Disclaimer: see chapter one.

Note: Please review. I apoligise in advance if there are any factual errors etc. I tried my hardest to keep the history of Beleriand accurate! Again, please review!

Another

Long I sat alone in the darkened room with only myself for company and the ever-fading image of daylight for comfort. I was bound to my chamber, the bathing room and the storage larder. But all these were still dark and unlovely, even the fine furnishings did not hide the fact that it was merely a hole in the ground. My main chamber had walls of dull grey stone, but they had been draped with some gauzy type material of scarlet to hide the cold stone. Candles of all sizes filled all available space in order to illuminate the room, but they only reminded me of the darkness. In the center of the room stood a large bed of silk pillows and rugs of all colours-surrounded by curtains of gold.

There was not much else to speak of except for one solitary trunk containing various dresses of finery and quality-none of which I admired. I had merely one plain gown-the very one I had been wearing on the day of my capture. It was of a plain grey material with little detail except half a dozen black roses embroidered about the hem. It was the only dress I cherished for it had been made by my mother all those years ago.

I wonder if they miss me back in Doriath? I thought grimly to myself. Would a search party have been sent out? Had Elenia's body been discovered as yet? We had not strayed far into the eaves of the wood, not far from Menegroth . . . my home.

I stood from my bed and walked over to the trunk. I knelt and lifted the heavy oak lid in search of a particular item. I pulled out various gowns of various colours and materials and flung them across the room. I was not in search of a gown.

At last I found it-a small iron coffer at the base of the chest. I rarely took this item out-I did not want to risk him taking it from me. But as he was gone for some time I wished to gaze upon it once more.

I opened the coffer carefully to find a bundle of yellow silk. I picked it up and slowly began to unravel the material-I still amazed me at the lightness of it. Finally the yellow silk was put back in the trunk and in my hand I held a thing of great magnificence. I held a cut jewel, the colour of starlight and moonlight mingled into one. About it was wreathed a metal of dazzling silver, enclosing the heavenly jewel in its beauty. I stared at it in deepest love for it was my most prized possession.

I was the Elenmîr-the Star Jewel of the Nolder. For that was of my father's kin. It had been wrought in Tirion upon the hill of Túna in Valinor ere the coming of the Nolder to Middle Earth. My father had brought it with him across the Grinding Ice and he had given it as a gift to my mother, but at my birth she had passed it onto me for she saw the stars of Varda in my very eyes. Or so I was told. I myself never saw the likeness of the stars of Elentári in my eyes, but I accepted the remarks all the same.

It was wonderful to be of both Sindar and Nolder. To be fluent in the tongues of both Sindarin and the High speech, to know the lore of Valinor and of the Valar, yet at the same time knowing of the beginning of Doriath and the elves of the Morquendi.

The thoughts of my past life filled me with grief and sorrow-I doubted if I should see the faces of my mother or my father ever again. Or look upon such beauties as Melian and Lúthien-the most beautiful maiden in all of Arda. It was often said that I beared some likeness to the princess and if I was ever to be dancing among the trees of Neldoreth, some passing elf would often mistake and name me Lúthien.

But of course Lúthien's beauty far out came my own for she was the most wondrous maiden to look upon. She was born of Maia and Firstborn-the only being in all of Arda to have been so. Nothing could rival her beauty.

I tried to push the image of Lúthien from my mind-the thought of anything to do with home was too painful to bear. Instead I watched the light of the candles dance across the walls and reflect off the jewel in my hand-the whole room seemed to be on fire.

I watched in awe as the drapes shimmered like flames. Was that not beautiful? Had he not made my chamber as beautiful as possible? Was I not at all grateful for that?

'Grateful?' A voice screamed through my mind. 'How can you be at all grateful for what he's done. He has kept you here against your will for Ilúvatar knows how long. You have nothing to be grateful for-he is evil.'

Yes. He was evil and I realised it at that moment. I had realised it before he had left my chamber at our last meeting. His actions towards me were unforgivable. But at that moment he was out in the world, in the fresh air, feeling the sun while I was underground in the darkness. I should have been the one to be free, not a fiend like him.

I looked back down to the jewel upon my palm-I had seen enough of it. It hurt to look at its beauty-it ached like a burning inside my chest . . . a sensation I often felt.

I gathered the yellow silk from the trunk and wound the jewel up in it carefully. Once finished I placed it back in the bottom corner of the trunk and gathered the dresses from across the room and piled them back in the chest. Finally I closed the lid and turned back towards the bed.

I reached it and laid myself down, trying to block the world out from my mind. All I wanted was peace, but instead thoughts of my life in Doriath flooded back to me. Thoughts of my childhood, of my mother and father, of the woods of Neldoreth, of the beautiful Noldo, Eardhros, to whom I was betrothed.

Yes. I had been destined to wed an elf of the house of Finarfin ere I was taken captive. He had come to Doriath with the Lord Finrod and the Lady Artanis, along with my father.

But my life began before our betrothal. I was born in the twenty- third year of the first age of the sun soon after my father first came to Doriath. My father, Anondir of the house of Finarfin, was soon wed to my mother, Niellar, and within a few years of marriage I was born of them. I lived happily as a child in the caves of Menegroth, spending most of my free time among the trees and playing along side the river Esgalduin. Many things happened during my younger years, which played great parts in Beleriand. The Siege of Angband took place during my fifth decade-soon after my coming of age and the foundation of Nargothrond occurred shortly after. That was not all to say the least, but recalling such things brought pain to my heart.

I stared about my chamber, searching for something of comfort- anything to dull the pain in my chest. But all I found was grief. I would never be free. I would never see my mother or my father or Eardhros. I had lost them forever. I would be alone forever . . . with only him for company.

I did not know how long I had been his prisoner, but it must have been many, many years. I had been at the young age of one hundred and twenty-six when he had dragged me off to this cave and at least three hundred years must have past . . . but I knew no more for he told me no dates or anything of the outside world.

I did not even know where I was. The cave in which I was held, where was it situated? Surely we could not have been too near Doriath, for surely I would have been found? Was I in the woods of Taur-Im-Duinath, the vast forest past the land of the willows? That land was said to be wild and dangerous. It was a land where I would not be found.

Anguish seized me as I threw myself from the bed onto the cold stone floor. I batted my fists furiously upon the stone and screamed as tears flowed unceasingly from my eyes.

"Oh Ilúvatar . . . why have you forsaken me?" I whimpered against the slate. I tried to picture the artwork of the Valar that the Lady Artanis had painted. She had had a great talent for art and I remembered how I adored her depiction of the Lords of the West.

I imagined myself looking somewhat like Nienna at that moment- grieving unceasingly for the hurts of the world. But I did not weep for the world, I wept for myself. I wept for the hurts done unto me and for the injustice of my life.

"Oh gracious Varda," I whispered as I lay upon the floor, "grant me to see a star, a true star, not a jewel with diminishing light. May I see one of your own . . . "

I said such other things directed towards Elentari, pleading with her in my misery.

But I saw no star. The curse of the Noldor had been passed unto me from my father. The Valar had truly forsaken me.

***

He returned but a day later and my first thoughts were of news from Doriath.

"For the love of Eru, tell me!" I pleaded, clinging onto his emerald cloak, "Tell me news of Doriath . . . please."

I fell upon my knees and wept as he stroked my raven curls gently.

"Hush Tinánia. I am sure that you will regret hearing what I know if tell you," he replied, tilting my chin up gently to peer steadily into my eyes.

"How can I regret hearing of that which I love most?" I whispered, returning his gaze.

"As you wish," he sighed and turned from me, facing the wall. "Much has happened since you lived in the open world . . . and much of it will grieve you to know of."

I remained silent, dreading what news he would tell.

He continued. "Many of whom you knew of as a child are dead, many cities you knew of have fallen and many great battles have been fought upon the soil of Beleriand."

"Who . . . who have fallen?" I struggled to whisper as horror swept over me, as does a dark cloud.

"Fingolfin, Finrod Felagund, Fingon . . . and many more . . . they have all fallen."

I held back tears as a cry caught in my throat. So many great elves had fallen? Had the wrath of Morgoth become so great as to rid Arda of such valiant elves?

He continued. "The great battles took many lives of both elves and men-"

"Men?" I repeated the unfamiliar word.

"Ah, yes of course. You know not of men!" He replied, with such a hint of humour in his tone as to make me angry. "Surely your father told you the prophecies of the secondborn? Of the mortals who would follow the first children of Eru?"

The secondborn had come to Middle Earth? There was so much that I did not know.

"I understand." I whispered, urging him to continue.

"Many men have fallen also and their kind have played over parts in the tales of elves. You do recall the fair Lúthien?"

How could one forget such a maiden? I nodded in reply.

"The fair maiden whom you knew as a child is now mortal and will surely die soon. For, you see, she fell in love with a mortal man and she sacrificed her immortality for him . . . foolish in my opinion," he sighed turning back to face me, "you see, I have never favoured men. Creatures with such short lives are not worth half as much as the elves."

I could not believe my elven ears. The Lady Lúthien . . . mortal? At this I wept openly for the thought of the death of such a maiden filled me with grief.

"Hush, for it is all passed. And you yourself have nothing to fear."

"Nothing to fear?" I cried, "how long before the servants of Morgoth find this place? How long before there are no other elves remaining in the land and we two shall be all the Dark Lord searches for? We cannot stay hidden! You have lost the weapon of secrecy!"

He stared at me, studying my face carefully. "Three."

I stared back. "Pardon?"

"We three. There are three elves here," he corrected as I stared at him in disbelief. He turned and walked out of the room.

When he returned, I almost died from anguish. Before him, he led a young elven maiden. Her expression was one of sadness and regret. But she did not look afraid.

"This is Ellorna. I found her singing by the river Gelion. Her voice was so fair that I could not leave without her. Get her washed and dressed if you please, I like my guests presentable," he said, pushing the girl towards me and leaving, locking the door behind him.

I stared at the maiden before me. She was beautiful. Her hair was as golden as that of lady Artanis and her eyes brought back memories of the sparkling rivers of Beleriand unto me.

"Ellorna?" I whispered, making towards her.

She nodded. "Aye. Yet I do not know your name."

"I am Tinánia of Doriath," I replied in Sindarin as that was the tongue by which she addressed me.

She repeated my name quietly to herself, remaining in the same spot. She looked around the room, the sadness still prominent in her eyes.

"Is he your husband?" She asked quietly, her blue eyes meeting mine.

I was aghast. Surely she could not have believed that I would marry such an elf? I simply stood and stared at her.

Finally I spoke. "By my word I am not married to him! I am his . . . his prisoner," I sighed. "As are you."

She nodded in defeat. "It is as I feared. Why does he keep us here?"

"That I cannot answer, for I have never truly known."

"How long have you been in this . . . place?" Ellorna asked me as I sat on the bed.

"I cannot say . . . it must have been some three hundred years since I was stolen from the woods of Doriath and my sister . . . felled," I whispered, recalling such unwanted memories.

To this she said nothing, but instead smiled and made towards me. "I fear that I am intruding on your solitude. Yet I must ask of you for a place to rest, for I have had a tiresome day."

I smiled in return and stood, leaving the bed free for her. "Sleep, Ellorna, and do not fear. He will not harm you."

She slowly descended onto the bed and lay beneath the silk sheets. "Why is he so cruel?" She whispered. I sighed, but said nothing. I could feel the tears gather in my eyes.

"By what name does he go?" The weary maiden asked before her eyes finally closed.

The tears fell. "I do not know."

***

Sorry it took so long. Please review and I'll try to update as soon as possible. Nienna x x x