Many Meetings
Elrond and Elros tell Eruanna of their decisions and the fate they have thus chosen, in turn Eruanna tells them of her fate
Rejoining Galadriel, Celeborn
I walked that day on the brim of the ocean. We had stopped the night before and set up our camp. Elros had spent most of the night speaking to Lord Celeborn of the responsibilities of a leader. The elf lord had made it his duty to teach Elros everything he could before his young kinsman left for Numenor. Elrond was off somewhere on his own, he had spent a lot of time thinking during the last little while and I was worried about him. The knowledge that he and his brother who had been two peas in a pod their whole life had just made decisions that would sunder them forever was troubling him greatly.
The waves lapped over the tops of my
Galadriel comes to the beach and suggests Eruanna return to Lindon with Celeborn,and herself
In the Court of the King
As we dismounted from our horses before the High Kings residence at Lindon I felt numb. Everything made perfect sense now but none of it made me happy. All I wanted was to escape the sadness, I wished in many ways I could sail. Perhaps it is true that in eating so much elven bread I had become more like the elves myself and that it had been that that had set the yearning in my heart, even now I know not.
We rode into the havens tired and travel worn; I could not help but remember my arrival in Arvernien near a century before. Our horses were taken from us by King Gil-Galad's stable hands and we walked into the building that housed the court of the High King. Galadriel and Celeborn led us through the halls, Elrond and Elros both sober of face walked on either side of me. We entered the great hall where Gil-Galad sat in judgement. Each of us bowed or curtsied. Gil-Galad descended from his modest throne, modest seeing as he was high king.
"Lady Galadriel, you should not bow to me, for you are my Father's sister. I know that if you wished it would be you not I on this throne." He said taking his aunt's hand and kissing her golden cheek. "Where have you been these years?"
"Ah, but that is not my wish, Erennion. It was your throne as it was once my brothers'. Hold it well and may you come to a brighter fate then they." She smiled at her nephew. Tall, it was one of the first superlatives ever used to describe her. She and Gil-Galad stood with in an inch in height. "I have dwelt long on the shores of the Lake Evenduin east of the Ered Luin."
Next he came to Celeborn; they exchanged fair words of greeting as was expected in between kinsman by marriage as well as by blood through Gil-Galad's grandmother Earwen. It could be seen, however, that the golden king and the silver lord did not see eye to eye.
He came then to the twins, my sweet twins. Embracing each of them in turn, as they too were his kin through Turgon as well as through Elu Thingol. "You both have a place in this court if that is your wish. For it was through your parents' trials and sacrifices that this peace has been brought to us and our freedom from Morgoth we owe to them." Said Gil-Galad.
"We were given a choice, High King. As peredhil we had to choose which kindred we would be judged under," said Elrond softly but no one in the hall missed his words.
"The edain have been given an isle in the sea to the west, nigh on to Tol Ereassea, so that they can ever be near the Eldar yet still within the mortal lands. I will be leaving with the first fleet to be their first king. For as I am the descendant of both Tuor son of Huor of the house of Hador and of Beren son of Barahir of the house of Beor. My choice was to be judged among mortal men," said Elros in explanation.
"I will, however, accept your offer, High King, at least for now," said Elrond. "For my choice was to be judged among the elder children of Illuvatar." My heart sorrowed ever at the division of these two brothers who had ever been close. It made me think of my own brother, he would never know we had been separated but I would experience a separation of many millennia. I saw the same sorrow reflected in Gil-Galad's eyes.
"You are ever welcome here Elros, King of the Eldalie, and Elrond I accept you readily into my house. You shall be my banner barer." The high King originally of high spirits was now sombre and quiet. He came to me and I curtsied before him.
"Many years you have lived among us, Lady Eruanna-Mernaseldё. Yet I see before me a daughter of men night on her twentieth year, how is this possible. I know you went to seek knowledge, and I hope it would not be too much to ask you that you share this knowledge with me now." All others around the hall became silent. There were not many who had not heard of Eruanna Mernaseldё. "Will you too be departing to this western isle of men?"
"Stasis, it was called by Lord Eonwё, herald of Manwё. Stasis until the moment I left my own time comes again. I am neither immortal nor mortal. As I am yet to be born I can not yet die. I will live much as you the eldar live for all the millennia that stretch between now and then. I have neither the gift of men in mortality nor the right to sail as you do," I looked into Gil-Galad's grey eyes. "I find comfort among the eldar for you understand my sorrows. I will live among you so long as any of you remain upon this Middle-Earth who will suffer my presence."
Gil-Galad nodded his fair head in understanding. At that moment I was reminded strikingly of his cousin Idril, the familial resemblance was striking for all Gil-Galad was of the line of Finarfin and Idril was of that of Fingolfin." You are welcome in my land, Lady Eruanna, foster mother of the peredhil, as long as you wish to remain." I bowed my head in thanks and curtsied once more.
"Come, my friends and kin. I remember long days in the saddle well. Baths are ready for you and clean cloths have been found." Gil-Galad motioned for those who were to lead us to our baths. Well all moved out of the hall to go get cleaned up for dinner.
I was led to a bathing chamber and upon entering I saw two elleth I had not seen in many years. One was shorter and had dark hair; the other was tall and willowy even for an elf and had silver blond hair. The dark haired elleth had not changed at all since she had taken ship to the Isle of Balar, leaving to be with the ellon she loved when he set forth to find his lost kin. She was dressed in a white robe and her dark hair flowed over her back. The blond had changed only in that time now weighed more heavily upon her shoulders. She work a silver robe and stood with her head slightly bowed listening to the dark haired elleth.
They both turned to the door when they heard it open. The elleth who had been my guide curtsied quickly. "My apologies Lady Mirwen, Lady Lailitha, I was told that no one was using this chamber. I will take Lady Eruanna to another," as the elleth turned to leave Lailitha let out a joyous cry which cause a laugh to bubble out of Mirwen. Lailitha attacked me with such force I almost toppled over. Mirwen joined in the group hug leaving a disconcerted maid watching from the side lines.
"Do not think of taking her from here Melethwiel she is returned to us and we will not give her up. How many times do I have to tell you that my name is Mirwen and it needs no embellishment?" The elleth curtsied and left the chamber.
"Why is it Eruanna that each time we meet your hair is in need of brushing and your cloths are dirty?" asked Mirwen tisking over my appearance.
"It occurs because she insists on saving the world instead of herself," replied Lailitha.
"Oh, but it's good to have you back, mellon-nin. You do not know how much I feared you were dead, killed either by violence or by time itself," said Mirwen leading Eruanna towards the bath.
"Mirwen and I have had ours already, let us pamper you Nan-anna," said Lailitha lapsing back into her childhood name for me. She had said that I was a gift to her after her own mother had been killed.
I stepped into the bath and let the water sooth my tired muscles, and relax me. "It is good to see you alive, Mellon-nin, Sell-nin." I said quietly.
An hour later I found my self stuffed into one of Mirwen's gowns and having my hair braided and twisted with in an inch of its life. I realised how much I hated dresses especially dresses that were too tight across my chest and hips and were more then three inches too long in the skirts. I was much thinner then I had been when I fallen into Gondolin but I would never have the willowy figure of an elleth.
Mirwen had dressed and done her own hair while I had been in my bath as had Lailitha. Mirwen looked beautiful in her midnight blue gown and Lailitha was a vision in white and gold. I was dressed in green and Mirwen was flittering around me making small adjustments and tacking up the hem in the front of the skirt so that I could at least make some attempt at waking with out tripping over my skirts and breaking my neck.
"Well Nan-Anna we must get you a dress or two of your own it you are to be living here at the court of the High King." Said my traitorous first foster child. I glared as her and she laughed at me, I looked around the room for a pair of leggings and a tunic but none could be seen.
Just then a knock came at the door to Mirwen's room where we had been getting dressed. Mirwen went to answer it. "Thranduil and who ever was chosen by the High King to be our escorts for the evening," she said in explanation of Mirwen's speed in answering the door.
Thranduil I looked forward to seeing as I remembered him fondly from Arvernien. He had been one of the Sindar who had been with the refugees at Nan-Tathen. He had been a boundary guard of Doriath and had been one of the guards under Laiqualasse's command. My eyes stung at the effort to hold back tears as they always did when I thought of Laiqualasse. As none had mentioned him I assumed that he had not survived the battle at the Havens of Sirion. I assumed that if he had lived he would greeted me when I had arrived, or that his sister would have at least said something knowing what her brother meant to me.
I felt happiness for Thranduil and Mirwen for they deserved the good that had come to them. As Mirwen opened the door I stood and walked towards it with Lailitha. I watched in silence as the dark haired Sindar greeted his betrothed. Every movement, every word and every look showed how much love lay between these two. It reminded me greatly of the love bond that had lain between Idril and Tuor.
"Lirimear," said Thranduil as he took his wife's hand and kissed it. Then turning to Lailitha and myself he broke his gaze from Mirwen with what seemed to be a great deal of effort. "Lady Eruanna, Lady Lailitha, your escorts should be here shortly. I apologies for their tardiness."
I smiled at him. Thranduil…Thranduil… I tried to remember what I could of that name, the only connection I could make was that he had some thing to do with a woodland realm, dark wood…no…Blackwood….no…more and more at that time my memories were becoming foggy. As Lord Eonwe had said it was amazing what the mind can forget when the soul has no wish to remember. "Thank you, my Lord Thranduil."
Just then voices could be heard in the passage. "Come, it can't be that bad. King Gil-Galad would not force his friend to escort someone who would to not but make him miserable." I knew the voice to be that of Elrond.
"Elrond, speak not of what you don't understand. I have no will to go to such thing with anyone on my arm. There is only one I wish for and she is lost to me. I wish Gil-Galad would just let me mourn that which I lost before I ever had in peace and stop forcing me into these ridiculous predicaments." I knew that voice, but it couldn't be.
I looked into Mirwen's face and saw the playful smirk and knew full well it could be and it was. She had kept us both in the dark. I smirked; I guess I would play along with this game. I remembered the last time I had seen him. I was looking back over my shoulder as I ran down the sand beach away from the Havens holding the hands of the protesting twins. I looked back to the battle, to him one last time. "I love you," he had cried out to me. Then I turned and fled. Now I stepped further back into the room so that I couldn't be seen from the door way.
My foster son and my love arrived at the door. "Lady Lailitha, I am Elrond, it has been many years since we last met. I hoped that you would allow me to accompany you to dinner." Asked Elrond politely.
Lailitha let out her trade mark silvery laugh. "Of course, my Lord Elrond, however you must call me Lailitha for we are sibling you and I. Do we not share a foster mother?"
"That we do," said Elrond with a laugh and a smile lighting his face.
Laiqualassё looked around, "Sister is this some kind of joke between you and Gil-Galad to get me to dress up or do you truly have a friend here in need of a dinner escort." Said Laiqualassё in an exasperated tone.
"Laiqualassё, do you think so lowly of me? She is here only she is a bit shy. Come mellon-nin, my brother is quite sweet if you give him a chance," called Mirwen still giggling under her breath. I moved out of the shadows into the light pouring through the window behind me. I just stood there radiant in the light and Laiqualassё could do not but stare at me speechless. Mirwen ushered the other three away from the door. They had had their fun now they had to let Laiqualassё and I have a chance to understand what had happened.
"Little one," he said in little more then a whisper. If there had been any noise at all I would not have heard his words. I stepped towards him and he reached for me. Next thing I knew I was in his arms and his lips crashed into mine. It was the kiss I had dreamed of for years, yet it was more, much more.