Starlight Through the Rain
Chapter 2: An Evening Under the Stars
That evening, as Arwen was headed out to the gardens, she ran into Elrohir in the hall.
"Greetings Arwen, dear sister. Where are you off to in such haste?"
"To the gardens. I am spending the evening hours with Estel, the mortal child that is staying in Imladris."
Elrohir quirked a brow and nodded, "Hmm.ah yes, Estel. His father was Arathorn of the Dunedain. Estel's real name is Aragorn and he is the last of Isildur's bloodline.the lost king of Gondor."
Arwen nodded, "Does he know of this?"
"No. Father has decided to tell him of his real heritage on his twentieth birthday, so that he may be safe from all that seek the last heir."
"I see. I should not be late, Elrohir."
Elrohir nodded and saw Arwen off before he walked off to his room.
As Arwen found her way into the garden, she heard soft singing. The Lay of Luthien. She smiled and sang softly with the voice she knew to be Estel's. When she reached the bench he abided on, she settled beside him and they finished the song side by side. One finished, Estel offered Arwen a colorful bouquet of flowers and a slight blush tinged his cheeks, though he turned a dark red as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek, luckily, it was dusk.
"Arwen?"
"Yes Estel?"
The child hesitated for a moment before he continued, "Would you tell me a story?"
Arwen smiled reverently, "Of course. What story do you wish me to tell?"
"The tale of Beren and Luthien."
Arwen frowned a bit, but quickly did a smile curve onto her lips as she saw the excited look in Estel's eyes. Arwen decided on a shortened version of the tale, for the complete was not fit for a child.
" During the first age of the sun, there was an elf maiden named Luthien, daughter of Thingol and Melian of Doriath."
Arwen smiled as Estel rested against her side. She gently stroked his hair as she continued.
"Luthien met a mortal man named Beren and the two fell in love, though their love could not be."
Arwen felt Estel shift a bit, "Why Lady Undomiel?"
"Luthien was an elf and Beren was a man. Luthien was destined to sail to Valinor in the west, while Beren was destined to grow old and die."
Arwen felt Estel frown, "Oh."
"Beren was given an impossible task by Thingol. If he succeeded, he would be allowed to take Luthien as his wife. Beren agreed and he wandered on to fulfill his task. Luthien aided Beren and he succeeded, though soon after Beren was killed and Luthien passed on from immense grief. Though, I like to believe that they were reunited after death."
When Arwen received no answer, she gazed down at Estel and saw that he had fallen asleep. She smiled softly as she lifted the child into her arms.
She carried him from the garden and after asking a few inhabitants she found Estel's room and lay him down on his bed.
She whispered softly to the sleeping child, "I shall meet with you again in a few winters, young one."
Just as Arwen was about to leave the room, she heard a soft voice.
"Lady?"
Arwen paused and turned around to face the child, "Yes, Estel?"
"Where will you go?"
"To the realm of Lothlorien, to visit my mother's kin."
"When will you return," came the sleepy reply.
"When you have reached the age of twenty."
Chapter 2: An Evening Under the Stars
That evening, as Arwen was headed out to the gardens, she ran into Elrohir in the hall.
"Greetings Arwen, dear sister. Where are you off to in such haste?"
"To the gardens. I am spending the evening hours with Estel, the mortal child that is staying in Imladris."
Elrohir quirked a brow and nodded, "Hmm.ah yes, Estel. His father was Arathorn of the Dunedain. Estel's real name is Aragorn and he is the last of Isildur's bloodline.the lost king of Gondor."
Arwen nodded, "Does he know of this?"
"No. Father has decided to tell him of his real heritage on his twentieth birthday, so that he may be safe from all that seek the last heir."
"I see. I should not be late, Elrohir."
Elrohir nodded and saw Arwen off before he walked off to his room.
As Arwen found her way into the garden, she heard soft singing. The Lay of Luthien. She smiled and sang softly with the voice she knew to be Estel's. When she reached the bench he abided on, she settled beside him and they finished the song side by side. One finished, Estel offered Arwen a colorful bouquet of flowers and a slight blush tinged his cheeks, though he turned a dark red as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek, luckily, it was dusk.
"Arwen?"
"Yes Estel?"
The child hesitated for a moment before he continued, "Would you tell me a story?"
Arwen smiled reverently, "Of course. What story do you wish me to tell?"
"The tale of Beren and Luthien."
Arwen frowned a bit, but quickly did a smile curve onto her lips as she saw the excited look in Estel's eyes. Arwen decided on a shortened version of the tale, for the complete was not fit for a child.
" During the first age of the sun, there was an elf maiden named Luthien, daughter of Thingol and Melian of Doriath."
Arwen smiled as Estel rested against her side. She gently stroked his hair as she continued.
"Luthien met a mortal man named Beren and the two fell in love, though their love could not be."
Arwen felt Estel shift a bit, "Why Lady Undomiel?"
"Luthien was an elf and Beren was a man. Luthien was destined to sail to Valinor in the west, while Beren was destined to grow old and die."
Arwen felt Estel frown, "Oh."
"Beren was given an impossible task by Thingol. If he succeeded, he would be allowed to take Luthien as his wife. Beren agreed and he wandered on to fulfill his task. Luthien aided Beren and he succeeded, though soon after Beren was killed and Luthien passed on from immense grief. Though, I like to believe that they were reunited after death."
When Arwen received no answer, she gazed down at Estel and saw that he had fallen asleep. She smiled softly as she lifted the child into her arms.
She carried him from the garden and after asking a few inhabitants she found Estel's room and lay him down on his bed.
She whispered softly to the sleeping child, "I shall meet with you again in a few winters, young one."
Just as Arwen was about to leave the room, she heard a soft voice.
"Lady?"
Arwen paused and turned around to face the child, "Yes, Estel?"
"Where will you go?"
"To the realm of Lothlorien, to visit my mother's kin."
"When will you return," came the sleepy reply.
"When you have reached the age of twenty."
