The 6th Istari
Chapter 13: Kaevan on the Northern Border and A Cry in the Dark
Note: I may have gotten some facts wrong, and if I did, and you notice, please tell me and I will try to change it asap.
Thoughts are in Italics. Thoughts spoken to each other are "in italics". If they are speaking in elvish, *elvish*, if dwarvish, dwarvish, if they are speaking normally, "It will be normal."
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As they traveled, Neff buried her hurt feelings and tried to move on. Sure the three of them had been parted before, but only for a week or a couple of weeks, this would probably be years! Her bond with Macar was too great to be broken, even over distances though. Every morning, when she awoke, but before she opened her eyes, she would talk to Macar, not words all the times, but feelings, or pictures; and they would show each other their newest outfits or Macar would show her his new beard and she would show him how grouchy Mith was in the morning before he totally woke up. And the morning talks helped her a lot, as they would in the days and the years to come. She and Mith traveled slowly, but on the elven horses, the distances were eaten up. As the distance grew, she had to strain more to reach Macar, but between the two of them, they always managed to reach each other. But if one of them blocked of the other one, it would be mush harder for them to reach each other's mind.
Mith would sometimes stop and quiz her on something she had learned, how far she could run, or sit still, or how quickly she could get into the trace-like state that was crucial for some spells and incantations. Mith also taught her much on forestry, and filled in the gaps that she didn't know. She knew most of the tress, herbs, and flowers, and some of their potentials and what they could be used for; but not all. So he started to drill into her head the properties of the different things. She would find her self woken at three in the morning, and Mith would tell her of a wound and would ask her what plant to use and why and if she would use several plants together was effective or dangerous.
And still onwards on they went; traveling, testing, learning, and living. And as the distance between the three grew bigger, Twe found that the terrain and temperature was becoming more homely. She found the cold inviting and invigorating, where Mith would huddle in his thick wool cloak and mutter curses against all the winds and the sun. She smiled and teased him and continued on. She knew more of the herbs here then Mith did and taught him. For Peranell had been the most medicinal one in the village, and had taught all her children, real or adopted, the herbs and their uses. Now Mith found himself being taught, and laughed at the reversal and accepted his new teacher merrily. Now Neff had the chance to get back at him, and wake him early in the morning and test him. She was thoroughly enjoying herself.
All the while, the border drew closer and closer.
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When they finally reached it, they had traveled over mountains, through forests, streams, and snow. Neff forgot how much she loved the snow; Mith forgot how much he hated the snow. But they had reached it and they were finally there. The border consisted of a bunch of something like small forts strung along the base of the mountains. A fort was within a days ride on horseback. Different villages were nestled near or between the forts and each village tithed some food and produce to the nearest fort that needed the food. Many men also became soldiers, and trained at the nearest or at a fort farther along. All they had to do was come to a fort, and sign up to be trained, and they would get a meal, a bed, and a uniform. In return the soldier trained to the best of his abilities until he passed. The trainees consisted of boys, men, old men, and sometimes, a girl or a woman. But they were rare and few. Each fort had anywhere from 50 to 200 men and for every 20 men there was one or two girls or women. The forts also had clearings that villagers would come and set up their shops in and the clearing would become a market place for the day. In return the villagers got a safe place to buy and sell goods, and the soldiers got some goods that weren't on the necessity list as well as the publicity of boys and men coming and seeing the soldiers.
They finally reached a fort, dusk was just falling and they had pushed it hard that day to reach the fort before nightfall. They came around a bend in the near mountainous but hilly country and found a fort at the top of a nearby hill. That hill was sidled up against a mountain where a stream came running down it. A small tributary of the stream ran into the fort and out the other side, and down and separated from the stream. The climbed the steep trail leading to the gates and waited in the small line of merchants, farmers, and villagers, waiting ahead of them and behind them. When they reached the guards at the gate who were checking each person and hailed them, Mith told the guards, "We are friends and need lodging and food for the night. May we come in?"
The guards opened the gate enough to let them in after Mith had shown them both his and Neff's tokens. Mith's was on a foreign wood that had the signature staff and lightning bolt of the wizard. Neff's had her home one, the herbs of the village herbalist family and the river and star for her village, on the back was the staff and lightning bolt as well, since she was now a wizard too. The tokens were made with powerful magic, the pictures carved into the wood glowed a bright blue when the true person was holding theirs, it glowed a dull red when someone else was holding it.
Neff felt as if she were back at home. Mith had spent a lot of time in forts like these so he felt reasonably at ease, but Neff wanted so much to get off the horse and to sink back into her home customs, to barter and trade, to weave among the crowd, and to go back to the style of living that was so much apart of her. But the staff in her hand that she balanced against the stirrup and the clothes on her back and the horse she rode and the knowledge she knew told her more clearly than any thing someone could tell her that she had left that way behind, she was an Istar now, and though she may have to blend in, she could never go back completely to that way of life.
They wandered though the press of people that was there; some soldiers, some villagers come to haggle in the markets set up in some clearings there, and others were merchants with food, weapons, clothes, tools, or other needed materials for the fort soldiers. Suddenly someone yelled out, "Tiwena! Wait! Stop!" the voice was almost drowned out in the din and hubbub of the people that milled and swirled around them. But they both heard the voice and stopped. Mith turned around and looked back at her, "Who is that?" She shrugged, she didn't know, but she would find out. Mith raised an eyebrow. Neff turned around and looked about her. Suddenly someone came rushing up, it was Kerta; the archer she had fought so many years ago. He rushed up and put his hand on the elven horse and breathed hard while he spoke, "I thought that was you, it been a while since we last met-" "Almost 8 years" Neff filled in for him, and he grinned. "Yup, where were you, and-" he broke off, but his flick of a glance at Mith told her volumes. "Are Heidi and your brother ok?" he asked, trying to cover up the silence.
"Yes, they are well and healthy," Neff assured him; she smiled, one of those dazzling smiles that made Cur dizzy with happiness. She WAS happy, she was home, and no matter how much she had not been accepted, she did have a few who tolerated her, and she had her foster-family. And apparently Kerta had decided to be her friend; apparently her shooting made him actually look at HER, not her heritage. Kerta grinned at her smile and thought, My she has grown up. Neff couldn't help but hear, he didn't have any shields up, and his thoughts were projecting. She knew she had grown up, but she also knew that he probably hadn't even looked at her when she was younger and inserted into her mind, even though she knew it was wrong, Maybe I just didn't look at her closely before. And right after she did that, she quickly backed out and put up shields, a slight feeling of guilt in her stomach.
Kerta shook his head, his dirty blond hair flying around. But he smiled congenially enough and said to her, a twinkle in his eye, "Come with me, there is an old friend I think you might like to meet." Neff glanced questionably down at him, but he grinned impishly and said nothing, he started to lead the way through the crowd and Mith gazed at her with one of his cool looks, one that said oh, so well, What do me do now your highness? He didn't say that of course, if he had, Neff would have had him out of the saddle and pinned to the ground so fast it would have made him head spin. She shrugged and followed Kerta. Mith followed compliantly behind her.
They reached a barracks that was part of the wall and Kerta showed them a stable where they could put their horses. They gave the horses to the stable boys with explicit instruction sot take VERY good card of them and followed Kerta into a barracks sitting room, or as close as they had of one there. Kerta was an archer was in Keavan's group. Each commander slept in the same area as his troops and Keavan was at a table discussing some sort of tactics with what looked like his second in command when they entered. Men were sitting about the room polishing and sharpening swords, fletching arrows, fixing bowstrings, rewrapping grips, testing the weight of a sword and in general resting.
Kerta led them over to Keavan, he had his back to them and didn't notice them. The men didn't glance all that much at visitors, they were common and not unexpected, there were several in the room now, but men did look twice at the staffs, and their clearly elvish robes and their tokens, hanging on elvish chains and poking out from their shirts, clearly telling that they were wizards. But when either Mith or Neff looked around, the quickly dropped their gazes to whatever they were doing except for a couple who knew Mith or the few more that knew Neff and were astonished to her promotion in life. An excited whisper started to run through the room.
Then they reached Keavan. EH turned around, his eyebrows frowning at the interruption, but prepared to deal with it , when they shot up at the sight of Neff. His mouth opened and she grinned, "Long time no see, Kev." She said easily enough. Keavan quickly got hold of himself, "Twe! It's so good to see you!" they hugged and Kev whispered into her ear, "Wizard huh? A lot of things have happened since we last parted Tiwena Silver-feet." She parted and smiled inwardly at her old nickname. She had the quietest and swiftest feet in the village, and had quickly earned the name, silver- feet.
"Yes, there have been," Twe said softly, her eyes were memorizing ever new facet of Kev. His hair was a dark brown and his eyes were a deep chocolate. He had worry lines were he hadn't before, but he maturation made him much more interesting, he had layers and facets now. She liked him. She remembered the time when he had come to her in her coma and had kissed her, it had sent sparkles fizzing throughout her body, she wondered if they still would.
She held down the blush that wanted to burst out and kept a polite and friendly smile on her face. Mith sent a "Well.?" into her mind and she went, "Ohhh!" she had forgotten all about Mith, "Kev, this is Mi-" "Gandalf" Mith smoothly cut in, no one noticed. Neff all the suddenly realized her blunder and quickly covered up her embarrassment. "He is my teacher, I am a wizard, but I still have a lot to learn, we were wondering if we could stay here for a bit." Neff broke off, wondering what he would say. Mith had told her how some people would turn them away, because they were afraid of them, whereas others would fight over the honor to have them.
Keavan immediately smiled, "We would be honored to have you stay with us. We have some guest rooms that you can stay in and there are some public bathhouses to bath at, if you don't mind." He looked a bit worried. "Mind! Heavens! I'll feel some much better to have a bath!" Twe quickly said to relieve his anxiety, and truly, she would be.
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The next day after a good clean bath and a mice rest and a good meal, Kev showed them around. Kerta had watch and couldn't join them. Kev showed them the whole fort, barracks, supplies, kitchens, markets, guest houses, public bathing rooms, command houses, stable, watch towers, signals, and even the lay of the land about them. When he had showed them everything there was, Twe and Gandalf collapsed, tired after all the information they had absorbed. They had both seen a lot of forts, but neither of them had ever seen THAT much! Kev chuckled at their prone forms and said, "We could go and I could show you the mountains behind us." he broke off with an evil grin, but there was a slight hope in his eyes that Mith noticed, Twe didn't.
Twe's weariness fell form her at once. She loved the mountains, the cool air, the crisp snow, the waterfalls, and animals, everything about hem told of majesty and age. She sat up at once, and her eyes sparkled, "Oh, could we Kev!?" she asked, Mith groaned and sank deeper into his chair. Twe glanced at him curiously and then grinned mischievously at him, "Too old Gandalf, my friend?" "Yes." Gandalf answered with out hesitation. Twe smiled and do did Kev, "Do you want me to show them to you tomorrow?" he asked her. "Please, do!" Gandalf broke in, "I have some letters I must write, and I can do them tomorrow, while you young people scamper in the hills." So it was agreed upon.
Gandalf wanted to stay up and write some tonight, and so he shooed Kev and Neff off with a wave of his hand as he concentrated on what he was going to say. Kev walked Neff to her bedroom, and they talked of old times and people they knew and where they were now. When they got to the door, They stopped and talked a bit more, then a silence fell, they stared out a window towards the sunset and said nothing. Twe felt happy and safe and secure, Kev felt nervous at having the girl he loved back with him again.
Twe opened the door and turned to say goodnight when she found herself kissing Kev. His lips were latched on hers and his lust and love were apparent. Some tingles went though her, but not as many as when she had the come. She supposed it had been that she had been so drained then, that a simple kiss seemed like a lot more than it was. When they came apart, Kev muttered a hurried, "goodnight," and rushed off, Twe stared after him, and then went into her room, quietly closing the door behind her. She fell on to her bed, and felt a smile of happiness flow through her.
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And so four years passed. Twe and Kev's love deepened and flourished. Mith came and went, visiting other barracks and staying at Karnock; Kev's fort. Twe sometimes went with him and sometimes stayed behind. The hardest part was visiting her old family again. She hadn't changed much in the nine years she had been away, but hey had. She told them about her and Raph, and Heidi. They parted friends again, and Twe promised to tell Heidi and Raph to write. She told Raph the next morning and the family was surprised when a letter arrived a bit more than a week later, the letter was long and told them many things that had happened and asked for details about what was going on there.
And still Kev and Twe grew closer; they confide in each other, they would sneak of to corners to "talk" for a while, and they came closer and closer, people started to ask when they were to get married. Whenever anyone would ask them that, Mith would listen closely, and was always relieved to hear them say they weren't planning on anything, Cur still had a chance.
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One day, Kev and Twe were heading up two bands, 80 men, to go to a nearby fort that was especially depleted. Karnock was overloaded so it was fine that two bands left, it was almost welcome. On the way, Kev and Twe rode together. Twe still had her staff and her elvish horse, as did Mith. Mith had gone on ahead to see how far away the fort was. Kev and Twe were joking around when they were attacked.
Out of no where 2 bands of orcs attacked, the odds were even, but the orcs had the higher ground and could make better use of their few archers. The orcs were also stronger and not road-weary. The battle was joined immediately. Twe pulled out her sword and started to fight, occasionally she would shoot sparks or lightening bolts at orcs, but she used her blades the most. There were each down to a half a band or so, when Twe heard Kev cry out. An orc had charged him with a spear and it went into his horse and Kev was on the ground. Another orc ran by and slashed at the back of Kev's knees' the tendons cut, Kev fell with a heart-wrenching cry.
Twe's heart leapt and she mouthed wordlessly, "No." She ran and jumped through eh press left to reach him. She reached him just as he cried out to her, "Look out!" she dove for the ground and he fell on top of her, a black arrow piercing his heart. When she saw him she gasped and sat up, she cradles him in her lap and arms, his useless legs at an impossible angle. "Silver-feet," he whispered, and blood started to creep out the corner of his mouth. He coughed and blood spattered onto her shirt. "Twe," he gasped," she nodded, crystal liquid drops of sorrow poured from her eyes and her throat was too clogged up to talk, "Twe, I-" he coughed and blood dribbled down his face, he shook with inner convulsions as his body started to shut down, never to move again. "I, love, you..." he reached up and put her check in his hand and caressed it one last time, his eyes filling with tears and his love for her; before his head fell back and he stared blankly at the sky.
Sobs choked out of Twe as she closed Keavan's eyes and she wept for him, for the men lying around her, for her, for the love lost, and for many other things that she didn't know. She felt the empty spot in her heart where Kev had been, and was sad and mad, and angry. She had loved him, why did he have to die? Why did he have to be so noble and die for her? She shouted at the sky and the unkind fates who had dealt her a crippling round yet again. She cried out cradled Kev as her sobs shook her body and she quivered like a leaf in a storm.
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Mith came galloping over the ridge, his eyes wide and searching for the cause of such turmoil and sadness. He saw Twe and Kev, shining in a light beam form the sun, it had broken through the dark storm clouds and lit them up like a spotlight, he saw Kev reach up to Twe, and then his hand fell, it was then that the cry began.
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When Cur heard Neff cry, his heart nearly stopped. His was walking down a corridor in Rivendell and her cry shattered into his mind and scattered his thoughts to the four winds. The mind cry was a near shriek or wail. Her mind cried out for comfort and strength. The wail was un-endless and soundless, yet it almost shattered his ears. He fell to the ground, dropping his staff and clutched his ears and he threw all of his strength into a barrier. Even with the barrier as thick as it could get without drawing on reserves, the cry came on. The cry inhabited him and suffused him to the bone and shook his courage and need to live, If anything has happened to her. He let the threat go unfinished as the pain redoubled. He ached with holding onto his sanity. The sound doubled again and Cur cried out with the pain, it was growing.
Silence. There was suddenly no sound and the silence pressed into him and made him feel claustrophobic. Neff had been cut off.
The silence pounded down on him and he threw off all his shields, not taking the time to gather the energy back into himself to use later. He became painfully aware of the minds around him, but he ignored them and press out wards. He searched northwards towards Neff, but she was too far! He shouted with fear, anxiety, and frustration. He strained but he couldn't reach her, he COULD NOT reach her!
He snatched up his staff and gathered strength from the energy stored there; enough to hobble down the hall. He went as fast as he could to Macarparma's room. He had sensed Macar and Heidi in Macar's room when he searched for Neff, they could help him! He had also sensed Legolas at the stables when the cry came.
When he reached the room, he thrust open the door and stared wild-eyed in. He wide eyes were dark in against his pale and waxy face. He had taken to tying back his black, silky, shoulder-length hair with it's streaks of silver with a ribbon. But it was now a shamble, with tangles and it going everywhere. Between Curunir's falling, writhing, getting up, and fast hobbling, it was tussled and framed his white face. His cheekbones were pronounced more now then when Neff had last been here. He didn't eat very well, since she had left, and probably wouldn't until she came back. He was tall, slim, and angular. His hands, one of which was still clutching the staff, braced him against the doorway frame and kept him from falling forward. His hair swung and cast eerie shadows on his scared face. His charcoal robes were still swirling about him from his abrupt turn into Macar's room and he hardly stopped. He took a quick glance around and rushed in.
Cur saw that Macar was splayed out on the bed, Heidi sat by his side, Macar held both hands to his temples, and Heidi had one hand on her won temple as well, but eh other was on Macar's chest for support, she was weaving a bit drunkenly in the air. There were tear streaks down all of their faces, their heads were pounding with headaches, and Macar and Heidi stared at him fearfully, I can't pay attention to that now! Macar still has a tentative hold on her, but he is losing it as time goes on, we have to link now to get to her! Dammit! Neff is out there somewhere, hurt, in pain, something is wrong! And she can't be in pain, she simply can't! His love for her drove him on.
He hobbled to the bed and threw his staff to the side. "Link with me now! Together we can reach her through Macar's link, we have to, we must!" he commanded them, his voice told them how desperate and frightened he was, but only Heidi noticed, Macar was reeling. The pain I'm am sensing from Neff is like feelings we had when Peranel died; some one has died. someone close to her.
Cur grasped their hands and the three immediately linked into each other; they were immensely glad for the practice sessions now.
Then Leg came rushing into the room, "I was at the stable when I heard it, what happened?" "We don't know!" Cur snapped and held his and Heidi's hand out to him, "Link!" the tone was imperious, and Leg only hesitated a second before clutching their hands and swiftly linking onto them. The four together formed a great mind, all had tried separately to reach her, and failed; they were drained, but they still formed a formidable mind force.
Together they followed Macar's link to her. Cur kept them going and fed his reserves into their flagging energy after all had given what they had left. They finally reached her. She was on an island within her mind and her shields were up. She was barring herself and her grief off from everyone, only Macar, half of her, was able to keep a finger hold in her shields. The built up what little they had left and penetrated through her shields and the sorrow and despair washed over them. The links that bound them started to fizzle and break, "NO." Cur cried out. He never knew how much alike Neff's cry that was, but Legolas did, and he opened his eyes and stared at Cur, aghast at the similarity. The wizard's face was awash with fierce pain and sorrow and determination. Suddenly Cur fed the only strength he had left into the force; his love for Neff.
The love was pure, undiluted, and untainted. It was strong, and bright, and glowed violently with the pure love he felt for the half-elven half Istari woman. The links strengthened and held, but they were overflowing and the love bounded down the only escape it had; into Neff. The love was so pure and filling that in no time at all, it came to sea of fiery pain. It quenched the fire and swallowed the water. There it ate through her weak barriers like acid and sank into Neff and suffused her as her cry had earlier had suffused them.
She resisted. She WANTED to cry, to die, to end this pain. She lashed out at them, Cur rushed the front of their force and took the blows. But she finally tired and sank down, it was then that Cur led the attack and sent more love in. She accepted it this time after a brief hesitation slowly took the strength and courage and sent them a brief, "Thanks" and broke off, she pushed them outside her shields and all of the sudden they had lost all their strength; their minds snapped back into their bodies. They lay slumped in different poses around the room. Curunir lay in a chair, which he had fallen into, Leg also lay in a chair, but it was directly across form Curunir. Macar still lay on the bed and Heidi now lay on his chest. All were exhausted from the energy spent and the backlash of being thrown back into their bodies at the loss of all their energy. They still had their reserves left; that was what had kept them alive and breathing. But Curunir looked the worse, he had fed all of the reserves that he could, keeping only a little with himself, knowing he could do more alive than dead. But if he had known that giving up his life could have made her happy and alive, he would have done so, no hesitation.
Then Macar looked at Heidi questioningly, she shook her head; they stared at Leg, who also shook. All three turned and looked at Cur, who said and did absolutely nothing. Macar's voice came out throaty and rough as he asked Cur, "You? You were the one with all that?" he waved his hand in the air, trying to indicate to the flood of love Cur had released. Cur stared stonily and acidly back at Macar, but he didn't take the hint and kept going. "I added what I had, but it was nothing compared to that, that." he broke off, at a loss of words to descried the flood of light and pureness that had flowed through them into his twin.
Cur stood up and grasped his staff, "I'm glad Neff is well now. And it was all of us-" he said but his voice was breaking so he stopped trying, and hobbled out slowly. They stared after him. Macar was shocked, and that shock showed clearly on his face; Heidi gazed sorrowfully at the back of her teacher, she could only imagine what he was going through. She had figured out long ago his true feelings for Neff. Leg stared after Cur; his face was masked and hidden with a black and neutral stare. But Heidi had seen the flicker of jealously, rage, sorrow, and defiance there before he had hidden it when Macar had accused Curunir. And Heidi could sense trouble on the wind.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She was right.
Trouble came later in the form of Leg leaving Rivendell immediately after doing his mission, when he normally stayed a day at least to visit. Leg gave Elrond his message, got food, and left as soon as his horse was rested.
Hidden in his window, Cur watched Leg gallop away. He hadn't seen Leg's reaction, but he knew there must have been one, for he had seen a flicker of a horrified look on Heidi's face and Legolas was leaving awfully soon. He would track her down and find out what EXACTLY it was that she had seen. In fact, he would do that right now.
"Heidi?" "Yes?" came the reply. "What was it that you saw Leg do? I know you saw something." He said before she could deny it. "Yes." she said hesitantly, "Butt out Macar." Cur growled out, and Macar, who had been trying to edge in, hidden, into the conversation, backed out. ".?" Cur prompted her. So Heidi showed him what she had seen. Cur didn't reply to her anxious queries about what he was going to do or what was going on, "Thanks," he clipped out before he broke off completely.
Hmmm. He replayed the image of Legolas' distorted face in his head as he ran to Elrond and asked him if Leg had said anything about where he was going. "Yes, he asked if we could send a messenger to the Greenwood saying he was going north to see Mithrandir." Cur ground out under his breath, "And Neff." "Well, yes," Elrond said. Elrond was no dumb person, he had seen the way that Cur looked at Neff when she wasn't looking, and he had heard the cry and felt the rescue party and who it involved, he had also followed what had happened when they reached Neff; he had been ready to add his support when the love form Cur started to flow. And now Legolas was hurrying north, where Mithrandir and Neffanwen were, it didn't take a genius to put the pieces together.
Elrond stared hard at him, "What she does is her business, you gave your word that you would train those two here, I suggest you calm down." Cur opened his mouth to argue, then realized the truth in Elrond's words and took a deep breath instead. Elrond is right, I have promised. but Leg is going after her! She is going to take the first warm shoulder and stay there after she has just been through another death! His despair must have showed on his face, because Elrond put his hand on Cur's shoulder and said, "The hardest thing to do, is to watch someone you love, love someone else. But when the love between you two comes to it's full ripeness, you will have a better relationship and you will be better trained and know the worst feelings before you get there. And knowing those bad feelings will only make the love between you seem all the more sweeter."
Cur looked up at Elrond, and looked so sad and sorrowful, and despairing, that Elrond almost shouted out to some one to go get Legolas and keep him here while Cur went to Neff; but he stopped himself. What the girl will choose was her choice, and no one would influence or change that, even Curunir.
Curunir stared straight ahead; Elrond was at his side and watched as a tear fell down Cur's cheek. Cur felt the little drop of salty water roll down his face and fall. His hope that Neff would ever return his love for her fell like that tear, and shattered into a thousand pieces. His voice cracked as he asked the wise elf, "What do you do when the only person who can make you stop crying is the person who made you cry?" Elrond didn't have an answer for that. So they stayed there, finally Elrond's voice floated out of the gathering dusk and said, " 'When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your friends will be there.' Don't give up hope Curunir, my friend and ally. We are here for you and will help you all we can." Elrond turned Curnir towards him and glared at him, "And tying up Legolas and throwing him in the sea is NOT help!" He said quickly as he saw the picture that Cur was projecting to him. Cur grinned.
But the picture had a better effect on the scene. Elrond grinned a bit and they walked to a balcony that overlooked a garden. In it there was one elven maiden. Her hair was fair and golden, and her dress was of a silvery blue that hugged her small frame. She turned her face upwards and her violet eyes gleamed up at Elrond. Elrond grinned a bit, and said with a sigh, "Nobody is perfect until you fall in love with them."
Curunir heartily agreed with him.
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Well, there it is! What do you think? Do you feel sorry for Mith or do you agree with Legolas' actions, he is a prince and I'm sure he is either sick of never having his way or always gets what he wants? What do you think his motives are? What did you think of Keavan's death? Anyone like him? Well, review and tell me!!
I love how I am writing a story like this. Me; who has never traveled, had anyone close to me die, or had a boyfriend or love or first kiss. Kinda funny.
~Kit ;)
Chapter 13: Kaevan on the Northern Border and A Cry in the Dark
Note: I may have gotten some facts wrong, and if I did, and you notice, please tell me and I will try to change it asap.
Thoughts are in Italics. Thoughts spoken to each other are "in italics". If they are speaking in elvish, *elvish*, if dwarvish, dwarvish, if they are speaking normally, "It will be normal."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As they traveled, Neff buried her hurt feelings and tried to move on. Sure the three of them had been parted before, but only for a week or a couple of weeks, this would probably be years! Her bond with Macar was too great to be broken, even over distances though. Every morning, when she awoke, but before she opened her eyes, she would talk to Macar, not words all the times, but feelings, or pictures; and they would show each other their newest outfits or Macar would show her his new beard and she would show him how grouchy Mith was in the morning before he totally woke up. And the morning talks helped her a lot, as they would in the days and the years to come. She and Mith traveled slowly, but on the elven horses, the distances were eaten up. As the distance grew, she had to strain more to reach Macar, but between the two of them, they always managed to reach each other. But if one of them blocked of the other one, it would be mush harder for them to reach each other's mind.
Mith would sometimes stop and quiz her on something she had learned, how far she could run, or sit still, or how quickly she could get into the trace-like state that was crucial for some spells and incantations. Mith also taught her much on forestry, and filled in the gaps that she didn't know. She knew most of the tress, herbs, and flowers, and some of their potentials and what they could be used for; but not all. So he started to drill into her head the properties of the different things. She would find her self woken at three in the morning, and Mith would tell her of a wound and would ask her what plant to use and why and if she would use several plants together was effective or dangerous.
And still onwards on they went; traveling, testing, learning, and living. And as the distance between the three grew bigger, Twe found that the terrain and temperature was becoming more homely. She found the cold inviting and invigorating, where Mith would huddle in his thick wool cloak and mutter curses against all the winds and the sun. She smiled and teased him and continued on. She knew more of the herbs here then Mith did and taught him. For Peranell had been the most medicinal one in the village, and had taught all her children, real or adopted, the herbs and their uses. Now Mith found himself being taught, and laughed at the reversal and accepted his new teacher merrily. Now Neff had the chance to get back at him, and wake him early in the morning and test him. She was thoroughly enjoying herself.
All the while, the border drew closer and closer.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When they finally reached it, they had traveled over mountains, through forests, streams, and snow. Neff forgot how much she loved the snow; Mith forgot how much he hated the snow. But they had reached it and they were finally there. The border consisted of a bunch of something like small forts strung along the base of the mountains. A fort was within a days ride on horseback. Different villages were nestled near or between the forts and each village tithed some food and produce to the nearest fort that needed the food. Many men also became soldiers, and trained at the nearest or at a fort farther along. All they had to do was come to a fort, and sign up to be trained, and they would get a meal, a bed, and a uniform. In return the soldier trained to the best of his abilities until he passed. The trainees consisted of boys, men, old men, and sometimes, a girl or a woman. But they were rare and few. Each fort had anywhere from 50 to 200 men and for every 20 men there was one or two girls or women. The forts also had clearings that villagers would come and set up their shops in and the clearing would become a market place for the day. In return the villagers got a safe place to buy and sell goods, and the soldiers got some goods that weren't on the necessity list as well as the publicity of boys and men coming and seeing the soldiers.
They finally reached a fort, dusk was just falling and they had pushed it hard that day to reach the fort before nightfall. They came around a bend in the near mountainous but hilly country and found a fort at the top of a nearby hill. That hill was sidled up against a mountain where a stream came running down it. A small tributary of the stream ran into the fort and out the other side, and down and separated from the stream. The climbed the steep trail leading to the gates and waited in the small line of merchants, farmers, and villagers, waiting ahead of them and behind them. When they reached the guards at the gate who were checking each person and hailed them, Mith told the guards, "We are friends and need lodging and food for the night. May we come in?"
The guards opened the gate enough to let them in after Mith had shown them both his and Neff's tokens. Mith's was on a foreign wood that had the signature staff and lightning bolt of the wizard. Neff's had her home one, the herbs of the village herbalist family and the river and star for her village, on the back was the staff and lightning bolt as well, since she was now a wizard too. The tokens were made with powerful magic, the pictures carved into the wood glowed a bright blue when the true person was holding theirs, it glowed a dull red when someone else was holding it.
Neff felt as if she were back at home. Mith had spent a lot of time in forts like these so he felt reasonably at ease, but Neff wanted so much to get off the horse and to sink back into her home customs, to barter and trade, to weave among the crowd, and to go back to the style of living that was so much apart of her. But the staff in her hand that she balanced against the stirrup and the clothes on her back and the horse she rode and the knowledge she knew told her more clearly than any thing someone could tell her that she had left that way behind, she was an Istar now, and though she may have to blend in, she could never go back completely to that way of life.
They wandered though the press of people that was there; some soldiers, some villagers come to haggle in the markets set up in some clearings there, and others were merchants with food, weapons, clothes, tools, or other needed materials for the fort soldiers. Suddenly someone yelled out, "Tiwena! Wait! Stop!" the voice was almost drowned out in the din and hubbub of the people that milled and swirled around them. But they both heard the voice and stopped. Mith turned around and looked back at her, "Who is that?" She shrugged, she didn't know, but she would find out. Mith raised an eyebrow. Neff turned around and looked about her. Suddenly someone came rushing up, it was Kerta; the archer she had fought so many years ago. He rushed up and put his hand on the elven horse and breathed hard while he spoke, "I thought that was you, it been a while since we last met-" "Almost 8 years" Neff filled in for him, and he grinned. "Yup, where were you, and-" he broke off, but his flick of a glance at Mith told her volumes. "Are Heidi and your brother ok?" he asked, trying to cover up the silence.
"Yes, they are well and healthy," Neff assured him; she smiled, one of those dazzling smiles that made Cur dizzy with happiness. She WAS happy, she was home, and no matter how much she had not been accepted, she did have a few who tolerated her, and she had her foster-family. And apparently Kerta had decided to be her friend; apparently her shooting made him actually look at HER, not her heritage. Kerta grinned at her smile and thought, My she has grown up. Neff couldn't help but hear, he didn't have any shields up, and his thoughts were projecting. She knew she had grown up, but she also knew that he probably hadn't even looked at her when she was younger and inserted into her mind, even though she knew it was wrong, Maybe I just didn't look at her closely before. And right after she did that, she quickly backed out and put up shields, a slight feeling of guilt in her stomach.
Kerta shook his head, his dirty blond hair flying around. But he smiled congenially enough and said to her, a twinkle in his eye, "Come with me, there is an old friend I think you might like to meet." Neff glanced questionably down at him, but he grinned impishly and said nothing, he started to lead the way through the crowd and Mith gazed at her with one of his cool looks, one that said oh, so well, What do me do now your highness? He didn't say that of course, if he had, Neff would have had him out of the saddle and pinned to the ground so fast it would have made him head spin. She shrugged and followed Kerta. Mith followed compliantly behind her.
They reached a barracks that was part of the wall and Kerta showed them a stable where they could put their horses. They gave the horses to the stable boys with explicit instruction sot take VERY good card of them and followed Kerta into a barracks sitting room, or as close as they had of one there. Kerta was an archer was in Keavan's group. Each commander slept in the same area as his troops and Keavan was at a table discussing some sort of tactics with what looked like his second in command when they entered. Men were sitting about the room polishing and sharpening swords, fletching arrows, fixing bowstrings, rewrapping grips, testing the weight of a sword and in general resting.
Kerta led them over to Keavan, he had his back to them and didn't notice them. The men didn't glance all that much at visitors, they were common and not unexpected, there were several in the room now, but men did look twice at the staffs, and their clearly elvish robes and their tokens, hanging on elvish chains and poking out from their shirts, clearly telling that they were wizards. But when either Mith or Neff looked around, the quickly dropped their gazes to whatever they were doing except for a couple who knew Mith or the few more that knew Neff and were astonished to her promotion in life. An excited whisper started to run through the room.
Then they reached Keavan. EH turned around, his eyebrows frowning at the interruption, but prepared to deal with it , when they shot up at the sight of Neff. His mouth opened and she grinned, "Long time no see, Kev." She said easily enough. Keavan quickly got hold of himself, "Twe! It's so good to see you!" they hugged and Kev whispered into her ear, "Wizard huh? A lot of things have happened since we last parted Tiwena Silver-feet." She parted and smiled inwardly at her old nickname. She had the quietest and swiftest feet in the village, and had quickly earned the name, silver- feet.
"Yes, there have been," Twe said softly, her eyes were memorizing ever new facet of Kev. His hair was a dark brown and his eyes were a deep chocolate. He had worry lines were he hadn't before, but he maturation made him much more interesting, he had layers and facets now. She liked him. She remembered the time when he had come to her in her coma and had kissed her, it had sent sparkles fizzing throughout her body, she wondered if they still would.
She held down the blush that wanted to burst out and kept a polite and friendly smile on her face. Mith sent a "Well.?" into her mind and she went, "Ohhh!" she had forgotten all about Mith, "Kev, this is Mi-" "Gandalf" Mith smoothly cut in, no one noticed. Neff all the suddenly realized her blunder and quickly covered up her embarrassment. "He is my teacher, I am a wizard, but I still have a lot to learn, we were wondering if we could stay here for a bit." Neff broke off, wondering what he would say. Mith had told her how some people would turn them away, because they were afraid of them, whereas others would fight over the honor to have them.
Keavan immediately smiled, "We would be honored to have you stay with us. We have some guest rooms that you can stay in and there are some public bathhouses to bath at, if you don't mind." He looked a bit worried. "Mind! Heavens! I'll feel some much better to have a bath!" Twe quickly said to relieve his anxiety, and truly, she would be.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next day after a good clean bath and a mice rest and a good meal, Kev showed them around. Kerta had watch and couldn't join them. Kev showed them the whole fort, barracks, supplies, kitchens, markets, guest houses, public bathing rooms, command houses, stable, watch towers, signals, and even the lay of the land about them. When he had showed them everything there was, Twe and Gandalf collapsed, tired after all the information they had absorbed. They had both seen a lot of forts, but neither of them had ever seen THAT much! Kev chuckled at their prone forms and said, "We could go and I could show you the mountains behind us." he broke off with an evil grin, but there was a slight hope in his eyes that Mith noticed, Twe didn't.
Twe's weariness fell form her at once. She loved the mountains, the cool air, the crisp snow, the waterfalls, and animals, everything about hem told of majesty and age. She sat up at once, and her eyes sparkled, "Oh, could we Kev!?" she asked, Mith groaned and sank deeper into his chair. Twe glanced at him curiously and then grinned mischievously at him, "Too old Gandalf, my friend?" "Yes." Gandalf answered with out hesitation. Twe smiled and do did Kev, "Do you want me to show them to you tomorrow?" he asked her. "Please, do!" Gandalf broke in, "I have some letters I must write, and I can do them tomorrow, while you young people scamper in the hills." So it was agreed upon.
Gandalf wanted to stay up and write some tonight, and so he shooed Kev and Neff off with a wave of his hand as he concentrated on what he was going to say. Kev walked Neff to her bedroom, and they talked of old times and people they knew and where they were now. When they got to the door, They stopped and talked a bit more, then a silence fell, they stared out a window towards the sunset and said nothing. Twe felt happy and safe and secure, Kev felt nervous at having the girl he loved back with him again.
Twe opened the door and turned to say goodnight when she found herself kissing Kev. His lips were latched on hers and his lust and love were apparent. Some tingles went though her, but not as many as when she had the come. She supposed it had been that she had been so drained then, that a simple kiss seemed like a lot more than it was. When they came apart, Kev muttered a hurried, "goodnight," and rushed off, Twe stared after him, and then went into her room, quietly closing the door behind her. She fell on to her bed, and felt a smile of happiness flow through her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And so four years passed. Twe and Kev's love deepened and flourished. Mith came and went, visiting other barracks and staying at Karnock; Kev's fort. Twe sometimes went with him and sometimes stayed behind. The hardest part was visiting her old family again. She hadn't changed much in the nine years she had been away, but hey had. She told them about her and Raph, and Heidi. They parted friends again, and Twe promised to tell Heidi and Raph to write. She told Raph the next morning and the family was surprised when a letter arrived a bit more than a week later, the letter was long and told them many things that had happened and asked for details about what was going on there.
And still Kev and Twe grew closer; they confide in each other, they would sneak of to corners to "talk" for a while, and they came closer and closer, people started to ask when they were to get married. Whenever anyone would ask them that, Mith would listen closely, and was always relieved to hear them say they weren't planning on anything, Cur still had a chance.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
One day, Kev and Twe were heading up two bands, 80 men, to go to a nearby fort that was especially depleted. Karnock was overloaded so it was fine that two bands left, it was almost welcome. On the way, Kev and Twe rode together. Twe still had her staff and her elvish horse, as did Mith. Mith had gone on ahead to see how far away the fort was. Kev and Twe were joking around when they were attacked.
Out of no where 2 bands of orcs attacked, the odds were even, but the orcs had the higher ground and could make better use of their few archers. The orcs were also stronger and not road-weary. The battle was joined immediately. Twe pulled out her sword and started to fight, occasionally she would shoot sparks or lightening bolts at orcs, but she used her blades the most. There were each down to a half a band or so, when Twe heard Kev cry out. An orc had charged him with a spear and it went into his horse and Kev was on the ground. Another orc ran by and slashed at the back of Kev's knees' the tendons cut, Kev fell with a heart-wrenching cry.
Twe's heart leapt and she mouthed wordlessly, "No." She ran and jumped through eh press left to reach him. She reached him just as he cried out to her, "Look out!" she dove for the ground and he fell on top of her, a black arrow piercing his heart. When she saw him she gasped and sat up, she cradles him in her lap and arms, his useless legs at an impossible angle. "Silver-feet," he whispered, and blood started to creep out the corner of his mouth. He coughed and blood spattered onto her shirt. "Twe," he gasped," she nodded, crystal liquid drops of sorrow poured from her eyes and her throat was too clogged up to talk, "Twe, I-" he coughed and blood dribbled down his face, he shook with inner convulsions as his body started to shut down, never to move again. "I, love, you..." he reached up and put her check in his hand and caressed it one last time, his eyes filling with tears and his love for her; before his head fell back and he stared blankly at the sky.
Sobs choked out of Twe as she closed Keavan's eyes and she wept for him, for the men lying around her, for her, for the love lost, and for many other things that she didn't know. She felt the empty spot in her heart where Kev had been, and was sad and mad, and angry. She had loved him, why did he have to die? Why did he have to be so noble and die for her? She shouted at the sky and the unkind fates who had dealt her a crippling round yet again. She cried out cradled Kev as her sobs shook her body and she quivered like a leaf in a storm.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mith came galloping over the ridge, his eyes wide and searching for the cause of such turmoil and sadness. He saw Twe and Kev, shining in a light beam form the sun, it had broken through the dark storm clouds and lit them up like a spotlight, he saw Kev reach up to Twe, and then his hand fell, it was then that the cry began.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When Cur heard Neff cry, his heart nearly stopped. His was walking down a corridor in Rivendell and her cry shattered into his mind and scattered his thoughts to the four winds. The mind cry was a near shriek or wail. Her mind cried out for comfort and strength. The wail was un-endless and soundless, yet it almost shattered his ears. He fell to the ground, dropping his staff and clutched his ears and he threw all of his strength into a barrier. Even with the barrier as thick as it could get without drawing on reserves, the cry came on. The cry inhabited him and suffused him to the bone and shook his courage and need to live, If anything has happened to her. He let the threat go unfinished as the pain redoubled. He ached with holding onto his sanity. The sound doubled again and Cur cried out with the pain, it was growing.
Silence. There was suddenly no sound and the silence pressed into him and made him feel claustrophobic. Neff had been cut off.
The silence pounded down on him and he threw off all his shields, not taking the time to gather the energy back into himself to use later. He became painfully aware of the minds around him, but he ignored them and press out wards. He searched northwards towards Neff, but she was too far! He shouted with fear, anxiety, and frustration. He strained but he couldn't reach her, he COULD NOT reach her!
He snatched up his staff and gathered strength from the energy stored there; enough to hobble down the hall. He went as fast as he could to Macarparma's room. He had sensed Macar and Heidi in Macar's room when he searched for Neff, they could help him! He had also sensed Legolas at the stables when the cry came.
When he reached the room, he thrust open the door and stared wild-eyed in. He wide eyes were dark in against his pale and waxy face. He had taken to tying back his black, silky, shoulder-length hair with it's streaks of silver with a ribbon. But it was now a shamble, with tangles and it going everywhere. Between Curunir's falling, writhing, getting up, and fast hobbling, it was tussled and framed his white face. His cheekbones were pronounced more now then when Neff had last been here. He didn't eat very well, since she had left, and probably wouldn't until she came back. He was tall, slim, and angular. His hands, one of which was still clutching the staff, braced him against the doorway frame and kept him from falling forward. His hair swung and cast eerie shadows on his scared face. His charcoal robes were still swirling about him from his abrupt turn into Macar's room and he hardly stopped. He took a quick glance around and rushed in.
Cur saw that Macar was splayed out on the bed, Heidi sat by his side, Macar held both hands to his temples, and Heidi had one hand on her won temple as well, but eh other was on Macar's chest for support, she was weaving a bit drunkenly in the air. There were tear streaks down all of their faces, their heads were pounding with headaches, and Macar and Heidi stared at him fearfully, I can't pay attention to that now! Macar still has a tentative hold on her, but he is losing it as time goes on, we have to link now to get to her! Dammit! Neff is out there somewhere, hurt, in pain, something is wrong! And she can't be in pain, she simply can't! His love for her drove him on.
He hobbled to the bed and threw his staff to the side. "Link with me now! Together we can reach her through Macar's link, we have to, we must!" he commanded them, his voice told them how desperate and frightened he was, but only Heidi noticed, Macar was reeling. The pain I'm am sensing from Neff is like feelings we had when Peranel died; some one has died. someone close to her.
Cur grasped their hands and the three immediately linked into each other; they were immensely glad for the practice sessions now.
Then Leg came rushing into the room, "I was at the stable when I heard it, what happened?" "We don't know!" Cur snapped and held his and Heidi's hand out to him, "Link!" the tone was imperious, and Leg only hesitated a second before clutching their hands and swiftly linking onto them. The four together formed a great mind, all had tried separately to reach her, and failed; they were drained, but they still formed a formidable mind force.
Together they followed Macar's link to her. Cur kept them going and fed his reserves into their flagging energy after all had given what they had left. They finally reached her. She was on an island within her mind and her shields were up. She was barring herself and her grief off from everyone, only Macar, half of her, was able to keep a finger hold in her shields. The built up what little they had left and penetrated through her shields and the sorrow and despair washed over them. The links that bound them started to fizzle and break, "NO." Cur cried out. He never knew how much alike Neff's cry that was, but Legolas did, and he opened his eyes and stared at Cur, aghast at the similarity. The wizard's face was awash with fierce pain and sorrow and determination. Suddenly Cur fed the only strength he had left into the force; his love for Neff.
The love was pure, undiluted, and untainted. It was strong, and bright, and glowed violently with the pure love he felt for the half-elven half Istari woman. The links strengthened and held, but they were overflowing and the love bounded down the only escape it had; into Neff. The love was so pure and filling that in no time at all, it came to sea of fiery pain. It quenched the fire and swallowed the water. There it ate through her weak barriers like acid and sank into Neff and suffused her as her cry had earlier had suffused them.
She resisted. She WANTED to cry, to die, to end this pain. She lashed out at them, Cur rushed the front of their force and took the blows. But she finally tired and sank down, it was then that Cur led the attack and sent more love in. She accepted it this time after a brief hesitation slowly took the strength and courage and sent them a brief, "Thanks" and broke off, she pushed them outside her shields and all of the sudden they had lost all their strength; their minds snapped back into their bodies. They lay slumped in different poses around the room. Curunir lay in a chair, which he had fallen into, Leg also lay in a chair, but it was directly across form Curunir. Macar still lay on the bed and Heidi now lay on his chest. All were exhausted from the energy spent and the backlash of being thrown back into their bodies at the loss of all their energy. They still had their reserves left; that was what had kept them alive and breathing. But Curunir looked the worse, he had fed all of the reserves that he could, keeping only a little with himself, knowing he could do more alive than dead. But if he had known that giving up his life could have made her happy and alive, he would have done so, no hesitation.
Then Macar looked at Heidi questioningly, she shook her head; they stared at Leg, who also shook. All three turned and looked at Cur, who said and did absolutely nothing. Macar's voice came out throaty and rough as he asked Cur, "You? You were the one with all that?" he waved his hand in the air, trying to indicate to the flood of love Cur had released. Cur stared stonily and acidly back at Macar, but he didn't take the hint and kept going. "I added what I had, but it was nothing compared to that, that." he broke off, at a loss of words to descried the flood of light and pureness that had flowed through them into his twin.
Cur stood up and grasped his staff, "I'm glad Neff is well now. And it was all of us-" he said but his voice was breaking so he stopped trying, and hobbled out slowly. They stared after him. Macar was shocked, and that shock showed clearly on his face; Heidi gazed sorrowfully at the back of her teacher, she could only imagine what he was going through. She had figured out long ago his true feelings for Neff. Leg stared after Cur; his face was masked and hidden with a black and neutral stare. But Heidi had seen the flicker of jealously, rage, sorrow, and defiance there before he had hidden it when Macar had accused Curunir. And Heidi could sense trouble on the wind.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She was right.
Trouble came later in the form of Leg leaving Rivendell immediately after doing his mission, when he normally stayed a day at least to visit. Leg gave Elrond his message, got food, and left as soon as his horse was rested.
Hidden in his window, Cur watched Leg gallop away. He hadn't seen Leg's reaction, but he knew there must have been one, for he had seen a flicker of a horrified look on Heidi's face and Legolas was leaving awfully soon. He would track her down and find out what EXACTLY it was that she had seen. In fact, he would do that right now.
"Heidi?" "Yes?" came the reply. "What was it that you saw Leg do? I know you saw something." He said before she could deny it. "Yes." she said hesitantly, "Butt out Macar." Cur growled out, and Macar, who had been trying to edge in, hidden, into the conversation, backed out. ".?" Cur prompted her. So Heidi showed him what she had seen. Cur didn't reply to her anxious queries about what he was going to do or what was going on, "Thanks," he clipped out before he broke off completely.
Hmmm. He replayed the image of Legolas' distorted face in his head as he ran to Elrond and asked him if Leg had said anything about where he was going. "Yes, he asked if we could send a messenger to the Greenwood saying he was going north to see Mithrandir." Cur ground out under his breath, "And Neff." "Well, yes," Elrond said. Elrond was no dumb person, he had seen the way that Cur looked at Neff when she wasn't looking, and he had heard the cry and felt the rescue party and who it involved, he had also followed what had happened when they reached Neff; he had been ready to add his support when the love form Cur started to flow. And now Legolas was hurrying north, where Mithrandir and Neffanwen were, it didn't take a genius to put the pieces together.
Elrond stared hard at him, "What she does is her business, you gave your word that you would train those two here, I suggest you calm down." Cur opened his mouth to argue, then realized the truth in Elrond's words and took a deep breath instead. Elrond is right, I have promised. but Leg is going after her! She is going to take the first warm shoulder and stay there after she has just been through another death! His despair must have showed on his face, because Elrond put his hand on Cur's shoulder and said, "The hardest thing to do, is to watch someone you love, love someone else. But when the love between you two comes to it's full ripeness, you will have a better relationship and you will be better trained and know the worst feelings before you get there. And knowing those bad feelings will only make the love between you seem all the more sweeter."
Cur looked up at Elrond, and looked so sad and sorrowful, and despairing, that Elrond almost shouted out to some one to go get Legolas and keep him here while Cur went to Neff; but he stopped himself. What the girl will choose was her choice, and no one would influence or change that, even Curunir.
Curunir stared straight ahead; Elrond was at his side and watched as a tear fell down Cur's cheek. Cur felt the little drop of salty water roll down his face and fall. His hope that Neff would ever return his love for her fell like that tear, and shattered into a thousand pieces. His voice cracked as he asked the wise elf, "What do you do when the only person who can make you stop crying is the person who made you cry?" Elrond didn't have an answer for that. So they stayed there, finally Elrond's voice floated out of the gathering dusk and said, " 'When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your friends will be there.' Don't give up hope Curunir, my friend and ally. We are here for you and will help you all we can." Elrond turned Curnir towards him and glared at him, "And tying up Legolas and throwing him in the sea is NOT help!" He said quickly as he saw the picture that Cur was projecting to him. Cur grinned.
But the picture had a better effect on the scene. Elrond grinned a bit and they walked to a balcony that overlooked a garden. In it there was one elven maiden. Her hair was fair and golden, and her dress was of a silvery blue that hugged her small frame. She turned her face upwards and her violet eyes gleamed up at Elrond. Elrond grinned a bit, and said with a sigh, "Nobody is perfect until you fall in love with them."
Curunir heartily agreed with him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, there it is! What do you think? Do you feel sorry for Mith or do you agree with Legolas' actions, he is a prince and I'm sure he is either sick of never having his way or always gets what he wants? What do you think his motives are? What did you think of Keavan's death? Anyone like him? Well, review and tell me!!
I love how I am writing a story like this. Me; who has never traveled, had anyone close to me die, or had a boyfriend or love or first kiss. Kinda funny.
~Kit ;)