the pale night was cold and the wind was chilly but a she-elf sat on
a rock at a cliff overlooking the vast seas of Belfalas. her emerald eyes
glimmered as it was fixed upon the waning moon. all she could hear through
her keen ears was the rushing of the waves of the sea down below the cliff.
she sat there in silence as the sea breeze played with her long brown hair.
her thoughts were deeply immensed upon the dream she had numerous nights
before and the visions that fill her head every now and then. a lot of
questions had kept her mind at work since she had those dreams and visions.
in her dreams she finds herself wandering around the foglike smoke beneath
the clouds of the night sky. the clouds she was walking on shone silvery
light from the moon which she could see vividly than in real life. an
echoing voice which she distinguished female would always call
her,summoning her from a different name, saying things that kindles her
curiosity even more. "K((lani, my child... lasto beth nin.. gwenwin in
enninath...le nai elye hiruva."( the voice sounded like a whisper but she
heard it all too clearly, even though in a dream her senses were still at
peak. the same dream haunts her every night and she had grown an inkling
that it somewhat brings an important message to her being. the female voice
called upon her as her child, and in the common tounge, the elvish phrase
spoken to her means that long years have passed, and she was finally found.
maybe this was what she had long been searching for. her name is Imogen,
and she is an elf raised by humans. an orphan you would call her, for she
hadn't in her long years in middle earth met her real parents, not even one
of her kindred. the story behind her being an orphan was still yet a
mystery. she had spent all her life in Harnen, south of Gondor, where she
was cared for and raised by the race of men. being an elf, she was
inevitably immortal, and thats what caused her to live alone as time
passes. her foster parents, Amaranth Liamnen and Celandine Northiam
happened to be the Lord and Lady of Harnen, they died when she was 54 years
old. they were the only persons in the world that Imogen had given her love
to, and it saddened her to know that one day they would die and leave her
just like what her real parents did. imogen had been told by her foster
parents that she was a gift from the heavenly realms, for when she arrived
into their lives, they were wanting a child. Celandine Northiam was
pregnant then, but fate took an evil turn and she miscarried. Imogen then
came into their lives and treated her as their own child. there was no use
hiding the truth from Imogen that she was adopted because it was obvious
that she is not of the human race, her kindred was that of the elves from
the distant lands away from Harnen. she knew naught of where she came from,
the only thing that gives a clue about her identity was the unusual
birthmark she has on the left side of her neck just below her ear. the mark
was indeed unusual for it uncannily resembles the shape of a star, and for
one thing it was colored silver and green. imogen did not give much
attention to it, for it was nothing more than a pigmented skin to her,
contrary to the reactions of the people who had laid eyes upon it, for they
have always marvelled at the sight of the so called birthmark. she had
adapted a lot of the ways of men, from the way they speak to the way they
sleep, when she was young she slept with her eyes open, but her foster
mother found it disturbing and so she was taught to close it whenever she
sleeps.being the adopted child of the Lord and the Lady of the land, she
had a luxurious life,but hence all these she knows at the back of her mind
that time would pass quickly and she is well prepared whatever and wherever
fate would take her. thoough surrounded by men, imogen was knowledged about
the fate of the elves, she knows that she is immortal, and was frightened
of being one, how could she stand to live alone when all the others whom
she cared for had parted? she had often cursed immortality, but then again
it was her fate, and naught can be done about it. and so the thing she
dreads the most took place earlier than she expected, her foster parents
had died, and she was left alone. celandine had died before amaranth, orcs
had killed her in an ambush near the River Harnen while strolling around
with her stewardess. for over a millenium imogen ruled over the land of
Harnen, for Amaranth, her foster father asked this favor of her when he was
dying. he pleaded imogen not to leave the land unless she was ready to face
the circumstances it would bring. he seemed to sense from imogen's eyes
that she longs to find her true self and destiny in the outside world.
imogen's thoughts now averted to the last conversation she had with her
foster father. she could vividly remember the happening and what they
talked about and how the thing she holds now in her hand came to her.
-flashback-
"my child, vow on this and tell me that you will not leave Harnen lest you
believe that you are already prepared and conditioned. you must wait until
the right time comes. delay my child, do not hasten, roads are perilous,
your fate thither" amaranth told imogen weakly clutching her hand to his.
imogen brushed her father's eyebrow and tried hard to answer in a calm
manner, but her voice could not hide the sadness she bears that it croaks
in between the lines." 'aye father, I will not deny the fact that my heart
bids me to go and quest for my identity, I have been burdened by this for
the longest time, I do not fear whatever peril awaits me, but if it is your
wish that I stay longer a time, then Harnen will see it done." amaranth
gave her a smile, one of his rarest since he had been sick. imogen's heart
was burning with sadness and sorrow, she could not hold her tears anymore.
upon seeing a streak of tear rush down through her cheek, amaranth slightly
shook his head and placed his hand upon imogen's downcast face. "do not
weep my beloved child, the world has not ended, not for you I speak."
imogen averted her gaze somewhere up the ceiling and sniffed as she spoke "
'nay, I suppose you will not understand, but you see, when you depart, I
will be alone, father I am doomed to life, it is enough to spend one
lifetime like this, but a million lifetimes and more? I fear so much. I
will have nobody, I was once lost and forever will be" she ended closing
her eyes, now crying obviously. her sobs were cut when amaranth spoke again
but with a restraint voice. " forgive me imogen, forgive me for not letting
you know earlier." imogen looked upon her father's face once more with her
own suddenly filled with questions. "what is it father, have you been
hiding something from me?' " 'nay, my child, I have told you that I know
naught of who you truly are, and to that I remain true, but yes, I have
hidden something from you purposely because I fear that it would strike you
greatly and leave us" amaranth's word's were well chosen for he does not
want to anger or pain his beloved adopted daughter in any way. from inside
the sheaths of his bed he drew a hand and held it up to imogen. she blinked
in confusion upon seeing the jewel that was held by her father's hand. "
it's.. it's my birthmark. pray tell me father, what does this one bring?"
her eyes was fixed upon the jewel which was a replica of her birthmark on
the left side of her neck. it was a star, of diamonds and white gold, green
gems were exquisitely embedded around it. it must be a trick of the light
but imogen swore she saw the jewel light up as if a magnificent light shone
about it, then she blinked again. "when my stewards had found you in the
River Anduin, in the lands of Ithilien, this was worn by your neck, it is a
pendant my child, it is elfin made, if I am not mistaken, you see there are
inscriptions by the side, but I can not tell what it means, they are moon
letters, they can only be seen when the moon shines behind them,with more
unfortunate sort, it must be a moon of the same phase and season as the day
they were written." amaranth spoke now without hesitation. imogen gaped at
what she heard, not that she was angry because she was not told of the
jewel before, but that of hopelessness that she might never know what the
inscriptions would mean because of the impossibility of her spotting the
right phase and season of the moon in the exact day it was written. "fate
does play a wistful part on me. I do not know what to think of anymore."
she put her fingers upon her closed eyes with her elbow resting on her lap
and shook her head in hopelessness.
"do not lose hope, imogen, you have forever in your hands, if time would be
easy on you, you might find your fate sooner than you think." amaranth held
her hand in a comforting manner. "my fate, what doom does it bring? but it
seems that it had brought enough troubles on me even before I could finally
say that I have found it" she was not looking at her father nor at the
jewel either, her gaze rested on the mantelpiece of her father's four
posterbed, but her mind seemd to be of somewhere else. amaranth grew paler
as she spoke and it looked like that he would pass any minute now but still
he managed to comfort imogen through his last words."Your fate can be
cruel, my beloved child, but fear not, for life does not remain bitter.
Take the jewel, it would help you cease the burden I believe, grieve not my
child, I go now to my fathers, in their company I shall not now be ashamed.
Live now in blessedness, my child, may you find what you yearn for, may you
find your peace!" with this imogen kissed her father's brow, tears rolling
down her flushed cheeks. "farewell, my beloved father, farewell Amaranth
Northiam,Lord of Harnen, may you be at peace."
-end of flashback-
imogen snapped out of the reminisced event when a whisper halted her
thoughts, it was the whisper of her own mind, "nuitho beth lin"( the
whisper demanded.
and so she vowed to amaranth that she would rule Harnen until she was
ready. a millenium and a half passed, and she grew into a woman of strenght
and beauty. a fine job she handled being the Lady of Harnen, the people
respected and loved her for what she was. she did not marry though in
Harnen, for she knows that an elf's lifeline is way far from a man, she
simply could not bare to see another loved one depart again. but she drew
her passion towards the people of the land, she protected it and
fortunately none had ever yet conquered invading Harnen, orcs were a big
mischief, being near the Black Land Mordor, they were often attacked. but
she was a strong ruler and fighter in one, Harnen adored her even more. but
there's this empitiness inside her that needs to be filled. she had
promised amaranth to protect the land until she was ready to explore her
identity in the outside worlds, and she felt that it is now time to finally
begin her true quest and task. although the people of the land persuaded
her to stay in Harnen, she refused to for her mind was set to find her true
identity and finally let go of the burden that was bothering her all her
life. the many questions that filled her thoughts at night and made her
eyes bloodshot needs answering for if not, she would perhaps loose her
sanity, especially now that she was in a middle of a whirlwind caused by
the dreams and visions that she can not control.
imogen closed her eyes for the briefest of moments after a long while of
staring into the moon. she let out a loud sigh as she shook her head in
sorrow. she felt lost, and alone. a tear dropped from her left eye but she
immediately and violently wiped it out off her cheek for she refuses to cry
because she believes it is a sign of weakness. "you will not cry imogen,
weakness is not in your vocabulary", she muttured to her self and held her
head high again. her horse asphodel seemed to have heard her sniff for it
let out a low neigh as looked down on it's master and bearer. imogen
noticed this and pulled herself up and walked to the white steed standing
just a few paces behind her. imogen stroked the horse's mane and spoke to
it in soft elvish toungue. "sedho asphodel, andelu I ven, le beriatha nin?(
the horse replied in a low neigh that sounded like a hiss. imogen could
talk to beasts, and the trees and other living things just like the rest of
her kindred but none could communicate with them like she did, for the
beasts and the other creatures actually respond in a language not known to
the other races be it of men, dwarves or of the elvish folk. this was one
of the mysteries imogen would like to know the causes or origins of, for
she herself is surprised of how she knew to speak all these languages, all
came out of her mouth naturally, automatically speaking the native tounges
of the creatures she was presently conversing with.
she had not traveled a long way from Harnen for she was in Belfalas,
just upwest of Harnen. imogen decided to stay the night in the cliff
overlooking the sea of Belfalas, there she could rest and ponder thoughts
of what fate the future holds for her. clutching the star pendant by the
hand, she closed her eyes to shut it from the day's exhaustion and not for
the very last time, upon drifting into the lands of dreams, the same vision
occured to her of walking in the silvery clouds of the nightsky, with a
voice summoning her in a different name.
( listen to my voice; long years have passed; you will soon be found.
( hold your thoughts!
( lie still asphodel, the road will be very dangerous, will you protect
me?