Post by simplyangel on Sept 5, 2008 15:08:22 GMT -8
"Tondvoron, my favored colleague," greeted Lord Celeborn, "Welcome to our beautiful city." Tondvoron and Bainol went on to greet the others who were present and Nibenalubain stood and stared at the strange people. The elves stared back, observing her dark skin, long black hair and electric blue eyes. This wasn't the first time she'd ever left her city in Nurn but it was the first time she'd ever ventured outside of Mordor. Slipping past the close watch of the eye AND all of the orcs proved very difficult for a group any large than three. Thus, they only sent people out of Mordor for important business. Her whole life was centered around that place.
There were books about the things that she was seeing, trees, flowers and bright elves, but she never imagined them looking the way they did. She scoffed to herself, "Here I was thinking that trees were tall, gray rocks." It was then that she noticed the silence, and realized that the group had walked off without her. "Oh no," she whimpered, "How will I be able to find them now. This is what I get for thought jumping all the time."
Wherever they were, it was not visible from where she stood, so she tried listening for them. The only sound that she could hear over the soft singing that seemed to flow down from the sky, was the sound of scraping metal. Interested, she followed the sound in hope of coming across someone who could give her directions. She wandered through multiple hallways for, what felt like, hours before the scraping sound was close enough for her to see that it was coming from a small, dimly lit room. Standing in the hallway, only feet from the entrance to the room, she could see that it was crowded with armor and weapons. She quietly stepped past a rack of swords that nearly blocked the entire entrance way. There were piles of helmets and swords and many racks of bows and quivers and there, in the center of the room, sat a figure bent over a sword, sharpening it.
"Excuse me," she peeped at them but they did not reply. The scraping of the sword on the whetstone made her ears hurt so badly that her eyes began to water. She figured they did not wish to be disturbed, and turned to leave letting her feet lightly brush the ground as she went. On her way to the door she heard a shuffle and the sound of scraping metal stopped and was replaced with the echoing sound of footsteps approaching her from behind. Nibenalubain got an immediate sense of fear and started to run, but before she could get to the door, cold hands grabbed her and she was pressed against a wall staring into wild gray eyes.
"Who is your master and how did you find this place," asked the man who sounded angry and disgusted all at once. She was shocked and frozen against the cold stone wall. He began to speak to her again in a different language, causing her to look at him in confusion. "Your eyes," he gasped, "What are you? who made you?" He sounded appalled and his grip became so tight that her arms went numb. Afraid of what he would do, Alu began to try and struggle free of him. "You will not escape by struggling and I will not let you go unless you answer my questions, orc."
"Do not hurt me," she pleaded in complete horror. Her voice seemed to surprise him for a moment, but he nodded and loosened his grip a bit. "My name is Nibenalubain, and I come from Nurn," she babbled on in fear, "I am here with my mother and father to meet with the lady and lord of this city. I was with them but I became distracted by my thoughts and they walked off without me." She went to blink and found herself too frightened to open her eyes and look at him again. Aside from her father, he had to have been the most intimidating person she had ever met. "I heard the sound of you sharpening that sword and followed the sound in hope of finding someone who could tell me where my parents went, but you are the first person I have come across," she finally got up the courage to open look at him and her pain stricken eyes stared back into his, "And I am no more an orc than you. I am a dark elf."
"Nurn is in Mordor," he stated, "That's impossible there are no dark elves in Mordor." He let her go and ventured back across the room. She slid to the ground and held her arms where bruises had begun to form. There was no sound of footsteps as he came back to stand in front of her, but she did not show her surprise at his sudden presence. "Are you hurt,..." He struggled to recall her name.
"No, I will be fine," she answered, "Don't bother trying to remember my whole name, it can be exhausting. My people call me Alu." She blinked up at him through the curtain of her black hair before smoothing it away from her face. "Our city is not very well known, and for a good reason. Many other dark elves would be angry at us for remaining in Mordor and we are not strong enough to fight off any of their attacks."He reached a hand down to help her stand and she hesitantly placed her hand in his. Her arms ached as he pulled her to her feet and she began to dread looking at her arms later on.
"My name is Haldir," he said, "I apologize for reacting so strongly but you should not be wandering around unauthorized. If you wish, I could help you you find your parents, I have a pretty good idea of where they could be." A slight look of apology passed over his otherwise blank face. Alu wasn't sure if she should let him lead her around without anyone there with them but, seeing that she had no choice, she nodded. He led the way through the mostly blocked doorway, back into the empty hallways and, brushing the dirt off of her dress, she followed at a short distance.
There were books about the things that she was seeing, trees, flowers and bright elves, but she never imagined them looking the way they did. She scoffed to herself, "Here I was thinking that trees were tall, gray rocks." It was then that she noticed the silence, and realized that the group had walked off without her. "Oh no," she whimpered, "How will I be able to find them now. This is what I get for thought jumping all the time."
Wherever they were, it was not visible from where she stood, so she tried listening for them. The only sound that she could hear over the soft singing that seemed to flow down from the sky, was the sound of scraping metal. Interested, she followed the sound in hope of coming across someone who could give her directions. She wandered through multiple hallways for, what felt like, hours before the scraping sound was close enough for her to see that it was coming from a small, dimly lit room. Standing in the hallway, only feet from the entrance to the room, she could see that it was crowded with armor and weapons. She quietly stepped past a rack of swords that nearly blocked the entire entrance way. There were piles of helmets and swords and many racks of bows and quivers and there, in the center of the room, sat a figure bent over a sword, sharpening it.
"Excuse me," she peeped at them but they did not reply. The scraping of the sword on the whetstone made her ears hurt so badly that her eyes began to water. She figured they did not wish to be disturbed, and turned to leave letting her feet lightly brush the ground as she went. On her way to the door she heard a shuffle and the sound of scraping metal stopped and was replaced with the echoing sound of footsteps approaching her from behind. Nibenalubain got an immediate sense of fear and started to run, but before she could get to the door, cold hands grabbed her and she was pressed against a wall staring into wild gray eyes.
"Who is your master and how did you find this place," asked the man who sounded angry and disgusted all at once. She was shocked and frozen against the cold stone wall. He began to speak to her again in a different language, causing her to look at him in confusion. "Your eyes," he gasped, "What are you? who made you?" He sounded appalled and his grip became so tight that her arms went numb. Afraid of what he would do, Alu began to try and struggle free of him. "You will not escape by struggling and I will not let you go unless you answer my questions, orc."
"Do not hurt me," she pleaded in complete horror. Her voice seemed to surprise him for a moment, but he nodded and loosened his grip a bit. "My name is Nibenalubain, and I come from Nurn," she babbled on in fear, "I am here with my mother and father to meet with the lady and lord of this city. I was with them but I became distracted by my thoughts and they walked off without me." She went to blink and found herself too frightened to open her eyes and look at him again. Aside from her father, he had to have been the most intimidating person she had ever met. "I heard the sound of you sharpening that sword and followed the sound in hope of finding someone who could tell me where my parents went, but you are the first person I have come across," she finally got up the courage to open look at him and her pain stricken eyes stared back into his, "And I am no more an orc than you. I am a dark elf."
"Nurn is in Mordor," he stated, "That's impossible there are no dark elves in Mordor." He let her go and ventured back across the room. She slid to the ground and held her arms where bruises had begun to form. There was no sound of footsteps as he came back to stand in front of her, but she did not show her surprise at his sudden presence. "Are you hurt,..." He struggled to recall her name.
"No, I will be fine," she answered, "Don't bother trying to remember my whole name, it can be exhausting. My people call me Alu." She blinked up at him through the curtain of her black hair before smoothing it away from her face. "Our city is not very well known, and for a good reason. Many other dark elves would be angry at us for remaining in Mordor and we are not strong enough to fight off any of their attacks."He reached a hand down to help her stand and she hesitantly placed her hand in his. Her arms ached as he pulled her to her feet and she began to dread looking at her arms later on.
"My name is Haldir," he said, "I apologize for reacting so strongly but you should not be wandering around unauthorized. If you wish, I could help you you find your parents, I have a pretty good idea of where they could be." A slight look of apology passed over his otherwise blank face. Alu wasn't sure if she should let him lead her around without anyone there with them but, seeing that she had no choice, she nodded. He led the way through the mostly blocked doorway, back into the empty hallways and, brushing the dirt off of her dress, she followed at a short distance.
