The End of the Way, Chapter Two
From the Stars
Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli and Gandalf watched as some women and children were reunited with their lost loves, others watched in horror as theirs ever came from the door. Pity turned the mens hearts and Gandalf shook his head.
"It should not be this way. We should leave and quickly."
"Gandalf, it's dark out, there's not a star in the sky and the moon isn't out either, we wont be able to see anything." Gimli argued.
Gandalf turned to Ellomë , smiling. "There is someone who can help with that."
Ellomë nodded and moved back her thick hair, revealing the jewel. Aragorn simply nodded while Legolas stared in shock. "Earendan!" He looked at Ellomë. "The power of the stars! You did not mention you were of the Dúnedain." He turned to Aragorn. "And you didn't say she was."
"I did not see it as important.," she said cooly. "But yes, this is Earendan and I am of the Dúnedain." She went out the door and closed her eyes, her fingers softly stroking the jewel, and a small, ray of light appeared in the doorway, growing quickly as she summoned it.
"What is that thing?" Gimli asked Legolas.
"A great gift, she can bend the stars, and even fire to her own will. No one else can use it." Legolas shook his head as he watched her. "Just incredible."
Lily emerged from the crowd of women, her ebony hair tangled and her cheeks smudged with dust. She froze upon seeing Legolas staring wide eyed open mouthed at a woman standing in the doorway. Many thoughts crossed her mind but she shook her head, ignoring all of them. She then made her way over to the other women, helping to ration out food.
Suddenly, as if by hope, Legolas remembered this woman. Word of her had spread when she had rode to Rivendell on her horse Starfire, found by brothers Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Lord Elrond. Her parents, Candun, one of the Dúnedain, and her mother was Laurëwen, of th Galadhirm, and many other Rangers of the camp had been slaughtered by Orc's, and moments before her death Laurëwen had sent her off to her Aunt Gilraen's home. There, she lived in Rivendell with Estel (Aragorn, for you non-bookies), her cousin and Gilraen.
He examined this creature some more, indeed, she was attractive, her boyishness did not affect that. Her beauty was feminine, high cheekbones that accented her dark mischievous eyes. Aragorn caught sight of his friend and nudged him playfully. "If you keep that up, you'll likely have a harem."
Legolas laughed softly, but soon his attention was swept up in her, and he hardly noticed her eyes open, only until he felt the full power of their lethal gaze in his own did her realize. Embarrassed, he moved away to "discuss things" with Aragorn.
Ellomë chuckled, shaking her head as she reported the stars cooperation to Gandalf. She looked at Mirkwood's Prince again, sighed, and looked into the moon's glorious white light, which bathed her face as if a snow-capped mountain. Perhaps, it was time to love again.
Ellomë lay in the dark, her pendant between her thin fingers, her mind in the past. A tear slowly slid from her pale cheek, gliding past her chin to her throat. She stared into the oblivion of the jewel, memories surging to her, pain, joy, and love. She could see everything that haunted her, everything that she wished to forget. Everything she wanted to remember.
Her thoughts now went to the traveling Beradan, Levanna Talltree, daughter of Omartrique and Solei, sister of the deceased Omartanfuë. Omartrique, son of Omanhad, Chief Advisor to King Thranduil, father of Legolas, who once was betrothed to the beautiful Miss. Talltree until her mother's death, after which Levanna called off the wedding. Levanna, the prophesied Beradan. Levanna, who was born to bear more grief and burden than any creature ever, she would save Middle Earth from the doom they had all created, for her son would be great and powerful.
The young She-elf's head cocked. 'The greatest son ever born, born to a helf and a hobbit?'
It made no sense now. Perhaps she still loved Legolas? Maybe it was Legolas' son that she would carry. No, it couldn't be. But it must be!
It couldn't be. And as Ellomë thought, she realized that Levanna, her extremely distant cousin was no ordinary living creature, and therefore the Beradan's Heir would be... Unusual. Levanna's few short years in Rivendell had been after her own departure, long after. And still she could almost see the young woman wallowing about, hiding in the dark, singing songs of loneliness. Elrond had told her much about the woman so much like Aragorn, yet just related to him by a thin hair.
Levanna had idolized Ellomë as a child, often begging to ride the horses but denied by her parents and Legolas. Even when she lived with Elrond at 18 she had rarely been allowed to ride, for Elrond has feared losing her as he had lost his son Elrohir (this will be explained in Wishnik's Ad Infinitum, so please bear with). Often she and Arwen would sneak off and always they were caught, and punished.
The door opened and she looked up at Aragorn. With a sigh, he stepped in and shook his head. "My cousin, you shall never change!"
She smiled weakly and sat up. "Is that not for the best? If I changed I would not be myself."
He laughed. "Now is that the elf or Ranger talking?"
She sighed and shrugged. "I don't know."
He sat next to her, looking at his hands, then her face, white in the little moonlight that leaked in. "You miss him a lot, huh?"
Her head bent. "He was my first love, Estel, how can I not?"
Aragorn smiled weakly. "He will forever live on in your heart, be at peace with that, Ellie."
A tear ran it's course down her cheek. "Sometimes I do, but then most of the time its just so hard, I keep seeing his face and hearing his voice, and feeling his touch and it drives me mad! I often just want to go live in a madwoman's dream, just so long as I can be with him."
Aragorn's heart turned at her words, he scooted closer and brought his cousin into a hug. "My darling Ellie, I know it is hard, it was hard for me to leave Arwen behind. I know I was anything supportive of your relationship but I only wanted what was best for you. And this isn't, I see that, oh now don't cry my little beauty!" He rubbed her back soothingly, feeling the sharpness of her sobs. "This is highly unlike me, but I'm going to have to tell you to move on, and find someone else."
She finally calmed enough to speak. "Oh? Is it really that easy? Perhaps for you but..."
"Ellomë listen, since I left Arwen behind nothing has been the same. I don't have the chance to move on right now, there's no one for me to move on with, but you do!"
She stared at him for a moment, her eyes red, mouth jittering half open and her hair clung to her wet cheeks. "Whom is it you speak of, Estel?"
"I'm... sorry to interrupt but Theoden has just ordered we ride to Isenguard." Both turned and looked at Legolas in the doorway. "Shall I ask him for a delay?"
Aragorn shook his head. "No, just tell him we shall be out in a moment."
Legolas and nodded and scurried off, closing the door behind him. She looked at Aragorn. "You do not mean Legolas?"
Aragorn looked down for a moment, then her. "Get yourself cleaned up, you don't want them to see you like this." And so he stood, leaving her staring after him, in the dark room alone again.