Imladris' Feast
Feasting was greeted by many faces. A long rectangular table was laid with a pastel green cloth and crystal plates and mugs were set before us. A canopy was created by leaning trees entangling parallel toward each other. More breads than imaginable were placed before us. The wine was splashed quickly into mouths; it was of Mirkwood and brought by Legolas. The wine under the ruling of Thranduil is treated almost as well as the children. There was noise all about. None of which were negative sounds, unlike school dances where the bass is turned up far too loud. In the moment of tones and voices and music swelling through the air, awareness came over me. I had discovered one similarity between my full Human and full Elf selves. Any pleasurable sound, I valued whole heartedly. Different tongues spoke in off-beat rhythms alongside the other languages. Speaking both Elvish and English I came to find that their hearts sang with similar stories. The only variation was the insight of the Elves produced wise words, and the light-heartedness of the Humans created giddiness amongst the race.
Parting with Julia, I watched as she slipped to the head of the table. Julia was high in ranking at Imladris' Feast so she got to seat her royal buttocks three seats away from the Lord Elrond, and one chair away from her royal prince charming daddy. I sat down the table a ways and was about eighth or ninth in importance, but it didn't matter because being the rather social chicas we were; we planned to talk to new beings of all kinds anyways, man, Elf, Dwarf serious, cheerful, or stubborn.
I downed my first glass of wine when I peered up and gave a smile to the Elf next to me. My hand was in mid raise for a second glass, and I did a double-take. He was raising his hand for a glass also. He motioned to the pourer to fill my goblet and his. His presence to me was instantly recognizable, but it seemed a drawer in my mind had been opened and the filed papers had been thrown about. All I can describe it as is that I felt as if I should hand him my heart, or at least know his name. He went to give me a cheers with his glass. Staring at him with a scrunched up nose he spoke to me. And thankfully he did not point out my peculiar overly emotional human reaction.
"Glorfindel," he said one word which took me a moment to register it as his name. His voice was like the wine. Shocking at first that a voice could be so powerful, but it was smooth and calm. The glass in his hand was placed down on the table and he layed his hand on my shoulder as a normal Elf greeting would be, and I returned his introduction.
"Adonneniel," we said together.
"My name is—Adonneniel." I slowed my speech. My Human face scrunched its eyebrows. He knew me already, apparently I had forgotten him. I kicked myself mentally.
"Of course you are Adonneniel." The feeling of guilt always comes over me when I can't remember people who seem to be a good friend, colleague, or psycho therapist. "How could I forget you?"
Thoughts of how obnoxious I was made me realize the typical Elf probably would remember me if they simply saw me walk down the way. Some guilt decided to leave, yet my self-consciousness thrived.
He squeezed my should as he released our "hello." I couldn't help but smile at him, he had more charisma than I had ever imagined possible in an Elf. I found Elves a bit stoic, excluding myself and Julia from this stale bread category. He returned my smile as if he wanted to say a thousand words.
Day was slipping past. Glorfindel worked some magic that made me silent for the rest of the meal. I was trying to decipher between real and not. Past and present seemed not to fit. With a pudding for dessert came the lighting of candles. The reflection of the flames danced across the silver blonde hair of Glorfindel's like it would off a spoon. He was a rough Elf as if he had been through fire and back. For all I could collaborate of my memories he really could have journeyed the coals of hell and back. Another sip of a third glass of wine, and he conclusively ironed my tensions.
"I don't expect you to have your memories of me. People tend to lose where I come in." The first things he has decided to say to me: his name, my name, a reassurance of my name, and that he's a forgettable individual. Interesting Elf, it was strange how he could think of himself as forgettable, unless he were to fly away and not come back for a thousand years. His eyes were the color of seaweed. I couldn't forget him. My eyes were the only green ones I had ever heard of in the line of Elves.
He leaned back in his chair and relaxed and his eyes turned back to a normal Elf color, sapphire.
"I live in Rivendell, where have you come from, Lady Adonneniel. I have known you as quite the adventurer and claimer of the lands."
I laughed out of surprise for his slight sense of humor that was peeking out. "Well, I've been places, but I do not usually remember them."
"Green," he said.
"My eyes?"
"Yes," he stumbled a bit. I think he was smoother than he was showing tonight. It wasn't my concern.
"You know," I said putting down my fourth glass of wine and changing a soon to be burp to a cough. "It would be so much easier if the Ring of Power were made in a cracker jack box and we could just throw it back in the cracker jack box."
Glorfindel laughed. I laughed. Everyone looked at us like we were crazy. He ignored it. I avoided blue and brown peering at us.
"Lady, I have no comprehension of what you just said. Your word choice is spectacularly entertaining." He laughed more. I was quite enamored.
"I wish dragons were the size of mice!" I think he was trying to make a joke, but it wasn't funny word choice.
"Something from the past?" I asked.
He covered his mouth as if he was intruding on my life and then didn't say anything about his own. We both couldn't speak. Fluid conversation frozen over. He went back to smoothing over the awkwardness by realizing that he was soon to perform. Many a song was flitting about Imladris' halls. Far too many questions were unanswered in the nights air, but some questions would wait for council and some would wait until many nights beyond.
"Lady, would you mind a… uh… walk with me," he was a little flustered, and it was almost devilish of me, but it was rather enjoyable to watch him stumble. It was easy to forget the awkwardness when it flitted away so quickly. "Later on, I'll be out by the balcony outside your room." Oh, great, he's a stalker. "We used to sit there every night. Well, some nights I mean and talk." I could tell he was aware that I looked a bit blank. "You don't recollect I expected as much." My first impression of him was that he was intuitive. This, I had to remind myself, was not his first impression of me.
"I will see you there." I said. He nodded as if to say "good," and walked off quickly.
My feet led me next to Frodo and Sam sitting near a fire, laughing, and carrying on. Now, well fed; I was energized. I greeted them, and pulled up a tiny stool by the fire. How do you do's were exchanged, then we were paused by two voices.
It was announced the song was written by Bilbo and Strider. Glorfindel and Strider sang a duet. There voices matched like wings on a dove and their harmony flew in the same manner.
In panoply of ancient kings,
in chainéd rings he armored him;
his chining shield was scored with runes
to ward all wounds and harm from him;
his bow was made of dragon-horn,
his arrows shorn of ebony,
of silver was his habergeon,
his scabbard of chalcedony;
his sword of steel was valiant,
of adamant his helmet tall,
an eagle-plume upon his crest,
upon his breast an emerald.
After the song I realized Bilbo had left sometime at the beginning I'm assuming out of embarrassment. Though he was only modest the song was beautiful. Frodo followed Bilbo; Sam scurried after Frodo.
"Bilbo's probably secretly marrying Frodo and Sam," I whispered to Julia who pulled up a stool adjacent to me, apparently bored of the royal conversation. I was only joking. Sam's just a little over concerned about Frodo if you know what I mean. Brokeback Hobbits? Nope, only for magazines like Star and whatever the other one is.
"Oh, and there goes the drunken duo," I added, pointing to Merry and Pippin who were chugging down on Elven wine in a far corner of the room. Merry and Pippin were hopping around, and had a sudden collision. They collided with what? They collided into each other.
"I hate you for seeing him first," I muttered under my breath seeing Legolas for the first time. Really, I didn't mind it had just become a game of tracking the daily pill of eye candy! Julia didn't here me she was to busy staring at Strider in all his rugged glory. I swore I heard her say "curse you Arwen," but didn't comment. The four glasses of wine I had were making me feel a bit on the subdued side. Of course I knew she liked Legolas better. I knew Julia didn't really hate Arwen either. We all were very good friends. Past and present, I remembered everything about Arwen Evenstar.
Julia and I spotted Arwen as she glided over to Aragorn. They clasped hands momentarily. Aragorn kissed her hand, said a brief sentence and turned away. She hovered towards us holding her crystal Evenstar Pendant against her bosom; its glow was brighter than that of the candles'. Her white dress followed her like a halo at her heels. Her never-frizzing, unbelievable-brunette hair stirred up in me female jealously, that you only found in high school. Her head dress was set perfectly onto her chocolate hair. Not an out-of-place bump to be found. Just the thought of putting up a pony tail without a mirror, oh, the horrors and the bumps it causes.
"Suilaid!" she said very seriously. "Would you refuse an immortal life?" Tears shimmered beneath her eyelids.
"For what?" Julia said as if saying, Gir' are you fo reauhl.
"For love," said Arwen, an Elf in love with Aragorn, a man. Their love was deep, but mortal and immortal lives are difficult to bind. Unless a great sacrifice makes both mortal, and "til' death do us part" be a true binding statement.
"Let no council be yours in the choosings of life love. Only you know your love," advised Julia.
"I'm sorry." Arwen muttered
"Don't be," Julia answered sincerely. "Do what you need to do. Then gossip later back in our room tonight if need be! Okay?"
Arwen smiled and hugged us both. Elves don't typically hug. As friends we taught one another. She went to him appearing in the distance as a shooting star against the velvet night.
"Hey, look!" I exclaimed after Arwen was gone. "It's Gimli." Gimli is a Dwarf. His full and proper name is Gimli son of Gloin. Julia then started laughing hysterically. I thought it was because Gimli looked really short and really fat in comparison to the elves. Dwarves are shorter than Man and Elf, but they are taller than Hobbits. The real laughing matter was that Pippin ran in too a wall that was clearly visible to the sane. Oh, drunkards!
Legolas passed before our view patting Pippin mockingly. He proceded to walk towards Julia and me.
"I think my palms are sweating out of excitement . . . " Julia whispered to me. I had visited Mirkwood in the many years past. Legolas and I found a connection between us with our music. Nights we would sing sometimes and many the threat of the arrow in the head we got. Someone with singing passion cannot stop. How unfortunate for the others. Luckily, in Rivendell when night grows, song flits about feast or no feast. That's how it was in Lórien also. Like a radio where people were actually vocally talented.
"Should we sing the song we sang many winters ago?" Legolas spoke to me in his soft Elvish voice." Julia at this point was technically drooling (again) and making quiet whimpering noises because I got to speak to his amazing hotness first. Legolas and I both found intrigue in ancient Elven time. Back to times when the Silmarillions caused torment with their light and beauty. A list of song titles were batted between the two of us and we decided on the ancient Elf Elbereth.
A Elbereth Githoniel,
silivren penna miriel
O menel aglar elenath!
Na-charred palan-diriel
O galadhremmin ennorath,
fanuilos, le linnathon
nef aear, si nef aeron!
(O Elbereth Starkindler,
white-glittering, sparkling like jewels,
the glory of the starry host slants down.
Having gazed far away
from the tree-woven lands of Middle-earth,
to thee, Everwhite, I will sing,
on this side of the ocean, here on this side of the great ocean)
Elbereth shinning in the sky fit the evening. This was a bringing together, and many were being brought to Rivendell by Elbereth's star that sleeps forever in the sky.
"I don't believe I've ever met this lady." Legolas took Julia's hand and kissed it. I could see Julia's brain churning inside her head along with all her guts shouting, wow, wow, wow, wow, wowzie! They don't depict it very well in the books or the movies, but I was surprised to find Legolas as the go-getter. If he wanted a girl he'd go get her. The end. I guess there weren't enough female Elves for his little easily tempted side to come out. He was still the sweetest.
My insides were flipping as the room began to empty slowly. Group by group they left. I had missed Glorfindel's exit. There were few enough people to determine if he was gone or helping with the clean-up. I strolled casually away. The eyes of the room left me and I'll have to admit I sprinted, or at least power walked to the balcony below my room. I stopped for an instant. I looked up at the stars, and knew it didn't matter if the people of Rivendell couldn't see me in my confusion. All the higher power and all the stars could sense. This lost girl Siamese-twinned to her lost world. No one had ever heard of this 'in between." That's what I am.
"Adonneniel!" His voice was a blanket. "I will come down to you." Four benches laid around I noticed as I waited for him. I sat in the middle of the nearest bench. Looking down I saw my feet, but they didn't tell me they belonged to me. My eyes met marble blossoms etched in the flooring. Brown, green, pink, blue, violet all knowing who they belonged to. All linked together with emerald vines. They were all acquainted. The people I knew well seemed to be the people that didn't want to get to know me. The people I didn't have the chance to get to know knew all of me. I downed the sixth glass of wine that I forgot was in my hand.
Appearing before me as if out of a mist strode Glorfindel. He stood with his hand on the ledge of the rail, which protected all from the rushing falls below. His eyes were like fishing nets that might have been cast into the waters below, instead of scaly fish his capturing eyes dragged others into his thoughts.
"Hi Glorfy," I said. Progressively getting progressively tipsier as the night progressed. He had a glass of wine in his left and right hand. As I started talking he took what I presumed my drink and splashed it over the edge of the ledge. "Aw shucks, saving me from a hangover you're a pal. I think I love you."
"Do you remember anything?" His face significantly brightened. His eyes turned green again.
"What?!" I stuttered
"Anything we talked about before in the evening."
"Yeah, and I'm not drunk, just really easily effected. You talk right now I'll think you're a genius." My head was a lot more concerned then my voice.
"I'm going to tell you a tale," announced Glorfindel. I was in quite the mood for a serious story and grabbed my mental popcorn. "I was appointed to tell you when you came before the Elves in Middle-earth once again." I pointed at him with both index and thumbs making guns as if to say shoot with the story.
He smiled at me, and casting his eyes out over the river he captured his thoughts.
He began: "Running blindly, the girl is lost to where she might be wandering. Dress flying, trying to flee from the world. She wants to leap into the air so Eru's hands could catch her and tell her, 'A job well done.'
"Two stars are in the sky. Only two lights left. She could have leaped to the stars. Being in love forever with a happily ever after. Keeping both stars apart and looking at the one, and then the other when they shone and faded. Falling in love she was at one of the two stars staring down at her. Love does not stay." His voice seemed far away when he said this and sad. "New things catch the eyes that look up at the sky and down from the stars.
"The world she loved was too covered in ash to let go completely. The grief covered needed to find its beauty. Harvest the good in few things and waken the universe. 'If everyone could have a star,' the girl whispered. She thought that all the wounds of the world would be mended.
"Only a couple glittering orbs in the sky sparkled down. The young woman decided she would find stars for people. 'The people simply do not know how to point out their star.' If they could not find their star the girl would hold them until they did. That was her promise she held to the sky and all its vastness. Like the void of the human, yet the laugh of the living.
The stars will be to understand both the sleeping, and the waking. The mortal and immortal. "
Like a magnet he pulled me to him with his monologue. My hand shaking I pointed at him. I took both of his shoulders and saw my reflection in his eyes. His sight wore the color blue again and I was drowning in their pools. I hugged him. I held him with more meaning than even I had when I sent Arwen off to her love. He seemed to shake for a moment he hadn't returned my gesture. Then he took my arms gently in his hands and pulled me away from him. He scanned my face I could tell he wanted to see me remember him. I didn't. It was awful because I wanted to so desperately. I was a little shocked to find him putting his hands on my face. He went to kiss my lips. I never told him, but I saw it. He kissed my forehead instead and then held me close.
"You've given me my star," he whispered to my neck. "Tomorrow at the Great Council, you must go with them. Wherever they shall go they will be surprised to find that even a map cannot take them as far as a spirit. You will be an understanding amongst the quarrels."
"Glorfindel." I stated his name
"Adonneniel."
"I say your name, and you say mine back even though it has been 5 minutes."
"I've known you longer than five minutes."
"And I've known you." I was irritated that my memory had failed me. "The way you hug. I recall that."
"Oh, no, that's just my strapping good looks." He strutted about and made a kissy face, and I laughed at his silly kissy face. His sarcasm was trés amusant. Though some truth I found in his statement while studying his movement.
"Time will tell," he sighed in the middle of speaking.
"Oh, so now we're shrugging the thing off." I teased.
"What thing? Is there a thing between us?" he flirted.
"I wouldn't know. I don't know who the hell you are?" He tried to keep a straight face then burst a little and silently laughed. I smiled at him. I was a little loopy because of the drinking I wouldn't normally say hell to a newcomer. The drinking was getting me through a little stress of not knowing my purpose, or maybe the alcohol didn't need the credit, maybe it was this Elf.
Glorfindel directed sternness into his voice. "My power is a secret to be kept, but your power is a secret to be unleashed."