Chapter 2 - Memories
"Do you remember when Sam fell into that well and we had to drag him out?" Said Pippin laughing. Everyone laughed remembering the memory of the last time the hobbits had been in Rivendell. Sam did not look very amused.
"Yes." Merry piped up. "He looked like a drowned rat!" This made them laugh even harder, even Sam managed a chuckle.
"Well I think I'll go for a walk." Said Alana. "It's been so long since I was last here. I've missed it, and all of you too." She added, with a smile.
She got up and started to leave, when Legolas called to her across the hall. "I think I'll join you." He said. Gimli looked at Neera with a knowing look in his eyes. He winked and turned back to talk to the hobbits.
Alana waited for Legolas and they left by the Western doors. They wandered across the bridge and headed off down by the stream, to the meadow beyond. It was just getting dark, and the stars were just starting to appear. Alana sighed contentedly "I can't believe that I'm home at last." She whispered.
"Well aren't you going to tell me where you've been then? The hobbits seem to know a lot about it." Legolas said quietly so as not to disturb the quiet of the evening.
They found somewhere to sit and Alana was quiet for a while. She closed her eyes listening to the sounds of the place.
"I traveled far." She said suddenly, as Legolas was about to break the silence. "At first I was following the paths that you had traveled with the Fellowship, but I started to wander further afield. I went to Fangorn and spoke to Treebeard. He had much to say, not all of it good, I will not tell you of it now. This is not the time. I went to Minas Tirith and spoke with the Lord Aragorn and Lady Arwen. They seemed happy, I didn't stay for long." She stopped suddenly her head bowed.
"It's alright." Legolas said comfortingly. "I know that you love him." Alana looked at him, but didn't see the pain in his eyes.
"I will not speak of it." She said. "The pain is too fresh."
Legolas looked at her and thought about how she had been long ago, when they were both young. Her brother had been there then. The three of them were always together, hunting, swimming, and fishing. Alana had been like a sister to him, but as they got older things had changed. Glorfindell had left Mirkwood to assist Lord Elrond and Gandalf in their search for the One Ring, and Legolas had realized how he truly felt about Alana. Things were so simple then.
"How did you get back?" Legolas said, breaking another silence.
"King Eomer gave me a horse to ride one of the Mearas, the only foal that Shadowfax ever sired. His name is Ithil, which means 'moon'. And he is certainly like the moon, he is the colour of silver, and seems to have a light of his own, that shines out from inside. She said fondly.
"You will have to show me tomorrow." Legolas said.
"Yes I will" She smiled as she talked, her pain of a few moments before forgotten for now. She shivered.
"We should head back" Legolas whispered. "It will be a big day for us tomorrow." She looked at him in confusion, and he continued. "The Lord Aragorn will be arriving, and Lord Celeborn too perhaps." She nodded and got up pulling him up with her. She looked into his eyes for a moment, seeing something in their depths. "It's nothing" She thought to herself, but she still felt uncomfortable.
They headed off towards Rivendell, only realizing that they were still holding hands as they crossed the bridge. Alana blushed and pulled her hand away. Legolas said nothing.
That night as Alana sat at her dressing table brushing her hair, and looking at her reflection in the intricately carved mirror, she thought of Legolas, and blushed again. "What is happening between us?" She asked her self. "It happens every time we meet now." She sighed again. She seemed to do that a lot lately.
"Alana may I speak with you?" Neera asked as she entered Alana's chambers.
"Of course. You know that you needn't ask!" Alana said, seeing that something was obviously bothering her friend.
"Alana..." She trailed off. "Alana, I'm leaving soon. Alana's face fell. "Middle Earth does not hold the same wonder for me that it once did. I am going to the Havens to be with my husband, Firoth. I was only waiting for you to return before I left. I had to tell you myself, and make my own good-byes." The tears, which had been threatening, now began to fall from Alana's eyes.
"When?" Alana asked.
"Next month." Neera replied "It can wait no longer. Don't be too hard on me. I would not have us part like this. You are my best friend, I've been waiting for you, and now that you're back again there is no reason for me to stay."
"Well then." Alana said smiling. "There will be no more tears, between us. I will miss you, but believe me when I say that we will meet again. You will know when the time is right. Wait for me by the harbour."
"Do you remember when Sam fell into that well and we had to drag him out?" Said Pippin laughing. Everyone laughed remembering the memory of the last time the hobbits had been in Rivendell. Sam did not look very amused.
"Yes." Merry piped up. "He looked like a drowned rat!" This made them laugh even harder, even Sam managed a chuckle.
"Well I think I'll go for a walk." Said Alana. "It's been so long since I was last here. I've missed it, and all of you too." She added, with a smile.
She got up and started to leave, when Legolas called to her across the hall. "I think I'll join you." He said. Gimli looked at Neera with a knowing look in his eyes. He winked and turned back to talk to the hobbits.
Alana waited for Legolas and they left by the Western doors. They wandered across the bridge and headed off down by the stream, to the meadow beyond. It was just getting dark, and the stars were just starting to appear. Alana sighed contentedly "I can't believe that I'm home at last." She whispered.
"Well aren't you going to tell me where you've been then? The hobbits seem to know a lot about it." Legolas said quietly so as not to disturb the quiet of the evening.
They found somewhere to sit and Alana was quiet for a while. She closed her eyes listening to the sounds of the place.
"I traveled far." She said suddenly, as Legolas was about to break the silence. "At first I was following the paths that you had traveled with the Fellowship, but I started to wander further afield. I went to Fangorn and spoke to Treebeard. He had much to say, not all of it good, I will not tell you of it now. This is not the time. I went to Minas Tirith and spoke with the Lord Aragorn and Lady Arwen. They seemed happy, I didn't stay for long." She stopped suddenly her head bowed.
"It's alright." Legolas said comfortingly. "I know that you love him." Alana looked at him, but didn't see the pain in his eyes.
"I will not speak of it." She said. "The pain is too fresh."
Legolas looked at her and thought about how she had been long ago, when they were both young. Her brother had been there then. The three of them were always together, hunting, swimming, and fishing. Alana had been like a sister to him, but as they got older things had changed. Glorfindell had left Mirkwood to assist Lord Elrond and Gandalf in their search for the One Ring, and Legolas had realized how he truly felt about Alana. Things were so simple then.
"How did you get back?" Legolas said, breaking another silence.
"King Eomer gave me a horse to ride one of the Mearas, the only foal that Shadowfax ever sired. His name is Ithil, which means 'moon'. And he is certainly like the moon, he is the colour of silver, and seems to have a light of his own, that shines out from inside. She said fondly.
"You will have to show me tomorrow." Legolas said.
"Yes I will" She smiled as she talked, her pain of a few moments before forgotten for now. She shivered.
"We should head back" Legolas whispered. "It will be a big day for us tomorrow." She looked at him in confusion, and he continued. "The Lord Aragorn will be arriving, and Lord Celeborn too perhaps." She nodded and got up pulling him up with her. She looked into his eyes for a moment, seeing something in their depths. "It's nothing" She thought to herself, but she still felt uncomfortable.
They headed off towards Rivendell, only realizing that they were still holding hands as they crossed the bridge. Alana blushed and pulled her hand away. Legolas said nothing.
That night as Alana sat at her dressing table brushing her hair, and looking at her reflection in the intricately carved mirror, she thought of Legolas, and blushed again. "What is happening between us?" She asked her self. "It happens every time we meet now." She sighed again. She seemed to do that a lot lately.
"Alana may I speak with you?" Neera asked as she entered Alana's chambers.
"Of course. You know that you needn't ask!" Alana said, seeing that something was obviously bothering her friend.
"Alana..." She trailed off. "Alana, I'm leaving soon. Alana's face fell. "Middle Earth does not hold the same wonder for me that it once did. I am going to the Havens to be with my husband, Firoth. I was only waiting for you to return before I left. I had to tell you myself, and make my own good-byes." The tears, which had been threatening, now began to fall from Alana's eyes.
"When?" Alana asked.
"Next month." Neera replied "It can wait no longer. Don't be too hard on me. I would not have us part like this. You are my best friend, I've been waiting for you, and now that you're back again there is no reason for me to stay."
"Well then." Alana said smiling. "There will be no more tears, between us. I will miss you, but believe me when I say that we will meet again. You will know when the time is right. Wait for me by the harbour."