[OCC: I really like to thank Karrade for his additions and edits for this part of the story.. Thank you...]
The morning breeze was thick, damp and chilly in the North Downs. It made her tingle inside, as the breeze coursed over the skin on her face and tussled at her hair. Reiven, still followed the ranger with silent yet swift steps deeper into the western parts of Nan Amlung. His name was Celephadh, a fairly non descript ranger he was tall and yet he had the body of a stalwart ranger of Esteldin. He wore their famous hooded cloak and moved without meaning or hesitation, yet with a distinct purpose. When the other rangers, traders and townsfolk of Esteldin said it was just an unnecessary and dangerous path to take, he was the only one who agreed to help her. He didn’t ask her reasons, nor did he even ask for her name, he simply nodded and laughed gently and said he had to go there anyway.
Their journey was short, yet it was long enough to notice that the weather was not going to get any better. The very air hung like a dank heaviness around them, as if unseen hands parted the atmosphere around them as they walked, then quickly swallowed their footsteps as to where they had come from. The light was dim and hazy, man clouds drifted overhead and even they looked to be carrying the weight of a great many sorrows. Time for Reiven seemed to simply stand still, she could almost see her performing the actions without the need for any real interaction with the ranger. She just simply followed.
Celephadh stopped and turned towards the elven maiden. In his wake a small bush lay in front of them, it was slightly curious how the grass round about the plant had been crazed on by the animals of the hills yet the bush itself remained untouched. Celephadh was the first to break the silence.
“Bruiseweed, my lady”
He gestured with his right hand as if displaying the plant to his companion, and took a knee before the little plant. Reiven looked upon the plant and the faint whisper of Karrade’s words as she recalled their previous conversation. Reiven picked all the leaves off that single bush to leave it standing lonely and bald. Its starkness left it out of contrast against the rest of the land and it looked like a shadow from what it did mere moments ago. Again, Celephadh broke the silence and Reiven’s train of thought.
“My lady you must know…. This is but a useless weed that not even the Aurochs’ eats them. They are sometimes used by our healers to cover bruises”. He smirked at the thought. ”Now they have much more important things to do, like saving lives than to cover bruises.”
Reiven understood the words but had her own ideas about their significance; she simply nodded slightly as she carefully placed the leaves into her carry pouch. Reiven attempted the faintest of smiles as she responded. Her voice meek and cracked.
“This is the plant I was looking for. Thank you”
Celephadh remained silent and inclined his head slightly. He strode off with neither a word nor action deeper in the long grass, soon he was out of sight allowing Reiven the privacy she longed for to return to Esteldin. She about turned and swiftly made her way back. She thoughts were as heavy as her footsteps, each of them packed like a powder keg ready to ignite at any moment. The faintest of whispers, just inside her ear is all she could hear from a voice so cold and cruel that almost screamed at her, and made her want to run away and hide from the world. If Reiven could have crawled into a hole and pulled the earth up over her she would have.
Once back at Esteldin, Reiven found no comfort within the protected walls of the ranger camp. After what felt like hours r since her return to Esteldin, Reiven hesitated to prepare the application and felt a deep and for brooding sense of fear. Questions ran through her mind, questions like, What if it burns? What if it isn’t a simple bruise? What if… Her thought trail broke off, she had so many questions with no answers, answers that she so desperately needed. She held her pestle and mortar and looked at the green leaves lying silent in the bowl waiting for her to crush. A short sharp voice caught her attention, and as she looked up she saw the familiar stance of Karrade. He looked casual, far more so that she expected. His hand still rested upon the hilt of his blade and he looked at her through ever cautious eyes.
“You need to pour a little water into the mixture while crushing”
Karrade’s voice sounded calm yet unusually nervous. He was just as anxious about the outcome as Reiven was. Reiven finding it difficult to distinguish between the images she sees in her mind from that which stands in front of her looks at Karrade for the longest of moments, she wonders if it is another memory, or another dream, yet she shakes her head and decides that it doesn’t matter. Karrade moves closer towards Reiven, his moves are calculated as if he was counting the number of steps between them both. He takes the bowl and pestle from between her hands, and adds a small amount of water that he had been carrying in his cantina from his pack. Reiven whispers, she strains to sound more assertive yet only proves to show how scared she is as her voice breaks and trembles.
“Karrade…”
Karrade just nods slightly and prepares the application. He then extends the bowl back to Reiven, the contents looking like a paste, there was no smell from the mixture. Reiven doesn’t attempt to talk any further and instead just takes a deep breath and inclines her head as a sort of makeshift bow of acknowledgement. Karrade spoke again, he voice unchanged.
“It may burn and cause you a serious amount of pain….. I shall better leave you alone”.
Reiven appreciated his insight and offered a small nod as a meaning of thanks. After a few moments of waiting, sitting and contemplating in front of the fire all alone she found the strength to apply the paste like mixture. Its grainy texture beguiled as it looked to have no lumps at all… Reiven held her breath for what felt like the longest moment and then it hit…. It burned like white hot fire, as if someone had poured the oil from a lantern over her wrist and arm and set it alight. Her wrist and arm shook from the pain and her breathing became labored as a single tear drop rolled down her cheek to fall namelessly on the cold ground below. The pain subsided down to a dull ache, but more than that was the pain of Reiven’s hopes being shatters like a glass dream thrown against the jagged rocks. She slumped to her knees and put her head in her hands… it was all she could do to stop herself from bursting into full fits of tears.
Karrade stepped out of the shadows from where he had been watching as she stood up. They just exchanged a look and didn’t waste a word about what happened. He looked at her with an infinite air of sadness and regret over what he had seen, yet he spoke plainly with more than a hint of firmness in his voice.
“What are you going to do?”
Reiven seems to think on that question for a moment before returning an answer.
“I shall ride back to Rivendell and seek wisdom. The Wisdom of my kin and of my friends and most importantly Lord Elrond”
Her voice faded as she muttered to herself
“Maybe Volina will be able to help me before… before it’s too late…”
Karrade seemed confused yet kept his silence. His keen eyes searched the elves’ face for any taint or any marks of her corruption but there was only sorrow in her darkened eyes. Reiven sighed softly.
“Karrade… May I ask for a favour?”
He paused for a slight moment and nodded his head. Reiven, her head swimming with emotion and pain managed a faint smile before speaking.
“I shall depart tomorrow with the first train to Bree and.. and I’ll stay in the Prancing pony for a night. Will you please pass my words to Oitur? Will you please let him know that I’m in need of his assistance to travel Rivendell from the fastest way…?”
Karrade nodded and simply added the words.
“As you Wish”.
