Living with Death

Chapter 3

Elen woke early in the morning, ecstatic she jumped out of bed and got dressed, then running down stairs she saw her mother already cooking breakfast. She helped her mother cooking the eggs and set the table. Elen is now twenty, but looks of the age of five. When her father came down they ate, Elen gulfed down her food, her mother having to keep reminding her to go slower. When all the food was eaten Elen followed her father to the barn, there she looked after the horses with her fathers help. The day went on and Elen played with the fouls, worked on her riding, and played with the other elflings. When the day was almost done she did one last check with the horses, but as she looked at the a young adult paint, her visions started to get blurry. She suddenly saw fragments of images, the black river flashed first, then it jumped to the horse limp in the water. She blinked and her vision came back to normal, then her she realized that her mother was knelt next to her.

"What's wrong Elen?" She asked, Elen looked down to her and shook her head. Thinking about what she just saw she looked back to the horse.

"I saw him die." She simply stated and Seltariel's face darkened. She didn't know what to make of it, but she picked up Elen and rejected what she said.

"Oh honey," she started, "you shouldn't let your imagination run wild like that."

"But I'm not!" Elen protested, "I saw him fall in the black river!" Seltariel didn't know what to say, so she left it at that, and cradled Elen back into the house for dinner.

When Seltariel saw Elen to bed she went into her and Randur's room, as they got ready for bed she discussed what her daughter said that day.

"Elen said something... interesting today." She blurted out, Randur looked at her with concern, his top off to show his ripped, mudded skin.

"She said that she saw Theodre die, fallen into the black river." Seltariel looked at her husband with worry, Randur always knew, ever since her first word at the desolation of Smaug she's been worried about her adoptive daughter. Randur approached her and cupped her soft face with his dry hands.

"She's a child honey, her imagination is going to be wild for a while until she matures. There's no need to worry." But Seltariel didn't listen to him and she retorted with franticness.

"I didn't imagine horses death when I was little! I know you didn't either! What child thinks of such things, and what child her age even knows what death is!" Randur hushed her, laying her head on his chest he soothed her, "I will ask her tomorrow as we work, there's no need to worry, I'm sure one of the older elflings told her to try and scare her as she played with them." Randur felt Seltariel's shoulders drop a little and he kissed her head before looking at her beautiful brown eyes.

"You need to get your sleep, when you get stressed you get tired easily." She smiled and she gave Randur a passionate kiss, returning it he wrapped her arms around her waist. She broke away, gazing into his green meadow eyes and running her fingers through his wheat blonde hair. He gave her one last kiss before breaking away and putting on the rest of this his night wear on as well as her. They both crawled into bed and encased each other with their arms.

The next day broke and Randur followed Elen to the stables where she quickly went to work with the horses, giggling and stroking their noses. He worked silently away from her, keeping a close eye on her. She finished her chores quickly, cleaning out a fourth of the stables and giving the horses fresh food and drink, cleaning their manes and tails. When she was done she approached her father with a strut, before she asked politely.

"Ada, I'm done with all my chores, may I please go and play with the other elflings now?" he smiled and nodded, but as she left he called to her, "Elen." She stopped and turned back to her father, he approached her and knelt down, placing a hand on her shoulder he asked, "how do you know what death is?" Her face turned to confusion and stated.