Whenever there was a party or celebration in Rivendell, there never seemed
to be an exact place to stay. The party roamed everywhere, and it could be
anywhere, even in the farthest outreaches of the forests. When a matter was
declared, it spread through the entire city, and that was how it was that
night. As the sun set, elves started to appear from their lodgings, and
suddenly the air was filled with a certain degree of jocularity. The main
crowd stayed nearly in the main hall of the largest building, which was the
house of Elrond. But he was preoccupied, and did not venture in. He and
Tancal stood outside, and greeted people as they came and went. Even though
their outwardly appearances seemed calm and cheerful, thoughts of many
subjects cluttered their minds.
Elrond he could not help but frown when he saw Nuinwath walking towards them, for he reminded Elrond of what was to come. It was unusual for Tancal to see Nuinwath in clothing that was not armored. He noticed that the captain became smaller when he was not covered with mail and shield. But the gleam of light that flickered from the sword that hung from his belt caught both Elrond's and Tancal's attention. Never for any reason did Nuinwath discard his weapons, not even for a non-violent celebration. That was how he was.
"Ah, Lord Elrond," he greeted as he bowed before him. "Young Tancal, I wish to congratulate you once again on your appointment." He then saluted the newest member of his forces. "I have come to inform you that you will take part in your first patrol tomorrow morning. You will be accompanying me on the northern side. Be there roughly after sunrise."
"Yes, sir!" he said, beaming with pride. Then Nuinwath passed by them, and joined the growing crowd inside the main hall. But suddenly another elf came walking briskly up to them. It was Glorfindel, a noble and heroic elf. He stopped by Elrond's ear, and whispered low and quickly. Elrond nodded and then turned to face Tancal. "Stay here for the moment, I have something to tend to. I will return shortly." With that, he and Glorfindel walk off. Tancal was a bit puzzled, but he stayed as he was told. Moments had passed by when he saw Mithfalmawen coming. He smiled at her, but then it slowly faded when he realized who she was linked with. It was the elf who had snapped on him like a dry branch, Linteanna's brother. As they approached, Tancal allowed himself to sink away from sight so he could not be recognized. He did not want to be attacked or yelled at again. He had a feeling that the elf would not forget.
Once they passed, Tancal returned to his spot just in time to see the next person arrive. For Tancal it was like a dream when he laid eyes on her. Everything seemed to slow down, and he felt like he was in a hazy room. He became dazed and detached from the world as his eyes followed her. "Linteanna," he whispered, but yet it was barely a whisper, almost silent and more like a sigh.
He became more and more nervous as she walked closer and closer. He first noticed that her long blonde hair was now up-draped in an assortment of curls and twists. It looked perfect, and the baby's breath that was woven throughout added an effect of naturalness and sophistication. She donned a silk gown that most favored the color of a springtime lily that was splashed with the lightest of violet. "Compliment, not torment," he silently repeated.
Linteanna came to a halt as she saw who was welcoming everyone for the celebration. He immediately bowed before her and said, "Good evening." When he stood straight, their eyes met and she forced an evil and harsh glare at him.
'Oh my,' he thought to himself, 'I have a lot of apologizing to do.' He quickly tried to think of something to say to her. "Fair maiden, might I say that you look absolutely ravishing."
She kept her cold glance. She slowly walked up to him as she had previously in the afternoon. "Do not think me dense, Tanny," she said. He tried to say something else, but she purposely interrupted him. "No, no. I will not so easily forget what you have said and done. Remember where I used to count the stars and pick wildflowers? Meet me there in twenty minutes. We shall fight again, but this time – without any distractions. I will conquer you."
Then she stepped past him and roughly knocked her shoulder against his in the process. Tancal was stunned that she still held so much anger, and he silently watched her stride off into a crowd.
'What a fiery one she is…' he thought.
Elrond returned soon after his encounter with Linteanna. Tancal made some excuse up to get away from the party, and then left Elrond to tend to the party-people who would not stop coming. Tancal briskly walked through the trees, but then he started to run as he realized how much time he had left. He smiled and chuckled to himself as he thought about his plans for her.
** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** ***
The minutes had passed, and now Linteanna was traveling through the brush and branches of the great forest. She was trudging to outside of the boundaries of Rivendell. It was the only place where she felt she could run free when she was younger. There was always so much protection around her and her father when they visited in those days, and she finally discovered a perfect place to relax after a day of wandering.
Even though it was becoming pitch-dark, she still remembered the path as if it was painted on her hand. She was barely paying any attention to that though, for her mind was elsewhere. She was moving through the forest emitting an aura of rage. She flung and snatched past the limbs of plants, and maneuvered her way around puddles of murky water and slosh.
As she came close to her hiding place, she saw him in the distance. She immediately pulled Rinelen from a secret pocket in her gown, and gripped it fiercely.
'I will show that manner-less elf,' she said to herself, 'I pity the creature that ends up with him…she will have much to deal with – especially with such a rude and thoughtless thing like him. How dare he say such things. He will finally learn. No one will treat me the way he has.'
Linteanna finally appeared from the shelter of the forest and stalked forward, but she stopped in confusion. The sight spun her head into a web of mystification. She was certainly uneasy of it all. She saw Tancal, and then her eyes drifted to the ground where there was an ivory blanket laid out across the grass with a wide variety of bread and wine. Everything around the area seemed to be sprinkled with petals of purple roses.
She slowly walked towards him, pointing her weapon ahead. It seemed like too big of a change, and she was suspicious. "What is the meaning of this? Do you mean to trick me?"
He silently shook his head, and stepped up to her. She was alarmed by this, and she raised her blade. "I am warning you, I came to fight. I will conquer you."
Tancal's eyes shined in the moonlight. Linteanna caught the look of his face, and she knew something had changed.
"But malady," he said. He softly pushed her hand that held the knife away, and reached for the other. He gently placed it on his chest, and held it there. He leaned close to her, and whispered in her ear, "Tis not necessary, for you have already conquered my heart."
In those very seconds, Linteanna's own heart melted and her anger towards him faded away. She left the dagger fall to the ground, and now she held Tancal's other hand.
"My dearest Linteanna," he whispered, "Please forgive me, I was too foolish and blind to know how to act around you. You make me completely different, it is amazing actually. You affect me in ways I never knew could be affected. And I give you my deepest apologies if I have caused you any discomfort or pain in any way."
"It is alright…just keep talking," she said with her eyes closed. She wore the slightest smile, and inside she felt as if she would just burst.
Tancal was relieved that she was no longer upset, and he thought that she looked much more stunning when she did not have an angered face. He thought that she looked peaceful and he loved having her right in front of him. He tediously kissed the side of her neck, and removed various fray hairs that had fallen from her trip through the woods. He tucked them behind her ear, and studied her face once again.
He kissed her forehead and said, "Your skin shines with a beauty the earth, sky, wind, and water could not create even when they are joined together." He then placed kisses on both of her shut eyelids. "Your eyes radiate the very light the moon's envy yearns for. And your mouth…" She opened her eyes, and their eyes locked once again. She saw his gaze wandering down from her eyes to her lips. He smiled and tilted his head, and brought his lips against hers. They barely touched, and he pulled away slightly. He gazed down at her, and his facial expression mirrored what she was feeling inside. "And your mouth...is as soft as the petals of a flower and sweeter than honey." Their lips met again, this time lingering longer against each other.
Then Tancal slipped an arm around her waist and guided her to the blanket that was stretched across the ground. There they sat and ate, and at times they even fed each other. Then once they were full, they talked about an assortment of things.
"Tancal, have you seen my dagger. I dropped it somewhere, and I cannot seem to find it…" Linteanna said as she slowly scanned the ground. Tancal knew where she had dropped it, so he got up and found it and brought it to the blanket. When he sat down, he did not give it back to her. He held it in his fingers, slowly tracing its handle and admiring the craftiness of the blade.
"Linteanna," Tancal started, "Do you know that you and this blade have several things in common?"
Linteanna watched his face to try and see if he was being serious or humorous. She decided that it didn't matter, so she went along with him. "Oh really? And how is that?"
Tancal grinned and he remained quiet for a moment, as if he was trying to perfectly word what he was about to say.
"Well, my flower, my stunning purple rose…right now I can tell you that both you and the knife are fiery as ever," he said through a few small giggles, "and you both hold a certain amount of dangerous beauty."
Linteanna was enjoying this flattery so she egged him on even more. "Explain your reasoning, please?"
Tancal held the knife up, and studied it. Then he glanced back at her. "Well you see, this knife here…It might look small or meek, but when put into battle, something else shines through. That is what I think of you. You have a fragile exterior, and I underestimated your power and lethalness. But I think I learned my lesson with help from your brother," he said as he pointed to his scalp and rubbed where it still hurt the most. They laughed together and she leaned over and kissed him on the temple. "It will heal in due time, do not worry."
"Yes, I know. I was just a bit surprised, that is all." Tancal's glance turned back to the knife that was still in his hand. He was wondering where it got its heat from, because it didn't look like it was very high in temperature. It looked like an ordinary blade. He was almost hesitant at touching it, but he decided to do it anyway. And by reflex his fingers did not stay on the blade very long. Linteanna was watching the entire time, and she smiled as he shook his fingers.
"Did you think that it would not be as hot as before?" she asked.
"No, I do not understand it. It burns me, but it does not burn you. Is it a riddle of some sort?"
"No, there is no riddle. When the Númenóreans forged it, they made it to damage everything but the person it was entrusted to. So it will never affect me until I pass it on to someone else." She cautiously put her fingers on the edge of the blade, and took it back from him. "But that will not be for a very long time. I love Rinelen," she said as she put it back in a hidden compartment in her dress.
Now it all made sense to Tancal. "Ah…I was trying to somehow connect all of that. I became truly puzzled when I held it at your neck during our engagement." He pointed toward her neck, and saw a glimpse of something that startled him. He reached to move her hair away from her neck, and she tried to pull away but he caught her. He slightly lifted her chin and was aghast by what he saw. There was a sharp, dark bruise that lay across her neck from where he had pressed the knife earlier. Suddenly he felt guilty and horrible for inflicting this upon her. He didn't know what to say or even how to start to apologize. Linteanna looked at his face and saw immense pain in his eyes.
"It is nothing, Tancal," she protested. "Do not worry, it will be gone in less than a day."
He leaned towards her and kissed her neck and the bruise as softly as he could. "My delicate purple rose…" he said. Then they embraced into another kiss.
As the time passed their conversations became lower and lower until finally they were silent. Linteanna found comfort up against Tancal. He wrapped his arms around her, and she felt incredibly safe there. All they did was look up at the stars together. Linteanna didn't want to the morning to come, and just as she was thinking that, Tancal started to sing. He serenaded her with a song about the beauty of the sea. It was an emotional song, almost even melancholy. And he ended it with a long, sad sigh.
"That was amazing. Where did you learn it from?" she asked.
"Nuinwath. I have heard him sing that many a time. It seems to be his favorite, and I am beginning to like it. Speaking of Nuinwath, malady – I have to go now. I am to patrol with him this morn." He gracefully stood up and helped her to her feet.
"And what a glorious morn it is," she said as she looked to the golden sunrise. The sun was beginning to shine on them, and Tancal kissed her goodbye. No words were needed. Their eyes said everything. And he then walked away, and Linteanna watched for a while. After he was gone, she turned back to watch the rest of the sunrise. She felt fresh and almost complete. It was something that she never felt before, and she was certainly not bothered with it.
Elrond he could not help but frown when he saw Nuinwath walking towards them, for he reminded Elrond of what was to come. It was unusual for Tancal to see Nuinwath in clothing that was not armored. He noticed that the captain became smaller when he was not covered with mail and shield. But the gleam of light that flickered from the sword that hung from his belt caught both Elrond's and Tancal's attention. Never for any reason did Nuinwath discard his weapons, not even for a non-violent celebration. That was how he was.
"Ah, Lord Elrond," he greeted as he bowed before him. "Young Tancal, I wish to congratulate you once again on your appointment." He then saluted the newest member of his forces. "I have come to inform you that you will take part in your first patrol tomorrow morning. You will be accompanying me on the northern side. Be there roughly after sunrise."
"Yes, sir!" he said, beaming with pride. Then Nuinwath passed by them, and joined the growing crowd inside the main hall. But suddenly another elf came walking briskly up to them. It was Glorfindel, a noble and heroic elf. He stopped by Elrond's ear, and whispered low and quickly. Elrond nodded and then turned to face Tancal. "Stay here for the moment, I have something to tend to. I will return shortly." With that, he and Glorfindel walk off. Tancal was a bit puzzled, but he stayed as he was told. Moments had passed by when he saw Mithfalmawen coming. He smiled at her, but then it slowly faded when he realized who she was linked with. It was the elf who had snapped on him like a dry branch, Linteanna's brother. As they approached, Tancal allowed himself to sink away from sight so he could not be recognized. He did not want to be attacked or yelled at again. He had a feeling that the elf would not forget.
Once they passed, Tancal returned to his spot just in time to see the next person arrive. For Tancal it was like a dream when he laid eyes on her. Everything seemed to slow down, and he felt like he was in a hazy room. He became dazed and detached from the world as his eyes followed her. "Linteanna," he whispered, but yet it was barely a whisper, almost silent and more like a sigh.
He became more and more nervous as she walked closer and closer. He first noticed that her long blonde hair was now up-draped in an assortment of curls and twists. It looked perfect, and the baby's breath that was woven throughout added an effect of naturalness and sophistication. She donned a silk gown that most favored the color of a springtime lily that was splashed with the lightest of violet. "Compliment, not torment," he silently repeated.
Linteanna came to a halt as she saw who was welcoming everyone for the celebration. He immediately bowed before her and said, "Good evening." When he stood straight, their eyes met and she forced an evil and harsh glare at him.
'Oh my,' he thought to himself, 'I have a lot of apologizing to do.' He quickly tried to think of something to say to her. "Fair maiden, might I say that you look absolutely ravishing."
She kept her cold glance. She slowly walked up to him as she had previously in the afternoon. "Do not think me dense, Tanny," she said. He tried to say something else, but she purposely interrupted him. "No, no. I will not so easily forget what you have said and done. Remember where I used to count the stars and pick wildflowers? Meet me there in twenty minutes. We shall fight again, but this time – without any distractions. I will conquer you."
Then she stepped past him and roughly knocked her shoulder against his in the process. Tancal was stunned that she still held so much anger, and he silently watched her stride off into a crowd.
'What a fiery one she is…' he thought.
Elrond returned soon after his encounter with Linteanna. Tancal made some excuse up to get away from the party, and then left Elrond to tend to the party-people who would not stop coming. Tancal briskly walked through the trees, but then he started to run as he realized how much time he had left. He smiled and chuckled to himself as he thought about his plans for her.
** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** *** ** ***
The minutes had passed, and now Linteanna was traveling through the brush and branches of the great forest. She was trudging to outside of the boundaries of Rivendell. It was the only place where she felt she could run free when she was younger. There was always so much protection around her and her father when they visited in those days, and she finally discovered a perfect place to relax after a day of wandering.
Even though it was becoming pitch-dark, she still remembered the path as if it was painted on her hand. She was barely paying any attention to that though, for her mind was elsewhere. She was moving through the forest emitting an aura of rage. She flung and snatched past the limbs of plants, and maneuvered her way around puddles of murky water and slosh.
As she came close to her hiding place, she saw him in the distance. She immediately pulled Rinelen from a secret pocket in her gown, and gripped it fiercely.
'I will show that manner-less elf,' she said to herself, 'I pity the creature that ends up with him…she will have much to deal with – especially with such a rude and thoughtless thing like him. How dare he say such things. He will finally learn. No one will treat me the way he has.'
Linteanna finally appeared from the shelter of the forest and stalked forward, but she stopped in confusion. The sight spun her head into a web of mystification. She was certainly uneasy of it all. She saw Tancal, and then her eyes drifted to the ground where there was an ivory blanket laid out across the grass with a wide variety of bread and wine. Everything around the area seemed to be sprinkled with petals of purple roses.
She slowly walked towards him, pointing her weapon ahead. It seemed like too big of a change, and she was suspicious. "What is the meaning of this? Do you mean to trick me?"
He silently shook his head, and stepped up to her. She was alarmed by this, and she raised her blade. "I am warning you, I came to fight. I will conquer you."
Tancal's eyes shined in the moonlight. Linteanna caught the look of his face, and she knew something had changed.
"But malady," he said. He softly pushed her hand that held the knife away, and reached for the other. He gently placed it on his chest, and held it there. He leaned close to her, and whispered in her ear, "Tis not necessary, for you have already conquered my heart."
In those very seconds, Linteanna's own heart melted and her anger towards him faded away. She left the dagger fall to the ground, and now she held Tancal's other hand.
"My dearest Linteanna," he whispered, "Please forgive me, I was too foolish and blind to know how to act around you. You make me completely different, it is amazing actually. You affect me in ways I never knew could be affected. And I give you my deepest apologies if I have caused you any discomfort or pain in any way."
"It is alright…just keep talking," she said with her eyes closed. She wore the slightest smile, and inside she felt as if she would just burst.
Tancal was relieved that she was no longer upset, and he thought that she looked much more stunning when she did not have an angered face. He thought that she looked peaceful and he loved having her right in front of him. He tediously kissed the side of her neck, and removed various fray hairs that had fallen from her trip through the woods. He tucked them behind her ear, and studied her face once again.
He kissed her forehead and said, "Your skin shines with a beauty the earth, sky, wind, and water could not create even when they are joined together." He then placed kisses on both of her shut eyelids. "Your eyes radiate the very light the moon's envy yearns for. And your mouth…" She opened her eyes, and their eyes locked once again. She saw his gaze wandering down from her eyes to her lips. He smiled and tilted his head, and brought his lips against hers. They barely touched, and he pulled away slightly. He gazed down at her, and his facial expression mirrored what she was feeling inside. "And your mouth...is as soft as the petals of a flower and sweeter than honey." Their lips met again, this time lingering longer against each other.
Then Tancal slipped an arm around her waist and guided her to the blanket that was stretched across the ground. There they sat and ate, and at times they even fed each other. Then once they were full, they talked about an assortment of things.
"Tancal, have you seen my dagger. I dropped it somewhere, and I cannot seem to find it…" Linteanna said as she slowly scanned the ground. Tancal knew where she had dropped it, so he got up and found it and brought it to the blanket. When he sat down, he did not give it back to her. He held it in his fingers, slowly tracing its handle and admiring the craftiness of the blade.
"Linteanna," Tancal started, "Do you know that you and this blade have several things in common?"
Linteanna watched his face to try and see if he was being serious or humorous. She decided that it didn't matter, so she went along with him. "Oh really? And how is that?"
Tancal grinned and he remained quiet for a moment, as if he was trying to perfectly word what he was about to say.
"Well, my flower, my stunning purple rose…right now I can tell you that both you and the knife are fiery as ever," he said through a few small giggles, "and you both hold a certain amount of dangerous beauty."
Linteanna was enjoying this flattery so she egged him on even more. "Explain your reasoning, please?"
Tancal held the knife up, and studied it. Then he glanced back at her. "Well you see, this knife here…It might look small or meek, but when put into battle, something else shines through. That is what I think of you. You have a fragile exterior, and I underestimated your power and lethalness. But I think I learned my lesson with help from your brother," he said as he pointed to his scalp and rubbed where it still hurt the most. They laughed together and she leaned over and kissed him on the temple. "It will heal in due time, do not worry."
"Yes, I know. I was just a bit surprised, that is all." Tancal's glance turned back to the knife that was still in his hand. He was wondering where it got its heat from, because it didn't look like it was very high in temperature. It looked like an ordinary blade. He was almost hesitant at touching it, but he decided to do it anyway. And by reflex his fingers did not stay on the blade very long. Linteanna was watching the entire time, and she smiled as he shook his fingers.
"Did you think that it would not be as hot as before?" she asked.
"No, I do not understand it. It burns me, but it does not burn you. Is it a riddle of some sort?"
"No, there is no riddle. When the Númenóreans forged it, they made it to damage everything but the person it was entrusted to. So it will never affect me until I pass it on to someone else." She cautiously put her fingers on the edge of the blade, and took it back from him. "But that will not be for a very long time. I love Rinelen," she said as she put it back in a hidden compartment in her dress.
Now it all made sense to Tancal. "Ah…I was trying to somehow connect all of that. I became truly puzzled when I held it at your neck during our engagement." He pointed toward her neck, and saw a glimpse of something that startled him. He reached to move her hair away from her neck, and she tried to pull away but he caught her. He slightly lifted her chin and was aghast by what he saw. There was a sharp, dark bruise that lay across her neck from where he had pressed the knife earlier. Suddenly he felt guilty and horrible for inflicting this upon her. He didn't know what to say or even how to start to apologize. Linteanna looked at his face and saw immense pain in his eyes.
"It is nothing, Tancal," she protested. "Do not worry, it will be gone in less than a day."
He leaned towards her and kissed her neck and the bruise as softly as he could. "My delicate purple rose…" he said. Then they embraced into another kiss.
As the time passed their conversations became lower and lower until finally they were silent. Linteanna found comfort up against Tancal. He wrapped his arms around her, and she felt incredibly safe there. All they did was look up at the stars together. Linteanna didn't want to the morning to come, and just as she was thinking that, Tancal started to sing. He serenaded her with a song about the beauty of the sea. It was an emotional song, almost even melancholy. And he ended it with a long, sad sigh.
"That was amazing. Where did you learn it from?" she asked.
"Nuinwath. I have heard him sing that many a time. It seems to be his favorite, and I am beginning to like it. Speaking of Nuinwath, malady – I have to go now. I am to patrol with him this morn." He gracefully stood up and helped her to her feet.
"And what a glorious morn it is," she said as she looked to the golden sunrise. The sun was beginning to shine on them, and Tancal kissed her goodbye. No words were needed. Their eyes said everything. And he then walked away, and Linteanna watched for a while. After he was gone, she turned back to watch the rest of the sunrise. She felt fresh and almost complete. It was something that she never felt before, and she was certainly not bothered with it.