Tadchaen-a-Tad

[inafadingcrown]

[ooc: Forward dated to tomorrow morning/afternoon]

[The Five: The Knight, The Dragon, The Bard, The Wizard, and the Princess] [I.E. the people mentioned here]

My Lords. My Lady. [Nevermind the unlikelihood of a wizard, a bard, or a dragon being a lord. Better overshoot the titles than undershoot them.]

Your titles were discovered in a book, itself found under strange circumstances, that told of the history of the castles of Cair Paradisa, Libet, and the surrounding areas. If it would not trouble you overmuch, I would have word with you on the subject.

[Action for the library]

[She really should have given up on finding anything useful in this library by now. But, as they say, hope springs eternal.

So once again, you may find Galadriel searching through the stacks. Books on Paradisa or the the Five mentioned above would be lovely, but she’s aware that she’s unlikely to find them. No, most of the books in her pile are… not the sort that you would expect the Lady of Light to be reading. Dark Magic. Specifically, the type of magic fueled by human souls and emotions. If your world has such magic, you may well notice a familiar text among the titles.

Know thy enemy and so forth.

Still, this sort of thing isn’t pleasant and she’s not altogether certain that she wants others reading her thoughts on the subject, so she’s fallen back into the old habit of taking notes in Quenya using the Tengwar script.

Of course, every so often she stops and sets the books aside. The subject matter is disturbing and she finds that she can’t delve too deeply for too long. Approach? Question her about her motives? Ask about the strange writing? All of the above?]

Comments

[persequor]

What about when winter comes?

[inafadingcrown]

They remain there still. It is quite a sight.

[persequor]

I wish I could see that.

[ Nymeria walks over and sets what's left of journal in Arya's lap. She makes a face at the direwolf and scratches her behind the ears. ]

Thank you.

[inafadingcrown]

I wish I could show you.

[She watches the direwolf with interest before turning back to Arya.] And what of your home?

[persequor]

What of it?

[inafadingcrown]

What would you tell me of it? I have described to you my Lórien. Will you not describe to me your...Winterfell, was it?

[persequor]

Oh. [ She fidgets in embarrassment. ] Winterfell is the seat of House Stark. It always has been since the time we were Kings of Winter. They call it the heart of the North. It's an old, old castle. The story says that Brandon the Builder had giants help him build it. Even in winter, it's warm. I haven't seen a winter yet, but everyone says so.

[inafadingcrown]

[Wait. What?]

You have not seen a winter?

[persequor]

[ She shakes her head. ]

I was born in the long summer. The last winter was ten and three years ago. But winter is coming.

[inafadingcrown]

[Wow, she's seen plenty of world differences, but this one is weird.]

Where I am from the seasons each come once each year. It is difficult to imagine otherwise.

[persequor]

[ She was warned as to the difference so she only shrugs. ]

Not for us. We once had a winter that lasted a generation.

[ Sure it's only a story Old Nan used to tell them to scare them, but it sounds impressive. ]

[inafadingcrown]

[How long is a generation for humans again?]

I would not do well, I think. I am not overly fond of ice and snow. [Not since the crossing of the Helcaraxë.]

[persequor]

Not many people are. Only Northmen do. We're a hardy people.

[ It's not framed as an insult. Rather, she says it like she's stating some fact. ]

[inafadingcrown]

[She understands. It's much the way she speaks of her own people.]

So it seems. We Elves are not delicate, by any means, but we far prefer flowering meadows and running streams. We have a great love of green and growing things.

[persequor]

Oh, there's green in the North. There's woods everywhere and there are rivers and hot springs and a lot of open land.

[ And cold. Plenty of it. ]

[inafadingcrown]

[Yes, it's the cold that would be a problem.]

You must miss it greatly.

[persequor]

[ Miss it? Miss falls short. Winterfell is her childhood and her family's history in strong, lasting stone. Winterfell is her parents and brothers and sister. Winterfell is everything she has ever loved—and everything she will not see again.

Nymeria distracts Arya from her thoughts with a touch tongue licking a stripe up her cheek. Arya laughs. ]

Nymeria! Don't!

[inafadingcrown]

[If only Galadriel knew. She wouldn't have said it so bluntly. But the sudden distraction of the wolf causes her to laugh as well.]

[persequor]

[ Arya manages to shove Nymeria away from her face. Nymeria still drops beside Arya and rests her head on the girl's lap. Arya wipes her cheek clean. ]

You have meat breath.

[ Nymeria snorts. ]

[inafadingcrown]

[Ah, she wants to pet the giant wolf. :( But she's smart enough not to. She values her hands.]

And yet she is lovely still.

[persequor]

[ She really is. Haters can diaf. ]

I raised her from a cub.

[inafadingcrown]

Little wonder she is so at ease with you, then. Do many of your world keep such companions?

[persequor]

No. Her and her brothers and sister are the first direwolves seen south of the wall in years.

[inafadingcrown]

You are most fortunate to have found her, then.

[persequor]

[ She knows. ]

You don't have direwolves where you're from?