Here is how this bit of the story is going to work - the next three chapters will be made up of a series of scenes from Alassë's past, which Elrond and Thranduil etc are witnessing through the mirror. I'm telling them all from an objective point of view, rather than Alassë's so that it's less confusing and allows us to see things that she wouldn't have seen. And to save being very repetitive and dragging on, I've just launched straight into the first scene as it would have happened in the past, rather than introducing each character individually.

So to understand the next few chapters, here is a couple of people you will need to know:

Calanon - Alassë's father; Vanora- Alassë's mother

Alyan, Raunien, Voronwë, Nithron and Aradan- Alassë's brothers (in order of age)

Tamuril and Lalaith - healers

Calanon smiled blissfully as he laid his hands on his wife's swollen belly.

"These two are going to be strong. I can feel it!" he said determinedly, looking into Vanora's dazzling emerald eyes. "And we are going to have to tell the children soon. They are perceptive. Loose gowns will not fool them for much longer."

"No, you are right!" Vanora laughed, stroking the cheek of her silver-haired husband. "I think tonight is as good a time as any. I hope they will be as elated as we are by the news."

"I don't see why not," Calanon grinned as he twirled his wife in a blur of silver of gold. "Twins! Two little gems to add to our considerable treasury."

"Now you sound like a poet!" Vanora giggled, before embracing him. "I love you so much, Calanon."

"As I do you. I could get lost in those eyes. Deep wells of emerald," whispered Calanon, leaning in capture his wife's lips in a searing kiss.

"Eurgh! Ada, do you have to do that to Nana when we can see?" came a disgusted voice from the door way and the happy couple looked round to see five young elves ranging from the human equivalent of 18 to the human equivalent of 8. Each one of them had the same silver hair and bright blue eyes as their father did.

"I will never be ashamed of showing your Nana how much I love her, ion-nin!" chided Calanon mildly. "Come, my sons, sit down; for we have something to discuss with you."

"It was all Aradan's fault!" said Nithron at once, raising his eyebrows as Calanon frowned at him. "What? Well, that usually turns out to be the answer when you claim to have things to discuss with us."

"Well it certainly is not the answer this time, penneth," said Calanon. "Your mother and I wanted to tell you that there will soon be two new additions to the family. She is carrying twins!"

"Twins?" repeated Raunien, blinking in shock for a moment, before getting up to hug his mother. "Congratulations, Nana, that is wonderful!"

"It is!" agreed Voronwë, with a grin just like his father's. "Two more little brothers for us to teach how to ride and shoot!"

"And I won't be the youngest anymore! I won't be the baby brother!" cried Aradan delightedly. Their parents laughed.

"Just a moment, what makes you all so sure I am carrying two boys?" asked Vanora, laying her hands on her distended belly. "I could be carrying girls." Instantly, the laughter on their sons' faces.

"I hope not!" said Nithron fervently. "For I do not want a sister!"

"What use would a sister be to us?" scowled Raunien, turning up his nose. "She would just get in our way!"

"And bringing a girl into the family will spoil it!" said Aradan firmly. "We won't be able to be the Brothers Calanonion anymore. It would ruin everything!"

Vanora turned to Calanon with worry in her face. She was sure she was carrying at least one girl. Calanon rubbed her back mollifying and gestured that his sons should return outside. They obeyed, whispering amongst themselves.

"I'm sure, once the babies arrive they will change their minds," he assured her soothingly. "They're simply thinking about going on more of their escapades in the woods and they don't seem to think a girl is capable of that. I'm sure they will warm to a sister very quickly if you do bear a girl. It's in a brother's nature to protect his little sister, after all."

"I hope you are right, my love," said Vanora, as she leaned into his embrace. "I do hope you are right."

THE MIRROR CLOUDS OVER AND THE IMAGE CHANGES

Alyan hacked and slew wildly, vaguely noticing out of the corner of his eye that Raunien was doing the same, while a terrified Aradan was kneeling by their groaning mother.

They had no idea where they spiders had come from. This area of the woods was supposed to be safe – that was why they had agreed in accompanying their mother to the river that morning. They only had just arrived their when the wild dream-like ordeal begun and Vanora had collapsed on the ground, clutching her bitten neck, while a sextet of black, menacing spiders surrounded them and began their callous attack.

Alyan had taken charge, and sent Voronwë to fetch Lalaith and Tamuril – healers who lived nearby – and instructed him to bring them to their home. He, Raunien, Nithron and Aradan would get their mother back there.

The fight was long and bloody, but eventually the brothers managed to send the spiders retreating to their treetop webs. Then, as fast as they could, they got their mother out of the clearing. To their horror, Vanora was bleeding heavily and clutching her large belly. This did not look good for their unborn siblings, but they couldn't lose their Nana!

"Hold on, Nana! Please!" begged Aradan, as he ran alongside his three elder brothers, who were carrying her. "Lalaith has a potion that can counteract spider poison. Just hold on!"

The minute they got back to their home, Lalaith and their father met them at the door. As Calanon rushed to his wife and held her in his arms, the raven-haired healer produced a vial of a pink liquid, which she immediately held to Vanora's lips.

"Drink it dear," she instructed, while apprehensively looking at the flow of blood staining the skirt of Vanora's gown. "It should eradicate the poison in your veins. But I am afraid the shock has sent you into premature labour. I am going to have to deliver those babies right now. It is their only chance of survival."

"Do what ever you must!" sobbed Vanora, wrapped in Calanon's tight and comforting embrace. She bit back a scream as a violent contraction shot through her. "I cannot lose my babies! I will die if I lose them."

"It is all right, love, hear me. It's going to be all right!" Calanon soothed her, desperate to calm her down. "Just breathe for me. Ssssh. Our little ones will survive. They are strong."

"You must bring her into your chamber," instructed Lalaith gently. "We are running out of time."

THE MIRROR CLOUDS OVER AND THE IMAGE CHANGES

"Vanora, we have another son!" Calanon eyes brimmed over with tears as a little bundle was passed to his arms by Lalaith, who was very much used to dealing with births. "He is beautiful!"

Lying on the bed, her golden hair damp with sweat and her face alarmingly pale, Vanora shot a beaming smile at her husband as he knelt again beside the bed, letting her see her son. She could not hold him, for the contractions for the imminent birth of the second twin were becoming more violent.

"Feredir." she whispered happily. "My little Feredir."

"Hunter?" Calanon beamed proudly at the translation of the name – they had already agreed that she would name the first twin, and he the second. "A wise choice, meleth. I feel that this little one is going to be a skilled warrior."

"Like his ada," Vanora said and then winced loudly at another contraction. Much of the little energy she had had was gone; for Feredir was a sturdy little one, and the spider bite was taking its toll. Vanora could not help but smile, even in her state of agony, when she saw that although this new arrival had her gold hair, he still had the same blue eyes as his father and all his brothers did. As Tamuril took Feredir from his arms, Calanon reached to take his wife's hand again.

"It's going to be fine, Vanora," he reassured her, bringing her hand to his lips. "You're almost there. You have given us another beautiful child and my heart sings for you. Everything is going to be fine, my love. You are doing so well. I am so proud of you. I love you with all my heart!"

"I love you too!" Vanora whispered, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. Lalaith and Calanon looked to her with concern. She looked so alarmingly frail!

"The spider bite has sapped you of your strength and you have lost a lot of blood. A second birth may be too much for you." said Lalaith in distress, looking at Vanora's white face. I can give you herbs which will boost your strength, but there is a good chance you will lose the baby."

"No!" sobbed Vanora vehemently, squeezing Calanon's hand. "You must not harm my daughter! I know I am carrying a girl! Please, no matter what the risks are to me, do not endanger my little one's life. If it is a choice between me and her, then save her!"

Calanon's eyes spilled over, as he held Vanora's hand against his forehead. It was an awful choice and he did not want to loose either his wife or his baby. But in the end, the decision lay with Vanora. He would force her into nothing, and he would respect her choice, even if it meant they be parted.

"You understand, meleth-nin," Vanora whispered. "You know I can't harm our baby."

"I understand that you are the most unselfish, loving, angelic being in Middle Earth," replied Calanon fervently, tears running down his face as he kissed her forehead. "And I also make you a solemn vow: that no matter what happens this day, I will love and cherish our little gems with all of my heart until the day that I die."

"I know you will," Vanora gasped, her body shaking again, and Lalaith announced it was time to deliver the second baby.

The birth was difficult, very difficult, and Vanora's cries of pain soon grew into screams of agony. She lost even more blood and her energy began to fade fast.

All through the ordeal, Calanon held her hand and stroked her hair, whispering words of comfort and encouragement, while tears poured down his face and his heart felt as if it was breaking. He would have given anything to be able to take the pain away from Vanora and onto himself. He hated sitting there and being unable to help; unable to do anything but watch his love suffer.

"Almost there, Vanora. Almost there," Lalaith praised. "You are doing so well, my dear. Just a few more pushes. That's right. Ai, it is a girl! You have a daughter, Vanora. Just one more push, penneth. One more."

"A daughter!" Vanora choked on a mixture of a gasp, a laugh and a sob as the baby was passed to her. Her breathing was becoming shallower and her head began to droop. "Is she not perfect, Calanon?"

"Of course she is. Just like her mother," said Calanon tearfully, kissing his wife again. "You've done so well, Vanora. I love you more than words can tell."

"This one will be special," whispered Vanora, as the light in her eyes began to fade. "I feel it in my heart. My darling twins, I love you so much. I always will."

"Stay with me, my love!" pleaded Calanon desperately, stroking her hair. "Stay with me!"

"Calanon," Vanora smiled tiredly. "My heart was and is ever yours. You have made me complete. I love you than anything on Arda and I will never stop."

"Vanora!" cried Calanon in despair, but it was too late. With those words, Vanora's golden head fell back onto the pillow and her eyes fluttered shut. The birth had been too much for her and her body had simply given up.

Calanon's sobs rang through the room, as he stayed kneeling beside the bed and continued to hold Vanora's still hand. Heavy waves of grief shot through him and burned at his heart like the whip of a balrog.

"I will tell the boys," whispered Tamuril, and she slid soundlessly out of the room. Lalaith nodded sadly, and gathered Feredir into her arms, rocking him and holding him close.

For many long minutes, Calanon simply continued to weep; stricken to the core with despair. He was only distracted from his grieving when he was interrupted by a baby's cries. Looking up, and blinking the tears away, he suddenly saw that his little daughter – who had yet to be named – was still in her dead mother's embrace. It seemed she was suddenly in need of comforting.

Gently, still weeping quietly himself, Calanon reached out to gather the little baby into his arms. With well-practised motions, he began to rock her in a gentle embrace. As the cries stopped, he found himself, to his elation, not looking into blue eyes, but into deep, rich green eyes – the very image of her mother's.

"You shall be my joy," he whispered, kissing her head. "My little Alassë. Ever will those emerald eyes remind me of the love that made my life worthwhile. Ever will I see your mother's face in you and ever will I cherish you, my precious little gem."

What neither Calanon, nor Lalaith knew, as they comforted and rocked the two newborns, was that a tear-filled pair of eyes was watching from behind the door, with a heart that overflowed with anger.

"Ada may favour you, Alassë," the watching elf whispered venomously. "But we will never forgive you for what you have taken from us. You are the one who killed our Nana, and we will never let you forget that. Never!"

THE MIRROR CLOUDS OVER AND THE IMAGE CHANGES