Anarrima led them to a clearing in the gardens where a table was set,
lavished with food and wine; only the finest the elves could offer. Already
deep in his meal sat Gimli, and Boromir sat across from him, lost in his
own thoughts about the words of Galadriel.
"And this must be Master Gimli," Anarrima startled the dwarf with a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Eh, what? Oh, my apologies my lady," the dwarf said turning around and wiping his mouth.
"No apologies needed meldirnorn."
"What did she call me?" Gimli whispered to Legolas. The elf gave a small laugh.
"She called you dwarf friend."
"Oh," Gimli smiled back at Ana.
"My name is Anarrima. So you enjoy our feast?" She added sitting next to him. The air was now filled with a song of joy for the coming of the Fellowship to Lothlorien.
"Yes, the finest food I have had the grace of eating in a very long time. My only complaint would be the lack of ale," Gimli laughed. The others took their seat around the table and filled their plates. For hours they ate and laughed, something they were unable to do since they departed from Rivendell.
"Is she an elf?" Merry asked Legolas, who was fumbling with an apple core absentmindedly. Anarrima was on the other side of the table speaking with Aragorn about matters of the Lothlorien guards.
"She is," he answered plainly watching Ana. She was the same elf he had always known, but she seemed so different now. It was nothing that was easily seen. It was deeper, and he didn't know quite yet what it was.
"Then she must be one I have never seen before," Merry added and took a bite of lembas.
"You would be right. Anarrima is one of the Moriquendi, one of the last of her kind," Legolas replied turning his gaze to the young hobbit.
"Moriquendi?!" the hobbit said in astonishment. "Aren't they the servants of Sauron?"
"Yes, Master Merry," Anarrima spoke to the confused Halfling. "though I myself will never take that dark path."
"And what of your family?" It seemed the other companions at the table were listening as well when Merry continued, "What of them?"
"Stop badgering her with your questions, Meriadoc," Aragorn glared at him then gave Ana an apologetic look.
"Well, Master Meriadoc, my mother died when I was young," Ana continued and rose from her seat. Slowly she pulled out a golden clip from her hair. It was in the shape of a crescent moon with an A written in elvish script. She gave it a long look, then handed it to Merry. "She gave me this just before I left for Mirkwood, before she died."
Legolas sat in quiet shock. For as long as he had known her he had never heard her speak of her mother. He knew that it was a sensitive subject, for he too had lost his mother when he was young. But never could he contemplate losing his father also like Ana had. Who was there to love her? Who did she have to love? It was in that moment that he gave his promise to the Valar, he would be the one to give her all the love in the world, the love she truly deserved.
"It's beautiful," Pippin said as he looked upon the jewel, "but..."
"Now that is quite enough questions for tonight," Aragorn interrupted and gestured for Merry to hand back the clip. "We all need to get some rest, we leave in a few days and we need all our strength if we wish to continue our journey successfully."
Merry gave the clip back and Anarrima placed back in her hair. She kissed each hobbit on his brow. "Goodnight Shirelings."
"I'm afraid I must retire as well," Gimli stood and wiped the crumbs off himself. "I bid you all a goodnight." The dwarf bowed before her then disappeared after the hobbits. Boromir, who had remained silent and listening the whole time, left without saying a word.
"I felt they were pressing on private matters," Aragorn explained as he prepared to leave. "Get some rest now you two, we have much to do in the coming days." Aragorn said goodnight and left.
"Why didn't you..." Legolas began in concern when everyone had left small area.
"I never meant to speak of it again," she said. "I never meant for you to know."
"I'm sorry Ana."
"Goodnight Prince," Anarrima smiled and turned to leave but was stopped be Legolas. She turned and looked in confusion as he lightly gripped her wrist. Softly he placed a feather light kiss on her brow and smiled. "Goodnight melethril [my love]." His footsteps were soft as he walked away leaving Ana to her thoughts.
My love? What did he mean by that? He just declared what Anarrima had meant to tell him from the moment he came to Lothlorien... he loved her! By the time she had gathered her senses, he was gone.
"And this must be Master Gimli," Anarrima startled the dwarf with a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Eh, what? Oh, my apologies my lady," the dwarf said turning around and wiping his mouth.
"No apologies needed meldirnorn."
"What did she call me?" Gimli whispered to Legolas. The elf gave a small laugh.
"She called you dwarf friend."
"Oh," Gimli smiled back at Ana.
"My name is Anarrima. So you enjoy our feast?" She added sitting next to him. The air was now filled with a song of joy for the coming of the Fellowship to Lothlorien.
"Yes, the finest food I have had the grace of eating in a very long time. My only complaint would be the lack of ale," Gimli laughed. The others took their seat around the table and filled their plates. For hours they ate and laughed, something they were unable to do since they departed from Rivendell.
"Is she an elf?" Merry asked Legolas, who was fumbling with an apple core absentmindedly. Anarrima was on the other side of the table speaking with Aragorn about matters of the Lothlorien guards.
"She is," he answered plainly watching Ana. She was the same elf he had always known, but she seemed so different now. It was nothing that was easily seen. It was deeper, and he didn't know quite yet what it was.
"Then she must be one I have never seen before," Merry added and took a bite of lembas.
"You would be right. Anarrima is one of the Moriquendi, one of the last of her kind," Legolas replied turning his gaze to the young hobbit.
"Moriquendi?!" the hobbit said in astonishment. "Aren't they the servants of Sauron?"
"Yes, Master Merry," Anarrima spoke to the confused Halfling. "though I myself will never take that dark path."
"And what of your family?" It seemed the other companions at the table were listening as well when Merry continued, "What of them?"
"Stop badgering her with your questions, Meriadoc," Aragorn glared at him then gave Ana an apologetic look.
"Well, Master Meriadoc, my mother died when I was young," Ana continued and rose from her seat. Slowly she pulled out a golden clip from her hair. It was in the shape of a crescent moon with an A written in elvish script. She gave it a long look, then handed it to Merry. "She gave me this just before I left for Mirkwood, before she died."
Legolas sat in quiet shock. For as long as he had known her he had never heard her speak of her mother. He knew that it was a sensitive subject, for he too had lost his mother when he was young. But never could he contemplate losing his father also like Ana had. Who was there to love her? Who did she have to love? It was in that moment that he gave his promise to the Valar, he would be the one to give her all the love in the world, the love she truly deserved.
"It's beautiful," Pippin said as he looked upon the jewel, "but..."
"Now that is quite enough questions for tonight," Aragorn interrupted and gestured for Merry to hand back the clip. "We all need to get some rest, we leave in a few days and we need all our strength if we wish to continue our journey successfully."
Merry gave the clip back and Anarrima placed back in her hair. She kissed each hobbit on his brow. "Goodnight Shirelings."
"I'm afraid I must retire as well," Gimli stood and wiped the crumbs off himself. "I bid you all a goodnight." The dwarf bowed before her then disappeared after the hobbits. Boromir, who had remained silent and listening the whole time, left without saying a word.
"I felt they were pressing on private matters," Aragorn explained as he prepared to leave. "Get some rest now you two, we have much to do in the coming days." Aragorn said goodnight and left.
"Why didn't you..." Legolas began in concern when everyone had left small area.
"I never meant to speak of it again," she said. "I never meant for you to know."
"I'm sorry Ana."
"Goodnight Prince," Anarrima smiled and turned to leave but was stopped be Legolas. She turned and looked in confusion as he lightly gripped her wrist. Softly he placed a feather light kiss on her brow and smiled. "Goodnight melethril [my love]." His footsteps were soft as he walked away leaving Ana to her thoughts.
My love? What did he mean by that? He just declared what Anarrima had meant to tell him from the moment he came to Lothlorien... he loved her! By the time she had gathered her senses, he was gone.
