She sat in the saddle and watched him leave, though she had done well to hide the crack in her throat the tears now flowed from her eyes. She pulled on the reins and turned away setting off at a slow trot in the opposite direction, not knowing when she would see him again...
It had started a few months ago, during one of the coming of age ceremonies that Filrean first became aware of having feelings for him. He had such a commanding presence about him that filled her with awe; he had already accepted her request of being his student so she could learn better of her craft and the histories of their people.
Since then when time allowed he had met her in Esteldin and helped her with the duties she had been tasked with, she had grown to enjoy his company and listened intently to the guidance he gave her. Often she would catch herself just staring at him, taking in every detail of his face, his slightly broken nose that was bent out of shape, the depth of his eyes and the set of his mouth as he talked with such intense passion about the Dunedain and their lore. She drank the words in with a thirst for more, hearing about what her own father’s past could have been like and the places he might have visited.
She thought back to the evening they had stood together talking about their past, watching the night sky as the sun began to rise and the clouds overhead gave them knowledge of what the weather would bring. She had felt so small beside him, as she often does, but even then she could feel her heart thudding against her chest from being in his presence. The decision he had made to travel off alone and break from the kinship had come as a shock to her, though she felt as if she knew it was going to happen. He had tried to qualm her fears and worries, saying that things were not going to change too much as he would still be there for her. She did not tell him that it reminded her of the day her father left the family home to wander again; she also tried to say it was just her selfish feelings in thinking he would no longer be there for her. In truth it was all of these and more, since travelling further from Bree she had come to realise how dangerous the roads were out there and how much of it she had yet to find for herself. She was afraid of losing him to some unknown danger and not hearing about it for years to come as had happened to her mother.
At least she had been able to see him that last time in Tinnudir, whereas the others had just received a letter. She had been at Tinnudir several days now and was still disappointed that he had not shown her the way there as she had hoped, but she was slowly becoming used to needing to be independent when venturing further afield and had used the skills he had taught her to keep out of sight of many dangers. When she finally gathered the courage to grasp his hand in hers she could feel herself trembling, she looked in his eyes and saw the smile he gave her, she almost lost her breath in that moment and knew then that he would return to her again as she sat in the saddle and watched him leave..
