~AUTHOR'S NOTE~ Again, sorry it took me so long to update! With the beginning of summer combined with the problems ff.net's been having (get well soon ff.net!!), it's been really hard to get stuff posted. But I'm back!
Again, I know that some of my information about Earendil and the legendry is a little off, I apologize!
~DISCLAIMER~ Still don't own Tolkien's characters! I never will. But I still own my characters and I always will! J
I sat in the crook of a branch, thinking about nothing but Legolas and my own misery. I could not erase his image from my mind. I looked up to the sky, just visible through the canopy of trees.
Earendil shone brightest in the Heavens, making all other stars seem dull. Earendil is the star most beloved of all elven people. From Earendil, Elves draw strength and will when their own has failed. I love Earendil, but cannot feel the elven connection to it. When I was a child this used to bother me, but over time I have gotten used to my human isolation.
There have been many times in my life that I wished to be a true elf and to feel the world around me as an elf does. But never so much as I did now.
A thousand emotions raced through my mind: excitement and nervousness at Legolas's arrival, fear of losing him to Shamiel, shame over my human appearance, a vague uncertainty that my life was changing, but most of all, an overwhelming attraction to Legolas.
He was the man I had been waiting for. My love. My destiny. My feeling for him came from somewhere deep inside me that I had never felt before.
"My child."
I jumped at the voice and turned to see Galadriel standing on the walkway near the branch I was in. I climbed down as quickly as I could without tearing my dress. "My Lady."
"Sing child," she said, extending a hand towards a talan in a branch high above Lórien.
I was confused. "Sing?"
"Sing for the fallen." And without another word, Galadriel left me.
I knew what she was asking. I was to sing a lament for Gandalf, so that all of Lórien could mourn the great wizard. I quickly climbed to the terrace platform she had pointed to.
Lifting my head to the sky, I began to sing. The melody was an ancient traditional lament. It didn't have any prescribed lyrics, only those that I made up, lamenting Mithrandir (as the Elves called the great wizard). I heard other Elves joining their voices around me in support of mine.
The lament rang through the trees, filling the air with sorrow. I poured my heart into the lament, for it mirrored my own conflicted feelings.
The first verse was in Quenya, as is traditional of many Elvish laments, but as I finished that I switched to the more common dialect of Sindarin. The thought that Mirkwood Elves (such as Legolas) were often called Sindarin Elves briefly crossed my mind.
"Mithrandir," I sang. "Mithrandir,
A Randir Vithren.
ú-reniathach i amar galen
I reniad lín ne mór, nuithannen
I lach Anor ed ardhon gwannen
Caled veleg, ethuiannen!"
In Westron, or the common tongue, it means:
"Mithrandir, Mithrandir, O Pilgrim Grey
No more will you wander toe green fields of this earth
Your journey had ended in darkness
The bonds cut, the spirit broken
The Flame of Anor has left this world
A great light, has gone out."
I came to the end and my eyes filled with tears. I brushed them away and lifted my eyes to Earendil, shining brightly overheard.
"I am so lost," I whispered. "I do not know what I should do."
"My child." Again I heard the Lady's voice inside my head. "Your destiny is in your hands. Do not let him slip through your fingers."
"Do not let him slip through your fingers." I repeated. I knew what she meant. I knew what I must do.
Gathering up my gown so I could move more swiftly, I started down towards the ground. Legolas was down there and I wasn't going to let him slip away.
**********
When I reached the ground, there was no doubt left in my mind. Emeriel called to me and Calíme waved as I passed them by, but I knew that if I stopped I might have lost all courage. And even though I was human and intriguing, most of the Elves didn't notice me much on an everyday basis, so I got no questions as I wandered down to the camp of the group who had come to be known as "the Fellowship."
As I neared their camp, my heart prodded me to go on. None of the other members of the group noticed me, for they were each involved in their own activities and I hid from them as I searched for Legolas.
I finally spotted him walking alone, marveling at our tree city. He had on a silver night tunic that shone in the dark and his long elven hair looked white in the early moonlight. I walked softly up behind me. My throat dried and I could barely breathe. "My Prince," I said.
He turned, somewhat startled. "Yes?" At that moment our eyes locked and I could see recognition in his eyes. "I know you," he said. "You saw us arrive, from up in that tree."
I blushed, embarrassed at my curiosity. But he only smiled.
"Do not be embarrassed. You surprised me with your boldness, but I was pleased to see you here. You have been in my dreams. Dreams that I have had every night since leaving Rivendell."
"You have also been in my mind," I said as I finally found my voice.
He offered his hand to me. "There is something powerful here. I can feel it. Walk with me young human, so that we may talk and learn what fate has written for us."
**********
I walked beside Legolas, unsure of what to say. But before I could say anything, he turned to me.
"You seem to know who I am." I barely nodded. "I am Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood."
"Yes. The Lady spoke of you this morning. We celebrated a betrothal of one of our maidens to a warrior of Mirkwood."
He smiled and my knees when weak. "I see. What is your name, Lady?"
"Raélowen," I said shyly.
"Raélowen," he repeated and gazed deeply into my eyes. "Yallume! *" he said softly. "I have found you! You who has haunted my dreams! I have found you."
"And I have found you!" I said as I found my voice again.
"Were you looking for me?" he asked with a teasing glint in his eye.
I blushed deeply, almost afraid to tell him my story. "I…I have seen you before." Seeing his look of confusion, I went on. "I did not know it was you, but I saw you…in the Mirror."
"Galadriel's Mirror?" I nodded again. "Then there truly is something powerful here."
"Yes. I believe there is."
Legolas glanced up at the deepening night, then back at me. "Let us talk, then. After all, we cannot deny each other any more than we can deny destiny."
My heart fluttered as he smiled and took my hand, leading me towards the edge of Lórien and the forest beyond.
* yallume = at last (Quenya)
