Cold Winds Of Darkness

"Orien?"

"Yes?" she turned her head to look at Azira.

"Have you met Orophin already?"

"Today he is lucky."

"Please, do not hurt him," the elleth pleaded.

"Why?" Orien frowned. "He can hurt you but I am not allowed to revenge you?"

"Please! Maybe it is not his fault at all."

"Then Rśmil's? I own him some fair beating too."

"Orien! Do not dare to! Why are you so evil?"

"Evil?" she laughed. "I am not evil. I just want to give them what they have earned for hurting you but somehow you always ask me not to do it. Why?"

"I do not want that someone is hurt because of me."

"And if they hurt you?" Orien looked in her eyes.

"I let it go. They have not intended in causing pain to me or anyone else for that matter."

"Oh? Is that so?" Orien raised her eyebrows. "Somehow I'm not so sure about it."

"But I am and stop being so overprotective!"

"I am not!" she exclaimed but seeing Azira's look she sighed. "All right! I admit it. But it is only because I have not had fun for a very long time."

"Fun? You are having more fun than Lorien brothers together!"

"Not this kind of fun, Azira. I want to roam the wilderness again. I want to enjoy the wind of the never-ending fields in Rhun, dash through the thick forest astride a warg. I long even for cold mountaintops covered in snow. I miss that a lot and that is the fun I am talking about."

"A warg in Lorien would be a pretty odd thing," Azira snickered imagining her friend riding through the forest astride one.

"Especially with me on it?" Orien grinned. "I can only agree. That would be quite…disturbing for our always-perfect-Lorien-brothers."

They were still laughing enclosing the Houses of Healing when Orien noticed Haldir and some dark-haired twins with him. Obviously they had been waiting for them because the Marchwarden headed straight to them with the twins following.

"Are you seriously hurt, Azira?" Haldir asked inspecting the scars on her face.

"I am fine, Haldir. No need to worry. Orien already took care of me."

Haldir gave her a quick look before turning back to Azira. "I believe that those scars will heal fast leaving just unpleasant memories."

"No, they won't, " said a silent, angry voice.

"And why not, Orien?" Haldir looked at her in mild annoyance.

"Because it was forzunkbagūrz. "

"A what?" Haldir's eyes widened for the second time today and not only for the word she had used.

"It is a plant that grows in Mordor. I do not know how you call it and I do not think that you even know about it but it is a perfect thing to annihilate an elf. It is what orcs use for their arrows."

"And how could my brothers get it?" Haldir stared at her as if she would know the answer.

"IF they were your brothers who did it - didn't you forget to say that?" Orien crossed her arms.

"It does not matter. All I want to know is - how could anyone get that plant and hide it somewhere in Lorien?"

"How should I know? I am starting to think that those could not be your brothers because they are not so smart for this. But then again - why should someone use poisonous thistles against me if they do not affect me?"

"And what if someone does not know about the poison and thinks that they are just ordinary thistles?" one of the twins asked.

"Excuse my carelessness for I forgot to introduce you." Haldir finally remembered his manners. "These are Elladan and Elrohir, sons of lord Elrond o'Rivendell and these are Orien and Azira."

"Your khmm... "fame" runs faster than the wind," Orien smirked.

"What we unfortunately cannot say about you," Elrohir bowed slightly.

"You asked about thistles?" Orien asked.

"No, my brother Elladan did."

"Those thistles look almost as ordinary ones except for dark blood red rings around the thorn foot and one must be blind not to notice them."

"Then Azira must be immediately sent to the Houses of Healing!" Haldir stated.

"She has to stay there but these thistles were no threat to her."

"Orien! What are you talking about! She is an elf and you just said…"

"But what I did not mention that these ones were old and dry and therefore they could not kill her. Luckily those thorns are short and she had a thick clothing so they just left these scars on her face and hands."

"Anyway, she must be attended by a healer. Maybe there is some way that we can erase the scars. By the way where is she?" Haldir looked around.

"She headed for the Houses of Healing," Elrohir announced.

"There is only one way to heal them and she refused to use it," Orien turned to leave.

"What? What are you talking about?" Haldir turned to her but she didn't answer. "Orien! At least tell me what kind of remedy it is! Orien!?"

"Me," she glanced over her shoulder. "I am the remedy." She turned and ran into the forest.

"What did she meant with that?" Elladan frowned.

After a moment of silence Haldir gave him an answer: "It meant that only her magic can heal Azira but she has refused."


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Forzunkbagūrz - (forzunk/bagūrz - thorn-poisonous [Bl.sp]) - a poisonous plant growing in Mordor; maybe later I will find an elven name for it. Btw - this plant belongs to me (not literally ).