Work Text:
The return 23
Terri looked around herself. The lake and the young man were gone. She stood in wild fields surrounded by midnight forests. And overhead the stars blazed between storm clouds.
Her injured leg hurt. And she hobbled slowly to the forest edge to find a fallen branch to make into a crutch.
Then she listened and took a deep breath.
The moon rose, big and silver. A crescent moon. Terri could almost imagine a figure standing there in the shadow of the orb, holding the moon as a bow.
She rubbed her eyes and sat down.
She sat between the roots of a great knarled tree. Pale green moss hung from the tree like robes. And raindrops sparkled from each leaf.
Terri thought back on what had happened and what the beautiful young man had said about her world.
She knew in her heart that part was truth.
Then she thought of sis and her grandson slim. Were they still alive?
The thought of slim and poor sis being torn apart by orcs brought tears to her eyes and finally she sobbed quietly into her hands.
Something then plucked at her worn shirt sleeve.
She looked down it was twig fingers. they wrapped around her wrist in a comforting way.
But Terri stood up and pulled loose from them.
'No way…..I am mad at all you dam spirits.
What the holy hell is going on? Are you the lady tree again or what?
I mean no disrespect….but all this sucks and I am leaving.'
A breeze stirred the leaves over her head and made a soothing sound. Terri could feel her pain in her heart ease.
Then she hobbled angrily away. 'Nope…..nopenopenope…..!'
Little flowers of pink and blue and gold sprung up, under and around her feet, one bare foot and one with a worn sock. Some flowers climbed up her makeshift crutch.
'Go away…' muttered Terri
'Stupid flowers…..what are flowers when there is this much crap going on…'
The green sward rolled like a wave in front of her and swept the old woman gently off her feet and she was lying on her back looking up at the night stars.
'Fine…I'll lie here till you spirit things figure this out.'
As she lay on the sward looking at the stars she heard the muffled thump of hooves slowly walking towards her then stopping. Then the sound of a rider dismounting and landing on the grass in booted feet making the ground shake.
'Great, the dam horseman coming to make me into an orc.'
she pulled the 44 which had one bullet left.
Flowers pulled on her wrist and fingers and Terri yanked them off. She stood up.
It was the horseman. To Terri the sight of him was overwhelming his brightness and power.
The horseman thought,
How can you show yourself as a piece of the mind of Eru to a mortal child who knows us naught?
He then condensed himself smaller and smaller and dimmed the glow of creation that shone from his heart and eyes.
He stood next to his pearl white horse and stared down at the angry, fierce old woman.
She was part of him. A direct descendant, as his kind had diffused themselves into all arda when they came. She used his gifts, horses, dogs and cattle, hunting, tracking and woods craft.
She was aiming her weapon at his head. And her eyes squinted in concentration.
He put both his hands up. And knelt down in front of her.
'Get out of here,' Terri growled.
Then she fired.
Nothing happened.
That's weird, Terri thought. Misfire. A revolver seldom misfires.
She looked up from her weapon at the kneeling power.
He was not moving.
'Yeah you stay there.'
Terri figured he did not know that the chambered bullet was her last.
She hobbled over to a log and sat down.
'I'm still watching you, ' she told him and flipped the cylinder open. The bullet was there and set in place perfectly. But it had not discharged.
The horseman then thought to contain his voice down so it did not sound like the rushing winds of storms and bellowing of elk bulls. He tamed his voice to the point where she could hear him without fear.
'May I stand?'
Terri looked up and scowled.
'Go ahead, but don't come any closer.'
Then Terri satisfied the 44 was OK pointed it at him again.
'I want that creature you kidnapped back. I want him back, now! he looks like kin of fin and Tor and I don't think it right to do evil to someone.'
'I agree,' he answered.
'But it was not i who took him. It was another that was made to resemble me so the children would flee if they saw me.'
'What children?'
'All of you.' He answered.
'Look this is mighty interesting but I have no boots, one sock, I'm injured and my horse, dog and friends are gone.' Terri told him.
The flowers were back creeping up over Terri's knees.
'Dam what makes these dang things do this.' Terri brushed at them with one hand. The other held the big 44 pointed at the horseman.
The power in front of Terri sighed
Then he gently whispered a name.
Terri looked up at him abruptly, shocked.
It was Terri's secret name.
The name she took so long ago when she became an adult. The name you told no one.
Only Creator knew it.
Terri slowly holstered the 44. Then slid down to sit on the grass.
'I'm sorry. I apologize.' She said.
The flowers gently climbed into her lap and the horseman came forward and sat down on the grass in front of her.