"A girl, sister! A beautiful little girl." Filamae's voice cut through her pain, and Cometwen forced her eyes open. With great effort, she took her child from the midwife. Another pain racked her body, and she cried out with desperation. She had had her little one, why were they still happening?
"Filamae, make her push!" The midwife said, and Cometwen thought with horrified humour that she heard glee in her voice. What were these people making her do? She heard Filamae's encouraging murmurs, and set herself to another round.
*~*~*~*
Minutes later, there was another child. This one a male. Cometwen, through a haze of pain, knew that her end was coming. There had not been twins for as long as they could remember, and longer. She struggled to sit up, and reached for her children. They were placed in her arms.
"Filamae, sister mine..." She croaked, each word an effort. Her sister came closer, frowning.
"Cometwen..." The elf woman trailed off as she saw the look in her sister's eyes.
"Filamae, sister mine... look after my children." Cometwen said, then spoke no more. Filamae took the little ones from her sister's arms, and handed them to Filamena. Sadly, she drew a blanket over the lifeless from that was Cometwen Elmtall.
*~*~*~*
Filamae Newgreen was called before the Lady the next day. She stood, blue-green eyes glimmering sadly, her sister's two children in her slender arms. The Lady Galadriel motioned her forward.
"Filamae Newgreen, whose are these little ones? They are not yours?" The Lady asked.
"Nay, Lady. My sister, Cometwen Elmtall, birthed them." She spoke, firm and sad.
"And your sister, she has passed?"
" Aye, Lady, she has. Her request was for me to look after her children." Filamae tightened her hold on the bundles.
"You have your own daughter, do you not? Yes? Do you think it possible to raise two more children?" The Lady met her eyes, and Filamae held them for awhile, then looked away. Not many could hold the Lady's gaze for long.
"I... am uncertain, Lady." She said quietly.
"Will you let me see the children, Filamae Newgreen?" Galadriel asked softly. With a nod, the younger elven woman surrendered her charges. The Lady of Lothlorien gazed at them for a moment.
"The boy, he shall be sent to our cousins in the North, to Rivendell, as soon as he is strong enough. You have family there, do you not? He shall be well looked after. The female child, you shall raise as if she were yours. I give my blessing for them both." The Lady proclaimed, and handed them back to Filamae.
*~*~*~*
Filamena sat on the edge of the talan outside her home, a toddler in her arms, thinking. It had been three years since her father had rode north with the precious bundle, her aunt's son. Cometashi, known fondly as Comet, was the toddler she now held, her aunt's daughter. The cheeky little girl grasped a lock of white-blonde hair and yanked.
"Oww, Comet, don't!" Filamena yelped, untangling her hair from the girl's fist. Comet giggled looking up at her cousin with twinkling emerald eyes.
"What are you two playing at now?" Filamae came out and sat beside her, smiling at the cheeky little one tenderly. In the three years since her sister's death, the elven woman had come to love her niece like a daughter.
"She's pulling my hair again, mother." Filamena said.
"Well, pull back." Filamae tweaked Comet's topknot of midnight hair, in demonstration. The youngster giggled and swatted her hand, and both older elves laughed. Cometashi, daughter of Cometwen, certainly was one of the family.
*~*~*~*
"Filamae, make her push!" The midwife said, and Cometwen thought with horrified humour that she heard glee in her voice. What were these people making her do? She heard Filamae's encouraging murmurs, and set herself to another round.
*~*~*~*
Minutes later, there was another child. This one a male. Cometwen, through a haze of pain, knew that her end was coming. There had not been twins for as long as they could remember, and longer. She struggled to sit up, and reached for her children. They were placed in her arms.
"Filamae, sister mine..." She croaked, each word an effort. Her sister came closer, frowning.
"Cometwen..." The elf woman trailed off as she saw the look in her sister's eyes.
"Filamae, sister mine... look after my children." Cometwen said, then spoke no more. Filamae took the little ones from her sister's arms, and handed them to Filamena. Sadly, she drew a blanket over the lifeless from that was Cometwen Elmtall.
*~*~*~*
Filamae Newgreen was called before the Lady the next day. She stood, blue-green eyes glimmering sadly, her sister's two children in her slender arms. The Lady Galadriel motioned her forward.
"Filamae Newgreen, whose are these little ones? They are not yours?" The Lady asked.
"Nay, Lady. My sister, Cometwen Elmtall, birthed them." She spoke, firm and sad.
"And your sister, she has passed?"
" Aye, Lady, she has. Her request was for me to look after her children." Filamae tightened her hold on the bundles.
"You have your own daughter, do you not? Yes? Do you think it possible to raise two more children?" The Lady met her eyes, and Filamae held them for awhile, then looked away. Not many could hold the Lady's gaze for long.
"I... am uncertain, Lady." She said quietly.
"Will you let me see the children, Filamae Newgreen?" Galadriel asked softly. With a nod, the younger elven woman surrendered her charges. The Lady of Lothlorien gazed at them for a moment.
"The boy, he shall be sent to our cousins in the North, to Rivendell, as soon as he is strong enough. You have family there, do you not? He shall be well looked after. The female child, you shall raise as if she were yours. I give my blessing for them both." The Lady proclaimed, and handed them back to Filamae.
*~*~*~*
Filamena sat on the edge of the talan outside her home, a toddler in her arms, thinking. It had been three years since her father had rode north with the precious bundle, her aunt's son. Cometashi, known fondly as Comet, was the toddler she now held, her aunt's daughter. The cheeky little girl grasped a lock of white-blonde hair and yanked.
"Oww, Comet, don't!" Filamena yelped, untangling her hair from the girl's fist. Comet giggled looking up at her cousin with twinkling emerald eyes.
"What are you two playing at now?" Filamae came out and sat beside her, smiling at the cheeky little one tenderly. In the three years since her sister's death, the elven woman had come to love her niece like a daughter.
"She's pulling my hair again, mother." Filamena said.
"Well, pull back." Filamae tweaked Comet's topknot of midnight hair, in demonstration. The youngster giggled and swatted her hand, and both older elves laughed. Cometashi, daughter of Cometwen, certainly was one of the family.
*~*~*~*