Tithen Ha

The wistful winds floated off the virescent leaves of Taur en-Faroth and on their breeze, the heralds of all happiness and joy played their minstrely tunes. Love and laughter, joy and peace were celebrated by the spirits of the Nature, and even the far away Elves of Ossiriand and Falas smiled as they heard the twining songs of the air.

Finrod Felagund, one of the fairest of all the Noldor, in both feature and grace was to be blessed again by the Vala Varda. Once again she had seen fit to cause a star to come to earth in the shape of Elvish child. And Eru, far above the shining fields and highlands of Nargothrond, was smiling. For he too exulted in the birth of any child-Elvish, Dwarfish, Mannish, it mattered not to him. As long as one more life was joyously entering into the Song of Creation.

But for Finrod Felagund, though his wife had delivered unto him three sons, the anxious fear which attended the birth of his latest child was something terrifying. Elvish ladies are not weak, but birth is that which will destroy the most of them. Some of them never see the Fading until they bear a child. The fear of this was ever before the children of Valinor. They had seen when Miriel, wife of Finwë, had faded and the child that she had borne.

" You know, hanno, " A slightly taunting, slightly amused voice sounded behind the Elvish king, and he stiffed ere he turned to see those who had come to visit the new arrival should they arrive. " He almost appears nervous."

Another voice snickered, " Surely not, Curufin, he is Finrod, King of the Hall of the Narog, surely he knows no fear."

Finrod fought for peace, refusing to allow the sons of Fëanor to destroy the calm which he had built around him though he knew that it was their way of distracting him, of trying to help him forget that his wife was in terrible pain and that his daughter had yet to arrive. And thankfully at that moment, to his relief, the doors opened and his crier announced, " Híril Tyelpiel( Daughter of Silver), Híril ó-Thargelion( Lady of Thargelion) to see her father, Finrod, Lord of Nargothrond."

Finrod rushed to behold his eldest, the daughter of the Trees, and then swiftly greeting her in Elvish, he pulled her into his arms. She stiffened under his embrace as she heard the screams of Árëquimellë( Lady of Day), and then turned to her. " Does it go ill with Amil(mother)?"

Finrod gave her a wry smile, " The Healers inform me that I shall never approach Fëanor in number of children that I am blessed with. But far be it from me to approach Fëanor in any deed or action."

Suddenly another scream came again and almost instantly he saw her stiffen and then gaze at the door which held the new sibling soon to be born to the sons of Finrod. A question was in her eyes. He shook his head. The babe had not come yet. The healer would tell him.

Curufin and Celegorm chose then to make themselves known. They quickly approached the visitor, and taking no care for her gilded tresses, they shoved her into a passionate and hard embrace betwixt them.

" Hanno," she gave a faint gasp, " leithio nin (brothers, release me). You are suffocating me."

" Our apologies, sister. I hope that our brother is still beside himself in love with you?" Curufin inquired while Celegorm removed the fur cloak that had covered her dress while traveling.

She gave a quick nod, " Aye, he requires much jewelry as tribute from the Náucalië ( Dwarven Folk) and this he gives as tribute to me."

" As it should be for Telperioniel( Daughter of Telperion)" Celegorm snickered, knowing that their brother, the Dark, showed his love with gifts, and then they all stood still, Finrod in a pained position when they heard a terrible scream and a sickening silence.

Finrod leapt to the door and began pounding on it. " Healer! What has happened? Why is my wife silent?"

Tyelpiel gave a small gasp and held fearfully onto her brothers-in-law as the Healer opened the door. " Hîr-nín(my lord), it is a girl. A beautiful sister for Hîr Haldir and his brothers."

Finrod gasped in surprise and joy and then looked reticently at the room beyond the healer. " My lord, she awaits you. She has cried for you the entire time."

Celegorm and Curufin looked at each other and then gave a smile. " Finrod, go to your wife. We shall gather the kin and let them know, the King has a Princess."

Finrod gave them a small smile before he went to sit by the side of his queen. Her forehead was running as though she were the raincloud, and her clothes were soaked with the fruits of her labors. And on her breast, content, yet very small and dainty, lay a tiny little girl. Her hair was golden as her father, but still the red dashing of it reminded him of his beautiful wife. Her eyes looked up at him, gray and green mixed together in an amalgamation of the lands from which she came, while her own particular spark of molten gold shone in those iridescent orbs.

" O melethel( darling), she is fair enough to be one of the Valar." Finrod breathed, barely daring to trace his warrior's hand over her cheek. She seemed to be one that the Valar had woven together of every element of fire and gold. The sunset had become her hair, the sunshiny trees her eyes, and in her pale skin was the rich air on a summer's air.

" Your thoughts are romantic, melda( dear), she is Elven as are her brothers. And besides, many would say that Tyelpiel is the fairest of all Elves in Arda." Árëquimellë told him, running her aching fingers through his golden hair and watching the starlight in his silver eyes. " Did she come?"

Finrod nodded and lifted his eyes. " Aye, Tyelpiel came. And safely too. O, tithen ha (little one)," he lifted his beautiful daughter to his lips. " No greater gift could I have been given. I know of none better."

And at that moment, his sons came running into the room. Haldir had reached maturity and was more sedate than the twins, but Rumil and Orophin, they were the children of fire. Joy and passion melded equally in their veins, causing them to risk much more than the average child of Eru. But that joyous life would soon embrace another of their blood.

And behind the sons of Finrod came his daughter. She was quiet, subdued, weary. Her journey had not been kind and she was very much aware that in these lands, she was something of the enemy. While her father was respected, she was both loved and feared. The most beautiful elf, a symbol of Melkor's inability to destroy all beauty as she reflected the light of Telperion, and yet the wife of one of the sons of Fëanor, it was dangerous for her to come to see the daughter of Finrod. Yet she had come, even as she had each time his sons were born. And the joy that she had at their birth was greater each time another joined the family of Finrod.

Árëquimellë gave a small laugh and held her hand out to the beautiful maid. " Anel (daughter), come see your nésa(sister)."

Tyelpiel did as her mother desired and knelt beside the bed, her eyes alight with glorious joy. She was the daughter of Amarië, daughter of Ingwë, and though Amarië had chosen to forsake her husband, unwilling to leave the throne of Varda for her family, Tyelpiel had gone. She had endured the terrible crossing, she had been betrayed by her fëa-mate(soulmate) and yet Tyelpiel Telperioniel stood victorious. She had accepted as beloved the Unbegotten her father had wed and she had welcomed with true affection each of their children. And rejoiced at the birth of one who was only half her blood.

" She is beautiful, as lovely as the setting sun." Haldir told his father, reaching out to tenderly touch the little one that had joined their family, while watching his siblings features become animated and joyous. The twins were wild with escatasticism while Tyelpiel gazed at her as though she were made of witchcraft and would disappear.

Rumil and Orophin, being twins, were far less poetic and far more chaotic. " Ata( Papa), will she be a warrior? Will she go on march with us? Can we teach her to use the bow? Oh, and when can we prank her?"

Finrod laughed and tousled their long silver hair. " Boys, I hardly think that you need to be considering pranks already." He rested his gazed upon his eldest daughter. " Tyelpiel, what do you think that we should name her."

Tyelpiel sent him a glorious gaze, leaning her head on her mother's shoulder, and then laughed, " Well, though I love tithen ha( little one), I think that she will need a different name. After all, you called all of us by that name until we knew our own. I still remembered when Rumil introduced himself to me as Tithen Ha Finrodiôn."

All the boys laughed at her and then looked down at the little elleth. She was giggling herself, youthful bubbles exuding from her mouth and then she reached out and grabbed her mother's ringlets. Already, she was active and joyous, despite only just being born.

Árëquimellë gazed at her daughter and then at her family around her. " She is not like Tyelpiel. Though they are both golden-haired and gray eyed-"

" Silver, amil(mother)," Tyelpiel interrupted and batted her gilt lashes showing her moonlit eyes.

" All right, silver," her mother laughed at her and ran a gentle finger over those eyes while her daughter leaned into her caress, " I think that she is more of the forest while Tyelpiel is more of the sky. Boys, what name seems perfect for her?"

All the ellyn looked at each other and then at their sister. The red gilt of the dying sun was in her hair and her eyes were forest green and shadow all embraced by the golden crescent beams gleaming through the trees. Haldir leaned towards his brothers and then whispered in their ears. They nodded and then all turned to face their parents. " Taurewen, Forest Maiden."

Finrod laughed and clapped his hands together, pulling his sons into his arms, while Tyelpiel hugged her mother and embraced her new little sister.

Curufin and Celegorm chose then to enter the room and appraise the new addition. " Well, she's pretty enough, but she's no Tyelpiel."

Tyelpiel rolled her eyes at them, " You boys seem determined to think me the prettiest elf that ever existed. All know that my aunt Galadriel is finer."

Celegorm gave her a teasing glance, " No, she's not. I don't see any Dwarfish tribute decorating her neck."

Tyelpiel gave a shocked gasp, " Celegorm!"

Orophin gazed warily at his brother-in-laws and then shrugged, deciding it was time he joined in. " Everybody knows Galadriel is prettier but secretly thinks you're much better. After all, she lives in Doriath but all can see you since you don't hide with the Sindar elves."

That almost started a pillow fight since Tyelpiel was determined to fight for her aunt while everyone else just wanted to enjoy the jamboree. And through it all, tithen ha, Taurewen, grinned and rejoiced in being alive. It was something glorious to be surrounded by so much love.

Well that's the end of this little story. I rewrote it twice and hopefully, you all will love it.

So Tyelpiel means daughter of silver and her last name Telperioniel means Daughter of Telperion. Telperion was one of the Two Trees that gave light to Valinor. He shone silver and thus since she is all silver and moonlight gold, she was named after him. Her sister Taurewen, Forest Maiden, was the daughter born under the sun's light so her features are vibrant and clean. A joyousness in them.

Originally, this was going to be an understanding fiction, where Tyelpiel originally didn't like her sister and her step-mother, but it just became a nice little story about a family welcoming a baby and giving her a name. I think it's really quite lovely.

The underlying tones are of the prejudice between the half-siblings of Finarfin, Fingolfin, and Fëanor. Fëanor caused all the Valinor Elves to fall under the Curse of the Noldor and thus that memory is before Finrod even though he has welcomed one of the sons of Fëanor as his son-in-law. But I tried really hard to just to do a few allusions to strife and keep it really small and light. Hopefully I did a good job.

Live for Christ,

Jetta Lee