Elven Script: Yes. I promise! Here's a cookie and hope you're feeling better! And something to cheer everybody! Another chapter.
Haldir's Heart and Soul: good! And here is your next chapter!!
Jiblade7: Thanks for your review! Made my day, it did! Who is your favorite character of this lot? Just curious!
Anonymous: thanks for the review!
Anya7: Okay! And unhand my candy bar! KYA!!! Much better and here it is Mr. Bloom. Er…No thanks! (Huge sweat drop)
I would seriously like to know which was the character that you liked the most…in the end of course and we are not near that part just yet are we? :: hint hint::
Disclaimer:
Nope! Not me… but if you ask that guy with the pipe there, he might be able to help you…. :: Points Tolkien::
Thoughts or dreams are in Italics
- Anarya of Lorien
CRYSTAL DREAMS
Chapter – 14 (Things of revelation…)
Anya's Point of view:
I was happy. Genuinely happy, for what I was doing. Tending the Lady's garden was hardly any work. Any living thing seldom died here to mourn over…maybe hearts that are crushed once and for all but never plants. I smiled at the elleth next to me as she handed me the pruning scissors.
"Hannon lle, Olwen." I was having a little improvement in their language in any case! She smiled back at me.
"As gellen, Níriniel." I smiled. It was a name they had given me here. It meant a maiden with tears in heart. It so suited me that I was at first surprised at how deep these elves could read into a person.
"What do you plan to do after your duties are over?" I asked her, she was engaged to her beloved but a week ago. She smiled as a small blush crept up her cheek.
"Ai, Níriniel! If you know the answer then why question?" I laughed.
"Indeed!" she smiled as she turned back to collecting the flowers for the Lady. As soon as she was done with picking flowers as I was with pruning the hedges, we both put our tools away and dusting us the best we could, we walked out of the garden towards my talan. The one, which I shared with my friend, Ithilwen.
"Then I shall see you tomorrow, Níriniel." She said as she bowed down a little and walked away from the mallorn on whose boughs, our talan rested. I nimbly climbed the stairs and pushed open the talan door to find Ithilwen seated on the dining table chewing on an apple with her nose immersed into a parchment. She was literally buried under loads of parchment, and from the way her brow creased, I was sure it conveyed something she did not appreciate.
"Suilaid, Ithilwen." She looked up at me. Her face slowly brightening as her lips parted to smile warmly.
"Suilaid, Níriniel." She greeted me back. She was my teacher in Sindarin and was always liberal with her comments and statements, something I found useful for my benefit.
"I find you immersed in duty, as usual." I quipped amusement clearly evident in my voice.
"And I find you immersed in-" she looked at me once. "-dirt, as usual." I looked down to see my robe soiled with dirt.
"This, my lady, is the gift of this earth to her children." I said in a matter of factly voice. She laughed and shook her head.
"Oh I give up! So, what did you dear friend Olwen tell you today?" she was always making fun of the way Olwen dreamt about her betrothed.
"Oh Ithilwen, she is only dreaming about her loved one!"
She looked at me with a mysterious glance.
"And I thought you hated men." My smile faltered when I saw what she meant. Haldir. I stiffened as I thought of him. It had been two whole months since I had come to Caras Galadhon and the esteemed windbag of Lothlorien thought it beneath him to at least enquire about me.
"I do not hate men, Ithilwen."
"And Haldir?"
I turned to look at her. She was standing there, leaning on her chair with her hand on her hip.
"I don't hate him, either." I smiled and I slowly walked towards my room. I could see her smile at me and shake her head as she took another parchment from the table and glanced at it before becoming totally engrossed in its contents.
I walked into my bedroom and closed the door. Did I hate Haldir? What did he do to me, that I should hate him? Well an occasional rape was nothing was it? I laughed at my sarcasm. It was not hate that I felt towards him. He had been too kind for that. It was a kind of indifference. A kind of carelessness when it came to him. I sighed as I removed my grey robe and stepped into my bathroom for a wash. Soon, I was arrayed in a simple white robe, which was quite unassuming. The way I wanted to be. As I stepped out of my room to step into the kitchen, the sun had risen properly. We left for our duties in the gardens early in the morning before the sun rose. That way we could pick flowers as they bloomed. And now it was time for the next duty at hand. Cooking.
"Ithilwen, I am going to prepare breakfast. So, mind clearing the table?" I called out.
"I shall do that, Anya."
I took a medium sized pot and placed it on the fire. Maybe some clear soup would be good. I opened the larder for any vegetables that I might find useful. There were a couple for carrots and some other vegetables that I took. Soon, the aroma from the pot told me the soup was ready. Quite ready indeed!
I placed the pot on the scrubbed table and placed two bowls for Ithilwen and me. She seated herself opposite to me and as I began to eat,
"Anya, the Lady wanted to know if you are happy." Her eyes seemed nowhere but at me. I smiled as I nodded my head.
"I am happy Ithilwen. I have friends and I have a work. Work to keep me busy."
She nodded. "Good. The Lady shall be pleased to hear that." She smiled and bravely finished her soup. I was a horrible cook but still I was making my improvements. She placed the bowl down and stood up.
"I shall be leaving for Border duty for three months." I nodded. She continued.
"And will you be alone here? Or should I talk about this to the Lady?" I shook my head.
"That wouldn't be necessary. I can manage it, Ithilwen. Olwen lives but in the next mallorn. She is a shout away from me and I am in Caras Galadhon! The safest place anyone could possibly be within Lothlorien." She smiled and nodded her head before shouldering her bow and walking towards the door. Just when I was about to clear away the table, Ithilwen turned back.
"If I am going to Border duty, you must be aware that Haldir shall be free from his duties." I looked sharply at her, my hands clasping my bowl very tightly.
"And, what does that imply?" I asked, my voice low and laboured.
"Nothing…" she turned back towards the open door. "Garo arad vaer, Anya." I nodded my head.
"Yes." She then quickly disappeared through the open door down to the forest floor. It would be another three months before I would see her again. Had she been in her talan near the borders, it would have been convenient for her. Had it not been for me…I sighed as I cleared the table in silence.
Olwen's Point of view:
"And what took you so long?" I smiled as Orophin placed a kiss on my brow.
"I am a busy person, Orophin. You must understand that. As the keeper of the Lady's bower-"
"-Oh yes! I forgot." He said grinning at me.
"I have to go." His smile faltered a bit.
"Why?"
I smiled as I kissed him gently. "Because I have a friend to give company." He raised one eyebrow.
"A friend?" I nodded my head. "and who is that?" I smiled as I caressed his cheek, his smile returning where it belonged.
"Anya, a friend of Ithilwen." If I was expecting astonishment from my beloved, it was too understated. He almost dropped me.
"Anya? You – you mean the mortal – girl?" he almost blurted out, it surprised me how he knew her.
"And you know her?" he turned to look at me abruptly. "Yes. I mean, she was under the care of Haldir for a while. But then the Lady called her. And…"
"Oh I see. Well then, we shall se each other again" he nodded and kissed me gently before releasing me. I slowly walked away from him and made my way towards my talan in the heart of the city. Orophin loved me a lot. And I loved him just as much as he did. But then, there was something wrong somewhere. I sighed as I shrugged the feeling off and my pace quickened.
Anya's Point of view:
I slowly wandered towards his talan. Haldir. His name sounded so perfect…so nice. As my feet slowly tread the path towards my home, I felt another presence…it had been a week now. and I had to tell Haldir. He would be delighted by all means…I smiled. Yes, he would be delighted. I carefully caressed my abdomen as I felt another life stir within me. My son…our son.
I woke up with a start. It had been a week since Ithilwen had left me for Border duty and now, the dreams were back. Why was I having those dreams and what connection did Haldir have towards my visions was a mystery too deep to penetrate. Many times I would think of telling the Lady of my dreams but then what would she say? If it involved living an eternity with Haldir, then she can just as well not say anything at all! I did not want his security or his pity. I was happy the way I was. I sighed as I slowly got up from my bed. Soon, I would have to go to the gardens. I was expecting fresh blooms in the plants under my care. I knew it would please the Lady to have two varieties of plants in one growth. It was a new method that I was trying and by god's grace I was successful. White and red roses in one bush. The sight would astound anyone.
I took but two steps towards my door when my head seemed to spin out of control. The room swam around me as I clutched at a chair to steady myself. The giddiness went away as soon as it came. I had not been feeling well for a week but I dismissed it as too much work. I slowly dragged myself from my bed and walked towards the bathroom. Might as well get ready for work! I took my bath and slipped into my usual grey gown and stepped into the kitchen when the familiar feeling of lightheadedness returned.
But this time I felt like something creeping up my throat. I rushed to the sink and puked. One minute, my face had the blush of a fresh day and the next minute it was ashen. I felt my knees go weak as I emptied my guts onto the sink, leaving me extremely shaky. I caught hold of a table near the sink and steadied myself.
What was wrong with me? I sighed and sat down, catching my head as the familiar feeling of giddiness returned. Slowly the feeling ebbed away and I could see the kitchen wall more clearly. I got up and walked towards the door. Maybe it was time I went to work. Perhaps work would take my mind off this.
I walked through the bushes to get to the place where the tools meant for pruning were kept.
"Anya! You are early today!" a voice sounded from behind.
"Good morning, Olwen." I sighed, suddenly feeling weak. I heard footsteps approaching me and then there was a gentle touch…
"You don't look that very good, Níriniel. What is it?" I turned around and smiled at my friend. Or at least tried to. My tiredness seemed to take its toll on me.
"It's nothing actually. I must be sick. But I shall finish my work soon enough then perhaps I can rest." She looked at me skeptically.
"Really I am fine." I smiled as I took her hand away from my shoulder.
"Níriniel-"
"I shall do just fine, Olwen." I said stressing it more firmly now. she nodded her head and walked past me towards the pruning tools. I followed her and soon, we were pruning away happily. That was until I got so tired, I couldn't help but flop back into the ground.
"Níriniel? Oh Eru! Níriniel!" my friend literally screamed. I put up a hand to shush her.
"I am fine. I guess I shouldn't over exert myself."
"None could put it better, my child." I tried peeking out from behind the row of thick rose bushes to see who it was that spoke. I knew it.
"My Lady!" I panicked. If she were to find me in this condition, then she would never allow me to come back. I pushed myself up with my hands and dusted them off my robe, spoiling it in the process. She turned to look at me and smiled,
"Anya, it is good to see you." She said holding my hand.
"I can say the same to you milady." I smiled.
"you look tired, Anya. What have you been doing?" she asked, her voice a bit anxious. I shook my head.
"Nothing, milady. Just pruning the hedges, you see."
"No. you must see a healer. Olwen!" she called out. My friend hurried towards her Lady.
"Take Níriniel towards a healer will you?" Olwen nodded. But I couldn't.
"But my lady!" she turned to look at me.
do not object penneth. It is for your own benefit. Now off you go!
I nodded my head and turned to go. But then, I felt the Lady's hand on my shoulder.
"On second thought, I shall accompany Anya. Olwen, you can leave for the day." Olwen's face brightened as she bowed and left us alone in the garden.
"come." She said as she led me towards a talan near hers.
Anya's Point of view:
I lay down on the bed where the healer, a motherly looking elleth hovered over me, touching my pulse, feeling my head and pressing me here and there.
"How long have you been feeling sick, my child?" she asked. I tried to remember.
"Two to three days back. But I have never vomited before." She nodded her head acknowledging my answer. She then turned to Galadriel.
"May I talk to you Hiril nin?" Galadriel nodded and stood up from the chair where she was seated. I got up and turned to look at them.
The wind did not carry their whispers to me and when the healer saw my inquisitive gaze, she ushered the Lady out of the room. Soon, both of them entered the room.
"What is it, milady?" I asked mildly surprised. The lady walked towards me as I stood up unsteadily. Had I expected her to do something, it was not that she would hug me tightly as though both happy and sad. I was surprised beyond thought.
"Anya, it gives me great pleasure to tell you this." She turned to look back at the healer, who stood there smiling at me with her hands clasped in front of her.
"My Lady, what is it?" I asked, dreading what she was to say, for what reason, I did not know.
"Your purpose of being a woman is nearing completion." The healer chimed. I turned to look at her baffled. Now what did that mean? The Lady smiled and gently took my hand and placed it over my stomach.
"Do you not feel anything?" she asked me in a gentle whisper. I shook my head as fear and confusion gathered in my heart.
"My dear, you have begotten a child." What? I wanted to scream. She smiled reading my thoughts.
"You are pregnant, Anya."
Translations:
Hannon lle - Thank you
Suilaid - Greetings
Garo arad vaer - have a nice day
Dundundun! End of the chappie and all reviews welcome! So do me the honours please! C'mon! reviewing never hurt anybody!(And flames are welcome too! Smaug here is feeling very bored. ::shows pet dragon::)
- Anarya of Lorien.
