Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Note: Please ignore the doted lines they mean nothing but I can't seem to get ride of them.

A Moment's Peace I

The shelter was not Mirwen's alone it turned out; she shared it with three other refugees. She introduced Curoneth and Ionvain to Laiqualassё and I. Ionvain and Laiqualassё had met before, as Ionvain had been at Arvernien when Laiqualassё had dwelt there, he had left to go exploring on his own and had never been seen again. However Curoneth, Ionvain's fёa mate, was Laiquendi, and thus she and Laiqualassё had never met. The third occupant of the shelter was Lailitha.

Lailitha was appeared about three years then Earendil but she was in fact only a year younger. Because of Earendil's part human heritage he matured physically faster then most elven children. Lailitha did not possess the stoic solemn countenance and astonishing maturity of intelligence that the little peredhil had. I wondered if this was because Earendil had been raised in the hidden seat of Noldo power being instructed in the royal court, where as Lailitha had been born in Ossiriand untroubled by policy and politics and had only come here when her father had received news of Nargothrond fall and had wished to find if any had escaped and if his sister, who had been a handmaiden to Princess Finduilas, was among them.

The first time I met Litha, as she was called, she was peaking out from behind a willow tree at me. She had large bright blue eyes and the silvery blond hair of the Silvan elves. She looked at me curiously with her big eyes then flitted away. Her mother had heard the rumors about the mortal woman who traveled among the Lothlim. Although she had trouble believing that I would be traveling among them if I truly was a threat she kept her child away from me as any mother would seeing even the smallest threat to her child.

The first morning in Nan-Tathen I awoke feeling more rested then I had in many weeks. I was amazing the comfort a simple pallet of soft ferns and pine bows could afford after over half a year of hard ground. I stood and stretched, pulling on my leggings under the long chemise that Mirwen had lent me. Then I put on my tunic deciding that I had to repair my own clothes knowing that my journey did not end here. I then went to the kitchen are to see if any help was needed.

Breakfast preparations were almost complete but Tinniel; the Sinda elleth apparently in charge seemed to have not short supply of tasks for idle hands. After allowing me to eat my breakfast of a bowl of gruel flavored with winter apples she sent me to clean the cooking dishes. I almost laughed at the utter irony of the whole situation. I had come through time and space, escaping from the death trap of Gondolin, and had made it through many perils merely to find myself doing the one task I had always hated most, washing dishes. I helped around Tinniel's domain until mid-day, at which point Tinniel told me to go and do something else for the remainder of the day.

Thus I went back to the shelter when I found Curoneth sewing a cloak from Lailitha. I asked her if I could help with her work. She gave me a needle and some thread and instructed me on patching one of Ionvain's tunics. It wasn't a beautiful sewing job but it was more then satisfactory. The tunic was in working order again before sun set.

At sun set all the inhabitants of the vale were called to the clearing near the hall of healing. Lord Tuor stood before the door with Idril and some of the leaders of the refuges at his side. Once all who were able to come were gathered he spoke to us.

"Peoples of Gondolin, and of Doriath, of Ossiriand and ye fortunate few of Nargothrond. We are here in a large number but hopefully we can work together make it through these cold months. One week hence we shall have a feast in memory of our fallen homes, and in honor of the valiant dead. Let us all work together to gather food and prepare for this celebration.

"We are all children of Illuvatar. Be you Sindar, Noldo, Silvan, or of the race of Men. You know that I am not of the elder children but I have lived in Doriath as a child in the halls of Elu Thingol. For many years I have dwelt in the halls of Turgon, there I earned his respect. I have lived my life among you and have fought as one of you, bled as one of you. I ask you now to put aside any ill feelings and stand together.

"If we do not stand together now we will be picked to pieces one by one and destroyed utterly. We are safe here for a time, the spirit of Lord Ulmo flows in these waters. Let us begin our time working together by preparing for this celebration." Lord Tuor paused. Had he been running for prime minister he would have had my vote there and then.

"Some of you are aware there is another moral among us. Her name is Eruanna-Mernaseldё. She has traveled far to reach Beleriand and her travels have not been to reach a place where she is in less danger. Indeed she is not more at risk then before. I tell you this, if Eruanna tells you something, especially if it is a warning, you would do best to heed her words and ask no questions. She sees and knows things that are hidden from us. I ask you to accept her and to help her as she has been of great service to me and to the Lothlim." I could feel my face going crimson and tears welled in my eyes at his vote of confidence.

The next afternoon I sat by the fire pit near the shelter I shared with Mirwen, Laiqualassё, Curoneth, and little Lailitha. I had lent a needle and been given some thread by Mirwen and was working at mending and patching my sweater and leggings. The thread was thin twinned wool and was very different from the synthetic and cotton threads that I had used for the little sewing I had done previously. I had to take great care in my stitching and thus the task was taking hours. I did not want to waste any of the thread as I doubted that there was a great deal of it in the camp

Curoneth was sitting across the circle on the other side of the fire pit from me. She was crushing grain into flower with a mortar and pestle, a long and tedious chore. Curoneth, I had learnt was one of the bakers of the camp. We did not speak to one in other as we were each absorbed in our own tasks. I knew Curoneth did not trust me completely; however there was a connection that formed between us was we sat working. We were both doing tasks that were ages old, and for all we were as different as two people could be this one similarity caused us to see each other in a new light. We were both female and so far from our own people. In that one afternoon the first seeds of friendship began to take root.

I was half way through patching my sweater when Laiqualassё returned to our fire. He had been in meetings since early that morning with Lord Tuor and other. He had taken responsibility for the scouts and guards that had been set about the camp in the willow meads. The meeting this morning had been to work out the intricacies of the up coming celebration, and as they wished that all participate and have a chance to relax it was necessary to maintain a guard. Thus, Laiqualassё had been working with the others to develop a rotation schedule such that all could have a chance to take part in at least some element of the celebration.

"Tuor has asked me if I would write a ballad for Glorfindel," said Laiqualassё as he took a seat next to me.

I looked up at him. "I did not know that you were musically inclined," I said. I was a bit of musician myself and at the very least thoroughly enjoyed good music.

"It was one of my areas of study while I dwelt in Tirion. It was never my favorite area of study, I always felt rather overshadowed, by Maglor. None ever really took note my work and when they did it was ever compared to his. I hated being compared to another. Criticism I could deal with it helps one improve but negative comparisons only made me feel as though I were less. I am a fair hand at composition however, and it was always my favorite things to do with music," said Laiqualassё.

I looked back down and continued my sewing. "Never thing less of yourself because people do not notice you, some of the singers of my time with the most beautiful voices I have ever heard were little known. Lord Tuor would not have asked this of you had he not believed that you would do Lord Glorfindel honour in song," I said. Many of my favorite musicians and singers from my own time were known little outside of the folk music circles.

"Thank you Eruanna," he said. "I hope I can live up to his faith and yours. Glorfindel was my cousin; we were very close when we were young, in Tirion. He would drag me from the library and teach me sword play and archery. I thanked him often for that after leaving Tirion." Laiqualassё looked far off, I was sure memories of those days of lost play, when all was a game were flickering before his eyes. "I would ask you to sing this ballad with me, Eruanna."

"I don't have an elven voice, my Teacher. I am a fair singer for my own people, though few have heard me sing, but I could do no justice to any song that you might write." I replied. I had song in choirs for years but I had never had the courage to get up and sing anything alone or with only one other person. I would often sing to myself not caring if other's were listening but performing is another thing entirely.

"Never think less of yourself, especially when none have yet judged you. I have heard you sing and your voice is enchanting. Although it possesses a quality unlike those of my people, it does not make it any less beautiful. You are able to convey deep sorrow through your music unlike any I have ever heard," replied Laiqualassё throwing my own words back at me.

I laughed quietly. "Then what can I say, Teacher? I will sing your song. I will sing it for the one who gave me a chance to live. However, you must sing as well for I have never performed solo before." I looked up from my sewing once more letting the needle rest in the fabric.

The week of preparation for the feast past rather quickly for me. I continued to help Tinniel with the preparation of meals. I found that I enjoyed the companionship that developed when you are working at the same task with others. Slowly those who had been wary of me at first began to see that I was truly no different then them. Although Lord Gilmir continued to speak against me the words of Lord Tuor and my own actions caused most of the elves to discount his words.

Curoneth began to open up to me one day when I was washing some clothing at the hot spring. I asked her of Ossiriand and what it was like to dwell in the land of the seven rivers. She was at first hesitant but by the time we returned to our shelter with our clean laundry we were speaking with each other easily. Curoneth spoke of the love of the Laiquendi for all that lived and of the calm beauty of the elm woods. In becoming friends with this gentle elleth I also got to know little Litha. Litha was enchanting in her own way; she was pure and mostly unaffected by her troubled world. I loved to watch her carefree play, for in her I saw what all the fighting was for, what all the suffering was meant to save.

It seemed that every elf dwelling with in the glade had taken Lord Tuor's words to heart. Everyone worked together setting aside all ill will that may have dwelt between any two beings. Laiqualassё was often busy during the week of preparations whether he was away with his duties as head of the guards and scouts or in meetings with Lord Tuor and others. However, in the evenings he would sit with me and we would work on the Lament of Glorfindel. It began to take form slowly, as Laiqualassё had not composed such a piece in a long time. For me it was a difficult task. I was used to learning new songs by reading written music yet I was not familiar with the elven mode of writing music and thus Laiqualassё had the arduous task of teaching me the lay by ear.

Each verse he composed he would sing to me over and over until I could sing it on my own with out slipping out of key. It was two days before the feast that the lay was finally completed and that Laiqualassё and I sang through it from beginning to end with out error. We often worked away form the camp so that the song would be a surprise for all. I felt horribly uncomfortable with the idea of singing in front of these elves, who were used to such singers as Maglor and Daeron. I felt my voice was rough and grating compared to those of the elves. My hesitance and nervousness showed through the song. I was not singing out in full voice and Laiqualassё knew this.

"Why do you sing thus, little one?" he asked looking down at me with a quizzical look in his grey eyes. "Why do you fell that you are less then us, little one, when you are not?"

I looked up at him feeling my cheeks redden, I felt as though he could read my mind. My mind was fumbling for words. "I am young Laiqualassё, and I am neither very wise nor, knowledgeable nor beautiful. Now, I find myself surrounded by those who are wise, knowledgeable and more beautiful then anything I could have ever imagined. I do feel that I am less then you. I am not like Lord Tuor, worthy of respect and in possession of great nobility of spirit. I am just a girl, misplaced in time and space." I bit my lip to keep from crying. I had come to care deeply for all those I shared my life with but this did not stop the feeling of inferiority. I didn't look up but I could feel his gaze on the top of my head.

He placed a long figure under my chin forcing me to look into his eyes. They were glimmering in the faint evening light. His face showed a look of confused concern. I wanted to look away, to run as far away as I could yet another part of me seemed content to just stay looking into those eyes forever. I shoved that second voice deep into a corner of my mind and looked the door behind it. Such thoughts were dangerous and unwanted.

"You truly believe what you have said?" he asked, never letting go of my face so that I could not look away. I could feel a lump forming in my throat. I couldn't find my voice at first; I was too chocked up to speak.

"Yes," I whispered finally. I closed my eyes as a tear slipped down my cheek. I did not want to see pity in those grey eyes. I felt him brush the tear away with his thumb. He let go of my face pulling me into his arms. He smoothed my hair over my head, soothing me as if I were a child. I had never been one to break down easily yet for the second time in less then a week I found myself sitting in my teacher's lap crying into his tunic. Once my tears subsided I felt terribly embraced. "I'm sorry," I murmured. I knew that I should get up but that little voice whom I had earlier locked away had escaped it prison and I laid my cheek on his shoulder.

He held me and stroked my hair. For a long while we sat in silence. I could not guess what he was thinking but I found that I enjoyed simply being held. I enjoyed having someone comfort me. "Eruanna, have you been listening to what Gilmir has been saying of you?" Laiqualassё finally asked breaking the silence.

I pulled out of his grasp and walked to a tree not far from where we had been sitting. I tried to gather my thoughts and express how I felt in words. Slowly I turned towards him. "How can I avoid at least partially listening to someone who continuously slanders me? I know that what he says of me is not true, but it still makes me doubt myself. Maybe he is right; maybe I do put the company at risk. I can not move noiselessly and my tracks can be seen in the snow. If the enemy finds us by tracking me, I do not think I could ever live with guilt. I couldn't live with myself if I caused the death of any here. Also, nothing can be changed Laiqualassё, and what I know could change everything! If I fell into the hands of the enemy, I could reveal things of the future that would make you wish that you had slit my throat that first night."

He stood slowly deep furrows lining his brow as he thought. I watched him silently; it seemed to me that he battled with himself in his mind. "I could never slit your throat Eruanna," he said. Laiqualassё's eyes met mine with a burning intensity that made me sallow hard. That was the last that either of us spoke that night. In unspoken agreement we made our way back through the trees to the camp. I was confused trying to work out the tangled web of emotions that I felt.

Author's Note: Well its taken me a while to get this done. Originally it was going to be half of a chapter but I decided that I would be much to long and cut it in two. Thus you have a chapter now and one later. Hope you enjoyed this one.

Rant: Why does everyone call the Blessed Realm the Grey Havens? The Grey Haven is the harbour of Mithlond where dwells Cirdan and from which the grey ships set sail for Aman.

Rant 2: Its Rohirrim NOT Rohans! I was watching some of the extra material on the Two Towers Extended Edition and the only person who I can think of not making this mistake was P.J!