Strange Encounters

The stag took her farther than she had ever dared to explore leaving the eaves of Mirkwood behind. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the clean air soothing her lungs. Mirkwood loomed behind her, dark and silent, in contrast to the airy, grassy plain. After a very long time, she looked up at the blue sky and marvelled at its beauty since her forest had offered only glimpses of it. The sun in its chariot had almost halfway ascended it. There was birdsong in the wind and chill in the air. She clung to the stag as he jumped over a stream, a small smile playing on her lips as the thrill set in.

A faint trace in the horizon which grew larger as they approached- a hill, whose slopes were painted in the shades of autumn. The woods on the slope were mostly silent except for the occasional birds. Then there was the sound of water as it trickled down into a small stream. Erenien scooped a handful and washed her face which had become sticky because of dried tears. A small shudder climbed up her spine to fight the chill. Leaves fluttered in the gentle breeze, sending another wave of chill into her damp face. Through the swaying greens she caught a glimpse of a small building guarded by the thick greenery surrounding it. Vines crept over the stone walls which supported the remnants of a roof.

Her friend nudged her forward. She carefully approached the ruins of what once must have been a house even though there was absolutely no chance of it being inhabited, at least by anyone that could do potential harm. She put a trembling hand over the rusted door-handle and turned back. The stag was still there, watching, silently compelling her to go in. Erenien took a deep breath. There was something in the air that unsettled her. A feeling at the back of her mind that strange events were about to happen and that this was just the beginning.

Against the screaming of her mind she pushed the door open, half expecting it to fall off the hinges. They creaked open revealing a small room. The house must have been a comfortable abode once. There were a few chairs, ornately carved, lining the left wall. There must have been some plants too, whose vases lie shattered in the left corner. Ahead of her, the farthest wall opened into a hall, concealed by torn curtains splattered with dark stains. Everything in the house was in a state of decay. The dust particles lingering in the air burned her throat. She resisted the urge to cough lest she should invite unwanted attention though the probability of that seemed small. The walls barely echoed her footfall as she moved further in, careful to avoid stepping on the shattered pottery. The inner hall was better lighted, thanks to the constellation of holes in the roof. She took a quick glance across the room, spotting only a table and a few chairs around it and a threadbare carpet covering the half-rotten floor planks. Small plants sprouted out of the cracks in the walls which they shared with green moss. Through a half-open door at the end, a faint light crept into the room revealing dark stains scattered across the carpet. She moved mechanically, to the source of the light.

The door creaked open. This room was spotlessly clean despite the passage of many years. Golden light shone through the fluttering curtains. The first thing that caught her attention was a small cradle in the far corner which was shaking. She moved towards the cradle bracing herself, expecting the creature squirming in it to jump at her. To her awe, she found a small baby instead, wrapped in swaddling clothes. She stood there for a while both confused and mesmerised in equal measure.

A shout. It was followed by a rustle of fabric somewhere in the hall. Her hands wandered to her waist in search of her sword. Erenien muttered a curse at her impulsiveness. Going into the forest unarmed! How long will it take you to learn?

A sudden wailing sounded from behind. She turned back to the child, eyes wide and desperately tried to pacify her, but to no avail. The child had already invited attention and she heard urgent footsteps approaching.

Her first instinct was to hide somewhere. But as she tried, another tiny squeak came from the crib; the tiny green eyes locked with hers. I cannot leave the child! She planted herself in front of the crib, determined to shield the young one from danger. You should have at least closed the door.

She braced herself. Her tensed shoulders relaxed slightly upon sighting the person- an ellon. He was tall and dark-haired with familiar green eyes. An elleth followed him, tall and silver-eyed.

"Aerien," she called as she saw Erenien.

"Who are you?" Erenien's voice sounded way too sweet for her liking.

They didn't answer. The elleth moved forward. Erenien scrambled to the side, away from her extended arms. The elleth took the baby and gently rocked the child, pacifying her. These people must be the parents, Erenien deduced. Neither of them paid any attention to her, much to her wonder. There was something about the couple that gave off a feeling of déjà vu but she couldn't find out when or where they had met.

A knock sounded at the door and the ellon went out. Erenien followed him after throwing another glance at the mother and child, feeling like an intruder into their privacy.

"Greetings, mother, brother, sister," he greeted them. In came a tall elleth, readheaded, with eyes of lush green, followed by another of similar built and bronze-haired, whose brown eyes sparkled with mischief. They were followed by an ellon, who had the same dark brown hair as their host and brown eyes.

"I can't wait to see our little girl," his mother said. He led the group to the child's room.

Never in her life had Erenien felt more stupid. These people were insane, she surmised for none of them seemed to notice this girl, standing right in front of their eyes. All their attention was on the child. The adorable coos filled the room as she passed from hand to hand. Erenien wanted to get away but something in her heart rooted her there. The laughter that filled the room was contagious. Despite the feeling of being stupid, she smiled and absorbed their joy as she leaned onto the doorframe.

After a while, she turned to leave. Even though they were ignorant of her presence, she still felt like an intruder and forced herself to turn away. The Erenien that came out of the house wasn't as whole as the one that entered. A fragment of her mind was left there with the baby and her joyous family.

Just as the previous time the stag was not there and it was becoming late. Her stomach protested at the lack of fuel since her last meal had been breakfast. She chuckled. Should I rummage through their kitchen? These people are not even bothered about me.

Even though her body desperately craved it, Erenien couldn't make up her mind to take anything from the kitchen. It meant stealing. She sat on the veranda until the rumbling subsided. Not once did the thought of returning pass through her mind. Neither did she notice the now spotless and cozy home; not even a misplaced furniture. She had wondered about that at a later time and believed that it was her destiny to be there and to witness the scenes that shaped the rest of her life...