The young mortal stood before Manwe, fear glazing her eyes. Of course, she
knew why she had come. She had expected it. The great Vala began to speak,
and she felt herself trembling violently.
"Why have you defiled us so? You knew, yet you did it none the less.
You respected the lords of Arda, yet put them to shame. What say you?"
"I ask not for pardon, merely to apologize, my lord. I have repented,
and I ask for your forgiveness, as is the way of Eru's beliefs."
"It is not I who you must apologize to. But to those whom you
defiled. Go now from my sight, child, and come back only when you have done
so." The petrified child bowed her head in reverance and closed her eyes to
will the tears away. When she opened them, she found her self in a spacious
room with a vast table and many chairs. She looked around in recognition
and sat down, on the floor. The door creaked open and she watched as six
males filed in. She stood and bowed to the first one who had walked in, who
now sat in the high seat.
"We all know why you have come. We understand what you have done, and
respect you for you humbleness. However, what is done cannot be undone. I
grant you my forgiveness, but I cannot speak for the rest of us." He said,
his voice regal.
"Thank you, my lord. I am forever grateful, and I am at your
service."
"Very well. Glorfindel?" he called, and a flaxen haired elf stood up
and stepped forward. His eyes shone with the understanding acquired only by
years of memory.
"Yes my lord." He said confidently. "You seem a child, but by men's
standards, you are not. You knew full well what you were doing. You knew
our history, our language, and our tales. You treated them with great
reverance." He paused, and finally looked at her. "Yet you shamed us. Saw
us in an immoral light." He said, with great sorrow. She shivered slightly
at his piercing gaze. As he just said, she knew full well who he was, and
what power he held. She didn't dare look into his eyes, for fear of letting
loose her emotions.
"I have repented. I come not looking for understanding or acceptance,
but only for forgiveness. I know what I have done, and repentance doesn't
even excuse it. The race of men are weak. You know that as well as I, and I
have yielded to my weaknesses, and for that I am ashamed. Yet, all I want
is your forgiveness, so I can live in peace." She spoke, eloquently, though
with a profound grief.
"Verily, you have mine." Glorfindel said, turning back and sitting
down in his chair.
"Elladan? Elrohir?" Elrond called, and the two twins stepped forward.
The girl feared these two the most, knowing how low she made them out to
be. The only way she could tell who was who, was from their actions.
Elrohir had a look of great pity, not for what she had done, but for what
was about to happen to her. Elladan was seething mad. There was a rage in
his eyes akin to that of orc anger. She feared him as he approached her,
but didn't falter. She knew that she deserved this treatment.
"How could you?! You respected us, all of us, and yet you looked on
us with such disrespect, you mocked us! For that you should be punished!"
He lifted his hand, obviously to obscure her features. She only closed her
eyes, knowing this will be the least of her punishment, as well as knowing
that she had it coming to her. But as he brought his hand down, Elrohir,
caught it.
" Just because we cannot slay our own kin, doesn't mean we can harm
others." He said, his voice neutral.
"Alright, my brother. I shall not harm her. But know this," he said
looking at her "My wrath is stirred, and if we cross paths again, you shall
not be spared, no matter what Elrohir says." He turned and went back to his
seat, still glaring at her with pent up hatred. She sighed. She deserved
it.
"You might not have his forgiveness, but you have mine. We're
Peredhil, and we know full well of the follies of men." Elrohir said, and
gave her a weak smile, before turning to sit down.
"Erestor?" Elrond called, and his chief counselor stepped forward.
She gulped, memories of her plight going through her head. He looked on her
with a swell of pity.
"I as well know what you have done. You have my forgiveness, but I
ask not that you do so again." He said, looking skeptically at her
"I promise, to you, to all of you, that I will continue to learn more
of you, and not to put you to shame." She said, relief coursing through
her. She only had one left to go.
"Thank you, my lady. I have much relief." He smiled, and turned to
sit once more.
"Haldir?" Elrond called. She feared him almost as much as she did
Elladan, who was still glowering at her. He stood and walked to her. She
looked in his eyes and saw a great sadness. She knew she had caused it. He
wasn't arrogant, spiteful, or as moody as she had always depicted him to
be. He was a kind and generous elf, loyal to his homelands, and to the Lord
and Lady that ruled over them. Much to her surprise he looked away and
muttered two words.
"You're forgiven." He turned and went back to his seat.
"Very well. You have gotten much of what you sought out. Your time
here is ending. Go now." Elrond said, and as soon as she blinked, she found
herself in a room full of people. She scanned the room. There were
commoners, Lords, middle classmen, all the ranks you could imagine. It was
quite curious since you generally wouldn't find such a vast range of people
in a crowd. That only meant one thing. Gondor in the fourth age. Suddenly,
the crowds parted, and she saw two people sitting in grand chairs. A Lord
and Lady. She gasped as she realized who it was. She was as good as dead.
"This is the girl that has incurred my brother's infamous wrath. She
is truly full of sorrow, be gentle, melamin." The woman said. The girl, not
being able to contain herself any longer, fell to the floor.
"My Lord, My Lady, I do not deserve either one of your forgiveness. I
have made you look so disgusting, and you did nothing to deserve it. I am
truly shameful, and I do not even deserve either one of your forgiveness."
She spat out before dropping her head to the floor in bitter tears. The
Lady stood up and walked to the girl, kneeling before her. She lifted her
head up with her pointer finger and looked upon the girl with great
compassion.
"A si I duath u or thor, Silelen, u or lle." She said, hoping to
comfort the girl. She just continued crying, a painful and pitiful sight to
see. Arwen took great compassion on her and gathered her into her arms,
rocking her back and forth, uttering words of comfort in her native tongue.
~*~
The girl looked around. She was no longer in Gondor, but in the middle of a
forrest. She feared what she knew was to happen. She sighed and sat down
against a tree, waiting for the inevitable.
"Ai, Mellonmin, I wish you could be here to comfort me." She thought
to herself, thinking of her best friend. Before she could immerse herself
in memories, a figure stepped into her view. Clad in a silver shirt, a
tunic made of a suede like fabric, and blue leggings. He had golden hair,
and his quiver and daggers were strapped to his back. Bow in hand, he
approached her.
"My father told me you were here." He said, his words taught.
"I imagine he would know." she said, not daring to look up at him.
She didn't know what seeing him would do to her, and she didn't want to
find out.
"Why do you fear the past? You cannot change what you have done." He
said, moving to sit besides her.
"I fear what wrath I shall incur, what those you know shall think of
me. I hold Arda in such respect. I love it because of how different it is
from my own world, how much dignity there is in this world. Yet I have
stripped it's people of their dignity, blinding their true being in this
falsity. You know how much I love you, and yet look at what I have done to
you! Look at what I have done to those you hold dear, to the people you
love! I should not be forgiven, I should not even be here. I do not deserve
it." She said, feeling the tears welling up. She blinked, but there was too
much moisture in her eyes. He looked upon her with sorrow as she could not
hold her emotions back and she began to cry, unrelenting, once more.
"Shh. mellonmin, everything will be alright. Shh." He took her into
his arms and gave her the comfort she so desired in his presence.
"Your apology's foresighted, and I forgive you." He said, before
kissing her deeply.
Fini.
Fini.