Disclaimer: Come on now, we all know who the real genius is here. Thank
you, Mr. Tolkien, for inventing Elves as we love them.
Sorry this took so long. I have decided that homework was invented by teachers who didn't want their students to do anything creative with their time. I f you received three hours of it a night, you'd feel the same way too. And, as always, I would be much obliged to those who review; I'll give you an Elf if you do.
In Golden Melodies.
When Danali awoke amongst the scented pine needles again, the sun had already begun it's journey into the sapphire reaches of the heavens. She slowly stirred and rubbed her eyes, which were still leaden with sleep, and slightly pushed up against the warm, comfortable mass that she had been resting on, intent on falling back into blissful darkness. It took a few moments for her to register that the mass was breathing and shifting as well, and she swiftly straightened and turned her head to stare into the questioning gaze of Rumil, her hands clutching the edge of the blanket with the tension of embarrassment, her cheeks slowly turning a shade of rose.
Rumil lifted an eyebrow.
"Sleep well, did we?"
Danali muttered something incomprehensible before turning back to rise to her feet and gather her belongings. She smoothly pushed the blanket aside and crawled over to the dark grey pack resting under a neighboring tree, her eyes still pointedly remaining forward and away from the strange Elf who was now shaking his head and folding the blanket into a tight square. She rifled through the satchel a little before pulling out a neatly wrapped packet of herbed bread, the last of the few rations she had fled with. She was pleased to discover that the small loaf was still soft, and fell promptly to tearing off pebble-sized bites and chewing them with relish, her thoughts focused on the present, unable to penetrate the barriers she had unconsciously placed in her mind to block any encroachment of memory or prescience.
She sensed a curious gaze traveling over her shoulder and slowly turned her head, food in mid-chew, to stare innocently at a blank Rumil, who was kneeling in the dew-frosted pine needles with a steaming bowl in his hands, a dancing smile shimmering in his eyes and around his lips. He lowered his eyes and nodded at the bread, then raised them again.
"Good?"
Danali nodded sheepishly and resumed chewing, noticing as she turned her head again that Orophin had come up behind her to the opposite side and was smiling broadly with a mischievous glint in his gaze. She stared at him evenly for a moment, then turned, tore off a generous portion of bread and wordlessly offered it over her shoulder without looking back at him. His smile grew wider as he satisfactorily accepted the fluffy morsel, popped it in his mouth and sauntered back to the camp to make last preparations alongside Lothir.
Rumil handed the hot stew to Danali with a grin. She accepted the savory- smelling concoction silently and tentatively ventured a few mouthfuls before looking back at the patiently waiting Elf and swallowing.
"It's good," she stated quietly. A small, warm smile graced Rumil's features, and a mysterious gleam flit into his eyes as he looked straight into hers.
"I'm glad you like it, lady."
"Call me Danali."
His hand came up to his chest in light apology, and he bowed his head slightly.
"Danali."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As the majestic trees of Caras Galadhon towered before her, Danali could not remember a moment when more emotions were churning in her soul. She could sense the music strongly here, an ancient melody that glistened in gold waves and rushed around her being, bathing it in indefinable harmonies and arcane hymns to the timeless flows of immortal rhythms that shivered in the silver-golden leaves. She had sensed the shift in timeflow as soon as she had wandered into the forest on that fateful night, but the change had increased tenfold with the small party's approach to the gates, which had been opened at a word from Rumil. The night air was settling on the tranquil land as the travelers passed through into the enchanted realm.
Lothir took his leave soon after, departing down another path and whistling to the songbirds as he walked off into the dwindling twilight.
The Elves seemed to realize what the girl must have been feeling, and they strolled in silence through the city of flets, Orophin humming to the faint snatches of ethereal song drifting down from the trees, his voice eerily light and rich. Danali in turn began absentmindedly singing along quietly, and she blushed deeply when she realized the admiring stares from her traveling comrades on her back and side. As she was turning back, she caught a bemused grin on Orophin's face and a humorous tone in his voice.
" Ah. She can fight and sing. I shall keep her forever as my own personal watchbird."
He seemed to not have noticed the annoyed looks cast his direction by both Danali and Rumil, but instead bounced along ahead of the group as his home drew near, pointing out to Danali the flet high above in which resided the Lord and Lady themselves, as well as his and his brothers' own flet close by, nearly as high up as the royal one, a thin, brilliant strip of red cloth across the entrance designating it as the residence of the Captain of the Guard.
Danali stared at the narrow flight of stairs with trepidation, as she had never been so high off the ground before. Orophin was already halfway up the intimidating climb when he turned and beckoned to a half-paralyzed Danali to follow. Her hands were tightly wrapped around the exquisitely carved railings, and her legs refused to move.
Rumil gently pried her hands away from the handholds and partly carried her up the stairway to where Orophin patiently stood. Both Elves grasped her hands and led her the rest of the way to the welcoming tree-dwelling, their voices soothing the terrified girl until they stood upon the threshold and bid her unclench her eyes.
Danali's gaze swept around a small albeit comfortable house that boasted a few handsome pieces of furniture, including a round darkwood table and chairs, and a couple of wicker chairs complete with deep green cushions surrounded by some rare bound books strewn about the floor. A partial- partition divided the living area from a cozy sleeping room, where three plush mats lay on the floor, each with a blanket neatly folded at it's foot and a tempting pillow at it's head. It was to one of these beds that Danali was led and set down on. A sudden weariness overwhelmed her, and she leaned back into the warm softness, her eyes already melting into sleep as the brothers removed her shoes and pulled the blanket around her neck. She felt a hand smooth some stray strands of hair from her forehead, then lift away as she grasped for it. Her voice murmured dreamily with a drowsy concern.
"You will not leave me here alone?"
Orophin's hand tightened around her own briefly before pulling away, and she felt a sense of peace invade her spirit as he whispered in the calm moonlit dark.
" Never."
Light Elven footsteps retreated into the other room, and she heard the brothers conversing in quiet tones before she slipped into the sleep of the innocent, golden melodies of secret worlds lulling her soul to rest among the stars.
And the saga slooowly continues to unfold.
Sorry this took so long. I have decided that homework was invented by teachers who didn't want their students to do anything creative with their time. I f you received three hours of it a night, you'd feel the same way too. And, as always, I would be much obliged to those who review; I'll give you an Elf if you do.
In Golden Melodies.
When Danali awoke amongst the scented pine needles again, the sun had already begun it's journey into the sapphire reaches of the heavens. She slowly stirred and rubbed her eyes, which were still leaden with sleep, and slightly pushed up against the warm, comfortable mass that she had been resting on, intent on falling back into blissful darkness. It took a few moments for her to register that the mass was breathing and shifting as well, and she swiftly straightened and turned her head to stare into the questioning gaze of Rumil, her hands clutching the edge of the blanket with the tension of embarrassment, her cheeks slowly turning a shade of rose.
Rumil lifted an eyebrow.
"Sleep well, did we?"
Danali muttered something incomprehensible before turning back to rise to her feet and gather her belongings. She smoothly pushed the blanket aside and crawled over to the dark grey pack resting under a neighboring tree, her eyes still pointedly remaining forward and away from the strange Elf who was now shaking his head and folding the blanket into a tight square. She rifled through the satchel a little before pulling out a neatly wrapped packet of herbed bread, the last of the few rations she had fled with. She was pleased to discover that the small loaf was still soft, and fell promptly to tearing off pebble-sized bites and chewing them with relish, her thoughts focused on the present, unable to penetrate the barriers she had unconsciously placed in her mind to block any encroachment of memory or prescience.
She sensed a curious gaze traveling over her shoulder and slowly turned her head, food in mid-chew, to stare innocently at a blank Rumil, who was kneeling in the dew-frosted pine needles with a steaming bowl in his hands, a dancing smile shimmering in his eyes and around his lips. He lowered his eyes and nodded at the bread, then raised them again.
"Good?"
Danali nodded sheepishly and resumed chewing, noticing as she turned her head again that Orophin had come up behind her to the opposite side and was smiling broadly with a mischievous glint in his gaze. She stared at him evenly for a moment, then turned, tore off a generous portion of bread and wordlessly offered it over her shoulder without looking back at him. His smile grew wider as he satisfactorily accepted the fluffy morsel, popped it in his mouth and sauntered back to the camp to make last preparations alongside Lothir.
Rumil handed the hot stew to Danali with a grin. She accepted the savory- smelling concoction silently and tentatively ventured a few mouthfuls before looking back at the patiently waiting Elf and swallowing.
"It's good," she stated quietly. A small, warm smile graced Rumil's features, and a mysterious gleam flit into his eyes as he looked straight into hers.
"I'm glad you like it, lady."
"Call me Danali."
His hand came up to his chest in light apology, and he bowed his head slightly.
"Danali."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As the majestic trees of Caras Galadhon towered before her, Danali could not remember a moment when more emotions were churning in her soul. She could sense the music strongly here, an ancient melody that glistened in gold waves and rushed around her being, bathing it in indefinable harmonies and arcane hymns to the timeless flows of immortal rhythms that shivered in the silver-golden leaves. She had sensed the shift in timeflow as soon as she had wandered into the forest on that fateful night, but the change had increased tenfold with the small party's approach to the gates, which had been opened at a word from Rumil. The night air was settling on the tranquil land as the travelers passed through into the enchanted realm.
Lothir took his leave soon after, departing down another path and whistling to the songbirds as he walked off into the dwindling twilight.
The Elves seemed to realize what the girl must have been feeling, and they strolled in silence through the city of flets, Orophin humming to the faint snatches of ethereal song drifting down from the trees, his voice eerily light and rich. Danali in turn began absentmindedly singing along quietly, and she blushed deeply when she realized the admiring stares from her traveling comrades on her back and side. As she was turning back, she caught a bemused grin on Orophin's face and a humorous tone in his voice.
" Ah. She can fight and sing. I shall keep her forever as my own personal watchbird."
He seemed to not have noticed the annoyed looks cast his direction by both Danali and Rumil, but instead bounced along ahead of the group as his home drew near, pointing out to Danali the flet high above in which resided the Lord and Lady themselves, as well as his and his brothers' own flet close by, nearly as high up as the royal one, a thin, brilliant strip of red cloth across the entrance designating it as the residence of the Captain of the Guard.
Danali stared at the narrow flight of stairs with trepidation, as she had never been so high off the ground before. Orophin was already halfway up the intimidating climb when he turned and beckoned to a half-paralyzed Danali to follow. Her hands were tightly wrapped around the exquisitely carved railings, and her legs refused to move.
Rumil gently pried her hands away from the handholds and partly carried her up the stairway to where Orophin patiently stood. Both Elves grasped her hands and led her the rest of the way to the welcoming tree-dwelling, their voices soothing the terrified girl until they stood upon the threshold and bid her unclench her eyes.
Danali's gaze swept around a small albeit comfortable house that boasted a few handsome pieces of furniture, including a round darkwood table and chairs, and a couple of wicker chairs complete with deep green cushions surrounded by some rare bound books strewn about the floor. A partial- partition divided the living area from a cozy sleeping room, where three plush mats lay on the floor, each with a blanket neatly folded at it's foot and a tempting pillow at it's head. It was to one of these beds that Danali was led and set down on. A sudden weariness overwhelmed her, and she leaned back into the warm softness, her eyes already melting into sleep as the brothers removed her shoes and pulled the blanket around her neck. She felt a hand smooth some stray strands of hair from her forehead, then lift away as she grasped for it. Her voice murmured dreamily with a drowsy concern.
"You will not leave me here alone?"
Orophin's hand tightened around her own briefly before pulling away, and she felt a sense of peace invade her spirit as he whispered in the calm moonlit dark.
" Never."
Light Elven footsteps retreated into the other room, and she heard the brothers conversing in quiet tones before she slipped into the sleep of the innocent, golden melodies of secret worlds lulling her soul to rest among the stars.
And the saga slooowly continues to unfold.
