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Old 09-06-2004, 08:19 PM   #464
mark12_30
Stormdancer of Doom
 
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Mellondu waited til the quarrel was over; he hated strife of any kind. The elves turned their backs, Erebemlin angry, Taitheneb cautious, and stalked to their own horses. Mellondu thought a moment, and then clicked his tongue; Echo raised his head.

"Come here, Echo, " Mellondu murmured, but the horse continued to chew his mouthful of grass. No one took any notice of him, or so he thought. He clicked his tongue again.

He was surprised to see Nethwador walk toward Echo, and grasp the horse's forelock. Two tall chestnut horses, with Nethwador between them, approached Mellondu. He waited.

Nethwador offered Mellondu a hand, and Mellondu slowly stood, and leaned on Echo. Nethwador twisted a thick grass-wisp, and began to groom Echo; Mellondu reached for it, and Nethwador gave him the wisp, and quickly twisted a new one for himself.

"Thanks, " Mellondu said in the common tongue.

Nethwador studied Mellondu uneasily, and then said "Nethwador mellon Amroth."

With a sparkling eye, Mellondu nodded, and then tapping his own chest, he replied, "Mellondu mellon Nethwador." With a good-natured chuckle, he laid a hand on Nethwador's shoulder. Nethwador relaxed.

Mellondu grew grave for a moment, and then chuckled again. "You need a song," he said to the puzzled lad. "The Tale of Wild Nethwador and the Lady Bellyn. Then we would all be helping you, too. One must have a song, if one will go on a quest to win a lady's heart." He chuckled again, and then shivered. "Perhaps Liornung will write you one." He leaned on Echo's neck, and Nethwador hurriedly finished grooming the big chestnut, and then saddled him. Mellondu looked wearily up at the big horse, and Nethwador stood back, expecting the elvish leap; Mellondu dropped his eyes. "Not today." He studied the stirrup, gathering his willpower, put his foot in the stirrup and hauled himself up onto Echo's back.

Echo staggered, eyes bulging as Mellondu struggled to right himself in the saddle. Nethwador shook his head, and steadied Echo, speaking to him in his strange tongue; Echo snorted, and turned a white-rimmed eye to look at Mellondu.

Mellondu reached down and laid a hand on Nethwador's shoulder. "Thanks, mellon."

Nethwador looked up at Mellondu, startled. "Mellon. Nethwador mellon Mellondu."

The sparkle returned to Mellondu's eyes. "Mellon mellon Mellon."

Nethwador laughed aloud and swung aboard Celegoer Beorneth. The two small, slender darkhaired men on their lanky chestnut horses rode forward to the head of the column. Neither noticed the anger in the eyes of the tallest of the elves.

Last edited by mark12_30; 09-09-2004 at 04:58 PM.
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