Beneath Starlit Skies

8

Oh god—-I—please—

She flinches back as the large predator approaches her. Her eyes fixate on the blood dripping from it's mouth and soaking into it's fur. Blood, blood, blood—-there is blood everywhere. She is covered in it, drowning in it; she cannot escape it.

"P—please..." she whispers, "please stay away..."

Will I be torn apart just as that monster?

The salt of blood and the salt of tears cover her face. She sobs wetly and tries to wipe them from her face but it only smears it across her arm.

The wolf's ears flatten and it whimpers softly.

"S—st—stay..." she stammers.

To her surprise, the wolf stills at her desperate pleading, almost as if it can actually understand her. She dares to hope it does and that she might not die a violent death by mauling.

Shuddering, she glances up towards the night sky. Her eyelids feel heavy—too heavy—and it is a fight to remain awake. Through her exhaustion, she wishes for Mairon.

If only he had come... she thinks tiredly.

But he has come, says a gentle voice in a gentle whisper into her mind. That is Mairon, dear one.

Celeriel blinks.

That is definitely not Mairon. That is a wolf.

She feels a soft touch on her shoulders and though she cannot see anyone there—-it is warm and very real. It gently guides her to look again and into the wolf's gleaming eyes.

Look carefully. The voice insists, and nudges her forward.

Mustering great courage, she peers into the eyes of the beast and stiffens. She can see pain in the great predator's golden eyes.

Golden eyes? Celeriel thinks to herself. I know... wait...

She knows those eyes.

But she knows them on...

Could it be?

"Mairon?"

::

Mairon's ears flatten at the sound of Celeriel's frightened crying and he steps towards her, whining softly when she flinches away with a whimper. Her eyes are filled with terror of him and his heart sinks at her fearful expression.

What should I do?

She cannot recognize him; not in this form. She is distraught and terrified by him and won't allow him to come any closer. Should he change forms again? Or would that alarm her further? He is drenched in blood and that won't change even if his form does. He could leave, shift, and come back. But Celeriel is wounded and needs immediate care. He cannot leave her. He does not want to.

Celeriel eyelids droop as she shudders and blinks tears out of her eyes. She is cold, her lips are blue, and she is still bleeding. Mairon takes another step towards her and she eyes him warily. Dismayed, his tail swishes uneasily behind him.

Her tears capture starlight in her eyes and though the thought disturbs him he can't help but think that her eyes look beautiful. The light caught in her eyes is beautiful, almost as beautiful as a Silmaril, and he cannot stand it.

He despises the pain in her eyes. And her fear of him brings him grief for many have looked upon him and died with the same horror etched onto their faces. And while Sauron has relished in such expressions on the faces his enemies, Celeriel is no enemy of his.