The sun was completely shrouded with a blanket of thick, dark clouds
and even though it was still mid-morning, it seemed more like it was late
in the evening. Most elves were discouraged by bad weather, and darkness
tended to make them nervous, but Aranel had found an unsusual calm.
"And how are you doing this dreary day, fair lady?" asked Malkemen, one of the king's sons.
"Much the same as always, my friend," she answered as she swung herself over a horse's back. The horse seemed worried by the threat of rain, and Aranel stroked his mane to calm him. It wasn't exactly the ideal day for riding, but Aranel had insisted that she would not change plans. Malkemen was the first to stop arguing, and eventually decided to join her.
He gave his horse a biscuit before leaping on, and turned it to face Aranel's. "So you're sure you want to go out today? It looks like it's going to rain any moment now."
Aranel smiled. "Then we should leave soon, and be back before the clouds break."
Malkemen shook his head slowly, but smiled. Aranel was stubborn once her mind was made up. Then he suddenly looked off in the distance and became quite serious. "Belegtathar should be returning soon," he said. "We received word that he is riding from the South."
Aranel smirked. "Then let's ride West." And with a kick to her steed, they were off.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------
Deep in the ground below the two riders, a foul creature was lying against the stone wall of his prison cell. Just then a guard came in to feed him his morning meal.
"What's thissssss? No fisssshesssss again, my precioussssss..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------
That evening, Belegtathar did indeed returned from his travels, and delighted in telling his company about the adventures he had experienced. At the supper table, he told his father and brothers about how he was attacked in the middle of the night by a black creature, which moved so fast he never saw what it looked like. And how he came across a fairie while he rested at a pond. And of the unusual elves he came across, that preferred the dark underground to the bright sunlight. He went on and on, obviously making up much of his tale as he went along. But Aranel and the occupants of the table listened intently on what he was saying, until finally Belegtathar decided they had heard enough.
"Well, now Belegtathar, that certainly was an entertaining story," Nimhithdil said with a laugh. "Though I'm sure our Aranel could do much better."
"So where were you, truly, Belegtathar?" Legolas asked. "Or are you again refusing to enlighten us?"
Belegtathar did not answer, not even a smile crossed his lips. Instead, he changed the subject. "How have things been in Mirkwood, my father? What of that prisoner, that has been in our care for years now?"
"The prisoner?" Malkemen asked, surprised. "Such things should not be discussed over a meal."
"Gollum has been in the same place as when you left, my son," Thranduil spoke. "Though it is not a matter you need to be worrying about. Marriage, on the other hand..."
"But Mithrandil told us to care for this Gollum, did he not?" Belegtathar objected. "He had hoped that there was still a chance of his recovery."
"I see no hope in that creature ever recovering, no matter what we do," Legolas added quietly.
"Mithrandir at least wanted us to try. Who are we to refuse the advice of a wizard?" Belegtathar stood and pulled away from his chair. "It has been weeks since he's walked in the sunlight. I am going to take him out again on the morrow."
With that, Belegtathar left the table, leaving Aranel again exasperated by his complete ignorance of her. The king shook his head.
"Do not fret, little Princess," he told her, "Belegtathar has a strange spirit about him, but I am sure that he will make his decision soon." It was what King Thranduil had been telling her for the past hundred years.
"It's not something to worry about, Aranel. When Belegtathar gets around to refusing to marry, you shall just stay as our little sister," Nimhithdil laughed. His brothers looked scornfully at him, but Aranel did not mind his rude comment. She secretly hoped that Belegtathar would refuse her.
She never wanted to marry.
"And how are you doing this dreary day, fair lady?" asked Malkemen, one of the king's sons.
"Much the same as always, my friend," she answered as she swung herself over a horse's back. The horse seemed worried by the threat of rain, and Aranel stroked his mane to calm him. It wasn't exactly the ideal day for riding, but Aranel had insisted that she would not change plans. Malkemen was the first to stop arguing, and eventually decided to join her.
He gave his horse a biscuit before leaping on, and turned it to face Aranel's. "So you're sure you want to go out today? It looks like it's going to rain any moment now."
Aranel smiled. "Then we should leave soon, and be back before the clouds break."
Malkemen shook his head slowly, but smiled. Aranel was stubborn once her mind was made up. Then he suddenly looked off in the distance and became quite serious. "Belegtathar should be returning soon," he said. "We received word that he is riding from the South."
Aranel smirked. "Then let's ride West." And with a kick to her steed, they were off.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------
Deep in the ground below the two riders, a foul creature was lying against the stone wall of his prison cell. Just then a guard came in to feed him his morning meal.
"What's thissssss? No fisssshesssss again, my precioussssss..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------
That evening, Belegtathar did indeed returned from his travels, and delighted in telling his company about the adventures he had experienced. At the supper table, he told his father and brothers about how he was attacked in the middle of the night by a black creature, which moved so fast he never saw what it looked like. And how he came across a fairie while he rested at a pond. And of the unusual elves he came across, that preferred the dark underground to the bright sunlight. He went on and on, obviously making up much of his tale as he went along. But Aranel and the occupants of the table listened intently on what he was saying, until finally Belegtathar decided they had heard enough.
"Well, now Belegtathar, that certainly was an entertaining story," Nimhithdil said with a laugh. "Though I'm sure our Aranel could do much better."
"So where were you, truly, Belegtathar?" Legolas asked. "Or are you again refusing to enlighten us?"
Belegtathar did not answer, not even a smile crossed his lips. Instead, he changed the subject. "How have things been in Mirkwood, my father? What of that prisoner, that has been in our care for years now?"
"The prisoner?" Malkemen asked, surprised. "Such things should not be discussed over a meal."
"Gollum has been in the same place as when you left, my son," Thranduil spoke. "Though it is not a matter you need to be worrying about. Marriage, on the other hand..."
"But Mithrandil told us to care for this Gollum, did he not?" Belegtathar objected. "He had hoped that there was still a chance of his recovery."
"I see no hope in that creature ever recovering, no matter what we do," Legolas added quietly.
"Mithrandir at least wanted us to try. Who are we to refuse the advice of a wizard?" Belegtathar stood and pulled away from his chair. "It has been weeks since he's walked in the sunlight. I am going to take him out again on the morrow."
With that, Belegtathar left the table, leaving Aranel again exasperated by his complete ignorance of her. The king shook his head.
"Do not fret, little Princess," he told her, "Belegtathar has a strange spirit about him, but I am sure that he will make his decision soon." It was what King Thranduil had been telling her for the past hundred years.
"It's not something to worry about, Aranel. When Belegtathar gets around to refusing to marry, you shall just stay as our little sister," Nimhithdil laughed. His brothers looked scornfully at him, but Aranel did not mind his rude comment. She secretly hoped that Belegtathar would refuse her.
She never wanted to marry.