The Next Meeting
POV - Brier
A month after the battle with the Orcs, Geldrian was once again in good health. He was the new storyteller of the group, but Agador didn't mind. She enjoyed his stories of the Orc attack, and listened intently each time he spoke. She talked so much of him all the time, I even felt jealous. My fondness of Agador frightened me a bit, but I never said a word. She was even more itching for adventure one particular day when word came of travelors through the woods. She knew they were the Lorien elves we had encountered before, and convinced Entälenir and Dorinthian to let us camp out at the lake that night.
"This is so exciting how we'll see Vefeniel and Haldir again. I can't wait to tell them of the battle, and how Geldrian became a hero, and."
"Yes, yes, all of that." I interrupted her.
"You seem, I don't know, upset. Does something trouble you?" she asked, more serious then I'd ever seen her. I didn't say a word, only stared at the ground. Just then she took off running at an amazing speed, but stopped short just before hitting a large pine. Many branches stuck out low to the ground, and Agador hurried up each one.
"Come on! You know you love to climb trees! Come join me!" she shouted, and continued higher.
"Wait! You're going too high! Be careful!" I yelled, but just as I jumped up onto the first branch, a loud cracking noise was heard and Agador screamed. I panicked and leaped to the ground, just in time to see Agador tumbling through the branches to the leaves below. The branch which she had been on was dangling dangerously above our heads, and despite her cries of pain I cradled her in my arms and headed back towards the village. It wasn't too far, but Agador had gotten surprisingly heavy, and I had to sit her down. She wasn't crying, but her expression was that of terrible pain. She grasped one ankle in her hand, and cried to me:
"Brier! Go fetch my father, my back hurts terribly!" and with that I took off running back towards the camp, and heard the branch crash to the ground below. Agador boosted herself up onto a fallen log, and waited patiently until my return. It took barely half an hour to get back to where Agador lay, and she was still in much pain. When we got to the village her mother was in tears, and ran up to the stretcher she was being carried on.
"Agador! Oh, my dear Agador, are you all right?" Aneria wept, and followed her into Entälenir's hut. It was about high noon when I was allowed to see her. Her left ankle was swollen, and she bore bruises all up and down her arms and legs. Entälenir had laid her on her stomach so her back could be tended.
"Brier?" she summoned me.
"What is it?" I asked, and knelt beside her bed.
"Would you please go to the lake, and." she reached slowly into the pocket in her dress. "Give this to Haldir, won't you?" and she handed me a brooch, the one her mother gave her, of the swans. I nodded, concealing the brooch in my own pocket. Aneria had another brooch, exactly like that one, made while she was in Gondor with Dorithian, so it was only like Agador to give the other one away. So I set out to the lake, full of grief and worry.
I arrived at the lake just in time to see Vefeniel approach, Haldir at her side.
"Good timing!" I yelled, and rushed to their company.
"Wonderful afternoon, wouldn't you think?" Vefeniel asked, and smiled as she sat by the waterside.
"Where is Agador?" Haldir asked, searching around him.
"I'm afraid she won't be here today, she." I hesitated. "She's hurt." Haldir and Vefeniel didn't say a word, only stared. So I continued. "She fell while climbing a tree, and is unable to walk, I think. But she wanted me to give this to you." I said, and reached deep into my pocket for the brooch. My fingers encircled it, and a twinge of jealousy hit me. Why didn't she present me with gifts?
Haldir grasped the brooch and smiled. He turned it over and over in his hands. "Thank you, and tell Agador I will cherish it forever. I, too, have a gift." And he reached behind him, pulling out a large wooden bow and a quiver full of arrows. "I think she will be very pleased." And he handed me the offering. I smiled, but it was a fake smile. Jealousy still claimed my heart, but I managed to shake it aside for a while.
"Give our apologies to Agador, it is a shame she couldn't join us." Vefeniel said, and began to empty her haversack. I only packed a blanket and two sandwiches, half of which I consumed on the way.
The entire night until we fell asleep Vefeniel and I shared many stories. I told her of the band of Orcs, and Geldrian's wounds. I know Agador would have loved for them to hear it. Haldir was asleep by the time it was told, however, so I asked Vefeniel to share it with him some other time. The next day Vefeniel and Haldir set off for their own group, so I left for the village. On the way I took the bow in my hands and looked it over. After quite some time I noticed words carved on the handle. "Haldir & Agador" it read. My face felt like a hot volcano, about to explode under pressure.
A month after the battle with the Orcs, Geldrian was once again in good health. He was the new storyteller of the group, but Agador didn't mind. She enjoyed his stories of the Orc attack, and listened intently each time he spoke. She talked so much of him all the time, I even felt jealous. My fondness of Agador frightened me a bit, but I never said a word. She was even more itching for adventure one particular day when word came of travelors through the woods. She knew they were the Lorien elves we had encountered before, and convinced Entälenir and Dorinthian to let us camp out at the lake that night.
"This is so exciting how we'll see Vefeniel and Haldir again. I can't wait to tell them of the battle, and how Geldrian became a hero, and."
"Yes, yes, all of that." I interrupted her.
"You seem, I don't know, upset. Does something trouble you?" she asked, more serious then I'd ever seen her. I didn't say a word, only stared at the ground. Just then she took off running at an amazing speed, but stopped short just before hitting a large pine. Many branches stuck out low to the ground, and Agador hurried up each one.
"Come on! You know you love to climb trees! Come join me!" she shouted, and continued higher.
"Wait! You're going too high! Be careful!" I yelled, but just as I jumped up onto the first branch, a loud cracking noise was heard and Agador screamed. I panicked and leaped to the ground, just in time to see Agador tumbling through the branches to the leaves below. The branch which she had been on was dangling dangerously above our heads, and despite her cries of pain I cradled her in my arms and headed back towards the village. It wasn't too far, but Agador had gotten surprisingly heavy, and I had to sit her down. She wasn't crying, but her expression was that of terrible pain. She grasped one ankle in her hand, and cried to me:
"Brier! Go fetch my father, my back hurts terribly!" and with that I took off running back towards the camp, and heard the branch crash to the ground below. Agador boosted herself up onto a fallen log, and waited patiently until my return. It took barely half an hour to get back to where Agador lay, and she was still in much pain. When we got to the village her mother was in tears, and ran up to the stretcher she was being carried on.
"Agador! Oh, my dear Agador, are you all right?" Aneria wept, and followed her into Entälenir's hut. It was about high noon when I was allowed to see her. Her left ankle was swollen, and she bore bruises all up and down her arms and legs. Entälenir had laid her on her stomach so her back could be tended.
"Brier?" she summoned me.
"What is it?" I asked, and knelt beside her bed.
"Would you please go to the lake, and." she reached slowly into the pocket in her dress. "Give this to Haldir, won't you?" and she handed me a brooch, the one her mother gave her, of the swans. I nodded, concealing the brooch in my own pocket. Aneria had another brooch, exactly like that one, made while she was in Gondor with Dorithian, so it was only like Agador to give the other one away. So I set out to the lake, full of grief and worry.
I arrived at the lake just in time to see Vefeniel approach, Haldir at her side.
"Good timing!" I yelled, and rushed to their company.
"Wonderful afternoon, wouldn't you think?" Vefeniel asked, and smiled as she sat by the waterside.
"Where is Agador?" Haldir asked, searching around him.
"I'm afraid she won't be here today, she." I hesitated. "She's hurt." Haldir and Vefeniel didn't say a word, only stared. So I continued. "She fell while climbing a tree, and is unable to walk, I think. But she wanted me to give this to you." I said, and reached deep into my pocket for the brooch. My fingers encircled it, and a twinge of jealousy hit me. Why didn't she present me with gifts?
Haldir grasped the brooch and smiled. He turned it over and over in his hands. "Thank you, and tell Agador I will cherish it forever. I, too, have a gift." And he reached behind him, pulling out a large wooden bow and a quiver full of arrows. "I think she will be very pleased." And he handed me the offering. I smiled, but it was a fake smile. Jealousy still claimed my heart, but I managed to shake it aside for a while.
"Give our apologies to Agador, it is a shame she couldn't join us." Vefeniel said, and began to empty her haversack. I only packed a blanket and two sandwiches, half of which I consumed on the way.
The entire night until we fell asleep Vefeniel and I shared many stories. I told her of the band of Orcs, and Geldrian's wounds. I know Agador would have loved for them to hear it. Haldir was asleep by the time it was told, however, so I asked Vefeniel to share it with him some other time. The next day Vefeniel and Haldir set off for their own group, so I left for the village. On the way I took the bow in my hands and looked it over. After quite some time I noticed words carved on the handle. "Haldir & Agador" it read. My face felt like a hot volcano, about to explode under pressure.
