[dragoneyes]

Lorin continued walking for a little while, trying to hurry the group along, it was getting dark and she didn't wasnt to be caught out in the forest at night. She turned to check on how her two new aquaintances were doing to find that they weren't there! again? she thought to herself is there something about me which makes people want to run away?. Imsewwen was walking next to her, Nolvennion and Teltarma were playing about infront.
"Did any of you three see where Eruwen and Soronûmë went?" Lorin asked,
"Oh," Said Imsewwen, yet again being the most innocent she could, "We thought you knew that they'd gone."
"Well it doesn't matter now, where did they go?"
"They ran off a while back." She answered.

Lorin stood for a while, torn between getting back before dark and finding Eruwen and Soronûmë. Did they know their way around the forest? Hopefully Dykoria and Arawil would already have a fire going back at the hut and Zohariel should be alright in their care. Lorin longed for a rest though, it had been a hectic day.

Lorin finally made up her mind to go back and find the other two. Now that she thought about it, they did know their way around, but still, it was hardly courteous to leave them out in the forest when there was a proper camp, hopefully, being set up else where.

Lorin turned and started retracing her steps, she called after the children who followed, though somewhat reluctantly. They walked for a while, chatting a little until they heard voices other than their own. Lorin stopped and listened longer, the voices were jumbled up and not discernable from each other, but then she heard a musical laugh, it couldn't be mistaken,
"Hreeza." She whispered to herself, smiling. Perhaps they could help her in her search for her new-found and new-lost friends.

She sat at the base of a tree, waiting for Hreeza and, well, Elentari she supposed, to catch up. They finally got close enough so that Lorin could hear what they were saying, there were more than two voices there.

A small breeze blew past on an otherwise, windless day,
"Hello Lorin." Lorin jumped five feet in the air,
"Hreeza! Don't do that!" She cried, as the children fell about laughing. As they did, Eruwen, Soronûmë, Elentari and Airerûthiel emerged from the trees. Lorin looked over at them and saw the two she had been looking for immediately,
"I'd been wondering where you two had got to." She said smiling at them both,
"Yes, sorry, that was my fault." Said Eruwen.
"Don't worry, you're not the first to do that," Replyed lorin, lookin first at the children, then at Elentari, "I see you've found Hreeza, Elentari and... somebody else." She said realising for the first time there was a newcomer.
"I am Airerûthiel, pleased to meet you." she said, holding out her hand.
"And I you," Answered Lorin, taking it, "I am Lorin Thoriel, of the Golden Wood, where is your home?"
"I am Gondorian." Replyed Airerûthiel, Lorin raised her eyebrows,
"Really? It's not often one of the race of men strays into Mirkwood."
"I am half elven." Lorin's eyebrows raised even further and her smile widened,
"As am I!" The conversation continued from there as they made their way towards camp, though it was now quite dark.

[ December 31, 2002: Message edited by: dragoneyes ]