[Orual]

Talômi waited anxiously inside for a reply, but outside Rie had no idea of her brother's troubles, or even of his whereabouts. She was enjoying her talk with Derufin, but she realized that her own throat was quite dry. Still, she was trying to recall what manners her mother had attempted to instill in her (though the good woman's efforts had been few and far between), and she called back up to Derufin, "I'll wait here for you. Take your time!"

She leaned on the stable wall, gazing up into the clear sky. She hoped that she hadn't upset Derufin when she asked where he was from; but it seemed like an appropriate question at the time. Rie had a lot to learn about what was and what was not appropriate.

She called a salutation to Piosenniel as she came in, but the Elf didn't seem to hear, so Rie let it lie.

"Don's probably wondering where I am," she said to herself. "I'll have to find her once Derufin comes back." But she was in no rush, so she sat on the ground and waited for Derufin.

***************

Talômi's eyes lit up when the girl pointed toward where Rie had gone. Finally! Bless this child! "Thank you," he said, bowed, and took off in the direction he was given.

He'd finally found his sister. After weeks of searching, he'd finally found her. He could practically see her now, his other half. He'd missed her so badly that it hurt. He wondered, had she missed him that much?

Had she missed him at all?

Talômi stopped short, almost falling over. What if she hadn't missed her family? Maybe she didn't want to be found. Maybe it would only hurt her more. Rië (which is what he and their brothers always called her) was always an independant spirit, which was why she ran away in the first place. Maybe he wasn't doing the right thing at all, and his beloved sister would be better off if he just left.

He sank down to the ground, his back against the wall and his hands covering his face. "Eru, what do I do?" he moaned.

[ February 08, 2003: Message edited by: Orual ]