A/N: after getting back from a walk outside to clear my head before getting the last chapter for "Gathering the Fallen Petals" together I had this little one-shot idea while listening to my Mp3 player.

Pain was flooding his body from the arrows which had pierced effortlessly through his light armour, in the distance, over the sound of the raging, a hopeless battle, he could faintly hear a horrified voice screaming "ADA". His poor son, he had always been strict to him, but hoped that he understood that no matter what, he loved him since the first minute the little buddle was pressed into his arms. He was his child whom would hopefully one day forgive him to burden him with being a king at such a young age, and not being there for him to help in his time of need.

"Goheno nin, ion nín." he said as darkness effulged him.

In the past had he often heard that when one of the Second Born passes away they see they whole life running down in front of they eyes, but it seemed to be different for the First Born because even thought his life was re-playing itself in front of his closed eyes where only concentrating on a certain someone.

A group of young elves were playing in the large forest of Doriath, not even knowing about the unsettling news of war and kinslayings which made the adults stand together in little groups, discussing if they should leave or not. A young ellon with shoulder long blondish hair was standing by the others as they tried to decide who should be the team captains by they game when he felt as if being watched. Turning around fell his eyes on a figure hiding behind one of the ancient trees, watching they group with curiosity. He had never seen an elleth like her before, her skin as pale as the fresh snow, long hair like the finest silver won from the earth, but what caught him the most were her eyes, they were the same colour as Ithil's light on a starless night.

"Oropher, did you pay attention to what I have said?" the sound of one of his friends made his head snap back to the group.

"Sorry meldir, was with my thoughts somewhere else." he said sheepishly, but when he glanced at his side again had the strange elleth vanished.

The next time when he had seen her again, but she hadn't noticed him when he was taking a night stroll through the forest, she was dancing gracefully between the treed and on the stones poking out of the lake. Her soft singing filling the air, watching her mesmerized was Oropher sere that she was more fairer then Lúthien herself in her dance and when the clouds shifted had he the feeling as if Ithil herself would have taken shape in front of his eyes. After that first night was he always on the same spot listening to her singing and watching her dance, holding his breath because he feared that she would disappear if she would know that he was there. Oropher was content with only watching the strange elf with the silver hair and eyes like the moon light. Though he should have know that like the moon light would she also be fable, he had been sneaking to the same spot when instead of singing voices hit his ears, but he was to far away to see them.

"Do we really need to go tôr iuar?" he heard her melodious voice ask in confusion.

"Aye, pen neth we need to leave here." he was close, but a tall oak tree hid the person she was talking to, but she had called him her older brother. He watched as she lifted one of her delicate hands and probably placed it into the one held out to her… and then she was gone again.

After that broke the war out filled with many grief and pain, but it stilled sometime and in those times was he always thinking about the mysterious elleth he had seen. Mostly after an accident which left him and many of his comrades wounded. They were resting in a hastily put up healing ward, he couldn't sleep, but kept his eyes shut as someone entered with soft steps. Cracking one eye open carefully he tried to not let his hitching breath be heard. There she was again, dressed in her long tunic the colour of snow, with silver patters woven into the material, giving her an appearance worthy of the Valar themselves. Her eyes shone in comparison and sadness which only seemed to make her more breath taking, he watched her walking up to the mostly injured ones, those who would not make it, placing her hand on they foreheads she murmured soft words to them, her hands glowing a soft blue. He watched as the painfilled faces relaxes, as if everything was alright. For a few seconds he had the implication that she was Iluvatar's version of an Angel of Death, but he threw the thought away as he healed some of the harder wounds on those who would live, but those wounds might have crippled them. When she reached his bed tried Oropher to will his wildly pounding heart to still before she notices that he was awake, but even if she noticed she didn't say so. At least did he manage to hold his blush at bay as she stood over him, her pale hand on his chest as she healed the gash marring it.

It was probably that day that he realized that, he wished to be with the mysterious elven maiden, but he couldn't find her, just like you can't hold the moon light in your arms and soon his father had forced him to marry the daughter of one of his closest friends and benefactors. It was a loveless marriage which they both only carried on because of duty, then come the message of the pregnancy. Oropher didn't know how to feel about it, somehow he doubted that he could love a child born from a duty which was forced on them and not love, but it all changed when he held the little buddle in his arms. The babe had touched his heart and was a great help when in an assault both his father and father-in-law got killed, no matter how angry he had been with his father for forcing him to marry, he had still been his ada and he missed him. His wife three months later asked him to break they bond, she would leave the child in his care, because no matter how she tried she couldn't feel the motherly love for Thranduil she should feel. And thus she had left him behind to care for his son, and so he did, raising his little elfling alone, not even knowing that in the future would his son do the same with his own child. He had moved then after a while with some of his men Eryn Lesslagen where they settled down and he was made king of the Forest Elves. He accepted the duty and carried it with pride, never breaking down, but then the tragedy stuck.

He needed to leave and brought his elfling over to a kinsmen he was relatively close with, Thranduil liked to play with his grandson Celeborn, the older elfling also regarded the little blonde as a type of little brother. He had only later found out that Kinslayers had ambushed them, but luckily were the kids hidden so they were fine, but…the two elflings had watched the whole gruesome deed be committed in front of they eyes, killing they innocence. He had burned with great rage at this and refused any words of apology from the Golodhrim, even banning them from his woods for a time. He had taken Celeborn under his wing for some time telling his worried family that the elflings would help each other heal, this was what he hoped, but a month later as he walked into they empty rooms his heart stopped. He had run out into the woods to look for them on they favourite hiding places, at the clearing he spotted them and again his body froze, there by the tree sat the woman he always wished to have been the mother to his child, both elflings resting in her lap on both of her sides as she gently stroke through they hair, as if both of them would be hers, singing a soft lullaby to them.

And again did he not move, only watched her as she smoothed the fear in the heart of those two elflings whom needed to grow up to soon after witnessing the senseless slaying and tainting of an innocent life. And as usually after that night she danced again out of his grasp.

Opening his eyes again found Oropher himself in a large hall of ancient stone pillars, a good part of his men standing around him. So they had finally arrived in the Halls of Mandos. A humourless smile appeared on his lips when suddenly spotted a figure nearing them hurriedly, arms held out in greeting.

"Mellon nín." called the older elf as he hugged Oropher "I had hoped that your would not come here." he said with a sad smile and Oropher had no clue how he did it, but each time he did this would most elves swoon around them as his old friend appeared to become more handsome.

"It couldn't be helped, hopefully will I not meet my son or your grandson here." Oropher said at which the other nodded.

"True, now come you all, you need tending for the pain you feel now, Nesswen, could you please stay with them and start on the healings while I get the others?" he called back to someone farther behind.

"Of course." Oropher felt his body stiffen, he knew that melodious voice and truly as his friend stepped aside fell his eyes on the one he always wished to be at his side. The thought that she was here both saddened and delighted him at the same time, but maybe now he had a chance.

Seeing that he needed to dwell here till the End of Times gave him enough time to finally talk to her, to gain the love he had longed for so long and now he had his chance because she was here. As she reached a pale hand out to him as a greeting he gently took it and kissed to top of her palm, his voice not more then a whisper for only her ears to hers.

"Elen síla lumenn' omentielvo Silme Bereth nín."

Owari