The 6th Istari
Chapter 14: The Bracelet
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, *sindarin, wood elves* ~quena, Rivendell elves~ dwarvish "normally" ect... yeah I have forgotten these a lot and probably will continue to do so, JRRT may have been a great linguist, but I sure am not, I am a true America, only speaking American English and a FEW words of other languages, pathetic, I know.
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Curunir, Heidi, and Macar were sitting in the garden; birdsong peppering the background and the sounds of the wind in the rustling leaves drifting thorough into their ears. They were looking gout, practicing seeing those around them, without hearing their thoughts. It was almost like how they had searched for Neff when she had cried out to them.
Suddenly a rapid heartbeat and pounding hooves came up. They snapped out of their trance and watched an elf in the woodland garb ride up and halt in front of their circle, ~ Do you know the way to Lord Elrond? ~ he asked them. He was blond like all elves and an archer as most tended to be, carrying a few knives with him. They wordlessly pointed down a path and he nodded his thanks and took off again. They looked at each other and quickly got up and dashed down the path. They all had seen the messenger bag the elf was carrying and he was clearly from the Greenwood, there must be something newsworthy.
Elrond's study was an open airy room with books protected behind glass door cabinets made of dark wood that matched the dark leather plush chairs and the dark wood desk and room. It was strange for how much there was dark, how light and airy it seemed to be, not in the least bit depressing. Elrond himself stood at a balcony doorway, tapping the letter in his hand on the open palm of the other; a thoughtful look playing across his face.
~Enter my friends, a letter has arrived from Mtihrandir.~ they filed in and sat down, Elrond finally turned around and form that moment on, his attention was mostly focused on Curunir. He paced up and down a bit, and finally turned to face them. HE stared at Curunir, making no pretense that he was watching Curunir's reaction to the news he was about to give them. ~Mithrandir says that they got to the border fine and they met some old friends, Kerta, an archer, and Keavan, a-~ he broke off, searching for the right word. "Lover?" Macar sent to Heidi alone, she stamped on his foot, he winced, "We never had any proof that they were!" she threw back at him angrily.
`-An old friend~ he said, his gaze flickered to the two and their squabble fro a second before instantly sliding his gaze back to Curunir. ~Yes, ~ Macar broke in, ~ she told me about it and about the herbalist family, where we come form~ he gestured at himself, Heidi and vaguely towards the west, where Neff was somewhere. Elrond nodded and continued on, ~ Well, apparently Neffanwen, or Tiwena as she is up there, became very close to Keavan." Elrond's eyes were boring into Curunir's now, Cur gulped, but his face betrayed nothing. "Keavan was a commander there, he had two bands, 40 men, under his leadership. ~
Cur was almost in shock from when Elrond had said "Very close", in other words, Love. But he had enough wits left to seize onto two words, his buoys of hope in a sea of despair; "Was" and "Had". He looked up at Elrond, waiting for the rest of the story, and still not letting his emotions leak, Elrond did not disappoint.
~They were traveling to a nearby fort that was depleted when two bands of orcs attacked. Only seven men survived, along with Neffanwen and Mithrandir~ he added to ease the worry that had showed on Cur's face. ~But, Keavan died, in Neffanwen's arms, ~ a silence descended, broken only by the weeping and crying of Macar and Heidi, who had their arms around each other, trying to comfort the other, and not succeeding very well, but misery likes company, so they took in each other's company.
Cur's face was hidden, but Elrond felt the happiness and sorrow hidden. Happiness, that Neff was alive, and sorrow that Kev had died and hurt Neff. If Cur could have died to keep Keavan alive, he would have if it had made Neff happy forever, and Elrond knew that.
Finally Elrond, whose glance had never left Curunir's face, showed his emotions; exasperation and exhaustion. He was tired of dealing with the maelstrom of emotions that Neffanwen had stirred up, first with her coming and now with Cur, who had been cooped up in Rivendell far to long and was driving Elrond crazy. It's all because of that girl! He immediately chastised himself Ohhh. It's not her fault. He scrubbed his face in his hand and sighed.
Curunir was looking in his lap. ~ There's more. ~ he stated. Elrond nodded and continued, know the havoc this would make. "Legolas showed up two days after Keavan's death. The two of them are growing closer, perhaps as close as she and Keavan had been. ~ he didn't need to look up to see the despair and anguish on Curunir's face, he could feel it. Curunir had given up all hope that Neff would ever lone him, ~ they have gone to the greenwood. Go to her, all three of you, ~ his gaze swept over all of them, his eyes were a but haunted, but still as piercing as ever. But Curunir had been especially volatile lately and had pass ed the feeling onto Elrond. Elrond wanted them all OUT! ESPECAILLY Curunir! He needed to face his feelings for Neffanwen and live with it. ~Go, Soon.~ he pleaded with them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
They left and split to go to their separate rooms, they would leave in the morning. When Cur got to his room, before he started on anything else, he went to his close and rummaged around in there, then he pulled out a burnished wooden bow, the maple and beach leaves carved into the cheery wood seemed alive and to float in the breeze, elvish workmanship. But he was concerned with what lay inside the box. He opened it and reveled a bracelet, it was made of copper and lay in stark contrast to the black velvet.
He had spent years working on this and over the past month since Neff's scream, he debated whether to give it to her or not. He had gotten the copper, melted it, forged the wire to make it, and made each link and hooked it all together. And through it all, he poured his love into it, his love and need for her. It was a locating device, and he had poured much of himself and her into it so that he could find it and thus her very easily. He could reach her anywhere, no matter how little energy either of them had. Every single atom in the 30 links, two rings, and one clasp was suffused with his love and need for her.
Curunir slipped his fingers over the shining bracelet. It was one of his finest pieces of workmanship and he had spent a lot of time in making it. He knew she would see the shinning aura of power around it, but he would tell her it was part to the shine of the bracelet's copper and part because he had put a simple locating spell on it so he could reach her more easily, a white lie, it WAS a locating device, but anything but simple. The others would see through this right away, he was sure of it, but he only wanted to convince HER. Once she had it, the glow would become normal and she would expect it, even as the metal dulled.
He only had to convince Legolas to let her keep it on and not in a jewelry box.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After several days travel, in which Curunir's stomach and mind became heavier and knotted and twisted and tied together with nervousness and dread, they reached Arlasmar. The woody palace was as gorgeous as ever, trees mixing with walls and designs blending into nature so well, it was impossible to tell were elvish work left off and nature began.
And there; the pinnacle of his fear and doubts, was Neffanwen and Legolas. They stood arm in arm, waiting for them at the top of a flight of steps. They looked to the entire world like young lovers in love for the first time. Cur's heart stopped feeling anxious and just dropped to below the hooves of the horse he was riding, and got trampled there quite easily, but he hid his sadness and smiled happily sat hem. They are my friends, I should be happy that they are each happy, and they deserve it. But a little voice deep within him kept asking, What about me? He couldn't answer that. And so Neff and Leg showed them around and told them tidbits of gossip, and Cur caught them kissing and holding hands and grinning at each other and definitely in love. Well, she has made her decision, now I must live with that and move on.
And later on, after the sun had set and they were sitting about a campfire in the woods and finally Curunir asked what all had been dreading to ask all day. * Neff, What happened? * she didn't say anything for a minute, and all waited for her answer, she leaned back, cradled under one of Legolas' arms, and her hands were in Legolas'. She hadn't yet spoken to anyone of what had happened after the battle, had held in what had happened to her. Her words started haltingly and slowly, but they grew as the torrents of feelings came crashing out of her, and in her twisted face and pain-ridden words, they felt her suffering. The tears that she had not shed since Kev's death came freely now, a inundation of tears and sobs and cries, and through it all, Leg was the sheltering rock she turned to. Oh, how Cur yearned to embrace her, to cry with her, to mourn and help her! To comfort her! But he could only watch.
And once the flood of words, sounds, and tears was done they all sat still. She had tried to tell them of how it had felt when her being had been ripped out of her at Kev's death and thrown to the four winds. She had tried to describe the feeling of emptiness that was only filled with sorrow. And then Leg had come, and her eyes had shone as she looked at him when he told this part of her tale, and Cur excused himself, but her voice carried clearly thought the trees to where he had gone to "relieve" himself, but he was only sitting there, trying to force the tears of rage and hatred down. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do more, rip Leg apart, break down and cry, or shake Neff until she could see the pain he was in. All three he finally decided on, and after he had shredded many leaves, he finally got his composure back and went back to the group.
They decided to sleep where they were and Cur simply pulled his blanket over himself. He could sleep leaning against a tree, he had slept in worst places.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He woke to soft footsteps that treaded past him. He opened one eye a crack to see Neff walking into the wood. He quickly got up and dug out the box, he told Heidi to go back to sleep when she woke up he had to "relieve" himself again. She sighed gustily and rolled her eyes, but went back to sleep.
Cur followed Neff until her found her by a stream, her feet dangling in the water, and a shawl wrapped around her night gown, which he noticed revealed much of her fit body- He quickly looked up at her face and asked, "Can I sit down with you?" "Please," She said, indicating the grass next to her.
They sat down and it was awhile before Cur could get up the courage to give her the gift. Finally he forced himself to shove the box into her hands and say gruffly, "Please, take this," not the eloquent speech he had planned, but it all boiled down to the same thing anyway. She glanced at him curiously an then opened the box, her eyes shone with appreciation and her mouth opened into a tiny "O" of surprise, "Cur. I don't know what to say." "Take it," he supplied, "I made it after your scream, there is a locating device on it, so I can reach you easier if that situation ever comes up again."
She grinned in a grimace of the trouble she had caused but took out the beautiful bracelet he had made specifically for her and put it on. "Cur..." her eye shone with happiness, "I love it, thank you so much," she leaned over and hugged him. Well, maybe she won't ever love me, but maybe we can be friends at least, better than nothing. He told himself, his shields were up full force around her. The two sat in companionable silence, babbling on about nothing that either could remember later, it was just small talk, it was the togetherness that counted.
Finally, hours later, they realized dawn was coming, and they had better get a few hours of sleep. Cur fell into a satisfied, if not happy sleep. And his last thought before he slept was that, at least I can reach her now, no matter what. And I can already tell, she is happy and contented. Even if it isn't with me. And he realized as he dropped into the oblivion of slumber that some people make the world special just by being in it. And even if they broke your heart it still was a special place to be, because how special they were was to great to hold all in your heart; you needed their heart as well to hold you love for them. But he only had his heart; he couldn't share this love for Neff with Neff. As he dropped off, his despair mixed with hope and formed a mixture where he wasn't sure what was what anymore.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was several days later before Leg noticed Neff's addition to her jewelry, he was surprised he hadn't noticed it before now, since Neff wore no jewelry what so ever. He picked up her wrist and asked her directly, * What's this? * *A bracelet. * she answered, but his stormy face told her how angry he was, so she quickly rushed out the rest of the explanation, * Curunir gave it to me last night, it was a gift, no more. Do you not like it? * she was puzzled by Legolas' reaction to her new gift. * NO * he answered in no way to leave her doubting, * I think you should give that back to Curunir * * But I like it- * she answered, * NOW * Leg's voice growled at her. She was still sick somewhat from the re-telling of Kev's death, and she was scared of Leg's reaction; she had never seen that fierce face of him before now, and she didn't want to lose that happy feeling she and Leg shared. So she took it off and went to her room reluctantly, there she found the box that Curunir had given the bracelet to her in and put it back gently.
Then she went to Curunir's room. She knocked on the door, but no one answered, it was around 9 o'clock and she figured that Curunir had already gotten up so she decided to go in and put the box on the bed and leave it there. It would be easier that way, no confrontations, about why she was doing this, since she couldn't answer that question satisfactorily to herself right now. She opened the door and started to pick up the clothes and random books and other odds and ends Curunir had left around automatically, sort of lazily. It was a hazy day and she was reluctant to move fast or give back the bracelet. Then she got to bedroom. She opened the door, and since she was looking down she didn't even realize that someone was in the bed until she got up to it. When she got to the bed and was about to place the box down, she noticed that there was someone in the bed, no, TWO someone's. She looked up horrified.
Her brown eyes met Curunir's startled lack ones. He was sitting up in bed, a strawberry-blonde haired elf lying beside him. She was asleep, but Cur was awake and staring just as horrified back into Neff's eyes. Under the circumstances, Neff was entirely entitled to what she did next; she panicked. She threw the box at him, tore around and streamed through the rooms, quickly closing each door as she went, careful not to wake the elven maiden.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Cur stared at the door for a good long time before he could force his horrified face into doing anything else. He flopped back on to the bed and looked at the elf lying beside him. She was blond like all elves but her blonde had mixed with red and had become a pale red with golden white highlights elf. She was perfectly formed and a good lover, but Curunir was disgusted with himself all the same. She had a reputation for being the elf who traveled from bed to bed, and he had to admit, she was a good, but there she was.
He sighed and swung his legs out of bed, his right hand still clutching the box that had been thrown so unceremoniously in his lap. He got and took a deep breath, and started to change, Maybe a ride in the woods would help... blow all these tangles of thoughts rolling around in my head out.
How wrong he was, he never knew until later.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Neff sat huddled at the edge of her bed, fluctuating between anger, embarrassment, and guilt. She was mainly angry at herself though for following what Legolas said even though she didn't want to give up the bracelet or the box, at Leg for making her, and at Curunir, for what she wasn't sure. Maybe it was her primal female feelings, mad that he was sleeping with some other girl and not liking her, then again, it could be that she was taking her anger at herself and Leg and lashing out at Cur since she didn't want to ruin the relationship between her and Legolas.
Then she thought of Legolas' "NO" and "NOW" and got angrier at him and herself. Her face twisted in a stone hard look that could have burned a hole through metal. She felt the anger boiling up and bubbling within her. She stood up, erect and thoroughly fuming now. She picked up her weapons and quickly, smoothly, and swiftly settled them all in place over herself. She grabbed her staff last of all and opened the door into the hallway. She started to stalk down the corridors to the forest; she was going for a run.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Leg was turning a corner in the hallway; he realized he had been harsh on Neff and that she had really like the bracelet. He was going to apologize when he ran into her. Her face was smooth, but when she saw him it became full of disdainful anger. He gripped her arms and looked her in the eyes, she stared straight back. * Neff? Neff, what's wrong? Are you ok? Was it something I did? Does it have to do with the brac- * he broke off. She stared straight into his eyes and their brown eyes locked on each other, her anger and hatred bore like an acid through him and shocked, his mouth falling open slightly and he left go of her as his hands fell to his sides, drooping with the guilt he felt that he had caused.
She strode past him, her anger an almost tangible crackling energy field around her.
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Cur was on a horse and he was starting to come out of a trail in a small patch of trees into the courtyard when Neff came out of the palace and started down the steps in front of the palace. The Palace had grand white marble steps that led into a great courtyard that was deserted at this time of the day, but would be bustling later. The courtyard was edged with a gate and wall. Confined within the wall was the palace, stables, and some other important buildings. Between all the buildings were patches of trees and paths through them. Cur quickly ducked back down the path so she wouldn't see him. Her mind was brimming with so much turmoil he doubted whether she would have noticed he was there even if he had stood right in front of her.
She marched across the courtyard, spoke to the guard in terse and tense words and practically ran out of the gate. Curunir quickly rode up to the gate, explained he wanted to go for a ride, and they let him through as well. Once out of sight, he rode into a gallop, chasing after the elven wizard who was speeding through the forest in an attempt to leave her anger behind. But he made sure to not come within hearing distance or seeing distance of her. She was barely in his mind reach, but enough so that he could track the flame that dimmed and flared sporadically.
He wasn't sure what he was doing, but neither was she, they traveled on, and on; neither picking up the two bands of orcs roaming in the woods ahead of them. And they were headed straight towards them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
They had been going for several hours, and at a pace that steadily ate up the ground. The horse, being elvish, was fine in keeping up with Neff's pace, but Cur wasn't. His butt was killing him, and he hoped that she would stop soon. Finally she did, but Cur could tell she stopped only long enough to drink form a nearby stream, before moving again. But she wasn't running through the forest this time. She was now practicing her blade work. She ran through her parries, and lunges, her stretches, and exercises.
Cur sank down near the stream, he was at the same one Neff was, but far away from her. The horse drank, and Cur started to rub him down, since Neff showed no sign of moving on farther. Suddenly, Neff's focus changed. She wasn't practicing, but actually doing the real thing.
She was fighting orcs.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Neff was been practicing her lunges, perfecting her landing position for lunges, just far enough to reach her target, but not so far that she couldn't pull herself back up. Then orcs were there. The burst suddenly through the trees, and Neff was so wrapped up in her angry thoughts, she didn't hear them coming, as she otherwise would have. It looked to be about a band, 20 orcs, but she was a bit busy and couldn't take the time to count them. And even if she had, she doubted they would stand still long enough for her to be sure she got them all and not counted an orc twice. She snorted at her thoughts and slashed and lunged and ran and twirled.
She cut down four in the first few minutes, and handed out more cuts and bruises.
Suddenly, one orc lunged at her back, another attacked her left side, and she fought off one more at her front. She had to do an awkward twirl and duck and slash to get out from all three, but she was flying through the air and sprawled out on the ground, her face in the dirt. She had tripped over one of the orcs that she had slain earlier.
Six orcs surrounded her, their swords, spears, knifes, and other random objects of violence trained on her. She sat up gingerly and was relieved to notice that she had no broken, bones, more large bruises, but those would heal. She could still move despite the twangs of pain they gave her. Her heart sank as she saw the 10 orcs behind the six that surrounded her. 16 orcs, she had only taken down four. She saw with grim satisfaction, that many of them had cuts that were bleeding, and several had some missing limbs, which they were ignoring.
Pictures from her days up north flashed through her mind, and the dread inside her grew. She remembered the sick feelings when they had found heads or mauled bodies, or tunics that were soaked in blood of their former owner. Sometimes, orcs would maul the bodies of the dead and leave the head untouched, sometimes they scalped it though, to torment those who would find the bodies later and realize who the corpse was.
She had seen many dead bodies, and although she was a fighter, she never lost that sick feeling in her stomach when her blade drove into flesh. But no matter what she had seen, she had always kept a tight hold on her stomach, there were times when throwing up could be fine and healthy, but on the northern border, those times were rare and few between. The last place to throw up is on the battlefield, to many enemies about to cut you down in your time of weakness. Unfortunately, the battlefield was one of the few places were you wanted to throw up right away.
As pictures of bloody heads, bodies, and clothes came to the surface of her mind, she felt her stomach start to rebel, and she wanted so badly to give up her insides. Those dead bodies could be her. Neff felt her face blanch and decided she needed to go down a different track of thought.
She managed to concentrate on what the two commanders of the band were arguing about. She couldn't understand orcish, though she promised if she outlived this day, she would learn it. Her churning stomach and the blanket of dread and horror on her mind refused to allow her to concentrate to use spells; but mind speech had been instinct in her, so she listened in on the commanders. They were trying to decide what to do with her, and she went paler as they brought up more horrible memories. She was almost white and her stomach was just on the verge of spilling out when a shaft of calm reassurance fled into her.
Suddenly out of the forest edge rushed a blur of white. In seconds three more were down. She realized it was a person dressed in white and on a white horse. The horse spun around and she saw, "Curunir!" she gasped. He grinned reassuringly at her. Then five more rushed in and three pulled him down while two grabbed the horse. The horse bucked and Curunir struggled but one of the orcs put something on the horse's nose and the horse's eyes rolled upwards before it fell. Another orc hit Curunir on the head and he fell in a pile beside her.
"Curunir? Are you alright?" Curunir bobbed his head and she sighed. Curunir was no fighter. She was surprised he had gotten down three, but he did have the surprise. Then they were roughly grabbed and dumped at the center of the clearing. The rest of the orcs then proceeded to blather and bustle about who was getting what and so on and so forth.
"Are you all right? I got here as soon as I could." She nodded, her mouth was dry. "All right, how about we leave this party?" She nodded. She felt her throat expand as food started to come up. She clamped her mouth shut and swalloed hard until the feeling passed. She gasped for air as the horrible taste of bile and throw-up filled her mouth.
Curunir's hands and feet had been tied but he managed to sit upright and then his eyes seemed to draw inwards as he concentrated. Suddenly a bright light burst from him and Neff and all around them. Immediately the bright wave of light cut down the 13 orcs.
Neff felt her stomach lurch again and this time she couldn't hold it, she threw up. Her insides were heaving and seeing more dead bodies wasn't helping. Curunir backed himself up to one of the blades lying nearby and dragged his bonds over the rough edge. Finally the dull blade cut the ropes and he quickly freed his feet. He crawled over to Neff and untied her ropes and wiped her dirty mouth with a corner of his robe. Then they both fell to the ground and lay there heaving for breath. Neff still felt sick still and Curunir felt wiped out from the spell.
Then out of the woods around them the other band appeared. Cur groaned, Neff didn't have the energy too. The band circled around them and leering grotesque faces sneered down at them. Neff threw up again.
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Trouble is on the way! I got sick of mushy fluff romance so I decided to get her mad at the two who love her best. Even elves go through pms too! (Well, if they don't, they do now!) Well, review and tell me what you think of Neff's new feelings towards the two!
Oh, update: I had stopped this thing for a while and had given up on it. I am now trying to finish it and at least get some more important parts in. Please, this will take awhile and I will update as I write it, Thanks for reading!
Hey, I am currently going through this and re-writing parts and adding stuff in that I had in my mind and not down. I am also working on the next chapter, but I am now at the point where I think I may have to read the Similarion. So, things may slow down. dunno, what I am going to do, I am also working on parts of the story that aren't going to appear for a WHILE! So yeah, have patience and you will receive (or whatever that saying is.)
~Kit ;)
Chapter 14: The Bracelet
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, *sindarin, wood elves* ~quena, Rivendell elves~ dwarvish "normally" ect... yeah I have forgotten these a lot and probably will continue to do so, JRRT may have been a great linguist, but I sure am not, I am a true America, only speaking American English and a FEW words of other languages, pathetic, I know.
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Curunir, Heidi, and Macar were sitting in the garden; birdsong peppering the background and the sounds of the wind in the rustling leaves drifting thorough into their ears. They were looking gout, practicing seeing those around them, without hearing their thoughts. It was almost like how they had searched for Neff when she had cried out to them.
Suddenly a rapid heartbeat and pounding hooves came up. They snapped out of their trance and watched an elf in the woodland garb ride up and halt in front of their circle, ~ Do you know the way to Lord Elrond? ~ he asked them. He was blond like all elves and an archer as most tended to be, carrying a few knives with him. They wordlessly pointed down a path and he nodded his thanks and took off again. They looked at each other and quickly got up and dashed down the path. They all had seen the messenger bag the elf was carrying and he was clearly from the Greenwood, there must be something newsworthy.
Elrond's study was an open airy room with books protected behind glass door cabinets made of dark wood that matched the dark leather plush chairs and the dark wood desk and room. It was strange for how much there was dark, how light and airy it seemed to be, not in the least bit depressing. Elrond himself stood at a balcony doorway, tapping the letter in his hand on the open palm of the other; a thoughtful look playing across his face.
~Enter my friends, a letter has arrived from Mtihrandir.~ they filed in and sat down, Elrond finally turned around and form that moment on, his attention was mostly focused on Curunir. He paced up and down a bit, and finally turned to face them. HE stared at Curunir, making no pretense that he was watching Curunir's reaction to the news he was about to give them. ~Mithrandir says that they got to the border fine and they met some old friends, Kerta, an archer, and Keavan, a-~ he broke off, searching for the right word. "Lover?" Macar sent to Heidi alone, she stamped on his foot, he winced, "We never had any proof that they were!" she threw back at him angrily.
`-An old friend~ he said, his gaze flickered to the two and their squabble fro a second before instantly sliding his gaze back to Curunir. ~Yes, ~ Macar broke in, ~ she told me about it and about the herbalist family, where we come form~ he gestured at himself, Heidi and vaguely towards the west, where Neff was somewhere. Elrond nodded and continued on, ~ Well, apparently Neffanwen, or Tiwena as she is up there, became very close to Keavan." Elrond's eyes were boring into Curunir's now, Cur gulped, but his face betrayed nothing. "Keavan was a commander there, he had two bands, 40 men, under his leadership. ~
Cur was almost in shock from when Elrond had said "Very close", in other words, Love. But he had enough wits left to seize onto two words, his buoys of hope in a sea of despair; "Was" and "Had". He looked up at Elrond, waiting for the rest of the story, and still not letting his emotions leak, Elrond did not disappoint.
~They were traveling to a nearby fort that was depleted when two bands of orcs attacked. Only seven men survived, along with Neffanwen and Mithrandir~ he added to ease the worry that had showed on Cur's face. ~But, Keavan died, in Neffanwen's arms, ~ a silence descended, broken only by the weeping and crying of Macar and Heidi, who had their arms around each other, trying to comfort the other, and not succeeding very well, but misery likes company, so they took in each other's company.
Cur's face was hidden, but Elrond felt the happiness and sorrow hidden. Happiness, that Neff was alive, and sorrow that Kev had died and hurt Neff. If Cur could have died to keep Keavan alive, he would have if it had made Neff happy forever, and Elrond knew that.
Finally Elrond, whose glance had never left Curunir's face, showed his emotions; exasperation and exhaustion. He was tired of dealing with the maelstrom of emotions that Neffanwen had stirred up, first with her coming and now with Cur, who had been cooped up in Rivendell far to long and was driving Elrond crazy. It's all because of that girl! He immediately chastised himself Ohhh. It's not her fault. He scrubbed his face in his hand and sighed.
Curunir was looking in his lap. ~ There's more. ~ he stated. Elrond nodded and continued, know the havoc this would make. "Legolas showed up two days after Keavan's death. The two of them are growing closer, perhaps as close as she and Keavan had been. ~ he didn't need to look up to see the despair and anguish on Curunir's face, he could feel it. Curunir had given up all hope that Neff would ever lone him, ~ they have gone to the greenwood. Go to her, all three of you, ~ his gaze swept over all of them, his eyes were a but haunted, but still as piercing as ever. But Curunir had been especially volatile lately and had pass ed the feeling onto Elrond. Elrond wanted them all OUT! ESPECAILLY Curunir! He needed to face his feelings for Neffanwen and live with it. ~Go, Soon.~ he pleaded with them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
They left and split to go to their separate rooms, they would leave in the morning. When Cur got to his room, before he started on anything else, he went to his close and rummaged around in there, then he pulled out a burnished wooden bow, the maple and beach leaves carved into the cheery wood seemed alive and to float in the breeze, elvish workmanship. But he was concerned with what lay inside the box. He opened it and reveled a bracelet, it was made of copper and lay in stark contrast to the black velvet.
He had spent years working on this and over the past month since Neff's scream, he debated whether to give it to her or not. He had gotten the copper, melted it, forged the wire to make it, and made each link and hooked it all together. And through it all, he poured his love into it, his love and need for her. It was a locating device, and he had poured much of himself and her into it so that he could find it and thus her very easily. He could reach her anywhere, no matter how little energy either of them had. Every single atom in the 30 links, two rings, and one clasp was suffused with his love and need for her.
Curunir slipped his fingers over the shining bracelet. It was one of his finest pieces of workmanship and he had spent a lot of time in making it. He knew she would see the shinning aura of power around it, but he would tell her it was part to the shine of the bracelet's copper and part because he had put a simple locating spell on it so he could reach her more easily, a white lie, it WAS a locating device, but anything but simple. The others would see through this right away, he was sure of it, but he only wanted to convince HER. Once she had it, the glow would become normal and she would expect it, even as the metal dulled.
He only had to convince Legolas to let her keep it on and not in a jewelry box.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After several days travel, in which Curunir's stomach and mind became heavier and knotted and twisted and tied together with nervousness and dread, they reached Arlasmar. The woody palace was as gorgeous as ever, trees mixing with walls and designs blending into nature so well, it was impossible to tell were elvish work left off and nature began.
And there; the pinnacle of his fear and doubts, was Neffanwen and Legolas. They stood arm in arm, waiting for them at the top of a flight of steps. They looked to the entire world like young lovers in love for the first time. Cur's heart stopped feeling anxious and just dropped to below the hooves of the horse he was riding, and got trampled there quite easily, but he hid his sadness and smiled happily sat hem. They are my friends, I should be happy that they are each happy, and they deserve it. But a little voice deep within him kept asking, What about me? He couldn't answer that. And so Neff and Leg showed them around and told them tidbits of gossip, and Cur caught them kissing and holding hands and grinning at each other and definitely in love. Well, she has made her decision, now I must live with that and move on.
And later on, after the sun had set and they were sitting about a campfire in the woods and finally Curunir asked what all had been dreading to ask all day. * Neff, What happened? * she didn't say anything for a minute, and all waited for her answer, she leaned back, cradled under one of Legolas' arms, and her hands were in Legolas'. She hadn't yet spoken to anyone of what had happened after the battle, had held in what had happened to her. Her words started haltingly and slowly, but they grew as the torrents of feelings came crashing out of her, and in her twisted face and pain-ridden words, they felt her suffering. The tears that she had not shed since Kev's death came freely now, a inundation of tears and sobs and cries, and through it all, Leg was the sheltering rock she turned to. Oh, how Cur yearned to embrace her, to cry with her, to mourn and help her! To comfort her! But he could only watch.
And once the flood of words, sounds, and tears was done they all sat still. She had tried to tell them of how it had felt when her being had been ripped out of her at Kev's death and thrown to the four winds. She had tried to describe the feeling of emptiness that was only filled with sorrow. And then Leg had come, and her eyes had shone as she looked at him when he told this part of her tale, and Cur excused himself, but her voice carried clearly thought the trees to where he had gone to "relieve" himself, but he was only sitting there, trying to force the tears of rage and hatred down. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do more, rip Leg apart, break down and cry, or shake Neff until she could see the pain he was in. All three he finally decided on, and after he had shredded many leaves, he finally got his composure back and went back to the group.
They decided to sleep where they were and Cur simply pulled his blanket over himself. He could sleep leaning against a tree, he had slept in worst places.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He woke to soft footsteps that treaded past him. He opened one eye a crack to see Neff walking into the wood. He quickly got up and dug out the box, he told Heidi to go back to sleep when she woke up he had to "relieve" himself again. She sighed gustily and rolled her eyes, but went back to sleep.
Cur followed Neff until her found her by a stream, her feet dangling in the water, and a shawl wrapped around her night gown, which he noticed revealed much of her fit body- He quickly looked up at her face and asked, "Can I sit down with you?" "Please," She said, indicating the grass next to her.
They sat down and it was awhile before Cur could get up the courage to give her the gift. Finally he forced himself to shove the box into her hands and say gruffly, "Please, take this," not the eloquent speech he had planned, but it all boiled down to the same thing anyway. She glanced at him curiously an then opened the box, her eyes shone with appreciation and her mouth opened into a tiny "O" of surprise, "Cur. I don't know what to say." "Take it," he supplied, "I made it after your scream, there is a locating device on it, so I can reach you easier if that situation ever comes up again."
She grinned in a grimace of the trouble she had caused but took out the beautiful bracelet he had made specifically for her and put it on. "Cur..." her eye shone with happiness, "I love it, thank you so much," she leaned over and hugged him. Well, maybe she won't ever love me, but maybe we can be friends at least, better than nothing. He told himself, his shields were up full force around her. The two sat in companionable silence, babbling on about nothing that either could remember later, it was just small talk, it was the togetherness that counted.
Finally, hours later, they realized dawn was coming, and they had better get a few hours of sleep. Cur fell into a satisfied, if not happy sleep. And his last thought before he slept was that, at least I can reach her now, no matter what. And I can already tell, she is happy and contented. Even if it isn't with me. And he realized as he dropped into the oblivion of slumber that some people make the world special just by being in it. And even if they broke your heart it still was a special place to be, because how special they were was to great to hold all in your heart; you needed their heart as well to hold you love for them. But he only had his heart; he couldn't share this love for Neff with Neff. As he dropped off, his despair mixed with hope and formed a mixture where he wasn't sure what was what anymore.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was several days later before Leg noticed Neff's addition to her jewelry, he was surprised he hadn't noticed it before now, since Neff wore no jewelry what so ever. He picked up her wrist and asked her directly, * What's this? * *A bracelet. * she answered, but his stormy face told her how angry he was, so she quickly rushed out the rest of the explanation, * Curunir gave it to me last night, it was a gift, no more. Do you not like it? * she was puzzled by Legolas' reaction to her new gift. * NO * he answered in no way to leave her doubting, * I think you should give that back to Curunir * * But I like it- * she answered, * NOW * Leg's voice growled at her. She was still sick somewhat from the re-telling of Kev's death, and she was scared of Leg's reaction; she had never seen that fierce face of him before now, and she didn't want to lose that happy feeling she and Leg shared. So she took it off and went to her room reluctantly, there she found the box that Curunir had given the bracelet to her in and put it back gently.
Then she went to Curunir's room. She knocked on the door, but no one answered, it was around 9 o'clock and she figured that Curunir had already gotten up so she decided to go in and put the box on the bed and leave it there. It would be easier that way, no confrontations, about why she was doing this, since she couldn't answer that question satisfactorily to herself right now. She opened the door and started to pick up the clothes and random books and other odds and ends Curunir had left around automatically, sort of lazily. It was a hazy day and she was reluctant to move fast or give back the bracelet. Then she got to bedroom. She opened the door, and since she was looking down she didn't even realize that someone was in the bed until she got up to it. When she got to the bed and was about to place the box down, she noticed that there was someone in the bed, no, TWO someone's. She looked up horrified.
Her brown eyes met Curunir's startled lack ones. He was sitting up in bed, a strawberry-blonde haired elf lying beside him. She was asleep, but Cur was awake and staring just as horrified back into Neff's eyes. Under the circumstances, Neff was entirely entitled to what she did next; she panicked. She threw the box at him, tore around and streamed through the rooms, quickly closing each door as she went, careful not to wake the elven maiden.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Cur stared at the door for a good long time before he could force his horrified face into doing anything else. He flopped back on to the bed and looked at the elf lying beside him. She was blond like all elves but her blonde had mixed with red and had become a pale red with golden white highlights elf. She was perfectly formed and a good lover, but Curunir was disgusted with himself all the same. She had a reputation for being the elf who traveled from bed to bed, and he had to admit, she was a good, but there she was.
He sighed and swung his legs out of bed, his right hand still clutching the box that had been thrown so unceremoniously in his lap. He got and took a deep breath, and started to change, Maybe a ride in the woods would help... blow all these tangles of thoughts rolling around in my head out.
How wrong he was, he never knew until later.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Neff sat huddled at the edge of her bed, fluctuating between anger, embarrassment, and guilt. She was mainly angry at herself though for following what Legolas said even though she didn't want to give up the bracelet or the box, at Leg for making her, and at Curunir, for what she wasn't sure. Maybe it was her primal female feelings, mad that he was sleeping with some other girl and not liking her, then again, it could be that she was taking her anger at herself and Leg and lashing out at Cur since she didn't want to ruin the relationship between her and Legolas.
Then she thought of Legolas' "NO" and "NOW" and got angrier at him and herself. Her face twisted in a stone hard look that could have burned a hole through metal. She felt the anger boiling up and bubbling within her. She stood up, erect and thoroughly fuming now. She picked up her weapons and quickly, smoothly, and swiftly settled them all in place over herself. She grabbed her staff last of all and opened the door into the hallway. She started to stalk down the corridors to the forest; she was going for a run.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Leg was turning a corner in the hallway; he realized he had been harsh on Neff and that she had really like the bracelet. He was going to apologize when he ran into her. Her face was smooth, but when she saw him it became full of disdainful anger. He gripped her arms and looked her in the eyes, she stared straight back. * Neff? Neff, what's wrong? Are you ok? Was it something I did? Does it have to do with the brac- * he broke off. She stared straight into his eyes and their brown eyes locked on each other, her anger and hatred bore like an acid through him and shocked, his mouth falling open slightly and he left go of her as his hands fell to his sides, drooping with the guilt he felt that he had caused.
She strode past him, her anger an almost tangible crackling energy field around her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cur was on a horse and he was starting to come out of a trail in a small patch of trees into the courtyard when Neff came out of the palace and started down the steps in front of the palace. The Palace had grand white marble steps that led into a great courtyard that was deserted at this time of the day, but would be bustling later. The courtyard was edged with a gate and wall. Confined within the wall was the palace, stables, and some other important buildings. Between all the buildings were patches of trees and paths through them. Cur quickly ducked back down the path so she wouldn't see him. Her mind was brimming with so much turmoil he doubted whether she would have noticed he was there even if he had stood right in front of her.
She marched across the courtyard, spoke to the guard in terse and tense words and practically ran out of the gate. Curunir quickly rode up to the gate, explained he wanted to go for a ride, and they let him through as well. Once out of sight, he rode into a gallop, chasing after the elven wizard who was speeding through the forest in an attempt to leave her anger behind. But he made sure to not come within hearing distance or seeing distance of her. She was barely in his mind reach, but enough so that he could track the flame that dimmed and flared sporadically.
He wasn't sure what he was doing, but neither was she, they traveled on, and on; neither picking up the two bands of orcs roaming in the woods ahead of them. And they were headed straight towards them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
They had been going for several hours, and at a pace that steadily ate up the ground. The horse, being elvish, was fine in keeping up with Neff's pace, but Cur wasn't. His butt was killing him, and he hoped that she would stop soon. Finally she did, but Cur could tell she stopped only long enough to drink form a nearby stream, before moving again. But she wasn't running through the forest this time. She was now practicing her blade work. She ran through her parries, and lunges, her stretches, and exercises.
Cur sank down near the stream, he was at the same one Neff was, but far away from her. The horse drank, and Cur started to rub him down, since Neff showed no sign of moving on farther. Suddenly, Neff's focus changed. She wasn't practicing, but actually doing the real thing.
She was fighting orcs.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Neff was been practicing her lunges, perfecting her landing position for lunges, just far enough to reach her target, but not so far that she couldn't pull herself back up. Then orcs were there. The burst suddenly through the trees, and Neff was so wrapped up in her angry thoughts, she didn't hear them coming, as she otherwise would have. It looked to be about a band, 20 orcs, but she was a bit busy and couldn't take the time to count them. And even if she had, she doubted they would stand still long enough for her to be sure she got them all and not counted an orc twice. She snorted at her thoughts and slashed and lunged and ran and twirled.
She cut down four in the first few minutes, and handed out more cuts and bruises.
Suddenly, one orc lunged at her back, another attacked her left side, and she fought off one more at her front. She had to do an awkward twirl and duck and slash to get out from all three, but she was flying through the air and sprawled out on the ground, her face in the dirt. She had tripped over one of the orcs that she had slain earlier.
Six orcs surrounded her, their swords, spears, knifes, and other random objects of violence trained on her. She sat up gingerly and was relieved to notice that she had no broken, bones, more large bruises, but those would heal. She could still move despite the twangs of pain they gave her. Her heart sank as she saw the 10 orcs behind the six that surrounded her. 16 orcs, she had only taken down four. She saw with grim satisfaction, that many of them had cuts that were bleeding, and several had some missing limbs, which they were ignoring.
Pictures from her days up north flashed through her mind, and the dread inside her grew. She remembered the sick feelings when they had found heads or mauled bodies, or tunics that were soaked in blood of their former owner. Sometimes, orcs would maul the bodies of the dead and leave the head untouched, sometimes they scalped it though, to torment those who would find the bodies later and realize who the corpse was.
She had seen many dead bodies, and although she was a fighter, she never lost that sick feeling in her stomach when her blade drove into flesh. But no matter what she had seen, she had always kept a tight hold on her stomach, there were times when throwing up could be fine and healthy, but on the northern border, those times were rare and few between. The last place to throw up is on the battlefield, to many enemies about to cut you down in your time of weakness. Unfortunately, the battlefield was one of the few places were you wanted to throw up right away.
As pictures of bloody heads, bodies, and clothes came to the surface of her mind, she felt her stomach start to rebel, and she wanted so badly to give up her insides. Those dead bodies could be her. Neff felt her face blanch and decided she needed to go down a different track of thought.
She managed to concentrate on what the two commanders of the band were arguing about. She couldn't understand orcish, though she promised if she outlived this day, she would learn it. Her churning stomach and the blanket of dread and horror on her mind refused to allow her to concentrate to use spells; but mind speech had been instinct in her, so she listened in on the commanders. They were trying to decide what to do with her, and she went paler as they brought up more horrible memories. She was almost white and her stomach was just on the verge of spilling out when a shaft of calm reassurance fled into her.
Suddenly out of the forest edge rushed a blur of white. In seconds three more were down. She realized it was a person dressed in white and on a white horse. The horse spun around and she saw, "Curunir!" she gasped. He grinned reassuringly at her. Then five more rushed in and three pulled him down while two grabbed the horse. The horse bucked and Curunir struggled but one of the orcs put something on the horse's nose and the horse's eyes rolled upwards before it fell. Another orc hit Curunir on the head and he fell in a pile beside her.
"Curunir? Are you alright?" Curunir bobbed his head and she sighed. Curunir was no fighter. She was surprised he had gotten down three, but he did have the surprise. Then they were roughly grabbed and dumped at the center of the clearing. The rest of the orcs then proceeded to blather and bustle about who was getting what and so on and so forth.
"Are you all right? I got here as soon as I could." She nodded, her mouth was dry. "All right, how about we leave this party?" She nodded. She felt her throat expand as food started to come up. She clamped her mouth shut and swalloed hard until the feeling passed. She gasped for air as the horrible taste of bile and throw-up filled her mouth.
Curunir's hands and feet had been tied but he managed to sit upright and then his eyes seemed to draw inwards as he concentrated. Suddenly a bright light burst from him and Neff and all around them. Immediately the bright wave of light cut down the 13 orcs.
Neff felt her stomach lurch again and this time she couldn't hold it, she threw up. Her insides were heaving and seeing more dead bodies wasn't helping. Curunir backed himself up to one of the blades lying nearby and dragged his bonds over the rough edge. Finally the dull blade cut the ropes and he quickly freed his feet. He crawled over to Neff and untied her ropes and wiped her dirty mouth with a corner of his robe. Then they both fell to the ground and lay there heaving for breath. Neff still felt sick still and Curunir felt wiped out from the spell.
Then out of the woods around them the other band appeared. Cur groaned, Neff didn't have the energy too. The band circled around them and leering grotesque faces sneered down at them. Neff threw up again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trouble is on the way! I got sick of mushy fluff romance so I decided to get her mad at the two who love her best. Even elves go through pms too! (Well, if they don't, they do now!) Well, review and tell me what you think of Neff's new feelings towards the two!
Oh, update: I had stopped this thing for a while and had given up on it. I am now trying to finish it and at least get some more important parts in. Please, this will take awhile and I will update as I write it, Thanks for reading!
Hey, I am currently going through this and re-writing parts and adding stuff in that I had in my mind and not down. I am also working on the next chapter, but I am now at the point where I think I may have to read the Similarion. So, things may slow down. dunno, what I am going to do, I am also working on parts of the story that aren't going to appear for a WHILE! So yeah, have patience and you will receive (or whatever that saying is.)
~Kit ;)