Deep In The Shadows ➳ Lord of the Rings ➳

Chapter ll

Dedicated to dreamescape07 for being the first conmenter! Now, here in the U.S is Friday afternoon and in Australia it is Saturday! So as promised, please enjoy!

Also the actor above is who I have in mind for our next character introduced in this chapter!

Daermaethor

Daermaethor breathed heavily, head darting this way and that, obviously looking for his sister. A little overprotective, or beyond overprotective was up for discussion but his sister always concerns him. Her behaviors are unnatural. Her moods would turn for the worst and become isolated. How could he not worry. Stubborn that a mule she was.

He could not stop pacing. He's always fidgeting, never at peace since she left last night as if she could do what she wanted. He wanted to groan in frustration. His worries would become a burden especially with her stunts. Off she would wander away and he would sit there, as if he had ants crawling over his body. In a way, his fear turned into anxiety and he couldn't bare to lose the most precious thing he has in this world and it was Narylfiel. He couldn't lose his baby sister.

"Not again... I will succumb into a spring of grief and anger... Please come back." He thought to himself.

Losing Narylfiel and their realm was enough torment for Daermaethor. The grief his family held after losing her was worse after finding out she was kidnapped and not murdered.

Alerathla had noticed his impatientness. The beautiful golden hair elf placed her soft delicate hand on his shoulder and whispered: "Daro Daer.. It will be all right. She'll be back. Don't worry." Squeezing his shoulder in reassurance, she gave him a sweet smile. Daermaethor nodded and smiled back. He had sure hope so. Even though he knows his sister can take care of herself..

"Tolo anin naur Hîr vuin.." Alerathla offered him another small smile and held her hand out for the prince. Reluctantly after a few seconds he nodded and sat down with their company.

{Come join me by the fire my Lord}

The darkness was fading. Dawn was on the edge of the horizon. The stars glittered above, hoping to get a few minutes more in the sky before the light of day put them out. They had to get a move on. They rarely ever traveled in broad daylight and if they did it was with haste. Running a hand through his hair, he started to help the others pack up.

They had been traveling from the far south helping to hunt some pirates and their evil doings against villages they were pillaging and plundering. They only seek to return home close to the edge of the old forests by Rohan. Their small home in Middle-Earth was their only place to be a family.

As Daermathor helped Alerathla and the company pack, he felt the air changed. And he knew.

Footsteps. Behind him. It could only mean one thing only.

He turned and folded his arms.

"Alae....Naryfiel. Where were you?" he asked in a concerned, yet scolding tone. His eyes narrowed and studied her. Her face was heavily guarded with a glare. Her posture rigid. He could only estimate that the night that not bode well.

He wanted nothing but to help his sister cope but what can he do? She was stubborn, relentless and foolish to decline the help.

"Âfaranën," she responded in her lost Elven tongue of Elessgar. The majestic Ironwood realm now extinct and ruined by the dark forces.

(Hunting)

It had been a long while since she had ever spoken that language. She only used it with her brother and her good friend Lera. The Eléssgarian tongue is complicated yet sensational. It would always sound magical. Unlike their other kin folk, they had established their own way of speaking. Only a few handful of elves dared to learn and conquer their language. Of the most honorable would be the king of Mirkwood: King Thranduil and the lady Galadriel of Lothlörien. Undoubtedly they had no choice but to leave some of their language traditional with their kinfolk.

"Arë na minrësea"," she added hesitantly.

(And trying to get away)

"Why?"

"Personal reasons," she replied. "Are you finished with your questions?" She stared at him, quite frustrated. Moving past him, she tried to fix up her stuff, but Daermaethor grabbed her by the arm. She jerked back and he held a firm but brotherly grip.

"You and I will talk later," he warned. She glared at him very intensely. He could feel her discomfort rolling off in waves. Nodding her head, she yanked her hand free and left to pack up her things.

Daermaethor clicked his tongue. A great horse trotted over to him, strong but gentle. Soon the other stallions followed, waiting eagerly for their masters to finish packing.

"We must make haste. We need to reach our destination before nightfall," Daermaethor reminded his kin. Only he, Alerathla and Narylfiel were elves. The rest--Taristan, Nethraunien and Falathiel--were human. Yes, quite strange for elves to team up with that sort. And what's even more strange: a women from the world of Men to become a warrior. Let's just say that the answer to that was very interesting:

"Woman or no woman, I am still much braver than any of you. Perhaps men have bigger muscles, but do they have bigger brains?"--and at this point she'd usually smirk--"In fact, sometimes I wonder if they even have brains at all," Falathiel would always tell them with a very mad look on her face when the boys would tease her; but you could tell that she kept a prideful expression on her face.

Well, that was only half of her answer anyway, but by this point Daermaethor was already laughing.

I am pleased to inform you that it was a very pleasant ride back to their home. Their horses were not tired (but in fact quite the opposite!), they were refreshed and it was a beautiful day. This was surprising, actually. A hunting expedition in the woods was not a walk in the park. But it seemed that the danger was behind them. Or so they had thought. They had enough trouble from this last mission, all they wanted was rest. Of course.. It seems as if bad things don't stop from happening.

That is, until they were choking on a thick black fog as they drew nearer to home. "Smo--?" Daermaethor thought was cut short by the sight of his house. Burning to the ground. This beautiful house they built together just suddenly vanishing before their eyes. He couldn't believe it. His heart fell heavily to the ground and being crushed at the same time.

"How could this happen?!"