THE GOLDEN STREAMS OF RAIN
Summary: Inaiel is like an orphan in elves' eyes so Thranduil gives her a task in Lorien believing she will find consolation there. The she-elf is almost happy when falling in love but suddenly she gets in trouble.
Declaimer: Well, I don't own any of the characters from LOTR and you know it for sure. =)
PS thoughts are in * *, words are in" "
Chapter 1. The King's task.
***
Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.
George Eliot
Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.
Norman Cousins
Inaiel bent quietly in front of the King in a low bow. His sea-blue and bottomless eyes were looking narrowly at the entered she-elf who was recommended by the Head of guardians. She seemed to be a bit shy and delicate but she also was a skilled warrior and fitted perfectly to his task.
"Stand up, Inaiel. I have a very important task for you: you have to deliver this letter to Lady Galadriel, but be careful: scouts have reported about the danger hidden in the depths of this old forest. They believe it's because of the orcs, but I don't think so".
"Yes, Milord. You know that I was working as a guard more than 800 years and I can fight against ugly and monstrous dark spawn. I was endangered multiple times and this won't be an exception, Your Majesty".
"I'd like to hope that everything will be alright but it will be better if you are alerted: more than a half of my messengers vanished on their way to Lorien".
Inaiel's eyes widened in astonishment and she uttered: "Sorry, Milord. I haven't known anything about this. I'll be alerted and won't allow the darkness to absorb me".
The King shook his head: "This isn't your fault. I ordered to keep this in a secret to avoid useless panic. By the way, the Head of guardians said that you've never rested and...
Thranduil's words were heard like through the wadding: *I have no close friends, nobody since my parents sailed to the West*.
... so you may spend a few days in Lorien before you return".
* Probably she'll find consolation there*. Thranduil glanced sympathetically at the she-elf, but she has already lowered her head so that nobody could see her eyes fulfilled with tears.
"Thank you, Your Majesty".
"You may go now", - said the King and gave the letter to Inaiel.
"Yes, Milord". The she-elf turned and went out from the King's room with these words. She was going to her own room to pack some things.
"Nai i Valar nauvar as elye ", - she heard.
Inaiel fell weakly onto her bed inside her room. Tears were streaming from her golden eyes and her heart was hurting as if it was torn into small pieces. She didn't remember her parents well: they sailed to the West when she was only ten years old. Inaiel was grown up by the Head of guardians, who told the elfling about orcs' attack and wounded parents. They didn't find happiness anymore so they sailed. The ugly muzzles and foreign indifferent faces were flashing in front of Inaiel's dim gaze. Then everything stopped on her mother's face, her warm and caress glare dispersed all sorrow. Inaiel smiled diffidently, brushed away tears and began packing.