Chapter 3
The group thundered across the plane, their horses splashing across the stream. The party from Imladris rode hard toward Lothlórien, desperately seeking the help of their friends and allies. The Golden Wood came into view ahead of them and Glorfindel urged Asfaloth to greater speed. The frantic search for Lord Elrond after the attack had proven useless, yielding no signs of the half-Elf's whereabouts. With the mysterious deaths of the orcs that had been burned from the inside out, the group had felt that something more was going on than they could fathom. They decided that they should get to Lothlórien as quickly as possibly and seek help from the Lady of Light, Galadriel.
An Elf wearing Lothlórien colors stepped from the trees before them and waved to the riders. Glorfindel narrowed his eyes, trying to tell who it was. "Haldir!" cried Elladan from next to him. Indeed, before them was the March Warden.
Asfaloth neighed as he was brought up quickly to stop in front of the blond Lothlórien Elf. "Quickly, Haldir," gasped Glorfindel. "We need to get to Lady Galadriel."
Haldir's eyes swept over the warriors behind them, noticing fresh wounds. "What happened?" he demanded.
"We were attacked by orcs on our journey," answered Glorfindel. He was about to say more when Haldir spoke again.
"Where is Lord Elrond?" Haldir asked, strain in his voice for his Lord and Lady loved the half-Elf as a blood son.
Elrohir leaned forward, his face hard. "Please, Haldir, we need to get to Grandmother quickly else something horrible have time to happen to Ada," he begged.
At the twin's plea Haldir nodded sharply and turned toward the forest, yelling out commands. A horse was brought to him and other Lothlórien guards joined the group racing through the Golden Wood. The Mallorn trees, tall and golden, trembled with the passing of the Elves, shaken by the emotions emitting from them. The streams and waterways of the old forest rippled under the horse's hooves. The bird song in the treetops became frantic as the group rode through the gates of Caras Galadhon.
Elladan and Elrohir leapt from their mounts, muttering their thanks to the exhausted animals before racing toward the large talan where they knew their grandparents could be found. Haldir shouted orders over his shoulder to the remaining guard, telling them to wait there as he and Glorfindel followed the twins.
The Imladris Elves and the Lothlórien March-Warden where mildly surprised to find Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel waiting at the base of their royal talan. Galadriel, her long pale hair glowing in the light, stepped forward and easily caught Elrohir as he fell against her. "Grandmother! Something awful has happened!" exclaimed the distressed twin.
Celeborn, strong face marred with a sad expression, embraced Elladan. "We know of what has happened, pen-neth," he said.
Glorfindel and Haldir stopped in front of them as Elrohir raised his face, tears in his eyes. "Then you saw the attack in your mirror, Grandmother?" he asked.
Galadriel nodded. "I saw the attack, hên-nín." Her bright blues eyes lifted from her grandson's dark gaze and settled on Glorfindel. "Including the strange deaths of the orcs seemingly burned to ash."
Elladan drew back from his Grandfather, hope on his face. "Then you know where Ada is?" he asked.
Galadriel's unfathomable gaze turned to the twin and then her lids shrouded the orbs. "Elrond Peredhil is no longer in Arda," she said softly.
Glorfindel's head lowered and his hands curled into fists as the twins cried out in anguish. "Ada can not be dead!" yelled Elrohir.
Celeborn stroked Elladan's hair as his wife hugged Elrohir. "He may not be," said the lord.
"My Lord, you said that Lord Elrond was no longer in Middle-Earth. He must be dead then," said Haldir, confused.
"When I look for Elrond in my mirror, it remains blank, as it has since the attack. This means that he is no long in Arda but it does not necessarily mean he is dead," explained Galadriel. "Merely that he is no longer where we are."
"Then Ada is in Aman?" asked Elladan.
Galadriel's eyes closed again. "I do not know."
Glorfindel spent his frustration in pacing around, unable to remain still any longer. "It does not matter where he is, in Arda or not! We must look for him!" he cried.
"Since it would be impossible to stop you," said Celeborn calmly. "We will gather a search party and look for Elrond."
Elladan stepped away from him and nodded. "We will all look for Ada then," he said.
Galadriel looked off into the distance, as if her gaze could pierce the Mallorn trees. "Although I have a feeling that we will not find Elrond until whatever took him is ready to release him," she muttered.
Silivren sat staring into the waters of the pool, her white gaze unseeing of the physical. Instead, her attention was far beyond the meadow. Gailuin, white coat shimmering in the sunlight, stood not far away from the kneeling female form, alert with twitching ears and swishing tail. Elrond slept near by in the cradle of the large tree, unaware of the activities of his two saviors. Silivren blinked and turned her head away from the pool, as if what she had been watching had not lost its interest for her.
"You are very perceptive, Galadriel," muttered Silivren. Gailuin snorted softly, puffing a white cloud into the air, before turning and walking to the center of the meadow to graze. The white lady showed no sign that she knew the unicorn had left her side. "This meadow is not in Arda and I will return Elrond only when I see fit," Silivren continued to say softly. She stood and went to the hollow in the tree, collecting mortal and a clay jar of herbs before returning to the pool. She put a handful of herbs in the bowl and began to crush them, as she had that morning when Elrond had first awoken. "One day that little disk of water and you will help decide the fate of the world, for better or worse." Silivren paused in her work and raised her white eyes to look at the sun, which had just begun to slide to the west. "How uncertain the future must seem to you right now. Unable to see what you wish in the water," she whispered.
After a moment, Silivren returned to her task. The only sound in the meadow was of the splash of the spring, Elrond's soft breathing in slumber, and Silivren's work of crushing herbs. Gailuin lifted his head when a voice began singing, his attention going to the white woman. Silivren sang as she worked, her words in an old language and soft sounding.
Im hollen nín henie an ú alele
Nadie im alele im ele nedh dôl nín
Si i rinc faun o ross
Innas faun nin na
Faeq i dîn
Aidur în garn risa
A i menel innas treneri nin
Im ú i erui
I menel innas treneri nin
Im dur i anor
I menel innas treneri nin
Anann lothron lle nor
I menel innas treneri nin
Im dur i anor
(I shut my eyes to not go blind
Things I can't see I see in my mind
Now the passing clouds of rain
Will surely pass me by
Poor is the man
Who believes his own lie
And the sky will tell me
I'm not the only one
The sky will tell me
I must believe the sun
The sky will tell me
Long may you run
The sky will tell me
I must believe the sun.)
Presently, Silivren paused in her singing and lifted her head slightly. After a moment she went back to crushing the herbs. "Evening," she said quietly.
"That was a beautiful song, Silivren. I don't recognized it though," said Elrond, equally quiet in his speech. It was as if the trees had adsorbed the song, holding it within their trunks and leaves, and quiet must be maintained so that the trees could savor it a little longer. Elrond wondered for a moment if the soft wind would pull pieces of the song from the trees and carry them beyond the meadow, out to where the rest of the world existed.
"It is very old," answered Silivren. She studied the herbs in the bowl and added another handful. "As am I."
"How old are you?" asked Elrond, his bright grey eyes fixed on the white form. His body felt healed, no pain came from his injuries and his head did not exploded if he moved it a little; he also knew that the self was never a good judge on such things and refrained from moving around too much least he did aggravate something.
"Old enough to say I will not answer that," replied Silivren, as if Elrond were a small child that had just asked a question that the parent could not possible explain to him with satisfaction. She raised the bowl to her nose, sniffing it delicately, and nodded with satisfaction. "Let me treat your wounds for tonight," the white lady said. As before she settled by his injured left foot and unwrapped the bandage. The natural Elven healing ability had hastened the wound again, leaving a slight discoloration around the claw marks and faint red cuts in the center. Silivren placed her hand above the wound and the limb glowed briefly. The tingling after-sensation was less intense than before and she leaned in close to peer at the skin, her white gaze seeing and unseeing. "Shall I use the herb?" she asked.
Elrond thought for a moment but the sensation was already disappearing on its own. "It's not necessary," he replied. Silivren nodded, setting aside the bowl and making swift work of the wounds across his chest and at his shoulder. When she sat back and looked carefully at the wound, all that could be seen of them was that the new skin was slightly lighter in pigment than that surrounding it. With a little sun and activity, all signs of the wounds would be gone.
Silivren nodded again in satisfaction and then rest her hand on Elrond's forehead. The half-Elf floated peacefully as her hand began to glow, his eyes fluttering closed and a sigh escaping his lips. After a moment he awoke to find his clothes back in order and Silivren posed on her heels by his side. "How do you feel?" she asked as his eyes opened.
Elrond smiled at her. "Like I was never injured."
Silivren peered into his eyes for a moment. "I think we can try for you sitting up, Elrond. Standing can wait until the morning but I think sitting up will be good for tonight," she said. Cautiously Elrond commanded his body to lift his torso and was pleasantly surprised when no difficulty met the action, although muscles that had been at rest for almost two days now made their state known. Silivren's white gaze was stead fast on Elrond as he moved, hands posed to help. "If you feel no pain, you may stretch," she said. Elrond sighed as he raised his arms above his head, feeling things settle into place along his spine. Silivren's hand rested on his neck for a moment, sliding under his hair to touch skin, and he felt warmth travel down his back. "No pain?" she asked, removing her hand.
Elrond shook his head; he was sore from inaction but fine other wise. "I feel wonderful considering what has happened."
Silivren's hand disappeared into the tree hollow and pulled out a pillow. She rested it behind Elrond and he leaned back into it. "I think it best if you remain sitting up for supper. It will be good for you," the white lady said. Her movements had returned to being quick and bird like, reminding Elrond of a darting swallow. Silivren turned back to the hollow and reached inside. She pulled out a cup and scooped up some water, giving it to Elrond. The half-Elf drank gratefully as Silivren rummaged around the dark hole again, her arms disappearing up to her shoulders. After a moment she pulled back but was stopped short when the object in her hands proved not to want to come out. She sat for a moment, her hands around the edge of something metal and curved. Elrond watched in amusement as Silivren sat with an expressionless face, sitting with the curved metal stuck in the odd shaped hole.
After a moment, she rotated it and a wide and shallow bowl of copper slid out. Silivren muttered something Elrond didn't understand and fetched strips of bark, dry grass, and flint from the hallow. She piled the kindling into the large bowl and struck the flint over it until it ignited. A small but steady flame grew in the dish, sparing the lush grass around them from being burnt. Silivren took the small bowl with the unused crushed herbs and dumped it into the flames. The fire popped and a thin trail of smoke drifted up, scenting the air with a soothing fragrance that reminded Elrond of athelas. Soon Silivren had also constructed a split across the flame and pulled a pot from the hollow. She filled it with water from the spring and set it over the flame. "You will have tea, as you wished," she said as she dropped some fragrant leaves into the heating water.
Elrond blinked; he had wished for tea but hadn't said anything. "Was I thinking too loud again?" he asked with mirth. Silivren blinked at him and disappeared through the birch trees without a sound, leaving him alone in the meadow with Gailuin. The unicorn grazed around the meadow for some time as Elrond rested peacefully in the cradle of the tree, watching the small fire slowly heat the water in the pot. His eyes slowly drifted over to the tree hollow, gazing into the dark hole. The half-Elf raised one hand and moved it toward the hollow, hesitating and glancing at Gailuin. The unicorn seemed unconcerned with his actions and Elrond put his hand into the hole. The air inside the hollow was cool and for a moment Elrond could feel nothing. Then, his fingers brushed against something made of leather and he cautiously pulled it out. A book lay in his hands, looking old and faded, and Elrond glanced at the hole again. He had the strangest sensation that he should thank the hollow. "Hennad," he muttered, leaning over to peer into the dark hole as much as he could. Gailuin snorted in the meadow and Elrond sat back, his face heating with embarrassment.
His attention moved to the book and he ran a hand over the smooth cover before opening it. The paper was delicate and the writing inside was faded but readable. Written on the first page was a name Elrond did not recognize but saw that it was constructed in Quenya. He turned the first pages of what he found to be a diary, a very old diary. Elrond read the account of a Vanyar Elf in Amen, sometime after the group had moved from the seaside city of Tirion to the Valar city Valmar. The half-Elf didn't notice as the sunlight around him began to fade as evening came and the light he read by turned to firelight. A loud pop from the fire startled Elrond from his reading and he looked up.
The meadow was shrouded in night, everything turned silver by the moon. The pool had turned to mercury and Gailuin now shone like ithildin, the unicorn resting not far away on the grass. He looked to the side to find that Silivren had returned, how long ago he did not know. The fire in the disk glowed on her face, her eyes remaining in shadow, and the stars turned her hair to spun silver threads. A basket of food sat next to her with bread, cheese, and fruits. The pot had been taken off the fire and a piece of meat had taken its place, slowly cooking and filling the meadow with its delicious smell.
Silivren face tilted after a moment, her eyes becoming visible again. "The hollow gave you a book," she stated. Elrond nodded and she turned her head to look at him. "It is an old story. Do you like it?"
Elrond swallowed and lowered his face from the unnerving white gaze. "I am a loremaster, I enjoy all histories very much," he answered.
"Then keep it," said Silivren, turning back to the fire.
Elrond frowned and raised his head. "Won't the Elf want it back?"
Silivren shook her head, turning the meat. "No, that Elf has been dead for a very long time."
Elrond's eyes drifted back to the tree hollow. "The hollow…it's…?" he muttered.
"The tree hollow leads to outside the meadow. That is its purpose," said Silivren. She reached out and grasped the ends of the split, lifting it from the fire. "Supper is ready," she announced. Elrond watched as the white lady took a knife and cut the meat in two, putting a piece on two plates. She added the bread, cheese, and fruits to the meal and handed Elrond his share. Swiftly, the half-Elf was also handed a cup of hot tea. "Eat," ordered Silivren.
Elrond took a small sip of tea as Silivren sat back. He smiled as the liquid flowed sweetly into his body, suddenly realizing how hungry he was. The bread was freshly baked and still warm, to his surprise. The cheese was cool and the meat juicy and well cooked. "Delicious," he said between bites. He raised his head when Silivren made no answer and found her staring into the fire, slowly eating her own food. Gailuin made a noise near them, shifting on the grass and laying his head down. After a moment, Elrond left Silivren to her thoughts and continued eating. In the distance, a howl sounded and Silivren turned her head slightly toward the edge of the meadow.
Pen-neth = young one Hûn-nín = my child
Arda = Middle-Earth
Aman = Valinor
Hennad = thank you
Ithildin = the ink used on the doors to Moria; 'reflecting only moonlight and starlight'.
As for the diary that the tree hollow gave Elrond, you need to know a bit around the history of the Elves to understand that. May I suggest The Silmarillion?
Credit for the song goes to the group Ra; song 'Sky from the album 'From One'.
Firefall: I'm glad you are following along. I love it when I get repeat reviews. As for the unicorn; we'll just ignore that fact in favor of the pretty moment. I might have gotten the arrow shooting from the movie, it might be from Robin Hood, or it could have come as a divine message. I have no clue. Cheers!
The group thundered across the plane, their horses splashing across the stream. The party from Imladris rode hard toward Lothlórien, desperately seeking the help of their friends and allies. The Golden Wood came into view ahead of them and Glorfindel urged Asfaloth to greater speed. The frantic search for Lord Elrond after the attack had proven useless, yielding no signs of the half-Elf's whereabouts. With the mysterious deaths of the orcs that had been burned from the inside out, the group had felt that something more was going on than they could fathom. They decided that they should get to Lothlórien as quickly as possibly and seek help from the Lady of Light, Galadriel.
An Elf wearing Lothlórien colors stepped from the trees before them and waved to the riders. Glorfindel narrowed his eyes, trying to tell who it was. "Haldir!" cried Elladan from next to him. Indeed, before them was the March Warden.
Asfaloth neighed as he was brought up quickly to stop in front of the blond Lothlórien Elf. "Quickly, Haldir," gasped Glorfindel. "We need to get to Lady Galadriel."
Haldir's eyes swept over the warriors behind them, noticing fresh wounds. "What happened?" he demanded.
"We were attacked by orcs on our journey," answered Glorfindel. He was about to say more when Haldir spoke again.
"Where is Lord Elrond?" Haldir asked, strain in his voice for his Lord and Lady loved the half-Elf as a blood son.
Elrohir leaned forward, his face hard. "Please, Haldir, we need to get to Grandmother quickly else something horrible have time to happen to Ada," he begged.
At the twin's plea Haldir nodded sharply and turned toward the forest, yelling out commands. A horse was brought to him and other Lothlórien guards joined the group racing through the Golden Wood. The Mallorn trees, tall and golden, trembled with the passing of the Elves, shaken by the emotions emitting from them. The streams and waterways of the old forest rippled under the horse's hooves. The bird song in the treetops became frantic as the group rode through the gates of Caras Galadhon.
Elladan and Elrohir leapt from their mounts, muttering their thanks to the exhausted animals before racing toward the large talan where they knew their grandparents could be found. Haldir shouted orders over his shoulder to the remaining guard, telling them to wait there as he and Glorfindel followed the twins.
The Imladris Elves and the Lothlórien March-Warden where mildly surprised to find Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel waiting at the base of their royal talan. Galadriel, her long pale hair glowing in the light, stepped forward and easily caught Elrohir as he fell against her. "Grandmother! Something awful has happened!" exclaimed the distressed twin.
Celeborn, strong face marred with a sad expression, embraced Elladan. "We know of what has happened, pen-neth," he said.
Glorfindel and Haldir stopped in front of them as Elrohir raised his face, tears in his eyes. "Then you saw the attack in your mirror, Grandmother?" he asked.
Galadriel nodded. "I saw the attack, hên-nín." Her bright blues eyes lifted from her grandson's dark gaze and settled on Glorfindel. "Including the strange deaths of the orcs seemingly burned to ash."
Elladan drew back from his Grandfather, hope on his face. "Then you know where Ada is?" he asked.
Galadriel's unfathomable gaze turned to the twin and then her lids shrouded the orbs. "Elrond Peredhil is no longer in Arda," she said softly.
Glorfindel's head lowered and his hands curled into fists as the twins cried out in anguish. "Ada can not be dead!" yelled Elrohir.
Celeborn stroked Elladan's hair as his wife hugged Elrohir. "He may not be," said the lord.
"My Lord, you said that Lord Elrond was no longer in Middle-Earth. He must be dead then," said Haldir, confused.
"When I look for Elrond in my mirror, it remains blank, as it has since the attack. This means that he is no long in Arda but it does not necessarily mean he is dead," explained Galadriel. "Merely that he is no longer where we are."
"Then Ada is in Aman?" asked Elladan.
Galadriel's eyes closed again. "I do not know."
Glorfindel spent his frustration in pacing around, unable to remain still any longer. "It does not matter where he is, in Arda or not! We must look for him!" he cried.
"Since it would be impossible to stop you," said Celeborn calmly. "We will gather a search party and look for Elrond."
Elladan stepped away from him and nodded. "We will all look for Ada then," he said.
Galadriel looked off into the distance, as if her gaze could pierce the Mallorn trees. "Although I have a feeling that we will not find Elrond until whatever took him is ready to release him," she muttered.
Silivren sat staring into the waters of the pool, her white gaze unseeing of the physical. Instead, her attention was far beyond the meadow. Gailuin, white coat shimmering in the sunlight, stood not far away from the kneeling female form, alert with twitching ears and swishing tail. Elrond slept near by in the cradle of the large tree, unaware of the activities of his two saviors. Silivren blinked and turned her head away from the pool, as if what she had been watching had not lost its interest for her.
"You are very perceptive, Galadriel," muttered Silivren. Gailuin snorted softly, puffing a white cloud into the air, before turning and walking to the center of the meadow to graze. The white lady showed no sign that she knew the unicorn had left her side. "This meadow is not in Arda and I will return Elrond only when I see fit," Silivren continued to say softly. She stood and went to the hollow in the tree, collecting mortal and a clay jar of herbs before returning to the pool. She put a handful of herbs in the bowl and began to crush them, as she had that morning when Elrond had first awoken. "One day that little disk of water and you will help decide the fate of the world, for better or worse." Silivren paused in her work and raised her white eyes to look at the sun, which had just begun to slide to the west. "How uncertain the future must seem to you right now. Unable to see what you wish in the water," she whispered.
After a moment, Silivren returned to her task. The only sound in the meadow was of the splash of the spring, Elrond's soft breathing in slumber, and Silivren's work of crushing herbs. Gailuin lifted his head when a voice began singing, his attention going to the white woman. Silivren sang as she worked, her words in an old language and soft sounding.
Im hollen nín henie an ú alele
Nadie im alele im ele nedh dôl nín
Si i rinc faun o ross
Innas faun nin na
Faeq i dîn
Aidur în garn risa
A i menel innas treneri nin
Im ú i erui
I menel innas treneri nin
Im dur i anor
I menel innas treneri nin
Anann lothron lle nor
I menel innas treneri nin
Im dur i anor
(I shut my eyes to not go blind
Things I can't see I see in my mind
Now the passing clouds of rain
Will surely pass me by
Poor is the man
Who believes his own lie
And the sky will tell me
I'm not the only one
The sky will tell me
I must believe the sun
The sky will tell me
Long may you run
The sky will tell me
I must believe the sun.)
Presently, Silivren paused in her singing and lifted her head slightly. After a moment she went back to crushing the herbs. "Evening," she said quietly.
"That was a beautiful song, Silivren. I don't recognized it though," said Elrond, equally quiet in his speech. It was as if the trees had adsorbed the song, holding it within their trunks and leaves, and quiet must be maintained so that the trees could savor it a little longer. Elrond wondered for a moment if the soft wind would pull pieces of the song from the trees and carry them beyond the meadow, out to where the rest of the world existed.
"It is very old," answered Silivren. She studied the herbs in the bowl and added another handful. "As am I."
"How old are you?" asked Elrond, his bright grey eyes fixed on the white form. His body felt healed, no pain came from his injuries and his head did not exploded if he moved it a little; he also knew that the self was never a good judge on such things and refrained from moving around too much least he did aggravate something.
"Old enough to say I will not answer that," replied Silivren, as if Elrond were a small child that had just asked a question that the parent could not possible explain to him with satisfaction. She raised the bowl to her nose, sniffing it delicately, and nodded with satisfaction. "Let me treat your wounds for tonight," the white lady said. As before she settled by his injured left foot and unwrapped the bandage. The natural Elven healing ability had hastened the wound again, leaving a slight discoloration around the claw marks and faint red cuts in the center. Silivren placed her hand above the wound and the limb glowed briefly. The tingling after-sensation was less intense than before and she leaned in close to peer at the skin, her white gaze seeing and unseeing. "Shall I use the herb?" she asked.
Elrond thought for a moment but the sensation was already disappearing on its own. "It's not necessary," he replied. Silivren nodded, setting aside the bowl and making swift work of the wounds across his chest and at his shoulder. When she sat back and looked carefully at the wound, all that could be seen of them was that the new skin was slightly lighter in pigment than that surrounding it. With a little sun and activity, all signs of the wounds would be gone.
Silivren nodded again in satisfaction and then rest her hand on Elrond's forehead. The half-Elf floated peacefully as her hand began to glow, his eyes fluttering closed and a sigh escaping his lips. After a moment he awoke to find his clothes back in order and Silivren posed on her heels by his side. "How do you feel?" she asked as his eyes opened.
Elrond smiled at her. "Like I was never injured."
Silivren peered into his eyes for a moment. "I think we can try for you sitting up, Elrond. Standing can wait until the morning but I think sitting up will be good for tonight," she said. Cautiously Elrond commanded his body to lift his torso and was pleasantly surprised when no difficulty met the action, although muscles that had been at rest for almost two days now made their state known. Silivren's white gaze was stead fast on Elrond as he moved, hands posed to help. "If you feel no pain, you may stretch," she said. Elrond sighed as he raised his arms above his head, feeling things settle into place along his spine. Silivren's hand rested on his neck for a moment, sliding under his hair to touch skin, and he felt warmth travel down his back. "No pain?" she asked, removing her hand.
Elrond shook his head; he was sore from inaction but fine other wise. "I feel wonderful considering what has happened."
Silivren's hand disappeared into the tree hollow and pulled out a pillow. She rested it behind Elrond and he leaned back into it. "I think it best if you remain sitting up for supper. It will be good for you," the white lady said. Her movements had returned to being quick and bird like, reminding Elrond of a darting swallow. Silivren turned back to the hollow and reached inside. She pulled out a cup and scooped up some water, giving it to Elrond. The half-Elf drank gratefully as Silivren rummaged around the dark hole again, her arms disappearing up to her shoulders. After a moment she pulled back but was stopped short when the object in her hands proved not to want to come out. She sat for a moment, her hands around the edge of something metal and curved. Elrond watched in amusement as Silivren sat with an expressionless face, sitting with the curved metal stuck in the odd shaped hole.
After a moment, she rotated it and a wide and shallow bowl of copper slid out. Silivren muttered something Elrond didn't understand and fetched strips of bark, dry grass, and flint from the hallow. She piled the kindling into the large bowl and struck the flint over it until it ignited. A small but steady flame grew in the dish, sparing the lush grass around them from being burnt. Silivren took the small bowl with the unused crushed herbs and dumped it into the flames. The fire popped and a thin trail of smoke drifted up, scenting the air with a soothing fragrance that reminded Elrond of athelas. Soon Silivren had also constructed a split across the flame and pulled a pot from the hollow. She filled it with water from the spring and set it over the flame. "You will have tea, as you wished," she said as she dropped some fragrant leaves into the heating water.
Elrond blinked; he had wished for tea but hadn't said anything. "Was I thinking too loud again?" he asked with mirth. Silivren blinked at him and disappeared through the birch trees without a sound, leaving him alone in the meadow with Gailuin. The unicorn grazed around the meadow for some time as Elrond rested peacefully in the cradle of the tree, watching the small fire slowly heat the water in the pot. His eyes slowly drifted over to the tree hollow, gazing into the dark hole. The half-Elf raised one hand and moved it toward the hollow, hesitating and glancing at Gailuin. The unicorn seemed unconcerned with his actions and Elrond put his hand into the hole. The air inside the hollow was cool and for a moment Elrond could feel nothing. Then, his fingers brushed against something made of leather and he cautiously pulled it out. A book lay in his hands, looking old and faded, and Elrond glanced at the hole again. He had the strangest sensation that he should thank the hollow. "Hennad," he muttered, leaning over to peer into the dark hole as much as he could. Gailuin snorted in the meadow and Elrond sat back, his face heating with embarrassment.
His attention moved to the book and he ran a hand over the smooth cover before opening it. The paper was delicate and the writing inside was faded but readable. Written on the first page was a name Elrond did not recognize but saw that it was constructed in Quenya. He turned the first pages of what he found to be a diary, a very old diary. Elrond read the account of a Vanyar Elf in Amen, sometime after the group had moved from the seaside city of Tirion to the Valar city Valmar. The half-Elf didn't notice as the sunlight around him began to fade as evening came and the light he read by turned to firelight. A loud pop from the fire startled Elrond from his reading and he looked up.
The meadow was shrouded in night, everything turned silver by the moon. The pool had turned to mercury and Gailuin now shone like ithildin, the unicorn resting not far away on the grass. He looked to the side to find that Silivren had returned, how long ago he did not know. The fire in the disk glowed on her face, her eyes remaining in shadow, and the stars turned her hair to spun silver threads. A basket of food sat next to her with bread, cheese, and fruits. The pot had been taken off the fire and a piece of meat had taken its place, slowly cooking and filling the meadow with its delicious smell.
Silivren face tilted after a moment, her eyes becoming visible again. "The hollow gave you a book," she stated. Elrond nodded and she turned her head to look at him. "It is an old story. Do you like it?"
Elrond swallowed and lowered his face from the unnerving white gaze. "I am a loremaster, I enjoy all histories very much," he answered.
"Then keep it," said Silivren, turning back to the fire.
Elrond frowned and raised his head. "Won't the Elf want it back?"
Silivren shook her head, turning the meat. "No, that Elf has been dead for a very long time."
Elrond's eyes drifted back to the tree hollow. "The hollow…it's…?" he muttered.
"The tree hollow leads to outside the meadow. That is its purpose," said Silivren. She reached out and grasped the ends of the split, lifting it from the fire. "Supper is ready," she announced. Elrond watched as the white lady took a knife and cut the meat in two, putting a piece on two plates. She added the bread, cheese, and fruits to the meal and handed Elrond his share. Swiftly, the half-Elf was also handed a cup of hot tea. "Eat," ordered Silivren.
Elrond took a small sip of tea as Silivren sat back. He smiled as the liquid flowed sweetly into his body, suddenly realizing how hungry he was. The bread was freshly baked and still warm, to his surprise. The cheese was cool and the meat juicy and well cooked. "Delicious," he said between bites. He raised his head when Silivren made no answer and found her staring into the fire, slowly eating her own food. Gailuin made a noise near them, shifting on the grass and laying his head down. After a moment, Elrond left Silivren to her thoughts and continued eating. In the distance, a howl sounded and Silivren turned her head slightly toward the edge of the meadow.
Pen-neth = young one Hûn-nín = my child
Arda = Middle-Earth
Aman = Valinor
Hennad = thank you
Ithildin = the ink used on the doors to Moria; 'reflecting only moonlight and starlight'.
As for the diary that the tree hollow gave Elrond, you need to know a bit around the history of the Elves to understand that. May I suggest The Silmarillion?
Credit for the song goes to the group Ra; song 'Sky from the album 'From One'.
Firefall: I'm glad you are following along. I love it when I get repeat reviews. As for the unicorn; we'll just ignore that fact in favor of the pretty moment. I might have gotten the arrow shooting from the movie, it might be from Robin Hood, or it could have come as a divine message. I have no clue. Cheers!
