Faorie stands near the Gates of Imladris, waiting for Thendryt.
Faorie sat upon her steed, Ebrail, in the gradually increasing rainfall. Thendryt was soon to take the path through the gates and make his way to Eregion, and she was sure to see him before he crossed far from the vale. Not much time passed before Thendryt appeared within Faorie's sight, as expected. His steed, Bovad, slowly walked up to her, his rider covered head to toe in heavy, black armour surrounding every possible exposure of skin except his eyes.
His eyes. Although all was cloaked in the darkness of night one could still see the black colouring of his irises, though his eyes were naturally grey. It was unnerving, but there was to be no change in Faorie's plan to follow Thendryt into the wilds.
“Faorie,” he spoke in a simple yet low voice.
“Thendryt,” she responded. “What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be within the valley?”
Faorie could feel Thendryt's glare. “I'm leaving for Eregion. I shouldn't be gone long.”
"Yes, I remember you asking Elisbeth to allow you to leave." After a brief silent stare between the two, Faorie spoke again. “If I may ask, what do you intend to find in Eregion?” She thought back to Thendryt's natural evasion of answering the question when it was asked by the lake. She expected no different this time. Though she did not expect how he would answer.
His answer was to simply turn away and walk his steed from the vale, abruptly ending the exchange.
Faorie watches Thendryt walk away from her.
Faorie furrowed her brow and knew the time had come to follow. She kept her distance and did her best to remain silent, as to not reveal her presence.
At one moment, Thendryt stopped to speak to the sentinels guarding the gates of the valley. She heard him speak in a calm voice, unlike the tone he presented to her earlier. He even chuckled before moving on.
As he moved farther, Faorie moved behind, crossing past the sentinels, nodding to them.
The rain that had shown signs of growing heavy had lightened to a drizzle.
Hiding from sight as Thendryt is unknowingly followed.
Thendryt's journey down High Moor was straight and without struggle. Faorie constantly shifted from spot to spot, leaving her kinmate unaware of her presence. She kept a significant distance between him and herself, giving her plenty of opportunity to hide if he were to turn and search for followers.
The clouds were rolling away and the sky had brightened to a comforting glow. Morning was approaching.
Faorie had not anticipated Thendryt to have waited so long to begin his journey out of the vale. She had suspected him to have left much earlier in the evening where he could be constantly shadowed by darkness. However, this was not how the event came to pass, which left Faorie a bit bemused as to his plans.
After several hours, Thendryt arrived at the Bruinen Forge where he dismounted his steed. Faorie watched carefully, hiding herself behind several trees as Bovad had begun to drink from the waters. He stood there for a long moment before turning to his left, facing the South.
Faorie, certain that he was going to turn towards her, moved her steed further back in a mild panic. She almost held her breath, for there was not much wildlife in the current area to properly conceal her from sight. However, there was no need to hide, for Thendryt only turned to face the direction the stream flowed. Faorie placed her hand against the bark of the closest tree and glanced over to watch Thendryt again. All sounds centered around the Bruinen – the sounds of distant rushing waters combined with the gentle waves that glided against Thendryt's boots. Then the splashing of his feet taking the first steps Southward.
Faorie furrowed her brow again, leaning over more to watch him walk away with Bovad's reigns in hand. The two travelled onward and Faorie knew she had to rush herself to follow. The greatest fear Faorie had at that moment was to be seen, for once she placed herself in view of the Bruinen, there was nowhere to hide.
Thendryt walking South of the Bruinen with Bovad.
It was with incredible luck that Thendryt had not thought to turn around, for although Faorie had dismounted and walked with Ebrail at a distance from him, she was in clear sight with the light of morning shining against her.
Thendryt had stopped for a moment to adjust himself near a boulder where Faorie stood on the other side. She waited for him to move on before remounting Ebrail and continuing on.
Faorie hides behind a boulder as she waits for Thendryt to move on.
Hours came and went as they rode on at a strangely slow pace. Although Faorie knew that it must have only been early noon, the skies began to darken as if night was about to befall them. The odd shift in day gave Faorie a strange sense of caution unfamiliar to her. Perhaps it was not only caused by the change in skies but also that although she knew Thendryt was holding secrets back from her kin, she was aware that she was following a kinmate... an ally. But then again, was he truly an ally?
As the skies darkened and the rain picked up, remaining in view of Thendryt increased in difficulty.
She had never experienced such distrust with a member of the Warband, for no reasons had ever been presented to her in the past. Until now. She not only feared for the safety of the vale, or the security of its inhabitants, but she feared for the well being of Thendryt. Had a darkness taken over him? Was what she was doing right for the safety of others or only to satisfy her own curiosity? Faorie, although conflicted in right and wrong, continued on stealthily behind Thendryt.
The two arrived at Delossad where Thendryt dismounted and tied Bovad's reigns around a nearby tree. He petted his mane, staring forward to the archway leading into the prison ruins. Even at a distance, his eyes hinted darkness.
Faorie quietly dismounted from her steed as well, hushing in a low voice to Ebrail to remain silent. She held her hand over his nose, petting it slowly as she leaned her back against the trees. She looked over her shoulder towards Thendryt and watched him take his first steps past the archway. Determined, she brushed her back against the bark to get on the other side and rushed towards the entrance. As she neared the stairs, she heard the snapping of one of her boots breaking a small stick. The sound sent Faorie into another mild panic where she suddenly hid herself between two large stone pillars. There she remained for a brief time before convincing herself that Thendryt had already moved too far ahead to have heard the sound of a single stick breaking. She studied the area, noting the abundance of dried leaves and branches scattered across the ground. To follow Thendryt inside would be unwise.
So she waited.
She turned to walk back to Ebrail when she noticed that along the way she had also passed Bovad. She stared at the black horse as he stared at her back, making unbreaking eye contact. Although Faorie felt Thendryt showed signs of threat, Bovad was different. His eyes expressed curiosity, almost kindness. It took Faorie by surprise where she found herself standing, simply watching him.
Bovad shook his mane and exhaled heavily through his nose. Faorie couldn't help but to grin.
She returned to Ebrail where two medium sized bags were draped over his back. She unbuckled one of them and within could be found generous amounts of apples, grains, and carrots. Faorie pulled out several carrots and an apple, gifting the apple to her own steed before carefully walking back to Thendryt's.
Bovad raised his head as Faorie came before him with the offering of a handful of treats. As she fed the carrots to Bovad, she began to pet his mane. She whispered, “Bovad is your name, hm?” She managed to chuckle softly to herself and not a moment later Bovad turned his head to brush against Faorie's cheek, as if thanking her.
Then came the sound of iron boots against stone. Thendryt was coming back.
Faorie shifted her gaze quickly between the archway and Ebrail as she rushed back behind the trees. She took the opportunity of privacy to remount herself on her steed and sat quietly. Leaning forward, she watched Thendryt return.
The rain had increased significantly and fog had appeared across the area. Thunder could be heard from a distance but the flashes of lightning assured Faorie that Thendryt was still there where otherwise he would have been lost in the darkness.
Thendryt had returned with his own bag of grain. She watched him feed Bovad. Faorie squinted her eyes, struggling to get a good look at the two. She managed to see Thendryt's mouth moving as a flash of lightning lit up the region. Was he speaking to Bovad?
What came next was unexpected. Thendryt slowly began to turn his head, observing, searching...
She pulled her steed a few steps back and lowered herself against him. She held her elbows in and her legs tight against Ebrail, worried that he may have seen her.
Distant thunders drew closer to them. They were louder and shook the ground. The rain poured down heavily as well, far more than before.
Thendryt mounted himself back on his steed.
Faorie chanced a glimpse of Thendryt over the bark and saw something frightening in his eyes as lightning crashed down nearby. She widened her eyes, for she had never seen such shadow in one's eyes that did not belong to those whose lives were dedicated to the evils of Arda.
“Thendryt,” she whispered. What had caused such hatred?
Suddenly, Thendryt reared Bovad into a flourish and rode away at an incredible speed.
Thendryt rears back Bovad in a flourish.
Faorie rushed behind him as close as she could, but the fog, rain, and darkness of the incoming night were too heavy for her to see him clearly. It didn't take long for Faorie to realize she couldn't even see him at all. She lost him. She lost Thendryt.
She stopped her horse abruptly, dismounted herself, and stomped on the wet grounds angrily, furious with herself. There was no tracing his tracks, for the rain had surely disturbed the grounds as much as both their steeds could.
Faorie had lost Thendryt. He must have known she was there somehow.
There was nothing left for her in the downpour. She had nowhere to go but back to Imladris and to report back of her failure.
