AN: As always…thanks to all who reviewed through ff.net or not. : ) You guys always made my day. Thanks for all the support.
I got way too many time on hand so it's two chapter at a time. More on Firiel. I think Alfirin gonna come later. A little hint, do NOT attach yourself to Alfirin. She's a dangerous character. Her destiny has not yet revealed to me…anything could happen to her.
So… here goes nothing…I don't feel good about this…Anyway, read and enjoy (hopefully). *Run to the wardrobe*
Chapter 6: Clarity Of Mind
Firiel walked still in the darkness, her hand lingered ever towards her face. The wound stung horribly and yet there was nothing she could do to lessen the pain. The blood dripped slowly from her face and she knew that should they walked any longer, she would faint. Even then, she could not saw her way clearly. She stumbled every now and again and Er-Galadh easily spotted this.
He came over to help her but she shoved away his hand as soon as it touched her shoulder and glared at him. Thinking that it was probably best to leave her to her own accord, he walked away disapprovingly.
Firiel watched as Er-Galadh leaved her. She sighed, thinking about her stupidity earlier on the day and wondered over her circumstances. The thought only served to irritate her of her own weaknesses. And of the stupidity of the elf in front of her. But she felt grateful in spite of everything and a smile came to her face. At least now she knew that someone cared.
The thought struck her hard. Since when did she begged for attention? Did she not wish so hard to be left alone? Still, these were not the main cause of her fury. After all these years and she still could not let it go. Still could not forget and move on. The memory stayed as though it was bored through her mind, never to be forgotten even though the only thing to reminded her of it was long gone.
She focussed her thought towards the battle ahead of them and of her master, Radagast. However, it soon lead to the young elf-maid Alfirin and of the promised she made to her, who eventually led to her uncle, Er-Galadh. She shook her head vigorously. It was obviously the wrong thing to do for her head pounded harder than ever and she was forced to stop walking. Holding on to a tree, she strived to regain her balance while sorting out her vision and her chaotic mind.
It was with great delight that she greeted the calling of their stop for the night.
She slumped back to the nearest tree nearby, not caring where she was. Her eyelids dropping heavily. She wanted to sleep. To let go of the pain that throbbed in her head and in her heart. To let go of the care in this world. This world that had evolved only to became worse with every passing age. So easy, so tempting, so wonderful. And she was lulled right into it as she slowly closed her eyes to, perhaps, never be open again…
A hand shook her shoulder hard. So hard it woke her up before she even reached her peace. She closed her eyes still, hoping that the intruder would simply leave her in her solitude. But the shaking did not stopped, if any, it increased. She opened her eyes in irritation as she slowly adjusted it to see her surrounding.
"You!" she hissed angrily. Not caring to even changed her voice, "Leave me be!"
"No," Er-Galadh replied calmly. Very calm compared to his chaotic mind and even more, his heart. "There are many matters to be discussed amongst us. And you should not sleep in any case. Your wound is bad enough to kill you should you leave it unattended." He looked at her bloodstained robe. It was hard to tell as it was too dark to make a difference between the black colour of her robe and her drying blood. Carefully he reached for her hood, trying to cast it aside so he could look at the wound more easily.
Firiel tried to strike his hand away, but the poison had done it work, leaving her no strength to even straighten her back and her hand hung limply on her side. She knew that he would never leave her be and so she said, "Not here. No one else should know."
Er-Galadh frowned and nodded shortly. He looked around for a sign that any elf was around before lifting the frail figure and carried her away from the rest of the companies.
Firiel glared at the attempt yet there was nothing she could possibly do. Er-Galadh saw her disapproval and said, "Trust me. I intend you no harm. What harm could I possibly do with the other elves nearby?" The statement calmed Firiel and she did not object as Er-Galadh laid her gently down against a tree and cast away her hood.
He was about to rip a part of his cloak when Firiel stopped him and saying that she had a clean cloth in one of her pouches. She regained her strength and, despite Er-Galadh offer to take it instead, took out two small bags.
He took out the clean cloth from one of it and used the cloth to clean her face gently. She winced at the touch still no sound escaped her lip.
Er-Galadh took the time to look at her face more clearly. She was of elven blood and it showed clear enough through the refined and prominent structure of her face, yet she was raven-haired and her doe-like eyes were as dark as the starless night sky. It was a void, mirroring her heart and he found himself shivering as he looked at them. Her skin was also not fair but woodland coloured, different from any elves that he had ever encountered before in his life. She was an elf yet somehow, she was not.
Firiel looked at the clean cloth that was now covered in blood. The pain has become dull eventually but she knew that it would only get worse soon. She waited until Er-Galadh cast it away and pointed at the second pouch. She told him to take out the bottles she had inside. They were similar and others would have a hard time differing the content but she knew them well. Well enough for her to simply look, find the little differences between them (a slightly broken top, cracked bottom) and told Er-Galadh which one to use. She took the cast away cloth and gave it to him so he could pour the content into it. He looked at her disparagingly but did what he was bid to do.
Firiel bit her lip, ready for the pain to come as Er-Galadh pressed the blood-soaked cloth into the wound. The pain shot through her and she closed her eyes voluntarily to suppress the pain. She gripped her staff tightly until the knuckles went ghastly white, trying to create more pain to concentrate on instead of those that was created from the wound. It did nothing to help. The pain was beyond her.
Er-Galadh did not let go of the cloth nor lessen the pressure. Firiel had told him that no matter what happened, he should never do so. He saw her pain and it took a great self-restrain to still held the cloth and not let it go. The pain he saw in her inflicted the same pain in his heart. He wondered at this. How could he care so much about this person that he had disliked? Why did he care?
After the pain has stopped, she told Er-Galadh to put away the cloth, pointed at one of the bottle (the one that slightly dented) and asked Er-Galadh to take out the top.
He did and put it in Firiel's waiting hand. She held it carefully, trying to drink it but her hand shook dangerously and she was forced to stop. Er-Galadh noted this, took the bottle instead and brought it towards her lip. He tipped it slightly and let it go after Firiel had finished the liquid it contained.
She lied down for a while, waiting for the potion to do its effect. Yet there was still a question nagging in her mind. She thought about it for a while and asked, "Why did you came? The rest of the elves do not care. Why did you help me?"
"I helped perhaps because I am the only person in this company that remembered of your presence. Any other elves would have done the same should they remember. But to tell the truth, I do not care about your existence. I was merely curious and perhaps, I am suspicious," Er-Galadh replied, eyeing the figured in front of him that he had once thought to be someone else, before resumed, "The elves care not about your existence. They let you come as you proved to be no burden at all to the company and could be of great use. They did not seemed to realise that you even exist at all. You preferred to be in the dark more and it is easy to forget that you are amongst us. Indeed, what is it that you are trying to hide from us? Who are you?"
Firiel looked at the elf in front of her, examining his answer and at last, his questions. She sighed and answered, "I tried to hide no secret nor any plan to harm you. If there was anything I tried to hide, it was my identity. I knew, from the moment that I agreed to do this task, that I should never reveal it."
"But why?" Er-Galadh asked.
"Would you let me come should you know that I am who I am? Would you let me come despite the fact that I might not be able to defend myself as effectively as you or any other elves? No," Firiel shook her head, "I could not revealed my identity. If truth be told, it came as a surprise to me that I was chosen in the first place. Truly, the answer is simple, Er-Galadh. The proved was laid in front of us."
The mention of his niece stirred up another question in him. Was there any reason to leave the elves behind? The question intrigued him and he expressed it.
He was given a look of disbelief as the answer but seeing that Er-Galadh truly did not understand the answer, she explained, "You know how stubborn Alfirin truly is. Do you think that she would, beyond doubt, stayed behind? Would she listen to me, above all other? Above you? I certainly doubt it. She will not go back. I thought it was obvious for you."
Er-Galadh pondered over this and admitted that she was right after all. And so, leaving the elves would ensure that Alfirin could not endanger herself by following them.
Firiel held herself up. The potion has done its job, she noticed, and walked with Er-Galadh towards the elves before they noticed that the two of them were gone. No, she sighed. Before the elves noticed that Er-Galadh was gone. She was the unnoticed member of the company, just like the orc that discovered her presence beneath the shadow only to meet its peril.
She walked until the elves were in sight and waited until Er-Galadh joined the rest of the elves before sitting herself under the shade of what she recognised as a great oak tree. Realising how weary she felt after the day, she closed her eyes as she listened to the sweet voice in her mind. Her thought drifted away as the song enveloped her, lulling her to sleep.
SDW *wearing her anti-flame suit*: Ok, I'm ready, shoot!
