The pouch at Rhibi's waist that once held an optimistic 2 cakes of lembas is flat and empty. His face, clean not so long ago, is once again streaked with tears and dirt. Coming to another fork in the interminable dark forest (this one looking exactly like all the others he has passed), he stops and looks each direction. No one there, nothing he recognizes at all. With a quiet whimper, immediately choked off, he curls himself up at the base of a huge tree. Wrapping his arms around his legs and burying his face in his knees, he begins to cry.
The tree bends slowly--
From high above, a pair of eerie green eyes might be seen spying down upon the shuddering form at its base. Yet the tree moves no farther than that, content with merely observing the small elf for now.
Not too far away from Rhibi, an innocent looking bush shakes a little bit, then a bit more. Suddenly amid it's leaves appear light curls, quite unusual for a bush of its type. Green eyes follow, peering curiously at the little edhel. "Rhibi? Is that you?" it whispers, and moves some more, until it becomes apparent that the curls do not belong to the bush, but to a small elleth named Magliell. "What's wrong, Rhibi?" she asks, going towards him, play sword trailing after her.
Sniffling as he tries to control his tears, Rhibi raises his head and scrubs at his face with the back of one hand. He is too miserable to even pretend to be brave anymore. "I can't find Cabor or Hinloth or Gailglin or anybody. And .. and I'm hungry and tired and I want to go home!" His voice rises to a soft wail on the last word, and a fresh flood of tears floods down wet cheeks.
Magliell reaches him and plops down beside him. "They're all around here somewhere...or, they were before I fell asleep over there." She points one small, somewhat chubby finger back to her bush. "Don't you have any more lembas? And why would you want to go home! We have to found the Fangornhrim!" She looks at him with a puzzled expression on her small face, herself well-rested and, for the moment, having completely forgotten about the emptiness in her stomach.
"Hoom," a strange voice booms from above -- yet the voice is not entirely strange, for at least Magliell has heard its like before.
"I don't care. I want to go home." One small arm unwinds from around his leg and fumbles for his pouch. He holds it out, upside down and gives it a shake. A few crumbs fall. That's all. "No, I don't have any more. You go found Fangornhrim."
An echoing voice is heard high above them and Rhibi twists his head around and stares up and up. An enormous distance above him are two shining green eyes. "Is it the Ent?" Absently, the small elf pats the roots beside him. "He saved Hinloth from drowning."
Magliell vaults to her feet, craning her neck up until she can see it's eyes. "Hey, you're that Ent we met before!" She gives it an experimental poke with her stick. She then precedes to ramble out questions as fast as she can think them up. "I suppose you're awake now? Why did you just stop like that before? Do you have anything we can eat? Where do you live? Are there others like you? How many are there?"
"Hom, hrum, hoom!" the Ent bursts out, in something akin to rumbling laughter. "Now, now, haste makes waste we like to say."
The tree moves effortlessly, despite whatever might be clinging to him. "We have decided to set forth a task for you."
Rhibi turns wondering eyes on Magliell. His tears have stopped now but his attempts to wipe them away haven't helped the cleanliness of his face any. "You met him too? When? You weren't there." Reminded by the thought, he takes another look around the forest, and then turns back to his babbling companion with accusation in his eyes. "Where are.." Just then the trunk he had been leaning against moves, and with a stifled yelp he leaps to his feet, almost tripping over himself in his efforts to get out of the way. "A t-task?" he falters, neck craned back as far as it will go. "W-what kind of task?"
There is a great silence.
"You must find," the ent says slowly. Then it stops entirely.
"A shrubbery!" the Ent continues at last, seeming to have gotten back to task.
Magliell shoots a glare at Rhibi and ignores him completely, turning her attention fully to the Ent. Scrambling to her feet as it begins to move, she backs up as it comes forward, not stopping her busy stream of questions. "A task? Can we have food first? A shrubbery? What in the world do you want a shrubbery for? Can we still have food first? Please, Hir Ent? Then I'll go and find you a shrubbery, I guess."
"Hrum," the Ent says, seeming agitated that it was roused from a slumber. "You may drink the water from yon river. It is, hom, how do you elves say, refreshing. Such a hasty word, refreshing."
And then it goes still again.
"But.." Rhibi stops totally bewildered. "There are bushes all around you." He turns in a complete circle, checking to make sure his eyes have not deceived him. "What do you want more for?" As the ent remains silent, he shrugs resignedly. "I wonder if he wants it dug up or not? I hope not, I don't have a shovel." Turning completely around again, he spots a likely bush. "Hey! Oh, they don't like yelling." Softer he calls, "Hir Ent! Will this one do?"
The Ent makes a great shaking sound, his vast network of limbs and branches shaking loudly. The green eyes open at last, and peer intently down at the shrubbery. "Hrm," he says thoughtfully, looking then at the elf, "I reckon that one will do. Since you have done this for me, I will answer -one- of your questions."
Hard emphasis is placed on 'one'.
"Just one? Hir Ent, that's not fair! I have so many!" She taps one tiny foot while she thinks, nose scrunched up as if trying to squeeze the right question out. "Well...I guess I can always ask more later. But, where can we find more substantial food? Water won't make our stomachs stop hurting..." To emphasize, she puts her two hands on her own stomach, looking pitifully up at him.
"Food?" the Ent asks, as though the word is foreign to his tongue. "Hrm, yes, that's right-- you elves need to eat. Hom, hum, well, there are many small animals that live with us in this forest. You may be able to catch them, though, hrum, I still think eating so much is quite hasty."
"Ask him how to get home," Rhibi whispers urgently, but it is too late. His scowl is softened by the mention of food though. And at the thought of food, his stomach growls audibly. The ent's suggestion makes his face fall ludicrously. "Isn't there anything else? Berries or something?"
"One question!" The Ent booms, as though terribly roused. But then the leaves cease their shuddering and the Entish rumble begins anew.
"Hrum," it says thoughtfully, "hom! Indeed, berries and, hrum, many edible plants can be found if you look carefully. But," its voice turns foreboding now, "don't wander too far to the east. Black things walk there... and, hrum, I almost like you."
Two large hands move slowly downard and give the elflings an almost fatherly pat on the head.
A rush of air displaced by Stiffroot's enormous hand, tousles Rhibi's brown hair. Of course, it was already so messy, it might be hard to tell the difference. Light green eyes stretch enormously staring upwards, and the small elf moves not a muscle as the hand reaches down and touches his head. "Sorry," he whispers. "Thank you."
"Hm, OK then, Hir Ent. Thank you! Mayhaps I should go and look now, I'm starving!" Magliell waves cheerfully, starting off, curls bouncing as she goes. "Namarie, Hir Ent! I would stay and chat longer, but I really am very hungry!"
"Magliell! Wait..." But even as Rhibi turns, she disappears. Shoulders sagging, he sits back down in the dirt and leans back on his hands, the better to see to the top of the huge tree-like creature. His forehead wrinkles, creasing the layers of grime, and then he nods his head decidedly. Not a question. "These are very nice trees you have here. Although, I think the mallyrn are prettier. Do you... I mean, I would like to climb one." He peers upwards hopefully.
"Hrum," the Ent says thoughtfully.
And then it falls silent and still again, apparently having slipped back into a fitful slumber.
"He didn't say no.." Rhibi says to himself. And hunger, loneliness, homesickness, all is forgotten. His eyes start to sparkle, and he eyes the length of the tree; before starting towards it.
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