47 Years ago...

The next morning I awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside my chamber window. I opened my eyes only to see darkness. I sighed, in my dreams, my nightmares, I'm able to see clearly. I can see the dead face of my father and my brother's horror-stricken expression. I sat up in bed and stretched before slipping out of bed and felt my way around the room and to my dresser when the door opened.

"My l-Shyra. You know that I am supposed to help you get dressed." the maid said, I felt her clasp my wrists and move me back a few steps away from the dresser. I stayed still where she had left me as she fiddled through my drawer.

"Here we are. Black yes?" she asked, I nodded and let her dress me. As she clasped my tunic on I sighed heavily.

"L-no, that's no right…" I muttered, I could feel the maid's eyes on me, she was listening as I tried to speak her tongue.

"Le...fae...l...Le fael…" I murmured, silence fell between us, was it something I said? The maid chuckled softly.

"You are most welcome, Shyra," she said, I smiled and nodded. After I was dressed the maid led me out of my chamber door and to the hallway.

"My lords, she is ready for you," she said as she shut the door behind me. Soon her footsteps walked away, leaving me in the hall.

"Good morning Shyra." Elladan's voice spoke to my left, I turned my head toward him and smiled.

"Good morning my lord or lords?" I asked, unsure if they were both here or not.

"Yes, Shyra. We are both here, my apologies." Elrohir's voice spoke.

"So, what kind of trouble should we get oursElves into now?" I asked, the twins snorted and chuckled.

"Not today, Glorfindel wants us to bring you to the stable to show you something." Elladan replied, almost in an excited tone of voice.

"And since Glorfindel is not here to guide you, we got you this." I felt Elrohir take my hand and place a long skinny stick in it. I gripped it and ran my other hand over the stick to get a better picture of it. It was made of smooth, sanded wood and was slim, about four feet long. I frowned and tilted my head back up to the twins.

"I'm not using this," I said flatly, I was already blind and a lot of people already thought I was helpless.

"You are as stubborn as a badger," Elladan said.

"Aye," I said flatly again.

"Shyra, for once please do not be so stubborn. We are trying to help you-"

"If you think I am a damsel in distress I will break this stick over your head." I snapped and raised the stick.

"I was not going to say that! You are even as fierce as a badger. Look if you do not want to use the stick you can wait in your room until Glorfindel returns." Elrohir replied to my threat, I lowered the stick before turning to my right.

"So how do I use this?" I asked, the twins were silent for a moment.

"Are you going to answer me or are you just going to leave me in the dark?" I asked.

"You are a strange woman Shyra…" Elladan said before walking around me and taking my wrist in his hand.

"You are a strange woman…" I mumbled as he lowered the stick in my hand and made the tip touch the ground.

"I am not a woman!" he shot back, I tilted my head up to his and pointed up at his face, feeling his breath on my finger.

"With all that long black hair of yours, you should be considered one!" I snapped back.

"That is enough now, you two are disturbing the peace around here." Elrohir said sternly, always the more mature one.

I soon got the hang of the stick in my hand and I didn't run into any rocks, walls or trees either. Soon I smelled the scent of the barn and heard the snorting of horses as we approached the stable. The twins guided me in through the large door to the stable and I listened to the sounds around me. My now heightened ears picked up the sounds of horses chewing their oats and hay, stable hands mucking out the stalls along with their chatter, and the sound of a horse in front of me stamping its hoof on the ground to ward off the flys.

The soft jingling of a bell announced that Glorfindel was approaching.

"Ah Shyra, good morning to you." Glorfindel's voice spoke to me and before long I felt his hands on my shoulders.

"Come this way, and do not resist or else you will regret it," he said, awfully giddy too. He was making me nervous. I let him lead me forward and raise my arm and hand upward in front of me. He slowly moved my hand forward and soon I felt warm smooth fur under my palm. I smiled and tilted my head toward Glorfindel.

"What is this?" I asked, I heard the twins chuckling like a bunch of gossiping peasant girls.

"This is your new horse." Glorfindel proudly explained, I stroked the horse's face.

"Describe him to me," I ordered softly, running my hand down from his forelock to his muzzle.

"He is a flaxen chestnut and is fourteen hands high and also very stubborn. I met some horse traders from Rohan the other day who was selling him. You see in Rohan they train some horses for blind people and they purposely breed them with Mearas for their intelligence and long life." Glorfindel said, I smiled.

"Thank you…" I murmured softly, from what I could tell, this horse had a roman nose, but not an ugly one. Delicate almost.

"Well Badger, what are you going to name him?" Elladan asked, I thought for a moment. Flaxen mane and tail, delicate roman nose. Brown…and stubborn.

"Alright, I have it," I announced proudly, the horse snorted.

"What?" Elrohir asked behind me, I smiled deviously.

"His name is Weasel." I proclaimed, silence. I waited awkwardly for a reply or answer.

"Weasel?" Elladan asked, I turned my head toward them.

"Yes, you call me Badger and now we have a Weasel," I said, moving to the horse's side and patting his shoulder.

"He is also technically a pony for his height and stubbornness. I think it's perfect." I said proudly, more silence.

"It's her horse." I heard Glorfindel say and more silence. Honestly, they were overreacting.

"Weasel?" The twins asked in unison.