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Journey Of A Butterfly	By : Mel99Moe Category: -Fourth Age to Modern times and beyond > Het - Male/Female Views: 5714 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or places of Lord of the Rings/Tolkien. No money is being made. This is for personal enjoyment only.

Chapter List
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Chapter 3 Last Wish

Terrwyn’s whole world was gone now. She was an orphan. With both parents dead and her brother missing and possibly sharing the same fate, she was utterly alone. Her foster family was gone too, taken by the hands of the Haradrim. The soldiers brought her to a place just outside the city of Rohan. There were other children housed there who were orphaned by the recent war. Terrwyn felt she did not belong here. She knew she was at an age where being adopted was not an option. They only wanted the younglings. She had no skills other than feeding and brushing the horses. She knew enough to get by on her own so she left the orphanage and sought work in the city, working in the stables. The stables inside the city gates were far fancier than any she had ever seen. They even looked more comfortable than the hut she used to live in. The stable owner asked her many questions, which she lied about when he asked her about her family. The young girl told him they lived on the outskirts of the city and they needed the extra money. He believed her story, and lucky for her they could use a few extra stable hands so she was hired.

Still, there was the ever-present thought of Hathmund. Terrwyn wondered where he was and if he was still alive. She recalled the injured villager and his words to her. They eradicated the ones who put up a fight. She could not see Hathmund giving in to the Haradrim and feared the worst for her brother. There was nothing she could do right now. She was young and alone, no money and no home. It was impossible for her to try to find him and most dangerous. She would just pray that he yet lived and that someday she could look for him.

Terrwyn continued to work in the stable. She did a fine job caring for the horses and some gave her extra money. She saved up what little she had to buy clothes or food. It was about all she could afford. It was honest work and she enjoyed it. The stable owner thought she was very hard working, which she was. What he did not know was that she was sleeping and living there. Every evening, she slipped back into the stable and curled up in a corner of the loft or an empty stall. She really did not mind. It was better than living in the orphanage. The hay was warm and the light neighing of the horses was quite soothing. A nice comfortable blanket or throw would have been better than the tattered horse blanket she used for warmth, but it would do for now. Maybe if she saved her money, she could afford a better throw.

Now, most people who came to the stable either were nobles or just well off. Most paid her no mind and only a few gave her extra money. There was one man in particular whom she saw often. He was an older man. His traditional blonde Rohirric hair was beginning to turn grey. He walked with a slight limp, probably from an old injury. His face was creased and weathered and his beard matched the grey of his hair. He did not speak much but always smiled to her and thanked her for taking care of his horse. It just so happened that this was her favorite horse to groom. Brannoss was his name, meaning noble kindred. He was a silver-grey horse, very gentle and he loved apples. She formed a closer bond with this one more than the others. The owner always gave Terrwyn an extra coin, which she used to by the horse treats.

One night, while Terrwyn lay curled up sleeping, someone entered the stable. She heard the sound of footsteps swishing through the hay-strewn floor and froze. If this were the stable owner, she would surely be fired. Carefully, she peeked out from under her old dirty horse blanket. To her surprise, it was Brannoss’ owner. She had never seen him his at this hour. No one ever came to the stable at this time of night. Terrwyn wondered why he was here.

“Ah, Brannoss my friend, you have been a good steed, but I am afraid I must find you a new home.” he said.

Terrwyn gasped at this news. She loved this horse above any of the others. The man stopped speaking and looked around the stable after hearing a noise. A slight movement in the corner alerted him to a possible intruder. Carefully, he walked to the back of the stable. Terrwyn held as still as she could and hoped he would leave. The man looked down at the dirty blanket and something caught his eye. He recognized the edge of Terrwyn’s tan dress. Why was she sleeping in the stable he thought? He wondered about the youth. She seemed out of place in the city, but he did not think on it too much. Now he realized that she was living here, probably homeless. There were many homeless children now days. He decided to pretend he saw nothing and went back to his horse, patted him on the head and gave him some carrots and apples before he left.

Terrwyn hid until she was sure he was gone. Then she went to Brannoss and laid her head on the tall horse’s shoulder while stroking his mane. “This is terrible news. He will miss you. There must be a good reason why you cannot stay here. If I had the money, I would buy you and make you my own.”

Brannoss nodded his head and snorted, nuzzling Terrwyn’s hair. “I love you too Brannoss.” she said and went back to her makeshift bed in the hay.

The next day was like any other. Terrwyn groomed and fed the horses, cleaned stables and beat the dust from blankets. She was just finishing one of her many chores when Brannoss’ owner came in. She figured he was here to take him and sell him. Her heart fell slightly for she really loved this horse. The man entered the stall and Terrwyn followed him, bringing his blanket and reins. The man saddled Brannoss and made a few adjustments. While he did, Terrwyn stroked the great beast’s head, looking quite sad and the man noticed.

He gave her a sidelong glance and said in a deep rough voice. “Do you not have a home girl?”

Terrwyn knew he must have seen or heard her the night before so she would not lie. “No sir. My parents are dead and so I came here looking for shelter and coin.” she responded in a quiet mousy voice.

The man stood a moment looking down at this poor creature. She was very young, almost too young he thought. “Your age.” he demanded.

“I am eleven…” she paused, afraid of what he would do. Some men saw a girl her age as being old enough to be treated as a woman and that was not a good thing. However, she felt no such thing from him. “Please do not tell anyone about my residence in the stable. I have nowhere else to go,” she pleaded.

The man bent down to push a strand of hair from her eyes and noticed how she seemed to cower and scoot away from him. It hurt him that she thought he might have other intensions. “Be still child. I mean you no harm.” Then he chuckled lightly. “You are too young for me. I am not like some of the men here.” he commented. Terrwyn knew of what he spoke. “How long have you lived in this stable?”

“Most of three months now, but it is not so bad. It is better than my old home in the Westfold,” she said as she continued to stroke Brannoss, feeling more comfortable in the man’s presence. “Are you selling him?” she asked. The man nodded in silence. “It is a shame. Brannoss is a fine horse indeed. I will miss him. We have become good friends.”

“I can tell. He seems much happier since you came here to Edoras,” the man replied. He finished with the saddle and reins then turned to Terrwyn. “My name is Alric.”

“I am Terrwyn,” she answered and smiled. “Why are you selling him if I may ask?” Terrwyn went on.

“I am getting older and have fewer places to go. Brannoss is still young and needs to be ridden more often. He will do someone else more good. Believe me I hate to do it. He was my wife’s favorite, but she died last year. She got sick with a disease. There was nothing the healers could do.”

“Surely you have a son or a daughter that could take him,” Terrwyn said trying to find a solution.

Alric shook his head. “My sweet Nareena could not bear me a child. We tried for we wanted that more than anything. That’s where Brannoss comes in. Bought him as a foal. Nareena raised him herself. It wasn’t like having a child but it was something and it made her happy.”

“I am sorry,” Terrwyn said. She looked back to the horse. “If I could I would buy him from you, but I’ve barely enough money for food.”

“Well, he will go to a good home no doubt. He is strong and takes kindly to strangers,” Alric said. “I’m just going to ride him once more and say my goodbyes.”

Terrwyn nodded but frowned as she thought about not seeing Brannoss again.

Alric hopped onto the horses back and lead him from the stall. He turned to leave the stable but paused. Something about this girl touched Alric’s heart. He was a solitary man and knew better than to get involved with other’s affairs, but he couldn’t help wonder about this poor girl Then something his wife said to him came to the front of his mind. She had always wanted to help the children that needed it, especially since she could have none of her own.

He paused in the doorway then turned back to Terrwyn. “You know, I could use some help around the house. Since my wife passed, things have begun to gone awry. You would have to cook and clean but it would be better than working in a stable.”

Terrwyn was shocked and suspicious. Living once again in a house sounded wonderful, but with a man . . . and alone, she was not sure.

Alric sensed her hesitation. “You have nothing to worry about. I am just looking for someone to take care of things, nothing more. I will pay you well. You will have your own room with a comfortable bed.”

Something about him was honest and Terrwyn trusted him. She walked over to where he sat on his horse. “It would be better than here I suppose. I accept, though I am not much of a cook. But I will learn.”

Alric smiled feeling as if he had done something good. “It will be a pleasure to have someone to talk to again.”

Terrwyn had a thought. “If you keep Brannoss, perhaps I can ride him for you. I will take as good a care of him as I do now.”

Alric smiled, maybe for the first time since his wife passed. “I think we can do that.”

And with that, Terrwyn’s life took a turn for the better.

* * *

Alric was wonderful to Terrwyn. He taught her many things that she would use throughout her life. The most important was how to wield a dagger. She had showed him the elvish blade that belonged to her brother. Alric looked upon it with amazement.

“In all my long life I have never seen an elvish weapon. And you say one of the fair folk gifted it to you?” he asked curiously.

“Actually, he gave it to my brother.” she said.

Alric looked at her from the corner of his eye. “I know how much you miss him. Never give up hope that you will one day be reunited.”

Terrwyn sighed. “And even if that were to happen, what kind of man will he be? The Haradrim are cruel. He may be more like them now then who he really is.”

Alric wrapped his arms around her, holding her in a fatherly embrace. “Should he ever meet you again, he will remember,” he whispered. Then he released her and a smile spread across his old weathered face. “Come now. Let me teach you a few defensive moves I learned from none other than the King of Rohan himself.”

Terrwyn looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. “You knew the King?”

Alric stood up straight crossing his arms. “Théoden and I were inseparable as children in the Mark. It wasn’t until he began his training for the throne that we lost touch. Still, we got together as often as we could and he taught me a thing or two. Now I will teach you.” He went to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “You know Terrwyn; you are becoming quite a lovely young girl and soon an even lovelier young woman. There are men out there that will try to take advantage of that.”

“You mean like those men that come by from time to time?” she said curiously. Over the past few months, a group of gangly looking men came to visit Alric. He would never let them in the house though they snuck looks past him and eyed Terrwyn as she stood by watching. Alric said they were past associates, but Terrwyn saw them as trouble. It seemed they wanted something from Alric. Whatever it was, he would not say or discuss it with her.

“You mustn’t fall for any of their false charms. I always told Nareena that if we had a girl, I would teach her to protect herself. The times are changing and there is no reason a woman must depend solely on a man. You must learn to be independent and wait for the right man to come along. He should be strong and kind. He should want to give you everything you wish for and support all your talents, let you become who you were meant to be.”

Terrwyn smiled and put her hand in her pocket. She secretly rubbed the wooden butterfly. “I don’t think I shall ever find a man that fits that description, but rather an elf if I am lucky enough.”

“My dear, the times are changing but they are not changing that quickly. They have rules and one of them is not to mix with humans.” he replied convincingly.

“I don’t know Alric. Once their magic touches you, it is as if they are a part of you. One day I wish to journey to their land.” Terrwyn got a far off look in her eye just then. “Have you ever heard them sing? It is a most beautiful sound. It has been stuck in my mind for years, as if I only heard it yesterday.”

Alric shook his head. “That is naught more than fancy dreaming, but you go ahead and make your dreams. Maybe you will get your wish one day. Who am I to say otherwise?”

Terrwyn kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you Alric, for believing in me. Now do not fret. I will be going nowhere so long as you are here. This is where my home is now and I am very content.”

* * *

Quite a few years had passed by. Terrwyn was now a beautiful young woman at eighteen. She was happy that she accepted Alric’s offer that day in the stable. He became like a father to her, teaching her many things. She became rather well at knife throwing. Alric gifted her a beautiful silver set with horses etched into the handles, a symbol of Rohan. She also learned to wield a sword, another gift from her adopted father and again a very expensive weapon. Alric was not able to work much in the past few years with his ailing health. He only took a job here or there, but not anything that would allow him to afford such luxury. One day she asked him about it as she was cleaning up after dinner.

“Alric, how is it you can afford such fine weaponry?” she asked him one day.

“I can afford it and that is all you need to know,” he answered.

“Well, you should not be spending it on me. You need it for the healers now,” Terrwyn argued.

“Ack, healers,” Alric protested. “What do they know anyways? I never told you this, but the day I was going to sell Brannoss was the day the healers told me I only had a few months left to live.” He walked to Terrwyn taking her chin in his calloused fingers. “And then you came into my life and I had purpose once more. I had someone to take care of, someone to raise. You gave me the best gift of all. So if I happen to buy you the finest weapons it is only out of the goodness of my heart.”

Terrwyn put down the dishtowel and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. “I appreciate everything you have done for me Alric. Everything you have ever given me has been beautiful. I just don’t want you to spend it all on me. I need no fancy weapons or trinkets. I am just grateful to have you. When you took me in, you saved my life and that is the greatest give of all.”

Alric kissed the top of her head and choked back a tear. “Well, you are worth it,” he finally managed to say.

Everything seemed to be going along well. Those men Terrwyn didn’t like still came by every so often, but they seemed to stay their distance as long as Alric was there. She could not help but notice they were becoming a little more aggressive. Other than this one problem, her life was going along quite fine. She kept a tidy house and learned to cook very well. Lately, she was taking care of Alric a bit more than before. His knees grew weak and it became hard for him to walk. He no longer took on any kind of jobs. Terrwyn however, started running errands for some of the older townsfolk. They in turn paid her for her time and she used that money for food. Alric would not hear of it at first, saying he had money stashed away that they could use, but Terrwyn still contributed in her own way, putting aside the money he gave her. She would put it back when he was not looking and never really seemed to catch on to what she was doing.

Every day, Alric seemed to get a little weaker and then one day he became sick with a fever. His skin was burning up but he shivered as if it was the dead of winter. Terrwyn did everything she could for him but he just seemed to get worse. With the money she saved up, she paid the best healer in Edoras to see Alric. He protested, yelled and ranted about the ‘damned healers’, but now he agreed to let her do this. They came and examined Alric with their tools and medicines. The fever eventually passed but it left him crippled and bed ridden. Finally, the healers determined that there was nothing else to do. He was completely dependent on Terrwyn now. This upset him at first but she calmed him.

“You should not be stuck here taking care of an old man. Most girls your age are already starting families of their own.” Alric sat up and took her hand.

Terrwyn smiled and laid her other hand on top of his. “You are talking nonsense Alric. Who else is there to take care of you? All these years we have had each other and I am not about to let that change now. Besides, there is no one who holds my interest here in the city, and I’m not sure there ever will be.”

“What about that nice young Rohirrim guard you pass on the way to the shops. You are always saying how polite he is and what nice conversations you have,” Alric said with a hopeful tone.

“Taldred? Well yes, he is very kind, but I do not see him as such. He is just a friend and I am very glad to have him as such.”

Alric noticed the far off glance in her eyes. “You still dream about the elves. Terrwyn, it can never be. Humans and elves, it is forbidden. Many a young man and woman have found themselves smitten with the fair folk. Legend tells us that only a few were granted such a relationship and even then, it was doomed. You are wasting your good child-bearing years taking care of an old fool and pining over someone you don’t even know exists.”

Terrwyn did not feel this way at all. Ever since meeting the handsome chestnut haired elf in Helm’s Deep, she longed to be amongst their kind. He touched her heart that day and gave her a gift she would never part with. It was as if a part of his elvishness embedded itself into her very soul. Alric would never understand her longing for he had not been touched. There was no use explaining it further or arguing with him so she fluffed his pillows and helped him to lie back down. With a warm smile and a squeeze of his hand, Terrwyn left to go about her daily chores.

* * *

A few weeks had passed now and Alric’s health was failing. He had developed a cough and it was becoming hard for him to breath. He hardly ate and even then, it was broth, nothing solid. Terrwyn’s heart was already breaking. She loved him like a father and wondered what would become of her when he passed. She would be alone again and the very thought frightened her. Maybe Alric was right about settling down with a nice Rohan man. Stability was very important to her, even if it meant marrying someone she did not love. Taldred, the young guard seemed to show an interest in her. He was very handsome and kind and would make a good husband, but she felt nothing towards him in that way. Could she learn to love him? Maybe she could just be content to have someone take care of her and give her a home. Eventually he would want children. Could she bare a child to a man she did not love?

As all of these thought plagued her mind, Alric stirred from his slumber and a cough attack ensued. Terrwyn ran to him, helped him sit up and held a cloth over his mouth. Lately he had been spitting up blood, another sign of his failing health. When the coughing passed, she wiped his face with a cool damp cloth and helped him to lie back down. Terrwyn sat with him until she was sure he was asleep. Just as she was about to get up, Alric slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. “I’m dying child. I can feel it. I do not have much longer.”

Terrwyn took his hands in hers and started to speak but he stopped her. “Listen my dear one. I have something that I want you to have. It is the reason I have always had money.”

She crinkled her brow and looked at him questioningly. Still, Alric would not let her speak. “I want you to go to the chest at the foot of my bed. There is something in there that you will need when I am gone, my treasure.”

“Alric, I have been in there many times. There is nothing but throws and bed linens in there,” she said.

The old man simply shook his head. “No my dear. In the very bottom is a secret compartment. There you will find a velvet bag with some jewels in it. It is no king’s ransom but it is worth something. I want you to take them and leave Edoras. This is no place to live. You deserve a much better life. Go to Gondor or travel far from here. Perhaps follow your silly dream and visit the elves. Just promise me you will not stay here. Go to find your happiness.”

“But why Alric? I am perfectly fine here in--”

“No!” he shouted with his last bit of energy. “You are not safe here. They will come for the jewels. They know Terrwyn, and they will come when they know I am gone.”

“You speak of these men that visit you don’t you?” she said with a quiet voice. “Alric, what do they want? What are these jewels you speak of?”

“It is a long story, but I was hired to find them. When I found out what they wanted them for, I could not give them over. One jewel is not worth much, but a pouch full is. My dear Terrwyn, they have ties to the Haradrim. They travel to the outer edge of Rohan and communicate with the enemy. They have been promised something if they deliver the jewels to one of the chief Haradrim. I cannot tell you what they wish to accomplish but it is very cruel and will destroy lives. They have no respect for women, especially ones as innocent and lovely as you.” Alric paused and sat up as best he could to look deep into Terrwyn’s eyes. “I have seen the way these men look at you. Why do you think I gave you the throwing knives? Why do you think I taught you how to wield a sword? I knew that one day I would not be here to protect you. I had hoped that you would be married off by now, and have a strong good man to protect you. Terrwyn, you are a beautiful young woman, a diamond amongst soot and coal. These men do not see you as thus. They would take you and--,” Alric stopped from describing it to her. “Please promise me you will do this. When I die, take the jewels and leave. Do not stay even one day. They will know and they will come.”

Not wanting to upset him, Terrwyn smiled and squeezed his hands. “I promise.” A tear came to her eye. “You have been like a father to me and for that I am so thankful.”

He smiled. “And you are the daughter my wife and I could not have. Thank you for fulfilling an old man’s dream. I love you Terrwyn, daughter.”

“And I love you too . . . father.”

Terrwyn helped Alric ease back into his pillows. She petted his forehead and kissed him tenderly. Then she settled into a chair next to his bed. She felt a change in the air and did not want to leave him alone. She watched as Alric’s breathing steadied and slowed. When it seemed he was resting peacefully, he took his last few final breaths and passed from the world. Terrwyn laid her head on his chest and cried softly into the night.
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Journey Of A Butterfly