Chapter 1: Home, Silent Home
The bitter cold of night was waning and the stars were fading from the sky above. A forest of mountains appeared in the distance of the fields of the yellow elanor, as the gold of sunrise was caught the ripples of the small silver pond. And under the rising day, the Lord Aragorn of Gondor stood tall with the silver pool by his side.
'Dead?' He whispered. 'It's not possible.'
But the maiden, in front of him, only turned away and looked into the pink and gold sky with a mysterious grin on her face.
'I will show you.' Janyn said. And she turned and walked away; her footsteps were so graceful, that not a sound was made on the dew covered grass. Aragorn, hesitant at first, followed her. A sudden calmness was laid upon his soul like a spell, for he did not seem intimidated by the ethereal maiden, but rather intrigued. Although he didn't know where he was, nor who the maiden happened to be, it all seemed irrelevant and inconsequential.
After every few steps she took, she would glance back at Aragorn to check that he was still following. The sky seemed to darken the further they walked, until only an unexplained light was dimly cast upon them. She stopped on a hill and waited, facing the land that lay beyond. It wasn't until Aragorn had made it to the top that he saw and acknowledged what lay beyond. Thousands and thousands of silver ponds lay scattered across the land and were lost in the distance, each surrounded by a gentle mist.
She turned to Aragorn and caught his eyes in her own. 'This is Ithilyn.' She motioned to the silver pools. 'My home.' Her eyes seemed glazed and a hint of a frown appeared on her pale lips. 'I am a soul gather. I was appointed to collect the spirits of the dead, and lead them to the ponds, where life's secrets are revealed. And then they leave through the forest to the heavens. I am left alone.'
'When I looked into the water,' Aragorn said, a little off topic, 'at my reflection, I was young again, but I look at my hands now, and they are fragile with age.'
'The water reflects only the innocence in a person. Youth and childhood is apart of that purity.'
'But I was not a child.'
Janyn smiled again.
'Your wife, Arwen, will arrive here soon.' She said mindlessly. 'There.' She pointed to a pond far in the distance. At the sudden appearance of his love, Aragorn smiled and immediately sprinted down the hill, but found that when he reached the bottom a cold black darkness had surrounded him. 'Arwen!' He cried through the now seemingly empty land.
'You cannot see her!' Aragorn heard Janyn's voice, however he could not see her through the darkness.
'I will see my wife!' He cried with sudden determination.
'You cannot!' Janyn yelled. 'She will be leaving soon, into the forest beyond. And you,' Janyn faltered, 'will stay, for now.'
'Why?' Aragorn questioned.
Janyn shook her head. 'You must go a different road, now.' She reached for his arm. 'We will go.'
She led him back up to the top of the steep, looming hill and down the other side. The slope was gentler and the ground was softer. Aragorn wanted nothing more than to run back to Arwen, but his body was not responding. He could not change his course from the Maiden's in front of him. He did not know if it was a spell, but nonetheless he followed quietly and intently.
They walked along a small trickling stream of white water, which ran straight between the hills. It seemed the easiest and most direct path, although Aragorn wasn't entirely aware of where he was being lead, he agreed that it was probably the most sensible road.
'Where are you leading me?' Aragorn finally questioned.
'Glitzernde Ufer. To the Silver Lake and the Shining Shore. From there we will go home.'
Her pace quickened as a bitter breeze bit at their skin. Aragorn, covering his face with his hands, followed unsure and unstable. His head filled with uncertainty and confusion and his vision blurred slightly. Janyn was either not aware of his staggering or was not concerned. Whichever the case was, Aragorn was not comfortable and beginning to suspect that Janyn knew what was taking place and had arranged everything beforehand.
The wind was picking up, and even with his infamous long strides, he could not keep up with Janyn, as she seemed to glide over the ground. He concentrated hard on following the woman in front of him, but it seemed a near impossible task.
When they had eventually reached their destination, it was clear why it was called the Shining Shores, for the ground was silver felt that sparkled and the water's edge was white gold that reflected the grey sky above.
Aragorn's breath disappeared as he approached the magnificent place. But even with its beauty, the land seemed empty and dark. The sight of the merciless land was creepy and sent chill down his spine. The cold wind suddenly picked up; it carried a whisper, which surrounded the king and rang in his ears. He could feel his eyelids drop and his limbs become num, and he fell to his knees, screaming in pain. With his last bit of strength he lift his head and tried to find the maiden. But Janyn was nowhere to be found and he collapsed on the soft soil.
The bitter cold of night was waning and the stars were fading from the sky above. A forest of mountains appeared in the distance of the fields of the yellow elanor, as the gold of sunrise was caught the ripples of the small silver pond. And under the rising day, the Lord Aragorn of Gondor stood tall with the silver pool by his side.
'Dead?' He whispered. 'It's not possible.'
But the maiden, in front of him, only turned away and looked into the pink and gold sky with a mysterious grin on her face.
'I will show you.' Janyn said. And she turned and walked away; her footsteps were so graceful, that not a sound was made on the dew covered grass. Aragorn, hesitant at first, followed her. A sudden calmness was laid upon his soul like a spell, for he did not seem intimidated by the ethereal maiden, but rather intrigued. Although he didn't know where he was, nor who the maiden happened to be, it all seemed irrelevant and inconsequential.
After every few steps she took, she would glance back at Aragorn to check that he was still following. The sky seemed to darken the further they walked, until only an unexplained light was dimly cast upon them. She stopped on a hill and waited, facing the land that lay beyond. It wasn't until Aragorn had made it to the top that he saw and acknowledged what lay beyond. Thousands and thousands of silver ponds lay scattered across the land and were lost in the distance, each surrounded by a gentle mist.
She turned to Aragorn and caught his eyes in her own. 'This is Ithilyn.' She motioned to the silver pools. 'My home.' Her eyes seemed glazed and a hint of a frown appeared on her pale lips. 'I am a soul gather. I was appointed to collect the spirits of the dead, and lead them to the ponds, where life's secrets are revealed. And then they leave through the forest to the heavens. I am left alone.'
'When I looked into the water,' Aragorn said, a little off topic, 'at my reflection, I was young again, but I look at my hands now, and they are fragile with age.'
'The water reflects only the innocence in a person. Youth and childhood is apart of that purity.'
'But I was not a child.'
Janyn smiled again.
'Your wife, Arwen, will arrive here soon.' She said mindlessly. 'There.' She pointed to a pond far in the distance. At the sudden appearance of his love, Aragorn smiled and immediately sprinted down the hill, but found that when he reached the bottom a cold black darkness had surrounded him. 'Arwen!' He cried through the now seemingly empty land.
'You cannot see her!' Aragorn heard Janyn's voice, however he could not see her through the darkness.
'I will see my wife!' He cried with sudden determination.
'You cannot!' Janyn yelled. 'She will be leaving soon, into the forest beyond. And you,' Janyn faltered, 'will stay, for now.'
'Why?' Aragorn questioned.
Janyn shook her head. 'You must go a different road, now.' She reached for his arm. 'We will go.'
She led him back up to the top of the steep, looming hill and down the other side. The slope was gentler and the ground was softer. Aragorn wanted nothing more than to run back to Arwen, but his body was not responding. He could not change his course from the Maiden's in front of him. He did not know if it was a spell, but nonetheless he followed quietly and intently.
They walked along a small trickling stream of white water, which ran straight between the hills. It seemed the easiest and most direct path, although Aragorn wasn't entirely aware of where he was being lead, he agreed that it was probably the most sensible road.
'Where are you leading me?' Aragorn finally questioned.
'Glitzernde Ufer. To the Silver Lake and the Shining Shore. From there we will go home.'
Her pace quickened as a bitter breeze bit at their skin. Aragorn, covering his face with his hands, followed unsure and unstable. His head filled with uncertainty and confusion and his vision blurred slightly. Janyn was either not aware of his staggering or was not concerned. Whichever the case was, Aragorn was not comfortable and beginning to suspect that Janyn knew what was taking place and had arranged everything beforehand.
The wind was picking up, and even with his infamous long strides, he could not keep up with Janyn, as she seemed to glide over the ground. He concentrated hard on following the woman in front of him, but it seemed a near impossible task.
When they had eventually reached their destination, it was clear why it was called the Shining Shores, for the ground was silver felt that sparkled and the water's edge was white gold that reflected the grey sky above.
Aragorn's breath disappeared as he approached the magnificent place. But even with its beauty, the land seemed empty and dark. The sight of the merciless land was creepy and sent chill down his spine. The cold wind suddenly picked up; it carried a whisper, which surrounded the king and rang in his ears. He could feel his eyelids drop and his limbs become num, and he fell to his knees, screaming in pain. With his last bit of strength he lift his head and tried to find the maiden. But Janyn was nowhere to be found and he collapsed on the soft soil.