Chapter II: Yavanna's Task

Nerwen and Silmelotë reached Valimar in the late afternoon; while Anar's chariot was descending toward the West, the Lady of the Green and her Chargeress entered the marvellous city of the Valar, located at the feet of the north-western Pelóri. The streets were crowded with blond Vanyar, the Fair Eldar, those who were the first to arrive in the Blessed Realm coming from Endorë, during the First Age of the world. Much less instead were the brown Noldor, who usually lived in the splendid city of Tilion on the green hill of Túna, at the entrance of the Cleft of Light, the only passage through the Pelóri, right in front of the Great Sea. Very few were finally the black-haired Teleri, great mariners, who dwelled in the enchanting Alqualondë – the Swan-haven – on the seashore. Some pedestrians recognised her and greeted her cheerfully, and Nerwen reciprocated them smiling, but didn't stop, heading without delay for Yavanna's town abode.

The beautiful palace in white marble, surrounded by an opulent garden, was exactly as she remembered it; Nerwen didn't even have the time to dismount her horse in front of the gate of pale wood, and it opened, as proof of the fact she was awaited.

"Good evening and welcome, Laiheri", the butler – an Elda with the typical dark hair of the Noldor – saluted her with a bow.

"Thank you, Varnon, and good evening to you", she reciprocated him, getting off the saddle; she trusted Silmelotë's bridle to the groom who had come rushing, a young Vanya Nerwen didn't know, "She's a Chargeress", she warned him therefore, so he would use the appropriate way with this kind of mount, which wasn't an ordinary horse.

" I see…", the stable hand murmured with an admired gaze, reaching out his hand to caress Silmelotë's silky face, being careful in going near to her slowly and openly. Nerwen realised that, even if young, the groom knew his job, and indeed the mare didn't pull back and, on the contrary, showed appreciation for the Elda's homage. After taking leave from her friend, Silmelotë let him take her away.

"Come, Lady", Varnon exhorted her, "We have a room prepared for you. Kementári will receive you as soon as you're freshened up."

"Thank Kementári for me", Nerwen said, entering the sun-lit hall, "I'll try to be quick."

Less than half an hour later, wearing her elegant dress in green and white silk, Nerwen exited the room she had been given and found Varnon waiting for her; the butler escorted her and made an announcement before introducing her in Yavanna's private parlour.

The Valië was sitting on a comfortable armchair, upholstered in silk damasked with a floral motif; she smiled at Nerwen when she entered and stood up to welcome her. The Maia took three steps, then made a low curtsy to pay homage to the Queen of Earth, but the latter approached her and, as soon as Nerwen rose from the bow, hugged her affectionately. Being much taller than Nerwen, whose height was unusually short for a Maia, she had to bend down a little.

"Welcome, my dear", she greeted her with her sweet contralto voice. Nerwen responded to her smile with the same affection.

"Thank you, my Lady Kementári", she answered. Yavanna shook her hand nonchalantly:

"We're not sitting at council in the Ring of Doom", she said, "Between us, formalities matter only there."

It was true: even if Nerwen was a Maia and Yavanna a Valië, the two of them were much more than simply mistress and disciple. Companions since the very remote age of the Music of the Ainur, together they had passed through many vicissitudes in the constant fight against Morgoth and his terrible devastations, together they had suffered the pain for the wounds he inflicted to kelvar and olvar, together they had mourned for the destruction of the Two Trees, and together they rejoiced in the coming of the Firstborn and the Second-born, of Aulë's Dwarves, of Yavanna's Onodrim and Manwë's Eagles. If Nerwen and Melian had been created as sisters, Nerwen and Yavanna had chosen each other as sisters. Therefore, when they were not forced by the solemnity of peculiar moments, as a great council in the Ring of Doom could be, generally they preferred to avoid addressing each other with the official titles due to them.

So, Nerwen smiled and nodded to Yavanna, who signalled her to take a seat on the armchair opposite to hers. On the small table of carved wood between them there was a silver tray with two goblets, also in silver, and a crystal carafe filled with a golden liquid.

"Sweet cider", the Valië revealed, winking slightly. Nerwen chuckled: it was her favourite beverage, and her Mistress knew it well.

They took their goblets, already filled, and drank to each other's health.

"What is the reason of your summons, Yavanna?", the Maia asked, curious.

Yavanna set down her glass and her gaze became solemn.

"You know the present situation in Endorë", she began, stating it not as a question, but as a plain fact. Nerwen nodded to confirm: they had spoken about it very often, long and thoroughly, ever since it had been decided to send there five disguised Maiar, at the beginning of the second millennium of the Third Age, in order to fight Sauron's power which was growing again, and try to unite all those who had the willpower needed to resist him; but it was forbidden to them opposing to Sauron their own power, or trying to dominate Elves and Men by force or fear. Among these five Maiar, there was also a good friend of Nerwen, Olórin. What Yavanna disliked, and Nerwen agreed with her, was that the plans, both of the Valar who made the decision and of the Maiar who had accepted the task, did not include the Onodrim, the Shepherds of the Trees created on Yavanna's request; ancient, wise and powerful beings, the Onodrim since forever lived very isolated and therefore had ended up being almost forgotten by everybody in Endorë, but of course not by their contriver and her follower. At the time, Yavanna insisted that, among the emissaries, there should be also Aiwendil, who like Nerwen was a follower of hers, but she wasn't satisfied owithf his doings.

"I don't like it, not at all", Nerwen answered Yavanna's comment, "Sauron's power grows with each cycle of Anar, and it doesn't seem to me that the Istari have been able to do much to unite his opponents."

She said it in a bitter tone: of two of them, who went to the wild lands in the East, they lost trace almost immediately; of the other three, Aiwendil stayed on his own, more interested in the life of animals, birds in particular, instead of that of the beings on two legs who dwelt in the world, while the last two had very different conducts, the most powerful shut in a tower to study the Enemy, the other, who was Nerwen's old friend, perennially wandering around the world.

"I think time has arrived to do something", Yavanna said, "If Eldar and Men don't achieve anything, the Onodrim will take care of it."

"For many years they seem to have vanished from Middle-earth", Nerwen objected, "Could they become extinct?"

"Should it be, I would know. No, they live still, my friend, even if very dwindled in number and well hidden."

"They've never liked to meddle in the doings of the other inhabitants of Endorë", Nerwen observed doubtfully, "How can we succeed in making them change their minds?"

"That's exactly the mission I was thinking to trust you with", the Valië answered, looking her in the eyes. The Maia raised her eyebrows.

"Me?", she cried, surprised.

"I know no better qualified person", Yavanna confirmed with a slight smile. And it was true: except herself, who had conceived them, it was Nerwen Laiheri the one who knew the Onodrim the best and could understand them. Not even Aiwendil, more interested in animals than in plants, was able to.

Yavanna sobered again:

"If you accept the mission, you must understand that, differently than from the other Istari, you won't be incarnated in a human body; you won't therefore be subject to malady nor to ageing; nor your memory of Aman will be dimmed, or your Second Sight taken away. However, the quality of Endorë will influence you; you won't be able to preserve all your Ainurin powers and you'll therefore be diminished, and you'll feel tiredness and pain, both physically and spiritually; and you can be wounded, even if not killed. You are not allowed to reveal yourself to anyone, except those I'll tell you, in your Ainurin majesty; and, like the other Istari, you're not allowed to rule the inhabitants of Endorë by your power, or dominate them by force or fear. This goes for both for the two-legged creatures such as Eldar, Men, Halflings and Dwarves, and for kelvar and olvar."

Nerwen nodded to show she had understood.

"Be aware that Endorë will influence you also in another way", Yavanna went on, "Not possessing all your capacities anymore, you'll be exposed to sudden and violent sentiments and emotions. This means you'll love, hate, rejoice, get scared with much more force and immediacy, and you'll need to learn to handle it."

Again, Nerwen nodded: during her sojourns in Beleriand, when she went visiting her sister Melian and her family, it didn't happen, but then she was a full Aini, not diminished like she would be now. Not knowing exactly what it meant, she was slightly worried; but she didn't let herself be intimidated, because if her friend Olórin had been able to do it, she could well do it, too. Yavanna, too, was sure of it, or else she wouldn't propose her this mission.

"And what do the other Valar think about it?", she enquired.

"I spoke to Manwë", Yavanna answered, "He gave me his approval. He thought it unnecessary to call at council all the others."

This news struck Nerwen deeply: that the First among the Valar had decided on his own, without asking the opinion of his equals, gave her the full measure of the importance he recognised to the task Yavanna wanted to trust her with.

The Maia put down her glass and joined her hands on her lap, showing an expression of deep concentration. She was silent for a long while, and Yavanna didn't disturb her thoughts.

Finally, Nerwen lifted her gaze again to her Mistress. In her eyes, the Valië glimpsed a quiet, but very firm decision.

"I accept the mission, Kementári", the Maia declared in a formal way, "I'll leave tomorrow."

Yavanna smiled warmly.

"I had no doubt, my friend", she asserted, "In Alqualondë a ship is waiting for you, she will take you to Cìrdan at Mithlond. I asked Ulmo to convey him news of your arrival", she concluded, "He told me he would send Uinen. Let's make a toast!", she suggested at this point, taking again her goblet of cider and raising it to Nerwen, "To the success of your mission in Endorë."

The Maia did the same and they drank.

"How will we communicate?", Nerwen asked at this point.

"Mentally", Yavanna answered her, "Tomorrow, before you leave, we'll create the telepathic bond. Because of the enormous distance that will separate us, it will cost you a great amount of energy each time you'll use it, so I recommend you not to make use of it if not for really important matters, and always in safe places, because after the procedure you'll be exhausted."

"Understood", the Maia said, "I ask you the favour to take news of me to Melian, when I'll contact you from Endorë, just to tell her I'm fine and reassure her."

"Of course, I'll do it gladly."

"I thank you, Yavanna."

They took another sip in a comfortable silence.

"Don't spend the night alone", the Valië suggested her, "You'll be away from Aman for a long time, and surely you'll have to spend long periods in solitude."

"Yes, you're right…", Nerwen mused, "If Calion is in town, I could send for him."

"He'll be happy to see you, and above all to give you an adequate goodbye", Yavanna smiled, "I guessed you'd like to see him, so I already enquired on where he was, and I confirm you he's here in Valimar. I'll send for him to tell him you're here and that you invite him for dinner. I'll issue instructions so that you can dine in your room."

The Maia smiled gratefully at her Mistress.

"You know me better than myself", she commented, smiling. Yavanna reciprocated her smile.

OOO

Author's corner:

Now the fundamental plot of my story has been roughed out: Nerwen's mission in Middle-earth, searching for the Ents, who will take her to the search for the Entwives… I hope it intrigues you! :-) It intrigued ME since I read the tale Treebeard makes of it to Merry and Pippin in The Lord of the Rings, and I always thought it was too bad that Tolkien never let know exactly what fate occurred to the Entwives. So I thought Nerwen had to solve the mystery – and who better than her, who is the Lady of the Green? :-) Of course, during her search she'll have many adventures and meet many characters, already known such as Gandalf, Bilbo, Thorin Oakenshield, Elrond, Galadriel and Treebeard himself, but also brand new characters, born out of my vivid imagination.

I thank you heartedly if you'll leave me a couple of words of comment!

Lady Angel