Lost Tales from Middle-earth

Too Familiar a Stranger

She spent a week in Imladris, sparring with Elrohir and Elladan and talking with Arwen, although the daughter of the Halfelven Lord mostly talked to her about her love Estel, whom she had met sometimes on the Road and in Imladris where he grew up, when Bilbo arrived.

When he saw her, taking no account of his advanced age, for a hobbit, he ran to her and embraced her.

"Rhaweth! You're here!"

"I am, my friend."

"How long has it been?"

"Only a few years, Master Burglar."

"Only a few years? Look at me! I'm all old now!"

"Yet I have seen hundreds of times the years of the oldest hobbit." she suddenly evilly grinned. "Isn't that so, Mister Boggins?"

He pouted, although playfully.

"Could you not? I really resent Balin for telling you about that."

"But it was hilarious!" her face softened "Of course, I was simply teasing you. All is well Bilbo, should we not rejoice to meet once more?"

"Ah, you're right. We should."

And so they did. 

They spoke much of the Quest to take back Erebor, of Dragons, of Dwarves, of Men, of Hobbits and of Elves. During the day they would talk in the gardens and at night, sing and dance.

Or, more accurately, Bilbo sang. 

Rhaweth had not sung once since she parted with him... That elf was ever present in her thoughts. Always could she remember his long, soft and golden hair, his icy blue eyes that entranced her, his perfect features, his cold personality that just made her want to know him better, the graceful way he moved, as if he always were dancing, his smile, rare but so precious to her, how he could always know when she wanted to be alone or when she needed company, how he... 

Nay, she had to stop daydreaming about him. She had left him, for the Wolf had been too strong for her.

And he probably despised her now.

—————

At the present time, she was walking alone in the garden, wearing a forest green long tunic, black pants and a golden belt that looked as if made of glowing leaves. From afar she saw a rider arrive, so she decided to greet him, having heard of the council that would take place towards lunch, and knowing it might be one of the guests.

Suddenly she stopped. The rider had dismounted his horse and had his back to her. He had long golden hair, and wore clothes that she had only seen the like of in one place before. Greenwood. The name escaped her lips ere she could stop herself.

"Thranduil?"

He turned around. It wasn't him. The elf looked at her in surprise.

Yet he looked so much like Thranduil... Was he a younger brother? Nay. She would know. But he had the same eyes and hair, though seemed kinder than the one who did not leave her mind.

"You know my Adar?"

His... father? Thranduil had a son? Of course he did. He must have rebuilt a life after her departure. She then noticed the silver bow that he carried, and whispered.

"Your bow..."

"Yes? It was given to me long ago by my Adar. Why?"

"Nothing. It is only that I have seen a similar one before."

"How odd... But who are you? If you know my father, why do you call him by his name? No one does, or at least, no one says his name without a 'King' before, apart from those who are the closest to him. What is your name?"

"They call me Rhaweth."

She saw in his eyes that he knew her, by name. Rhaweth, the Skin-Changer. The fearless Orc-killer.

O, how she wished she could be fearless! There were two things and two things only that she feared. First of and worst of all was losing those whom she loved, for her beloved seemed always to die or to grow estranged from her. 

The second thing was, she found, weak. 

Spiders. 

She hated their long, hairy legs, their hundred dark eyes, the way they moved, the idea that they could catch you in a web, slowly poison you and eat you, and many other things. 

Four people only knew, or had known, of this indisposition she had : Artanis, Fairetyelpë, Elvëander, and, of course, Thranduil, who always had found it rather funny.

Another thing she hated about spiders was their size. Strangely, she did not mind too much the Children of Ungoliant, the giant Beasts that lived in Mirkwood for she could see them come from afar. What she hated was when they could creep up upon her, and when she could not see them until the last second. 

But she also despised the Children of Ungoliant.

She closed her eyes and remembered the day she had first met Thranduil.