Sunrise on the Greenway
Dear Arwing,
This morning I woke earlier than usual, and lay restless for a while. The dawn had not yet come. Finally I could stay where I was no longer; I got up and started to walk away from camp. Everyone was sleeping; all was still.
Here the ground is uneven and rough, being covered with coarse grass. Scraggly trees dot the country. Far to the south a grey haze indicates the Ered Nimras. We are but a few days from the crossing at Greyfold.
I wandered to a small hill on the eastern edge of camp. When I looked back I noticed I was farther away than I expected, but did not worry. In the far east the stars were dimming and the black sky was fading to purple.
I watched the horizon for some time, just staring.
A hand touching my shoulder made me start. I turned quickly. The face I saw I knew, yet the eyes were so changed.
"Huinlas?" I whispered.
He took his hand away, then stared at me with those strange eyes for a few minutes.
I tried to divert my eyes, but he would not let me.
"Why so afraid?" he asked.
"I don't know."
A few minutes passed.
"You have been avoiding me, Silwen," he said.
"I have?"
He turned away, and faced the east. A blush of pink was floating on the tips of clouds far away.
"Why?" he asked.
I fumbled for an answer.
"Tell me," he said.
"You have changed," I began.
It seemed as though he wanted to smile, but did not allow himself.
"Change is often a necessary part of life," he replied.
"Yes," I said, not knowing why.
We stood in silence for a few minutes.
"I have been wanting to speak with you," he said.
"Have you?"
"Yes. I wanted to tell you something, show you something."
He turned towards me.
"Look," he said.
Of course I obeyed. In his fingers he held a ring, a beautiful ring. A single band of entwining silver branches. Into it were set seven gems, shining with a dazzling light. Their beauty was deeper than any stone I had ever seen. Purer was their light than any star in a cloudless sky, and the unity of their brilliance was beyond wonderful; I did not know wether to be sad or happy in their presence and so struggled with both emotions at once.
"Seven stars and seven stones and one white tree," he murmured.
With effort I turned my eyes from the ring to Huinlas.
"When did you get it?" I asked.
"I have always had it."
"But I do not remember seeing it before," I said.
"No. You would not. It was hidden," he said.
"Hidden?" I asked, now truly puzzled.
"Yes, though I wore it always. It is a special ring," he said.
Special. The word rung in my mind. Then I remembered Boromir's words, "He is a special elf."
"Special," I mused allowed.
Huinlas looked into my eyes.
"Special, like you are special." My voice trailed to nothing. I felt held in a trance, with only those blue eyes to keep me awake.
Huinlas looked troubled.
"You know more than you appear to know," he said.
"No. Less," I answered.
He put the ring onto his finger.
"For now," he said.
I wanted to ask him to tell me more, to explain away the mysteries surrounding him. But he had an absent look. He stood staring into the east, watching the sun rise. He seemed tall and strong, brave. He stood there and I stood beside him, but hardly on the same ground. He seemed so much greater than me, so much better. He was not the Huinlas I had known back in Ithilien. He was a much different Huinlas. A much more real Huinlas.
Oh Arwing, what happened next I cannot say yet. Perhaps next time I write I will be able to do so. But not now...
~Silwen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note from DofE and Vane Alasse:
Sorry about the ring! Trust us, we tried to think of ANYTHING but a ring, but nothing seemed to work. Crowns, bracelets, necklaces, capes, earrings, toe rings, sandals, athelas tea in sparkly silver wrapper, hats, deodorant, hand lotion, tooth paste, make-up, scepters, books, papers, letters, starry eyes, pens, pins, clasps, broaches, etc. But it just didn't work...
"Seven stars and seven stones and one white tree" is from Tolkien. I think (though don't quote me) Gandalf mentions it to Pippin while in Gondor in Return of the King.
~~Also, if you've been following this story but haven't yet reviewed, please do so. :) We LOVE to hear from you! Thanks to all the faithful reviewers! We really appreciate your comments. :) ~~
Evenstar Elanor: g I think the chapters get longer now... :)
Dear Arwing,
This morning I woke earlier than usual, and lay restless for a while. The dawn had not yet come. Finally I could stay where I was no longer; I got up and started to walk away from camp. Everyone was sleeping; all was still.
Here the ground is uneven and rough, being covered with coarse grass. Scraggly trees dot the country. Far to the south a grey haze indicates the Ered Nimras. We are but a few days from the crossing at Greyfold.
I wandered to a small hill on the eastern edge of camp. When I looked back I noticed I was farther away than I expected, but did not worry. In the far east the stars were dimming and the black sky was fading to purple.
I watched the horizon for some time, just staring.
A hand touching my shoulder made me start. I turned quickly. The face I saw I knew, yet the eyes were so changed.
"Huinlas?" I whispered.
He took his hand away, then stared at me with those strange eyes for a few minutes.
I tried to divert my eyes, but he would not let me.
"Why so afraid?" he asked.
"I don't know."
A few minutes passed.
"You have been avoiding me, Silwen," he said.
"I have?"
He turned away, and faced the east. A blush of pink was floating on the tips of clouds far away.
"Why?" he asked.
I fumbled for an answer.
"Tell me," he said.
"You have changed," I began.
It seemed as though he wanted to smile, but did not allow himself.
"Change is often a necessary part of life," he replied.
"Yes," I said, not knowing why.
We stood in silence for a few minutes.
"I have been wanting to speak with you," he said.
"Have you?"
"Yes. I wanted to tell you something, show you something."
He turned towards me.
"Look," he said.
Of course I obeyed. In his fingers he held a ring, a beautiful ring. A single band of entwining silver branches. Into it were set seven gems, shining with a dazzling light. Their beauty was deeper than any stone I had ever seen. Purer was their light than any star in a cloudless sky, and the unity of their brilliance was beyond wonderful; I did not know wether to be sad or happy in their presence and so struggled with both emotions at once.
"Seven stars and seven stones and one white tree," he murmured.
With effort I turned my eyes from the ring to Huinlas.
"When did you get it?" I asked.
"I have always had it."
"But I do not remember seeing it before," I said.
"No. You would not. It was hidden," he said.
"Hidden?" I asked, now truly puzzled.
"Yes, though I wore it always. It is a special ring," he said.
Special. The word rung in my mind. Then I remembered Boromir's words, "He is a special elf."
"Special," I mused allowed.
Huinlas looked into my eyes.
"Special, like you are special." My voice trailed to nothing. I felt held in a trance, with only those blue eyes to keep me awake.
Huinlas looked troubled.
"You know more than you appear to know," he said.
"No. Less," I answered.
He put the ring onto his finger.
"For now," he said.
I wanted to ask him to tell me more, to explain away the mysteries surrounding him. But he had an absent look. He stood staring into the east, watching the sun rise. He seemed tall and strong, brave. He stood there and I stood beside him, but hardly on the same ground. He seemed so much greater than me, so much better. He was not the Huinlas I had known back in Ithilien. He was a much different Huinlas. A much more real Huinlas.
Oh Arwing, what happened next I cannot say yet. Perhaps next time I write I will be able to do so. But not now...
~Silwen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note from DofE and Vane Alasse:
Sorry about the ring! Trust us, we tried to think of ANYTHING but a ring, but nothing seemed to work. Crowns, bracelets, necklaces, capes, earrings, toe rings, sandals, athelas tea in sparkly silver wrapper, hats, deodorant, hand lotion, tooth paste, make-up, scepters, books, papers, letters, starry eyes, pens, pins, clasps, broaches, etc. But it just didn't work...
"Seven stars and seven stones and one white tree" is from Tolkien. I think (though don't quote me) Gandalf mentions it to Pippin while in Gondor in Return of the King.
~~Also, if you've been following this story but haven't yet reviewed, please do so. :) We LOVE to hear from you! Thanks to all the faithful reviewers! We really appreciate your comments. :) ~~
Evenstar Elanor: g I think the chapters get longer now... :)