Ithilien, Pelargir, The Southern Fiefdoms (Free RP)

Seven Stars and Seven Stones and One White Tree.
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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Purrmonster of Doom

Afarfin put the shingles down at the edge of the ladder as Iuldir poked his head up into the loft. "There are a lot I want you to pass these down to Fyre who I want to lay them out neatly and gently in the isle between the stalls so that we can count them, I think there is almost enough to do the entire house but I'm not sure, we will do half at first, and see how many are left." Afarfin said with a smile. "And there are forms so if we work quickly we can get half of the roof done and figure out if we are in good shape for the other half or if we will need to make more tiles. We probably will so that there are more for spares in case any break. but we'll have to count first, and this is going to take a while I think."

With that he motioned for Rissy to help "You carry one at a time okay Rissy?" He said hoping that she'd feel even better if she got to actually help with fixing the roof as well. With that he stood up and disappeared back into the space behind the hay bales to gather another bunch of tiles. This production line of moving clay shingles took a while but eventually the entire isle was filled with them and Fyre had to start stacking them on top of each other gently, there were hundreds and hundreds of them far more than Iuldir had thought there would be only a few. each portion of the roof needed to layers, on cupped and one arched overlapping each other and then he found peak shingles which were slightly wider than the others. There were only perhaps a hundred of these and he told Iuldir that these were different and that they should be put seperately they were for the peak and he did not know if there was a form to replace these. There likely was somewhere but he didn't know yet as there were still more clay shingles to come out but not too many.

Soon they would be up on the roof tearing off the rotten wooden shingles that had started failing long ago at this rate.

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Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)

Working together to carry the tiles down, it took far less time than it must have taken Iuldir's father to get them up there. Eventually, they had transferred the stack down to the barn floor, and the three children were amazed at how many there were. Rissy excitedly told about how she had built a castle with them. Iuldir felt a bit bad now that he had ignored her when she asked to go up to the loft, but he'd figured she just wanted to play.

Once the clay tiles had been brought down from the loft, Iuldir looked out at the house, wondering how they were going to put them onto the house. "Do you think we can get it done before Mother comes home?" he asked with a grin, thinking how nice it'd be to surprise her.
"How do they go on there, anyway?" Fyre wondered. "Will you be sticking them down on top of the old roof?" She looked across at the house, thinking it looked bad even from here. "I wonder if we could do it without having to wake her, wouldn't that be funny?" She grinned.
"Will we be able to help?" Iuldir asked, turning back to Afarfin. "I mean on the roof and everything?"
"Ooh! I wanna go on the roof!" Fyre jumped in, grinning at the thought of it. "Can we?"
Last edited by Rillewen on Thu Oct 21, 2021 2:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Purrmonster of Doom

Afarfin looked over all the tiles that they had managed to bring down and did a count, indeed they would still need more, he was certain of that. "No you'll not be joining me on the roof until I know it is safe, I don't know which parts will have more rot under them that one could fall through with ease." Afarfin said calmly. "And we will need more tiles so I have a task that your mother will hate me for I'm afraid Iuldir." HE said with a grin and grabbed a bucket. "I think the both of you will love it thoroughly." With that he started towards a near by river a bucket in each hand with Iuldir had Fyre each carrying a bucket of their own. He lead all three children to the river and pointed at a pile of mud that was a dark reddish tone. "I want the three of you to gather up several buckets of this mud." He said picking up a handful, he didn't sink in the muck like the children did it barely made it up to his ankles while they were squelching in the muck.

"Rissy, I want you to be in charge of making sure they don't put any grass or big stones or mud that isn't this colour." He said very calmly. "It's a very very important task but since you were smart enough to know where the shingles are I think you'll be quite excellent at making sure they get the right mud that way no more rain at all." He said with a smile knowing that that had made her fairly excited, "and the more we get the more shingles might be left over so you can rebuild your little castle." With that he began the task of filling his own buckets, figuring that four buckets of the reddish clay would be more than enough for the shingles that they still needed. They'd make the last of the shingles and since Iuldir knew how to run a forge Afarfin figured that by the time that the shingles they formed had dried completely tomorrow he'd be able to fire them for him so that they would last properly.

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Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)

"Aww." Saffyre and Iuldir both said in unison, disappointed not to be allowed up on the roof. But at least they would be able to help somehow! At the mention of mud, Fyre's eyes lit up with excitement. An adult was actually giving permission.. no, actually asking her to go and play in the mud!? What more could she possibly ask for in that moment? She grinned and swung her bucket back and forth as she stood listening to Afarfin's instructions, trying very hard to conceal her excitement. "This'll be great fun!" She declared happily, hurrying on to the mud pile, and began grabbing up handfuls, giggling as it squished through her hands. She heaped globs of mud into her bucket without any concern as to whether it got on herself or not.

Iuldir laughed a bit as he heard what their task would be. "I agree, sir. My mother may just hate you for this." He grinned, but it was really just mud. He did pause to take off his shoes, and left them safely on the bank, before heading down to join Fyre, carrying a bucket for himself. "How many bucketsful do you need?" He asked Afarfin, wondering whether they would need to keep filling them or not.

Rissy stopped at the edge of where it began to get muddy, wrinkling her nose as her feet tried to sink in. She backed up, frowning a bit, and looked up and watched her brother removing his shoes. She did the same, and then giggled a bit as the mud squished up between her toes. She cautiously followed the others out to where they were getting mud, and tried to watch what was going into the buckets. "What if there's grass and things?" She asked, frowning in puzzlement. "How do I know, if it's all covered in mud?" She did spot a little blade of muddy grass that Fyre had missed, and leaned forward to snatch it out. "I got one!" She cried happily, thrilled to have done her job.
Last edited by Rillewen on Thu Oct 21, 2021 2:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Purrmonster of Doom

Afarfin thought for several moments his buckets would easily get ten shingles each from them, and the childrens were about half that size so ten between the two of them. "I think that with my two buckets and then if you and Fyre could come and get two more buckets each that would be plenty more shingles while I work on making new shingles with the forms." He would likely keep Rissy with him once he was doing that simply because he wasn't entirely sure that the two children would keep an eye out for the third with them being this close to the water. At least she was hesitant to go into the mud which likely meant she'd be happy to help him where it wasn't as muddy. At least that was what he was hoping.

Rissy asked him a question and seemed to answer it all by herself plucking a bit of grass out of the mud that Fyre and put into her bucket. "Excellent work Rissy, that's exactly how you tell, by keeping a sharp eye on what they are doing." He said with a smile, while the children were having a bit of fun he was working very very quickly, his hands scooping up large amounts of the reddish clay and plopping it in his buckets until finally they were full and he looked over Fyre and Iuldirs they still had a little bit to go. "Alright Rissy you want to come and help me make sure I have no rocks or grass in my clay while I form them into shingles?" He asked.

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Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)

Iuldir nodded as Afarfin answered, and continued piling mud into his bucket. "How does all this mud become roof tiles?" He wondered, trying to be mindful of any stones or grass as he added mud into his bucket.

Rissy frowned and pulled a small stick out of Fyre's bucket. "You gotta be more careful," She told her, showing her the stick. She helped put a bit of mud in the bucket, looking at it oozing through her fingers. No sticks or grass. She let it fall into the bucket and giggled.

"It's fun, isn't it?" Fyre grinned at the little kid, not paying too close attention to what went into her bucket, until Rissy told her to. She paused and looked in at the mud she'd collected so far, and stuck her hand in to feel for anything that didn't belong. Pulling out a clump of muddy grass, she frowned, then flung it, with a mischievous smile, at Iuldir.

He yelped in surprise as the wet glob hit him, and looked around. "What was that?" He caught Fyre snickering, and narrowed his eyes. "You did it!" He discovered the clump of grass nearby, and flung it off into the river. Watching for a moment when Fyre wasn't looking, he grabbed up a handful of mud and threw it back at her, grinning.

Rissy shrieked a little and hurried away as mud began flying, taking refuge near Afarfin as Fyre and Iuldir started up a mini-war of mud slinging. "Afffinnnn, makem stop.."
Last edited by Rillewen on Thu Oct 21, 2021 2:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Purrmonster of Doom

"We work it make sure it doesn't have any lumps and by then it'll be a good bit drier than it is now, and then we flatten it out so it's about as thick as your thumb and lay it on those forms which will hold it in the right shape for a bit until it sets up enough we can take it off. Fortunately we'll be doing that before the hottest part of the day so they should all dry really nice and fast this afternoon while I take the rotten shingles off." He said with a smile as Rissy was masterfully doing her job of quality mud control.

His eyes went wide though as Fyre threw the first clump of grass and then at Rissy who had retreated to him hiding behind him and his shut his mouth and and just about yelled at them but rolled his eyes. "I'm taking no part in explaining to Ivornith why you're covered in mud," he said finally and looked at Rissy. "Let's go do some more work while they make a mess. Silly aren't they?" He asked and motioned for her to start heading back towards their home leaving Fyre and Iuldir to play for a bit, after all he did have two buckets already and would need time to process the clay that he had so that they could dump their buckets into one of his and then go get more clay. As it was he had no doubt that he was going to be pushing hard in order to get the mud he had cleaned and prepped for use by the time they were finished without this mud slinging war.

He had no idea what Fuin would have done in this situation, probably yelled at them and told them to stay away from her if how she treated elven children was any indication, she disliked when they got jelly or honey on her. Mud? She'd be livid. He was certain of it. Once he and Rissy were back at the house he set to work quickly kneading and cutting and folding the clay over on itself until it was smooth and a lot dryer than it had started with his working of it. He took a wooden rolling pin that had been in the tools he'd found and started flattening the clay evenly before draping it across the form cutting it it one foot section and cleaning up the edges. Once he got this batch done he figured Fyre and Iuldir would be on their way before he got to forming the second batch with his own mud, and Rissy was doing an excellent job of finding small stones in the mud that was left in the one bucket waiting for him to work it. He glanced towards the river making sure the two children were safe even if they were covered in mud.

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Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)

Rissy nodded, agreeing that they were silly, and was happy to leave the area of flying mud, following him back toward where it was not so messy. Though she didn't mind so much sticking her hands in the mud, giggling a bit at how it felt on her hands, and worked at finding any hard things, or lumps or whatever might be in it. "Is that mommy's rolling pin?" She asked with wide eyes, seeing him with one. Her mother's was safely back in the kitchen, of course, but it looked like it. "She'll be mad if you get it muddy." She informed him.

All the while, Fyre and Iuldir continued their play fight. Shrieks and laughter could be heard from the direction of the river while Afarfin worked on the clay. When at last they came with their full buckets, they were covered heard to toe with mud, and still laughing and grinning from all the fun they'd had. "We've got more mud, sir!" Iuldir informed him, setting his bucket down.
"And we bring even more on our clothes." Fyre added with a giggle. "What can we do now?"
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Purrmonster of Doom

Afarfin shook his head, at Rissy's question, "It's not it was in the barn so your mother won't be too upset with me." Afarfin said with a smile. The shrieks filled the air from Fyre and Iuldir filled Afarfins ears but they were all in fun, though they did grate on his nerves a bit but at least they weren't... right there. He kept glancing at them as he and Rissy finished up the first bucket of red mud that he and the youngest child had been working on when the shrieking stopped and he looked up a bit worried only to see Iuldir and Fyre covered head to toe but on their way towards them. Buckets in hand he motioned towards the first bucket that was now empty.

"Fill that up and go get another bucket each." He said calmly "By the time you're done that we will have another bucket empty so you can each get another bucket after that." He said as he continued working, he wasn't sure if he should feel sorry for them, working in the dirty clothing for a while longer would not be comfortable. It was their doing though and perhaps it would not bother them. He and Rissy had almost finished the second bucket by the time they'd finished emptying their own buckets.

Eventually the shingles were all formed and it was time for him to get onto the roof. He went up with a pitchfork and very carefully stepped about looking at the full extent of the damage. "Right I'm going to start taking off these shingles, Iuldir, Fyre, I want you to watch where they fall and make sure Rissy stays away from there, and you'll be in charge of the nails that come out." He said and began the task of ripping the shingles off, some would have used a hammer and pry each shingle off, if there had been shingles worth saving that would have been worth it but these were not, they were all rotten some worse than others so the swift method of scraping them off with the pitchfork was useful. This of course likely made a terrible noise for Cali, who Afarfin had forgotten was asleep inside it had been so long since they'd started.

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Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)


Upon hearing that they had to go back to the clay mud and get more, Fyre actually cheered and eagerly dumped her load of mud into the empty bucket before racing off back to get more. Iuldir laughed and ran after her as soon as his bucket was empty, having discovered how much fun it was to play in the mud. And since they were already muddy, they might as well continue playing, right? A little more mud on his clothes wouldn't hurt anything.

Rissy continued to help Afarfin sort through the mud, trying to pick out any sticks, stones, grass, or lumps that Iuldir and Saffyre had missed, and then whatever else he asked her to help with, sticking close as he went about putting the shingles into the form and wondered what they'd be doing with them next.

At last it was time to get on the roof. Fyre and Iuldir were still a bit disappointed they couldn't join him, but Iudlir acknowledged that it was probably dangerous with the shingles being all rotten and everything. After ordering Rissy to stay well back from the house, he and Fyre watched carefully to see where the shingles and nails fell, and made a bit of a game of who could gather up the most nails that had fallen. Each time one of them got a nail, they brought it to Rissy who kept them sorted into different piles, so that she could keep track of who found more nails by the time Afarfin had finished tearing off the old shingles.


Calithilidis (Cali)

The unplanned nap was rather a long one, but much-needed. Cali hadn't even quite realized, nor meant to doze off, and when little bits of the roof began to crumble down on her, she awakened with a great deal of alarm, partly disoriented. At first, she didn't quite know where she was or what was happening. Looking up, she saw pieces of the roof falling down around her, and gasped in shock, bolting up off of the sofa and darted out of the way, believing that the roof was caving in. Standing at the edge of the room, she stared up at the ceiling, unsure what to do about this catastrophe.

The unusual noise was puzzling, though, and after a moment of watching and seeing that the roof was not actually falling inward, and only a few bits and pieces of rotten shingles had come crumbling down, she ventured outside to see what was going on. To her astonishment, she saw Afarfin up on the roof, with a pitchfork? And the kids absolutely covered in mud.. or at least, Iuldir and the girl from yesterday, if she was correct.. Rissy's feet and hands were muddy but thankfully not the rest of her. She blinked, watching the elf for a moment, then the kids, and back to the elf on the roof. "What in Arda is going on?" She asked, baffled, with a bit of lingering alarm from the earlier fright.
Last edited by Rillewen on Sat Nov 06, 2021 9:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Purrmonster of Doom

Afarfin had gotten a good portion of the roof cleared off, and the kids were doing a fantastic job keeping the yard cleared of nails and even Rissy had a task which had been very creatively given to her by the two mud monsters that were the older children when suddenly Cali came out alarmed and obviously confused at what was happening. He blinked as she asked what was going on, thinking it was obvious and then his eyes went wide. Fuin hadn't told them.

Of course she hadn't told them. He let out a sigh.

"Fixing the roof.... Like my wife ordered me to" He said shaking his head "I'd assumed she'd told you which is my fault I should know my wife better than that." He said carefully stepping abut a rotten piece of wood that made up the main structure of the house and coming near the edge of it.

"We've got enough shingles to do half of the house already with ease, and most of the other half but we needed more and some to make spares in case any broke thus..." He motioned to the kids covered in mud. "We'll need some wood to fix a few of the spots on the roof so that it doesn't rot the rest of the roof but we should get half of the roof done to day, and then half tomorrow." He said with a small shrug. He needed to have a talk with his wife about springing things on people, not that someone would turn down their roof getting fixed when it had been as bad as it had been but honestly.

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Calithilidis (Cali), Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)

Cali stared up at Afarfin, still fighting off the lingering sleepiness from having just woken up. As she came to understand what he was saying, she looked around in bafflement, staring at the tiles they had discovered, and at the clay and the forms of the tiles they were making. How long had she been asleep? She rubbed her eyes and looked around. "Fixing..the roof." She shook her head a little in amazement, faintly smiling. "Of course, Fuin wouldn't want to tell us because she figured Ivornith would say she didn't want you to go to all that trouble.." She sighed, but couldn't help smiling a little. "Wow. Where did all of these come from?" She wondered, amazed.

"In the loft!" Rissy said excitedly, running to greet aunt Cali.
Cali held out her hands to stop the child. "Hold it... if you're done with the clay, then you need to go wash your hands, and your feet." She informed her niece, before looking up at Afarfin. "Are you finished with their help, as far as the clay?" She asked, hoping she could take them to get cleaned up, but if not.. they'd just have to go around muddy for a bit longer.

"Aunt Cali, it was so much fun!" Iuldir said with a grin. "Me and Fyre had a mud fight, and I was figuring, if you're ok with it, we could go swimming later, to get the mud washed off! Is that alright?"
Cali blinked, looking them over, and hesitated before nodding. "Yes, when you're finished, if it isn't too late. As long as you stay in the shallow places.. might as well save your mother and I some of the trouble of washing your clothes." She decided, wondering how the boy could have possibly gotten so covered in mud, but then, looking at Saffyre, she decided that must be it. That girl seemed to have a talent for getting as dirty and messy as possible.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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Present Day.
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"Would she really?" Afarfin shook his head a bit at the thought of someone saying not to go to the trouble of helping them, honestly for the most part it was labour to do it, since he had the knowledge of how to and clearly neither of the women in the house did otherwise he had a sneaking suspicion that the roof would have been repaired if they had. Cali seemed more than capable of physical labour, Ivornith as well though she was more of a home maker. Her and Ruindil would get along the Captain was the closet to a homemaker that they had in their little family, not as proper as her and she'd probably find that confusing as well.

"OH, and you were asleep but the wheelchair is to be delivered by me in two days so that it appears to have been made for him now that it's been paid for instead of it already existing. He's paid half up front and he'll pay the other half on delivery, I told him I was getting him a fantastic discount given how much the smith normally charges for a rush order that is so complicated." He said with a smile as he stood and went back to ripping the shingles off with the pitchfork. as Cali spoke with Iuldir and Fyre. He wasn't about to say how much they were getting in front of the one girl, not knowing how much she knew about anything, or how good she'd be at keeping something like that a secret. He was only doing half of the roof today, from what he could tell this was the kitchen and living room side of the house it might cover one of the bedrooms but he wasn't overly sure.

More than once he had to be careful about his foot placement feeling a few areas where the nails had rusted out and the water had gone through and now the underlaying wood was a spongey rotten mess and once his foot almost went through, he couldn't imagine having children up on the roof yet. He MIGHT let Iuldir up once he had the soft spots cut out and fixed but that was going to be an interesting time.

"Cali about that lumber I asked for?" He called once she was finished talking to Iuldir. So far he was thinking he'd need three or four boards total for this side of the roof.

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Calithilidis (Cali), Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)

Cali smiled slightly up at Afarfin. "Ivornith will appreciate it tremendously, as do I. But it's probably best that you began while she was not here. She probably would be shocked to by the very idea that a high elven noble lord such as yourself would ever dream of doing a thing like fixing our roof." She explained. "I suppose Fuin was planning this all along.." She thought about a couple of things she recalled her saying that she hadn't thought much about at the time, now it made sense.

"He already paid half?" She asked in surprise, quite pleased to hear this. "That's wonderful!" She smiled, glad for both Iuldir and his friend, that the wheelchair had not been rejected. "I'm sure Caeleb will enjoy it very much." She was sure that Iuldir was thrilled, and probably would have a hard time waiting for his friend to actually receive the chair.

"Lumber?" She paused to think on that. "What sort of lumber do you need? We don't really have much, but.."
"There were some boards up in the loft!" Iuldir mentioned. "I can go get them?"
"No.. I'll get them," Cali shook her head, deciding it might be best if the mud-covered children didn't mess with the boards. "I'll be right back, and hopefully it's the sort of wood we need." She headed for the barn to find the boards Iuldir had mentioned.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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Lailyn
Edhellond, Belfalas

(Private)

Content Warning: PTSD




What is a touch? It can tear and it can sow. It can hurt or it can heal.

Curled up in a ball when the pain is an unbearable crushing weight, when the empty void calls a slip away, a simple touch can make a difference. Though it is slight, there is nothing simple about it.

Palm to palm. A brush of fingers. A steady embrace.

It draws away a tiny drop of suffering, small as a grain of sand. A thread trailing from her to the other, and for a breath, the clouds recede. A faint sliver of sun shines through. Somehow it becomes a little more bearable. She looks up at this woman who came into her life, a whirlwind who could not be stopped. And she knows there is still some beauty in this world…


---

The sun burned bright in the western sky high above sea and swell, scattering the water with a shimmer of blinding white. Eyes watering, Lailyn closed them and ducked her head beneath the surface, sliding into another world unlike any other. A place of cool respite that lifted her up instead of weighing her down.

Breaking the surface again, she spread her arms out and let out a cry of joy. It was still a marvel to her that she could stay afloat at all. Not so long ago, the very idea of stepping off the sandy bottom had brought her to the verge of tears. She was a Rider of Rohan. She was made for the land and thumping hooves of a horse between her and solid earth, not for drifting upon the swaying sea that moved like a living thing with breath. In and out, back and forth, up and down. It was only Meidhrin’s patient words and steady hands that made Lailyn let go at all.

One step at a time with Meidhrin to guide her on, Lailyn had conquered her fear. Now that the salty water rippled against her skin, it was no longer a thing unknown and feared, to be tip-toed around in the dead of night. Together, they waded through new depths as she slowly unstitched threads long held tight around herself, keeping the tenderness beneath always safe and hidden, too afraid to feel a bruise. Having tasted the sweetness of giving in and felt the fullness of a heart given over, she gave herself up to be wounded with wild abandon. Still touched by the featherlight summer, she did not yet know that it would be she who held the knife that cut the threads between them.

With goosebumps prickling her skin from head to toe, she made her way back to shore with Meidhrin trailing close behind. Her hair, darkened and dampened by the saltwater, was already coiling into curls. Meidhrin swept them over her shoulder and pressed a tender kiss to her neck before wrapping a blanket around them both as they sat on the sand.

Lailyn nestled into the comfort of Meidhrin’s arms. “You did not have to follow me out.”

“I know. But I wanted to.” The words hummed pleasantly in her ear. She could not see Meidhrin’s face but she heard the smile lighting her voice like a hearth fire blazing on a cold winter night. “I’m leaving soon...” And just like that, the flames fizzled out in a snowy bank and the arms around her tightened, holding on against the ticking time.

“I know…” Lailyn whispered, resigned to yet another goodbye and the lonely days of waiting for her return. Her chest squeezed tight at the thought. Beyond the line of white waves breaking on shore, a sail fractured the clean horizon between sea and sky, a ship was being driven along the shore somewhere far out of reach. Where Meidhrin was soon to be in the place where she soared free, at home among ropes, canvas and wood. Though Lailyn’s stomach tightened at the thought, she would never ask her to stay or to give up what gave her breath and buoyancy.

“I’ll be back.” The words were said and given as a solace to them both. “And someday I will have my own ship. I’ll decide where and when I go.” Meidhrin declared her promise to the sea, her words brimming with confidence.

“I’m sure you will…where do you want to go?”

“Everywhere!” She stretched out her arms as if she could encompass the world within them. The way the blanket floated behind her like a pair of wings, Lailyn thought she could take flight if she wanted to. “And I will take you with me if you will come. Will you?” Her pale blue eyes glittered with eagerness.

Lailyn’s silence spoke louder than words. The waves roared and rolled and she felt something well up within her. A heaviness that weighed her down like an anchor when she should have been springing up free and light as a breeze at what she’d been offered. It sounded like freedom and wilderness and love and everything she should want. A dream she never thought would be hers, never allowed herself to wish for. She wanted so badly to say yes, yes, I will come. But something held her back against the rising tide of Meidhrin’s contagious excitement that crept toward her but did not seep inside like it usually did.

“Lailyn?” Her name carried a wounded undertone.

“I don’t know what I want someday. I don’t know what I want at all,” she whispered, hanging her head. ”I just know that right now, I want to be with you.” Someday was a time and place beyond what she could see or imagine. It was a thing she had dreamed of in her youth and let go of with the pains of early adulthood. Maybe someday was not meant for her anymore.

“I’m here...right now. And I’ll be here tomorrow.” Meidhrin’s voice faltered on the final word, as if she knew again what thought was in Lailyn’s mind, the same one that made itself known but was never said out loud when they first met. “And I’ll be back again soon. Lailyn, you’re stronger than you think, I just wish you could see it, too.”

“I’m not though.” Turning her face away, she wrapped her arms around her knees. “Not at all. You don’t know the things I’ve done, the things I’ve seen. What I still see...sometimes.”

“I don’t. Unless you tell me.” It was not the first time Meidhrin had asked in yearning and naivety with an open heart. She did not know what she asked, not really, and she had already seen too much.

Again, Lailyn gave the same answer. “I can’t. I won’t.” Resolute, she ground her teeth together. “You don’t know what you’re asking me. You don’t need to hear...” She dug her toes into the sand, wishing she could bury everything beneath a sun-warmed layer of golden grains and hide all the ugly scars. Bringing it to the surface only reinvigorated the deep-seated pain she didn’t have the strength to revisit. If only she could push it away or hide it inside, she could move forward and leave it behind. She barely understood it herself and could not yet articulate it out loud in a way that would make sense to someone else.

“I’ll listen whenever you’re ready.” There was a heaviness in her hesitation. “Even if it takes a lifetime.”

A lifetime.

It was something she longed for but could not give back. Not now, not yet. The first purpling of a bruised heart hurt more than Lailyn ever could have imagined. She had never known all the ways love like this could make you ache inside but she was beginning to learn.

---

That night, she buries her face in the downy pillow, knowing she cannot stay here forever despite what is written in her heart. When all is said and done, the fields and fens of home will always call to her. Someday, if there is one, she wants to go back. Horses dance to and fro on fields of green in her mind until those horses stumble and fall with spears in their sides and the verdant fields are all red and black, blood and death. She cannot go home yet. There is nothing there for her now but pain and grief and her own cowardice glaring back at her like the rising summer sun waiting to burn her down to the ground. She shudders and feels her throat closing up, constricting every breath, her own body betraying her. Feeling herself drowning deep, she reaches for a lifeline--

She is there beside her. She whispers soothing words and offers her shoulder for a pillow.

Her mind retracts slowly, piece by piece, from the worst of it and settles in a feeble balance floating on the surface of a turbulent sea, enough to feel some small relief.

What is a touch? It is not magic. But there is a power in it.

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@Rillewen

Afarfin chuckled at Cali's comment about it being best he started when the lady of the house was not around. "Yes well Fuin is far too independent to hire too many people to work on her manor over the years." He looked at the rotten pieces of the roofs understructure as Cali asked what sort of lumber they'd need. Hewn and as wide as they could get it or they'd need more boards for an area. Cali was off though before he could answer when Iuldir offered to go and get the boards. Probably for the best he had to agree. They did not need mud all over the place when it came to the boards that they were replacing.

He went back to tearing the cedar shakes off and soon the entire half of the roof was cleared and he was looking at the ruined parts. There were quite a few little parts that had only started leaking that weren't that bad that as long as it was allowed to dry out it would stop damaging and they wouldn't need to replace it, he just hoped that Arien would be hot enough that they would be able put the roof on before too terribly long. Fortunately he would need to repair the substructure before he could even think of doing anything like that. He went to the edge of the roof and made sure their were no children below and dropped the pitch fork causing it to land upright it's prongs stuck into the ground before he climbed down. "Iuldir I'm going to need a saw and a roofing hammer do you know where those tools are?" He asked calmly deciding that he could get those items while Cali worked on getting the lumber, perhaps if they were near the lumber he was going to be using for the roof.

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@I Said What I Said

Calithilidis (Cali), Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)

Iuldir tilted his head at the task given him, thinking. "A saw.." He nodded. "Yes... a roofing hammer? I know where plenty of hammers are, but.." He paused, a bit confused about what the difference might be. "I'll find it." He decided, and took off for the barn eagerly.
"What can I do to help?" Fyre asked. "Do you need anymore mud?" She asked with a grin, half-hoping. "I guess if you're done with mud, me and Iuldir could jump in the river and wash off." She added, hoping maybe for a quick swim, then they could do more stuff to help.

Cali returned with a beam, having carefully navigated it out of its place of storage, and through the door, now her biggest concern was not accidentally hitting any of the children with it. "I think this ought to work, and there's several more like it." She mentioned, laying it down. "All stacked up and ready. I.." She paused. "I think my brother must have been preparing to do this the next time he got a few days to come home." She said quietly, saddened by the thought that Dawion never got the chance to do it. If they had only known, she was sure that her father and Ryn would have done it, after... or at least Ryn could've probably gotten Nal and Trev to come and between the three of them, they might've managed to get it done. But none of them had known it was needed, and Ivornith had come to live in Minas Tirith with them for a while after Dawion died, so no one had really thought much about whether the house needed any repairs.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen

Afarfin was about to tell Iuldir what a roofing hammer looked like or that a claw hammer would work but he took off far too quickly. He shrugged honestly as long as it wasn't a heavy smithing hammer he could make it work, goodness knew he had to do that on their manor, Fuin didn't have a claw hammer about to save their lives until he got her to forge one she did everything with her ballpein hammer if she could which at least wasn't the heaviest hammer she had but it was heavier than necessary. He just needed to be able to hammer the lumber into place and make sure it was secured for the most part and then put some nails in to make sure that the clay shingles wouldn't slide anywhere once he started to lay them.

He looked at Fyre at her question. "No no more mud is needed." He said with a chuckle. "Perhaps see if Iuldir knows where there are some nails I'm sure given how many supplies are about that those are prepped somewhere as well. He looked at the board that Cali came carrying it as massive and perfect in fact if he put it in he could pull an entire board and get two leaks easily with the one longer board as he looked at it. Afarfin heard the pause in Cali's words, he didn't know everything that had happened to the family, he wasn't even sure if Fuin did, she knew more than him but he'd not seen this brother, and her words and her body language... He had been slain likely. Probably when the house was in much better shape than it was now. He gave a small nod, he had no doubt that her brother had been planning these repairs - there was too much ready to go for it to be anything otherwise, he was, Afarfin decided a good man even if he knew nothing else about him other than he had been looking out for his family and working to make sure their home was comfortable. Fuin had a way of picking good people to help. He had no idea how she did it, she just did.

"Yes we'll probably need all of them eventually though if there are a few shorter ones that should be enough for this side of the house." He said calmly. "And I'm afraid I've sent Iuldir and Fyre to find me a roofing hammer, or claw hammer, a saw and some nails, I'm a bit afraid of just how muddy the two of them are. Perhaps they should go for a swim, while I finish up the structural repairs and then you can start passing me the clay tiles and Iuldir perhaps can work on firing the new shingles we made in the forge?" Afarfin wasn't sure how far along the boys apprenticeship was but the way Fuin had spoken to him he likely knew how to use the forge safely.

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@I Said What I Said

Calithilidis (Cali), Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)

Rissy bounced excitedly and held up a handful of nails that the older kids had retrieved, which she had kept safe. "I got nails!" She told Afarfin. "I got lots of them!"
Cali smiled a bit. "Some of those are probably reusable, but some I-" She paused, catching herself in time, and quickly glanced around as if looking for her nephew. "Iuldir," She amended, "should be able to straighten any that are bent, and fix them up so we can reuse any that are messed up."

Iuldir returned with a saw and a regular hammer he'd found. "Will this hammer work?" He asked.
"Iuldir!" Fyre said eagerly when he returned. "We're done with mud, we can go swim and wash it off now! Come on!" She grinned and grabbed his arm.
"Do you need us anymore?" Iuldir asked, hesitating.
Cali shook her head a bit. "Go ahead and wash off, but be quick, we'll need your help in just a little while, alright?"
"Alright!" They eagerly ran off to go swim.

"That was a good idea, better they wash off the mud," She added, turning back to Afarfin. "Then we don't have to worry about whatever they touch getting muddy." She hoped they wouldn't be too long, but she also knew they could actually manage without Iuldir if they had to.. but how to work it so that her secret was safe? She was good at this, she had plenty of practice. "If we need the forge right now, I can light it.. I know how." She paused, and looked down. "My father was a blacksmith, along with my three brothers. I watched them light the forge often enough... And I'm sure I can manage to handle it enough to heat the roof tiles, if he doesn't get back by the time we need them done."
Last edited by Rillewen on Tue Nov 16, 2021 2:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen

Afarfin smiled as Rissy exclaimed she had all the nails. Indeed she did and there were likely a good few that he'd be able to reuse without issue as they were. he did catch her slip, and glanced at her as she said I and paused before continuing stating that the boy could fix the nails. Perhaps he could. Perhaps he couldn't. Fuin wasn't the sort to teach one person if she could teach two. That was a secret though for Fuin and Cali to keep, and he had better things to do as the boy appeared blessedly to give him the last tool that he needed for the time being. "That it will Iuldir." He said as he took the hammer and Fyre and the young boy rushed off to swim and get rid of the mud from their clothing. What a torrent that would be Afarfin thought keeping himself from laughing aloud at just how much water was going to be needed to clean the two of them.

"I figured neither of us wanted to draw them up baths before his mother got home, we've far more important work than bathing the two of them. I fear they will still be covered in mud when they come back and I shall have to hope that a new roof saves me from a whipping at letting them get so dirty." Afarfin said with a chuckle. "The other shingles that must be fired can wait if need be, there are enough for this side of the roof without them, we need those tomorrow though." He said calmly as he took the large piece of lumber from Cali and dragged it up onto the roof, there was one other thing from the loft he needed he realized having seen it and not even having thought of it. "If you feel you can you can get another board like that I'm afraid this side will need at least one more before we get the battening on here at the bottom and start laying out the tiles." He slipped down the ladder swiftly and followed her into the barn to grab the battening boards that he'd seen having not wanted to bring them out yet he'd let Cali carry them for they were lighter and the heavy lumber was hard enough to do safely for him so she had some grit to her.

Eventually he was back on the roof and the leaks in the structure were repaired and the battening spaced now came the part that Cali likely would not like... going up and down the ladder bringing him tile after tile after tile. Eventually Iuldir and Fyre would return and then they could form a chain so that she did not need to go up and down the ladder so much.

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@I Said What I Said

Calithilidis (Cali) and Iorissel (Rissy)

Cali nodded, agreeing with Afarfin about the mud issue. "Quite right. Though I would've made Iuldir fill up his own bath if it came to that.. and Fyre can wash up at home if she needs to." She stated. "It's easier to let them swim and play and get the mud off." She shrugged and then turned to Rissy. "And I see you were a good girl and stayed out of the mud, thank you Rissy."
She grinned, pleased to be bragged on. "I stayed with Af'rin." She said happily. "What can I help?" she wondered, excited about the roof project.
Cali thought for a moment. "For right now, would you help us by sorting the nails?" She pulled out a very straight, usable nail, and a bent one. "See, we need to get all the nice straight ones separated from the ones that are bent, like this. So will you go through and put them into separate piles?"
"Alright!" She said eagerly, and got to work. "Aunt Cali, what about this one?" She held up a slightly bent one that was almost straight.
"Hm.. better make a third pile for the ones like that."
"Alright." She got to work, intent on her task.

"One more board like that, coming up." Cali said, and set off toward the barn to grab another one. Soon, the work was getting underway and she waited for the elf to call down that he was ready for the first tile. She had it ready in hand, and passed it up to him once he was ready for it. "Rissy, do you want to help us again?" She asked, now that Rissy was finished with the nails.
"What can I help?" Rissy asked.
"'What can I help with', you mean."
"What can I help with," Rissy corrected herself, nodding.
"Would you run back to the barn and get another roof tile, and bring it back to us as carefully as you can? Don't drop it, alright?"
"Alright!" She happily ran off to the barn and came back carrying one in both arms, carefully passing it to Cali. She ran off to get another one as soon as she'd turned it over, and Cali smiled as she turned to deliver the tile up to Afarfin. "Hopefully, by the time she's too tired to help anymore, Iuldir and Fyre will be back and we'll put them back to work." She grinned.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen

Afarfin nodded approvingly of using Rissy to help with getting tiles it was slow but steady work with her helping and hopefully the older children would be back soon. As it was he was quickly laying out the bottom layer of tiles that would channel the water down the roof from the top clay shingles. going from the eves all the way up to the peak of the roof fortunately the pitch wasn't too terrible which made it easier to do but the pace was quite slow with only one shingle being able to be brought up at once. More often than not he'd sit at the edge near the ladder and sit and chat with Cali as they waited for Rissy to carefully walk each shingle to them.

He looked towards the river to see what Iuldir and Fyre were doing. They were still playing it seemed in the river and they were soaked head to toe but were looking like they were less covered in mud it seemed, then it was back to work as Rissy made it back to them with a shingle and handed it up to Cali and then it made it to his hands and he took it over to the row that he was working on and laid it out and looked to see where Fuin and the cart were. She was making good time he saw with a small smile looking far off as they waited for yet another tile.

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@OHoney

Calithilidis (Cali) and Iorissel (Rissy)

After watching Rissy make several trips, Cali began to think this might take all day. They needed a much better way of a better way of doing this. "Hang on a moment," she told Afarfin, after passing him yet another tile. "I'm going to see about speeding this up." She climbed down from the ladder and went after Rissy. "Go and tell your brother that we need him to hurry up and get back here to help us," she told her, watching as Rissy ran off to go and find Iuldir. With that message on its way to being delivered, she then went around to the back of the barn. There was an empty hand cart she'd remembered was stowed there, and it only took a few minutes to dig it out from some weeds that had grown up over it.

Now, with something to transport a lot of tiles at once, Cali wheeled it around to the front of the barn and then got to work on loading tiles into it while she waited on Iuldir and Fyre to finish up with their swim. She figured she could get a good amount to start with, and then have Iuldir and Fyre take it back and load it up even more while she and Afarfin worked on the roof. Once she had a couple dozen tiles in the cart, she wheeled it back over to where the ladder was. It wasn't enough to do a whole lot of work, but it was a start, and better than waiting on Rissy to make one slow trip after another, carrying just one tile at a time. "Hopefully by the time we get through these, Iuldir will be back and they can help with carrying tiles." she smiled, and got to work passing them to Afarfin as he needed them.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen

Cali's idea was brilliant Afarfin thought with a smile sending Rissy down to fetch Fyre and Iuldir and then with the cart, something that he had not seen. It did at least speed up that problem fairly quickly, though without having to wait for the individual tiles he did manage to get a lot more of the roof done the first few rows before starting the top pattern so that the roof was starting to become closer to finished. There was still a lot more to go of course but he had a lot less time now with the cart full of tiles to look off after his wife or towards the children though he did cast a glance towards the river and see that Rissy had made it there already and was standing up high on the river bank not wanting to go into the mud.

"If they aren't clean how badly do you think Ivornith shall yell at me?" He asked with a chuckle. "Rissy's made it to them so hopefully it won't be too much longer." He offered trying to let Cali know where he's question about Ivornith had come from as he took another shingle from her hand reaching low so that she didn't have to climb as high on the ladder and then finishing off the third row of tiles entirely thanks to Cali's enterprising. He returned and grabbed another two tiles, easier for Cali to pass up two to him with him reaching low before glancing towards the river he could see all three children heading back towards them as he started laying out another bunch of lower tiles that would be going over the first of the major leaking spots that he had repaired. Fortunately there were no storms on the horizon for the moment which would mean so far he had not made more leaks for the moment.

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@OHoney

Calithilidis (Cali), Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)

Cali smiled a bit at that question and tilted her head a little in thought. "Well, I think that depends on how much progress we get on the roof." She answered, half-teasing. "Actually, I think you're pretty safe. It's Iuldir who has to worry about being killed." She smiled a little. "He might be on laundry duty for the next month if she's in a good mood." She glanced toward the river. "I have no idea about Fyre. But I imagine her grandmother won't be terribly happy. She's more likely to kill you, but as you're an elven lord and all that, from all that I've heard of her, she's more likely to want to be on your good side. So, all in all, I would say you're probably safe from any parental wrath.."

Iuldir came running up a moment later, Fyre close behind, and Rissy tagging along behind them. Both were still quite drenched, but at least the mud was mostly gone. "What do you need, Aunt Cali?"
"Good, just in time." Cali picked up the last three tiles from the cart. "I need you two to go to the barn and fill this up with the tiles. And in the meanwhile, Rissy can bring us a tile so that we can keep working while we're waiting on the main load."
"Yes, ma'am!" He grinned and grabbed the cart. "Rissy, get in, I'll give you a ride." He helped his little sister into the cart and then took off, careful not to go too fast for her, while Fyre ran along with him.

Cali smiled faintly, watching them with a little sadness. Seeing Rissy giggling while her big brother gave her a ride, she thought back to when she was that age, and Trevedir's little brother used to be in Rissy's place, and..and she suddenly felt tears brimming in her eyes. She blinked and wiped them away, taking a deep breath before taking another trip up the ladder to hand Afarfin a couple more tiles. "That job'll probably be finished in just a couple of minutes, with their energy." She said with a small smile.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen

Afarfin laughed and nodded in agreement, the three of them working together would indeed likely get the work done quickly. "Remember to be careful and not break the shingles!" He called, knowing that rushing could cause some damage something that they don't overly want to do which would mean they would need to make even more and that would mean more mud... And as much as Cali said that it would be Iuldir that would be in danger he was the oldest one here and he had no doubt that it would somehow come back to 'Afarfin said we needed to collect mud.'

He saw the tears from Cali and did his best to pretend he didn't see her wiping them away as if he had been to busy with the clay shingles he wasn't entirely certain what caused the tears, Fuin hadn't filled him in entirely perhaps she would when he caught up to her in about a week since he would have to walk back to Minas Tirith after he was finished here. He finished up the last of the tiles that they had from the last batch when he could hear the children returning another load of tiles in tow with the cart and work started in earnest once more.


At this rate they would be finished hopefully be finished before Ivornith returned which would keep her from questioning too much or perhaps she would question even more.

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Ercassie wrote: Wed Feb 17, 2021 2:33 am
Before the War of the Ring, TA

you seem that grievous of expression, one might wonder at what ails you.
My apologies,” Heledir stammered, averting his gaze to the floor he yearned to swallow him whole. “The last thing upon my mind was to present any symptom of distress that may cause alarm ... to my friends.” His efforts were rewarded with the slow uncurl of a smile.

You might then try a little harder, toward that end,” he was advised, as his guest leant close enough to impart with this wisdom. “I am so dearly looking forward to meeting your friends.

It broke Heledir thenafter to clap the foreigner about his back with hearty gusto, and might have struck any observing as odd, at the capricious change. For the nobleman’s fair features were enlivened, each aspect of his countenance an actor with it’s role.



Image
Ademar Androllius, with Alyssa Androllius
At the same event


A snatch of conversation, meant for no other ears besides the two involved in it, drew his attention in more than it already was. Ademar had first glimpsed the man from across the room, and the first thought to enter his mind was, 'He looks familiar.' With his lovely wife quietly at his side, he had then proceeded to try and get a better look at him. 'I'm sure I've seen him before, somewhere.' He thought as he watched Arkhadur for a little while, trying to decide if he was actually the same man or not. He heard the name that he had been introduced as, but was that really his name? After a bit, Ademar turned to Alyssa. "Lord Heledir's daughter has gone missing," he told his wife quietly, informing her of news she may not have heard from the gossiping mouth of her maidservant. Startled to hear this news, Alyssa glanced at him in surprise. "Suppose you speak a few words in consolation?" He suggested, before she could think of anything to say to the first comment. The order was spoken very quietly, and subtly but she knew that he must have some reason for it. As she had come to learn, Ademar never did anything without some reason that benefited him somehow. With a silent nod, she allowed him to guide her by the elbow toward the man who looked so terribly sorrowful.

And so the couple, each with very different motives, approached the two men. And thus, it happened that Ademar was near enough to hear when this subtle conversation happened between the other two men. And, hearing the implications behind them, coupled with the sorrowful-looking man's suddenly changed countenance, helped to confirm Mar's suspicion. That was most certainly the same man he had seen before, and he knew exactly where he had seen him. Certainly not in the courts of Dol Amroth, mingling with the area's most prominent citizens as if he were one of them.

Dressed up in her finest clothing, which her husband had insisted upon having made for her, displaying all the finest jewelry that he had given her..perhaps some attempt at winning her affection, though it didn't work.. Alyssa's soft, strawberry-blonde hair was styled very elegantly, curled and twisted and probably very uncomfortable. She looked truly elegant, just as the wife of a rich nobleman should look. It was more of a struggle to maintain the smile that she ought to keep, for appearances. Approaching Lord Heledir, at Ademar's bidding, she noted how terribly sad and grief-stricken he looked, and she sympathized wholeheartedly... she often felt exactly the same way, only she must hide those feelings. His expression changed, and she assumed the other man must have told some joke, but there was still a certain look about his eyes.. a look of pain, sorrow, loss. She felt that, too. As someone who had lost her whole family at once, she knew that look, and she knew that the smile he wore was only a front, to hide it.

"Lord Estennin," Ademar greeted him. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting your..friend." He glanced over at Ark, wondering.. did he recognize him as well? He offered a pleasant smile. "Also, my wife wished to speak to you," He added, lightly nudging her toward Heledir, as he turned then to Arkhadur. "I don't believe I have ever met you." He added, stepping aside so that, to keep facing him, Arkhadur would have to turn and be steered a little further from Heledir. In a lower voice, meant so that Heledir would not hear, he added, "I believe we may have some mutual... friends." He paused, glancing at the man to see if he might need more explanation. "I'm sure I've seen you before." He added.

Meanwhile, oblivious to her husband's conversation, Alyssa managed not to stumble at all when he all but shoved her forward, but rather stepped forward gracefully and offered a proper curtsy to the worried father, with a most sympathetic expression. "I was truly sorry to hear about your daughter, Lord Estennin," She said softly, and very sincerely. "I feel the pain of your loss, though I did not know her very well, personally, I do understand the terrible grief you must feel." Fearing Ademar wouldn't like it for anyone to see the same pain and sorrow reflected in her own hazel eyes, she kept her gaze downward.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Fuin Elda

Calithilidis (Cali), Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)

As Cali had anticipated, they did not have to wait long before Rissy came back with a tile and a report.
"They got a bunch of them loaded on the cart already!" She said happily. "I'm gonna go get another one." With that, she ran back to the barn to get another. She made about three more trips, bringing one tile at a time, before Cali saw Iuldir and Fyre starting toward them with the heavy cart laden with tiles.
She handed Afarfin the latest tile that Rissy had brought, then climbed down from the ladder. "I'll help them." She hurried toward them, and helped them push it, being not only stronger than the children, but also she remembered that Iuldir was still dealing with sore arms.

Before long the three of them had the cart parked just a step or two from the bottom of the ladder. "Alright, now we should be able to get this thing done much faster." She smiled. "I think we should have Iuldir up near the top of the ladder, and Fyre can be near the bottom. I'm going to go up on the roof and help lay the tiles..." She paused and glanced at Afarfin. "If you'll show me how?" She added, hoping. It would be good if she could learn how, so that if she ever needed to know how to do it again, she'd have that knowledge.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

High Lord of Imladris
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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Rillewen

"Of course" Afarfin said as they sorted out where everyone would be while they were getting the last bits of the shingles onto the roof. With this cartload they should be just about finished for the day and then they could go and fire the shingles that they'd made as they should be dry enough. He offered her a hand up onto the roof once she had climbed up and showed her how the pattern was going so far while Iuldir and Fyre got into position to hand them the shingles.

"So the big thing is to make sure that the bottom is always the lowest point and work your way up using the slatted boards I've hammered down so that the water can't work it's way down to the structure." He said as they got their next shingles. He laid them out in the pattern showing how the bottom lip sat inside the shingle below it, for the lower layer. "We can do two or three layers this way then we do the top layer." He said letting her lay out the next batch of shingles. After she'd gotten the hang of the lower shingles it was time for the upper shingles which was not much harder if he was honest If anything he found them easier.

"For the upper layers we have to make sure it hangs over an inch lower than the lowers and then it's the same sort of thing except with the curved side up making a bridge instead of a bowl." He said laying out the first three shingles to show her making sure to show her where the shingles should sit to start and then adding more. "And the shingles all stack the same sort of way with the top shingles bottom edge being onto of the one below it - and any rain that does hit the roof that doesn't run off and does go between the top shingles will be in the low shingles and run out that way without ever touching the wooden structure." He said with a smile. She highly doubted that she would need to ever fix this roof, but things did occasionally happen but these should, short of her being of the line of Elros, outlast her with ease. Though if she made another out building it would be useful and perhaps she could teach Iuldir or Rissy how to do it so that they would know. They would be the most likely to have to fix the shingles out of anyone.

Work was steady with the children lifting shingles up to them and very quickly they were coming to the edge of the roof. "I'll lay the last ones as we'll need to do that from the ladder and I don't think it will reach the peek of the house properly so I'll need you to hold it so I can reach it." He said with a smile as both of them were soon working in a space only a foot across and the edge of the roof was dizzyingly close if one wasn't use to such things.

"The last pieces here are the same you just can't be on the roof safely so you may need to make a longer ladder for yourselves if you need to repair this." He said calmly putting the last few shingles in place. "Tomorrow we start the peak cap after we get a few rows done for now though." He paused as he carefully got himself down off of his precariously balanced position atop the ladder that was leaning against the house with him holding onto the roof itself and back onto solid ground "We need to fire the shingles that we made today so that they will withstand any amount of rain sleet and snow Ulmo and Manwe can throw at them." He said with a smile. There was still lots of time in the day and they should get the shingles fired with ease.

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@Fuin Elda

Calithilidis (Cali), Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)

Cali listened and watched to see how Afarfin was doing it, and nodded. It was far simpler than she would have expected, and it took only a moment to see how he was securing the shingles in place. She took a tile and got to work, helping the repairs go twice as fast now that there were two of them working on the shingles, and all three children working together to pass the tiles up to them. At last, she climbed back down from the ladder and waited for Afarfin to join them on the ground.

"Alright, time to fire the shingles then?" She smiled. "Iuldir, would you go and light the forge?" She asked. "I'm sure you can manage something like this without Fuin here." She would be close by to supervise, of course, and make sure that it all went well, but surely Afarfin would know what he was doing with the shingles, so he could help in that regard as well.

Excited to be helpful, Iuldir ran toward the barn.
"What can I do?" Fyre asked, hoping to be helpful in some way, but there didn't seem like there was much for her to do.
Letting Afarfin handle that question, Cali put Rissy in the cart, and followed her nephew toward the barn with Rissy riding in the cart happily. Cali wasn't sure how long it might take to fire the shingles, but hopefully they'd have it done before Ivornith came home.

Ivorith

The walk home was much nicer today, than the other day when it was pouring rain, but Ivornith was still quite tired by the time she came up the path toward her house. She was pleased for Iuldir's sake to have overheard the business transaction between Afarfin and Lord Eglathor, and she was looking forward to seeing how excited the rest of the family must be about it. As she rounded the curve of the road and came in sight of the house, she stopped short, shocked by the sight that met her eyes in the dusk, as if was nearing sunset by now. Could it just be the dim lighting, messing with her eyes? She rubbed her eyes, wondering if they were just tired, but no.. there it was, her house, with part of the roof torn off, and.. what was on the other half?

Slowly, she ventured forward, hardly able to take her eyes off of the sight before her, and stared for a long moment, just trying to make sense of it. At last she turned and went to the barn. They must be in there, because there didn't appear to be anyone inside the house. Pushing open the door, she half-wondered what sort of secret she might be about to stumble into, like the last time. "What in Arda is going on around here?" She asked the first adult she encountered, wide-eyed, and still quite stunned by the entire thing.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Balrog
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The Swashbuckler
Minas Brethil, the Anfalas

(Private)

The girl materialized like a drop of oil from darkness. Her hair was bright and vibrant blonde, just like her mother’s. Tiam’at smiled disarmingly. She pointed to a stool on the other side of the bed. Katla, because how could there be any doubt who this girl was, did as she was told and sat on the stool. The captain searched the face of the girl in the light of the oil lamps. She was defiant, her jaw set hard and her eyes straight forward. She hadn’t expected to be caught (well that was obvious).

For a moment, neither women spoke. The cabin was filled with an impenetrable, thick silence. They stared at each other across a gulf no smaller a few feet and no greater than a thousand leagues.

“How did you know who I was?” Katla finally broke and turned her gaze. “Who are you?”

The captain leaned back in her chair and rolled her shoulders back until she was comfortable. “You know who I am. At least I hope you didn’t just sneak aboard the nearest ship you could find. That would be rather disappointing.”

“I know your name,” Katla interjected. “Who are you?”

“Ah, now that’s a better question,” there was mirth at the edge of her voice, but Tiam’at was intensely curious. She truly hadn’t expected to see this young woman for years yet, if at all. “I’m Tiam’at, Captain of the Queen Berúthiel’s Revenge and bane of the Swan Knights of Dol Amroth. I served aboard The Grand Conjuration as first mate and the Pearl Queen as a cabin girl. I’ve been further north than any corsair dared to go. I sailed up the Anduin and caught a glimpse of Lothlórien itself. I’m the best goddamned pirate Middle-earth has seen since Old Castamir. I’ve never been caught, never lost a fight, and never failed to get the girl. I’m the woman you want to be.”

Katla, despite her precarious position, cracked a smile. It quickly melted though. “How do you know my mother?”

A chill ran down the woman’s spine. Was she really about to tell this girl who her mother was? Normally she would revel in this sort of thing. Narrien was another thing though. She was different. She chewed her lip for a moment. The girl was going to find out at some point. It was shocking that she didn’t already know. “Sod it.” She said and leaned forward. “I knew your mother because we both served on The Grand Conjuration back in the day. I started off as an able seaman and she was the captain’s yeoman.”

“What…” Katla interjected. Her voice was loud and flat, her eyes wide with confusion. “My mom…”

“… was a pirate,” Tiam’at finished. “Yes. And a damn good one too. She was smarter than any man aboard the ship, including her captain. She regularly outfoxed the thaumaturge, used to make that blasted ugly orc so mad!” She threw back her head and laughed. “Your mother, Katla, was an inspiration. The day she left the ship was the day a piece of my heart was lost.”

“I think you have my mother… confused for someone else,” the girl tried to reason. “My… my mother’s never been a pirate. No, she… she gets mad at me when I tell her I want to become a sailor. There’s no way she could have been. You’re wrong.”

Tiam’at licked her bottom lip. “Hair as blonde as the sun is golden? Like yours? Eyes as blue as lapis lazuli? She snorts once before she giggles at jokes she knows she shouldn’t laugh at? A temper like a hellhound when you crossed her? Believe me Katla, I know your mother. I knew her for nearly a decade before she left.”

The girl was silent for a time. “How come she never told me then? Why did she quit?”

There was the question the captain knew would come. It was the inevitable inquiry once she’d been convinced (at least momentarily). She swallowed and steepled her fingers over her knees. “I don’t know. I can only tell you that she left the ship almost eight years ago and I hadn’t seen her since. I come to Minas Brethil in hopes I might find her. This is the city she left off in.”

“How do you know my name if you haven’t seen my mom in…” she began doing the math in her head, her eyes bugged. “She left because of me?”

“It’s a strong possibility. Trying to give birth on a ship is nasty and hard. Trying to raise a daughter aboard a pirate ship? Next to impossible. I know your name, to answer your first question, because that’s the name your mother told me she wanted to name her child. I took a guess. Now a question of mine, since I’ve been so nice and accommodating for you.” She stood up and walked over to the stool, shortening the gap between them before Katla could move away. “Does your mother know you’re here? Does she know I’m here?”

A noise came from outside, a hard knock on her door that reverberated throughout the whole cabin. “Captain?” the voice was low and rumbly, almost like the voice of a wolf. “You have another visitor. Won’t give their name. Says you’re old friends?”

Tiam’at laughed at the cosmic irony. It was sort of unfair, all this happening at once. She wasn’t really prepared for it. “It’s alright Nardhon. Tell her I’ll be ready to see her shortly.” She yelled at the door then swung back to look at Katla. “Well I suppose that answers that question. You need to disappear girl. This ain’t how I wanted the meeting to go down. Out the way you came in.”

Without giving the girl a chance to protest, she pushed her off the stool and toward the window facing the bay. “Off ya now!” she hissed.


--- * --- * --- * ---

She hoped she was in time. She hoped she beat her daughter here but given the girl’s tenacity and willfulness there was little to no chance of that. Hearing the name Queen Berúthiel’s Revenge stirred up more memories and more emotions than she’d expected. Had she been able to hide that emotion from her daughter? Narrien would have liked to think so but was certain she hadn’t recovered in time. Katla was bright, smarter and more devious than anyone she’d ever known. There was no way she’d been able to keep that hidden. But what would her daughter make of that? She wasn’t even sure about what she was doing. Before she could stop herself, she found her feet moving toward the harbor. Would Tiam’at recognize her after eight years? Would she be angry at her? Happy to see her? Was she happy to see Tiam’at? They had not parted on good terms, not from what she remembered. She left because she couldn’t raise her daughter to be a pirate (she’d not done well in that regard). Tiam’at was adamant that she could, that she would help, even though the child wasn’t hers. As much as she wanted to say yes, she knew she couldn’t. She’d countered with an offer for Tiam’at to come with her, to settle down and live a quiet life for once. That had gone about as well as porcupine in a brothel. Now, all these years later. So much had changed. Tiam’at had her own ship now, Narrien always knew she would one day, it was must a matter of time before the most amazing corsair the world had ever seen had a fleet that rivaled the old Golden One.

There was an eel in her stomach, it twisted and writhed and grew more and more violent as she approached the ship. What was she going to say? What was she going to do?

“Ahoy there!” her voice came out scratchy and thin. The watchman on the deck didn’t hear her. “Ahoy!” she shouted louder, putting more of her forcefulness into the call. That got the man’s attention. He looked down and casually leaned over the deck.

“Why hello there, gorgeous. What can I do for you tonight?”

“Not what your thinking,” she said clearly, smiling despite herself. She’d almost forgotten the roguishness of pirates, all but one.

“Oh, my good lady, I don’t think you know what I’m thinking. I have an imagination that could last all night long.” his smile was wide and proved she did know exactly what he was thinking.

“I’m here to see your captain,” she countered.

“The captain? Oh, you don’t want to see her. She’s magical by all accounts, but she can’t give you what I can!”

“I know her better than you, it seems. She’s got more than you and enough to spare. I need to talk to her.”

The sailor looked annoyed and crestfallen. “Wha’s your name?”

“You don’t need my name sailor. Just tell Captain Tiam’at it’s an old friend. I think she’ll know who I am.”

He disappeared and then reappeared a moment later, lowering a gangplank. He was sullen but not unkind. He offered a rough, calloused hand when she came aboard. “Captain’s cabin is this way ma’am.”

The eel in her stomach started fidgeting again. She took in a deep breath and followed.

And there she was, in all her glory. Captain Tiam’at. The title suited her. The eyepatch was new, but even that couldn’t mar the woman’s beauty. She’d only gotten more stunning in the intervening years. Some people have all the luck.

“Great krakens of the underworld,” the captain said as she opened the door, her mouth agape but smiling as wide as possible. “If it isn’t Narrien the Beautiful. Come in, please.”

She entered, Tiam’at offered the chair at her desk. She sat and marveled at the room. She’d never thought of what Tiam’at’s Captain’s cabin would look like, but this was exactly it. It was rich and flamboyant but not gawdy or ostentatious.

“Eight years, and you still look as lovely as you did then.”

She blushed but put her hand on her stomach to calm the mad eel trying to writhe its way out. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon,” she said finally.

“I’d hoped it would have been sooner. How are you Narrien?”

“Each day is a puzzle, but I like puzzles. How are you? Being captain certainly suits you. When I heard the news gave a prayer of thanks to Ossë.”

The captain laughed, but it was a laughter with warmth. “I wished you had been there the day we christened her,” she reached up and touched one of the richly carved beams. “It was quite a spectacle. Frost was there, too. Does…”

“No…” she answered the hanging question in the air. “He doesn’t. I haven’t seen or heard from him in seven years. I’m not sure I ever will.”

“Your daughter is a firebrand,” Tiam’at said.

“Waves be damned!” Narrien cursed. “So, she made it before me?” The eel in her stomach writhed, but not from nervousness.

“Aye. You know she’s a good kid. Resourceful. She snuck aboard without any of my watcher’s noticing. Reminds me of that time you snuck aboard the Steward’s Grace and set fire to the galley before anyone knew you were aboard. She’s got fire.”

“She wants to be a pirate,” she responded.

“She’ll make a damn good one, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

“I do.” She said a little more sharply than she meant. “I… I don’t want her to be a pirate. I want her to want something else.”

“She’s the product of her parents, Narrien. Two of the best sailors the world has ever seen. If she didn’t want to be a pirate, then I would say she’s not really your daughter.”

They both laughed.

“Did you tell her about her father?”

Tiam’at shook her head. “That’s a truth you need to tell her, and sooner rather than later.”

“You’re looking amazing. The herbs… you found them?”

It was the captain’s turn to blush. “Aye, they work better than all the others I’d taken. They help me feel more like me. They help reflect the me on the inside.”

“The you on the inside is more gorgeous than any woman in Gondor or Umbar.”

“You know, I’ve wanted to hear you say that for nearly twenty years.”

“It’s true,” Narrien said, hiding a smile. “It was never easy between you and Frost who was the more unnaturally gorgeous. I think you’re the clear winner now. I’m glad you found them, and that they work. How have you been, Tiam’at? Really?”

Tiam’at sat on the bed and looked out the window at the inky sea for a time before answering. “Not as good as I’d hoped. I’m going to have to go back to working with the fisher kings, or Frost and I’m not sure what might end up worse. It’s not as easy being a pirate these days. I can feel the waves closing in on me Narrien. I can give a brave face to the crew, but I can feel the waters changing. It scares me.”

Narrien surprised herself when she reached out and touched Tiam’at’s thigh. “What do you need? How can I help?”

“I thought you wanted out of this life…” she said, her voice gaining a husky quality.

“It doesn’t seem I can keep away; I’m bound for salt and seaweed.” The eel vanished.

“I’ve missed you…”


--- * --- * --- * ---

It didn’t make sense. Her mother couldn’t be a pirate. She was too nice and sweet. She was too pretty to be a pirate. Captain Tiam’at was pretty, but not like her mother. Her mother didn’t have the hands of a sailor either. None of this made any sense. Katla was not happy as she walked through the darkened streets of Minas Brethil. She knew she should head straight home but she wasn’t prepared for what she would encounter there. Her mother would be there and Katla knew she would ask; she would not be able to stop herself. Instead, she ambled through the streets, hoping the time and the shadows would help bring her some clarity.

The streets of Minas Brethil at night were very different from the ones in the daylight. They were older and more sinister. There was a living, breathing monster beneath the city at dusk that each night threatened to awaken and destroy them all. The whole city was one that held its breath, waiting for something to happen.

Katla did not like the streets at night. While she ruled during the day, the grownups ruled at night. They were nasty and ruthless and cruel. While she could be nasty and evil and mean, she could not be as bad as them. Being that nasty wasn’t effective. Being that gross and vile didn’t appeal to her. None of these so-called gangs would be able to function on a ship. They’d fall apart and drown before an hour had passed. Even the men that claimed to work for the fisher kings, they were more conniving than the rest, a quality Katla admired, but she knew even they would be lost on a real ship.

“Well, well, well…” a familiar voice slithered out of the alley. Katla’s stomach went tight. She’d been walking for so long she forgot where she was. Fletcher Alley.

“Didn’t think you had it in you to come around here after the sun went down. You’re stupider than I thought.”

A massive boy, a teenager nearly twice her height and weight came charging out of the alley. Something glittered in his hand. Instinctively, Katla dodged and narrowly avoided getting skewered by a nasty looking knife. She barely caught a glimpse of it before it was slashing at her face. She took a step back, then another and another, each time narrowly avoiding the slicing edge. The boy was fast, but he wasn’t accurate with his thrusts. He was angry and that was clouding the way he moved. He was a bull in the barn when he ought to have been a fox in a henhouse.

She didn’t have a weapon. She’d left her bo staff at home, not thinking she would need it out here tonight. She had her fists though. Another slash that nearly caught her forearm, but instead of dodging it, she weaved around and moved within the boy’s reach, landing a haymaker on his chin.

He was tough though. There was a sound of a nasty crunch, but he kept moving, kept slashing. He pushed her away, grabbing her wrist with his free hand and yanking her across the street. She lost balance and tumbled against the cold stone of an inn. She felt the air get knocked from her lungs. She wheezed as she saw him coming, a black blob of shadow. She ducked just in time as a savage blow skittered across the wood and stone. Sparks flew. She pounced into him, slamming his midsection with the full force of her body. She threw a half dozen punches that were all ill aimed and didn’t have the necessary strength behind them to do much damage. She grabbed his hand, the one holding the knife, and did the only thing that felt natural in that moment: she bit. She bit down as hard as she could. She could taste blood. The boy screamed but she could barely hear it. She felt something hard hit the side of her head. She bit down harder but was thrown off by the force of the blow. She felt something tear and give way as she fell. The finger in her mouth came with her. She stumbled away, seeing stars all around. She spat the bloody stump into the street and swayed, daring the boy to come at her. He’d lost his knife, lost his finger. How much more did he want to lose. He charged one more time, full head down barreling tilt. She tried to move but he caught her just as she was about to get out of his range. They went down in a heap. Something snapped. She grabbed onto him and began ripping handfuls of whatever she could grab: clothing, hair, or flesh.

Finally, he’d had enough and slumped. She’d been given as good as she got. She had been caught unawares and had paid a price. She could feel a dozen bruises already forming, a black eye, some ribs were damaged too, it hurt to breathe.

There was something red and sticky in her hand too. She looked at it with uncomprehending eyes. Somewhere in the fight he’d manage to score her with his knife. She just hadn’t felt it until now. She managed to stumble into the inn before her vision blacked.
Last edited by Akhenanat on Wed Dec 15, 2021 6:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Strange Fruit got holes in the flesh but it ain't gonn' spoil cause it never was fresh

High Lord of Imladris
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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Rillewen

Afarfin got Fyre to help him bring in the dry clay shingles as Iuldir and Cali got the forge started and it was going well they were about to pull out the last batch of them with Rissy helping Iuldir count the shingles to see how many they had done when the door opened up and the matron of the family as it was stepped.

"Making shingles ma'am" He said with a smile and Rissy let out a giggle and told her mother to look at all the shingles they made. She even managed to not immediately tattle on Fyre and Rissy who were blessedly no longer damp from having to wash off all of the mud. "Weren't enough singles to do both sides of the roof so we have to do the other side tomorrow now that we have these ones fired. Taught them how to make the shingles." He said pointing at Iuldir and Fyre, "And he's learned how to fire them he'll have a shingle manufacturing business in no time though he'll need to get tidier with gathering the clay." He said with a chuckle. "And her..." He said motioning at Cali with the last warm shingle in hand. "She's a fantastic assistant, make it so we got the one side of the roof done a heck of a lot faster than if it had just been me up on the roof. Sadly that means only no leaks anymore one one half of your roof but it's not going to rain tonight and we'll finish the roof tomorrow and then I can deliver the chair I told them it was half paid for do you want to tell them how much he paid for it I know you were about listening while you were cleaning while we discussed the finer points of the discount I was getting him." Afarafin said with a smile realizing the coins for the chair were still in his pocket and he should hand them over to Cali soon or Ivornith.... He wasn't sure which one. He also hoped that this would keep him from being scolded for doing to much.

"Perhaps now that the shingles are finished we can discuss all of this while we make dinner and relax for the night before we get started in the early morning again so we don't have to work in the afternoon heat."

Steward of Gondor
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@Fuin Elda

Ivorith, Calithilidis (Cali), Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)


Ivornith's eyes widened as she listened, quite stunned. "Shingles.. fixing the roof.. you.. fixed.." She glanced past him at Cali, then back at him, and then at the kids. Rissy was so happy to show off all their work, and also told her about all the roof blocks that had been up in the loft. She wasn't really sure what Rissy meant about them having to tear down her castle, but she nodded slowly, and looked back at Afarfin. "Why?" She couldn't believe this was happening. It must be some sort of dream.

"Ivornith," Cali smiled. "It seems that Fuin has made some..arrangements." She explained. "And.. Dawion had already made almost enough to cover the whole roof." She added quietly. "I had no idea, I thought that whole loft was just full of hay..."
"We probably woulda found out sooner, if we hadn't had to sell the horse." Iuldir mentioned. "I bet we'd have ended up going through all the hay, then, and we could've fixed it before now."
"But you didn't know how to, before. Remember?" Fyre pointed out.

Ivornith nodded slowly as she took in all of this information, and then the last part of what Afarfin had said drew her out of her dazed state. "Oh! yes," She smiled. "The chair.. Lord Eglathor was very impressed by the idea of it." She said. "At first he was a bit skeptical, but.. Lord Afarfin talked him into it, and Caeleb was extremely excited about it." She told them, happily. "Sadly, I didn't actually get to hear what price you two settled on," She added. "Ms Meressel demanded that I see to her room, and I missed that part." She sighed.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

High Lord of Imladris
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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Rillewen

Afarfin nodded as Cali stated that Fuin had made some arrangements. "I have an immortal wife that has lived and survived alone for over six thousand years waiting for me," He gave a shrug. "I would have her happy, and her happy means doing tasks that she asks of me to make up for the time I was stuck in the Halls of Mandos fortunately she has never asked me to do anything ill willed, it makes my life far easier and I can't complain that helping people is what makes her happy, though I'd admittedly kiss Glaurung himself if she'd quit running off randomly and making me have to go find her." He chuckled at the thought of kissing that dragon it wouldn't go well and he figured was about as likely as his wife not running off randomly.

He nodded, he'd thought she'd managed to stay long enough to hear the price, a princely sum indeed for a single item that was utilitarian over all and not a sword or shield. Those often went for many gold pieces. He pulled the coins from his pocket and motioned for Cali to hold out her hands. Once she had he dropped each coin one at a time, the weight of them was a lot considering there were only five of them. "Half the payment up front, 5 gold coins, and 5 more upon delivery." He said with a smile, he had a feeling that that would keep the family out of debt for a long time or that it would pay off any debts that they happened to have. "That said I think we are good here for the night, lets go into the house and relax for the evening unless there is some other pressing works that I can help with?"

Steward of Gondor
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@Fuin Elda

Ivorith, Calithilidis (Cali), Iuldir, Iorissel (Rissy) and Saffyre (Fyre)


Watching the gold pieces drop into Cali's hands, Ivornith's eyes grew a tiny bit wider with each one, and by the fifth, she brought a hand up to her mouth, too stunned for words at the moment.
Cali stared down at the gold pieces, and looked up at her sister-in-law in amazement. "Ten?" She could hardly believe it.. and they had started out intending this to simply be a gift. She held down her hands to let the children see. "This is..incredible..."
Ivornith looked at Afarfin, smiling a little tearfully. "You've helped us so much, how can we ever repay you for all that you've done?"

Iuldir, Fyre, and Rissy were curiously trying to get a look at the gold pieces, so Cali held her cupped hands out so that they could see.
"Can I hold one?" Rissy asked, hopeful.
"No, I don't think that's a good idea, we're going to put these away where they won't get lost, alright?" She told her, thinking it best not to let the children hold onto anything quite so valuable, just in case.

"Let's go into the house and get cleaned up for supper," Cali agreed with Afarfin, thinking a distraction seemed due. "Come on, Iuldir, Rissy.." She paused. "Are you staying, or going home, Fyre?"
Hesitating, Fyre stepped back from admiring the gold pieces. She'd never seen any, herself, though she knew her grandmother had plenty of them. "I guess I'd better go home." She said reluctantly. "Can I come back tomorrow?"
"Of course you may, we might need your help with the roof." She smiled.
"Will you need more mud?" She asked, lighting up a bit in hope.
"Probably not," Cali answered, amused. "But we'll be putting the rest of the shingles on, so you can help by passing them up the ladder, just like you did today."
"Alright, I'll come back tomorrow." She smiled. "Bye, Iuldir." She waved and ran off homeward, as the rest of them headed into the house.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

High Lord of Imladris
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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Rillewen

The night passed swiftly and there seemed to be a heavy burden lifted from the family and Afarfin could not help but smile at how his wife had found this place and managed to help them so much. He was proud of her. For someone that was so horribly broken as they had just started to learn from being so alone, she was incredibly kind when she could have turned out cold and cruel though she did have those moments as well they were few as far as he knew and tended to be well deserved. The house kept a bit warmer with the new shingles it felt like and he slept with ease.

The next day they were up early and by the middle of the afternoon with the help of Fyre and Iuldir and Rissy and Cali the roof was completed with the final cap single being put in place. He felt much better knowing that in the next rain they would not need buckets for anything other than catching rain water outside if they wanted it to wash clothes and heat for baths. He had also been thinking on what Ivornith had asked... How could they repay him and Fuin? Neither of them had need of gold or goods, Fuin had amassed enough wealth to rival the richest merchants of Dol Amroth and he too had his share of wealth from his own family.

He sat with Cali while the children were off playing having worked hard for hours already. "Cali, Ivornith asked last night, what you can do to repay us for what we have done. I know my wife has asked for nothing and has told me to ask for nothing but there is one thing I would have you do." He spoke softly. "I do not know how long Fuin will stay on these shores I think it will be years longer yet, but it will happen for the elves are fading from this land, and many houses of old in Lothlorien and Imladris already sit empty. I would have you remember us by teaching your whole family the knowledge we've shared with you and make sure that the men in your house remember that the women are as powerful and as mighty as they are if not more so that they should teach them so that they know all that they need to. And that women of your house have no need of a man that thinks to cut off that knowledge. For one day Fuin will not be here to see her friends through hard times, she will be on the shores of the undying; I hope running wild with the hinds that I use to hunt with Orome laughing with all her loneliness forgotten and all that will remain I think is the name that she gave your family."

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@Fuin Elda

Calithilidis (Cali)


Cali could hardly believe that they were all done with the roof. She could hardly wait now for the next rain, to see how it did. As Afarfin sat next to her, she glanced over, listening as he began speaking. Intrigued, she listened, wondering what he could possibly want as repayment, and slowly began to smile as he explained. "As a matter of fact," She said. "I was already planning on doing just that." She said quietly, thoughtful.

She glanced off toward where the children were playing, wondering if Rissy would one day even want to learn to smith. She paused after a moment's thought, and glanced at him. "You mean more than how to fix a roof, I'm sure, but... what exactly are you talking about?" She asked, realizing that she had never told him anything about their secret. She was curious if he could possibly know, somehow, about it, without being told.. or perhaps Fuin had told him, but she had promised to keep the secret.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

High Lord of Imladris
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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Rillewen

Afarfin glanced at Cali as she asked what exactly he was talking about and made sure that the children were playing far enough away that they would not hear them. "My wife is sly, cunning, and able to fool many a soul. Valar knows that she has fooled Lord Elrond for years but he is much younger than me, and many other elves that still reside in these Eastern Lands about many things." He said referring to all of Middle-earth. "But I know her well, I've seen her spirit and I know how she operates she need not say a word for me to know for she tries to keep her teaching secret in our own manor many miles away teaching the children of the ship crews... She would not teach Iuldir how to do something and be willing to leave if he did not have a competent adult around, or at the very least an adult that was a step or two ahead of him in lessons. And you were comfortable and at ease dealing with those hot shingles." Afarfin said looking at her.

"Her silence is my silence, for it keeps her happy. Though I do not know fully what my silence is on I trust her explicitly. If you are going to do as I have asked, even before I asked it then it is well worth it." Afarfin said standing up slowly. "I suppose I should go and deliver that chair which means I need to get tidied up for the lord and lady of the manor. I will bring back the last portion of the payment on my way back to Minas Tirith."

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@Fuin Elda

Calithilidis (Cali)


Listening, Cali slowly smiled, faintly, and looked down thoughtfully as he explained, but more at the fact that she had been silly enough to think she could hide it from one elf when she couldn't hide it from another. It was a relief, though, to hear that he would keep silent about it, and she nodded slightly. "Thank you, Afarfin. I.. One day, it will no longer be a secret," She assured him. "But I don't feel quite ready for that day, and..." She shrugged and stood with him. "I appreciate all that you've done.. you and Fuin." She hesitated and glanced toward the barn where the forge was, sighing softly. She decided he deserved to know what he was keeping a secret, at least. "You are right," She told him, not that he would expect any different. "I learned to smith from my father, though he did not even realize that I was learning. I watched as he taught my three older brothers... all gone, now." She paused as that sentence made her a little emotional.

"Father's skill... diminished as he was..consumed with grief.. and alcohol." She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep it brief, lest she become more and more emotional. "And there came a day when I..realized that his work had become so poor that even I could do better. And I did, for...years. Without him realizing.. or anyone else. I couldn't bear to let anyone discover that he was...not the one making things." She glanced at him, blinking to keep tears from gathering. "He is gone now, and I... I just couldn't return to Minas Tirith, yet. But, neither could I stop smithing, so when I discovered my brother's forge, well..." She smiled faintly. "Iuldir asked that I teach him, and I have been for some time now. To be perfectly honest, most of what he has learned so far came from me, though he has learned a handful of things since Fuin showed up. We were about to start making that chair when she showed up, and she was a tremendous help."
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

High Lord of Imladris
Points: 5 208 
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Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:53 am
The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Rillewen

Afarfin gave a nod as he listened to Cali's story and why she wasn't ready yet to have her secret known and rocked on his heel looking towards Minas Tirith, looking for the cart that his wife and the nurse were on for a moment and finding it trudging slowly on its way. "She has a way of being places to help as if fate guides her sails. Valar know I have no other way of describing how she has gone through life being where she is when she is, I'm not sure even Ulmo could guess at her course any better than I." Afarfin said. "I hope, in the future, I will see you back in Minas Tirith so that I can know the full extent of your skills outside of knowing you deal with hot items calmly." Afarfin said softly smiling at the fact that Fuin had helped with the chair and that she had managed to teach him a few things.

"I will be back in a few hours and then I'll be off, and your life will hopefully go back a bit towards normal, though goodness knows Fuin has a way of changing what normal is most days." He gave her a pat on the shoulder and headed into the house to get changed and ready to deliver the chair. It took him twice as long as when Fuin had been helping him but he knew appearances must be maintained for this and soon he was on his way with the chair and then he was returned his pocket heavier with gold for Cali's family which would undoubtedly help them through a fair bit before he packed his rich clothing and donned his traveling garb which was after being out in the rain for as long as he had been now fully dry which he honestly felt was a miracle.

"It was good to have met you Cali, as well as the children and I hope to see you again." He said pressing the coins into Cali's hands knowing she would take proper care of them until Ivornith returned to hide them away. He bid farewell to the children as well in their own fashion before he started for Minas Tirith directly he would not need to follow the roads as Fuin and the cart were which would help him make up a bit of time so that hopefully he might arrive only a day after she returned to Minas Tirith.

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@Fuin Elda

Calithilidis (Cali)


The weight of the gold in her hands was very satisfying, knowing it would help their family for a long time to come. "Goodbye, Afarfin, it has been a great honor having you for a guest, and our family will never forget you and your wife. You both have our sincerest thanks," Cali told him, before he left. She smiled faintly as she watched the elf set off, wondering how long it would take him to reach Minas Tirith. How long would he be staying there, she wondered? And how long, she wondered, would it be before she could return there, herself? She missed her friends, and her mother, but the city held too many painful, sad memories, and she didn't know that she could face all of that just yet. Furthermore, she didn't want to be faced with the sight of her father's forge being used by another... a stranger. It belonged to her, but how long would it be before she could claim it? One day, she promised herself. It would be hers again, she'd make sure of that. There would be a Dringolben Smith in Minas Tirith again, one day.

(The end)
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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Lailyn
Edhellond, Belfalas

(Private)

It was still dark when Lailyn awoke. Morning was a mere promise to come while the world slumbered on through night. She rubbed her eyes and pushed the blankets aside, slipping her feet to the cold floor. A searching hand found her and tugged lightly on the fringes of her chemise.

“Don’t go yet.” Meidhrin looked at her through bleary half-lidded eyes still heavy with sleep. “Please? I’m leaving today…”

“I’m expected at work…” she protested weakly.

“But you have some time, don’t you?”

Those soft-whispered words were a wish, a lure, the sweetness of a spring blossom to a bee that she was powerless to resist. Her heart would not be denied. It clamored for her to stay, to savor, to hold on just for a little while longer...so she melted back into the bed. The farewells were never easy. It was always one more moment, one more kiss, one more, one more, one more, clinging to each other in the easing darkness until they had no choice but the inevitable, to finally part.


The eastern sky was pale grey when she arrived at the bakery with flushed cheeks and staggered breath from her rush across town, past the shuttered fish market, the harbor and down the cobbled lane where the bakery was tucked in beside a row of houses. The warmth and glowing lamps that greeted her confirmed her fears.

“Late again,” the baker grumbled, slapping a ball of dough on the workbench. He never missed a chance to remark on her lack of punctuality. “Do you know how many people would line up for this job?”

Lailyn bowed her head, looking properly chastised even as her cheeks colored with the memories of her delay. “I’m sorry, Alador. I’ll try to do better.”

He grunted. “Don’t let it happen again. I’ve already heard enough complaints about hiring a girl from Rohan instead of one of our own. Don’t make me regret giving you a chance.”

“I won’t.” Her voice was quiet and resigned, feeling almost like a new recruit facing the fury of an officer again. At least here the only punishment was the disappointment that emanated from the old man. She did not offer an excuse, telling him that Meidhrin was leaving again, even though she knew he would understand and soften his attitude if she did.

Beneath his grizzled exterior and harsh words lurked a generous spirit who showed her kindness more than once. He offered her the job when she had little experience. When the worst memories took hold and would not let go, he steered her away from watching eyes to give her time and space. Alador never once commented on it other than one late afternoon when he laid a hand on her shoulder, told her fought in the War and that he understood. She would never forget the haunted look she saw in his eyes that hinted at all he must have seen. Sometimes, she saw shades of her father in him and it made her heart ache and warm toward him all at once.

She hated to disappoint anyone so Lailyn flung herself into her work with enthusiasm she didn’t know she still had. Stirring, rolling, kneading, braiding dough and decorating cakes. This job was a chance she couldn’t squander and it felt good to do this work, to create something instead of destroy. Good was something she needed more of to stave off all the things she wanted to forget. Instead of a weapon, she wielded a rolling pin and instead of finding blood on her hands, they were coated with a white film of flour and bits of dough that stuck to her palms and in between her fingers.

“Your custard is improving but your pastry still needs work...did you think I would sell these soggy, undercooked messes?” Alador held up one of her carefully constructed creations which bottomed out and sent a glob of spiced apple filling to the floor. She felt a little piece of herself, all her hard work, crumble to the floor along with it. “This is all a waste.” He gestured at the tray fresh out of the oven. “Try again tomorrow.”

The perfection of pastry-making had eluded her for months. It was always too soggy, too thick, too crunchy, too burnt, never just right. Lailyn had shed countless beads of sweat and a fair amount of hidden tears over it, not to mention all the ingredients that had been wasted. Every failed batch felt like another reason to leave. She wanted to give up but she refused to do so. At least mistakes here did not cause suffering or death. She would come back again and again until she got it right. The next day, for what felt like the umpteenth time, she gathered the butter, flour and water and set into it. Mixing it just so, with a careful eye and careful hands, she followed every direction and piece of advice he had ever given her as closely as she could.

It was a whole new kind of agony waiting for them to finish baking and her hazel eyes roved to the oven again and again, hoping, wishing, pleading with them to turn out right this time. When Alador called the time, she held her breath. A blast of heat poured out as the baker opened the oven. He sighed. Lailyn wrinkled her nose and reached to untie her apron, ready to give it up entirely as a lost cause. He turned with the tray held out toward her and the look on his face took her breath away. He was smiling. He was actually smiling. She had never given him cause to smile before.

“They’re perfect!” He proclaimed.

It was not a life-changing victory on the battlefield, an enemy smote before a great force of cavalry, nor was it some milestone to be celebrated and shared with family, but it was a triumph for Lailyn nonetheless. Pride swelled within her and buoyed her through the rest of the day. She couldn’t wait to tell Meidhrin when she returned. Even better, they’d share one at the stone wall overlooking the waves where they first met. They’d watch the sunset and walk home with sticky fingers entwined.

Flour, water, butter. They were such small, simple things that could become so much more. For all that she had shunned this kind of work as a child at her mother’s side in favor of traipsing the fields with her brother, she was learning there was honour in the everyday life, in providing sustenance. There was a unique kind of joy to be found in the smiles of customers buying cakes for special occasions or sometimes no occasion at all but some surprise to spring on a loved one. There was a tranquility in the routine that soothed her restless mind and it was here she found something she had been lacking for so long: a purpose.

One loaf of bread, one cake, one pastry, at a time, her eyes began to open and she slowly realized that perhaps that was still a path forward for her. That her life could go on. That there were still things worth finding and exploring, even after every heartbreak swallowed her whole. She could reknit the broken threads and put herself back together. People like Alador and Meidhrin gave her the strength to do it but she had to summon the will all on her own.

Like the dough she shaped with her fingers, her time at the bakery changed her in ways she did not always realize. Over the years, she would return again and again to the comforting feel of familiar ingredients in her hands and the scent of baking bread to assuage her worries. Though she found joy in it, she was the only one who knew the hidden weight that lay behind each recipe carefully perfected over time. That was just the way she thought it should be. There should not be any bitterness in anything she made, only the sweet, nourishing flavor of a thing crafted with care to be savored and enjoyed. There was peace in knowing she had done something worthwhile and created something good.

🧚

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(solo flashback story - private)
Southern Ithilien
A couple of years before the War of the Ring



Image
Ryndir Dringolben, Ranger of Ithilien

A cool breeze filtered through the trees, carrying the fragrance of oak and poplar, pine and sycamore, which mingled with other scents of the forest. Ryn paused, inhaling slowly, listening. Despite the forest’s calm, still appearance, he sensed something was off. The young man was a trained ranger by now, having been at this a couple of years now, though not as skilled as some of his elders. He gazed around, trying to put his finger on whatever was wrong.

It was too quiet, he realized. He glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source of the disturbance. After a moment, he heard something. Then he saw them. Deer, running. Ryn frowned, watching them leap and run in panic. His gaze followed the pair of them until they had disappeared from sight, then looked back the way they had come. Something had frightened them. What was it? If there was a threat in the forest, then it was something he ought to check out, the ranger decided. Making good use of his training, Ryn located the deer’s tracks, following them carefully backward, seeking the source of their panic. With any luck, it was just a minor disturbance that had startled the deer. The further he went, the more he began wondering if this might be nothing, but he’d come this far, so he might as well continue to satisfy his curiosity, if nothing else.

Ahead, the quiet sound of a hushed voice stopped Ryn in his tracks. Chanting? Frowning, the eighteen-year-old slipped behind a tree and waited a moment before cautiously peeking around it. He couldn’t see anything; other trees blocked his view, so he moved cautiously to the next tree, closer. His previous thoughts that this might be nothing were gone, now. There was definitely something going on here. A chill went down his spine as he peered around the oak. There was a young man, about his own age, kneeling before a deer’s carcass, doing some sort of chant in a foreign language, his face hidden by a hood. There was a lot of blood all over the ground, and the whole scene was highly disturbing.

There was definitely something wrong here; Ryn had no doubt about that now. Whatever it was, it looked like a threat of some sort, though he wasn’t sure what. Carefully setting aside his bow, quiver, and a pack for fear it might hinder him, Ryn stepped out from behind the tree. The ranger frowned at the hooded stranger in his forest as he moved into view of the stranger. “Hey, you. What are you doing?” Ryn called out, inflecting as much authority into his tone as he could manage. Someone had to do something about this, after all, and Ryn knew that was him, because he was the only one around here. It was his job to protect these lands from intruders, or other threats. He wasn't sure exactly where this guy fit into those categories, but he fit in somehow.

The stranger froze, but didn’t raise his head. Was that a smile growing on his face? He had a knife in his hand, still bloody from the deer as he slowly looked up. Yes, he was smiling, and it was quite unsettling. “Hello, Doggy. Come to play fetch? I could save you a bone to chew on.”

Ryn stared at him, stunned. He recognized this man as soon as he looked up. Aderic Androllius, the bully who used to torment everyone in school that he could. Iole, Cali, and so many others. Even Ryn or Nal or Trev, if he could get them alone, but never when they were all together. He was too chicken to face the three of them at once. Ryn glanced down at the deer, a slight chill going down his back at what Ric had done to it. “I’ve never seen anyone gut a deer like that,” He commented with a frown. Looking back up at Ric, he tried to make sense of what he’d come upon. “What are you doing here, Ric?” He demanded. “What is this?”

“That is a good question. This…" He motioned, not to the deer, but toward Ryn. "This can’t be a coincidence,” The other commented with a smile as he began to slowly circle his former classmate. “Isn’t this interesting… here I am, making a sacrifice to Lord Zigur, and then.. you just 'happen' along. As if it was meant to be.” Ric grinned. “As if he sent you. He really does listen...”

Lord Zigur? Sacrifice? Feeling a little horror wash over him as he heard these words, Ryn recalled something he'd heard or read somewhere, that Zigur was what they called Sauron in one of the other countries. It didn't take much to figure out the implication there. Ryn slowly drew his daggers. “What are you talking about, Ric?” He frowned, turning in place, to keep him in his sight. “I.. I think I need to arrest you.” As much as this guy had tormented him and his friends as children, it wouldn’t bother him at all to see him in prison. It would be a pleasure to arrest him even without having a proper cause, but with the things he was saying…

Ric started laughing. “Arrest me?” He grinned and he held up his hands mockingly, as if surrendering. “Do you think you can, Doggy?”

That old mocking nickname from their school days, twisted from the fact that his name meant ‘hound’. Even now, it irritated Ryn, but he ignored it. There was something else nagging at his thoughts. A detail that seemed important, but which he couldn’t quite place at the moment. “I have authority here, Ric,” He reminded the bully. “I’m a ranger now, not some school kid you think you can pick on. And you’re under arrest. Lay down your weapon, Ric. I’m warning you…”

“Ranger or not, you’re all alone out here. That means you’re still the same dumb dog you always were. Here boy, heel.” Ric laughed. “You think you can fight me?”

“My sister could fight you,” Ryn scoffed. “And she has, too. That’s how you-” Ryn paused as it suddenly hit him, and tilted his head, feeling a bit confused. This was the bully he’d always known, alright, but… something didn’t add up. “Wait a moment,” he muttered, trying to sort this all out quickly. As the smug young man continued to circle him like a shark, Ryn turned along with him, watching for an attack. “You…you aren’t Ric.” he stared at the young man. It was Ric’s face, but.. “I just saw Ric, yesterday… in the city. He had a black eye..” What was going on here? “You can’t heal a black eye that quickly.” He muttered. The Ric he had seen in the city had not behaved like this, either. But now here he was, out in the forest, acting like the same old bully he'd known since they were both very small…

“Oh, did he?” Ric’s smirk faded slightly. “Perhaps I have medicine that’s beyond your knowledge.” The smirk returned.

Realization suddenly dawned on Ryn… several incidents suddenly returned to mind..all the times over the years when the Androllius boy acted differently… sometimes he would act like a nice, polite, even shy boy, and claim to have a twin brother, but then other times, he would pick on everyone mercilessly, and say he'd made it up about having a brother, and acted like he hated everyone. Suddenly, all that came crashing back to Ryn’s mind, and all the pieces fit together at last and he realized what an idiot he had been to fall for such a trick… and how sorry he felt to the true Ric, wondering, in that instant, how many times they had ‘retaliated’ against him instead of the true culprit of the bullying.

Stunned, he pointed, weapon in hand, toward the mysterious ‘other brother’, his jaw dropping in shock. “You… Ric was telling the truth about having a brother! You were the one..!” He accused. “You’re the one who tormented us all through school!” Ryn glared, furious with this guy for all the horrible, mean things he had done to himself and his friends, his sister, and all the other kids in the city. Even to his own brother, Ryn realized… because of what he had done, he’d made all the others dislike the other Androllius brother. They had treated him badly in reply to how they thought he was treating them. What kind of person would do that? And to his own brother?

‘Ric’ stopped, gazing back at him with a sigh of disappointment. “You figured it out, finally. It only took you.. what, thirteen, fourteen years?” He smirked, shaking his head slowly. “You really are slow, Doggy. But, I really didn’t want anyone to know about that. Especially now, with my new plans.” He informed him. “So, I’m afraid I’ll have to kill you, now.”

Ryn narrowed his eyes. “You can try,” He growled.

No sooner had the words left Ryn’s mouth, than Androllius did try. He leaped forward, his knife slashing. Ryn swiftly parried and backed away, a bit surprised by how swift ‘Ric’ had become since their last schoolyard fight. Blades clashed, and Ryn blocked a flurry of blows, then retaliated with his own. They seemed equal opponents, as if Androllius had learned a good deal since his school days. Or had he ever really fought this brother before?



(to be continued in another installment...)

🧚
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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