Naneth-Nin Man-Ore
By Ar-Elenriel
I do no own Lord of the Rings, the Silmarillion, or any other works of Tolkien. I am only borrowing them for the purposes of this tale. I do however own Silvrien and Lothwen.
It was late at night on a spring evening and five year old
Legolas had just gone to bed. He had suffered some injuries resulting
from an altercation between his pony Silvrien and his favorite beech
tree. He had broken his left arm and received a concussion. He was so
seriously injured that he had been in the infirmary for nearly a week
recovering. His naneth Lothwen and his Adar Thranduil, King of the
Greenwood had just brought him home to the family chambers earlier
that day. Legolas still did not feel good the pain medication that he
was taking made him feel rather foggy.
Just as Legolas was about
to drift off to sleep he realized that this was the first Oranor (S.
Sunday) of Lothron (S. May). This was Naneth Man-Ore, the day in
which all Eldar honoured their naneth's for having given them life.
Legolas began to cry. He had not gotten his Naneth anything at all,
not even a single flower. His big blue eyes suddenly filled with
determination. He would get his Naneth a gift even if it took him all
night.
He slipped out of his small trundle bed and put on his
slippers, and his robe. His arm was still in a cast so dressing was a
little awkward. He quietly snuck past his parent's bedroom door and
out the glass door into the walled gardens of Eryn Lasgalen. It was
then Legolas saw it, a single perfect pink tulip. He went and
carefully plucked it then he gathered some violets and daffodils. He
dampened his little blue handkerchief in the water in the bird bath
and wrapped it around the stems. Then he went back through the glass
doors into the palace. It was then he noticed that his Naneth and
Adar had heard him sneak out and had been watching for him at the
door. He smiled, and was happy at the thought he could give his
naneth her gift now. He would not be too late after all.
"Legolas
what were you doing outside this late ion-nin?" said King
Thranduil with a worried look in his eyes. "You know you are not
supposed to leave the palace after dark. I don't want you getting
hurt." Legolas hung his head in shame at having disobeyed his
Adar.
"Adar I forgot Naneth Man-Ore and went to the garden to
gather a gift for Naneth. I am truly sorry I worried you."
Legolas stepped forward and presented the spring bouquet to his
Naneth. "Happy Naneth Man-Ore, I did not have a gift so I picked
flowers Naneth." Legolas hugged his Naneth around her knees.
Lothwen bent down and hugged her little son. She was happy that
her only child had remembered her special day. "Thranduil, do
not be angry with him. He is only doing as we taught him. A good
ruler must always think of the needs of others even if it means
putting himself in danger. You are the one that taught him this."
She leaned her head upon Thranduil's shoulder and smiled up at him.
"Legolas, Ion-Nin thank you for my gift. But, you did not need
to get out of bed when you are still injured to get me a gift. You
are the greatest Naneth Man-Ore gift that I could ever have received.
The Valar blessed your father and I the day we conceived you. I love
you Legolas Thrandullion. Legolas snuggled sleepily into his Naneth's
arms.
And even 2,000 years later when Lothwen had been killed in
an attack on the palace by orcs Thranduil would awake to find that
his son Crown Prince Legolas had placed a fresh bouquet of tulips,
violets, and daffodils on the table below his mothers portrait in the
Great Hall. Legolas would also continue this practice 1,120 years
later when King Ellessar died, and he finally was reunited with both
parents in Valinor. No matter what he had to do even if it meant
raiding Lord Irmo's gardens in Lorien he always found his Naneth
flowers for her special day.
Lothwen- Legolas mother, Queen of Mirkwood
Thranduil -Legolas Father, King of Mirkwood
Silvrien- Legolas
Pony
Naneth -Mother
Adar- Father
Naneth Man-Ore, Mothers Blessing Day
Oranor- Sindarin, Sunday
Lothron- Sindarin May
Ion-nin- Son
Eryn Lasgalen- The palace at Mirkwood, the Entire
woodland Realm in the Fourth Age
Lord Irmo - The Valar in Charge of the Garden's of Lorien
