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Nole had gone into the palace and let Olwe know that the ship is ready to depart. He then helped Olwe through the palace towards the harbour. The town is silent, like always, but Nole seems hardly to notice as it had been a long time since the houses were filled with song and light. He finally reaches the docks by the waiting swanship. In his absence, Elenwe had made several trips to the ship with things Olwe would need for the voyage. She was on the dock getting things sorted when Nole and Olwe approached. Apakenwe follows Elenwe, carrying one last stack of dry blankets for the king, if he truly must travel in his condition.
Olwe leans upon the sturdy arm of his faithful friend, the stalwart Nole, and shivers in the cool breeze of morning. They would be able to catch the morning tide, still, his senses told him, for the knowledg of the sea was still sharp in the Mariner King. He keeps his voice strong as he bends his head and speaks quietly. "We sail again, eh, old friend?"
Elenwe stepped away from the bundles waiting to be stowed aboard. Approaching Nole and King Olwe, she curtsies low. "My lord, I hope you are feeling a little stronger today?"
Apakenwe shivers in the breeze. Her cloak was damaged weeks ago, ripped up to make bandages for the king.
Nole smiles as he sees his friends on the dock. "Yes, we are ready to sail. I have all my charts on board and we have enough goods for a long voyage, but I must ask. Where are we sailing off to this time?"
Apakenwe pauses, straining to hear the conversation, over the cries of the sea birds that always crowd the docks. Olwe bestows a gentle smile upon the swordmaiden. "I am ...."he paused and then finished. "I am as you see me. "He looks over at Apakenwe and pulled up in his tracks. Slowly he unfastened his cloak and then walked forward to settle it about her shoulders. "You are cold, " he said simply. "I think for sake of me." Turning at the sound of Nole's question, he answers, "To Sylvahara."
Apakenwe gasps. "Oh, no, lord. You will need your cloak! I will go back to the palace when we are done. You will be a sea for days!"
Elenwe watches the exchange between Apakenwe and her king. It is just like him to be concerned for others, even while he is in such a fragile state. Olwe turned his head back and fixed a shy smile upon her, one so well known upon his face, "Lady, it is not meet that you should shiver here, while I huddle warm in my cloth."
Nole was turning his attention toward the ship. "Ah Sylvahara, yes. We have been there before. I still remember the voyage well. We shall be ready to leave once you have boarded, my king."
Olwe backed away from Apakenwe, a hand raised to forestall further protests. He turned to Nole and eyed the waters of Alqualonde's dock and finally the swanship. "Aye, Nole, we needs go, to catch the tide, I think."
Apakenwe tries a different tack. Picking up one of the blankets she had just set down, she wraps that over her shoulders and hands the king is cloak back. "There, now, lord. We can both be warm."
Elenwe steps across the dock to gather the last things to stow aboard. Olwe's words that he could have given in protest dies upon his lips. Beyond the group of Teleri on the docks a figure, bright as the daystar appeared...He froze, staring at it in disbelief. Nole turns at the flash of light. He instinctly stands between the newcomer and his king. "Who... what are you?"
Apakenwe turns to see what has attracted the king's attention. She stares and mouths something inaudible.
"No," whispereds Olwe, white faced. "No, it cannot be...not when they have forsaken me. It cannot be..." he murmurs.
Elenwe looked up as Olwe froze in place. Following his gaze, she sees something or someone. Instinctively, she advances, drawing her sword. Moving between her King and the stranger, she raises her sword. "What is your business here?" she demands.
"Elenwe, that will do no good," Apakenwe says with a smile.
Olwe slowly starts to sink to his knees, an awed look mingled with disbelief on his face, when the Voice screams out in his head, and he collapses into the knelt position with both hands covering his ears. With a gasp, Elenwe realizes that what she thought was an elf appears to be only partially visible.
The newcomer drifts on the docks, appearing to stare at Olwe. "Olwe, Eldar King of the Teleri, I have come before you in urgency. Fear not the light."
Elenwe lowers her sword, turning to see Olwe sink to his knees. Olwe bites back the pain as slashes appear on his sleeves. His voice is hollow, weak, but he makes answer despite the screaming in his head. "I hear thee, Blessed Ainu. I heed the will of the Valar. Speak, I pray."
Apakenwe continues to watch the figure closely, with a half smile and a look of curiosity. Nole notices Olwe kneeling on the dock, stands by his side while watching the newcomer. Elenwe sees the now familiar red slashes appearing on Olwe's arms. She snatches a blanket and kneels, trying to stop the bleeding. "We are in the presence of an Ainu," whispers Olwe, looking at the Teleri still standing and motions for them to kneel.
Nole kneels before the entity as Olwe commands. Olwe gives a tight lipped smile at Elenwe for her thoughtfulness. Apakenwe looks slighly confused, and then kneels with the others.
The Ainu bathes all before it in light radience. "You should have no fear of me. I come with an urgent message to Olwe, Eldar King. Your beloved, Tilion, bids you to remain here in Alqualonde. He will be joining you soon."
Inside his head, the Voice screams, claws rake and slash, and Olwe bites his bottom lip to stifle the moan that threatens to fall from his lips. The very mention of the name of his Beloved is met with the sounds of tearing fabric, wounds appearing upon his arms and chest and blood bathing the pristine docks of Alqualonde. He hears the Ainu dimly, his blood pounding in his ears. Elenwe watched in dismay as the blood flow quickly becomes more than the small thin blanket can stanch. She pulls off her cloak to wipe Olwe's bloody arms.
"I am Olwe," The Teleri Lord whispers, tears springing to his eyes. "Tell the Lord Tilion..." He tried to think, to answer, but a darkness swam up, pushing at his consciousness..."tell...him...I...I..."
Seeing Elenwe's move to help the king, Apakenwe quietly stands, moves behind the group, and fetches another clean blanket for the king.
The shining Ainu is unmoved by the Teleri Lord's appearance, but speaks in a slightly kinder tone. "Fear not the darkness, Firstborn. You must hold within you light and hope. Embrace the light and the living around you and those you hold dearest to you."
Olwe strains against the darkness, the Voice, and the pain. "Tell Tilion, I await him...in Alqualonde..but my heart....is...with...him..." Then he gave himself up to the darkness and falls unconscious.
"My lord!" shrieks Elenwe as Olwe collapses on the dock. The Ainu appears to nod, and then as quickly as it appeared, vanishes from view. "Nole, help me. We must help Olwe back to his chambers."
Nole rises to assist his king. "Yes, let us get him back to his chambers, quickly."
> Next
Olwe leans upon the sturdy arm of his faithful friend, the stalwart Nole, and shivers in the cool breeze of morning. They would be able to catch the morning tide, still, his senses told him, for the knowledg of the sea was still sharp in the Mariner King. He keeps his voice strong as he bends his head and speaks quietly. "We sail again, eh, old friend?"
Elenwe stepped away from the bundles waiting to be stowed aboard. Approaching Nole and King Olwe, she curtsies low. "My lord, I hope you are feeling a little stronger today?"
Apakenwe shivers in the breeze. Her cloak was damaged weeks ago, ripped up to make bandages for the king.
Nole smiles as he sees his friends on the dock. "Yes, we are ready to sail. I have all my charts on board and we have enough goods for a long voyage, but I must ask. Where are we sailing off to this time?"
Apakenwe pauses, straining to hear the conversation, over the cries of the sea birds that always crowd the docks. Olwe bestows a gentle smile upon the swordmaiden. "I am ...."he paused and then finished. "I am as you see me. "He looks over at Apakenwe and pulled up in his tracks. Slowly he unfastened his cloak and then walked forward to settle it about her shoulders. "You are cold, " he said simply. "I think for sake of me." Turning at the sound of Nole's question, he answers, "To Sylvahara."
Apakenwe gasps. "Oh, no, lord. You will need your cloak! I will go back to the palace when we are done. You will be a sea for days!"
Elenwe watches the exchange between Apakenwe and her king. It is just like him to be concerned for others, even while he is in such a fragile state. Olwe turned his head back and fixed a shy smile upon her, one so well known upon his face, "Lady, it is not meet that you should shiver here, while I huddle warm in my cloth."
Nole was turning his attention toward the ship. "Ah Sylvahara, yes. We have been there before. I still remember the voyage well. We shall be ready to leave once you have boarded, my king."
Olwe backed away from Apakenwe, a hand raised to forestall further protests. He turned to Nole and eyed the waters of Alqualonde's dock and finally the swanship. "Aye, Nole, we needs go, to catch the tide, I think."
Apakenwe tries a different tack. Picking up one of the blankets she had just set down, she wraps that over her shoulders and hands the king is cloak back. "There, now, lord. We can both be warm."
Elenwe steps across the dock to gather the last things to stow aboard. Olwe's words that he could have given in protest dies upon his lips. Beyond the group of Teleri on the docks a figure, bright as the daystar appeared...He froze, staring at it in disbelief. Nole turns at the flash of light. He instinctly stands between the newcomer and his king. "Who... what are you?"
Apakenwe turns to see what has attracted the king's attention. She stares and mouths something inaudible.
"No," whispereds Olwe, white faced. "No, it cannot be...not when they have forsaken me. It cannot be..." he murmurs.
Elenwe looked up as Olwe froze in place. Following his gaze, she sees something or someone. Instinctively, she advances, drawing her sword. Moving between her King and the stranger, she raises her sword. "What is your business here?" she demands.
"Elenwe, that will do no good," Apakenwe says with a smile.
Olwe slowly starts to sink to his knees, an awed look mingled with disbelief on his face, when the Voice screams out in his head, and he collapses into the knelt position with both hands covering his ears. With a gasp, Elenwe realizes that what she thought was an elf appears to be only partially visible.
The newcomer drifts on the docks, appearing to stare at Olwe. "Olwe, Eldar King of the Teleri, I have come before you in urgency. Fear not the light."
Elenwe lowers her sword, turning to see Olwe sink to his knees. Olwe bites back the pain as slashes appear on his sleeves. His voice is hollow, weak, but he makes answer despite the screaming in his head. "I hear thee, Blessed Ainu. I heed the will of the Valar. Speak, I pray."
Apakenwe continues to watch the figure closely, with a half smile and a look of curiosity. Nole notices Olwe kneeling on the dock, stands by his side while watching the newcomer. Elenwe sees the now familiar red slashes appearing on Olwe's arms. She snatches a blanket and kneels, trying to stop the bleeding. "We are in the presence of an Ainu," whispers Olwe, looking at the Teleri still standing and motions for them to kneel.
Nole kneels before the entity as Olwe commands. Olwe gives a tight lipped smile at Elenwe for her thoughtfulness. Apakenwe looks slighly confused, and then kneels with the others.
The Ainu bathes all before it in light radience. "You should have no fear of me. I come with an urgent message to Olwe, Eldar King. Your beloved, Tilion, bids you to remain here in Alqualonde. He will be joining you soon."
Inside his head, the Voice screams, claws rake and slash, and Olwe bites his bottom lip to stifle the moan that threatens to fall from his lips. The very mention of the name of his Beloved is met with the sounds of tearing fabric, wounds appearing upon his arms and chest and blood bathing the pristine docks of Alqualonde. He hears the Ainu dimly, his blood pounding in his ears. Elenwe watched in dismay as the blood flow quickly becomes more than the small thin blanket can stanch. She pulls off her cloak to wipe Olwe's bloody arms.
"I am Olwe," The Teleri Lord whispers, tears springing to his eyes. "Tell the Lord Tilion..." He tried to think, to answer, but a darkness swam up, pushing at his consciousness..."tell...him...I...I..."
Seeing Elenwe's move to help the king, Apakenwe quietly stands, moves behind the group, and fetches another clean blanket for the king.
The shining Ainu is unmoved by the Teleri Lord's appearance, but speaks in a slightly kinder tone. "Fear not the darkness, Firstborn. You must hold within you light and hope. Embrace the light and the living around you and those you hold dearest to you."
Olwe strains against the darkness, the Voice, and the pain. "Tell Tilion, I await him...in Alqualonde..but my heart....is...with...him..." Then he gave himself up to the darkness and falls unconscious.
"My lord!" shrieks Elenwe as Olwe collapses on the dock. The Ainu appears to nod, and then as quickly as it appeared, vanishes from view. "Nole, help me. We must help Olwe back to his chambers."
Nole rises to assist his king. "Yes, let us get him back to his chambers, quickly."
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