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Note: Any mistakes I apologise. Please read and review! Last chapter I put 'Tokien". Sorry-my L key is playing up.
Chapter Two

Nellas walked slowly through the trees; there was a strange light about the place. Neither the clear beauty of sunlight, nor the sheer stillness of moonlight, no, neither Arien or Tilion were felt in these parts of the wood. It was as if a single star had fallen and illuminated the entire world with its light from the dew of Telperion. This light brought back memories long lost to Nellas's mind; it was in this light that she had first beheld this world.

Here the trees were immeasurably tall, many hiding innumerable flets within their leaves. Nellas had been walking for many days within the city, yet time was no matter here, although she could feel it seeping in from the outside world. Never did she converse with the Galadhrim, apart from the occasional greeting from a curious elf child and she seldom spoke with Galadriel or Celeborn.

One star-lit evening Nellas was walking among the trees, picking the flower niphredil from the ground, which was covered by these stars of the earth as if it were covered in snow. She had always seemed to have one of these flowers placed lightly in her dark hair, even before she had set foot in Lórien. As she went beneath the trees she was joined silently by the Lady Galadriel, who was robed in a sheer white gown, studded with shimmering pearls. Her golden hair flowed freely about her shoulders and at this Nellas marveled, for it had always been an aspect of the Lady that she had admired even in the woods of Doriath where she had first known her.

They walked in silence for many minutes yet at last the Lady spoke.

"The time has come, Nellas, for you to make a decision. Do you wish to stay in these lands or take the ship to the West forever? For I shall depart soon and shall not return."

Nellas shook her head like a troubled child.

"I have no wish to see these lands of which you speak. I wish only to remain here, it is my home, I was born here, and I would not forsake it," she whispered bowing her head.

Galadriel smiled. "You see, we are in a separate situation. I was not born in these lands, yet I have already forsaken the lands of my birth. But now I shall return to the city of Tirion and there I shall remain until the end of days."

Nellas thought at these words. Long had she walked alone among the lands of the Hither Lands, but would she wish to remain alone until the end of days? Would that day ever come? Only Ilúvatar knows, she thought.

"Now you have the choice of whither you will go. You are welcome to these lands, yet you are also free to wander the Earth until you find what you seek," Galadriel spoke with such comfort that all Nellas's doubts were mended and she danced gracefully away into the approaching night.

* * *

Nellas sat beneath the great trunk of a mallorn in the heart of the city. She was singing softly to herself words that she had heard long ago, although she did not know their meaning:

"Namárië lissë kemen ar formenwa menel, an voro laitanë, an sinome né caita ar sinome hroanen tyelca né nornoroa undu Isil, undu Anar, Lúthien Tindómerel yanta vanima i fírima lambë voro nyarë. Nan ilya an atalantë lantanë Ambar ar né úcarna ar nanehortanë úcarna undumënna enwina, né cáralarya mára, i histen, i ara, i kemen, i Eär i Lúthien lúlin núva."

There was a note of sadness in her voice for she knew that within the song was the name of Lúthien, therefore it was a lament.

"You know the tongue of the West?" A fair voice asked from behind her.

Nellas turned and shook her head. Before her stood the very elf who had confronted her the day in the eaves of the woods. Yet this time he was smiling and gestured a request to sit by her. She nodded and then continued singing to herself.

"If you know not the tongue of the West, then why do you sing it?" He laughed.

She hesitated, yet found courage to speak, "I.I sing it for I heard it long ago, yet I know not its meaning."

"You sing of Lúthien Tinúviel or do my ears deceive me?" "I do."

"Then let me translate for you your words for I have long been learnt in the tongue. Although the words are sad ones," she sighed, then began to sing softly in a melodious voice:

"Farewell sweet earth and northern sky, for ever blest, since here did lie and here with lissom limbs did run beneath the Moon, beneath the Sun, Lúthien Tinúviel more fair than mortal tongue can tell. Though all to ruin fell the world and were dissolved and backward hurled unmade into the old abyss, yet were its making good, for this the dusk, the dawn, the earth, the sea that Lúthien for a time should be."

He could see a tear falling steadily down Nellas's cheek.

"I would offer you comfort, yet I fear that your grief for the passing of Lúthien is great indeed," he sighed, "do you know the story well?"

Nellas turned to him and nodded urgently. "I was there at her birth, I watched her grow into the beautiful maiden that she was. It grieved me greatly at her passing."

The elf looked at her with confusion in his eyes. "You say that you were at her birth? You have seen the maiden Lúthien?"

"Aye. She was the most wondrous child to look upon. She had the beauty of the Queen," Nellas sighed and smiled, as if recalling memories of old, "their beauty was unearthly." The smile faded, "Yet that beauty is long forgotten in this earth. Lúthien has diminished and the Queen is gone also."

"Where did Melian go?" He asked quietly.

Nellas was startled at hearing the name of Melian, for she had not heard it since the first age. "I do not know, but she was a spirit from the West so it would seem likely for her to return over the sea after the King was slain."

"Indeed I am well learnt in the tales of Beleriand-the fall of Doriath is a sad one," he replied gazing towards the ground.

There was silence between them, while the light was failing and the night drawing in about them. Yet after some time he spoke once more.

"You believe that the beauty of Lúthien has long left this world, do you not?"

Nellas was confused, but nodded all the same.

"Yet I have heard from many sources, even from the Lord and Lady themselves, that there is one who bears a resemblance with Lúthien."

Nellas was silent, therefore he continued.

"She is a great Queen of Men in a kingdom south of here and she is said to have brought the beauty of Lúthien into this world once again."

Nellas turned to him sharply. "A Queen of Men? How would one who bears a likeness with Lúthien, the daughter of the firstborn and of the Maiar, be of the race of Men?"

The elf laughed and shook his head. "You speak too quickly, fair maiden, you did not allow me to finish. Queen Arwen was once of the firstborn, but chose the fate of a mortal, as did Lúthien, her kinswoman, long ago."

Nellas nodded and smiled. "I see. Did she indeed chose this fate for her love of a mortal, as did Lúthien?"

"Aye. King Elessar of Gondor, a famous man in all the free kingdoms of Middle Earth. He played a great part in the War of the Ring. You have not heard of him?" He asked, although he knew the answer.

Nellas shook her head.

"I thought not," he stood and bowed to the sitting maiden, "Goodnight, sweet maiden, may we meet again."

He turned and began to walk away. Nellas quickly stood and caught his arm.

"Good sir, I would very much like to see this Queen that is said to resemble Lúthien. How might I get to her?" She asked shyly.

He smiled. "It just so happens that a large company of our people, and those of the Great Wood, are going south to the land of Ithilien to make our homes there. Lórien shall lose its beauty so we shall leave."

"Is this place near to the home of the Queen?"

"Indeed it is not far at all. Would you perhaps wish to join our company?" He smiled once more.

"I do not like to intrude or meddle in other peoples' business, although as I can no longer stay in Lórien, I should like to go south to meet this Queen," she replied, but then added hastily, "If it is no trouble."

"There is no trouble," he led her to a stone bench where they sat and he talked of Ithilien and the lands to the south. Nellas still said very little, but just listened to him speak until the sun came up and the birds of the day began their sweet songs.

Please R&R. I will post more chapters soon!