Everlong

34

"I am sorry I didn't visit sooner, I may have got swept up in, well, life; but you seem well! Not that I am expecting some adverse thing from me not visiting you, that is. Just ignore me, I'm speaking very little sense. I hope you manage to get out, I always thought this was too small a place for something as large as you. Your antlers, I mean! I mean...Arthion, I am sorry I seem to just not be making much sense at all."

The elk behind her snorted shortly, he was laying within the hay of his stall quite comfortably. Although, when he first saw Liruliniel peer around the corner happily, he was standing. He was standing and merely looking out at the stables around him, Liruliniel thought he looked bored. His brown eyes were just staring off at nothing, although they practically lit up when she produced an apple from her side. As usual, she didn't seem to waste time coming into the stall with him. Arthion seemed to eat up the attention she gave him as readily and quickly as he devoured the apple she offered him.

Soon he settled, and she settled back against him. She rose and fell with each breath he took, her back against his side and she nestled herself against the thick fur. Arthion's large head bowed as his neck leaned down so he could fully look at her face when she rambled away incoherently. He did let out a few short sighs, his eyes blinking and just staring at her which made her awkwardly smile. She had the feeling the elk was finding her words amusing yet insulting at the same time.

He'd grown more in the months away. Liruliniel thought he had reached adulthood the last time she saw him after her travels, how wrong she was! Now she believed he'd reached maturity. Just meant he was even more gigantic against her. Though large in size, he wasn't hostile in nature or brutish. Arthion was, and always had been very careful around her. The animal instinctually seemed to know that the being who bought him apples and chattered non-stop, was smaller and more fragile than himself. He may nudge his head against her, but it was done in a most gentle manner. Arthion was a gentle giant, and Liruliniel just smiled his way again when he rested his head down and into the hay of his stall. She turned onto her side, her shoulder resting against his ribcage, not that he seemed to mind at all. Liruliniel reached up with a hand and stroked it through the brown fur of his neck. His eyes opened at the action, looking her way as she just smiled some more.

She had woken early, bathed and changed quickly before relocating her trunks of luggage to her room to sort through. Most of it was clothing, admittedly. Fine dresses, and tunics. There was a few pairs of trousers and boots in there too. It wasn't all clothes, Haldir had given her a gift of new knives though, which she would proudly use and strap to herself if she could. She was going to be all pointed weaponry if and when she ever suited up for battle again.

Liruliniel picked off a piece of hay from her tunic, she had come to notice a theme within the clothing she was given. Blue, a very rich coloured blue at that. Not too dissimilar to that of her dress. She had been confused, yet Galadriel hadn't really explained the particular reason why her wardrobe had a blue theme running through it. Liruliniel just believed that maybe it was just a Ñoldorin thing? After all, wood elves wore clothing the colour of their forestry homes. Being a High Elf, as it were, maybe dictated a sign of showing as such and what made more of a statement than clothes?

She sighed, it seemed everything was against her, in hindsight, to try and keep her lineage secret. So she wore the cobalt blue tunic with quiet acceptance. The collar of it came up high, stopping just under her chin. Like her other tunics, the sleeves were well fitted and the length of it stopped just above her knees. There was minute details on it, especially around the collar and the hems of the sleeves and tunic itself. Almost like filigree, these silver embroided patterns were sewn along, weaving and tangling together while being so subtle that it wasn't too much detail.

She simply wore dark trousers with this, her usual boots and her hair with only two braids in; even if these were two main ones which she then wrapped and twisted together to make a thicker solitary one. She didn't wear her circlet, she didn't need to walk around with it on permanently surely? She knew Galadriel did, and even Elrond but that was because of who they were. Image thing, Liruliniel couldn't help but muse. She couldn't help but laugh, elves and a public image, she never knew it meant so much.