Gift

A year later.

"You came," Laerdil looked up from the arrow shaft he was carving.

"What made you think that I won't?" Erenien asked as she sat on a rock nearby.

"I don't know. I thought that you would want to spend your begetting day with your family."

"Don't get me wrong, I love home. But one needs to get some fresh air once in a while. Especially if begetting day greetings are the only thing you hear from morning to afternoon."

"And here I am thinking that you came because you wanted to see me. Ae! Poor me," he said, feigning hurt as he dropped another shaft into the collection.

"That could be another of my motives. Who can guess?"

He smiled. "Since we are celebrating the special day of someone, I believe a gift is in order?" Her eyes widened. He chuckled at this. "Don't get your expectations too high, my lady. I am but a humble guard. I cannot afford jewels."

"Of all these years you have known me, Laero, don't you know that I am not into those?"

"I do. I am lucky that my lady is not so keen on adornments."

"My lady." Her heart raced upon hearing the way he spoke those words.

"So, here is my humble gift," he began to fumble in his pocket. His eyes widened comically when he realized that it was empty, and laughed. "I think I have left it at my home."

"It's fine. Just give it tomorrow."

"How can I give nothing after inviting you. Would you care for a walk?"

"Only if you promise to be back by twilight."

"Sure. So shall we be off?" He threw the quiver full of shafts over his shoulder, and extended an arm, which she gladly took. The sun was slowly descending as they walked through the forest.

Something silvery glimmered in the corner of her vision. She stared into the greenery, to the familiar eyes and great antlers. A call, deep inside her spirit, "Follow me, Erenien." It took all her will to resist.

"What is it?" Laerdil enquired, realizing that she had stopped in her tracks.

"It's nothing. I thought I saw something," she muttered, turning back to him.

"Do you want me to check?"

"No. It was a stag, I think."

He hummed a melody as they continued their journey through the trees. It took a good deal of effort for her not to stare at him. Instead, she focused her gaze on the trees around them.

"So, this gift you are talking about, what exactly is it?" she asked after a while.

"One of the good things about a gift is the element of surprise."

"Fine. Is it a song?"

"It could be, or not. But I would say you be patient. Ah, here we are," he said, looking at a tree.

"Is that your home?," she asked, looking at it.

"No. It's a few minutes from here, on another tree. But the gift is up there," he said, pointing towards one of the tallest branches.

"Ah, great! I shall stay here. Why don't you just take it and give it to me."

"But where is the fun in that? Come with me."

"I don't think that would be a great idea," she said, eyeing the branch warily.

"I promise you, I will not let you fall."

She took his hand apprehensively and slowly began to climb. "Stop looking down," he gently chided as her eyes wandered to the ground. After what felt like an eternity, she was comfortably settled on a thick branch. He lightly hopped on to the one beside her.

"So, what is it?" she asked, panting.

"Close your eyes." He placed something in her hands. She opened her eyes to behold a small sun on her palm with a chain attached to it. The yellow stone at the centre gleamed in the evening light. She smiled widely, gazing at the pendant.

"Thank you so much, Laero," she looked up from her hands to his affectionate smile. He looked magnificent. "But you said that you can't afford any of these."

"I said I can't buy one for you. But this was my mother's. She left it here before sailing."

"Then surely you cannot give this to me! You should keep it," she said, returning it to him.

"I can't wear a woman's jewel. Besides, it looks really good on you."

"I just can't keep something that is so valuable to you."

"You can, if I am the one insisting on giving it to you." He curled his fingers around hers, enclosing the gift inside her palm.

She gazed at him for a while and nodded hesitantly. He watched, breathless, as the last rays of the sun caressed her hair. Erenien was glowing. With much difficulty, he broke his stare and took out the flute, which was safely tucked in his outer tunic. The all too familiar melody flowed with the wind. She wanted to hum along but held back, afraid to ruin its beauty. It was the same one played years earlier, at her nineteenth birthday. The same song that distracted her from the stag. He stopped playing and began singing the actual song. Tiny birds flew around them and added their voices to the melody. In a branch high above, a squirrel nudged his friend to listen to the singer. She closed her eyes and immersed herself in the song.

She opened her eyes only when he tapped her shoulder after a while. "Don't you want to get back before twilight? We must be off now."

The sun was moving swiftly towards the horizon. He helped her get down to the ground and smiled at the tiny sun that now shines at her chest. Their hands met as the great orb gave off its last rays for the day. The return to the palace was silent. But a wide smile was plastered on both their faces as first the stars rose in the sky.

(:~:)

Unknown to them, the pair were being watched intently when they returned to the palace.

"It seems our little girl has found her heart," Legolas said, smiling at the pair as they waved goodbye.

Thranduil smiled. It didn't quite reach his eyes. Legolas sensed his father's distress. He laid a hand upon Thranduil's on the railing. "What is it, Ada?"

Thranduil hesitated. "I am afraid it is bound to end just as it has begun," he replied finally. His ever youthful face suddenly looked older as the grief of the years slowly made its way to the surface.

"Ery is young, Ada. She has many more years to live. They have a while to be happy."

"Time flows fast, Legolas. A hundred years will pass in a blink. Like the rising sun of the morning, this love will shine for a while. After, it too will end as day gives way to night."

Notes

Begetting day- Elven equivalent of Birthday. Erenien's begetting day is the day she was found in the forest.