In The Winter Garden

Story Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net)

Title: In The Winter Garden (#4274)
Author: curiouswombat
Chapters: 9

Archive: Tolkien
Category: Alternate Universe (AU)
Description: NEW Returnverse story. Something very strange is happening in Éowyn's garden in Ithilien - could Dawn/Tindómë be the key to the mystery...? NOW COMPLETE
Published: 20 Aug 2010
Updated: 17 Sep 2010
Warnings:
Type: Mystery
Characters: Éowyn; Dawn/Tindómë; Rumil: Legolas; Haldirin

Chapter 1 - Growing up and growing older.

Author's note; This story takes place about 3 years after Tind�m� returns to Middle Earth in the final chapters of 'Return of The Key', 18 months after the events of 'The Winter Tale'.

The story was inspired by a conversation with a friend about a photograph I took at Milntown House in the Isle-of-Man. The picture can be seen here; http://www.flickr.com/photos/voirreys_pics/4508977606/

Chapter One

The year of her forty-first birthday �owyn decided against her usual summer sojourn amongst the elves that lived in her husband�s princedom. Not that the elves saw themselves as subjects of the Prince of Ithilien, of course�

She was pregnant with her fifth, and last, child and thought her ageing body, disfigured by blue veins, a swelling belly, and stretch marks, would be unsightly to elven eyes and they would not want her in their midst.

Legolas arrived with a plea from Tind�m�; she had been relying on �owyn visiting after midsummer as she usually did, she needed advice, and surely it would be more comfortable to be in the relatively cool woods than the heat of the men�s stone town?

�owyn did not feel that she could explain her reasoning to Legolas; he must surely find her less than pleasing to look at but would be too polite to say so. Not wanting to let either Legolas or Tind�m� down she thought to go for just a few hours, to see the young elleth, as Legolas was quite certain that Tind�m� could not leave the woodlands or her husband.

In the end she stayed for a month. As her three youngest children spent time climbing trees, swimming, fishing, and generally enjoying themselves, �owyn found it was very pleasant to spend time in the sun-warmed water, the weight of the unborn child gently cushioned. Tind�m� had convinced her that elves honestly weren�t disgusted if �owyn joined them in the bathing pools; they really, really, didn�t notice the stretch marks visible when �owyn stripped down to her shift to bathe. Or, if they did, they saw them as something of interest � but were too polite to be seen to notice.

Anyway, Tind�m� said, with her own first pregnancy being at much the same stage, she wanted �owyn�s support. Other ellyth had told her all they could but she was not-quite-an-elf, she was peredhel, and her body might behave more as a human one than an Elvish one; she didn�t know.

�owyn had often wondered, since, if the time with the Elves had influenced that last pregnancy. The midwives had expected her to find it more difficult to labour, at that age, and yet Elboron had been the easiest of all to birth and also the easiest settled as an infant.

And now the ten year old Elboron had enthusiastically accepted a post-wedding invitation to visit his relatives in Dol Amroth, along with the younger two of his sisters, rather than stay home whilst Rumil, Tind�m�, and Haldirin visited.

When �owyn had mentioned that Haldirin and his parents would be staying on their way home from the wedding, Elboron had screwed his face up.

�But he�s still a baby! He can�t even ride properly yet. And Uncle Elphir said he would teach me to sail��

And there was the rub. Elboron and Haldirin, born only weeks apart, were now so very different. Elboron came up to his mother�s shoulder, and wanted to be as independent as possible; Haldirin seemed to �owyn to be at about the same stage of childhood as a three or four year old.

Tind�m� and Rumil themselves looked no older than the bride and groom at the recent wedding; no older than they had looked when the bride and groom had been born. Although, with her mixed Elvish and Numenorean blood slowing down her own maturation, the bride looked scarcely old enough to marry.

�owyn�s first born, like Tind�m�s, had been named for his father�s dead brother; Boromir. And Boromir had been in love with the Princess Gilraen since he had first seen her in her cradle; he had simply had to wait until she was deemed old enough, by her parents, to wed.

Faramir and their eldest daughter had stayed at court but, by two weeks after the ceremony, �owyn had wanted to escape the heat of the city and the formality of the court. With her three other children travelling, by river, to Dol Amroth she was happy when Rumil and Tind�m� accepted her offer to spend time as her guests before returning to their own home.

She had worried that either Haldirin or his parents would be upset that Elboron had chosen not to return with them as a playmate to the elfling; although it would be difficult to tell if the adults were upset or in any way slighted�

However, one of Faramir�s hounds had recently had a litter, and the pups seemed to be all the playmates the elfling required. He was, �owyn thought, very like his father � self-contained.

��.

Rumil had been happy to spend time visiting the Princess of Ithilien; her home was much less oppressive, to an elf used to life amongst trees, than Minas Tirith and had good light for working on paintings of the wedding.

Tind�m� had been so happy to see the Fellowship members gathered together for the celebrations, along with Lord Celeborn and the twins, but disliked the formality of the Gondorian Court. Maintaining her �proper elven dignity� was not hard � but making sure her rounded ears remained hidden, to prevent questions about her �peredhel� status, was a drag. Sometimes she thought of the toy �Spock� ears, available in California, and wished she�s thought to add a pair to that bag of gifts she had carried back, through the portal, when she had finally returned home.

�owyn simply accepted her for who she was� well, apart from The Key bit � they�d never told her about that. �owyn�s household was a better place for Haldirin, too; like his father he was happier with more trees and less stone.

If �owyn only realised, Tind�m� thought, how they had explained to Haldirin the way in which Elboron had outgrown him, she would be shocked.

Legolas had once commented that, for most of his life, he had been more aware of his horses� mortality than that of humans; this was, more or less, the way that they had put it to Haldirin before leaving Eryn Ithil for the royal wedding.

A squirrel, like Medifindel, might live for five or six years, a dog for fifteen or sixteen, a horse for, maybe, twenty-five years; each remained a baby for only a short portion of that time. And so it was with mortals. But they did take longer to grow than a foal� Haldirin had just nodded, and taken it all in.

Probably as well, though, that �owyn�s Sindarin had never got beyond a fairly simple grasp, or she might have been upset to hear the elfling saying that Elboron was growing very fast � would he still be alive the next time they came to visit?

��.

The manor house in which �owyn and Faramir lived had been rebuilt from the ruins of one which had stood in Ithilien many years before. It was a mixture of comfortable family home and stately splendour.

Around it were a series of gardens. Legolas, in particular, had spent time trying to work out what the original grounds must have looked like; finally falling with glee on an ancient estate book, full of accounts and diagrams, found by Anarion, the head librarian in the Citadel, which confirmed much of what he had already deduced.

Apart from kitchen gardens there was a medicinal garden, a walled rose garden, a knot garden, and one or two other enclosed areas full of drifts of flowers. Between these were courtyards and open areas of grass designed simply for sitting; or as places for playing games when the weather was fine. There was a series of tree-lined walks, for the ladies of the household to take their exercise in both wintry weather and high summer, and finally, hidden away but near the house, there was a small walled area known as the Winter Garden.

This was off a larger paved courtyard that had brightly coloured summer flowers growing around the walls. A wrought iron gate in one of those walls gave a glimpse of the smaller walled space; its high walls, ivy-clad, sheltering a few trees that had survived the privations of the dark time.

Within the Winter Garden there was a pond with a central fountain, carved stone seats nestled against the walls, and beds of pansies and wallflowers grew again, just as they had when it had first been designed for the ladies of the house to take the air in the winter; sheltered from the elements, cheered by colour.

�owyn had been as grateful for the Winter Garden as those earlier owners once she and Legolas had pored over the old manuscript and restored it to something like its original form. But it was currently high summer and the flowers in the Winter Garden were setting seed and resting peacefully.

The summer flower-lined courtyard saw little traffic, except feet, and here the stable boys had brought the bitch and her pups to amuse Haldirin. He had thrown his ball, a few times, but the pups were still too young to chase it. Instead he would lie on his belly, chin on hands, simply watching the pups for an hour or more at a time.

Sometimes he would cuddle a pup or two � their mother had raised enough litters with �owyn�s own children around to tolerate such behaviour from this other youngling. But on other occasions Haldirin would stroke all the sleepy pups, and then venture over to the wrought iron gate, open it carefully, and stand, as if entranced, in the middle of the quiet Winter Garden.

Tind�m� and �owyn often sat in the courtyard; the sounds of snuffling puppies, and bees humming through the flowers, a gentle background to their conversation, but not so loud that they would not hear if Haldirin needed them.

Sometimes they strolled along the shaded walks, and Tind�m� seemed quite happy to leave the elfling to play alone in the Winter Garden if he didn�t want to walk with them. She reassured �owyn that, should he have any problem whilst out of her sight, either she or Rumil would know about it anyway.

On the odd occasions that �owyn and his mother joined the elfling in the Winter Garden he would play with his ball a little, and then wander out to the outer courtyard again � he really seemed to prefer his own company; like his calm, almost monosyllabic, father, �owyn thought again.

��

It was a hot summer. Even hotter than usual it seemed to the mistress of the house. There again, the waves of nauseating heat that flooded across her at times were more internal than external.

She and Faramir had been careful to ensure that Elboron was their last child; but the signs were now quite clear that this was a decision that could no longer be changed. Although �owyn had never enjoyed her monthly courses, or the flashes of uncontrollable temper that could precede them, knowing that she might, soon, never experience either again was unsettling.

She feared she would stop being a, still somewhat desirable, woman and become an old crone. She feared it most because, although twelve years her senior, her husband was ageing more slowly; she did not want Faramir to start thinking of her as an old woman, although he seemed to be oblivious to the younger women who looked at him yet with desire.

She had begun to worry about her friendship with Tind�m�. Would Faramir begin to compare her unfavourably with the peredhel elleth? Did he look at Aragorn and envy him Arwen?

Eventually she voiced some of her fears to Faramir and was reassured that he welcomed the signs of her loss of fertility � he looked forward to being able to make love again spontaneously with no fear of possible consequences. Thus reassured, she was enjoying the time with Tind�m�, but she couldn�t help wishing that it was Faramir, and not her, that had the nauseating waves of heat � at least some of the time!

��

Tind�m� understood, and sympathised, when she realised that �owyn was having hot flashes. It reminded her, again, of the differences between them � and the eventual sorrow their friendship would bring her.

After they had been �owyn�s guests for a little over a week, and their hostess had excused herself during dinner, Tind�m� explained, privately, to Rumil about mortal women�s loss of fertility in middle-age, and the overwhelming rushes of heat that often accompanied this bodily change.

Not as privately as she had thought, though. Haldirin, apparently oblivious as he concentrated on paper and pencil, looked up and spoke.

�Nana, if Lady �owyn is very hot she should come into the Winter Garden where the ice and snow are.�

��
The BtVS characters do not belong to me, but are used for amusement only. All rights remain the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and the original TV companies. The same is true of the LotR characters for whom all rights remain the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien and the companies responsible for the production of the films.

Chapter 2 - A Place That Grows Winter

�Nana, if Lady �owyn is very hot she should come into the Winter Garden where the ice and snow are.�

The ensuing conversation was somewhat confusing and frustrating.

Tind�m� started by agreeing that, should Lady �owyn still be suffering from hot flashes in the winter, going outdoors when it was snowy and icy would help; it wouldn�t even need to be in the Winter Garden.

But Haldirin insisted that it was always winter in the Winter Garden� at least it was almost always winter. Sometimes when Nana and Lady �owyn came in, too, they brought the summer with them� He thought that this must be Lady �owyn�s doing � in some way related to her being too hot.

Tind�m�s next reaction was that she should tell him off for telling tall stories � but, instead, she tried to explain that, although imagining that it was always winter in the Winter Garden was fun, it wouldn�t, really, help �owyn.

Haldirin looked at her with a puzzled expression. She could feel, through the parental bond, that he was getting upset.

�But� Nana� I don�t pretend� I like it when it is snowy in the Winter Garden. I like a place that grows winter.�

Where now? It made sense, if you grow roses in the Rose Garden, and herbs in the Herb Garden, that you might grow winter in the Winter Garden, but how to explain the difference between real things and imagined things if he didn�t know, yet?

Rumil sat, very quietly, but looking closely at Haldirin.

�Haldirin-n�n,� he said eventually, �would it be winter if I came with you?�

�What a weird question,� Tind�m� thought, but had learnt that her husband rarely asked questions without a point, so waited.

Their son sat, head to one side, for a minute.

�I� I think it might be. But the other elfling might be frightened of you, Ada. Then� then I think it might be summer��

�Oh no!� Tind�m� thought, �perhaps we had better go back to Eryn Ithil quickly � he must be lonely after all. He�s invented an invisible companion!�

She remembered having an invisible friend when she was about six and had a feeling, now, that it was because Buffy had decided that Dawn was too little to have tagging along or to play with. (Probably, she thought in a sort of mental aside, a good job it wasn�t a couple of years later or Buffy�d have thought I was being haunted, or picked on by a demon, or something!)

Haldirin must be reacting to Elboron�s decision that he> was too little to play with by inventing another elfling.

She so must discuss it with Rumil, but not right now; he was talking to Haldirin again.

�I would like to come and see the snow. Perhaps, if Lady �owyn always brings the summer with her, I can come with you and Nana could stay with Lady �owyn.�

Tind�m� thought he was ignoring the �other elfling�, but he went on.

�I did not know there were more elflings here, little one. Is it a little ellon or a little elleth?�

Haldirin relaxed again; Tind�m� could feel it as much as see it.

�He is an ellon, Ada.�

He would be, Tind�m� thought; no-one, as far as she knew, ever seems to have an opposite sex invisible companion.

�What is the little ellon called, Haldirin-n�n?�

�I don�t know Ada � I�ve never asked him.�

So, not a made-up friend that he�d got very clearly in his mind then, that must be good, his mother thought.

�Well then,� Rumil said, in his �end of discussion� voice, �tomorrow you and I will wait until Nana keeps the very hot Lady �owyn away, and we will go together to the Winter Garden and ask the ellon what his name is.�

As Haldirin nodded, and bent his head back to his drawing, Tind�m� tried not to laugh; she must explain to Rumil the other meaning of �hot� when applied to a person of the opposite sex�

��

Rumil had never heard of an elfling having an imaginary friend � but then, he pointed out, he had always had Orophin around. He said, though, that Haldirin had seemed to be quite serious about it being winter in the Winter Garden � which is why he had asked if it would be winter if he went himself.

After all, if Haldirin had been making it up he would, logically, have said it wouldn�t be winter if Rumil went with him; just as it wasn�t if Tind�m� or �owyn did�

He said that he remembered Haldir offering, in a totally serious voice, to come and look at the place where Rumil had seen an oliphaunt when he was about fourteen or fifteen � only a little older than Haldirin. (Haldirin is currently the equivalent of a three to four year old human; Rumil would then have been the equivalent of a five year old.)

Haldir had come with him, walked all around, declared that, sadly, there was no sign of an oliphaunt, not even an oliphaunt footprint. He hadn�t told Rumil off for making the oliphaunt up; but the imaginary oliphaunt had just faded away.

Even now it was unusual for Rumil to talk very much about his oldest brother but, Tind�m� thought, his own parenting style probably owed quite a lot to that warrior brother suddenly forced into �fatherhood�.

�Although,� Rumil continued, �we must never forget that sometimes strange things do happen... if they did not you would not be here�

�It is possible that Haldirin really has seen another elfling in the Winter Garden, meleth.�

��

Next day Tind�m� asked �owyn if there was anyone, around the manor house in its surrounding town, who might provide her with some fine wool for her knitting; occasioning a visit by both to the linen mistress for the household.

Rohirric women knitted, but Gondorian ones were like the Elves and wove or embroidered � only poor women were employed knitting stockings.

It occurred to Tind�m� that the Rohirrim would probably have traditionally followed the herds � and knitting was easily carried. Also, in winter, it took up little space in a crowded house such as �lith�s. �owyn had not learnt to knit, though � she had embroidered when forced into �feminine� pastimes as a young girl.

However as Tind�m� mainly knitted for pleasure (and because it was something that the ellyth weren�t all fabulously good at), the fine lacy patterned shawl she had just completed, and shown to the linen mistress as an indication of what sort of wool she wanted, was much admired with no suggestion that it was an unsuitable hobby for a lady.

In the end discussions about weight, ply, and dyeing methods took up much of the morning, as Tind�m� had hoped it would. She had not felt any strong emotion through her bond with Rumil, but was still curious to hear of his morning spent with Haldirin in the Winter Garden.

�I� it is hard to describe, meleth,� he began, slowly, once they were alone.

�But I do not think Haldirin was imagining things, or simply making up stories to amuse himself.�

Tind�m� waited.

�The garden was as it would usually be. The water from the fountain flowed into the pool, the flowering plants were at rest, all the trees were in leaf. And yet� after a few moments Haldirin said �See, Ada?� and I felt as if I almost could.�

�Almost could what?�

�Almost see the frost and the ice. I could still see everything as it is, and yet I could also see� the ghost of the winter.�

Tind�m� thought she could understand, and as Rumil took her face in his hands and then touched his forehead against hers she could see what he meant with her mind�s eye.

�Then Haldirin turned to a far corner of the garden and smiled. �My friend!� he said, but if I turned the same way I could see nothing. I realised, though,� Rumil continued, �that as I looked to the corner, the fountain, at the edge of my sight, seemed to slow and freeze. And so I looked back to the fountain, which then seemed to be flowing again � but in the corner of my vision I could, just, see a small shape. It seemed to be an elfling, meleth.�

�Elo! So he really does meet another elfling there! Or,� another thought crossed Tind�m�s mind, �his imagination is so strong that you see what he imagines, because of your bond to him��

�There is something else, well more than one other thing� I told Haldirin to ask what the other elfling�s name was. He spoke; and then he waited as if listening. I heard� something � perhaps a breeze sighing in the trees � except that it was totally still within the Winter Garden. Then he turned back and asked me if I had heard.

�I said, truthfully, that I could not make out the words and so Haldirin told me what the other elfling had answered. The elfling said that it was so long since anyone had called him by his name that he had forgotten it, meleth.�

�Oh. That really isn�t the sort of thing a baby like Haldirin would make up, is it?� Tind�m� said, slowly. �And what was the other thing?�

�I told Haldirin that I would sit and draw whilst he played with his friend. I tried to draw the garden as it looked when I was not looking at it� Haldirin seemed to be making snowballs. Then he said his friend had gone � and he held out his hand for me to take and walk with him. His hand was very, very cold.�

�Elbereth! A ghost elfling, do you think, herven-n�n?�

�I do not know. Would a ghost bring their own winter? A winter that made an elfling cold? I know little of ghosts, meleth. But the elfling in the garden is not harming Haldirin, and so we have time to think about it.�
.........................................................

Sindarin;

meleth; beloved.
herven-n�n - my husband.

.........................................................

The BtVS characters do not belong to me, but are used for amusement only. All rights remain the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and the original TV companies. The same is true of the LotR characters for whom all rights remain the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien and the companies responsible for the production of the films.

Chapter 3 - The Winter Elfling

Haldirin was too young to speak the Common Tongue. Had Faramir been at home he would have understood the elfling�s chatter, and wondered at any mention of another elfling in the environs of the manor, but �owyn, fluent in Rohirric and the Common Tongue, had found it harder to learn Sindarin. She knew some of the courtly phrases used in Minas Tirith, and some basic friendly phrases to use when she visited Eryn Ithil, but much of Haldirin�s conversation with his parents passed her by.

This made it much simpler for Rumil and Tind�m� to take time to consider the implications of Haldirin�s shadowy small friend.

�Were there elves in Ithilien before we came?� Tind�m� wondered.

�I know not. Not in my life-time, meleth, but perhaps before. Maybe this is the f�a of an elfling that became one of the Houseless a long time ago.�

Tind�m� recognised the concept of �Houseless� elves. When something happened to kill an elf the usual thing was for the spirit, the f�a, to go to Mandos� Halls. (She had no idea where this might be � it seemed to be a bit like going to heaven, but then it might be a pocket dimension, or an actual, really big, building in Valinor � none of the elves she had asked seemed too sure�)

But sometimes, especially it seemed in the case of wood elves, the f�a stayed in Middle Earth without the hroar; choosing to remain near the family and places the elf loved. These f�a were known as Houseless � in effect, ghost elves. Some elves thought that this always happened to those who �faded� � but then others thought they, too went to Mandos� Halls; Tind�m� guessed they might find out, eventually, in Valinor.

She answered Rumil. �I guess Legolas might know if there were elves here before. Or Lord Celeborn � maybe we could send him a message. Faramir might know. But if he thought there was a ghost in the Winter Garden he might be upset.�

�It would be interesting to know where the �Winter Elfling� came from � but I think I would want to know, more, why Haldirin can see him,� Rumil said.

�Uh � because Haldirin�s an elf too?�

�I do not think it is that simple, meleth. If he was easily visible to elves not only would I have seen him clearly, but Legolas would have also seen him � he has spent much time in these gardens, after all.�

�Point. Maybe it is because Haldirin is young? Young and an elf, because I�m sure �owyn would have said something about her own children either liking the Winter Garden or, maybe, being frightened to go there.�

�You are probably right, meleth��

�Probably? Only probably?�

�I would be interested to know if you see winter if you go into the Winter Garden without a mortal accompanying you. Or if you see it when Haldirin is there, but not when you are on your own. Perhaps there are household tasks �owyn is neglecting, whilst she is a good hostess to you, that she might wish to get back to� or perhaps it would be a good idea for her to go out for a gallop tomorrow��

It was not difficult, the next morning, for Rumil to persuade �owyn to come out for a gallop, nor for Tind�m� to convince her hostess that she would rather stay with Haldirin.

The faithful Rohirric warriors �omer had sent with �owyn, when she had married Faramir, were still part of the household. Both were married now, Egric to a local woman, C�olfrith to a woman from Edoras courted during �owyn�s visits to Rohan. Still, just as they had on the hot trod to find Tind�m� when she was captured by pirates, they always rode out with their lady.

Rumil would enjoy the gallop, mounted as he was on the Rohirric mare given them eighteen months before by �lith�s husband; a perfect match for the mounts of the other three.

After Tind�m� and Haldirin had waved the others off from the stables they went to give carrots to both Tind�m�s mare, Hirilaer, and the small pony, outgrown by �owyn�s children, that Haldirin was almost big enough to ride. When the horses had been suitably fussed Tind�m� took Haldirin back to the courtyard where the bitch and pups awaited them.

�It is very hot, gwinig-n�n, and I think I would like to come into the Winter Garden with you. As Lady �owyn is not with us to warm the garden, it should be cold� and perhaps your friend will be there.�

�M�kay.� It seemed Haldirin thought it a perfectly sensible suggestion, anyway. �Do you think the nana will mind if I take one of the puppies to show my friend?�

The puppies were six weeks old now � perhaps the bitch wouldn�t mind.

�We can try, but if she is upset you must bring the puppy back to her.�

�M�kay. Come on Nana��

She was positively pulled to the box of puppies, Haldirin�s favourite lifted out, and they were heading towards the gate. The bitch looked at them, but seemed happy enough.

�Good,� Tind�m� thought, �surely even a Houseless elfling would be tempted by a puppy. Now to find out whether I am able to see him.�

As she approached the gate to the Winter Garden she could see the sun glinting on the water of the fountain and on the leaves of the evergreen trees on the other side. She opened the gate and Haldirin, clutching the puppy, stepped inside. Haldirin paused, looked around and smiled at her.

�Much cooler, Nana!�

From her place on the threshold everything looked warm and sunny; but then she stepped through and closed the metal gate behind her� and everything changed. She did not need to look sideways to catch winter out � it was shouting at her from all around. It was breathtakingly beautiful � if cold!

The winter pansies and wallflowers were still not in bloom, but their leaves were edged in frost, and the water in the fountain had fallen silent, frozen like glass lava, while the pool beneath it was now a sheet of glass. There was no snow but it was, very clearly, winter.

Haldirin put the puppy onto the path and it looked around and shivered.

�I think he is surprised by the cold, little one, you�d best pick him up and cuddle him again,� Tind�m� said, trying to act as if walking into winter like this was totally normal.

Her inner Dawn wanted to look for the lamp-post, and she wouldn�t have been surprised if Mr. Tumnus had suddenly appeared around the corner�

She sat on one of the, rather cold, stone benches and waited to see what actually would happen next.

Haldirin called out, �Hello! Hello! I am here, with a puppy� and Nana.�

Tind�m� wondered, as he waited, if her presence would be off-putting for the mysterious Winter Elfling. At first it seemed as if it might well have been.

Haldirin picked up a piece of wood, slid it across the frozen pool, and then went to the other side and, puppy still clutched to his chest, slid it back again. Just as he walked around to repeat the process, Tind�m� heard a sound� it was a giggle.

A small figure appeared, from somewhere behind her, eyes fixed on Haldirin. It seemed to be an elfling who was only a little older than Haldirin; an inch or two taller, and his face had a little less of the baby roundness still clearly visible in Haldirin�s. He had dark brown hair, loose and looking as if it needed a good brushing � not something that was usual in an elf of any age. He wore a tattered tunic and leggings of an indeterminate colour � he looked for all the world like a small elven hobo.

He held his hands out towards the puppy and Haldirin passed the small, brown and squirming, bundle over. The other elfling held the puppy carefully � a smile slowly spreading until it seemed to fill his entire face.

�Weird,� Tind�m� thought, �surely a Houseless elfling shouldn�t be able to hold a solid object��

Sitting on the seat Tind�m� began to wish she�d brought a cloak or a shawl out with her � although it might have looked odd to the household staff. Maybe an hour after they arrived in the Winter Garden Haldirin, in the way of small children, was suddenly tired. He came over to his mother, holding the puppy, and climbed onto her knee.

�Cuddle, Nana��

She held him close, and then realised that the other elfling was gazing longingly at them. Almost without thinking about it, she held her other arm out for him and he slowly approached.

He came and sat hesitantly beside Tind�m�, but then burrowed his head into her side and she could hear a small voice say �Cuddle�?�

He felt cold to touch. She tried to think logically. He was obviously not scared of her � she would try to ask him questions whilst he was cuddling.

�What is your name, little one?�

�Don�t know�� the little voice was so sad.

�Where are your Nana and Ada?�

He held her even closer, �Nana� Nana��

The little voice broke and all that could be heard were snuffles. Haldirin moved a little, put his arms around the other elfling too, and all three sat together for a time.

Whoever, or whatever, this little figure was he seemed to be no threat to Haldirin and, as he curled against her, an overwhelming sense of sadness filled Tind�m�.

The puppy began to whimper; it probably wanted to suckle. Tind�m� turned her attention to her son and the pup, explaining that they needed to take the puppy back to its mother, and then she realised that there was no longer another little body pressed against hers; the other elfling had simply� gone.

Haldirin looked across at the space and said, �Bye�� before getting down himself.

As they approached the gate back to the courtyard Tind�m� realised that beyond the gate seemed �out of focus� � as if it wasn�t completely real. But, as soon as she opened the gate the courtyard was just as they had left it, the mother dog on a blanket, the other pups near her, and the sounds of everyday life just as they always were.

She would have to think about it all.

��.

Rumil spoke gently to Annar�n as he brushed her in the stable. Beside him �owyn was caring for her own horse; further along Egric and C�olfrith were engaged in the same task. Neither Elves nor Rohirrim would expect anyone else to care for their horse if they were capable of doing it themselves.

It had been a good ride out � they had ridden for many miles, allowing the horses their heads and letting them gallop for long stretches. Annar�n was, indeed, a perfect match for the mounts of the others and her blood-line had been a matter of discussion. An elven horse might have been faster, or had more stamina, but it would have been a close run thing; Annar�n was acknowledged by the three Rohirrim to be a very, very, fine horse.

Now that her foal was a yearling Rumil and Orophin were planning to breed her with an elven stallion; �owyn and the Riders had happily discussed, when they had stopped for refreshments, exactly what traits they would look for in a prospective match,. It was always easier, Rumil thought, to talk about horses to �owyn than about anything else.

He was relieved that he would not have to make any other polite conversation in the Common Tongue as he felt the familiar sensation of his wife and son approaching. He wondered what had happened in the Winter Garden; Tind�m� would tell him soon enough�

Haldirin had a basket with some of last autumn�s apples, for the horses, and Rumil happily took charge of the elfling whilst Tind�m� went to speak to �owyn. Egric, C�olfrith, and the stable hands were content to allow Haldirin to stroke horses, offer apples, and help brush; whilst saying little.

Used, now, to the awareness of his wife�s emotion whenever she was near, Rumil paused to consider what she was feeling. Thoughtful, amused, slightly frustrated� the last was probably because she wanted a chance to talk to him. He focussed on her conversation; Haldirin was happily learning the Common Tongue (and, possibly, the Rohirric) words for apple, horse, saddle and so on from Egric.

Ah � �owyn was apologising because she would need to bathe before she could spend any more time with Tind�m� good.

�Rumil will need to bathe too. I will talk with him as he does and he can tell me about your day.�

�owyn looked slightly taken aback by Tind�m�s words. Surely, Rumil thought, she must either join Faramir to bathe or at least wash his hair for him? �owyn spoke again, and he listened to Tind�m�s reply.

�Haldirin will bathe with his father � he smells rather much of dogs, and now he�s added horse. He seems to have rather a lot of horse spit in his hair��

�owyn�s eyebrows lifted.

Did her children not bathe with her or Faramir? He must ask Tind�m� some time, Rumil decided, but not before he had asked her about the Winter Garden.

Rumil would have preferred to bathe in the river but knew this disconcerted the mortals; he would settle for the tub in their rooms, and privacy to talk to Tind�m�.

Soon he was in the large tub of water; Haldirin at the other end floating pine cones and splashing.

Tind�m� knelt on the floor behind Rumil and slowly massaged the cherry-bark and burdock oil into his scalp before combing it down the length of his hair. Were they totally alone, or starlight bathing, this would have been sensuous, but now it was simply pleasurable� and allowed her to open her mind to him so that he could see what she had seen, feel what she had felt, in the Winter Garden.

He was slightly jealous, honestly, that she had seen, and felt, the presence of winter and elfling both more clearly than he had � even though he had suspected that she might do, despite being not-quite-an-elf. As he had not tried to keep that thought away from her he decided it was probably better to share it than for her to just notice it and� ouch! Her fingers on his scalp had suddenly been just a little too firm for comfort� she had probably caught a wisp of that thought already, then�

He shared the thought purposely; in a self-deprecating mental tone.

He felt her considering - and smiling, but only briefly.

She �spoke� from her mind to his, via the bond, rather than just sharing what she had seen and felt.

�I have� a couple of ideas about what I saw � and why I saw it. I think something else is at play, as well as just being edhel� or edhelfaral! I need to get my thoughts a little straighter before I share them with you. But there is, most certainly, something odd going on in the Winter Garden. We will talk later, melethron-n�n.�

��.
F�a � spirit
Hroar � body; but Elves see themselves as about 75% f�a, 25% hroar�
gwinig-n�n � my baby
Annar�n � remembrance gift � the name Orophin and Rumil gave to the mare gifted them in Rohan in The Winter Tale.
edhel � elven
edhelfaral � not quite elven.
Melethron-n�n � my love.

��.

Disclaimer as at chapter one.

Chapter 4 - A Night for a Flet... or not.

They ate, they talked with �owyn, and they played a board game simple enough for Haldirin to join in. It involved pieces carved like horses, enabling him to show off one of his newly acquired words in the Common Tongue.

It was a pleasant evening even if, sometimes, Tind�m� felt that there was a lot to be said for television. As dusk deepened towards darkness Tind�m� settled Haldirin for the night; windows and shutters thrown open to the still, warm, air.

�Not just television,� she thought, �air-con has its uses as well��

Then she remembered the air she had breathed when she had been �returned� to Sunnydale three summers before. The warm, tree and flower scented, air outside �owyn�s home and the fresh linen and beeswax scented air inside the bedroom was, certainly, preferable.

Haldirin lay on top of the bedcovers, hands on his chest, and looked at her face. Tind�m� reached a hand out to rest, gently, on his forehead and began to quietly sing of trees and flowers, of bees humming, and horses playing under the trees. Haldirin�s eyes lost focus and she knew that he slept. She had been inordinately proud when she had realised that she could do this for him as effectively as his father, or any other elf.

Her thoughts turned to the Winter Elfling; she wondered how long it had been since someone had sung his feet down pleasant dream paths�

��

Later she sat, on the large bed in the adjoining room, looking at Rumil�s profile as he stood where their own window was also shutterless and wide open to the night.

�It is a night for a flet, meleth�� he said, with a hint of longing.

�You can go and sit out with the trees if you want, my love,� she answered, �I could stay here to be near Haldirin.�

She could feel him considering her offer and then setting it aside.

�No, meleth, I belong beside you. I will endure the stone walls for the pleasure of your body in my arms��

Should anyone, who didn�t know him very well, have overheard they might well have thought him totally serious about what a great sacrifice he was making.

�Also,� he went on, �I want to know your thoughts about the elfling you saw in the Winter Garden.�

She moved towards him and stood in the circle of his arms at the window. Spoken conversation was often easier but, with minds open to each other and so close together, sharing her emotions and mental images as she spoke required no effort on either part.

�He was solid, not as I would expect a ghost to be. I thought a Houseless elf would be insubstantial � a f�a with no hroar. But he was very cold � colder than Haldirin was when we played in the snow in Eryn Lasgalen � he felt cold from inside not outside� and I am not sure whether he had a heartbeat.�

Rumil nodded his understanding.

�I am sure that he is not simply an elfling born in the past twenty years who has got lost,� Tind�m� continued, �but I am not really sure what he is� In Sunnydale I might have thought he was some evil demon, pretending to be an elfling, but that doesn�t seem right to me at all.�

�I have seen, and felt, evil,� Rumil said, �and nothing either of us felt seemed evil. I do not think we need worry that he is a servant of the Evil One.�

�He is so sad. I could feel his sadness almost as clearly as I could feel Haldirin�s emotions�� She thought a little more before continuing. �Rumil-n�n � when your parents� were killed� and Haldir had to take over as a parent, what happened to your parental bonds?�

Even after so many years she could feel sadness as Rumil answered.

�I was too young to remember it clearly. Orophin could explain better� I think there was� emptiness� loneliness...�

She held him tightly, but continued, �Did it� uh� do you think your bond with Haldir became closer and stronger to replace it?�

He did not answer straight away; she could feel him considering.

�I had not thought of it like that, but I think you are right! We were so young that, I know now, others were surprised that Orophin and I did not fade when Naneth and Adar died. But my memories as an elfling are that Haldir knew if I was in pain, or frightened; just as I feel Haldirin.

�I think we did have something like a parent and child bond when I was still an elfling � it faded to the same as my bond with Orophin as I came of age��

Again Tind�m� could feel Rumil considering what he had just said before he asked, �Why?�

�I wondered if you and Orophin just re-imprinted��

She could feel his puzzlement at the description, but didn�t want to stop to explain the concept right now.

Instead she went on, �I think the Winter Elfling pushed his emotions through my bond with Haldirin � which is why I felt so very sad. I just wondered how possible that seemed��

�Meleth! I believe you are right. Except that he did not do it to me��

�It was only when I had both of them held very close to me.�

�Ah. Haldirin was too busy playing; he did not come to be held by me whilst we were there��

�I don�t think it explains why I saw so much more clearly than you did � but it might explain why I felt so clearly��

She paused for a few minutes, as the memory of that terrible sadness washed over her, and this time it was Rumil who held her tightly and his love for her flowed through their own bond.

Tind�m� turned within Rumil�s arms, still held close, so that she too could look out through the window. The Winter Garden was not visible from their window� she was both glad and sad. She spoke again.

�I did wonder if Haldirin and I saw the elfling most clearly because we are both young.�

Rumil laughed quietly before answering.

�Even though we sometimes call you �little one� I did not think to ever hear you consider yourself to be young like Haldirin, lirimaer!�

�I don�t mind, really � except that when you say it it�s usually because you think I�m behaving like an elfling, and you�re going to go all �adult� on me��

�I know� I am sorry, meleth��

He nuzzled her ear and she knew that, although he sounded contrite, he was smiling.

�Anyway,� Tind�m� went on, �I thought about it for a few minutes but, then, it occurred to me that, although you were surprised that I would be more aware of the effect than you because I am not quite an elf, perhaps the reason is more because of what I am, completely and totally.�

She did not need to say more. She could feel, both through their soul-bond and physically as her husband�s body stilled, that he knew what she meant and was carefully considering it.

�I wondered that myself,� he said, slowly, �but you have been in the Winter Garden before. �owyn and Legolas had opened it up before we visited five years ago. We had Haldirin with us then, too��

Tind�m� turned again so that their faces were very close and she could look into his eyes.

�Perhaps I was too adult for the Elfling; perhaps Haldirin was too young. Perhaps Haldirin saw him then, but didn�t know how to explain� But I think it is that my Keyness was more or less dormant, and Haldirin�s had not been� activated. Radagast woke up The Key in Haldirin to find me, I think.�

Rumil did not immediately say anything. Then he nodded slightly, �I understand, meleth.�

Tind�m� went on, �Haldirin being an elfling, and also containing The Key, might be the right combination to have �woken up� the Winter Elfling, and then I could see and feel him because I�ve got even more Keyness� or something like that.�

�Beloved wife, you are very clever and, again, I think you are right. Because you are The Key, and something of The Key is also in Haldirin, seems to me to be the best answer to why this elfling has appeared. And I saw the elfling either because of my bond to Haldirin or just because, when you or Haldirin are in the Winter Garden, the elfling is there to be seen.�

Tind�m� hugged Rumil very, very tightly. �I do love you� so much! You never get cross about me being The Key, or upset about it, or about me passing it on to Haldirin.�

He sounded surprised as he answered, �But, meleth, it is who you are�

�If you were not The Key you would not be here � how can I be upset about who you are, about what brought you here?�

�Buffy used to be�� Tind�m� thought, and did not shield the thought, he probably knew already.

�And how can I be upset about Haldirin having something of The Key in him? He is your son as well as mine � he exists because we love each other.�

He paused then added, �If nothing of The Key had passed to Haldirin I would have lost you three years ago.�

She felt, briefly, the flash of coldness, of anger, that always accompanied any thoughts her husband had about what he saw as her being �kidnapped� back to Sunnydale as surely as she had been kidnapped, over twenty years earlier, by the Corsair who had called himself Lord Lomion.

Before she could say anything, he continued speaking.

�I do not even want to think of it. Thinking of losing you makes me hurt in my f�a��

He picked her up, and kissed her thoroughly, carrying her to the bed.

�Meleth,� he said, �I� need. I need to feel us united in hroar and f�a. Not because I worry about, or fear, The Key � The Key is you; the hroar and f�a I want, so much, to join with. I need to be with you because the memory of the fear of losing you is too fresh to bear. Come to me, hervess-n�n��

She went.

��.

After they had made love they slept. At the very first hint of approaching day Rumil awoke and, carefully, eased himself away from Tind�m�, leaving her to sleep for the hour or two more that she needed.

He concentrated briefly on Haldirin; their son slept peacefully. Rumil went back to stand at the window, breathing in the softly scented air, letting his senses reach out as far as he could. The trees were mostly sleeping, but there were sounds of the guards doing their rounds; of horses in the stables and out in the paddocks beyond the gardens; some small mammal rustling in the undergrowth; running water further away�

He stood, waiting for day. And then he both heard and felt Tind�m�s sleep become disturbed. She was clearly dreaming� and it was not a happy dream path she trod. Usually Rumil would have gone to her, stroked her hair, steered her back to a gentler path. But this morning something stopped him. He waited � he would intervene only if she was obviously distressed.

Suddenly she sat up, eyes wide open, looking all around until she saw Rumil and reached both arms out to him. He was at her side, holding her, in an instant.

She buried her head in his shoulder, and held on to him tightly, her heart rate, at first very fast, slowly returning to normal.

�I know,� she said, �I know what happened to the Winter Elfling!�

��.

Meleth � beloved
F�a � soul
Hroar � body
Lirimaer � beautiful one
Hervess-n�n � my wife.

��.

The BtVS characters do not belong to me, but are used for amusement only. All rights remain the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and the original TV companies. The same is true of the LotR characters for whom all rights remain the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien and the companies responsible for the production of the films.

Chapter 5 - I Know What Happened to the Winter Elfling!

Elves had no problem with the idea of dreams that foretold, or informed, containing truths that were, in some way, �real�. Tind�m� had had such dreams once or twice in the past � even her arrival in Middle Earth had hinged on her dream prior to the battle on the Hellmouth.

In some way, whether or not it was because she was The Key, the Winter Elfling�s memories had filled her dream. Rumil held her and listened as she told him what she had seen and felt�

�His Nana and Ada told him to stay in the trees, to wait for them, they wouldn�t be long. I don�t know where they went � but they were worried, I think. There was some enemy, perhaps, but he didn�t know, so I don�t.�

Rumil could understand that. He vaguely remembered his parents telling him and Orophin to hide in the trees and wait, when their village had been attacked, but his parents had never come back for them. Except that, of course, others had come for them; Haldir had come for them.

But, as Tind�m� went on, it was clear that no-one had come back for the Winter Elfling.

�He ate what food they had left him, and then berries, whatever he could find. He was frightened to go far from the trees, where they�d left him, in case they came back and he wasn�t there.

�I think it was Firith* at first � the leaves had turned but not fallen � so there were plenty of berries but it got colder and colder.�

She shivered in his arms and couldn�t go on for a minute. He held her, touched his forehead to hers � now he, too, could feel the chill of winter.

�He� he slept in the fallen leaves� and then it snowed. He didn�t have anything left to eat� and they still didn�t come back. And then�� She took a deep breath. Rumil gently rubbed his hand against her back and wrapped his love around her like a blanket.

�And then� I think he died in his sleep. I don�t know if he just faded, or if he died of starvation, or the cold. But one night he fell asleep under the wet leaves and snow� and he woke up because someone was calling him. An ellon�s voice, but it wasn�t his adar, and so he hid. The ellon called him, and asked him to come to him, to come where it was warm and light��

Tind�m� was weeping now, tears rolling down her cheeks. Rumil kissed them away. It was not easy for her, but she must have been given these memories for a reason � and, although he would have happily have had these sad memories channelled through him to spare her any pain, Tind�m� was The Key, and all he could do was let her share this with him.

�I think it was Lord Namo,� she said after a minute. �I am sure it was. He was calling the elfling�s f�a to him, but I don�t think the elfling realised he was dead, even though he could see the little mound that was his snow covered body.

�So he stayed where he was, and stayed as still as he could; the ellon came back a couple of times and called him but he always hid and wouldn�t go. Then the ellon didn�t come any more. And he doesn�t know when that was � it is still the same Rh�w* to him� but it must have been many yeni ago.�

And then as Rumil thought, again, that he would have walked that dream-path in her place, to save her the hurt, Tind�m� reached a hand to his cheek and spoke again.

�I�m so sorry, my love, I know this must be painful for you; it must hurt to be reminded of what happened to you and Orophin when you were his age.�

�Meleth, oh my love, my tithen maethor, I wish that I could have walked this path for you to protect you from the pain � and you worry that your telling of it will hurt me�� He was not sure whether to laugh or cry. Instead he wiped her tears and kissed her.

Then, as sometimes happened with their minds open to each other, they both had the same thought.

�What can we do with this knowledge? There must be some reason for us knowing what happened to this elfling so long ago� mustn�t there?�

�Although,� Tind�m� added to their mental conversation, �perhaps it would have been kinder if Haldirin had not awakened him� if his f�a had been left asleep.�

��..

*Firith � late autumn � the elves used six seasons rather than twelve months to divide the year.
Rh�w � winter.
Lord Namo � one of the Valar; he �calls� the f�ar of dead elves to Mandos Halls.
Tithen maethor � little warrior. The twin sons of Elrond gave Tind�m� this name when she was still Dawn, recovering from her injuries in Minas Tirith.

��..

There was little they could do immediately, they agreed, but surely there must be something that could be done rather than leave the elfling lost, forever, in winter.

In the meantime �owyn had planned for them to spend the day, by the river, picnicking and generally being lazy.

Which is where Legolas found them.

He had stayed a little longer in Minas Tirith after the wedding of young Boromir and Princess Gilraen. Time spent with his fellow members of the Fellowship of the Ring was to be savoured, and the wedding had brought together all those still in Middle Earth.

But last night he had not felt able to sleep in his suite in the King�s House; he had climbed out of his window and sat in the tree that grew beside it, in Arwen�s garden. Back to the trunk, knees drawn up, he had gazed at the moon through the branches and slowly he drifted down dream paths and slept.

He had woken with a start and a sudden feeling that he should go to Tind�m�; that his �small sister� needed him. Apologising to Arwen and Aragorn he extended, again, an invitation to the visiting hobbits to accompany Gimli on a visit to Eryn Ithil, and rode to Ithilien saying, only, that he needed to be away from the heaviness of stone walls.

He let his horse move at his own pace and it did not take long to reach the home of the Prince and Princess of Ithilien. A servant told him that the Princess and her guests were picnicking beside the river, and he rode on, somewhat reassured. When he drew close enough to see the party on the riverbank he felt tension, which he had not even noticed, drain away.

Rumil was lying on his stomach at the edge of the river, Haldirin at his side, clearly showing the elfling how to guddle trout; successfully, if the small pile of fish on the bank was anything to go by. �owyn and Tind�m� sat on a blanket nearby; Tind�m� had a pad of paper in her lap, and seemed to be drawing the scene in front of her. Whatever the reason he had felt drawn to seek her out, at least she did not appear to be in any danger or pain.

She looked up as he came within sight and he briefly saw, not only welcome, but relief flit across her face.

�Nethig��

He swung down from his horse, and walked towards her, reaching a finger out to touch her cheek briefly.

�It is so good to see you, atheg,� she said.

As it was less than a fortnight since they had last seen each other, in Minas Tirith, he was even more sure that something was worrying her. He would, doubtless, find out soon enough.

�owyn greeted him warmly and asked if he was on his way back to Eryn Ithil straight away or would he like to stay for a day or two? He glanced quickly at Tind�m� � she wanted him to stay�

Legolas knew that Rumil was aware of him but the other ellon did not look around until he lifted another trout out and placed it on the bank.

Haldirin spoke first. �Legolas! Ada and me are catching trout and we are going to cook them for Nana and Lady �owyn, to give the cook a rest.�

�Ada and I,� came Tind�m�s voice behind Legolas as he scooped up the elfling and held him, briefly, above his head.

Legolas watched Tind�m� and Rumil interact as he cared for his horse. There was clearly no problem between the couple � whatever worried his �small sister� it was not a problem between her and her husband. Not that he had expected any such thing.

Ah � Tind�m� was coming to join him whilst �owyn was speaking to Rumil.

�Is all well with you, nethig?� Legolas asked quietly.

�Yes� and no,� was the enigmatic reply.

�I felt, when I woke this morning, that you needed me��

�We have� discovered something. No, nothing dangerous,� she went on � he must have looked worried.

�I mean we�ve not found out that �owyn is plotting to overthrow Aragorn or anything�� she said, grinning briefly.

�Actually,� she went on, �as �owyn doesn�t understand much Sindarin, especially Haldirin when he is babbling, just chat to him for a while� ask him what he�s been doing. Uh, even who he�s been playing with��

It seemed an odd suggestion, but Legolas had learnt that it was often best to just do as Tind�m� said.

Turning back to the others, Legolas asked �If we are eating your catch, Rumil, should Haldirin and I look for wood for a fire?�

There was a glance between Tind�m� and her husband and then Rumil agreed that that would be a very good idea.

Soon Legolas was busy, with the elfling, collecting firewood. It was not what he would have expected to be doing today, if anyone had asked him yesterday in Minas Tirith, but the gentle mental caress of the trees was both soothing and very welcome.

He let Haldirin chatter but steered the conversation as Tind�m� had suggested.

�He is very sad, my friend� I think it is because he can�t come out into the sunshine with me. But I like going to play in his garden when it is too hot��

Legolas was a bit lost in the conversation. �Is this a mortal child from one of the servants� families that you play with, little one?�

�No. My friend is an elfling, Legolas� he lives in the Winter Garden.�

As Legolas was certain there were no other elflings visiting the mortal settlement, he realised that this must be what was troubling Tind�m� � but he did not really understand what was going on. He felt a most un-elflike impatience to know more.

��

Atheg � �something an elf might call his or her elder brother�.
Nethig - �something an elf might call his or her small sister.�

��

The fish, cooked over the fire and eaten with bread from the Manor House kitchens, was, Legolas thought, the best thing he had eaten since he left Eryn Ithil. Certainly a good deal simpler than anything eaten in the Citadel � but even the visiting hobbits would probably agreed that trout so fresh could not be surpassed.

Perhaps he should have stressed, especially to Sam, how good the fishing was, and the mushrooms, in Eryn Ithil� On the other hand, a few days to find out more about the mysterious elfling that was worrying Tind�m�, before he became host to his friends, might well be useful.

They walked back together; Haldirin, riding on Legolas� horse, happily declaring that he would have to tell his friend, tomorrow, how he had ridden all on his own.

It was approaching dusk before there was really time to talk to Rumil or Tind�m� � and this was only achieved by Legolas telling �owyn that he had left the city to get away from walls; he begged her indulgence, but he longed to spend time quietly outdoors.

It seemed only natural for the other ellon to join him in and head for one of the tree-lined walks. Soon they were sitting companionably in the broad arms of one of the older trees and Legolas listened, carefully, as Rumil told him about the encounters with the Winter Elfling.

�We have not told �owyn,� Rumil finished, �as Tind�m� says she is likely to be upset at the idea of a �ghost� of any sort living so near to her house.�

�Tind�m� is right,� Legolas said, with a wry smile, �the Rohirrim are superstitious, and �owyn no less so than any other; remember �the grey shadow warriors�.�

The allusion, from the time when �owyn had become acquainted with Tind�m�, made Rumil also smile.

�At least,� he said slowly, �she no longer fears that we may steal her children��

Both ellyn sat in silence for a little longer before Legolas spoke.

�It seems right that there should have been elves living here in Ithilien before the Enemy blighted everything. It was known to the mortals as a place of fair trees and flowers.�

In the pink-tinged grey light a moth took off from the trunk behind him. The ellyn watched its course into the night. Legolas stretched a leg along the bough where he sat, cocked his head to listen to the churring of a nightjar just lifting to the wing, and then continued the conversation.

�I am sure you are both right and the appearance of this small lost f�a, now, is related to The Key within Tind�m� and Haldirin. I have spent time in the Winter Garden, without any mortals, more than once and he did not appear to me.�

The sun set. They listened to the sounds of the night. Perhaps half an hour passed before Legolas spoke again.

�And, now that this elfling has been awoken, what can we do? We cannot, in all conscience, leave him in an existence between life and death.�

��
The BtVS characters do not belong to me, but are used for amusement only. All rights remain the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and the original TV companies. The same is true of the LotR characters for whom all rights remain the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien and the companies responsible for the production of the films.

Chapter 6 - How Do You Attract Lord Namo's Attention?

Over the next few days Legolas, Tind�m�, and Rumil ascertained that, when alone in the Winter Garden, neither ellon saw the elfling. Both of them, however, saw him if they were there with either Haldirin or Tind�m�, and increasingly, more clearly than Rumil had on the first occasion with Haldirin.

The Winter Elfling still seemed shy with Legolas or Rumil, although eventually both managed to get him to speak a few words, but he would let only Tind�m� touch him � he would lean into her touch as a flower leaning into the sunlight. Tind�m� began to feel guilty if she did not spend time with him � he so obviously craved �mothering�.

It was difficult, though, to find reasons to be in the Winter Garden so much; especially without �owyn.

�I do think, nethig,� Legolas said to Tind�m� as they came down to breakfast, �that you are right that �owyn will be very upset at the idea of a small ghost in her garden. And equally upset by how sad and alone he is� But if we cannot find some excuse, soon, for spending time with him she is going to become very suspicious.�

�We�re due to leave soon, to go home,� she answered, �but I really don�t want to leave the poor little thing alone, now that Haldirin has woken him.�

�It would be easy to arrange for �owyn to ask you to stay longer�� The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. �But if we three cannot come up with an answer to the problem, in the next week or so, perhaps I should go back to Minas Tirith and speak with Lord Celeborn and the twins. After all, I am no lore master; I am but a simple warrior��

Tind�m� snorted, somewhat impolitely.

Legolas ignored her and continued. �Master Elrond would, surely, have known what to do. Or Mithrandir. But the twins learnt more from their father than they would often have us think, and Lord Celeborn is a lore master as well as a warrior. If they were also to invade �owyn�s gardens, however, she would most certainly become suspicious��

��.

Sure enough, Legolas commented to �owyn that it would be wonderful for Haldirin if he could take his favourite pup home to Eryn Ithil and, when she agreed, he went on to suggest that it might make sense for Haldirin to stay, with his parents, until the pup was old enough to leave his mother. The invitation to extend their stay was made before they had finished breakfast.

That evening Legolas, Rumil, and Tind�m� sat out amongst the trees, once the rest of the household had settled for the night, thinking again about the Winter Elfling.

As Legolas poured wine into goblets Tind�m� settled herself down with her head resting on her husband, her feet against her �brother�, and took out a notebook and pencil. Rumil smiled to himself�

�When the Valar�s Key dropped almost at my feet,� he thought, �we were certainly spared the possibility of life, without fear of The Enemy, becoming boring��

�So, guys,� Tind�m� opened the conversation, �What do we know so far? The elfling�s parents must have been killed, or taken captive, or they would, certainly, have come back for him. It was a long time ago�� She was ticking things off in her notebook as she went along.

�The elfling must have died; and Lord Namo came, called him, but he ignored the call because his parents had told him to wait there. So, he became one of the Houseless, and he�s never left this place. Uh� and he might have been �asleep� for a long time� or he might just have had a very, very, long Groundhog Day.�

�Ground Hog Day?� Legolas asked.

Rumil had heard the phrase from his wife before; he enlightened Legolas.

�Anyway,� Tind�m� went on, �somehow or other Haldirin connected with him; probably to do with being an elfling and with The Key thing. However it happened, they managed to create some sort of a portal between a time around when the elfling was last alive and the present day. We go back through the portal to him, but he is totally stuck there � he can�t come out of his winter to our summer��

�Of course,� Legolas said. �I had not thought of it in those terms, but it does seem to be what you call a portal. But there is no green light� I thought that portals had green light?�

�Key ones usually do�� Tind�m� said slowly.

She paused briefly, as if to consider it, and then went on, �Maybe the green light is hidden somewhere, or it isn�t really The Key that caused the portal, or� well almost anything. Might just have to remain a mystery I guess.

�It doesn�t alter the fact that if we are trying to reunite a sort-of-undead elfling with his parents, help him move on from here, we need a plan.�

She took a sip or two from her wine, tapped her pencil on the page a couple of times, and then spoke again.

�I�m guessing we need to attract Lord Namo�s attention. I mean � the usual system is elf dies, gets the call, his f�a goes with His Lordship, time in Mandos� Halls, new body and release into Valinor� Yes?�

�I think that sums up what we know�� Rumil said, smiling a little, �even if none of us have been through the process.�

�Come to think of it,� he added, remembering the visits his wife had made, both with and without him, to Imladris, �you have spoken, at more length than I have, to the only person we know of that has been through the process � and quite possibly you have also had longer conversations with Glorfindel than Legolas.�

�It�s not exactly the sort of thing you chat about over dinner�� his wife replied, �but I guess, if we�d all got it wrong, he probably would have told us. Anyway � if, at the �elf-dies-and-gets-the-call� stage, you ignore the call you become one of the Houseless? Yes? But there can�t be many other Houseless elves around here or �our� elfling wouldn�t be all alone��

�I have been taught,� Legolas said, slowly, �that the Houseless stay because they are too attached to their home here, or to those who they hold most dear. I don�t know if they are aware of other Houseless elves� I have never thought about it.� He sounded very serious.

�Of course,� Rumil thought, �everyone believes that more wood elves choose to remain Houseless than any others. Perhaps Legolas is thinking of his mother, or just of friends.�

His own mind drifted to his, part wood elf, brother� �No! Haldir would have answered the call. He was a warrior; he would have seen it more as a command.�

He was sure that, had Haldir�s f�a remained at Helm�s Deep, his brothers would have been aware of it on the night that they had mourned him so greatly. Haldir was going to be reunited with them when they sailed West. Totally� as Tind�m� would say.

He brought his thoughts back to what his wife was saying currently.

�When it comes right down to it, what we need is some way of attracting Lord Namo�s attention, and the usual way is not exactly available to us��

Legolas looked at her from below raised brows.

�Dying,� she said as if it was completely obvious. �None of us are thinking of dying and even if there were still elves dying in battle which, Eru be thanked, there aren�t, we couldn�t exactly take the Winter Elfling there and hope he tagged along with a passing f�a, could we?

�But,� she continued, �if we don�t attract Lord Namo�s attention, how can the elfling go to Mandos� Halls and be reborn?�

No-one said anything for some time; all three were deep in thought. Eventually Legolas spoke.

�If there is already a portal, between the time the elfling was alive and our time, could you, somehow, create a portal between here and Mandos� Halls, nethig?�

Rumil knew exactly what Tind�m� would say in answer. He repeated it along with her�

��Opening a portal requires complex magic. The Key, alone, is required to close one.�

�So,� she continued on her own, �I might be able to, somehow, permanently close the portal so that we couldn�t visit him any more � but that seems too cruel��

Rumil and Legolas both agreed with her.

�I guess we could try to find Radagast again � he knows how to use The Key to open portals,� Tind�m� said, eventually. �He probably knows the etiquette about opening one into Lord Namo�s domain� He might even know how to attract Lord Namo�s attention back to the little one, so that he can go to Mandos� Halls and then be reunited with his parents.�

�Finding him could take some time,� Legolas pointed out. �And we would really have to give �owyn some explanation for Radagast turning up in her gardens � he is not, exactly, someone you could smuggle in quietly��

Tind�m� giggled.

�We might have to consider it, though,� Legolas said, �alongside consulting Lord Celeborn and the twins. But perhaps, before that, we should all offer up prayers to Lord Namo tonight. Although,� he smiled slightly, �I doubt that he is one of the Valar who expects to hear prayer��

�M�kay� I guess it�s worth a try,� Tind�m� said, �although I think I might try one to Nienna** - this little one and his parents must have shed many tears over this, and endured the separation for a long time��

She looked both sad and serious and then, through their bond, Rumil could feel a small bubble of amusement before she went on speaking.

�Or maybe we could just shout up loudly to the twins� granddad, as he passes over, and ask him to take a message��

Legolas looked at her quite seriously before answering.

�I intend to spend the rest of the night here � the trees help me think. Perhaps I should try asking E�rendil to take our request to the Valar when he passes just before dawn� it might work.�

Rumil could feel just how sceptical his wife was at that idea but she said nothing.

He was torn between wishing to stay with Legolas, amongst the trees in the heavy, warm, night-scented air, and joining Tind�m� in the large bed inside the stone-walled house. Memories of her earlier giggles, and then the mental image of her mouth around his grond, decided him in favour of his wife.

Before he went indoors, however, he joined his voice with Legolas to sing prayers to Lord Namo. Legolas said, again, that he would ask E�rendil for aid as Gil-Estel shone as the morning star. Tind�m�, however, knelt on the soft grass, and Rumil knew that she was speaking quietly, words addressed to Nienna, and Elbereth, and Eru himself, asking for guidance.

She had told him, once before, that this was how she remembered the mother in the other place teaching her to pray. For the sake of the small, sad, elfling Rumil hoped that at least one of them had been heard.

��.

** Nienna � Lord Namo�s sister, known as the Lady of Tears � grief and mourning are her province, and she teaches pity and endurance.

��.

��
The BtVS characters do not belong to me, but are used for amusement only. All rights remain the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and the original TV companies. The same is true of the LotR characters for whom all rights remain the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien and the companies responsible for the production of the films.

Chapter 7 - We've been looking at this the wrong way...

They made love and then lay, as they often did, with Tind�m�s head pillowed on his chest. As his wife slept, Rumil again sang quietly; a song to both Lord Namo and his sister asking for their guidance. Then he lay, his breathing in time with Tind�m�s, and let his mind drift down the dream paths he knew she already trod.

When he awoke he almost expected to know what they should do � but his memories of their dreams were pleasant, very pleasant, but not enlightening. Tind�m� awoke quickly after him, and he knew that she, too, had not been given the guidance she had hoped for.

�It may take some time, meleth,� he said, �or we may not get help in the way we expect it� Legolas arrived unasked because he felt it right, and he has already helped us � who knows; someone else, who knows even more, might simply arrive over the next couple of days.�

Tind�m� sighed. �If no-one, or nothing, does, we are so going to have to tell �owyn � she�s not stupid. But she won�t be happy to have an undead elfling in her garden � you just know she won�t.�

�We could hope Faramir returns home soon,� Rumil suggested, �he would be more interested than worried, I think, and he is something of a lore-master himself��

�I guess.�

She didn�t sound all that convinced that Faramir would be a lot of help but, before their conversation could go any further, Haldirin appeared at the doorway from his small bedroom.

He was looking at his hands with a puzzled expression on his face.

�Has your hand healed, Nana?� he asked.

Rumil could feel Tind�m� stiffen slightly. He knew her mind had gone back to the time that Radagast had cut Haldirin�s finger, to use The Key to reach her in the other place, and then used her own blood to close the portal.

She held her hand out to Haldirin and asked him, �Why do you ask, gwinig-n�n?�

�Because you cut your hand when you cut mine, before we took my friend to the boat,� was the, rather confusing, answer.

Suddenly Rumil�s words of only a few minutes before echoed in his mind. �We may not get help in the way we expect it��

�Haldirin, little one,� he said, gently pulling their son to sit with them on the bed, �I think Nana did not walk the same dream path as you did � and so she cannot remember. Come and tell us what you remember.�

He could feel Tind�m�s emotions. She was trying to exude calm interest so that Haldirin would not be upset or confused � but it was not easy for her!

�We were walking, me and Nana, in the big tall trees in Lady �owyn�s garden,� the elfling began.

Tind�m� had settled him into his bed the night before � it was almost exactly what Rumil would have expected Haldirin to remember from his dreams. He waited and Haldirin went on.

�The lady in the grey cloak was walking there too.�

Tind�m�s eyebrows rose as she looked at Rumil over Haldirin�s head. Nienna was described, in the stories, as wearing a soft grey cloak.

�We went to my friend�s garden, and then Nana took her boot-knife out and cut my hand with it, here�� Haldirin held out his right hand out palm uppermost, looking at it, again, as if he couldn�t believe there was no sign of the cut. �But it didn�t hurt,� he added.

�What happened next, my brave son?� Rumil prompted.

�Then Nana cut her hand too, and my friend�s hands, both of them. He was brave, too. Nana told him, didn�t you Nana?�

It was difficult for elflings to always know what had happened when they were awake and what happened when they were walking dream paths.

�Uh� you and your friend were both brave�� Tind�m� said. Rumil could tell she had to work to answer totally calmly.

�Then Nana took one of my friend�s hands, and I held his other one, and we walked out of his garden and into the sunshine!�

By now Rumil could both see and feel Tind�m� suppressing growing excitement; he had to do the same thing himself.

�What did you do next?� he asked his son.

�We walked through some more trees and then there was a lot of water � with a big, big, boat floating on it. And�� he paused, looking a little worried, �there really was an elf with a beard like Gimli�s, ada! Honestly. He held out his hand, and my friend went with him onto the big boat, then me and Nana waved to him, and came home� only when I woke up we were here, not home, and my hand is not cut��

Neither Rumil nor Tind�m� had ever met C�rdan � neither had Haldirin, of course � but he was the only elf they had ever heard of who had a beard. A clearer sign that Haldirin had pictured a boat sailing West from the Havens could not have been given to them.

Tind�m� hugged Haldirin hard and then went over to the open window.

�Thank you, thank you!� she called out into the still morning.

Let the early risen members of the household make of it what they would�

��
gwinig-n�n � my baby.

��

Legolas had spent the night singing soft prayers to Lord Namo and, as Tind�m� had suggested, to Lady Nienna. He had rested for a little, concentrating his mind on the Winter Garden as he stepped onto the dream path, but roused himself as the bright light of Gil-Estel was seen in the guise of the morning star.

There was, he decided, nothing to be lost by trying to attract the attention of the twins� grandfather as he guided Vingilot across the sky. He climbed as far up the tallest tree as he could and then steadied himself to raise both hands in the air.

�E�rendil, Great Mariner. You must know what it is to be separated from your son - you were so long without Master Elrond before he was restored to you when he sailed west. If you can hear me, all I request is that you ask the Valar for a sign, so that we can reunite the small, lost, elfling with his parents. Surely they would listen to you��

He waited, as the grey light paled, and E�rendil�s star faded from sight. Then he smiled at himself � if it really were that simple the twins would request their grandfather�s help regularly. But, then, perhaps they did�

He stayed in the top of the tree, felt the kiss of the sun�s early rays, and heard the sounds of the first members of the household stirring to begin their morning tasks. Just as he decided it was time to return to the ground, and get washed and changed, he heard Tind�m�s voice.

�Thank you, thank you!�

He leapt down quickly, hurried into the house, straight to the door to the suite the family shared.

Almost as soon as he knocked, the door opened and she pulled him into the room saying, �We were looking at it backwards again, atheg! We were trying to send him to Mandos Halls, but he needs to take a different route west.�

Before Legolas could ask any questions, Rumil brought Haldirin into the sitting room and Tind�m� went on, �Haldirin knows the answer to the puzzle. He saw it as he walked the dream paths, and he was able to tell us all about it just now.�

Quickly she explained what Haldirin had seen, finishing, �So what we need to do is not get Lord Namo to come back for him, or maybe it would be go back for him? Whatever... anyway, we need to help him across the portal into our time, and then he has to sail��

Legolas felt the familiar small stab in the pit of his stomach, the pull on his f�a, at the thought of walking up the gangplank onto a great grey ship. To leave the safety of the river, feel the swell of the waves lift the ship� the wind would blow in his hair, the air would be full of salt� How long, he wondered, would the journey be before they saw the land, before they saw their new home?

Tind�m�s finger touched his cheek.

�Atheg� come back to me� come back to here, now, Ithilien.�

He shook his head a little and listened to Rumil speaking to Haldirin.

�Sometimes, ion-n�n, when you walk down the dream paths you see things that have already happened but, sometimes, you see things that are going to happen. I think you have seen something that is going to happen; Nana may still be going to cut your hand with her boot-knife, but you are a very brave elfling and she will try not to let it hurt.�

The elfling stood for a minute or more, head tilted to one side, so like his mother.

�M�kay,� he said (also, Legolas thought, so like his mother!). �My friend looked happy when we are going to come out where it is sunny, and he didn�t cry when Nana is going to cut both his hands so I will try to not cry when she did it to me.�

Legolas could see Tind�m� struggling to not correct that mixture of tenses � she was a natural teacher, he thought.

Instead she answered the elfling, �We know you will � and you can help me to explain to your friend, if he is frightened.�

Turning to Legolas she went on, �But when can we do it? And what can we tell �owyn, if we just produce another elfling? Or should we sneak back after we�ve gone home? Only then the guards would notice and there would be a fuss�

�Then,� she continued before either of the ellyn could think about answering, �I think we just have to know that he needs to sail, I don�t think we have to go all the way ourselves � Haldirin only saw it as a short journey, not a long one � although if he�d had to dream the whole journey he�d have been asleep for a week or more��

Rumil, as always the perfect, calm, unflappable, foil for Tind�m�, took his wife�s hand and pulled her towards him.

�I think I know the answer to that last thought, meleth. Lord Celeborn said that my drawings, of Gilraen and young Boromir�s wedding, would go straight to Lady Galadriel and Gilraen�s grandparents; that a party was leaving East Lorien for the Havens before the end of Iavas*. The elfling can go with them.�

�Oh, yes! That would work really well. So, we�ve just got to figure out a way to get him to them without upsetting �owyn��

�I will think about that, nethig,� Legolas said, �but first I will go and wash before breakfast, I will see you there.�

��

* Iavas � an elven season basically August and September.

��

�We really can�t tell �owyn, or Faramir, where the elfling came from, even after we bring him into �our� Ithilien,� Tind�m� said to Rumil, a little later in the day, �because it would lead to talking about The Key, and we promised Gandalf that the only non-elf who would ever know about it is Aragorn.�

He said nothing, but clearly agreed.

�So we might have to wait to do the� ceremony or whatever, until we are due to leave,� she went on.

�I need to see Lord Celeborn,� was Rumil�s answer.

This time Tind�m� waited � the relevance would become clear eventually.

�I could go to Minas Tirith� or simply send him a message to let him know the pictures are ready. Perhaps he could call here� I am sure he will be very happy to take the elfling to East Lorien. To prevent questions we could bring the elfling out, not into the sunshine immediately, but into a warm night��

�Mmm� as long as it was the night directly before we were due to leave,� Tind�m� answered. �Then we could all go together � although we�d still have to hide him somewhere for a few hours, which seems cruel when he would have only just come out into �our� Ithilien � he might be scared, or think that we�ll never come back, like his parents. But it�s almost the right answer, I think��

She discussed Rumil�s idea with Legolas a little later.

�I have been thinking about it, too,� he said. �I did wonder whether we should ask Arwen to invite �owyn back to the city for some reason� The servants would be less likely to questions us if we produced another elfling.

�But Rumil�s suggestion of bringing the elfling out of the garden at night gives me an idea. We will, most certainly need to either talk to Lord Celeborn, or send him a message, so that he knows about the elfling� a letter would work, I think��

He paused, mouth slightly pursed, and Tind�m� waited. She had, she thought, become very good at waiting for elves to consider before they said anything.

�Yes�� he finally said, �I think I have it.�

He did not, however, go on to tell her what �it� was. She waited a little longer before pointing this out.

�I will explain tonight,� he answered, �I will come to your rooms after the household has gone to sleep for the night.�

�Aaargh! I can�t wait that long!� Tind�m� almost yelled at him.

There was a hint of a smile as he said, �Consider it good practice, nethig! I will explain when I have it straight in my mind.�

No matter how hard she might try, she knew that would be that. She would have to wait� impatiently.

��

Haldirin was settled in bed when Legolas knocked on their door. Soon the three adults resumed the conversation about how to bring the Winter Elfling out of the Winter Garden, have him travel with Lord Celeborn to East Lorien, and thence to the Havens and the west � all without �owyn needing to know that he had been a �ghost�, or about The Key.

�I think,� Legolas said, �that we need to �discover� him some distance away and present him to �owyn as an elfling who has somehow got lost very recently.�

�Mmm � makes sense� would we send word to Eryn Ithil for someone to come here with a message for you? You know� Elfling X is missing� which reminds me, he�s going to need a name, at least one to use until he is reunited with his parents,� Tindome finished.

�A good thought,� Legolas replied, �a task for later. Rumil or I could ride to Eryn Ithil and return with news of a missing elfling� then we could set out to look for him��

�If we were out until after the household had gone to bed, we could then explain in the morning that we have found him,� Rumil contributed, but then added the dampener, �but there would be guards on duty who would see us return without him � and then hear next morning that he had returned with us.�

Tind�m� thought back to when she had been kidnapped from the stables at Minas Tirith years before.

�Guards often see what they expect to see�.� she said.

It took her a few minutes to draw her thoughts together, but the others were elves � they waited patiently.

�I think,� she said, �that you could search for a few hours before dusk, and then return empty-handed. Say that you will go out at very first light. Ride out before dawn, wrapped in cloaks, and come back a couple of hours later with you cloaks off and the elfling�.�

�Who was under my cloak when I left,� Rumil concluded.

�Perfect,� Legolas said. �All I need is to hear of a missing elfling, now, and we can put everything into place.�

�Uh � not one of ours, I think,� Tind�m� said, �now that I think of it, �owyn would be bound to ask about him next time she visited.�

�We need only a story that a mortal would believe, not another elf,� Rumil said, �and so I think I have it. Word has reached Eryn Ithil that an elfling went missing from a group making for the Havens. His mother is very� what is your word, meleth? �Traumatised�� by something else and, like Lady Celebrian, needs to sail before she fades.

�They looked for a couple of days, but needed to keep going��

�Or they�d miss the ship sailing!� Tind�m� contributed.

�So they have asked the elves of Eryn Ithil to look for him�� Legolas completed.

All three looked at each other � it should suffice.

�Once we have sent word to Lord Celeborn, I could go back to Eryn Ithil saying all usual farewells to �owyn, and that I will see the three of you in a week or two,� Legolas said, decisively, �then I will return the next evening, with Orophin, as he knows about The Key, and a search party of three would seem better than two.�

�I can explain it to the elfling,� Tind�m� began, �which reminds me � like I said before, he needs a name��

There was much discussion about the best name for the elfling � much harder than it had been to decide on Haldirin�s, for sure.

His parents would know his name � and they would, hopefully, be awaiting his arrival in Valinor � but he needed to be called something in the meantime. They had been calling him the Winter Elfling � so �Rh�w� with a male ending? Except that Rh�wel or Rh�won sounded very much like Legolas infant niece Rh�wen�s name.

�Tharh�won?� Rumil suggested.

The others considered it � it would have the meaning of someone who is �beyond winter�.

�Yes,� Legolas said.

�Yes,� Tind�m� agreed. �Tharh�won will be a good name for him when we bring him out of winter.�

��
The BtVS characters do not belong to me, but are used for amusement only. All rights remain the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and the original TV companies. The same is true of the LotR characters for whom all rights remain the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien and the companies responsible for the production of the films.

Chapter 8 - Beyond Winter

There was only one more thing to do before they put their plan into practice. The guards were used to the adult elves staying outdoors well into the night, or all through it � now they took Haldirin, too, out in the moonlight after everyone else had gone to bed.

They went to the Winter Garden and Haldirin called quietly to his friend. If he only came to them in the daylight they might have to rethink the plan.

At first nothing happened, and then the air became chilled, the fountain began to freeze, and a small figure appeared. Soon the two elflings were playing ball; the three adults sat, quietly watching.

After a little while Tind�m� called the two elflings over and persuaded the Winter Elfling to sit between her and Rumil.

�Mellon,� Haldirin said, �Nana has a surprise � she has a name for you!�

�Little one, we would call you Tharh�won, if you would let us,� Tind�m� explained gently.

�It is a good name,� Haldirin added.

�Tharh�won�� the elfling seemed to be considering it. �Tharh�won� me?�

�Yes, you. We would call you Tharh�won,� Rumil confirmed, �That is your name, for now.�

The elfling smiled.

�Haldirin,� he said, pointing to Haldirin, �Nan�� he corrected himself, �Tind�m� Rumil?�

Rumil nodded.

�Tharh�won!� The elfling pointed to himself. �I am Tharh�won!�

�And I am Legolas,� the Lord of Ithilien pointed out.

�Mae govannen, Legolas,� the newly named Tharh�won said politely, and then danced around the fountain; Haldirin joined him, and it took some time before the two elflings settled down again.

�I think he is happy to know who he is�� Rumil said, dryly.

It took a little longer to explain that they had a plan to help him to come out of the Winter Garden, and be in the sunshine, and that he would have to trust both Haldirin�s Nana and Ada.

Fortunately he had no problem about not wanting the mortals to know where he had been � his parents had told him to hide from mortals� It might be more difficult to help him face �owyn and her household than to hide his presence from them until his official �discovery�.

Tind�m� also explained to him that he would only stay with them for a short while; then he would travel with Lord Celeborn for some days and, eventually, with some other elves who would take him over the straight path west. This was the only way he might get back to his own Nana and Ada.

He looked at her with big, rather fearful eyes and she wanted, desperately, to not only hug him now, but take him home and keep him with her.

Eventually Haldirin was asleep on his father�s lap, and Tharh�won had disappeared again; as usual, none of the adults had seen him leave � he simply wasn�t there.

In their room that night Rumil sat with Tind�m� tucked against his chest.

�We cannot keep him, meleth,� he said.

She should have realised that he would know she felt like that.

�His parents may have waited a very long time for him, in Valinor. We cannot keep him from them,� he said, gently.

�He could sail when we do��

�But, meleth, then he would be an adult; his parents would have missed his childhood,� Rumil pointed out. �We would not want to lose Haldirin and only have him restored to us as an adult.�

She knew he was right, but Tharh�won tugged at her maternal instincts.

�What if they aren�t there when he arrives?�

�I know not. But I do not think that Haldirin would have dreamt of waving Tharh�won off on the ship if he was meant to wait and sail when we do. If his parents are not there to greet him then surely someone will be waiting for him.�

Rumil said no more for some time. Tind�m� was equally quiet; she knew he was right, but didn�t want him to be. She was almost sure that he, too, would really have liked to keep the elfling with them rather than send him into the unknown.

Then she could feel Rumil having a �Light-bulb� moment.

�Meleth, the little one will travel with elves from East Lorien � Galadhrim. Her Ladyship will be there to welcome them. She will surely ensure that Tharh�won is cared for and reunited with his family.�

Tind�m� could feel her own worries lifting; he was right, Lady Galadriel would certainly make sure the elfling was cared for.

Lady Galadriel had personally ensured that Tind�m� had settled into life among the Galadhrim and, even with all the other things going on between the young Tind�m�s �arrival� at the end of the Ring War and her ladyship�s departure for the west, had always had time for her. Rumil was right; if by any chance Tharh�won�s parents were not awaiting him, Lady Galadriel would make sure he was loved and cared for.

Actually, Tind�m� thought, it would be good to send her Ladyship a long letter, giving her their news, and one of Rumil�s drawings of Haldirin, maybe one of their home in Eryn Ithil�

�And, meleth,� Rumil added, breaking into her thoughts, �it will not be all that long before we can see him again when we sail west ourselves.�

That, his wife thought, was very much a double-edged sword.

��

A letter had been written to Lord Celeborn, and sent as part of the routine traffic between this household and the Citadel, telling him about the discovery of the Winter Elfling and the plan to bring him to present day Ithilien using The Key. Now Legolas made his farewells, setting off back to Eryn Ithil as if he did not expect to see any of the others for a little time.

Rumil retired to put the finishing touches to the paintings of the recent wedding. Some were to be sent to the king and queen; others were to be packed for travel, with other pictures, west to Master Elrond and his wife, and to Lady Galadriel. The final one was to be framed and hung, here, in the home of the groom�s parents.

�owyn spent the morning giving Haldirin riding lessons on the small pony, saying the exercise was good for the little animal, and Tind�m�, watching, realised the lesson was enjoyed equally by all three. After lunch �owyn had meetings with members of her household, Tind�m� sat in the garden reading, Haldirin played with the pups. All was normal.

Then, as they sat at dinner that night, a servant arrived to announce the arrival of Prince Legolas and a companion. �owyn was clearly surprised; if her guests seemed less so, it was just as would be expected from elves.

As planned, Legolas was accompanied by Orophin who greeted both �owyn and his brother�s family formally and calmly. Only after a slight nod from his mother did Haldirin get down from the table and go to his uncle to be picked up and swung into the air.

Plates were brought for the extra guests and, as they ate, Legolas told �owyn the tale of the lost elfling who had somehow strayed from a small family party heading to the Havens. He turned down her offer to send out men to help in the search � the elfling, he said, had never met a Man and might be inclined to hide from them. It was, he added, unlikely that the missing elfling was anywhere near here, but the two elleth with whom he had been travelling, his mother and grandmother, were unsure of exactly where they had been when he had gone to look for firewood and not returned.

Legolas, Tind�m� thought, was a very good �story-teller��

Rumil volunteered to ride out with his brother and Legolas. Tind�m� stood with �owyn to wave them off and felt rather guilty about the way that they were deceiving their hostess. She knew, however, that �owyn would be somewhat disturbed if she knew that her Winter Garden had been haunted by an elfling or, if all went well, that she was meeting an elfling who had been dead for maybe a thousand years or more. Better to tell her this fabrication�

The ellyn, of course, returned after dark empty handed.

�We will leave again before first light,� Legolas told �owyn, �and spend all of tomorrow searching. If any of the other search groups find him they will send word.�

�A very good story teller indeed�� Tind�m� thought.

As the household began to retire for the night the elves met in Rumil and Tind�m�s rooms.

Orophin was fascinated by the idea of the Winter Elfling; Haldirin was very happy to tell his uncle all about his new friend. Orophin had also brought something very useful.

Legolas had explained what Tind�m� and Haldirin would need to do, to rescue the elfling, and Lith�niel, Orophin�s not-yet-betrothed, had given him a salve to numb the hands of the elflings and another to help heal the knife wounds as quickly as possible. They might well need to concoct a story to explain why all three had similarly cut hands�

Orophin insisted on checking that Tind�m�s boot knife was as sharp as possible; if that was what she had used in Haldirin�s dream then that is what she must use now.

They all rested a little, waiting for midnight to pass; finally it was time. Haldirin was so excited that he jumped and skipped all the way to the Winter Garden.

�Tharh�won, Tharh�won,� he called, �come and see � uncle Orophin is here.�

�See, my brother,� said Rumil, �you are much more important than it being time for him to come out into the summer��

�Actually,� Tind�m� said, �it makes sense to let him know who the person is that he hasn�t met before��

It was Orophin who stuck his tongue out at her.

�He is here,� Tind�m� said quietly, a moment or two later, as the temperature dropped.

Haldirin took a few steps towards a bush and, then, Tharh�won was beside him.

�His f�a shines brightly,� Orophin said, quietly. �I had though it might be dim. He is a beautiful elfling.�

With her �mortal eye� Tind�m� thought he�d be a lot more beautiful once she�d had a chance to wash his hair properly and put him into some of Haldirin�s spare clothes� but her �elven eye� knew that Orophin was right and, also, that the elfling�s f�a shone more brightly than it had when she had first encountered him. He was, surely, ready to be properly alive again.

�Tharh�won,� Tind�m� said to the elfling, �this is the night that we will take you out of this garden into the rest of the gardens; the night that you can come out into summer. Do you remember what we told you about this?�

The elfling nodded before speaking.

�I have to trust you and Rumil��

M�kay, well that covered the important points� Tind�m� explained, now, exactly what she would have to do.

�It does not hurt,� Haldirin told him, confidently, and Tharh�won nodded again.

Rumil rubbed a little of the numbing salve onto the elflings� hands; not Tind�m�s, as she needed to wield the knife.

The adults stood quietly, looking skyward, Legolas simply said �Thank you for showing us what to do�� and Tind�m� drew her knife from her boot.

First she put a cut into the palm of Haldirin�s hand, then into her own, and, finally, she cut the palms of the Winter Elfling. She took his right hand in her own, bleeding, left; Haldirin took his other hand, blood to blood. They walked together towards the gateway, Rumil held it open�

Tind�m� schooled herself to keep breathing steadily as they stepped across the threshold; there was the slightest shimmer of green light� and they were outside. The air was warmer, scented with summer flowers � Tharh�won was beyond winter.

They moved quickly out of sight of anyone who might glance out of a window and then carefully wiped away the blood from hands and knife. Tharh�won looked around with his mouth open; Tind�m� knelt down and took him in her arms.

�Well done, little one � you were a very brave elfling,� she said.

He was warmer. She could feel his heart beating; he was, certainly, a living, breathing elfling.

The cuts were tended. The adults shared wine, which Legolas had brought out with him, and the elflings were given milk, bread, and honey acquired from the manor kitchen. Tind�m� wondered how many years it had been since Tharh�won had tasted food.

The elfling seemed both excited, and slightly bewildered, to be walking on grass, summer flowers around him � he kept stopping to touch everything.

It was well after midnight before Haldirin began to look drowsy; Tind�m� settled down with her back to a tree and he lay with his head on her lap. She gestured to Tharh�won to come and sleep, too, but he seemed wide awake. Soon, despite his cut hands, he was up in the trees with Legolas and Rumil whilst Orophin sat and talked to Tind�m� until she, too, slept.

��..

The elfling sat with his back to the trunk of the oak, eyes closed and a smile on his face. Rumil and Legolas looked at him and at each other � he was, clearly, not frightened to be out of his long winter.

�The tree is awake,� he said after a little while, �the other trees were always asleep��

He must, surely, Rumil thought, be Silvan to be so pleased to hear the gentle song of the trees. But, as he spoke Sindarin he must have originated in a time and place where Sindar and Silvan mixed. He hoped, some day, to know the Winter Elfling�s background�

As morning approached he spoke to the elfling.

�Tharh�won, we are going to get down from the trees now. Haldirin and his nana will go into the house, and you will come with me, Legolas, and Orophin to meet my horse. Her name is Annar�n. You will ride on her with me, under my cloak, so that the men do not see you yet.

�But we will come back later and then you can stay with Haldirin and his nana, at least until we meet other elves who are travelling in the right direction to help you find your own nana and ada. Do you understand? You are not frightened to ride on Annar�n with me?�

�I don�t remember horses very well� but I will try to be good.�

�Come then, little one, and meet Annar�n. I will hold you tightly to keep you safe.�

They met no-one as they went to the stables and, as expected, when they rode out in the darkness the guards waved them through, from a distance, wishing them good luck in finding the lost child. Rumil pulled back his cloak, once away from the settlement around the manor house, to allow Tharh�won to feel the fresh air and watch the sunrise.

�Are you all right, little one?� he asked.

�I� I don�t think I remember riding a horse at all.� There was a slight quaver in the voice.

�She is a very good horse,� Rumil said, in reassurance, �and neither of us would let you fall.�

Even so Tharh�won seemed happier when, some miles later, Orophin lifted him down and put his feet onto solid ground, amongst trees, again.

Rumil wanted to take the elfling to bathe and then comb his hair until it shone; he was sure that his companions felt the same. But Tind�m� had pointed out that a lost elfling would look exactly as Tharh�won did and so, instead, they waited amongst the trees. Rumil drew the scene, as Legolas played a ball game with Tharh�won, and Orophin whittled a small horse, as a gift for the elfling, to help him get over his fear of them.

Once the sun passed noon they remounted and rode back the way they had come.

�We have found him!� Legolas announced to the guards. He waved a hand at the dishevelled little figure, in front of Rumil, who peered at them with a rather scared expression - just as they might have expected.

Soon there was a crowd around them and the elfling was clearly frightened.

Rumil spoke soothingly to him, reassuring him that Haldirin was waiting for him and soon they would be away from almost all the mortals, but Tharh�won�s heart was still beating quickly and his eyes darting from side to side as if looking for a means of escape.

Rumil realised how different this would be if the frightened elfling had been Haldirin � with no bond between them it was much harder to comfort the little one. Ai, Elbereth! He wondered how mortal parents coped.

�owyn cleared everyone away with great efficiency and, obviously, realised that the elfling was equally frightened of her when she lifted arms to take him from Rumil. She stepped aside with a slight nod of her head.

Orophin dismounted and took the elfling in his arms. Tharh�won clung to him.

�He will be a good father.� The thought came out of the blue and made Rumil smile fleetingly.

�He is very scared,� Legolas said. �He has never met anyone other than elves, and even we are not his own people; he knows not where his family are, and has been surviving alone, hiding in bushes. Let us take him indoors and let Tind�m� tend to him � he has cuts and scratches, and is in need of a bath.�

This clearly made sense to �owyn. She waved Orophin through with his small, rather dirty, bundle.

...........................................................

Mellon - friend
Mae govannen - well met - polite greeting.

...........................................................
The BtVS characters do not belong to me, but are used for amusement only. All rights remain the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and the original TV companies. The same is true of the LotR characters for whom all rights remain the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien and the companies responsible for the production of the films.

Chapter 9 - West Over Water

The poor little thing looked very frightened. Not surprising, �owyn thought; if she�d been lost for days when she was that size, been rescued by Riders she didn�t know, and taken, not to a farmstead, but to Lothlorien, she�d have been just as scared.

She chased everyone away and tried not to be upset when the elfling shied away from her, too, but went to Orophin without complaint.

Tind�m� and Haldirin arrived and the presence of the other elfling, and his mother, seemed to reassure the recently rescued little one. Tind�m� spoke rapidly in Sindarin; �owyn recognised a few words, and wasn�t surprised when Tind�m� turned to her and said, �Orophin will bring him to our rooms � and I will give him a bath!�

Legolas took the horses, to walk them to the stables, but didn�t object when �owyn waved forward a couple of grooms. Instead he joined her for refreshments and told her a little more about the elfling they had found.

�His grandmother,� he said, �was very desperate. For them to travel without a larger party, just avoiding all non-elvish settlements, to get to The Havens, speaks volumes. To lose Tharh�won as he searched for berries must have been heartbreaking; stay, and risk her daughter fading before they got to The Havens, or leave the elfling and hope for assistance��

�owyn vaguely understood the concept of the immortal elves dying by �fading� - but she still wondered how anyone could leave a child and hope for the kindness of strangers� elves were different.

�We really did not expect to find him where we did,� Legolas continued. �Either he had walked a good distance, in the wrong direction, or his grandmother was wrong about where they were. However, he is here, and he is safe. I will ride to Eryn Ithil myself, to call off the search, as he seems to have attached himself to Orophin. I will go up and say my farewells.�

�owyn arranged for someone to find clothes that might fit the elfling (Thar-something? She wished they had simpler names, sometimes�) and then went up to Tind�m� and Rumil�s suite.

Rumil opened the door. Beyond him, from the bathing room, came the sound of splashing and laughter.

�Come in,� he said, with a slight smile, �Tharh�won is already less frightened.�

�And cleaner�� Orophin added, as he came out of the bathing room.

She handed over the clothes and waited, with the two brothers, until Tind�m� emerged with the two elflings. Thar� Tharwon� certainly looked very different in clean, un-torn, clothes with his hair combed sleekly down his back.

He held back, behind Tind�m�, when he noticed �owyn; Haldirin, however, came over and hugged �owyn � much to her surprise, as he had never done so before! Then he turned, spoke to the other elfling, and �owyn realised he was reassuring his new friend that �owyn, too, was a friend. She felt a lump in her throat.

�If you don�t mind,� Tind�m� said, �I think it might be best if we take Tharh�won to Eryn Ithil in a day or two, and then come back for Haldirin�s puppy.�

�owyn understood, of course, and said so. The visit of the elven family had been restfully uneventful (until today!); she appreciated their slow pace of life but she had had, truth to tell, enough long days in which nothing happened for now. Faramir and their eldest daughter would soon be home from Minas Tirith, the other three not long after; life would be back to its usual, more hectic, rhythm. She looked forward to it.

��

�owyn had, clearly, believed his story of the desperate grandmother and fading mother. Better that than her realising the little figure was an elfling who had been dead for many mortal lifetimes and haunting her gardens!

As there was, of course, no hunt to call off in Eryn Ithil, Legolas simply spoke to those who needed to know about Tharh�won before Rumil and Tind�m� brought him home. Rumil would see that Lord Celeborn knew the elfling was now free of the Winter Garden and able to travel to The Havens with the party from East Lorien.

He envied Tharh�won. Soon the elfling would be on the great ocean, following the straight path; he would see the Undying Lands before the winter� Surely there must also be family waiting for the little one, or the Valar would not have chosen this route for him? When Legolas sailed (as he knew he would; he could feel the sea calling him, even here), he would be leaving his family behind.

The thought �Maybe Naneth�� started to form. He squashed it down.

�But if she had remained Houseless, surely Adar would�� He squashed that, too, and strode firmly off to find Eldroth, his Marchwarden.

��

It was lovely to have Sam, Merry, and Pippin visiting Eryn Ithil, as well as Gimli. Legolas had ensured that there was suitable furniture and even Sam had agreed that there was plenty of good food.

Gimli had been told the whole story of the Winter Elfling, and had been introduced to Tharh�won who he had declared, in his guttural Sindarin, to be a good, strong, young elf.

The hobbits, though, were given a slightly edited version; Gimli had agreed with Legolas that hobbits had a fear of ghosts, even though they told excellent ghost stories � possibly why they told excellent ghost stories� They may have treated him differently had they know all about him.

Both Tharh�won and Haldirin loved to be with the hobbits even though they had very little language in common. They clearly understood that the hobbits were not elflings, but fully grown, and treated them with respect. The hobbits, for their part, treated the elflings as they would young hobbits.

More than once Tind�m� found Haldirin and Pippin, lying on the riverbank together fishing for trout, whilst Tharh�won helped Sam and Merry collect mushrooms.

It was an idyllic interlude, really. Tharh�won gained in confidence, put on a little weight, and seemed more and more part of the family�

Almost every day Legolas reminded Tind�m� that Lord Celeborn would soon arrive; Tharh�won would travel, then, to East Lorien and thence to The Havens and Aman. Almost every night, Rumil reminded her of the same thing. In between times Orophin and Lith�niel reminded her of it as well.

All too soon Lord Celeborn arrived. He would stay only a week, to allow Tharh�won to get to know him a little, and then take the elfling to East Lorien. The party heading to The Havens would leave very soon after that.

Tind�m� tried to make it all sound like a wonderful adventure to Tharh�won. She explained to him about the grey ship and told him that, even if his Nana and Ada were not right there to greet him, Lady Galadriel would look after him. She looked amongst Rumil�s pictures for one of a ship, of Lady Galadriel, and then, at Gimli�s suggestion, pictures of Frodo, too.

The elfling was most impressed, it seemed, to think there would be a hobbit where he was going!

When Sam realised that Tharh�won was to travel with some of Lord Celeborn�s people to The Undying Lands he asked Rumil to draw a picture of the three hobbits together. Rumil showed him those already drawn � he had been a step ahead.

Sam, and the other two, penned long letters to go with the pictures. They were packed into the elfling�s bags along with pictures of all his friends, the horse Orophin had made him that first day in Ithilien, and a blanket Tind�m� knitted for him.

The last time she tucked the two elflings into bed together, and sang a song of roads and star-shine, Tind�m� wanted to cry.

�We will see him again, meleth,� Rumil said, softly, as he stood behind her, �and he will not forget us, I promise.�

�I know,� she answered and, next morning, she waved him off with a smile.

Only Rumil knew for sure how many nights it took before she no longer cried as she looked at Haldirin, asleep, alone.

��

Epilogue... some time later...

The great wooden ship sailed through thinning morning mist; all those on board somehow aware that they were almost at the end of the voyage.

Legolas had built this ship � not single handed, of course, but he had set into motion the harvesting and seasoning of the timber and arranged for one of Cirdan�s shipwrights to come, when it was time, to oversee the work so that the exodus from Eryn Ithil would not overburden those still at The Havens. On board were almost a hundred elves, one dwarf� and The Key.

The building of the ship, the tears and farewells, are for another story � now we join those on board as the mist lifts and land comes into sight, closer than expected.

One passenger had half expected to see a large statue with a torch held up in one hand but, instead, there were white buildings catching the sunshine. Two small boats came out to greet them and guide the large vessel to the quay. A quay where many elves gazed up, seeking out faces in the crowd on the ship; just as those on the ship scanned the crowd, hoping against hope to see a remembered face looking back at them.

Soon elves were coming up the gangplanks, others going down the gangplanks - surrounded by reunions, Tind�m� was suddenly caught up in an unexpected embrace.

�Gandalf!�

She hadn�t been sure if the Maia would be there and, if he was, if he would look totally different, but he was just as she remembered � only looking much less tired.

�There is someone who is waiting quietly to greet you.� He waved an arm and she was suddenly aware of a small group, a little way off, which already included Legolas and Gimli.

Gandalf propelled her, and Haldirin who he seemed to have spirited away from his father and sister, through the crowd which parted in front of them. Gimli was embracing, not Lady Galadriel (so, she�d lost that bet then� Tind�m� thought), but a grey haired hobbit � Sam Gamgee!

Beside him Legolas had clasped a slighter figure � it could only be Frodo.

Gandalf, seeing her surprise, spoke quietly, �They age more slowly here � both are elderly, but have been awaiting Legolas and Gimli� However��

His gaze travelled past them to a tall figure behind them. The dark haired elf took a few steps forward and looked at her, smiling.

�Someone else,� Gandalf finished, �has been waiting for you.�

Immediately, she knew him; but not his name, now, or why he was with the hobbits. Even so, she opened her arms and he came into her embrace.

Tind�m� held the ellon away from her and looked him up and down.

�You do your parents proud,� she said. �What should I call you now?�

�Tharh�won,� he answered. �Tharh�won Baggins at your service!�

She shook her head; surely she had misheard.

�Correctly, it should be Tharh�won Frodoion but my Adar and my uncle think plain Baggins is better,� he said, smiling at her confusion.

Before she could say anything more, he turned to Haldirin and greeted him by name.

As the two young ellyn talked, Gandalf explained.

�We think his parents must have remained in Arda, Houseless, but unable to rejoin him � perhaps they were taken captive and died far away from him. Even Lord Namo does not know for sure. But my Lady Nienna knew the elfling needed love, and also that Frodo needed someone to care for, a family. Bilbo tried to remain but he was very, very old. She feared that Frodo would have nothing to live for � a hobbit needs a family.

�Of course Tharh�won has grown up surrounded by elves � he does not lack elven influence. I think Elrond and Celebrian treat him as they would have done Arwen�s children. But Frodo gave him all the love of a parent, just as Bilbo did for him � and it was returned. When you used The Key to free Tharh�won, you also gave purpose to Frodo. For this, many, many of us, are very grateful.�

Tind�m� thought back to that summer; how she had wanted to keep Tharh�won with her and Rumil. If she had realised that he wouldn�t find his family in Valinor�

Then Frodo turned to her, his eyes alight with welcome.

�Tind�m�! I hoped that you would come with Legolas and Gimli. I have waited for so many years to thank you for the gift you gave me, even though there are no words sufficient��

His son�s gaze followed the elderly hobbit as he covered the distance between them, and Tind�m� knew that the Winter Elfling had found his family; a family as unusual as he was himself.

The end

��
The BtVS characters do not belong to me, but are used for amusement only. All rights remain the property of Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and the original TV companies. The same is true of the LotR characters for whom all rights remain the property of the estate of JRR Tolkien and the companies responsible for the production of the films.
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