Rhûn Darkmoon
Aulë opens his pack and brings out the leather pouch that holds some of his tools. Untying the leather straps that bind it, he unrolls it upon the ground and lays it out before him, his eyes running over the individual pockets that hold each item in place. He selects a short-bladed knife with a sturdy handle. This should do nicely for his purpose.
He opens one of the side panels of his pack and transfers the contents to the main body of the pack before dexterously slicing the blade of the knife along the leather stitching that holds the panel in place. Once it is free he holds it up before him, gauging its size to see if it would suit his purpose. After a moment he nods in satisfaction and folds the sturdy piece of leather in two before he runs the blade along the fold and neatly slices it in two.
Rising he takes one piece in his hand and moves to the fire. Picking up a twig he uses it to draw a nodule of charcoal from among the coals. He lets it cool on the grass while he puts another piece of wood on the fire, building it up to burn brightly while he works on the protectors for Nienna's feet. The charcoal cool now he picks it up, along with the piece of leather, and moves over to where Nienna is sleeping. Careful not to disturb her, he lifts a bottom corner of the blanket to expose one bare, shapely foot. With infinite care he lays the leather beside it, marking it carefully with the charcoal for the distance between toe and heel as well as for width. When he is satisfied the markings are correct, he gently replaces the blanket and looks up at her sleeping face to make sure he had not disturbed her.
Again he is struck by the sweet innocence of her expression as she lies lost in her dreams. In all the world surely if there were one who was devoid of maliciousness or venom, it was this one. Watching her now he remembers again the utter purity of thought that shone so crystal clear throughout her mind when he was linked so strongly with her earlier. Even now through the control link he still beheld that guilelessness radiating like a beacon of hope in a world that recently had seemed to him to be full of treachery and deceit. If there was one person in this world he could trust, he knew she lay before him now lost in her sweet slumbers.
Silently he picked up the charcoal and leather and returned to his place across the campfire from her, positioning himself so he could look up from his work at any time and see her face. The task he has set for himself is a simple one for one of his skills, and his mind is mainly free to think as his fingers set about their work. His brow furrows as he thinks again of the treachery of those he thought trustworthy and loyal. Time and time again it returned to the root cause of it all. Eönwë.
Eönwë, who had been dripping poison in the ear of the Lord of the West. Eönwë, who had clearly been dripping even more poison into the ear of his equally clearly faithless wife, Yavanna. Eönwë, who had shown his true colours when he held a blade to his very throat! Herald of Manwë he may be, but he was still a mere maia and as such had no right to dare bare blade in the presence of Aulë Talka Marda, let alone threaten him with it! Scurrilous upstart that he was! Why if Aulë ever got the chance again he'd show that puppy what happens to such traitors and troublemakers! With a sharp flash of the short blade he cut the last leather thong he'd been using to secure the pieces of leather together, in a gesture not so different to what he envisioned doing to the treacherous maia.
Holding up his handywork for inspection, he nodded with satisfaction. These would cushion the little one's feet without being so hard as to chaff them. They would do until they reached Mandos and something more befitting such beautiful feet could be found. Mandos. The name seemed to whisper through his mind like a caress, and without thinking, he turned to stare towards their destination. Soon. Soon he would be home again, in those chambers he had grown to love, cradled deep within the womb of the earth, safe from harm. He turned his head to look across the fire to where Nienna was sleeping still. Yes, he would be home soon and this one, this pure one would be with him.
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He opens one of the side panels of his pack and transfers the contents to the main body of the pack before dexterously slicing the blade of the knife along the leather stitching that holds the panel in place. Once it is free he holds it up before him, gauging its size to see if it would suit his purpose. After a moment he nods in satisfaction and folds the sturdy piece of leather in two before he runs the blade along the fold and neatly slices it in two.
Rising he takes one piece in his hand and moves to the fire. Picking up a twig he uses it to draw a nodule of charcoal from among the coals. He lets it cool on the grass while he puts another piece of wood on the fire, building it up to burn brightly while he works on the protectors for Nienna's feet. The charcoal cool now he picks it up, along with the piece of leather, and moves over to where Nienna is sleeping. Careful not to disturb her, he lifts a bottom corner of the blanket to expose one bare, shapely foot. With infinite care he lays the leather beside it, marking it carefully with the charcoal for the distance between toe and heel as well as for width. When he is satisfied the markings are correct, he gently replaces the blanket and looks up at her sleeping face to make sure he had not disturbed her.
Again he is struck by the sweet innocence of her expression as she lies lost in her dreams. In all the world surely if there were one who was devoid of maliciousness or venom, it was this one. Watching her now he remembers again the utter purity of thought that shone so crystal clear throughout her mind when he was linked so strongly with her earlier. Even now through the control link he still beheld that guilelessness radiating like a beacon of hope in a world that recently had seemed to him to be full of treachery and deceit. If there was one person in this world he could trust, he knew she lay before him now lost in her sweet slumbers.
Silently he picked up the charcoal and leather and returned to his place across the campfire from her, positioning himself so he could look up from his work at any time and see her face. The task he has set for himself is a simple one for one of his skills, and his mind is mainly free to think as his fingers set about their work. His brow furrows as he thinks again of the treachery of those he thought trustworthy and loyal. Time and time again it returned to the root cause of it all. Eönwë.
Eönwë, who had been dripping poison in the ear of the Lord of the West. Eönwë, who had clearly been dripping even more poison into the ear of his equally clearly faithless wife, Yavanna. Eönwë, who had shown his true colours when he held a blade to his very throat! Herald of Manwë he may be, but he was still a mere maia and as such had no right to dare bare blade in the presence of Aulë Talka Marda, let alone threaten him with it! Scurrilous upstart that he was! Why if Aulë ever got the chance again he'd show that puppy what happens to such traitors and troublemakers! With a sharp flash of the short blade he cut the last leather thong he'd been using to secure the pieces of leather together, in a gesture not so different to what he envisioned doing to the treacherous maia.
Holding up his handywork for inspection, he nodded with satisfaction. These would cushion the little one's feet without being so hard as to chaff them. They would do until they reached Mandos and something more befitting such beautiful feet could be found. Mandos. The name seemed to whisper through his mind like a caress, and without thinking, he turned to stare towards their destination. Soon. Soon he would be home again, in those chambers he had grown to love, cradled deep within the womb of the earth, safe from harm. He turned his head to look across the fire to where Nienna was sleeping still. Yes, he would be home soon and this one, this pure one would be with him.
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