Disclaimer: I have re-written some parts of this story, because I was not
liking how the romance played out. So I have just been re-writing the old
stuff, but now it fits even better with the ending so I'll post that soon.
All these characters belong to Tolkien, except for Aralyn. This story is
better now, please go back and read, then you can enjoy the ending better.
Read and review please! The elvish barrel song Legolas sings is from "The
Hobbit" by Tolkien, and the story about Amroth and Nimrodel is taken from
the book "The Silmarillion" by Tolkien. Enjoy, and please, tell me what you
think!
The people of Rohan were huddled around fires, keeping themselves warm and safe. We had been traveling for two days now and we were almost there. We would reach there about midday tomorrow, if everything went right.
Which I knew wouldn't happen.
I had a feeling deep in my gut that wouldn't go away. Something was going to go wrong on this trip, slowing us down and hindering us. Saruman knew that we were traveling to Helm's Deep, what would stop him from attacking us when we were most vulnerable? These problems rolled around in my head as I sat down near a fire with a sleeping Aragorn beside it. Well, I thought he was sleeping. When he heard my dress rustling on the ground his head went up and asked, "Arwen?"
He startled me. "No, Aragorn. It's me, Aralyn." I said softly.
"Sorry milady." He said, sitting up drowsily. His hand reached for a jewel on a chain around his neck. He unlatched the chain and held the jewel in his hand, staring at it. I peered at it, stunned by it's beauty.
"Who gave that to you my lord?" I asked, curious.
He sat for awhile, pondering that question. "It was never meant to be, but she won't stop believing in it."
Before I could ask what he meant, I heard soft elvish footsteps behind us.
"Aragorn? It's your watch shift." Legolas informed him. Without a word Aragorn got up and left. I watched him go.
"Something is on his mind." I observed as Aragorn dissolved into the shadows.
"Arwen." Legolas said knowledgeably. As he sat down and started peering into the fire. "Daughter to Elrond and Celebrian. His one true love, yet the one he cannot have."
"Poor Aragorn." I said sadly. Silence fell over me and Legolas and I laid back, looking at the stars.
"Legolas?" I asked.
"What is it, Lirimaer?" He asked, lying next to me.
"What is Lothlorien like?" I asked, thinking about my father.
"It has lots and lots of elves." A gruffy voice answered me. I glanced up to see Gimli.
"Ah, Gimli!" Legolas laughed. "You remember Lothlorien!"
"Yes." a dreamy look overtook Gimli's face. "How could one forget Lady Galandriel?"
"How could one forget how Gimli tripped all over himself trying to impress her?" Legolas commented innocently.
"If that's they way you're going to be elf." Gimli huffed as he started walking away. "I'm going over there by the nice roaring fire to sleep. Goodnight!" And he was gone.
I stared up at the stars, enjoying the sounds of the night. Legolas and I laid there in silence, until softly Legolas began to sing.
"Down the swift dark stream you go, back to lands you once did know!
Leave the halls and caverns deep, leave the northern mountains steep,
Where the forest wide and dim stoops in shadow gray and grim!
Float beyond the world of trees out into the whispering breeze,
Past the rushes, past the reeds, past the marsh's wavering weeds.
Through the mist that riseth white, up from mere and pool at night!
Follow, follow stars that leap up the heavens could and steep;
turn when dawn comes over land, over rapid, over sand.
South away! and South away! Seek the sunlight and the day
back to pasture, back to feed, where the king and oxen feed!
back to gardens on the hills, where the berry swells and fills
Under sunlight, under day! South away! and South away!
Down the swift dark stream you go, back to the lands you once did know!"
"What song was that?" I asked, curious.
"It's the Mirkwood Elves's song about our wine barrels." He smiled and side glanced at me. "It makes me think of home. I miss it."
"I know how you feel." I looked at him. We both stared back up at the stars, and I shivered. The air was growing more and more chilly. Legolas simply put his arm around me, warming me with the heat emitting from his body. I felt more and more comfortable in his embrace and I rested my head on his chest. "Legolas?" I asked, listening to his heartbeat.
"Yes?" He asked, stroking my hair.
"Can you tell me a story? An elven story?"
"Of course, Lirimaer." He stopped to think. "I know. This was one of my favorites when I was growing up in Mirkwood.
I grinned silently, with my eyes closed, ready to hear the story.
"At the beginning of the Third Age, Amroth, son of Amdhr, became King of Lyrien after the death of his father in the Battle of Dagorlad. He took no wife, because the one he loved was Nimrodel the fair. But the marriage was impossible. Not that Nimrodel didn't love him; it's just that she was one of the original Silvan elves of Lyrien, a Nador, who regretted the coming of the elves of Beleriand, saying that it was they who brought evil in the lands that used to be at peace." He stopped at this moment and peered at the sky. Then he pointed up towards one of the stars. "See? That star right there is named after the fair Nimrodel."
I peered up at the sky and located the star he meant. "It's beautiful." I agreed, slightly yawning. I was growing tired.
"Well, Nimrodel lived near the stream that bears her name, in the times of happiness, when the Dwarves were the masters of Moria. But when the Orcs fought the Dwarves and took control of the Dwarrodelf, she had to flee south. When Amroth noticed she was missing, he went to look for her and found her at the edges of Fangorn Forest."
"I've been there before." I said, referring to Fangorn Forest.
"So have I." Legolas grinned and continued stroking my hair. "At the edges of the Forest, they talked and he asked for her hand. Finally, she agreed to love him at one condition; that he should find a place where they could love each other without fearing death in every hour, a place where their love would grow unhindered. To this Amroth answered that there was such a place, in the far west, beyond the Sundering Seas."
"And where was this place?" I asked, getting more and more interested in the story.
"I'm getting there Alayen." He laughed. "After the war against Morgoth, the Valar had opened the passage to the west to every elf, whatever kindred he belonged to. So Nimrodel, though a Nador, could cross the wide seas. To the Bay of Belfalas he decided to lead her, where an elven harbor still stood. But in the way, they were separated."
"How were they separated?" I asked.
"Nobody knows." Legolas said in a hushed tone. "Amroth looked for her, but finding her not, he kept going south towards the sea, hoping she would do the same. There, he awaited her, but she came not. The summer passed by, and the fall was almost at its end, when a storm broke the anchor of the ship where Amroth was. When dawn came, he went out of the cabin, and saw the shores of Middle-Earth far into the East."
"What did he do?" I asked anxiously.
"He screamed the name of his love and dived into the water. The last sight the elves had of him was him swimming towards the shore in a mad sea. Never again was he or Nimrodel seen among the elves. Of Nimrodel, only rumor of what happened reached the ears of some people, but Amroth was lost in the sea."
"What a heart breaking story." I sympathized. I snuggled into his chest and thought about tomorrow.
"I know what worries you Aralyn. You shouldn't worry when I'm here." Legolas said gently.
I started to argue with him that I didn't depend on him and I could take care of myself.
Just then I realized I did depend on him, but was it so bad? Was I falling in love with him? I didn't have answers for any of these questions, which bothered me. What were his feelings towards me? Did he see me as a person, or as just another helpless girl to protect?
"Too many things you worry about." Legolas laughed, as if listening to my thoughts. A blush ran up my face. "You should sleep, Lirimaer. Tomorrow is a big day."
"You're right, Legolas." I yawned, snuggling into his chest.
As he felt my breathing become steady, and I had finally fallen asleep, he kissed the top of my head and whispered, "Sleep well, Melamin." (my love)
The people of Rohan were huddled around fires, keeping themselves warm and safe. We had been traveling for two days now and we were almost there. We would reach there about midday tomorrow, if everything went right.
Which I knew wouldn't happen.
I had a feeling deep in my gut that wouldn't go away. Something was going to go wrong on this trip, slowing us down and hindering us. Saruman knew that we were traveling to Helm's Deep, what would stop him from attacking us when we were most vulnerable? These problems rolled around in my head as I sat down near a fire with a sleeping Aragorn beside it. Well, I thought he was sleeping. When he heard my dress rustling on the ground his head went up and asked, "Arwen?"
He startled me. "No, Aragorn. It's me, Aralyn." I said softly.
"Sorry milady." He said, sitting up drowsily. His hand reached for a jewel on a chain around his neck. He unlatched the chain and held the jewel in his hand, staring at it. I peered at it, stunned by it's beauty.
"Who gave that to you my lord?" I asked, curious.
He sat for awhile, pondering that question. "It was never meant to be, but she won't stop believing in it."
Before I could ask what he meant, I heard soft elvish footsteps behind us.
"Aragorn? It's your watch shift." Legolas informed him. Without a word Aragorn got up and left. I watched him go.
"Something is on his mind." I observed as Aragorn dissolved into the shadows.
"Arwen." Legolas said knowledgeably. As he sat down and started peering into the fire. "Daughter to Elrond and Celebrian. His one true love, yet the one he cannot have."
"Poor Aragorn." I said sadly. Silence fell over me and Legolas and I laid back, looking at the stars.
"Legolas?" I asked.
"What is it, Lirimaer?" He asked, lying next to me.
"What is Lothlorien like?" I asked, thinking about my father.
"It has lots and lots of elves." A gruffy voice answered me. I glanced up to see Gimli.
"Ah, Gimli!" Legolas laughed. "You remember Lothlorien!"
"Yes." a dreamy look overtook Gimli's face. "How could one forget Lady Galandriel?"
"How could one forget how Gimli tripped all over himself trying to impress her?" Legolas commented innocently.
"If that's they way you're going to be elf." Gimli huffed as he started walking away. "I'm going over there by the nice roaring fire to sleep. Goodnight!" And he was gone.
I stared up at the stars, enjoying the sounds of the night. Legolas and I laid there in silence, until softly Legolas began to sing.
"Down the swift dark stream you go, back to lands you once did know!
Leave the halls and caverns deep, leave the northern mountains steep,
Where the forest wide and dim stoops in shadow gray and grim!
Float beyond the world of trees out into the whispering breeze,
Past the rushes, past the reeds, past the marsh's wavering weeds.
Through the mist that riseth white, up from mere and pool at night!
Follow, follow stars that leap up the heavens could and steep;
turn when dawn comes over land, over rapid, over sand.
South away! and South away! Seek the sunlight and the day
back to pasture, back to feed, where the king and oxen feed!
back to gardens on the hills, where the berry swells and fills
Under sunlight, under day! South away! and South away!
Down the swift dark stream you go, back to the lands you once did know!"
"What song was that?" I asked, curious.
"It's the Mirkwood Elves's song about our wine barrels." He smiled and side glanced at me. "It makes me think of home. I miss it."
"I know how you feel." I looked at him. We both stared back up at the stars, and I shivered. The air was growing more and more chilly. Legolas simply put his arm around me, warming me with the heat emitting from his body. I felt more and more comfortable in his embrace and I rested my head on his chest. "Legolas?" I asked, listening to his heartbeat.
"Yes?" He asked, stroking my hair.
"Can you tell me a story? An elven story?"
"Of course, Lirimaer." He stopped to think. "I know. This was one of my favorites when I was growing up in Mirkwood.
I grinned silently, with my eyes closed, ready to hear the story.
"At the beginning of the Third Age, Amroth, son of Amdhr, became King of Lyrien after the death of his father in the Battle of Dagorlad. He took no wife, because the one he loved was Nimrodel the fair. But the marriage was impossible. Not that Nimrodel didn't love him; it's just that she was one of the original Silvan elves of Lyrien, a Nador, who regretted the coming of the elves of Beleriand, saying that it was they who brought evil in the lands that used to be at peace." He stopped at this moment and peered at the sky. Then he pointed up towards one of the stars. "See? That star right there is named after the fair Nimrodel."
I peered up at the sky and located the star he meant. "It's beautiful." I agreed, slightly yawning. I was growing tired.
"Well, Nimrodel lived near the stream that bears her name, in the times of happiness, when the Dwarves were the masters of Moria. But when the Orcs fought the Dwarves and took control of the Dwarrodelf, she had to flee south. When Amroth noticed she was missing, he went to look for her and found her at the edges of Fangorn Forest."
"I've been there before." I said, referring to Fangorn Forest.
"So have I." Legolas grinned and continued stroking my hair. "At the edges of the Forest, they talked and he asked for her hand. Finally, she agreed to love him at one condition; that he should find a place where they could love each other without fearing death in every hour, a place where their love would grow unhindered. To this Amroth answered that there was such a place, in the far west, beyond the Sundering Seas."
"And where was this place?" I asked, getting more and more interested in the story.
"I'm getting there Alayen." He laughed. "After the war against Morgoth, the Valar had opened the passage to the west to every elf, whatever kindred he belonged to. So Nimrodel, though a Nador, could cross the wide seas. To the Bay of Belfalas he decided to lead her, where an elven harbor still stood. But in the way, they were separated."
"How were they separated?" I asked.
"Nobody knows." Legolas said in a hushed tone. "Amroth looked for her, but finding her not, he kept going south towards the sea, hoping she would do the same. There, he awaited her, but she came not. The summer passed by, and the fall was almost at its end, when a storm broke the anchor of the ship where Amroth was. When dawn came, he went out of the cabin, and saw the shores of Middle-Earth far into the East."
"What did he do?" I asked anxiously.
"He screamed the name of his love and dived into the water. The last sight the elves had of him was him swimming towards the shore in a mad sea. Never again was he or Nimrodel seen among the elves. Of Nimrodel, only rumor of what happened reached the ears of some people, but Amroth was lost in the sea."
"What a heart breaking story." I sympathized. I snuggled into his chest and thought about tomorrow.
"I know what worries you Aralyn. You shouldn't worry when I'm here." Legolas said gently.
I started to argue with him that I didn't depend on him and I could take care of myself.
Just then I realized I did depend on him, but was it so bad? Was I falling in love with him? I didn't have answers for any of these questions, which bothered me. What were his feelings towards me? Did he see me as a person, or as just another helpless girl to protect?
"Too many things you worry about." Legolas laughed, as if listening to my thoughts. A blush ran up my face. "You should sleep, Lirimaer. Tomorrow is a big day."
"You're right, Legolas." I yawned, snuggling into his chest.
As he felt my breathing become steady, and I had finally fallen asleep, he kissed the top of my head and whispered, "Sleep well, Melamin." (my love)