Elf Adventure
Chapter 2 - A Clue
Helcanor takes out a cotton kerchief and wipes her sweaty brow.
"Elisil, Prelate Niinaeth, the last to see Eloriel, told us to go to Eryn Lasgalen. But why are we in Mirkwood? Where is Eryn Lasgelan in the first place?" Helcanor wonders to Elisil.
Elisil smiles. "Be not so curious, Helcanor, you shall soon know! But first...can you tell me where we are?"
Consulting her map, Helcanor says, "I think...we are near the halls of Mirkwood, where Thranduil and the Ndaedeldhrim reside."
"Indeed we are. If you want to know, the Halls of Mirkwood are also called Eryn Lasgalen. Therefore that is where we head. Now..." Elisil hesitates as she takes out Niinaeth's map. "West we should go. Now head off!"
They walk westward for many hours, until Helcanor suddenly points. "Elisil, look!" Elisil turns her head in the direction Helcanor is pointing to. She sees grey iron gates. "Ah! The place of the Ndaedeldhrim! Let us turn there!"
Suddenly, a rustle is heard. A tall elf, about 7'3" tall, steps out into the leafy clearing, an arrow on his bow pointing at them. His hair is bright gold, his skin fair.
"Surrender, or you shall be killed!" The elf's voice thunders around the clearing.
Helcanor and Elisil raise their hands up.
"Who are you to come into our land, to tread our paths and to use our forest?"
Elisil replies with the grace of a swan, "We are elleths of Lorien, here on a mission to find our lost sister."
The elf studies them. He pays much attention to their facial features. He squints here and there, finally drawing back up. "Indeed, you are elves of the golden wood. Now pray tell me why you did not write to Thranduil my father that you were coming here."
Helcanor stares at the elf in awe. "That is to say that you are Legolas, son of Thranduil?"
"Nay, not so great and famous as the heir of the throne. I am Legoluin Greenleaf, second brother of Thranduil. Now..." Legoluin says proudly.
"We did not think the situation here so bad that elves were not allowed in," Elisil answers Legoluin's question.
"Ah...now, would you like to see my father?" Legoluin guesses their motives.
Helcanor nods. "Yes, pray take us to his halls."
¤
Elisil and Helcanor follow Legoluin to King Thranduil's halls. He walks through many rooms and corridors, his shoes going a quiet pat-pat. They finally reach Thranduil's private study. Legoluin knocks softly on the door and opens it.
"Father, these are two elves of Lorien. They come here to seek your attention." Legoluin bows and exits the room.
"So, what brings you here, brethren!?" Thranduil's voice thunders across the room.
Timidly, Elisil says, "We are here to find out more about Eloriel, sire."
Thranduil hears this and perks up immediately. "Eloriel...what business do you have with her?" His tone is angry.
This frightens both Helcanor and Elisil.
"Sire, Eloriel is my friend and her sister," Helcanor says anxiously.
"Is that right? Well then, tell me your names!" Thranduil's anger subsides a little, and he becomes more friendly and welcoming to the Lorien elves.
Helcanor answers breathily, "I am Helcanor; and she is Elisil."
"Ah...please stand. Why do you come of Eloriel?" Thranduil is curious at their wondering, for he knows that Lorien elves do not like to go out of their borders. Well, Eloriel was certaintly an odd one, he thought, it is likely her sister shares the same traits.
"She has been missing many a year, for thirty and two years already, sire." Elisil is quiet about the whole matter. She remembers Eloriel's fair face, her quick, changing eyebrows and her dynamic personality. She remembers the times when Eloriel was but a baby, and herself always sitting with her, nurturing her. She remembers times when they played in the mellyrn grove, thrusting up golden leaves as they frolicked. She remembers when Eloriel first received her family ring, her face glowing, that she had finally became a formal elf of Lorien, and would be counted in the census. She remembers Eloriel crying as their mother, Alquaduin died, she remembers herself comforting her. She remembers so many things about her sister; especially those most painful. She nearly cries but manages to control herself.
"Eloriel!" Thranduil sighs. "That fair maiden, with hair slightly darker than yours, Elisil - she came to our region about twenty and eight years ago. She was a wanderer, if I remember right, her face still smooth of scars of travelling, though. It was my two daughters, Elvende and Earvende, while on a hunt for a lost bow, who found her. She was lying in a sea of mellorn leaves, her face ashen, her hair messy. Her clothes were dirt-stained, but her bow was in a fine condition, beside her. Elvende and Earvende were indeed worried, for she looked on the brim of the Other World, yes, pale and dying. They carried her back to the halls, and laid her on the soft mattress of the wooden floor, in the Quiet Haven.
"She slept for many days, totalling a year and two months, before her eyes opened. She needed no food, as Earvende found out, her body rejected any of ours. When she opened her eyes Earvende was sitting beside her, bathing her face with water, cooling her as she lay. When Earvende saw that she had woken up, she rejoiced, as she had tended to Eloriel herself, her joy finally awake. She kissed her on the brow and smiled.
"'Who are you?' Eloriel asked.
"'I am Earvende, daughter of Thranduil, King of the Ndaedeldhrim,' my daughter said gently.
"'Then I must thank you for saving my life,' Eloriel said, before falling asleep again.
"She woke in the morning, all refreshed. Dressed in a clean green robe, my daughter Earvende provided her with a robe of darker green. They went to the dining halls, where they were greeted, Eloriel as an honoured guest. Over the next few days, we found out that Eloriel was from the Golden Wood, as you were. She was a great joy to us, a story-teller, with a gift of healing she said ran through her family. That means that you, Elisil, would also have that gift."
Elisil nods.
Thranduil continues. "Eloriel also played the lyre, and provided us with songs after dinner. She was very happy to be with us. But she had a big secret that she did not tell us: she was going. Three years after she woke, Elvende found her bed empty, her wardrobe too. She had gone away forever, and has not come back since. She only left one clue where she went, and that was her kerchief, with drawings we cannot decipher."
Taking out a kerchief, Thranduil says, "This was what she left behind. It may be of use to you."
¤
After dinner with Thranduil, Elisil and Helcanor started looking at the kerchief. In it was drawn some diagrams, with words scribbled on it. They looked at it in many directions, but still couldn't find a single clue. They worked till they were exhausted, then laid on the soft mellyrn leaf mattress in their guestroom, named Eleardor, Star-sea land. They had a very good night's sleep, and the next day, they woke up feeling cool. They were delighted at the quality of life at Eryn Lasgalen, equal to Lorien's; they had expected to rough it out.
The next few months followed the same schedule, but over time, they met Earvende, and became good friends with her.
Chapter 2 - A Clue
Helcanor takes out a cotton kerchief and wipes her sweaty brow.
"Elisil, Prelate Niinaeth, the last to see Eloriel, told us to go to Eryn Lasgalen. But why are we in Mirkwood? Where is Eryn Lasgelan in the first place?" Helcanor wonders to Elisil.
Elisil smiles. "Be not so curious, Helcanor, you shall soon know! But first...can you tell me where we are?"
Consulting her map, Helcanor says, "I think...we are near the halls of Mirkwood, where Thranduil and the Ndaedeldhrim reside."
"Indeed we are. If you want to know, the Halls of Mirkwood are also called Eryn Lasgalen. Therefore that is where we head. Now..." Elisil hesitates as she takes out Niinaeth's map. "West we should go. Now head off!"
They walk westward for many hours, until Helcanor suddenly points. "Elisil, look!" Elisil turns her head in the direction Helcanor is pointing to. She sees grey iron gates. "Ah! The place of the Ndaedeldhrim! Let us turn there!"
Suddenly, a rustle is heard. A tall elf, about 7'3" tall, steps out into the leafy clearing, an arrow on his bow pointing at them. His hair is bright gold, his skin fair.
"Surrender, or you shall be killed!" The elf's voice thunders around the clearing.
Helcanor and Elisil raise their hands up.
"Who are you to come into our land, to tread our paths and to use our forest?"
Elisil replies with the grace of a swan, "We are elleths of Lorien, here on a mission to find our lost sister."
The elf studies them. He pays much attention to their facial features. He squints here and there, finally drawing back up. "Indeed, you are elves of the golden wood. Now pray tell me why you did not write to Thranduil my father that you were coming here."
Helcanor stares at the elf in awe. "That is to say that you are Legolas, son of Thranduil?"
"Nay, not so great and famous as the heir of the throne. I am Legoluin Greenleaf, second brother of Thranduil. Now..." Legoluin says proudly.
"We did not think the situation here so bad that elves were not allowed in," Elisil answers Legoluin's question.
"Ah...now, would you like to see my father?" Legoluin guesses their motives.
Helcanor nods. "Yes, pray take us to his halls."
¤
Elisil and Helcanor follow Legoluin to King Thranduil's halls. He walks through many rooms and corridors, his shoes going a quiet pat-pat. They finally reach Thranduil's private study. Legoluin knocks softly on the door and opens it.
"Father, these are two elves of Lorien. They come here to seek your attention." Legoluin bows and exits the room.
"So, what brings you here, brethren!?" Thranduil's voice thunders across the room.
Timidly, Elisil says, "We are here to find out more about Eloriel, sire."
Thranduil hears this and perks up immediately. "Eloriel...what business do you have with her?" His tone is angry.
This frightens both Helcanor and Elisil.
"Sire, Eloriel is my friend and her sister," Helcanor says anxiously.
"Is that right? Well then, tell me your names!" Thranduil's anger subsides a little, and he becomes more friendly and welcoming to the Lorien elves.
Helcanor answers breathily, "I am Helcanor; and she is Elisil."
"Ah...please stand. Why do you come of Eloriel?" Thranduil is curious at their wondering, for he knows that Lorien elves do not like to go out of their borders. Well, Eloriel was certaintly an odd one, he thought, it is likely her sister shares the same traits.
"She has been missing many a year, for thirty and two years already, sire." Elisil is quiet about the whole matter. She remembers Eloriel's fair face, her quick, changing eyebrows and her dynamic personality. She remembers the times when Eloriel was but a baby, and herself always sitting with her, nurturing her. She remembers times when they played in the mellyrn grove, thrusting up golden leaves as they frolicked. She remembers when Eloriel first received her family ring, her face glowing, that she had finally became a formal elf of Lorien, and would be counted in the census. She remembers Eloriel crying as their mother, Alquaduin died, she remembers herself comforting her. She remembers so many things about her sister; especially those most painful. She nearly cries but manages to control herself.
"Eloriel!" Thranduil sighs. "That fair maiden, with hair slightly darker than yours, Elisil - she came to our region about twenty and eight years ago. She was a wanderer, if I remember right, her face still smooth of scars of travelling, though. It was my two daughters, Elvende and Earvende, while on a hunt for a lost bow, who found her. She was lying in a sea of mellorn leaves, her face ashen, her hair messy. Her clothes were dirt-stained, but her bow was in a fine condition, beside her. Elvende and Earvende were indeed worried, for she looked on the brim of the Other World, yes, pale and dying. They carried her back to the halls, and laid her on the soft mattress of the wooden floor, in the Quiet Haven.
"She slept for many days, totalling a year and two months, before her eyes opened. She needed no food, as Earvende found out, her body rejected any of ours. When she opened her eyes Earvende was sitting beside her, bathing her face with water, cooling her as she lay. When Earvende saw that she had woken up, she rejoiced, as she had tended to Eloriel herself, her joy finally awake. She kissed her on the brow and smiled.
"'Who are you?' Eloriel asked.
"'I am Earvende, daughter of Thranduil, King of the Ndaedeldhrim,' my daughter said gently.
"'Then I must thank you for saving my life,' Eloriel said, before falling asleep again.
"She woke in the morning, all refreshed. Dressed in a clean green robe, my daughter Earvende provided her with a robe of darker green. They went to the dining halls, where they were greeted, Eloriel as an honoured guest. Over the next few days, we found out that Eloriel was from the Golden Wood, as you were. She was a great joy to us, a story-teller, with a gift of healing she said ran through her family. That means that you, Elisil, would also have that gift."
Elisil nods.
Thranduil continues. "Eloriel also played the lyre, and provided us with songs after dinner. She was very happy to be with us. But she had a big secret that she did not tell us: she was going. Three years after she woke, Elvende found her bed empty, her wardrobe too. She had gone away forever, and has not come back since. She only left one clue where she went, and that was her kerchief, with drawings we cannot decipher."
Taking out a kerchief, Thranduil says, "This was what she left behind. It may be of use to you."
¤
After dinner with Thranduil, Elisil and Helcanor started looking at the kerchief. In it was drawn some diagrams, with words scribbled on it. They looked at it in many directions, but still couldn't find a single clue. They worked till they were exhausted, then laid on the soft mellyrn leaf mattress in their guestroom, named Eleardor, Star-sea land. They had a very good night's sleep, and the next day, they woke up feeling cool. They were delighted at the quality of life at Eryn Lasgalen, equal to Lorien's; they had expected to rough it out.
The next few months followed the same schedule, but over time, they met Earvende, and became good friends with her.