The odd group and herself had been travelling with each other for a day or so. It would take them at least 3 days to travel through the beautiful forest before they'd even see any signs of elves as most lived in the very center of the forest in Caras Galadhon. There was something off about them. She knew there was and if her instincts were correct then this group, they were the ones she was searching for.
The ones with the One Ring.
She didn't ask them about their quest or what happened to them although it's fairly obvious that they were fighting Orcs. She never asked why Merry had a poisoned arrow in his shoulder and she most definitely never asked why whenever any of the group had a moments rest, a tense grief hung over them, drowning the atmosphere in their dark emotions that nothing but sleep could offer them all any form of peace.
All of them looked at her suspiciously whenever she was around except the Hobbits and Estel. They seemed to think she was okay. While they travelled, you would find her in the presence of Pippin, laughing at the jokes and stories he told, looking over Merry every few hours, and talking with Frodo and Sam about the Shire as it seemed they dreadfully missed home. She also spoke with Estel and answered any questions that he always seemed to have for her.
"Why do your family call you Eleniel?" He asked her one day as they walked at the back of the group, the Hobbits always in the middle with Legolas who was carrying a sleeping Merry, Gimli and Boromir at the front.
"Well why do your family call you Estel? It is an Elvish name yet you are no Elf." She shot back at him, a small smile making its way onto her lips.
He smiled brightly at her. "They call me Eleniel because that is what my Ada wished to call me. My Ada use to always say that I was the star of his life that shone brightly and that even if his life wasted away or became barren of happiness, that I would always be there to guide him out of the darkness." Tears flowed down her cheeks as she thought of her father. Her beloved Ada. Her family. Her brothers. Her people. How she longed to be with them again. How she longed to gaze upon their faces, to bask in their presence but not yet.
Not until the darkness of Melkor and Sauron was cleansed from Arda.
"I am sorry. I have caused you distress by asking you such a personal question." Estel said. Eleniel snorted, quite unladylike before smiling.
"That is hardly a personal question Estel. You asked a question and I answered. I merely miss my family and I shall always until I see them again." She replied, giving him a small smile before looking at the dancing Hobbits in front of them.
"Now, tell me why they call you Estel then?" Eleniel asked him, eager to move onto another topic of conversation.
"I do not know. I think my parents just liked the name and decided to call me Estel." Estel replied, the corners of his mouth tightened as he gave her a rather fake smile. He was lying but that did not bother her. If he did not want to tell her, why would she push him?
She giggled, "Yes well I've met many parents who are like that. It is amusing when some do not know the meaning of the name they call their child but I trust that is not the case for yours." She teased him while he rolled his eyes at her.
"You do not need to worry for me, my lady." he said cheekily, winking at her. She laughed before they settled into a comfortable silence. Estel was a good man she concluded. He did not judge someone on their race or any outside circumstances but on the merits of their character. She knew that she would get along with him just fine.
They walked on for the rest of the day, only having a break for Eleniel to check Merry's wound and to eat although it seemed that the group did not have much so she shared her food with them. It seemed that her tendency to overpack helped this time.
Soon it was night time and everyone went off to sleep except her. Eleniel sat by the dying fire, sleep evading her for some reason. The rest of the group was asleep as she saw no point for one of the men to take first watch when she herself could not sleep. A smile grew on her face as she looked over at the cuddling Hobbits, the group lying so close to each other that they could be mistaken for a large man. Lost in her thoughts as she thought of lost family and friends, she did not realise that she had started singing:
"The leaves were long, the grass was green,
The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,
And in the glade a light was seen
Of stars in shadow shimmering.
Tinúviel was dancing there
To music of a pipe unseen,
And light of stars was in her hair,
And in her raiment glimmering.
There Beren came from mountains cold,
And lost he wandered under leaves,
And where the Elven-river rolled
He walked alone and sorrowing.
He peered between the hemlock-leaves
And saw in wonder flowers of gold
Upon her mantle and her sleeves,
And her hair like shadow following.
Enchantment healed his weary feet
That over hills were doomed to roam;
And forth he hastened, strong and fleet,
And grasped at moonbeams glistening.
Through woven woods in Elvenhome
She lightly fled on dancing feet,
And left him lonely still to roam
In the silent forest listening.
He heard there oft the flying sound
Of feet as light as linden-leaves,
Or music welling underground,
In hidden hollows quavering.
Now withered lay the hemlock-sheaves,
And one by one with sighing sound
Whispering fell the beechen leaves
In the wintry woodland wavering.
He sought her ever, wandering far
Where leaves of years were thickly strewn,
By light of moon and ray of star
In frosty heavens shivering.
Her mantle glinted in the moon,
As on a hilltop high and far
She danced, and at her feet was strewn
A mist of silver quivering.
When winter passed, she came again,
And her song released the sudden spring,
Like rising lark, and falling rain,
And melting water bubbling.
He saw the elven-flowers spring
About her feet, and healed again
He longed by her to dance and sing
Upon the grass untroubling.
Again she fled, but swift he came.
Tinúviel! Tinúviel!
He called her by her elvish name,
And there she halted listening.
One moment stood she, and a spell
His voice laid on her: Beren came,
And doom fell on Tinúviel
That in his arms lay glistening.
As Beren looked into her eyes
Within the shadows of her hair,
The trembling starlight of the skies
He saw there mirrored shimmering.
Tinúviel the elven-fair,
Immortal maiden elven-wise,
About him cast her shadowy hair
And arms like silver glimmering.
Long was the way that fate them bore,
O'er stony mountains cold and grey,
Through halls of iron and darkling door,
And woods of nightshade morrowless.
The Sundering Seas between them lay,
And yet at last they met once more,
And long ago they passed away
In the forest singing sorrowless."
She did not even realise that she had begun to cry for the story of Lúthien and Beren always made her emotional nor that she had woken the slumbering group with her somber and sad singing.
"Who is she?," Frodo asked her. Aragorn thought it funny and a little odd that Frodo had asked him the same thing when he had heard him sing this song. "This woman you sing of?"
Eleniel gave him a watery smile, wiping away the traitorous tears that rolled down her cheeks. "The lady Lúthien Tinúviel. An elf maiden that gave her love to a mortal man, Beren."
Frodo's eyes widened as he realised that he had heard of the story of Lúthien and Beren. "She died, did she not?" He said, his sentence coming out more like a question than a statement.
"Indeed she did. The fair lady followed her love even in the impossible task that her father set for him in order for Beren to have her hand in marriage; which was to get one of the Silmarils from Morgoth's Iron crown." She said, her eyes flitting up towards the moon in the sky, her face basking in the moonlight.
Eleniel smiled sadly at the Hobbits who were enraptured with her story while Legolas, Gimli, Boromir and Estel looked on although she could see some interest from them aswell. "They completed their task but at the cost of Beren's life. Lúthien, not wishing to be parted from her love, died aswell so she could be with him even in death."
She saw Sam discreetly wipe at a tear that was rolling down his cheek. Frodo, Merry and Pippin looked like they were ready to cry also.
Sam opened his mouth and said, "That is a very sad story Miss Eleniel."
She shook her head, a small smile appearing on her face. "That is not the end of their story Sam. Once in the Halls of Mandos, Lúthien sang a song for Mandos, who felt pity for the lady and turned to Manwë for help who in turn asked our great Creator, Eru Ilúvatar."
"Eru gave her two options: she could stay with the Valar and live amongst them forever or return to Arda with Beren but she would be Mortal and thus die as all Men do."
Pippin practically screamed his question at her, "What did she choose Miss Eleniel? What did she choose?" He asked her eagerly, his excitement rubbing off on the rest of the Hobbits who also wanted to know.
"She chose to live as a Mortal so she could live her life beside Beren. For his love, Lúthien would have done anything."
The Hobbits cheered amongst themselves. Pippin even going so far as to cry dramatically into Merry's shoulder about how much he loves a happy ending and that he wished he wasn't so lonely as he had no lady in his life, only Merry, Frodo and Sam which earned him a shove from all three mentioned Hobbits. Eleniel giggled at his antics, shaking her head at the group of Hobbits.
Frodo looked at her, biting his lip as if trying to stop himself from asking her something. She raised an eyebrow inquisitively at the young one, waiting for him to ask whatever was on his mind.
"Have you-have you ever loved someone like the Lady Lúthien, Miss Eleniel?" The group quietened, even the Elf, Dwarf and Men were interested in her answer it seemed.
Eleniel shook her head. "I thought that I had." She replied to his question.
"Oh. Would you do what the Lady Lúthien did if you were to fall in love with a Mortal?"
"I do not know."
This part is very reminiscent of when Aragorn sang about Lúthien and Beren in the movie. I have always loved that part. As of right now, there is no romance. It is only friendship between Aragorn and Eleniel although he does find her very beautiful. Also I'm sure you have noticed in the story when Estel is referred to as Aragorn and that is only because on a subconscious level, Aragorn would think of himself as exactly that, Aragorn even if Eleniel shall openly call him Estel. Anyways hope you liked it x