“Thendryt!” Faorie called out.
Thendryt stood beside his black steed, Bovad, staring out at the snowy peaks of the distant Misty Mountains. His armour was tainted black with crimson stains, presumably blood, scattered across his body.
Faorie furrowed her brow, gripping the reigns of her white steed, Ebrail, that stood silently beside her. “Thendryt,” she repeated more quietly.
Slowly, he turned his head towards her and fixed his darting glare at Faorie's. Long seconds past with them staring at one another with nothing but the sounds of Rivendell breaking the silence.
Eventually, Thendryt ended the visual exchange by roughly taking hold of Bovad's saddle and mounting himself. Without speaking he signaled his horse to move forward, and he did.
“Wait,” Faorie said, taking several steps towards Thendryt. But he did not acknowledge her. “Wait!” she repeated loudly. But again, he did not respond.
Quickly, she sat herself on Ebrail and rushed to Thendryt's side. As he paid no attention to her, Faorie began hastily asking questions. “Thendryt, where have you been?”
He ignored her.
“Thendryt, stop!” she ordered.
He continued on, but uttered his answer in a low voice. “Eregion.”
“Why?”
Thendryt furrowed his brow. “To visit an old friend.” With the blood stains all over him, Faorie could only imagine what had gone on while he was away.
She was not satisfied though. “Where are you going now?”
Thendryt slowed Bovad to a stop, slowly turning his gaze onto Faorie. “Go back, I'll return to the vale soon enough.” Wasting no time, he moved forward again.
Faorie closely followed. “Not until you stop.” But he did not. And neither did she.
Faorie closely follows Thendryt on the path to the Misty Mountains.
The two had travelled a notably long distance before Faorie had decided she had had enough of his failure to acknowledge her.
With an angered expression, she moved Ebrail before Thendryt, standing in his way of the path. “Your silence has gone on long enough,” she voiced, “Your suspicious ways must end. What has gone on?” She paused, but no sign of a response was seen. “Why do you remain silent?” Her voice was gradually lowering, but her tone was still definite and serious.
Thendryt stared at her as he spoke. “My demons are my own.” His eyes grew darker. “Go back to the vale.”
“Your demons will only bring you to your demise,” Faorie said with little expression, yet her eyes showed proof of concern despite the cold exchange between the two.
Thendryt's eyes remained dark. “Then my demise is overdue.”
“Enough Thendryt,” Faorie ordered loudly. Her tone was growing irritable. “Why do you insist on battling your demons on your own?” She looked Thendryt head to toe, examining the stains. “What have you done?”
Her questions were once again met with silence.
“Answer me now, Thendryt!” She stared intently at him, waiting for anything.
“You want answers?” he muttered darkly.
“Yes.”
“Truly?”
Faorie continued to study his armour. “Yes...”
In a single moment, Thendryt's eyes darted upwards to Faorie's where he stared hard, his irises colourless. She returned his stare with her own, patiently listening for his next words.
“I do one thing well. One.” Heavy winds began to roll down the hill, nudging Ebrail forward and Bovad away. This did not change Thendryt's fixed stare. “Fighting.”
Faorie continued to listen.
“It's what I've been taught to do, born to do, bred to do. You know nothing about me, Faorie Liamna. Maybe that's why you insist on following me.”
The two fix their stares at each other, exchanging cold words.
Faorie straightened herself defensively.
“Maybe that's why you demand answers that are not yours to know.”
“They may not be mine to know as Faorie,” she answered, “but they are mine to know as your comrade – your ally.” She pulled on Ebrail's reigns to move him to the side, gaining better sight of Thendryt and Bovad. “How is it that you've so easily forgotten? You had come to me when we first met long ago, requesting aid from me.” She raised her chin at Thendryt. “You requested from me to fight by your side. To help you! And now you want nothing!”
Bovad slowly walked up beside Ebrail, bringing Thendryt and Faorie face to face.
“There is something happening,” Faorie continued. “You're different now, something has changed.” She watched Thendryt's movements, preparing herself for anything.
“Go back to the vale,” he said coldly. “I can't tell what will happen at the end of this road. Leave my demons to me.” A heavy breeze blew past them. “I will handle them.”
Thendryt closes the distance between the two.
Faorie raised her voice, challenging the volume of the chill winds. “End this nonsense Thendryt! You speak of demons as if no one has faced their own. Do not speak as if you are the lone survivor of a blood bathed war.” Ebrail began moving about anxiously, forcing Faorie to pull tightly onto his reigns, but her stare on Thendryt remained unwavering. “You forget who you are and where you are. You forget why you're here. How is it that you've come to this? To have forgotten yourself so easily?” Ebrail at last relaxed, leaving Faorie unmoving. “Are you truly so weak?”
Thendryt notably stiffened at the notion of weakness. “I am Thendryt Morson,” he said coldly, “I am in the lower parts of the Misty Mountains. I am here to speak with an acquaintance.” Thendryt's glare grew heavy with anger and determination. “You don't know me, Elf. You never have. My weakness is none of your concern nor is it your place to judge me.”
“I know my kin. I know my allies, and I know those who protect. You are causing uncertainty and suspicion amongst your fellow warriors – but it matters not to you.”
“You're right,” Thendryt responded harshly. “It matters not to me.”
“You have given up on your role as a protector.”
Thendryt surprised Faorie with a sinister smile at her mention of his role. This did not intimidate her. She deepened her voice and uttered, “You are no ally of mine. Thendryt. Morson.”
She turned away, forward at the path that would lead her back to Rivendell. “I will be speaking with the Council,” she said, “And to Lady Elisbeth and the officers regarding what has gone on.”
Thendryt lowered his voice to nearly a growl. “Do what you wish, it matters little to me.”
Though at first glancing over to him, she no longer turned her attention to him and remained staring forward.
With this, Thendryt moved onward away from her and there Faorie stood with Ebrail for as much time as it took for her to realise Thendryt had completely disappeared from her sight, leaving her alone in the cold ice and snow of the mountains.
End of Part 1 of 4
Thendryt's Version of this Story
Part II - Understanding a Fallen Man
