Ok, no more lovely violence in this chapter, so I think its safe to say that its back to a K+ rating. Please let me know what you think. This chapter was difficult to write (because I wrote two different versions and went with the one I liked the most), and it means a lot to me. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR or its characters or locations. I only own my OC's and the plot of this story.
Dark eyes snapped open and a figure bolted upright in the shadows breathing heavily. The woman covered her eyes with her hand as she took deep calming breaths; a lone tear rolling down her cheek. After a few moments, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked around.
It was still dark outside, but she would not find any more sleep. Pulling back the silken covers of the bed, she walked across the room to the open window and leaned on the window sill. The stars were shining brightly and the moon was almost full. The citrine ring around her right index finger hummed as a soft growl echoed at the back of her mind. The words she heard when first placing the ring on her finger many years ago played in her mind.
"The tides have shifted. A new light begins to grow within the shadows. A new seed of hope has been planted. It is time for you to awaken, Faolan."
She allowed a small sad smile to grace her lips.
A light breeze drifted through the trees and the window, blowing through the woman's long hair. She ran her fingers through it. This was the last night it would be this length for quite some time. She would be cutting most of it off in the morning; her own special way of mourning the loss of the only family she had left and the most important person in her life since that night forty five years ago.
Fravardin sighed, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. Memories of that night would drift into her dreams, quite often leaving her with sleepless nights. Her uncle would always hear her muttering in her sleep and would be by her side when they became too much and cause her to wake with a scream. Not anymore… she thought sadly. He had been doing well at the ripe old age of seventy five, and not even the dangers of the adventures they shared would slow him down. Suddenly he had been struck with a strange illness and his health had quickly begun deteriorating. Out of desperation, she had taken him to Rivendelle in hopes that the Elven Lord Elrond could help him. By the time she had arrived Sergio was already looking at his final days. They allowed them to stay and made the man as comfortable as possible. With Fravardin holding his hand by his bedside, he passed peacefully from Middle Earth just the previous night. Lord Elrond had said that there was a quiet, peaceful place where they could lay him to rest by a great Willow tree next to a stream that ran through Rivendelle. The burial would be shortly after dawn, when the light of the sun would shine on Sergio's final resting place.
Moving away from the window, she looked at the room they had given her. It was close to the House of Healing, but still further from other sleeping quarters. It was because of Lord Elrond that she had been able to stay in the first place. The others knew what she was and did not take comfort in her presence. Not that she could really blame them; her kind did not have a bright reputation. Aside from the fact that they were Elves and just seemed to 'know' things, it would not have been hard to figure out if one had asked for her age. Her appearance was that of a young woman in her mid-twenties, but she has now been wandering in this world for fifty five years. The blood of the wolf that coursed through her veins gave her all of the abilities her uncle had told her about in that story all those years ago, and more.
She had already made use of one of the most important aspects of werewolf blood shortly after she had been bitten; rapid regenerative abilities. She learned later on that she could heal faster than a normal human, but the light of the full moon increases the speed to the point of being instantaneous. To say she had been lucky would be a great understatement. The bite had punctured her lung and scratched her heart but there just happened to be a full moon that night, triggering the healing process. She had not only survived the wolf bite, but it had released something deep inside of her. That howl she heard before losing consciousness had been her own inner beast making itself known to her.
This rapid regeneration also seemed to stop the aging process. She hadn't been sure at first, but after she had reached her mid-thirties and her appearance had not changed it became rather obvious.
She walked over to a small table near her bed and gingerly picked up one of the items. A large sheathed dagger that had belonged to her Uncle. He wielded it until he became ill and had given it to Fravardin shortly afterwards. She ran her thumb over the smooth edges of the handle before wrapping her hand around it and unsheathing it. She inspected the edges, which were still sharp after all these years of use. The blade glowed in the moonlight and the engraving stood out clearly.
Sergio
A name meaning both 'guardian' and 'keeper', her uncle had lived up to his name and so much more. Sheathing the dagger, she set it back down on the table and picked up the other item. The bow that Sergio had crafted for her twenty first birthday had been strong and sturdy. He had taught her to be a skilled archer and wanted to make sure she had a bow that could handle their adventures. But it had been through a lot and, unlike the dagger, it was beginning to crack under the stress.
She looked at it sadly before gently setting it back down on the table. Turning to look out the window, she noticed that it would not be too long before dawn. The woman walked over to the trunk at the end of her bed and opened it before pulling out a long black gown that had been provided to her for the funeral. She stepped behind a curtain and changed out of her nightgown and into the dress.
Going back over to the table, she searched through the contents of her pack and pulled out her little wooden comb. It had been in her pocket during the attack and miraculously managed to stay there without getting broken.
Stepping over to the window she began brushing it through her hair slowly, knowing she wouldn't be using it again for a while.
The sun slowly began to rise over the horizon, painting the clouds in the sky an orange hue. Fravardin brought the comb through her hair one last time before placing it in a small pocket in her dress. She took a deep breath. It was time to say goodbye.
0o0o0o0o0o0o
The light of dawn shone across Rivendell, its first rays shinning down upon the grave by the great willow tree. Fravardin stood by the fresh patch of dirt facing the headstone where her uncle had just been laid to rest.
Here lies Sergio. A guardian to all and a father to one. May he watch over you from beyond the horizon.
Lord Elrond and his daughter Arwen were kind enough to accompany her and stay for some kind words on his behalf. Arwen came forward and placed a beautiful ring of flowers in front of the headstone. She approached Fravardin and gave her a hug before squeezing her hand.
"I would be honored if you would allow me to sing for him." She said gently, looking into her eyes. Fravardin swallowed and nodded, gratefulness shining in her eyes as more tears slid down her cheeks. Still holding her hand, she turned towards the grave and began to sing in Elvish.
"May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk a lonely road
Oh! How far you are from home
Mornie utulie (Darkness has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (Darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now
May it be the shadow's call
Will fly away
May it be your journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun
Mornie utulie (Darkness has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (Darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now
A promise lives within you now"
With her song finished she turned back towards the woman next to her, who was now shaking with more tears flowing down her face. She managed a quiet thank you before she slowly lowered herself to her knees next to the grave and covered her mouth with her hand and started sobbing. Arwen kneeled down and placed a gentle kiss on top of her head before standing again and quietly walking back towards the horses. Elrond came over and placed his hand on her back before speaking softly.
"Take as much time as you need to grieve. You may stay for as long as you wish." After a moment Fravardin managed to calm down enough to speak.
"I cannot stay…I mean… I would like to, but there are things I must do before I can move on from this… from him. Besides, I do not think the others who reside here like my presence." She hiccupped.
"It does not matter how they feel about your being here. Despite the dark history of your kind I know that you yourself do not pose any kind of threat to Rivendell or its people. In fact, it may even be safer with you here." He smiled at her with a twinkle in his eyes. She released what sounded like the mix between a laugh and a sob.
"You are free to come and go as you wish. I will make sure that there will always be a space available should you need a place to stay."
"Thank you my lord. I will be leaving in the morning, but I know that I shall be back again." she stood and bowed with her hand over her heart.
"I am truly grateful to you for all that you have done for me… and for my uncle." He lifted her chin and cupped her hand in-between his own.
"I am honored to have met you Faolan. May the light of the Evenstar guide you on your journeys." He offered one last smile before turning and following his daughter to the horses. Fravardin smiled, it seemed that the voice inside her ring had predicted the Elvish name she would receive from the Elf Lord.
Turning back to the headstone, she crouched down in front of it and ran her hands across the engraving.
"I will come and visit again someday Uncle. When I do, I promise I will be much stronger. I will make you proud…Father." He had been more of a father to her than the one that had disappeared all those years ago. So that is how she decided to remember him.
She got up and ,with one last glance, headed back towards the horses to return to her room and pack.
A small wooden comb rested atop of the headstone.
0o0o0o0o0o0o
Sat upon a horse at the gates of Rivendelle, Fravardin glanced one last time at the beautiful House of Elrond. A breeze blew by and tickled her neck, her long hair now cut and no longer covering it. She was now wearing new traveling attire; a pair of long breeches tucked into her boots at the end, a long shirt with long loose sleeves that gave her plenty of flexibility, a belt, and of course an Elven cloak hanging from her shoulders. She put her hand on the brand new Elven bow that she now had resting on her shoulders; a gift from Elrond and Arwen, with an engraving in Elvish on the side.
Faolan- The brave Little Wolf
She then checked for her dagger, which was securely fastened to the strap of her quiver of arrows. Then, with a click of her tongue, she urged the horse into a trot, leaving the gates of the Elvish city behind.
She would return one day. The day when she was no longer Frevardin, daughter of Vucic; but Faolan, daughter of Sergio. The Little Wolf.
That was a nice chapter to write. I almost cried writing the funeral, I really liked Sergio.
The song that Arwen sang is called May It Be, by Enya. It's a great song, I recommend you listen to it while reading that part.
~Cooking-Ninja