The Hills of Evendim RPG

[Nurumaiel]

Anson sat alone, silent and stiff, gazing into the night. The journey was over. All that remained now was to go back home. Back home to his family, his dear family, his dear home. Where was the joy and happiness he had expected? What was this great weariness that slipped over him, engulfing him, weighing him down and crushing him into the earth? Afternoon tea... How often he had thought on that during their journey, and missed it. What a simple little thing it was, and what peace and contentment and joy it brought. No more. The simple things contained joy no more. Only a weariness.

Lira's face, pale and beautiful in death. He had stood apart from the others, not going close to her. He was afraid. It felt like the end of all things with Lira gone. He hadn't even looked at Gorby. Dear Gorby, who had stayed with him even when he longed to go with the others. Dear Gorby, what pain he must be feeling now! How much he had loved Lira. They had all loved Lira. Nobody knew how much Anson had cared for her. Elf though she was, she was as dear as a sister to him. She had been as a mother to him when his own mother had been so far away. The pain of her passing was deep. It was too deep. Life could not be lived.

He stood from where he had been sitting upon the ground and moved towards the pavilion. He slipped in gently, softly approaching the bed on which she lay. She was just as she had been before, silent, pale, and fair. She had always been fair. What peace was on her features! The wreath Gorby had placed on her head still crowned her lovely hair. He touched her hair gently, marvelling at its beauty. Tears were rushing unbidden to his eyes, tears that did not come through the songs of lament. He let them fall as he looked upon her face, and his heart burned cold with grief.

"Lira, Lira, why did you die?" he murmured through the sobs that racked his body. "I needed you to be my friend and sister all my life. My father doesn't care for me. He doesn't understand me. I always make him unhappy. But you understood me. Did I make you unhappy? But you made me so happy. You didn't think I was a fool because I was scared and timid, but you let your bravery stand as a shield for me." He sat down on the ground next to her bed in great weariness. "Oh, Lira, I have no one to protect me now."

An arm went about his shaking shoulderes; someone sat down beside him. A curly head pressed against his own and a comforting pair of eyes looked into his own. "Dear Anson, don't you know I'm going to protect you?" a voice said softly. "We've always been friends, haven't we? Lira's gone, and I know it hurts you. It hurts me too. But you aren't alone. I'll take care of you." It was Gorby, dear Gorby who had always been like an older brother, ever since they were children. Anson felt like a child again. He put his head on Gorby's shoulder and wept. How many times had Anson been the comforter to his younger brothers and sisters, and now how sweet it was to be the one comforted.

"Gorby," Anson choked through his sobs, "I wish I were dead."

"Hush, hush," said Gorby. "You don't really, Anson. Don't you want to go back to the Shire? To the green fields and the merry dancing at the inns?"

"Such things hold no joy any longer. I can never be happy again."

Gorby blinked away some tears. He understood. "It's all right, Anson," he said. "We both weep over Lira. But happiness can never be taken wholly away from us. We have our homes and families still."

"Lira was my family... she was like my sister and mother." Anson broke off and relapsed into his tears, and Gorby held him as a father would hold his little child who had woken up after a dreadful nightmare.

[littlemanpoet]

"... my choice is to walk with you, my love, regardless of where it is that we find ourselves."

"Uien, I thought that I knew what to expect, and you surprise me again!"

Falowik had no more doubts, of Uien, nor of his own heart's rede toward her. One thing alone troubled him, but it seemed a small thing now, that he was a Man and she an Elf. Either he was wrong to love her, or a great destiny followed them.

As they walked back to the settlement, arm in arm, Falowik thought about their next road.

"I think," he turned to her, "that our next road after Bree leads to the Stonebow Inn. I would that we go with Falco and Eodwine back there to greet our friends. I would go with Lira, but maybe we can catch up to them on the Eastern Road."

"You have made peace with Falco, then?"

"So it seems. His tongue may cause trouble now and again, but he has a good heart, and is very brave. He saved all of us at least twice."

"I am glad." Her smile warmed him as it always did. He bent his head down toward hers.

[Alatariel Telemnar]

'Forgive me for speaking if you would rather be left alone, but I wonder what you are thinking, looking so wistful.'

'Oh, I was just wondering what lie ahead of me after we report of your finding. I s'pose everyone will go their own ways after that. Excuse my complaining, but I see nothing for me after this,' Finëwen said. She looked down to the ground again.

After a pause she said, 'Ah, but you must have something for you after this, eh?'

[Meneltarmacil]

Thoronmir had not said much during Lira's funeral. He sat in silence by himself over in one corner, wondering where he had gone wrong, how he could have prevented her death. Awyrgan, one of his closest friends in the past few years, had also fallen in the assault, and Thoronmir was responsible for both lives. After both of the funerals were over, as he was sitting alone under the stars, he heard a voice call his name.

"Thoronmir? Why haven't you said a word to any of us since the funeral?"

He turned around to see Lumiel standing behind him. "You don't understand what this means to me. As the leader, I am responsible for both of the lives that were lost."

"There was nothing you could do, Thoronmir. None of us knew Herugor's true strength." she said.

"I shouldn't have ordered the attack through the roof. I should have known that it could collapse without warning," Thoronmir continued.

"We must still move on," replied Lumiel. "Regardless of what happened, you cannot go back and save Lira and Awyrgan. You have to let it go."

There was a long pause as Thoronmir considered this."I suppose you're right," the Ranger said at last. "I can't change what has happened. But tell Falowik I will not be returning to Bree with the others."

"Why?"

"I have been talking to the Rangers here recently. Most of their leaders are dead, and the survivors cannot stay together without someone to guide them. We had a long talk earlier, and they chose me to be their new leader. I must stay here and help rebuild what Herugor has destroyed. I cannot return to Bree with you and the others. Tell Falowik that I'm sorry."

[Imladris]

I pressed Anson tightly. I could feel his warm tears slide down my hand, and I ached for him. I rubbed my hand through his curly hair, slick with grime and grease. My own eyes smarted with tears, and I could soon feel them flow down my cheeks. I rocked Anson gently. He was my baby brother, and Lira had been like our big sister. She was the one who had stayed with us, to make sure that we did not go astray when the fighting became fierce. I wrinkled my brow. Had we ever shamed her? We were not the best fighters, Anson and I. How did she feel fleeing with us?

My lips trembled at the thought, and I pressed Anson tighter to me. Lira could not have been ashamed of us, I reasoned with myself. She could not have...she was too kind...too good...too gentle. But what if we had caused pain even a little corner of her soul? I sobbed at the thought and then wiped my nose. "Anson," I said, with a sniff, "Lira is happier where she is now, I think. Uien was sad, but she was happy, too, in a way." But that wouldn't take away the fact that she was gone. It would have been grand if she could have stayed in Bree, where I could have seen her regularly. But I suppose an elf could not have survived in such a bustling village. She had lived in a forest...a forest was where she would thrive, not in a town.

I wished that she was here, singing softly beside us; playing with Anson and I; I remembered the time we had tried to get her to smoke a bit of pipeweed -- ah, she had been so jolly; she would know how to comfort Anson. I didn't.

[Elora]

The twilight was suspended in their embrace and the passing of the stars overhead in seeming eternal dance was lost on Uien for a time. When their lips parted and Uien could hear somewhat of her whirling thoughts over her heartbeat, she realised that something had changed, shifted within her. It was a strange sensation and she did not quite understand it. Yet, she suspected she knew what it was and it sent her spirit soaring, blazing anew with life. But it was too early yet to speak of it and should she be wrong, it would cause such heartache. So Uien rested her head beneath Falowik's and contented herself for the moment with a private joy that she would share with Laurëatan when she could be certain of it. Perhaps he knew already.

Falowik looked down after a time and caught the smile still on her lips. "Are you indeed that pleased with the Shiriff." A light note of laughter fell from her. Well might Falowik ask after the smile given the nature of the rift between her and the Hobbit.

"Aye," she replied with amusement, "Well pleased indeed that he saved that which is most precious to me. Do you think I should tell him?" There was something in her question that Falowik caught. He'd seen that spark before. Uien watched him study her face for some hint of the mischief that brewed there, just beneath the surface. What harm could possibly come from her telling Falco Boffin that her quarrel with him was at an end, that she was indeed pleased with his conduct and grateful?

"I'm sure he be happy to hear it from you," Falowik replied with wondering caution. Uien laughed lightly again, no malice in it. Sheer delight.

"Yes," she agreed and finally was unable to keep her sport with the Shirrif to herself in her merriment. "And being such a worldy fellow, I'm sure he'll get to wondering what indeed would prompt me of all people to look kindly upon him." Falowik shook his head and rubbed his chin ruefully as Uien continued to smile. She relented at length and held up her palms in surrender.

"Ah, well I shall content myself instead with the knowledge that the good Shiriff has seen the truth of things. That is all I ever took umbrage with. I shall not tease him."

Deeming it safe to allow her within earshot of Falco, Falowik set off once more, arm in arm still with Uien.

"Yes, Stonebow Inn it shall be. I am sure we will be able to meet with Lira's escort after that.

"Perhaps, when all is said and done in this matter, there is something we may do," she mused. She felt Falowik's rumble of contented interest through her arm.

"Will you permit me to show you what once I called home long ago? It is not now as it once was, and yet is a place that perhaps you may like to see."

Uien fell silent after her suggestion, struck by a realisation. Lothlórien was long emptied. Caras Galadon was emptied and quiet. Yet the land retained some memory of those who so long dwelt there even though now it abided in the swift mortal stream of time. Elven and yet mortal now was her home, as too was she. Yes, that was what the change had been. Uien did not know how she came to know what it was, only that it was the final doing of her choice of path. She that was Elven now mortal, just as Lothlórien now is. Her smile returned and she was aflight once again. Such heights she could never reach into eternity, brought to her by the Man she had chosen to stand with into mortality.