Chapter Seven: Remembrance
When they first arrived in the forest clearing, the sunlight sparkled through the trees, dimly shining upon the village. It was disastrous. The gardens and surrounding trees were burnt to the ground. The white marble statues were headless. The tall towers were leveled to the forest floor, and the white flowered vines that had been on them were now blood-red. Her house and the houses of her friends and family were now no more than rubble. Hewn bodies of Elves lay in piles, still smoldering with smoke rising. Orc markings were everywhere adding to the dreadfulness of the scene.
Leenia could not bear it. She fell to her knees, creating a small echo that disintegrated into the trees around her. She kneeled there for hours. Unable to move. Unable to speak. Unable to accept this new horror into her life. It was too unreal, seeming like a nightmare that was too frightful even to think about. Her home, her life, her family, her friends, all her hopes, dreams, and bliss disappeared into nothingness.
Berelong gave her a day to let everything pass through her and to get a stronghold on her emotions, and then helped to her to give a proper burial for the dead. Mismatched parts of bodies were put together and laid beside the dead Elves in the caves kept separate from the village by the Arrow Tree Elves for the dead. It took two days to gather the dead and their limbs and then place them in the burial cave, but they worked on, even into the darkest hours of the night.
At last the task was done, and the valiant Arrow Tree Elves that gave there life for there village were laid to rest in the caves. There were flowers that bloomed on the caves that had stayed white and gold, having not soaked up any blood and their petals seemed to glow, even in the darkness. It was a wondrous sight, and filled Leenia and Berelong with awe and amazement.
"This is a beautiful grave," said Berelong quietly.
"Yes, it is," Leenia sighed. "I thank you for helping me. We should go now though, ere any Orcs come hither."
"I agree. To Angband then?"
"Yes, to Angband and to my King!"
They then headed back northward, but this time over the Misty Mountains and the Grey Mountains instead of around them. Leenia was hopeful to hear news of her King; that he might have escaped from Angband. No news came. This saddened her heart, but at the same time also gave her more hope. No news of her King also meant that he was most likely to still be alive. Morgoth would boast about killing the Arrow Tree Elf King if had done so.
