eachdraidh | [video] Open to all (backdated to the 26th)

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[video] Open to all (backdated to the 26th)

[Tauriel's locket was off and propped up on something so that she could look and talk while she worked. Except she was not currently working, despite having a number of tools and materials arrayed out in front of her and a half finished arrow resting on the table before her. Her attention was off to one side where she was busily chiding something out of sight.]

--No! That is not a toy to play with! Come, give it to me.

[Off screen, there is a playful bark followed by a soft whine. I causes her to laugh softly as the whining continues. We will go soon, I promise. She then leans down then, retrieving a wooden dowel that may or may not have been very recently clamped in the teeth of a puppy and sets it off to one side with the rest of the unfinished materials. Successful, she turns her attention back to the arrow she is currently working on, still smiling and clearly amused.]

Hesitant as I am of the courts, especially that of the Unseelie, I currently cannot fault them for the gift they gave me in the form of my companion. Even if he was not quite what I was expecting.

[There is another bark, To which Tauriel chuckles again, once again setting the arrow aside so that she could pick up the locket in order to show off her companion: a puppy that was somewhere in between nine to ten weeks old which resembled in many ways a wolf cub.]

His name is Braig.

[Having shown him off, she changes the angle of the locket to once more show her face.]

The point of all this is that I have never before raised a hound and would appreciate it greatly if anyone could provide me with advice. As you can see he is spirited and already likes to get into trouble!

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Well we are not in Arda, the old mistakes cannot be so easily repeated.

[Yes she is aware there had been a war between the unseelie and Seelie all in the name of of a Silmaril. She was just hoping that it would not come up again, ever. Especially after such high prices had been paid.]

As your mother is Nerdanel, I can understand why it is that my hair might bring both happiness and sorrow to you.

[ The smile is small and bitter ]

No? It seems our Doom follows us, even here, as does our madness. I no longer trust that there is any escape for us - not in this world, or own own.

[ a soft quiet sigh and his voice turns wistful again ]

Seven sons she bore my father, six brothers I had, but only three of us inherited her hair. I wonder, if we had had a sister, if she would have had hair like yours, or if it would have been as dark as mine. I suppose we will never know.

It seems a desire of your entire family to have a daughter... When your father was here and in the brief time that I knew him, he too seemed to think of me as a daughter. My hair reminded him of his family it seemed and rightfully so, having seen Nerdanel's fiery tresses.

[She smiles a little. Her interactions with Fëanor had been nerve wracking and yet oddly wistful. During the time that she had only known him by his Quenya name and not his sindarized version, she could have almost seen him as a father figure: Stern but gentle. And now with Nerdanel... it felt similar, only she was less intimidating.]

Your mother seems to think of me a bit as a daughter. I would not be insulted if you wished to think similar. In truth, my family was taken from me while I was young and though I was raised to view my best friend as a brother, he is still the son of my king and therefore a little removed from me in terms of genuine closeness.

[ A small amused quirk of his lips ]

Well now, you did not hear it from me, but twas rumoured that the reason there are seven of us was mother and father's long-held wish for a daughter.

[ a shrug ] It is, of course, only rumour.

[ quiet and shy and sad ] You are kind indeed to offer such to a kinslayer, and one whose whole line is Accursed. I am sorry to hear that things still remain dark - I would have hoped that with Morgoth's defeat, there might have been peace at last.

[She smiles at that, clearly amused.]

There are so few in Middle Earth born who have such large family. Usually it is one or two offspring. The lord and Lady of Imladris are blessed with three. Two were twins, which is an even rarer event!

[She herself was uncertain about ever having so many children. One certainly seemed more than enough for her. Of course she would need to find someone to marry... there was a faint blush then as her thoughts wandered far afield for a moment.

The mentioning of Morgoth quickly brought her back.]

His defeat did for a time bring peace, but his successor arose in might and power. He too was beaten but not defeated and an uneasy rest remains. Before I cam here, dark things were gathering to the ruins south of the realm but my king would not allow us to venture there to wipe it out.

[There was bitterness about that, and a bit of sorrow as well. Even now that decision did not sit well with her.]

Edited 2014-09-03 13:18 (UTC)

So the Lady Celebrian tells me. [ He smiles back ] Tis not that surprising, I suppose, as Elrond himself was a twin, but doubtless it was something of a shock at first!

I suppose to many it would seem strange, but 'twas fairly normal for us [ he shrugs wryly ] I can scarce imagine a small family, in truth.

[ He listens quietly ]

That is grievous indeed to hear - I am sorry your people were besieged so. Yet I have met King Thranduil, if briefly here - I cannot but think he forbids it for good reason. Mayhap he has word of what stirs in the ruins.

I sometimes wonder what it might have been like to have a genuine sibling. As I said earlier, Legolas is a bit like one to me, but even so he is a prince and was able to get away with things that I could not. Perhaps one day you might share with me stories of growing up with all your brothers?

[She finished fletching one arrow then, and was now moved onto another, working quickly, despite talking with him across the locket.]

As for my king... He was not quite the same here as he was back home. He was kinder here and perhaps a touch less temperamental. [A frown appeared as she listened to Maglor's thoughts.] As captain of his guard, you would think he would tell me of any greater threat if he truly knew it! [She sighs a little. That problem was back home where she could only hope that another was managing in her stead.] As far as I knew it, the only problem that lurked there was an infestation of spiders. Large, ugly creatures who came up into Mirkwood, covering it with their webs.

[ Another quirk of a smile ]

It is a little like living in a war camp, and a little like living in a stable... Some days you wish to strangle them, others, that they were never born. But most days they are simply... there, and you know you would not change them for anything. If you wish for it, I mind not the telling.

He ought to have [ Maglor shrugs ] but kings will be kings, and perhaps he waited still for more information - who knows? He is gone from here, alas, and cannot tell us his reasoning. But spiders now... [ he frowns ] The way you describe them. I wonder... they say Ungoliant vanished into the shadows from whence she came, but that ever and anon in the dark places of the world came creeping those which must surely have been her get. If twas Her in those ruins, tis no wonder your King refused you to go.

[She listens as he describes what it is like to have a large family, smiling softly at how diverse the reactions are.] Any time you wish to talk, I will listen.

[Tauriel sighs a little thinking of her King. For a long time she had trusted in him and in his judgement, even when she began to question if it was flawed, so a part of her still felt at odds talking ill of her king, even if her was no longer here.]

You might very well be right. It certainly would explain his reluctance. Even now it remains a fear of mine, that through his inaction that the evil will grow stronger and be far more powerful without someone there to act against it.

[And with her not there... She forced that thought away, setting down the arrow so that she might instead reach down to pick up Braig and give the pup some cuddles. He protested, wanting to play, which served as distraction enough for her as she played a little with him.]

[ He smiles a little, sad and wistful ] Then ask what you will and I will answer.

Evil will always grow stronger. [ he says quietly ] Even guarded behind the fence of our swords, Morgoth still grew great enough to assail us - and yet He himself remained unassailable. If tis indeed Ungoliant in those ruins, no might of arms will drive Her out. You can but guard against Her in readiness and hopes it will be enough. Of course, it might not be Her in there - I do not presume to know your Lord-King's mind, but I warrant he waits to learn what truly lurks there... and if it is something worth the lives he must waste to win, or not.

[ It is, after all, what Maglor would do (has done) ]

[She decides then to drop the matter of the spiders, even though it troubles her still in lieu of happier thoughts, at least for her. Such a large family as what Maglor described sounded like it had been a challenge on the best of days... and yet she desired to know more.]

Who among you is the oldest of your brothers then? And did you have a favorite among them?

In order from the beginning then [ Maglor chuckles lowly ] - Eldest was Maedhros, and then I. After me was Celegorm, and then Caranthir, Curufin, and last were the Ambarussa, twins so alike we said that they were one soul in two bodies. Of them, Maedhros and the twins were the two who inherited mother's copper locks, although Amras' darkened a little as he grew. I do not know that I could pick a favourite, truly - I loved them all, and still do. But in terms of closeness, I suppose for me it was always Maedhros - he was there from my earliest memories, you see... [ And I was his last ]

[Interested in hearing about his siblings, she leaned towards the locket.]

What was it like then being a younger brother to one and an older brother to the others? Growing up Legolas often looked after me even though he did not have to.

Then the two of you are as close as real family, it sounds like eh? Osellë and otorno - although I suppose you would say gwathel and gwador, instead.

As to that... much like all things, a bit of everything, truly. Maedhros... in those days most everyone outside of family called him Maitimo - and he was... so brilliant at all he did. I never felt unloved, but... inadequate, aye, often - I could not match him in any of his chosen pursuits, not those of arms or craft... and to be fair, I did not truly wish to, except so far as I wished to be like him. It took time and much love and reassurance by both by parents & Maedhros before I was content to be who I was. But he was the best brother you could have wished for - attentive, gentle, caring. Which is not to say we never fought! But he was always so worried over all of us.

When I knew I was to be an older brother myself I was... afraid. I compared myself to Maedhros again, you see. Worried I could not do such a good job. But Celegorm... he was such a good baby. I loved him from the day his fea brushed mine in the womb. Amme and I, we used to sing to him when he got restless - both before he was born and after! I was always chasing after him. Then the others were born... and slowly I forgot that I had been anything other than an older brother as well as a younger.

[She smiles a little and nods, but does not interrupt as he talks of his as she listens to him talk about life with his family. To her it is so utterly fascinating and also a great shame that not many other families got to share in the same kind of bond.]

In Mirkwood, as elsewhere, many families only have one child. It is rare to see more than that. Some say it is because we are so far removed from the first elves. Others argue that it is more natural for us to have few children. I myself do not pretend to know.

[ He shrugs a little, wistful ]

Well, mother and father were always... unusual, even for Valinor at the time. Seven is hardly normal for us either! But they ever did things in their own way and pace, and taught us to do the same. Most families in Tirion had only one or two children as well - although as you doubtless know both Uncle Nolofinwe and Uncle Arafinwe ... sorry, Fingolfin and Finarfin, had four. There were some of the Silvan who told me once that they did not wish to bring children into a world at war - perhaps it is so even in your time.

[She smiles at his correction on who Nolofinwe and Arafinwe are, glad that he had switched to their sindarized names, which made it easier for her to know who he was speaking of.]

I have been trying to learn Quenya when I can, but even so I fear I will never remember all the names! [She laughs softly.] Silvan elves are far more simplistic. We have one name given at birth, though it might change if something significant occurs.

[Talk about children and war, causes her smile to fade just a little.]

That is a truth that we do not tend to have children in times of war or great strife. More so because we do not wish to raise our children in sadness or at the risk of them loosing a parent to hardship.

[Her smile fades altogether as she thinks of the orcs who killed her parents.]

My parents were... a little unusual as well. They desired to have a family and so I was born in the time of the Watchful Peace. Only it was not so peaceful for them and they were slain by orcs.

[ he smiles wryly back at her ] Some might say the Noldo urge to name everything, sometimes multiple times, is an annoyance, although I myself have been guilty of that sin for I do enjoy finding good new names for things.

[ A sigh ] Aye. Wise enough a decision, I deem. We were so safe behind the walls of the Pelori I suppose it was easier for our families to decide to have many children, although to be fair, I doubt any threat could have stopped my parents. Folk talk ever of the stubbornness of Feanor, and forget that he would never have taken to wife any who could not match him in that area! Mother and Father... they would have had us irregardless, I think. It was simply who they were. I honor your parents for their courage, and grieve that they never had a chance to see you grow.

As beautiful as the names are, is it not hard for even you to recall them all? Perhaps if I understood the language more, I might have less difficulty following. It is a great shame that Quenya was banned long before my time. [She frowns a little.] It was also said that the Silvan Elves had their own dialect, but it too was lost as it was only ever spoken.

[The compliment to her parents earns him a small smile, though her heart is still heavy with reflection about their loss.]

I thank you for your kind words. There are many who were less generous. Never to me of course, but few had the heart to raise me. Perhaps that is why I became a ward of King Thranduil.

[Her smile grows a little more.]

There are few greater things I think than finding someone who is your equal. Whatever else could be said of either of them, there is no denying that they are well matched.

It was what it was [ a shrug and a flash of some old undefinable emotion in grey eyes, there and gone again ] - we learnt to manage without, in the end. I grieve that so many things were lost. I did not learn much of the original Silvan tongue, I fear, only a word or two here and there - the Avari I knew spoke mostly Sindarin - but Quenya, if you want to learn I can teach. [ cheering up a little to speak of language ]

Ah, but tis the beauty of a word that you remember, after all! And I would be a poor bard indeed to not know the names of the places and people of whom I tell. The king raised you well, I think - you need have no shame in your parentage, either fostered or otherwise. [ More than Elrond and Elros could say murmurs Maedhros But they love you still, Elrond said point out the Ambarussa Love is not shame says Curufin sadly ]

That they were. [ a wistful smile ] Too well, perhaps - their love is rightly famous, but their fights were also.

Edited 2014-09-08 14:00 (UTC)

[Tauriel tilts her head a little, unsure if she caught that flicker of emotion or not. She does not know him well enough to gauge his emotions and will not risk trying to assume she knew what he was thinking.]

I would like that very much. The lady Galadriel taught me a little while I was at the station. Basics of letters and such. [That was when she could sit still.] I fear I am a poor student. I do not take well to sitting still for long.

[She flashes him another grin.]

I think perhaps if we had a bard like you while I was growing up, I might know my histories better. I was always more interested in other things.

[She remembers well running off to climb trees or to hide from her lessons. And also the wrath of the king for missing them.]

I imagine you tried to be elsewhere when they fought. Arguments can be terrible things.

[ He smiles a little stronger to that ]

Then I would be honored to teach you. You would not be the first reluctant student I have had. Several of my younger brothers were not particularly keen on studying either, after all.

[ a pleased shrug ] It is true that my skill with song was put to good use for education as well as for entertainment, both in Aman as well as in Middle-earth.

[ A sigh and he nods ] Aye, you could hear them from across the house, when they truly got going - mother may be more temperate, but she has a temper just as bad as his, in her own way. In the early years it was not so bad, and the making up was almost worse but... after Morgoth was released...things... began to get darker. They argued more, and more bitterly, and for longer. When father was banished to Formenos... mother did not come. Not at first, any way - she did visit, from time to time. And of course, you know that when we came to Middle-earth she did not come.

It is not that I am not keen on it, more that I have a hard time sitting still for long without something to do. Plus, history has never been my passion.

[No, she was definitely more for the active side of things, pushing her physical boundaries and exploring the full strengths and limitations of her abilities.

Currently she was sitting still because she was working on resupplying herself with arrows after that giant lawkamercyme had ripped through the Station after her.]

King Thranduil has a temper sometimes. He rarely raises his voice since the halls of the Woodland realm carry it so. Before that I I was very young when my parents passed, so I cannot say if they ever fought. It certainly was not in front of me.

The sundering of your parents must have come as a blow to you. How has it been since you saw her last in Arda?

[She knows he has seen her here, or at least talked to her by now, after all how can he not? He was not surprised when she spoke of Nerdanel.]

[ he smiles again at that and shakes his head slightly ] Ah, but they say that those who forget history's mistakes must be doomed to repeat them, so tis wise to at least learn what it is she seeks to say! But at the least I can try and make the tales ones not easily forgotten.

[ Sobering he sighs softly ]

Aye. It was very difficult but... we always thought, that this was merely one of their fights, and they would resolve it, as they always had. The last I saw of her was when we left her behind, there on the steps of our home in Tirion, she standing proud and defiant, unwilling to cry, as we followed our father into darkness... I looked back, and thought she had never seemed so lonely nor so proud. I did not dream to ever meet her again, and I am taken now at the end of what my cousin tells me they call the First Age of the world...

Even knowing history there are those who are prone to repeat past mistakes.

[ Whoops! ]

Sorry for bringing forth such a painful memory. My curiosity got the better of me.

[ She grimaced a little, now feeling awkward and uncertain about how to speak to him. ]

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