problem.'
The girl had unscrunched herself, and was peering intently at Celegorm. 'He looks friendly now,' she said uncertainly.
'As I said, he will play with you,' said Celegorm.
'I will come out,' she said suddenly, and promptly scrambled to her feet, and came to the fire. Celegorm gave her his cloak to sit on, and a drink from his flask, and as he did he assured himself he was right, she didn't appear to be hurt.
'What problem do you have?' she asked suddenly, remembering what he'd said a few minutes earlier.
He smiled, 'I seem to have prepared too much food. Do you think you could help me by eating some?'
She eagerly agreed, and took a plate from him. He was amused by the speed with which she devoured her food, and astonished by her saving some of her food for Huan. He had taken to the girl quickly, and had lain next to her, his nose resting on her foot. The girl had laughed, and understood that Huan had only been looking out for her.
'I will be going home soon,' said Celegorm. 'It will be my pleasure to escort you to your home, little lady.'
She said in reply, 'I know you.'
'Do you? Who am I then?' he asked.
'You're my cousin, but I don't know your name,' she said.
He looked hard at the girl, and now recognised her. She looked different dirty and untidy as she was now.
'Aredhel?' he questioned, startled.
'Yes,' she said, giving him a questioning look.
'Celegorm,' he said, 'you would know my oldest brother Maedhros quite well.'
She giggled, 'yes I do,' she said. 'I like him, he's nice to me, not like Turgon.'
'Is that why you are out here, alone? Because Turgon was unpleasant?' asked Celegorm
Aredhel pulled a face, 'I don't want to go home,' she said.
'Your parents will worried, Aredhel,' said Celegorm.
'I know, but Turgon will be mean again,' she said, a tear trickling down one cheek.
'No, he will not,' said Celegorm grimly. 'I do believe I will have something to say to your brother.'
'You will?' Aredhel asked, a look of awe on her little face.
'Turgon will not be mean to you again, I promise,' he said, as he began to pack his belongings into his horse's packs.
'You'll take me home, then?'
'Yes. As I said, your parents will be worried,' he said picking Aredhel up and placing her on his horse, which he then mounted too. She snuggled trustingly against her rescuer as they rode home, Huan trotting along beside.