Friends of Nimrodel: Tapestry of Dreams - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

mark12_30 · 09-02-2004, 06:42 AM

Nethwador's eyes widened, and he tipped his head to one side. Although the anger in his eyes did not cool, he took her hand in both of his. "Mellon, " he replied. "Nethwador mellon Bella."

Before Bella had time to smile at the mangled grammar, Nethwador fervently kissed her hand.

Ædegard spoke in a low growl.

"How dare you kiss her? Let go of her."

The anger rekindled in Nethwador's eyes, and he gave Bella a protective push and pointed towards Liornung. She stumbled, and heard five harsh words from Nethwador, and then a volley of fists meeting flesh. She didn't even know who struck first.

littlemanpoet · 09-02-2004, 01:40 PM

Ædgard was appalled that Nethador would touch, much less kiss, Bellyn. He was even more appalled that she did not show any sign of disgust or revulsion at all. It was little better than orc and elf!

"How dare you kiss her! Let go of her!" He heard his voice as a growl. Nethador looked back at him, enraged, and threw the first punch, followed quickly by the next. Ædegard felt his chest turn on fire, and was pushed back a half step with each punch. He coughed, then ducked down as quickly as he could and grabbed the Easterling by the legs, trying to tip him over. The grass was wet with dew, and his feet slipped out from underneath him. The Easterling boy began pounding on his back, knocking the breath out of him.

mark12_30 · 09-02-2004, 02:05 PM

Nethwador heard cries of distress, but they did not distract him from Ædegard's ragged cough. Good; the cruel one was breathless. He considered sitting on him but thought better of it. He crouched to one side, and rolled him over; one more punch to his chest, one to his eye (for satisfaction), and then he took the man by his shirt, brought Ædegard's face close to him, and snarled through his teeth, "Nethwador mellon Bella."

Ædegard's face went white, and breathless though he was, he rallied, his big hands grasping at the boy. Nethwador twisted like an eel, and Ædegard struggled for a grip. He kicked against the ground, and Nethwador writhed out of his reach yet again. But suddenly the boy seemed to fly backwards.

Nethwador found himself held firmly in the fiddler's slender grasp, and he checked himself. A torrent of Easterling speech came from him, with here and there an elvish word mixed in.

Nurumaiel · 09-02-2004, 03:16 PM

Liornung's eyes were flashing, a startling thing to see, for he was rarely angry. He did not seem quite angry now, but he was upset and annoyed it was clear. 'Stop this foolishness immediately!' he cried, tightly holding Nethwador's arms behind his back. 'What childish way to behave is this? The sight of you two reminds me of ill-raised children fighting for the largest cake set before them. And you fight not from greed but from hate! I cannot express my disgust for such behavior!'

Speech still spilled from Nethwador's tongue, and Bella hurried to him again, taking his hands and entreating him to calm himself. Again he said to her, 'Nethwador mellon Bella.'

'Oh ho, are you now?' said Liornung. 'Then show it to her. She's entreating you to stop this nonsense. If you are her friend, if you do love her, then listen to her... especially when it's for her good and the good of us all.'

Nethwador still struggled, and Liornung looked to Bella, who continued her attempts to soothe the Easterling lad.

Argeleafa had gone to Ædegard, and she stood before him as he coughed, her eyes full of woe. 'Do you hurt very much, Ædegard?' she asked. He shook his head. The sorrow did not clear from her eyes. 'Why did you have to fight him?'

He recovered himself and spoke in a gasping voice. 'Leafa, he struck me first. I was defending myself.'

She shook her head, and her eyes filled with tears. 'But you struck him first,' said she. 'Your unkind words to him, your behavior towards him... It hurt him as much as a blow, and he saw naught to do but return it.' She gazed at him for a moment, and then she touched his eye, wincing slightly. 'His fists have some strength,' she said. 'Your eye is cut and bleeding. Let me tend to it.' And she said no more, but the woeful expression did not leave her face.

littlemanpoet · 09-02-2004, 05:38 PM

"Your unkind words to him, your behavior towards him... It hurt him as much as a blow, and he saw naught to do but return it."

Leafa's gentle hand did what could be done for his eye. Her sorrow over the fight touched him. But not even she understood. Could she, could they, not see that the Easterling boy was the one who had shed blood? that he had only tried to stop him? But she said that his behavior toward the boy had forced the boy to hit him? It made no sense. What place did such thinking come from? A man, even a boy, was answerable for his own deeds. That was the way of it.

"I do not understand you," he said to Leafa. "It is as if you think that my words balled his fists and made them find my eye. Was it not his own will? He chose to fight because it was in him to fight. I did not breed the fight into him, his own kind did that. Do you not see?"

littlemanpoet · 09-02-2004, 05:58 PM

"Why isn't she waking up?" asked Aeron.

"I don'- I do not know," Raefindan said, "but the elf said that she and Mellonin are more useful to him alive. Maybe that is still so. And maybe the drug he has used on her has not yet worn off."

"Drug? You think he dragged her all this way?" Aeron's already furrowed brow deepened, and he went to Gwyllion and examined her more carefully. Looking up he said, "She has not been dragged, at least."

Raefindan smiled. "I meant that the elf's means of causing her to sleep has not yet worn off."

Aeron screwed his brow. "What has that to do with dragging?"

"Not a thing. Not a thing."

Ravion spoke up. "Maybe we shall have Mellonin back after another day!"

"Maybe," Raefindan said, scratching Jorje's ear - for the dog had woken up and scratched himself there - "so let us break our fast and be off soon thereafter!"

"Aye!" Aeron yelled, "Arrow or no arrow from that nasty elf!"

"Erundil," Raefindan said to the other ranger, who was just sitting up, "how do you fare?"

mark12_30 · 09-03-2004, 10:11 AM

Nethwador was irked to see Argeleafa tending Ædegard; Ædegard didn't deserve Argeleafa's attention because he made her cry. But the words from Bella, and her sweet voice, drew his attention away from them, and he listened, gazing into her eyes, trembling a little.

Taitheneb stood among them, startling Bella a little; elves moved so quietly. Nethwador turned to him and stared.

Taitheneb gazed back at him, then spoke. "Lady Bella, Nethwador's anger is for Argeleafa's tears. He must defend her, for she defended him, and was gentle to him. They are wanderers together, and he will protect her against the strangers."

Bella's eyes went wide.

Nethwador nodded. "Nethwador mellon Bella; Nethwador mellon Argeleafa; Nethwador mellon Amroth..." Suddenly Nethwador turned, glanced at Taitheneb, and ran towards Amroth. Taitheneb followed him, and Bella watched them go.

"Amroth? Amroth, " said Nethwador, kneeling beside him.

The sparkling gaze that Amroth turned to Nethwador was humorous, easygoing, that of a normal man. Amroth chuckled, weary, but awake.

"Nethwador. He called you Mellon, did he not? So my friends named me. You may call me Mellon if you like."

Nethwador stared and stared at Amroth, and fear kindled in his eyes. "Amroth?" He turned to Erebemlin, wide-eyed.

Erebemlin nodded. "He is still here, I hope. But it is as if he sleeps, Nethwador. I do not think we can reach him now. I have tried."

"If I may, I would like to rest, " said the blacksmith. "My head hurts. Nay, it aches. And my body is weary. Perhaps I have a fever?"

Erebemlin nodded, weary in heart as the blacksmith was weary in body. "You have had the fever for many days, " he said.

Aylwen Dreamsong · 09-02-2004, 05:43 PM

Somehow Nethwador seemed to have escaped most harm through the length of Ædegard's defense. Or at least Bellyn could see no pain other than the hurt mingling with the anger in his eyes. Bellyn grasped Nethwador's shoulders firmly even though she knew that she would not have the strength to keep him from fighting again. Ædegard would be angry with her now, for not shoving Nethwador away when he had kissed her hand. He kissed my hand, Bellyn recalled, repeating this to herself a few times before her eyes shifted for just one moment to the right hand that grasped Nethwador's shoulders. Then she looked back to his face, upset and broken.

"Do you hurt, Mellon?" Bellyn murmured, though she knew her words meant little to him. And she had called him 'Mellon' again. At least he knows that word...why do I call him that now? Bellyn wondered, searching for any visible wounds that might have surfaced in the little fight. Then she looked past Nethwador to where Argeleafa was tending to Ædegard, and for the first time Bellyn feared a conversation with the man. His unwillingness to help the Easterling did not surprise Bellyn much. Ædegard acted on what he knew and felt, and indeed Bellyn had learned such ways towards Nethwador's people as well. For the first time Bellyn realized how hard change actually was. The transition from Edoras to traveling everywhere seemed quick and easy, like the love between Ædegard and Argeleafa, but the change of a person's ideals seemed to come more slowly. Bellyn was still unsure as to why she felt such sympathy - or compassion - for Nethwador. As she thought on this, Nethwador caught Bellyn's shifted gaze, turning around to see Ædegard and letting a scowl deepen on his face. His eyes held a fiery venom, and Bellyn wondered at how someone could get so angry.

"Mellon!" Bellyn chided once more in a gentle voice, still unsure of how to get her point across. Oh! How hard it is to speak and say something that has meaning to another! Bellyn thought dismally. "Did he hurt you?" Bellyn gestured to where Argeleafa sat with Ædegard, and then pointed to Nethwador's chest. Bellyn sighed. "I do not think you bleed as Ædegard does. You should not have fought, Mellon. There are other ways to deal with anger."

09-02-2004, 06:42 AM	#1
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Dec 25, Nethwador Nethwador's eyes widened, and he tipped his head to one side. Although the anger in his eyes did not cool, he took her hand in both of his. "Mellon, " he replied. "Nethwador mellon Bella." Before Bella had time to smile at the mangled grammar, Nethwador fervently kissed her hand. Ædegard spoke in a low growl. "How dare you kiss her? Let go of her." The anger rekindled in Nethwador's eyes, and he gave Bella a protective push and pointed towards Liornung. She stumbled, and heard five harsh words from Nethwador, and then a volley of fists meeting flesh. She didn't even know who struck first. Last edited by mark12_30; 09-02-2004 at 02:06 PM.

09-02-2004, 01:40 PM	#2
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Ædegard Ædgard was appalled that Nethador would touch, much less kiss, Bellyn. He was even more appalled that she did not show any sign of disgust or revulsion at all. It was little better than orc and elf! "How dare you kiss her! Let go of her!" He heard his voice as a growl. Nethador looked back at him, enraged, and threw the first punch, followed quickly by the next. Ædegard felt his chest turn on fire, and was pushed back a half step with each punch. He coughed, then ducked down as quickly as he could and grabbed the Easterling by the legs, trying to tip him over. The grass was wet with dew, and his feet slipped out from underneath him. The Easterling boy began pounding on his back, knocking the breath out of him.

09-02-2004, 02:05 PM	#3
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Dec 25: Nethwador Nethwador heard cries of distress, but they did not distract him from Ædegard's ragged cough. Good; the cruel one was breathless. He considered sitting on him but thought better of it. He crouched to one side, and rolled him over; one more punch to his chest, one to his eye (for satisfaction), and then he took the man by his shirt, brought Ædegard's face close to him, and snarled through his teeth, "Nethwador mellon Bella." Ædegard's face went white, and breathless though he was, he rallied, his big hands grasping at the boy. Nethwador twisted like an eel, and Ædegard struggled for a grip. He kicked against the ground, and Nethwador writhed out of his reach yet again. But suddenly the boy seemed to fly backwards. Nethwador found himself held firmly in the fiddler's slender grasp, and he checked himself. A torrent of Easterling speech came from him, with here and there an elvish word mixed in. Last edited by mark12_30; 09-02-2004 at 02:10 PM.

09-02-2004, 05:38 PM	#5
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Ædegard "Your unkind words to him, your behavior towards him... It hurt him as much as a blow, and he saw naught to do but return it." Leafa's gentle hand did what could be done for his eye. Her sorrow over the fight touched him. But not even she understood. Could she, could they, not see that the Easterling boy was the one who had shed blood? that he had only tried to stop him? But she said that his behavior toward the boy had forced the boy to hit him? It made no sense. What place did such thinking come from? A man, even a boy, was answerable for his own deeds. That was the way of it. "I do not understand you," he said to Leafa. "It is as if you think that my words balled his fists and made them find my eye. Was it not his own will? He chose to fight because it was in him to fight. I did not breed the fight into him, his own kind did that. Do you not see?"

09-02-2004, 05:58 PM	#6
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Raefindan "Why isn't she waking up?" asked Aeron. "I don'- I do not know," Raefindan said, "but the elf said that she and Mellonin are more useful to him alive. Maybe that is still so. And maybe the drug he has used on her has not yet worn off." "Drug? You think he dragged her all this way?" Aeron's already furrowed brow deepened, and he went to Gwyllion and examined her more carefully. Looking up he said, "She has not been dragged, at least." Raefindan smiled. "I meant that the elf's means of causing her to sleep has not yet worn off." Aeron screwed his brow. "What has that to do with dragging?" "Not a thing. Not a thing." Ravion spoke up. "Maybe we shall have Mellonin back after another day!" "Maybe," Raefindan said, scratching Jorje's ear - for the dog had woken up and scratched himself there - "so let us break our fast and be off soon thereafter!" "Aye!" Aeron yelled, "Arrow or no arrow from that nasty elf!" "Erundil," Raefindan said to the other ranger, who was just sitting up, "how do you fare?"

09-02-2004, 03:16 PM	#4
Nurumaiel Vice of Twilight Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: on a mountain Posts: 1,121	Liornung's eyes were flashing, a startling thing to see, for he was rarely angry. He did not seem quite angry now, but he was upset and annoyed it was clear. 'Stop this foolishness immediately!' he cried, tightly holding Nethwador's arms behind his back. 'What childish way to behave is this? The sight of you two reminds me of ill-raised children fighting for the largest cake set before them. And you fight not from greed but from hate! I cannot express my disgust for such behavior!' Speech still spilled from Nethwador's tongue, and Bella hurried to him again, taking his hands and entreating him to calm himself. Again he said to her, 'Nethwador mellon Bella.' 'Oh ho, are you now?' said Liornung. 'Then show it to her. She's entreating you to stop this nonsense. If you are her friend, if you do love her, then listen to her... especially when it's for her good and the good of us all.' Nethwador still struggled, and Liornung looked to Bella, who continued her attempts to soothe the Easterling lad. Argeleafa had gone to Ædegard, and she stood before him as he coughed, her eyes full of woe. 'Do you hurt very much, Ædegard?' she asked. He shook his head. The sorrow did not clear from her eyes. 'Why did you have to fight him?' He recovered himself and spoke in a gasping voice. 'Leafa, he struck me first. I was defending myself.' She shook her head, and her eyes filled with tears. 'But you struck him first,' said she. 'Your unkind words to him, your behavior towards him... It hurt him as much as a blow, and he saw naught to do but return it.' She gazed at him for a moment, and then she touched his eye, wincing slightly. 'His fists have some strength,' she said. 'Your eye is cut and bleeding. Let me tend to it.' And she said no more, but the woeful expression did not leave her face.

09-03-2004, 10:11 AM	#7
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Dec 25: Rohan Nethwador was irked to see Argeleafa tending Ædegard; Ædegard didn't deserve Argeleafa's attention because he made her cry. But the words from Bella, and her sweet voice, drew his attention away from them, and he listened, gazing into her eyes, trembling a little. Taitheneb stood among them, startling Bella a little; elves moved so quietly. Nethwador turned to him and stared. Taitheneb gazed back at him, then spoke. "Lady Bella, Nethwador's anger is for Argeleafa's tears. He must defend her, for she defended him, and was gentle to him. They are wanderers together, and he will protect her against the strangers." Bella's eyes went wide. Nethwador nodded. "Nethwador mellon Bella; Nethwador mellon Argeleafa; Nethwador mellon Amroth..." Suddenly Nethwador turned, glanced at Taitheneb, and ran towards Amroth. Taitheneb followed him, and Bella watched them go. "Amroth? Amroth, " said Nethwador, kneeling beside him. The sparkling gaze that Amroth turned to Nethwador was humorous, easygoing, that of a normal man. Amroth chuckled, weary, but awake. "Nethwador. He called you Mellon, did he not? So my friends named me. You may call me Mellon if you like." Nethwador stared and stared at Amroth, and fear kindled in his eyes. "Amroth?" He turned to Erebemlin, wide-eyed. Erebemlin nodded. "He is still here, I hope. But it is as if he sleeps, Nethwador. I do not think we can reach him now. I have tried." "If I may, I would like to rest, " said the blacksmith. "My head hurts. Nay, it aches. And my body is weary. Perhaps I have a fever?" Erebemlin nodded, weary in heart as the blacksmith was weary in body. "You have had the fever for many days, " he said.

09-02-2004, 05:43 PM	#8
Aylwen Dreamsong The Melody of Misery Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: The Island of Conclusions (You get there by jumping!)... Posts: 1,147	Somehow Nethwador seemed to have escaped most harm through the length of Ædegard's defense. Or at least Bellyn could see no pain other than the hurt mingling with the anger in his eyes. Bellyn grasped Nethwador's shoulders firmly even though she knew that she would not have the strength to keep him from fighting again. Ædegard would be angry with her now, for not shoving Nethwador away when he had kissed her hand. He kissed my hand, Bellyn recalled, repeating this to herself a few times before her eyes shifted for just one moment to the right hand that grasped Nethwador's shoulders. Then she looked back to his face, upset and broken. "Do you hurt, Mellon?" Bellyn murmured, though she knew her words meant little to him. And she had called him 'Mellon' again. At least he knows that word...why do I call him that now? Bellyn wondered, searching for any visible wounds that might have surfaced in the little fight. Then she looked past Nethwador to where Argeleafa was tending to Ædegard, and for the first time Bellyn feared a conversation with the man. His unwillingness to help the Easterling did not surprise Bellyn much. Ædegard acted on what he knew and felt, and indeed Bellyn had learned such ways towards Nethwador's people as well. For the first time Bellyn realized how hard change actually was. The transition from Edoras to traveling everywhere seemed quick and easy, like the love between Ædegard and Argeleafa, but the change of a person's ideals seemed to come more slowly. Bellyn was still unsure as to why she felt such sympathy - or compassion - for Nethwador. As she thought on this, Nethwador caught Bellyn's shifted gaze, turning around to see Ædegard and letting a scowl deepen on his face. His eyes held a fiery venom, and Bellyn wondered at how someone could get so angry. "Mellon!" Bellyn chided once more in a gentle voice, still unsure of how to get her point across. Oh! How hard it is to speak and say something that has meaning to another! Bellyn thought dismally. "Did he hurt you?" Bellyn gestured to where Argeleafa sat with Ædegard, and then pointed to Nethwador's chest. Bellyn sighed. "I do not think you bleed as Ædegard does. You should not have fought, Mellon. There are other ways to deal with anger." Last edited by Aylwen Dreamsong; 09-02-2004 at 08:12 PM. Reason: Spacing errors!