Ashes


Long tendrils of fire sprayed roving shadows appearing like dancers upon walls of mahogany and white. In the darkness of the room sat a dragon, bigger than most hunting hounds now, relishing in the coolness of the marble and heat. Nerthus cracked open an eye, watching her lady from the shadows. Elathan rested in their lady's lap as the flames played off of his white scales. The patterns of the flames often mesmerized her – the gold of fire would turn him gold or the light of the moon would make him glow like a star. The two of them had lingered behind with Coruwen after the marriage of King Elessar and Queen Arwen to live with her in Imladris. The Lady Galadriel, along with the other Ringbearers, had left these lands long ago to venture to the land of healing, Valinor. Coruwen's uncle had taken her to Imladris after their land had started to fade away.

However, Nerthus had noticed a turn in their lady's personality after the events in Gondor nearly two years ago. Coruwen now appeared far gaunter, her body thin, and her voice gone. Elathan and Nerthus had no idea how to fix it, and yet no one told them how to fix it. Nerthus could hear the padding of two people outside the door and she raised her head to look at the door.

Slipping through the door came Legolas and Hithiel, a handmaiden to their lady and dear friend. Nerthus watched Hithiel closely, for she had not seen the elleth in quite some time. The lady was built small much like Coruwen was, but with hair formed of the finest strands of moonlight and softened silver to create shining tresses of white. It was strange, Nerthus reflected, how Hithiel moved like a phantom around the room while speaking to the prince hurriedly.

"Hello Nerthus," Legolas' voice said above her. Nerthus glanced over at the prince, seeing him smiling over at her. Nerthus could not smile like elves or men could, but she let out a pleased purr and swished her tail at him, much like a hound to its master. He approached her, stroking her head while another hand scratched her chin. "How does she fare?"

"No changes," Nerthus answered as she prince released her head. She shook her head, feeling the cold of winter tingle her scales from the prince's hands. "She remains mute, unhappy, and never moving."

Legolas sighed, shaking his head. "How did she fall into this darkness again?"

"Again?" Nerthus echoed, eyeing him curiously. Hithiel walked over to the two with Elathan at her heels. She was surprised that her brother had even left Coruwen's side, seeing as he had not done so in weeks.

"Yes," The prince shook his head as though in disbelief. "She has done this before; she did it after Thorin died. The only reason she was able to overcome her grief was through the funeral in Erebor."

"Though no one has died, my prince," Hithiel whispered, her sweet voice taking on a regretful twinge. Elathan leapt up beside Nerthus and sighed as he lay down at her side. "Surely there must be a cause."

"Perhaps, my dear Hithiel, but I cannot see it and forcing her to talk only makes her worse," Legolas' grey eyes landed on the fire as it flickered in its mirth. To Nerthus, his eyes took on a beautiful color of grey; it was as though a storm sat above a horizon while gold light spread beneath it. "Glorfindel was a fool to let jealously blind him – it only hurt my sister."

Hithiel touched his hand as they curled into white knuckled fists. He looked down at her and she smiled softly, bright eyes shining with a forced happiness that Nerthus had seen many times in the creations of the One. He released the tension in his hands to take hers, spreading within the dragoness a sense of relief.

"All of us make mistakes, Legolas. I am under the full understanding that the two of them eventually will let the fires of hate and regret bank so they might fix the broken glass of their bond as not only a courting pair but as dear friends," Hithiel whispered and the dragons nodded in agreement. "I mean, if Lord Celeborn could not fix his niece, who else could? Even you could not, and she cares for you quite deeply."

"Hithiel," The maiden pressed two fingers to his lips, and he frowned.

"You know I am correct, Legolas. You could not fix her, Lord Celeborn could not, and the dragons surely have tried." She gestured to Coruwen, who had taken up reading a book in the far corner of the room in a window seat. "No one else in the entire world could fix her."

"Lady Galadriel could, if she were here," Legolas reminded Hithiel, who sighed under her breath. He looked to Nerthus, giving her a curious look, "And if I understand any of the recent signs, I take it that the dragons will soon be departing these lands for the Withered Heath."

"We are," Elathan answered. "I hate to leave our lady like this, but Mother's word is law. It is time for her children to become crowned heirs. With that crown, we also leave behind the lives of our most loved, even if those most loved are humans, elves, or dwarves."

"Come," Legolas gestured for the two to follow him while Hithiel rested her hand on the prince's arm to walk with him. The two dragons padded after him, slipping out of the door to the white halls of Imladris. "We have another problem at hand, my friends."

"And that would be?" Nerthus asked, keeping pace with Hithiel. Legolas smirked, letting out a scoff. "Oh with that attitude I suspect you are saying something negative."

The prince shook his head, "I see it as such, princess. My father plans to leave these lands for Valinor soon to be with my mother… Knowing this, soon I will have to leave to watch over Eryn Lasgalen until the settlement in Ithilien is completed. I regret leaving Coruwen in the state she is in currently, but know that Imladris is the safest place for her."

"What are you saying, Legolas?" Hithiel asked, her nails digging into the silver fabric on his arm. "Do you wish for her to follow you?"

"No, I simply wish for her to be safe. If that means leaving you with her, Hithiel…"

The elleth nodded, and Nerthus' mind paused mid-thought. When did Hithiel become precious to the prince? She gawked up at the prince and lady.

"Am I missing something valuable in this conversation?" Elathan interrupted as he landed on a wood end table. Nerthus silently thanked her brother for having a bigger mouth than she did when it came to speaking to elves. She was always puzzled by their strange behavior at times. And her puzzlement showed in their faces as Elathan's gaze thinned. "Princeling, have you secretly started to court our Mist Maiden?"

The prince smirked, "Possibly, white prince. Why ever do you ask?"

Her brother was no fool, but the princes knew how to toy with the other. "Do not play coy, Legolas…" Her brother gave a shake of his head then tapped his talons on the wood. "Forget I said anything. What is more important is that one or another we must find a way for our lady to return to us. If she keeps this strange behavior up, she more than likely will have to sail with Thranduil."

"And even then we have no idea if she would even come back," Nerthus interjected, drawing Hithiel's gaze. The maiden's arctic eyes flashed dark for a moment, a mere moment of grief and concern that Nerthus shared deep within her soul. "She might remain this way until the seas roar up and take her… That or time consumes her."

"Nerthus, stop being so pessimistic – she shall return… Eventually," Elathan countered, his voice breaking a touch. Legolas shot her brother a concerned glance as though angered by the statement. "If we cannot think of anything other than leaving Hithiel here, then let that be the order."

"Hithiel," Legolas turned to her once again and she raised a hand to his cheek before smiling. "Are you sure?"

"I am not bound to you… Not yet at least. Go. I will be perfectly fine here in Imladris with Coruwen," Hithiel told him. He nodded, taking her hand once again and deep within, Nerthus smiled. She padded past the elves and her brother to traverse the long hallway as the storm continued its guttural song outside of the walls.

She leapt up into a window big enough for her large body and watched the intercut frost patterns begin to form upon the panes. It was the lace upon glistening blue fabric that ebbed away from the triangular patterns in the dress of this window. She touched her nose to the glass and breathed, letting her own heat seep through allowing the mystical beauty of the window shine. From the pouring icy rain, it drew swirls in the glass's pristine form, ruining the icy lace and Nerthus' view of the outside view of the world through the fabric of the window's dress.

"Beautiful thing a storm," A voice said behind her. She swiveled her gaze back to search for the voice to find Erestor standing her. He had been silent, a mouse amongst felines as he moved toward her and her window. He looked funny to her, his face similar to the Lord Elrond's but stress had drawn lines into his face making him appear spent. In the light of the lightning, Nerthus saw his hair. It reminded her of a wooden board and colored like tree bark. One long hand stroked her head, "You are fascinated by the window pane, little dragon?"

"Quite," Nerthus answered in a low voice as she watched the glass once again. "I have spent much of my time in a storm, flying, hunting, and playing. But never before have I been more interested in such a common thing."

"Two twin elflings I knew certainly loved storms. They used to sit and draw circles in the frost," Erestor replied. Nerthus turned an eye back to him. "Arwen's brothers were by far the most troubling pair I have ever dealt with."

"That is not much of a surprise, Lord Erestor," Nerthus cradled herself in the window, letting her tail drape down the wall. "Why have you come out here? It is rather strange of you to come out and visit."

Erestor sighed, shaking his head and pulled back his hand. "I have a disgruntled lord in library, who will not leave me be no matter how much I ask."

"Glorfindel?"

"Yes, he has been rather upset and thus comes to me with his problems… Why – will never know." Nerthus chuckled, drawing his thinning gaze to her and she hunkered down, frightened. "The twins are trying to decipher Glorfindel's problems as we speak, little dragon."

She brushed her claws over one forearm and let out a tiny huff of black and violet fire. "Have you heard about Coruwen then?" Erestor nodded. "Do you think it is because of her?"

"I honestly have paid no attention to the courting of my own kind in a long time… It never appealed to me, but I suppose that would explain the lady's sudden lack of speech and her presence around these halls. However, Glorfindel seems only to have just recently taken to this strange behavior."

"Perhaps he is lonely?"

Erestor shrugged, and Nerthus saw why courting never appealed to him – he was quite aloof for an elf or even a lord. He did not need company to fill the holes in his heart; he had his books and his annoying, four-legged cotton ball.

"You do not care, do you?"

The lord smirked, "Not particularly."

Nerthus leapt down from the window, padding past Erestor and slowly picking up speed to find his library in the other end of the Eastern wing. She pressed her head up against the wall to hear the twin sons of Elrond speaking. Her gaze traveled up to the handle of the door, feeling as though it was miles above her head and she was at the base of a mountain, staring at the top. She was but a female dragoness, small and lithe, compared to her eldest brother. If she could only reach that handle with her feet or tail, she could get it open. She swished her tail, focusing the balance into her haunches, preparing to launch up at the handle. She leapt up but the door swung open when her claws outstretched to grasp the handle and she crashed into someone.

"Ah! Dragon!" Elladan yelled underneath Nerthus as she removed her claws from his chest, thankfully not drawing blood. Wintry eyes glared down at her and she rumbled playfully in an attempt to cover her mistake. Elladan's hands picked her up, allowing him to sit up as he locked gazes with her. "What are you doing?"

"I was looking for the two of you," Nerthus replied in a honeyed voice. Elladan hummed and dropped her at his side while he pulled himself up. Elrohir shut the door once his brother was standing and they started down the hall. "Do you two think his strange behavior is linked to the fight the two of them had two years ago?"

"I have no idea, Nerthus," Elrohir said. "We managed to get a few words out of Glorfindel, but he is simply unhappy. He has become rather reclusive with most people aside from a few ellith he has attempted courting, but they never appealed to him."

"Or he chased them off by being depressed," Elladan interjected. Elrohir swatted his brother's arm, the fabric of the robes cracking beneath his palm. "I am simply telling you what I saw, Elrohir."

"Be mindful of your words, who knows who is eavesdropping, brother." Elrohir tucked his hands into the long sleeves of his robes and his scowl dropped into a neutral mask once more. "Perhaps Nerthus is correct, Coruwen and Glorfindel made the other happy, and with their happiness these halls seemed to brighten as well. What triggered their strange departure of the other has me dumbfounded though."

Nerthus remembered the horror and hurt upon Coruwen's face when Glorfindel had accused her betraying him. Within her in that moment, Nerthus had seen the woman that her mother had spoken of many, many times. Fiercer than her own Mother, she thought.

"Jealously," Nerthus said as though ashamed of the word. It left a bitter taste in her mouth saying it, but it was the truth. The twins looked at her, confused. She had always been the far quieter one, the one to blend with the shadows, the one to bury her head in the ground, and the one to tuck herself beneath her wing and hide. "Glorfindel became jealous of Legolas… And I believe his envy remains to this day."

"How… Strange of him," Elladan said with a slight grimace. He looked to his twin, who shrugged. "If I understand my brother's shrug, I believe we cannot fix that."

"The problem remains and more than likely will unless Glorfindel manages to fix what he did wrong."

"Meaning?"

Elrohir smacked his brother upside the head, "She means, rock-brain that Glorfindel has to not see the prince as a threat, which he is not. If my memory is correct, he is rather taken with Hithiel anyway…"

Nerthus nodded, leaping up into a window. "The love is strong in those two, but the prince fears leaving Coruwen because of her terrible state."

"Does he not trust us with her?" Elladan asked, feigning heartache with a hand over his heart. Nerthus giggled, swishing her tail. "I cannot believe the prince."

"Elladan, he has every right some days. But still," Elrohir let out a long sigh, running a hand through his brown hair. "Grandfather is present as well as Elrohir and I. Why worry?"

"He is rather protective of her, Elrohir," Nerthus and Elladan noted. Elladan finished the thought, "He does not wish for her to fade…"

"True," The twin agreed. "Nerthus, convince the prince that all will be fine and we will keep a close eye on our cousin."

The princess bowed her head, "Of course."

~.~.~

Hithiel wound her fingers around loose pieces of thread, sitting in her window seat and hemming a pillow that Elathan had torn open one day whilst chasing a certain long haired feline. She counted each stitch as her fingers automatically started weaving the white thread across the torn linen. The door across the antechamber squeaks, yet she focused on the thread. Her time as a seamstress had certainly paid off when it came to fixing little tears.

"Hithiel," Legolas' voice said from across the room. She looked up from her work to the prince as he stared at her from the doorway. She gestured for him to come near, and he crossed the floor over to her side and she smiled. His eyes flicked down to her hands, which still gripped the needle and thread. "Where did this come from?"

She set it aside, taking one of his hands and giving it a small squeeze. He sat on the edge of the seat, a look of stress beginning to form in his face. She raised a hand to his cheek, caressing it with her fingertips causing him to flinch. She inwardly compared their differing skin tones; he was a touch darker than she. Beneath her touch, his fatigue caught him and he relaxed into her touch.

"What troubles you?" Hithiel asked, keeping her voice low. She removed her hand from his cheek to press it against his chest. His gaze opened halfway, and his chest heaved in a silent sigh. "Legolas?"

"My father, he - ," He paused clutching one of her hands in his, "He has become terribly grieved as of late…. I cannot help but think that it stems from my mother."

"Your mother? Has she passed on to the Halls?" She asked as he came to settle behind her. She leaned back into him, leaning her head back to look up at him as his gaze became transfixed on the window. She could not help the feeling of guilt that spread in her chest. To possibly quell it, she reached up and touched the prince's jaw with her fingers. His wintry gaze fell on her, "You… You never answered my question."

He shook his head, dropping a kiss onto her forehead that caused her stomach twist into knots. "Think nothing of it, Hithiel."

She frowned, shifting onto her side to look at him. "What befell your mother?"

He looked down, and she froze. "My mother left these lands many, many years ago when I was an elfling. She left because my brother was slain in battle." Hithiel jerked back, biting her cheek to refrain from interrupting him. "I barely remember her and my brother. To be honest, I only remember my father becoming terribly ill after Mother left."

"Legolas, I apologize. I had no idea-," He smiled – a smile of sorrow that cut her deeply. He shook his head and took her face in his hands and her heart skipped a tiny beat for a moment, the stern storm that his eyes typically possessed melted away to a calm sea. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips and heat pricked her ears as he pulled back.

"It would be best if you knew, love," Legolas said quietly. Her eyes were wide at the unyielding trust he placed in her, even people like her father had not placed such trust in her as Legolas had. "I have recently been writing to my father and he wishes to meet you, Hithiel."

She smiled nervously, playing with the sleeve of his doublet. "Is there anything I should worry about?"

Legolas hummed, shaking his head. "He can be a bit protective, but you should have no trouble with him. Many consider the two of us similar."

"If you believe that I will be fine, Legolas, then I trust you."

"Good," He kissed her once again, taking in her concerns and replacing them with a sense of flying or dizziness that could only be described when one has their heart stolen by another. She pulled back from him and pressed her forehead against his. "My dearest Hithiel…"

She walked down one of the halls later that night, listening to the song of the rain above her head. The whimsical song was cut short by the sound of boots clicking the floor and she froze, trying to assess who was approaching her. Her attention flicked back to see Coruwen coming up the hallway, anger written across her features. Her mind remembered one thing when the elleth passed her.

"Silence speaks when spiteful words are all but wasted," Hithiel thought gravely.


I have been noticing a drop in reviews lately everyone... So, please if you could spare a tiny review, it'd make my day - even if its a few words. :) They help more than you all could ever think.

Please, review/fave/follow and share if you want.

Until next time

-Princess