DISCLAIMER: Only Silruin and Aldaya are mine.
Prologue:
An ancient secret, known only to few
Once told, once shamed, one many rue
A child by blood not of Beren's
A story of loss finds you therein
But what was the story that saddened the elves?
Where the dwarves delve deep, many secrets there dwell
Once is too many, three is too few
Nine is the number between me and you
Five is the times I called to the stars
Twelve are the reasons I knew from afar
Ten are the centuries waited have I
Four words and a story, all I have to defy
For eternal horror, eternal shame
Once a story, now a game
There is a first time for everything, and a last time for all
For even the elves from grace can they fall.
Chapter One
As you wish, my Lady
Aldaya rested with eyes closed, listening to the melodic sounds of elvish voices, smiling a small, secret smile. Her horse snorted, and she opened one eye, allowing her smile to widen a bit. Oh, the stories her father had told her of Rivendell! The wonders and music of the hidden vale of Imladris! One of the last sanctuaries for the elves, or so it was said. And finally, she was here!
Merchant's daughter that she was, Rivendell was a fascinating place, even had she not been so interested in elves. There were all kinds of things the elves could and would willingly trade for. Elves were wonderful bargainers (though, being a merchant, she would be bound by duty to say they always robbed her blind) and that made it even more delightful for her. It was straight out of a dream for a merchant who was still coming up in the world.
Her bay mare shook her mane, and sweat droplets flew on the air. The air was cooling as they descended into the vale, back to a more comfortable temperature, but Aldaya's hair was still pasted against her face. Her caravan had been hit by a horrible heat wave on their way north that seemed determined to stick with them. The heat had made the men cranky, and fights had begun to break out. Only another reason for her to have urged them on to Rivendell.
The steep bank leveled out, and Aldaya followed her escort, four guards in front and many more behind, into a wooden area that seemed strangely illuminated. It took her a minute to realize the illumination was thousands of fireflies floating in lightly tinted glass lanterns. She eyed them critically, but could find little wrong with the design. Yet another thing to bargain for.
It was another minute before she realized something else: no longer was the music coming from far in below her. Now it was coming from all around her, above her, to her right and her left. And suddenly, from right in front of her.
A young, handsome elf stepped into the path; his dark eyes alight in the glow from the lanterns. Ignoring the bristling guards, he stepped forward and gave her a little bow, making her grin.
"Mae govannen*, and well met, Lady Aldaya!" he said in the clear ringing speech of the Fair Folk. "Welcome to our humble home!"
Aldaya bowed from the saddle, trying not to look too pleased. "Mae govannen, edhel-imladris.*"
The elf grinned at her, and winked. "If you are searching for the House of Master Elrond, merely follow this path. If you don't mind, my friends and I would like to accompany you. We're all looking forward to the feast. I can smell the cooking fires already—mmm. Smells like turkey."
Aldaya chuckled. "If you do not mind, my dear elf, I would enjoy walking with you and your people." She dismounted smoothly and threw her reins to a scowling guard.
The elf bowed again. "It would be an honor, my Lady. My name is Silruin.*"
He offered her his arm, and she took, it smiling. Her disapproving guard took up the rear as elves fell in around and behind them, laughing and singing, capering about like young children. Elves, unlike most stories in Middle-Earth portrayed them, could be as happy-go-lucky as a nine-year-old during holidays.
They chatted easily, speaking of prices and bargains, possible trades and payments. Silruin was a young elf by their standards—merely millennia old, he explained. His eyes held an almost playful coyness as he spoke, but he had a kind smile.
"Lord Elrond has been looking forward to your arrival," said Silruin. "There have been few merchant trains about lately, and even we cannot sustain ourselves completely. The climate is not right for wine-grapes." Aldaya hid a chuckle behind a cough, and nodded.
"I did notice the land seemed unusually barren…have you any idea why?"
The elf suddenly seemed troubled. "An idea, but no proof." Then his smile brightened again as he changed the subject. "Ahh, there it is! The House of Elrond."
The trees parted suddenly like a curtain, and she stifled a gasp. Even Aldaya, who had seen many a castle and mansion in her time, was stunned by the sheer size of Rivendell. She'd always thought of it as a small castle, but it was more like a city, taking up the entire side of one hill. Silruin glanced sideways and hid a smile at her expression. Pale light filtered through the windows, giving the place a mysterious yet homey look. In all her dreams she could never have imagined a more perfect place for the Fair Folk to live.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Silruin said coyly.
"Yes. It'll do," Aldaya answered shortly, straightening her back and returning to her rather stoic merchant's face.
She heard him chuckle as she remounted, and say softly, "As you wish, my Lady. As you wish."
*^*^*^*^*
When Aldaya dismounted once more in the courtyard of Rivendell, and stretched wearily, the elves fanned out in front of her and struck up soft conversation with one another. Aldaya stopped tweaking muscles back into their proper place when Lord Elrond began descending gracefully down the entrance stairs. The elves fell silent, and all smiled or gave a little bow to him, and he smiled back. It was an interesting setup, and a rare one—the elves did not fear their leaders, but they respected them, and vise versa.
"Welcome to Rivendell, Lady Aldaya," Elrond said with a smile and a short bow.
"Mae govannen, Tar-Imladris*."
Elrond's smile widened. "Would you perhaps like to freshen up a bit before dinner?"
"If it is not too much trouble," she answered smoothly.
"Not at all." Lord Elrond motioned for an elf to come forward. It was Silruin. "Silruin, please lead the Lady Aldaya to her quarters."
"Of course, Master Elrond." The elf threw Aldaya another of his coy smiles and offered an arm. Hiding a grin, she placed a hand on his forearm and allowed him to lead her into Rivendell.
"Don't you fell better without all that scowling muscle at your back?" he asked playfully.
"Guards are necessary."
"Oh, but of course," Silruin replied, his tone amused. "Have you found anything you wish to trade for?"
Aldaya shot him a look. "Maybe, maybe not."
Silruin laughed. "Oh, you humans are so much fun to tease! Especially merchants. You are friendly as can be until you have to make a deal, and then down comes the poker face!"
Aldaya shook her head, but a smile touched her lips. "Elves," she said under her breath.
"Humans," Silruin retorted. She glanced at him, and both of them laughed.
"All right," she said, "point taken. I won't put my—what did you call it? Poker face?—up until the bargaining begins. But after that," she said, shaking a finger at him, "expect no mercy."
Silruin pretended to be shot. "I'm hit!" he cried, and collapsed. "She speaks her mind! Surely I must be dead!"
Aldaya rolled her eyes. "Come on, elf, I smell like horse and other things I don't want to think about."
"As you wish, my Lady. As you wish."
*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*
*Mae govannen = well met, or welcome/greetings
*Edhel-imladris = elf of Imladris
*Silruin = shining red flame
*Tar-Imladris = Lord of Rivendell
PS. I am not very fluent in elvish, so if I get some of the elvish wrong (I will endeavor not to) please forgive me…you are now reaching for the mouse—CLICK!—you are now reviewing…lol, seriously, I love reviews.