AUTHOR'S NOTE Today is my roommate's 20th birthday and this a birthday present for her, since she loves this story *grin* So Happy Birthday Lauren!!
DISCLAIMER I do own Gauna and Daelin, along with Rae, Colindor, Emeriel, Calíme, etc. Tolkien owns everyone else.
After Legolas left me to join the other warriors, I wandered alone among hundreds of refugee women and children. It was strange to be among so many of human kind, drawing strange memories to my mind.
They were only flashes of feelings. Memories from what must have been the very beginning of my life. As I watched the women tending to their young children, I was overcome by a strange flashback.
A woman with curly, light brown hair was holding me: the same woman who had been appearing in my dreams. She was crying as she kissed me forehead and quickly laid me in a drawer. A blanket fell over me. A scream, followed by an orange glow…
I fell to a sitting position against the rock as the flashback faded. Te tears freely fell as I put my hands over my face.
It had been a vision of the goblin attack when I'd been kidnapped. It all suddenly made sense! The woman I had seen in my recent dreams was my mother. My real mother. It scared me. Was history going to repeat itself? Was the vision trying to tell me that these women would suffer the same fate as my mother?
"Are you all right?"
I looked up to see a young woman about my age watching me with concern. I smiled weakly and nodded. "Only afraid."
She smiled also. "As are we all. I am Gauna."
"I am Raélowen."
Gauna blinked, slightly taken aback. "An Elf! What are you doing with us at Helms Deep?"
"I am here – "
"Mama!"
I was cut off as a brown-haired toddler climbed into Gauna's lap. "Shh darling!" she told him and turned to me. "I'm sorry. This is Daelin, my son."
"It's fine. Hello Daelin!"
"Hi!" he said shyly and grinned. He left his mother to climb onto my lap and look at him in wonder. He reached his chubby hands up to touch the points of my ears. "Mama?" he asked Gauna in confusion.
"An Elf, sweetie," she answered tenderly.
"Elf," he repeated. Grinning, he climbed down and ran off giggling towards a group of children.
Gauna and I watched them play. "He is a sweet child."
Gauna smiled. "Thank you."
"Is his father with the other warriors?" I asked. But her eyes answered alone.
"His father did not come to Helms Deep."
My heart went out to her. "I am sorry."
She shook her head. "He died bravely. With his death, Daelin and I were able to escape." She paused for a minute. "What about you?" she asked. "Do you have a family?"
My hand unconsciously went to my stomach. With a shy smile, I answered, "I will."
"That's wonderful! Congratulations!"
"Thank you." I couldn't stop grinning. The realism that I was going to be a mother was finally sinking in.
"Is…" Gauna stopped, unsure of how to continue. "Is your husband here also?"
"He's not my husband," I explained, a little ashamed. "But yes, he is here."
"Excuse me, Raélowen – "
"Please call me Rae," I interrupted.
"Okay, Rae. But I'm confused." She spread her arms wide, indicating the hundreds hiding in the caves. "We are all human here. You are an Elf and yet you tell me that your lover is here. Forgive me, but never have I heard of a child borne to an Elf-maiden and a man."
I was quiet for a moment. I could tell her my whole story, or simply explain that Legolas was an Elf come to help in battle. Gauna watched me, waiting for an explanation. I finally decided to only give the short explanation until later.
"Not all here are men. One Elf and one dwarf are also in Helms Deep."
I could tell Gauna was surprised. "Others have come to help us?"
"Only three individuals," I replied sadly. "Gimli, son of Glóin, traveled with Aragorn, a Ranger of the Western Men, to Edoras. Now they are here to help protect Helms Deep."
"And the Elf you spoke of? He is…your lover," Gauna guessed.
I nodded. "Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of the Woodland Realm. I am from Caras Galadhon, the great city of the Realm of Lórien." I saw her confusion and realized I had to explain further. "Lórien is the elven realm in the forest of Lothlórien, a fair forest far north of here."
"Oh," she said slowly. "So Legolas is a Prince of the Woodland Realm and you are a maiden from the Lórien realm?" I nodded. "How did you meet?"
"Legolas, along with Aragorn, Gimli, and five other companions took one night's rest in Caras Galadhon on their journey. And," I paused for a moment, sure I was blushing. "Well, there were powers greater than us that brought us together that night."
Gauna looked at me with a knowing smile. "I see."
I'm sure I blushed brighter. "The next morning, the travelers left. It was not an easy parting."
"Nor should it be," my human friend said softly.
"The next day, though, Lady Galadriel reunited Legolas and I."
Gauna interrupted, "Who is this Lady?"
"Galadriel is a very old and wise Queen of the Firstborn. She and her husband, Celeborn, are Lord and Lady of Lothlórien."
"I see."
"Galadriel reunited my lover and I a second time. But he could not abandon his companions. After he left me a second time, I realized that I would not be truly happy unless I was with him. So I left."
Gauna looked impressed. "You left everything? Your family, your friends?"
Uh-oh. 'Good job Rae! Now you'll have to explain everything!' I was quiet for a moment until I figured out what to say. "My friends, yes. But I have no family."
"But Elves are immortal! How can you have no family?"
Unconsciously, I reached up to touch the points of my ears. 'Ok…here we go.' "Gauna, there is something I must share with you. It is a very long story and I don't even understand it all. Are you sure you want me to explain everything?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "Elven lore seems very interesting!"
I laughed slightly. "There is not much elven lore involved, I'm afraid. Gauna, I was born a human."
She just blinked. I couldn't tell if she believed me or not. With a deep breath, I recounted my story.
