Athrana (Wandering Shadow)
Chapter 20- With a flower in her hair
TA3019, February
Elrohir moved through the room packing anything they would need for escorting Arwen the next day. They had both been surprised when she had told them of her plans. They had thought she would ignore Estel's suggestion and wait for him. Apparently all she had needed was their father's encouragement to sail, but at least she would be safe. They would make sure of that.
Then he felt a familiar melancholy sweep through his mind. Elladan was thinking thoughts he shouldn't. Walking through their bedroom he noticed his brother on the balcony, but that wasn't all. Sitting on the bed was 'that' box. The one Elladan had said he wouldn't open again. The one they had agreed to leave alone. The box was open. He always had been the more impulsive of the two. Looking to the balcony again he saw that Elladan was holding a dried flower.
"You said you weren't going to do this anymore Dan" Elladan didn't even turn around and didn't answer his brother. Elrohir closed the box and joined his brother on the balcony. "Dan?" Elladan sighed. "You know this is one of the only memories I have, that you don't share Roh" So they were going to do this again. How many times would they go over old memories, painful memories? "I may not have been there Dan, but I felt what you felt. I would have done the same."
TA 2917
They had been sitting together enjoying a treetop picnic when Elrohir had remembered something. He was supposed to be picking up a book from the library that afternoon. Promising to be back soon he had jumped down o the ground and strode off towards the house. Elladan had sat there for a while alone before Athriel had turned up agreeing to join him for lunch.
Now she was looking around for something. "What are you looking for?" Elladan asked laughing. "A flower for my hair" he answered as if it were obvious. "You're such an elleth sometimes Riel" It didn't happen very often, but sometimes Athriel's feminine side would come through and it always surprised them when it did. Yes she still wore dresses and jewellery, but she was a warrior. The dresses he presumed were mainly to keep Erestor happy. "Well I hate to tell you this Elladan, but technically I am."
"Isn't one flower as good as another?" he asked as she scanned the blossoms. She rolled her eyes ignoring him. Until she found the one she wanted. "There!" He was taller than her so with an exaggerated sigh Elladan stood to retrieve the flower. It was a perfect bloom he had to admit. As he sat he reached over and put the flower into her hair between her braids. "Thanks"
Their eyes caught and Elladan didn't want to look away. Just this morning he and Elrohir had been talking about how beautiful Athriel was. How she was such an important part of their life. He leant in and kissed her. She pulled back. "What are you doing?" she looked furious. He reached out and touched her face willing away her anger. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are Athriel? We've always thought so."
Athriel flinched and moved further away. "Stop it Elladan1 I am not one of those maidens who follow you around like a lost puppy. I am not here for you to toy with" With that she jumped down from the branches and ran off.
Elrohir rushed back towards the tree. He had felt Elladan's confusion and heard his thoughts. He could see Athriel running towards the house and grabbed her. "Athriel? What's wrong?" But she wouldn't stop. She shrugged him off. "Don't touch me Elrohir" And ran as fast as she could towards the house.
They had gotten past it; they had been friends almost their entire lives. None of them had ever brought it up again. "Why do you think she kept it?" Elladan asked looking at the flower as he spun it between his fingers. Elrohir shrugged. "Come on Dan, we still have some packing to do."
Athrana sat in the tree across from the balcony looking down at her hands. She had come with the intention of telling them, just as Arwen had suggested. But then she had seen the flower. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are Athriel? We've always thought so" How could she talk to them? She wasn't Athriel anymore. Not the Athriel they remembered. She was dead.