Disclaimer: Seriously, guys, do I need to keep doing this?
I love my Elves.
Confirmations
A swirl of darkness whirled about Danali's mind until it coalesced into a tangible reality. She tasted the thin metallic essence on the back of her throat, and the timethreads began to pull her up through the depths of her dreams into light.
She felt a hand gently smoothing her hair away from her forehead as she surfaced into a light slumber, and heard whisper-soft singing calling her from sleep as she opened her eyes. Orophin's concerned eyes met hers, and when he realized she was awake, his face broadened slightly into a tiny, albeit warm, smile. His hand continued to stroke her head.
"How do you feel?"
His tone was soothing and his smile pleasant, but Danali saw worry swimming in his eyes, as well as a resigned weariness as he spoke. She gingerly propped herself on her elbows and saw that he was sitting cross- legged by her mat holding a tiny ball of fur in his lap with one hand, his long fingers absently stroking it. She looked into his eyes and nodded, then turned her gaze back to the fuzzy lump napping in his lap.
Orophin smiled adoringly as he glanced down at the kitten, then raised his eyes again to Danali's and dropped his voice to a whisper.
"Have you met my Dulin?"
Danali shook her head, her eyes glimmering with expectancy and a simple joy as Orophin carefully scooped a very drowsy kitten from his lap and deposited it proudly on Danali's chest. She immediately cupped her hands protectively around it as it yawned and stretched, it's tiny pink tongue sliding from it's mouth and curling back in, it's tiny claws unsheathing. Orophin looked pleased upon observing the delight on Danali's face as Dulin clambered all over her hands and chest, it's kitten energy beginning to flow through it's veins again. He leaned over and ran a finger down it's furry back.
"Haldir brought her back with him. He found her in a deserted camp a few miles outside the border. How she survived is known only to the Valar."
Danali stiffened as the previous day's events suddenly flooded into her head, and her eyes widened in fear as she remembered the angry Elf who had tried to hurt her. Remembered that she had hurt him instead. A sinking numbness seized her and she found it hard to think.
"Haldir is here?"
Orophin immediately heard the concern and fear in her tone, and swiftly bent to sooth her.
"Yes, Dani, he arrived last night. You have been asleep for two days, and now it is early evening."
The expression of fear on her face incited him to calm her further.
"He was to come last night anyhow. Danali, look at me."
Orophin grasped her sweating hands, which were wrapped around the kitten, and searched her face until he caught her eye.
"You are not going to be punished, do you understand? Ever. I will never allow it."
Danali swallowed heavily and managed to croak out an "alright" before lowering her head to watch Dulin's antics. Orophin eyes shimmered conspiratorially, and he leaned over once more to speak in a low voice.
"But next time, perhaps you might choose to anger someone other than the resident Balrog of Lorien."
A half-moon smile curved his lips and a chuckle ascended into his throat as Danali grinned widely, a giggle threatening to escape from between her fingers. The two held each other's mirthful gaze for a few moments, then the lightness shattered as she heard footsteps on the threshold and two voices, one a little deeper than the other. She swung her head to the side as Haldir leaned against the entryway, his arms folded across his broad chest. He glanced at Danali, then tilted his head to the side and motioned to Orophin.
"Go eat. I wish to speak with the girl alone."
Orophin smiled encouragingly at her as he gathered himself up and stepped lightly out of the small room. Danali heard the familiar sounds of cooking coming from the adjacent room, and quiet voices sharing small talk. She sighed and forced her eyes to meet Haldir's stern face. He slowly kneeled close to her mat and gently stroked Dulin, then lifted his hand to under her chin and turned her head to fully face his.
"Tell me what happened."
Tears trailed silently down her cheeks as she related the incident, her proud eyes shining and her voice strong until she recounted how she broke the Elf's arm. She wavered and buried her head in her knees, pressing her wet eyes into Dulin's fur.
"He was trying to hurt Rumil."
Haldir's expression remained carefully neutral, his face stony as he wordlessly stood up and walked out. Danali sniffed and unfolded her knees to cradle Dulin, her whole attention focused on the anxious kitten.
She was quite a beautiful cat, her patchwork coat glistening with brown, tan and burnt orange, and her paws glittering like snow. Danali was fascinated by the tiny creature, for she had never seen a cat before, and the teartracks on her face slowly dried as she played with the purring wonder.
She and Dulin were right in the middle of an exciting game of Stalk- the-Hand when she heard an agitated voice rise from the other room and froze. She discerned Orophin's voice lifting in anger.
" No, we will discuss this now. You are not sending the girl away because of an unfortunate turn of events."
Danali felt her heart shrink.
"Oh? And what would you have me do, Orophin, what? Are you aware of the amount of trouble I had to talk my way out of? That I had to talk you out of? How in hell do you expect me to remedy this? We don't even know where this child comes from, for all we know she could be a native of some dark crevice in Mount Doom!"
The one thing Danali noticed was that Rumil sounded more frightened than angry.
A chair scraped along the floor, and Orophin's tone rose to a shout.
" And what would you know? Sometimes you act like you hail from there yourself."
Haldir's voice cut in.
"That's enough, Orophin."
Orophin's voice dropped to a low, frustrated pitch.
"No, it's not. If there is one thing you're not going to do, it's sending a helpless girl to fend on her own."
"Helpless?! What did you just call her? After she snapped the court advisor's arm like a twig? That's the problem, brother, she's not helpless, she's dangerous."
"Damn it, Rumil, the girl was trying to protect you! Daethil picked that particular battle, not her."
Rumil interrupted his brother viciously, his voice controlled and menacing.
"Oh me, how thoughtful of her. Is she going to come rushing in here now to defend me from you?"
Danali slumped to the floor and squeezed her eyes shut as she wished with all her might that she would disappear. Haldir cut into the argument, his voice solid and calm, but tinged with weariness and a tight control.
" First, I wish for you both to keep in mind that I am being held accountable for this, not you. Second, Danali is not to be blamed in any way for what happened. Orophin is right. Daethil is the guiltier one here. This was an accident and an unfortunate event, nothing more. This discussion is over. Orophin, sit down."
Rumil began to raise his voice in protest, but was silenced by a tired and frustrated Haldir for the rest of the night.
"So for the love of Eru, Rumil, shut up."
Danali felt a thick tension seep into the air, and although she could not see, she could guess what expressions were on the Elves' faces as they silently finished their meal. She cringed as Haldir walked into the room a few minutes later without glancing at her. He went to the far mat and pulled some bedclothes from underneath it, then sat down with his back to her and began undressing. Dulin mewed plaintively from beneath Danali's sheets, and Haldir turned quickly to look at her, his face softening in guilt.
"You heard all of that, didn't you?"
Danali merely stared back at him. He sighed deeply, rose and walked over to her. He knelt down and carefully plucked the grouchy Dulin from Danali's lap, his large hands easily cradling her. He crooned softly at the kitten, and she mewed back. Danali shrunk behind the sheet.
"I-is he alright?"
Haldir looked up sharply as if from a daze, then nodded slowly in understanding.
"He is alright."
Danali's eyes swung down. The Marchwarden reached over and gently pulled the chain around her neck from beneath her tunic, revealing the silver raven. He fingered it thoughtfully for several minutes, his brow creased in concentration. Danali dared to venture the question that had been torturing her.
"What are you going to do with me?"
Haldir's gaze lingered on the pendant for several more moments, then he sighed again, let the necklace drop and gently kissed a startled Danali on her forehead. He smiled reassuringly at the girl, his eyes glimmering with Elvish light.
"Keep you."
He got up and walked back to resume preparing for bed. Danali stared at his back, then watched him lie down to sleep, Dulin also settling down for the night on his pillow. She huddled in the sheets for a long time, a maelstrom of thoughts flying through her mind, a storm of emotions swirling in her heart. Finally, she swept back the covers and padded into the living area where the two brothers sat silently, each occupied with his own thoughts. Both looked up at her entrance. Orophin gave her a small smile, but she was struck by the hurt and cold in Rumil's eyes. She inhaled deeply and stepped over to him, her eyes levelly meeting his. He spoke quietly.
"What do you want?"
Danali could only whisper.
"Peace."
Rumil stared at the child-woman standing before him, her arms at her sides, her red-rimmed eyes full of pain. Without a word, he set aside the book he had been reading, stood and embraced her tightly. The ice melted. She threw her arms around his neck and wept helplessly, her cheek pressed into his shoulder, her tears staining his tunic and hair. He stroked her hair and whispered into her heart.
"We shall help each other, you and I."
* Author prances by, singing, "This is not a romance.by the way." *
I love my Elves.
Confirmations
A swirl of darkness whirled about Danali's mind until it coalesced into a tangible reality. She tasted the thin metallic essence on the back of her throat, and the timethreads began to pull her up through the depths of her dreams into light.
She felt a hand gently smoothing her hair away from her forehead as she surfaced into a light slumber, and heard whisper-soft singing calling her from sleep as she opened her eyes. Orophin's concerned eyes met hers, and when he realized she was awake, his face broadened slightly into a tiny, albeit warm, smile. His hand continued to stroke her head.
"How do you feel?"
His tone was soothing and his smile pleasant, but Danali saw worry swimming in his eyes, as well as a resigned weariness as he spoke. She gingerly propped herself on her elbows and saw that he was sitting cross- legged by her mat holding a tiny ball of fur in his lap with one hand, his long fingers absently stroking it. She looked into his eyes and nodded, then turned her gaze back to the fuzzy lump napping in his lap.
Orophin smiled adoringly as he glanced down at the kitten, then raised his eyes again to Danali's and dropped his voice to a whisper.
"Have you met my Dulin?"
Danali shook her head, her eyes glimmering with expectancy and a simple joy as Orophin carefully scooped a very drowsy kitten from his lap and deposited it proudly on Danali's chest. She immediately cupped her hands protectively around it as it yawned and stretched, it's tiny pink tongue sliding from it's mouth and curling back in, it's tiny claws unsheathing. Orophin looked pleased upon observing the delight on Danali's face as Dulin clambered all over her hands and chest, it's kitten energy beginning to flow through it's veins again. He leaned over and ran a finger down it's furry back.
"Haldir brought her back with him. He found her in a deserted camp a few miles outside the border. How she survived is known only to the Valar."
Danali stiffened as the previous day's events suddenly flooded into her head, and her eyes widened in fear as she remembered the angry Elf who had tried to hurt her. Remembered that she had hurt him instead. A sinking numbness seized her and she found it hard to think.
"Haldir is here?"
Orophin immediately heard the concern and fear in her tone, and swiftly bent to sooth her.
"Yes, Dani, he arrived last night. You have been asleep for two days, and now it is early evening."
The expression of fear on her face incited him to calm her further.
"He was to come last night anyhow. Danali, look at me."
Orophin grasped her sweating hands, which were wrapped around the kitten, and searched her face until he caught her eye.
"You are not going to be punished, do you understand? Ever. I will never allow it."
Danali swallowed heavily and managed to croak out an "alright" before lowering her head to watch Dulin's antics. Orophin eyes shimmered conspiratorially, and he leaned over once more to speak in a low voice.
"But next time, perhaps you might choose to anger someone other than the resident Balrog of Lorien."
A half-moon smile curved his lips and a chuckle ascended into his throat as Danali grinned widely, a giggle threatening to escape from between her fingers. The two held each other's mirthful gaze for a few moments, then the lightness shattered as she heard footsteps on the threshold and two voices, one a little deeper than the other. She swung her head to the side as Haldir leaned against the entryway, his arms folded across his broad chest. He glanced at Danali, then tilted his head to the side and motioned to Orophin.
"Go eat. I wish to speak with the girl alone."
Orophin smiled encouragingly at her as he gathered himself up and stepped lightly out of the small room. Danali heard the familiar sounds of cooking coming from the adjacent room, and quiet voices sharing small talk. She sighed and forced her eyes to meet Haldir's stern face. He slowly kneeled close to her mat and gently stroked Dulin, then lifted his hand to under her chin and turned her head to fully face his.
"Tell me what happened."
Tears trailed silently down her cheeks as she related the incident, her proud eyes shining and her voice strong until she recounted how she broke the Elf's arm. She wavered and buried her head in her knees, pressing her wet eyes into Dulin's fur.
"He was trying to hurt Rumil."
Haldir's expression remained carefully neutral, his face stony as he wordlessly stood up and walked out. Danali sniffed and unfolded her knees to cradle Dulin, her whole attention focused on the anxious kitten.
She was quite a beautiful cat, her patchwork coat glistening with brown, tan and burnt orange, and her paws glittering like snow. Danali was fascinated by the tiny creature, for she had never seen a cat before, and the teartracks on her face slowly dried as she played with the purring wonder.
She and Dulin were right in the middle of an exciting game of Stalk- the-Hand when she heard an agitated voice rise from the other room and froze. She discerned Orophin's voice lifting in anger.
" No, we will discuss this now. You are not sending the girl away because of an unfortunate turn of events."
Danali felt her heart shrink.
"Oh? And what would you have me do, Orophin, what? Are you aware of the amount of trouble I had to talk my way out of? That I had to talk you out of? How in hell do you expect me to remedy this? We don't even know where this child comes from, for all we know she could be a native of some dark crevice in Mount Doom!"
The one thing Danali noticed was that Rumil sounded more frightened than angry.
A chair scraped along the floor, and Orophin's tone rose to a shout.
" And what would you know? Sometimes you act like you hail from there yourself."
Haldir's voice cut in.
"That's enough, Orophin."
Orophin's voice dropped to a low, frustrated pitch.
"No, it's not. If there is one thing you're not going to do, it's sending a helpless girl to fend on her own."
"Helpless?! What did you just call her? After she snapped the court advisor's arm like a twig? That's the problem, brother, she's not helpless, she's dangerous."
"Damn it, Rumil, the girl was trying to protect you! Daethil picked that particular battle, not her."
Rumil interrupted his brother viciously, his voice controlled and menacing.
"Oh me, how thoughtful of her. Is she going to come rushing in here now to defend me from you?"
Danali slumped to the floor and squeezed her eyes shut as she wished with all her might that she would disappear. Haldir cut into the argument, his voice solid and calm, but tinged with weariness and a tight control.
" First, I wish for you both to keep in mind that I am being held accountable for this, not you. Second, Danali is not to be blamed in any way for what happened. Orophin is right. Daethil is the guiltier one here. This was an accident and an unfortunate event, nothing more. This discussion is over. Orophin, sit down."
Rumil began to raise his voice in protest, but was silenced by a tired and frustrated Haldir for the rest of the night.
"So for the love of Eru, Rumil, shut up."
Danali felt a thick tension seep into the air, and although she could not see, she could guess what expressions were on the Elves' faces as they silently finished their meal. She cringed as Haldir walked into the room a few minutes later without glancing at her. He went to the far mat and pulled some bedclothes from underneath it, then sat down with his back to her and began undressing. Dulin mewed plaintively from beneath Danali's sheets, and Haldir turned quickly to look at her, his face softening in guilt.
"You heard all of that, didn't you?"
Danali merely stared back at him. He sighed deeply, rose and walked over to her. He knelt down and carefully plucked the grouchy Dulin from Danali's lap, his large hands easily cradling her. He crooned softly at the kitten, and she mewed back. Danali shrunk behind the sheet.
"I-is he alright?"
Haldir looked up sharply as if from a daze, then nodded slowly in understanding.
"He is alright."
Danali's eyes swung down. The Marchwarden reached over and gently pulled the chain around her neck from beneath her tunic, revealing the silver raven. He fingered it thoughtfully for several minutes, his brow creased in concentration. Danali dared to venture the question that had been torturing her.
"What are you going to do with me?"
Haldir's gaze lingered on the pendant for several more moments, then he sighed again, let the necklace drop and gently kissed a startled Danali on her forehead. He smiled reassuringly at the girl, his eyes glimmering with Elvish light.
"Keep you."
He got up and walked back to resume preparing for bed. Danali stared at his back, then watched him lie down to sleep, Dulin also settling down for the night on his pillow. She huddled in the sheets for a long time, a maelstrom of thoughts flying through her mind, a storm of emotions swirling in her heart. Finally, she swept back the covers and padded into the living area where the two brothers sat silently, each occupied with his own thoughts. Both looked up at her entrance. Orophin gave her a small smile, but she was struck by the hurt and cold in Rumil's eyes. She inhaled deeply and stepped over to him, her eyes levelly meeting his. He spoke quietly.
"What do you want?"
Danali could only whisper.
"Peace."
Rumil stared at the child-woman standing before him, her arms at her sides, her red-rimmed eyes full of pain. Without a word, he set aside the book he had been reading, stood and embraced her tightly. The ice melted. She threw her arms around his neck and wept helplessly, her cheek pressed into his shoulder, her tears staining his tunic and hair. He stroked her hair and whispered into her heart.
"We shall help each other, you and I."
* Author prances by, singing, "This is not a romance.by the way." *
