Friends of Nimrodel: Tapestry of Dreams - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Nurumaiel · 03-03-2005, 11:43 AM

"There is the camp up ahead!" cried Bella, laughing with relief. She caught Leafa's hand and quickened her pace.

Leafa walked with her eyes cast downwards. Now that she had returned, she wished she had not. Ædegard would be waiting to greet them. Ædegard who was a member of their company... not her betrothed. And they would ask her why she had gone. She could not tell them, she would not tell them. She could not tell them that her heart had been shred to pieces.

Liornung, who was standing on the outskirts of the camp, was the first to reach them. He caught them up in his arms, and kissed the hair of each. His fiddle was under his arm, and Leafa felt a tear spring to her eye at the sight of it. No more would she dream and hope when he sang his songs of happy lovers.

"What joy to see you back again!" he said. "I shall certainly write a song in honour of the occasion. Nethwador and Ædegard will be more joyous than I, if it is possible."

At the mention of Ædegard's name, Leafa's face paled slightly, and Liornung did not miss it. He grew more sober, and took her hand gently. He smiled at her in an encouraging fashion, and then likewise took Bella's hand, and led them to the others.

littlemanpoet · 03-03-2005, 02:01 PM

Ædegard stood as Liornung led Leafa and Bella toward them. Raefindan, Mellonin, and Mellondu stood as well. Ædegard took a step forward. Leafa looked very pale; he could tell that much even in the dim light of the fire.

"Leafa!" he said.

She glanced at him once, as if startled, then returned her gaze to her feet. Her cheeks were wet with tears and the sadness of her face pierced him. He closed the space between them, but did not touch her; at this time he was sure that he had no right.

"Leafa, I ...." Ædegard had been about to say that he was wrong, but the words stuck in his throat. "... I thought that I could not earn my bread as a wheelwright, because of my hand, so...."

"...You cannot keep me," she finished.

"No, no, no. That is what I thought. But I - I gave you no say. And that was - - - that was wrong. I see that now."

She looked up at him, seeming as if perched on the threshold of hope, not daring to step further.

"Would you have a man for husband who has but one hand?"

His question hung in the air between them, and Ædegard was suddenly aware of the listening ears all around them. He wished that he had spoken his words alone with her, away from all these witnesses. He sighed, waiting for Leafa's answer.

Orual · 03-04-2005, 03:04 PM

Ravion hung a little back from the company as they celebrated the girls' return to the camp. He diverted his gaze from Ædegard and Argeleafa's bittersweet and somewhat awkward reunion, not wishing to impose. As the others welcomed the young ladies back and expressed their relief, Ravion sunk into the shadows, sitting well outside the light of the campfire.

He fiddled with the pendant around his neck as he searched for Mellonin in the chaos. He wondered how she was, what she was thinking, if she wondered where he was. Probably not. She was probably absorbed in the girls' reunion, or speaking to Raefindan or her brother. Ravion cast his green eyes down to the ground. He had no right to be jealous! Envy was an emotion unbecoming to a Ranger. He had set out to help Mellonin find her brother. He had succeeded. She had found her brother, and his mission was finished. He should be happy.

"You should speak to her."

Ravion looked up dully at Erundil, whose brown cloak was wrapped tightly around him. The older Ranger was watching him shrewdly and knowingly. "You should not withdraw simply because you are afraid of rejection."

"I am not afraid of anything, Erundil," Ravion snapped.

"Then why do you hide? Go and speak to her. You will be glad you did." Erundil crouched by his former pupil. "Trust me. You have missed enough opportunities for safety's sake. Do you want to waste more?"

Ravion struggled for a response, then buried his face in his hands. "Leave me be," he said, his voice muffled both by his hands and by emotion. Erundil stood.

"At least come and warm yourself by the fire. You are icy," he said serenely, and left.

Ravion glared after him for a moment, then did as he said.

Nurumaiel · 03-04-2005, 03:45 PM

Leafa had been only dimly aware of the others surrounding and listening when Ædegard had begun to speak, and at his last words all faded, save him. Her eyes widened; her face paled; and she began to tremble slightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but she found no words could come. He looked earnestly down into her face, hopefully...

Must she say no? Wasn't that the proper thing to do? He had drove her near crazy with grief, and now she should be angry with him. Now she should ask him if she was just a play-thing, to make joyous and sorrowful as a mood struck him. She should say she was certain that he would change his mind again, and again, and again. Isn't that what she should say?

She felt a presence at her side, and saw Liornung. The expression on his face was one of a satisfied smirk. She turned back to Ædegard, and she was smiling, with her eyes downcast. Angry at him indeed! Who said it was the proper thing to do? It was a lie, and if it wasn't... she would do the improper thing, because she loved him more than all anger and resentment. She found she still could not speak, so she did naught but step a little closer to him and slip a shy little hand into his, and raise eyes overflowing with joy to his face.

littlemanpoet · 03-05-2005, 02:49 PM

She slipped her hand in his, and looked up into his eyes, smiling in joy. He could not hold back the tears that came to his own eyes, and spilled. Embarrassed, he hid his face, hiding in her hair. Why? Why would you want to wed a man who cannot make a living? He did not give utterance to his words, but pulled her close, thankful to her for her mute answer, thankful to Raefindan for making him see wisdom for a change. He looked to him, and Raefindan winked. Ædegard smiled, and held Leafa close. He could find no words that could speak his heart, so he said nothing.

mark12_30 · 03-07-2005, 06:26 PM

Mellonin smiled as the rider embraced the goldenhaired wayfarer girl. Meanwhile the two rangers were straggling toward the fire, Ravion looking stiff and weary as he sat.

The snow crunched under her boots as she walked up behind him. He half turned, his face pale with cold. She draped her blanket around him, and with a little smile, turned to find another. Mellondu rose and brought his own, eyeing the ranger with some suspicion. Mellonin took her brother's blanket and draped that, too, over Ravion's shoulders.

Orual · 03-07-2005, 10:06 PM

Sudden warmth brought Ravion out of his dark reverie.

"Mellonin?" he said softly, looking up at the young woman with a mixed expression of confusion and happiness and hope. The blankets were soft, warm, and heavy on his shoulders.

"You looked very cold," she replied to his unasked question. She smiled at him, and her sweet eyes smiled with her. Ravion felt his heart tighten for a brief moment.

"I was. I thank you." Ravion could see Erundil standing at a distance, a smug look on his face. The younger Ranger ignored his former tutor.

There was a bit of a silence, broken at length by Ravion. "How are you, Mellonin?" he asked suddenly.

She seemed confused. "How am I?"

"Now that your brother is back. What are you planning to do? Will you return to Gondor? You and your brother have much to catch up on, I would assume." There was a bitterness in Ravion's tone that he had not intended. He only hoped that Mellonin did not notice it.

03-03-2005, 02:01 PM	#2
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Ædegard Ædegard stood as Liornung led Leafa and Bella toward them. Raefindan, Mellonin, and Mellondu stood as well. Ædegard took a step forward. Leafa looked very pale; he could tell that much even in the dim light of the fire. "Leafa!" he said. She glanced at him once, as if startled, then returned her gaze to her feet. Her cheeks were wet with tears and the sadness of her face pierced him. He closed the space between them, but did not touch her; at this time he was sure that he had no right. "Leafa, I ...." Ædegard had been about to say that he was wrong, but the words stuck in his throat. "... I thought that I could not earn my bread as a wheelwright, because of my hand, so...." "...You cannot keep me," she finished. "No, no, no. That is what I thought. But I - I gave you no say. And that was - - - that was wrong. I see that now." She looked up at him, seeming as if perched on the threshold of hope, not daring to step further. "Would you have a man for husband who has but one hand?" His question hung in the air between them, and Ædegard was suddenly aware of the listening ears all around them. He wished that he had spoken his words alone with her, away from all these witnesses. He sighed, waiting for Leafa's answer.

03-04-2005, 03:04 PM	#3
Orual Speaker of the Dead Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Superbia Posts: 868	Ravion Ravion hung a little back from the company as they celebrated the girls' return to the camp. He diverted his gaze from Ædegard and Argeleafa's bittersweet and somewhat awkward reunion, not wishing to impose. As the others welcomed the young ladies back and expressed their relief, Ravion sunk into the shadows, sitting well outside the light of the campfire. He fiddled with the pendant around his neck as he searched for Mellonin in the chaos. He wondered how she was, what she was thinking, if she wondered where he was. Probably not. She was probably absorbed in the girls' reunion, or speaking to Raefindan or her brother. Ravion cast his green eyes down to the ground. He had no right to be jealous! Envy was an emotion unbecoming to a Ranger. He had set out to help Mellonin find her brother. He had succeeded. She had found her brother, and his mission was finished. He should be happy. "You should speak to her." Ravion looked up dully at Erundil, whose brown cloak was wrapped tightly around him. The older Ranger was watching him shrewdly and knowingly. "You should not withdraw simply because you are afraid of rejection." "I am not afraid of anything, Erundil," Ravion snapped. "Then why do you hide? Go and speak to her. You will be glad you did." Erundil crouched by his former pupil. "Trust me. You have missed enough opportunities for safety's sake. Do you want to waste more?" Ravion struggled for a response, then buried his face in his hands. "Leave me be," he said, his voice muffled both by his hands and by emotion. Erundil stood. "At least come and warm yourself by the fire. You are icy," he said serenely, and left. Ravion glared after him for a moment, then did as he said.

03-05-2005, 02:49 PM	#5
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Ædegard She slipped her hand in his, and looked up into his eyes, smiling in joy. He could not hold back the tears that came to his own eyes, and spilled. Embarrassed, he hid his face, hiding in her hair. Why? Why would you want to wed a man who cannot make a living? He did not give utterance to his words, but pulled her close, thankful to her for her mute answer, thankful to Raefindan for making him see wisdom for a change. He looked to him, and Raefindan winked. Ædegard smiled, and held Leafa close. He could find no words that could speak his heart, so he said nothing.

03-07-2005, 06:26 PM	#6
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Mellonin smiled as the rider embraced the goldenhaired wayfarer girl. Meanwhile the two rangers were straggling toward the fire, Ravion looking stiff and weary as he sat. The snow crunched under her boots as she walked up behind him. He half turned, his face pale with cold. She draped her blanket around him, and with a little smile, turned to find another. Mellondu rose and brought his own, eyeing the ranger with some suspicion. Mellonin took her brother's blanket and draped that, too, over Ravion's shoulders. Last edited by mark12_30; 03-08-2005 at 11:11 AM. Reason: turning day to night

03-07-2005, 10:06 PM	#7
Orual Speaker of the Dead Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Superbia Posts: 868	Ravion Sudden warmth brought Ravion out of his dark reverie. "Mellonin?" he said softly, looking up at the young woman with a mixed expression of confusion and happiness and hope. The blankets were soft, warm, and heavy on his shoulders. "You looked very cold," she replied to his unasked question. She smiled at him, and her sweet eyes smiled with her. Ravion felt his heart tighten for a brief moment. "I was. I thank you." Ravion could see Erundil standing at a distance, a smug look on his face. The younger Ranger ignored his former tutor. There was a bit of a silence, broken at length by Ravion. "How are you, Mellonin?" he asked suddenly. She seemed confused. "How am I?" "Now that your brother is back. What are you planning to do? Will you return to Gondor? You and your brother have much to catch up on, I would assume." There was a bitterness in Ravion's tone that he had not intended. He only hoped that Mellonin did not notice it.

03-03-2005, 11:43 AM	#1
Nurumaiel Vice of Twilight Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: on a mountain Posts: 1,121	"There is the camp up ahead!" cried Bella, laughing with relief. She caught Leafa's hand and quickened her pace. Leafa walked with her eyes cast downwards. Now that she had returned, she wished she had not. Ædegard would be waiting to greet them. Ædegard who was a member of their company... not her betrothed. And they would ask her why she had gone. She could not tell them, she would not tell them. She could not tell them that her heart had been shred to pieces. Liornung, who was standing on the outskirts of the camp, was the first to reach them. He caught them up in his arms, and kissed the hair of each. His fiddle was under his arm, and Leafa felt a tear spring to her eye at the sight of it. No more would she dream and hope when he sang his songs of happy lovers. "What joy to see you back again!" he said. "I shall certainly write a song in honour of the occasion. Nethwador and Ædegard will be more joyous than I, if it is possible." At the mention of Ædegard's name, Leafa's face paled slightly, and Liornung did not miss it. He grew more sober, and took her hand gently. He smiled at her in an encouraging fashion, and then likewise took Bella's hand, and led them to the others.

03-04-2005, 03:45 PM	#4
Nurumaiel Vice of Twilight Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: on a mountain Posts: 1,121	Leafa had been only dimly aware of the others surrounding and listening when Ædegard had begun to speak, and at his last words all faded, save him. Her eyes widened; her face paled; and she began to tremble slightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but she found no words could come. He looked earnestly down into her face, hopefully... Must she say no? Wasn't that the proper thing to do? He had drove her near crazy with grief, and now she should be angry with him. Now she should ask him if she was just a play-thing, to make joyous and sorrowful as a mood struck him. She should say she was certain that he would change his mind again, and again, and again. Isn't that what she should say? She felt a presence at her side, and saw Liornung. The expression on his face was one of a satisfied smirk. She turned back to Ædegard, and she was smiling, with her eyes downcast. Angry at him indeed! Who said it was the proper thing to do? It was a lie, and if it wasn't... she would do the improper thing, because she loved him more than all anger and resentment. She found she still could not speak, so she did naught but step a little closer to him and slip a shy little hand into his, and raise eyes overflowing with joy to his face.