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Chapter 04

Élharma was having trouble adjusting to life in Lorien. For the past two days her head felt as if it were filled with sand. She had been unable to think clearly, unable to keep her mind focused. Whenever she was serving in the great halls and her mind began to wander, Galadriel would look at her and smile.

 'She smiles as if she knows something,' The frustrated girl thought, 'what am I doing that the Lady finds so amusing?'

 This third day, Élharma's head had begun to clear. She was able to put order to her thoughts and focus her attention upon the tasks at hand. At midday, just after a meal of chortal berries and lembas, the Lady sent her out to the northern fields to gather a boquet of star lilies. She walked for hours, passing field after field of wildflowers, never finding the ones best suited for the halls of lothlorien. The sun was making its way lazily across the heavens, following its familiar path along the deep blue sky.

"If I don't hurry, it will be sunset before I have been able to return to lorien," she thought aloud, "I must ready a boquet for my lady."

 Then, much to her surprise and delight, she heard in the distance a shrill whinny. With a smile breaking upon her face, she sprinted towards the sound. Just over the ridge of the next hill, she found Calmcacil there with a small heard of mares. The magnificent stallion rushed to her, his fawn colored coat glimmering as gold in the afternoon sun. He circled her, gently caressing her shoulders and hands in the ageless greeting of old friends. She couldn't help but smile; his eagerness was nothing less than contagious. He nibbled her dress and she ran to the heard, laughing in the sheer joy that their presence elicited. There was D'carin, a piebald mare with her new foal, D'casin. And there was Bil and Dil, the pair of twin foals that she had helped deliver. She rubbed her hand over glistening rumps of all different colors. The horses were her safe spot. The place that her father had never been able to bring his cruelty, the horses feared him and wouldn't let him near their heards. The horses were remarkable keethers, and the miraz even more so. So when they sensed the bitterness in her father's heart, they would chase him away from the heards. It was here that Élharma found joy and love, confident that no one would hurt her there. The horses' minds were constantly full of such good things that it overwhelmed her senses. Over the many centuries, Élharma found a way of communicating to these beasts using both keething and body language. This communication develop into an intricate language that only she knew but all horses understood.

Calmcacil approached her,  knickering gently. He plucked a piece of lush grass from the ground and threw it into the air. Dil chased after it.

 He keethed to her 'want/need/require' 'stay/keep/content'

 She didn't understand. The magnificent stallion stomped his hoof impatiently.

 'Longing/stay/ask/authority' she perceived from him.

 Finally, understanding dawned and she asked, "You want permission from the Lady and Lord to live upon their land?"

 The tall horse tossed his head impatiently, keething 'approval/confirmation' to her.

 She placed a loving hand upon the rippling muscles of his shoulder, "Let all the heard follow me to Lorien and I will introduce you to my Lord and Lady. To her you can ask for yourself for Galadriel is one of the eldar and can kythe with you."

 He nuzzled her face, his soft muzzle caressing the fair skin. She lead the way slowly, taking care to wait for the young and unsteady foals. As they walked, Élharma sang a joyful tune because her spirits were lifted and contentment was inundating her mind. Along the long path to Lorien, Élharma and Calmacil shared thoughts and experiences of the past few weeks.

Haldir walked back to lorien from a long day on the borders. There had not been any problems, but the dream that he had the night before was still gnawing on his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Teach her that it doesn't have to hurt to love someone." Élharma had pleaded.

But how? Galadriel's wisdom would shine a new light on it. As the sun was setting, he made his way to the great halls. Galadriel and Celeborn were waiting there for him.

"Welcome brother." Celeborn greeted the weary Haldir.

 Galadriel, her voice soft almost as a whisper said, "We know that which troubles your heart for we were there. Élharma summoned us into her kythe; although we were only allowed to listen and watch."

Haldir looked at the ground, troubled. 'Is my mind so weak that I was the only one who had to be asleep to take part?' he thought

Galadriel shook her head, "Nay kind sir, Élharma needed your total and complete attention. You could have been awake, but you would have walked as if dead as she did for two days."

"Why did it take two days for her to kythe such a seemingly short dream?" Haldir questioned.

"Though the dream, as you call it, was seemingly short in length, her mind had to give you much information.  First, only a very small part of her mind was kything you. Second, there was the setting, all of the sensations you experienced there and also she gave you a memory that has been buried in her mind for namy years." Galadriel softly said.

Celeborn grinned, and Haldir was relieved.

With a tender smile Haldir asked, "Then you know what I wish to do?" He continued quickly, "The thing that my heart begs me to do?"

 Galadriel answered, "Yes. But let me warn you that you will only be able to teach her to love if you are totally willing. If there is any doubt within your mind weather or not you can love her with your total heart you will most definitely fail."

He did not take a moment to consider her challenge for his mind was already made up, "I am willing."

 Celeborn interjected, "Then you must find a place that she is most comfortable and become part of that place. Find something she excels in and allow her to teach you about it."

 Haldir was confused, she had not exhibited any kind of knowledge that was unusual or even shown an interest in anything outside of her duties to the Lady.

 Just at that moment, Élharma burst into the great hall, calling out excitedly, "My Lady!? Galadriel, Celeborn! There you are! Please, come quickly, I have someone I'd like for you to meet!!!"

 Haldir hardly recognized her, she was absolutely beaming, her dark golden hair flowed about her head freely, and though mud was smeared on the hem of her dress, it shone as if with an inner light, her eyes sparked with a vibrant flame of blue and green. His heart stopped, she was breathtakingly beautiful!!! So wild and carefree, standing within the doorframe she defied the very meaning of the word beautiful, being beyond its meager description.

As Galadriel walked past him, she whispered, "I think we have just found your opportunity."

 They all walked outside, curious to see what caused such passion in the eyes of someone so cold. Outside, they found a heard of horses. There were about seven mares with foals and a magnificent stallion. They stood calmly at the foot of the steps.

"This is Calmacil, a miraz, and this is his heard of mares."

 She grinned, caressing the immense neck with her hand. She continued, "They request leave of the Lord Celeborn and the Lady of Light, Galadriel to live upon the lush grasslands of lithlorien!!!"

The lord and lady stepped forward. Celeborn reached out his hand and placed it between the stallion's eyes and solemnly declared, "Your request is granted, and may you and your offspring ever find friendship and loyalty in our hills."

Haldir noticed that, for a moment, Galadriel and Calmacil's eyes remained locked, their bodies unmoving. And as suddenly as it began,  the spell broke and the stallion whinnies shrilly, turning to Élharma. He gently lipped her ear, and she wrapped her arms around his neck in a warm embrace. The heard left and Élharma quieted immediately, a frosted sheet of stone falling across her features.

She knelt before the Lord and Lady, speaking gently, "Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me. I wish someday to repay you."

Galadriel stooped and grasped the girls' hand. Lifting Élharma into a standing position, Galadriel gently instructed, "You can repay me now, dearest heart. You can take Haldir and teach him horse lore."

 At the suggestion, Élharma's eyes flashed to Haldir mistrustfully, although she quietly consented, "As you wish M'lady."

 "You will start your lessons after the morning meal." Galadriel directed purposefully, " Haldir is relieved of his watch duty until he is proficient in horse- lore. Élharma, whenever you are with the horses, Haldir is to accompany you. He is to learn everything you know about these beasts."

Élharma bowed and left the hall, exhaustion etching deep lines in her fair face.

Haldir thanked the Lord and Lady; then left with much on his mind, both hopeful and apprehensive. On his way to his home, he thought to himself, 'It is true, I have never learned the horse lore of my people. I guess that the ways of men have rubbed off on me to much.' He only rode when absolutely necessary, and even then he rode as a man with saddle and rein. 'This aught to be interesting' he thought as his mind drifted into blissful sleep.

Élharma flung herself across her soft bed. What was the Lord and Lady of light thinking? They must be absolutely mad: making her teach Haldir horse lore. It would be bad enough to have to have someone with her and the horses together, but Haldir? And to make matters worse, she was to teach him everything she knew of the horses. It took her many many many many centuries to learn all she knows. 'Great, just great. I'm in for a long haul, absolutely miserable!' She thought heatedly as the welcome warmth of sleep came upon her.