I believe all characters seen here were first written into my stories. Ossiriand was first written of by J. J. R. Tolkien. I was much inspired by God's own great creation "Nature" here. :)

Please read and enjoy without cost, ScribeofHeroes. :)

He could still sense life beyond him, life beyond these earthen walls but the sounds grew hollow and meaningless to him, a slight comfort, but not very much of one like a hand running up and down one's arm while the limb grows numb. Mostly his mind was filled with darkness. Twas not the smothering kind as had been in Morgoth's fortress, but rather the kind of sleep. He wanted it … Desperately he wanted it, which is why he growled when he felt pressuring fingers dig into either side of his ankle. At the sound of his soft snarl, a voice answered him.

"Oh, don't be a bear. Come out here."

Celuant found himself dragged into the light of noon day. An increasingly deafening din of living, thriving woodlands filled his ears. He turned his head and blinked at the world above him. His senses gradually returned to fuller strength. He was gazing into the smiling face of a familiar elleth. He murmured up at it. "You …"

She grinned down upon him. "Indeed. You did realize that sooner did you not? I accompanied, guided really, you here along with my brothers and aunt. This is my home. Would it not be I who dragged you from your den? We've let it be yours this long while you know?"

Celuant turned his gaze from her and looked beyond. Her four brothers stood behind her staring back at him, looking less friendly than she did. The youngest tucked in his chin and lowered his gaze, but still stood stiffly. The second youngest stared back intently, but his expression was mild. The second eldest scowled right at him his arms crossed over his chest. The eldest stood less tense than his closest brother, tighter in form and face than his second youngest, but showing none of the doubt his youngest did.

Indeed, the slight fear and concern in Lastannan's eyes was something Celuant understood well. The relative stranger to them took in a deep breath before letting it go in a sigh. He closed his eyes letting his head fall back onto the earth with a soft thud.

Lathwinn bent over and slapped the side of his foot. "Oh, no you can't do that now! My forest is in the peak of its late spring or early summer beauty depending on how you look at things. I will not let it's beauty go unappreciated by any in its vicinity!"

"If I rise and thus 'admire' it, will you then leave me alone?"

"Just so but doing thus will take several days."

Celuant gave another long sigh before sitting up. "So be it."

Lathwinn turned and led him away. Her four brothers followed. In the shade of a tree and behind some bushes, Sarnin watched and smiled. Her brown eyes twinkled and grew warm.

. . .

Thus, Lathwinn led Ceulant through her homeland Ossiriand avoiding the mighty rivers it was named for at first. They explored the deeper woods instead top to bottom. Then they explored the meadows as well.

Layer upon layer, layer upon layer of life she showed Celuant. She introduced him to the land of Ossriand where the green elves dwelled. There, they studied life in all its fullness that the sun and moon had called forth. There, the green elves memorized the seasons and cycles of living things and enjoyed them more than most.

The tops of the trees facing the sun and stars in the sky belonged to those with wings, from the great wings of the birds with claws on their feet to the tiny ones of many-colored scales who once had been caterpillars. There leaves rustled, and tree flowers bloomed, and the sun warmed the stretched-out bodies of green elves sprawled across tallith. Clouds and wings shaded their faces briefly and caused them to open their eyes to identify the definite or possible shapes of both.

The inner world of the tree branches belonged to the climbers. Squirrels and the smaller-winged birds rushed through them. Insects with the wings like flat, wide drops of water buzzed through as well before landing and crawling on either tree of elven limbs leaving either skirting sounds or scratchy feelings for the latter to see or feel. If the tallith were the green elves beds the branches were their both chairs and highways to them where they rested or wandered by turns.

The trunks were where greater beasts sharpened their claws or their horns. The deer ran and bears shuffled through the undergrowth of briars and bushes beneath their trees. Spotted fauns hid among the latter. Even more insects buzzed through them. Even more and tinier birds landed among them and in their branches built their nests, laid within these eggs, and then brought up their young. Nuts and fruits crashed through thin, curving branches from the thicker, stronger, and straighter ones stretched out above. Petals fluttered through them as well.

Covering the ground itself were the broad-leaves which bugs crawled across on tiny black leds and which rabbits hopped though on great broad feet. Mice, squirrels, and chipmunks skittered under them instead hiding from sharp eyes above. Flowers bloomed from their delicate stems.

And then there were the great meadows ringed by all these things. There the deer leapt and ran. There rabbits could do the same swishing through the grass. Wind whistled free only bending the long grasses. Ground-nesting birds made their nests from and among the same. More flowers grew and bloomed here on long stalks thick and hollow or delicate and stiff. Butterflies laid their eggs on the leaves bursting from these stems. The caterpillars hatched and munched on the same, before spinning cocoons or melting into crystals from which they burst forth wet and defeated looking only to dry into all their glory. Other creatures on more translucent wings buzzed among the grasses of the meadows too. The bees were especially beloved to these green elves for rather than munching on leaves they visited the flowers and took from them clear nectar they took back to great combs some many times longer than an elf stood high hanging from great tree-limbs or cliff-sides there turning it into great treasures: honey, wax, and more things elves found innumerable uses for.

After showing him all this, Lathwinn paused atop a tallith built into the highest branches of Ossriand's tallest tree looking over her home. Her eyes grew wet as she looked down. She half-whispered, half-exclaimed, "There is so much at home to love!"

Celuant found himself nodding beside her. His skin was more the color of a healthy elf and his eyes were deep and thoughtful, "Yes, there is."

I hope you enjoyed. :)

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes