Hi guys! Sorry that this is so late, but I wasn't happy with the chapter and so I fixed it and then it all got whacked out because one chapter was too long and another was too short and I was rather annoyed at fixing it and I was busy and lazy and- yeah. You get the point. But anywayyyyys... Thank you for all of the faves, follows, and reviews! You guys really make my day.
Important question: do you guys have any interest in Ingalaurë? Because I was debating writing a bit more about him, but I don't want to spend effort if no one is interested in him...
But anyways, as usual, please
Read!
Enjoy!
Review!
WARNING: One section of disturbing imagery. Read at your own risk.
Chapter 3
It had been seventy years since Eruanna had entered the halls of Mandos. She had not needed to sleep for three years of the sun at a time, and Nàmo had decided along with Manwë that it was high time that she be reborn, along with several other elves. It was actually nearing the date when Eruanna had first entered the halls in the first place, and the Reborn are always released on the day of their entry into the halls.
So when Nàmo went to find Eruanna, he found her along with Ecthelion and Ingalaurë sitting in their usual room, watching the others play with smiles on their faces. They stood and bowed when lord Nàmo came into the room, and he nodded, beckoning for them to follow him.
Then he led them to a hallway where there were three tapestries hanging on a wall side-by-side and between two pillars. There was a very large, empty space underneath each tapestry, about the height of Nàmo. The three of them looked at him, confused, and he gave them a thin smile, gesturing slightly to the tapestries.
Eruanna looked up at them, and felt a wave of sudden fear, sorrow, and yet exhilaration sweep through her. One of them was a picture of her otorno's death, an event which she remembered so very well.
It depicted an elf dressed in silver armor with a blue cloak dotted with diamonds, drowning in a body of water. His hair was inky blue, a strange, almost ironical or resigned smile on his face, and eyes closed. It was a disturbing smile, really. His hair swirled about in the water, and a helmet floated away at the edge of the tapestry. It had a sharp point at the tip, studded with diamonds.
She shivered, and then looked to the other one. It showed Ingalaurë as an ellon with soft blonde locks and greenish-silver eyes- falling from a tall building. His face was in a terrible expression of mingled hatred and fear, and sent chills through her. She swallowed and then ripped her eyes away to see her own tapestry, and turned pale.
It showed her sitting on the ground, eyes an almost pitch black, blank and staring at nothing, spattered with blood and a stream of it falling down the corner of her lips.
She took in a shaky breath and then looked to lord Nàmo. She vaguely noticed that Ecthelion and Ingalaurë were doing the same, and Nàmo looked at them gravely.
"It is time, my children, for you to be reborn." Nàmo stated, and they started, looking at him with uncertainty. Eruanna, however, was nearly panicked. If she was reborn, where would she go? Was there anyone who would take her in?
Nàmo gave her a small smile as he divined her thoughts. "Do not worry, for we would not release any of you if there were no one to take you in. Now, only you can choose to be reborn. All you must do is find the way." He said, sweeping a hand to the tapestries, which they turned to look at.
Each one of them had unconsciously positioned themselves in front of the tapestry that depicted their deaths. Looking at each other, they shrugged, and then Ecthelion grinned.
"Well, see you on the other side, then." He shrugged, and turned to his tapestry. A door suddenly materialized, and Ecthelion grasped the handle, turning it and then disappearing through the door willingly enough. Nàmo was smiling faintly, though none of them saw it.
Eruanna, seeing that Ecthelion was leaving and her fears put to rest by lord Nàmo, shrugged and then smiled faintly. She reached forwards, and before her hand contacted the wall, there was a handle there. She happened to glance at Ingalaurë and noted that he was looking extremely uncertain, and paused.
"Ingil?" She asked hesitantly. He looked to her, and hung his head.
"I- I don't know... Who's going to be there for me? And- and what if I'm not happy where I'm taken in?" He asked, anguished at the thought. Eruanna stepped towards him and then hugged him.
"You can stay with me if you don't like it, or I can stay with you." She promised. "Cause I love you, Ingil." She confided with child-like surety. Ingil smiled then, and hugged her back.
"Thank you. I'll hold you to that, then." He said, and his own door materialized. Eruanna let go, and with a grin at her, he disappeared into his door and she was left alone. Then she turned to Nàmo who stood there patiently.
"Thank you, Atto." She said softly, looking down and shuffling her feet. "I- I'll try to be good..." Then she swallowed and impulsively threw her arms around his leg before diving through the door and slamming it shut behind her.
If she would have stayed, she would have been treated to the sight of Nàmo laughing. "Oh dearest child, you and Glorfindel always did enter life with a bang!"
And the Maiar and Valar laughed along with him riotously.
*So, which Maia gets to take care of a newly Reborn Eruanna Glorfindelithel?* Manwë queried. There was a silence on all frequencies as the message was passed to all the Maiar as well.
Then, *I will, my lord!* issued from the mental lips of several scores of Maiar.
Nàmo rolled his eyes. *Manwë, I think we may have a little problem...*
But Manwë, if he said anything, was left unheard as all the Maiar began to fight for the honor of taking care of Eruanna. And Nàmo laughed, the sound of it ringing through his demesne and causing all the feär who heard it to smile, though they were not sure why.
LOTRLOTRLOTR
"Ada?" Finrod Felagund called to his father, King Arafinwë, coming into the room. The King looked up at his son with a smile from where he sat next to his son-in-law Celeborn and daughter Galadriel. Eärwen looked up from nearby.
Finrod waved a letter in his hands. "Lord Nàmo and Irmo want to know if we would accept another two Reborn to care for. They say that it is merely a request and not an order, and that if we should accept Glorfindel would be very grateful." He answered, handing the letter to his father who took it.
Finrod noticed the look that passed between Celeborn and Galadriel. "Do you know them, Galadriel?" He asked his sister curiously. His sister gave him a slight smile.
"You will have to find out for yourself, Findárato. I think you would enjoy it very much." She answered knowingly, leaning into a slightly smiling Celeborn.
"Hmmm. Now I'm intrigued. You never did speak very much about the third age." Finrod said, glancing to his father, who looked up from the letter. Arafinwë feigned a resigned sigh.
"Well, Eärwen, my love, it looks as though we'll have two more elflings to care for now." He said dryly, and Eärwen laughed lightly.
"And you know you will accept them as your own, my love." She answered, and he gave her an amused smile.
"That all depends. If they're anything like Glorfindel, I don't think I'll be able to handle it." And he languished in his chair with a groan as they all laughed riotously.
"So I'll take that as a yes, Ada?" Finrod asked cheekily, giving his father an innocent grin. Arafinwë smiled fondly at him.
"Of course, Finda, if only because of our love for Glorfindel." He answered, and they all laughed at the thought that that image evoked in their minds of older times when Glorfindel was a whining elfling who loved to make trouble for the Valar.
LOTRLOTRLOTR
When Eruanna woke up next, it was to have difficulty opening her eyes. She squinted them, or at least she thought she did, and then managed to peel them open. She slammed them back shut in protest at the light that burned her eyes and made them water painfully.
"Slowly now, Eruanna. Don't rush it too much." A voice told her gently, and she took in a deep breath, obeying the voice. And then she blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light.
There was a Maia in front of her, smiling gently from where he sat on the edge of her bed. "Welcome to life, Eruanna Glorfindelithel." He said softly. She smiled, or at least she thought she did, since all she really felt was a slight twitch. The Maia chuckled.
"Don't worry too much, Eruanna. Your feä needs to get used to being back in a hroä." The Maia said. Without consciously thinking about it, she attempted to speak as she did in the halls of Mandos, and was shocked to hear a little squeak escape her throat.
She looked at the Maia, wide eyed, and he smiled broadly. "Yes, Eruanna. You can speak once more with your throat, now that you have a new hroä." He said, and she felt tears coursing down her cheeks in joy and awe at the thought. The Maia wiped them away and smiled.
"Now, why don't you eat this? You will need to get used to eating again." He said, and helped her to sit up. She found that she couldn't move very well, barely twitching a finger for herself. But she trusted the Maia, and obediently ate the stew that was held up to her lips.
The taste of the broth exploded on her tongue, and she nearly gagged at the shock of the strong taste. Then she managed to swallow with a gasp, head spinning at the sensation that assaulted her long-unused senses. The Maia patiently waited for her to open her mouth for the next bite, and she ate eagerly after that as she remembered the taste of salt and the greens.
She gave him a questioning look shyly, and he smiled. "My name is Fionwë, and I am a Maia under lord Manwë." He answered her silent question. Then he grinned at her cheekily. "I had to fight off my brethren for the honor of tending to you." He winked, and she stopped eating to stare at him in bewilderment. He threw back his head and laughed, and Eruanna took a moment to study him.
There was only one way she knew how to describe him. Pretty. He was a very pretty Maia. His hair was almost white, but the more she looked the more she realized that it was actually a very, very light lavender color. His face was also pale, and his hair came down to his torso. His eyes were a more pronounced lavender color than his hair, and his eyelashes were long and the same color as his hair.
"Yes, indeed, I did, for most of the Maiar know of your brother and are fond of him. It is an honor to care for you, for your own sake." He said, smiling, and Eruanna felt tears in her eyes as the simple beauty of that smile smote her heart.
"Y-you're s-so pretty." She heard herself blurt clumsily, and then blushed hotly, turning her head to look down at the sheets. Her cheeks were burning and she was sure they would catch on fire. But Fionwë only laughed.
"Why, thank you, Eruanna. I suppose that makes us a nice pair, doesn't it? Two very pretty beings." He chuckled, and she peered up at him to see that he was grinning at her in all sincerity. She smiled back shyly, or at least tried her best to, and felt her eyelashes flutter sleepily.
"Sleep. It is natural for you to rest much to get your feä accustomed to the new hroä." Fionwë comforted, and with those words she fell asleep peacefully.
LOTRLOTRLOTR
The next time she woke up, it was to see that Fionwë was bustling about the cottage busily, setting things in order. She felt a sudden tightening in her stomach and squirmed uncomfortably. Fionwë immediately was at her side, helping her out of the bed and settling her over a chamber pot before she really realized what was happening.
When she finally registered the wetness and the feeling of Fionwë wiping her tenderly before changing her gown, she merely shook her head in resignation and a feeling of embarrassment. Fionwë merely smiled at her in sympathy.
"There is nothing to be ashamed of. Even Glorfindel did the same. Every Reborn must learn to do things for themselves all over again." He said conversationally, setting her at rest, easily cleaning out the pot and settling the blankets around her.
This time she found that she could move her fingers and toes, and managed to clutch Fionwë's sleeve before he could leave. She looked down and then peered back up, begging him with her eyes to stay a little longer. He smiled and sat next to her, and she sighed in relief, curling herself into his side. He placed an arm around her and hummed gently, rocking until she fell asleep once more.
The days passed in similar ways until she could finally begin stumbling around awkwardly, moving from her bed to the door and collapsing into Fionwë's arms in exhaustion but with a sense of satisfaction of relearning something new.
Fionwë often praised her, but she merely shook her head, smiling at him gratefully for his help. She didn't speak too often, but Fionwë assured her that it was natural that she didn't, since she was so used to not speaking out loud. It was a subconscious knowledge that she needed to move past, which would happen in due time.
Finally, though, she decided that she needed to make a conscious effort to speak, since she could now walk and even dress herself, albeit clumsily. So the next time she woke up with a pinching stomach and feeling restless, she looked to Fionwë.
"F-Fionwë?" She managed, tripping over the words, her tongue feeling thick in her mouth. In a moment he was by her side with smile.
"That's it, Eruanna. Slowly. What do you need?" He asked, helping her sit up.
"I-I'm hun-hungr-y." She said, and then blinked at the sound of her own voice. Fionwë made no comment but merely brought her a bowl of stew with fresh bread which she took gratefully. But for a moment she merely stared down at it blankly, absently noting the vegetables that floated on the top of the liquid and stared back at her.
Her voice. It was... Soft. Quiet. Gentle. Musical, as was every elf's voice. But she heard something in it that almost troubled herself. It had a note in it that sounded... Dark. She had no doubt that if she were to attempt to speak ominously, she could do it as no one else might be able to. Her eyebrows furrowed. Well, try it then.
"I-It is t-time." She spoke slowly and softly in dark surety, feeling it pass her lips and spill into the air like a bottle of black ink, staining the air. She pursed her lips. It was most certainly dark. Then she shrugged, feeling almost pleased at the thought of carrying a slight piece of her shadowed past into her present self. Not that she missed that past, but it was more a sense of having a trophy to carry with her in remembrance of what she had gone through and survived, however much scarred.
Then she tried a different tack. "T-thank you, Fionwë." She said bashfully, and was pleased with her voice this time. It was smooth and albeit her stutter very pleasant-sounding on the whole. It almost reminded her of her brother's voice as well, golden and yet silver.
Fionwë gave her a piercing look, and she blushed. "I-I wanted to h-hear it. I-it reminds me of w-what I had to... g-go through." She attempted to explain, and his face softened.
"I understand." He said gently. "Now, eat." He said sternly, and she gave him a jaundiced look.
"Yes nana. O-okay n-nana. Anything y-you say, nana." She said bitingly, and he laughed heartily as she tucked into her meal, his hand smoothing her hair.
"And if you're good and eat it all I may even allow you to go out and play." He winked, and she rolled her eyes at him as she crammed a piece of the bread into her mouth. He chuckled.
True to his word, when she had eaten it all he took her outside. She took in a deep breath, feeling her chest expand with life. A sudden feeling of gratitude overwhelmed her, and she began to weep for joy. Joy at being alive, joy at being whole and clean, of having a new start at life, free of the burdens and pains of the past. The death of Ciaran still intensely sorrowed her, but she was no longer pushed to the brink of insanity by the pain, and she managed to come to a tentative acceptance that he was in a better place now.
Fionwë gathered her gently into his arms as she wept, and she clung to him, burying her face into his tunic. When she finally calmed down, she slumped into his grasp, exhausted. Then she sighed shakily, looking up at Fionwë who smiled down at her gently.
"I luff you, Fionwë." She mumbled sleepily, feeling deliriously happy as she snuggled into him, soaking up his touch. His eyes softened as he smoothed her hair gently.
"And I you, little one." He answered tenderly, and she fell asleep. He placed her back in bed, tucking her in as she slumbered on.
*I think she's almost ready, don't you, Fionwë?* Nàmo bespoke the Maia amusedly through ósanwe.
*Yes, my lord, I do believe so- although I will mourn when my time to watch over her is over.* Fionwë sighed in return, cleaning up the small cabin.
*Ah, but you may still keep an eye on her from time to time, Fionwë, since she trusts you.* Manwë said with a chuckle. *Like Nornoros did for Ingalaurë and Ingwion when they were young. A guardian Maia, so to speak.*
Fionwë grinned. *Thank you, my lord. Although I may have to get in line, since Manveru and Erunáro are clamoring for a chance.* He answered slyly, and was rewarded with the laughter of his lords and the hearty agreement from the twin Maiar.
LOTRLOTRLOTR
So the days passed even more, until Eruanna was finally fully capable of moving about and taking care of her own needs by herself. However, she was still not quite in control of her fine motor skills and was still in awe of her surroundings as she experienced many things for the first time all over again.
Like the first time she stayed awake long enough to see the stars. She had wept at the sight of them, listening to their cold, distant, mysterious, joyous song for the first time she had been reborn. Fionwë had had to sing her to sleep on account of her overwhelmed senses that wouldn't allow her to fall asleep herself.
And then, of course, came the inevitable night when she woke up alone in the middle of the night. It wasn't being alone that scared her. It was the dark. And her nightmares.
She had dreamed of her time in Angband, remembering many of the times she had been tortured until she had blacked out from the pain. That particular night, she had dreamed of one particular time that she had not thought of for a long time, for her mind had blocked it out previously for the sheer horror that accompanied it.
It had been dark. Oh, so very dark. The single torch had been taken away, and there was nothing but the smothering, predatory, parasitic darkness, leeching the life out of her. She could feel her breath surround her, slick against her skin. And then she could feel an orc enter the room, and opened her eyes to see a dim torch being set on the wall. It barely allowed her to see anything.
"What are we going to do with this?" One orc had growled at another, and she heard a bucket being rattled. The orc cackled.
"Sport, you ninny." It had sneered, and the bucket had clanked as it had transferred from one hand to another. She had closed her eyes tightly in anticipation of the pain.
But when it came, she had not been prepared for it, not nearly enough. Screams echoed through her mind, and her voice box had been rendered powerless and utterly useless. Pain consumed her whole body, burning like lava.
The hot, molten, boiling tar had covered her body, trailing down her skin, sticky and black, consuming her skin and sticking to it like a parasitic leech. And the cackling had gone on as her vision had been covered by the tar, black and stifling, sucking all the air from her lungs as the screams had gone on and on for what seemed to be forever until blessed unconsciousness took over...
Eruanna flew up, screaming in terror and flailing, drowning in the innocent blankets that tangled around her limbs, slowly rendering her vulnerable and unable to move. She didn't even realize she was screaming until she had to stop for air, gasping for breath.
There was a bright light, and she continued screaming in terror as Fionwë appeared in concern. "Eruanna, penneth!" He shouted over her screams, and she launched herself at him, sweat-soaked and shaking violently, teeth chattering.
She sobbed. "Too dark, Fionwë! Glorfy! Glorfy!" She wailed, weeping her heart out as she searched futilely for her brother. Fionwë hushed her gently, rocking her soothingly.
"Shhh. It's okay, little one. See?" He asked, and lighted a candle next to her bed with a single thought. "I'll leave that there from now on in the nights." He promised gently, and her tremors slowly ceased.
"I'm sorry." She whispered into his shoulder. "I just... The dream... Dark..." She sniffled, and he hushed her.
"There's no need to apologize, my sweet. Did you know that Findárato did the exact same thing?" He asked, trying to divert her mind from her fears as he sat down, still holding her.
She sniffed. "Really?" She asked, and he nodded gravely.
"Yes, and he wanted a candle." He said in all seriousness, then gave her a wink. "And lord Nàmo gave him a stuffed toy, too." He said slyly, and Eruanna managed a giggle at that thought.
"Why don't I get one?" She whined playfully, and he chuckled.
"If you asked him I'm sure he would give you one." He answered, and she gave him a calculating look. He stifled a laugh and merely smiled, maybe a little too widely, stroking her hair. Then she smiled and reached up, bestowing a kiss on his cheek.
*Aww no fair, you got one and I don't!* Olòrin said teasingly, and Fionwë stuck out his tongue, making the other Maiar laugh themselves silly at Olòrin's huff.
"Thank you, my dear." Fionwë said gravely, and kissed her brow. She smiled shyly and snuggled up to him, yawning.
"Wuv you, Fionwë." She slurred, and then slowly fell asleep. Fionwë smiled, pleased, and then tucked her in, singing softly.
*Such a pretty Maia, who could not give him a kiss?* Eonwë piped in slyly, and Fionwë groaned as Olòrin roared, avenged.
*Eonwë, you are going to pay for that!* Fionwë mock-growled, but the herald merely smirked.
*Personally, I have to agree.* Manwë interjected off-handedly, and there was a silence before the Maiar burst into laughter. Fionwë sighed.
*Yes master. Poor me, always being picked on.* Fionwë bemoaned his fate, though his grin belied his words. Manwë chuckled.
*And I wouldn't have you any other way, my child.* He said fondly, a breeze ruffling the Maia's hair as he smiled.
*Thank you, my master.* He answered, and with a chuckle, Manwë faded away.
Fionwë was left to keep watch over Eruanna's now-peaceful sleep, hair tousled and mouth slightly open in breath.
LOTRLOTRLOTR
Eruanna was working in the garden. She had been set to work by Niondil, Maia of Nienna, in weeding a small bed of greens. At first she had been confused on what to do, but then Niondil had assured her to just follow her senses.
So she had sat there for a moment staring at the plants, face drawn into concentration. Niondil, unbeknownst to her, had watched her carefully as he resumed his own work of deadheading a rose bush.
Then her eyes had lit up. She touched one of the plants and listened to its song carefully. The one she touched sang of hidden power with a voice that reminded her of echoes in a stone hall, the sound of it suggesting joy in her tender touch. She smiled, pulling away, and then moved to another plant.
Then she had placed a hand on the taller plant and frowned. It sang of consuming, pilfering, snatching, greedy hoarding. With a wrinkle of the nose, she pulled it out by the roots and set it aside, moving on to the next. Soon she had weeded all of the bed, and had a pile of weeds set aside, which she gathered together.
Then she turned to Niondil hesitantly, unsure of the reception of her work. Niondil smiled and studied the bundle she held for inspection, and then pulled one out. "You have done exceptionally well, my dear. This one, however, is an herb that can be replanted." He said, and she nodded.
Despite her failure at knowing that, she was altogether pleased at the praise of the Maia and in the knowledge that she had done as well as she knew how. He nodded at her.
"Yes, you have done the best you knew how, and to try is all we ask of anyone." He said gently, and she nodded, obediently following his instructions how to replant the herb properly. Then he led her to a rose bush and began to show her how to deadhead it. She went about the task well enough at first, but slowly she lagged and then suddenly stopped, face twisting.
Then for apparently no reason, she burst into tears. Niondil immediately came and set her down on his knee where he knelt, hushing her gently. "There's no reason to cry, little one." He said kindly, wiping away her tears.
She slowly calmed, sniffling and looking progressively ashamed. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm crying." She said, giving him a chagrined look. He smiled understandingly.
"But I do. You weep because you feel as though you are killing something, don't you?" He asked. She blinked, and then slowly nodded.
"And you are." He said baldly. "But there is a lesson in this, child. When you kill that part of the plant, you are actually making way for a better one to grow in its place. Unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it remains alone- but if it dies, it produces much fruit. You understand?" He asked gently, and she thought carefully.
Then she nodded slowly, turning to look back at the plant with a new, thoughtful look. "I-I see." She said quietly, and he smiled.
"Good. That is good. Now, why don't we go have something to eat?" He asked cheerfully, and standing, led her gently from the garden and back to her cabin where Fionwë was waiting with a glass of cookies and a decanter of Hawthorne juice. There was another Maia there as well, and as they neared Eruanna saw him.
He turned and smiled, and a bolt of recognition went through her, making her stop, a hesitant and unsure look on her face. The Maia smiled. "Don't you remember your good friend, Eruanna?" He asked, and she gasped.
He was quite distinctive, with hair that was a white-gold that sparkled in the light. His eyes were violet, and his grin was infectiously familiar. Then she laughed and threw herself at him.
"Olòrin!" She cried, and he hugged her gently with a laugh.
"Yes, Eruanna, it is I." He answered, and winked as he pulled away. She giggled and then sat down happily, reaching for Fionwë.
"Cookie!" She pleaded, and Fionwë laughed, handing her one and pouring glasses of juice. She munched happily on the cookie, her feet swinging from her chair. Just then, another being materialized beside her.
"Are those Nienna's cookies? They are delicious." Nàmo said calmly, reaching for one, but before he could he was presented with an armful of elfling.
"Atto!" Eruanna fairly shrieked, hugging him and scattering cookie crumbs everywhere on his lap. He threw back his head and laughed, gathering her up and hugging her.
"Yes, yeldë, it is your Atto." He replied amusedly, and she smiled brightly, stuffing another cookie into her mouth as the Maiar bowed.
Nàmo smiled at them and nodded, and they sat. "Have you enjoyed your time with Fionwë, child?" He asked, and she glanced at Fionwë in reply, who was smiling gently. She swallowed her mouthful.
"No. Nana wouldn't let me have any fun." She pouted, though the twinkle in her eyes belied her words. Fionwë gave her an affronted look as Nàmo and Olòrin roared. But Fionwë soon joined them as Eruanna giggled.
"You said you wouldn't be bad." Nàmo said gravely, giving her a stern look, but she only gave him a cheeky grin.
"I said I'd try. And I have. But I didn't say how long I'd try." She said slyly, and it was Fionwë's turn to howl at Nàmo's face as Eruanna smirked triumphantly. Then Nàmo rolled his eyes amusedly.
"So that is how it works, is it? I see." He said, and chuckled. Then he sobered. "There is someone who wishes to see you, Eruanna, will you not come and see him?" He asked, and she blinked before nodding.
"O-okay, Atto." She answered, and he smiled as he stood. The he began to lead her away when she stopped, face twisting.
"W-what about Fionwë?" She asked, looking back at the Maia, who came forwards and knelt before her.
"Go, child. I have other duties too, you know, and I must see to them. But fear not! We shall meet again, many more times." He winked, and she relaxed.
"Kay. Bye, Fionwë. Bye Olòrin!" She said, and waving, turned and ran after Nàmo again. Fionwë shook his head with a chuckle to Olòrin as they thought themselves away.
*Such a precious child, as all of them are.* He said amusedly.
*Indeed.* Was Olòrin's only reply.