Comet sighed, startling a gold-and-red butterfly from her wild black curls. Another one, emerald green like her eyes, landed on a branch next to her. She was down in the grove again, talking with the butterflies. This was her mother's favourite grove too... Filamae had told her everything last night, after the young elf had confronted her aunt about her brother. Her mother, Cometwen... how Comet wished that she still lived.
"Do you enjoy the butterflies too, Cometashi?" A sweet voice, like the river singing, said behind her. The elf girl leapt up, her winged friends taking to the air in a whirlwind around her. When they had fluttered over to sit on branches, she saw the Lady of the Wood standing next to a tree-trunk. She bowed, her tangled locks sweeping over her shoulders.
"Yes, Lady. I like them very much." Comet said quietly, straightening, unsure of herself. She had never talked with the Lady Galadriel before. Filamae had, and she thought Filamena had gone to see her once, but never the wild green-eyed orphan.
"Sit with me a minute. If we wait, they will came back." The Lady of the Golden Wood sat on the bench, and, at her bidding, Comet sat next to her. After a few moments, a silver butterfly fluttered over to them and perched with delicate care on the younger elf's midnight hair.
"Cometashi, I came to talk with you about your brother. Your cousin, Filamena, told you about him last night, I believe?" Galadriel asked her softly, voice as sweet as the winged ones that rode the breeze around them. The young woman hesitated, softly stroking the velvet wings of a blue butterfly that had landed on her finger.
"Yes, Lady, Filamena told me last night." She told her softly. What was the honoured one getting at? There was nothing more to say about her brother... was there?
"Then you want to go and see him?" The Lady turned to her, meeting her emerald eyes and piercing the young one's mind with her own blue orbs. Comet felt as if her thoughts were being scrutinised carefully, and hung her head.
"Yes, Lady." She whispered. A slender, milky hand lifted her chin, and she gazed into Galadriel's eyes once more, but the gaze was softer this time, and she could endure it.
"Twins are rarely born to elven folk, and even when they are, the mother has a high chance of dying whilst giving birth. Twins born in those circumstances deserve to mourn their mother together. Go and seek him, Cometashi, and bring him back to his homeland. You have my blessing." The Lady of the Golden Wood let her hand fall, and stood, walking away from the clearing. Comet sat a while more, thinking. The Lady wanted her to find her brother. Filamae would let her go, wouldn't she? If Lady Galadriel wanted her to go, her aunt would surely give in? As darkness started to fall, the worried young woman bade her winged friends farewell and trudged back up the tree to her home.
*~*~*~*
"What do you think I should do, cousin?" Comet asked the older maiden. Filamena sighed, running a brush through her white-gold hair.
"Well, if it displeases you so much to know he's out there but you don't know him, then I say 'go'. But I'm not so sure about mother... even though the Lady did give you her blessing." She set down her brush and picked up a fine-toothed comb, setting to work on her cousin's hair.
"For one thing, we should be worried that you'll come home and we'll have to cut the tangles out of your hair. Really, Comet, it's as if you go rolling around in the bushes like a beast!" Filamena laughed, pulling a leaf out of the wild black curls and tickling Comet's ear. The younger elf giggled, brushing it away.
"Filly, do you honestly think I should go to Rivendell?" She said quietly, turning her head to gaze out the window at the stars. Her cousin sighed again.
"Yes, I do. But Mother won't. So heres a plan: sneak out. Leave it to me to reason with Mother. If you mention anything at all about leaving, she'll be sure to keep one eye on you at all times, and you won't get the chance. So sneak out. Simple." Filamena faced the girl, barely old enough to be a young woman, and hugged her. Comet hugged back, but frowned.
"But... she'll be mad, and worried about me. Worried sick. And she'll probably blame you. I don't want to do that to you, Filly..."
"Don't worry about me, Comet. She's my mother, I can handle her moods. And I know you'll be fine. She knows it too, but that's just adults. Always saying you'll get into trouble." Filamena laughed, but it was forced and her eyes were filled with tears as she pulled away. Comet knew she would miss her cousin, but she had to find her brother. It just felt so... lonely, all of a sudden, knowing he was out there but not with her.
"Thank you." She whispered. So it was settled. As soon as she could, Cometashi Elmtall would go to Rivendell to find her brother.
*~*~*~*
"Do you enjoy the butterflies too, Cometashi?" A sweet voice, like the river singing, said behind her. The elf girl leapt up, her winged friends taking to the air in a whirlwind around her. When they had fluttered over to sit on branches, she saw the Lady of the Wood standing next to a tree-trunk. She bowed, her tangled locks sweeping over her shoulders.
"Yes, Lady. I like them very much." Comet said quietly, straightening, unsure of herself. She had never talked with the Lady Galadriel before. Filamae had, and she thought Filamena had gone to see her once, but never the wild green-eyed orphan.
"Sit with me a minute. If we wait, they will came back." The Lady of the Golden Wood sat on the bench, and, at her bidding, Comet sat next to her. After a few moments, a silver butterfly fluttered over to them and perched with delicate care on the younger elf's midnight hair.
"Cometashi, I came to talk with you about your brother. Your cousin, Filamena, told you about him last night, I believe?" Galadriel asked her softly, voice as sweet as the winged ones that rode the breeze around them. The young woman hesitated, softly stroking the velvet wings of a blue butterfly that had landed on her finger.
"Yes, Lady, Filamena told me last night." She told her softly. What was the honoured one getting at? There was nothing more to say about her brother... was there?
"Then you want to go and see him?" The Lady turned to her, meeting her emerald eyes and piercing the young one's mind with her own blue orbs. Comet felt as if her thoughts were being scrutinised carefully, and hung her head.
"Yes, Lady." She whispered. A slender, milky hand lifted her chin, and she gazed into Galadriel's eyes once more, but the gaze was softer this time, and she could endure it.
"Twins are rarely born to elven folk, and even when they are, the mother has a high chance of dying whilst giving birth. Twins born in those circumstances deserve to mourn their mother together. Go and seek him, Cometashi, and bring him back to his homeland. You have my blessing." The Lady of the Golden Wood let her hand fall, and stood, walking away from the clearing. Comet sat a while more, thinking. The Lady wanted her to find her brother. Filamae would let her go, wouldn't she? If Lady Galadriel wanted her to go, her aunt would surely give in? As darkness started to fall, the worried young woman bade her winged friends farewell and trudged back up the tree to her home.
*~*~*~*
"What do you think I should do, cousin?" Comet asked the older maiden. Filamena sighed, running a brush through her white-gold hair.
"Well, if it displeases you so much to know he's out there but you don't know him, then I say 'go'. But I'm not so sure about mother... even though the Lady did give you her blessing." She set down her brush and picked up a fine-toothed comb, setting to work on her cousin's hair.
"For one thing, we should be worried that you'll come home and we'll have to cut the tangles out of your hair. Really, Comet, it's as if you go rolling around in the bushes like a beast!" Filamena laughed, pulling a leaf out of the wild black curls and tickling Comet's ear. The younger elf giggled, brushing it away.
"Filly, do you honestly think I should go to Rivendell?" She said quietly, turning her head to gaze out the window at the stars. Her cousin sighed again.
"Yes, I do. But Mother won't. So heres a plan: sneak out. Leave it to me to reason with Mother. If you mention anything at all about leaving, she'll be sure to keep one eye on you at all times, and you won't get the chance. So sneak out. Simple." Filamena faced the girl, barely old enough to be a young woman, and hugged her. Comet hugged back, but frowned.
"But... she'll be mad, and worried about me. Worried sick. And she'll probably blame you. I don't want to do that to you, Filly..."
"Don't worry about me, Comet. She's my mother, I can handle her moods. And I know you'll be fine. She knows it too, but that's just adults. Always saying you'll get into trouble." Filamena laughed, but it was forced and her eyes were filled with tears as she pulled away. Comet knew she would miss her cousin, but she had to find her brother. It just felt so... lonely, all of a sudden, knowing he was out there but not with her.
"Thank you." She whispered. So it was settled. As soon as she could, Cometashi Elmtall would go to Rivendell to find her brother.
*~*~*~*