[Susan Delgado]

Well, it's been a week and everyone involved seems basically ok with what I wrote, so I'm posting it. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

edited, per Belin's suggestions.

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"Excuse me, uh, sir, uh, Thorondruin. My horse ran away." He had to repeat himself several times before he spoke loud enough for Thorondruin to hear him.
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Thorondruin was already annoyed with the sudden downpour when he heard Carathon's twittering to his stirrup.
"What do you want?" He snapped.

Carathon nervously took a step back. "My horse ran away," He repeated.

"So? What do you want me to do about it?" Thorondruin didn't bother taking his eyes off the hills in the distance

"Well, I thought I could ride with you," Carathon answered. Reasonable enough.

Thorondruin looked down and stared for a moment before realising that the boy was serious. "Ha!" He laughed, "Why would I let you do that? There's half a dozen perfectly fine horses right back there." He gestured toward the remuda with his chin, then resumed his study of the hills.

Carathon looked doubtfully between the spare horses and the barbarian riding between them and himself. He started to take a step toward them, but Ozracles resolutely put his horse in Carathon's path and said, "Not my horses. Go back and find your own if you're so desperate to ride rather than walk. Carathon turned hopefully back toward Thorondruin and when he found no help (or interest) there, he went at last toward Hithduiniel. She seemed inclined to let him ride, but Thorondruin shouldered his mount between them before Carathon could mount.
"We said 'no'," Thorondruin stated and kicked his mount into a canter as if to make his point. He grabbed Hithduiniel's reins as he passed so she was forced to go along. Ozracles, Himelilek, and the horses followed and Hithduiniel gave him an apologetic look over her shoulder before they all disappeared over a rise.

Carathon stared after them in shock. Had they all just abandoned him in the middle of a grassland who knew where? Well, he'd just have to find that horse, though he wasn't at all sure he still wanted to be with these people.
He looked around to see if he could spot his horse, perhaps grazing not far away, but he didn't see it anywhere. It must have really taken off! The one interesting thing he did see he thought to be a mirage at first. It looked like a boy, a bit older than himself, walking toward him through the grass. As it drew nearer, he saw that it was a boy, or rather an Elf, albeit a very young one. He waited as the Elf drew nearer.

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Lenilos wasn't sure he'd really seen what he thought he'd seen. Had the people who were holding Hithduiniel really left someone behind? Maybe it was her! Maybe they'd decided they really didn't need her and let her go! In his excitement, he broke into a run and promptly tripped over...nothing, as far as he could tell, but he did manage to catch himself before he fell completely to the ground. He hoped whoever was over there hadn't seen his lack of grace.

As he drew nearer, he could see that it wasn’t his sister, but a foxy little Man instead. Hoping his disappointment didn’t show on his face, he approached. He stopped a dozen paces away and the two studied each other for a few moments. “Hello,” He said at last.

The other looked at him blankly. Hmm. Maybe he didn't speak Sindarin. He tried again in Quenya, then kicked himself. How would a Man know Quenya? Lenilos considered for a moment while the Man gave him odd looks and stepped a few paces farther away.
The man said something in the common tongue and Lenilos shook his head in frustration. His knowledge of that language was rudimentary at best. The man caught the shake and repeated himself more slowly.

"My name is Carathon," he said, pointing at his chest, "What is your name?"

"Lenilos," The Elf repeated, mimicking the gesture toward his chest. He thought for a moment and said, "Why you here?" and indicated the plain.

Carathon continued to speak slowly, but to Lenilos' relief he didn't seem to be speaking any sort of pidgin speech. "I'm looking for my horse. Why are you here?"

Lenilos frowned. He'd lost his horse? How irresponsible of him.
"My sister. She is..." He paused. He didn't know the next word. Finally he continued with, "She is with Men. The Men...took her. She did not want them to take her."

"Oh!" Carathon exclaimed and then started speaking very fast. Seeing Lenilos' confusion, he began again more slowly. At least Lenilos could only assume he'd begun again. "Is your sister Hithduiniel?" Lenilos nodded excitedly. "I know her. I just escaped from those men myself!"

Escaped? What was that? OH! Lenilos took a step away. This was one of the Men who'd taken Hith! How else could he know who she was? He rose to his full height, which was considerably taller than Carathon and demanded to be taken to Hithduiniel at once. Unfortunately, he spoke Sindarin, so it was lost on the boy.

Carathon cringed. What had he said wrong? He'd realised who this Elf must be, that's all. Maybe he'd misunderstood a word, or, or... "NO!!" He screamed as Lenilos ran toward him, hands raised as if in attack. Lenilos stumbled to a halt a few paces away and stared at Carathon in disgust. He was babbling the same few words over and over and cringing like he thought he was going to die. Lenilos snorted and turned away. He'd find Hithduiniel on his own. He didn't need a groveling creature like that. As he waled away, though, he heard Carathon softly say, "Wait, don't go," and turned. Maybe the boy had something else to say?

Carathon was quite relieved when Lenilos stopped his approach, but when he started to leave, Carathon couldn't let it happen. Lenilos needed him to find his sister. "Wait," He called to Lenilos' retreating back. When the Elf turned, he continued, "The men took your sister. The men took me. I escaped. Your sister can escape too." He nodded vigorously to show Lenilos that he really intended to help him. Lenilos thought for a moment, then turned back. Carathon sighed with relief. He wouldn't be alone now, and he'd be able to help someone in need.

[ November 10, 2002: Message edited by: Susan Delgado ]

[ November 17, 2002: Message edited by: Susan Delgado ]