Starlight Through the Rain
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Thank you so much to my reviewers so far!
Daysleeper: Yes, the first two chapters were very much based on dialogue, but the next two will be more descriptions and thoughts. This chapter will have a lot of dialogue, but I've added more description to make it longer than the others.
Gionareth: I'm glad you like the story. I do my best to update every day.
Chapter Three: Recollections
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By dawn, Arwen had but one task yet to fulfill: to ready Asfaloth. Though the mare was not her own, it was of the swiftest in the valley. Although she felt sorrowful leaving so soon after just returning days ago, she had business to fulfill in Lorien.
Arwen gently stroked Asfaloth's neck. As she did so, sensitive elven ears picked up faint footsteps and she turned to see Estel walking towards her. He paused before her, a look of despair displayed on his face. Arwen frowned and dropped to her knees, taking his hands in her own, and spoke softly to the child.
"I shall return Estel, I promise you this. I will anxiously await the day that I do, for when that day comes, you will be a valiant young man. Do not despair. I ask one favor of you before I leave."
The child listened intently to her words, clear blue eyes burning with tears he would not allow to fall.
"Anything, my lady."
Arwen lifted one hand from hold Estel's and stroked his cheek softly, a complete sincerity not only in her voice but gaze as well, "Promise me that you shall now forget me. That you will keep me in your thoughts until the day that I return."
"Always," he promised, that moment being the last between the two for quite awhile.
"Always." Estel muttered.
It had been ten years since Arwen's departure. Estel had grown into a handsome and well-respected young man and today he was set to have council with his father, Lord Elrond.
It had only been of special occasion that Estel had thought of Arwen, despite his promise. Though, he had not forgotten her. Her beauty and kindness stayed fresh in his mind. Yet, he thought of her as nothing more than a childhood friend, though his heart felt a bit uneasy in such a lightly taken relationship.
Estel found his way to Lord Elrond's study and knocked quietly.
"Enter."
Estel pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside. Elrond gazed up at him and smiled, though Estel noted a tinge of some other feeling in his gray eyes. Elrond smiled and spoke in a cheerful voice, "Good afternoon, Estel. I have been expecting you."
"You wish to speak with me, father?"
"Yes Estel. I wish to reveal to you your heritage."
A look of confusion came over Estel's face. He had known that Elrond was not his true father, and that he was not an elf like all the others in Imladris, though he never actually questioned about his past.
The elven lord clasped his hands together and set them down before him on the desk.
"Your birth father's name was Arathorn. He was killed when you were quite young. You mother brought you here, to Imladris and I took you as my foster son. Your birth name is Aragorn, though I named you Estel, which means hope, for you are the last hope of your race."
At first Estel seemed confused, though the wise words of Elrond were starting to make the smallest amount of sense to him. "Aragorn." The name sounded foreign, yet familiar all the same, though before he could ponder it further, Elrond continued.
"You, my son, are the last living heir of Isildur. The last possible king of Gondor. You many choose to live in exile and to fall to darkness with the rest of your kin or when the time comes, you may reclaim the throne that is rightfully yours."
Aragorn nodded and Lord Elrond was surprised as he was taking this all in much better than he had expected. Though, Aragorn had one last question, "Lord Elrond?"
"Hm?"
"You daughter.Lady Undomiel."
"Yes, what of Arwen?"
"She told me tens years ago that she would return from Lorien on my twentieth birthday. Will she arrive today?"
A soft smile came to Elrond's face, "Arwen would never break her word."
"That is good news. I am looking forward to being in her presence again. She was so kind to me in my youth."
"Ah yes, Arwen always had a special liking for you." Aragorn depicted a hint of masked anger in the elven lord's voice as he spoke.
Aragorn stood and was about to exit when Lord Elrond interrupted him.
"Aragorn."
"Yes, my lord?"
"You know the tale of Luthien and Beren, I presume?"
Aragorn quirked a brow, "Yes."
"Very good. Remember the tale when my daughter arrives."
Aragorn nodded slowly, not understanding Elrond's words just yet. He walked slowly down the corridor before he reached his room. Aragorn fell back onto his bed and sighed. The words of Lord Elrond echoed in his mind. Remember the tale of Luthien and Beren.
Aragorn's eyes widened as he spoke the answer to Elrond's riddle aloud. "Do not fall in love with Lady Arwen upon her return, for if love was requited, she would suffer the fate of Luthien.
***************************************
Thank you so much to my reviewers so far!
Daysleeper: Yes, the first two chapters were very much based on dialogue, but the next two will be more descriptions and thoughts. This chapter will have a lot of dialogue, but I've added more description to make it longer than the others.
Gionareth: I'm glad you like the story. I do my best to update every day.
Chapter Three: Recollections
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By dawn, Arwen had but one task yet to fulfill: to ready Asfaloth. Though the mare was not her own, it was of the swiftest in the valley. Although she felt sorrowful leaving so soon after just returning days ago, she had business to fulfill in Lorien.
Arwen gently stroked Asfaloth's neck. As she did so, sensitive elven ears picked up faint footsteps and she turned to see Estel walking towards her. He paused before her, a look of despair displayed on his face. Arwen frowned and dropped to her knees, taking his hands in her own, and spoke softly to the child.
"I shall return Estel, I promise you this. I will anxiously await the day that I do, for when that day comes, you will be a valiant young man. Do not despair. I ask one favor of you before I leave."
The child listened intently to her words, clear blue eyes burning with tears he would not allow to fall.
"Anything, my lady."
Arwen lifted one hand from hold Estel's and stroked his cheek softly, a complete sincerity not only in her voice but gaze as well, "Promise me that you shall now forget me. That you will keep me in your thoughts until the day that I return."
"Always," he promised, that moment being the last between the two for quite awhile.
"Always." Estel muttered.
It had been ten years since Arwen's departure. Estel had grown into a handsome and well-respected young man and today he was set to have council with his father, Lord Elrond.
It had only been of special occasion that Estel had thought of Arwen, despite his promise. Though, he had not forgotten her. Her beauty and kindness stayed fresh in his mind. Yet, he thought of her as nothing more than a childhood friend, though his heart felt a bit uneasy in such a lightly taken relationship.
Estel found his way to Lord Elrond's study and knocked quietly.
"Enter."
Estel pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside. Elrond gazed up at him and smiled, though Estel noted a tinge of some other feeling in his gray eyes. Elrond smiled and spoke in a cheerful voice, "Good afternoon, Estel. I have been expecting you."
"You wish to speak with me, father?"
"Yes Estel. I wish to reveal to you your heritage."
A look of confusion came over Estel's face. He had known that Elrond was not his true father, and that he was not an elf like all the others in Imladris, though he never actually questioned about his past.
The elven lord clasped his hands together and set them down before him on the desk.
"Your birth father's name was Arathorn. He was killed when you were quite young. You mother brought you here, to Imladris and I took you as my foster son. Your birth name is Aragorn, though I named you Estel, which means hope, for you are the last hope of your race."
At first Estel seemed confused, though the wise words of Elrond were starting to make the smallest amount of sense to him. "Aragorn." The name sounded foreign, yet familiar all the same, though before he could ponder it further, Elrond continued.
"You, my son, are the last living heir of Isildur. The last possible king of Gondor. You many choose to live in exile and to fall to darkness with the rest of your kin or when the time comes, you may reclaim the throne that is rightfully yours."
Aragorn nodded and Lord Elrond was surprised as he was taking this all in much better than he had expected. Though, Aragorn had one last question, "Lord Elrond?"
"Hm?"
"You daughter.Lady Undomiel."
"Yes, what of Arwen?"
"She told me tens years ago that she would return from Lorien on my twentieth birthday. Will she arrive today?"
A soft smile came to Elrond's face, "Arwen would never break her word."
"That is good news. I am looking forward to being in her presence again. She was so kind to me in my youth."
"Ah yes, Arwen always had a special liking for you." Aragorn depicted a hint of masked anger in the elven lord's voice as he spoke.
Aragorn stood and was about to exit when Lord Elrond interrupted him.
"Aragorn."
"Yes, my lord?"
"You know the tale of Luthien and Beren, I presume?"
Aragorn quirked a brow, "Yes."
"Very good. Remember the tale when my daughter arrives."
Aragorn nodded slowly, not understanding Elrond's words just yet. He walked slowly down the corridor before he reached his room. Aragorn fell back onto his bed and sighed. The words of Lord Elrond echoed in his mind. Remember the tale of Luthien and Beren.
Aragorn's eyes widened as he spoke the answer to Elrond's riddle aloud. "Do not fall in love with Lady Arwen upon her return, for if love was requited, she would suffer the fate of Luthien.
