Post by Narbeleth on Apr 27, 2009 13:35:26 GMT -5
The young woman was in her quarters, and had readied herself for bed; all her family had finally retired, one by one. Mother had gone to bed near an hour ago, Faeldor was sleeping heavily after a long day at work, the little ones had been put down hours ago. Narbeleth was the only still awake and alert in the home on the sixth tier.
Even her elder sister had already fallen asleep on her mattress. Narbeleth watched her for some moments, her breaths rising and falling beneath her thin blanket. Her sister had been so exhausted lately, it seemed. Sleeping early, rising late, and sometimes too ill to attend to her work in the palace. Narbeleth had seen the change, though perhaps nobody else had noticed. When one lived so close, it was difficult to ignore. Though, she was uncertain as to what it was. Perhaps she had just had a long day.
Narbeleth’s own day had been long and tiring. Though, not tiring enough to sedate her. There was not much that could put the animated woman at rest and calm her. Only lively activity could do such, and her own day had been spent in tedious chores. Laundry, and cooking; seeing to the needs of the children and drawing water for baths; and later on taking a trip to the market, stopping for visits with a friend of her mother, and a newly delivered mother. It was all good and fair work, but left little to her own creativity and passion, and most of all, excitement.
Out the casement, light shone down onto the front street. The moon was bright, and she could see outside to where the tier street curved about the city in both directions. From this upper window, she could see over the city walls, and just faintly the blackness that was the Pelennor. She looked to the sky; the moon was just glowing tonight, outshining the few dim stars. Beautiful nonetheless. The beams of moonlight crossed the floor and shone over her waiting bed.
The woman, however, was not tired. The bed did not look inviting, for the moment anyhow. Perhaps she would go outside to enjoy the evening. The gardens were secluded enough to attend to alone, and it was a warm summer night. She slipped on her sandals, and quietly exited the room, wearing only a thin shift, sleeveless and white. Narbeleth descended the stairway, and made her way down the hall to the doors that opened to the back gardens.
She stood still for some moments, observing the night, then she slipped off her sandals, leaving them at the top of the stair. Her movements were wings of pure energy as she lit barefoot across the cobbled steps into the gardens of her family home, smiling to her own self. The stones were cold beneath her feet, and she quickly moved to find herself upon the grassy surface, off the path, leaping over the bed of flowers that lined the edge as she went.
The woman danced, to her own charming song, of which she quietly hummed. Her world was music, as she imagined herself once more in the lush forests of her childhood Belfalas by the sea, dancing beneath the trees and among the wildflowers. Her skin tingled in the cool breeze, but eventually she warmed and her cheeks became rosy with the exertion of her movements. The stars kept her company, the only ones watching as she went, spinning about and leaping gracefully. The woman became the beams of moonlight herself, strange beams, of which bore the shape of a lovely girl with pale skin glowing. Her lithe body moved in rhythm with her song and the twinkling stars.
She danced, until the dance had consumed her energy, collapsing onto the grasses and staining her freshly washed shift with the greenness of them. She cared not though. Her forehead was moist, her breath quickened, and she enjoyed the tickle of the cool stems against her cheek. The breeze caught her in its embraced and cooled her, causing her moist skin to shiver, and she finally sat up, her loose, black hair falling about her shoulder, and her dark lashes turning upward to look at the sky. A new song escaped her lips as she sung quietly to the stars, pulling her knees in front of her, and wrapping her arms about them; sitting for a long while.
Finally the woman was tired, and she wearily drew herself up from the dewing grass, and stepped lightly over the flowerbeds back to the cobbles. Her skin tinged at the cold stone against her damp feet, but she walked slowly back up the stairway, and replaced her sandals at the top, taking one last look at the peaceful summer night.
Now, as she made it back to her room, the soft sheets pulled back against the moonlight were inviting, and she longed to warm her body. She once more slipped off her sandals, placing them beneath the bed silently, and she glanced to her sister, sleeping so peacefully. She was so lovely in her sleep. So serene, and with such a soft look upon her face. Narbeleth tiptoed across the room to stand near her bed, and then leaned down to press a light kiss to her sister’s forehead. The sleeping woman moaned slightly, and her eyelashes fluttered, but she did not wake. A hand moved beneath the covers to clutch at her stomach, and Narbeleth wondered for a moment if she would wake and be ill, silently chastising herself for disturbing her.
She looked on her for a moment, and then moved to pull shut the drapes of the window, that the direct breeze and silver moonlight would not trouble and wake her dear sister. Then the young woman crawled into her own bed, slipping beneath the covers, and bundling the layers of blankets over her cold skin. She curled up to warm herself against the cold that had overtaken her. Her eyes grew heavy almost immediately, and she drifted off to dreamless sleep, awaiting the morning light to kiss her awake for a new day.
Even her elder sister had already fallen asleep on her mattress. Narbeleth watched her for some moments, her breaths rising and falling beneath her thin blanket. Her sister had been so exhausted lately, it seemed. Sleeping early, rising late, and sometimes too ill to attend to her work in the palace. Narbeleth had seen the change, though perhaps nobody else had noticed. When one lived so close, it was difficult to ignore. Though, she was uncertain as to what it was. Perhaps she had just had a long day.
Narbeleth’s own day had been long and tiring. Though, not tiring enough to sedate her. There was not much that could put the animated woman at rest and calm her. Only lively activity could do such, and her own day had been spent in tedious chores. Laundry, and cooking; seeing to the needs of the children and drawing water for baths; and later on taking a trip to the market, stopping for visits with a friend of her mother, and a newly delivered mother. It was all good and fair work, but left little to her own creativity and passion, and most of all, excitement.
Out the casement, light shone down onto the front street. The moon was bright, and she could see outside to where the tier street curved about the city in both directions. From this upper window, she could see over the city walls, and just faintly the blackness that was the Pelennor. She looked to the sky; the moon was just glowing tonight, outshining the few dim stars. Beautiful nonetheless. The beams of moonlight crossed the floor and shone over her waiting bed.
The woman, however, was not tired. The bed did not look inviting, for the moment anyhow. Perhaps she would go outside to enjoy the evening. The gardens were secluded enough to attend to alone, and it was a warm summer night. She slipped on her sandals, and quietly exited the room, wearing only a thin shift, sleeveless and white. Narbeleth descended the stairway, and made her way down the hall to the doors that opened to the back gardens.
She stood still for some moments, observing the night, then she slipped off her sandals, leaving them at the top of the stair. Her movements were wings of pure energy as she lit barefoot across the cobbled steps into the gardens of her family home, smiling to her own self. The stones were cold beneath her feet, and she quickly moved to find herself upon the grassy surface, off the path, leaping over the bed of flowers that lined the edge as she went.
The woman danced, to her own charming song, of which she quietly hummed. Her world was music, as she imagined herself once more in the lush forests of her childhood Belfalas by the sea, dancing beneath the trees and among the wildflowers. Her skin tingled in the cool breeze, but eventually she warmed and her cheeks became rosy with the exertion of her movements. The stars kept her company, the only ones watching as she went, spinning about and leaping gracefully. The woman became the beams of moonlight herself, strange beams, of which bore the shape of a lovely girl with pale skin glowing. Her lithe body moved in rhythm with her song and the twinkling stars.
She danced, until the dance had consumed her energy, collapsing onto the grasses and staining her freshly washed shift with the greenness of them. She cared not though. Her forehead was moist, her breath quickened, and she enjoyed the tickle of the cool stems against her cheek. The breeze caught her in its embraced and cooled her, causing her moist skin to shiver, and she finally sat up, her loose, black hair falling about her shoulder, and her dark lashes turning upward to look at the sky. A new song escaped her lips as she sung quietly to the stars, pulling her knees in front of her, and wrapping her arms about them; sitting for a long while.
Finally the woman was tired, and she wearily drew herself up from the dewing grass, and stepped lightly over the flowerbeds back to the cobbles. Her skin tinged at the cold stone against her damp feet, but she walked slowly back up the stairway, and replaced her sandals at the top, taking one last look at the peaceful summer night.
Now, as she made it back to her room, the soft sheets pulled back against the moonlight were inviting, and she longed to warm her body. She once more slipped off her sandals, placing them beneath the bed silently, and she glanced to her sister, sleeping so peacefully. She was so lovely in her sleep. So serene, and with such a soft look upon her face. Narbeleth tiptoed across the room to stand near her bed, and then leaned down to press a light kiss to her sister’s forehead. The sleeping woman moaned slightly, and her eyelashes fluttered, but she did not wake. A hand moved beneath the covers to clutch at her stomach, and Narbeleth wondered for a moment if she would wake and be ill, silently chastising herself for disturbing her.
She looked on her for a moment, and then moved to pull shut the drapes of the window, that the direct breeze and silver moonlight would not trouble and wake her dear sister. Then the young woman crawled into her own bed, slipping beneath the covers, and bundling the layers of blankets over her cold skin. She curled up to warm herself against the cold that had overtaken her. Her eyes grew heavy almost immediately, and she drifted off to dreamless sleep, awaiting the morning light to kiss her awake for a new day.