I'm Back!

I want to apologise for the long unexpected hiatus. The next chapter will not need nearly as much time. (In fact, it is already mostly written, so stay tuned for next week)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, setting or plots of the Silmarillion or any other related works by Tolkien.

Enjoy!

Chapter Seven

Andreth was bored.

She had never really thought much about the time she had spent on her lessons with Adanel. Besides on some occasions when she had seen how much time Geldir could spend with her family and her jealousy had raised its head.

But now, sitting in her room staring through the shutters into the dreary rain, she couldn't help but realise that she was bored.

Bored to death.

Only two weeks back home and it already felt like an eternity. The first few days she had her brother Bregor to keep her company.

Despite their years apart, he was still the same boy with whom she had run to wide wheat fields, fencing with sticks, pretending to be brave warriors or playing in nearby meadows gathering flowers and singing songs about beautiful elvish maidens. Even though she had to admit that now Bregor didn't need to pretend to be a warrior anymore.

To her dismay, she had learnt that he had been going out on patrols for two years already and would soon take over full responsibility for the security of all of their villages.

Andreth knew as their father's heir these duties would fall to him eventually, but she couldn't help and felt that it was much too soon. She barely got to spend any time with Bregor before he had gone back to his duties and rejoined the patrols.

Andreth found herself more often than not sitting alone in her room staring out the window. Imagining the cold rotten corpses lying in the forest and her brother among them.

After her second day mostly spent idly in her room she had approached Elwen and asked for some work to do in the kitchens or some other part of the house. However, the old housekeeper had looked at Andreth indignantly and said,

'I've run this house for over a decade. I will not allow us the dishonour of the lady of the house toiling in the kitchens'.

This baffled Andreth. She had many clear memories of having to scrub pots under Elwen's stern supervision.

And while Adanel had often been preoccupied with her studies of lore or her duties as a healer, she had on occasions helped in the kitchens or other more menial tasks.

After another exasperated sigh, Andreth pulled the shutters closed, resolved.

"If Elwen doesn't have anything for me to do then Father will." She muttered.

She stood up and quickly brushed her skirts. Stepping out of her door and she made to look for her father.

He spent most of his mornings with his men, overseeing her training or visiting different villages looking over their storages. In the afternoons, he secluded himself in his study.

This is where Andreth decided to look for him first.

Just as she headed around the corner of the hall she bumped into Beril.

Her sister looked at her with wide eyes and a shy smile.

Her hair must have been braided this morning however very little of her wild frilly hair remained contained. Her muddy boots and wet hem clearly showed that she had spent quite a bit of time outside in the rain.

'Any...eh...Andreth. I just came to visit you. I thought about showing you my…'

Not wanting to allow herself to be swayed in her resolve of confronting her father, Andreth quickly interrupted Beril.

'I'm sorry, Beril but I was just on my way to father.'

Beril looked up at Andreth, her smile slowly dropping she nodded. Gifting her an apologetic smile Andreth stepped past her little sister and made for the study.

She stared at the wooden door. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes. She would remain calm.

Graceful and collected. Like Adanel.

First, she will explain what she learnt during her training with her aunt. Then she will say how terribly wasted her skill is if she isn't allowed to do anything and … then … then she will have to see what father has to say…

Opening her eyes again she stares determined at the door, lifts her hand and knocks.

Immediately she felt her hands begin to sweat.

Did he answer? Should she just...enter? Deciding not to give herself any more time to doubt her action she opened the door and slipped inside.

Boromir sat at his desk with both of his hands in his hair. He was completely still. Just staring at the roll of parchment lying on the desk in front of him. He looked exhausted.

Noticing her presence he looked up and hastily stood.

'Andreth!', he sounds visibly surprised, but not angry.

Taking that as a good sign Andreth raised her chin, exorcising all nervousness and uncertainty she spoke.

'Father, I need to speak with you!'

Calm and Controlled.

'Yes, yes. I have to apologise. I ought to have made some time for you. I'm sorry, Andreth.'

Slightly confused Andreth blinked a few times. She hadn't expected him to apologise. Her throat was raspy as she said.

'I understand. You are busy with your duties and…'

Her mind suddenly felt empty. Instead of saying anything of the things she planned on saying she just blurted out.

'I am not useless!'

Boromir looked taken aback. He opened his mouth as if to say something.

Quickly before he could interrupt her she just burrowed forward.

'I've been sitting in my room doing absolutely nothing for nearly two weeks now! You send me to be apprenticed under Adanel to learn to become a wise woman! And I did! But now I sit here staring out of the window counting raindrops.'

Andreth forced herself to clap her mouth closed. She'd been babbling again.

Adanel always said that every time she became angry or frustrated she would lose her composure and start to blurt out every thought that came to her mind. What happened to calm and collected?

Boromir grimaced.

'I hope you understand, after not having seen you for so long… I… You have grown so much.'

He fell silent again looking at her for what felt like an eternity.

Despite the shame, she felt due to her outburst, Andreth refused to lower her gaze, staring straight ahead meeting her father's eyes.

When he finally began to speak, she nearly jumped.

'It seems I have to apologise for that too, my daughter."

He let out a tired sigh and sank back into his large chair, leaning back he looked up at the dark wood of the ceiling. After another tense pause, he looked back at her and smiled slightly.

'Very well. Tell me what you learned.'

'I can tend to the sick and injured. I know how to mix salves and tinctures to ease pains and keep infections at bay. I'm instructed in the lore of our people and have learned to read as well as write…'

Boromir immediately perked up.

'Write? How well?'

'Adanel has frequently praised my penmanship. I can write Taliska as well as Sindarin.' She said proudly.

Boromir sprang up from his seat pulling the heavy chair back.

'Here, sit!'

As she stepped closer she deliberately smoothed out her skirts and sat down as gracefully as she could. He held out a writing quill and placed a sheet of parchment full of scribbles in front of her.

She looked up at her father as he looked expectantly at her.

She caught herself chewing on her lip, forcefully relaxing her face again she took the quill and dipped the tip into the open ink glass.

Her father began to list random words in alarmingly quick succession. Hastily she began to write every word down in as neat a script as possible. She nearly misspelt two words as he unexpectedly mixed a few Sindarin words between the familiar Taliska.

Once she put down her quill he grabbed the parchment and studied her writing. A small smile pulled up his lips, he placed his large hand on Andreths shoulder.

'Your script is worthy of an elvish loremaster,' at his praise Andreth couldn't help the grin that rose to her face nor the pride that filled her chest.

'You were right', her father told her as he carefully placed a blank sheet of parchment in front of her.

'As chieftain of the House of Beor, I have many accounts to review and correspondents to uphold, responses to write…'

He looked down at her and as he met her gaze Andreth was sure for the first time that day she could see real affection in his eyes.

'And you were right, I've sent you away to learn and now you should be allowed to put these skills to good use.'

Andreth could barely contain her joy as she nodded enthusiastically.

'Very well', her father said, before he began a small explanation of the many accounts he had been reviewing.

Andreth spent the rest of the afternoon together with her father in his study. And when she returned to her room late in the evening her neck was stiff and her wrist was tired. For the first time since she heard the news of her return, the tight feeling in her chest had loosened.

She felt a great sense of relief.

Now she knew that she had a use... her father knew that she had a use. She would not be unwanted here, not anymore.

Yeah! Andreth is rebuilding her relationship with her father!

However, she is still struggling with Beril.

Their ages haven't changed since last time but as a reminder.

Andreth - 16

Beril - 12

Bregor - 18

As for explanations, I think the only mystery word should be Taliska, which is the language of the House of Beor and the House of Hador. And of course in true Tolkien fashion is also apparently a full conlang complete with multiple dialects. However, as far as I could see during my research, his notes containing all the details about Taliska have yet to be published. So in this story, you can think of English as its stand-in.