Ch. 8
The Spring of Rian-Celine's 17th year in Rivendell seemed happy enough. One rainy day, however, Rian-Celine felt like being alone for the day. She toyed with her Ring again. Elrond had asked her about that Ring, and he hadn't been satisfied with her answer. As a matter of fact, neither had she. Now she was trying to get the Ring off. After many attempts and alot of soap, she was able to wrench it from her finger. She panted, staring down at the Ring in her palm. Then she jumped to her feet.
Were those...birds?! She ran to her window. Outside in the garden Raliwen's son Thorune was running through the garden, laughing. The smell of baking bread wafted into her nostrils, and somewhere an Elf was singing merrily. She could hear the soft breeze playing with the leaves, and the waterfalls calling, and the swish of her raiment. She sang quietly, a snatch of a song from long ago, and she heard it!
"I can hear!" Rian-Celine cried out joyfully, spinning around to run out her door and tell the others.
Then she saw her.
"Who...are you?" the girl asked, trembling. The figure before her was female, majestic, unbelievably pale, and radiated a celestial light. She smiled sadly at Rian-Celine.
"I am your mother, Culfinwen. I am Melian." Rian-Celine sank to her knees, clutching the Ring in her right hand. She stared fearfully at Melian.
"I have come to warn you, my child. That Ring you bear is more than just an ornament. Before Luthien and Beren wrested the Silmaril from Morgoth, I wrought this Ring in secret. It has several purposes, but the most important is that the one who bears it cannot be tempted by Sauron's devices. The bearer's gifts are enhanced by the Ring, and the Bearer can understand all cultures while wearing it."
"But I cannot hear when I am wearing it!" protested Rian-Celine, regaining some of her composure.
"You can not understand if you do not. Go back to the window. Luthien's great grandsons are talking about you."
Rian-Celine went to the window, and saw the twins talking together. She could hear their voices clearly, but had no idea what they were saying. She turned back to Melian.
"What...why...?"
"When you were born, I knew that one day Morgoth would be defeated, and that one day another dark lord would take his place. I feared Morgoth would find that Ring and all the hopes of the Elves would be destroyed with it. I put it on a chain around your neck, and sent you to another time, another place, where you and it would be safe until Middle-Earth needed you."
"Why me? I am not strong enough to defy the Dark Lord!"
"You are the daughter of a King of Elves and a Maia, and you have the Ring. Luthien defied one of the Vala without a Ring. Do you say that you are so much less than her? Did I bear one daughter to glory and one weaker than a human? Indeed, having lived in the world of Men you have become like unto Men without the Ring. As long as you have it on, nothing can withstand you. You are the last hope of Middle-Earth. Remember, Culfinwen." The vision faded.
Rian-Celine stared at the Ring in her hand. For how long she neither knew nor cared. At last, she flung it away under the bed, and ran from the room in tears.
The Spring of Rian-Celine's 17th year in Rivendell seemed happy enough. One rainy day, however, Rian-Celine felt like being alone for the day. She toyed with her Ring again. Elrond had asked her about that Ring, and he hadn't been satisfied with her answer. As a matter of fact, neither had she. Now she was trying to get the Ring off. After many attempts and alot of soap, she was able to wrench it from her finger. She panted, staring down at the Ring in her palm. Then she jumped to her feet.
Were those...birds?! She ran to her window. Outside in the garden Raliwen's son Thorune was running through the garden, laughing. The smell of baking bread wafted into her nostrils, and somewhere an Elf was singing merrily. She could hear the soft breeze playing with the leaves, and the waterfalls calling, and the swish of her raiment. She sang quietly, a snatch of a song from long ago, and she heard it!
"I can hear!" Rian-Celine cried out joyfully, spinning around to run out her door and tell the others.
Then she saw her.
"Who...are you?" the girl asked, trembling. The figure before her was female, majestic, unbelievably pale, and radiated a celestial light. She smiled sadly at Rian-Celine.
"I am your mother, Culfinwen. I am Melian." Rian-Celine sank to her knees, clutching the Ring in her right hand. She stared fearfully at Melian.
"I have come to warn you, my child. That Ring you bear is more than just an ornament. Before Luthien and Beren wrested the Silmaril from Morgoth, I wrought this Ring in secret. It has several purposes, but the most important is that the one who bears it cannot be tempted by Sauron's devices. The bearer's gifts are enhanced by the Ring, and the Bearer can understand all cultures while wearing it."
"But I cannot hear when I am wearing it!" protested Rian-Celine, regaining some of her composure.
"You can not understand if you do not. Go back to the window. Luthien's great grandsons are talking about you."
Rian-Celine went to the window, and saw the twins talking together. She could hear their voices clearly, but had no idea what they were saying. She turned back to Melian.
"What...why...?"
"When you were born, I knew that one day Morgoth would be defeated, and that one day another dark lord would take his place. I feared Morgoth would find that Ring and all the hopes of the Elves would be destroyed with it. I put it on a chain around your neck, and sent you to another time, another place, where you and it would be safe until Middle-Earth needed you."
"Why me? I am not strong enough to defy the Dark Lord!"
"You are the daughter of a King of Elves and a Maia, and you have the Ring. Luthien defied one of the Vala without a Ring. Do you say that you are so much less than her? Did I bear one daughter to glory and one weaker than a human? Indeed, having lived in the world of Men you have become like unto Men without the Ring. As long as you have it on, nothing can withstand you. You are the last hope of Middle-Earth. Remember, Culfinwen." The vision faded.
Rian-Celine stared at the Ring in her hand. For how long she neither knew nor cared. At last, she flung it away under the bed, and ran from the room in tears.