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(Chapter Four) [Age: 19 Turning 20] The Missing Half-Maia
It was Númellóte's day of birth celebration. She turned 20, and in the eyes of the elder's, she was now an adolescent. She would have to be 50 years old before being considered an adult. She needed to take extra care in preparing today, so she woke up very early. First she took a long bath. Then she wrapped a towel around her and went to pick her clothing. She ruffled through her outfits and finally selected a deep blue almost black dress. It was middle Autumn and the air was crisp and cool, so the dress was nice and comfy for a day like this. She decided to go barefoot since the party was to be held in the dining hall which was made of marble and always felt good beneath her feet. She grabbed the violets from their vase on her table by the window, and braided them into a crown. Lótë combed her silver hair back, and only put in two braids to keep it out of her face. Then She arranged the flower crown on her hair so it fit snugly, and left to go to the hall. But on the way there she was intercepted by the twins who were looking very sad.
"father had to schedule an emergency meeting about something, so the celebration has been moved off a couple months. We're sorry. Why don't we go for a birthday walk instead" Elrohir said. Lótë hung her head but nodded. This made her very sad. But just as they reached the main outdoor deck nearly half the population of Imladris jumped out and scared the living soul out of her.
"HAPPY DAY OF BIRTH!" they all shouted. Lótë jumped in surprise, and the twins were laughing so hard they had tears rolling down their cheeks and they were doubled over. Everyone was talking to her and sending her their well wishes. She nodded and said many thank you's before finally finding Erestor and Elrond chatting with Glorfindel.
"happy birthday" Erestor grinned and hugged her.
"yes, very happy indeed" Elrond agreed.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" something shouted and tackled her from behind. It was Glorfindel.
"thank you everyone! This was such a shock! But Elrohir told me-"
"Elrohir lied so we could surprise you" Elrond chuckled. She just sighed and rolled her eyes but good-naturedly. She was directed to a large pile of presents. She tried to protest but no one would listen. She opened gift after gift, each better then the next. Her tutors and father's gifts were saved for after everyone had left.
"here, this is from Fin" Glorfindel said and handed her a heavy gift. She opened it and found a huge book entitled "The Silmarillion". It was the entire history of the Elves, including every myth and legend that was ever recorded.
"oh thank you! I love this! I love hearing these stories" Lótë exclaimed, running her hand over the leather cover. Glorfindel just smiled more. Next was Elrond's gift, and it was a beautiful dress. It was made of wine purple heavy damask, with golden edging and beautiful intricate patterns running all over the skirt of it.
"oh its absolutely magnificent! I love this! Every time I wear it I shall think of you" she smiled affectionately and carefully placed the dress by the book. Now was her father's gift. It was in two parts. The first was a cherry wood jewelry chest inlaid with gold and it had a large A embossed on the top. She wondered about the A, but did not think on it again as she thanked Erestor and hugged him.
"now come with me. Elrond and I have a combined gift for you" Erestor said, guiding her towards Elrond's study. Lótë sat down in a chair as Erestor brought out a silk pouch but before he gave it to her, he said he had to tell her something first.
"Lótë there is no easy way to tell you this, so I shall just tell you everything. I am not your father. I found you when you were 14 months old. You name is not Númellóte or Lótë, but Amariieana, also known as Marii. Your are the daughter of Ithil, Maia of the moon by his love affair with an elf maiden named Marinn of Mirkwood. You are indeed 20 years old, but we are unsure of your real date of birth. Your mother was attacked and killed by orcs and so was her escort. Your father as you know lives in Valinor. There is some prophecy attacked with you, but we have been unsuccessful in locating anything relevant to it. I'm sorry to have to tell you this. I wish I was your father. You have made me as proud as any daughter could make her father. You inherited your father's powers, but your mother's immortality choice. If you were full Maia you wouldn't have been able to survive on Arda for more then a few years. Oh Lótë how I wish all this weren't true. But it is, and I can't erase it. I'm so sorry. Oh and this was found with you 19 years ago, it is the symbol of your father" Erestor said and handed her the moon charm necklace. Lótë just stared at it in disbelief. Then she threw it against the wall and stood up with all the rage of a stormy sea locked in her stormy grey eyes.
"why do you lie to me like this? And if this is somehow true, why did you bring me up as Lótë? Why not bring me up as who I was?!" she screamed at them.
"because we wanted to protect you! There are evil forces at work that want you! You hold great power! You are the last Maia on Arda! Please don't hate us" Elrond tried.
Lótë's anger went to sorrow in a few fleeting seconds. She rushed over to Erestor and threw her arms around him.
"ada I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! This was such a shock and I wish you were my father! Oh why does this have to happen to me! But it explains so much. My spontaneously starting things on fire or moving things, my being so fast, my silver hair, and even why I am affected by the cold...and my dream I had when I was 12. Oh Elbereth please help me! What happened? What is happening? What will happen" she sobbed into Erestor's arms as if she were 12 again.
"nothing will happen. You will remain here where the darkness cannot get you. If you wish you can still be Lótë and things will proceed as normally as possible" Elrond said.
"but... the darkness can find me? Even if I am in Rivendell can't it" she said, growing more worried by the second.
"eventually it will, but by then we shall be perfectly prepared" Elrond assured her.
But inside of her head countless thoughts whirled around. She saw images of all the Imladris residents laying strewn, dead, everywhere. She saw her ada, Elrond, Glorfindel, Elrohir, Elladan, everyone she cared about dead because of her. It made her tremble and the floor and walls started to spin.
"Lótë are you well? You look so pale! Lótë? Lótë!" Erestor exclaimed as she fell to the ground as if in slow motion. Elrond ran ahead to prepare a room for her in the Last Homely House and Erestor carried her there.
"Lótë? Wake up! What is the matter! Lótë please! Don't do this to me! Stay awake!" Erestor said but she was unconscious and would be for a while. When he got to the room, Elrond instructed him to layer her down but to elevate her head.
"we don't want all the blood going to her head, but at the same time we want enough up there" he explained. Lótë laid on the bed, unmoving, for several hours. Erestor sat next to her bed, going over some papers, the only sounds breaking the heavy silencer were those of Lótë's shallow breathing and Erestor's papers when they rustled. Finally, when it was well into the deepest part of night, Lótë woke with a gasp.
Erestor's head shot up from where he had been dozing on the desk.
"Lótë? Elbereth are you alright? You scared me? Why did you faint like that?" Erestor asked, coming over and sitting on the bed next to her. Elves did not get sick, so even something as little as fainting for no reason was taken very seriously.
"th... the heat got to me... that's all" she sighed, leaning heavily on the pillows as she tried to sit up.
"no, its better if you stay laying down. I'll return soon. I want Elrond to check you over" Erestor said and slipped out of the room. Lótë tried to sit up again, but this time not only the dizziness was holding her back, but something else, something physical. But just as she was pushed down all the light except one candle by the bed was extinguished so she could not see who held her down.
"rest" said a light, melodious voice in her ear. As her eyes became accustomed to the darkness, she saw a faint silver outline of a male figure.
"who... who are you?" she asked, suddenly afraid.
"rest" said the voice again, "you are safe in Imladris. Stay here". The phantom's voice became more stern when he said the last bit, like it was a command.
"ada! ADA!" she yelled as loud as she could.
"child, you are safe here, and I will not hurt you" the voice said, and finally it stepped into the small pool of light the candle cast. The man was tall, with silver hair and silver eyes. His skin was blanched and pale, almost milk white. He looked just like her.
"ada" she whispered, trying to get up. But he held her down.
"no! ada let me get up! Ada why are you holding me back? Ada!" Lótë cried, getting hysterical.
"Amariieana I have to go, but I will always watch over you. I will see you in physical form one day, but that day is not now. Farewell, my daughter" the spectre said, and then was gone. Lótë started to sob, and as much as she was dizzy, made her way to the closed window. She reached out, grasping for anything.
"come back! Don't leave me ada!" she sobbed. Just then Elrond and Erestor burst in. Erestor, seeing Lótë at the window, thought she was trying to jump.
"Lótë no!" he gasped and rushed over and grabbed her. He carried her away from the window and set her back on the bed.
"what is wrong? What has got you in such a state?" Elrond asked, quite confused.
"my ada! I saw him! Just now! He came and I tried to sit up but he pushed me back down. He said I was safe here, and to stay here. Why did he leave me? I want him to come back! Where did he go?" she was almost incoherent.
"Lótë you need to calm down. The window is closed and locked, and no one came in the door. No one was here, you were hallucinating. Here, drink this, it will grant you dreamless sleep" Elrond said and handed her the goblet. She drank it, and was soon enveloped into sleep's comforting embrace.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next night Lótë woke up when the sun had just set. After a day of continued nightmares she just couldn't take it. She saw things, horrible things. Things she never wanted to see let alone remember. She realized she was too much of a risk and that she had to go. So that night, she decided to run.
Lótë grabbed a pack from her closet, seeing as she had been moved to her room sometime when she was asleep. She put in it some extra clothes, an ornamental dagger, and the picture of Erestor and the twins trying to teach her to swim when she was 5, that an artist had painted. Then the clasped her moon charm necklace around her neck. She threw on her warmest cloak and stalked off to the kitchen. She filled her pack as much as possible with lembas and two water skins and then went down to the stable. She found her favorite horse, El-Lëo (Star Shadow) and saddled him up. Then she climbed in after grabbing her bow and arrows and her two identical black-handled Elvish daggers. But then she stopped. She hid her weapons and took out the picture before hiding her pack too. Lótë crept back inside the house. She went to her father's room, and found him sleeping peacefully in his bed, just as she knew she would. She scribbled a quick note. It said "Dear Ada, I'm sorry I have to go, but I do. I am too much of a risk and I am not willing to endanger all the citizens of the beautiful realm just for myself. I can't tell you where I am going incase somehow this should get into the wrong hands at anytime and burn it right after you read it. And tell everyone I said goodbye. Also tell Elladan to behave or I will come back and set him on fire. I know you are probably sad as you read this, but don't be. Remember always the 20 wonderful years we shared. I love you forever. Your Daughter, Númellóte". She signed it, and set it by the picture. She kissed his cheek then ran back to the stables, tears dropping every few seconds along the way. And each teardrop that landed became a dark, crimson stain on the floor and earth.
The next morning Erestor woke up after having a troubled sleep. He dreamed his daughter had run away. But that couldn't be, his daughter was sleeping a few rooms down in her own. He got up and walked down to her room. He pushed open the door, and what he saw, or rather didn't see, made his heart stop, his blood freeze, and all the breathe leave him. She was nowhere to be found in her room. He ran back to his, and that is when he saw the picture and the note. He read the note, and the first tear he had ever shed in his life splashed down with a deafening splat! and he sat on the bed, just staring at the picture.
Lótë was gone and from what the note said, it sounded like she was gone for good.
************************************************************************
As Lótë was going down to the stables again, she saw a lone elf standing by her horse. It was Anayron.
"where are you going?" he asked her.
"I am running away. I am too much of a danger. And you are certainly not going to prevent me!" she exclaimed, and climbed on her horse.
"no, but I'm going with you" he said, climbing up on another horse named Meril.
"fine" Lótë conceded, but secretly she was happy that he would go with her.
"where are we going?" he asked as they silently cantered out the main gates.
"to the Bay of Belfalas" she replied, urging her horse to a run.
(Chapter Four) [Age: 19 Turning 20] The Missing Half-Maia
It was Númellóte's day of birth celebration. She turned 20, and in the eyes of the elder's, she was now an adolescent. She would have to be 50 years old before being considered an adult. She needed to take extra care in preparing today, so she woke up very early. First she took a long bath. Then she wrapped a towel around her and went to pick her clothing. She ruffled through her outfits and finally selected a deep blue almost black dress. It was middle Autumn and the air was crisp and cool, so the dress was nice and comfy for a day like this. She decided to go barefoot since the party was to be held in the dining hall which was made of marble and always felt good beneath her feet. She grabbed the violets from their vase on her table by the window, and braided them into a crown. Lótë combed her silver hair back, and only put in two braids to keep it out of her face. Then She arranged the flower crown on her hair so it fit snugly, and left to go to the hall. But on the way there she was intercepted by the twins who were looking very sad.
"father had to schedule an emergency meeting about something, so the celebration has been moved off a couple months. We're sorry. Why don't we go for a birthday walk instead" Elrohir said. Lótë hung her head but nodded. This made her very sad. But just as they reached the main outdoor deck nearly half the population of Imladris jumped out and scared the living soul out of her.
"HAPPY DAY OF BIRTH!" they all shouted. Lótë jumped in surprise, and the twins were laughing so hard they had tears rolling down their cheeks and they were doubled over. Everyone was talking to her and sending her their well wishes. She nodded and said many thank you's before finally finding Erestor and Elrond chatting with Glorfindel.
"happy birthday" Erestor grinned and hugged her.
"yes, very happy indeed" Elrond agreed.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" something shouted and tackled her from behind. It was Glorfindel.
"thank you everyone! This was such a shock! But Elrohir told me-"
"Elrohir lied so we could surprise you" Elrond chuckled. She just sighed and rolled her eyes but good-naturedly. She was directed to a large pile of presents. She tried to protest but no one would listen. She opened gift after gift, each better then the next. Her tutors and father's gifts were saved for after everyone had left.
"here, this is from Fin" Glorfindel said and handed her a heavy gift. She opened it and found a huge book entitled "The Silmarillion". It was the entire history of the Elves, including every myth and legend that was ever recorded.
"oh thank you! I love this! I love hearing these stories" Lótë exclaimed, running her hand over the leather cover. Glorfindel just smiled more. Next was Elrond's gift, and it was a beautiful dress. It was made of wine purple heavy damask, with golden edging and beautiful intricate patterns running all over the skirt of it.
"oh its absolutely magnificent! I love this! Every time I wear it I shall think of you" she smiled affectionately and carefully placed the dress by the book. Now was her father's gift. It was in two parts. The first was a cherry wood jewelry chest inlaid with gold and it had a large A embossed on the top. She wondered about the A, but did not think on it again as she thanked Erestor and hugged him.
"now come with me. Elrond and I have a combined gift for you" Erestor said, guiding her towards Elrond's study. Lótë sat down in a chair as Erestor brought out a silk pouch but before he gave it to her, he said he had to tell her something first.
"Lótë there is no easy way to tell you this, so I shall just tell you everything. I am not your father. I found you when you were 14 months old. You name is not Númellóte or Lótë, but Amariieana, also known as Marii. Your are the daughter of Ithil, Maia of the moon by his love affair with an elf maiden named Marinn of Mirkwood. You are indeed 20 years old, but we are unsure of your real date of birth. Your mother was attacked and killed by orcs and so was her escort. Your father as you know lives in Valinor. There is some prophecy attacked with you, but we have been unsuccessful in locating anything relevant to it. I'm sorry to have to tell you this. I wish I was your father. You have made me as proud as any daughter could make her father. You inherited your father's powers, but your mother's immortality choice. If you were full Maia you wouldn't have been able to survive on Arda for more then a few years. Oh Lótë how I wish all this weren't true. But it is, and I can't erase it. I'm so sorry. Oh and this was found with you 19 years ago, it is the symbol of your father" Erestor said and handed her the moon charm necklace. Lótë just stared at it in disbelief. Then she threw it against the wall and stood up with all the rage of a stormy sea locked in her stormy grey eyes.
"why do you lie to me like this? And if this is somehow true, why did you bring me up as Lótë? Why not bring me up as who I was?!" she screamed at them.
"because we wanted to protect you! There are evil forces at work that want you! You hold great power! You are the last Maia on Arda! Please don't hate us" Elrond tried.
Lótë's anger went to sorrow in a few fleeting seconds. She rushed over to Erestor and threw her arms around him.
"ada I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! This was such a shock and I wish you were my father! Oh why does this have to happen to me! But it explains so much. My spontaneously starting things on fire or moving things, my being so fast, my silver hair, and even why I am affected by the cold...and my dream I had when I was 12. Oh Elbereth please help me! What happened? What is happening? What will happen" she sobbed into Erestor's arms as if she were 12 again.
"nothing will happen. You will remain here where the darkness cannot get you. If you wish you can still be Lótë and things will proceed as normally as possible" Elrond said.
"but... the darkness can find me? Even if I am in Rivendell can't it" she said, growing more worried by the second.
"eventually it will, but by then we shall be perfectly prepared" Elrond assured her.
But inside of her head countless thoughts whirled around. She saw images of all the Imladris residents laying strewn, dead, everywhere. She saw her ada, Elrond, Glorfindel, Elrohir, Elladan, everyone she cared about dead because of her. It made her tremble and the floor and walls started to spin.
"Lótë are you well? You look so pale! Lótë? Lótë!" Erestor exclaimed as she fell to the ground as if in slow motion. Elrond ran ahead to prepare a room for her in the Last Homely House and Erestor carried her there.
"Lótë? Wake up! What is the matter! Lótë please! Don't do this to me! Stay awake!" Erestor said but she was unconscious and would be for a while. When he got to the room, Elrond instructed him to layer her down but to elevate her head.
"we don't want all the blood going to her head, but at the same time we want enough up there" he explained. Lótë laid on the bed, unmoving, for several hours. Erestor sat next to her bed, going over some papers, the only sounds breaking the heavy silencer were those of Lótë's shallow breathing and Erestor's papers when they rustled. Finally, when it was well into the deepest part of night, Lótë woke with a gasp.
Erestor's head shot up from where he had been dozing on the desk.
"Lótë? Elbereth are you alright? You scared me? Why did you faint like that?" Erestor asked, coming over and sitting on the bed next to her. Elves did not get sick, so even something as little as fainting for no reason was taken very seriously.
"th... the heat got to me... that's all" she sighed, leaning heavily on the pillows as she tried to sit up.
"no, its better if you stay laying down. I'll return soon. I want Elrond to check you over" Erestor said and slipped out of the room. Lótë tried to sit up again, but this time not only the dizziness was holding her back, but something else, something physical. But just as she was pushed down all the light except one candle by the bed was extinguished so she could not see who held her down.
"rest" said a light, melodious voice in her ear. As her eyes became accustomed to the darkness, she saw a faint silver outline of a male figure.
"who... who are you?" she asked, suddenly afraid.
"rest" said the voice again, "you are safe in Imladris. Stay here". The phantom's voice became more stern when he said the last bit, like it was a command.
"ada! ADA!" she yelled as loud as she could.
"child, you are safe here, and I will not hurt you" the voice said, and finally it stepped into the small pool of light the candle cast. The man was tall, with silver hair and silver eyes. His skin was blanched and pale, almost milk white. He looked just like her.
"ada" she whispered, trying to get up. But he held her down.
"no! ada let me get up! Ada why are you holding me back? Ada!" Lótë cried, getting hysterical.
"Amariieana I have to go, but I will always watch over you. I will see you in physical form one day, but that day is not now. Farewell, my daughter" the spectre said, and then was gone. Lótë started to sob, and as much as she was dizzy, made her way to the closed window. She reached out, grasping for anything.
"come back! Don't leave me ada!" she sobbed. Just then Elrond and Erestor burst in. Erestor, seeing Lótë at the window, thought she was trying to jump.
"Lótë no!" he gasped and rushed over and grabbed her. He carried her away from the window and set her back on the bed.
"what is wrong? What has got you in such a state?" Elrond asked, quite confused.
"my ada! I saw him! Just now! He came and I tried to sit up but he pushed me back down. He said I was safe here, and to stay here. Why did he leave me? I want him to come back! Where did he go?" she was almost incoherent.
"Lótë you need to calm down. The window is closed and locked, and no one came in the door. No one was here, you were hallucinating. Here, drink this, it will grant you dreamless sleep" Elrond said and handed her the goblet. She drank it, and was soon enveloped into sleep's comforting embrace.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next night Lótë woke up when the sun had just set. After a day of continued nightmares she just couldn't take it. She saw things, horrible things. Things she never wanted to see let alone remember. She realized she was too much of a risk and that she had to go. So that night, she decided to run.
Lótë grabbed a pack from her closet, seeing as she had been moved to her room sometime when she was asleep. She put in it some extra clothes, an ornamental dagger, and the picture of Erestor and the twins trying to teach her to swim when she was 5, that an artist had painted. Then the clasped her moon charm necklace around her neck. She threw on her warmest cloak and stalked off to the kitchen. She filled her pack as much as possible with lembas and two water skins and then went down to the stable. She found her favorite horse, El-Lëo (Star Shadow) and saddled him up. Then she climbed in after grabbing her bow and arrows and her two identical black-handled Elvish daggers. But then she stopped. She hid her weapons and took out the picture before hiding her pack too. Lótë crept back inside the house. She went to her father's room, and found him sleeping peacefully in his bed, just as she knew she would. She scribbled a quick note. It said "Dear Ada, I'm sorry I have to go, but I do. I am too much of a risk and I am not willing to endanger all the citizens of the beautiful realm just for myself. I can't tell you where I am going incase somehow this should get into the wrong hands at anytime and burn it right after you read it. And tell everyone I said goodbye. Also tell Elladan to behave or I will come back and set him on fire. I know you are probably sad as you read this, but don't be. Remember always the 20 wonderful years we shared. I love you forever. Your Daughter, Númellóte". She signed it, and set it by the picture. She kissed his cheek then ran back to the stables, tears dropping every few seconds along the way. And each teardrop that landed became a dark, crimson stain on the floor and earth.
The next morning Erestor woke up after having a troubled sleep. He dreamed his daughter had run away. But that couldn't be, his daughter was sleeping a few rooms down in her own. He got up and walked down to her room. He pushed open the door, and what he saw, or rather didn't see, made his heart stop, his blood freeze, and all the breathe leave him. She was nowhere to be found in her room. He ran back to his, and that is when he saw the picture and the note. He read the note, and the first tear he had ever shed in his life splashed down with a deafening splat! and he sat on the bed, just staring at the picture.
Lótë was gone and from what the note said, it sounded like she was gone for good.
************************************************************************
As Lótë was going down to the stables again, she saw a lone elf standing by her horse. It was Anayron.
"where are you going?" he asked her.
"I am running away. I am too much of a danger. And you are certainly not going to prevent me!" she exclaimed, and climbed on her horse.
"no, but I'm going with you" he said, climbing up on another horse named Meril.
"fine" Lótë conceded, but secretly she was happy that he would go with her.
"where are we going?" he asked as they silently cantered out the main gates.
"to the Bay of Belfalas" she replied, urging her horse to a run.