Return to the North [ Lord of the Rings x Silmarillion ]

Resentment and Admonition

Círeth woke up early the next morning, the sun shining in through her bedroom windows. Across from her on the other bed was her sister. She smacked her twin through a blanket to wake her up.

"Get up, Fëalas," Círeth hissed. "Get up!"

"Why?" muttered the red haired young woman from beneath a pile of blankets.

"I'm going down to the archery range," she replied.

Fëalas threw off her blankets to uncover her face in anger. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Well I don't want to go by myself," she said, twiddling her fingers as she stood waiting for her twin go agree to go with her. "I think I heard that Elboron was coming today with Prince Faramir and Lady Eowyn."

Instantly Fëalas sat up. "Elboron is coming? Here? Today?"

"I heard Uncle say that last night right before bed when you were already asleep." Círeth smirked to herself. All it ever took was mentioning the young man that her sister was infatuated with.

"Alright, alright." Fëalas got up and changed.

As the twins got dressed into their green tunics for training that morning, they hummed an old tune their mother had played for them in Maglor's lyre. It was a lovely little tune.

Together, great yew bows in hand and quivers on their backs, the half elven twin women made their way to one circle lower in Minas Tirith. There they found the large archery range and training facilities for the guards.

"One, two, move your feet! Come on, you are better than that."

They heard the voice of their brother as they rounded a corner. Aderthon and Eldarion were training an adolescent youth. His blonde hair and blue eyes, as well as the sound of his voice, told of who he was.

"Aderthon, I am doing my best!" He protested loudly before landing a blow on Aderthon's sword. "Ergh!"

"Calm down, Elfwine." Eldarion told him. "You do not help matters by getting angry."

Elfwine, the sixteen year old son of Lothiriel and Eomer, nodded in frustration. He took a deep breath.

"Start again."

Círeth whipped out her sword and stepped between the two out of the shadows, surprising all three men. She and Fëalas burst out laughing at the looks on their faces.

"Rangers," Aderthon complained with a twinkle in his eye. "Always sneaking about."

"Better than you soldiers. You are always so easy to spot and pick off one by one," Círeth laughed a response.

"Fëalas, Círeth!" Elfwine smiled. "It is good to see you."

"You also, friend," they bowed their heads.

Círeth continued. "Are your parents in Minas Tirith? Your sister?"

Elfwine nodded. "We came a few days ago."

"What are you two doing this morning?" Eldarion asked them.

Fëalas responded. "Círeth is dragging me to the archery range."

"I did not drag you," Círeth protested instantly. "You came of your own free will."

They all laughed. Eldarion told them that there was someone already using the range but that he was probably willing to share. Saying goodbye to the men, the twins continued on down the street and around the circle until they arrived at the archery location. Indeed they saw a tall man with long blonde hair was shooting arrows with incredible precision.

"Lord Legolas?" Fëalas asked incredulously.

The elf turned around and smiled. "Indeed. My, have you two grown. It's been ten years since I last saw you!"

"What are you doing here, Lord?" Círeth asked him quickly as the women readied their own bows.

"I brought the message regarding your sister. I was visiting Gimli in Aglarond when news reached us and I offered to take it here." Legolas frowned. "Has Aragorn decided what to do yet? He spoke only to me briefly before you two arrived yesterday."

"He told us to wait here for more news for a few days." Fëalas shook her head. "I do not like it, nor do I agree with it."

"Yet he is your king and uncle," Legolas shrugged as he released another arrow. "There is little you can do."

Círeth narrowed her eyes as she released an arrow. "Why should we do anything. Tinneth made it very clear when she left that she did not what our help. That we were to leave her well alone. She doesn't deserve our help."

"Cír," Fëalas gasped. "You always say such horrible things about Tinneth! She's our sister!"

"I can't believe you are still loyal to her after all this time," Círeth bit back. "She doesn't deserve the family she has, that we have, with the way she treated Mother and Father!"

Legolas was trying give the fighting young women space. He slipped away and went to find Aragorn to ask after Tinneth.

"She is still family Círeth!" Fëalas, ever loyal, insisted angrily.

Círeth barred her teeth. "She's no family of mine."

Fëalas watched sadly as her sister walked to the other end of the archery range and began shooting arrows in silence. Each thump of each arrow reminded Fëalas of just how angry her twin was. And it wasn't without reason. But Tinneth was family. And family was always family.

Later that morning, the twins had cooled down a bit and finished up their archery only to be met by their king as he watched them.

"Lord," Círeth bowed with a smile.

Aragorn put up his hand with a smile. "No need to stand on formalities. I am still your Uncle."

They grinned and nodded.

"Come, we need to talk." Aragorn gestured for them to follow him. "Legolas told me of your... disagreement... earlier."

Círeth turned red in the face. She couldn't explode at her uncle, her king, like she could at her sister. She had to choose her words carefully.

"Tinneth is a lot like your mother was, you know." Aragorn smiled nostalgically. "I knew her from the first time she opened her eyes. And every day she grew more and more rebellious. Now she wasn'tquite Tinneth's level of rebellious. But she had that streak in her."

"Yes, uncle." Círeth nodded.

Aragorn continued. "She very much got on my nerves sometimes. She refused to follow orders, she never got her wounds checked. But she was family through Halbarad, a man I regarded as a brother. Now I am privileged to call her kin through union."

"With all due respect, Uncle, what does this have to do with Tinneth?" Círeth asked respectfully despite her anger.

Aragorn nodded. "I wish you to know that Tinneth, though bitter and full of anger, is still your, our, kin. She will be treated as such. Is that understood?"

Fëalas nodded and waited for her sister to agree with the King. It took a few moments of hesitation but finally Círeth nodded as well.

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Aragorn gave a small smile. "You two have grown into such beautiful, strong young women. I am proud to call you my nieces. Tinneth, too. Despite her resentment towards all of us. And I am asking the Valar each day to keep her safe."