Everlong

62

It was safe to say that the small family definitely didn't expect anymore surprises from their day, or night. Even before she had stepped through the door, Liruliniel could hear a small voice ask what was happening outside. Bard had rather noncommittally shaken his head, even with his back to her, Liruliniel could hear the smile in his voice as he replied. That was before moving and looking at her with a small hesitant smile, he looked apologetic and Liruliniel did not understand why.

That was until the owner of the voice practically jumped forwards, small doll in her arms and looked up at her with the widest eyes Liruliniel had ever seen. And then came the questions, the never ending questions and honestly, Liruliniel thought she could talk fast when on one, this child beat her, hands down.

Laughing gently she knelt to her level, "Hold up, I may be fast, but my hearing...no, it cannot keep up. Perhaps it is my old age catching up to me." She laughed and sent a grin up at Bard, he shut the door now that she was out of the threshold.

"How old are you?"

"Tilda!" Came another female voice, shouting rather shortly and shooting looks in the youngest girl's direction. "I am sorry, she gets carried away. Today has been eventful enough."

Liruliniel stayed kneeling in front of the young girl, yet she smiled at the older girl. She was pottering near the small kitchen area, seemingly pouring hot liquid into four mugs. Though she now fished out another for Liruliniel. Sliding her eyes back to who was now known as Tilda, Liruliniel smiled. "I am really quite old." She awkwardly smiled and stood up from her haunches and looked around the home. It was cosy, small. She presumed the homes were all a similar, and she even thought as much when she visited the town as a child.

"But how-"

"I'm nearly six thousand years old." Liruliniel cut her off politely enough, Tilda was looking accusingly up at her. She had seen that look on a young Legolas when she avoided questions from him. It was the precursor to leading into a possible tantrum or huffing sighs. Tilda's eyes grew wider somehow, Liruliniel worried, was that a normal thing? It looked odd. But needless to say, her confession had an awkward silence filling the room. She smiled and sat at the thick wooden table when Bard gestured to a seat.

He had shrugged off his worn coat and hung it up, he then greeted his eldest and his son before seeing a chance to save Liruliniel from Tilda. Though, in truth, asking Liruliniel to sit meant her having to unload all her weapons. At this, the unknown boy's eyes went really large too. Was this a family trait? Tilda clearly saw fit that she was to sit next to the elf, and scrambled into a seat. Though her doll was abandoned on the surface as she curiously ran her fingers over the bows shaft.

"What does this say?" She asked innocently and curiously, looking up as Liruliniel placed the longsword against the table as she sat, the other staying in its place at her side.

"Ah, those are runes. Written by a dwarf-smith from Moria. This is Azkâr." She reached for the bow, now that Bard had a chance to look at it, it didn't look at all elvish made. From what dwarf made weapons he had seen, this bow looked like one too. "'Narvi mahatai. Du sherak umha ra du amnāstu manis. Sekātu kardi tisrigiyan.'" Liruliniel recited as her fingers traced over the runes. She could see the confused expression on nearly everyone's face. She laughed lightly, "'Narvi had me made for the ring-smith and for his loyal service. His arrows truly may they hit their mark.' I was in correspondence, until Moira fell foul, with some dwarves there; and some had discovered this. They believed it was only right I had it, although apparently it isn't the actual one my grandfather had. Just, a spare or prototype, perhaps?" She mused the latter part to herself, though her words still seemed a bit of a mystery to the children, there was something in Bard's gaze which made her think he understood to some extent. And that didn't surprise her, he seemed wise. With a sigh she leaned her chin against her hand and smiled down at the girl. "Narvi was a great, perhaps the greatest smith of his race. I am led to believe he and my grandfather were good friends. Both worked on the Doors of Durin, it is a door sealed by magic. Only if you know the word to break the seal, can you enter."