A New Purpose

Kressara blinked as she quickly realized she had an arrow pointed directly at her mother and immediately lowered the bow as a hint of redness colored her cheeks. She hadn't even realized she had moved until she was suddenly turned around. Her body had acted purely on instinct and it had happened in the blink of an eye. She had never been trained to react so quickly...it had just happened and even though Kressara was embarrassed by what had happened, she was also amazed. She had seen both her grandmother and her mother react that quickly, but no one else. She looked up to both her mother and grandmother and had always wanted to be as strong and as skilled as they were and now it appeared that those skills may have just been waiting for the opportunity to show themselves.

"I'm sorry Mother," Kressara said as un-nocked the arrow. "I just...reacted."

Meanwhile, upstairs Serethiel sat on the edge of the bed next to her husband. It pained her greatly to see him like this, though she remained ever strong for him. As he began to speak she looked over at him and her eyes met his. They were filled with love...a strong, deep, undying love. When he began to cough she got up and poured some water into a cup and then helped him to drink a little. He sputtered, but managed to drink some at least. She placed the cup within arm's reach on the bedside table and then gently took hold of his hand. She listened to him and felt a few tears come to her own eyes as she thought about the day she had given Beren and Nauriel to Galadriel. It had been the hardest thing she had ever had to do in her life and it had been made even more difficult knowing how Conleth had felt about it. But she had known it had to be done.

Serethiel gently laid down next to him and wrapped her arms lightly around him. She was quiet for a few moments before speaking softly.

"Giving up Beren and Nauriel was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do. I didn't want to...but I knew I had to. I hated doing that to you after all we had been through just trying to have them. I had only ever wanted to make you as happy as you had made me. If I hadn't met you that day I doubt I would be alive today. My heart was filled with intense loneliness and anger and I didn't believe myself worthy of love or happiness. Then I met you and my entire world was turned upside down and I finally realized that I had just been waiting to find you."

Nauriel was not used to the Lhang, the elven two handed sword. Not as long as the two handed weapons of Gondor, it had a slightly curved, lithe blade and this one was of elven make. An ancient, ornate weapon with elvish runes on the blade. Naurel sparred with Kressara using her short blades in the Archery line and Conleth could hear them faintly from the window. Her instruction as well as each time their blades clashed.

“Serethiel,” he said and shook his head. “But I was never worthy of your love,” he said as his brow furled to some of the instruction Nauriel gave. Against smaller weapons thrusts were usually ineffective? “But I devoted my life to you...to try to be,” he said. “And I’ll never stop trying wife,” he said. A man that thought he was worthy of a woman’s love eventually became complacent and ended up taking her for granted. Even to this day Conleth thanked her for everything she did from getting him a cup of tea to helping him mortar the wall repairs. She had been his life long companion, not just his wife and for that he would be ever grateful and in awe of her.

He frowned again as he listened to what Nauriel had just said, height was actually a hinderance when facing someone smaller with a long blade. He kept fussing with the covers, his hands seemed to be unsettled. If he didn’t say something...if she continued on this way Kressara would not learn the proper way. He was so tired and his body felt so weak but his desire to get up and ask her what the hell she was doing grew within him just then.

Nauriel purposefully was teaching Kressara wrong in hopes it would spark some kind of reaction from her father. She looked up at the window a few times briefly as she continued to spar and instruct Kressara. She wasn’t wrong, exactly, but she wasn’t right either.

Inside the room Conleth all of a sudden felt ill. Serethiel knew he was going to retch and so she helped him onto his side and snatched up the small pale next to his bedside. She noticed that the blackness over his chest had become paler, gray tendrils on his chest that began over his heart and as he retched, a thick, black liquid and a violet puss rolled out of his mouth. Over and over he retched and a thick, lump of black oozed out of his throat and plopped into the pale. Conleth laid onto his back, his mouth and teeth coated with the black substance and Serethiel hurried tried to clean his mouth off.

Serethiel looked deeply into Conleth's eyes and lightly caressed his cheek. He had always been more than worthy of her love, even through the several dark periods of their marriage. He was not just her husband, but her best friend and she knew a life without him was not worth living. They were bonded so tightly that she knew once that bond was broken by death that her body would not be able to handle the separation. They had become apart of one another and her heart and body would break without him. She wasn't afraid of death because she knew she and Conleth would be joined again and would spend eternity together in the afterlife. That thought was actually comforting to her. They would never be alone ever again.

Outside, she could suddenly hear Nauriel's voice as she began to instruct Kressara on swordsmanship. While Nauriel was a very skilled archer, she had also been an excellent swordswoman...so why was she telling Kressara...? Suddenly, the reason came to her and a very small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Smart girl...very smart girl. She could only hope it would work. She could tell Conleth could hear it and she watched as his brow furled. However, a moment later she could see he was going to become sick. She quickly got up and helped him to lean over the side of the bed. There was a small pail on the floor and she watched as a thick, black liquid came out of his mouth. As he retched she could see the blackness over his chest become paler and she realized that that was what he was vomiting. Perhaps once all of his...stuff was out of his body his strength would return. She just had to help him hold on for a little while longer.

She helped him to lay on his back and Serethiel grabbed a damp cloth. She gently cleaned his mouth and then gave him a cup of water to wash his mouth out with.

"How are you feeling?"

Conleth laid back and winced. There was pain...alot of it as the last remnants of the taint began to expel from his body. “How do you think!” He growled weakly. “I’ve only just retched out my insides!” He barked in a terrible wheeze. He thought he could get up right then and see what they were doing but his strength quickly seemed to leave him. He’d have to undo what Nauriel was teaching he thought as blackness took him.

A few hours later...

For the first time in a very long time his dreams were not what they had been. Dark, sinister scenes of torment and death. He felt someone touch his forehead and utter, "He’s burning up!" But it was as if he had heard it from underwater. “My sword!” He croaked in a strained shout and his hand darted out blindly to find it. He had lost it like that a few times in the dark but always had found it again, or it found him. He felt the hilt touch his fingers and his hand seized it and he drew it up to his chest ad he shivered. He appeared to relax and then once more he fell into sleep.

Nauriel was there with Serethiel. Conleth was burning up and the healers had given him something to bring his body temperature down. Now that he was free of the disease, his body was left so weak it was overheating just to pump blood through his body. They told Serethiel if he survives through the night then all will be well.

Nauriel examined his chest, her delicate fingers pressing upon it where the black tendrils had once been. Only a few withered, gray ones remained but even those seemed to be fading away. “His color looks better mother...but he’s sweating so much and he will not wake to drink!” Nauriel said in near panic. Kressara was there in the room as well, poised to fetch whatever either of the women asked for. He had soaked through 2 sets of sheets already and Serethiel was exhausted. She sat in her rocking chair and observed Nauriel changing the compresses on his forehead.

In Gondor...

Elessar had made it to Minas Tirith but had set out again. Eldarion had reported Kressara missing until Ariana had said Kressara had come to her and told her that she was leaving for Gehanna. She had made Ariana swear not to say anything for 2 days.

Serethiel grew increasingly worried about Conleth. He quickly developed a fever and fell into an unconscious state. Nauriel fetched the healers as Kressara stood by and watched anxiously, ready to fetch whatever was needed. Serethiel had not rested properly in weeks and was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. She was glad to have the support of her children. Lindariel and Eomer had returned from visiting Narisa and Calaren to find Conleth appearing to be near death. Beren and Ithiliwen joined the family a short time later. Nauriel continued to keep the cool compress on her father's head as his fever increased. Over the course of several hours they changed the sheets several times and worked hard to keep one another's spirits up. Serethiel said little, but remained close to her husband. She refused to leave his side, even for a moment. If this was to be the end then she would be with him up until those final seconds. Nauriel could feel her husband drawing ever closer. He was moving quickly and she could tell he would be in Gehenna by morning. All they could do now was just wait and hope for the best.

The large bedroom was filled with people and the town held a vigil for Conleth that eve. Everyone Held candles, lanterns or torches for him and crowded around the house. For a generation Conleth had led them faithfully. He never paused to help someone who needed help and not even mucking out a stall was above him. When the Lord of your town was willing to do a thing, everyone was and so work was something that the people of Gehanna shared. They were a good, honest hearty people who felt a good, hard days work was providence. The glow from all of the lights filled up the hill and many of the elders had been allowed inside as well.

Right then, the family was either sitting or standing either in the room or the hall just beyond. A low murmur of conversation made a soft din to go with the low hiss of the hundreds of flames that surrounded the manor. Conleth clutched his sword as if his very life depended upon it and he murmured words in elvish and in black speech. Kressara knew what the other did not however for she had seen it in her mind’s eye. Conleth was going to train her in Gondor.

Ithilwen suddenly began to sing and Kressara, Nauriel, Lindariel, Eomer and Beren Joined in. The song was called, ‘Star Crossed Hearts’ And it told the story of Conleth and Serethiel and the love that had saved them both. It was sung in elvish and it was taken up from everyone outside as well. For their story was well known and a legend

Serethiel closed her eyes and vividly remembered that day...the day her life had changed. Two orcs had gotten away from her and she had been pursuing them with a thirst for blood. Vengeance and loneliness and plagued her heart, but little did she know that her life was going to change forever that day. Serethiel had never known her parents, and the closest thing she had had to a real mother had been taken away from her. She had then been exiled from the only home she had ever known and thrown out into the world. She had shuttered her heart against love or happiness, believing if she found such a thing again it would only been taken from her once more. However, that fateful day she came across a man who had needed her just as much as she had needed him. The bond that existed between them had begun the moment their eyes had met and since then they had somehow made it through more than what ten couples might experience over a lifetime. Every dark moment made them stronger and they had dedicated their lives to Gehenna and it's people. This was her home and where she and Conleth would rest for eternity. She couldn't imagine herself anywhere else.

As she looked around her at her children and son and daughter-in law she felt a sense of pride flow through her. Nothing about her life with Conleth had been easy, but their sacrifices had made their children three of the most powerful and influential beings in Middle Earth. They were happy and she could ask for nothing more than that.

There was a disturbance outside. A plethora of gasps and murmurs and the sound of movement. “The King!” “The King is here” resounded over and over in soft tones. Nauriel’s eyes grew wide. He must have rode like the wind to get here so swiftly. Yet she did not go to him. She was still dressed in her riding leathers and winced. He liked her in finer dresses but there was nothing for it now. Kressara looked poleaxed and worried. Her father wasn’t going to take her leaving like she had lightly.

“Mother?” Ithilwen said as she stood up from Conleth’s bedside. Her smile seemed to make the room brighter somehow and she stepped aside to reveal Conleth looking at Serethiel. With the bond he knew where she was and was looking at her. She was still so beautiful, he thought. His gaze made her nearly blush for the bond showed her what he was thinking about. Proof without a doubt that he was alive and feeling much better.

“Did I hear someone mention the King?” he asked in a wheeze and looked around the room. “Well I don’t want to greet him in my bloody bed! Help me up!” He said in irritation. Beren and Eomer turned to look at Serethiel.

------------

Elessar didn’t know why things seemed to happen when he was away. He’d have to have a long talk with Nauriel, his displeasure now like a beacon to her through the bond. He had so much that concerned him these days and his own family brought him even more trouble. She’d have to make it up to him...somehow. Her and Kressara both though he could hardly stay angry at his ladies for very long. The worst part of that was neither of them had taken a proper guard and that ‘would’ be something that had likely drawn his ire. Kressara caught her eye and looked worried. Nauriel gave her an encouraging look though her stomach felt full of vaulting butterflies.

Serethiel suddenly felt something stir in the bond. There was a strength suddenly that had been lacking before. She felt life flow through the bond and she knew even before Ithilwen moved that Conleth had returned to her. Her eyes met his and a strong feeling of love and relief flowed through her. His blue eyes were vibrant once again and color had returned to his face. She could suddenly sense additional feelings coming from her husband that nearly made her blush. Yes, her husband was truly back.

At his command for help to get out of bed to greet the King she felt Beren and Eomer look her way. She looked at Conleth and knew that he wasn't strong enough yet to really be out of bed, but she knew him well enough to know that he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

"Alright, but you will sit in that chair," she said indicating his leather chair by the fireplace. "I won't have you overexerting yourself."

Nauriel heard her husband enter the manor and he was greeted by one of the servants. As she heard him come up the stairs she decided she needed to speak with him first and she stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door. She looked at him and wanted to go and embrace him but she could sense his anger and so she remained where she was.

"My father became very ill and Mother requested that I come as quickly as possible."

Ooc:new thread