Saber Apricot: I hope this is a good Mary Sue too! I knew when I first wrote it that it would be a Mary Sue, but I didn't know if it would be good or bad until I started writing it. I still won't unless I hear from people! About Lillith, I did know that it was not a name that Tolkien would have used. I took it from the name "Lily," which I found suitable for a graceful daughter of Galadriel. I followed your suggestion and looked it up on the web. I found that she was the predecessor to Eve, which means life. I also think that the Lillith from Hebrew folklore was wild and free, just like Lillith in this story. Also, being the daughter of Galadriel, who is more respected than her husband, Lillith probably thought that women were equal to men, just like Lillith in the story. I know it might not be the best name, but I don't think that there was anything wrong it. Just my opinion! Please keep reading! I'm very interested in your thoughts!
Chapter Three
By the end of the day, Ailysa was glad that she had been granted a horse. Even riding all day had tired her beyond anything she thought possible. She rode nigh Calen, and Haldir rode slighted ahead.
How arrogant he is! Ailysa thought. He is so high, that he can't even ride nigh his companions! Even though I am in truth of higher rank than he is! Why does he act as though we are forcing him to journey with us? I don't want him as my companion. I would be much happier with just Calen.
Haldir was thinking similar thoughts about her. Why does she act so aloof? I feel that if I try to ride next to her I am intruding on her and her friend's private companionship. Why did the Lady send me on this mission if the woman I am escorting doesn't want me to guide her? She acts as though she would rather I just go off and die, and Calen remains to be her companion.
Calen himself simply wondered why the two of them seemed to hate each other. They were both very nice people. He had never had an opportunity to speak much to the march-warden, and he had been hopping to do that at some point during the journey, but, based on the current status of things, Ailysa would be hiding from the elf for the entire time. And Calen was her only hiding place.
Ailysa quietly wondered as the sun set whether she was going to have to announce the stop, or if Haldir would take some responsibility and do it. She knew what would happen if she did it. The elf would act as though she was causing him a great burden by asking for rest, and he would look at her as though she was the dumbest thing on earth to suggest a stop now. He would think of her as a weak princess that had been pampered all her life.
But she wasn't! She didn't wield a blade or anything, like her friend Rayon, but she wasn't a spoiled princess!
Tears began to well in Ailysa's eyes, but they went unnoticed by both of her companions. Calen might have noticed, but for the fact that Ailysa had long since drawn her hood over her face. Now he couldn't tell that she was crying, so cry she did. But she cried silently. She didn't want the march-warden to think she was a crybaby too.
It was well after sunset when Haldir finally pulled his horse to a halt.
"My Lady, would it please you to stop for the night now?"
Ailysa nodded uncomfortably. Before she had looked into the mirror, very few people even knew who she was. Those that did didn't worry about titles or anything. They just spoke their mind to her face, which usually contained something negative about her. Because she was strange, only Cuthalion, Calen, and Rayon had ever treated her with entire kindness. At their own expense. They had been cast out of society the minute the elves discovered them hanging out with Ailysa. Everybody else just paired the four together immediately, and didn't think that Cuthalion, Calen, and Rayon needed any other friends.
So they had formed the foursome that everybody had assumed they were. At some point, Rayon and Cuthalion had fallen in love. Though they never admitted to it, everybody but the two knew it.
That left Calen and Ailysa. Ailysa knew that someday she would tell Calen that she loved him, and that he would say that he returned her feelings. But, like Rayon and Cuthalion, they hadn't admitted it yet.
Haldir dismounted and held his hand up to Ailysa. She looked at him confused.
He asked in explanation, "would you like help down from your steed Milady?"
Ailysa shook her head. "I can get down myself thank you."
Haldir merely rolled his eyes and walked over to the centre of the clearing in which they had stopped. Ailysa fumed as she dismounted and joined him.
She stood above him and asked sharply, "Have you a problem with women dismounting themselves?"
Haldir shook his head in response and said nothing.
Ailysa just shot him a glare of pure loathing and walked over to one corner of the clearing. She could hear Haldir making a fire behind her, but she would not sleep anywhere close to where he was. And if he was at the campfire, then fine. She would sleep over here.
She lay herself down on the hard ground, not even caring. At some point, later on, she heard Calen ask her if she would like some stew. She ignored him. Haldir told him that he should be quieter in the future. Calling across the camp could lose all of their lives.
But she no longer cared what Haldir said. Just as long as he wasn't talking to her.
She got her wish. The next day, Haldir didn't say anything to her all day. She chatted happily with Calen instead. She wouldn't let Haldir see her in thought, for he might think that she was sulking. She couldn't have that. No. Haldir would know that she didn't care what happened to his sexist person.
(new scene)
As the ride progressed, Ailysa began getting sick. Her stomach had been hurting two days before, but she had just attributed it to nervousness. Now it was hurting again. She didn't know what it was. She wondered if it was something she had eaten. But she had eaten Lembas all her life. That couldn't be it. Though she was sure she would get sick of them.
She didn't come up with an answer. Finally, She didn't want to think anymore. The pain in her stomach was too much to bear.
Calen didn't notice. He was busy tracking a rabbit. But Haldir did. He saw her pain. Soon after her misery had grown to the highest point; he asked her if she wanted to rest. For her sake, he didn't bring up that it was her discomfort that had brought them to a halt.
"We wouldn't want to lose Calen. Perhaps we should wait for him here," he said instead.
Ailysa could only nod. It frankly didn't matter to her what happened regarding rest, so long as she didn't have to put up with this any longer.
But she didn't lie down or anything. That would be admitting a weakness. She wouldn't admit to weakness. Even though this was her first such trip, and she knew she needed rest. Haldir came over to her.
"Milady, do you not think that you should rest? I am about to rest myself, and I think that you will need the extra strength that you will gain," He said gently. He spoke more gently than she had ever heard him speak. Then again, he didn't talk all that much. He had probably spoken twice as softly, just not to her.
However, he did offer a good excuse for laying down. She did need the rest, and everyone knew it. It would save her from admitting the pain. The more she thought about it, the more she was sure that the pain was coming from ridding too long. Though she didn't know anything about ridding, she did know that people were all bruises if they rode for a long time. Or, at least, many were.
Ailysa didn't awake until late that night. She saw the fire burning low, and that, beside it, Calen had left her a piece of the rabbit. Thank you Calen. That was kind of you, She thought. As she got to her feet, she realized why she had been experiencing those pains. Something she hadn't even thought about was causing a problem. So this is why no women go on adventures anymore. They realized what an inconvenience it was, she thought.
Surely Galadriel had thought of what to do when Lysa's monthly cycle came around. Surely she had packed extra cloths. Sure enough, she had. Ailysa realized what an idiot she was. She really needed to get a hang of her responsibilities. It should have been she who thought about the fact that her cycle was nearing. She should have packed the extra cloths.
As soon as she had washed herself and fixed the new, thicker, cloth, she washed her old clothes. It was lucky that they had camped near a river, and Ailysa didn't know when they would have the opportunity to wash again.
By the time she reached the camp again, she was burnt. She barely managed to eat a few bites of rabbit before falling into a dead sleep.
(new scene)
Calen woke partway through the night. He was shocked at first to see that he was on the ground, rather than in his tree. But then he remembered. He had agreed to journey with Ailysa to Ninniach Orod to find her father.
He glanced over at her, she lay sleeping, but apparently she had woken at some point. Her hair was wet, and she had changed her clothes. He wondered why. He then glanced to the rabbit that he and Haldir had left for her. It was only partially eaten. Strange, he thought.
Haldir was also sleeping peacefully. Calen rose and walked to the stream for he suddenly couldn't sleep.
When he reached the stream, he thought about his family. Cuthalion mostly. He wondered what his brother was doing. Was he with Rayon? Did he miss Calen as much as Calen missed him? All these thoughts drifted through Calen's head, and then left him thinking of other things.
He glanced down into the stream, resigned. He didn't know why, he suddenly didn't feel happy. In the stream's waters he saw himself. But he saw himself lying open great fields, his face whiter than the cloudy sky above him. He saw Ailysa running up toward him. Oh Ailysa. He glanced behind him and saw nothing. When he glanced back to the water, he just saw silver water running over little pebbles. Nothing else was shown.
Calen rubbed his head and retreated to his camp. Something silly, it wasn't anything. There was no foreshadowing in that vision. It was simply the product of an exhausted mind.
Yet somehow, he knew that his time was nearly up. So he decided to make the most of what he had. He didn't want to die without knowing what Ailysa felt toward him, or having her know how he felt for her.
He would make this most of his last days. At least, he would try to.