Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR I only own Nefaratoiel, Mariel, and
Lhunrothien.
Chapter 2 - New friends
Nefaratoiel remained apart from her companions as they walked to Rivendell. Mariel and Lhunrothien walked just in front of her, small smiles upon their faces. None of them spoke, but it was a comfortable silence.
Lhunrothien turned and suggested to the two, "We should pause soon for a while, and continue on our way at dawn."
Mariel and Nefaratoiel nodded in agreement.
"I do not require any rest. The two of you rest and I will keep watch." Nefaratoiel said softly.
Her companions looked at her, and decided not to argue. They found a small clearing and settled down to rest. Nefaratoiel stood over to the side, alert of her surroundings.
She heard a small rustle in the underbrush to her right. She eased a long knife from one of her sleeves and crept over to the bushes. What she saw nearly broke her heart.
A panther and tiger had been fighting something together. Both were going to die and there was nothing Nefaratoiel could do. She eased their passing by using her magic to alleviate any pain they might have been feeling.
Each one had a cub. Nefaratoiel noticed the two young ones when helping their mothers. 'So they were helping each other protect their young. Very commendable.' Nefaratoiel thought to herself. The tiger cub was silver/white female with stormy gray eyes, much like Nefaratoiel's. Her claws seemed to glow softly and had a silver sheen to them. The panther cub was a sleek black male. His eyes were a vibrant emerald green and his claws seemed to absorb light they were so dark.
Nefaratoiel picked the two up and carried them with her back to their makeshift campsite. The panther slightly turned away from her, he was meant for another. But the tiger took to Nefaratoiel like glue. Nefaratoiel raised the tiger to eye level and whispered to her in elven, "Will you allow me to care for you my little Silmaneero?" The tiger stretched her neck forward and lightly brushed her nose to Nefaratoiel's, signifying yes.
The panther stared at her with his clear green eyes, almost hauntingly. Nefaratoiel whispered to him in elvish, "Stick with me my little friend, we will find the one you seek," she promised. Silmaneero curled up in Nefaratoiel's lap and the panther beside her.
Willow had been awake and watched the entire exchange. She raised her soft brown eyes and looked into Nefaratoiel's gray ones. It was Willow who turned away first. She lay down beside Mariel, accepting the two but signifying that she would agree with her mistress in the matter.
Nefaratoiel smiled a little seeing this. It was a rare smile that she didn't often show. Nefaratoiel found that she didn't feel so alone in the world. Maybe she should have visited the elven communities sooner. She sat there peacefully stroking Silmaneero softly.
When it was dawn Nefaratoiel silently rose from her position causing Silmaneero and the panther cub to wake. She silently moved over to her two companions and woke them with a light touch on the shoulder each. Mariel reached into her pack, being the only one with any belongings and pulled out some Lembas bread. She passed it around to her companions and even some to Willow, Silmaneero and the panther cub.
Lhunrothien fixed her stare on Nefaratoiel, "When did these two join us?" she questioned.
Nefaratoiel returned Lhunrothien's stare, "Last night while you slept." Was all that Nefaratoiel said in reply. She then turned her head away signaling an end to the conversation.
The companions set out for Rivendell once more expecting to arrive by sunset. The panther walked beside Nefaratoiel's feet, Silmaneero in her arms. Mariel was carrying Willow.
Lhunrothien walked behind the other two elves. Something seemed to trouble her. Being the most talkative of the three, it caused for few and very short conversations.
Mariel tried to lighten the mood sometimes by telling tales or sometimes jokes. They made Lhunrothien smile or laugh but never for long. Nefaratoiel merely nodded, listening politely neither smiling nor laughing.
They were coming out into a clearing where a few others were. A couple of them were wet and the others laughing. As they stepped out into the clearing one, a woman turned and looked at them. Her eyes landed on Lhunrothien, "Lhunrothien?!?!" The girl screamed and ran forward.
Lhunrothien looked shocked for a moment, "RIN!!!" she called out and ran forward to embrace her friend.
Nefaratoiel raised her eyebrow. 'So there is more to Lhunrothien than meets the eye.' She thought to herself. The two had embraced and were talking. Nefaratoiel heard the girl exclaim that Lhunrothien was an elf. She raised her eyebrow again. They knew each other, but the Rin girl didn't know that her friend was an elf. That was.. different.
Rin introduced her companions, "That is Lord Eomer, King of Rohan. The others are Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli."
Nefaratoiel was a bit confused when the girl didn't state their titles. But Lhunrothien greeted them with titles and all, which caused Nefaratoiel to smile inwardly. Lhunrothien then introduced who her companions were. Nefaratoiel was not pleased. She was the raven-haired and Mariel the auburn. She didn't offer any titles. Not that Nefaratoiel had a title in the first place.
Before anything else could be said the panther cub jumped into Rin's arms. 'She must have a good soul' thought Nefaratoiel. She stepped forward, "Name him and he is yours to care for." Nefaratoiel said simply.
The Rin girl looked shocked at the panther and Nefaratoiel before smiling. She looked down at him, "Avath the elven word for shadow." Avath leapt from her arms and rubbed against her feet.
"Lle quena i'lambe tel' Eldalie ?" Legolas questioned Rin.
Rin smiled, "I can understand quite a bit but I'm not that great at speaking it" she answered smoothly.
Rin suddenly collapsed. It was Aragorn who caught her, but Lord Eomer who insisted on carrying her. 'He cares for her greatly' Nefaratoiel noticed. Aragorn turned to Nefaratoiel and Mariel. "Hello again Mariel," he knew her in Rivendell, "I haven't seen you before Ladies, but you a friend of Rin and you.." He trailed off not knowing her title.
"Get to the point." Nefaratoiel told him, "The girl needs to be taken care. We don't have time for formalities, so I suggest we start walking to Rivendell now." She said rather impatiently.
Aragorn and Legolas looked at her in shock. They had never heard an elf speak so ungracefully and so cold before. Nefaratoiel merely stared right back, forcing Aragorn to look away as her eyes seemed to pierce his soul. Legolas held her gaze longer but he too looked away. "You are right," Aragorn agreed, "Let us go"
So the two men, one carrying Rin, one dwarf and four elves, and three animals walked off towards Rivendell.
Chapter 2 - New friends
Nefaratoiel remained apart from her companions as they walked to Rivendell. Mariel and Lhunrothien walked just in front of her, small smiles upon their faces. None of them spoke, but it was a comfortable silence.
Lhunrothien turned and suggested to the two, "We should pause soon for a while, and continue on our way at dawn."
Mariel and Nefaratoiel nodded in agreement.
"I do not require any rest. The two of you rest and I will keep watch." Nefaratoiel said softly.
Her companions looked at her, and decided not to argue. They found a small clearing and settled down to rest. Nefaratoiel stood over to the side, alert of her surroundings.
She heard a small rustle in the underbrush to her right. She eased a long knife from one of her sleeves and crept over to the bushes. What she saw nearly broke her heart.
A panther and tiger had been fighting something together. Both were going to die and there was nothing Nefaratoiel could do. She eased their passing by using her magic to alleviate any pain they might have been feeling.
Each one had a cub. Nefaratoiel noticed the two young ones when helping their mothers. 'So they were helping each other protect their young. Very commendable.' Nefaratoiel thought to herself. The tiger cub was silver/white female with stormy gray eyes, much like Nefaratoiel's. Her claws seemed to glow softly and had a silver sheen to them. The panther cub was a sleek black male. His eyes were a vibrant emerald green and his claws seemed to absorb light they were so dark.
Nefaratoiel picked the two up and carried them with her back to their makeshift campsite. The panther slightly turned away from her, he was meant for another. But the tiger took to Nefaratoiel like glue. Nefaratoiel raised the tiger to eye level and whispered to her in elven, "Will you allow me to care for you my little Silmaneero?" The tiger stretched her neck forward and lightly brushed her nose to Nefaratoiel's, signifying yes.
The panther stared at her with his clear green eyes, almost hauntingly. Nefaratoiel whispered to him in elvish, "Stick with me my little friend, we will find the one you seek," she promised. Silmaneero curled up in Nefaratoiel's lap and the panther beside her.
Willow had been awake and watched the entire exchange. She raised her soft brown eyes and looked into Nefaratoiel's gray ones. It was Willow who turned away first. She lay down beside Mariel, accepting the two but signifying that she would agree with her mistress in the matter.
Nefaratoiel smiled a little seeing this. It was a rare smile that she didn't often show. Nefaratoiel found that she didn't feel so alone in the world. Maybe she should have visited the elven communities sooner. She sat there peacefully stroking Silmaneero softly.
When it was dawn Nefaratoiel silently rose from her position causing Silmaneero and the panther cub to wake. She silently moved over to her two companions and woke them with a light touch on the shoulder each. Mariel reached into her pack, being the only one with any belongings and pulled out some Lembas bread. She passed it around to her companions and even some to Willow, Silmaneero and the panther cub.
Lhunrothien fixed her stare on Nefaratoiel, "When did these two join us?" she questioned.
Nefaratoiel returned Lhunrothien's stare, "Last night while you slept." Was all that Nefaratoiel said in reply. She then turned her head away signaling an end to the conversation.
The companions set out for Rivendell once more expecting to arrive by sunset. The panther walked beside Nefaratoiel's feet, Silmaneero in her arms. Mariel was carrying Willow.
Lhunrothien walked behind the other two elves. Something seemed to trouble her. Being the most talkative of the three, it caused for few and very short conversations.
Mariel tried to lighten the mood sometimes by telling tales or sometimes jokes. They made Lhunrothien smile or laugh but never for long. Nefaratoiel merely nodded, listening politely neither smiling nor laughing.
They were coming out into a clearing where a few others were. A couple of them were wet and the others laughing. As they stepped out into the clearing one, a woman turned and looked at them. Her eyes landed on Lhunrothien, "Lhunrothien?!?!" The girl screamed and ran forward.
Lhunrothien looked shocked for a moment, "RIN!!!" she called out and ran forward to embrace her friend.
Nefaratoiel raised her eyebrow. 'So there is more to Lhunrothien than meets the eye.' She thought to herself. The two had embraced and were talking. Nefaratoiel heard the girl exclaim that Lhunrothien was an elf. She raised her eyebrow again. They knew each other, but the Rin girl didn't know that her friend was an elf. That was.. different.
Rin introduced her companions, "That is Lord Eomer, King of Rohan. The others are Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli."
Nefaratoiel was a bit confused when the girl didn't state their titles. But Lhunrothien greeted them with titles and all, which caused Nefaratoiel to smile inwardly. Lhunrothien then introduced who her companions were. Nefaratoiel was not pleased. She was the raven-haired and Mariel the auburn. She didn't offer any titles. Not that Nefaratoiel had a title in the first place.
Before anything else could be said the panther cub jumped into Rin's arms. 'She must have a good soul' thought Nefaratoiel. She stepped forward, "Name him and he is yours to care for." Nefaratoiel said simply.
The Rin girl looked shocked at the panther and Nefaratoiel before smiling. She looked down at him, "Avath the elven word for shadow." Avath leapt from her arms and rubbed against her feet.
"Lle quena i'lambe tel' Eldalie ?" Legolas questioned Rin.
Rin smiled, "I can understand quite a bit but I'm not that great at speaking it" she answered smoothly.
Rin suddenly collapsed. It was Aragorn who caught her, but Lord Eomer who insisted on carrying her. 'He cares for her greatly' Nefaratoiel noticed. Aragorn turned to Nefaratoiel and Mariel. "Hello again Mariel," he knew her in Rivendell, "I haven't seen you before Ladies, but you a friend of Rin and you.." He trailed off not knowing her title.
"Get to the point." Nefaratoiel told him, "The girl needs to be taken care. We don't have time for formalities, so I suggest we start walking to Rivendell now." She said rather impatiently.
Aragorn and Legolas looked at her in shock. They had never heard an elf speak so ungracefully and so cold before. Nefaratoiel merely stared right back, forcing Aragorn to look away as her eyes seemed to pierce his soul. Legolas held her gaze longer but he too looked away. "You are right," Aragorn agreed, "Let us go"
So the two men, one carrying Rin, one dwarf and four elves, and three animals walked off towards Rivendell.