Chapter 3
For hours, Nienna walked aimlessly about the cold halls, trying to forget the look of anguish she had seen on the Marchwarden's face. Her footsteps echoed in the pale blue corridor, one soft, gentle step after the other. Somewhere in the distance she could her someone singing a lament for the fallen soldiers. She sighed; no one would sing a lament for Haldir.
He was right, she did pity him. She felt sorry for him, her heart hated to see him in pain, she felt all those things but most of all, she felt responsible for him. It was she who had been in charge of his care, and to see any of her patients in such misery was an affront on her sense of duty. She could not let his despairing eyes fade from her thoughts.
Nolo lifted his head from his book as he heard someone enter the garden. "Ya auta eller?" Who's there? He said, putting his book down as the figure emerged from the darkened foliage. Immediately his heart caught in his throat as her face appeared. "Nienna!"
Nienna smiled softly, "And here I thought you had forgotten me." She walked over his bench, and sat next to him. She paused, peering at the book beside him. Grinning, she picked it up, thumbing through its pages. "There and Back Again? But I thought that book was in Rivendell!"
Nolo smiled, letting out a long breath, unaware he had been holding it. "Actually, it's a copy. I made it during my stay in Rivendell," He swung his legs off the wooden bench, dangling them absentmindedly, "it took me many long nights to complete it." Nienna handed him the book, briefly imagining Nolo hunched over a desk with a quill in one hand, and a blank book in the other; it suited him. She studied her long time friend Nolo for a moment, his silvery hair, which was usually pulled back into a neat braid, hung loosely around his neck, hiding his eyes as he sat perpendicular to her. The sun had only just begun to creep into Lorien, making the leaves around them shimmer with an unnatural brassy glow that reflected onto their skin, drawing out the natural golden tones.
"Nolo?" She said softly, edging closer to him. Nolo put down the book, his heart fluttering in his chest.
"Yes.Nienna?"
"I came here because I wanted to talk to you about something." He nodded for her to continue, hardly believing all of the Lorien could not hear his heartbeat.
"I wanted to talk about-" She bit her lip again, a habit of hers when she was nervous, he noted.
"Yes?"
".Haldir." Suddenly, it was as if his heart had sunk to the bottom of the coldest, darkest pit in all of Middle Earth.
"Oh."
Nienna continued, oblivious to his sudden coldness. "You see, Nolo, you are my best friend, and I know that I can look to you for advice. I will not lie to you, I am worried about Haldir. I do not think he really wants to recover."
Nolo shrugged, "It would be wrong to give him false hope, Nienna. You might only make him more miserable by pestering him."
"Pestering?" Nienna raised an eyebrow. "I am only trying to help him! He threw a glass at me!" Nolo's left hand tightened into a fist. How dare anyone throw anything at her!
He struggled to maintain his composure. "You may see it as helping, Nienna, but you must also see it from his point of view." Nienna's shoulders slumped. He tried to give her an encouraging smile, "the Marchwarden has just discovered that he may never walk again. To him, you are simply a talking reminder of his disability. Leave him be, Nienna." His eyes pleaded with her, 'Stay away from him, stay with me.'
She stood with sudden indignation. "Leave him be? You didn't see him Nolo!" She turned, her voice softening. "Lle n'uma ele ho eleeio." You didn't see his eyes. She crossed her arms, her eyebrows narrowed. "I had hoped I would have your support, my friend. I was hoping for advice." Nolo opened his mouth in protest, but she turned swiftly on her heel before the words could leave his mouth, disappearing into the morning mist leaving a dark silence in her wake.
For hours, Nienna walked aimlessly about the cold halls, trying to forget the look of anguish she had seen on the Marchwarden's face. Her footsteps echoed in the pale blue corridor, one soft, gentle step after the other. Somewhere in the distance she could her someone singing a lament for the fallen soldiers. She sighed; no one would sing a lament for Haldir.
He was right, she did pity him. She felt sorry for him, her heart hated to see him in pain, she felt all those things but most of all, she felt responsible for him. It was she who had been in charge of his care, and to see any of her patients in such misery was an affront on her sense of duty. She could not let his despairing eyes fade from her thoughts.
Nolo lifted his head from his book as he heard someone enter the garden. "Ya auta eller?" Who's there? He said, putting his book down as the figure emerged from the darkened foliage. Immediately his heart caught in his throat as her face appeared. "Nienna!"
Nienna smiled softly, "And here I thought you had forgotten me." She walked over his bench, and sat next to him. She paused, peering at the book beside him. Grinning, she picked it up, thumbing through its pages. "There and Back Again? But I thought that book was in Rivendell!"
Nolo smiled, letting out a long breath, unaware he had been holding it. "Actually, it's a copy. I made it during my stay in Rivendell," He swung his legs off the wooden bench, dangling them absentmindedly, "it took me many long nights to complete it." Nienna handed him the book, briefly imagining Nolo hunched over a desk with a quill in one hand, and a blank book in the other; it suited him. She studied her long time friend Nolo for a moment, his silvery hair, which was usually pulled back into a neat braid, hung loosely around his neck, hiding his eyes as he sat perpendicular to her. The sun had only just begun to creep into Lorien, making the leaves around them shimmer with an unnatural brassy glow that reflected onto their skin, drawing out the natural golden tones.
"Nolo?" She said softly, edging closer to him. Nolo put down the book, his heart fluttering in his chest.
"Yes.Nienna?"
"I came here because I wanted to talk to you about something." He nodded for her to continue, hardly believing all of the Lorien could not hear his heartbeat.
"I wanted to talk about-" She bit her lip again, a habit of hers when she was nervous, he noted.
"Yes?"
".Haldir." Suddenly, it was as if his heart had sunk to the bottom of the coldest, darkest pit in all of Middle Earth.
"Oh."
Nienna continued, oblivious to his sudden coldness. "You see, Nolo, you are my best friend, and I know that I can look to you for advice. I will not lie to you, I am worried about Haldir. I do not think he really wants to recover."
Nolo shrugged, "It would be wrong to give him false hope, Nienna. You might only make him more miserable by pestering him."
"Pestering?" Nienna raised an eyebrow. "I am only trying to help him! He threw a glass at me!" Nolo's left hand tightened into a fist. How dare anyone throw anything at her!
He struggled to maintain his composure. "You may see it as helping, Nienna, but you must also see it from his point of view." Nienna's shoulders slumped. He tried to give her an encouraging smile, "the Marchwarden has just discovered that he may never walk again. To him, you are simply a talking reminder of his disability. Leave him be, Nienna." His eyes pleaded with her, 'Stay away from him, stay with me.'
She stood with sudden indignation. "Leave him be? You didn't see him Nolo!" She turned, her voice softening. "Lle n'uma ele ho eleeio." You didn't see his eyes. She crossed her arms, her eyebrows narrowed. "I had hoped I would have your support, my friend. I was hoping for advice." Nolo opened his mouth in protest, but she turned swiftly on her heel before the words could leave his mouth, disappearing into the morning mist leaving a dark silence in her wake.