*~* [Though my daughter is but sixteen years old, she shows great promise
in the study of the healing arts. It was the wish of my late wife, who
herself was a Green witch, that Alede be educated in healing. If your
Lordship would consent to teach her, I would be most grateful and would
compensate you in any way that I may. It is also my hope that once she has
completed her study at Rivendell that she continue on to Orthanc to train
as a wizardess, for she shows some skill in the art of Gold magic as well.
Your humble servant,
Radagast the Brown] ~ An excerpt from a letter addressed to Lord Elrond of Rivendell*~*
THE FAERIE GOBLET
Chapter 3 ~ "Alede the Green"
Alede rolled over in the small bed beneath the rafters and took a deep breath of the cold morning air. The sun was hours from rising, yet a faint chorus had begun in her mind. Not the singing of birds, but a special song that was part of Illuvatar's melody, yet a separate unique piece of it.
He's awake, she thought with a mixture of both joy and sadness. Concentrating hard, she turned her thoughts to that single melody, projecting her own song over the hundreds of miles that separated them.
*Good morning, Legolas.*
She waited hopefully, but there was no change in the song, no response. There hadn't been for many years now. Sighing, she closed her heart around the familiar ache and sat up in bed, touching the locket at her throat automatically.
Why do I even bother anymore, she thought wistfully. It had been fourteen years since she'd seen the young Prince of Mirkwood. After the attempt on King Thranduil's life, Alede had returned to Rivendell. She and the last remaining Istari were cloaking the Elvin realm with mists of time and magic. It would eventually pass out of the knowledge of mankind, known and seen only by the few Elves who remained in Middle Earth. The work was nearly completed and Alede knew her father was anxious to depart Middle Earth. She stalled the old wizard as much a possible, for her heart loved this land and she wished to remain as long as possible.
At least as long as Legolas remained.
Legolas had returned to his kingdom in Ithilien and despite the distance, she could still hear his song. It was very faint and easily lost in the bustle of everyday life. But at times when all was silent, like now, she could hear it as easily as if he were in the room next door.
At first, after their separation, she'd made a game of interpreting the emotions she heard in his song. He'd responded to her then. It wasn't quite like communicating, but it was very close. Very special. It made her feel connected to him, despite the distance and she'd spent most of her waking hours "listening" for him.
But then his song had abruptly dimmed and stopped responding to hers. She'd had no explanation why. Several times she'd thought of flying to Ithilien on her spell horse to find out why. But each time her pride got in the way. She'd already flung herself at him. Perhaps he simply didn't want her and to hear those words once again would be too much. She had ignored the pain as best she could and tried to get on with her life.
But grief had threatened to consume her and since she could not speak of their shared song, she kept silent when those around her asked what was the matter. Day by day, she had grown thinner and more despondent until finally Lord Elrond's son; Elrohir had come to her rescue.
He had cornered her on a balcony and demanded to know what troubled her, not allowing her to leave until she answered him. In her desperation, Alede had blurted out the entire story. Elrohir had been grave for once, listening to her with great sympathy. He had sighed when she finished and shook his head.
"He should never have." Elrohir's voice had dropped as he spoke of the Elves' most private act. "He should never have shared song with you, especially while he suffers from the sea longing. It is like an illness Alede, a cancer that eats away at his soul. I suspect that he is simply not strong enough to bear up to the double onslaught of both your song and that of the sea. It would be different if you were together. But to hear your constant emotions without knowing the cause or being able to effect them, must be very draining for him."
"Then why did he . . . share with me?" she had asked.
Elrohir had shrugged. "Because he is young and in love."
Alede had immediately shaken her head. "He is not in love with me. I hope that he may learn to love me someday when we have passed over the sea. But for now, he is not."
But Elrohir had only laughed softly. "In any case, I suspect he did not realize what the outcome would be. Nor did he consider that you have the impatience of Men, though there is little human blood in your veins and that you know not how to block your song from him."
"Block it?"
"Yes, so that he is not bombarded with your emotions constantly. You are a woman after all and therefore a constant sea of turmoil," Elrohir had joked trying to lighten her somber mood.
Alede had thumped his arm and Elrohir had gathered her into an affectionate hug, kissing her forehead.
"Why did you not do that when I was a child and thought myself desperately in love with you?" she had asked petulantly about his kiss.
"Because you were a child and desperately in love," Elrohir had answered.
He had then proceeded to teach her how to quiet her song. She could not shut it off completely, but in time was able to bring it down so that it was the barest of whispers, just as Legolas' was.
"He could have at least written to explain, instead of leaving me to wonder," Alede had complained bitterly.
"Yes, I am surprised that he did not," Elrohir had said and Alede knew he was troubled by the news. "Shall I black his eye for you should I ever see him?" he had asked, still trying to cheer her.
"No, I'll do it myself."
Alede had learned after that to live with her grief and her loneliness. She and Elrohir became much closer after their intimate conversation. The Elvin lord flirted with her outrageously, just as he did with all the woman in Rivendell. But Alede knew that in her case, he hoped to raise her spirits and did not expect an invitation to her bed.
Flinging back the blankets, Alede shook the memories from her head and sitting up, stuffed her feet into fur slippers. She pulled a heavy robe about her shoulders. Tiptoeing across the wood floor, she spoke a muting spell so as not to wake Baird and made her way down the ladder from the loft and crept through the silent house. Swinging the back door open, she stepped out into the wild back garden and made her way down the little gravel path to the outhouse.
She'd come here to the town of Bree almost two months ago to purchase supplies for Rivendell. The Elvin stronghold no longer could produce all of its own goods, so Alede had volunteered to travel to Bree.
A month before Alede's arrival the village smithy had been severely kicked by a horse. The man's leg was broken in three places. After the local healer had bungled the job of setting the bones, the leg had been in danger of turning gangrenous. Alede, hearing of the misfortune, had offered her services. Upon meeting the smithy Baird, Alede had immediately liked him. The man was immense with a dark, neatly trimmed beard, a keen mind, and a gentle disposition. He also had a booming laugh that shook the rafters of his home.
But the poor man hadn't been laughing when Alede first met him. Seeing such a giant of a man felled by a broken leg and reduced to such a pitiful state had been more than she could stand. Alede had reset the bones and waged a daily battle with the infection. After walking to and from the inn several times a day for a week, she had consented to move into Baird's house.
Now, two months later, she was as familiar with the little house as she was with her own rooms in Rivendell. Though it had not the comforts of the Elvin home, she thought as she made her way back from the outhouse.
Looking up before she went inside, she noticed the moon shining over the roof of the house. She stopped amidst the herb garden and gazed at it. It was nearly full. Back in Rivendell the Elves would be singing almost all night long now. Often they kept her awake with their late night foolishness. But she didn't mind. Of all the peoples in Middle Earth, she loved Elves the best. But they were leaving these shores. And with them they took their magic, their special wisdom.
And my heart, she thought, thinking of Legolas. Shaking her head, she started back inside, her mind automatically noting that the moon hung in the constellation of Ulmo, Lord of the Waters.
The time for casting of love spells.
Not that it would help me in any way, Alede thought bitterly. The Elf she loved was already in love with the Sea. And no witch's charm could break that.
~ ~ ~ A/N: A witch's charm might not be able to break Legolas' sea longing, but another kind of enchantment just might. ;) Meet Baird in chapter 4 "Baird of Bree" and then let the fun begin! BTW I posted early in honor of LOTR coming out on video and DVD today. Yeah Peter Jackson! ~ Nebride
Your humble servant,
Radagast the Brown] ~ An excerpt from a letter addressed to Lord Elrond of Rivendell*~*
THE FAERIE GOBLET
Chapter 3 ~ "Alede the Green"
Alede rolled over in the small bed beneath the rafters and took a deep breath of the cold morning air. The sun was hours from rising, yet a faint chorus had begun in her mind. Not the singing of birds, but a special song that was part of Illuvatar's melody, yet a separate unique piece of it.
He's awake, she thought with a mixture of both joy and sadness. Concentrating hard, she turned her thoughts to that single melody, projecting her own song over the hundreds of miles that separated them.
*Good morning, Legolas.*
She waited hopefully, but there was no change in the song, no response. There hadn't been for many years now. Sighing, she closed her heart around the familiar ache and sat up in bed, touching the locket at her throat automatically.
Why do I even bother anymore, she thought wistfully. It had been fourteen years since she'd seen the young Prince of Mirkwood. After the attempt on King Thranduil's life, Alede had returned to Rivendell. She and the last remaining Istari were cloaking the Elvin realm with mists of time and magic. It would eventually pass out of the knowledge of mankind, known and seen only by the few Elves who remained in Middle Earth. The work was nearly completed and Alede knew her father was anxious to depart Middle Earth. She stalled the old wizard as much a possible, for her heart loved this land and she wished to remain as long as possible.
At least as long as Legolas remained.
Legolas had returned to his kingdom in Ithilien and despite the distance, she could still hear his song. It was very faint and easily lost in the bustle of everyday life. But at times when all was silent, like now, she could hear it as easily as if he were in the room next door.
At first, after their separation, she'd made a game of interpreting the emotions she heard in his song. He'd responded to her then. It wasn't quite like communicating, but it was very close. Very special. It made her feel connected to him, despite the distance and she'd spent most of her waking hours "listening" for him.
But then his song had abruptly dimmed and stopped responding to hers. She'd had no explanation why. Several times she'd thought of flying to Ithilien on her spell horse to find out why. But each time her pride got in the way. She'd already flung herself at him. Perhaps he simply didn't want her and to hear those words once again would be too much. She had ignored the pain as best she could and tried to get on with her life.
But grief had threatened to consume her and since she could not speak of their shared song, she kept silent when those around her asked what was the matter. Day by day, she had grown thinner and more despondent until finally Lord Elrond's son; Elrohir had come to her rescue.
He had cornered her on a balcony and demanded to know what troubled her, not allowing her to leave until she answered him. In her desperation, Alede had blurted out the entire story. Elrohir had been grave for once, listening to her with great sympathy. He had sighed when she finished and shook his head.
"He should never have." Elrohir's voice had dropped as he spoke of the Elves' most private act. "He should never have shared song with you, especially while he suffers from the sea longing. It is like an illness Alede, a cancer that eats away at his soul. I suspect that he is simply not strong enough to bear up to the double onslaught of both your song and that of the sea. It would be different if you were together. But to hear your constant emotions without knowing the cause or being able to effect them, must be very draining for him."
"Then why did he . . . share with me?" she had asked.
Elrohir had shrugged. "Because he is young and in love."
Alede had immediately shaken her head. "He is not in love with me. I hope that he may learn to love me someday when we have passed over the sea. But for now, he is not."
But Elrohir had only laughed softly. "In any case, I suspect he did not realize what the outcome would be. Nor did he consider that you have the impatience of Men, though there is little human blood in your veins and that you know not how to block your song from him."
"Block it?"
"Yes, so that he is not bombarded with your emotions constantly. You are a woman after all and therefore a constant sea of turmoil," Elrohir had joked trying to lighten her somber mood.
Alede had thumped his arm and Elrohir had gathered her into an affectionate hug, kissing her forehead.
"Why did you not do that when I was a child and thought myself desperately in love with you?" she had asked petulantly about his kiss.
"Because you were a child and desperately in love," Elrohir had answered.
He had then proceeded to teach her how to quiet her song. She could not shut it off completely, but in time was able to bring it down so that it was the barest of whispers, just as Legolas' was.
"He could have at least written to explain, instead of leaving me to wonder," Alede had complained bitterly.
"Yes, I am surprised that he did not," Elrohir had said and Alede knew he was troubled by the news. "Shall I black his eye for you should I ever see him?" he had asked, still trying to cheer her.
"No, I'll do it myself."
Alede had learned after that to live with her grief and her loneliness. She and Elrohir became much closer after their intimate conversation. The Elvin lord flirted with her outrageously, just as he did with all the woman in Rivendell. But Alede knew that in her case, he hoped to raise her spirits and did not expect an invitation to her bed.
Flinging back the blankets, Alede shook the memories from her head and sitting up, stuffed her feet into fur slippers. She pulled a heavy robe about her shoulders. Tiptoeing across the wood floor, she spoke a muting spell so as not to wake Baird and made her way down the ladder from the loft and crept through the silent house. Swinging the back door open, she stepped out into the wild back garden and made her way down the little gravel path to the outhouse.
She'd come here to the town of Bree almost two months ago to purchase supplies for Rivendell. The Elvin stronghold no longer could produce all of its own goods, so Alede had volunteered to travel to Bree.
A month before Alede's arrival the village smithy had been severely kicked by a horse. The man's leg was broken in three places. After the local healer had bungled the job of setting the bones, the leg had been in danger of turning gangrenous. Alede, hearing of the misfortune, had offered her services. Upon meeting the smithy Baird, Alede had immediately liked him. The man was immense with a dark, neatly trimmed beard, a keen mind, and a gentle disposition. He also had a booming laugh that shook the rafters of his home.
But the poor man hadn't been laughing when Alede first met him. Seeing such a giant of a man felled by a broken leg and reduced to such a pitiful state had been more than she could stand. Alede had reset the bones and waged a daily battle with the infection. After walking to and from the inn several times a day for a week, she had consented to move into Baird's house.
Now, two months later, she was as familiar with the little house as she was with her own rooms in Rivendell. Though it had not the comforts of the Elvin home, she thought as she made her way back from the outhouse.
Looking up before she went inside, she noticed the moon shining over the roof of the house. She stopped amidst the herb garden and gazed at it. It was nearly full. Back in Rivendell the Elves would be singing almost all night long now. Often they kept her awake with their late night foolishness. But she didn't mind. Of all the peoples in Middle Earth, she loved Elves the best. But they were leaving these shores. And with them they took their magic, their special wisdom.
And my heart, she thought, thinking of Legolas. Shaking her head, she started back inside, her mind automatically noting that the moon hung in the constellation of Ulmo, Lord of the Waters.
The time for casting of love spells.
Not that it would help me in any way, Alede thought bitterly. The Elf she loved was already in love with the Sea. And no witch's charm could break that.
~ ~ ~ A/N: A witch's charm might not be able to break Legolas' sea longing, but another kind of enchantment just might. ;) Meet Baird in chapter 4 "Baird of Bree" and then let the fun begin! BTW I posted early in honor of LOTR coming out on video and DVD today. Yeah Peter Jackson! ~ Nebride