Live Journal FeedThe Sindarin phrases are in italics. All the translations are added at the end of each chapter. Forgive any mistakes...I'm still learning!
Chapter One
The air was warm and full of the sweet fragrance of summer blooms; exotic birds were singing in the trees, each one trying to surpass the other in richness of melody and texture of their songs. From the softest 'tweets' to the loudest full-scale melodies, Imladris was thriving with life. Even the river Bruinen seemed to thrive with life; fish could be seen swimming in its crystal-clear waters, bouncing off rocks which had suddenly got into their way. A mother deer came out of the trees with two bambies following in her wake, glancing around to see if any enemy was near. There was none, so she boldly stepped into the open and lowered her head to the water, drinking the cool liquid, while her two youngsters explored the wetness that seemed so interesting.
Suddenly the mother lifted her head again, her ears flicking atop her head. Something was drawing near; she could both hear and feel it. The soft chime of bells rang out through the summer's day, followed by the clip-clop of horse hooves upon the ground. The mother cried out and bolted in fright, the two youngsters following close behind, although not understanding what was to fear, for they were far too young still. In a few seconds, the glade by the Bruinen was empty, the chime of bells coming nearer.
From out of the trees came two riders. First came a proud white stallion, confidantly making his way down into the glade. His dark eyes observed the scenery and he chewed upon the bit thoughtfully, as if thinking about how nice the day was. No speck of mud could be seen upon his bodice, the flawless white shinning like the newly-fallen snow upon winter days. Black was the bridle he sported, and black also was the saddle. A single golden flower had been embroided upon the blanket under the saddle. Golden were also the bells upon the briddle, chimming with each move the stallion made.
His rider was a tall Elf; long was his hair that shone like molt gold in the summer sun, kept out of his face by warrior braids. He wore a tunic of sky-blue, golden threads sewn into it, and a pair of black leggings. His feet rested in soft, black leather boots. Keen blue eyes gazed from a beautifuly-crafted face, slightly tanned because of the days spent under the suns rays. Broad-shouldered he was, and a sight to behold, a deadly foe, of which the sword spoke of, resting in a black leather scabbard, tied to the saddle. Buta t the moment, the ellon was at leisure, one of his hands resting on his thigh, the other gently guiding his stallion.
Following the blazing white stallion came a mare, equal in size to the horse before her, though darker in colour; her pelt had been died gray by Mother Nature, and soft amber orbs glanced around from time to time. Black was also the attire she wore, yet the briddle had been decorated with sets of flowers, and silver bells hung from it, chimming in a gentle soprano compared to those in front. A silver star had been embroided upon the blanket under the saddle. Gingerly she picked her way down into the glade, not nearly as confidant as the former, but that was due to the burden she carried. For upon her back sat a female Elf, quite the contrast to the male in front of her. Her hair was even longer, reaching past her waist in soft waves, coloured in the darkest shade of ebony one could ever imagine. Free from restraints it was, save from a simple circlet of white flowers that adorned it. She wore a simple riding gown in the colour of soft gray, the skirt seeming to melt with the pelt of her mount. The hem of the skirt had been weighed down a bit, to prevent it from lifting in-between gallop. The collar of the bodice was in a v-shape, but softened by the darker embroidery upon it. Long and bell-shaped were the sleeves, yet they did not constrict the rider. Her legs rested in high riding boots of black leather. Flawless was her skin, much paler than that of the ellon; beautifuly shaped her face was, calmness and serenity shining from it. Clear blue-gray eyes shone from under elegantly-arched eyebrows, and her lips were a soft shade of red.
Glorfindel gently guided Asfaloth to a stop, and looked back at his charge, smiling. It had been his idea to go out for a ride, when he had arrived in lord Elrond's study earlier that afternoon, finding his daughter's nose burried in heaps of papers her father should have done himself. Thus, he had swiftly arranged for Erestor, Elrond's chief councillor, to come and end her choirs, and took Arwen out for a ride. He knew how much she really enjoyed the freedom her mare enabled her, even though she hid it from her father. Glorfindel was highly amused, really; Elrond had no idea how wild his daughter could really be. Then again, he had more trouble with her brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, the 'twin terrors of Imladris', so the senechal couldn't really blame him. But he had always had a soft spot for Arwen, and the young elleth always knew how to work her way just to her liking. When was the last time he had said no to her? Glorfindel couldn't even remember.
Arwen led her mare alongside the white stallion and pulled her to a halt, returning Glorfindel's smile.
"There now, I knew you only needed some fresh air. Look at the sparkle in your eyes! " he spoke in a teasing way. Arwen laughed, her voice cascading down the small falls of Bruinen nearby.
"Of course, tiren, of course. You were right, as usual." She sent him a brilliant smile, that could have melted the ice upon Caradras, or so many ellyn thought. Her gaze turned to the glade they were in, and she asked in a curious voice: "Where are we? I do not recall this glade from adar's charts." Glorfindel sent her a conspiratory grin.
"Ah, see, now that's what you do wrong. Have the gwanûn taught you nothing? Never relly upon your father's charts, especially those that hang in his study. They are by far out-of-date." Arwen laughed once more, her mare shifting slightly underneath her.
"Out-of-date! Adar would skin you alive had he heard that!" The senechal laughed then too, his laughter rumbling from deep in his throat.
"I do believe you are right, tirnen-nin. But I only told you that because I am fairly confidant you wish me around yourself for a while more, thus, I have no fear of Elrond and his wrath. Though I admit, he can be insufferable when he is angry." His blue eyes sparkled with mirth. Arwen playfully poked him in the shoulder.
"Very well, I will not. Cheeky ellon. Now, tell me of this glade."
Glorfindel smiled, a far-of-look on his face. "Your father has kept this glade a secret for a long time; not even the gwanûn know of it. For this is the place he used to come with your mother, to have some peace and solitude. I should know, I used to fill-in for him in those days, with Erestor feeling the urge to skin his liege-lord alive." His smile had turned into a sad one. "Celebrían loved the glade; she it was who lead the team of Elves that made a small gazebo here. The gazebo itself had been removed long ago, yet the glade is as beautiful as ever. Your father rarely comes down here anymore; he says the memories are too much to bear." Glorfindel removed his gaze from Arwen's face and looked away, while the daughter of Elrond pondered upon the newly-found information. The thorn of saddness at the mention of her mother's name was still deeply embeded into her heart, even though it had been centuries since the Silver Lady of Imladris had sailed. To have been shown a place her mother had found so much joy in was an honour and a gift she would treasure for all eternity.
Her hand reached out to gently clasp Glorfindel's. The golden-haired ellon turned his attention back to his charge.
"Hannon le," spoke the elleth, a sad smile upon her face, yet her words coming from the heart. Glorfindel smiled in response, placing his other hand across hers.
"Nad dithen. Carnen an gwend."
The moment of tranquility and friendship was broken abruptly, as the sound of what seemed like a wounded bird's cry pierced the air. Glorfindel's head snapped into the direction from whence the noise came, his hand immediately reaching for his sword. Arwen's eyes gazed across the glade, the cold hand of fear gripping her heart. The two Elven-mounts shifted underneath their charges, but were too well-trained to bolt and run off, thus they simply moved a little and voiced their disapproval of the situation with soft grunts and whuffles. The golden-haired senechal's blue eyes darted across the trees on the other side of the Bruinen.
In that moment, something large and bright sped overhead, sending a strong ghush of wind in the Elves' direction, forcing their mounts to back away. The mare reared in fright, and Arwen battled to regain control of her horse. Glorfindel's hand shot out and he gripped the reins of the mare, pulling her back down, forcing her to calmness once more. The wind tousled the riders' hair, lifting dust from the ground and forcing the leaves to leave the branches of the trees around them. The sound of the wounded bird came again, and then there came a loud crashing noise, the sound of wood cracking and trees falling. Then, all was silent once more.
Arwen lifted her head from behind her lifted arm, risking a peek at the glade. There seemed to be nothing wrong with it, apart from a few stray branches and heapes of leaves that had been torn from the branches. Her blue-gray eyes darted towards Glorfindel. The ellon sent a shrug her way, but by the rigid stance of his shoulders and the firm set of his jaw, she knew something was amis.
True to her thoughts, Glorfindel turned both the horses around and swiftly made his way from the glade.
"Are you sure it's safe?" asked the elleth softly.
"Safer than sending you back alone," came the ellon's stiff reply, and Arwen fell silent. Slowly but steadily the horses picked their way among the fallen trees. Desolation was complete the more they neared what they knew to be a very-well known meadow in Imladris. The trees ended, and Arwen and Glorfindel entered the meadow. The elleth stiffled a gasp with a hand placed across her mouth, while the ellon pulled his sword from its scabbard with one fluid motion.
There, in front of them, lay a large silver coloured..thing. Object. Something they knot what exactly it was. But it was large, elegantly shaped, glimmering in the sunlight, the rays of Arien bouncing off the metal surface. It had made a large row into the earth as it landed, but now it rested peacefully. Smoke rose from the nose of it. Arwen looked at Glorfindel; the seasoned warrior seemed at a loss of what to do.
Then, a person climbed out of the object.
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TBC
Tiren – my guardian
Gwanûn – twins
Adar – father
Tirnen-nin – my guardee
Hannon le – thank you
Nad dithen. Carnen an gwend. – It is just a small thing. Done for friendship.
Another author's note:
I never really came across the title 'silver lady of Imladris', but Celebrian means 'silver queen', so I took some liberty in naming her as I did.
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