The road they took once leaving Tirion seemed well travelled based on how little grass had grown there. They went three abreast, with Eve beside Huan on the right. Farmsteads lined the road for the first two hours, fields of wheat and corn the most noticeable for Eve. The road headed south. Occasionally the travelers passed others, most heading into Tirion.
"How far is the festival?" Eve asked Tyelko who rode beside her. "You guys said we'd be gone awhile."
"It will take a week to reach the Plains of Yavanna, and her orchards are near there," Tyelko told her.
She looked at him in surprise. "Really? Wow. That's a long way."
But Tyelko merely shrugged. "There are inns along the way to rest in, should we desire. I ride often even further, to Oromë's forests."
"Oromë, Yavanna," Eve tried the words carefully. "Who are they?"
At that question, Tyelko faced her quickly. "They are two of the Valar."
She nodded. "I've met some of those."
She didn't miss the humorous expression on Tyelko's face but she chose to ignore it. The day passed slowly by, the sound of quiet chatter and the beating of hooves on the ground the only real noises. Flocks of birds occasionally soared overhead, and Eve fancied she saw two dozen travelers on their way south that day.
Every so often a small settlement popped up beside the major road. It usually consisted of an inn and a few houses, nothing fancy. They passed all of them. Eve ate a fruit that looked and tasted like a pear for lunch. Amazingly, she didn't feel particularly hungry despite the lack of a substantial meal. By the time night fell, they reached a larger inn than anywhere previous.
Nelyo helped Eve down from her horse as they stopped. She hugged Alassë as best she could before stabling her and following the rest of her companions inside. Instantly she regretted it, for as they walked inside, a massive tavern opened up. It was classy, almost like a bar at a fancy restaurant back home with it's mahogany tables and wine racks. But all she could smell was the alcohol and it made her sick. Tyelko and Nelyo paid for rooms but Káno stood beside Eve and after a moment of watching her, knew something was up.
"I forgot something with the horses," Káno told the others quickly. "Eve, can you come help me?"
She nodded silently and ducked back out the door with him. About halfway to the stable he paused and pulled her aside. Káno looked down at her face and saw unshed tears. "Clearly you are not alright."
"N-no. I'm fine," she assured him with a fake smile. "What did you need with the horses?"
"Nothing. I merely wanted to get you out of the inn before you became sick or sobbing," he told her quietly, his voice low as more patrons arrived from the road. "My brothers are not always observant."
Eve nearly laughed at his assertion, and would have if not so disconcerted by the alcohol smell. Instead she merely rubbed her arm and sighed. "It's just memories."
"Clearly they are bad ones," he reminded her with a frown. "Were you hurt at a place such as this?"
Eve opened her mouth and then frowned right back, sighing in defeat. "I drank a lot on the night I died. Probably too much, to be honest." She wiped a few tears away. "I went to a bar, a place like this. And then... got killed as we went home. Now that's all I can think of when I smell the wine and stuff. It's stupid."
Káno looked at her sadly, a solemn expression on his face. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "If you do not wish to join us in the tavern, you do not have to."
Eve straightened herself up and nodded slowly. "We'll see how it goes."
"Alright." He softly smiled at her. "Come. The others will be wondering what happened."
Eve followed him back inside. Though she was hit with the smell of wine and spirits yet again, she forced herself to think of happier times. They found the others waiting in the entrance, chatting with one another. When Eve and Káno entered they waved them over. Together they went to the inn half of the establishment and found their rooms. Eve's sat adjacent to Káno's, who roomed with Findekáno and Nelyo. Across from them, Moryo and Tyelko shared a room. Eve missed the whisper Káno shared with Nelyo as she put her stuff down. They reconvened in the hallway.
"I am going to the tavern," Moryo asserted quickly.
Eve glanced at Káno before shaking her head. "I'll stay here."
Nelyo watched Eve carefully before nodding. "I think I will stay here. There will be many patrons tonight which I do not care to deal with."
"I'll stay behind as well," Findekano added, glancing from Nelyo to Eve.
Káno added, "I will, also."
With a laugh, Tyelko smirked. "I suppose I will babysit Moryo."
Moryo's face grew bright red. He hit his brother in the arm. "I do not need an escort."
"Ow!" Tyelko merely laughed again. "You are an angry drinker, Moryo. Do not deny it."
"It is because I must put up with you," Moryo bit back quickly. He turned to the others, still seething from his brother's insult. "Stay if you wish. I plan to enjoy myself." He turned on his heels and headed back to the tavern half with Tyelko following closely. Huan stayed behind with Eve.
The others ended up retiring to the larger room belonging to the three men. Eve sat on one of the four beds, Huan next to her. Findekáno pulled up a chair and Nelyo sat on a second bed close by.
Káno told them he was content to lean against the wall. "I sat all day on a horse. I do not need to keep sitting."
Nelyo, his back against the wall as he sat on his bed, looked at Eve. "You are a natural with horses, and other animals." He let his gaze wander to Huan, and he smiled. "Huan loves people, but he has taken a liking to you particularly quickly."
"I love dogs. I had one as a kid," Eve told them. "Definitely not this size though. Huan is huge!" She ruffled the fur on the dog's head. "Her name was Goldie. She was a golden retriever." With a small laugh, she added, "My naming skills at three were top notch."
Findekáno chuckled. "I think that is a good name. Straight and to the point."
"So Tyelko has Huan, but do lots of people have pets here?" Eve asked them. "And second, do you think your father would absolutely object to having a cat?"
Nelyo laughed. "The answer to your second question is we do not know. Our father would definitely say no to a dog. Huan was hard enough for the family and he was only in the house for a few months before Tyelko moved out. Then again, Moryo was a handful as a child which made things worse." He shrugged. "I do not know about a cat. They are easier than dogs, it is said."
"Oh, way easier. Barely a competition." She scooted higher on the bed. "My cat Spencer was so easy to care for. And cats are just awesome so, I'm sure it wouldn't be hard."
"I would speak to Lady Nerdanel first," Findekáno suggested. "She might know what Lord Fëanáro would say."
Káno agreed immediately. "Definitely talk to our mother. She might be able to help."
"Will do." Eve hugged Huan absentmindedly as her thoughts drifted to darker places. Thinking of home caused her words to falter. While the others kept chatting, she fell silent.
This time it was Nelyo who caught it. As a witty joke died down between Finno and Káno, he spoke quietly. "Eve, what is going on in your thoughts?"
She shrugged and shook her head. How could she explain it to a bunch of people who had basically no concept of death. Beyond that, she had been raised with a belief system that now came into question. When she first awoke, she'd found herself surprised to find what she assumed to be many gods. Now she knew there still to be only one, an Eru Ilúvatar, but was that her same God? The God she knew?
"I just don't know." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face as she leaned back against the wall. "What happened to my friends? My mom? When they died, I mean. What are my brother and sister doing right now? Are my other friends putting up a memorial or something? What about the other driver? Did he survive? And... and how's Spencer doing?" So many questions swarmed her mind that she didn't even voice.
They fell quiet. None had the answers she sought, and none were willing to placate her with lies. So they sat in the silence before finally Nelyo spoke up.
"I think it safe to say none of us know the answers you seek," he prefaced. After a short pause he continued. "But Ilúvatar would not have sent you here without a reason."
"People keep saying that," Eve muttered. "But no one has any ideas."
"Speak with Lady Yavanna," Káno suggested quickly. "The Valar are wise. Perhaps she has a suggestion?"
They sat quietly. Eve played with the ends of her hair, checking for split ends and finding none. That fact made her feel bittersweet. She was glad she still had her hair, though it was slightly longer. Her eyes had changed, and to her amazement there was no need to shave here. That was a true blessing. But her body felt foreign sometimes.
"What is your favorite color, Eve?" Findekáno asked several minutes later. He spoke quietly, as if hesitant to break the silence.
She smiled. "Purple. Like the kind of purple that fades in black during sunset."
"We will have to find paint that matches that," he replied. "And other colors, also. So that you can paint the beauty around you. And maybe you can paint from memory. Honor your friends, perhaps?"
Eve looked at him thoughtfully. "Now that's an idea I could get behind."