At thirty years old, Elanna thought she had enough experiences with lucid dreaming to distinguish waking life from that of sleeping.
Then again, it is not every night one wakes up to find themselves on the most beautiful white-sand beach, stars shining so brightly overhead they seemed close and young, and a soft silver light diffusing through the air. It is not every night one wakes up to find a tall and beautiful silver-haired person crouched down, face scrunched with worried and confused frown.
At thirty years old, Elanna thought she had command of at least a few languages, given that she worked in the linguistics department of her university. She ought to, even if she wasn't fluent or passably understandable, at least be able to pinpoint the language said beautiful stranger was softly speaking to her in, even if it sounded as close to singing as one could while not doing so at all.
But for all her talent as a young multilingual Language Professor, she did not understand what said silver-haired being was actually saying. She could guess well enough, however, given the situation.
She would later forgive herself for her lack of comprehension due to shock, but she felt as if she should at least know where she was, and what the tall and beautiful being was speaking, even if she didn't understand the words.
"I'm sorry," she said, voice strangely hoarse and different than she remembered it sounding, though she couldn't quite tell how. "I don't understand what you are saying."
Shock was easily recognized on his face. And it was a he and not a she, Elanna reasoned, due to the very obvious lack of breasts seen through his white, unlaced shirt. A shirt which reminded Elenna of the kind pirates would wear in movies.
He spoke again in the unfamiliar tongue, though it was obvious he knew he wouldn't be understood. Then he pointed to himself and said what Elanna could only surmise was his name.
"Olwë."
He had repeated it three times before Elanna shook off enough of the surprise and said her own name.
"Elanna," she gasped as she shifted from sitting to her knees.
Olwë smiled, which confused Elanna for a moment before she realized he recognized her name as meaning something. He said something more, holding out his hand as he stood to his full height once more. This, she understood, was a gesture meant to help her stand as well.