Sigh I do not own any of Tolkien's characters, although at times I wish I
do. Cylliel and anything else you do not instantly recognize are mine, the
rest Tolkien's, so please, leave the suing for someone who deserves it.
Chapter 2- Avoidance
~~~~~~~~~
Cylliel ran to meet Sharadoni, not wanting to let her old friend make the climb up to meet her. She jumped from stone to stone, barely encumbered by the quiver on her back, or the sword at her side, as she made her way down the only hill on the otherwise flat lands, except the mountains that could be seen far to the south. But no one traveled to the south, because that took you though Lasandoi territory and none of the Rashadonii went there. Stonetree was a natural landmark, and a good look-out tower, if you were not afraid of the climb that took you nearly 500 ft above the grassy plains.
"Good day, Sharadoni," she said, "what brings you this far away from camp? You usually don't leave camp for any reason."
Sharadoni sighed, and looked up at her friend as she spoke, "The Chief is dying my young friend, and for some reason he calls for you. He made me swear to find you myself, for it seems I am the only one he will trust this task to."
Cylliel frowned at the news, for although Chief Rashadi was elderly and it was expected he would pass on at any time, she had not thought Rashadi would break all custom and send for her. Rashadi had been her friend for many years, although the clan shunned her more now than ever, in this small family of two brothers and a sister, she had found friends. She looked into the eyes of the Chief's sister and simply said, "Take me to him".
~~~~~~~~~~
After a day of travel in near silence ManbechĂr and Arphenon had already grown tired of their Prince's dark mood that seemed to accompany this trip to Imladris. Legolas had not told them anything of this trip, only that the King had commanded that the message to Lord Elrond be delivered in all haste. ManbechĂr and Arphenon both knew that the Prince would much rather be fighting off goblins in the southeastern part of Mirkwood, but they also knew the Prince would never openly disobey the King.
Legolas rode deep in thought, reflecting on the recent string of goblin attacks, in full daylight none the less. He was disturbed by the thought that something very powerful must be driving these hapless creatures, but his troubled mind could not find the reasoning behind the attacks on Mirkwood. The Woodland Realms had their troubles, with the darkening of the world, Mirkwood had become overgrown, dark, a very terrible place.
While the Necromancer had lived in the south, overgrown spiders had infested the north, and goblins and other twisted creatures roamed the Realm, destroying as they went. But never before had they attacked in force, or with purpose. Before it had been random encounters, with small bands of goblins, not full battles with goblin fighting units. As the day went on, he could not help but feel that all his questions would be answered soon, and that something or someone was coming to change the fate of Middle-Earth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Cylliel walked into the camp with Sharadoni at her side, she stared straight at the Chief's tent in the middle of the encampment. Even though she always watched the same spot, and never turned her head, she could feel the clan's stares, hear their whispers. "Watch out for that one!" a mother warned her young son, "If you do bad things, that one will get you, for she is a living spirit, she finds bad little boys and girls, then takes them away for punishment!"
If the situation had not been so serious, Cylliel would have laughed out loud at that remark, but instead she slightly shook her head, thinking, 'so, I've been upgraded to a living spirit, huh? It sounds like the clan is having trouble figuring out who I am. But then again, do I know who I am?' Cylliel could remember nothing but life on the wind-swept plains, nothing more than life with the Rashadonii. But in her long life, she had always known that even though the Rashadonii had taken her in, adopted her and raised her, she was not one of them.
"Who approaches the Chief's tent?" said the guard by the entry. Cylliel simply stared at him, trying to remember his name. She had been gone from the Rashadonii clan for nearly a decade, traveling with the Mashandi clan to the west, and most of the people she knew were no longer young enough for service. A new generation had taken over while she had been in the west. She had only recently returned to the Rashadonii, when word had reached her of the decline in the chief's health.
"I am Sharadoni, and I wish to speak with the chief," the elder beside Cylliel spoke up, "I believe he is waiting for me, and I do not wish to make him wait any longer."
For a moment the guard looked as if he would argue, but traditional reverence for the medicine woman of the clan out weighed his loath for the 'outsider', and he finally let them pass. As they passed the guard, the wind picked up enough to cause Cylliel's hair to fan out behind her, and the guard visibly flinched away, as if her hair was poison he was trying to avoid. Cylliel sighed at the occurrence, thinking of how many times in the past instances such as that had happened.
As they stepped into the entrance, the wind was suddenly shut off, and her hair settled down again. She thought of cutting her hair for the second time that day, and dismissed that thought just as quickly. 'Someday I'll try to find my true home,' she thought, 'Someday, just someday'. As they stepped into the inner tent, the light of a small fire greeted them, contrasting with her darker hair again. She noticed as servants hurried to leave out the back of the inner tent, no doubt to be away from the 'living spirit'. Her attention was drawn to one side of the tent, where the sleeping platforms were located. To the one that had the curtains drawn back, to the one her friend was lying in. 'He looks so old,' she thought, 'so far gone, why do I always have to watch my friends die? Someday I'll find the place where I belong, someday'.
"Good morn, Rashadi," she said, moving toward the platform. She approached slowly, not wanting to disturb the chief's daughter, who sat by her father. Her and Assandi usually got along, but with the looming death of her father, Assandi was feeling burdened by new responsibilities. The chief's wife had passed away a few years ago, and Assandi was starting to feel the pressures of her new duty. The man Assandi married would be the new chief of the Rashadonii.
Cylliel moved her thoughts away from the young woman sitting on the edge of the platform, and moved closer to see her dear friend. Rashadi was propped up against furs and blankets, in a sitting position that would not have tired him. Cylliel stood there watching him, and then turned to put her weapons by the entrance. As she turned, a hand grabbed hers, in a grip that was surprisingly strong. She turned back to see the hand that held hers was Rashadi's, and that he was watching her. Her green eyes met his blue ones, and she was shocked to find sadness in them.
"Why are you sad, my chief?" she asked, "why are there tears in your eyes?"
"Because I have not been totally honest with a friend," he replied, "And for that reason I am sad. Assandi, go find my brother, tell him I wish to speak with him, then please, go to your aunt's tent, and stay there tonight." Rashadi waited until Assandi was gone, then said, "Cylliel, please sit beside me, we have much to discuss. When Sarandio arrives, please, just listen to what I have to say."
Cylliel nodded, a little confused, but she did as her friend requested, and sat in the spot Assandi had vacated. Sharadoni got busy and started preparing tea, humming under her breath as she worked. Cylliel was getting uncomfortable in the silence, and made to remove her weapons again, but again Rashadi stopped her, this time squeezing her hand, simply not letting her move.
Cylliel heard the voice of the guard, followed by a very familiar voice. It was therefore no surprise to her when the entrance was opened and another elderly man walked into the tent. Sarandio was the holy shaman of the Rashadonii, and the most powerful man besides the chief. He shuffled in to meet gazes with his sister, then moved over to stand over his brother.
"Are you ready, Rashadi?" he asked, "Shall we begin?"
Cylliel's eyes where darting from one person to the other, they all seemed to know something she didn't. She was quite confused by this point, and was convinced that the three siblings were conspiring amongst themselves, and that it concerned her. Her thoughts were confirmed when Rashadi's eyes met with hers again, boring into her.
"Cylliel, I am sorry it took me this long to tell you what I know." He began, "I was planning on telling you this earlier, then you disappeared again. The next thing I know, too many years have passed by, and I am now an old man. I need to tell you this before I pass on."
"Tell me what," she asked, in a very confused and timid voice.
"Cylliel, what I am about to tell you happened a very long time ago. This information has been passed down from Chief to Chief for two and a half thousand years. Only the chief and the shaman have been told of this information, but we feel the time has come for you to know. You need to know." He paused, seemingly trying to get his thoughts in order.
"Rashadi," she prodded, "What do I need to know?"
Rashadi sighed, resigning himself, "Cylliel, you need to know the story of how you came to us. You need to know your history. I am about to tell you everything."
***********
Well, what do you think?? Read and review! Please! I really do take reviews seriously, and appreciate them greatly! I will update soon, I promise!
Chapter 2- Avoidance
~~~~~~~~~
Cylliel ran to meet Sharadoni, not wanting to let her old friend make the climb up to meet her. She jumped from stone to stone, barely encumbered by the quiver on her back, or the sword at her side, as she made her way down the only hill on the otherwise flat lands, except the mountains that could be seen far to the south. But no one traveled to the south, because that took you though Lasandoi territory and none of the Rashadonii went there. Stonetree was a natural landmark, and a good look-out tower, if you were not afraid of the climb that took you nearly 500 ft above the grassy plains.
"Good day, Sharadoni," she said, "what brings you this far away from camp? You usually don't leave camp for any reason."
Sharadoni sighed, and looked up at her friend as she spoke, "The Chief is dying my young friend, and for some reason he calls for you. He made me swear to find you myself, for it seems I am the only one he will trust this task to."
Cylliel frowned at the news, for although Chief Rashadi was elderly and it was expected he would pass on at any time, she had not thought Rashadi would break all custom and send for her. Rashadi had been her friend for many years, although the clan shunned her more now than ever, in this small family of two brothers and a sister, she had found friends. She looked into the eyes of the Chief's sister and simply said, "Take me to him".
~~~~~~~~~~
After a day of travel in near silence ManbechĂr and Arphenon had already grown tired of their Prince's dark mood that seemed to accompany this trip to Imladris. Legolas had not told them anything of this trip, only that the King had commanded that the message to Lord Elrond be delivered in all haste. ManbechĂr and Arphenon both knew that the Prince would much rather be fighting off goblins in the southeastern part of Mirkwood, but they also knew the Prince would never openly disobey the King.
Legolas rode deep in thought, reflecting on the recent string of goblin attacks, in full daylight none the less. He was disturbed by the thought that something very powerful must be driving these hapless creatures, but his troubled mind could not find the reasoning behind the attacks on Mirkwood. The Woodland Realms had their troubles, with the darkening of the world, Mirkwood had become overgrown, dark, a very terrible place.
While the Necromancer had lived in the south, overgrown spiders had infested the north, and goblins and other twisted creatures roamed the Realm, destroying as they went. But never before had they attacked in force, or with purpose. Before it had been random encounters, with small bands of goblins, not full battles with goblin fighting units. As the day went on, he could not help but feel that all his questions would be answered soon, and that something or someone was coming to change the fate of Middle-Earth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Cylliel walked into the camp with Sharadoni at her side, she stared straight at the Chief's tent in the middle of the encampment. Even though she always watched the same spot, and never turned her head, she could feel the clan's stares, hear their whispers. "Watch out for that one!" a mother warned her young son, "If you do bad things, that one will get you, for she is a living spirit, she finds bad little boys and girls, then takes them away for punishment!"
If the situation had not been so serious, Cylliel would have laughed out loud at that remark, but instead she slightly shook her head, thinking, 'so, I've been upgraded to a living spirit, huh? It sounds like the clan is having trouble figuring out who I am. But then again, do I know who I am?' Cylliel could remember nothing but life on the wind-swept plains, nothing more than life with the Rashadonii. But in her long life, she had always known that even though the Rashadonii had taken her in, adopted her and raised her, she was not one of them.
"Who approaches the Chief's tent?" said the guard by the entry. Cylliel simply stared at him, trying to remember his name. She had been gone from the Rashadonii clan for nearly a decade, traveling with the Mashandi clan to the west, and most of the people she knew were no longer young enough for service. A new generation had taken over while she had been in the west. She had only recently returned to the Rashadonii, when word had reached her of the decline in the chief's health.
"I am Sharadoni, and I wish to speak with the chief," the elder beside Cylliel spoke up, "I believe he is waiting for me, and I do not wish to make him wait any longer."
For a moment the guard looked as if he would argue, but traditional reverence for the medicine woman of the clan out weighed his loath for the 'outsider', and he finally let them pass. As they passed the guard, the wind picked up enough to cause Cylliel's hair to fan out behind her, and the guard visibly flinched away, as if her hair was poison he was trying to avoid. Cylliel sighed at the occurrence, thinking of how many times in the past instances such as that had happened.
As they stepped into the entrance, the wind was suddenly shut off, and her hair settled down again. She thought of cutting her hair for the second time that day, and dismissed that thought just as quickly. 'Someday I'll try to find my true home,' she thought, 'Someday, just someday'. As they stepped into the inner tent, the light of a small fire greeted them, contrasting with her darker hair again. She noticed as servants hurried to leave out the back of the inner tent, no doubt to be away from the 'living spirit'. Her attention was drawn to one side of the tent, where the sleeping platforms were located. To the one that had the curtains drawn back, to the one her friend was lying in. 'He looks so old,' she thought, 'so far gone, why do I always have to watch my friends die? Someday I'll find the place where I belong, someday'.
"Good morn, Rashadi," she said, moving toward the platform. She approached slowly, not wanting to disturb the chief's daughter, who sat by her father. Her and Assandi usually got along, but with the looming death of her father, Assandi was feeling burdened by new responsibilities. The chief's wife had passed away a few years ago, and Assandi was starting to feel the pressures of her new duty. The man Assandi married would be the new chief of the Rashadonii.
Cylliel moved her thoughts away from the young woman sitting on the edge of the platform, and moved closer to see her dear friend. Rashadi was propped up against furs and blankets, in a sitting position that would not have tired him. Cylliel stood there watching him, and then turned to put her weapons by the entrance. As she turned, a hand grabbed hers, in a grip that was surprisingly strong. She turned back to see the hand that held hers was Rashadi's, and that he was watching her. Her green eyes met his blue ones, and she was shocked to find sadness in them.
"Why are you sad, my chief?" she asked, "why are there tears in your eyes?"
"Because I have not been totally honest with a friend," he replied, "And for that reason I am sad. Assandi, go find my brother, tell him I wish to speak with him, then please, go to your aunt's tent, and stay there tonight." Rashadi waited until Assandi was gone, then said, "Cylliel, please sit beside me, we have much to discuss. When Sarandio arrives, please, just listen to what I have to say."
Cylliel nodded, a little confused, but she did as her friend requested, and sat in the spot Assandi had vacated. Sharadoni got busy and started preparing tea, humming under her breath as she worked. Cylliel was getting uncomfortable in the silence, and made to remove her weapons again, but again Rashadi stopped her, this time squeezing her hand, simply not letting her move.
Cylliel heard the voice of the guard, followed by a very familiar voice. It was therefore no surprise to her when the entrance was opened and another elderly man walked into the tent. Sarandio was the holy shaman of the Rashadonii, and the most powerful man besides the chief. He shuffled in to meet gazes with his sister, then moved over to stand over his brother.
"Are you ready, Rashadi?" he asked, "Shall we begin?"
Cylliel's eyes where darting from one person to the other, they all seemed to know something she didn't. She was quite confused by this point, and was convinced that the three siblings were conspiring amongst themselves, and that it concerned her. Her thoughts were confirmed when Rashadi's eyes met with hers again, boring into her.
"Cylliel, I am sorry it took me this long to tell you what I know." He began, "I was planning on telling you this earlier, then you disappeared again. The next thing I know, too many years have passed by, and I am now an old man. I need to tell you this before I pass on."
"Tell me what," she asked, in a very confused and timid voice.
"Cylliel, what I am about to tell you happened a very long time ago. This information has been passed down from Chief to Chief for two and a half thousand years. Only the chief and the shaman have been told of this information, but we feel the time has come for you to know. You need to know." He paused, seemingly trying to get his thoughts in order.
"Rashadi," she prodded, "What do I need to know?"
Rashadi sighed, resigning himself, "Cylliel, you need to know the story of how you came to us. You need to know your history. I am about to tell you everything."
***********
Well, what do you think?? Read and review! Please! I really do take reviews seriously, and appreciate them greatly! I will update soon, I promise!
