Nerwen the Green and the Search for the Entwives #wattys2019

Chapter XLIX: Beyond the Portal

Chapter XLIX: Beyond the Portal

Complete darkness. Complete silence.

Slowly, Nerwen opened her eyes; but she saw no difference from keeping them closed. There wasn't the least trace of light, nor did she hear any noise.

"Túdhin? Pallando?" she called, the first name with her mind, too; her voice sounded muffled.

"I'm here," she heard the Blue Wizard's faint answer; she couldn't mark what direction it came from. At the same moment, she perceived the wolf's confused thoughts.

"Are you well?" she asked them, and again it was as if the darkness swallowed her voice.

"Not exactly," Pallando's feeble reply arrived, "You?"

I feel dazed, Túdhin answered as he uttered a yelp, How about you?

Nerwen moved cautiously. Under her, she felt stone, cold and hard and rough.

"Nothing broken," she informed them both, "but I feel weak."

"I do, too... but other than this, I do not think anything is wrong."

"Thank the Valar... Túdhin, can you pick up my scent?"

After pausing for a moment, the wolf answered:

Yes, I smell you.

"Fine, can you figure out where I am? Can you came near me?"

There was a longer pause, then Túdhin sent her an affirmative thought. After a few moments, the Istar heard the light footsteps of the wolf approaching her, then she felt the warmth of his body as he laid down beside her. She reached out and caressed him, giving and receiving comfort.

"Where do you think we are?" she asked, addressing Pallando.

"I have no idea... but anyway, what happened, in Oromë's name?"

"What you were reading... it was a spell in Black Speech. A spell called Dark Portal. Reading it aloud, you have activated it and it has sucked us into the Valar only knows what place."

"Oh no... I'm sorry, Nerwen..."

"You couldn't have known, Pallando," the Istar sighed, "If only I could see... it's pitch black, here. Anywhere it may be, this here..."

"Let's hope it is just a temporary condition, as if we were in the middle of the night, and that sooner or later daylight will arrive," the Blue Wizard said.

Nerwen was slowly regaining her strength.

"Go on talking," she exhorted him, "I'll try to figure out where you are and join you."

"Alright," Pallando answered, "Wherever we are, wherever this accursed Dark Portal has taken us, do not doubt that we will be able to find our way back. I have my people – the people who adopted me – to take care of, you have to seek the Entwives, and of course you have to go back to your husband..."

As the Blue Wizard talked, Nerwen moved in one random direction, staying on all fours and feeling the ground in front of her. She realised immediately she was getting away, so she turned and went back, always with Túdhin practically glued to her. Again she realised she was going the wrong way, so she turned at a right angle to her left and this time she heard Pallando's voice becoming louder.

"I'm closing in with you," she announced.

"Fine! Well, I was telling you Derva is an excellent warrioress and I would trust her with my life a thousand times..."