I own almost all of the characters here, but none of the settings.

Lathwinn sat straight atop the horse they rode. She had brought the beast back down to a walk on the flat ground after letting it run and then gallop for many leagues. How her relative communicated with the beast was a mystery even to her Laegrim aunt behind her.

The mare bore no reins and no saddle. Lathwinn's feet were only covered with hart-antler-skin rubbed off each year by said beasts and sewn together with abandoned spider-silk. Yet, the horse continued to move ever northward putting green plains farther behind her tail and bringing arid land closer to her front hooves. The mare's head was raised, and ears pointed forward showing no anger. Her rider and mistress spoke with a like lack of anger when she said, "Now, my beloved Aunt Sarnin!"

"Yes?" The older elleth leaned out from behind her niece to try to peer into her niece's face.

"I have traveled these lands many a time, dear Aunt, and I have been with our kin, who came back across the sea, whom we go to see now many times as well. Have I not?"

"Yes?"

"I know these lands and the Noldo who rule over them both better than any of other among our folk, who have seen them also, for though some of them often accompany me, they never go without me. Is not all this true my aunt?"

"Yes, my love! All this is true. Why do you bring it up now?"

"And this is your first time, being this far away from The Land Between The Rivers since you settled there, is it not?"

"Yes, Lathwinn! Come to your point!"

Lathwinn turned her face to peer back at her aunt with one eye. Sarnin could see her profile perfectly outlines against the bright sky before them. Her niece's words pleased her far less than the sight. "Let me do the talking, the choosing of which direction to take, and what to do on this trip, for both of us then without question."

The older elleth frowned. It sat bitterly on her heart to give permission to her niece, whom she'd swaddled and soothed after her sister gave her birth, guide her about now like she guided this horse they rode. But Lathwinn had not stopped her, only aided her on this quest, when no other would have. Also, as determined as she was, and gentle and well-liked by other elves generally, Sarnin admitted to herself she "had" never seen an elf born beyond the sea before she saw Celuant. She had also not been in the lands beyond her forest home, outside the canyons she gathered stones from, since arriving there with her kin. Her niece was right.

The older elleth sighed and nodded, "Alright, my niece. I agree to these demanding terms of yours. You are right. I shall be as foolish as a fledgling fresh from its nest, where we go now. So, I shall try to do as you tell me in all things at least until we return home."

Lathwinn nodded and said in a firm voice, "Then, my dear aunt, even if it seems strange, do all I ask without questioning, and I shall try not to take advantage of you. I will try to only guide and direct you for a reason at all times on our journey. For in truth, we go now into a land ruled by a dangerous master."

. . .

Manpalan, Lathwinn's youngest brother, ran just a few lengths behind his older brothers and Celuant. The once-noldo kept only about a half-length ahead of Lastannan and Ranthalion. Melarbeth kept just behind his elder brothers and just before his youngest as they all raced north together.

It was Manpalan who asked first from behind, "Do you mind telling us Celuant why simply talking about 'you' among your kin might put 'our' sister and aunt in mortal danger?"

Celuant replied without pausing or turning his eyes away from the north. "I was led into their enemy's presence and placed so I could look up into his eyes. That is enough for them!"

"But why?!"

"Because his gaze has so enchanted others they do his bidding, dooming their own kin, without even knowing it until it is too late for them and all about them!"

Lastannan turned his gaze slightly to the ellon slightly before him and to his right, "But you looked into the Silmarils, not our enemy's eyes, did you not?"

"I did."

Ranthalion turned his scowl from the distance to Sarnhael as well. "And this saved you from being enchanted by his gaze did it not?"

"Yes."

Lastannan dared turned his gaze further away from the north to watch the ellon running beside and ahead of him better. "Even had it not, why does simply speaking of you mean death by the law of your people?"

"Because I was loved! There were some who wanted to welcome me back into their fortress. They begged for me to be allow in or to go to me! This angered Caranthir who would not risk it! He said the next to mention my name or speak of me would in his lands would be slain! And such would be the law for all others who returned from Morgoth's presence! Your aunt goes to inquire of me among my kin and to speak of me to them! If Caranthir or one loyal to him hears of it they will be slain! My own kin would not defy him for me! How then shall two strangers fair there?"

Ranthalion clenched his jaw then nodded, "You are right, Celuant! Noldo are next to orcs!"

Lastannan dropped a half step behind to scowl at his brother without a noldo in his way, but had only opened his mouth to chastise him, when Sarnhael spoke. "I thank thee for noticing!"

. . .

Lathwinn rode her horse out of the canyon and across a wide, flat plain of sand and dust toward a fortress. After riding long with the spine of mountains on their right, some time ago they had turned and ridden right in among them to reach this fort. Sarnin had found herself ever lifting her head to gaze up at these peaks seemingly trying to scratch the sky.

Now though, the immediate rock formations around the elleth and their mount were lower plateaus encircling a rare flat area here among the mountains. The land rose a little in the center of this space and atop this rise rose the fort. Not only its citadels, but the tops of its walls rose slightly above the plateaus giving no advantage to any archers who might approach their fortress and aim at its occupants. Yet the color of the stone blended in well with its surroundings. Mountains with sheer cliffs facing it rose even higher than the plateaus they encircled hiding the fort from those beyond them. Only birds, those hanging from the mountain faces by their fingertips, or those walking atop the surrounding plateaus would plainly see this sight though they be in shouting distance easily. Only by making a turn on the curving path through the mountains they had ridden through, carved long ago by a river of which not a drop seemed to have appeared for centuries, and suddenly riding out into the open did the mare and elleth riding her see it now.

As the elven ladies from The Land Between the Rivers rode toward the fortress' gate, the elves trained their gazes, but no weapons upon them. One called out. "It is Lathwinn the Great bringing another Laegrim elleth with her!"

Another replied more softly "Another Laegrim elleth?"

Still another shouted, "Open the gate!"

The gate of black, metal bars rose out of the sand. Grains of the sand they'd been planted deeply in fell off the pointed ends of the bottom of the bars. Some of these bright particles landed in Lathwinn and Sarnin's hair and their horse's mane as the beast ran swiftly under them to come out on the other side within the fortress' walls. Once inside, the mare circled her paces growing slower as a crowd gathered to view her and her riders. The mount shied and picked up speed again at the grinding of the gates closing again cutting them off from the outside. Finally, long moments later, the beast not only slowed but stopped. Then Lathwinn dismounted. Sarnin slid off after her niece and stepped away from the animal before turning to place a hand on its hide to calm it.

Lathwinn walked up to the nearest ellon approaching her. She smiled up into his face. "Greetings, guardians of this fortress. I am Lathwinn the Great, as you can see, and this is my aunt Sarnin." She turned back to and gestured for her close kin to join her.

As Sarnin walked up to join her niece at her side, the ellon stopped his own steps and raised eyebrows at them both. "Why does your aunt now accompany you on a journey through lands often traveled by orcs Lathwinn? Where are your brothers or other warriors we have met before in your company? Tis it not dangerous to approach the border of our enemy's lands we have built our fortress to guard against with only a horse and an obvious non-warrior elleth?"

Sarnin raised her eyebrows. It was true she only had a blade made by Celuant and a pouch of stones hanging from her belt. She wore not even a quiver of arrows nor carried a bow like her niece. Lathwinn though had only she knew how many knives strapped to her side, her thigh, and her shins. She herself had fought off orcs before and they had traveled in as much light as possible the whole way and planned to do so the whole way back. What was there to fear?

Lathwinn folded her own arms before her and grinned a bit more sharply at the Noldo. "Indeed, it is. But we come upon a special quest." The other elf raised his eyebrows further while meeting Lathwinn's gaze. He remained silent as she continued, however. "First, it would be wise for us to speak to the ruler of these lands before we do anything else would it not? Can you care for our mount in a place she will be as well cared for as yours while we seek the one we hope will host us?"

The ellon looked over Lathwinn's shoulder at an elf standing a little apart from the crowd who smelled slightly of horse. He nodded to him. The ellon then turned to the panting mare reached out and speaking slightly to her. After first stepping back, the mare became still then followed him a few steps behind toward the stables.

The ellon before the elleth, then looked back down into Lathwinn's face and smiled. "Indeed, I will help you gain audience with Caranthir now."

What do you think?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes

I would like to thank my newest reviewer, for inspiring me to add the next chapter so soon. :)