The Tale of a Warrior Maid
Chapter 13
"Come sit next to me," Arwen offered gesturing to the chair on her left. "The only advice I can possibly give is to keep your ears attentive and your eyes open, but don't say anything unless asked. If you let one wrong word slip from your tongue, all of Middle Earth could be lost. I know that my husband has given you a vast responsibility. I know also that like me you are a half-elf. This brings me to the next piece of business. Do you know what it means to forsake your Immortality and embrace your eventual doom?"
"I know that once I have chosen a path I can not turn back, I know also that one can not change the one they are bound too for eternity, and that is what frightens me," Kesteral replied shakily taking the seat the queen had offered her.
"When I first met Aragorn I knew that my decision to bind myself to him was final, I realize your situation is different, but allow me to at least comfort you in this. Losing your immortality is not allowing death to consume you. After deciding to do so you awake feeling that everything has slowed down, you can meet mortals and feel as if it is safe to form a relationship with them. Mortality was not given to men as a curse, but a gift. They dwell on Arda knowing that they are not bound to it, that eventually they will live in the Halls of Mando's forever with those they love. Do not worry about marrying Pharazon, the Valar will understand. They may be powerful, but they are not merciless.
"You have given me more hope in this task then any others whom I have spoken too, for that I thank you. But I fear that even if the Valar do have mercy on me I can not break my bound, the laws regarding that go to far back to be changed by man or god. But for Middle Earth I will do this and if I do fail, then I will only have brought forth the inevitable because If I had not agreed to wed Pharazon then I would have just bound myself to another mortal, in fact he has asked me to wed him already, although I have to refuse his offer," Kesteral admitted.
"Who is this young man, whom you have fallen for, perhaps my husband will allow him to travel with you, if I ask him?" Arwen inquired.
"He has offered to talk to Elessar himself, there is no reason for you to ask also," Kesteral replied.
"Yes, but I'm sure the king would be more willing to let him come along if I asked, it is the least we can do," Arwen insisted.
"Very well, his name is Dernhelm,"
"Dernhelm" Called a voice to the left, "Are you two talking about my grandson?"
"Kesteral was telling me." Arwen paused and searched Kesteral's face for permission to continue. Kesteral just nodded a quick reply, "That your grandson and her have formed a relationship together, I was offering to ask Aragorn to allow him to travel with her to the Haradwaith."
"Dernhelm's a good lad; it'd do the king well to let him go along. He's got a strong head on his shoulders," Éowyn boasted handing Kesteral a navy blue gown, "Slip this on well I grab a few things from my room, I'll be back in a bit." Kesteral did, and found that the gown fit wee.
Éowyn returned with several odd items, a blanket, a table leg, a candle stick and a dagger. "These three items can be found in nearly every room and can be used to defend ones self. This dagger was the one I used while in my uncles court. I am going to give it to you; it is small and there for easy to hide. The best places to conceal a weapon are: your right hip, most people are right handed and there for keep there knives on the other side. The right side of your stomach and left underarm, some women hide daggers in their cleavage, most men don't like to look there, but since you are marrying Pharazon, I personally feel he will have no problem doing so." She handed Kesteral the dagger. "Lets start with learning to handle this. I'll call for a practice man, Gilden" she called out into the hallway, "We need your assistance in here."
After several hours of working with the dagger, then the blanket, table leg and candle stick Kesteral felt as though she could take another few rounds, but the guard was rather tired. "I'm afraid that's all we can teach you, good luck," Arwen said as she led Kesteral into the evening air. "During your session a message boy came, Elessar would like you to drop by the Command tent before bed, he wants to give you the final instructions as well as introduce you to those who will be going with you. I sent the message boy back with your request for Dernhelm, hopefully you'll see him there." The queen turned back and entered the palace, Kesteral made her way down the city towards the amp, feeling much surer of her self then she had that morning.
Chapter 13
"Come sit next to me," Arwen offered gesturing to the chair on her left. "The only advice I can possibly give is to keep your ears attentive and your eyes open, but don't say anything unless asked. If you let one wrong word slip from your tongue, all of Middle Earth could be lost. I know that my husband has given you a vast responsibility. I know also that like me you are a half-elf. This brings me to the next piece of business. Do you know what it means to forsake your Immortality and embrace your eventual doom?"
"I know that once I have chosen a path I can not turn back, I know also that one can not change the one they are bound too for eternity, and that is what frightens me," Kesteral replied shakily taking the seat the queen had offered her.
"When I first met Aragorn I knew that my decision to bind myself to him was final, I realize your situation is different, but allow me to at least comfort you in this. Losing your immortality is not allowing death to consume you. After deciding to do so you awake feeling that everything has slowed down, you can meet mortals and feel as if it is safe to form a relationship with them. Mortality was not given to men as a curse, but a gift. They dwell on Arda knowing that they are not bound to it, that eventually they will live in the Halls of Mando's forever with those they love. Do not worry about marrying Pharazon, the Valar will understand. They may be powerful, but they are not merciless.
"You have given me more hope in this task then any others whom I have spoken too, for that I thank you. But I fear that even if the Valar do have mercy on me I can not break my bound, the laws regarding that go to far back to be changed by man or god. But for Middle Earth I will do this and if I do fail, then I will only have brought forth the inevitable because If I had not agreed to wed Pharazon then I would have just bound myself to another mortal, in fact he has asked me to wed him already, although I have to refuse his offer," Kesteral admitted.
"Who is this young man, whom you have fallen for, perhaps my husband will allow him to travel with you, if I ask him?" Arwen inquired.
"He has offered to talk to Elessar himself, there is no reason for you to ask also," Kesteral replied.
"Yes, but I'm sure the king would be more willing to let him come along if I asked, it is the least we can do," Arwen insisted.
"Very well, his name is Dernhelm,"
"Dernhelm" Called a voice to the left, "Are you two talking about my grandson?"
"Kesteral was telling me." Arwen paused and searched Kesteral's face for permission to continue. Kesteral just nodded a quick reply, "That your grandson and her have formed a relationship together, I was offering to ask Aragorn to allow him to travel with her to the Haradwaith."
"Dernhelm's a good lad; it'd do the king well to let him go along. He's got a strong head on his shoulders," Éowyn boasted handing Kesteral a navy blue gown, "Slip this on well I grab a few things from my room, I'll be back in a bit." Kesteral did, and found that the gown fit wee.
Éowyn returned with several odd items, a blanket, a table leg, a candle stick and a dagger. "These three items can be found in nearly every room and can be used to defend ones self. This dagger was the one I used while in my uncles court. I am going to give it to you; it is small and there for easy to hide. The best places to conceal a weapon are: your right hip, most people are right handed and there for keep there knives on the other side. The right side of your stomach and left underarm, some women hide daggers in their cleavage, most men don't like to look there, but since you are marrying Pharazon, I personally feel he will have no problem doing so." She handed Kesteral the dagger. "Lets start with learning to handle this. I'll call for a practice man, Gilden" she called out into the hallway, "We need your assistance in here."
After several hours of working with the dagger, then the blanket, table leg and candle stick Kesteral felt as though she could take another few rounds, but the guard was rather tired. "I'm afraid that's all we can teach you, good luck," Arwen said as she led Kesteral into the evening air. "During your session a message boy came, Elessar would like you to drop by the Command tent before bed, he wants to give you the final instructions as well as introduce you to those who will be going with you. I sent the message boy back with your request for Dernhelm, hopefully you'll see him there." The queen turned back and entered the palace, Kesteral made her way down the city towards the amp, feeling much surer of her self then she had that morning.