Bond
Dappled sunlight covered the carpet of leaves in the fringes of Eryn Lasgalen. The trees, tall and majestic, stood proudly, with all traces of the Shadow that had threatened to enslave them gone. A lone elleth sat high in the branches of an oak tree, her eyes scanning the horizon.
The elleth wore the tunic and leggings of the archers of the Greenwood, and the brooch that clasped her long grey cloak at her throat marked her as a member of Thranduil's household. A beautifully crafted longbow was strapped to her back along with a quiver of green-fletched arrows and two curved knives. Her silky brown hair was braided in the style of the Elven-warriors. But underneath her largest braid was another, smaller one, the design of which was known only to her and her mate- the bond-braid.
At the end of the elleth's bond-braid swung a seashell, for she was peredhel, and her father was Ulmo, Vala of the sea.
Suddenly, the elleth sat up, her eyes fixed upon a point in the horizon where, to her elven eyes, three riders and an escort of soldiers, also on horseback, could be seen riding towards her. Immediately, she jumped off her branch, landing with catlike grace on the forest floor, her feet making no sound as they came into contact with the autumnal leaves that covered it. The elleth strode purposefully out of the shadows cast by the trees and into the view of the approaching company.
Immediately, one of the three riders broke away from the rest of the group and set his horse in a mad gallop towards her. The elleth stood, unfazed, her face impassive. But the great joy she felt was visible in her eyes, and in the eyes of the young ellon who had, by now, vaulted off his horse and was coming towards her. Almost tentatively, she stepped forwards, her hand stretched out in front of her. As their hands touched, their eyes met, conveying all the love they felt for each other, as well as their relief and joy at seeing the other alive and well.
The ellon extended a long-fingered, graceful hand to reach behind the elleth, gently combing through her hair until he found her bond-braid, reassuring himself that it was still there. The elleth did the same, finding the the braid, identical to her own, that was woven into the ellon's hair, and then, their eyes never leaving each other, the elleth stepped forward into the embrace of her golden-haired mate.
They stayed like that for many long moments, until the sounds of the ellon's companions riding up and dismounting reached their ears. Slowly Legolas turned the elleth to face his friends.
"Gimli, Aragorn, meet my mate, Aeriel."
A/N: This is my first fanfic, so please review! This story is based on my belief that elves do not marry but they mate, with marriage being a kind of public announcement of a mating. Here is a glossary of the Elvish words:
Elleth- She-Elf
Ellon- He-Elf
Peredhel- Half-Elven
Ulmo, Vala of the Sea- Really the Elven equivalent to Poseidon or Neptune. Follow this link to find out more about him: .
I hope you enjoyed this!
Luineth Maeniel