Cometwen smiled as the butterfly perched on her finger, admiring its emerald wings. Another butterfly, this one a golden brown, perched in her midnight hair. The elven maiden smiled, placing a slender hand on her large belly.
"You see, my darling? If you wait, they will come." She murmured, patting her stomach gently. The child in her stirred, as if it knew what she was saying. The butterflies took flight, spiralling into the golden leafed mallorn trees of Lothlorien, as another maiden walked into the little garden.
"Hail, Cometwen Elmtall, sister mine." The newcomer said, smiling and offering her hand. Cometwen smiled back, accepting the hand.
"Hail, Filamae Newgreen, sister mine. How is little Filamena?" She inquired. Filamae rolled her eyes, helping her sister to her feet.
"Getting under our feet again. I say she has the energy of the new green itself, as says her name." She said, guiding Cometwen through an arch.
"You shouldn't have come down. You know your own little one is due soon, and it pains you much to climb back up, even with rests at every talan along the way." Filamae scolded gently. Her sister sighed and looked away, a wistful smile playing across her rose lips.
"But the butterflies don't come up anymore, now that it is autumn. The only way I can see them is to come down here. They like me coming, even if you don't." She said, and Filamae took her turn to sigh.
"You and the butterflies. I only hope your little one isn't harmed by all this climbing." They reached a particular tree. Filamae whistled softly, and a grey silk rope ladder came slithering down the trunk. A small form with white-blonde hair followed it in a half-fall.
"Ah, Filamena, there you are. Where were you this morning? Your father and I were looking everywhere." Filamae scolded, frowning.
"I was over at the southern gate, talking with the gate-wardens. They tell wonderful stories, mother." Filamena said earnestly, and smiled at Cometwen. The little elf girl lay a hand on her aunt's stomach, and gasped in delight when she felt the child move.
"She's moving much more now, isn't she?" The little girl asked, her blue eyes wide. Cometwen laughed softly.
"Are you sure it's a she?" She asked, emerald eyes twinkling. Filamena nodded solemnly, and received another gentle laugh before her mother shooed her back up the mallorn-tree. Cometwen started the climb up, wincing as a sharp pain hit her in the stomach. The little one was due any day now, and she would be glad when it was born. Orcs had killed her love, the father of her child, before she knew she was with child. Her family had grieved with her, and she had taken up Filamae's offer of a home, but seeing little Filamena's happiness with her father and mother only saddened her. Time would come when she would have to tell her own child that it had no father. She faltered on the ladder as another sharp pain ripped through her body.
"Cometwen?" Filamae called from below her.
"I'm- I'm alright." She gasped for breath, then continued the climb upwards. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have climbed down to greet the butterflies.
"Here's a talan. Rest awhile." Her sister called a little later. Cometwen set herself down on the talan gratefully, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. A hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked up into Filamae's worried face. Her vision swam as another pain made her gasp, and little Filamena joined her mother.
"Your little one..." Filamae whispered, and Cometwen nodded.
"She's coming?" Filamena was delighted.
"Yes. You go and get help, my daughter. Quickly!" Filamae said, and her daughter scurried up the tree again so fast she looked as if she flew. Cometwen's chest heaved as she gasped for breath, half-joyfully, half-horrified. She wasn't ready for this! Couldn't her child wait a little, until she was safely snuggled back in her home, with a midwife and her family? Minutes passed, and the elven woman groaned as another pain ripped through her.
"Hush. Take my hand." Her sister's wondrously cool hand slipped inside hers, and she clutched it fearfully. She heard voices coming closer, and someone jumped down onto the talan.
"Cometwen..." Filamae's soft voice cut through her swimming head, and she forced her eyes open.
"Do you think you can sit on this?" Her sister motioned to a thing shaped like a large chair, attached to a pulley. Cometwen nodded, and was helped onto it. She gripped the sides hard, sweat pouring down her face. It started moving up, and a white-blonde streak dropped into view beside her. It was Filamena.
"You'll be okay, mother said you will be." The little girl said encouragingly, climbing beside the pulley as it raised Cometwen up. She just smiled at her sister's daughter, hoping upon hope that the words would be true.
*~*~*~*
"You see, my darling? If you wait, they will come." She murmured, patting her stomach gently. The child in her stirred, as if it knew what she was saying. The butterflies took flight, spiralling into the golden leafed mallorn trees of Lothlorien, as another maiden walked into the little garden.
"Hail, Cometwen Elmtall, sister mine." The newcomer said, smiling and offering her hand. Cometwen smiled back, accepting the hand.
"Hail, Filamae Newgreen, sister mine. How is little Filamena?" She inquired. Filamae rolled her eyes, helping her sister to her feet.
"Getting under our feet again. I say she has the energy of the new green itself, as says her name." She said, guiding Cometwen through an arch.
"You shouldn't have come down. You know your own little one is due soon, and it pains you much to climb back up, even with rests at every talan along the way." Filamae scolded gently. Her sister sighed and looked away, a wistful smile playing across her rose lips.
"But the butterflies don't come up anymore, now that it is autumn. The only way I can see them is to come down here. They like me coming, even if you don't." She said, and Filamae took her turn to sigh.
"You and the butterflies. I only hope your little one isn't harmed by all this climbing." They reached a particular tree. Filamae whistled softly, and a grey silk rope ladder came slithering down the trunk. A small form with white-blonde hair followed it in a half-fall.
"Ah, Filamena, there you are. Where were you this morning? Your father and I were looking everywhere." Filamae scolded, frowning.
"I was over at the southern gate, talking with the gate-wardens. They tell wonderful stories, mother." Filamena said earnestly, and smiled at Cometwen. The little elf girl lay a hand on her aunt's stomach, and gasped in delight when she felt the child move.
"She's moving much more now, isn't she?" The little girl asked, her blue eyes wide. Cometwen laughed softly.
"Are you sure it's a she?" She asked, emerald eyes twinkling. Filamena nodded solemnly, and received another gentle laugh before her mother shooed her back up the mallorn-tree. Cometwen started the climb up, wincing as a sharp pain hit her in the stomach. The little one was due any day now, and she would be glad when it was born. Orcs had killed her love, the father of her child, before she knew she was with child. Her family had grieved with her, and she had taken up Filamae's offer of a home, but seeing little Filamena's happiness with her father and mother only saddened her. Time would come when she would have to tell her own child that it had no father. She faltered on the ladder as another sharp pain ripped through her body.
"Cometwen?" Filamae called from below her.
"I'm- I'm alright." She gasped for breath, then continued the climb upwards. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have climbed down to greet the butterflies.
"Here's a talan. Rest awhile." Her sister called a little later. Cometwen set herself down on the talan gratefully, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. A hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked up into Filamae's worried face. Her vision swam as another pain made her gasp, and little Filamena joined her mother.
"Your little one..." Filamae whispered, and Cometwen nodded.
"She's coming?" Filamena was delighted.
"Yes. You go and get help, my daughter. Quickly!" Filamae said, and her daughter scurried up the tree again so fast she looked as if she flew. Cometwen's chest heaved as she gasped for breath, half-joyfully, half-horrified. She wasn't ready for this! Couldn't her child wait a little, until she was safely snuggled back in her home, with a midwife and her family? Minutes passed, and the elven woman groaned as another pain ripped through her.
"Hush. Take my hand." Her sister's wondrously cool hand slipped inside hers, and she clutched it fearfully. She heard voices coming closer, and someone jumped down onto the talan.
"Cometwen..." Filamae's soft voice cut through her swimming head, and she forced her eyes open.
"Do you think you can sit on this?" Her sister motioned to a thing shaped like a large chair, attached to a pulley. Cometwen nodded, and was helped onto it. She gripped the sides hard, sweat pouring down her face. It started moving up, and a white-blonde streak dropped into view beside her. It was Filamena.
"You'll be okay, mother said you will be." The little girl said encouragingly, climbing beside the pulley as it raised Cometwen up. She just smiled at her sister's daughter, hoping upon hope that the words would be true.
*~*~*~*