Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings wails The truth can be so hurting sometimes…
Author's notes: Thank you reviewers for your kind reviews. I really really appreciate them! This is a sappy chapter, haha, and I hope you will like it. Coaxed my muse into a poetic mode and managed to write a song about Eldamar. Hope it works! And alas, a scene of Celeborn and Artanis. ) Pls R/R! Thank you!
Chapter Three: A Lament for Valinor
Light feet pranced across the soft luscious grass of the garden, away from the music of the hall, drifting in the silence of the night. Artanis breathed in the cool night air of Menegroth, her skin tingling with the caress of the night breeze. She lifted her head and stared at the endless strip of ribbon above her, adorned by millions of twinkling gems. "What a lovely starlit sky," She sighed. She gazed around her, her eyes drawing in the tranquil and beautiful surroundings, yet her heart grew troubled and heavy.
So unfamiliar to me, so unknown.
She breathed deeply, her breast heaving as if laden with a heavy load. Her conversation with Queen Melian had made her sorrowful. Memories of her days in Valinor came flooding back. She thought of the great white towers of Tirion where she lived, the cold touch of white marble and crystal glass under her bare feet. She remembered her childhood days in the courtyard, playing by the sacred White Tree, Galathilion.
Her heart wandered to the mansions of Manwë and Varda, the palace of Ilmarin on the top of Taniquetil, where the Vanyar elves sang poetry to the delights of the King of the Winds and Queen of the Stars. She thought of the days when she would run across the meadows of Yvanna the Fruitful, into the woods of Oromë, just to catch a glimpse of the founder of elves riding his magnificent horse, Nahar, galloping through the lushes of greens. In the woodlands, Nessa, the agile and light-footed dancer would teach the elves her dances, prancing and swirling with the music of the nightingales. Her brothers would ever long for another visit to Aulë's halls, to learn his craft of the making of gems and carving of stones. But her favourite visits were to the golden gardens of Lórien, the Master of Dreams, where she often sought physical and spiritual restoration.
Her thoughts strayed to the shores of Alqualondë, where she spent her early childhood days playing with… A pair of green eyes gazed softly into hers, full of love and adoration. She shook her head. "Ancalima… Forgive me." Her voice quivering as she forced the image away. "Let me forget, let me forget." She felt lost and lonely, in a distant land so faraway from home, away from her father and mother, away from her loved ones, away from her beloved. Though Menegroth was alike to Valinor in many ways, it did not comfort her. It was all a farce… no matter how alike they were, the stars, they will never lie…The stars told her the truth, she was not in Valinor, and perhaps she never will again.
Celeborn paused in his steps when a song shattered the silence of the night, the singer's crystal voice ringing clear, soothing and sweet, yet laden with sorrow. He followed the music, as if enchanted, into the depths of the garden. His pace quickening as his eyes and ears searched fervently for the origin. Drawing near, the words of the song grew clear to him.
Ah! Where are yet my heart longing?
My eyes desire to see?
The shores of Eldamar calling
Beyond the Western Seas.
Calacirya! Behold the Pass of LightInto the lands that dwell within
Long came Eldar of Old and Bright
Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
We heed your call
And left the lands of sin.
Golden are the throne of Taniquetil
There sat the King and Queen
Lord of the Winds and Kindler of the Stars
In the lands of Eldamar.
Where are yet the pastures of Yvanna?
The beauty that her hands will bear.
Where can I find Aulë, the Smith?
Crafting jewels of splendour and rare.
Where are yet the gardens of Vána?
Eternal spring she will be bringing
Where can I find Oromë, the Huntsman?
Riding through the forest, his horn proudly ringing.
Where is Ulmo, Lord of the Seven Oceans?
And where is Tulkas, the Pillar of Strength?
Harken to my heart! It said,
Aye, beyond the Western Seas!
Where are yet the deep halls of Mandos?
A place where wandering souls come to dwell
Where are the Fates that Vairë had woven?
The tapestries with tales to tell.
Where can I hear the mourning of Nienna?
The Weeper whose tears will heal
Where can I see Nessa, the Dancer?
Prancing with music, delights to her ears.
Where is Estë the Healer and Restorer?
And where is Lórien, the Master of Dreams?
Harken to my heart! It said,
Aye, beyond the Western Seas!
Ah! My heart flies to the lands of far!
To Lórien, the golden gardens of dreams and stars!
To Tirion, the crystal and marble halls of white
To Alqualondë, the jewelled shores which glitter bright.
Aye, beyond the Western seas!
Aye, beyond the Western Seas!
Celeborn stopped in his tracks. The voice had brought him to the meadow of Menegroth. His eyes widened as they fell onto the white form standing in the midst of golden flowers, white robes billowing around the slender figure, lights of the stars and moon drizzling over the tresses that gleamed gold and touched with a hint of silver.
"Artanis…" He whispered, marvelling at the sight, wondering if he had just crossed the path of a Valar. He stood enraptured, his eyes unable to leave her, his ears ringing with her song. Gone was the proud and contemptuous Noldorin princess in his eyes, and in replacement, he beheld the Light of Valinor. She seemed to be like a dream, an illusion, beautiful beyond worldly measures. At that moment, the seeds of doom indeed fell upon Celeborn, mesmerized, under the starlit sky. When the song finally ended, the magic that held him broke and he began to breathe again, relieved of a heavy load. He steadied himself and collected his thoughts. He took a step forward and cleared his throat, "A lament for Valinor?"
Artanis gasped and whirled around. "My Lord!"
Celeborn smiled as he moved forward, seemingly a little uncomfortable. "My apologies, My Lady. I did not mean to frighten you. I only came to look for you for you are nowhere to be seen in the halls."
She nodded her acknowledgement. "I long for some fresh air, My Lord. I will return soon when I am done."
"Then… May I join you?" Celeborn asked, a little awkwardly.
A flash of astonishment was seen in Artanis eyes as she beheld the Sindarin noble, but she nodded. "To my pleasure." She smiled and turned, gazing at the stars above. Silence fell between them as Celeborn stood by her and followed her gaze to the stars. A moment of tranquillity set in, calming the hearts of Artanis and Celeborn.
"Have you ever stepped out of this lands, My Lord?" Artanis asked suddenly, breaking the silence, her eyes never leaving the stars.
Celeborn turned to her, surprised that she would be the first to speak. He shook his head, "Never beyond the lands of Beleriand. My heart ever lingers in Doriath, as well as my body."
She smiled, a bitter one tugging at her lips. "Then I pray that you'll never have to leave these lands against your wishes. It tears one's soul to have your heart at one place while your body at another." She sighed. "The heart and the body are bound as one. Estrangement is a torment."
Her words rendered him speechless. So much sorrow, so many burdens… Where was the pride in her eyes that she had shown when we first met? Where was the iron in her voice? He thought of her lament, and a sudden desire to know the lands of Eldamar overtook him. "How does Valinor look like?" The words slipped out of his mouth before he knew it. Artanis gazed at him in wonder, though her eyes glittered with feigned mockery. "I know… I know that I had held no regards for the Lands of Eldamar and the… the people… and so you must have heard. But I really wish to know." He spluttered. Mentally, he gave himself a hard knock. Your pride, Celeborn! Your composure!
Artanis chuckled softly and Celeborn realised that this was the first time he ever saw her laugh. Her face shone and her eyes sparkled when she laughed, like a lone golden star before the break of dawn. "My Lord, you are forgiven."
Celeborn scowled and her chuckles broke into laughter, ringing clear as the raindrops on a summer evening. But her laughter was not long, grief soon set in her eyes. "Valinor, Valinor…" She whispered, repeating the name of her homeland, tasting it upon her lips. "I was born there, beneath the stars, into the lights of the Gold and Silver Trees. I grew up in the city of Tirion, running through the halls, the stairs, the passageways of crystal and white marble. They are always cold to the touch, but warm to the heart. They were built by the hands of my forefather, my father, my brothers, my people." She looked upon her hands, her eyes softening.
"Poetry is ever recited in the halls of Manwë and Varda, the silver tongues of the Vanyar ever drawing wonders into the hearts of the Valar, Maia and Eldar, sweet and pure as the morning dew. Run through the pastures of Yvanna! You'll always see her, tall in stature, clad in green, bending over the fruits of her labour. In her nurturing hands, the blooming flowers, the towering trees, the carpets of grass, the creatures of the air, earth and water are splendid, their beauty and gentleness are beyond the words of the fairest speech I can think of. Marvel at the works of the crafty hands of Aulë, for his hands may turn a stone into the brightest and most precious of gems, a statue into a living, breathing elf! His halls are jewelled and so bright are the gems that were embedded in the pillars and walls, that one would have thought that Varda brought down the stars into his dwelling." She paused and closed her eyes, savouring her own words. Celeborn knew that her heart had already flown to the lands beyond.
"Delight yourself in the gardens of Vána, for there, spring never fades away and the nightingales sing all day. Into the luscious forests of Oromë you may dwell and listen to the majestic blast of his horn, Valaróma as he gallops past you, swift as lightning! Find comfort in the cradle of Ulmo, for his seas are the arms of his embrace. And protection you may find, in the strong arms of Tulkas."
"In the gloomy halls of Mandos, the tapestries drape languidly across the high ceilings, the walls and pillars, depicting the tales from the beginning of times to the end of times. If you look carefully, you may even find yourself inside, woven into the Fates." She laughed softly to herself, remembering her innocent joy when she saw herself woven into one of the tapestries when she was young. Vairë had used the best of flaxen gold to weave her hair!
"At the West of Valinor, overlooking the sea and the Wall of Night is the mansion of Nienna, where you can always hear soft weeping. But when you turn away from there and head towards the woodlands, you find music and light feet prancing. I myself have learned the dances from the very teachings of Nessa. And alas, my favourite hiding place from my Ada and Nana when I was an elfling was the golden gardens of Lórien." She sighed in contentment upon the mention of Lórien. "Ever at peace was I there, and I always drifted into sleep in the healing arms of Estë. And my teacher, the Master of Dreams will bestow upon me the most soothing and blissful dreams."
She opened her eyes. "And how can I forget Alqualondë? Many a time I have walk the shores, board the Swan ships and swam in the waters. The sea breeze ever bringing the clean and stinging salty air upon land and in the silence of the night, the sea will sing music into your ears."
Celeborn listened to the vivid description in wonder. Along with Artanis' silver words of magic, she had borne him into the lands beyond the Western Seas. He turned to look at her, and caught sight of a glistening teardrop upon her cheek. He longed to wiped off her tears and draw her into her arms. But he restrained himself. Celeborn! What are you thinking! He silently reprimanded himself.
Artanis turned away and swiftly brushed away her tears, not wanting to show her vulnerabilities to Celeborn. She took a deep breath and turned towards him, "I have brought you to Valinor." She smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes. He nodded and laughed softly. "Indeed you have, My Lady."
He gazed down at her, drawing in her face, her eyes and her lips. She looked so beautiful, helpless and pitiful. A lovely yet poignant picture was she in his eyes, and his chest ached. Celeborn was suddenly aware of their closeness when he smelt the scent of her, fresh and sweet as the morning air. She smiled again, her eyes glazed and misty with tears. Intense emotions and impulse grabbed him as he lifted his hand and he gently touched the golden tresses of Artanis.
"The beauty of Valinor you had showed me, but that is of lands far, far away. But right here, in the lands of my home, in Menegroth, under the stars, I met a lovely elven princess that is as beautiful as the lands that she had described. But she is sorrowful." He caressed the flaxen gold in his hands and smiled at her. "Artanis," He whispered her name and she shivered at the gentleness of it, her heart racing at the touch of his hand. "Many tales I have heard of you, that the light of the Two Trees, Telperion and Laurelin are snared in your tresses. It had been proven true, for you are indeed fair. Yet, your beauty is beyond that of your golden hair. The fire within you is your beauty. Rekindle that fire, Artanis, and grief no more."
Their eyes locked, and Artanis was lost in the deep grey swirl pools of Celeborn's. Starlight shone upon the two elves, gleaming silver and gold in perfect harmony. At long last, Celeborn tore away his gaze and his hand that held Artanis' dropped to his side. He cleared his throat, "Pardon me, My Lady." His words were fast and his voice was devoid of the gentleness that he had a while ago. "I have to go back halls now, the King and Queen must be wondering at my absence. I assume that you wish to stay here a while more. Do accept my sincere apologies for interrupting you, My Lady. I will inform the King and Queen and your brother of your well-being." He bent and swiftly kissed her hand. "I will take my leave now."
Abruptly, Celeborn left, leaving a bewildered Artanis behind. Cold air enveloped her as the warmth of another body closed to her suddenly left. Her dazed eyes followed him as he disappeared from her field of sight. Her heart was barely still, dancing like one the fast dances of Nessa. Her fingertips ran across the spot of her hair where Celeborn had caressed and she thought of his words. Slowly, her lips parted into a true smile as she whispered, "Hanta lyë. (Thank you.)"
And the wind carried her words into the night air of Menegroth.
Hanta lyë…