Chapter 3

Author's note: Translation of Elbereth's song is Tolkien's own.

warnings: none (yet)

xxxxxxxxxxx - passage of time

italics - thoughts or memories

A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
silivren penna míriel
o menel aglar elenath!
Na-chaered palan-díriel
o galadhremmin ennorath,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
nef aer, sí nef aearon!

O! Elbereth who lit the stars,
from glittering crystal slanting falls
with light like jewels from heaven on high
the glory of the starry host.
To lands remote I have looked afar,
from the tree-woven lands of Middle-earth,
and now to thee, Fanuilos, bright spirit clothed in ever-white,
I here will sing beyond the Sea, beyond the wide and sundering Sea!

(Haldir)

Like rain falling onto the forest floor, so the soft sound fell upon me as I climbed up into the trees.

Light and gentle, the sound seems to weave through the branches.

A Elbereth Githoniel…

(Elenna)

The night sky was without a cloud, and the stars were brightly shining in the heavens.

So many there were, that the night sky lit up as bright as day.

silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath…

Its beauty was breathtaking.

Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aer, sí nef aearon!

(Haldir)

As I emerged above the canopy of leaves, I saw her perched in the highest branch of the mallorn tree.

Irritation pricked me. I did not like my orders to be disobeyed. But then again, I reflected, I did not tell her not to leave the talan.

Still, she should not have left. A voice in my head argued.

But I could not stay frustrated at her for long. Bathed in the milky starlight, she looked like some divine being. Her hood was cast back and I could see her silver eyes shimmer like the stars themselves. I was mesmerized by the sight.

With her eyes raised to the stars, she sang to Elbereth, the Star Kindler. And though she sang softly, passion was entwined into her song.

I felt like I had intrude upon some intimate moment between her, and - as ridiculous as it sounds – the stars of the sky.

Then I found my voice.

"My lady you should be resting." I said to her as I climbed onto the branch beside her.

"I am resting." she replied, never once taking her eyes off the night sky.

I could say nothing to that.

"Come, sit awhile with me. The stars are beautiful tonight" she said, turning to look at me.

I nodded hesitantly.

I really should be trying to convince her to return to the talan, but I found I was unable to bring myself to do it.

She looked so content.

We sat in companionable silence as we watched the stars, perched so high in the trees.

"What do you look for in Lothlorien, my lady?" I asked her, breaking the silence.

"I know not." she said, slightly shaking her head. "My wanderings took me here."

"Where is your home?" I asked, hoping to get some more information out of this tight-lipped elleth.

"My home is the forest." She said.

"So you have no real home?" I said incredulously.

"The forest is my home, is that not real?" She replied.

"Yes, but it is not common even for our people to live alone." I said.

"I have known no other life." she answered.

I did not know what to say.

We succumbed to an awkward silence, when I remarked.

"You sing very well, Elenna."

She smiled wistfully.

"Songs pass the time." she said.

Once again, I found myself speechless. What was it about her that left you completely robbed of your ability of speech? She volunteers no information at all, and every answer led you to a dead end. Even her expressions were indecipherable, and went no further than her eyes.

It was like she wore a mask over her face.

(Elenna)

The way he said my name was pleasing to my ears. He said it with an accent, slightly different than the woodelves did, a different intonation of the word.

But I liked it.

It was the first time he said my name – he always addressed me by "my lady" before. I liked hearing him speak it.

It was such a long time since I had heard my name spoken.

(Haldir)

"Say that again, my name." she suddenly said.

"Elenna?" I asked.

"Yes, you say it differently." she replied.

"But that is how it is said." I told her. "There is no other way."

"The woodelves said it with more emphasis on the first sound." She said to me, "You say it with a little more on the last."

"Does it displease you, my lady?" I asked.

"No, it is pretty." she said appreciatively.

A corner of my mouth twitched into a half smile. She was so innocent and childlike. And she was not so, at times she had a presence around her that was powerful and intimidating.

And she certainly was not naïve. But she had a lost look to her.

Elenna

She was like a wandering little bird.

"Ranaew…" I whispered, speaking out loud unintentionally.

Little wandering bird.

She looked at me curiously.

"Who is Ranaew?" she asked.

"It is you." I told her, smiling slightly. "You are like a wandering little bird."

"I see." she said.

Then she laughed, a twinkling of bells among the stars.

"You think I am like a wandering little bird?" her eyes still echoing her laughter.

"Yes, in some ways." I said thoughtfully. "To start, you can sing like one."

She laughed again.

"I thought you were haughty and arrogant at first, Marchwarden," she said. "Now I think that you are only like that because you can't be serious when you are not."

With this I laughed. She looked at me and we laughed together, there under the stars, high in the branches of the mallorn tree.

Note: Ranaew(wandering little bird)-Sindarin
Ran-'wander,stray'+ aew- 'small bird'
Pronounced: ran-AI-w

(Orophin POV)

I awoke to a peal of unfamiliar laughter ringing from above in the trees. Who could be laughing at this late hour of the night?

There was certainly no merrymaking outside of the city walls these days. It was not safe.

I listened carefully, but the voices were strange to me.

I looked to the spot against the trunk of the tree where the elleth had been resting. It was empty.

Well, at least one of the voices is accounted for. I thought dryly.

But how in the world did she get past Haldir? He does not miss anything.

I glanced to the spot where my brother had been last occupying. It was empty also.

My eyes went wide.

So, the other voice is Haldir's.

I had never heard my brother laugh before. He was always quiet and reserved. He did not say anymore than necessary.

Could it really be him that was laughing with the mysterious elleth? No it could not be.

I sat up and poked Rumil in the side.

"Wake up."

He jerked awake with a start.

"My dear, kind brother, can not a person get a moment of sleep without being rudely poked awake in the middle of the night?" he said irritatingly.

"Listen." I told him.

The laughter was still sounding from above the trees.

"Sweet Elbereth have you never heard someone laugh before?" he said sarcastically, "Need you wake me up to have me tell you what it is?"

"Ah, but this is no ordinary laughter, brother." I said, indicating with my head, the respective places of where Haldir and the elleth had been resting.

He gave a sharp intake of breath.

"Are you meaning to tell that our serious, I-am-so-high-and-mighty brother is up there in the trees, laughing with an elleth!" he exclaimed.

"It would appear so." I said grinning.

My brother was almost rendered speechless.

"Eru above."

Hmmmmm mary sue? I don't think so….. but if it is leaning a wee bit that way poke me sharply in the side. Not that mary sues are bad but they just are a bit cheesy.

Tell me ahead of time, don't come flaming me when it gets bad. agreed? agreed.

nways I promise you this will get better. :)

Soooooo read and review ppl!