A/N: Okay, I still don't know what I'm writing about, so, please forgive me. And I know that the language of the Valar was deemed too hard for any not of their ranks to learn and speak, but I tweaked that a little.

The Story of Tom Bombadil

Two: The Days of the Two Trees

   In Valinor, the Vala Yavanna called forth two trees from the soil, and those were named Telperion and Laurelin, and they waned and waxed every seven hours in alternation, so that as one came into bloom, the other rested.

   The light of Telperion was silver and that of Laurelin was gold. Each tree started to wax an hour ere the other waned, so that twice everyday, there was a mingling of the two great lights, and Valinor and the world was bathed in the soft glow of neither silver nor gold.

***

   In those days, light from Valinor still shone on Middle earth, and the long distance did not dim the lights, and Morgoth from his abode saw the lights and wondered at the work of the Vala briefly, ere he returned to his foul works in the dark.

   Nibecandir, who abode in the central lands, sensed that the light were works of the High Powers, and as all things did, his feä was filled and strengthened in the lights, though he now drew more from Arda's soil—the parts of his feä he had placed in the land were still bound to him.

   He grew more trees from the soil, and animals from other places passed through and sometimes remained there, for Nibecandir befriended them; there was nothing to protect them from in those days; not yet.

***

   Many years passed as counted by the waxing and waning of the Two Trees, and there was peace in Middle Earth for a time—the Valar beautified Valinor, and Morgoth took to his works in the deep places.

   Nibecandir roamed the lands, and left to their own devices his land, for they knew how to survive on their own, and he needed to worry not.

   His feä sometimes flew quickly over the lands, and tarried in others, for he had no constraints and answered not to anyone. Varda's stars he saw, and the waste of Morgoth's works, but did not take to either of them.

   He saw plants beneath the soil, and beasts few and far, and longed to infuse his feä in them to hasten their growth, but he was weary, for he had done much in the central land, and he passed by those with lament.

   Oft, he would hear the thundering hooves of Oromë's hunts in Middle Earth, and would steer away from them, but that was not hard, for Oromë turned not to the north, and rode mostly to the east.

   Long years passed and in his wanderings, Nibecandir came upon beasts he had not yet seen: they walked on two legs, and spoke words to one another, and their hair were long and rich, and their naked bodies fair.

   And Nibecandir realized that these were the Firstborn, the Elder of Ilúvatar's Children to come into the world.

   The Firstborn were aware of his feä about them, and many cried out in fear, but Nibecandir, being enamored of their beauty, then took a bodily form such as theirs, and they wondered at him and spoke warily to him.

   He marveled to hear that they spoke the tongue of the Powers, for that speech was formed by the Powers ere they had descended into Arda, and the Firstborn spoke with him and lost their fear. He learnt that the Vala Oromë had found and beheld them by the Waters of Cuivienen, and was of the mind to take them to Valinor and live in the light of Laurelin and Telperion, and away from the evils of Morgoth.

   Yet, not all were willing to forsake Middle earth for a land and bliss yet unseen, and Oromë had chosen from them a few who were willing and brought them to Valinor as ambassadors, after which they would return and speak of all the wonders they had beheld. But Oromë bade the rest not to tarry, but to travel westward at their pace.

   Nibecandir heeded not the words of the Firstborn when they named Morgoth evil, for he had not seen Morgoth work his evils, nor the Valar work the fair lands, and was loathe to meddle in affairs not of his own.

   He had love for the Firstborn, however, and taught them how to hunt and gather plants to weave clothes to hide their nakedness, for if other beasts should walk in fur or feather, should not Ilúvatar's Children be clothed as well?

   But he departed from them ere Oromë returned, and the Vala wondered to see the Firstborn clothed, but they would speak naught of it, for they had given oath that Nibecandir should not be known to the Valar.

   And the lone Maia wandered the lands still, but now clad in hroä, and he went rarely about in feä then onwards.