~Ladystarlet09~ I don't own any of the LOR, Amy is of my own work and imagination. Please leave new reviews of what you think on the story's progression and be sure to check out my other fanfics that I am currently writing! Enjoy!
~Translation from Elven to English: :
*Mela en' coiamin "My love"
*Erulissë, "Fairest Elven child"
*Vanlanthiriel "Beautiful waterfall."
*Vandui "Greetings."
~Ladystarlet09 here, I am glad that you readers are greatly enjoying the updates of The Gift of Love. Keep reviewing and reading as always!
"Erynion?" A soft female voice called into his dreams. "Its time for you to awake now."
The father opened his eyes and found Laura bending over him with a concern look on her face. She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the Valar, I was starting to become scared there for a second when you didn't respond right away to my healing touch." She said as he gingerly sat up and looked at his side for his daughter, whom wasn't in bed at the moment. "Oh, she's downstairs eating with the others." Laura informed him when he started to ask where his daughter was. "I thought that perhaps it was best that we had her cook breakfast since the dwarfs were starting to get a little antsy and she needed a hour or so of distraction after what you two went through last night. Why didn't you call me upstairs to monitor the both of you?"
"Because Vanlanthiriel, I have already had past experiences with this type of soul searching before into the mind." Erynion replied while he slowly swung his legs to the side of the bed and sat there for a moment, motionless as he stared hard at the closet that contained all of Amy's inner secret. "I just didn't expect my vision to turn into something more so." He said very softly, more to himself then to Laura, who threw him a sharp look.
"Whatever can you mean by those words, Erynion?" She demanded. "Did you see something in your vision that has to do with your child?"
He shook his head. "No, Erulissë's mind is pure, if not well guarded by the intrusion of another mind, even for one that is strong as I, she still puts up a rather hard fight with her mental defenses." He half lied. It wasn't his place to tell Alexandria's best friend of what he had seen happen to her by the enemy. It hurt him even just thinking of her being hurt in such a way, but at the same time, she had to be the one to tell him personally. How Amy was even able to see such a traumatizing memory that wasn't her own and which had taken place before she was even born, was beyond his own ability to comprehend right now.
Laura, or Vanlanthiriel, which is her elven birth name, didn't seemed very convinced by his reply to her question concerning his vision searching. She frowned deeply to herself as she pondered what his words could possibly be hiding from her. If it was one thing for a elf to lie to another, then all hell would have broken out in the golden woods long before the Lord and his lady had established themselves there. But for as long as she had known Erynion most of her life, it wasn't like for him to hid anything of importance unless there was great need to do so.
Still, it bothered her that he was being secretive with her when so much had been happening in a matter of a few months, if not weeks. Laura bit her tongue to prevent herself from probing his mind with her own and instead, forced herself to just stand by in case he might needed her help. Erynion slowly got up onto shaky legs. She reached out a hand to help steady him from behind as he walked slowly towards the open bedroom door.
"Its not like for you to be in such a drained condition, Erynion." She said with a shake of her head. "How much more pain are you willing to suffer to help those you love the most?"
The elf snorted at her. "Whatever it takes or requires of me." He replied before he walked off without her help towards one of the upstairs bathroom to freshen up for the day.
Laura lifted her eyes and found Amy's mother staring at her with an unreadable look in her eyes across the way from her master bedroom before she turned around and closed the door behind her. Laura bit a nail for a moment while in thought. Could it be that perhaps he had seen a vision that was linked to Alex?
Strong hearty, deep laughter could be heard mingling with that of her sister and Haldir's as Amy told them a funny story about herself at the breakfast table. Saddened, Laura felt that time seem to be slipping away from under them all as they waited for the right moment to take Amy away to a new world that was on the brink of being either saved or destroyed and conquered by the Dark Lord himself.
If Amy indeed went with Erynion, her sister, Haldir and even her own daughter, it would be only a matter of time before the other enemy got wind of her stepping into Middle Earth and would start sending his evil minions to capture her for the power that rested within her soul.
"Mom!" Mary yelled up from the bottom stairwell. "The pancakes are done!"
"I'm coming, child." Laura called back as she straighten her long hair and hurried towards the stairs. Mary waited for her mother with a smile as Laura reached the bottom step. "If your lungs isn't as bad as Amy's, child." She lightly reprimanded after placing a kiss upon her daughter's forehead. "One would think that you would somehow manage to snag a troll or two with that voice."
"Oh, Mom." Mary swatted her shoulder with an oven mitt. "Tis, nothing much then a little yelling that doesn't hurt anyone."
"Hmm, that's what you think when your throat becomes sore and your nana has to take care of it for you." Laura replied with a pat on Mary's cheek as she passed her by.
Haldir and Gaerien both stood up as she walked into the dining room amide Throbbi being hit behind the head with a piece of fruit from Finn.
"Quel amrun, Vanlanthiriel." [Good morning] They both greeted her formally as she took a seat next Gaerien's right.
"Did you sleep well?" Haldir asked politely as she started to fill her plate up with fruit and meadow cream, which the dwarfs seem to strangely like so much.
"Yes, and did you, march warden?"
He gave a slight grunt and shrug. "As seen fit by one of our own kin." He replied before returning to finishing up his morning meal.
Laura turned her gaze upon Amy who was in the process of helping Throbbi clean the back of his head up with a napkin as his wife scolded him for not keeping an sharp on eye on the manners of Finn's mischievous behavior around their hosts.
"Iire lye auta, [When do we leave?] Vanlanthiriel?" Her sister asked softly in an undertone so that the other's didn't overhear. "Already, the winter is starting to bite at the leaves and the cold air is sharp with the coming snow."
Laura pretended to not hear her for a moment as she took a bit of fruit and slowly chewed. Looking Amy's daily interactions with her normal life and friends, made it really hard for her to possibly think of setting a date for them to start secretly pack and prepare for the long journey home. It would be a warm welcome homecoming for those going, a new and unknown experience for Amy and heartbreaking for herself and Alexandria since they were still forbidden to return to Middle Earth without invoking the wrath of the Valar.
Even knowing that she was going against her own best friend's worse fears of losing her daughter was almost like slicing her wrist with her blade and letting it bleed until all her blood was split on the floor or she was dead. She didn't want to hurt Alex this way, but she had to because it was the right decision for both her and Amy to finally let go and move on with their lives. Erynion was right in commenting that this life was never meant for Amy. Her true home was with her life mate, Haldir and possibly finally finding peace of heart and soul in the far seas of the undying lands of the west.
As if sensing unease withing their mother daughter bond, Mary looked over at her mother beside her and gave her a sudden tight hug as if to say that everything was going to be ok and that they were together still. Laura held her tight for a moment before letting go with a small tear in her eye. She quickly turned her head and wiped the tear away with her napkin as she resumed eating her belated meal as the dwarfs continued to scrabbling among themselves, oblivious of what was going on across the table.
"Mankoi lle irma sint? [why do you want to know]?'" She finally replied to her sister question."Does it bother you that you haven't return sooner home?"
"Nay, but I am greatly concern about the girl's mother's strange behavior as of late." Gaerien whispered out of the corner of her mouth as they continued eating their meal slowly. "The longer we wait to leave, the harder it will be for the mother to let go once she finds out that her daughter is no longer here in this world. Valar only knows, what the heck she could possibly do on this side if we don't think of a plan B once that happens. And plus, didn't you ever think that perhaps Amy's feelings on this very sensitive matter is just as important as when she found out who her ada really was?"
Before Laura could reply, Erynion walked into the room normally and gracefully as it was with the elven kin. Not single look or possible slouching of his slender shoulders betrayed any of his mental and emotional weariness, face or physically, from the night before as he went over to bless his daughter and give her a kiss on the forehead before politely greeting the dwarfs in their own tongue.
"How are you and your kin enjoying your stay here, Throbbie?"
The leader smiled broadly up at him and clapped him on the side of the upper arm in dwaven fashion of showing humor. "As long as there is good food, fine people such as yourself, Amy here," Throbbi nodded his head towards Amy who colored instantly in the cheeks. "And your kin, I think we shall be ok until it is time for us to go home." He smiled further.
Erynion nodded in approval. "Good." He clapped him on the shoulder before he took a seat at the end of the table. "Its seems that my stomach is rather growling loud this morning." He said lightly as Amy handed him some of the breakfast platters that still had food on them. "But one cannot say no the hospitality of the elves when one is fortunate enough to be invited by our kin to a seasonal feast or great event during the year."
"That I can contest to that instantly." Gaerien pipped up as she held up her glass filled with orange juice and stood up from her seat. "May Elbreth and Yavanna look well upon to you all in good health and well being as we learn to bond our ties together in ever lasting friendship and family ties until the end of the earth's song has ended."
Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them all together as they responded in kind to each other before draining their cups in silence. Laura felt Erynion staring at her from his seat and lifted her eyes slight up at his piercing gaze for a moment.
Lúmë mana telina? [how much longer?] She heard him ask in her mind as he shifted his seat and continued eating.
Tevu Erynion. Tevu. [soon]
Haldir gave Amy a kiss upon the lips in front of everyone, unashamed to show his affections towards his wife for a brief moment before Amy laughed once he pulled away and she managed to stand up with her empty plate in hand. He spanked her on the rump, making everyone, including her father laugh with amusement when she let out a loud yelp of surprise and glared at him, but didn't say anything to scold him as she worked on gathering the empty plates for washing.
Then I will start prepping the spell soon and make a list of what my daughter and her companions need for the journey to Middle Earth. Something tells me that it should be soon and that the leaves of the golden forest are to soon fall before it is time.
And of her mother? You make it seem as if you are not going with your daughter back home.
Erynion stared out the open backdoor for a moment as a pain look came into his eyes for a brief second before it was replace behind a unemotional mask that not even Laura could read.
No, I am not going back home until I can help fix and heal what has happened to Alex thanks to my past negligence at a time when she needed me the most.
What are you possibly talking about, Erynion?
Its nothing of your personal concern. He replied darkly. But it doesn't mean that I won't be going home. It will just be a little more later then I had originally expected. But don't worry, my daughter is in the best of hands since we have a merry band of dwarfs warriors, two elves and your daughter for companionship until I manage to meet up with them in the golden forest once more.
With that said, he stood up with his plate and hurried into the kitchen to help his daughter clean up before Laura could press him more about his mysterious reason of staying behind in this world. She shook her head slightly when her sister gave her a questioning look. "Its nothing, he just wanted to ask me about something concerning a few things that Amy needs for her school project." She lied smoothly. "Well," She spoke out loud. "I better get going to work soon. I have to stay over time for the day, so don't be expecting me back home in time for supper."
Not wanting to linger in case someone should start asking questions, she quickly left the house with a feeling of unease and deep rooted dread about what Erynion's grim words. If he isn't going back, then something must have happened to him emotionally during his probing into his daughter's mind and she had a feeling that whatever he had seen in her mind, it wasn't a very good vision that had left him with a peace of mind as it should have.