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Old 03-10-2011, 06:01 PM   #24
Pitchwife
Wight of the Old Forest
 
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Unattended on the railway station, in the litter at the dancehall
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Pitchwife is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Pitchwife is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Pitchwife is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Pitchwife is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Pitchwife is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.
For all that Coldan had meant to spend his precious time with Asta somewhat differently, he did not regret missing out on the taverns of Minas Anor for now. Rehearsing her part with her was one of the few occasions when he didn't have to worry what to say to her but could simply sit there, listen to her voice and watch her, and for once, he didn't mind her forgetting about his presence while his eyes drank the peculiar northern charm of her sharp-cut features in rapt admiration.

Right now, she was in the middle of her romantic dialogue with Boromir at Rauros, which wasn't exactly Coldan's favourite part of the play. Truth to be told, it was largely responsible for the silently smoldering grudge he harboured against Aldarion. He could forgive the playwright for being wildly more successful as a writer than himself, even though his plays, in Coldan's opinion, were routine hack work entirely devoid of poetic genius; but to write a love story between his own character and Asta's into the play and get to kiss her on stage every night! How dare he! The worst thing was, for all Coldan could tell, she might even enjoy it.

Fool, he scolded himself, you have only yourself to blame. He should have declared his feelings to her long ago; the Valar knew there had been occasions enough. Not that he had much hope of her reciprocating - not with men like Aldarion or Branor around - , but to simply let the state of things continue like that was intolerable. If only her mere presence had not that strange power to scatter the carefully chosen words in his head like so much chaff and reduce him to incoherent stammering!

Noticing a brief hesitation in her voice, he snapped out of his miserable thoughts and offered, "I vill cleave - "

"I will cleave to you, Boromir, and turn from the Twilight", she continued, and he sighed with relief as they came to the end of the love scene and Boromir's death. On they went through the rest of her part - Mary's brief captivity with the Orcs, her escape and meeting with the Walking Trees of Fangorn Forest, her ride with the Rohirrim, and finally her valiant fight against the Witch-King and her tragic self-sacrifice, which Asta mimed with gusto. Coldan relished that scene especially. Although his love didn't blind him to the limits of her talent as an actress in general, it was unmistakable that this was her favourite scene and she put her whole soul into it. Not for the first time he found himself thinking that she would make a far better shieldmaiden than that pathetic Therian.

When she had finished impaling herself on an imaginary Witch-King's imaginary sword, he applauded enthusiastically. "Splendid! You're almost perfect. Only one very minor zing - ze scene vere you convince ze Valking Trees to plant zemselves in Isengard could perhaps do viz a little more fine-tuning. Maybe ve should go zrough zat once more?"

"Thank you", she replied curtly, "but it must be nearing nine bells. Isn't it about time for Branor and the others to come back? They'll be late for the group rehearsal!"
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