Hiranneth was seated beside some very important Elven figures in the Hunvel community. Her heart raced as she thought of how hard it was to speak about things such as this.
Leeum walked into the room and took his seat. He cleared his throat and looked around. "Aiya," he said softly, "Shall we begin?"
The other Elves nodded. Leeum continued, "Hiranneth has returned, which is a blessing for all of us. But there are greater, more evil things that are soon to come." The room became quiet and Hiranneth could hear Kiran's thoughts. This time they were strong and clearer. She looked at him and stared out the window, lost in her mind, but then Leeum's hand caused her to wake. "Hiranneth," he said loudly, "you said you thought war was inevitable. What are your thoughts?"
Hiranneth breathed deep and said, "I escaped with but a hair of my life. I know that they did not mean for me to escape and they will do anything to stop me." Her eyes flashed about, looking at her friends' faces. "I've learned that they will gather forces to fight the Elves of Hunvel."
The Elves of the room murmured; many said they did not think war was likely, others that it was to be expected. Hiranneth became uncomfortable with their comments. She yelled over them, "I do not lie to you!"

The room went silent again. "Please," she said in anguish, "I have heard their voices. Even now they haunt me! Will you not believe the very words of a girl who was imprisoned by our enemies?" She clenched her chair arms and seemed to grow weary.
Leeum looked to Kiran, "What do you make of this?"

Kiran stood and faced the Elves.
"It puzzles me that you should welcome Hiranneth but not heed her advice," he said, and though he spoke quietly his words carried far. "Once I would have been frightened at the thought of war. I would rather pick up a book than a sword. But now I see that there is a point where you must give up on words and fight for that which you love." He drew his sword, which Kiarton had returned to him and held it before them. "Á tíra cotumolya. Face your foe." He sheathed his sword and sat again, his eyes low.

Ahéawan watched all that played before her curiously. She was seated beside Leeum, the elder Elves on one side of the room and her dear companions on the other. But watching all of this, many questions troubled Ahéawan's mind. These Elves were so wise! Why was there so much confusion among them? Why would they not believe Hiranneth?
She looked sadly to Leeum and he saw her questions on her face, though he could give her no answer. Even Ahéawan sensed the tension that existed between the Elves of Hunvel and Leeum, though she could not fathom why.

A spark of hope flashed in Hiranneth's eyes as Kiran stood up and unsheathed his sword before them. She could clearly see their discomfort at that point.
She thought a moment about why the Elves were being this way. Leeum, on the other hand, stood up and protested the best he could. The Elves grew angry and stood up to challenge his words. Soon the room became a bustling mix of confusion. Hiranneth lowered her eyes and listened to their words.
One of the Elves said loudly to Leeum, "It is not our fault that your mother killed a high Elf. Why take it out on us?"
The room went deathly quiet, and all stood with fear in their eyes. Hiranneth looked up, amazed. Leeum's eyes were now full of tears. He looked around at everyone, unsure of what to say to that.
Another Elf said after a moment of silence, "To continue on, you will need to tell her."
Leeum seemed to suddenly lose his strength, and as he sank down into his seat, the other Elves followed.
Hiranneth couldn't help but be curious and asked, "What happened, Leeum?"
Leeum did not look at her, but simply said, "Your grandfather...met his last with my mother."
He stood up and walked away. The room was filled with a silent confusion, but the elder Elves knew well the story from long ago.

Ahéawan watched with troubled eyes as Leeum fled from the room. She knew nothing of Elven customs, but this must have been a terrible offense, for a kin of Leeum's to kill another Elf. She felt her heart break at the sight of him leaving, tears beginning to emerge from his eyes. Ahéawan excused herself from the council quietly and hurried down the hall after him.
"Leeum!" she called when he was in sight. The Elf did not turn, but he halted, his head bowed. He looked awful, as though years of grief were now emerging from his every pore. He stretched out a hand and leaned on the wall for strength.
Ahéawan slowed her approach and felt tears of her own prick her eyes at the sight of him. "Leeum, please," she said softly. She laid a hand on his outstretched arm. She searched for some comforting word she could give him, but found none, hoping her presence would be enough. "Tell me what happened. I want to understand," she added, barely above a whisper.

Leeum held his breath, looking for the proper words that would help Ahéawan understand. After a moment, he finally found the courage to tell her.
"My mother, Meldawen, was a maid for the royal house of Hunvel back in the times of old. She cared for the children brought up to be heirs to the throne." He stopped short and softly said, "She was mad about the King, formally Hiraniel. She loved him with a passion far too deep to even be real. When she heard he was to have a child, her hatred grew great for that family." Leeum paused. "My mother killed the King and almost killed their newborn child, Hiranneth's mother."
Leeum felt slightly confused and he rubbed his head for a while. "I was sent to the Elders of the forest when I was but 10 in human age. My younger sister, however, remained in Hunvel. I know not of where she is now." His eyes grew distant as he remembered. "But before my mother sent me...she said something about my father."
Leeum bit his lip, unsure of how to put forth his thoughts. "I have wondered what these words have meant for almost 400 years, but still I do not know." With that he breathed deep and quoted as if from a distant time in his mind.
"Child born of unloved consent
Thrown away forever
Nothing more than maiden seed
But that of noble blood."

Her eyes clouded over with concern as Ahéawan listened to Leeum. She could see the pain in his eye at reviving the past and tried to send her comfort to him through her hand resting on his arm. He relayed the ancient verse to her in a mystified voice, then closed his eyes again in deep thought.
"Not all of us have an unscarred past," Ahéawan said after an uncomfortable silence. She bit her lip when Leeum looked up at her curiously. After taking a deep breath, she began again. "When I was young, I had a fighter spirit. I begged for my father to teach me the ways of the sword. He did so, and for years I thought of nothing else. My father was a prominent figure in the battle force of Gondor. I persuaded him to let me fight, saying if he didn't I would run off. Torn at the thought, he admitted me into a small force, much to the grief of him and my mother. I fought in that force for four years, and during those met my beloved, Wuldorn."
A sad, wistful look came into Ahéawan's eyes as she remembered that day she had been married. She could recall everything to the last detail, and the picture of Wuldorn's handsome face brought fresh tears to her eyes. After a moment, she continued. "Wuldorn was content to settle down and begin a family, but my lust for battle could not be calmed. Too stubborn for my own good, my love was finally hailed by my persistence. I continued to fight in the raging war, until one day. There was a terrible battle. It was a hopeless cause, we all knew that. But we rode into battle proudly all the same."
Her tears now flowed freely at the memory of that great battle. Her words came choked, but she needed to finish, she needed to tell Leeum. "Three lives were lost that day. That of my father, my dear Wuldorn, and the life of his unborn child. But another life was lost that fateful day...mine. All I had loved was gone, and I had nothing to comfort me. The last thing I remember from my old life is the dying but still loving face of my Wuldorn, telling me he loved me. With all that chaos and destruction around me, I could only think one thing: that it had all been my fault. That I could have saved the life of my father, my husband, my child, had I forsaken my lust for the sword. Eight years have I lived with this unrelenting guilt, and eight years have I wandered the countryside without purpose...until now. Now that someone needs me."
Ahéawan turned to the ground, watching her tears fall and splash upon it. She could not bear to look into Leeum's eyes, to see in them how he now despised her, as he surely would. She even despised herself, her blood-streaked past, the thrill she had once gotten from it all. She shuddered and pulled her hand away from Leeum, not feeling worthy of his touch.

Leeum was touched deeply by Ahéawan relating her past. His tears flowed freely, but he hoped in the darkness she would not see them.
When Ahéawan had finished, the silence was full upon them both. He turned his eyes toward her and noticed that Ahéawan was not looking at him; she seemed ashamed. Gently he placed his hand under her chin and looked her in the eyes. He held her head there, not sure what to say to her. With his other hand he gently brushed her dark hair from her face. He smiled and then said, "I would kiss you, but I feel you still love Wuldorn...You should love him. Though your earthly love did not last long, it made you strong."

Ahéawan could barely see Leeum's face through her tears, but she knew if she could she would see the love in his beautiful eyes. His touch on her face was like an angel's breath. It may have been the moonlight, or her blurry vision, or the strange way her feet felt as if they weren't touching the ground, but Ahéawan suddenly felt---for the first time in eight years---that she was not alone.
She smiled sadly at this feeling, not wanting to say anything, just wishing she could be alone in the dark hallway with Leeum for eternity. "Leeum," she finally said gently, "I do indeed love my Wuldorn. But loving him will not bring him back. I cannot dwell in the past anymore." Ahéawan felt a warm breeze stir around her, lifting her, whispering to her. She smiled at the comforting breeze. "I think that is what he has been trying to tell me for so long. And after eight years...I think I finally understand." She knew her words did not make much sense to the Elf, but she felt in her heart as if all was right in the world. She closed her eyes and reveled in this feeling. "Do kiss me," she whispered, hardly aware that she had spoken.

Leeum's heart stopped when Ahéawan told him to kiss her. He wondered if she was dreaming of Wuldorn or not. But whatever it was, he found he did not care anymore. He had for so long held back his feelings for this woman so that he might be spared the pain. Like that of a perfect moment, Leeum leaned forward and kissed Ahéawan softly. He had never before felt unbelievably free and in love.

Hiranneth was pained at the parting of Leeum and Ahéawan, but she needed to put the moment aside; the Elves of Hunvel needed her now. "How many do we have to fight?" she asked.
The Elves looked nervously at each other. One commented, "If we sent to fight very able-bodied man Elf we have, including young Elf boys, we have about 400."
Hiranneth shook her head. "That is not enough," she said in a quiet whisper.
"How many do you need?" asked Kiran.
She looked up at him sadly, "The Wraiths will have an army of 10,000 strong."
The light of the sun began to fade into darkness and everyone felt the cold air creep across the patio. The Elves' eyes were cast downward and their hands were white with fear.
Hiranneth stood up and said to them, "We have time, but I fear war will be on us in as little as three days." With that, she got up to the room, saying good night to all of the Elves. As she walked away, the only sound in the dark night was that of her footsteps, pressing lightly against the wood floors, until they were heard no more.

As Hiranneth left, Kiarton suddenly realized that he had been holding his breath. He let it out slowly, and finally stood. The room was deathly silent. "Many they might have, but with cunning, skill, courage, and planning we can take them. I may be mortal, a child in your eyes, but I have seen death and war. And I will not let Hunvel fall." Turning around to the door, he left. Kiarton trotted down the marble steps, taking in every last beauty of this place. Who knew if he would see it again after the war?

Hiranneth's feet pressed lightly down the pathway to her room. Her bare feet felt the cold of the approaching night. She quickened her steps.
She finally reached her room on the third floor of the Elven homes high in the trees. She lit a candle and settled down on her small bed. She felt as if sleep would not come easily, so she lay still for some time. The only sound was that of her breath, coming and going.
Her eyes wandered to the window, where she saw the stars, glittering in the heavens. A tear came to her eyes as she thought about her home life. Her father would often take her out late and just sit and watch the stars until dawn. There was one in particular that her father always pointed out. It was a large star that shone with an unusual brightness. Her father would say to her that that star was his love for her, and the love that one day she would find in a man.
Now, at this moment, she saw that star. She sat up and ventured out onto the patio of her tree house. The star glinted and she stood in awe of it. Slowly she reached up, as if to touch it with her hands. But no matter how close it seemed, it was always too far away.

After the council let out, Kiran wandered through the Elven town, looking up at the sky strewn with stars. And then he saw Hiranneth standing on a balcony in the trees, looking at the skies as well.
He climbed up to the room she was in, feeling in his mind that constant pull that brought them together even when they were worlds apart. He stood there, at first unsure of what to say. Without words, he sent her thoughts of his life, of his father who had been so brave and his mother who he had barely known.
I don't know how I could have sounded so brave in the council, he thought, knowing she could hear him. I'm so scared of losing even more. Of losing you.

Hiranneth listened to Kiran as he spoke to her, but all around it was silent. She turned to him finally. "You are brave for your age. I see it in your eyes, though you cannot feel it yourself." She came close to him and whispered, "I fear the future. I know of the coming darkness that may sweep these lands, but I do not fear it. We cannot fear while hope remains." She leaned in slightly and kissed him on the cheek. A tear came from her eyes and she smiled. "I hope you can say the same."

Kiran held her still and watched the tear slowly fall down her face, her pure and sweet face, full of light that encompassed him when he felt so dark inside. He pulled her closer and kissed her passionately.
I've wanted to do that since the first moment I saw you...

Hiranneth loved him, oh how she loved him. With every fiber of her weak human being she did. All the emotions and thoughts and everything that ever came into her mind now flooded back to her. She remembered back to the time she and Kiran first met, and everything that had happened since then, all of their adventures. As they embraced, she began to cry. "I don't want you to fight in the war. I don't want you to die. Not while life is yet so sweet," she sobbed onto Kiran's shoulder. "If you or anyone else dies, how then can I live on? Knowing that your lives where taken in vain, and will never return."

"No life would be in vain. Know that each of us are willing to face even the great unknown of death in this war, to protect this land and these people." Kiran looked into her eyes a moment longer before standing. He offered a hand to help her up and when she stood before him, he echoed the words he had spoken long ago, when he had first met her in the forest by their home. "I will fight with you. If it is death you are destined for, you shall not meet it alone, but I do not think that will be your fate."