The Shadow Hunter

Chapter 01: The Child of Silence

- T.A. 253, 12 years later -

Arwen’s clear blue eyes caught a flash of arrow flying among the trees. She blinked curiously and then smiled. She quietly but swiftly walked between the towering barks of the woods, knowing that the archer who had shot the arrow was none other than her quiet friend Varilerin. When she saw a black-haired head from between the leaves, she quickened her pace and dragged her grey dress in an effort to increase her speed.

Varilerin didn’t seem to notice Arwen’s arrival, for when her friend suddenly emerged from among the bushes she immediately jolted as if she was struck by a thunder.

“You’ve gone more skillful than I, Varilerin,” Arwen said before her friend could speak. Her eyes caught the target at which Varilerin had been shooting, full of arrows striking dead in its centre. Arwen gaped at this sight and looked at Varilerin in amazement and wonder. Varilerin withdrew the bow she had been holding to hide it and tapped her boots as she looked to the ground to conceal her embarrassment.

“Thank- thank you for your praise, My Lady,” Varilerin stammered, brushing her grey tunic nervously to turn her attention away. Arwen watched her friend’s behavior amusedly and smiled gleefully.

“You will make a great warrior, my friend. You should try join the ranger next time they go to the borders!” Arwen suggested sincerely.

“I… am still such a young archer My Lady. I will be more of a burden than help,” Varilerin muttered and turned her back. She didn’t say anything further and, like her usual response whenever she lost control of her emotions, ran away from her friend and disappeared into the woods. Arwen laughed gleefully and chased after the shy girl, but found herself unable to catch her speed because of her elegant long dress. Varilerin of course had the upper hand as she was wearing a tunic and leggings, but Arwen didn’t give in and continued to run after her.

“Varilerin!” Arwen shouted as she searched her friend among the trees. It was not difficult to find streaks of black hair between the leaves and soon Arwen had found Varilerin once more. They continued to play cats and mice until they reached the buildings of Rivendell, where the resident Elves jolted when they saw two elleths chasing after each other like wild animals. Varilerin found a large pillar and hid behind it, hoping to hide herself from Arwen, but she had not yet mastered the ability of concealment and soon Arwen found her. Arwen stopped to regain her breathing, but it did not cause her to stop laughing at her friend.

“You’ve gotten better at running away as well!” Arwen remarked before she encircled the pillar to catch Varilerin. Varilerin was, like Arwen had said, agile and dodged Arwen’s every attempts in taking hold of her. They continued to run circling the pillar, over and over until all the surrounding Elves were now watching them with amusement.

“Please, Lady Arwen, we need to stop this, please stop chasing me!” Varilerin pleaded without stopping her feet. Arwen smirked as a response and switched direction, finally meeting Varilerin’s silver eyes and grasping tight her arms to prevent her from escaping.

“Finally you have stopped!” Arwen said in satisfaction. Varilerin tried to wriggle free, but found that her friend was stronger than she looked. They were locked in such a position for several minutes, not noticing that the Elves were starting to laugh at their battle.

“What is happening here?” a deep voice echoed from the corridors. Arwen and Varilerin stopped their squabble immediately when they recognized the voice, belonging to Arwen’s father, Elrond. Arwen released her grasp from Varilerin and distanced herself, standing as if she had not done anything. Varilerin meanwhile lowered her head upon the possibility that they would be scolded by the Elven lord.

Elrond approached the two with glowering eyes and frowned at them. “I’ve told you two so many times not to cause trouble, and yet here you are chasing each other wildly, disturbing the peace I’ve tried to maintain in this valley!”

“Varilerin keeps running away whenever I approach her, Father. It is, though, my responsibility to keep her within safety, or else she might travel into the most dangerous parts of the forest!” Arwen excused herself. Varilerin lifted her head and looked at Arwen accusingly, her silver eyes blazing in annoyance.

“I merely trained, My Lord, and I have no intention to run away. I am just escaping from Lady Arwen’s disruption,” Varilerin reasoned quietly.

“I can no longer believe the words coming from the both of you,” Elrond said to stop them from glaring at each other. Deep inside, Elrond was actually amused seeing the two’s behaviors, and was pleased that Arwen had a good friend of her age. “Now, I believe I should separate you two to ensure peace is maintained.”

“Please, Father, I am only preventing Varilerin from training too much!” Arwen pleaded.

“I am not training too much, it is just something that will please Master Glorfindel,” Varilerin defended hesitantly.

“And I have, you should know that,” Glorfindel’s voice suddenly came out of nowhere. Varilerin shuddered and saw Glorfindel coming from the shadows of the corridors, well concealed despite his radiating appearance.

“Master Glorfindel,” Varilerin stammered as she gave her respects to her guardian.

“You don’t call me that, My Child,” Glorfindel said to her as he stood next to Elrond. Although he had always thought of her as his own daughter, Varilerin couldn’t stop calling him her master or teacher, though the title seemed fitting because Glorfindel was the mentor for Varilerin, both in battle or in knowledge. However, the fact that he had groomed a warrior elleth (or ellon, some with less keen observation called) skilled in the arts of bows, blades, riding, and tracking disappointed him truly. The result was inevitable, so the only actions he could do was to prevent her from straining herself in rigorous trainings she always did every day. “And I would like you to rest as well. You’ve exceeded the skills of those of your age, shouldn’t you be taking a break and enjoy the day?”

“I… certainly cannot,” Varilerin answered slowly, letting her raven bangs hide her face as she looked down. Glorfindel frowned in disbelief and slightly sadly. He saw that Varilerin had not changed despite becoming older as the year passed by. She had grown physically, yes, and it was undeniable that her beauty was flourishing in some ways and another. Little did she know that, despite her solitary attitude, she was quite known throughout Rivendell for her fair face and silver eyes. Her dark night hair was braided behind her ears and fell to her back. With the blood of Men flowing through her veins, her facial features were stronger and sterner compared to the fairer Elves, but she was still enchanting and mysterious.

However, her isolated behavior worried Glorfindel dearly. He couldn’t understand why she liked isolating herself from the others, even her kin, and often chose to remain in the shadows. She avoided the crowd and the buildings of Rivendell, preferring the tranquil and secluded woods, even sleeping on tree branches whenever night came. Her queer behavior intrigued many, but none knew her too well.

“You must rest, Varilerin, not that I have a vacant time, not when a gathering of our kin is held tomorrow,” Glorfindel told her, his eyes glancing at Elrond. Varilerin and Arwen seemed surprised at this information, which indicated that Elrond had not told them anything about it.

“Glorfindel is correct. Tomorrow our kin from Lothlorien and Greenwood will come to discuss some matters concerning the condition in these lands,” Elrond explained as he sighed. “I hope that you will attend, both of you, without making troubles of course.”

“And why should we, Lord Elrond?” Varilerin asked in fear. She, as many knew, disliked so much crowd and noise, and now Elrond was instructing her to attend such a large gathering!

“Our kin will also bring the younglings, not experienced and knowledgeable, to this gathering. They hope that this will build friendship among the younglings, which will be a good thing if in the future help is needed,” Elrond explained again, looking at Arwen. “And you should attend, of course my daughter, along with Varilerin-“

Elrond was utterly surprised when Varilerin was no longer by Arwen’s side. He glanced to his surroundings to search for the elleth, but found none of her presence. “How in the world?” he muttered when he realized that Varilerin had slipped past his watchful eyes, right under his nose.

“She’s really good at running away,” Arwen remarked, seeing her friend’s not surprising disappearance. “She has planned for this when she heard the news of the gathering.”

“Which she won’t attend, I am sure,” Glorfindel said confidently. “Not in a million years. She would flee again to ‘play’ with her ranger friends,” he continued with a small chuckle. “Just like what she’s doing now, I believe.”

Elrond sighed loudly and shook his head in disbelief. “Speaking of that child, I am afraid that there’s nothing we can further discover about her heritage, Glorfindel,” Elrond informed his friend disappointingly. “Lady Galadriel has tried to reach our kin in other woods, but none gave her a satisfying answer.”

“Then it is such a shame,” Glorfindel said. “For us, the most knowledgeable in Middle Earth to know so little…. Truly, Varilerin’s fate is a mysterious and sad one.”

“But not all hope is lost,” Elrond said to him. “Maybe it is not for us to discover her heritage, but herself; and for that we must wait.”

oOo

Varilerin walked silently through the shining trees of Imladris, her bow clutched safely in her hand. Her face was still warm red from the numerous events that had happened before, and she tried her hardest to shake the embarrassment off her head. She had never liked praises, not as much as normal elves do. They made her uncomfortable and caused her to lower her guard down, a thing she couldn’t let happen with her warrior discipline. Letting one’s guard down meant instant death for her, something that she disliked the most.

She had been told the story about her mother during her younger years from Glorfindel, slowly but complete. Only a single tear dropped from her eyes, the first time she ever cried, and she hoped the last. She may smile and laugh less than the other elves, but she had never cried, a thing she couldn’t comprehend even as she got older and wiser. Her face had always shown tranquility, calmness, and no excessive emotions. However, the moment she heard her mother’s tale, her heart ached more painfully than any she had experienced. She remembered that that day was the first time she started wandering in the woods alone and started sleeping on trees. The woods had offered her protection and comfort ever since then, just like what how they calmed her now.

Varilerin stopped beneath a large tree and looked to its thick branches. The leaves immediately rustled when she did so, and two figures fell from the trees, both faces concealed with brown hoods and their hands carrying a bow. “My friend, it’s a surprise to see you at this time!” one of the figure said as she patted her tunic and pulled her hood down. An elleth with wavy oak hair smiled at Varilerin cheerfully. “Tell me, what has happened?”

“She must have dealings socially,” the other said as he too pulled his cloak, revealing a fair masculine face and brown straight hair that fell to his shoulders.

“No, Ellain, Ruindoldir, I am merely wandering around,” Varilerin lied to her friends, though they knew Varilerin too well.

“Oh, the gathering,” Ellain guessed accurately. She then chuckled and rummaged Varilerin’s head, causing a mess to her locks. “I see you’ve been asked to join the ‘society’ once more?” Ellain continued, a glee smile curving from her lips.

“Do not tease her, Ellain, she has gone through much,” Ruindoldir told her. Ellain obeyed his command and pulled her hand away. Varilerin was clearly annoyed by her action, treating her like a child and all, but didn’t show it in her face, or had no reason to show it to her closest friends. Ellain and Ruindoldir were rangers of Rivendell, pledging themselves to protect the valley from harm. Her meeting with them was very unlikely in the woods, but Varilerin found herself more comfortable with them than the other Elves of her age, except for Arwen of course.

“You should probably try going, Varilerin,” Ellain suggested. “I’ve been there once and it’s very fun actually. Now I am eager to join once more, but cannot because of my duties. Such as shame.” Ellain sighed dreamily as she said so, causing raised brows to Varilerin and Ruindoldir.

“Well, Ellain is correct, Varilerin. This gathering is held not often, last time when Elladan and Elrohir were still a child. You need to attend it because the next time it happens, you might be like us, busy with our duties,”

“I am not slightly interest in attending,” Varilerin retorted quietly. “And I like duties more than social interactions,” she continued.

“You’re hopeless aren’t you?” Ellain sighed. Varilerin gave the two of them a small ridiculing smile, slightly proud that she had annoyed her friends. “And here we thought that we can change you,” Ellain continued. “I guess you’ll stay the same forever….”

“Some things cannot be changed, Ellain,” Varilerin added. Secretly she didn’t want to change her nature, not that it had become one with her. She unlike many liked the loneliness, the feeling of privacy when she was away from the others. None could change that, she knew, and she preferred to stay that way.

“Enough with this useless argument,” Ruindoldir finally said. “Soon the Greenwood Elves will be coming, and we’re here quarreling. Lord Elrond will be furious if he sees us.”

“Do you want to join us, Varilerin?” Ellain offered without asking for agreement from Ruindoldir. “The more the merrier!”

Varilerin thought about the idea for a moment and after deep consideration, she nodded. Ellain grinned widely, glancing happily to Ruindoldir’s disagreeing stare. “She’ll be fine, Ruin, she’s even more skillful than you if I should say!”

Ruindoldir scowled, but finally nodded reluctantly. “Farewell then. Don’t get lost, however, for we’re getting farther than you’ve ever been in Imladris.”

Ruindoldir turned his back from Varilerin and began leaping on the tree branches. Ellain sent her friend a last small smile, before following Ruindoldir’s agile movements. Varilerin stared in amazement at the two, before she jumped to the trees, and journeyed to the borders of Imladris.