A Different Kind of Hell [ Silmarillion ] 3

Chapter Three: A Great Debate

ARAMAN

Below the deck of the swan ship, Eve rummaged through barrels of animal hides and furs. She had taken to sewing cloaks and clothing over the past five weeks since she'd seen Finno. Her favorite were the black and white speckled fur from snow foxes. She had almost finished Finno's cloak. She just wanted to find something special for the clasp.

After an hour, her leg hurt enough that she sat back down on a crate. These days she could walk for small lengths of time before needing to rest. It frustrated her to no end. With a sigh, Eve folded her arms across her chest. The wooden crate she sat on creaked as the ship moved. Frowning, Eve let out a huff.

"Land!" came a shout from above the deck.

Eve frowned. She needed a clasp. Suddenly her hand went to her chest where the only necklace she had brought from Valinor sat. It had a sunflower shape in bronze as the centerpiece and an amber stone in the center. She smiled and took it off, gazing down at it. With a little tweaking, her necklace would work perfectly.

Rushing as best she could back to her small workspace near the furs, she grabbed the tools she'd been using and attached the metals to the furs to form a clasp across the neck area, saving some for a second cloak clasp. By the time she'd finished, she felt the boat hitting the shore. She thanked God that they had made it; seven ships had been lost when the mists of the Oiomure had first started appearing.

Even from within the ship Eve could feel the frigid cold. As she climbed up onto the deck, her breath came in sharp clouds. With each breath her lungs protested more and more until she found herself occasionally coughing. The ground crunched beneath her boots as she followed Telvo, Pityo, and the crew onto the shore. Eve went more slowly than most of them, but Pityo circled back and offered her support.

"Your leg is healing well, but you still should be careful walking," he reminded her.

Eve frowned. She looked down at the wrapping and let out a sigh. "I know, I know."

With a smile, Pityo shook his head and urged her forward. "Come then. Our father will likely have much to say at the camp."

Eve just wanted to find Finno. She knew he would be close to Nolofinwe, though, so she stuck with Pityo as they wandered through the freezing plains filled with Noldor. With the black and white fur cloak in her hands, and Pityo beside her, she went on. She recognized Artanis first, who stood talking to Aikanaro.

"You can leave me with them," Eve told her little brother. "They'll get me to Finno."

Pityo frowned but nodded. "Find us later, Eve."

"I will," she promised.

Artanis looked at her in surprise as she hobbled over. "Eve! You can walk?"

"Sort of," admitted Eve quickly. "I could use some help finding Finno. How are you two holding up?"

"It's freezing," Aiko complained. "But we will manage as we always do."

Artanis offered Eve her arm and bid goodbye to her brother. Leading Eve through the camp, they came upon the Nolofinwions. Aro, Turvo, and Finno stood chatting in a tent, Elenwe and Itarille nearby eating a steaming soup. The tent did nothing for the cold, but it kept the snow off. When Finno caught sight of Artanis and Eve, and grinned and rushed over.

"The one good thing about Feanaro coming to our camp is that it brings you," he said smoothly. He grabbed her in a kiss and then looked down at her fur cloak. "What's that?"

"I made it for you," said Eve. She felt heat raise to her cheeks in pride when he took it. "I had a lot of free time on the ship, and I knew it'd be cold, so..."