Erenis stared at her brother. His back was to her, packing and unpacking her things into his bag. Erenis was in disbelief. Die? What a terrible thought? She was much to young to die? At 16? Aye, she had seen much, things had gotten better since the War of the Ring but conditions were still hard in some areas. But that was completely beside the point. "What do you mean?" she whimpered.
Her brother barely cast a glance in her direction. He just continued grabbing this and that off the shelf. Discarding things that would be of no worth and collecting others that could be of some...value... 'King Elessar and King Eomer of Rohan were speaking. They spoke of man's things. Nothing you need to concern yourself with" he said quite calmly, mind you, for the situation he had just thrust dear sister so beloved into.
Erenis had by that time, composed herself, released the fists she had been digging into her palms and took a breath. "What do you mean they were speaking? Does that mean that they told you? They told you indirectly? Or you, brother dear, have been eavesdropping again!" Erenis accused angrily. Arenson glared at her and shook his head. Grabbing the bag he left the room. Erenis followed him, bursting through with hurricane force. "Arenson Aerkhamsson! Answer me right now!" she yelled.
Arenson turned and dropped the bag. "Oh, Erenis, I'm really sorry. Really I am, but you must try to understand! I want you to take the horse. Yes, take Adfeil, father's horse, and I want you to ride long and hard until you reach Tarnac and Leilaen(Tarnac was Erenis's cousin and Leilaen was his wife), my sword will be in your saddle-bags. You may need to use it. I don't think I can tell you what's going to happen. But you need to get as far away as possible. Get Tarnac and his family and flee Gondor. Can you do this?" he asked.
At the moment Erenis's brain was in turmoil. She had absolutely no clue what was happening, her brain was absolutely fried. What was Arenson asking her? She had no idea! She had no idea what was going on! And later readers, if you continue to read many chapters on, you will see that Erenis still has no idea why she said what she did. Erenis looked her brother and the eye and said-
"Yes... I can." Arenson smiled and nodded, picking up the bag and making his way into the kitchen. Erenis followed him, "But Arenson, please!
I am in the dark. Please, brother, tell me, what am I running from?" She flew into the kitchen after him. Blocking his way out. "Why, brother,
why?" she asked.
Arenson sighed, lifting the bag, which had grown to be quite heavy into her hands. "When you go to Tarnac, you will be running in the fray of danger. You need to turn around, as quick as possible, today would be helpful, and make for Rohan and the Wilderland. The only thing you will be running from is time. And time, sister is what counts here!" he said, his voice ever so knowing.
Erenis glared at her brother, eyes like daggers. "Stop speaking in riddles! I can barely understand you anymore! You aren't at home, you are off
with your friends, when you are at home, you are asleep and grumpy. You are so... different... please! Arenson, spare me. What do you mean!
Time is only an enemy if a battle of some sort is at hand. What makes the time tick quicker this time?" her voice got softer as she finished. She
raised her gaze to her brothers eyes and tried to get him to look at her, he moved his gaze.
"King Elessar brought King Eomer of Rohan here because there is going to be a war, Erenis. There is going to be a war. It has allready begun.
The soldiers are being dispatched, arrows are being fletched, swords sharpened, and spears remade. Treaties with the Harad have gone wrong.
But perhaps the thing we have to worry about is that orcs are on the move again. I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that orcs are
always on the move. But they are no longer a threat as they no longer have a leader- a purpose," he paused, Erenis stared him into starting
again. "They have a leader, Erenis. They are no longer mindless rabbles. They have burned their way through Southern Ithilien, and now they
are burning their way through the Western Settlements. Something is stirring in the rubble of Carn Dum, in Angmar. A fear. A shadow. A threat
the free people have overlooked. But it's coming. It wrath smooth and swift. We know not what it is, nor what form or forms it will take. But we
know that there have been Uruk-hai bred this past eve. War is coming sister, and swift. It will fall here, hardest of all. You need to get out!"
Erenis stared at her brother for a moment. Searching his eyes for deception. But she could find no trace of lies and she was forced ot believe
him. Backing away from the door, she thrust the bag back into his hands and let him slip outside. She lingered in the kitchen for a moment.
Not entirely sure of what to do. She flung herself to the window ledge. Grasping it with two hands and staring out at that fair city. The sky's
unfaltering blues shimmered, a bird crowedas it flew across a cloud. The sun beat willingly down apon Minas Tirith. Taking a deep breath
Erenis watched the scenery for a moment more before she returned to her brother.
Arenson was putting the finishing touches on her bag. Tieing this there, and pushing that here, making the bag seem much, much neater. Erenis watched her brother. "If there is to be a war... what ever shall you do?" she asked quietly. Arenson's eyes met hers. She saw in him, the same courage she had seen in her father when he talked of his part in the Great War. Gasping she said to him, "You're going to stay... aren't you?"
Annoyance flashed across his face. "Who do you think will fight this, Erenis? So you think that if we all knew we could all just run away with our sisters?" Erenis backed down. "Do you honestly think that I can just, just leave? Who will fight this war if not us? Who will put a stop to it if not us? War is a man's job, Erenis. I want you out of it. And I want to have a part in it.
Erenis backed down. Too often did she and he fight. 'This could be the end', she realised with dismay. 'This may be the last time that I ever see him again'... Tears welled in her eyes. She had lost everyone. Everything! "Erenis," he called, his voice softer, "You have to leave now.I don't know how long we have. Harad have been destroying the townships closest to Southern Ithilien. To save Tarnac you have to go now." Erenis nodded and let her brother lead her to the door. Picking up her cloak he placed it firmly under one arm, and placed the bag in her other.
Putting on his helmet he opened the door and led them out of the house. The cobbled street outside their home was rough and at some points hard to walk on. It had been odd when they had first moved there, oft she would trip and fall, much to the dismay of the neighbours (of whoms charge she had been put in). But now the street seemed old and weary. She knew it off by heart and didn't even need to think about it while she walked to the places she went.
Arenson had locked the door, and ran to catch up with her. Grabbing her firmly by the arm he escorted her down the lane. They smiled at the people walking past(hoping to decieve them that anything was the matter) "When we reach the stables," he muttered under his breath, "I am going to leave you. My sword will be in your possestion, and my savings are in that bag. Spend them wisely. Food will be a much better choice than some trinket. And let no one see you carry them. Times ahead may be hard on all. When times are hard, people do what the need to survive. An honorable man may become a beggar, and a man of law may become a robber at his ill wife's bidding. My only advice to you, is that you must guard yourself wisely- these people, and that shadow are smart and cunning, they will trick you if you can. Ride hard, and get Tarnac to teach you the ways of the sword. Otherwise my weapon to you is useless, understand?"
Erenis took all that in, and nodded her head wildly. He smiled faintly and continued to guide her briskly down the street. The stables were Adfeil were housed were a small walk away. No greater distance than a 5 minute walk. The roads were wide and flat, sheltered from the rain, but placed so that sun would stream through pleasantly. On a normal occasion, Erenis would have no complaints taking Adfeil for a ride. Even if it was a rainy day. But today, as you may have guessed was quite simply no ordinary day (at least it wasn't now!)
The short walk now seemed to take an age. The sun beat down on her passionatly, streaming over her face and into her eyes momentarily blinding her. Sounds seemed to echo through her ears, ringing through her head. The steady beat, beat, beat, of her and her brother climbing the steps up. The whinny of a horse as it was led into a courtyard, and voices of men joking as they saw to the animals.
Erenis let her brother lead her limply up the stairs. She let him pull the door open and give her a slight push in. She walked willingly to Adfeil
and clambered apon him. Watching her brother as he strapped on her saddle bags, placing his sword with great care amoughst her baggage.
He patted her knee gently. She watched him as he tried to smile.
"Be careful sister! Until our next meeting!" he called softly. Erenis smiled and flicked the reins. Adfeil gave a whinny then started off, out of the
doors and away from the only home that Erenis could really remember. She passed by shops, and restaraunts. Beggers and merchants, everyday
sights that formed her world. The old woman at the fruit stand, the beefy man who posed as the local bucher. The thin, straw-haired boy who
served the Baker. Even the guards with cheery faces who placed the citizens in a blanket of security. What Erenis realised, was that this blanket,
was, as far as she understood now, false...
Another chapter! It's a record! I know it's not brilliant, but I usually write one-shots. I can't write beginings very well, sorry about that! I guess as long as we get where I want us to go, it's all okay! For all of you who reviewed- thanks a ton! It's good to feel as if someone's reading my story!
0greatrandom- There, I hope I've answered the whole suspense thing. I didn't find it very suspensful, but I very well know where it's going! It's not really very suspensful this time, I hope that's okay. The whole ending was really a little rushed, but I'm off on holiday for the next two weeks (finally I actually get to go on a plane... again!) So I needed to finish it before I get packed!
Onono- Thanks for the offer! I may need to take you up on that! There may or may not be an elf in the story. It all depends on whether I think I can pull it off, or if it will just delay the story-line! Thanks for reviewing! Sorry I haven't been reviewing your work! I'm a little slow right now, and should get around to doing that but they are all very good! There's one I particularily liked, I'm really sorry but I cant remember the name off hand, but it was the one about the girl who was in Irac and she got transported back to Edoras. Quite liked that idea (it was after watching Black Hawk Down that I read it)
Maddy051280- My Word Processor died, and I haven't gotten around to getting a new one that's compatible with so I'm stuck with Wordpad for now, which is very sad. I hope that once you edited it you could read it properly! I can't wait for your next chapter! And I'll just be around to read your next chapter then I'm gone until the New Year. So next time I add a chapter it will be... 2006! Neat huh!
Thanks to all of you for reading (and reviewing!) and I hope you like this chapter! (I want to get into the action but that isn't the way of things)
and I seriously hope that the spacing turns out okay... hmm... allright, let's see how this goes...