Wee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!! LOOKIE @ ALL DA REVIEWS!!!! WHAHAHA!! I WUV U ALL!! (Yess, I'm seing how mny gramatic and spelin mistakes I cn mke!)
~Hoshiko
First Day on Duty
Thinthar awoke the next day, and pulled back her curtain, finding Haldir had left all ready. She sighed and dressed in her usual clothing. This was not a day she wanted to see Nerwe, so she stayed in her quarters. She looked up for another book to read. Reading all of the choices in front of her, her eyes fell on a certain title in Sindarin. She was extremely fluent in the language now, and she pulled it out. In the common tongue it read 'History of the Armies of the Goldenwood.' She had always been one to learn about things she was interested in, and sat down, skimming through the pages of the thick book.
Haldir woke up the next morning, rather early. He parted the curtain and saw Thinthar lying in her bed quietly. By the heavy look of her eyelids and her the way her chest moved, he could tell she was still asleep. He changed out of his warden clothes, putting on a silvery-white tunic, dark-green leggings and matching robes. He then proceeded to the Great Hall; he was not hungry.
When he arrived he walked through the open door, and bowed to the royal couple who was currently talking with each other on their thrones. When he arrived they stopped, and stood as he bowed.
'Haldir,' Celeborn said, nodding his head, 'we were awaiting your arrival. We are aware of what you came to ask, also.'
'Thinthar has asked to apprentice a Marchwarden, has she not?' Galadriel asked; Haldir was not surprised of their knowledge of it.
'Yes she has, my lords,' Haldir said, and Galadriel nodded.
'We believe she is well aware of the dangers, and with the proper training she will become a very respected one. We permit her to apprentice only the best we have.' Haldir's look became curios and Galadriel laughed. 'I speak of you, Haldir.' She said, and Haldir could feel the blood rush to his face.
'You blush easily for an elf, Haldir.' Celeborn said, and Haldir nodded.
'Yes, it happens some times.' He said, and Galadriel waved it off.
'We had a tailor adjust clothing to her proper length, and boots to her size. By the end of the day a bow shall be made that is correct for her also. Take the clothes, at least, for now. Come back later for the bow, quiver, and other weapons. Congratulations, Haldir, she is growing into a fine young maiden.' Galadriel said, and a servant handed him the clothes. He bowed again, and left, walking to his quarters.
When he walked back into his quarters, he found Thinthar awake, reading. She did not look up when he walked in, and he put her clothes down carefully.
'Thinthar?' There was no response. 'You start tonight with me at sunset, be ready.' He said gruffly, and she immediately looked up at the clothes he had brought in, then at him. In one swift movement she practically jumped on him and kissed him on the cheek. Rather surprised, it took him a minute to react, but he hugged her back.
'Haldir!' she cried, and squeezed him tighter, 'you have changed your mind!' she said, and they let go.
'You did not think I was going to live your life for you, did you?' he asked, and she shook her head, going to her clothes. They were just like his, though on the left arm there was the insignia of an apprentice.
'They're wonderful…' she breathed, and hugged him again. 'But they're missing a belt…'
'Use one of mine. Now, I'm hungry. Here is your first lesson: after being on duty, always eat a meal.' He said, and she nodded.
'I will remember that.' She said, and he opened the door for her.
'Good. There is much more for you to learn.' He said, and followed her to the dining hall. The rest of the day was spent like a blur to Thinthar, and only when the sun was setting, did she come back to reality.
Quickly, she walked up the stairs and to her quarters. When she got there she rushed past Haldir, who was getting dressed himself, grabbed her uniform, and changed quickly. When she looked at herself in the mirror, a rush of excitement went through her. She walked back out from behind her curtain, fully dressed, and when she did so, Haldir held out a bow and arrows.
'This is your training bow,' he explained as she took it, 'when you are no longer an apprentice, you will receive one like mine.' He said, and she nodded, taking it. 'You look ready, shall we be off, then?' he asked, and they went, him opening the door for her.
They walked down to the forest floor, where Haldir found a stump to a tree.
'Before we go to the talan, I would like to give you your first lesson on the ground. Have you ever held a bow before?' he asked, and she quickly debated weather she should tell him that she had held and almost shot his many times. She decided against it.
'No, sir,' she answered, and he nodded, giving her some leather protection for her string-fingers.
'Right, then. Come here,' he said, and in the dirt he drew a line with his shoe. 'Face the stump sideways,' she did so, 'put one foot on each side of the line,' she obeyed again, 'now, bend your bow.' He said. He had taught her to do that a few years ago, and she did hers with much more ease than she had done to his. 'Good.' He replied, and handed her and arrow. 'Hold onto the feathered side tightly, resting the barrel of the arrow on you hand on the wood. Then, pull back, aim, and let go.' He said, and she did so, missing the tree, the arrow falling short.
'Haldir?'
'Pull back on the string harder, and do not be afraid to make it creak a bit. That will give you more power. Now, again.' He said, and she did so. When she let go, though the arrow hit the target and stayed in, she cried out suddenly and clutched her arm. With simple anatomy of the female body, the string had burned the inside of her elbow.
'Are you all right?' he asked, and she nodded.
'Yes, I am fine.' She said, and he motioned for her to hold out the bow as if to shoot. She did so again, and he looked at what was wrong. He did the same with his and compared them, finding the problem.
'You're arm… it seems to go in more than mine. No matter, you will just have to twist it so it's out of the way. Are you positive you are all right?'
'Yes, yes, nothing more than a rub-burn.' She reassured him, and since his bow was out, he loaded his arrow with the speed of elves, and shot the trunk exactly in the center.
'That is what we are attempting to accomplish. You fumble too much with the loading the arrow. For now I think it just proper to practice loading now.' He said, and that is all they did, for many hours. At the end Haldir unbent his bow.
'That is all for today. Come, we must get to the talan, it is time for our shift.' He said, and she did the same, retrieving the only arrows she had shot. She then followed Haldir, who took them to their assigned spot.
'Whistle.' He said, and she looked at him. 'Yes, a long, high one.' he said, and she did so. When she did a silver-gray rope snaked down the side of the tree from the talan above. He motioned her up it, and she climbed the ladder, him under her. When she emerged up in the talan, she was greeted by a hoot.
'There's the apprentice, here before her master, I see.' Orophin laughed, and Haldir's head showed.
'Of course, brother, you know how late I always am.' He said, and Rumil nodded.
'Disgustingly so. I would rather you apprentice me, I am always here on time. He'll just teach you bad habits.' He said, and Haldir laughed.
'I can imagine.' Thinthar said, nodding.
'You are late more than I!' Haldir said, and Rumil shook his head while Thinthar giggled.
'In such denial, senile in old age, I believe.' He said, and Haldir rolled his eyes while Thinthar laughed harder. Her burn rubbed against her clothes, though, and she remembered it with a groan of pain.
'Haldir!' Rumil said, and looked at him in pretend shame, 'You have let her injure herself all ready, and we have not even thrown her over the side of the talan yet!' he said, and Thinthar rolled back her sleeve, inspecting it. It was a bright red, and burning.
'Move, Rumil!' Orophin said, and pushed past him, 'this is a job for a trained healer!' he said, and Thinthar gaped at him.
'You are a healer?'
'Well, no, but we do the best with what we have.' He said, grinning, and took out a rolled-up piece of clean white cloth. He rapped it, and when he was done she rolled her sleeve back up.
'Now, rules of the talan!' Rumil said, clapping his hands together.
'There is to be no males up here, wines, or fooling around.' Haldir interrupted, and gave both his brothers disapproving looks. 'Both of them have a problem with all three.' He said, but could not surpress a smile and the other two laughed.
'He lies, he's the one with the wine.' Orophin said and winked. Thinthar winked back.
'And I do not believe we are welcomed if there are no males!' Rumil said, and moved towards the ladder. 'You can stay, Haldir.' Haldir laughed at his brother, and Orophin shrugged.
'He is correct.'
'Any other's besides these two.'
'Do I have to separate you three?' Thinthar said, and Haldir shook his head.
'They are corrupting you all ready.' He said, and Rumil shrugged.
'We were half-way there all ready, my dear brother.' He pointed out and Haldir nodded.
'True, very true. Now, the subject of the lanterns,' he turned to theirs, 'they are used as silent signals and nothing else. Opening it twice asks if there is danger, if the response is yes, there will only be one, no there will be two, have it?'
'Once yes, twice no.' she repeated, and he nodded.
'Good, there are the 'rules,' and now just keep a sharp eye out and tell us if you see anything. I do not want you fighting today.' Haldir said, and Thinthar sighed, opening her mouth to say something. Orophin stopped her.
'I wouldn't say a word, he thinks he's above us, something about being High Marchwarden.' He answered sarcastically, and Thinthar nodded wisely.
'Wouldn't dream of it.'
