AWAKENING IN RIVENDELL
The world was bright shapes of light as the girl began to awaken from her slumber. As it became more in focus, she could see she was in some sort of bedroom. Soft light filtered through a wall of windows on one side and a warm fire was crackling in the fireplace on the other. Her vision began to swim as she sat up, but it soon passed and she was able to sit with her back against the intricately carved headboard of the large bed.
As she looked about the room, she was in awe of its beauty. Decorated in soft shades of green and gold sprinkled about with pale pink it looked like something out of a dream. Suddenly the memory of what had happened came swirling back in a sickening rush. Putting a hand to her back, she realized she was no longer wearing her clothes but an intricately embroidered gown the same pale pink as the pillows scattered about the room.
"Where am I?" she wondered. A name flashed through her mind. Rivendell. And then the image of a beautiful, golden haired man. Ethereal like an angel, she thought. Elf, her mind automatically corrected. "Legolas," she said the name aloud. But was he real or just some dream? And if he wasn't, how did she get here?
Deciding to risk it, she threw back the heavy covers and put her feet on the floor. It was cool, but not as cold as she had expected. When she stood, she had to hold onto the bed to keep from falling, but holding onto the bed, and the chair sitting next to it, she made her way to the windows.
The view was breathtaking. Surely she must be dreaming for no place could be this beautiful. Everywhere she looked there were waterfalls and streams. Trees covered with brightly colored leaves. Houses and buildings that seemed at once alien and as if they belonged there. If it were a dream she would be content to sleep there forever.
Opening one of the door windows, she stepped out onto the terrace and drank in the cool autumn air. She still had no memory of who she was or where she had come from, but at this moment it didn't seem to matter overmuch.
As she stood there, listening to the water as it gurgled in the stream close by and rushed over the waterfalls in the distance, she heard the sound of singing being carried on the wind. Angelic voices singing in a language she didn't understand. As she listened to the words drifting on the air, she heard another voice in her mind. Echoes of a song filled her head. She could hear it in her language and then in the language of the Elves. She closed her eyes and grasped hold of the words. She sang then, first a whisper then her voice rose and she could feel the music flowing through her.
Sing all ye joyful now sing all together!
The winds in the treetop, the wind's in the heather;
The stars are in blossom; the moon is in flower,
And bright are the windows of Night in her tower.
Dance all ye joyful now dance all together!
Soft is the grass, and let foot be like feather!
The river is silver; the shadows are fleeting;
Merry is May-time, and merry our meeting.
Sing we now softly, and dreams let us weave her!
Wind him in slumber and there let us leave her!
The wanderer sleepeth. Now soft be her pillow!
Lullaby! Lullaby! Alder and Willow!
Sigh no more Pine, till the wind of the morn!
Hush! Hush! Oak, Ash, and Thorn!
Fall Moon! Dark be the land!
Hushed be all water till dawn is at hand!
She sang it in both the Elvish tongue and her own, tears rolling down her cheeks. This was the first thing she understood in the strange, lyrical language and it felt good to know she was not so completely lost.
*****************************************************
Legolas was passing on his way to check on the sleeping wanderer, Rana Boromir had named her, one of the many names of the Moon which was also called the wanderer. He didn't think the name quite fit, though he supposed they had to call her something. That is, provided she ever awoke. It had been nearly five days since they had brought her to Rivendell and in all that time she showed no sign of stirring.
As he climbed the steps that would take him to her room, he heard a voice he had not heard before. Stopping halfway through his climb, he cocked his head to the side and listened. The voice was coming from the direction of Rana's room, but it was singing in Elvish. Then he listened a moment longer and realized the same song was being sung in Rana's odd tongue. Quickening his pace, he ran up the steps and found her standing on her terrace, leaning against the railing, her eyes closed.
"Rana, you have wakened," Legolas smiled. "This is glad news indeed."
The girl was startled out of her song by the male voice behind her. She turned quickly, gasping when she saw him standing there. She could not understand what he was saying, but knew he was speaking to her. Her hand fluttered to her throat. "You are real. Or are you just a part of this dream I am walking in?" She walked forward a bit, until she was within arms length of him. She reached a shaking hand out to him and he held out his own, taking her hand in his larger one. When she felt him, knew he was solid and real, she could feel tears begin streaming down her face. "You are real." Between the exertion and the shock of realizing her 'angel' was in fact real, she felt the world reeling and her legs gave out from under her.
Though he couldn't understand what she was saying, he could see that she was happy to see him for some reason. An odd feeling pooled in his chest and he found he was glad of her reaction. He was also glad he was standing close to her so that when she swooned he was able to catch her up in his arms and carry her back to her room. Laying her gently down on the soft bed and covering her with the warm blankets, he couldn't help reaching out to brush her dark hair from her face before running out to find Elrond.
The world was bright shapes of light as the girl began to awaken from her slumber. As it became more in focus, she could see she was in some sort of bedroom. Soft light filtered through a wall of windows on one side and a warm fire was crackling in the fireplace on the other. Her vision began to swim as she sat up, but it soon passed and she was able to sit with her back against the intricately carved headboard of the large bed.
As she looked about the room, she was in awe of its beauty. Decorated in soft shades of green and gold sprinkled about with pale pink it looked like something out of a dream. Suddenly the memory of what had happened came swirling back in a sickening rush. Putting a hand to her back, she realized she was no longer wearing her clothes but an intricately embroidered gown the same pale pink as the pillows scattered about the room.
"Where am I?" she wondered. A name flashed through her mind. Rivendell. And then the image of a beautiful, golden haired man. Ethereal like an angel, she thought. Elf, her mind automatically corrected. "Legolas," she said the name aloud. But was he real or just some dream? And if he wasn't, how did she get here?
Deciding to risk it, she threw back the heavy covers and put her feet on the floor. It was cool, but not as cold as she had expected. When she stood, she had to hold onto the bed to keep from falling, but holding onto the bed, and the chair sitting next to it, she made her way to the windows.
The view was breathtaking. Surely she must be dreaming for no place could be this beautiful. Everywhere she looked there were waterfalls and streams. Trees covered with brightly colored leaves. Houses and buildings that seemed at once alien and as if they belonged there. If it were a dream she would be content to sleep there forever.
Opening one of the door windows, she stepped out onto the terrace and drank in the cool autumn air. She still had no memory of who she was or where she had come from, but at this moment it didn't seem to matter overmuch.
As she stood there, listening to the water as it gurgled in the stream close by and rushed over the waterfalls in the distance, she heard the sound of singing being carried on the wind. Angelic voices singing in a language she didn't understand. As she listened to the words drifting on the air, she heard another voice in her mind. Echoes of a song filled her head. She could hear it in her language and then in the language of the Elves. She closed her eyes and grasped hold of the words. She sang then, first a whisper then her voice rose and she could feel the music flowing through her.
Sing all ye joyful now sing all together!
The winds in the treetop, the wind's in the heather;
The stars are in blossom; the moon is in flower,
And bright are the windows of Night in her tower.
Dance all ye joyful now dance all together!
Soft is the grass, and let foot be like feather!
The river is silver; the shadows are fleeting;
Merry is May-time, and merry our meeting.
Sing we now softly, and dreams let us weave her!
Wind him in slumber and there let us leave her!
The wanderer sleepeth. Now soft be her pillow!
Lullaby! Lullaby! Alder and Willow!
Sigh no more Pine, till the wind of the morn!
Hush! Hush! Oak, Ash, and Thorn!
Fall Moon! Dark be the land!
Hushed be all water till dawn is at hand!
She sang it in both the Elvish tongue and her own, tears rolling down her cheeks. This was the first thing she understood in the strange, lyrical language and it felt good to know she was not so completely lost.
*****************************************************
Legolas was passing on his way to check on the sleeping wanderer, Rana Boromir had named her, one of the many names of the Moon which was also called the wanderer. He didn't think the name quite fit, though he supposed they had to call her something. That is, provided she ever awoke. It had been nearly five days since they had brought her to Rivendell and in all that time she showed no sign of stirring.
As he climbed the steps that would take him to her room, he heard a voice he had not heard before. Stopping halfway through his climb, he cocked his head to the side and listened. The voice was coming from the direction of Rana's room, but it was singing in Elvish. Then he listened a moment longer and realized the same song was being sung in Rana's odd tongue. Quickening his pace, he ran up the steps and found her standing on her terrace, leaning against the railing, her eyes closed.
"Rana, you have wakened," Legolas smiled. "This is glad news indeed."
The girl was startled out of her song by the male voice behind her. She turned quickly, gasping when she saw him standing there. She could not understand what he was saying, but knew he was speaking to her. Her hand fluttered to her throat. "You are real. Or are you just a part of this dream I am walking in?" She walked forward a bit, until she was within arms length of him. She reached a shaking hand out to him and he held out his own, taking her hand in his larger one. When she felt him, knew he was solid and real, she could feel tears begin streaming down her face. "You are real." Between the exertion and the shock of realizing her 'angel' was in fact real, she felt the world reeling and her legs gave out from under her.
Though he couldn't understand what she was saying, he could see that she was happy to see him for some reason. An odd feeling pooled in his chest and he found he was glad of her reaction. He was also glad he was standing close to her so that when she swooned he was able to catch her up in his arms and carry her back to her room. Laying her gently down on the soft bed and covering her with the warm blankets, he couldn't help reaching out to brush her dark hair from her face before running out to find Elrond.
