By Caitey M Gehan
Word Count: 848
Rated: G (A little bit of visible violence)
Summary: Manwae, the lady-in-waiting of Arwen, is sent out to defend the weak of Middle Earth and perhaps find her sister, Menuaindo.
Manwaelmelwe awoke from the fear of the boulder coming closer. Every time she fell asleep, it seemed the boulder was closer to crushing her! Manwaelmelwe (known fondly as Manwae by her friends) could never seem to come to peace with the events of that fateful day when the large boulder killed Skogrim the dwarf in front of her eyes. Back then, she was just a mere apprentice and had not yet become acquainted with war. Though Skogrim posed a threat to the elves of Rivendell, his death could never be forgotten.
Since she was now awake, Manwae decided to check with the guard, Ando, to see if any new information about her sister had arrived. The reason Manwae could never forget the war was because her twin sister, Menuaindo, had been separated from her during the skirmish. They had been together all their lives. After killing a bear at the tender age of eight, the two had even trained as huntresses together. Once the dust had cleared from the boulder that ended the enemy of the elves, Menuaindo was nowhere to be found. However, Ando would be given news of any events no matter the size, even from as far away as Hobbiton.
The elf with the sharp ears had heard of some of the accomplishments of Menuaindo, but she would vanish from the area by the time someone arrived to the location of the deed. Her training in the art of hunting had taught Menuaindo to be swift and to never waste time, lest the prey run away. However, sometimes horses cannot be found and one must travel on foot to the next location, or a storm could cause one to spend the night in a town instead of traveling. Manwae never gave up hope that these circumstances would slow her sister down enough to find her. Perhaps Ando would have some good news today!
“Aya, Ando! A star shines bright upon our meeting! Any news of my swift sister?”
“May Govannen, Manwae! Your sister has slipped from my ears; I have not heard of her today.”
Disappointed, Manwae walked back to Elrond’s house. The lady Arwen would soon awaken from her slumber, and it would be proper to accompany her for breakfast. Manwae had been at a loss of what to do after her teacher died, so since she showed much potential, Elrond had decided to make Manwae the lady-in-waiting of Lady Arwen so Lady Arwen would not be so lonely in her house. After all, the love of her life had recently left Rivendell, and she needed a friend. By the time Manwae arrived at the grand hall for breakfast, Lady Arwen had just started to eat.
“May Govannen, Manwae! Have you heard any news of your sister, my friend?”
“Well met, Lady Arwen. Unfortunately, no news has come today. Perhaps tomorrow will bring better news.”
After finishing breakfast, the two friends decided to walk amid the forest. All of a sudden, a giant boar blocked their path. Manwae yelled at the beast, trying to convince it to move. Alas, this only made the beast angry and charge towards the young ladies! Manwae glanced back at Lady Arwen and saw the look of fear and defeat in her piercing eyes. Seconds separated the Lady Arwen from her fate. If Manwae did not act in time, the immortality of elves would be put to the test. Manwae pulled an arrow from behind her, placed the arrow in position, took a deep, determined breath, and brought flight to the arrow. The boar fell inches from Lady Arwen, its heart slowly oozing its life force.
Arwen was in shock; she had heard the legends of both Manwae and the legends of the boar. Many had lost their lives to the tusked beast without it ever meeting defeat or capture. “Well,” she thought, “it is fitting that it was a legend that killed the legend.” After seeing the skills that Manwae possessed, Arwen knew that keeping her in Rivendell as the whole of Middle Earth suffered was unfit.
“Manwae, the skill you have with the bow should not be wasted on formal dinners. You must help those that are not strong in our world. Tomorrow, I will give you my horse. You must ride to Celondim and see if any help is needed. Perhaps on your adventures, you will find your sister.”
Manwae was shocked by this statement. She had never been outside the borders of Rivendell, but she had heard about the monsters that lived outside her home. There were even rumors that someone was organizing an army of orcs, and some areas had Trolls and Barrowights! Even if she did manage to defeat some of these monsters, Manwae had heard that many weak people lived in Middle Earth. She would never have time to find her sister if she was to help as many as she could! However, she respected Lady Arwen and knew that she was in the right, so she agreed to make the journey. So begins the adventures of Manwaelmelwe, and there are many!