Four-year-old Ellethana walked around Lothlórien, looking for someone to play with. Sitting on the grass near a tree, she saw a young light-haired girl. She walked over to the girl, who playing with her doll.
"May I join you?" Ellethana asked.
"No. You look funny. Why do you have dark hair?" the girl asked. Ellethana fought hard to hold back her tears.
"My father is from Rivendell. What is you name?" she asked.
"My full name is Fionna, but everyone calls me Finna," the girl replied. "What's your name?"
"Ellethana," she said quietly.
"What an interesting name," Finna said. Did Finna think she had no feelings?
"Yours is just as interesting, Finna," Ellethana responded, hurt that the other four-year-old would say things like that to her. "Maybe I should just go home. Ada and Ammë will accept me just the way I am. And so will Auntie Galadriel."
Ellethana left the other girl sitting on the grass. She was upset that Finna would say things like that to her. She did not even know why she was so upset about it. She and Finna were not friends; they had just met for the first time. Then it hit her. She knew why she wanted others to like her. She wanted to feel accepted by girls her age. Even if none of them would accept her, she knew her family would. Ellethana wanted to be normal, and look like the other girls.
'Maybe there is someone else who will play with me,' she thought to herself. Her father had just arrived home from a trip to Rivendell, the place he had been born, and her mother had sent her out so she and Gil-gond could talk. Ellethana knew her parents did not want her to come home just yet. Maybe she could go visit Galadriel. The older elf was always open for the younger girl's company.
On her way to her great aunt's home, she ran into another girl. This five-year-old girl had light brown hair. A girl who was different than everyone else. She did not seem to mind very much.
"Hi!" the girl said. "My name's Tawariell. What's yours?"
"My name is Ellethana," she replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is your hair light brown?"
"My mother is half human, and she's from Gondor," Tawariell responded, shrugging. "Why is your hair so dark?"
"My Ada is from Rivendell," Ellethana said quietly.
"I'm sorry if I offended you by asking, Ellethana," she said. "May I call you Ellie, instead of Ellethana? It is just a nickname," Tawariell added.
Ellethana nodded. She liked that name.
Tawariell asked if Ellie wanted to play, and Ellie said yes.
"Do you want to meet one of my friends, Ellie?" Tawariell asked.
"Sure. I have all day to do something. My Ada just came back from Rivendell, so he and Ammë are probably going to talk most of the day," Ellie said.
"Okay." Tawariell led Ellie back to the girl introduced as Finna. Ellethana stopped as her hazel eyes when wide.
"Ellethana," Finna said in a rude voice. "What are you doing here?" Then she spotted Tawariell. "Hi, Tallie," she added.
"Hi, Finna. This is my friend Ellie. Ellie, have you guys already met?" Tallie asked.
"Yes," Ellie replied quietly. She started running. Her friend was friends with the mean girl. The girl who had told her she looked funny.
"Ellie!" Tawariell's voice came. "Come back!"
Ellethana kept running. This time she did not stop until she had reached Galadriel.
"Ellethana, darling, what's wrong?" Galadriel asked. She cared deeply for the young girl, her sister's granddaughter, despite what her husband said about the family. Celeborn had disliked her sister and now disliked the young family.
"My only friend is friends with the girl who said I looked funny, Auntie Galadriel. I do not like the other girl. She is mean to me, and she made fun of my hair color," Ellethana said. She sniffed. Galadriel lifted her head until she was looking her aunt straight in the eyes.
"Who was it?" she asked.
"Tawariell and Fionna. Tallie is really nice to me; she did not make fun of my dark hair like Finna did."
Galadriel smiled. Tallie was half human; she knew what it was like to be different. "Tallie knows what it is like to be teased, Ellethana. She is half human after all."
"I know. She told me. Her Ammë is from Gondor. She gave me the name Ellie. I like it," Ellethana said.
Galadriel smiled once more. No matter what the young girl wanted to be called, she would always be Ellethana. "Have you told your parents about your nickname, Ellie?"
"Not yet," the young girl replied. "They did not want me around when they talked about Ada's travels. I do not know why."
"Perhaps they just need some time to themselves, dear," Galadriel said. "Yes. That is it," she added much softer. Ellethana was glad to have someone like her mother's aunt looking out for her. It made her feel special. And even if the girls her age did not accept her, she knew some of the older elves would. Celeborn did not like her though. But why did he dislike her?
"What is it, Ellethana?" Galadriel asked.
"Nothing, Auntie Galadriel," Ellie replied quietly. She was lying, and Galadriel knew it.
"That is not true, dear. What is wrong?"
"Celeborn, he does not like me. Why?" she asked.
"Well, it is hard to explain. But he did not like my younger sister, your grandmother, and he is not fond of the Rivendell elves," Galadriel tried to explain. Why did her husband have to be set against the elves of Rivendell? And how could she describe it all to a four-year-old?
"So he does not like my Ada? Or my Ammë?" Ellie asked. She was confused, and did not understand why he disliked her so much.
"I do not know, Ellethana." Galadriel sighed. This was a lot harder than it seemed. "Perhaps your Ada and Ammë can explain it to you better, darling. It is getting dark. You should get home, before they start to worry too much, dear. I will see you tomorrow, Ellie."
"Bye, Auntie Galadriel," Ellie said as she left.
*****
The next day, Ellethana was walking through the woods again. This time, she saw Tallie and Finna playing together. She tried to run, but Tallie called out to her before she could go very far.
"Ellie! Come and play with us!" Tawariell said.
"No! I cannot," Ellie replied. "I will not play with the girl who made fun of me," she whispered to herself.
"Ellethana!" Finna called. "Why won't you come over and play with us?"
"I do not want to!"
"Why not?" Tallie asked.
"Because! I… I cannot," she replied.
"Come on, Ellie! What's wrong?"
"I am busy, Tallie," Ellie said. "But nothing is wrong." As Ellethana said this, she slowly walked closer to the two girls. Tallie was now smiling.
"Ellethana," Finna said, "I'm sorry. I was rude to you, and it wasn't nice."
"It is alright, Fionna," Ellie replied. "I forgive you."
"Do you want to be friends?" Finna asked. "And please, call me Finna. Everyone does."
"You can call me Ellie, instead of Ellethana," Ellie said. "And I would like to be friends. But why were you so mean?"
Finna looked sad. "Sometimes, I just do it, especially with elves who are different from me. Ammë is always telling me to stop, but I just can't. I guess I'm jealous. I did the same thing with Tallie too," she added grinning.
"Now, do you guys want to play or not?" Tallie asked.
"Let's play!" Finna replied. Ellie nodded. She had two new friends.