A/N: I'm sorry this chapter took so long to come. I was busy with my exams and the results, which were terrible—I failed miserably for four out of five of my subjects, and was depressed, thus, having no mood to get this chapter typed out. My apologies.
Hey, Moonstone Tears, thanks for prodding me to type this chapter out, or else I'd never have gotten it done.
*…* = Sindarin
… = Quenya
The Tale of an OrcSix: Conversation
Utíraiel had returned to her parents' house after telling Alkaré about it in the darkness so that her brother should not see that she was injured yet again and start his questioning once more.
Finrod Felagund had been visiting Haleth, and was at her parents' house, for she felt light but strong Elven hands aid her up the ladder when she called to her father.
"You are hurt!" Esfaiel said.
"I am all right, mother." Utíraiel hid a wince at the pain. "I fell over a root."
"Come." Finrod took her good hand and led her to a quiet corner. "I will mend your arm."
Utíraiel trembled slightly, but stilled herself quickly, afraid that Finrod would sense it, for keen were the senses of an Elf. But he said naught as he mended her arm, and she felt more at ease.
***
Utíraiel took a few wrapped pieces of lembas in her pouch as she traveled (1). She had a few apples with her as well, and her water-skin. It had been well for her that her parents had asked naught about those.
She hummed a soft tune of the Elves, soft enough not to frighten anything, but loud enough for someone to know of her presence. Her good arm held the staff and traveling pouch, her left having been tied in a sling, even after having been mended, for Finrod had said that she should not use it too much.
She hoped he would come, for she wished to speak with him. Yet, she was nervous. Should she do this? It would not be a wise choice to be open to attack or injury again. Twice was enough.
The night creatures seemed to join in her song, and she heard squeaks and hoots at times. She walked on for some time more, and froze as she heard the breathing she had associated with him.
Utíraiel almost dropped her pouch and staff to flee, but restrained herself. It would be a waste of her efforts should she hearken to her fears.
"Well m-met," she said, and waited.
A rumble was her answer, but he made no move to flee or to hurt her.
Utíraiel held out her hand, having made the choice to be bold. "Would you come? I wish to speak with you."
***
He roamed amongst the trees, starving, searching for a kill. Brethil had few preys, and what he could kill, he had done so.
He had wandered about for many hours after the waning of the sun. The forest had been silent then, until he had heard the soft humming. He recognized the voice of the girl, and froze, remembering the pain of his visions.
Yet, his feet moved on their own, and took him to the girl. She could not see, that he knew, and he marveled to see that she sense him, for she halted and did not dare move.
She spoke to him in a tongue he understood not, and he growled his answer. She would not dare play with him, or he would rip her apart! She spoke again, and held out her hand.
He gazed upon it with wonder. Few he had hurt so willingly wished to touch him again, and he felt a dull ache in his breast. It was not sharp, but filled with grief.
A sudden longing to speak made him take hold of the offered hand.
***
Utíraiel almost gasped as her hand was grabbed, but he did naught more. She gathered her courage and tightened her hold, thumb caressing the scarred skin as she did with Alkaré.
"Come." She led him to a small clearing she knew of, staff prodding the ever-changing ground of the forest, aided by him.
They reached it, and sat down. Utíraiel hesitated for a moment ere she reached into her traveling pouch and withdrew the lembas and apples, holding them straight in front of her, hands trembling.
The offered foods were grabbed, and she heard the leaf wrappings of the lembas tore open in haste.
***
He took the food and ate them, halting for a moment to wonder at the taste. He had seen the apples before, and took no interest in them. But the lembas brought back his visions again.
Yet, ere the pain came, he felt the trees draw closer about him as they had done before, and this time, mayhap for his willingness, the trees aided him.
He did not know what the food wrapped in leaves was, but they tasted of those of his visions: fair fare made by the Elves as they did at the mere.
Who are you? The girl asked.
And he began to remember, as the visions returned slowly.
***
*Who are you?* Utíraiel asked in the tongue of Doriath: Sindarin, for her people lived in Elu Thingol's land and were bade to learn his tongue. There was no answer. Mayhap in Quenya? Who are you? She asked again, more boldly.
The older tongue seemed to jolt him so that he froze, and finally answered in a rough but shaky voice: Cuivíenen. Awakening.
Utíraiel cocked her head. Cuivíenen? She knew of the Waters of Awakening, for Finrod had taught them his lore passed down by the Eldar. But that was a name known only to the Eldar, or their descendents and those whom the Elves chose to share that knowledge with: the people of Haleth were one of those.
She remained silent in deep thought, though she was aware of all about her: that was mayhap one of the blessings of blindness?
He had stopped moving as well.
Utíraiel heard his mumbles of names in Quenya. Cuivíenen. Water. S-stars. She frowned a little. Those words seemed to form and mould into the tale Finrod had taught her: that the Eldar first awoke in the East, in Cuivíenen, beside a mere, and their eyes first beheld the stars in the water, and the sky, and some of whom were taken and turned into Orcs by Morgoth.
Finrod had said that those who were taken were taken soon after the Awakening, but how could a Mortal with the doom of death know how much time 'soon' was in the eyes of those who were Immortal?
A thought came into her mind, sudden and unbidden, and she gasped. Could he be one of the Elda from the Days of the Stars?
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(1) I read somewhere (don't remember where again) that Galadriel learnt how to make lembas from her stay in Doriath and learning from Melian. Only the Lords and Ladies were allowed to give the lembas to those not of the Elves. So I just supposed that Finrod got permission from Thingol to teach Haleth's people, since they were loved by the Elf, and Finrod was Thingol's close friend.