On the fifth floor of the Seven Swans apartment building, a light shone through the night. In the window and into the room you can see a man, wire rimmed reading glasses on his nose and a coke at his elbow. In his hand a worn out copy of the Silmarillion.
He rubs his eyes, sips the coke and resettling himself in the arm chair continues to read. The clock on the wall reads 3:45 am but he ignores it. The chapter he is reading pulls him deeper into the tale and at that moment the name "Fingon" fist appears. He sits up a little and pushes the glasses up his nose.
But just as he is fully engrossed in the exile of the Nolder, the door buzzer sounds in the silence of the tiny apartment. He looks up in disgust and going to the window he leans out and a figure in the street calls up.
" Yeah Ron dude! Can I come up?"
" Bill? What are you doing here?"
" I am being a good witness of my faith man. I want to see if you had any question for me about the book!"
" Alright, just a sec."
The buzzer sounded and Bill pulled the door open and took the stairs two at a time. The door of apartment C9 was open and he bounded in. Ron was getting another coke out of the fridge.
"So how did you get off work this early?"
" Well there wasn't a crowd and people were just goin' home and so BJ let us go. Dude, people just don't feel the groove of music any more these days, ya know?"
Ron handed him the coke and resumed his sit, as Bill vaulted himself on to the counter pushing his hair out of his eyes as he did so. The book lay on the coffee table and they both looked at it and then at each other. Bill raised a brow.
" So dude, what do you think of it?"
" I think… that I have no idea what to think." Ron shrugged his shoulders and picking the book up flipped through the pages again.
" In what dude? Do you need help in pronouncing names or understanding the difference between the Valar and Eru? Asked Bill taking a swig of coke and burping quietly.
" Bill, if I needed help in that I would look in the back of the book. No, what I am looking for is something to tell me whether or not this could all have really taken place. Now don't say " It just takes faith man" I know you've said that a million times. I need real proof."
Bill had smiled widely at the repeat of his words " At least that had sunken in" he thought.
" Let me first ask what brought on this sudden interest in the possibility of middle earth being real?" Bill asked not using the word "dude" for the first time that night.
Ronald took his glasses off and tapped them against his lips as he considered the figure of his friend. William Macintosh had been the founder of the Galadhrim frat, and was the most rabid believer in Middle Earth to ever walk the planet. At least he made anyone he met believe that he was.
He had been the one who has taught the elvish language classes and was a genius. But like many of that rare race he didn't do the kind of thing that you thought a genius would do like making beautiful music. He had no interest in science or of becoming a big business executive, he lived the cleanest life you could image.
For a rock junkie he was not a drunk, drug addict or Don Juan either, he had a family that he loved very much. They lived in the suburbs of the city and lived the perfect " Elven" life style, well as perfect as you could get in the middle of a city. They grew as much of their food as they could and bought most of their food at the health food store.
"I have a question, suppose, just suppose that I had a patient that spoke fluent Quendi and wrote in tengwar not English. And ……and remember this is just a superposition; what if she were to tell me that she had been transported back in time and found herself in Middle Earth during the first age?"
Bill's eyes got wide and he breathed " Where was she ?" he asked.
" I think it's a place called Hithlum because she was with a…. Prince Fingon of the Nolder."
" Dude!" was all Bill could say.
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Balancing the heavy tray against her right arm Aeroniel knocked on the solid oak door to the King's sitting rooms.
"Come"
She pushed the panel open and into the room cheerfully lit by a fire in the grate.
" Ah, just leave them on the desk please."
" Yes Sir."
She went to the huge desk and set the tray there carefully polishing the top tangerine a little with her sleeve. The King was on the balcony reading some dispatches from the soldiers in Dor-Lomin. They had been brought in earlier by Malach, or Aradan, as he was known among the elves. He was a good friend of Fingon but Aeroniel had never met him. He was the only other human in the area at present and so he received much attention. He was standing with the king and watching every move she made.
" Do you need something my child?" the King asked absently.
" Do you hear any news of …of the Prince my Lord?"
" Yes indeed, he is well and sends you his greetings."
Aeroniel tried to hide her disappointment, Fingon had been away for 3 years and she was beginning to forget what he looked like. Seeing she lingered still, the King who was very fond of the girl ( whenever he remembered her existence) beckoned her to him.
She came and stood in the shadow cast by the tall and awesome elf. He was the most beautiful elf she had seen and also the most impatient. It was a strange trait to find in an elf, but it was there. Aradan smiled at her, but she looked to the King again.
" Now then what troubles you dear?" he asked kindly.
" I just thought maybe he would be coming home soon that's all. He's been gone for a long time."
" I know it seems so but he is building up the armies and defenses. That is what makes our land so safe. And that sort of labor takes a long time and careful consideration."
" I know "Rome wasn't built in a day."
" Rome? I do not understand. Is that an empire from your time?" he asked, this was a usual question.
" Yes, never mind, I have to be going."
"Ah! Are you going with the others out to the lake tomorrow?" asked Aradan in interest.
Aeroniel was about to answer when another voice spoke.
' No, today the child has an essay for Melcinítan to complete and she will not have the time to do it if she is wasting time outside."
It was Lady Bethriel in her usual crabby mood, but the girl did not talk back. She stood away from the King as the Lady came forward. She was lovely as always in emerald silk that swished and whispered as she glided across the floor.
"Aeroniel your task is finished here and you had better begin your essay immediately."
" I think it would permissible for the child to miss one essay Bethriel don't you?" asked the King returning to his papers.
" Yes indeed I think that would be lovely don't you?" interjected Aradan
" Perhaps another time My Lord Aradan, she is behind in her writing, are you not child?"
Trying not to let her anger show Aeroniel replied " Yes Madam, but Melcinítan said…."
" It makes no difference Aeroniel , you will remain here and complete the essay in exact Quendi."
" But I can't do it that well yet! I am still learning!" she looked to Fingolfin but he was deep in his dispatches.
" Run along now dear and do as your told." he said poring over a letter from Thingol.
Biting her lip to keep from saying something disrespectful to the Lady she went out and headed for the Library in the west wing of the house. Aradan bowed quickly to the King and Lady, hurrying out after her.
The Lady said " Is there any news of the Prince my Lord?"
" He is coming home next year, that's about all."
" Have you told the child?"
" No, it would only make the waiting harder for her. She very pretty isn't she?"
The Lady visibly stiffened " I suppose for an Edain she is, my Lord."
The King cast a stern glance at the use of the word "Edain".
" Bethriel, I forbid the further use of that word in connection with my son's ward. She is as much one of us as any child who is born here. I realize your scorn for her presence among us: and of late I have noted the way you single her out for unusually exacting and laborious tasks. I will not have this continue"
" Of course my Lord if you command it." she spoke in her maddeningly calm way and collecting any stray dishes sailed out the door.
The garden was alive with the elves that day and as she entered it they all called out to her.
" It's fine day to be out is it not Aeroniel!"
" Aeroniel, come to see the roses they have blossomed just this morning!"
" Aha! Our little green leaf has decided to join us this morning!"
Aeroniel nodded to each and inspected every plant and caressed each leaf that they showed her. The plants always seemed to lift their branches higher when her fingers trailed across them.
" Come now goddess of greenery , we have work to do" said a grumpy voice as the owner took her arm and propelled her across the flower beds to the herb patch. The grumpy elf was Erynion of course, always out of humor and ever ready to complain he was still the best gardener in Hithlum.
She loved her time with him even in his odd moods because she knew they were the only two with the gift of Yavanna, the love of growing things. He had gotten hold of her as soon as he had heard of the miracle growth of the precious herb that saved the stewards life. For it had saved him and he was steward still, his had only lost the perfect use of his right arm. It moved stiffly but he was always heard to joke that he was glad to have an arm to be stiff.
Now you have to tend the silver root, it's dieing and you must learn how to care for a sick plant such as the silver root. We use.."
"..it in many slaves and poultices and must always have a great bunch on hand. I know that Erynion! You just had to tell me what to do."
He pressed his lips in an aggravated line and said " You aren't the most knowledgeable gardener and you still have to listen to my instruction and lessons. Don't let that fox Melcinítan fool you into thinking you know everything after a few school lessons"
He pulled a weed out of the bed and continued. "You can't learn much about the care and loving of the living things in a book."
She bowed her head respectfully and tried to hide her smile as she went to work. A whitish kind of blight was marring the beauty of the silver root leaves and she searched for the cause. As she did so she spoke to the wilting flowers.
" Poor little plant, poor sweet darling does the nasty blight hurt you? Tell me where to look poor baby."
Erynion rolled his eyes at her words.
" You needn't speak to the thing as if it were an elfling, Aeroniel you know how childish that is."
" I know, but it seems to work, and I have heard you speak in such a way to some of the roses when they were covered in aphids."
He snorted dismissively and went on in his gentle weeding, he would speak in soft Quendi word sand the weeds would release their hold in the soil and he transplanted then in the wheelbarrow at his side. His had a kind heart under the crusty surface and he hated to let any plant die, even the weeds that killed the delicate flowers in the gardens.
" I don't understand how you can go to all that trouble over some scrubby little weeds Erynion, you might as well throw them into the rubbish heap as keep them." she said as she tended the silver root.
" That is where you have yet to learn the full love of Yavanna, all living things have a purpose and that is why we preserve each one carefully."
She nodded even though she didn't really perceive the wisdom in his lesson at that time. The afternoon passed presently enough as they worked in silence. But the late sun beat down on her head and soon she was overheated ,especially with her hair on her neck. She pulled a trailing vine out of the garden and kissing it twined it into her hair as a ribbon to keep the hair out of her face and off her neck.
It would stay fresh and green as long as she kept it on her person than when the time came she would return it to the flowerbeds and it would grow. This made her seem even more the "goddess of greenery" that Erynion had dubbed her. It was a strange talent, yet as the years had gone by she had ceased to think at it was anything but normal. Her diary, if we read it would show the slow change in her life.
At first the pages were filled the strangeness of this new world and her impressions of the elves and their way of life. It held vivid descriptions of each member of the household and they were not always favorable, certainly none of them were ugly in the human sense of the word but the personalities were revealing.
In any case she had gone from longing for home to the daily run of her schedule and slowly, very slowly Quendian words found there way into the dialogue. Soon English disappeared all together and she wrote only in elvish. Once she had read over some old entries and realized the change in fear of losing her own language she wrote several passages in Westron, as she now called it.
But the grammar was poor and the spelling worse, so she finally give up on English and went on in Quendi. It is a testament to women kind that they are the most adaptable creatures ever created and the absence of it ceased to worry her. The rainy, foggy country side of Hithlum was her home now and the elves her family, sometimes she almost forgot she had had another family to begin with.
She stopped and stretched her back, it was another reminder that she was not an elf, but they all had the good grace not to mention it and so she never minded. She saw that the sun was declining upon the green mountains that surrounded the rainy valley of Hithlum.
"Aeroniel! Aeroniel? Are you finished with the silver root?" Erynion asked crossly.
" Yes" she answered dreamily " Isn't the sunset beautiful Erynion?"
He came and stood next to her as the sun cast it's last glorious red in the purple sky. The contrast of the two colors was pleasing to the eyes and sweet to the heart because they were living in a time of peace. It was a rare time of quiet in the world.
" You should get inside now Aeroniel, it will be too cold soon and you know how the Lady is about you catching cold."
" She acts as if I went out of my way to get sick."
" Well, my green girl the way you stay out in the freezing cold you would tend to think along those lines." he said dryly. He loaded up the wheelbarrow and wheeled it to the fields next to the castle. She followed idly picking up the petals that had fallen from drooping plants. It was a pretty mix of pink ,yellow, and violet, an confetti of velvety softness.
"I wonder where Prince Fingon is now, don't you Erynion?"
"No, because we both know that he is training soldiers in the valley over the mountains. And that he won't be back any time soon, so stop asking."
" I wonder if he remembers that I'm living here, I would think that he would visit sometimes." She blew the petals out of her hands and they were caught by the wind and scattered along the corn fields.
" He normally would be gone for a good ten years at a time. Why I remember when he was just an elfling he went off while that Finrod for a good three years and worried his poor parents to distraction. Of course they were only camping in the woods of Lorien but still, they should have told more then just Maedhros ."
"Was there a rift between the family's at that time?"
" No, the cursed Silmarils had not been forged at that time and they lived together in peace. But enough of history get on to the house!"
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The elves were having a lovely day on the lake, boats were scattered in every direction and their happy laughter floated across the water and mingled with the chirping of birds.
Maehsos was showing off, it was something he did best. He was rowing two pretty eflleths around the lake and pouring the most absurd flatter over them. They were giggling in that silly way young girls do. You would think that he was madly in love with one or both of them if you didn't already know that they were his nieces that were visiting from Ossiriand.
" Now Alassë surely you will come and keep house for a poor old bachelor? " he said tugging on her curly black hair.
" No indeed! Not if I was forced to live with Aunt Bethriel she always telling me that I sing too much!"
Maehsos nodded sympathetically " I know, you have no idea the fuss she puts up if the twins and I play any instruments in the east quarter of the house!"
"Is she really that ill humored?" asked Nessima wide eyed. Her pretty face framed by golden waves.
Maehsos leant forward and whispered in conspiratorial tones " She's worse!"
The girls laughed and he headed back to shore as the call for lunch had come. The dock was full of elves as they abandoned their boats for the tables laden with tempting delicacies.
Maehsos threw the mooring rope to the elves on the pier and two handsome elves rushed forward to "aid" the eflleths out of the boat. Maehsos swung himself up on the dock with his good arm and tied the skiff in place. The crowd was thick and he couldn't see the nut brown head of Aeroniel anywhere, perhaps his loving aunt Bethriel was keeping the girl at her beck and call all day.
If so it was his job as steward to whisk her away and let her enjoy her day. He found his aunt directing the maids where to place the food and the young lads where to set up the tables. Aeroniel was not with her, the Lady looked up and smiled widely at her young nephew. She was fond of him and he of her in a kind of I-have-to-because-we're-related-way.
" It's good to see you so flushed and healthy looking nephew! It is the perfect day for an outing. I think I may even go out myself!"
"Well, that would be something wouldn't Auntie. Where is Aeroniel? I thought she was coming with us?"
Bethriel directed another elf to a table and said absently. " Please don't call me that Maehsos, not in public, and no, she had something she needed to do with her school work."
Maehsos frowned " Auntie..?"
" It was approved by Lord Fingolfin himself nephew, so if you wish a quarrel he is your elf. Now don't bother me about that child again, I have things to do. Which reminds me, I have an announcement to make please get everyone's attention."
He was not convinced, but he could always go and find her after the announcement and bring her around. Now he annoyed his aunt by jumping onto a table and shouting.
" Hear ye, hear ye! My Auntie Bethriel has something to say to all of you!"
A few elves sniggered at the word "Auntie" but quickly smothered it in a cough as the Lady herself addressed them.
" I have good news from the King himself, the Prince Fingon and his soldiers will be returning in a year and at that time he, the King will give a great feast."
A cheer went up among the elves and lady Bethriel was hard put to it to calm them down. She glanced at Maehsos for help, but he yawned and put his feet up on a table. No help there so she simply went on.
" And we will have many friends from the surrounding regions visiting . I would advise you to begin preparations now for any dances, songs, or gifts . We want plenty of time for everything."
Another cheer went up and Maehsos joined in saying loudly " Hurrah for old auntie Bethriel!" A dead silence greeted this exclamation but the Lady met it with a tight smile.
" Thank you nephew, I have only one more thing to say you must keep this a secret from any outsiders. One for the safety of those who will be traveling here and also because the child Aeroniel is not to know."
A murmur went through the group and they looked at the housekeeper in question.
Maehsos was not a happy elf "Why Auntie? She's coming isn't she?"
" Yes of course, but the King knows how difficult it is for a human to wait any length of time and.."
" Ahem! I would most respectfully disagree my Lady!" said a voice. The elves looked and saw Aradan sitting in a circle of elves. He was not a rude man by nature but he was not going to hear a slight to his kind without saying something.
" I would say that Aeroniel has a great deal of patience since she is at this moment laboring over an essay in exact Quendi right now! I tried to persuade her to join us and she refused. I should say that anyone who could remain inside today and work on some boring essay deserves a little more praise then that."
" Here, here!" called Maehsos clapping loudly. Everyone joined in and the lady had the dignity to blush a delicate pink.
" Yes, she does Lord Aradan, it is quite correct of you to remind me." she said although she didn't look like she really thought so. " in any event she is not to know and since it is a wish of the king I know you will all follow his request."
And they would too, elves were the best people in the world in whom to trust secrets. They would never breath a word of it to anyone. This is what had Maehsos a little worried. As the rest of the company fell to their meal and talk of the coming party he found his aunt again.
" Aunt don't you think that perhaps Aeroniel would like to do something for the feast?"
She sniffed a little and said " Maehsos she cannot sing, write a ballad or dance. She has barely learned to walk correctly, I doubt very much that she could do more then embarrass herself in front of everyone. It would be better to let her enjoy everyone else's talents then lead her to believe she has any."
" Aunt! She saved my life! How could you say that, she has the gift of Yavanna that is surely better then being able to dance!"
" Certainly, but how could she use that for any song or dance?"
" I assure you I'll find a way." said Maehsos grimly.
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Melcinítan looked up from the pile of books to the girl who laboriously wielded a quill pen and wrote Tengwarian script in large slanted letters. Her tongue was held between her teeth in concentration and she pushed her bangs out of her eyes in frustration. He smiled to see her now.
It had been three years since the skinny little girl had been brought to the castle in the arms of the Prince, wet and scrubby looking. Her hair had been short then, but now it came to her shoulder blades and her greatest annoyance was keeping her bangs away from her eyes as she worked. They reached her nose exactly and had a bad habit of swinging in the way every time she was writing.
" Don't press so hard on the pen Aeroniel you'll break it." He admonished as he corrected her math work. The problems were some what messy but otherwise correct, math was a good subject for her, but the careful poetry and history was not.
" Oh for Valar's sake!" she cried and threw the pen down. It bounced across the page and dripped ink over every thing.
" I am sorry Melcinítan, I shouldn't have done that."
" It's nothing Aeroniel really, I realize how hard it is to remain indoors when the day is as beautiful as this one is. And when we both know that Erynion is waiting like an anxious mother hen for his star pupil to go out." He smiled as he wiped up the split ink.
" May I go then?" she asked rising to her feet. She stood at 5'9 and was still growing, she would be very tall someday.
Yes, you may, however I will look for you in the evening to complete this script!"
But his words were lost to her as she hurried down the hall from the library and burst upon the day. Her steps were perfect little pats against the path and her head was lifted the perfectly graceful fashion that the Lady had taught her. She no longer had to think about taking little steps and remembering to keep her stride short and controlled.
She rounded the corner and a hand seized her arm and yanking her into a staircase.
"Whaa?"
" Shhhhh! It's just me!"
" Maehsos what are you doing?"
" Aeroniel you and I are going to have a little dancing lesson."
" A what?"
" Stop repeating yourself and come with me."
He looked down the corridor and dragged the girl after him until they found their way in to the gallery. The twins, Erynion and Daugon were there holding their lutes and looking bored.
" Oh good your already here." said Maehsos
" Why are we here exactly dear steward?" inquired a grumpy gardener who nodded at Aeroniel.
" Well do you both remember what Lady Bethriel said about humans not knowing how to dance and everything?"
The twins looked decidedly confused until Maehsos looked meaningfully at them. A light dawned and they nodded.
" Of.."
" …course" they said.
"Now I thought you would like to show the Lady that humans are very good dancers and have her take that comment back."
Aeroniel looked from face to face and almost said no, but then she thought of the essay and putting her chin in the air she said " Lead on!"
Maehsos smiled and said " That's my girl, now we will start by showing you the dance in question." He turned to the twins and said " which one of you can play " Autumn Awakening?"
Erynion raised his hand and Maehsos said " Fine now Daugon, you and I will show Aeroniel just what we will be doing. I'll lead and you …er….follow along."
Daugon said " No! I am not going to play the female part, absolutely not.! I have some pride you know."
It's all in a good cause!" begged Maehsos .
" No!"
Aeroniel went up to Daugon and laid her hand on his arm " Please Daugon I will swear not to tell anyone that you did it. And beside I will never be able to learn it without your help!"
She gazed up at him pleadingly and her eyes had a curious habit of widening in a sweet way that bent the steely will of Daugon, and he smiled back.
" Very well, lead on."
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Dear Readers
Thank you all for the reviews on my story. It's my first long story and so feed back is great. I will change things in the story line only slightly and if I make any huge mistakes let me know. If you have a question you would like Ron to ask Bill or for Ron to ask the Lady just review and let me know. I will work it into the story as best I can. Thank you again for reading.
The Mysterious
Jaffee Leeds