Cirith Ungol RPG

[Airerûthiel]

Although Bragolhirwen cursed herself for her negative outlook, there was something about her return to Mirkwood that felt as though she had come home, in a sense. This was her mother's country, the true home of Airerûthiel. She felt strangely calm as the group came through the woods. Sérë had waited for her, loyal as he was to the young Gondorian, and for that she was grateful.

In a way, her experiences in Mordor had made her look on life differently. She knew that she could not change what had happened, and she still regretted her actions as to foolishly risking her life so many times in order to prove herself to the group. But she had grown in maturity - she accepted who she was, and she could now truly call herself a warrior. The old warg-wound and the bruises inflicted by the spider would be her burden the rest of her days; the injury inflicted by the wolves may never truly heal, but she was willing to bear it without complaint.

She was not so headstrong any more, nor so negative; her feelings of regret and guilt had disappeared when she revealed who she truly was. The world was new again, ready to start afresh after the turmoil of the War of the Ring, and she could only hope that the rest of her days might be better than her younger life. No longer did revenge cloud her senses; rather, she was grateful for the legacy her parents had left her. Although she knew not where her life-path was to take her, she was willing to follow it without her fears crushing her true spirit and with an open heart and a modest valour.

A memory of earlier times came back to her, and she smiled to herself as it was relived inside her head. When she had been a small girl, her mother had brought her back to the woodland realm, and she had been left alone briefly while she danced and sang by the river bank. One of the young wood-Elves was walking in the area at the time, and she remembered him calling her Airerûthiel. But she had just shaken her head and smiled. Her words echoed in her head as loud as thunder as she whispered them into Sérë's ear:

"I am Bragolhirwen, daughter of Pennrod, child of Gondor and of Mirkwood."

At this moment, she realised there was something she wanted to add to that statement. Taking a deep breath, she almost shouted out, "I am my own person. I am a proven warrior. And I am no longer a child!"

[ March 08, 2003: Message edited by: Airerûthiel ]

[ElentariGreenleaf]

Elentari smiled. At last Bragolhirwen had realised her true worth. But now Elentari became nervous. She could see the gates of Mirkwood Palace drawing ever closer.

"Hreeza," said Elentari. "Do you think they'll accept me into Mirkwood this time?"

"I'm sure they will Elentari. You were the one who finished off Shelob. I will make sure King Thranduil knows of your courage and bravery."

"Thank you Hreeza." Although it was more than a month after the defeat of Shelob, Elentari could still feel the affects of using her power so much.

"Halt, who goes there?" shouted a guard.

"Wait, let them in," said a familiar voice. The gates opened and Min appeared from inside. "Lorin! Hreeza! You're back!"

~~~~~~~~

Elentari waited patiently outside King Thranduil's throne room. Hreeza was talking to him. The king respected the Sprite, though it took him a long time to believe a sprite could have corporeal form.

"Elentari," said Hreeza. "The king would like to speak with you." Hreeza led Elentari into the large, beautifully decorated throne room.

"So," said the king slowly. "You are the one who finally defeated Shelob. I remember your face, and Hreeza tells me that I have once before cast you out of Mirkwood. The title elf-witch does lead to people thinking you are evil, Elentari. But you have shown great courage and wisdom. You even gave a sprite corporeal form."

"Yes, your majesty. But I did that on behalf of the group. And I couldn't have defeated Shelob without Hreeza and Arawil."

"You are modest too. Elentari, without Arawil, there is no protection against spiders, for not all were killed by the Maia. Would you do Mirkwood the honour of taking up Arawil's role of spider slayer?"

Elentari, who had previously been looking at the floor, looked up at the king. His face was deadly serious. What could Elentari say but "Yes. I will do what Arawil can no longer do. It is my fault she is gone, so I owe it to you, to all of Mirkwood."

~~~~~~~~

Later that day Elentari met up with her companions. They were all enjoying the comforts of the palace, and Lorin and Min were getting on very well. Hreeza was trying to avoid all the elves that wanted a look at a corporeal wind sprite.

Elentari smiled at Bragolhirwen as the half-elf asked her what the king had said. "I am to live here, and be the spider slayer, as Arawil once was."

[Amanaduial the archer]

Hreeza walked with the rest of the group, and all the time she couldnt stop thinking that, yes, she was walking! The robe of woven silver air she had created felt good against her new skin, her legs, her body, her arms.... She sighed happily and breathed the sweet, clean air, and smiled. They had buried those who had fallen some way from the cave, and had been travelling on foot for the few hours since, as Hreeza didnt have a horse like the rest of them. She had insisted she could quite easily change back to her elemental form, but the other could see how happy she was, and how much it meant to her to be like this, and so they all walked. Besides, it was a relief to be able to see her, rather than having the feeling you could be facing entirely the wrong direction and talking to thin air.

Hreeza felt eyes on her and turned her head to look at Soronûmë, her liquid gold eyes meeting his deep brown ones. He blushed slightly, but didnt look away.

"Pardon me lady, its just I didnt know...I thought....Ive never seen a sprite become..." He stammered, searching for a word.

"Real?" Hreeza supplied, raising an eyebrow, but smiling as she did so. The elf smiled back and laughed slightly, almost nervously.

"I wasnt going to say that, lady."

Hreeza waved a hand, swatting any tension away with her long fingers. "It does not matter, O Elf. I am not used to this form myself." They fell into step together, and Hreeza chewed her lip nervously, trying to build up the courage to say the words forming in her mind. "But maybe...maybe we can be not used to it together?" She winced slightly and gave a small laugh. "That sounded alot better in my head."

The elf smiled and laughed also, more easily now. He nodded. "Aye. I think I would like that, yes."

~~~~~~~~~~

They made a few stops on the way to Mirkwood, including Gondor, but the companions had stayed together, not split of to go to their own homes. Mirkwood was where they had met, after all. As Hreeza stepped into her home forest, she felt all the feelings and sensations seep into her mind, the same as if she was in her corporeal form, and breathed a sigh of happiness and relief. Elentari wanted to stop here, to go her own way, but Hreeza peruaded her to come to the palace with her.

"I want all to know of your worth, O Spider slayer." Elentari had blushed as Hreeza said this.

Hreeza went into the kings throne room, and many in there gasped to see such a strange, yet weirdly beautiful woman. She was still barefoot, but her feet remained as clean as ever, and she still wore her robe of spun air. The king looked around in the air near her as she entered, and for a moment she was worried he wouldnt believe her to be herself.

"It is I, O Elf-King. Hreeza." She said, and inclined her head to him. His eyes slowly came to rest on her and he looked her over incredulously. His mouth opened and closed a few times and Hreeza smiled to see the mighty king lost for words. "I was made corporeal by she who slew the spider."

"She who....made corporeal..." Thranduil stammered, then inclined his head back, remembering his manners, and stood. He walked slowly up to her and Hreeza held out a hand, as she had seen courtiers do so. The king took it and kissed it, then his eyes returned to her face and he looked into her liquid gold eyes. His eyes widened.

"So it is true. You are the Sprite Hreeza."

"Indeed, O Thranduil. And my companions and I bear very good news."

"The spider....Shelob is....?"

"Yes, O King. Shelob is dead."

His eyes widened again and the courtiers around the room began to murmer. Then his face broke into a smile. "Send in the one who slew the spawn of Ungoliant."

Hreeza let Elentari in, and could feel how nervous the witch was, in the room where she had stood long ago, when she was exiled, but she stood tall. Thranduil surprised everyone though, as he walked forwards and embraced her, tears of gratitude in his eyes. Hreeza smiled and let herself out as the courtiers burst into a round of applause.

~~~~

The group half reclined in the sun on one of the large, elegantly carved balconies of the palace. They had heard Elentari's news and all were happy. Bragolhirwen had agreed not to conceal her identity any more, to live without that constant fear making her hide her true self. All wounds had healed, including Lorins arm, and Hreeza was glad to see her hand holding Mins. All were, for the first time in a long time, happy and trouble free.

They had been invited to stay at the palace for a while. Hreeza would return after a few weeks into the forest to once again become part of it, to walk between the arches of the trees and feel the soft earth beneath her feet, let herself float to the tops of the trees and feel the warmth of the sun over the forest, walk and bathe in the streams with the elementals of an element almost as free as hers....and let herself sometimes float apart, back to that blessed state in which she was created, the form of a sprite, and feel everything all together, in the freest element of all.

[Gorothlammothiel]

Having suffered so much over the last year, Soronûmë was at last content in the company of those who he had journeyed with. His heart was still heavy however with the loss of those members who had parted on the way, though their lives not in vain.

The company sat parted in the halls of the palace. Elentari, proud of her new title, had left them for a while, "important business to attend to" she had joked leaving them, obviously more comfortable with her power now. Lorin and Min sat quietly talking and Hreeza walked about the rooms. She seemed to be enjoying her 'walks', though Soronûmë knew she could not wait to become her old self again and roam her forest home.

Soronûmë sat at one of the balconies, looking deep into the forest. His thoughts seemed to flow from his mind and travel through the trees below. He couldn't help but wonder where else in these lands held adventure for him. Where there were others to befriend and journey with. Though he had truly enjoyed his time with them, Soronûmë could not help thinking it was time to part thier company. Hreeza would understand, she longed for her home just as the elf did his. Wherever he would find it next. He sighed and took a deep breath.

The newly 'formed' sprite approached the elf from behind, and placed a hand on Soronûmë's shoulder. Without turning to her he said, "You always know when someone is in need do you not Hreeza?" "Indeed Soronûmë, and you always know when I am there." she replied as the two exchanged a smile. They stood for a while in silence until Hreeza spoke softly, "you fought well against Shelob Soronûmë, you did all you could to help save your friends, taking up on a journey without so much purpose as those others. Yet still you seem restless, can you not yet find peace? Had you not discovered anything about your self on the journey that can put you at some kind of ease?"

Soronûmë pondered the thought for a moment, then replied, "Not until I know who I truly am can I be at peace. There are so many things I have yet to learn, and out there lie the answers" Soronûmë gestured out beyond the horizon. Hreeza could see she could say or do nothing more than agree, and with a peaceful nod, she then turned away leaving her friend and went back into the room.

Salixrana, Soronûmë's horse could be seen not so far from the King's halls. The elf looked down upon his friend, the quietly began to sing...

Walking paths seldom trodden
Wandering forests unknown by man,
Telling tales of myths forgotten
Strength in both mind and hand.

Living a life of solitude
Travelling by the day and dark,
A bright light shone from within
But lonely forever in his heart.

Cursed not with weary feet
Only with a lasting hope,
Navigating by the stars
His intuition led him home.