Berio ven Eru
Chapter one
"Ai Elbereth"
The silver-haired figure muttered, sucking on the back of his hand.He dropped his short sword with a clatter on the floor, trying in vain to stop the blood from seeping out of the cut. It wasn't a deep cut, but it was deep enough. Enough to cause a young Elf some pain.His cobalt blue eyes looked up towards his training partner, silently pleading him to fetch something to stem the blood flow but his friend just laughed, shaking his auburn head.
"Nay Haldir, why do you exaggerate things so? T'is only a cut."
Haldir growled, his blue eyes narrowed as he looked at his friend. Taking his hand away from his mouth he muttered,
"Fëaruin, I really would like to see you handle this injury."
Haldir shook his hand away from him, tiny droplets of blood splattering onto the green grass that they stood upon. He smirked and flicked his silver hair behind his pointed ears as though to make a point to his friend and continued,
"Need I say anymore mellon-nín?"
Fëaruin shook his head at Haldir, the corners of his hazel eyes wrinkled in amusement towards his fellow Elf's actions. Haldir made him laugh even though the other Elf did not know. His personality, his actions, that was what Fëaruin loved about his dearest friend Haldir. He sighed and stepped towards Haldir. Taking his hand he looked down at the cut, his head tilted to the right, and kissed the cut.
"All better now."
He grinned, Haldir hated to be treated like a child and this was his way of provoking him. He knew what his reaction would be; fury, frustration and he would go on a tirade of how he was not a child. This always made Fëaruin laugh, much to the irritation of Haldir. Haldir himself could not understand why everything he did made Fëaruin laugh. Was he being spiteful or did he truely make his friend laugh with what he did? Well, it annoyed him greatly. Pulling his hand away from his fellow's grasp he hissed,
"Valar knows how much I hate you doing this to me...I am not an Elfling"
He glared at his companion, his pink lips pursed as he watched him. A look of hurt appeared on Fëaruin's features, quickly masked by one of disdain though the hurt look still remained in his hazel eyes.
"Though you always act like one Haldir, a spoilt Elfling who complains everytime something goes the way he doesn't want it to go."
He retorted loudly, his clear voice ringing around the clearing, full of spite, and his beautiful features marred by a look of hate. No, he did not hate Haldir, in fact, talking to him like this hurt him deeply but it seemed that hate and spitefulness were the only emotions Haldir repsonded to. Yes, Haldir made him laugh but he also caused Fëaruin much pain - his dry remarks. But, he thought, this is what I get for provoking him. The auburn haired Elf picked his sword up from the ground, his tall lean body bending gracefully as he did so and Haldir had to admire the fluidity of his movements, the auburn waterfall falling around his shoulders..
"Namaarië Haldir"
Fëaruin muttered as he turned on his heel and strode through the bushes that surrounded them without a sound. Haldir stood alone, his jaw hanging open slightly. Fëaruin had never acted or done something such as this before! He was always such a relaxed, gentle soul, well except when sparring, but that did not matter now, what did matter was that his friend had acted out of the ordinary, he had done saomething which Haldir had never witnessed. He too picked up his sword and without a second glance, ran swiftly back to his family's talan, only a flash of his silver hair could be seen.
He stepped through the threshold of the talan and slung his training sword onto the wooden floor, the metal ringing as it hit the polished wooden floor. No doubt the heavy hilt would have left a dent in the floor but that did not matter to Haldir. He stormed into the next room and froze, his cobalt eyes wide and his mouth hanging open slightly as before.
"M-mae govannen hir-nín."
Haldir stuttered, bowing clumsily before the tall, silver-haired Elf that sat at the table. Celeborn sat with Rúmil on his knee and Orophin half hiding in the shadows, a look of fear upon his young face. Celeborn smiled soberly, his handsome face sad, his blue eyes full of pity as he looked upon the young Elf who stood before him.
"Mae govannen Haldir, please, sit down."
To Celeborn, it seemed strange telling others what to do in their own homes but he saw how quickly Haldir sat cross-legged on the floor before him and his heart weeped. Haldir knew something was wrong the minute he had seen his Lord in the room. The Lord of Lothlorien did not come to his citizen's talans for mere idle chat. The silver-haired lord cleared his throat and continued speaking, his voice soft,
"It pains me to be the bearer of such tragic news as this...Your adar was greatly loved within Caras Galadhon and and he, along with your naneth, will forever be remembered."
The young Elf could feel himself shaking and he could feel tears stinging his eyes but he fought them back, not wanting to humiliate himself in front of his Lord. Himself, Orophin and Rúmil were now orphans. His nana had left for the Havens twenty years ago and now his ada had...
"...Your adar was slain by a band of orcs. He fought valiantly but it seemed the orcs outnumbered your ada and his group."
Celeborn could not go on, damn the other lord's and his advisors who would not tell the children themselves. Galadriel told him that he himself should tell the young ones and right now, he did not want to question Galadriel's judgement. He could see sadness, pain, anger, lonliness welling up in the bright blue eyes of the younger Elf and he wanted to reach out and embrace the trembling Elf before him. He too knew how it was to lose his ada and nana though that was many millenia ago. Celeborn sighed and rose from his chair, immediately kneeling in front of Haldir, his formal whites robes rustling as he did so and stroked the back of his hand across Haldir's cheek. Haldir stiffened at such contact from his Lord, his eyes widening. He gasped as Celeborn kissed the top of his silver head, their hair mingling, and said,
"You will have all the support you need. Rúmil, Orophin and yourself."
With that, Celeborn stood up, smoothed out his robes and strode out of the talan, daring not to look back at the silent Elflings for he knew that he would shed a tear for them.
Berio ven Eru - May Eru Protect Us
Mellon-nín - My friend
Namaarië - Farewell
Mae govannen - Well met
Hir-nín - My Lord