Her head tilted towards his, the now bejeweled hand splayed against his chest. A moment or two later, however, a bubble of laughter escaped out of her and she sat back on her heels, just soaking in the sight of him. "So I take it yer pleased, yeah? No' ta disappointed?"
"Disappointed!? What would I be disappointed about?" His entire face was radiant. "This is the happiest moment of my life!" The mere fact that she would mention such a thing gave him pause. Studying her face, he asked: "Are you disappointed?"
She had been teasing him, fishing for compliments. The shift in his expression chagrined her. "No' at all. Ya might no' know it, but lots a girls dream of gettin' married when they're young. And when it actually comes ta her, and blows all of her daydreams ta smithereens... how could tha' be a disappointment?"
His hand trailed through her hair, tugging at it teasingly. "How did you envision this moment?" Adding after a moment. "Were you expecting it?"
"Well I never dreamed it bein' off of Hope, much less in Elessar, yeah? Nor wi' a man such as yerself .. " She chuckled a bit, unable to smile any wider. "An' I wondered a bit when that lady asked me when I was ta wed ya, but I wasn't expectin' it today."
"What lady?" Peredhil's ears perked.
Juliane smirked slightly. "Th' lady at th' assembly last night that asked if I was going ta marry ya and when I said ya hadn't asked me yet.... th' same lady who said ya'd be a fool no' ta."
"What did she look like?" He teased. "I'll banish her from Elessar."
"Well... she was about seventy or so years old, with white curls clinging about her face, and sparkling blue eyes." Another giggle escaped. "I'm sure th' Malonas will be able ta round her up in no time, yeah?"
He felt the hair on his arms raise. Drawing back from Juliane, his eyes were suddenly serious. "Elves don't age." Amending himself. "Or at least, they don't appear to age." He took a deep breath. "Juli, please try to remember: Did the lady have some sort of birthmark near her right temple?"
'She... " The change in his voice and in his attitude was alarming. Blinking her eyes, she tried to think back to that night, the torchlight, the crowds. Paling slightly, she nodded. "... had one, yes."
His tanned face turned ashen. He spoke slowly, his voice barely a whisper. "Juliane, remember how I told you that I visited a seer when I was a young lad?" He hesitated, then continued in a halting voice. "You-you saw her, Juliane." His mind reeled at the implications. What was she doing here in Elessar? For that matter, how had she tracked him down? After all, he'd visited her almost two decades ago, when he'd never heard of Elessar. The timing, and the fact that she had approached Juliane rather than him, increased his concerns. Rising from the bed, he began to pace around the room, biting his nails nervously.
"I did what?" To say that she was stunned was an understatement. Watching him react so, his steps wearing a pattern in the carpet, made her nervous. "What are ya thinkin' it means, Peredhil? Aren't seers jus' fortune tellers?"
Turning to face her, she noted that his eyes had turned a steely grey. "I thought so, but she's been right about everything." An involuntary shiver ran through him. Moving to his closet, he began to get dressed. "I have to find her."
As she scrambled out of bed, Juliane caught glimpse of the abandoned plate of breakfast. Not pausing a moment, she made a mental note to order a larger lunch once they got home, and went to where she had placed a few of her things. Securing a long tunic, she borrowed a pair of Peredhil's riding pants and a pair of boots, stuffing socks into the toes to make them fit.
As soon as she was ready, they left the room. Ana was summoned and ordered to put out a city-wide alert for the seer, although Peredhil knew it would be fruitless -- they would only locate her if she wished to be found. "This is going to sound crazy," Peredhil began, "but I can think of only one way to find her. It worked once before when I needed to find something." He shook his head, frustration evident in the frown that soured his face. "Let's go for a walk."
A blonde brow arched slightly. "Sounds like a fine idea ta me, yeah?" Linking her hand in his, she turned her gaze from one side to the other, scanning the bustling streets. "Which way do ya wish ta go?"
He shrugged, knowing it wouldn't matter. They wandered aimlessly through the streets, the Malonas encircling them. People greeted them eagerly, crowding around and slowing them down. Although Peredhil put on a cheerful smile, it was obvious to Juli that his frustration was growing. There were so many strange things about her appearance. Why now? Why here? Why did she say what she did to Juliane? And how was she still alive? Peredhil would have thought she'd be dead by now, given her advanced age when he'd seen her so many years ago.
Leaning in close, so that her voice carried for his ears only, she encouraged him gently. "Ya can't treat th' seer like a pot ya wish ta boil. Th' more ya try ta will her to, th' longer she might make ya wait. Smile, m'love." Squeezing his hand lightly, she returned the wave of a trio of teenage girls.
He nodded sullenly. "I suppose you're right."
Locking eyes with him a moment, she gave him a slow yet elaborate smile to prompt him to match it.
"Disappointed!? What would I be disappointed about?" His entire face was radiant. "This is the happiest moment of my life!" The mere fact that she would mention such a thing gave him pause. Studying her face, he asked: "Are you disappointed?"
She had been teasing him, fishing for compliments. The shift in his expression chagrined her. "No' at all. Ya might no' know it, but lots a girls dream of gettin' married when they're young. And when it actually comes ta her, and blows all of her daydreams ta smithereens... how could tha' be a disappointment?"
His hand trailed through her hair, tugging at it teasingly. "How did you envision this moment?" Adding after a moment. "Were you expecting it?"
"Well I never dreamed it bein' off of Hope, much less in Elessar, yeah? Nor wi' a man such as yerself .. " She chuckled a bit, unable to smile any wider. "An' I wondered a bit when that lady asked me when I was ta wed ya, but I wasn't expectin' it today."
"What lady?" Peredhil's ears perked.
Juliane smirked slightly. "Th' lady at th' assembly last night that asked if I was going ta marry ya and when I said ya hadn't asked me yet.... th' same lady who said ya'd be a fool no' ta."
"What did she look like?" He teased. "I'll banish her from Elessar."
"Well... she was about seventy or so years old, with white curls clinging about her face, and sparkling blue eyes." Another giggle escaped. "I'm sure th' Malonas will be able ta round her up in no time, yeah?"
He felt the hair on his arms raise. Drawing back from Juliane, his eyes were suddenly serious. "Elves don't age." Amending himself. "Or at least, they don't appear to age." He took a deep breath. "Juli, please try to remember: Did the lady have some sort of birthmark near her right temple?"
'She... " The change in his voice and in his attitude was alarming. Blinking her eyes, she tried to think back to that night, the torchlight, the crowds. Paling slightly, she nodded. "... had one, yes."
His tanned face turned ashen. He spoke slowly, his voice barely a whisper. "Juliane, remember how I told you that I visited a seer when I was a young lad?" He hesitated, then continued in a halting voice. "You-you saw her, Juliane." His mind reeled at the implications. What was she doing here in Elessar? For that matter, how had she tracked him down? After all, he'd visited her almost two decades ago, when he'd never heard of Elessar. The timing, and the fact that she had approached Juliane rather than him, increased his concerns. Rising from the bed, he began to pace around the room, biting his nails nervously.
"I did what?" To say that she was stunned was an understatement. Watching him react so, his steps wearing a pattern in the carpet, made her nervous. "What are ya thinkin' it means, Peredhil? Aren't seers jus' fortune tellers?"
Turning to face her, she noted that his eyes had turned a steely grey. "I thought so, but she's been right about everything." An involuntary shiver ran through him. Moving to his closet, he began to get dressed. "I have to find her."
As she scrambled out of bed, Juliane caught glimpse of the abandoned plate of breakfast. Not pausing a moment, she made a mental note to order a larger lunch once they got home, and went to where she had placed a few of her things. Securing a long tunic, she borrowed a pair of Peredhil's riding pants and a pair of boots, stuffing socks into the toes to make them fit.
As soon as she was ready, they left the room. Ana was summoned and ordered to put out a city-wide alert for the seer, although Peredhil knew it would be fruitless -- they would only locate her if she wished to be found. "This is going to sound crazy," Peredhil began, "but I can think of only one way to find her. It worked once before when I needed to find something." He shook his head, frustration evident in the frown that soured his face. "Let's go for a walk."
A blonde brow arched slightly. "Sounds like a fine idea ta me, yeah?" Linking her hand in his, she turned her gaze from one side to the other, scanning the bustling streets. "Which way do ya wish ta go?"
He shrugged, knowing it wouldn't matter. They wandered aimlessly through the streets, the Malonas encircling them. People greeted them eagerly, crowding around and slowing them down. Although Peredhil put on a cheerful smile, it was obvious to Juli that his frustration was growing. There were so many strange things about her appearance. Why now? Why here? Why did she say what she did to Juliane? And how was she still alive? Peredhil would have thought she'd be dead by now, given her advanced age when he'd seen her so many years ago.
Leaning in close, so that her voice carried for his ears only, she encouraged him gently. "Ya can't treat th' seer like a pot ya wish ta boil. Th' more ya try ta will her to, th' longer she might make ya wait. Smile, m'love." Squeezing his hand lightly, she returned the wave of a trio of teenage girls.
He nodded sullenly. "I suppose you're right."
Locking eyes with him a moment, she gave him a slow yet elaborate smile to prompt him to match it.