Disclaimer: I own none of Tokien's characters or places etc.
Note: Any factual mistakes or anything, I apologise dearly. Please R & R!!!!
Chapter One
The maiden sat silently within the branches of the tree, hugging her knees close to her, not speaking a word as the grand host made towards the foot of the tree. Long had she dwelt in the eaves of the forest, having made no permanent home for herself. Never did she reveal herself to any of the Galadhrim or any other creature of Middle Earth, but as this beautiful group passed slowly by she was struck with a great awe and could not help but look. At the head of the host were seated two mighty elves upon horseback, as were all their followers. On the left sat a tall lord with hair of flowing silver down to his waist and he was robed in a silver mantle that shone in the twilight. And on the right sat a beautiful lady shrouded in white robes, her golden hair flowing out from beneath her hood. In the tree, the maiden gasped and slipped, causing the breakage of a thin branch. It fell to the forest floor before the horses of the two elves. The maiden hid within the golden leaves and steadied her quickening heartbeat. She dared not see what had befallen upon the ground.
She heard the sound of elvish feet and that of arrows being drawn. She held her breath and closed her eyes.
"Show yourself!" A fair elven voice floated from below, "You are in the presence of the Lord and Lady of these woods."
She dared not answer. " Show yourself! Or one of our riders shall be forced to climb up to you and remove you!" He cried.
Timidly she descended from the tree, as it was on the outskirts of the forest and not exceedingly high, and hid behind the grey trunk. The elf that had spoken to her made towards her, but the hand of the Lady of the Wood stayed him. She slowly walked to the maiden and held out her hand.
"Come, you shall be seated besides my Lord and I for you are a guest of great honour here," she smiled as the maiden placed her pale hand in that of the Lady's.
They travelled into the heart of the forest making little stops. Never did any elf speak to the maiden or pay her any heed apart from the Lady.
"Long have you been staying in these woods I deem, yet you never thought to venture into our city?" She asked, riding beside the maiden. The maiden shook her head in reply, causing her chestnut hair to ripple down her back.
"Now you shall see it, thought it seems that your heart shall remain in the eaves of the forest among the light and air. You are not suited to great halls and grand buildings, are you not?"
The maiden said nothing, but slowly rode on.
* * *
The maiden had still said nothing when they reached Caras Galadhon and when she was brought to the great hall of the Lord and Lady; still she never spoke. The grandness and scale of the hall caused her to fear it as she had been of a similar place long ago and the eyes of the many surrounding her daunted her.
"Will you not speak, O silent one? For though your identity be known to us we would wish to hear of your coming to our realm," The Lord spoke, and the maiden smiled for she had heard that voice before.
"I.I travelled from my home after the halls fell and the king was slain. I came to the sea yet still more were killed so I fled over the mountains into the trees. Then the great ones came from the West and tore the earth, sinking the trees in which I had lived and the grave of the maiden," she ended in a whisper and bowed her head.
"This maiden you speak of-did she live in the woods where you lived?" He asked, but he knew the answer.
"You yourself should know this, for you saw her many times as you lived also in these woods," she replied and then signalling to the Lady by his side, "as did you for some time."
"You speak truly and we cannot fool you," the Lady smiled, "you are an old one, far older than most in this realm indeed. Your life has most likely outstretched mine and my Lord's."
"My mother and father were born by the star lit waters," she replied, "as was I."
"You are indeed old, if what you speak be true, which I deem it is," the Lord smiled, "but come now, how did you come by this realm?" She fell silent under the watchful eye of all that were around her. She made to speak, yet she could find no words.
"Do not fear, maiden of old, for though you felt the same in the halls in which we all once lived, you have no need to be frightened here. We shall not keep you long," the Lady smiled also and rose, taking the maidens hand.
This smile brought the maiden courage and she smiled in return.
"I lived in the trees over the mountains for some time, but much of that forest has gone," she explained to the Lady and to no one else, "and so I came over the mountains for I remembered a great wood from the journey long ago. There I stayed for a long while, but soon the woods were filled with darkness, so I crossed the river and came to this wood where I have dwelt since."
"Do you like it here?" The Lord asked, joining them.
The maiden nodded, but her face was sad.
"These woods are like that of Doriath, yet I fear that its beauty shall leave forever."
"You speak truly, for we are leaving these shores for the bliss of the West. And once we have passed away, the power of Lothlórien shall diminish," the Lady sighed, "indeed it is fading even as we speak."
"That is sad, for now I know not where to go," the maiden whispered.
"The West is ever open to you," the Lady replied, "yet I deem that that is not yet your path."
"I do not wish to leave."
"Then what to you wish?" The Lord asked. "I.I wish to sea the waters of Cuiviénen once more and to walk beneath the mountains of the East, the place of my birth," she relied, raising her voice in excitement.
The Lord and Lady fell silent, as did the entire company. The maiden bowed her head, a tear falling gently down her cheek.
"Yet I know that that is not possible, for they have long been lost," she whispered.
"Indeed, the lands that you speak of were long ago destroyed by the wrath of Morgoth," The Lord sighed.
"Then I.then I.wish to see Beleg once more!" She cried, turning frantically to the Lord, "my lord, you knew him, where can I find him? He long ago passed into shadow, and that I foresaw, yet now I wish to look upon him again!"
"That would be your doom, for Beleg now waits in the Halls of Mandos and there none of the living can go," the Lord replied, taking her hand. He and his Lady led the maiden towards the gates, "but come, Nellas, for we shall keep you no longer this day."
Please read and review! I will post more chapters soon.
Note: Any factual mistakes or anything, I apologise dearly. Please R & R!!!!
Chapter One
The maiden sat silently within the branches of the tree, hugging her knees close to her, not speaking a word as the grand host made towards the foot of the tree. Long had she dwelt in the eaves of the forest, having made no permanent home for herself. Never did she reveal herself to any of the Galadhrim or any other creature of Middle Earth, but as this beautiful group passed slowly by she was struck with a great awe and could not help but look. At the head of the host were seated two mighty elves upon horseback, as were all their followers. On the left sat a tall lord with hair of flowing silver down to his waist and he was robed in a silver mantle that shone in the twilight. And on the right sat a beautiful lady shrouded in white robes, her golden hair flowing out from beneath her hood. In the tree, the maiden gasped and slipped, causing the breakage of a thin branch. It fell to the forest floor before the horses of the two elves. The maiden hid within the golden leaves and steadied her quickening heartbeat. She dared not see what had befallen upon the ground.
She heard the sound of elvish feet and that of arrows being drawn. She held her breath and closed her eyes.
"Show yourself!" A fair elven voice floated from below, "You are in the presence of the Lord and Lady of these woods."
She dared not answer. " Show yourself! Or one of our riders shall be forced to climb up to you and remove you!" He cried.
Timidly she descended from the tree, as it was on the outskirts of the forest and not exceedingly high, and hid behind the grey trunk. The elf that had spoken to her made towards her, but the hand of the Lady of the Wood stayed him. She slowly walked to the maiden and held out her hand.
"Come, you shall be seated besides my Lord and I for you are a guest of great honour here," she smiled as the maiden placed her pale hand in that of the Lady's.
They travelled into the heart of the forest making little stops. Never did any elf speak to the maiden or pay her any heed apart from the Lady.
"Long have you been staying in these woods I deem, yet you never thought to venture into our city?" She asked, riding beside the maiden. The maiden shook her head in reply, causing her chestnut hair to ripple down her back.
"Now you shall see it, thought it seems that your heart shall remain in the eaves of the forest among the light and air. You are not suited to great halls and grand buildings, are you not?"
The maiden said nothing, but slowly rode on.
* * *
The maiden had still said nothing when they reached Caras Galadhon and when she was brought to the great hall of the Lord and Lady; still she never spoke. The grandness and scale of the hall caused her to fear it as she had been of a similar place long ago and the eyes of the many surrounding her daunted her.
"Will you not speak, O silent one? For though your identity be known to us we would wish to hear of your coming to our realm," The Lord spoke, and the maiden smiled for she had heard that voice before.
"I.I travelled from my home after the halls fell and the king was slain. I came to the sea yet still more were killed so I fled over the mountains into the trees. Then the great ones came from the West and tore the earth, sinking the trees in which I had lived and the grave of the maiden," she ended in a whisper and bowed her head.
"This maiden you speak of-did she live in the woods where you lived?" He asked, but he knew the answer.
"You yourself should know this, for you saw her many times as you lived also in these woods," she replied and then signalling to the Lady by his side, "as did you for some time."
"You speak truly and we cannot fool you," the Lady smiled, "you are an old one, far older than most in this realm indeed. Your life has most likely outstretched mine and my Lord's."
"My mother and father were born by the star lit waters," she replied, "as was I."
"You are indeed old, if what you speak be true, which I deem it is," the Lord smiled, "but come now, how did you come by this realm?" She fell silent under the watchful eye of all that were around her. She made to speak, yet she could find no words.
"Do not fear, maiden of old, for though you felt the same in the halls in which we all once lived, you have no need to be frightened here. We shall not keep you long," the Lady smiled also and rose, taking the maidens hand.
This smile brought the maiden courage and she smiled in return.
"I lived in the trees over the mountains for some time, but much of that forest has gone," she explained to the Lady and to no one else, "and so I came over the mountains for I remembered a great wood from the journey long ago. There I stayed for a long while, but soon the woods were filled with darkness, so I crossed the river and came to this wood where I have dwelt since."
"Do you like it here?" The Lord asked, joining them.
The maiden nodded, but her face was sad.
"These woods are like that of Doriath, yet I fear that its beauty shall leave forever."
"You speak truly, for we are leaving these shores for the bliss of the West. And once we have passed away, the power of Lothlórien shall diminish," the Lady sighed, "indeed it is fading even as we speak."
"That is sad, for now I know not where to go," the maiden whispered.
"The West is ever open to you," the Lady replied, "yet I deem that that is not yet your path."
"I do not wish to leave."
"Then what to you wish?" The Lord asked. "I.I wish to sea the waters of Cuiviénen once more and to walk beneath the mountains of the East, the place of my birth," she relied, raising her voice in excitement.
The Lord and Lady fell silent, as did the entire company. The maiden bowed her head, a tear falling gently down her cheek.
"Yet I know that that is not possible, for they have long been lost," she whispered.
"Indeed, the lands that you speak of were long ago destroyed by the wrath of Morgoth," The Lord sighed.
"Then I.then I.wish to see Beleg once more!" She cried, turning frantically to the Lord, "my lord, you knew him, where can I find him? He long ago passed into shadow, and that I foresaw, yet now I wish to look upon him again!"
"That would be your doom, for Beleg now waits in the Halls of Mandos and there none of the living can go," the Lord replied, taking her hand. He and his Lady led the maiden towards the gates, "but come, Nellas, for we shall keep you no longer this day."
Please read and review! I will post more chapters soon.
