Chapter I:
"Nessa!" her mother's voice shouted after the young elfin women.
Nessa sped through the forest to her sanctuary near the brook, Hópanellë. Her long, brown hair billowed behind her as she ran. She was a tall, pale, elegant creature of the elfin age equal to 15 human years. Nessa was beautiful, although she didn't think so. Her fine features and high cheekbones would set her out from a crowd of many, but no one cared of beauty. She was a herbalist for the royalty of Mirkwood. Nessa worked as a servant in the royal house often called Hróta. Her expertise in herbs even surpassed many of her elders. Despite this, she was a common servant, loved for neither her talent nor her beauty.
Nessa emerged from the forest and onto the bank of a beautiful brook. The crystal water trickled over the rocks and danced in the sunlight, framed by the evergreen lushness of the forest on the other side of the bank. Deer often came here to drink and play in the pristine shallows. Birds twittered their songs, sitting in the boughs of the pine trees. Life abounded on the banks of the crisp water. Nessa came here to be by herself, which she often did. She loved nature and here she could be surrounded by it, with no people to ruin it and her thoughts.
The animals living near the brook knew Nessa and loved her because she was a tender young elf. She watched and played with the deer and foxes and sang with the birds. Many of her beautiful songs she had learned from the birds, who eagerly taught her. Her songs she did not sing with words. She sung them with notes alone. The birds enjoyed having such an eager learner to who they could teach their calls. The squirrels would stop bickering over their precious nuts when they saw Nessa and come to sit next to her.
Nessa had always loved animals. She had a special chipmunk named Piucca, for his unusual love of blackberries. Piucca loved Nessa because she had brought him up as a baby, when his mother had killed by one of the young elfin princes, Ringalómë. A fell arrow during archery practice had been her demise. Nessa had taken care of him when Ringalómë brought Piucca for care after his mother's death. It had been 14 years since the unfortunate incident, but Piucca was still alive. It seems that Ringalómë had given Piucca limpë, not knowing any better in his young age. When animals are given the elfin immortal wine, they also live forever.
Nessa was glad of the mistake because she loved Piucca very much. He was her pet and lived with her in her home, although he liked very much to visit his brethren at Hópanellë. For the rest of the time, Piucca could be found perched on Nessa shoulder.
Emerging from the forest, Nessa was shocked to find a slender, young elfin man of about her same age lying on the grass near the brook. His long, blonde hair cascaded over his shoulders; his face tilted to the sun; and his hands behind his head, which with its high cheekbones reflected the afternoon sun. His eyes were closed and a smile was on his lips, no doubt from a pleasant dream.
"Nessa!" her mother's voice shouted after the young elfin women.
Nessa sped through the forest to her sanctuary near the brook, Hópanellë. Her long, brown hair billowed behind her as she ran. She was a tall, pale, elegant creature of the elfin age equal to 15 human years. Nessa was beautiful, although she didn't think so. Her fine features and high cheekbones would set her out from a crowd of many, but no one cared of beauty. She was a herbalist for the royalty of Mirkwood. Nessa worked as a servant in the royal house often called Hróta. Her expertise in herbs even surpassed many of her elders. Despite this, she was a common servant, loved for neither her talent nor her beauty.
Nessa emerged from the forest and onto the bank of a beautiful brook. The crystal water trickled over the rocks and danced in the sunlight, framed by the evergreen lushness of the forest on the other side of the bank. Deer often came here to drink and play in the pristine shallows. Birds twittered their songs, sitting in the boughs of the pine trees. Life abounded on the banks of the crisp water. Nessa came here to be by herself, which she often did. She loved nature and here she could be surrounded by it, with no people to ruin it and her thoughts.
The animals living near the brook knew Nessa and loved her because she was a tender young elf. She watched and played with the deer and foxes and sang with the birds. Many of her beautiful songs she had learned from the birds, who eagerly taught her. Her songs she did not sing with words. She sung them with notes alone. The birds enjoyed having such an eager learner to who they could teach their calls. The squirrels would stop bickering over their precious nuts when they saw Nessa and come to sit next to her.
Nessa had always loved animals. She had a special chipmunk named Piucca, for his unusual love of blackberries. Piucca loved Nessa because she had brought him up as a baby, when his mother had killed by one of the young elfin princes, Ringalómë. A fell arrow during archery practice had been her demise. Nessa had taken care of him when Ringalómë brought Piucca for care after his mother's death. It had been 14 years since the unfortunate incident, but Piucca was still alive. It seems that Ringalómë had given Piucca limpë, not knowing any better in his young age. When animals are given the elfin immortal wine, they also live forever.
Nessa was glad of the mistake because she loved Piucca very much. He was her pet and lived with her in her home, although he liked very much to visit his brethren at Hópanellë. For the rest of the time, Piucca could be found perched on Nessa shoulder.
Emerging from the forest, Nessa was shocked to find a slender, young elfin man of about her same age lying on the grass near the brook. His long, blonde hair cascaded over his shoulders; his face tilted to the sun; and his hands behind his head, which with its high cheekbones reflected the afternoon sun. His eyes were closed and a smile was on his lips, no doubt from a pleasant dream.