"Is everything okay?"
Immediately as Finrod asked, Elessar burst into tears draping her teary face into her brown hands. Finrod ran forward, he had admired Elessar ever since he saw her take down the demon, he loved her confidence and her boldness that to see her in such a vulnerable position felt strange to him.
He held his hands over her crouched head hoping to pat her, however he couldn't build the courage to do so and he left his hands hanging.
"It's mother. I was just informed that nothing can be done and that she's only going to lose herself or die. I hate it, Finrod, this feeling of powerlessness."
Finrod's face squeezed, he knew the feeling too well, he was just as broken as she was.
She turned away facing her hut, "Mother was a strong warrior, she fought well with father against the demons but she was possessed by one of those clouds and after making her slaughter her people for an hour, she fought off the demon losing her mind in the process. Father is gone and I'm about to lose her, I just can't. "
She then wiped away her tears with her forearm and stopped her sniffling, wiping off the mucus escaping from her nose.
Finrod understood her plight, he had experienced it himself although he was much luckier. The hairs on his body rose as he realized that he could have easily ended up the way her mother did, however, maybe that wouldn't be so bad, she didn't have to worry about demons eating her alive while she was still conscious.
Elessar then walked forward, and Finrod followed. They both entered the conical wooden hut with a roof of thatch.
Finrod was hit with a certain coolness as soon as he entered, he pulled off his boots on the little entryway and then followed into what seemed to be the sitting room. They were wooden little statues sitting around on the tables by the wall, it looked like a person had such an interest in wooden figures.
There were two benches and three stools in the room placed at the edges, Finrod looked above appreciating the beautiful design of the roof.
Then, Elessar took a turn and so did Finrod. She opened a little door to the side exposing a resting woman in blankets on a mat.
She looked just like Elessar, she was pale and the black patches that had grown to her neck looked like they were sucking the life out of her.
[Berserker- lvl 13]
Elessar swiftly closed back the door and rested her head on Finrod's chest sobbing. His hands hesitated holding her but he finally did.
'I really hope I don't stink.' He couldn't help but feel particularly self-conscious.
After a few minutes, she withdrew herself from him and went outside, and Finrod followed.
She cleared her throat with a few 'hmph hmph' and wiped her face.
They both sat on the little porch the hut had and then she spoke.
"The chief informed me that you'd like some change of clothes and a meal." She said with her regular kind cheerful voice like she hadn't been whimpering minutes ago.
"Ehh?Yes?" Finrod sheepishly answered, he didn't want to make this moment about himself.
"There's a pot of water by the side where you can wash your clothes and I can lend you some of my father's clothes, I think they'll look great on you."
Finrod simply smiled, although he forced himself to do so.
To wash himself at the side, it also seemed like the Funari weren't squirmish about nudity as well. Elessar's abode did provide more sense of privacy as it was closer to trees than most huts.
'What do I do about this?'
"Do you know the story of Ener?" he proceeded with a story quite known to the elf clerics.
"No." Elessar replied, looking into Finrod's green eyes.
"Ener was an elven man who lost his love to a wildfire, he was betrodden by great sadness that made his heart heavy for centuries, until…"
"Until?"
"Another wildfire broke out once again bringing back flashes of the terrible memory again, this time it wasn't just his wife, it was the whole village he resided in. The unforgiving wave zoomed closer ready to turn everything in its path to ash. There, remembering the love of his people, Ener found the courage to resist. He was amongst the few blessed with mana and in that desperate moment he tapped into the power of the gods creating powerful winds that blew away the flames establishing himself as an elven hero and the first of our people to use the godly power." he finished.
"There's hope even in the most extreme situations, focus on what you can control." He advised and he remembered a good friend of his telling him just the same story and advice, alas that was a past that has been lost to time.
"That gives me hope and makes me feel better Finrod, Thank you. Help yourself to the clothes in the room opposite that of mother."
"You are most welcome."
Seeing that the feeling of sadness had greatly reduced from her, he stood and left her to abate the rest of the feeling. He left and headed to the room.
The little room had no windows and it was dark, Finrod had to rely on his feeling of touch as he searched using his hands. His hands then landed on a table and there he felt clothing on them, he grabbed a hold of a few and threw them out as he did.
A brown shirt of tunic laid on the ground, a brown leather skirt, an elven loose gown which surprised Finrod and finally a thick shirt of brown and its matching trousers.
Finrod didn't want to wear anything that would constantly remind him of his people so he ignored the gown, instead he went for the brown tunic shirt and the thick brown trousers. He then threw the others in which made him feel guilty about making a mess but he shook it away knowing he couldn't arrange them in the darkness.
He folded the outfit, went to the sitting room and removed his bow and placed down the arrows he had been holding for almost three hours.
'I need more arrows and a quiver.'
He then proceeded to the side of the hut opposite rows of trees and bushes. There, he pulled his black outfit that stank of blood and leaves and laid them on the soft black ground.
He opened the pot of water and spotted a bowl of water floating atop it. He poured a little of it on his naked body.
He then wore the brown shirt and thick trousers. As soon as he did, he doused his black outfit in the pot of water and began scrubbing.