[VanimaEdhel]

Menelduliniel watched helplessly as Gandalf aided Andreth. She looked at all the spirits around her, realizing how vast this world was and how helpless she actually was.

Menelduliniel returned to Poppy again, a seemingly steady companion in this journey. Poppy was looking in wonder at all that was happening around them.

"What do you suppose we ought to do?" Poppy asked when she noticed the Elf standing next to her. Menelduliniel shrugged, unsure of these new circumstances.

Menelduliniel lit a second wand and, after Andreth was prepared, followed Mithrandir again. She heard Hinura and Estelarion continue to play and sing, but she also watched the spirits, fascinated by the beings.

She continued on, seeing a variety of spirits, mostly Elves in appearance. She gasped as one passed so close to Estelarion, that if he had deviated the position of his arm holding the flute, he would have touched the shade. Menelduliniel knew not what effect contact with these beings would do, but she did not want to find out. She let out a breath in relief as the ghastly creature moved past Estelarion.

"I pray to the Vala this is not a trick of my imagination," Menelduliniel muttered to herself, so quietly that even Poppy, who walked directly beside her, did not hear her prayer sent out into the abyss for any that could fulfull it.

[{(<*> )}]

Estelarion thought that he saw a wavering of motion in front of him, but he could not be sure if it was just a trick of the smoke coming from the rods. He looked at Menelduliniel, and saw a look of terror on her face whilst she stared in his direction. The Elf warrior quickly looked around, assuring himself there was no visible evil present.

Suddenly, a cold breeze blew by his arm while he played. He looked at Menelduliniel, who had turned quite pale, and wondered what it was that her eyes saw that plagued her so. Many others in the party seemed uneasy, he noted, but many others seemed to be blithely continuing along through the castle.

He stopped playing after he realized that Hinura had ceased her music as well. Even Hinura appeared somewhat alarmed, although she did not show her distress as much as Menelduliniel and some of the others. Estelarion sighed and put his flute back in its case.

As he did so, he thought he saw a fluttering out of the corner of his eye. He spun and could almost see a shimmering. He saw no shape, but there was most definitely something there.

Estelarion felt his blood go cold and he wondered what surrounded this company. Was this what Menelduliniel saw? Maybe she had a talent to see that he did not possess.

Estelarion carefully made his way over to Menelduliniel and Poppy, the Hobbit, carefully watching for another glimmer, not wanting to touch the shimmer, for fear of what would happen if he did so.

"What do you see?" he demanded of the Elf maiden when he reached her.

"You do not see them then," she said, "It is as I thought."

"I see a shimmering, but naught else," Estelarion said, "Tell me what your eyes behold."

Menelduliniel looked around, obviously taking in all that was around her and looking back at Estelarion, her eyes showing the fear that she was seemingly making no effort to conceal.

"There are shades...spirits," she said, finally, "I know not exactly what they are."

"And do you see them vividly?" Estelarion asked, looking around, only now really noticing how many shimmers in the air he could see.

"I can see them fairly well," Menelduliniel responded, "The images are not that sharp, but I can make out faces and the like."

Estelarion saw her look over his shoulder and shiver. He fell into step with her, lifting the flute and beginning to play, as if his music would take the world away from him. It, at least, enabled him to escape mentally from this new danger.

[{(<*> )}]

"I can see them fairly well," Menelduliniel responded, "The images are not that sharp, but I can make out faces and the like."

Menelduliniel looked as a spirit passed by, seemingly trying to touch Estelarion. She shuddered to herself, glad when it passed by him. The Elf was nearly oblivious to the spirits, and Menelduliniel nearly envied him for this. She was not good with the unknown. If only they could interchange talents. Estelarion always seemed to be the more adaptable of the two. Menelduliniel was fairly set in her ways, although she was still young.

Much to her relief, Estelarion remained close to her and the youthful Hobbit. He began to play again. Menelduliniel saw Poppy relax a bit and she felt herself follow the Hobbit's lead and relax too. She was still somewhat startled by the images that she saw around her, but Estelarion's familiar melodies took her out of this area and back to the taverns where she now felt most at home. Menelduliniel stayed in step with Estelarion, thinking about days gone by, both better and worse and of old companions and old music, long since ceasing in circulation amongst most musicians...

[ February 07, 2003: Message edited by: VanimaEdhel ]