Cinnamon Raymaker and Lihan Taifun
Elwing, now more familiar with finding her way around her uncle's palace, makes her way to the cheery kitchen and finds freshly made lembas on a large serving platter in the middle of the kitchen table. She takes a piece from the platter, along with a juicy red apple, and sits by the fire, nibbling at the bread and staring into the bright yellow dancing flames as she does so. She bites into the rosy apple, delighting in the fresh bust of juice as it sprays into her mouth. Thinking over the events of her morning she begins to experience doubts about her ability to carry the message for Aztryd and her baby but shakes those away, reminding herself that she is among friends. After all, her uncle's illness has been cured, and she has had no further sense of the darkness whilst on this peaceful isle to which she has been drawn.
After speaking to the Lady Elwing about delivering her letter, Aztryd goes back to check on baby Nizl. The people here are kind, but they are still strangers, and it doesn't feel quite right to leave the baby with them. Nizl is awake, now, and fussy. At this age, she is craving more solid foods, so Aztryd takes her back down to the kitchens. Perhaps there will be more milk and bread for the child
Entering the kitchen, Nizl balanced on her hip, she sees that someone else is here. But of course, didn't Lady Elwing just say she was going to eat before she left? "Greetings again," she says cheerfuly.
Elwing looks up and smiles as she sees the dwarf Aztryd carrying a small white bundle from which small fussing sounds emanate. "Greetings Aztryd! What do we have here?" she asks, looking with interest at the tiny child.
"This is the little treasure herself." She lifts up the child proudly. "Nizl, this is Lady Elwing. She is going to take a letter to great-grammy for us. Say hello to Lady Elwing." Nizl stares nearsightedly at the elf, and turns her head, burying her face in Aztryd's shoulder shyly.
Elwing chuckles at the antics of the tiny, shy child who is the reason for Aztryd's even being here at all. Elwing can understand how precious this child is to her mother, and to her race and steels her heart for the journey she must make. "Aye, little Nizl, greetings to you!" she whispers as she moves closer to see the child better. "I am sure your great-gammy will be overjoyed to hear you and your mother are safe with friends."
Nizl looks up, and grabs toward Elwing's hair. Elwing smiles as the child reaches for her hair and raises her hand so she can grab her finger instead. "There you are little one, try grabbing that instead," she whispers.
Nizl grabs the finger tightly, and holds it in front of her face, examining it closely. "Hey there, little magpie," says Aztryd fondly. "Be careful with that finger."
Elwing chuckles softly, "Ah little Nizl, I shall have to let your great-gammy know how strong you are growing up to be," she adds. "I am sure she will be well-pleased with her great grand daughter!"
"It is so generous of you to deliver this message yourself," replies Aztryd. Nizl drags the finger to her mouth, and tastes it experimentally.
Elwing deftly releases her finger from the child's grasp, "Knowing this little one was in peril is enough of a driving force for me, Aztryd. I have faced many perils through my life, but hers has just now begun. She has already lost her home and is in a land of strangers at such a young age. This is not how things should be for her. I will help you make things right: that is how it should be."
Nizl wimpers as her tasty new "toy" is removed from her grasp. Elwing strokes the little one's head and smiles at her and her mother as she takes her leave of them.
"I really should get started on my journey, Aztryd. I will bid you both farewell and hope to be back as soon as I can with good news from your gandmother."
"The Maker guide your journey." She bows gratefully to Elwing.
Elwing nods her head respectfully towards the pair. "May Iluvatar look over us all," she replies. Elwing walks over towards the balcony, looking around at the familiar palace. "Oh, would you alert my uncle that I have taken this mission, Aztryd? He might worry if he finds me missing without an explanation."
"Of course. He might worry indeed." She smiles as she thinks of her recent own departure from home. "We can't have people just vanishing, can we?"
Elwing chuckles. "Indeed we cannot," she replies. "Farewell!" Elwing continues on her way to the balcony and looks out to the eastern shoreline.
Aztryd watches her departing back, and murmurs softly to Nizl, "Who would have thought an elf could be so like one of your aunties?"
Elwing takes a deep breath and jumps into the air, concentrating on her birdlike form. Shimmering. In a shower of stars, she takes the form of the great seabird and feels the air under her large wings as she flaps them gracefully to begin soaring across the skies on a journey to a land she has not seen for many, many years, to find someone she doesn't know.
Aztryd 's eyes grow wide, watching Elwing change into a bird and soar away. "By the Maker himself! None of your aunties ever did that!" She watches until the speck that is Elwing is lost in the distance. Turning back to practical matters, she hoists Nizl more comfortably on her hip. "Come, little magpie. Let's find you something more nourishing than your friend's fingers."
As Elwing gains height for the journey, she notices a speck of blue flying towards Alqualonde at high speed. It looms larger and larger as it approaches. "What is that, I wonder?" she asks herself. Just as she gains the peak of her desired altitude, she sees the features of something she has seen only once before in her life - it looks very much like a dragon. "Blessed, Iluvatar," she exclaims to herself, "If that is a dragon then everyone in Alqualonde could be in danger! "
> Next Elwing > Next Aztryd
After speaking to the Lady Elwing about delivering her letter, Aztryd goes back to check on baby Nizl. The people here are kind, but they are still strangers, and it doesn't feel quite right to leave the baby with them. Nizl is awake, now, and fussy. At this age, she is craving more solid foods, so Aztryd takes her back down to the kitchens. Perhaps there will be more milk and bread for the child
Entering the kitchen, Nizl balanced on her hip, she sees that someone else is here. But of course, didn't Lady Elwing just say she was going to eat before she left? "Greetings again," she says cheerfuly.
Elwing looks up and smiles as she sees the dwarf Aztryd carrying a small white bundle from which small fussing sounds emanate. "Greetings Aztryd! What do we have here?" she asks, looking with interest at the tiny child.
"This is the little treasure herself." She lifts up the child proudly. "Nizl, this is Lady Elwing. She is going to take a letter to great-grammy for us. Say hello to Lady Elwing." Nizl stares nearsightedly at the elf, and turns her head, burying her face in Aztryd's shoulder shyly.Elwing chuckles at the antics of the tiny, shy child who is the reason for Aztryd's even being here at all. Elwing can understand how precious this child is to her mother, and to her race and steels her heart for the journey she must make. "Aye, little Nizl, greetings to you!" she whispers as she moves closer to see the child better. "I am sure your great-gammy will be overjoyed to hear you and your mother are safe with friends."
Nizl looks up, and grabs toward Elwing's hair. Elwing smiles as the child reaches for her hair and raises her hand so she can grab her finger instead. "There you are little one, try grabbing that instead," she whispers.
Nizl grabs the finger tightly, and holds it in front of her face, examining it closely. "Hey there, little magpie," says Aztryd fondly. "Be careful with that finger."
Elwing chuckles softly, "Ah little Nizl, I shall have to let your great-gammy know how strong you are growing up to be," she adds. "I am sure she will be well-pleased with her great grand daughter!"
"It is so generous of you to deliver this message yourself," replies Aztryd. Nizl drags the finger to her mouth, and tastes it experimentally.
Elwing deftly releases her finger from the child's grasp, "Knowing this little one was in peril is enough of a driving force for me, Aztryd. I have faced many perils through my life, but hers has just now begun. She has already lost her home and is in a land of strangers at such a young age. This is not how things should be for her. I will help you make things right: that is how it should be."
Nizl wimpers as her tasty new "toy" is removed from her grasp. Elwing strokes the little one's head and smiles at her and her mother as she takes her leave of them.
"I really should get started on my journey, Aztryd. I will bid you both farewell and hope to be back as soon as I can with good news from your gandmother."
"The Maker guide your journey." She bows gratefully to Elwing.
Elwing nods her head respectfully towards the pair. "May Iluvatar look over us all," she replies. Elwing walks over towards the balcony, looking around at the familiar palace. "Oh, would you alert my uncle that I have taken this mission, Aztryd? He might worry if he finds me missing without an explanation."
"Of course. He might worry indeed." She smiles as she thinks of her recent own departure from home. "We can't have people just vanishing, can we?"
Elwing chuckles. "Indeed we cannot," she replies. "Farewell!" Elwing continues on her way to the balcony and looks out to the eastern shoreline.
Aztryd watches her departing back, and murmurs softly to Nizl, "Who would have thought an elf could be so like one of your aunties?"
Elwing takes a deep breath and jumps into the air, concentrating on her birdlike form. Shimmering. In a shower of stars, she takes the form of the great seabird and feels the air under her large wings as she flaps them gracefully to begin soaring across the skies on a journey to a land she has not seen for many, many years, to find someone she doesn't know.
Aztryd 's eyes grow wide, watching Elwing change into a bird and soar away. "By the Maker himself! None of your aunties ever did that!" She watches until the speck that is Elwing is lost in the distance. Turning back to practical matters, she hoists Nizl more comfortably on her hip. "Come, little magpie. Let's find you something more nourishing than your friend's fingers."
As Elwing gains height for the journey, she notices a speck of blue flying towards Alqualonde at high speed. It looms larger and larger as it approaches. "What is that, I wonder?" she asks herself. Just as she gains the peak of her desired altitude, she sees the features of something she has seen only once before in her life - it looks very much like a dragon. "Blessed, Iluvatar," she exclaims to herself, "If that is a dragon then everyone in Alqualonde could be in danger! "
> Next Elwing > Next Aztryd