Chapter 6
Blinded by her tears, Nienna could only grope her way through the darkened halls, and deep into the wooded sanctuaries: small clearings of encircled with trees, their thin branches intertwining with each other, forming natural protective canopies. They were usually abandoned at this time of the year, leaves scattered upon the soft earth below. This night, however, the sanctuaries had one occupant - Nienna.
All throughout her childhood, these very trees had been a comfort to her, she would whisper soft elvish verses into their foliage, and they would whisper back in their breathy tree-talk. Her cheeks were stained with tears by the time she reached them, and the moonlight made them glimmer - little streams emptying into the luminous blue pools of her eyes.
Stifling another gasping sob, Nienna sank to the floor of the most secluded sanctuary she could find, ivy entangled and enclosed the space, creeping up the young trees, filtering out the light.
"I was only trying to help." She repeated her words, a thin gauze of doubt beginning to settle into her voice, forming tiny tremors in her usually melodious voice. "I did all I could." another tear slid down her cheek, "didn't I?" Only the cold rustle of the leaves answered her, and she hung her head.
*
It was not unusual for Linwë to wander about the grounds to watch to moon rise, yet somehow, this night seemed different. The woods seemed more inviting than usual, and she considered climbing onto the canopy of one of the stronger sanctuaries to watch the pale moon sit where Anar the sun had once been what seemed like only moments before. She stepped lightly over the crisp grass, just barely noticing the faint prints that proceeded her own. 'Another moon gazer, perhaps?' she wondered, her curiosity pushing her even farther into the darkened wood.
It was then she heard a sound. At first, it seemed like a ripple in the air, and she paused, tilting her head slightly. Crying.that was it, someone was crying. She frowned, following the sound all the way to the very darkest of all the natural shelters. 'The poor dear,' Linwë thought, 'perhaps her love was one of the fallen at the battle of men?' She shuddered momentarily; her mind briefly sifting through all the names, all the old faces came to her - thin memories of a misty past. She sighed - perhaps it was lucky she did not have anyone, there was no one to mourn. The sudden halt of sound startled Linwë out of her thoughts. Had she been discovered?
"Who.who's there?" A trembling voice questioned.
Instantly Linwë recognized the voice.
"Nienna!"
*
At once, Nienna knew who had found her, and lifted her head. "Linwë? Is that you?" She smiled as her old friend emerged into the 'room'. She tried her best to wipe the tears from her eyes, smiling despite her red cheeks.
"Nienna, you look.horrible." Linwë kneeled beside her friend, her eyes pleading. Mani marte? Mankoi naa lle nallien?" What happened? Why are you crying?
Nienna bit her lip, silently chiding herself at her own predictability.
"Nothing, Linwë, I'm fine."
Linwë smiled patting her friend on the back, "You are such a terrible liar." Her eyes grew serious, "did you and Nolo have a fight?" There was something in her eyes other than concern.
Nienna shifted, "Well, yes. But he didn't make me cry." She looked at the ground, not noticing how the corners of Linwë's mouth dropped.
'How could I have been so stupid?' Linwë wondered, 'Of course Nolo didn't make her cry. He'd never make her cry,' she thought with just a hint of jealousy, 'he'd never even take a second glance at me when all he can see in Nienna.' Her heart sank 'as blind as she is, he'll go on loving her forever.he'll never see me.' She felt the tears rise, 'he'll never see my love.' She felt Nienna's hand on her shoulder, and looked up.
"It's ok Linwë, I'm fine. Please, don't cry." Linwë smiled, 'you just have no idea'.
"I worry about you, Nienna. I can't help it. But.why were you crying?" Her voiced prodded, her eyebrows rising slightly.
Nienna sighed, "It's one of my patients.he..he may not recover and I don't know if I can help him anymore." She felt the tears threaten to begin again, and struggled to maintain her fragile composure. "He said.he said...he said it was my fault he was miserable, that I should have..." She struggled to say the words, ".let him die. I don't know if I can go back there, Linwë, I don't know if I can face him - or any of them. What if.what if he's right?"
Linwë frowned, "Don't you dare let those thoughts creep into your head, mellonamin," my friend She said, looking her straight in the eye as the angle of the moon began to pierce the outer shield of ivy. "Don't you dare! I've seen you save too many lives to let you think you're anything less than spectacular at what you do. Do not let his misery become your misery. Show him what the world can still offer him. And don't take no for an answer." She smiled warmly, helping her friend to her feet. "He'll warm up to you eventually, they always do."
Nienna could only stand in shock, soaking in her friends words as if they were droplets of the water of life itself. After a while, she nodded. "Alright, I'll give it a try."
Linwë closed her eyes, taking a deep, satisfied breath.
"Are you going to bed now?"
She opened her eyes again, aware that Nienna was standing in the arch of the trees. Linwë shook her head, her near-platinum hair sifting over her face like a thin veil.
"No, I think I'll stay here a while, the moon is so beautiful after all."
Nienna nodded again as looked over her shoulder, watching as her friend basked in the soft glow of the moonlight. "Goodnight, Linwë."
When she didn't answer, Nienna shrugged, noting the meditative smile Linwë had on her face, her eyes closed; she looked too serene to disturb. Finally, she tore her eyes away from the clarity and peace before her, and turned her feet in the direction of her flet.
Blinded by her tears, Nienna could only grope her way through the darkened halls, and deep into the wooded sanctuaries: small clearings of encircled with trees, their thin branches intertwining with each other, forming natural protective canopies. They were usually abandoned at this time of the year, leaves scattered upon the soft earth below. This night, however, the sanctuaries had one occupant - Nienna.
All throughout her childhood, these very trees had been a comfort to her, she would whisper soft elvish verses into their foliage, and they would whisper back in their breathy tree-talk. Her cheeks were stained with tears by the time she reached them, and the moonlight made them glimmer - little streams emptying into the luminous blue pools of her eyes.
Stifling another gasping sob, Nienna sank to the floor of the most secluded sanctuary she could find, ivy entangled and enclosed the space, creeping up the young trees, filtering out the light.
"I was only trying to help." She repeated her words, a thin gauze of doubt beginning to settle into her voice, forming tiny tremors in her usually melodious voice. "I did all I could." another tear slid down her cheek, "didn't I?" Only the cold rustle of the leaves answered her, and she hung her head.
*
It was not unusual for Linwë to wander about the grounds to watch to moon rise, yet somehow, this night seemed different. The woods seemed more inviting than usual, and she considered climbing onto the canopy of one of the stronger sanctuaries to watch the pale moon sit where Anar the sun had once been what seemed like only moments before. She stepped lightly over the crisp grass, just barely noticing the faint prints that proceeded her own. 'Another moon gazer, perhaps?' she wondered, her curiosity pushing her even farther into the darkened wood.
It was then she heard a sound. At first, it seemed like a ripple in the air, and she paused, tilting her head slightly. Crying.that was it, someone was crying. She frowned, following the sound all the way to the very darkest of all the natural shelters. 'The poor dear,' Linwë thought, 'perhaps her love was one of the fallen at the battle of men?' She shuddered momentarily; her mind briefly sifting through all the names, all the old faces came to her - thin memories of a misty past. She sighed - perhaps it was lucky she did not have anyone, there was no one to mourn. The sudden halt of sound startled Linwë out of her thoughts. Had she been discovered?
"Who.who's there?" A trembling voice questioned.
Instantly Linwë recognized the voice.
"Nienna!"
*
At once, Nienna knew who had found her, and lifted her head. "Linwë? Is that you?" She smiled as her old friend emerged into the 'room'. She tried her best to wipe the tears from her eyes, smiling despite her red cheeks.
"Nienna, you look.horrible." Linwë kneeled beside her friend, her eyes pleading. Mani marte? Mankoi naa lle nallien?" What happened? Why are you crying?
Nienna bit her lip, silently chiding herself at her own predictability.
"Nothing, Linwë, I'm fine."
Linwë smiled patting her friend on the back, "You are such a terrible liar." Her eyes grew serious, "did you and Nolo have a fight?" There was something in her eyes other than concern.
Nienna shifted, "Well, yes. But he didn't make me cry." She looked at the ground, not noticing how the corners of Linwë's mouth dropped.
'How could I have been so stupid?' Linwë wondered, 'Of course Nolo didn't make her cry. He'd never make her cry,' she thought with just a hint of jealousy, 'he'd never even take a second glance at me when all he can see in Nienna.' Her heart sank 'as blind as she is, he'll go on loving her forever.he'll never see me.' She felt the tears rise, 'he'll never see my love.' She felt Nienna's hand on her shoulder, and looked up.
"It's ok Linwë, I'm fine. Please, don't cry." Linwë smiled, 'you just have no idea'.
"I worry about you, Nienna. I can't help it. But.why were you crying?" Her voiced prodded, her eyebrows rising slightly.
Nienna sighed, "It's one of my patients.he..he may not recover and I don't know if I can help him anymore." She felt the tears threaten to begin again, and struggled to maintain her fragile composure. "He said.he said...he said it was my fault he was miserable, that I should have..." She struggled to say the words, ".let him die. I don't know if I can go back there, Linwë, I don't know if I can face him - or any of them. What if.what if he's right?"
Linwë frowned, "Don't you dare let those thoughts creep into your head, mellonamin," my friend She said, looking her straight in the eye as the angle of the moon began to pierce the outer shield of ivy. "Don't you dare! I've seen you save too many lives to let you think you're anything less than spectacular at what you do. Do not let his misery become your misery. Show him what the world can still offer him. And don't take no for an answer." She smiled warmly, helping her friend to her feet. "He'll warm up to you eventually, they always do."
Nienna could only stand in shock, soaking in her friends words as if they were droplets of the water of life itself. After a while, she nodded. "Alright, I'll give it a try."
Linwë closed her eyes, taking a deep, satisfied breath.
"Are you going to bed now?"
She opened her eyes again, aware that Nienna was standing in the arch of the trees. Linwë shook her head, her near-platinum hair sifting over her face like a thin veil.
"No, I think I'll stay here a while, the moon is so beautiful after all."
Nienna nodded again as looked over her shoulder, watching as her friend basked in the soft glow of the moonlight. "Goodnight, Linwë."
When she didn't answer, Nienna shrugged, noting the meditative smile Linwë had on her face, her eyes closed; she looked too serene to disturb. Finally, she tore her eyes away from the clarity and peace before her, and turned her feet in the direction of her flet.