It soon became spoken in the highlands of Dorthonion that a young woman had left the House of Belemir to return to Ladros, realm of her forefathers in the north, to sit with the Wise who resided there. A fair young maiden was she, who most loved to wander the plains and pine forests of her realm; her heart was ever yearning to look upon new horizons untold or virgin fields unbeknown to all. Her bearing was that of the House of Bëor to which she belonged: dark was her hair and grey were her eyes, yet her complexion was of a purity rare among her kin. Having resided alongside Belemir, to whom she was a second cousin, she was learned in all that he taught her be it lore of Men and their histories or prophetic thought. Andreth was she, daughter of Boromir, called Saelind or 'Wise-Heart' by the Grey-elves.

Her coming was known to all in Ladros for she was dear to Bëor's House, especially to her father and her siblings, Bregor and Beril. Soon however, Andreth grew weary of her father's homestead and retired to the moorland beyond. All night she pursued the horizon in search for the place the sun went once it became engulfed by the earth, but weariness beguiled the maiden til her head found the grass and she slept til the sun rose behind her.

In the morning upon the high hills of Dorthonion Andreth wandered, her youthful eyes alighted by the sun's warmth which she held so dear, her naked feet blessed by the lush mead beneath. All was at peace and merriment alighted her heart for proud was she to be alive in such days as these.

Atop the hill she danced whereupon a fair face caught her eye as of a flame born upon a wistful breeze, and Andreth's step was halted. There a young Elf-prince walked alone in a grotto of pine trees below the heath, and a fairer face than any she had yet beheld. Of a sudden his spell enthralled the maiden, his clear eyes entranced her, and they widened upon spying such simple beauty upon the mead above. The Elf-prince was caught unawares by the mortal and even further by the clarity of her face, as though in her she beheld all that was young and good in the mortal world. Far into his mind unseen she reached, further than the blindness of any Man had searched, seeking his pulsing desires that bloomed anew under her sudden gaze.

Their encounter lasted all of a moment ere the Elf-prince grew wary of this mortal's power over him and retreated into the shadows of the copse. Andreth lingered upon the hill, looking still upon the place where he had vanished. Such a man she had never beheld nor, she knew, would she ever happen upon another of his like; and a longing as she had never known usurped her heart to know of his character and to look into his face once more for his flame now burned bright inside her breast.

Long she wandered houseless in the plain, yet now her thought was occupied by the mysterious Elf and ever she longed to encounter him again – and unbeknownst to her, the Elf-prince too was harried by the maiden's bearing that so oft flitted about his mind.

So it was that on a spring eve three moon's hence their meeting, the Elf-prince looked upon the glassy surface of Tarn Aeluin in which he saw the maiden's face mirrored with a star caught in her hair. As though his heart's yearning had called to her, when he lifted his gaze there she stood on the shore opposite, a moon in the darkness, the brightest star in his mind's night.

He stood erect as his eyes followed her passage along the shoreline until she stood before him, closer than ever she had been outside of his waking dreams.

'My lady.' He inclined his fair head. 'Aegnor son of Finarfin at thy service.'

'Andreth daughter of Boromir at thine,' she returned, bowing until her long brown locks fell like water over her breast.

'A mortal of like as thou I have not met throughout these years,' he told her, his silver eyes smouldering with that hidden fire. 'With such a pallor one could mistake thy being an Elf.'

'I am no Elf,' the maiden corrected haughtily. 'Of the House of Bëor my kin resides, in the realm of Ladros which they were given.'

'This I know for it was I who gave it.' His gaze twinkled upon her with fondness yet she remained unfazed.

'I am aware,' said she. 'Thou hath drifted from thy House where thou stood alongside thy brother Angrod son of Finarfin.'

'And thou too hath drifted far from Ladros this night,' the Elf noted. 'Dost thou slumber beneath the stars of Heaven, or art thou a phantom spirit come hither to snatch me unawares into the wood for thy supper?'

'Nay, not a phantom spirit,' the woman laughed, and the sound was of such joy that Aegnor's fire grew hot. 'Not am I but a curious woman-child desiring to look upon thy face for when my gaze sought thine upon the heath, thy look enthralled me and, forgive me, thy bearing hath been haunting my mind like a dream.'

'I do not hearken to thy repentance,' he told her warmly, 'for it is not needed as thy face also hath been seen before mine waking eyes ever after the morn upon the high hills. Thou art fairer of face than any mortal to grace my presence, my lady, such that my tongue cannot remain silent behind my teeth: now it must be I who begs for thy pardon for I must beseech thee to allow my company to be blessed by thine. Prithee, rest with me here a while, my lady.'

And thus they sat together at the shore of hallowed Aeluin with none but the stars to witness their love blossom under the even sky. There they spoke of many things: of Men, of Elves, of peace and of Belemir and Boromir. All that he heard the maiden Andreth speak of strengthened Aegnor's love for her until he fell wholly under her spell. So it came to be that when the moon came to rise high over them, Andreth lay back upon the moss to slumber, and such a sight was her beauty shining under moonlight that Aegnor could not take his eyes from her.

Thereafter the lovers took to wandering the Dorthonion plateau in each other's company, flourishing in the peace that for now blessed their homely realm. The wilderlands beckoned both to their hearts as one and thus it was that they oft drifted far from their houses, resting in the pine forests or else riding upon the grasses. They soon grew learned of the other's heart for much they spoke of thought together. Aegnor looked in wonder upon the mortal for she was wiser than before he could reckon and much did she ponder in those days spent walking alone. Andreth's face soon kindled alight of Aegnor's own internal fire, and her heart rejoiced for such energy that she had not ever beheld. She taught him many things of the race of Men and its history, and she in turn became learned of the kingdom of Elves to whom Aegnor was a high prince. Aegnor divulged much to the young maiden, though ever he restrained from telling the Doom of the Noldor and the Kinslaying at Alqualondë; such grievances would not hamper the joyful days in which their love bloomed in the springtime of the world.

But all that was good was not to endure. Aegnor soon became burthened by an evil foresight and became restless, desiring to return thither to his house to bring tidings to his brother. Soon, ere it became too late, he ventured to voice his most harrowing concern to the maiden at his side.

'Andreth, my love,' spoke he one morn. 'Thou art a human, bound by the doom of mortality.'

'What of it?' she asked, though her eyes caught the realisation in his. 'Do not continue to speak what is on thy mind,' she begged, as sudden foreboding leapt in her heart.

'It cannot remain unspoken.'

Though Aegnor pursued the thought he appeared loth to do so for his face was veiled by a heavy sadness.

'Yea, I am a mortal,' Andreth stated. 'And thy art of Elf-kind: immortal, wisest, fairest of all beings. For what do the mortal and the immortal remain bound? To what doom would they be sent together should they bide by one another forthwith?'

'Prithee, do not mock my counsel,' Aegnor sighed, but his exasperation was quelled upon noticing the tears in his lover's eyes.

'Thou wouldst not love me in age as in youth?' she asked sadly.

'My love!' Aegnor cried in repent, clasping her hands and kneeling before her. 'It is not my meaning, I swear upon it! Do not despair for an unjust cruelty, my dear Andreth, do not allow such tears to fall in vain. I would love thee til thou layest upon thy dying bed and beyond alone to the end of days, believe it to be true.'

Her eyes searched his and, upon seeing no lies there, fell to her knees in front of him.

'Then what hinders thee, my love?' she whispered.

'Thou must be rid of me,' he told her heavily. 'Death approaches swift upon the winds of Time, I can feel it. The Halls of Mandos beckon my spirit.'

'The Seige of Angband is to be broken?' Andreth said quickly.

'I fear it is so.'

And such grief as has never been known befell the maiden til no longer she could stand it.

There they lay upon the grass together in the wild woods, and not a word was spoken yet Andreth wept for a grief that threatened to overwhelm her. Aegnor held her as she mourned for his impending death and he also felt heavy with despair that their love should be torn so soon by the cruelty of life. He knew that she would not leave him, and secretly, in the most selfish part of his heart, he would be glad that she did not do so.

For night and day the lovers dwelt amongst the trees, hearkening to birdsong and murmurs of their own, feeling the sun move too swiftly for now their days were counted. Andreth repented their parting whereupon she returned to Boromir's homestead and Aegnor went thither to his and Angrod's abode both bearing tidings of the break of the Seige of Angband. The lovers would not be fated to meet again ere the ruin of days when all peace was broken and doom befell them all at the hand of Morgoth and his filth.