Disclaimer: This sad writer can only claim ownership over Anwanárë and
other characters not mentioned in Tolkien's fabulous LotR.
Author's Note: In response to a review, I feel the need to clear any misunderstandings. No, Anwanárë is not a special kind of elf. Her behavior as a young child only reinforces her true bloodlines and her instincts as an elf-child. Even though she did not grow up in an elven household, she instinctively knows the elvish tongue and possesses the elvish abilities, which is the reason why the village must give her up to the elves.
Loving You from Afar
By crazeebabee
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The day started like any other. The sun rose to shine peacefully on the small village, while a cool wind swept down from the mountains looming to the north. The adults broke their fast before performing morning chores. Soon, the men were heading off to the fields once more. Some women dragged their children to the nearby stream to wash the laundry, while others chose to sit at the looms to weave fabric. The soft flow of women-chatter was soon laced with the high-pitched squeals of rowdy children, energized by a good night's sleep.
One child, however, did not join in the daily romps today. Dark head bent to look at the ground, she glumly kicked at pebbles while shuffling her feet in front of the Wise Woman's hut. The women would glance up at their work now and then, to look with concern upon the young child. Gone were the sunny smiles and lilting melodies that usually accompanied the young elf. Today, she even ignored the village dog. He followed at her heels, occasionally whimpering and bumping her legs, trying to entice her to play.
After a particularly rough nudge, the girl seemed to come out of her quiet reverie. She frowned at the dog, as if noticing him for the first time. She roughly shoved him away, admonishing him sharply, "Not today, Nóla." The dog gazed forlornly into the girl's stormy face before walking sadly away to disappear in a nearby hut. Without another thought, the girl resumed her shuffling.
"Anwa! Anwanárë, come here." With a sigh, the girl turned and walked into the Wise Woman's hut.
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The Wise Woman was standing at her table in the center of the hut, preparing various herbs to use as medicinal remedies. She paused to look up as Anwanárë shuffled through the door and plopped onto a cushion lying on the floor. Continuing to tie bunches of herbs to dry, the Wise Woman kept an eye on the girl as she spoke.
"Anwanárë, I know you are upset, dear, but that is hardly a reason to treat Nóla harshly. He didn't do any harm to you; he simply wants to play. Isn't that right?"
Anwanárë answered glumly, "I suppose."
"Anwa, you must learn to control your emotions. Just because you are feeling bad, it doesn't mean that you can treat others with less respect. Nólaindo was just trying to be friendly."
"I know, Wise One. I will apologize to him later," she said dejectedly.
Shaking her head, the Wise Woman commented, "One of these days, Anwa, you are going to say something or do something that cannot be smoothed over with an apology. That is why you must learn to rein in your temper and hold your tongue."
When Anwanárë didn't answer and simply sat with a hand idly tracing the dirt on the floor, the Wise Woman decided to take the conversation further. Wiping her hands on her apron, the old woman walked around the table to sit with the girl. Kneeling before Anwanárë and taking her small hands in her own, the Wise Woman asked, "What is wrong, my dear?"
The girl raised troubled eyes to meet the old woman's. "Why must I go, Wise One? Don't you want me anymore?"
The Wise Woman squeezed the young girl's hands earnestly. She was quick to say, "Oh, sweet, of course I still want you! I will always want you! And you will always have a home here. But that is beside the point. You must go because you were born an elf, and you should be raised as one also. Lord Elrond has generously agreed to accept you into his home - -"
The child broke in with a distraught wail, "But I don't want to be raised like an elf! They're tall and skinny and strange. Why can't I stay here with you and grow up like an ordinary human girl?"
The Wise Woman gave Anwanárë a reproving look. "For shame, Anwa!" she said harshly. "Why on Middle Earth would you get the impression that elves are strange?"
Embarrassed, Anwanárë looked at the ground as she confessed, "It is what I overhear the other village children say. They think I am a strange monster- freak."
The Wise Woman's eyes softened. Using a finger, she tilted Anwanárë's chin so that her amber eyes met the Wise Woman's ice blue ones. "Anwa, my dear, you shouldn't listen to those children. They are just jealous that they aren't as special as you are. Look at you, with your beautiful pointy ears. . ." The Wise Woman paused to trace Anwanárë's delicate ears with a trembling finger. Her blue eyes grew misty with unshed tears, as she sadly examined her small charge. Anwanárë watched with wide eyes, never having seen the Wise Woman cry before.
With a watery laugh, the Wise Woman added, "And look how you've grown! My, I still remember how you were as a babe, so small but so feisty." Clearing her throat, the Wise Woman hastily wiped her eyes before going on. "Certainly you are not strange. You're mother was the most beautiful elf - so fair, so fragile, and yet so brave. That is why I want you to go live with Lord Elrond. So you can grow up to be just like her. I know that is what she would have wanted for you." She smiled bravely at Anwanárë. "You must promise me that you will be good and try your best to become a fine elven lady. Do you understand, Anwa? You must give me your word that you will try to become the best elf in all of Middle Earth."
With a trembling lip, Anwanárë nodded. She said, haltingly, "Y-y-yes, I pro-promise."
The Wise Woman smiled fondly at the girl. "That's my girl. I know you will do just fine."
With a stifled sob, the little girl hurled herself into the old woman's arms. "I will miss you so, Wise One," she cried.
The Wise Woman cradled the girl in her arms, rocking slowly back and forth. She murmured into the girl's dark curls, "I know, I know. Shhh, everything will be all right, Anwa. You'll see. Everything will be all right." Soon, exhausted from crying, the girl drifted off into a fitful slumber in the Wise Woman's arms.
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \
Review, pretty please!
Author's Note: In response to a review, I feel the need to clear any misunderstandings. No, Anwanárë is not a special kind of elf. Her behavior as a young child only reinforces her true bloodlines and her instincts as an elf-child. Even though she did not grow up in an elven household, she instinctively knows the elvish tongue and possesses the elvish abilities, which is the reason why the village must give her up to the elves.
Loving You from Afar
By crazeebabee
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \
The day started like any other. The sun rose to shine peacefully on the small village, while a cool wind swept down from the mountains looming to the north. The adults broke their fast before performing morning chores. Soon, the men were heading off to the fields once more. Some women dragged their children to the nearby stream to wash the laundry, while others chose to sit at the looms to weave fabric. The soft flow of women-chatter was soon laced with the high-pitched squeals of rowdy children, energized by a good night's sleep.
One child, however, did not join in the daily romps today. Dark head bent to look at the ground, she glumly kicked at pebbles while shuffling her feet in front of the Wise Woman's hut. The women would glance up at their work now and then, to look with concern upon the young child. Gone were the sunny smiles and lilting melodies that usually accompanied the young elf. Today, she even ignored the village dog. He followed at her heels, occasionally whimpering and bumping her legs, trying to entice her to play.
After a particularly rough nudge, the girl seemed to come out of her quiet reverie. She frowned at the dog, as if noticing him for the first time. She roughly shoved him away, admonishing him sharply, "Not today, Nóla." The dog gazed forlornly into the girl's stormy face before walking sadly away to disappear in a nearby hut. Without another thought, the girl resumed her shuffling.
"Anwa! Anwanárë, come here." With a sigh, the girl turned and walked into the Wise Woman's hut.
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \
The Wise Woman was standing at her table in the center of the hut, preparing various herbs to use as medicinal remedies. She paused to look up as Anwanárë shuffled through the door and plopped onto a cushion lying on the floor. Continuing to tie bunches of herbs to dry, the Wise Woman kept an eye on the girl as she spoke.
"Anwanárë, I know you are upset, dear, but that is hardly a reason to treat Nóla harshly. He didn't do any harm to you; he simply wants to play. Isn't that right?"
Anwanárë answered glumly, "I suppose."
"Anwa, you must learn to control your emotions. Just because you are feeling bad, it doesn't mean that you can treat others with less respect. Nólaindo was just trying to be friendly."
"I know, Wise One. I will apologize to him later," she said dejectedly.
Shaking her head, the Wise Woman commented, "One of these days, Anwa, you are going to say something or do something that cannot be smoothed over with an apology. That is why you must learn to rein in your temper and hold your tongue."
When Anwanárë didn't answer and simply sat with a hand idly tracing the dirt on the floor, the Wise Woman decided to take the conversation further. Wiping her hands on her apron, the old woman walked around the table to sit with the girl. Kneeling before Anwanárë and taking her small hands in her own, the Wise Woman asked, "What is wrong, my dear?"
The girl raised troubled eyes to meet the old woman's. "Why must I go, Wise One? Don't you want me anymore?"
The Wise Woman squeezed the young girl's hands earnestly. She was quick to say, "Oh, sweet, of course I still want you! I will always want you! And you will always have a home here. But that is beside the point. You must go because you were born an elf, and you should be raised as one also. Lord Elrond has generously agreed to accept you into his home - -"
The child broke in with a distraught wail, "But I don't want to be raised like an elf! They're tall and skinny and strange. Why can't I stay here with you and grow up like an ordinary human girl?"
The Wise Woman gave Anwanárë a reproving look. "For shame, Anwa!" she said harshly. "Why on Middle Earth would you get the impression that elves are strange?"
Embarrassed, Anwanárë looked at the ground as she confessed, "It is what I overhear the other village children say. They think I am a strange monster- freak."
The Wise Woman's eyes softened. Using a finger, she tilted Anwanárë's chin so that her amber eyes met the Wise Woman's ice blue ones. "Anwa, my dear, you shouldn't listen to those children. They are just jealous that they aren't as special as you are. Look at you, with your beautiful pointy ears. . ." The Wise Woman paused to trace Anwanárë's delicate ears with a trembling finger. Her blue eyes grew misty with unshed tears, as she sadly examined her small charge. Anwanárë watched with wide eyes, never having seen the Wise Woman cry before.
With a watery laugh, the Wise Woman added, "And look how you've grown! My, I still remember how you were as a babe, so small but so feisty." Clearing her throat, the Wise Woman hastily wiped her eyes before going on. "Certainly you are not strange. You're mother was the most beautiful elf - so fair, so fragile, and yet so brave. That is why I want you to go live with Lord Elrond. So you can grow up to be just like her. I know that is what she would have wanted for you." She smiled bravely at Anwanárë. "You must promise me that you will be good and try your best to become a fine elven lady. Do you understand, Anwa? You must give me your word that you will try to become the best elf in all of Middle Earth."
With a trembling lip, Anwanárë nodded. She said, haltingly, "Y-y-yes, I pro-promise."
The Wise Woman smiled fondly at the girl. "That's my girl. I know you will do just fine."
With a stifled sob, the little girl hurled herself into the old woman's arms. "I will miss you so, Wise One," she cried.
The Wise Woman cradled the girl in her arms, rocking slowly back and forth. She murmured into the girl's dark curls, "I know, I know. Shhh, everything will be all right, Anwa. You'll see. Everything will be all right." Soon, exhausted from crying, the girl drifted off into a fitful slumber in the Wise Woman's arms.
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \
Review, pretty please!
