Finwe

Miriel walks the paths of my dreams. She gazes at me, pain in her grey eyes. Her lips form words but I cannot hear them. I strain my ears, but the wind is strong and the rain beats down on us hard as we stand within the courtyard of Tuna. I hold out my arms to her, but she shakes her head. Tears stream down disguised as raindrops. I step forward and pull her to my side. She leans her head against my shoulder and sighs. I draw her to me and whisper her name. She speaks, but it is not the commanding tone of Miriel. It was the soft sweetness of Indis. I woke and found her near me.

I forced a smile to hide my guilt and kissed her gently before getting up. My eyes happened upon Miriel's loom that still stood against the wall. I made a mental note to remove it, as I should have done years ago. I should forget about her. It was too painful to remember.

"Feanor is coming back today," Indis said quietly as she brushed out her long, wavy, gold hair. Miriel had had straight silver hair.

"I know," I said looking away. Feanor was so much like his mother. He had her beauty and her spirit and her long skillful fingers.

"So is Aredhel for she is with him and his sons," she added laying her brush aside and straightening the hem of her sapphire blue gown, which matched her beautiful eyes. Miriel's eyes were steel grey.

She must hate me, I thought, to haunt me like this. I had not asked to leave. I loved her, and if she had remained alive I would still have her, if she came back I would go to her, but to endure on alone, it was horrible. And yet…

Indis was staring at me trying to read my face. I quickly straightened it into a smile.

"We shall have a party in celebration of Feanor's return."

"A party?" Indis asked.

"Yes, tonight," I said.

She paced around the room once then turned to me with the slightest suggestion of anger crossing her angelic face.

"You could have told me earlier," she said, "Now we shall have to hurry and get everything prepared in a matter of hours instead of days."

"I am sorry," I said, sad to make her upset, "I did not think of it earlier."

Indis sighed then shrugged it off and pulled a loving smile from nowhere.

"It's all right, do not worry," she said touching my arm, "We will have a test of our skills that is all."

Then she left me to my thoughts and the loom and the ghost of Miriel.