Disclaimer: Nyaaaaah!
A/N: Well, the break is nearly over, so here is one more chapter before all hell breaks loose again...
*
'Now,' said Erestor, as he waved the stick that Ren had used to keep things in control around in the air, 'why don't we try to discuss this problem civilly, hmm?'
The menacing look on Elrond's Chief Advisor's face was enough to get even Galadriel to shut up and sit, sulking. Ren worked, busily using Haldir's knife, which she had retrieved from some underbrush in the distance, to shred the remaining bonds that held the two eldar captive to each other. Glorfindel ruefully rubbed the back of his head, where his head had made contact with a tree branch. Galdor hauled him up. Haldir hurriedly picked his Lady up and helped her to pluck mallyrn leaves out of her hair. Celeborn was being forcefully restrained by Sara and Silei, while Shu Wen tried to calm Yvonne down. By that time, Inez had come upon them, and was trying to untangle the fuzzball of hair that trapped Yvonne's still moving fan. Ren knelt on one knee, her hair, once braided, now fell free around her, covering her face. The girl impatiently swept it backwards.
'What on Middle Earth is wrong with you people? Snap out of it!'
The girl impatiently grabbed the stick from Erestor's grasp and made violent gesticulations in Sara's direction.
'You! What did you do this time?'
Sara was about to open her mouth and protest, but Diana elbowed her in the stomach. Sara shut her mouth and shook her head.
'Fine! We did it, all right? Now, just for the record...'
Sara Ang, Trouble Maker of the year, stepped forward, snatched out a pen knife and sliced a lock of hair off Galadriel's head. The elda screeched. Sara grinned. Ren just smiled faintly, and slid off into the distance; evidently wanting some space to think things over. Glorfindel clutched his own tresses protectively.
*
When the cold and winter comes,
Starless night will cover day.
In the veiling of the sun,
We will walk in bitter rain.
But in dreams. But in dreams,
I can hear you name.
And in dreams, and in dreams,
We will meet again.
When the seas and mountains fall,
And we come to end of days.
In the dark I hear your call,
calling me there,
I will go there, and back and
again.
Ren dug through her pack, looking through the oddments, somehow thinking of the song The Breaking of the Fellowship in her misery. Something about what Sara did struck her as odd, or maybe even a form of foresight. The human was in a depressive mood. Something boded ill, somehow, somewhere. In the back of her mind, where the eternal waves still crashed and the burden was still carried, something felt wrong. Morgoth's Ring, The Peoples of Middle Earth and the Silmarillion. Ren threw the three annals onto her end of the talan, grabbed some pens and paper that she found also, a torch light which had somehow ended up in there and a bandana; leftovers from the last school event. Tying everything up, Ren silently slipped off the talan, descending the rope ladder and padding away to a quiet place to think.
*
'Eru Illuvatar, Manwe Sulimo, Ulmo Lord of all waters what did I do to deserve this?'
Glorfindel savagely drew back another arrow and let loose. The elda was venting off some frustration at one of the various archery grounds littered about Lothlorien. Somewhere nearby, Nimrodel bubbled happily, oblivious to what one very angry Vanya was doing. Glorfindel, being an elf, had his great and wondrous senses (hackcough), enough so to see through most of the darkness and spy the archery butts in the distance, even though it had not become light yet. Somehow, Glorfindel doubted any one of them would be getting much sleep after the events. The reassuring thud of an arrow embedding itself somewhere in the target grounded him slightly, but the elda still felt uneasy.
Who would not, in these times?
Another arrow soon followed the last, and the sound of snapping wood signified Glorfindel's accuracy. The elf only smiled grimly.
*
On the first sheet of Ren's paper:
Title: Names
Finwe: Noldoran
Feanor: Finwe, K(c)urufinwe, Feanaro. Curufinwe Fayanaro (...)
Fingolfin: Nolofinwe
Finarfin: Arafinwe
Fingon: Findekano
Turgon: Turukano
MIA: Arakano: Dead, gone, kapish. Do not mention. Supposedly made-but-never-made-it. Bargh.
Aredhel: Irisse, Ireth,
Finrod (Felgund): Findarato (Telerin alert!)
Orodreth (Unconfirmed): Ingoldo
Angrod: Angarato (Telerin alert!), Angamaite (Iron-Handed)
Aegnor: Aikanaro, Ambarato, Aikanar (Fell Fire)
Galadriel: Nerwende Artanis, Alatariel(le) (TELERIN! Blame Celeborn)
MIA: (The son that never was?) Artaher
Idril: Itarilde
Earendil: Ardamire (World-jewel)
Elros: Elerossee
Maedhros: Nelyafinwe (Third-Finwe), Maitimo (Well-shaped one [!]), Rusco (Fox), Russandol (Coppertop [not the battery])
Maglor: Kanafinwe (Strong voiced/Commanding), Makalaure (Forging Gold??)
Celelgorm: Turkafinwe (Strong [in body], Tyelkormo (Hasty Riser)
Curufin: Kurufinwe, Artarinke (Little Father)
Caranthir: Morifinwe (Dark [His hair]), Carnistir (Red-face)
Amrod: Pityafinwe (Little Finwe), Ambarto
Amaras: Telufinwe (Last Finwe), Ambarussa (Top-russet)
Note: Damn. These people have too many names. Take Valinorian forms - easier.
On Ren's second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth sheet of paper were illegible squiggles, most of which went along the lines of "Whose son?" "Dead or alive?" "Hair?" "Silmaril" "Feanor" "Crossed out" "Orodreth vs. Fingon?" "Ereinion?" and many, many lines of elven family trees, ranging from the First Age to the Third.
On Ren's seventh sheet of paper, there was a lot of vulgar words, stick figures and other random bits of nonsense. Ren nodded to herself and ruffled up her sheets of paper, then turned to Nimrodel and splashed her face in the water. The very first flickers of dawn had risen, making everything pale blue. It was still, however, very dark, and the amount of trees made it virtually impossible to see anything beyond five metres. The human had chosen to go over the the running river to settle down in peace, and since it was so early in the morning, nobody was about. Well, at least Ren thought nobody was about. Haldir was across the bank, alone, and he was taking his shirt off, evidently wanting to bathe. Ren decided in that moment that she was mentally scarred for life, and with a strangled choke of something that sounded that "arghbe", she grabbed her things and scrambled off before any other, ahem, items of clothing came off the Marchwarden. In her scramble for relevant safety, Ren made for the tree line and archery field she knew was there- where, if any elves were even there in the first place, everyone would be fully clothed.
*
Glorfindel concentrated on the target, drawing the arrow back a bit further to give it more power. Angling his arm a bit more, the elf fixed his eyes on the innocent but battered archery butt, which had about three quarters of Glorfindel's quiver embedded on it. Abruptly, the elf heard a rustling to his right, and before he could stop himself, instinct and his decided twitchiness that morning caused him to swing the bow over to the right, and after redrawing the bow, the Gondolindrim let the shaft fly.
*
Ren heard the ominous sound of a bow being drawn back, and frozen. Common sense took over, and she threw her papers up into the air before dropping to the ground in time to see a arrow fly and hit one of the papers, which was where her head had been a few moments prior. Ren gulped. The arrow had clean taken off the face of Stick Figure Feanor, and the entire sheet was now stuck on the bole of a mallorn tree. The trauma of nearly seeing Haldir strip and then coming close to being murdered was a bit more than Ren could take. Ditching all her belongings, she took off towards her talan, the sounds of her anonymous attacker running after her in the distance. She swore she heard the name Sirithbrethil being called. Damn! The stalker even knows my name!
*
Glorfindel spotted Ren running away.
Oh dear Eru. I almost SHOT the person I'm meant to help.
Glorfindel took off.
*
Ren scrambled into came. Sara came
over. Ren gushed.
'Ahg! Haldir! Nimrodel! NO SHIRT! Scarred! Arrow! Murderer! Stalker! GETITAWAY!'
Sara ran off, pulling Inez with her to the River while Ren collapsed down, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.