Starfire

By Shadow Flare

*SF is an idiot. (But I'm sure you already know that)  I meant to say that Arrow's Fall and anything beyond didn't happen…Arrow's Flight still occurs. And two (actually, maybe it's considered one, but I'll just call it two for the sake of argument.) scenes are from the movie: I love the books and movie the same, which is to say very much, but I loved the scenes in the movie. It is inspiring…and don't take my Elvish for granted. It's probably wrong…correct me if it is.*

"___"-Common speech

'___'-Elven speech

***-change of scene/time

O mór henion i dhû

Ely siriar, el sila

Ai! Aníron Undómiel

(From darkness I understand the night:

Dreams flow, a star shines

Ah! I desire Evenstar)

Tiro! Ěl eria e mór

I'lir en el luatha'uren

Ah! Aníron…

(Look! A star rises out of the darkness

The song of the star enchants my heart

Ah! I desire…)

~Enya, "Aníron (Theme for Aragorn and Arwen)"

Chapter One: It Begins

                The man carefully picked up his ancestor's sword, and placed it back upon the platform.  Isildur had faced the evil of the Dark Lord…and had fallen.  He hadn't been strong enough to do what had needed to be done…and it had destroyed him in the end, and all the troubles now came from that weakness. 

                "Why are you afraid of the past?" a clear, musical voice said from behind Aragorn.  Arwen Evenstar walked forward to join him, her long white skirt brushing the floor, but the Elven silk made no sound at all: the casual observer wouldn't have known she was there. The Elven woman's voice was soothing and melodious as she spoke, like the voices of all her kindred and people.  "You are Isildur's Heir…not Isildur himself."

                "The same blood flows in my veins." Aragorn said bitterly, full of self-doubt and self-loathing. "The same weakness."

                "Your time will come." Arwen said fervently, gently cupping his face and turning him to face her. "You will face the same evil…and you will defeat it."

                She smiled. 'The Shadow does not hold sway yet.' Arwen said, her musical voice gentle and even as she spoke. 'Not over you and not over me.'

***

The two stood together in the garden, several minutes later, their eyes only upon each other, each seeing nothing but the other.

                'Do you remember the first time we met?' she asked softly.

                'I thought that I had strayed into a dream.' He admitted. 

                'That was many years ago. You do not have the cares you carry now.' Arwen said, gently touching his face.  'Do you remember what I told you then?'

                "That you would bind yourself to me…forsaking the immortal life." Aragorn replied slowly.

                "I still hold to that. I would rather share one lifetime with you…then face all the ages of the world alone." Arwen said gently, her mind long ago made up.  "I choose a mortal life."

                She took his hand, pressing something into it.  He opened his hand to reveal the glistening crystalline pendant, teardrop made solid, in his palm.  The Evenstar. Symbol of Arwen's immortality. Whose tear had become a crystal? Was it hers? His? Or both? What did it matter? He was cursed, Aragorn was convinced: it had come true all his life, anyone he loved, anyone he cared for, had gone to his death.. If he let her do this, if he let her give up her immortal life, she'd die…just like everyone else he ever loved, everyone who he ever loved, ever cared for, died in the end. Aragorn didn't want Arwen to follow…but he knew that she wouldn't change her mind.  There was nothing behind them but sorrow and nothing before but weeping…no matter what path they chose.  

                There was no way she was going to change her mind.  But he had to try.

                "You cannot give me this." Aragorn protested. 

                "It is mine to give to whom I will." Arwen replied, searching his eyes, and a radiant smile curved her lips, bright as the star for which she was named, the evening star, bright as a thousand stars that shone above. "Like my heart."

                The fair Elf kissed him then, as if this moment was their last, standing in her father's garden. 

***

                Dirk wearily opened his eyes.  What the hell? He thought.  What kind of dream was that?!

                He smiled down at the petite young woman who was curled against him.  Talia's eyelashes fluttered, and she sat up, yawning. 

                "Good morning, dear heart." Dirk greeted his lifebonded cheerfully. 

                "Good morning." Talia replied, groaning as she realized that the Inner Council meeting was this morning.  She did not want to have to deal with the Lords this morning, especially since it was such a nice one.   And that dream last night was one she actually could remember…and there was something about it…that seemed so familiar…

                "Anything wrong?" Dirk queried.

                "The usual." Talia replied less-then-cheerfully.

                "Council giving you a hard time?"

                Talia's expression said more then words could have. 

                "Don't worry 'bout it." Dirk said, trying to be lighthearted for her.  Talia stood and crossed to the chair where she had left her Whites the night before, and began getting dressed. 

                "I don't intend on it."  Talia said darkly.  "It's the same every time. I've gotten used to it."

                Talia kissed her lifebonded.  "I'll see you later.  Try not to get into trouble."

                "Me, trouble?" Dirk said mock-angrily. 

                "You and Kris collectively get into more trouble then almost anyone I know." Talia responded, laughing.  "And that is something I have painstakingly observed over many hours and taken many sheets of meticulous, detailed notes on to verify that I am correct."

                "That really isn't fair, Talia." Dirk grumbled. 

                "Note that I said almost."

                "That's still not fair!"

                "But it's the truth, love." Talia said. Dirk grunted. 

                "I wouldn't say trouble, little bird." The big man said slowly. "We just end up in situations that any ordinary person wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Usually we get out of said situations pretty close to unscathed. Usually."

                "That's trouble, love." Talia said teasingly.  "What would you call it?"

                "I don't know. But it's not trouble. We are never in trouble. Mostly."

                "With some of the situations you get in, how can it be anything but trouble? When do you think that Kris and you are in trouble?"

                "Good point." Dirk agreed, pulling his tunic on and hastily buttoning it, before Talia opened the door. He came to the door in time to see two new Blues pass by, a young man and a young woman about the same age, both slender and tall with long blond hair and blue eyes, and both good-looking. Despite the fact he'd never seen them before, he had this feeling that he'd met and known them both before.  "Who are they? I've never seen them before."

                "They've been here for a month and a half now. You and Kris were gone-they came when you two went to Hardorn to get the trade agreements they want Selenay to look at." Talia explained.  "What I know is that the man is named Ithil[1] and the girl is Laurefindel[2]: they are always together, one shadowing the other, all the time." 

                "Are they as bad as the other Blues?" Dirk wondered absently, knowing how much trouble the Blues and the Lords had caused to his lover when she had first come to the Collegium seven years before.

                "No." Talia answered.  "I sense…that they are very strongly in favor of the Heralds…they are not malicious.  But as to their purpose…I don't know why they have come. But I feel…that Ithil and Laurefindel can be trusted. I don't know why, but I do…it's funny, really.  It's like I know them from somewhere."

                Talia, too? This is strange…Dirk thought, and reached out to Ahrodie. 

                : Lady love, is what she says true?: the sapphire-eyed Herald asked. 

                :Yes. Place your trust in those who call themselves Laurefindel and Ithil. If it were not their destiny, they would have been Chosen and Heralds long ago.: Ahrodie answered. 

                :Not their destiny? What do you mean?:

                :I cannot explain yet.:

                And that was all Ahrodie would say on the matter. 

                "Ahrodie says the same." Dirk reported.  Talia sighed-she envied Dirk and Kris and all the other Heralds who could Mindspeak with their Companions so much sometimes. 

                "I haven't actually talked much with either of them yet. I need to do that." Talia said, as she and Dirk walked down the hallway.  "Speaking of people, where is Kris?"

                "Dunno. Haven't seen him since last night…" Dirk trailed off.  Where was Kris anyway? It wasn't like him to disappear like that.

***

                Haldir snickered at the blond-haired "girl" who walked with him.  'You look very pretty, Glorfindel. Pity you weren't born a girl…some of those idiots who keep trying to get you into their bed are very persistent.'

                Glorfindel scowled at the younger Elf.  'Shut up, Haldir.'

                'Make me.'

                'I don't see why I had to dress up as a girl.' Glorfindel complained. 

                'You're thinner then I am.' Haldir pointed out. 'I can't help it if I'm stocky for an Elf.'

                Glorfindel scowled again, cursing his build.  'If you say a word to anyone about this, I will kill you.'

                Haldir smiled sweetly.  'I won't say anything. But who says I won't draw a picture or something? You'll never hear the end of it.'

                'Shut up!'

                'Is that all you can say?'

                Glorfindel didn't respond.  Haldir smirked. 

                'Just as I thought.'

                A flicker of movement in the corridor ahead of them caught Glorfindel's attention. He elbowed Haldir to get his attention, and pointed. 

                Just as he did so, a young woman in the light green of a Healer trainee walked down the hallway towards them.  Her long dark hair was caught back in a braid, but with a few loose strands of hair covering her ears. 

                "So." The Healer-trainee said, stopping. "You are 'Ithil' and 'Laurefindel'?" Dark eyes stared into theirs, eyes much too wise for a human woman, eyes that had lived many ages and seen too much.  Years she couldn't have had.  

                "Yes." Haldir muttered. "Why does that matter?"

                "I would suggest that you keep all your senses sharp.  Many of the other noble Unaffilates hate you…and would kill you if they had a chance.  Shadow holds sway over many men's hearts, as the darkest Shadow rises in the East. Be wary.  Be very wary. Guard the one you have come to find, for all hinges on him." The girl said mysteriously.  Her voice was deeper then most women's, and the tone was almost like she was trying to force it even that "high".  Both Elves noted-like they weren't already suspicious of her, especially with what she had just said-that there was a shimmer in her voice, as if of starlight and music, a shimmer she was trying to hide but couldn't quite. 

                "Who are you?" Haldir demanded. 

                "I am called Elen." The girl said. "We shall meet again."

                The pale young woman walked past both of the surprised Elves, and light glinted off the ring she wore on her right hand.  A gold ring set with a sapphire, inscribed with runes.  A very familiar ring, with very familiar runes.

                And she was gone. 

                'What the hell was that about?!' Haldir growled. 'How does she know what we are here for?!'

                'A very strange woman, by all accounts.' Glorfindel mused.  'I wonder…she is very familiar.'

                'What do you mean?' Haldir asked. 

                'Her manner. Dignified, like she had spent a lot of her life having to be a ruler, which is not the case if she were what she seemed.  She knows entirely too much, for we haven't said anything to anyone about why we are here, and I'd imagine that only the Companions know why-and they haven't said anything to their Chosen. 'Elen' is not a Herald or a Herald-trainee, either. Her face-familiar.  Her eyes-familiar, and much too wise for a mortal.  Her voice-I'd say 'she' was forcing it higher, and trying to hide a trait in it. There was music in her voice, and not mortal music either.' Glorfindel explained.

                'You would say that she was an Elf, then?' Haldir said, not surprised. There was something familiar about the Healer-trainee, and now that Glorfindel had pointed a lot of things out, he could put them together to come up with that answer. 'One sent back to the East to help us?'

                'Yes. But not just any Elf. Did you notice the ring on 'her' hand?' Glorfindel said.

                'The sapphire ring-' Haldir cut himself off. 'It can't be. Can it?'

                'The Ring of Sapphire.' Glorfindel explained. 

                'Elen. "Star".  Choice of profession-Healer. It makes sense. But is it-" Haldir said.

                'Unless someone stole Vilya, or was given it, there is only one Elf who is pretending to be Elen. Only one.' Glorfindel said, smiling to himself. 

                'Don't get your hopes up.' Haldir smirked at his friend. 

                'You find Kris. I'll have a talk with Elen.' Glorfindel continued.

                'A certainly very revealing talk." The guardian said cattily, and ended up on the floor with his legs kicked out from underneath him.

                'Someone will get tired of your mouth one day and slap you for it.' Glorfindel growled.

                'Already happened.' Haldir replied. 

                'Who?'

                'Who do you think?'

                'I am not going to ask.' Glorfindel said before walking off.  Haldir sighed and walked the other way.

                This meeting was not going to be pleasant.

~End Chapter~

Footnotes:

Ithil-Quenya for "moon" Laurefindel-I believe this is Quenya for "golden-haired".