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Thoughts or dreams are in Italics
- Anarya of Lorien
CRYSTAL DREAMSChapter – 6 (The visitor)
Anya's Point of view:
The gentle rays of the sun, early in the gossamer dawn…I felt like I had been reborn. Haldir. There he lay right across me, my beloved. I gently extended a hand to touch him. To know if this was indeed reality. How in the name of Elbereth had he been courting me, I did not know. And it shocked me senseless when he did ask me if I would marry him. But then again, the love I had for him…I sighed as I gently placed my hand over his muscular shoulder, feeling his warmth coursing through my body. He slowly stirred and turned over, gazing into my eyes.
"Aur vaer, melamin." (Good morning, my love.) I smiled and gently caressed his face.
"The same wish goes to you, melamin. Melin nin." (Melin nin - I love you.) His eyes softened and he drew closer to kiss me. Gentleness and care materializing in the kiss… we slept on, two elflings in a carefree world.
"If you will just wake up now, Lady Anya." A voice bore into my brain. I started as I felt the sun's rays prick my eyes badly.
"Wazza time?" I asked trying to cover my head with a pillow. The pillow too was unceremoniously taken from me.
"Clara, I will kill you for this!" I said as I blearily opened my eyes. There he stood, the owner of the voice.
"Lord Haldir." I said groggily. I looked around and found myself lying on a large bed. The remnants of the dream already a mere memory, I turned to look at him. He was glaring at me.
"Nice way of saying, 'Good Morning' you know?" I said sarcastically.
"You were sleeping in MY bed and to see you do that in broad daylight, I have certain inhibitions." His teeth were grinding. I got up a little so that I could support myself on my propped hands.
"What time is it?" I asked a little bit more clearly, sleep already ebbing away.
He turned to the window, where the silvery white curtains danced in the breeze.
"It is past dawn. The sun has already begun her journey across the skies." He sighed. I got up from my bed and slowly walked towards the cupboard near the door. He turned as I attempted to take my Hogwarts robe from there. His eyes shone in the rays of the sun. His gaze was intense and seemed to see right through me. For some reason, my hands shook as they lifted my robe. He turned towards the window again.
"The lady requests you to dress in dresses of Lorien." I stared at my robe as he said this. Did it mean that my robe was so not very nice? I turned to look at him confused. He looked at me, indifference – etching cold featured on his face.
"The dress is laid out for you on the chair. I shall wait for you to dress, then we shall eat." He then turned to leave. His broad back had almost vanished from the room when I called out.
"Lord Haldir," I was surprised myself as my voice floated through the room, to reach his ears.
"Yes?" he stopped. But his face, he did not turn. I swallowed a little as I felt some unexplained turmoil in the air around us.
"Thank you." I breathed. There was no way he could have heard that. I cursed myself. But then, he turned back to stare at me. His cerulean gazing into my soul. His eyes seemed to stare at me as though I had done something unexpected. Then, he smiled. A small twitch in the lips it seemed but it seemed to enlighten his face a lot more than when he was frowning or was looking supremely unconcerned. He nodded his head and walked out of the room, closing it gently behind him. I turned to look at the dress that was laid out for me.
A plain light blue gown, designed in the ways of the elves. I sighed as I felt the fabric; it felt like satin in my hands. I shrugged as I slowly undressed and then dressed myself in the gown of Lothlorien. I braided my hair and smoothing any creases on the dress, I proceeded to open the door.
Haldir's Point of view:
"Thank you." It seemed so simple. She was thanking me. Yet, it meant more. Gratitude for not just the dress. Gratitude for a lot of other things. I stood there, not knowing what to do. This was the first time anybody was thanking me. Truly thanking me. I turned and looked at her. Her eyes seemed bright. Could gratitude bring such cheer into a person? I smiled a little, remembering the cheer I held within myself, once. I nodded my head as I walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind me.
It had been a few minutes when the door creaked open. I stood by the table where supper was to be held and turned to meet the maiden before. I was shocked for a while. She was not intoxicatingly beautiful. She had an inner charm yet that was it. A charm that seemed transparent in a robe weaved in the land of the Lady. She was no elleth in beauty or grace. Just an ordinary mortal woman in an elven raiment. But something about her reminded me of memories of past.
Laurelin. I sighed a little as the image vanished and there stood Anya looking at me. I nodded towards a chair near the head of the table. She obliged me and sat down. It was evident she had never worn an elven raiment before. I sighed as I placed a pitcher of water near her plate of Lembas. She looked at the way bread rather warily.
"Eh… Lord Haldir, what is this?" she poked a loaf with her finger. I sighed. Eru grant me patience! I prayed.
"This is Lembas, way bread. A mouthful can keep you on your feet throughout the day." I muttered. Where was the effect of her cheer on me? I asked to the Valar.
"Oh." was the only answer I got – from her. I took a piece of lembas and bit in one corner. I closed my eyes as I chewed the bit of food before swallowing it. She watched me - she still kept watching me. I opened my eyes and took the pitcher of water beside my food and took a drink. She still did not touch her food.
"Is something the matter?" I asked frustrated when I could take it no further. Why was she adamant? Why wasn't she eating? It wasn't like I poisoned her food. She started and looked at me.
"No." she said as she took her bit of lembas and bit into a corner. Her face turned from an expression of revulsion to that of enjoyment. I smiled a little as I saw her close her eyes, enjoying the simple taste of lembas.
"This is good!" she said in between bites, her mouth full. I nodded my head as though I had just heard a passing comment. But deep within my heart, seeing the cheer in this girl gave me both pleasure and desperation. Pleasure for the present and desperation and sadness for the past. The past I was never meant to have. I closed my eyes as pain drifted through my mind again. Why was I thinking about her all the time? I questioned myself, and Eru who created us both.
"Lord Haldir?" she asked. Her voice edged with a bit of concern. I opened my eyes to see her stare at me above the rim of her pitcher. I shook my head as I got up from the table.
"You will excuse me, lady Anya. But I must get to the border. My duty awaits me there. My brothers shall see to it that you are safe." She nodded as she listened to me giving her orders as to what to do and what not to do.
"-And last of all, please do not venture outside the borders. The protection of the Lady does not extend to the ends of this world." I said in a slow patient voice. She nodded her head and smiled. I simply bowed and walked out of my talan. As I climbed the boughs of the mallorn where my talan lay nestled, she stood there looking at me jump from branch to branch. Here was another in her place to see me leave my talan. But she was never Laurelin.
Anya's Point of view:
He had left the place. To duty he had said. Patrolling the borders and keeping such beauty safe from creatures as foul as the ones who had tried attacking me. I shuddered at the thought. But still, why feel sympathetic to a fool who did not even have to courtesy to smile when smiled at. I turned around briskly and was about to enter into the talan or whatever they called this house, when I heard a voice.
"May I come in?" I turned around immediately. There stood another elf. But this one was female. She seemed to be from the guard as she wore the same grey suede uniform as the rest. I nodded my head slowly as she smiled at me and walked into the house. She turned around and stood there staring at me. I backed away a little.
"Aren't you going to come inside?" I slowly raised my head a little higher. I walked in, following her. She smiled at me as I entered the room. Her hands were covered with gauntlets of grey and her hands held a long bow and behind her there was a quiver filled with grey-feathered arrows. She placed her right hand over her heart and bowed down.
"I am Ithilwen, a guard at the Northern borders." I nodded my head as I smiled a little uneasily.
"My name is Anya. And I-" she laughed at this point. "I know who you are! Entire Lothlorien is talking about you at present."
My eyes went wider if possible. "About me?" I asked though it sounded more like a croak. She nodded her head as her laughter reduced to a gentle smile.
"Yes. Now, I am a very good friend of Haldir who is at present acting as your guardian. And since I have another week's time to do what I please before I go patrolling again in the borders. So, I thought perhaps you would like some company."
"Oh. I see." was all I said. She smiled as she stepped closer and took my hands in hers. They were rough from training and war. But still there was a gentle and friendly touch that I could not help but feel.
"So, how do you like Lorien?" she asked me. I sighed as I turned to look at the gentle sway of the tree in which this talan stood.
"I would tell you about the place once I see it properly."
"What do you mean?" I smiled a little as I paced towards the window. "I never saw the city. But, then again…I would never be able to without a guide…" I turned towards her.
"Maybe you could show me." Her eyes brightened. "Is that all? Fine. I see that you are ready and I have a week to spare. We shall go and see the city together."
I smiled at the woman in front of me. "We shall."
Okay, that was it people. I am having a massive head-cold and so, I couldn't update this chapter very fast. But the future updates shall be fast. Maybe two chapters per week? Now all you have to do is, you know what? So, Review away!!!
- Anarya of Lorien.
