Long Lost Leaves

[Aikanáro]

'It matters not to me,' she replied as she made her catch. She would not explain her opinion more than that, either he would accept it or he would not.

'You play as a m'haidati would,' she told him as she cast the t'rai once more.

And there was something in the way she said this that indicated it was more than simply the Game she meant.

[Curufin]

Abasi nodded at her comment as he caught the t'rai in one hand and stopped, resting them in his lap.

'Enough for now,' he said softly. 'We shall play later, perhaps?'

[Aikanáro]

Tabrîl nodded. 'I should like that,' she told him. If she had to stay here longer, she might as well occupy her mind somehow, and there seemed no better way.

She remained there for a moment, sitting cross-legged and still, wondering if there was anything more to be said between them. She wanted to thank him, for his earlier support of her, but somehow all the words that came to mind did not seem quite right, either inappropriate or lacking something, and so she was silent.

[orithil]

Hedrim walked up to Quickleaf and sat down on a rock next to him. "You know if I had been there sooner I would've helped you" he glanced at Abasi and Tabril "those elves are dangerous, to dangerous to keep around" He looked at his sword, drew it out of its sheath and began to sharpen it. "If it happens again...certain measure must be taken" he put his head down "or atleast when I get back to my kingdom in the north certain measures will be taken" he said under his breath.

[Earniel]

Radagast didn't wait to see what the Game was about, instead he turned towards one of the Ents. "Earth-shaker, would you accompany me for a moment?"

The Ent rumbled an agreement and walked besides the wizard back into the forest. Radagast knew that what he intended to do could have been done from the camp, but he was trying to make a point.

In the forest, not far from the camp, he stopped. Adressing a random grove of trees, he spoke.

"I don't know your reasons for doing this, but you better make sure they are very good," he said gruffly.

"And since you have meddled so far, you also better make sure Tabril's tribe knows why their warrior isn't coming home soon and whose fault that is. I will not break this bond since it is perilous for those involved. But you will see to it that this bond is broken as soon as you have accomplished whatever you planned."

The last was not a request nor an order, simply a statement of how things would be.

"Furthermore, there will be no more meddling. We are not pawns for you to put this way and that across the field. You know this. We have a thing to accomplish of our own. I could do without you having my companions at each other throat."

With a short bow, Radagast turned around and motioned Earth-shaker to follow.

After a while Earth-shaker bent down to the wizard and asked: "Why did you ask me to come along?"

"To show the Forest that she isn't the only forest involved in this matter," Radagast replied.

[Coffeehouse]

"Hantalë, Nami. Thank you."

And he agreed with her, on Haldir's magical move.. it wasn't perhaps the best way to go about it. But, he saw her point.. her reasoning, even though magic had always remained a mystery to him. The only spectacular magic he'd ever witness was Gandalf's.

But to go about it like that, the way Tabril had, was simply wrong. He did not care how many codes of conduct she lived by. Attacking another creature like that.. unforgiveable, and he would watch her closely.

The arrows were indeed coming out quite nicely. The oakwood was solid, yet easy to shape, the delicate woodwork changing from a branch to a reliable arrow. And he was glad Nami was helping him.
"I'll have to test them quite a bit before I dare use them regularly" Quickleaf mused, looking down on the arrow he was working on.
"I'm not the greatest of craftsmen.. Even tried shooting an arrow I'd made, which actually broke before it even fired" Quickleaf rolled his eyes and smiled.

In any case he hoped Radaghast would gather them together, give a talk of sorts. The company needed to re-align to their true purpose, and settle this matter which had nearly veered out of control.

Watching Hedrim approaching, Quickleaf lifted his head and greeted him
"Aiya Hedrim"
Hearing Hedrim's words, Quickleaf nodded silently, gratefully.
"Have you spoken to Radaghast?"

[Curufin]

Abasi nodded to Tabrîl and stood, handing her back her t'rai, stuck his in his weapons belt, and returned to the group, sitting down on his blanket cross-legged, and watching as the others spoke.

They didn't like him, he knew that. Of course, he felt very little warmth towards them, so perhaps this wasn't the problem that it could be.

He sighed, and pulled a knife out of his personal belongings and began to carve a small block of wood, once in a while looking up at the others.

[Willow Oran]

Haldis felt the amusment of the Forest at being rebuked for its meddling by Radagast and felt a momentary spark of irritation towards it.

She had refrained from going near Tabrîl whilst she and Abasi were at their Game (an impressive display to her eyes) but there were questions to be asked and answered. To learn of each other was part of the binding and fighting it in order to give Tabrîl time to adjust was causing her very bones to itch. The restless, impatient for answers feeling would leave if she were to go and sit by Tabrîl, ask her questions, ask until they were answered. But the timing was not right.

Stubbornly following her instinct for people, rather than the urging of the spell, Haldis moved a little (only a little) closer to Tabrîl and sat down, silently facing her.

They would have to speak to each-other properly soon and Haldis was determined that Tabrîl should make the first move.

[The Sasquatch of Fangorn]

Borin awoke to the sounds of this disagreement. "What? What's going on? "

[Aikanáro]

After Abasi had left her, Tabrîl had made no move to rejoin the group. She could not face the questions and accusations of uwindi who could not see what had been done to her. And now that the Game was over, she had no distraction from the dark thoughts that threatened to drive her to madness.

She could not go home. Haldis could not release her, and the seth'enati would not, and not even her own death would end what was to Tabrîl unbearable captivity, to be bound to another in such a way. Magic that was forbidden for Tabrîl to even think of, let alone witness, had been worked upon her, and she was powerless. For a m'had'i, this was perhaps hardest of all.

An image came unbidden to mind, of her m'haidati standing before her people in the hall, telling them that Tabrîl yen'Habti had not returned, of how the in'kasha, gentle as she was, would turn away when she heard it. She would be no more to them, they would mourn her or forget her as they saw fit, and she would become Tabrîl-without-a-tribe, one who had lived too long.

Haldis was watching her, Tabrîl realized then. At another time this would have been reason enough for her to find another place to sit, but Tabrîl was beginning to think that nothing mattered so very much any longer. She leaned over to the side, lay down upon the ground, and begin to feign sleep, which she did not need, but at least it would prevent the others from disturbing her.

[Willow Oran]

Haldis bit her lip against the feeling of sorrow that was emanating from Tabrîl. This could not continue as it was.
Haldis rose, and crossed to the bound elf, kneeling beside her even as Tabrîl closed her eyes in feigned sleep, "Tabrîl, we must speak. Your anguish does not effect only you now. Please, tell me what must be done that would relieve it even a little under the circumstances."
The Galdorwyf's tone was pleading, betraying how overwhelmed she, herself, was feeling by her part in this affair.

[Aikanáro]

'Can there be relief?' Tabrîl opened her eyes, but did not get up, a clear signal that she was in no mood for talk and would rather be left alone. 'You have said it, there is no way.'

She sighed then, for it did appear that Haldis spoke to her with compassion, and that was not required of her. In fact, after their earlier, violent confrontation, she could see no reason for it at all. It was not necessary that she speak with Haldis, but perhaps she would not tell her to leave just yet.

'And you also said,' she continued, 'that this had a purpose. What is it? There is a task I must complete to be free of it?' Such things did not happen, she had thought, not except in half-forgotten lore, but Tabrîl did not know what it was she dealt with here, and so she would ask.

[Willow Oran]

"I do not know the way to release the binding," said Haldis, speaking specifically, "But I do know the nature of the binding. It is a light one, relatively speaking. It does not bind the mind or will, but merely the presence of the participants to each other. And it works both ways, I can no more leave you than you can leave me and any harm to one of us will be felt by the other. However, the Forest, the Land, is the power that enforces the binding, and the distance that we may be from each other might be adjusted, at least for a short time.
"Do you see what I am trying to say, what I attempted to show you earlier when I opened my mind? This is not a binding of servitude. The exact purpose is still hidden, but the rune-stones have indicated that we will need you in our search for the ent-wives. Apart from that I cannot say, except that you heard the words of the binding, they are words of learning and I cannot help but think that a mingling of knowledges is the intention behind this."

[Aikanáro]

Tabrîl shook her head, unable to accept this. 'You do not understand,' she said. 'I am m'haid and such learning is forbidden me. I may not share your knowledge. I may not look upon the magic you work.'

And I cannot share m'haid-lore with her, that too is unthinkable, she thought, but this was self-evident and she saw no need to state it.

'It would appear I am left no choice,' she said then, taking care with her words. 'I must go with you on your search for these Ent-wives, and that is all there is to say of the matter, for we can do nothing else.'

[Willow Oran]

Haldis did not think that the matter was simple as that, nor that refusing to share secrets would do them any good, but did not say so, Tabrîl would need to realize that for herself.
About Tabrîl's refusal to say more of her earlier distress (which Haldis could feel was still present, thoug buried deeper) Haldis refused to remain silent, "Yet you cannot simply come with us. You said before your people would miss you. There is enough leeway, I think, in the spell to allow you to visit them before we leave, if they be close by,"
she looked at the ground, troubled, "If you would, then I must insist that you do. It is no less than I would wish for any of the Beornings under my care to be allowed, were they in this position. I have already arranged for my neighbors to be looked after and my sister Galdorwyfas to be unworried in my absence. I must afford you the same courtesy."

[Aikanáro]

'I will not take you to them!' Tabrîl said sharply, and she sat upright then, and very straight, and glared at Haldis. 'Nor will I walk there alone even were it possible, for the binding might let you follow.'

For all that Tabrîl longed to tell her people what had become of her, to ask if they might grant her leave to go with Haldis and see if the spell might somehow be broken, she had duty still in mind. One did not lead uwindi to the residence of the in'kasha and the seth'in. Tabrîl would suffer any fate before she brought ruin to her people, and her devotion did not require recognition, it simply was.

'They will say,' Tabrîl explained, 'that I died in protection of them, in the forest, and that is, I think, an honorable way to be remembered. I need not go to them.' Even if they feared she had deserted, that is all they would say aloud, as for a m'had'i to lose her sense of duty was unthinkable.

And if Tabrîl still lived, and had to face the rest of her years alone, that too was what had to be. She would give in to despair, or she would accept her lot. It did not matter either way.

[Willow Oran]

"You lie about your need," Haldis said flatly, displeased, "Do you hold your leaders in such little regard that you think they could not hide themselves from one adaneth following at a distance?
"I care for many, for such is the duty of a widow of our people, yet I live alone but for my animals and would be gravely insulted to think that any of my charges refused to seek me when in need because they feared to bring me danger."

[Aikanáro]

'You know nothing,' Tabrîl replied, a look of terrible pain in her eyes, 'about my regard for my in'kasha. Do not think to presume you do.'

And with that she leapt to her feet and strode off angrily, again in the direction of the forest.

I will not weep, she repeated to herself as she walked, trying desperately to control her emotions. M'haid do not weep.

[Willow Oran]

Haldis cursed under her breath and scrambled to her feet, running after Tabrîl, "Wait!" She called, "We must stay in sight of each other!"

[Aikanáro]

But Tabrîl was beyond caring, and only quickened her pace. Let Haldis follow her at a distance, if she could. Tabrîl wished only to be alone, away from the questions, the insults, away from all that was uwindi.