Her next words come softly. "I never really knew family, except for Arundel. But seeing these children makes me long for more."
Kuldahar
Her next words come softly. "I never really knew family, except for Arundel. But seeing these children makes me long for more."
Al smiles slightly as she watches Halla with Valiance. "There's nothing wrong with wanting love, romantic or otherwise. You'll be a better person for it. As for Zenithral..." She begins to chew the inside of her lip as she thinks for a moment, but her teeth aren't arranged like they should be, so she makes her eyes trace the grain of the inside of the tree.
"While we travelled together, the way he looked at you was certainly promising. However, you are wild and can be rash. As a soldier, I'm not sure he knows what to do with that," Al chuckles behind a hand. "But I know he cares about your opinion- he didn't tell you about Erestor at first because he was afraid it would change how you saw him- and I know that he respects and trusts you. He wouldn't have left his siblings in your care if he didn't." She smiles at the cambions.
Then, to the surprise of both Alalla and Halla, Valiance begins to sing a whisper of a song.
The words are in Elvish, and the melody is much like a lamenting lullaby. Beautiful as it is, every phrase brings a chill to Alalla's spine. Nearby, she hears Halla sniffle.
I lúme utúlie,
A tirno ónonion,
Tienna narwa
No rocco néca,
Yan i esse ná Qualme, -
Wilie haiyave
Númenna Wisto,
Nändiel melima.
Vainolelya unqua
Ar macilya rusta
Loráva nenessen
I caituvar ńalle.
Ve laurea anna,
Hroalya racina
Antalye nóren
Sa varyane li.
Ná carna nilmonen
Tyarda avatyarima,
An nar cotumor qualini,
Naina, lië,
An i calwo ná firin,
Ar elenu vinye
Úsiluvar eldain.
Nán i Caitanor na cuine.
O guard of twins,
Onto road fiery-red
On a pale horse,
Whose name is Death -
To fly far,
To the West of the Sky,
From dear dale.
Your empty sheath
And broken sword
Will sleep in the waters,
That will cover the dale.
Like a golden gift,
Your broken body
Are you giving to lands
That you were protecting.
Is made by friend
Unmakable deed,
For foes are dead,
But the one who fell is alive.
Weep, people,
For the hero is dead,
And two new stars
Will not shine for elves.
Halla's voice is muffled by her hand over her mouth. "'Twas not I who taught him that!"
She looks to the twins again. "Someone doesn't sing lullabies to children she doesn't care for. Maybe they weren't abandoned. Maybe she'll come looking for them."
She touches their heads once more, then leads Alalla across the room so they can speak more privately. "I am unsure that being over here makes much difference. They have excellent hearing." The woman absently rubs a finger on the wall of the cottage, drawing forth a sprout from the living wood. "But why? Why with Bel-" She coughs and glances at the twins again. "Why with Poquelin? Why him with her? Are they an accident? Or was Erestor correct when he implied that they were some result or emobdiment of her debts?"
She moves on to the next order of business. "Were you able to get a message to my orcs? Have they caused you any trouble?"
The druid's gaze flicks to one wall, the direction of Keggruk and the orcs. "I was. I invited them to come closer to Kuldahar, but not to enter the circle of warmth. The townsfolk are still sensitive to orcs since the attack." Even still she flinches at the reminder of Arundel's death during that raid. "But in these times we are all in need of allies. 'Tis better to keep them close. We shall see if they trust us enough to camp nearby."
Way to inspire confidence.
"I mean- ugh." Al passes a hand over her face. "Thank you. I just wasn't expecting... Thank you. But actually, if you could send them another message, I'd like them to travel to Targos. I have a hundred orcs travelling in this direction, and I'm hoping they'll meet halfway and find somewhere to settle. They need Keggruk's guidance and Keggruk's tribe needs their protection."
The tightness in her face and shoulders betrays her strong emotion, but she seems determined to follow through on her words.
I want you to know, though, I'm aiming farther than that. It might be a while, but the orcs that leave Gruumsh won't just be at peace with the other civilized races. We'll be allies worth having. But we can't do that without this right here." She gives Halla's arm a slight shake, then releases her. "I'm slightly less terrified now," she chuckles self-consciously.
She shakes her head. "Mirek and his so-called 'blood hunters' are growing fond of sniffing out monsters. They made their own expedition out to Bilewing's lair, you know. I wish they would leave the protection of Kuldahar to me."
Alalla smiles at Natalie. "Good morning! They're children. Aren't they beautiful?" She gives Halla a slight shrug that says, "cat's out of the bag," then turns sideways to allow the twins a better view. "This is Harmony and Valiance. And this is Natalie," she says to the twins. "She's very nice." That done, she turns back and gestures to the basket. "What have you brought?"
She tears her eyes away from Valiance and Harmony and pokes through her basket. "I've got regal joy, bouncing feverfew, feysweet, moon ivy... and this black fluxroot - though what you'd want that for I'm sure I don't want to know. Ipleprite. Silver laurel. And..." She sniffs. "Orange skunkweed."
Natalie looks up proudly. "I gathered everything you asked for. Now will you teach me?"