NOTE: Again, bear with me on this one.
FRIENDSHIP AND KIN: 2
The sounds of the birds harmoniously chirping their own music could be heard throughout the bloomed garden. The music was relaxing, soothing to the ear and calming to the soul. But it seemed that no amount of music could sway the golden haired maiden who aimlessly drifted amongst the budded blooms. Secretly she questioned the purpose of the birds' presence, only revealing a stern stare to the winged creatures, but never speaking a single word. In her mind her thoughts ran deep, so deep she began to speak nonsense within her own head. What of the birds' presence? She knew there to be no real answer to the eccentric question, but she thought it anyway, as if subconsciously revealing her own troubles. The ripples in her lengthy locks of hair began to sway, as the breeze began to pick up a little more. She began to feel a chill down her slender build, and wrapped her maroon cloak around her arms to shield her light skin from the cool breeze.
"Amdiriel?" she heard a familiar voice call from behind. She didn't turn around, only answered in the position she was already in, her back facing her speaker.
"Yes, Naneth?"
"I thought you might be out here. You've been spending a lot of time here lately. " She said as she took a seat on the bench that her daughter was now seated on.
"Yes, the air is refreshing, but too cool for my skin it seems."
"The breeze is gentle, though the air is crisp. Tell me, sell nîn, what troubles you?"
She looked to her mother with appreciative eyes. "It's nothing Naneth, really." her voice almost convincingly genuine. If her mother hadn't known Amdiriel as much as she did, she would have believed her.
"I heard you the other night. You spoke in your sleep again. Why do you call to your grandmother, Amdiriel?"
The girl returned to her original stance, as if to hide the answer that her piercing black eyes so flagrantly revealed.
"I thought the maiden in my dream was her. I thought she was my grandmother. Though I've never seen Celebrían, I had the sense that the maiden in my dream and I were." she stammered off. She hadn't really known how to explain it. There were no words really, but a feeling. ".Like, connected, in a sense?" she had finished the last part as if she was asking a question and looked back to her mother as if expecting the answer.
"Tell me your dream, Amdiriel."
Amdiriel looked ahead of her, to no particular place, returning to the scene of her haunting dream, the one that had lingered in her mind for nearly two weeks.
"I'm in a forest, but the trees are few. There is a well, but the water reaches to the very brim of the stone. I get the urge to walk towards it, so I do, but when I look in the water, it's red; transformed into blood did the water, and I reach to touch it, for what reason I do not know, but a quick hand grabs my own before the tip of my finger can touch the surface. I look to see whose hand delays my own, and this woman stands there. But I quickly realize she is no woman, but an elf, with golden hair such as mine, that crinkles as mine does; her skin as fair as my own, her eyes the same depth as mine. She speaks to me, telling me I must rise with the son of elves, for I am the daughter of hope. I do not know why, but tears begin to stream down my face. The blood she tells me, is blood that must be shed, but how and for what purpose she doesn't reveal. I call to her, calling her grandmother, Celebrían, but she doesn't acknowledge my titles, she only smiles, and I awake."
Her mother sat, silent. Amdiriel searched for something in her mother's gaze to comfort her, but her mother could give her no comfort. The dream worried her, her worries exceeding the ones of the dreamer herself. The Lady hadn't known what the dream meant, but the bluntly relayed messages within the dream caused shivers down the mother's spine.
"Naneth, say something please, what does it mean?" she pleaded. Her eyes misty from newfound tears, her heart pounding so rapidly she felt her mother could feel it. She held on tightly to her mother's hands, clasped within her own. But her mother was silent still, not knowing what to say, not knowing what to think. Gracefully her mother approached the situation with calm, though inside she was at her breaking point. Gently she squeezed her daughter's hands, caressing her rippled hair giving her the warmth of a smile to ease the lack of comfort Amdiriel had felt for two weeks.
"Think nothing of it, sell nîn, I beg of you. Dreams are something we should be cautious of. Taking it too seriously might cause as much pain as ignoring them completely. Now go, find your sisters, I've gotten word that Arodiel arrives with your father today."
Amdiriel sighed, heavily, and stood to do as her mother wished. Her mother remained seated in the garden, silenced by her daughter's pain from fear, wounded from the sorrow she felt. Arwen could think of nothing to do.
LATER THAT DAY
Amdiriel stood on the terrace of the citadel's walls, as she watched her father and his company ride into the city. She could see Arodiel from her distance, right behind Laurelas. She chuckled to herself thinking of the face Arodiel must have made seeing Laurelas there. No doubt a face filled with joy but mixed in was hostility as only Arodiel could show.
"Here already? I expected them within another hour or so." she heard her youngest sibling say from behind her.
"Yes, they must have left earlier than planned. Where have you been all day Nestor? You weren't at breakfast."
Her young sister, aged at 21 years, was Amdiriel's own antithesis. Though only a few inches shorter than Amdiriel, Nestor was just as slender as her sister. Her hair lacked the natural ripple of Amdiriel's, but was just as beautiful. Her hair's shade matched that of their father's, but was perfectly straight in texture. Her eyes glowed the color brown, and her lips were rosy and shined naturally. Her beauty was famous throughout the land, and so was her spirit, for it was well known that the youngest princess wouldn't dream of marriage. Nestor knew her place, her calling to heal.
"I was out, you know, wandering." she smiled playfully. Both giggled in unison, as they watched the last of the riders enter the great city.
"Come." Amdiriel called, as Nestor followed her and walked side by side down the steps to greet their loved ones.
"Adar." Amdiriel greeted as she approached her father, with Nestor close behind. She gave her father a hug, and a smile to assure him all is well. She then turned to her two friends, as Nestor greeted a simple "Ada" in the same motion behind her.
"Arodiel" she said under her breath as she hugged her friend who had so recently become a stranger to their home. "A few weeks it has been, has it not?"
"Yes. I, well, I." she didn't really have an answer for the hidden question within the question.
"Don't worry, it's understandable. And you, Laurelas, the journey go well?"
"As always. Eldarion take care of you while I was away?" he asked jokingly. Though they were not of the same blood, Laurelas was looked upon as an adopted brother to the children of Elessar, for he was raised along with the heir of Gondor. Laurelas felt the same away about his adopted family, as he loved them just as much as he would love his blood family.
Amdiriel, and Nestor who had recently joined in, both laughed lightly. "Come, we are expected." Amdiriel announced, as she motioned the three to follow her.
"At the grounds, no doubt?"
"Yes, Laurelas, did you expect anywhere else?"
"No, if it is Maethoriel and Anárion we are speaking of."
"Then come." she motioned once more.
PLEASE review, I'm thinking no one likes this story, if anyone is actually reading it at all. (
FRIENDSHIP AND KIN: 2
The sounds of the birds harmoniously chirping their own music could be heard throughout the bloomed garden. The music was relaxing, soothing to the ear and calming to the soul. But it seemed that no amount of music could sway the golden haired maiden who aimlessly drifted amongst the budded blooms. Secretly she questioned the purpose of the birds' presence, only revealing a stern stare to the winged creatures, but never speaking a single word. In her mind her thoughts ran deep, so deep she began to speak nonsense within her own head. What of the birds' presence? She knew there to be no real answer to the eccentric question, but she thought it anyway, as if subconsciously revealing her own troubles. The ripples in her lengthy locks of hair began to sway, as the breeze began to pick up a little more. She began to feel a chill down her slender build, and wrapped her maroon cloak around her arms to shield her light skin from the cool breeze.
"Amdiriel?" she heard a familiar voice call from behind. She didn't turn around, only answered in the position she was already in, her back facing her speaker.
"Yes, Naneth?"
"I thought you might be out here. You've been spending a lot of time here lately. " She said as she took a seat on the bench that her daughter was now seated on.
"Yes, the air is refreshing, but too cool for my skin it seems."
"The breeze is gentle, though the air is crisp. Tell me, sell nîn, what troubles you?"
She looked to her mother with appreciative eyes. "It's nothing Naneth, really." her voice almost convincingly genuine. If her mother hadn't known Amdiriel as much as she did, she would have believed her.
"I heard you the other night. You spoke in your sleep again. Why do you call to your grandmother, Amdiriel?"
The girl returned to her original stance, as if to hide the answer that her piercing black eyes so flagrantly revealed.
"I thought the maiden in my dream was her. I thought she was my grandmother. Though I've never seen Celebrían, I had the sense that the maiden in my dream and I were." she stammered off. She hadn't really known how to explain it. There were no words really, but a feeling. ".Like, connected, in a sense?" she had finished the last part as if she was asking a question and looked back to her mother as if expecting the answer.
"Tell me your dream, Amdiriel."
Amdiriel looked ahead of her, to no particular place, returning to the scene of her haunting dream, the one that had lingered in her mind for nearly two weeks.
"I'm in a forest, but the trees are few. There is a well, but the water reaches to the very brim of the stone. I get the urge to walk towards it, so I do, but when I look in the water, it's red; transformed into blood did the water, and I reach to touch it, for what reason I do not know, but a quick hand grabs my own before the tip of my finger can touch the surface. I look to see whose hand delays my own, and this woman stands there. But I quickly realize she is no woman, but an elf, with golden hair such as mine, that crinkles as mine does; her skin as fair as my own, her eyes the same depth as mine. She speaks to me, telling me I must rise with the son of elves, for I am the daughter of hope. I do not know why, but tears begin to stream down my face. The blood she tells me, is blood that must be shed, but how and for what purpose she doesn't reveal. I call to her, calling her grandmother, Celebrían, but she doesn't acknowledge my titles, she only smiles, and I awake."
Her mother sat, silent. Amdiriel searched for something in her mother's gaze to comfort her, but her mother could give her no comfort. The dream worried her, her worries exceeding the ones of the dreamer herself. The Lady hadn't known what the dream meant, but the bluntly relayed messages within the dream caused shivers down the mother's spine.
"Naneth, say something please, what does it mean?" she pleaded. Her eyes misty from newfound tears, her heart pounding so rapidly she felt her mother could feel it. She held on tightly to her mother's hands, clasped within her own. But her mother was silent still, not knowing what to say, not knowing what to think. Gracefully her mother approached the situation with calm, though inside she was at her breaking point. Gently she squeezed her daughter's hands, caressing her rippled hair giving her the warmth of a smile to ease the lack of comfort Amdiriel had felt for two weeks.
"Think nothing of it, sell nîn, I beg of you. Dreams are something we should be cautious of. Taking it too seriously might cause as much pain as ignoring them completely. Now go, find your sisters, I've gotten word that Arodiel arrives with your father today."
Amdiriel sighed, heavily, and stood to do as her mother wished. Her mother remained seated in the garden, silenced by her daughter's pain from fear, wounded from the sorrow she felt. Arwen could think of nothing to do.
LATER THAT DAY
Amdiriel stood on the terrace of the citadel's walls, as she watched her father and his company ride into the city. She could see Arodiel from her distance, right behind Laurelas. She chuckled to herself thinking of the face Arodiel must have made seeing Laurelas there. No doubt a face filled with joy but mixed in was hostility as only Arodiel could show.
"Here already? I expected them within another hour or so." she heard her youngest sibling say from behind her.
"Yes, they must have left earlier than planned. Where have you been all day Nestor? You weren't at breakfast."
Her young sister, aged at 21 years, was Amdiriel's own antithesis. Though only a few inches shorter than Amdiriel, Nestor was just as slender as her sister. Her hair lacked the natural ripple of Amdiriel's, but was just as beautiful. Her hair's shade matched that of their father's, but was perfectly straight in texture. Her eyes glowed the color brown, and her lips were rosy and shined naturally. Her beauty was famous throughout the land, and so was her spirit, for it was well known that the youngest princess wouldn't dream of marriage. Nestor knew her place, her calling to heal.
"I was out, you know, wandering." she smiled playfully. Both giggled in unison, as they watched the last of the riders enter the great city.
"Come." Amdiriel called, as Nestor followed her and walked side by side down the steps to greet their loved ones.
"Adar." Amdiriel greeted as she approached her father, with Nestor close behind. She gave her father a hug, and a smile to assure him all is well. She then turned to her two friends, as Nestor greeted a simple "Ada" in the same motion behind her.
"Arodiel" she said under her breath as she hugged her friend who had so recently become a stranger to their home. "A few weeks it has been, has it not?"
"Yes. I, well, I." she didn't really have an answer for the hidden question within the question.
"Don't worry, it's understandable. And you, Laurelas, the journey go well?"
"As always. Eldarion take care of you while I was away?" he asked jokingly. Though they were not of the same blood, Laurelas was looked upon as an adopted brother to the children of Elessar, for he was raised along with the heir of Gondor. Laurelas felt the same away about his adopted family, as he loved them just as much as he would love his blood family.
Amdiriel, and Nestor who had recently joined in, both laughed lightly. "Come, we are expected." Amdiriel announced, as she motioned the three to follow her.
"At the grounds, no doubt?"
"Yes, Laurelas, did you expect anywhere else?"
"No, if it is Maethoriel and Anárion we are speaking of."
"Then come." she motioned once more.
PLEASE review, I'm thinking no one likes this story, if anyone is actually reading it at all. (
