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Aldarwen returns from her absence
Rose Garden Terridan is sitting down near the central tree, his eyes closed in meditation. His cloak billows out and around him, partially concealing his form. The timid light of the waning moon falls warmly in this cool night. A powerful sensation of peace covers the garden in this demi-darkness. Even if her steps are light, the maiden approaching into this so calm place cannot help the soft sound of her feet on the grass. As she sees the cloaked figure near the tree, she stops, a few yards away from him. Her rushed breath being now the only sound to disturb the night. Terridan's eyes slowly open as he hears the breathing, and though he is turned away, he smiles slightly, "Mae govannen..." the words carry easily on the wind, and he faces forward still, not moving to turn. Hearing the Warden's words, the maiden sighs softly, and her breath seems to calm down. She steps forward, stopping just a yard away from the tree. She then answers in her clear musical voice, "Mae Govannen" Terridan turns now, and faces Aldarwen slowly, his eyes focusing on her. His smile brightens, "Aldarwen... it is good to see you again... will you join me?" Aldarwen's eyes fall on those of the guard, a warm look upon those eyes of sea-color. Her lips are parted open and for a moment she doesn't answer his question, then ponders in a soft voice, almost as if she was asking herself, "Join you?" Terridan nods his head once, motioning to the ground near him, "Yes..." he raises an eyebrow slightly, "Is everything alright mellon? You seem... troubled?" Aldarwen steps once again toward Terridan, the expression upon her face changing three times as she does so. She sits by him and stares into his eyes, her gaze shows a deep feeling of absence. She shakes her head eagerly and sighs, lowering her eyes to the ground at her feet. Terridan leans down, and speaks quietly, "How have you been mellon? I have not seen you for many a moon..." Raising her green eyes once again, the maiden keeps sighing deeply. She nods twice and then starts speaking, in such a soft whisper that it might be confused with the sound of the wind in the branches of the near-by trees, "I was lost... After I met him... I didn't know where I was... The trees seemed different... Everything is so different now" Terridan places a gentle hand on Aldarwen's shoulder, "But you are found now... and I will help however I can." Aldarwen nods again at Terridan's gentle words. "Thank you, " she mutters "thank you, mellon". The night is cool, and the air is shaking slightly, dancing as the soft breeze blows. The maiden, that isn't wearing any cloak but just her silky dress, shivers slightly each time this playful breeze catches her hair and shakes it. Terridan lifts his cloak's edge slightly, and drapes the excess over Aldarwen's shoulders, covering her in it's folds. "Better?" The maiden nods slowly, and the hint of a smile starts to appear upon her lips. "Thank you" she says again. She stays still, as if paralysed for a brief moment, her eyes showing emptiness, as if she had gone away to a distant country. Then, suddenly, she leans on Terridan's shoulder and starts crying. A sea of tears coming from her eyes and wetting the guards clothes. She cries in silence, sighing briefly and softly now and then, but monstly in a deep and sad silence. Terridan wraps his arms about Aldarwen, holding her close against his chest; the maiden all but lost in the folds of his cloak as only her head shows now, "Shh... it's alright now mellon... it is alright... I'm here..." he keeps her close against him, letting her cry. Comforted by the guards words, the maiden stops crying slowly, but still lets her body inside the cloaked embrace. She breathes in and out deeply many times before calming down completely. When she has finally returned to her usual self, she whispers into her friend's ear, "Thank you" for a third time. And lets her head rest on his shoulder for a little while more. Terridan makes no move to remove her either, "It is the least I can do..." he holds her close, "Whatever happened... you are safe now... and nothing will harm you within these walls... I swear it." Slowly returning to her straight position, Aldarwen stairs into her companion's eyes for a moment and then says, "I'm feeling much better now. Thanks... Terridan... I really needed that" Terridan nods his head once, "You are welcome mellon... I'm glad I could help in some way," he still hugs her, looking at her eyes. Slowly, as the moon sails over the night-sky, the usual smile starts to appear on Aldarwen's face. Her eyes show her silvan heart once again, and all her body seems to relax. Slowly moving her left hand, she takes Terridan's with hers and -looking straight into his eyes- she asks with a casual tone, "And how have you been these months, mellon?" Terridan smiles, "I have been alright... but I have missed you..." he takes her hand, still looking into her eyes, and he leans back against the tree. Aldarwen nods, the smile still lingering on her face, even if her voice is touched once again by some cold sadness, "So have I, dear Terridan. Even if everything felt so different, you were still in my thougths..." She makes a pause and her eyes divert to the sky full of stars, she goes on speaking, the words now coming fluently to her thin lips, "I've wandered for long months, but only the sweetness of your words, and the warmth or your arms had the strength to break the spell". Meeting the eyes of the guard again, all the expression upon the maiden's face seems to say the repeated 'Thank you', but in silence. Terridan smiles, looking deep into Aldarwen's eyes, "I'm glad mellon... I would not wish to lose you..." he smiles softly, "And I'm glad I was able to help you find your way..." the guards eyes express many things, most especially relief at seeing her. Aldarwen nods eagerly, and her smile broadens. Still holding the Warden's hand, she presses it slightly and says in a merry tone, "I've been away from people and news for too long a time, are there any news to tell? Has anything happened? I'm eager for any piece of news you may give me..." Terridan smiles softly, "There is nothing overly new... the guards have remained the same, though our ranks have gained a bit. The healers have been doing alright, but were lacking without you... other than that, it has been fairly uneventful." Opening her eyes in a surprised expression, the maiden asks as if she couldn't believe it, "Nobody got married? Nobody passed away? Everything's been calm?" She makes a brief pause, but not long enought to let Terridan answer her questions and then shrugs, "Well, better that way, I would have regretted a lot to have lost anything" Terridan smiles, "Worry not, you missed nothing..." he chuckles a bit, "Are you feeling better mellon?" Aldarwen nods with real sincerity in her expression then giggles slightly, "Indeed. Your company makes me feel much better, mellon". She squeezes his hand and then lets it go. Terridan smiles, squeezing her hand as well, then chuckles as he looks down at her, "I trust you're not cold anymore?" he grins, as she's still wrapped up in the cloak. Aldarwen shakes her head and giggles with more strength, this time. "I'm alright now", she says as she moves gracefully to let the cloak uncover her dress. As she does this movement, her eyes catch sight of the soft golden light appearing like a thin lining toward the east. She breaths in deeply, letting the air slowly inside her, and then says, "Dawns will always be the same... Beautiful" Terridan smiles softly, then follows her eyes, watching the light of the sun begin to brighten, "Aye... that it will be, mellon... that it will be..." he smiles, then tickles her a bit, "You always did like going without rest." Aldarwen giggles softly and says, "That's true, but that's because I can find my rest when I stare at the sun, or at the stars" She makes a pause, her gaze still frozen in the growing light that appears in the horizon, then says, "But, mellon, do you mean I interrupted YOUR OWN rest? If that's the case, please let me apologise, I didn't mean it" Terridan laughs softly, then shakes his head once, "No... of course not, I was merely thinking on things... nothing more..." he smiles, "Remember, I rest as much as you do." Aldarwen nods silently and gazes again toward the coming dawn. A long moment of silence goes on while both the elves stare at the growing light. Terridan smiles again, and seemingly without realising it, takes Aldarwen's hand again, and turns to face her, "Mellon, would you care to walk with me a while?" The sun rises over the trees, flashing on the golden leaves of the Mellyrn. After waiting for the sun to finally appear, the great circle of light filling the forest with its golden cloak, Aldarwen turns to the guard and starts to stand up gracefully. She answers in a merry and musical tone, "I'd love to go for a walk in such great company, mellon" Terridan smiles softly, then shakes his head, "It is I who have the privilege..." he holds her hand as he stands up, and helps her to her feet. After a moment to make sure she's steady, he begins to walk slowly along the path. Aldarwen walks by Terridan's side, staring at the trees they pass, and the flowers the bloom near their path as if it was the first time she saw them. The smile upon her face keeps growing, and now and then she giggles softly for no apparent reason. Terridan looks over towards Aldarwen, and raises an eyebrow curiously, "Why is it that you laugh, mellon? Though it is good to hear though..." Aldarwen shakes her head slightly and shrugs. Spying over at Terridan, she giggles again and then bites her lip, "I don't know, mellon, I just feel like laughing..." After some more steps she adds, "I feel as if the tremendous weight I was carrying had suddenly turn into a bird-feather, and it's making me laugh" Terridan smiles widely, then nods his head, the joy easily apparent on his eyes, "This is wonderful to hear, mellon... wonderful indeed..." he grins, "I see that the spring has returned to your step." Aldarwen nods and keeps laughing at each flower she encounters. Suddenly, she comes to a stop and her gaze is diverted to the upper branches of one of the mellyrn, she waits for a moment and then the beautiful song of a young bird comes down, filling the place with joy. The Bard starts singing in imitation of the bird, and soon they conform a duet of morning song. Looking at Terridan with shinning eyes, the maiden says, "I feel like dancing, what do you say?" Terridan smiles softly, then bows slightly, "It would be an honor..." he holds his hand out to her, and smiles widely, "May I have this dance?" Aldarwen giggles softly at Terridan's formal offer and then bows her head low and says, "My pleasure". She takes the hand offer to her and then goes on singing as she had done before, in sweet melody that follows their steps. Terridan smiles softly, and joins in with Aldarwen's song, adding his voice to hers as he leads her in a light footed dance; the two elves seemingly floating across the forest floor. Aldarwen's smooth dress shimmers with many different shades of green as the couple moves from patches where the light of the sun comes directly to them and other places where the shadows of the trees cover them. As Terridan guides her around the place, she moves lightly as a bird flying around a nest, and goes on singing beautifully, up and down, in a melody that fills the heart with joy. Terridan sings as well, complementing her voice with his own music. His feet seem to spin in a blur as he leads the maiden, and his voice can be heard holding laughter, laughter of a friend who has had a weight lifted as well. As the melody grows in volume and in merriment, the two dancers begin to dance with more quickness, dancing around the trees and thr flowerbeds. Suddenly, in a spin that was too quick for any of the two to realize, the maiden's right foot is caught with the root of a young tree. Still holding her partner's hands, but with her foot stopped, her whole body shakes and then falls to the ground, taking Terridan to the grass, too. Terridan blinks as he begins to fall, but the Warden is quick, and Aldarwen somehow finds herself landing atop of him as he spins her through her fall. After a moment, he looks up, and smiles, "Well... that was interesting..." Aldarwen starts laughing loudly lingering for a short moment on the position she has landed. Then, still laughing like crasy, she moves her body slowly to sit down by Terridan's side. When she manages to stop the laughing, she raises both her eyebrows and says, "I would call it acrobatic", she giggles for a moment and then starts laughing again. Terridan smiles widely, then sits up, leaning against the tree that placed them in this predicament. "That is another word for it..." he stretches out his arms, and looks back over to her, "It is truly a blessing to have you back mellon." The smile upon the maiden's face grows in such a way that her lips become an extremely thin line. She looks down toward the root of the tree, trying unsuccessfully to hide the powerful blush that has flooded her cheeks. She bites her lips and murmurs sweetly, "Thank you, mellon" Terridan smiles softly, then shakes his head, and leans forward to hug Aldarwen tightly, kissing her cheek gently, "You do not have to be embarrassed mellon." Aldarwen raises her eyes and stares into the deep blue light that comes from the guard. In her eyes there's a suddent light, as if one of the stars that has disappeared from the sky had come to rest upon this green bed. She stares at Terridan in silence, a half smile upon her face, her hands trembling slightly, her breath stopped for a moment. After an instant in which everything seems to have come to a total stop, she lowers her head and stares away from the guard. Terridan blinks for a moment, then sighs, leaning back against the tree, as he rests one hand on Aldarwen's hands, "Mellon... what is it?" The maiden shakes her head eagerly and whispers, "Nothing, I'm alright". But she keeps staring away, into the distance. She sighs softly and then closes her eyes in silence. Terridan nods slowly, then sighs, "then... why do you not look at me?" The maiden bites her lip once and murmurs, "I'm sorry". In a slow and trembling movement, she forces her body to face Terridan again. Her eyes have lost all the light they had a minute ago and her lips are closed in a straight line. She stays motionless, her gaze directed toward her companion in hurting silence. Terridan swallows hard, then looks deep into Aldarwen's eyes again, "What is it... to cause such sadness..." he gazes deeply again, and in his own eyes a light shines, looking to find the light that shone so recently in Aldarwen's. Aldarwen shakes her head with eagerness, lowering her eyes for a moment, then forcing them back to the light that touches them softly. She bites her lips many times and finally says with a long sigh, "I'm sorry, nothing happens, it's just me... I'm still feeling very strange". Terridan nods slowly, then smiles once, "You have been away... much has changed for you... and you need to rest, mellon..." Aldarwen nods and forces a smile, her voice trembles a bit as she says in an agreeing tone, "Indeed, mellon, I think that I will need some time of peace and rest before I can say I'm fully recovered." Terridan nods slowly, then smiles softly, and removes his cloak, "Here... keep this..." he wraps the cloak about her shoulders, and smiles, "Would you like me to stay mellon?" Aldarwen smiles broad as she's offered the cloak and her face shines softly again. When she's asked she answers with sudden eagerness, "Yes!" But then after a moment she adds in a tone much more touched by sadness, "Well, I can't retain you from your duties, mellon... I'll be here for some time, maybe you could come to visit me when you are free?" Terridan smiles softly, then sits down next to her, "My duties do not call me for a while yet... I will stay with you... and watch over you while you rest for as long as I can..." Aldarwen nods to Terridan words, leans on the tree and almost immediately falls asleep, her face showing great peace. Terridan smiles softly, then remains where he is, keeping a silent vigil over Aldarwen as she rests.
Aldarwen
Terridan |
