The Emissaries

"No Melethril, you may not come. We ride long and fast and there will be much danger. I would not have you with us had you not injured yourself," said Laiqualassё vehemently. I know no amount of arguing would earn me a place with the emissaries who were going to Erin Lasgalen. "I know you wish to see Mirwen and I will pass a message to her but under no circumstance will you ride with us with a broken arm no less." He stood before me in only his leggings with a silvery tunic clenched in his hand. I couldn't keep my eyes from roaming his body. I pouted, but this did naught but make the elf laugh at my childishness. "Come, little one, it will be but 3 months." He kissed my lips lightly.

"Very well you win," I conceded. "But if you are not back in three months I swear I will have to punish you most severely," I said lightly trying to cover up the pang I felt about him leaving me even for a short time.

In the years since our reunion after the fall of Thangodrim we had been so rarely separated. After our wedding we had not slept in separate beds for as little as a single night yet now he was leaving me for three long months and I knew for all his protests he did not want to leave me anymore than I wished him to leave me behind. "Come put on that tunic we are to meet Gil-Galad and Elrond for supper," I said standing to look in the mirror. I rearranged some of the little braids scattered through my hair.

"Ah, but last night you said you liked me better with out my tunic, "said the dark hair elf behind me. He, now fully clothed, wrapped his arms around my waist nuzzling my neck. Leaning back into his embraced I savoured the feeling of his warm body against my back.

Closing my eyes I sighed. How do you love some one so much that the idea of ever leaving them hurts so terribly? I knew one day Laiqualassё would have to leave me. I even knew that I might have to force him to do so. I would not have him diminish as would be the fate of any elf remaining in Middle-Earth after the end of the third age. Six thousand years in the future yet still I could not stand the thought that the day would come at all.

"Yes, and I do not change my opinion however I do not think that Elrond and Gil-Galad share my opinion. Come let's go Laiqualassё," I said taking his hand. It was still strange for me to wear so many dresses. Laiqualassё loved picking out clothes for me. I guess I was lucky that that was so because I had hated clothes shopping in my own time and having to stand while a seamstress adjust cloth around you is even worse.

We walked through the halls of Gil-Galad's palace at Lindon hand in hand. Elrond live here as well having stayed with me even after his brother had left to be king of Numenor. He was wise beyond his years and yet he called me Nanneth and listened ever when I told him something. He had always been the more serious of the two twins. Elrond was definitely an elf where as Elros had the transience of the race of men. I shivered as I remembered the kin slaying of the Haven's of Sirion.

I remembered Elwing screaming at me to take the twins and run, and so I had. The two elflings wished to fight but I hadn't let them. We had run along the beech away form the battle until we had come to that cave where Mirwen, Lailitha, Elwing and I had often come for pick nicks.

I had taken the elflings to the back of the cave and waited for some sign. I remembered when Maglor had found us. His cold eyes had borne so much pain. The torment of his vow spoken in haste had cost his soul. He had been wandering next to the sea wrapped in horror at his and his brother's deed when he had stumbled on us. He adopted the twins in memory of what he and his brother's had done to Elwing's siblings. He took me under his protection as the twins would not be parted form me. I had pitied Maglor but we were never truly friends more allies with a great deal of distain for each other. We tolerated each other for the sake of the twins.

When I shivered at the memory of those haunted eyes, and Laiqualassё looked down at me. "Are you well Melethril?" he asked with concern. "Does your arm pain you?"

"No, I was just remembering Sirion," No more needed to be said each understood what the other had undergone that day. Laiqualassё had been Elwing's bodyguard and when she had thrown herself into the sea he had gathered all he could and made a retreat. Any who had survived that massacre had Laiqualassё to thank.

"Come; let us not think on such shadows of the past. I will never leave Middle-Earth with out you." He held my hand between his two and kissed my hair. They entered the private garden where the King enjoyed taking his meals when it was just him and a few of his friends.

The promise he had made of never leaving Middle-Earth with out me struck me hard in the stomach. I knew he would have to leave or one of us might be killed. The future was uncertain and I knew it was unsettled, the war that had ended the first age would not be the last war fought on the soils of middle earth. I knew he could keep that promise and it hurt me more to think about it then to think of the tragedies of the past.

Meeting with Elrond and Gil-galad

The companies leaves taking