A/N
Hello again, sorry about the delay for this chapter. I mentioned earlier that I had a problem with my prior internet server; for those who had been e-mailing me, I lost all my adresses when my account was terminated. I would greatly appreciate it if these readers would send something to the new adress so that I can get thier adresses again- and I won't lose them this time. Thanks to all who have reviewed, you guys keep me going. So without further or do, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
disclaimer
I own nothing of Tolkien's.
Star
Haldir observed Marsaili as she lay on the bed before him. The bandages he had bound her feet in the previous day were stained with dried blood. As he took a closer look at these dressings, he could see that fresh blood was welling up out of her wounds to soil the bandages yet again. Haldir's brows knitted together in concern and he turned to face Marsaili. She returned his expression of disaproval and concern with one of apprehension and trepidation.
" Manan(why)? Why do you do this to yourself? " Halir asked, his voice calm yet concerned. He did not want to intimidate her, but he was deeply troubled as to why she would deliberately harm herself.
"I am sorry," Marsaili said timidly, "but I did not know how else to show you that I was healing." She looked away from Haldir then, for she could no longer bear his intense gaze. Something within her was pained at being forced to withold the truth from him, and that puzzled her. Marsaili's unease at this deception, however, was far outweighed by her sense of self preservation. She knew that she was not yet ready to reveral her darkest tradgedy to Haldir. Truce or not, he would have to prove that he could be trusted. Her mind branded him a stranger and warned her to be cautious, but her heart was strangely accepting and yearned to confide in him. Weary of battling with herself, Marsaili resolved to put her mind to the task of getting herself prepared to face a new day. She did not wish to appear beddragled and haggard before the inhabitants of the place she was now to call home.
Marsaili struggled to sit up and Haldir immediatly came to her aid. He helped her into a sitting position and made sure her back was supported by the soft pillows behind her. Masaili still refused to look at Haldir, so he knelt down to face her. He lifted her chin with a tender hand to guide her reluctant eyes to his own.
" Do not be ashamed Gornil(valiant one)," Haldir said with a gentle smile," I admire your stength, but please give your wounds a chance to heal. Saes(please)."
Marsaili looked into the stormy depths of Haldir's eyes and saw the sincerity of his words. She was shocked to see, in that instant, how much he cared and worried for her. Her heart rejoiced in this discovery.
"Uma(yes), you are right. i should give my body time to heal," Marsaili said.
Haldir smiled in relief that she would heed his advice and end the needless assault on her battered body. Marsaili also wore a smile on her face, but for a different reason. She was releived to know that she could keep her secret- for now.
Haldir stood, saying," Come, your wounds need to be rebandaged and you will most likely need my assistance in preparing for the morning meal." He then gathered her slight form into his arms and lifted her off the bed. Marlaili wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her into the bathing chamber.
Upon entering the bath, Marsaili's eyes hrew wide with awe. The night before it had been too dark for her to observe the room in great detail, but now that the bright early morning sunrays graced the space, Marsaili was fully able to appreciate its great beauty.
[A/N: I realized in writting this chapter that I had made a mistake in the previous chapters. I had been describing the " palace" as an actual building- forgetting that Lothlorien elves lived in talans. From now on I will be describing it as a large and elegant talan with many connecting levels. It's located in the largest tree in Caras Galadhon. It has a large staircase that spirals around the tree, leading from the base up to the main level of he talan. The "palace" is an enclosed dwelling with walls and ceilings made of partitions, fabrics, tapistries, vines, and branches. Corridors are railed staircases and walkways wich connect the many levels and rooms to each other. Also, so as not to create huge descrepancies in character, Marsaili is not afraid of heights. ]
The room itself was amazing. Its triangular shape was especialy intriuging, as Marsaili had never before imagined that a room could be anything else than square or rectangular. The floor was made of a smooth, light colored wood. Engraved upon it were silver colored leaves and vines, wich the artist seemed to have captured in an intimately intwined dance. To Marsaili, it seemed almost a shame to tread upon such a masterpiece. The ceiling was an intricate weave of branches, vines, and thin silver fabrics; all of wich let in the light from the upper levels of the royal dwelling as well as the glow from the day and night skies. The outer wall faced the city and also made of branches, vines, and the same light fabric. The folds of the fabric could easily be swept aside, leaving open spaces that served as windows. The two interior walls were formed of engraved wooden partitions wich matched the floor. Drapped upon the walls were delicate tapistries depicting glimpses of elven mythology and lore. The doorways were mere gaps in the partitions into wich hung thick embroidered fabrics from branches in the cieling.
The furnishings of the room were just as impressive. Lanterns hung down from the ceiling, and along with the candles placed aout the room,would serve to create a soft, luminescent glow when natural light began to fade. A large, full length, silver gilded mirror hung also from the ceiling along the wall bordering Haldir's room. In the outer corner, near Marlaili's room, a sitting area was formed of luxurios couches, plush pillows, and a thick rug. In the center of the room was a tub of smoothed wood. It was wide and low to the floor, but still provided ample room for the bather to comfortably, and completely submerge themselves. There was also a curios slot just beneath the tub itself in wich smooth, dark stones were placed. Several small tables lined the walls and held various bath items, such as: oils, salves, lotions, soaps, and fragrances.
In the inside corner of the room was a waste bucket seperated from the rest of the space by a sheet of thick fabric which hung from the ceiling in the same manner as those which graced the doorways. In the outside corner, near Hldir's room, was a larger table with two chairs. On the table were clean cloths, towels, and a large bowl. Next to the table was a basket of an elegant weave wich was used for soiled cloths and garments.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Haldir's P.O.V.*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Standing just inside the doorway, Haldir loookked down at the young woman in his arms. He realized taht just the day before he had been dead set against sharing his heart with her. He knew she was his soulmate by his reaction to touching her; for it was taught to all elves, when they came of age, that a soulmate may be recognized by a rush of energy when the two beings touched. However, this was most common between couples with a very strong bond. Perhaps this was the reason he had fought with his heart for so long. It confirmed that he and Marlaili were indeed soulmates and already had a strong bond. It meant that he was no longer in control and that was what had bothered him the most. However, when he had awoken Marsaili and saw the sheer terror and pain on her face, bieng in controll no longer mattered to him; she did and, as he looked at the innocence and wonder in her eyes, he realized she always would.
Haldir felt Marsaili shift uncomfortably in his arms and he adjusted his hold on her to better support her back and ease the strain on her side wound. Marsaili visibly relaxed and lay her head on his shoulder. This brought an amused smile to his face and a twinkle of mirth to his eyes. He knew she was onlly letting down her defenses because she was too exhausted to keep them up. Her ordeal this morn, both self inflicted and otherwise, must have taxed her more than he thought. Regardless of the cause, Haldir knew that her behavior was the result of the trust her heart had in him, whther or not her mind shared that sentiment. He knew that eventualy she would come to trust him completely, for he knew all too well that a fight against one's heart would surely be lost.
Haldir was certain that Marsaili was his soulmate, but when she would come to realize this he could not begin to ponder. He knew her body craved his own, for he had seen that longing in her eyes when they first opened in fair Lorien. He was not sure if she would be able to truly love him even if he ws already beggining to love her. Haldir knew there was a great pain and sadness that afflicted her soul and until she could purge that poison from herself, he feared she would not be able to truly love anyone. As he carefuly carried her across the room to the table and chairs, he resolved to wait as long as it took for the cleansing to be complete. Haldir resolved never to give up on Marsaili, for he was confident that she would be able to heal. The process had begun when her heart placed its trust in his.
They reached the table and Haldir tenderly sat Maraaili down on one of the comfortable chairs. She watched as he collected various cloths and bandages from the table. Her gaze followed him as he rounded the table and stepped into the corner of the room. An inquisitive expression was quick to take form on her lovely face as Haldir began to draw hot water. He looked back at Marsaili and smiled at her bewilderment.
" Ah, I see you have noticed our well," Haldir said knowingly. At this Marsaili raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Haldir gave a small laugh as he explained to her its workings.
"Long have the elves of the Golden Wood lived high in the boughs of the mellyrn trees. This made obtaining water and other things quite difficult, for no one wishes to spend half of thier day lugging burdens up and down the trees. To solve this problem we constructed wells in each of the living quarters.They allow us to recieve laundry, food, hot water, and anything else we may need or wish to be rid of." Haldir said motioning to the corner where the waste bucketwas placed. " There are serving tents at the base of each dwelling to accomodate the needs of those above. They continually heat water and stones. The stones are needed to keep the water hot. It is also there that they do the laundry. There is a basket for garments and buckets for stones and water. If there is anything else we may need we simply send down a message in the letter pouch, " Haldir emphasised his point by showing her a silver pouch, which was attatched to the well by silver rope, as were the buckets and the basket, " and we will be sent up what we requested. The system is realy quite ingenious."
"Uma(yes), " Marsaili breathed in amazement, " it certaintly is." Her wonderfilled eyes followed Haldir as he returned with a bucket of steaming water, which he poured in the bowl. He returned the bucket to the well and took the seat next to her. He felt her eyes upon him and looked into her face with a puzzled frown.
"Does something trouble you Marsaili?" His frown pussed deeper as he stumbled over her name. She shook her head slightly and laughed pleasantly at his frustration. The sound was a delight to his ears.
" Do you actually bathe in hot water?" She asked in disbelief.
" Yes, and quite frequently.Why? Surely you must have done the same." Haldir replied.
"No, " Marsaili said. "I don't believe that I've ever had a hot bath." She giggled at the shocked expression on his face, for it seemed to make him look utterly ridiculous and was a welcome change from his usual serious demeanor. " I used to bathe in the stream near my home where I lived with my par-ents....." Upon speaking the last word her voice faltered and trailed off. Haldir thought this odd, but said nothing, remebering thier truce. Instead he stored the information away for further use.
Seeking not to further distress her Haldir bussied himself with the task at hand. He gently cleaned and dressed each foot, discarding the soiled bandages in the nearby basket. The next task he feared would not be so simple. He had yet to see to her side wound. Although the night shift she wore laced up the sides, he feared she would not be very appreciative of the intrusion he would have to make on her privacy.
"Marsaili,"Haldir carefully adressed her, "I'll have to change the dressing on the side wound now. I do not wish to intrude on your modesty, but I must see how well you are healing."
Marsaili's face visibly paled, but understanding shone in her eyes. Haldir was relieved to see that she was not going to challenge what was neccesary. ' Maybe, " he thought,' she has more trust in me than I had first believed.' He was glad in this new knowledge, but was still upset to have to cause her discomfort. Looking into her eyes he tried once more to reassure her. She held his gaze and nodded her permission, only then did he begin his work, all the while being careful not to reveal more of her silky skin than neccesary. However much he would have liked to do otherwise, her needs were still foremost in his mind. Haldir stopped unlacing the shift when the bandage was uncovered. He carefuly removed it to reveal an angry, yet healing injury. He lifted his fingers and gently tested her wound.
Haldir's fingers came into contact with her skin and a bright light flashed behind his eyes. His hand fell from her side as his mind reeled through time. It finnaly stopped an began to replay events from nearly two centuruies past.
Haldir saw a large gathering of people. There was joyous music playing and all present seemed to be having a wonderful time. He saw his brother, Orophin, and his new bride, Arafaire, dancing with one another. Haldir then saw himself slowly leaving the party. He wore a tired and saddened expression as he continued walking deeper into the forrest. He stopped under an opening in the canopy. As Haldir continued to watch he saw himself sinking to the ground in grief. His tear streaked face was upturned to the stars. Haldir heard his own grief stricken voice cry out to Elbereth for a sign. The memory of his former self asked her to give him hope, for he feared he was fading. He longed for another, though who she was he knew not. His prayer was further distressed as he expressed his fear that he would never find her. As Haldir watched himself double over in heartache, he heard a sweet voice speak from the stars above. It was Elbereth herself and she told the sorrowful Haldir to be strong, for there was indeed a mate for his soul. A weary face lifted to look once more at the stars and saw that they had aligned themselves into the shape of an elongated star. He heard Elbereth speak once more, saying that the maiden who would heal his weary soul would bear that sign.
Haldir again saw the bright light and was left breathless as his mind yet again traveled through time. He opened his eyes to find he was staring at Marsaili's injury. Realization dawned upon him as he saw that her wound was healing in the shape of the sign from his vision. Tears glistened in his eyes as he found that Elbereth had indeed been true to her word. She had sent him his soulmate and she bore the mark of a star.
Hello again, sorry about the delay for this chapter. I mentioned earlier that I had a problem with my prior internet server; for those who had been e-mailing me, I lost all my adresses when my account was terminated. I would greatly appreciate it if these readers would send something to the new adress so that I can get thier adresses again- and I won't lose them this time. Thanks to all who have reviewed, you guys keep me going. So without further or do, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
disclaimer
I own nothing of Tolkien's.
Star
Haldir observed Marsaili as she lay on the bed before him. The bandages he had bound her feet in the previous day were stained with dried blood. As he took a closer look at these dressings, he could see that fresh blood was welling up out of her wounds to soil the bandages yet again. Haldir's brows knitted together in concern and he turned to face Marsaili. She returned his expression of disaproval and concern with one of apprehension and trepidation.
" Manan(why)? Why do you do this to yourself? " Halir asked, his voice calm yet concerned. He did not want to intimidate her, but he was deeply troubled as to why she would deliberately harm herself.
"I am sorry," Marsaili said timidly, "but I did not know how else to show you that I was healing." She looked away from Haldir then, for she could no longer bear his intense gaze. Something within her was pained at being forced to withold the truth from him, and that puzzled her. Marsaili's unease at this deception, however, was far outweighed by her sense of self preservation. She knew that she was not yet ready to reveral her darkest tradgedy to Haldir. Truce or not, he would have to prove that he could be trusted. Her mind branded him a stranger and warned her to be cautious, but her heart was strangely accepting and yearned to confide in him. Weary of battling with herself, Marsaili resolved to put her mind to the task of getting herself prepared to face a new day. She did not wish to appear beddragled and haggard before the inhabitants of the place she was now to call home.
Marsaili struggled to sit up and Haldir immediatly came to her aid. He helped her into a sitting position and made sure her back was supported by the soft pillows behind her. Masaili still refused to look at Haldir, so he knelt down to face her. He lifted her chin with a tender hand to guide her reluctant eyes to his own.
" Do not be ashamed Gornil(valiant one)," Haldir said with a gentle smile," I admire your stength, but please give your wounds a chance to heal. Saes(please)."
Marsaili looked into the stormy depths of Haldir's eyes and saw the sincerity of his words. She was shocked to see, in that instant, how much he cared and worried for her. Her heart rejoiced in this discovery.
"Uma(yes), you are right. i should give my body time to heal," Marsaili said.
Haldir smiled in relief that she would heed his advice and end the needless assault on her battered body. Marsaili also wore a smile on her face, but for a different reason. She was releived to know that she could keep her secret- for now.
Haldir stood, saying," Come, your wounds need to be rebandaged and you will most likely need my assistance in preparing for the morning meal." He then gathered her slight form into his arms and lifted her off the bed. Marlaili wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her into the bathing chamber.
Upon entering the bath, Marsaili's eyes hrew wide with awe. The night before it had been too dark for her to observe the room in great detail, but now that the bright early morning sunrays graced the space, Marsaili was fully able to appreciate its great beauty.
[A/N: I realized in writting this chapter that I had made a mistake in the previous chapters. I had been describing the " palace" as an actual building- forgetting that Lothlorien elves lived in talans. From now on I will be describing it as a large and elegant talan with many connecting levels. It's located in the largest tree in Caras Galadhon. It has a large staircase that spirals around the tree, leading from the base up to the main level of he talan. The "palace" is an enclosed dwelling with walls and ceilings made of partitions, fabrics, tapistries, vines, and branches. Corridors are railed staircases and walkways wich connect the many levels and rooms to each other. Also, so as not to create huge descrepancies in character, Marsaili is not afraid of heights. ]
The room itself was amazing. Its triangular shape was especialy intriuging, as Marsaili had never before imagined that a room could be anything else than square or rectangular. The floor was made of a smooth, light colored wood. Engraved upon it were silver colored leaves and vines, wich the artist seemed to have captured in an intimately intwined dance. To Marsaili, it seemed almost a shame to tread upon such a masterpiece. The ceiling was an intricate weave of branches, vines, and thin silver fabrics; all of wich let in the light from the upper levels of the royal dwelling as well as the glow from the day and night skies. The outer wall faced the city and also made of branches, vines, and the same light fabric. The folds of the fabric could easily be swept aside, leaving open spaces that served as windows. The two interior walls were formed of engraved wooden partitions wich matched the floor. Drapped upon the walls were delicate tapistries depicting glimpses of elven mythology and lore. The doorways were mere gaps in the partitions into wich hung thick embroidered fabrics from branches in the cieling.
The furnishings of the room were just as impressive. Lanterns hung down from the ceiling, and along with the candles placed aout the room,would serve to create a soft, luminescent glow when natural light began to fade. A large, full length, silver gilded mirror hung also from the ceiling along the wall bordering Haldir's room. In the outer corner, near Marlaili's room, a sitting area was formed of luxurios couches, plush pillows, and a thick rug. In the center of the room was a tub of smoothed wood. It was wide and low to the floor, but still provided ample room for the bather to comfortably, and completely submerge themselves. There was also a curios slot just beneath the tub itself in wich smooth, dark stones were placed. Several small tables lined the walls and held various bath items, such as: oils, salves, lotions, soaps, and fragrances.
In the inside corner of the room was a waste bucket seperated from the rest of the space by a sheet of thick fabric which hung from the ceiling in the same manner as those which graced the doorways. In the outside corner, near Hldir's room, was a larger table with two chairs. On the table were clean cloths, towels, and a large bowl. Next to the table was a basket of an elegant weave wich was used for soiled cloths and garments.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Haldir's P.O.V.*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Standing just inside the doorway, Haldir loookked down at the young woman in his arms. He realized taht just the day before he had been dead set against sharing his heart with her. He knew she was his soulmate by his reaction to touching her; for it was taught to all elves, when they came of age, that a soulmate may be recognized by a rush of energy when the two beings touched. However, this was most common between couples with a very strong bond. Perhaps this was the reason he had fought with his heart for so long. It confirmed that he and Marlaili were indeed soulmates and already had a strong bond. It meant that he was no longer in control and that was what had bothered him the most. However, when he had awoken Marsaili and saw the sheer terror and pain on her face, bieng in controll no longer mattered to him; she did and, as he looked at the innocence and wonder in her eyes, he realized she always would.
Haldir felt Marsaili shift uncomfortably in his arms and he adjusted his hold on her to better support her back and ease the strain on her side wound. Marsaili visibly relaxed and lay her head on his shoulder. This brought an amused smile to his face and a twinkle of mirth to his eyes. He knew she was onlly letting down her defenses because she was too exhausted to keep them up. Her ordeal this morn, both self inflicted and otherwise, must have taxed her more than he thought. Regardless of the cause, Haldir knew that her behavior was the result of the trust her heart had in him, whther or not her mind shared that sentiment. He knew that eventualy she would come to trust him completely, for he knew all too well that a fight against one's heart would surely be lost.
Haldir was certain that Marsaili was his soulmate, but when she would come to realize this he could not begin to ponder. He knew her body craved his own, for he had seen that longing in her eyes when they first opened in fair Lorien. He was not sure if she would be able to truly love him even if he ws already beggining to love her. Haldir knew there was a great pain and sadness that afflicted her soul and until she could purge that poison from herself, he feared she would not be able to truly love anyone. As he carefuly carried her across the room to the table and chairs, he resolved to wait as long as it took for the cleansing to be complete. Haldir resolved never to give up on Marsaili, for he was confident that she would be able to heal. The process had begun when her heart placed its trust in his.
They reached the table and Haldir tenderly sat Maraaili down on one of the comfortable chairs. She watched as he collected various cloths and bandages from the table. Her gaze followed him as he rounded the table and stepped into the corner of the room. An inquisitive expression was quick to take form on her lovely face as Haldir began to draw hot water. He looked back at Marsaili and smiled at her bewilderment.
" Ah, I see you have noticed our well," Haldir said knowingly. At this Marsaili raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Haldir gave a small laugh as he explained to her its workings.
"Long have the elves of the Golden Wood lived high in the boughs of the mellyrn trees. This made obtaining water and other things quite difficult, for no one wishes to spend half of thier day lugging burdens up and down the trees. To solve this problem we constructed wells in each of the living quarters.They allow us to recieve laundry, food, hot water, and anything else we may need or wish to be rid of." Haldir said motioning to the corner where the waste bucketwas placed. " There are serving tents at the base of each dwelling to accomodate the needs of those above. They continually heat water and stones. The stones are needed to keep the water hot. It is also there that they do the laundry. There is a basket for garments and buckets for stones and water. If there is anything else we may need we simply send down a message in the letter pouch, " Haldir emphasised his point by showing her a silver pouch, which was attatched to the well by silver rope, as were the buckets and the basket, " and we will be sent up what we requested. The system is realy quite ingenious."
"Uma(yes), " Marsaili breathed in amazement, " it certaintly is." Her wonderfilled eyes followed Haldir as he returned with a bucket of steaming water, which he poured in the bowl. He returned the bucket to the well and took the seat next to her. He felt her eyes upon him and looked into her face with a puzzled frown.
"Does something trouble you Marsaili?" His frown pussed deeper as he stumbled over her name. She shook her head slightly and laughed pleasantly at his frustration. The sound was a delight to his ears.
" Do you actually bathe in hot water?" She asked in disbelief.
" Yes, and quite frequently.Why? Surely you must have done the same." Haldir replied.
"No, " Marsaili said. "I don't believe that I've ever had a hot bath." She giggled at the shocked expression on his face, for it seemed to make him look utterly ridiculous and was a welcome change from his usual serious demeanor. " I used to bathe in the stream near my home where I lived with my par-ents....." Upon speaking the last word her voice faltered and trailed off. Haldir thought this odd, but said nothing, remebering thier truce. Instead he stored the information away for further use.
Seeking not to further distress her Haldir bussied himself with the task at hand. He gently cleaned and dressed each foot, discarding the soiled bandages in the nearby basket. The next task he feared would not be so simple. He had yet to see to her side wound. Although the night shift she wore laced up the sides, he feared she would not be very appreciative of the intrusion he would have to make on her privacy.
"Marsaili,"Haldir carefully adressed her, "I'll have to change the dressing on the side wound now. I do not wish to intrude on your modesty, but I must see how well you are healing."
Marsaili's face visibly paled, but understanding shone in her eyes. Haldir was relieved to see that she was not going to challenge what was neccesary. ' Maybe, " he thought,' she has more trust in me than I had first believed.' He was glad in this new knowledge, but was still upset to have to cause her discomfort. Looking into her eyes he tried once more to reassure her. She held his gaze and nodded her permission, only then did he begin his work, all the while being careful not to reveal more of her silky skin than neccesary. However much he would have liked to do otherwise, her needs were still foremost in his mind. Haldir stopped unlacing the shift when the bandage was uncovered. He carefuly removed it to reveal an angry, yet healing injury. He lifted his fingers and gently tested her wound.
Haldir's fingers came into contact with her skin and a bright light flashed behind his eyes. His hand fell from her side as his mind reeled through time. It finnaly stopped an began to replay events from nearly two centuruies past.
Haldir saw a large gathering of people. There was joyous music playing and all present seemed to be having a wonderful time. He saw his brother, Orophin, and his new bride, Arafaire, dancing with one another. Haldir then saw himself slowly leaving the party. He wore a tired and saddened expression as he continued walking deeper into the forrest. He stopped under an opening in the canopy. As Haldir continued to watch he saw himself sinking to the ground in grief. His tear streaked face was upturned to the stars. Haldir heard his own grief stricken voice cry out to Elbereth for a sign. The memory of his former self asked her to give him hope, for he feared he was fading. He longed for another, though who she was he knew not. His prayer was further distressed as he expressed his fear that he would never find her. As Haldir watched himself double over in heartache, he heard a sweet voice speak from the stars above. It was Elbereth herself and she told the sorrowful Haldir to be strong, for there was indeed a mate for his soul. A weary face lifted to look once more at the stars and saw that they had aligned themselves into the shape of an elongated star. He heard Elbereth speak once more, saying that the maiden who would heal his weary soul would bear that sign.
Haldir again saw the bright light and was left breathless as his mind yet again traveled through time. He opened his eyes to find he was staring at Marsaili's injury. Realization dawned upon him as he saw that her wound was healing in the shape of the sign from his vision. Tears glistened in his eyes as he found that Elbereth had indeed been true to her word. She had sent him his soulmate and she bore the mark of a star.