Destiny of the Rose
Written by Kaitlin Kelly
The shimmer of moonlight in the darkened sky caught my sapphire eyes in wonder. Star glinted like broken shards of diamond on a velvet black cloth, winking with white light. Pushing a loose strand of long golden hair from my view, I edged closer to the sound of water, humming softly to myself.
Oh fair moon and lovely evening sky
Call me home to the sound of trees unscorched with lies
Guided by the face of moon above
Unto you I shall bestow my love
Twice rung the bell of Elven immortality
Singing words to soft for Men to see
Coming into sight of a pool of rippling water, I dropped down onto a granite grey ledge. Slowly I let my palm caress the surface, touching the ebb of liquid from a waterfall beside me.
"You shall not be forgotten, Ronathaim," I whispered, pressing my fingertips to my lips and kissing the ruby ring around my thumb. "Tonight's your night." A gust of warm wind fluttered through the canopy of birches, carrying an eerie chord of song to my ears, which curved to a point. The memory of my brother took hold of my sorrow-torn heart and a trail of tears rolled down my cheeks, freezing my emotions in a state of confusion, loss, and love.
"Aylen," a familiar voice suddenly beside my ear hushed, arms falling around me from behind, "don't cry." I looked back into a face of kindness, letting another drop of mourning fall from my eye.
"Litherel," I spoke in a tone of foreboding, "surely you can't be happy that our own flesh and blood has perished?"
"Ronathaim died fighting to keep our woods freed from intrusion," Litherel replied reassuringly, placing a hand on my forehead. "He wouldn't have had it any other way." The glow of her cheeks shone mysteriously.
"He spoke to you," I murmured, reading it in her shamrock eyes. "You talked with Ronathaim before he passed from the realm of the living. Don't try to tell me otherwise; my elf eyes see."
"I won't deny it." Her tone was always comforting, like the sound of mist flowing into the valleys before sunrise, but it changed somewhat when she continued. "A rider from Mirkwood is coming into our midst before the dawn of the next sun. He is not to be feared, as I'm sure you are thinking, but honored with great respect. Though he himself is not a threat, he brings word of foreign siege. Lord Sargathadril, as you know, won't listen to anyone but his own spies. This will be our downfall."
"How did Ronathaim know of this?" I inquired. Not once in my life had I doubted my brother and sister, and now I found myself in disbelief. "Why didn't he speak of it before?"
"He only received word of it during that fatal battle. He meant to tell Lord Sargathandril but was hit with two enemy arrows when he ventured over. This you know. Why do you question what is already understood?"
"Because I do not wish to believe it," I hissed, ascending the rocks that led out from the pond. "And I do not wish to listen anymore, Litherel. Can we put a stop to this unwanted conversation?"
"You have been warned," she said calmly, "so I suppose there is no need to continue if you desire to stop." She brushed past me, silver dress sparkling in the light cast from the moon, and disappeared into the night. I sunk to my knees, feeling the weight of many different things pressing down on my shoulders. Curling the midnight blue folds of my cloak around me, I was gnawed at by Litherel's words like rock being eroded by the constant flow of water. It rubbed away the last bit of comfort I had. He brings word of foreign siege, she had said. This will be our downfall...
Written by Kaitlin Kelly
The shimmer of moonlight in the darkened sky caught my sapphire eyes in wonder. Star glinted like broken shards of diamond on a velvet black cloth, winking with white light. Pushing a loose strand of long golden hair from my view, I edged closer to the sound of water, humming softly to myself.
Oh fair moon and lovely evening sky
Call me home to the sound of trees unscorched with lies
Guided by the face of moon above
Unto you I shall bestow my love
Twice rung the bell of Elven immortality
Singing words to soft for Men to see
Coming into sight of a pool of rippling water, I dropped down onto a granite grey ledge. Slowly I let my palm caress the surface, touching the ebb of liquid from a waterfall beside me.
"You shall not be forgotten, Ronathaim," I whispered, pressing my fingertips to my lips and kissing the ruby ring around my thumb. "Tonight's your night." A gust of warm wind fluttered through the canopy of birches, carrying an eerie chord of song to my ears, which curved to a point. The memory of my brother took hold of my sorrow-torn heart and a trail of tears rolled down my cheeks, freezing my emotions in a state of confusion, loss, and love.
"Aylen," a familiar voice suddenly beside my ear hushed, arms falling around me from behind, "don't cry." I looked back into a face of kindness, letting another drop of mourning fall from my eye.
"Litherel," I spoke in a tone of foreboding, "surely you can't be happy that our own flesh and blood has perished?"
"Ronathaim died fighting to keep our woods freed from intrusion," Litherel replied reassuringly, placing a hand on my forehead. "He wouldn't have had it any other way." The glow of her cheeks shone mysteriously.
"He spoke to you," I murmured, reading it in her shamrock eyes. "You talked with Ronathaim before he passed from the realm of the living. Don't try to tell me otherwise; my elf eyes see."
"I won't deny it." Her tone was always comforting, like the sound of mist flowing into the valleys before sunrise, but it changed somewhat when she continued. "A rider from Mirkwood is coming into our midst before the dawn of the next sun. He is not to be feared, as I'm sure you are thinking, but honored with great respect. Though he himself is not a threat, he brings word of foreign siege. Lord Sargathadril, as you know, won't listen to anyone but his own spies. This will be our downfall."
"How did Ronathaim know of this?" I inquired. Not once in my life had I doubted my brother and sister, and now I found myself in disbelief. "Why didn't he speak of it before?"
"He only received word of it during that fatal battle. He meant to tell Lord Sargathandril but was hit with two enemy arrows when he ventured over. This you know. Why do you question what is already understood?"
"Because I do not wish to believe it," I hissed, ascending the rocks that led out from the pond. "And I do not wish to listen anymore, Litherel. Can we put a stop to this unwanted conversation?"
"You have been warned," she said calmly, "so I suppose there is no need to continue if you desire to stop." She brushed past me, silver dress sparkling in the light cast from the moon, and disappeared into the night. I sunk to my knees, feeling the weight of many different things pressing down on my shoulders. Curling the midnight blue folds of my cloak around me, I was gnawed at by Litherel's words like rock being eroded by the constant flow of water. It rubbed away the last bit of comfort I had. He brings word of foreign siege, she had said. This will be our downfall...