The Blue Lady
The first time The Blue Lady sees them, they seem strange to her. Not unlike the Eldar, and yet so utterly different in everything. She has heard of them from the Eldar and in some of many tales, but never before has she seen the sons and daughters of the race of men.
At first, she is wary, watching them from afar as they are building their cities, which are so unlike elven dwellings. But watching so closely, she also notices those strangers worship Ilúvatar and the Valar, and they pay homage to Manwë, and they respect Lord Ulmo and Lady Uinen, her superiors. They cannot be evil, the Blue Lady decides then.
. . .
King Elendil often goes to walk along the shore, or sits alone and listens to the waves, and it seems the water soothes him. Sometimes he also talks quietly, to himself or to the lake, and it helps him solve any problems he might have. And the Blue Lady is hiding in the water, invisible for the eyes of men, and she listens.
More and more often she comes to the shore, and watches the human king. He is different than elven lords she knew and knows. His face is marked by faint lines that become more prominent over time, like water trails on land. His dark hair is threaded with silver, and in time there are more and more silver streaks. He is bearded, like the Naugrim are, and yet there are some faintest traces of elven grace about him. And the Blue Lady recalls the elven tales of Lúthien, and Eärendil the Mariner, her descendant, and his sons, one of whom chose the fate of men, and she wonders.
And one day, when king Elendil speaks quietly to the lake, the Blue Lady answers, and the king looks around, startled, but not in the least afraid. The Blue Lady hesitates for a moment, but then comes forth, and cloaks herself in a form of a woman, though her skin and hair and gown are blue like lake Nenuial on a sunny day. She greets the human king, and hails Lord Ulmo's name, and king Elendil recognises her for who she is, and bows to her with respect.
. . .
Sometimes king Elendil still sits by the lake alone. But more often he walks along the shore with the Blue Lady. He tells her of his city, the beautiful Annúminas, and of his people, the Dúnedain. He tells her of his sons, Isildur and Anarion, and shares with her some of the memories of his wife. He tells her of his doubts and troubles, and fears. And the Blue Lady listens patiently, and offers advice when she can, and kindness when she cannot give advice.
Over time, the lines on king Elendil's face grow deeper, and his hair starts turning from silver to white. But the Blue Lady watches his face and finds it familiar, for the lines are like old dry riverbeds, and his hair is the colour of foam. And the king's eyes are like the lake itself, sometimes deep and dark, other times clear and soft. And the Blue Lady recognises king Elendil is no longer a stranger to her, and she begins to look forward to their walks along the shore.
. . .
There is unrest in the wider world, and king Elendil leads his people to war; the last stand of men and the Eldar united. The Blue Lady is waiting patiently, and slowly the news spread in the murmur of streams and rivers, and even rain: that there was a great battle, and a great evil was vanquished and broken, and the First and Second Children of Ilúvatar together achieved victory. And the Dúnedain come back from the war, but the king is not among them.
In Annúminas, by the lake, king Elendil's people build him a tomb, great and magnificent, and put a statue on it. But there is no body, and the tomb is no real grave. Still, the children of king Elendil and the children of his children come there to pay their respects to their ancestor. But sometimes the king's children come to the lake, and cry, and the Blue Lady can feel their sorrow, and wonders why it shows by the water on their cheeks and in their eyes. She does not cry; she cannot, for she is water. But because she is water, king Elendil's children's tears that fall into lake Nenuial resound in her whole being.
. . .
Time passes, much more quickly for the Dúnedain that for the Eldar. The Blue Lady looks over the city of Annúminas, and walks the shore with its kings, listening to them and offering advice, as she used to do with their ancestor. They all have that faintest elven grace about them, and dark hair, and they all worship Ilúvatar and the Valar, and do respect her. Some of them even have eyes like the lake, dark and deep, and other times clear and soft. But none of them is king Elendil.