Mardath looked around the table very confusedly. He had no idea what he'd done to make Niniel leave so quickly, and was at a loss for words, especially when Soronume gave him a glare that could very possibly have thawed Caradhras. He smiled a little, deprecatingly unlike his usual grin, in an effort to placate the elf.
"Was't somethin' I said?" he asked, in an effort to alleviate the silence that had descended on the table following Niniel's exit. Soronume frowned at him again, and got up, heading in the same direction as Niniel had gone.
Mardath watched him go. People were so complicated. He much preferred the animals of his woods and the simplicity of the woods. He'd not really been around civilized people before and now wasn't entirely sure he wanted to stay there. The last time he'd been around people had been twenty-two years ago, when his friend's wife had died.
That was who Niniel'd reminded him of. Jaron had had the same dark hair and Lenna had had the same big blue eyes. Only their daughter hadn't been called Niniel, so 'twas surely some other family. What was her name? Miri, yes, that's what 'twas. She'd only been four at the time and couldn't understand why her mama wasn't coming back.
'Tis odd, thought Mardath. That there should be twa such maids in th' world.
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