Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings. It
belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. The fictional language spoken in this
chapter is strictly mine - I made it up out of my own randomness. All
characters are mine as well.
Author's Notes:
Well, here is another excruciatingly late chapter. There isn't a lot of action in this chapter either. Hah. That just shows how very important it is to thoroughly develop a plot before launching into a story! I've got some footing on the next chapter, but knowing my recent reputation for posting, let alone writing, I am not sure as to when it'll be up.
Hope you enjoy this little bitty right here as much as I enjoyed writing it.
-Naheka
WIND AND FIRE
Chapter 8 - Feeling Drift
Humans may have the potential to fall out of chairs once they wake up in a place that they feel they should not be in.
Narcissus had a brash morning rejuvenation as her cheek collided with the cold wooden floor. After much cursing and moaning to herself, she managed to push herself up onto her forearms to look around. Tangled strands of dark hair clouded her vision, assisting the demeanor of her drunken aftermath. The room was rather dark, but light enough to see the outline of a neatly made bed and a table. And a gray lump that was a pack sitting on the floor. That was it. There was no other evidence of residency.
She supposed that travelers had to travel light - that's how they got in and out of places like the wind. That would be a good way to describe Oni. Like the wind. Her mind jumped as she realized that she was wrapped in sheets, but relaxed as she also realized that she was still wearing everything she had on last night. Narcissus stared blankly and tiredly at the floor for maybe ten minutes. Then she dropped out again on the floor.
It was another hour before she remembered that she had previous obligations.
"Oh no! I'm three hours late for my shift!"
"You'll miss four hours the next time you drink so much," said Oni as Narcissus sprinted through the doorway, pulling her apron on and putting up her hair simultaneously. Oni stared down at the eggs sizzling on the griddle. Were they making faces at him? "Aoreth wants to talk to you," he called again, hoping that his words wouldn't be lost in the whirl of her rushed steps.
Yes, they were lost. Narcissus hopped out the swinging doors and into the public, twirling a pen and pad in her hands. He snorted to himself.
And yes, the eggs were making faces at him.
---
"Narcissus..."
Narcissus looked up from her dinner plate on her lap, then looked down again. Aoreth stood quietly in front of her, her hands calmly folded together. "Narcissus, please look up."
"I didn't do it," she muttered quickly.
"I know you did not."
"That's nice."
"Oh, Narcissus." Aoreth sat down on the steps beside her and put an arm around her shoulder. "You're out here in the cold, sitting by yourself. That is not all right, especially if you're my best girl." Narcissus remained melancholy and continued to fork mouthfulls of carrots into her mouth. "I'm fine, Narcissus. I told everyone to stop glaring knives at you. Actually, I believe this shorter cut may look good on me..."
"Everything looks good on you," grumbled Narcissus.
Aoreth fell silent for a while. Falling snowflakes became little lights as they reflected off the moon. "Not everything." Narcissus didn't answer. She was not in the mood to answer. "I'm actually... a little envious of you, though."
"Liar."
"No, really, Narcissus. I mean... people give me pity all the time, but I never really have anything to be pitied for - not as much as you, at least. Whatever pity you get, you deserve--"
"Oh a gracious thanks upon thee. I feel so much better..."
"Aye! I mean... that people share their feelings honestly with you. You live like an actual person. I'm more of a pitiful runt that gets the sugar coated side of everything. In that way, you're much... stronger than I am."
"Feelings...."
"Yes, feelings."
"What feelings?" Narcissus turned her head sharply to face the rooftops. "I don't get any of that. I don't get any sympathy, or respect, or holidays, or a congratulations. Deserve it, do I? Then deserve nothing do I!"
"People share their feelings with you..."
"Yes, like, oh look at that casualty over there. She is a perfect example of what Aoreth is not. She isn't fair or admired or..."
"Oni shares his feelings with you."
Narcissus' mouth hung open as she paused over her next vowel. Then she closed it. "No he doesn't."
"Why yes he does. He shared a bit about himself, and his... what did he call it... that thing on a string. He even lent you his cloak, Narcissus!" She added this last bit with a louder tone. "He was my latest infatuation, Narcissus! And you have his cloak!"
Narcissus put a fork of potatoes in her mouth. "And that is relevant to whatever we are talking about because...."
"Oh Narss, I am sorry already!" Aoreth moaned, throwing herself on her friend's shoulders. "Can you not forgive me and be happy again?"
She paused in her breath. The sound of the falling snow gradually became the loudest noise, like how you can hear the roar of the wind at the top of the mountains and in the ocean coves and on the shores of the seas. "Happy," said Narcissus. The roaring snowfall fell silent. She took up her plate and fork and started to walk inside. "Was I ever really happy?"
Then she crossed through the door, and casually let it shut, leaving Aoreth in the cold outside, as if leaving apologizing friends in the snow was nothing of a drama at all.
---
"Ka naa.... kabai da tconou. Firu da jakata ne?"
"Nao senga ja tconou."
"Nao? Pulling the hair off random women?"
"Did you want a specific one?"
"No, but you could have been more organized with your tactics, you fool. You could easily get yourself killed and reveal the entire mission to enemies if you don't plot your mission thoroughly." For a moment the vision of Oni's father disappeared for a moment as he put the hair aside. As he turned, Oni rolled his eyes. "You will bring even more disgrace to the Madtu clan."
Oni yawned. 'What else is new, you old toad?' "I will have to do better next time, tata," he droned.
"You had better," countered the old toad. "Because I've got a new task for you."
'Oh good gods....'
"Might as well make you useful over there, since you're not that useful over here."
'As if a person just could not tell when his insults are just getting overdone and overused....'
"Grab some things that'll be worth... say... three qemba. Or maybe five. Five would do."
'Five qemba? Why you lousy, ancient, little--' "I will do my best, tata," sighed Oni. He gently tapped his foot, waiting for the instant he could put the fire off and be out of the way.
"Do better than your best," grunted Tata. "I remember those were the same words I used to tell your mother. She needed the fixing up before she--"
In a few swift movements Oni took the small pail of dirt beside him and tossed its contents onto the fire. An instant kill. Oni breathed deeply. He stared down at the motionless clump of earth before him, hearing those last words over and over again in his ear. "Better than your best.... Fixing up...." He put a hand to his forehead, using the other hand to support himself as he leaned against the mantlepiece. The glimmering dark silver of an iron brace. The glare of a bright mint blue morning. "It's stopped raining, Oni. Do you want to go outside?"
He inhaled deeply in the current of rushing memories. Then he yawned. As he pushed his way out of the kitchen door, he reached into his pocket, searching for the bit of tattered string that gave him comfort. He needed to find a new string to replace it someday.
---
Narcissus just trudged through the entrance door when Oni came out of the kitchen door. They didn't notice each other at first, until Narcissus looked up at the sound of the whirring coin beating against the string. She glanced at his face, pale like the dead moon, stroked with soft shadows. He seemed so expeditious in his task of making the silver spin. He looked up once to see the dark rings around her eyes. Then he looked down again.
Gently but quickly, he stopped tugging the string and rolled it up into a small, neat bundle. Then he raised his arm and tossed the string towards her. Caught off guard, she missed its departure from his hand, and it landed on the floor a few feet away from her.
"Keep it," he muttered. "A new person like you could probably use it." Then he bent his head even further towards the ground and walked up the stairs.
Narcissus stared after him, long after the last of his shadowy self swept out of view. She crouched and picked up the coin on the string. "New? I thought he was the new one here." She sighed and paused for a moment more. "New to what?"
Author's Notes:
Well, here is another excruciatingly late chapter. There isn't a lot of action in this chapter either. Hah. That just shows how very important it is to thoroughly develop a plot before launching into a story! I've got some footing on the next chapter, but knowing my recent reputation for posting, let alone writing, I am not sure as to when it'll be up.
Hope you enjoy this little bitty right here as much as I enjoyed writing it.
-Naheka
WIND AND FIRE
Chapter 8 - Feeling Drift
Humans may have the potential to fall out of chairs once they wake up in a place that they feel they should not be in.
Narcissus had a brash morning rejuvenation as her cheek collided with the cold wooden floor. After much cursing and moaning to herself, she managed to push herself up onto her forearms to look around. Tangled strands of dark hair clouded her vision, assisting the demeanor of her drunken aftermath. The room was rather dark, but light enough to see the outline of a neatly made bed and a table. And a gray lump that was a pack sitting on the floor. That was it. There was no other evidence of residency.
She supposed that travelers had to travel light - that's how they got in and out of places like the wind. That would be a good way to describe Oni. Like the wind. Her mind jumped as she realized that she was wrapped in sheets, but relaxed as she also realized that she was still wearing everything she had on last night. Narcissus stared blankly and tiredly at the floor for maybe ten minutes. Then she dropped out again on the floor.
It was another hour before she remembered that she had previous obligations.
"Oh no! I'm three hours late for my shift!"
"You'll miss four hours the next time you drink so much," said Oni as Narcissus sprinted through the doorway, pulling her apron on and putting up her hair simultaneously. Oni stared down at the eggs sizzling on the griddle. Were they making faces at him? "Aoreth wants to talk to you," he called again, hoping that his words wouldn't be lost in the whirl of her rushed steps.
Yes, they were lost. Narcissus hopped out the swinging doors and into the public, twirling a pen and pad in her hands. He snorted to himself.
And yes, the eggs were making faces at him.
---
"Narcissus..."
Narcissus looked up from her dinner plate on her lap, then looked down again. Aoreth stood quietly in front of her, her hands calmly folded together. "Narcissus, please look up."
"I didn't do it," she muttered quickly.
"I know you did not."
"That's nice."
"Oh, Narcissus." Aoreth sat down on the steps beside her and put an arm around her shoulder. "You're out here in the cold, sitting by yourself. That is not all right, especially if you're my best girl." Narcissus remained melancholy and continued to fork mouthfulls of carrots into her mouth. "I'm fine, Narcissus. I told everyone to stop glaring knives at you. Actually, I believe this shorter cut may look good on me..."
"Everything looks good on you," grumbled Narcissus.
Aoreth fell silent for a while. Falling snowflakes became little lights as they reflected off the moon. "Not everything." Narcissus didn't answer. She was not in the mood to answer. "I'm actually... a little envious of you, though."
"Liar."
"No, really, Narcissus. I mean... people give me pity all the time, but I never really have anything to be pitied for - not as much as you, at least. Whatever pity you get, you deserve--"
"Oh a gracious thanks upon thee. I feel so much better..."
"Aye! I mean... that people share their feelings honestly with you. You live like an actual person. I'm more of a pitiful runt that gets the sugar coated side of everything. In that way, you're much... stronger than I am."
"Feelings...."
"Yes, feelings."
"What feelings?" Narcissus turned her head sharply to face the rooftops. "I don't get any of that. I don't get any sympathy, or respect, or holidays, or a congratulations. Deserve it, do I? Then deserve nothing do I!"
"People share their feelings with you..."
"Yes, like, oh look at that casualty over there. She is a perfect example of what Aoreth is not. She isn't fair or admired or..."
"Oni shares his feelings with you."
Narcissus' mouth hung open as she paused over her next vowel. Then she closed it. "No he doesn't."
"Why yes he does. He shared a bit about himself, and his... what did he call it... that thing on a string. He even lent you his cloak, Narcissus!" She added this last bit with a louder tone. "He was my latest infatuation, Narcissus! And you have his cloak!"
Narcissus put a fork of potatoes in her mouth. "And that is relevant to whatever we are talking about because...."
"Oh Narss, I am sorry already!" Aoreth moaned, throwing herself on her friend's shoulders. "Can you not forgive me and be happy again?"
She paused in her breath. The sound of the falling snow gradually became the loudest noise, like how you can hear the roar of the wind at the top of the mountains and in the ocean coves and on the shores of the seas. "Happy," said Narcissus. The roaring snowfall fell silent. She took up her plate and fork and started to walk inside. "Was I ever really happy?"
Then she crossed through the door, and casually let it shut, leaving Aoreth in the cold outside, as if leaving apologizing friends in the snow was nothing of a drama at all.
---
"Ka naa.... kabai da tconou. Firu da jakata ne?"
"Nao senga ja tconou."
"Nao? Pulling the hair off random women?"
"Did you want a specific one?"
"No, but you could have been more organized with your tactics, you fool. You could easily get yourself killed and reveal the entire mission to enemies if you don't plot your mission thoroughly." For a moment the vision of Oni's father disappeared for a moment as he put the hair aside. As he turned, Oni rolled his eyes. "You will bring even more disgrace to the Madtu clan."
Oni yawned. 'What else is new, you old toad?' "I will have to do better next time, tata," he droned.
"You had better," countered the old toad. "Because I've got a new task for you."
'Oh good gods....'
"Might as well make you useful over there, since you're not that useful over here."
'As if a person just could not tell when his insults are just getting overdone and overused....'
"Grab some things that'll be worth... say... three qemba. Or maybe five. Five would do."
'Five qemba? Why you lousy, ancient, little--' "I will do my best, tata," sighed Oni. He gently tapped his foot, waiting for the instant he could put the fire off and be out of the way.
"Do better than your best," grunted Tata. "I remember those were the same words I used to tell your mother. She needed the fixing up before she--"
In a few swift movements Oni took the small pail of dirt beside him and tossed its contents onto the fire. An instant kill. Oni breathed deeply. He stared down at the motionless clump of earth before him, hearing those last words over and over again in his ear. "Better than your best.... Fixing up...." He put a hand to his forehead, using the other hand to support himself as he leaned against the mantlepiece. The glimmering dark silver of an iron brace. The glare of a bright mint blue morning. "It's stopped raining, Oni. Do you want to go outside?"
He inhaled deeply in the current of rushing memories. Then he yawned. As he pushed his way out of the kitchen door, he reached into his pocket, searching for the bit of tattered string that gave him comfort. He needed to find a new string to replace it someday.
---
Narcissus just trudged through the entrance door when Oni came out of the kitchen door. They didn't notice each other at first, until Narcissus looked up at the sound of the whirring coin beating against the string. She glanced at his face, pale like the dead moon, stroked with soft shadows. He seemed so expeditious in his task of making the silver spin. He looked up once to see the dark rings around her eyes. Then he looked down again.
Gently but quickly, he stopped tugging the string and rolled it up into a small, neat bundle. Then he raised his arm and tossed the string towards her. Caught off guard, she missed its departure from his hand, and it landed on the floor a few feet away from her.
"Keep it," he muttered. "A new person like you could probably use it." Then he bent his head even further towards the ground and walked up the stairs.
Narcissus stared after him, long after the last of his shadowy self swept out of view. She crouched and picked up the coin on the string. "New? I thought he was the new one here." She sighed and paused for a moment more. "New to what?"