E/N: As you will notice, I have jumped forward a little.
Translations:
Ná quildë = be quiet
Nyér, ada = sorry, father
Nissëhon = sweetheart
Seler = sister
Diolla lle, mellon-nin! = Thank you, my friend!
Chapter 48
"You're absolutely sure we've everything?"
"Silvawen, get on the damn horse!" Legolas growled.
"There's no need to be like that!" Silva mounted Midnight sulkily.
"Do you think I would let us leave if there was anything we'd forgotten?"
"I'm only checking!"
"I've already checked four times!!"
"Will you two STOP arguing?!" Thranduil yelled. "Ai, Elbereth! You're meant to be happy and celebrating, not at each other's throats."
"Well, if she would just stop fussing?"
"You're treating this situation too lightly, Legolas Greenleaf!" He glared at her, willing himself not to say exactly what he knew would reward a sharp slap, amongst other things.
"You are both being irrational and hysterical," Thranduil said. "So both of you, ná quildë!"
"Nyér, ada," they replied.
"That's better. Now then, Silva, look at me." She turned to him stubbornly. "Smile. You know you want to. Come on, I won't let you leave until you are both smiling and all this silly childish bickering is through with." She smiled half-heartedly at him. "You can do better than that, I know you can. Look, you are meant to be celebrating Kemenhin's birthday in a couple of months. What is he going to think if you two turn up with faces like a smacked arse?" The couple tried their hardest to keep straight faces, but as they caught one another's eye, they cracked up.
"Alright, alright, you've made your point," said Silva.
"We don't know how long we're going to be," Legolas said, as he mounted his horse.
"Take as long as you like. I'm in no hurry to have you back."
"Gee, thanks."
"I mean that in the nicest possible way."
"Of course you do."
"Give my best regards to Kemenhin and tell him how regretful I am that I couldn't come with you."
"Someone had to watch the cat," Silva said innocently. Thranduil's face darkened.
"Well, it's not me. I've put it in the care of one of your chambermaids, Silva, since I have no desire to even look at the thing."
"She is very well trained no, ada, I promise you."
"Be that as it may, I have an eternal phobia of felines now, thanks to your little friend."
"She's really well-trained now-"
"I hope you two have a lovely time and that Kemenhin enjoys himself. Now be off with you both. If you travel at the speed you two have been pottering round the castle of late, you'll be lucky if you get there before next year's birthday let alone this one." They chuckled and rode off as the sun made its way to the mid point in the sky.
**
"Do you think the others will be here yet?" Silva asked her lover as they entered the Golden Wood.
"Probably, with the exception of Rath," Legolas replied.
"Yeah, you're right. I didn't need to ask really, did I?"
"Not really." They rode in silence for a while. "Why haven't we been stopped yet?"
"They know we're coming, so they have no need to stop us. And I'm sure Lady Galadriel has given Haldir a good talking to after last time." Silva glowered at the memory.
"If he ever threatens my son again, I'll………" she ended her sentence with a growl, making violent gestures with her hands.
"I don't think he will after what Kemen did to him." Silva started to laugh.
"He certainly did teach him." She sighed, partly sorrowfully. "He's grown up so fast. I know I sound like a typical old woman now, but he has. I suppose it's because we don't get to see him very often."
"Don't get all emotional on me now," Legolas said gently with a small grin. "He's still only a baby to you, and you know it. He loves being mothered by you, even now."
"Yeah, I know, but still, 21 is such a milestone, despite that Elves are immortal. He's an adult now, he's not a baby anymore. We haven't seen him for so long, and I've missed so much of his childhood, so much of his life." She sighed again. "There's no point in me getting tearful, is there?" He smiled at her and took her hand. "Ok, I'm done now. Just had to do my little bit of depression before we see him, otherwise I'll ruin the atmosphere."
"Don't you worry about a thing. Kemen won't care if you get upset over something."
"No, but I will."
"Look, just think about having to tutor Rath into being a Lady for the night instead of feeling sad. It'll make you giggle, if nothing else." Silva did indeed start to laugh.
"It's going to be impossible, isn't it?"
"If anyone can do it, you can."
"It'll be hard. I've only got a day to do it."
"You've got to try. For your own sanity, you've got to try, because you know what'll happen if you don't show her even the slightest bit of manners."
"I'll go mental. Ok, I will try my damnedest to make her more of a lady than she already is." They both laughed at the pure insanity of this prospect.
One day's ride got them to Caras Galadhon, where they found a rather large group awaiting them; the four other sisters, Arwen, Galadriel, Elrond's twin sons and the birthday boy, himself.
"KEMEN!" Silva squealed. She leapt of her horse and ran at her son. They both threw their arms round each other. Standing at almost 6'7", he towered over his mother and was able to pick her up. So he did, making everyone chuckle.
"Happy birthday!!!"
"Thank you. It's all the better now you're finally here! Why have you been away for so long?!"
"I'm sorry, nissëhon, we've been so busy!"
"Well, you're here now. That's the main thing. I'm so happy to see you again!" He released Silva and then embraced Legolas. (E/N: Manly hug! *giggle*) "You're later than we expected you to be. We thought you were going to be here yesterday or the day before."
"We left later than we intended," Legolas said. "We very much had to hurry to get here, but we are here now."
"It was my fault, regretfully," said Silva.
"When is it not, Sil?" Rath asked.
"Nice to see you too, seler."
"Silva, I believe we have some things for Kemen, do we not?" Legolas said, interrupting the glare being shared between the women.
"What? Oh yes. Yes, we do."
"Shall I go first, or do you want to?"
"You can." Legolas went to his horse and unstrapped a very handsome looking bow and quiver from it.
"These are for you." The smile that Kemenhin dealt when he saw them was liberating to all. Such joy was in his face.
"Diolla lle, mellon-nin!" Kemen cried. "This is a most wonderful gift!"
"You wait until you see Silva's then." She went over to her saddlebag on her horse and routed around for a while.
"Hang on, I'll be with you in a minute." She continued looking. "Ah, here we go." She pulled out a large, reasonably thin parcel in her hands. It had white wrapping with an azure blue ribbon holding it together. "This is your birthday present from me. It's not much really, but well, it was an idea that occurred to me a few years ago. I thought it might interest you." He took the gift from her and unwrapped it.
It was a large, dark green leather book that stood about 12 inches high, 9 inches wide and an inch thick. On the front, in embossed silver lettering, were the words:
Mornië Utúlië - Tel'talant qúen"Darkness has come - Of the Fallen One," Kemenhin read aloud. He looked vaguely confused. He looked to Silva questioningly.
"Open it," she coaxed. He did so and found a message on the first page that was, otherwise, blank. Again it was in Elvish, though he read it in Common Tongue and again he read aloud:
To Kemenhin,
Happy Birthday!
I hope this gift is suitable and that you find it
Of use and interest. My thoughts in giving you this
Were to let you have further insight into the
Life of someone otherwise unknown to you.
I love you always
Silvawen xxx"I'm still confused," he said, half laughing. "Who is it that I do not know well?" She smiled.
"Have a flick through the pages and see if any of it makes sense to you." Again he did as he was beckoned, though his confusion continued to grow.
"It speaks of the beginning of time and of Ilúvatar and the Valar and the Maiar. Six Maiar in particular." Arian, Nilia, Rath and Riel all looked sharply over to Silva. They had previously not been listening, but now they were, intently. "But I know none of these people."
"Are you sure of that, Kemen? Think about what you briefly read. It talks of six Heart-Sisters. I believe you know five." He stared at her as it all finally fell into place.
"This book is about you?"
"Yes, it is about us. I will admit that it is mainly of me and my experience with our Fallen Heart-Sister, but I have written about my present sisters also."
"You wrote it?!" Silva blushed slightly as she heard the awe and respect in his voice.
"Yes, it took me five years. There were parts of our story that I could not recount so well, and other parts were very hard for me to describe, as they hurt to remember, let alone describe. But I did it for you. I realized that you know nothing about me or my past apart from the little things that have been revealed on occasion over your 21 years. I thought if I wrote down our story, you could find out about me at your own pace."
"………… I don't know what to say………… this is………… amazing!" He hugged her tightly again. "Thank you so much!"
"Think nothing of it. Like I said, it's not much. It's a bit feeble really, compared with some of the other gifts you will have received."
"Not at all! However much I like and
appreciate my other gifts, I think this one is by far the best!"
"Can I ask something of you, though?"
"Anything."
"Please don't let anyone else read it. I made a solemn promise with myself and another not to tell this story to anyone other than those that needed to know. I wish you, but no one else, to know the story of our lives, for it is a cruel tale."
"She and Rath are very proud creatures that would not have their downfalls known by just anyone," Arian put in. "You should feel very privileged to hold that in your hands."
"Although he knows the story, even Legolas has not read this," said Silva. Kemen's eyes enlarged slightly.
"I shall treasure it for eternity and I swear to you all, not a soul shall read this book, other than I, if it is against your will."
"Thank you, Kemen."
"No, thank you, Silva. Thank you for trusting me in letting me know about your history."
"I'm just glad you like it. I was so scared you'd think it was an awful present."
"Any gift from you I cherish beyond measure."
"Suck up," Rath muttered.
"Right then," said Kemen, turning his attention back to the gathered group who were all looking at the book with great interest, "is it time to eat now? I'm hungry!"