The Quest
Chapter One
Walking down the well trodden path as the rays of sunlight came splashing over
the horizon like gentle waves upon the sand was Junels favorite part of the day like gentle waves upon the sand was Junels favorite part of the day even if her mother must come with. (She was very talkative and that annoyed Junel sometimes) It could be so peaceful and quiet that you would hear the tiny brook bubbling and splashing long before you got to it at the end of the long lane. Once in a long while Junels twin sister June would stumble out of bed rubbing her eyes and yawning to come with but that was seldom.
On one such morning she and her mother were out for their daily walk, when, slithering out of the bushes a came a snake. Its' eyes were red as a rose and its body was black as midnight. Inside its mouth the fangs were whiter than pearls. Mother and daughter both stopped to let it pass by, neither being very fond of snakes in the first place, But also because this one was to different from the common grass snakes they often saw. When the snake would not move they turned slowly about and took a step back the way they had come. As they left the snake struck out with its pearly white fangs and bit the mother on her heal. Instantly the snake disappeared while Junel watched in horror as her mother sank slowly to the ground. Recovering from her shock Junel started screaming for help and soon many neighbors had gathered. Some still yawning and rubbing the sleep from there eyes. Her mother had not died but she never recoved and was always mumbling to herself.
That had been 30 years ago and now Junel was 35. She still took her walk to the brook every day but she walked it alone. Her mother would not often leave the house and sat in the kitchen baking and mumbling half the day and spending the other half sleeping or writing. June to never would go down that way unless under great obligation for she had taken the change in their mother worse then Junel. Junel shuddered remembering that day and tried to think of something pleasanter. Picking a flower off of the path she wondered how the snake had disappeared. When she had tried to explain it, everyone had said "Oh now dearie, your just upset. Things don't disappear like that probably a trick of the light." She never brought it up again. Maybe it was a trick of the light maybe it was not. She had been the only witness. Sighing, she turned around to go back to the cottage for another day of cleaning and taking care of mama. Walking slowly she chanced a glance back and there on the path, looking regal and majestic sat the black snake. One fang missing from his mouth.
Slinking from tree to tree, Elantir tried to think up an excuse why, once again she would be late for the feast. If she told the truth she would surly be banned from leaving yet she hated to lie. Hearing a noise she dropped into a crouch, her grey eyes throwing glances at every shadow, piercing through them franticly hoping that she was not discovered yet. Not until she could circle around to the other side so that her real direction would not be known. But her hopes were of no avail. A sudden hand was laid on her shoulder and the voice of Neil spoke to her." Well, well, well, what have I here? A runaway! My, won't my father be glad to see you. I don't think that your little "expeditions" will continued after the information I have," he said while laughing.
"At least I have the courage to do It.," she said to him hoping to annoy him. It worked. Yanking hard on her hair he pulled her to her feet, pointed south and said, "March!" Elantir new he was trying to sound like man but really he sounded more like his little brother playing capture with the other few children. That made her want to laugh.
Junel unwillingly turned to face the snake. All she wanted to do was run and
yet she could just stand there as if struck dumb staring at this snake. A thousand emotions seemed to rip her apart inside. She was angry at the snake for ruining her mother, scared of it and its power, amazed by its evil beauty and confused why it had come back. What more could it do unless it had come for her as well. To put her, Junel, under its spell the same as it had her mother. In the end, anger and confusion won. Pulling herself up to her full height (which was not much) she looked it in the eye and confronted it in a harsh tone.
"Why have you come back? What more do you want? Are you here to hurt someone else? To make others subject to you?"
The snake looked levelly back at her, forcing her to look away. When it replied its voice was oily smooth. " Why do you lay so much crime upon me, a snake that you could easily smight and destroy? Did I not try to save your mother from an enemy and then get blamed for the tragedy because I was the only one there to be seen?"
Taken aback by these words she thought about them, yes, the snake had been trying to save her mother but was not able so something else bit her! O, how silly she had been all these years! Relief flooded through her whole body. Looking back at the snake she quickly adverted her gaze. Its eyes seemed to pry into her intermost being, as if by magic it could read her thoughts and know her deepest secrets. See the relief flood her face it made a mistake, the snake smiled reveling the hole in its mouth were the tooth used to be. Junel started to smile back and froze on seeing the gap. What have I been thinking? That snake is a liar. I must go before its too late! Once again as if reading her thoughts, the snake now gave himself a name and reassured her that he had done no harm.
" My name," he began in his honey sweet voice," is Lowern. All that I came back for was to heal your mother." Junel gasped, how could this evil thing do that when the best of doctors could find no cure? He continued "You do want her better, don't you? You would not wish for old grudges to get in the way of her healing now would you?" Seeing some confusion on her face, he inwardly laughed wickedly, The dumb, dumb, girl (for girl she still was) she will take the bait believing I can do such a thing. Ha, little does she know my cure will destroy instead of cure. I havent had this much fun in years.
"How could you do that, I mean, heal her?"
"Simple all you must do is trust me. That is simple is it not?" asked the snake." I will give you three days to think about it. Then I will return for my answer." On saying this Lowern disappeared Just like when he bit mother. She though. Turning, she walked slowly back up the path with the snakes words ringing in her ears.
Upon reaching home her mother was all in a flurry. Her eyes were feverish and glazed over. They seemed to see things that were not visible to others and struck out blindly often knocking over things in her confusion.
"Mama, whatever is wrong?" June kept asking while Junel tried other ways all the while wondering if this had to do with the snake. Sudden fear gripped her, if she did not do what the snake wanted, trust him, what would he snake do to them? Would he hurt them all? His request had been simple, Just trust him, thats all I need to do. " O, if only life were simpler." she sighed aloud.
" If life were simple," began June, who had taken to telling proverbs to all who would listen " there would never be anything worth living for. Everyone would get fat an lazy."
Not me. Junel thought rebeliosly, I'd do my work and then have fun.
June could always tell when her sister was thinking "unlogicly" as she called it so now was no diferent.
" Junel, you know that if life were easy you would NEVER wash the dishes or sweep and mop the floor."
" If life were easy there would be no dishes to wash." Junel mumbled while trying to get her mother to take a nap. Shooting her sister a look June went back to polishing the few silver items the family owned. Her family was not all that diferent from the other folk around Meawe, a small town on the borders of Westmin. Westmin was a province of little importance and most of the people liked being somewhat away from all the hustel and bustle of other folk. Even if they were never as wealthy.
Junel turned her mind back to the task at hand, why must her mind always wonder from the duty at hand? Upon reaching the room, Junels mother practicly leaped to the bed and was asleep within moments. Her head filled with dreary thoughts, she slowly closed the door and walked softly down the hall.
Far to the north in the hidden valley of Ghonfonin only known to few, a different problem was going on. Neil had brought Elantir before his father Lord Fenondolin, was now was trying to diside what to do with her. He had promised her father that he would watch over and shelter Elantir. And so he had adopted her in a way and loved her as much as his own sons and daughters. But even though he loved her, Lord Fenondolin could not stand to be disobeyed. Elantir had always had a mind and will of her own and would stand firm on something to the bitter end if she deemed that she was right.Even if she found out the hard way she ws wrong. 'O, what a little nusance she had been growing up. All the things she had found out the hard way.' Thinking of these things he chuckled a little to himself, sighed and came back to the present. As he looked at Elantir standing before him, her eyes emitting only the slightest of emotions and those, when they leaked through he always found amusing. He used to see those thoughts and emotions often but as she grew older, she learned to keep her eyes blank and void of all emotion so that the glimces became less and less. Sighing again, he did the only thing he new he could do though even he, Lord Fenondolin greatest of all the Newva, could not change the future. he sentenced Elantir to her chambers even though that was not much of a punishment. But his heart was heavy and he needed to leave and think to himself.
Glancing up after Elantir had left, he saw the disapointment that the punishment was not harder on his sons face. One day Neil would learn why his father did what he did. One day he to would know all that went on in the world and carry the burden of not being able to change it.
ale Green
