Over the months that followed, Jenien drew further and further into
herself, shunning all company. She grew wan and sallow, her bright eyes
often dimmed with tears. She grieved both night and day for that which
could never be. Longing for death, yet bound to the one who loved her, she
walked the trails of Lorien, falling slowly into darkness.
Licomias suffered with her, unable to cope with the sight of his once vibrant lover falling deeper and deeper into despair. They began to argue, shouting matches that echoed about Lothlorien and always ended with one or the other walking out into the forest. Their friends tried their hardest to bring them back together, saddened by the burden of sorrow that had brought them to this.
The Lorien elves mobilised in early spring, ready to go on a hunt for the orcs that had harmed their own. Licomias, after much pleading with Celeborn, was given a command among their number. He couldn't stand watching Jenien fade before his eyes.
The thought of harm to her beloved husband drew the forlorn elf out of her shell. She threw herself into preparation for his departure, glimpses of her old self enjoyed by those who worked beside her. Galadriel hovered over her, glad to see her young friend returning to herself.
Finally, all was ready for the elven hunt. Weapons were polished, armour shining, horses groomed. The elves were apprehensive but determined, sorrowful in their goodbyes to their loved ones.
Jenien approached Licomias with a full heart.
'Licomias?'
He turned, the tears in his eyes testament to the love he held for her. The look seemed to last an eternity. Sobbing, Jenien threw herself into his arms. Licomias held her tightly, not wanting to let go.
'Don't leave me,' Jenien was crying. 'Please, I've lost everything. Come back to me, Licomias, please . . .'
'Not even the Dark Lord himself could keep me from you, a'maelamin,' he whispered, kissing her copper curls.
Her tearstained face lifted to look trustingly into his.
'Amin mela lle, Licomias,' she murmured.
Licomias felt his heart clench inside his chest. He lowered his head and kissed her, the first kiss they had shared for months. Jenien sighed into him, her slender body pressing against him. He pulled away gently, his forehead against hers as he gazed into her green eyes.
'I love you, too.'
Jenien smiled softly. They sat together for many hours, neither wishing to remember that, come dawn, they would be separated from each other, perhaps never to meet in this life again.
*~*~*
The elves marched home, weary but triumphant. They had hunted down and obliterated four orc patrols in five months. Licomias' heart was singing. He could not wait until he had his Jenien in his arms once again.
As they entered Lothlorien, Melangell ran to them, her golden hair flying out behind her. She clutched Licomias' arm and began to pull him down the trails, away from his home.
'Melangell, what are you doing?'
'You mustn't go to the cottage, Licomias!'
He stopped abruptly, his face paling.
'Why? What has happened?'
Melangell looked stricken.
'Nothing!' she protested. 'Well, something has, but it isn't bad. Please, Licomias, come with me. Jenien needs you.'
Licomias, absolutely befuddled, allowed himself to be pulled along behind the agitated girl. She dragged him to the Great Tree, ushering him up the steps. At that point, he no longer needed any encouragement. He could hear Jenien crying out in pain. His thoughts raced. Was she injured? Dying?
He ran through the healer's quarters to the room where her voice was coming from. As he pushed open the door, Jenien gave a loud scream of pain. Licomias froze where he stood, his eyes wondering.
Suddenly, a thin wail broke the silence. Galadriel turned, a joyful smile on her face as she handed the wriggling bundle to Licomias.
'You have a daughter, my friends.'
Tears streamed down Licomias' face. He raised his eyes to Jenien, and found her crying tears of joy, weary but happy.
'How?' he asked.
She shrugged.
'I don't know, a'maelamin, and I don't care,' she sighed.
Licomias brought the child over to her, laying the tiny baby in her mother's arms. He kissed his little wife, gazing down at the bundle of joy that had been gifted to them.
'Why didn't you tell me? Send a message?'
Jenien looked up at him, sorrow behind her eyes.
'I didn't want to get your hopes up in case . . . in case she died,' she told him.
Licomias smiled, wrapping an arm about her slender shoulders.
'Thank you,' he whispered, kissing her again. 'What's her name?'
'Aniarel,' Jenien said immediately.
Licomias agreed. 'Much loved', Aniarel was the perfect name for such a beloved child.
*~*~*
'Jenien?'
The little mother looked up from the cradle, running to her visitor with a cry of joy. Legolas spun his friend around, overjoyed to see her again.
'Legolas, what are you doing here?'
He shrugged.
'Just passing through, I happened to hear about the baby and I thought, why not?'
Jenien laughed, playfully punching his arm. Legolas' deadpan face cracked.
'Oh all right,' he conceded. 'I persuaded father to let me come and visit. Congratulations, Jen!'
He hugged her again, obviously as happy as she was that her deepest wish had been granted.
'Where's Licomias?'
Jenien grimaced good-naturedly.
'Celeborn convinced him to train the guards. He's working on the new captain at the moment.'
'Who, Haldir? It'll take a lot to cram some cunning into that one.'
'Now, come on,' Jenien said. 'Haldir's a very good fighter, and if anyone can teach him to be the best, Licomias can.'
'So sayeth the doting wife,' Legolas intoned, 'and woe betide any who dare to disagree.'
They laughed, the merry sound reminding them both of their shared childhood. Jenien persuaded Legolas to stay with them for a while, roping him into helping with the baby.
The young prince got on very well with the newborn infant, able to coax a smile from her even when she was in the most awful of tempers. Aniarel soon adored him, gurgling up at his handsome face whenever he held her. Her parents watched this with fascination, all the while wary of the growing number of attacks on the borders of Lothlorien. They both knew it was no coincidence.
Licomias suffered with her, unable to cope with the sight of his once vibrant lover falling deeper and deeper into despair. They began to argue, shouting matches that echoed about Lothlorien and always ended with one or the other walking out into the forest. Their friends tried their hardest to bring them back together, saddened by the burden of sorrow that had brought them to this.
The Lorien elves mobilised in early spring, ready to go on a hunt for the orcs that had harmed their own. Licomias, after much pleading with Celeborn, was given a command among their number. He couldn't stand watching Jenien fade before his eyes.
The thought of harm to her beloved husband drew the forlorn elf out of her shell. She threw herself into preparation for his departure, glimpses of her old self enjoyed by those who worked beside her. Galadriel hovered over her, glad to see her young friend returning to herself.
Finally, all was ready for the elven hunt. Weapons were polished, armour shining, horses groomed. The elves were apprehensive but determined, sorrowful in their goodbyes to their loved ones.
Jenien approached Licomias with a full heart.
'Licomias?'
He turned, the tears in his eyes testament to the love he held for her. The look seemed to last an eternity. Sobbing, Jenien threw herself into his arms. Licomias held her tightly, not wanting to let go.
'Don't leave me,' Jenien was crying. 'Please, I've lost everything. Come back to me, Licomias, please . . .'
'Not even the Dark Lord himself could keep me from you, a'maelamin,' he whispered, kissing her copper curls.
Her tearstained face lifted to look trustingly into his.
'Amin mela lle, Licomias,' she murmured.
Licomias felt his heart clench inside his chest. He lowered his head and kissed her, the first kiss they had shared for months. Jenien sighed into him, her slender body pressing against him. He pulled away gently, his forehead against hers as he gazed into her green eyes.
'I love you, too.'
Jenien smiled softly. They sat together for many hours, neither wishing to remember that, come dawn, they would be separated from each other, perhaps never to meet in this life again.
*~*~*
The elves marched home, weary but triumphant. They had hunted down and obliterated four orc patrols in five months. Licomias' heart was singing. He could not wait until he had his Jenien in his arms once again.
As they entered Lothlorien, Melangell ran to them, her golden hair flying out behind her. She clutched Licomias' arm and began to pull him down the trails, away from his home.
'Melangell, what are you doing?'
'You mustn't go to the cottage, Licomias!'
He stopped abruptly, his face paling.
'Why? What has happened?'
Melangell looked stricken.
'Nothing!' she protested. 'Well, something has, but it isn't bad. Please, Licomias, come with me. Jenien needs you.'
Licomias, absolutely befuddled, allowed himself to be pulled along behind the agitated girl. She dragged him to the Great Tree, ushering him up the steps. At that point, he no longer needed any encouragement. He could hear Jenien crying out in pain. His thoughts raced. Was she injured? Dying?
He ran through the healer's quarters to the room where her voice was coming from. As he pushed open the door, Jenien gave a loud scream of pain. Licomias froze where he stood, his eyes wondering.
Suddenly, a thin wail broke the silence. Galadriel turned, a joyful smile on her face as she handed the wriggling bundle to Licomias.
'You have a daughter, my friends.'
Tears streamed down Licomias' face. He raised his eyes to Jenien, and found her crying tears of joy, weary but happy.
'How?' he asked.
She shrugged.
'I don't know, a'maelamin, and I don't care,' she sighed.
Licomias brought the child over to her, laying the tiny baby in her mother's arms. He kissed his little wife, gazing down at the bundle of joy that had been gifted to them.
'Why didn't you tell me? Send a message?'
Jenien looked up at him, sorrow behind her eyes.
'I didn't want to get your hopes up in case . . . in case she died,' she told him.
Licomias smiled, wrapping an arm about her slender shoulders.
'Thank you,' he whispered, kissing her again. 'What's her name?'
'Aniarel,' Jenien said immediately.
Licomias agreed. 'Much loved', Aniarel was the perfect name for such a beloved child.
*~*~*
'Jenien?'
The little mother looked up from the cradle, running to her visitor with a cry of joy. Legolas spun his friend around, overjoyed to see her again.
'Legolas, what are you doing here?'
He shrugged.
'Just passing through, I happened to hear about the baby and I thought, why not?'
Jenien laughed, playfully punching his arm. Legolas' deadpan face cracked.
'Oh all right,' he conceded. 'I persuaded father to let me come and visit. Congratulations, Jen!'
He hugged her again, obviously as happy as she was that her deepest wish had been granted.
'Where's Licomias?'
Jenien grimaced good-naturedly.
'Celeborn convinced him to train the guards. He's working on the new captain at the moment.'
'Who, Haldir? It'll take a lot to cram some cunning into that one.'
'Now, come on,' Jenien said. 'Haldir's a very good fighter, and if anyone can teach him to be the best, Licomias can.'
'So sayeth the doting wife,' Legolas intoned, 'and woe betide any who dare to disagree.'
They laughed, the merry sound reminding them both of their shared childhood. Jenien persuaded Legolas to stay with them for a while, roping him into helping with the baby.
The young prince got on very well with the newborn infant, able to coax a smile from her even when she was in the most awful of tempers. Aniarel soon adored him, gurgling up at his handsome face whenever he held her. Her parents watched this with fascination, all the while wary of the growing number of attacks on the borders of Lothlorien. They both knew it was no coincidence.