David watches as his brother drives down the road. He almost had him
convinced but could see he lost him at the end. What will he do now?
Turning to the west he sighs and raises his hand in silent prayer. After
about five minutes he turns and walks back to the cottage. There are things
he must do before his departure in the morning. If his brother doesn't
return before then he will need to leave something would enable his brother
and the others to follow him in due course.
After all what is the point of dwelling in Valinor if none of your kin can join you.
He switches on the computer and waits for it to boot up. There are files there that he wanted to show to Simon. Most were notes about Tolkien's Elvish languages and their similarity to the speech of the People, a very important one was a description of a very vivid dream that came to him not more than two months ago. He pauses with his fingers poised over the keyboard, he should have explained his journey to this point more clearly to Simon but where to begin?
And slips into a waking dream of childhood past, a dream of remembrance.
~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a different land, the land of his childhood before humans had walked these shores. The green bush covered the land in a verdant mantle that reached from shore to shore. No beasts roamed the land instead giant birds, the likes of which are no longer seen, walked under the green canopy of the bush. The People likewise roamed freely through the land spending a season by some lake or shore and then moving on. But always they would return to their city.
For they had a city then in the heart of the northern island by the shores of the great lake. Their dwellings twined around the giants of the forest like necklaces around the necks of fair maidens. Overhead giant eagles soared on golden wings. In the city children laughed and played in the porticos of the city and when the evening came they listened with wide eyes to the stories of their elders. He remembered being one of those children, of clasping his brother's hand while they listened to songs of choices made in the dark, of the coming of the sun, and the journey, beset by many dangers, to this land.
He developed a deep and abiding love of words, of poetry and song. Ever curious he pestered his elders about the tales of the past. Equally curious was his brother but his heart was given to the land and the living things that dwelt on it.
The years passed and the time came for them to take wives but there were none among the People that could claim his heart. He roamed far with his brother, while his brother sought out new vistas he would compose songs about what they had seen. One crisp autumn's dawn when they were on one of their many journeys he heard the song of a distant flute. Following the sound he came to a clifftop overlooking the roseate eastern sea. There sitting on a rock was a maiden playing a flute to welcome the morning sun. She was lithe with golden hair and eyes of deepest indigo but it was the music that amazed him. Words finally came to him that seemed so part of the music that he had to sing. She turned when she heard his voice and smiled. Together they welcomed the rising sun with voice and flute.
They were wed the following midsummer's day and the first of his children was born the following spring. But his joy was short lived.
For the Night of Fire came.
For some time a dark fume had hung over the great lake giving the elders much cause for concern. There were many volcanoes in the land but what they didn't realise that the greatest was the lake beside their city. One night it erupted with fire and ash. He was sleeping next to his wife and child when they were awakened by a tremendous noise. She grabbed the child and they fled in the night. But they lost each in the darkness that was more than the absence of night.
Afterwards he found others that had fled the city but he never found her. What had once been their city had been covered in deep ash and the People never built another one.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Tears flow down David's face as he remembers his wife and child, are they out there, are they walking the streets of Valinor waiting for him?
After all what is the point of dwelling in Valinor if none of your kin can join you.
He switches on the computer and waits for it to boot up. There are files there that he wanted to show to Simon. Most were notes about Tolkien's Elvish languages and their similarity to the speech of the People, a very important one was a description of a very vivid dream that came to him not more than two months ago. He pauses with his fingers poised over the keyboard, he should have explained his journey to this point more clearly to Simon but where to begin?
And slips into a waking dream of childhood past, a dream of remembrance.
~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a different land, the land of his childhood before humans had walked these shores. The green bush covered the land in a verdant mantle that reached from shore to shore. No beasts roamed the land instead giant birds, the likes of which are no longer seen, walked under the green canopy of the bush. The People likewise roamed freely through the land spending a season by some lake or shore and then moving on. But always they would return to their city.
For they had a city then in the heart of the northern island by the shores of the great lake. Their dwellings twined around the giants of the forest like necklaces around the necks of fair maidens. Overhead giant eagles soared on golden wings. In the city children laughed and played in the porticos of the city and when the evening came they listened with wide eyes to the stories of their elders. He remembered being one of those children, of clasping his brother's hand while they listened to songs of choices made in the dark, of the coming of the sun, and the journey, beset by many dangers, to this land.
He developed a deep and abiding love of words, of poetry and song. Ever curious he pestered his elders about the tales of the past. Equally curious was his brother but his heart was given to the land and the living things that dwelt on it.
The years passed and the time came for them to take wives but there were none among the People that could claim his heart. He roamed far with his brother, while his brother sought out new vistas he would compose songs about what they had seen. One crisp autumn's dawn when they were on one of their many journeys he heard the song of a distant flute. Following the sound he came to a clifftop overlooking the roseate eastern sea. There sitting on a rock was a maiden playing a flute to welcome the morning sun. She was lithe with golden hair and eyes of deepest indigo but it was the music that amazed him. Words finally came to him that seemed so part of the music that he had to sing. She turned when she heard his voice and smiled. Together they welcomed the rising sun with voice and flute.
They were wed the following midsummer's day and the first of his children was born the following spring. But his joy was short lived.
For the Night of Fire came.
For some time a dark fume had hung over the great lake giving the elders much cause for concern. There were many volcanoes in the land but what they didn't realise that the greatest was the lake beside their city. One night it erupted with fire and ash. He was sleeping next to his wife and child when they were awakened by a tremendous noise. She grabbed the child and they fled in the night. But they lost each in the darkness that was more than the absence of night.
Afterwards he found others that had fled the city but he never found her. What had once been their city had been covered in deep ash and the People never built another one.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Tears flow down David's face as he remembers his wife and child, are they out there, are they walking the streets of Valinor waiting for him?