Anna opened the many books and scrolls with her eyes, unlocking their secrets with her mind. Each one held information that would not have been linked together if not for Anna's scanning fingers. Wanderlust, Oirebian, Anna, so many names, so many histories. She had not realized she had lived so many years until they were all written. Her elvish immortality made the years feel like months but the age started to grow on her now.
She made her way back to the Elves, before she was Oirebian. She perused the mere facts of Elves, the distinctions between the groups, hoping hers was still here in Middle Earth. The blonde, blue eyed elves of Mirkwood reminded her of Legolas. The ones mentioned to have fair eyes and fair hair made her connect them to Galadriel and the elves surrounding her in Lothlorien. Anna had seen the other elves, the dark-haired, royal eyes ones, all with much variety to them, around the lands but she never knew of their home in Middle Earth. These were the ones left from the elves who left Hollin. Once Celebrimbor had fallen in one of the many battles against Sauron, the elves he had once led split and went to the Grey Havens or followed Elrond to Rivendell.
It was the last type of elf that had caught her eye in the mirror once. Odd colored eyes, deep and dark but colorful, either amber or green, much like the forest green found in her own orbs. These elves were born without most of the traits found in their family. One, in particular, was born to Celebrimbor. He was fair haired, as are all royals of the Hollin elves while the others were dark like Elrond. Anna looked at her own hair, a dusty, light brown, a perfect in between, just enough to drive a girl trying to find her past insane. This one off changeling found under Celebrimbor was not only odd in appearance. Anna found that the elves took this elf as a sign. They sacrificed her to the Maiar, the higher beings found across the sea. But elves scarification does not consist of killing. The Maiar cannot use a corpse. A set of rituals, prayers, song and feast and the deed was done. If ever they needed to use her in any way to better the events on Middle Earth, they were free to do so. Without the Hollin elves knowing at the time, they had sacrificed their last heir of Celebrimbor, the last elf of their tribe to be born in Middle Earth.
Just after she was born and sacrificed, Celebrimbor went to war against one of Sauron's allies and died in the battle that would also close the gate of Moria. The elves left, the royalty going to the Grey Havens with the changeling child.
The last record of these royalties would tell of them leaving the child in a makeshift boat and letting it drift down the last river they passed before reaching the Grey Havens.
Why, oh why did they leave me, drop me as soon as they could? It was a question that racked her head ever since knowing her difference between herself and Men. Even now, it rang one last time, finishing off with an answer. She still had things to do in Middle Earth; the Maiar had not yet used their gift and her family would not take the gift back and render it useless. They had given her up long before their journey. Hence, her name tag: Anna, a gift. Anna translated from elvish meant 'a gift.' It was also impossible to ignore the irony of that name coming back to her when no one could even catch sight of her face. The Giver, a name given to her by the elves which she had not spent too much time considering the Dwarves called her The Taker. It all balanced out, as did her trades.
The last document from her family about her noted her given name. As they let her cradle rock down the Branduin or Brandywine River, they noticed the rain clouds that had been following them backed away, inland, to power its water on other creatures. It was then they knew the Maia who had accepted their gift and would keep her safe and so named the elf-child after her, Ilmare, the protector of the stars, who protected them with bolts of light and fire that struck the earth. It was apparent and clear, as was the sky above the child.
Anna left the room, utterly numb and dazed. The dim light in that room made her eyes sting when she left and met the lights within the houses but she did not blink or rub them. Without realizing it, a Gondor soldier had guided her to the small cabin Pippin was dropped off at by Gandalf. She sat on her bed and gazed in front of her. Pippin was afraid to ask what she had found and before he could find the words, she had laid down, eyes staring at the ceiling.
More than ever, Pippin felt a hole of loneliness, especially in a room with someone who was not there and not willing to give him the time of day. He missed Merry's listening ear and comforting strength' Over in Rohan, Merry was missing Pippin's unquenchable cheerfulness.