Long Lost Leaves - part II

[feawen]

Nami smiled, "I would like to see Rohan with you. Even the elders of my kin call me a child!" Nami laughed, she sure did act like a child sometimes!
Nami looked around and frowned, "Speaking of children, there is one misbehaving elf that needs to be rounded up before he gets himself into more mischief!" Nami laughed and turned around, leaving the camp in the same direction as Ellysa had left.
It was not long before Nami found not Quickleaf but Ellysa, sitting on the ground her eyes closed and a troubled expression on her face. Nami stepped a little closer, stopping she cocked her head to one side slightly looking at the young girl. "Ellysa?"

[Coffeehouse]

Quickleaf arrived at the edge of the clearing, by the campsite, and started practicing his bow and arrows.

[orithil]

Hedrim after laying down in his tent for awhile got up and stretched, the hottest part of the day would be begining soon. Well at least he thought so, things were very strange in these elven lands. Suddenly realising he had absolutely nothing to do he decided to play some more music, he took out his lute and sat under a tree. He played a tune which sounded soft and sweet (and strangely like green sleeves)

[Mari]

Elyssa was seeing what she saw before, only slightly different. Rocks falling, the last breaths of her friends and her, dying alone somewhere. This time though, she seemed to have been running away from something, terribly scared. Why was she running? Why was she abandoning the others? Why would she betray these wonderful people who had not hurt her or sent her away when they found out?!

Suddenly she heard a voice, disturbing her thoughts. When she looked up, she saw Nami standing in front of her. She hadn't heard her coming.
Startled she blurted out: "Nami! What, What are you doing here?"

[feawen]

Nami was a little shocked at this reply from the normall quite girl. Nami looked around and shrugged. "Walking?" Nami stepped a little closer, looking closer at the scaried girl, "Are you ok?"

[Mari]

Ellysa stared at Nami and finally made a decision: she told Nami about her vision and it's prediction that she would betray everyone.

"Please believe me! I would never betray anyone of you! I have to prove it. To all of you and also to Radagast. I have to prove my vision wrong. Will you... will you please go with me into that place. Will you help me?"

Ellysa looked with big pleading eyes up at Nami, hope shining on her face. She had completely forgotten Nami's earlier reactions to the suggestion of going underground.

[feawen]

Nami had stood listening to Ellysa looking with kindness in her eyes as she explained things. That is until she told Nami to go underground with her.

"What!" Nami took a step back, her eyes growing as wide as Ellysa pleading eyes. "What...why?...what!"
The idea of what Ellysa wanted her to do slowly sank in.

"Under...under there?" Nami vaguely pointed to the ground at her feet. "In the dark...to be crushed to death by the tonnes of earth above your head...oh!"

[Mari]

"Well, that's what happens in my vision. But my visions are often wrong! This one must wrong! I would never betray you or let you die down there!"

With tears glistening in her eyes she shot Nami another pleading look.
"You do believe me, right? I really wouldn't ever betray you..."

She trailed off before whispering: "I must prove it. I'm not a traitor! Please... help me!"

[Curufin]

'I remember that it was dark,' he said softly, 'And that the stars shone brighter than one sees them now. The waters were cool, and everything seemed new...'
'
He trailed off, his eyes becoming lost in memory.

'It is difficult to explain, m'had'era. The memories are there, but I know not how to put them to words. It was so long ago, and yet at the same time it seems but a moment has passed since I last stood there...'

[Aikanáro]

'I wish that I had seen it,' Tabrîl answered simply. She knew that if allowed, memory could indeed become more vivid than the present, that events of long ago could seem as if yesterday, and it was this feeling, perhaps, that Abasi spoke of.

She thought for a moment before she spoke again. 'It is my opinion, perhaps, that one's first home carries a special meaning, no matter where one may go after. Kuiviénen-that-was was the first home of the People.'

It was the only way she could see to explain its significance. The Kindi had journeyed westward from Kuiviénen long before Tabrîl had been born, and yet they had ensured that it was never forgotten. Abasi's people had gone east in those times, he had said, and found peace there. Perhaps that was how he had lived so long. Most who had been m'had in Tabrîl's youth had died in the inter-tribal conflicts that had been so frequent then, or in the wars of the uwindi who killed without thought.

These memories were not ones she cared to dwell upon, however, and so she shifted position, her arm brushing lightly against Abasi's as she did so, and smiled at him.

'Will you play the Game?' she asked then, softly. He was injured, she knew, and there would be no shame in turning down her request. If he would play, then she would not throw past his ability, with his shoulder as it was. She simply felt it might be good for them both.

[feawen]

"I dont think you are a traitor. Why tempt it? If you dont go down there, we wont die and it will be all good right?"

Nami tried to find a way out of this situation but then she caught the pleading look in Ellysa's eyes. Nami sighed her shoulders slumped. How could she say no to this young girl who was just as scaried as she was. Were Nami saw the past Ellysa saw a possible future, surely it was worse to live life thinking you were going to kill people, to be branded a traitor by no fault of your own.

"I'll help you Ellysa." Nami said slowing.

"I'm going to die!" she added in elvish.

[Mari]

Immense relief and gratefulness washed over Ellysa. Now everything would be alright. She would prove she wasn't a traitor and she wouldn't have to do it alone!
She grabbed Nami's hands and stammered a few times "Thank you, thank you so much!" but quickly let go of the elf's hands when she noticed what she was doing.
A bit embarrassed she hid her hands behind her back, smiling a smile that showed Nami had just made herself a friend closer then a sister.

[Curufin]

Abasi smiled softly.

'I will if you wish it,' he said simply. Perhaps it would be good for them to play. There was always something relaxing and calming about playing the game of the People, especially when it was with one with whom you were well-matched. It was a way of sorts to reinforce your identity; a way to be windi, and he enjoyed playing with Tabrîl.

[Coffeehouse]

Letting free his fingers' hold, the arrow shot off and sped beneath the roof of the forest like a chased prey. The target, the trunk of a dead tree, let out a thud which echoed through the forest. Quickleaf pulled out another arrow in a rapid movement, centred it on his bow and let another one pace towards the target.

The arrows seemed steady, the woodwork neatly carved, and Quickleaf was happy he now had at least a dozen decent arrows. Another arrow was released and swooshed through the air. "About time I practiced" Quickleaf muttered to himself and happily went on shooting.

[feawen]

Nami felt a little strange as Ellysa started stammering at her.
"Ok ok! Thank me when we get out of there alive!"

Nami realised what she had said and quickly added, "Which we will!"

Nami looked at the happy smile on Ellysa face, this young girl seemed to be looking up to Nami. For once Nami had more than just herself to look after. Pushing all the thoughts of crushing death to the back of her mind she smiled at Ellysa, "Come on lets get back to the others."

[Coffeehouse]

Releasing the last of his arrows, Quickleaf went over to the dead trunk. Seven arrows stood neatly centred in the lower part of the tree, two had hit the base of the tree, and three other arrows stood scattered around the tree. "Slightly better" Quickleaf smiled to himself and retrieved his arrows.
Going back to the place he shot from, Quickleaf closed his eyes, pulled out an arrow and sent it flying off towards the tree.

[Amael]

Since Ingwionis had confronted the spirit not far within Dol Guldur, he had gotten to sleep easier, and so A'mael had not been required to go after him again.

"An Elf to risk his life for something that isn't really that crucial. Especially one so old as you. This time we'll go there together. Dol Guldur is definitely a lot bigger inside than it appears on the outside. Trying to go in there alone to encounter every spirit and every corridor isn't too wise." A'mael expressed doubt in her eyes when talking to her husband. "What is it, A'mael?" Ingwionis recognized the look on A'mael's face, the look of doubt. "I doubt that there could be anything dangerous in there, except for your own fears. The spirits there are sleepless but timid now. They must appear to you only when you think of them enough, or when you fear them the most." Her husband shook his head at the statement. "I didn't even hit that thing with my sword. It just fell apart in front of me and presented this small piece of the map to me, as if to give it away freely."

A'mael pondered the possibility of finding the other pieces of the map in the same way, but it was very unlikely all of the pieces of the map would be held in the same way. That spirit her husband encountered was probably the only one left. Were the other pieces stuck in bricks or blocks in the walls or the floor? Were ssome of them carved into the walls? Or was the answer much more easy to find?

A'mael relaxed, once again laying down to watch the sky. Cloudless day again. Very peculiar, she thought.

[Acalewia]

Aelfwine smiled, knowing which misbehaving elf Nami spoke of. As the elf left, Aelfwine unsheathed her belt knife. If she were to go into the caves, it could possible be her only defense. She feared arrows in the dark could kill one of her friends on accident. As she had told Nami, Borin and Hedrim after the spider attack, she wasn't skilled with the sword. Th knife was the only close combat weapon she knew. She would still bring her bow, she decided. Examing the knife, Aelfwine saw it could stand for a little sharpening. She sat cross-legged and began to sharpen her knife.

[Aikanáro]

Tabrîl nodded, and took her t'rai from her belt, Abasi's along with her own. She smiled to herself at the sight of it, a small reminder of what they now shared.

'I shall begin it, then' she offered, and settled herself cross-legged opposite Abasi, calling to mind the intense and yet entirely familiar focus she would need for this. When she thought him ready, she made the first throw, a gentle one, high and curved. It was always best to begin slowly, the building of speed was itself part of the rhythm.

'This is one thing, at least, that uwindi cannot bring to ruin,' she commented. 'If I must remain far from home, I am very glad that there is one here still who would play it with me.'

She was glad of Abasi's presence for reasons beyond simply that, of course, but it was what came to mind, and so she said it. In her hall it had been typical for those contemplating partnership to partner each other in the Game also, it led to greater ease of conversation, when the majority of one's attention had to be given to the t'rai. It was a chance to speak alone, and more freely than otherwise.

[Curufin]

'It is the Game and Rythym of our People,' Abasi said, returning the t'rai easily after catching them perfectly in his grasp. 'In the game one can feel totally windi at the same time you learn what it truly is to be windi.'

'We played at Kuiviénen, as well - ka'maren style, then, as we did not yet have or need weapons. Even then, the rythym was true.'