Maedhros' End

A/N: Once again, I would like to

acknowledge the wonderful reviews I’ve received.  Please know that I will endeavor to try and

keep faith with you all.  Thank you very

much.

NEW AUTHOR NOTE: I'm sorry but this chapter continues to upload in this weird format. I'm very frustrated because as I've said before, I haven't done anything different from the way I uploaded that last two chapters. I only hope that you can still read it. Ceana



Now a Fun Note: I have purposely not

described Ailsa’s boyfriend, Kyle.  We’ve

all known a Kyle in our lives and I thought it would be much more fun to let

you imagine him anyway you’d like.  So be

he blond and 6’ 2”, or brunette and 5’ 5”…lean or muscles galore, picture him

the way you wish.  Your choice.  Enjoy!



Disclaimer:  There, but for the few that are mine, are

Master Tolkien’s.







Maedhros’ End - by Ceana





Chapter 3 – Egla Tir, Lands End



Maedhros stood on the cliff edge and watched the wind riding

swiftly over the white-capped swells of the ocean.  He saw it take shape as it curled and twisted

its way through the rock arches anchored in the seawater off Lands End. Gaining

momentum, it climbed the wild sloping terrain above the water as it searched

for the inland stream.  Excelling over the

rim of the cliff, it buffeted the lone figure standing there as it wrapped

itself around and tried to go through him. 

Closing his eyes, Maedhros could hear the ancient songs the wind carried

with it; tales of a thousand ships and the men who lived their lives on them.

The taste of the sea was on his lips bringing with it the knowledge that the

tantalizing secrets of its depths would remain just that…secret.



He basked in the sun’s warm embrace, gazing out far beyond

the curve of the horizon. Seagulls squawked at one another as they hovered above

the surf.  Their shrill cries filled the

air with their demands for a free meal. Though the sea was alive and the wind

spoke volumes, Maedhros could not calm the tension in his heart.



Today, Ewan Kincade would be arriving to claim Egla Tir as

his own. Although Ewan had accepted the inheritance without hesitation after

visiting the estate, Maedhros could not stop feeling anxious.  It was the same anxiety Maedhros felt as he

waited for the signed document to arrive from him after Richard Matthews’ death. 



His dark brows drew together as he remembered the last time

he was in the late heir’s presence.  The

stinging bitterness of his words still echoed in Maedhros’ heart. “You’re an

abomination,” the dying man had said to Maedhros’ offer of comfort. “Leave me

alone.”  Maedhros did as he was bidden

and left without a sound.  He did not

return until the nurse came to tell him it was over.



Long ago, Maedhros’ secrets had put a wall between them. The

resentment Richard felt would never allow that wall to be breached by any

attempt he made. Maedhros’ impassive face could not mask the deep regret

staring out from his intense silver eyes. He had misjudged Richard’s ability to

understand, and now, it was too late.



His eyes softened, remembering Ewan’s excitement after being

introduced to his inheritance. Maedhros rejoiced when he had seen the fire that

lit up Ewan’s eyes with his newly kindled fascination with Egla Tir and its

history. Where Richard could only view Egla Tir as a burden, Ewan looked at it

as a wondrous gift.  It filled Maedhros

with renewed hope, of feeling less alone. 

Ewan will be different, his

mind insisted. I will just have to be

more vigilant…more careful.



There were other considerations.  Maedhros could not suppress a feeling of

unease as he thought of Ailsa. Lately, she had been on his mind quite a

bit.  He could not forget the strange

incidence when they first met. The connection still left him feeling a little

alarmed. She is so very young. How could she have the wisdom to comprehend

the world beyond her own? He turned the question over and over in his

mind.  How will I be able to hide anything from her when the mere touch of our

hands can bring on such memories? He knew the truth was dangerous, but too

many lies could be disastrous.


 His desire to become closer to both father

and daughter must not lead to careless mistakes.  Yes, caution would be his plan regarding both

of them.  Maedhros straightened his shoulders

and breathed in the clean sea air.  He

was more firmly resigned to his decision as he turned into the sunlight and

started walking back to the house. So, it

begins again. 



= = = = = = =



Ailsa had expected their arrival in Cornwall to be acknowledged with at least a

thunderous rainstorm, which would include the necessary lightning and howling

winds.  Just the kind of weather the

Bronte sisters made famous.  Bleak moors

stretching out as far as the eye could see. An unyielding road snaking itself

towards the “Great House.”  A crumbling

edifice silhouetted against a black forbidding sky. There, a strange

housekeeper waited to welcome the new owners. And just for fun, maybe an insane

relative locked up in one of the tower rooms. 

Even these cliched thoughts didn’t help Ailsa feel any better.  Besides, she was beginning to feel she was

the only one who was insane and needed to be locked up.



The days after her father’s return and his startling

declaration could only be summed up as complete hell.  Ailsa wished there had been at least some

yelling…lamps and crockery being broken… slamming doors at least.  No, it was worse, much worse.  There was a polite nothing.  Silence covered the house like a thick

smothering blanket. 



And then, Richard Matthews passed away without a word.  Well, except for the Federal Express packet

that arrived from Maedhros announcing Mr. Matthews’s departure from this

life.  She remembered how her father had

pulled out the announcement, dropping the large Fed Exp envelope to the floor.

Ailsa could see his hand tremble slightly as he stared blankly at the paper.  



She picked up the large envelope and removed a second

document.  It was a curiously thick piece

of paper and looked handwritten.  The

elegant calligraphy covering the page was incredibly beautiful. Intricate

scrolling framed the written words with delicate tree branches, full and green;

gold-leaf glinted in the light.  It was

exquisite.



The document declared that Ewan James Kincade, son of

Bethany Helen Matthews Kincade, was next in line to inherit the estate of Egla

Tir, Lands End, Cornwall, England.  Affixing his signature to the document made

any children of his body the next heirs to Egla Tir.  Ailsa swallowed hard. Holy crap!  That’s me. The

thought was more than a little unsettling. There was more swirling artwork at

the bottom, but she couldn’t make out what it was.



The small tremor in her hand was barely noticeable as she

handed the sheet to her father.  Without

hesitation he signed it and made arrangements to send it back to Maedhros.  Now all he had to do is let her mother

know.  Ailsa didn’t envy him that

task.  But to her surprise, he didn’t

hesitate.  He called his wife into the

study and made sure he had closed the door so they wouldn’t be disturbed. 



Ailsa sat on the staircase waiting to see what would

happen.  She didn’t have long to

wait.  Shortly, the door slid open and

her father motioned for her to join them.



Ailsa’s feet felt like lead as she walked towards the open

door.  She didn’t know what to expect, it

was all too quiet.  Once inside, she sat

in her father’s desk chair; her mother sat in the leather wingback.  Ailsa tried to read her mother’s body

language, but she sat stone faced and silent.



Ewan cleared his throat. “It’s time for us to get ready for Cornwall,” he began.  “There’ll be a tremendous amount of packing

for the move.  And since your mother has

decided that she would rather stay here to oversee the packing, I was hoping

you would come to Cornwall

with me, Ailsa.  It’ll give you a chance

to get a look at your future inheritance.”



Ailsa frowned; she didn’t like this plan…not one bit!  She had decided to go with her parents when

the announcement came, if only to help with the transition. This separation

wasn’t a good idea.



“But I can be the one to stay,” she tried to reason.  “That way mom can see to the new house and

figure out just how much furniture needs to be sent and what needs to go into

storage here.”  She looked at her mother

for some hint of what she was thinking. 

Patrice was busy removing a nonexistent piece of lint from the arm of

the chair.  Finally, she sighed and

returned Ailsa‘s stare.  “It’s better

that I stay.  I’ll know what pieces to

send.  Besides, it’s not as if you have

anything keeping you here.”  She said and

returned to the “linty” chair arm.



Oh, this is going

well! Ailsa tried to check the anger threatening to erupt inside her.  “Fine.” Ailsa pushed herself into a standing

position; her frustration with them both finally rose to the surface.  “Then I’ll go with dad.”



“And I’ll arrange for a leave of absence from the college.”

Her father called after her.



 “Whatever.”  She spat at them as she walked angrily out of

the study.



That was the precise moment Ailsa officially gave up trying

to be the family peacemaker.  During the

days that followed, her mother would talk to her about any other subject except

what was actually happening.  Her father

was just plain evasive and completely preoccupied. 



When he wasn’t teaching his class, his full attention was

deep into some new project. He brought home stacks of books and magazines from

the college library.  He data-mined

furiously on the Internet, spending hours scribbling like mad into various

notebooks and pads of paper.  Ailsa had

hoped that they would turn out to be information on English estates or anything

that would help him run Egla Tir. 



Snatching Kyle away from his preparations, she convinced him

to help her in a small conspiracy.  The

next afternoon, while her father taught his class, Kyle helped her search the

study.  As he sat at her father’s desk

and methodically scanned the computer memory for lists of visited websites,

Ailsa checked the books and comments her father wrote on the various legal pads

and notebooks scattered around the room. 





There were fragments of thoughts about Celtic and Norse

myths. Lists of publications and book titles. Strange words, “The Eldar” and

“Arda” were printed very neatly and underlined boldly on one bright yellow

writing pad. There were also arrows drawn to strange little squiggles and what

looked like some kind of shorthand of circles.



She found volume after volume on myths and legends through

the ages.  There was even a book about

the Aurora Borealis.  A science journal

dating back several years had a post-it attached to an article entitled,

“Planetary Alignment Effects on the Earth’s Magnetic Poles.”  What’s

he up to? 



She watched Kyle frown from time to time as he read the

documents on her father’s computer, but Ailsa couldn’t decide if he was just

concentrating or if he had found something important.  She anxiously hoped he’d find anything that

would explain her father’s behavior and his odd choice of reading

material. 



“Hmmm,” Kyle mused. 



“Did you find something?” Ailsa asked expectantly.



“I don’t know,” he admitted. “From the data I’ve looked at,

I would say your father is doing research on Pre-Christian myths, legends,

and…” There were a few more clicks on the keyboard. “…and fairytales?” Kyle

looked at her as if he had just given her all the clues she needed.



“But what about the books and articles on magnetic fields,

and what about this?” Ailsa held up a thin red volume with the title, Sunspots.  “What do sunspots have to do with myths,

fairies, and elves?” She was beginning to feel frustrated. 



“Maybe your dad is just tired of all this inheritance stuff,

and has decided to write a book,” Kyle offered. “Well it’s not as if you guys

have inherited a fairy mound or something. 

It’s just a house that you can probably lease out. It could be he’s just

looking for something to do in Cornwall.”  His mouth broke into a smile.  “You know, you could just ask him.”



“Thanks, Kyle,” she said sarcastically. “That helps a

lot.” 



“Besides…” She lowered her gaze and ran her fingers along

the desktop. “I did.  All he said was he

was following a stream of thought.

End of subject.”  Ailsa tried not to look

at Kyle.  “I don’t know.  I just can’t stop feeling that something’s

not right.” 



Kyle let out a sigh shaking his head. “Ailsa, you’re making

too much of this.”  But it was no use. No

amount of reassurance from him could explain her father’s choice of reading

material to her satisfaction.



The days seemed to fly by and before she was ready for it,

the time came for them to leave.  The

lack of  “good-byes” from her mother was

obvious.  Thankfully, Kyle took them to

the airport. He seemed to be the only one genuinely excited for them.  As Kyle bent his head to kiss her, it

suddenly sunk in that she wouldn’t be seeing him for awhile. 



“You know…” She stopped his descent. “I may miss you,” she

teased.  Kyle’s soft lips gently covered

hers.  As her arms held him closer, a

pleasant warmth ran through her body.



Still holding her in his arms, Kyle smiled.  “When I leave for Turkey, I’ll get a layover at

Heathrow.  Who knows, you just might be

bored enough by then to want to come along.” 

Before Ailsa could protest, Kyle turned, shook her father’s hand in

farewell and left them.  As she watched

him walk down the concourse, she couldn’t help feeling a little guilty. He asks so little of me. Kyle suddenly

turned and waved.  Smiling, Ailsa waved

back.  Damn, I miss him already.



The flight was long, but pleasant enough. The seating

helped; Maedhros insisted they fly First Class. 

The seating seemed rather extravagant, but as she looked around at the

accommodations, she changed her mind. 

She couldn’t imagine Maedhros being satisfied with Coach for himself or

the heirs of Egla Tir.



Her father, of course, spent his time reading one of the

many books he brought with him.  Ailsa

sat through most of the flight staring out the window just trying to make sense

of, well…everything. She could have saved herself the trouble. Nothing was

going to make sense for a while.



There was a car and driver waiting for them at the airport

and she enjoyed much of the ride to the estate. The weather couldn’t be

better.  The cloudless sky was a bright

azure, highlighting the wonderful warm early autumn day.  The countryside was a palette of rich greens

with touches of the first reds and golds sprinkled amongst the trees. 



The excitement she felt was steadily growing as they came up

to the edge of the estate and she got her first glimpse the massive gates.  As the car passed under the large stone arch,

Ailsa saw the name Egla Tir in ironwork across the top.  There was an unusual design of round swirls

below the letters.  It wasn’t Celtic, but

it emphasized the name rather nicely.



They traveled on a well-kept dirt road flanked on either

side by a thick wall of trees.  Maedhros

had said there was an old growth forest on the estate, but they traveled many

minutes without seeing any end to it. Ailsa was impressed with just how big the

forest really was.  Her father sat

through the journey with a proud smile on his lips.  Ailsa was happy…she hadn’t seen him smile

like that in some time.



Finally, the trees began to thin and a great clearing of

manicured grass emerged.  As they topped

a slight hill, Ailsa saw Egla Tir.  “Holy

sh…” Her father stopped her with a nudge of his elbow.  Her head snapped round to look at him.  “That’s a little country house?” She asked

incredulously. 



Where she pictured a typical English Cottage, stood a two

story stone manor straight out of Jane Austen. 

Tall windows covered most of the front of the house. Low hedges skirted

around the corners and ivy quietly climbed the stone walls between the

windows.   There were even decorative

columns on either side of the door.



“Magnificent isn’t it?” Ewan said proudly.  “Wait until you see the library.”  Ailsa could only stare at him in

disbelief.  What have we gotten ourselves into?



There was a round gravel driveway in front of the house that

could easily hold a dozen cars. There were a few cars parked to the side

discreetly hidden behind tall hedges. The car pulled up to the big white door

and stopped. As if on cue, the door opened and Maedhros stepped onto the marble

front steps followed by a robust older looking woman. Maedhros was dressed in a

deep grey suit similar to the one he wore when they first met.  Once again, Ailsa was reminded what an

extraordinarily good looking man he was. 

Not that she could ever forget. 

The woman with him didn’t look at all as strange as she had fanaticized.





The driver came round and opened the car door.  Ewan jumped out of the back seat as the door

opened.  As he greeted Maedhros, Ailsa

sat very still and wondered if anyone would notice if she quietly slipped back

to Berkeley.  She quickly shoved the idea out of her head,

angry with herself. “What’s wrong with me. It’s just a house.” She looked at

the tall windows and the imposing stone work. 

“Granted, a great white elephant of a house,” she murmured.  Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she

exited the car with as much grace as she could muster.



Maedhros and Ewan stood to the side, in hushed quick

conversation.  The driver nodded as Ailsa

thanked him, turning his attention to the trunk and their bags.  As she stood there for a moment breathing in

the wonderful country air, she realized she could smell the ocean. 



“We’re on the coast, Miss.” 

Ailsa looked in the direction of the comment. “Welcome to Egla

Tir.”  The friendly words had a soft

Irish lilt to them.



Ailsa had forgotten the woman who had accompanied Maedhros.

She stood smiling with her hands clasped quietly in front of her perfectly

ironed blue dress. The women looked like she was in her early 60’s. Her round

face glowed with kindness and her bright blue eyes twinkled as she smiled her

greeting.  She was obviously a happy

individual. 



Maedhros and Ewan walked up to the two women.  Maedhros seemed genuinely glad to see

her.  He offered his hand to her in

greeting. “Ailsa, forgive me.” He apologized. “There is no excuse for my poor

manners.”  For a moment Ailsa hesitated

taking his hand, remembering what happened the last time they touched. She

looked into Maedhros’ beautiful face and saw such warmth in his grey eyes, she

knew it would be okay.  She gently took

his hand hoping she was right. 



Nothing happened. “Welcome to Egla Tir,” Maedhros greeted

her.



“Thank you. I…I’m glad to be here.” She smiled, hoping she

sounded sincere.  It was Maedhros who

quickly let go of her hand.  Why did he

still make her feel so ill at ease?



“I am sorry that Patrice has been detained.”  Maedhros said to them.  “Let us hope she will be able to join us

soon.”



“That’s our wish as well.” 

Was Ewan’s short reply as he watched Ailsa’s face.



“And now let me introduce you to the person who really runs

Egla Tir.”  He motioned to the

woman.  “Ailsa, I would like you to meet

Mrs. Whitehall.  She is our housekeeper

and runs Egla Tir with the heart of a warrior.”



“Oh go on with yourself.” The woman scolded and took

command.  “I’m glad to welcome you.”  She turned to Ewan. “Professor Kincade, it’s

good to see you again. Now, since you’ve had such a long trip, why don’t you go

inside? I’ll arrange to have your bags taken to your rooms and unpacked. And I

think some tea is in order.”  Ailsa

already liked the woman.



Maedhros gestured towards the door.  “Shall we?” 

Ewan quickly entered the house. 

Ailsa paused for a moment; there was such a feeling of warm regard

surrounding her as she crossed the threshold. It was like the house was

welcoming her.  She wondered if her

father felt it too.



Once inside, Ailsa eyes widen at the sheer size of the

place. The entryway was done in pale marble, floor to ceiling.  The rest of the wide hall was framed in rich

dark wood with an intricate knot design carved into the doorframes and on the

tall paneled doors of each room.   Ailsa

noticed they were varying types of Celtic knots. The wide doors to the six

rooms stood closed.  Maedhros was saying

something about the various doorways, but Ailsa barely heard him. 



At the end of the hall, an immense double staircase rose and

split left and right leading to the open gallery surrounding the upper

floor.  Forming most of the wall between

the stairways was a large arched window. 

Slender metal tree branches swirled across the Gothic window, holding

the panes of clear glass in place. 

Beautifully sculpted leaves of oxidized copper made the tree look alive.

Ailsa could imagine the branches swaying in the wind they looked so real.  There was also the same kind of design from

the front gate running along the bottom of the window frame.



This is Dad’s new

home!  Ailsa turned slowly trying to

take it all in.  It was more than just a

house, it felt alive.  Everywhere there

was warmth and light, and the memories of all those who had lived here before.

Like her father, they too had come to claim Egla Tir as their own. Now the

house waited as they did the same. Yes, she felt it.  The house was

welcoming them.  



“Ailsa!” Her father’s hand was on her shoulder.  She looked at him wide eyed. “Hmm?” She

murmured absently.



“I asked, would you like to see the library?”  He gestured toward the doors Maedhros was

opening.  She stared at him with a

bewildered look. Slowly, she woke from her trance. “Great, I’d love to. Sure.”



Maedhros waited outside the huge doorway.  With both doors open, the doorway looked big

enough to drive a SUV through it.  Once

again Maedhros gave her that I know what

you’re thinking smile.  “It is rather

large, is it not?”  He turned and walked

into the library; Ewan quickly followed him.



Ailsa stood in the doorway of the library unable to

move.  Now, she finally knew why her

father went on and on about it.  Like

most of the house she’d seen, the room was spacious. There were tall windows

directly across from her. Other than that, every inch of wall space was covered

with bookshelves towering to the ceiling. 

Books in a variety of sizes and varied bindings lined the shelves.  There was a tall wooden moveable spiral staircase

off to the side that was the only access to the books on the higher

shelves. 



Five sofas from different decades were scattered about on an

ornate Oriental rug.  Fringed shaded

floor lamps stood in the corners.  There

was a large wooden desk at one end of the room. 

Ailsa smiled, unused to clutter-free desktops as she was; thanks to her

father’s desk in Berkeley. 



Overstuffed chairs were placed around the room, each an

invitation to sit and read a while. 

Throughout everything she’d seen in the manor so far, it was the three

windows on the far wall that enchanted her the most.  Multiple panes of glass in tall narrow

windows reaching all the way to the ceiling. 

Beneath them spread three wide window seats.  Each seat cushion was covered in dark green velvet

matching the material of the drapes, which were drawn back, letting in deep

shafts of sunlight. 



Walking toward the windows, Ailsa closed her eyes as her

whole body was bathed in brilliance. 

Without even seeing the rest of the house, she knew this would be her

favorite room.  Maedhros and Ewan had

watched her walk around the room investigating it as a feline would, finding

her place.  They glanced at each other

and Ewan finally spoke.  “So, what do you

think?” With her face lifted toward the light, eyes still closed, she smiled

and stretched her arms out, palms up. 

“I’m going to live in this room. Okay?” 

Both men looked at each other and quietly chuckled.



The rest of the main floor tour didn’t take long.  There was a morning room, a dining hall, a

living room, a smaller study, an enormous kitchen, and of course, the grand

staircase. Maedhros indicated each bedroom had its own sitting or dressing

room, as well as its own bathroom. His was the only bedroom that had a balcony

that overlooked the gardens. The gardens were in the back of the house, but

were best seen later. Mrs. Whitehall’s husband, Edgar, was in charge of them

and the rest of the grounds.  



There were two housemaids, Colleen and Tammy, who saw to the

cleaning and other light chores. The young blonde women smiled shyly as they

said their “Hellos” and eagerly watched the new heirs as they followed Maedhros

through the downstairs rooms.  The staff

didn’t live at Egla Tir, and left each evening after dinner.  Ailsa figured it was cheaper than housing

everyone.



Maedhros took the lead as he guided them through the large

rooms.  As they walked, Ailsa noticed for

the first time the hair clip Maedhros used to gather his long dark red

hair.  It too looked like some Celtic

design.  It was about three inches square

and was a depiction of two trees: one of polished silver, the other of bright

gold. Both trees were surrounded on each side by elaborate knots of burnished

silver. On any other man, this beautiful bit of vanity might look out of place,

but on Maedhros it looked very masculine. 





Finding herself staring at the back of Maedhros head, she

quickly returned her attention back to what was being said. Maedhros turned

just then and looked at her. Ailsa could see the slightest glimmer in his silver

eyes. He turned back to his description of the tapestries that hung before

them.  Now, she couldn’t help wondering

what he was thinking.



After a light lunch, Maedhros and her father excused

themselves and went into the library. 

Mrs. Whitehall showed Ailsa to her bedroom. “Oohh.” Was her first

response as she walked into her rooms.



The walls were painted a sage green; most of the cherry-wood

furniture was a simple design that suited her. The bed, however, was huge; the

four tall wooden bedposts were carved with trailing vines and leaves.  The bedding was a deep heather green with

tiny cream-colored crocheted edging around the shams. Her sitting room was in

deeper greens with similar accents. Ailsa was so glad the rooms weren’t overly

feminine.  “This is lovely.” She finally

said as she walked around the room.



“Oh, I’m so glad, Miss. 

Maedhros was very particular about how these rooms should be done.” Mrs.

White was drawing back the moss colored drapes as she spoke.



“Maedhros? Chose all of this?” Ailsa couldn’t keep the

surprise from her voice.



“Yes he did.  When I

tried to suggest a few things, he told me he was confident this would please

you best.”



Ailsa was somewhat taken aback.  She walked into the bathroom and stood for a

moment. She was pleased with the

room. How would he know what I’d like? She

wondered how many more hidden talents Maedhros kept under that enigmatic shell

of his.  She quickly returned to the

bedroom deciding not to make a big deal of it. 





“Thank you for putting my things away Mrs. Whitehall. 

I always hate unpacking.” Ailsa smiled at the older woman. Even her

toiletries had been laid out on the counter in the bathroom.



“That’s why we’re here, Miss.  Now you make yourself at home. Maedhros and

your father are in the library.  Dinner

will be at 6:00. We all leave shortly after that.”  Mrs. Whitehall gave Ailsa a little nod. “It’s

about time we had some youthful enthusiasm about the place.” She chuckled and

left her alone. 



Ailsa walked around the rooms again and tried to comprehend

everything she had seen so far.  Walking

over to her bed, she ran her hand over the silk bedspread.  She still couldn’t picture Maedhros

scrutinizing fabric swatches and paint chips; let alone knowing what would

please her.



As she pulled back the white lace curtains at the windows,

she realized her room was on the same side of the house as the library. The

tops of the nearby oak trees seemed to be calling to her as their branches

waved rhythmically with the soft breeze. 

She decided she needed some air. 

She found her favorite jeans and hiking boots. Changing into a long

sleeve T-shirt, she grabbed her jean jacket and made her way downstairs.



As she came down the staircase, she couldn’t help wishing

she had grown up in this house.  She

absently ran her fingers along the curling design at the bottom of the great

window.  She marveled that the whole

house had such a light, open-air feel to it. 

She was still having difficulty, however, imagining that all of this now

belonged to her father.  One thing I do know for sure, she told

herself. Mom’s going to love it once she

finally gets here.



Her lips curled into a smile as she spied the shiny wood

railings of the staircase. They practically screamed to be slid down.  But alas, she conceded, her sliding days were

over.  Or were they?  A mischievous look narrowed her eyes as she

quickly looked around. Raising her leg over the polished wood, she pushed off.

She quickly jumped to the floor at the curled end of the railing. Pleased with

herself, she straightened her jacket and hoped the composed look that now

covered her face would fool any casual observers.



She walked through the hall, pausing outside the

library.  The doors were closed, and she

decided not to disturb the men inside. 

She quickly opened the front door and walked out into the sunlight.  She marveled at the massive oak trees that

seemed to create a framework around the edge of the house.  They grew close, but not so close as to block

any of the glorious sunshine.  She stood

for a moment letting the sun and wind caress her face. The wind still held the

scent of the ocean. 



The acreage, because calling it the front lawn seemed

inadequate, rolled on forever.  Although

she’d love to have taken a look at the forest they had traveled through earlier,

she decided to explore the back of the house and beyond for now.  She made her way along the side of the house.





Inside the library, Maedhros and Ewan were in deep

discussion.  “Ewan, I think you are

wrong.” Maedhros insisted. “We should wait before telling Ailsa any more. She

is very young and may not understand.” 

There was deep concern in his voice.



Ewan shook his head. “As her father, and I may be

prejudiced, I can assure you she has the intelligence to understand a lot more

than you give her credit for. She has an inquisitive mind that will want to

know more soon enough. And let me warn you, she also has a temper that won’t be

too forgiving if she finds out she’s been deceived.” 



Maedhros stood, arms folded across his chest as he gazed out

the library windows. “We will just have to make sure we are not put into such a

position. I will not make the same mistakes as before. I am sorry, but I have

to insist you follow my wishes on this.” He stood quietly waiting for Ewan’s

reply.  Out of the corner of his eye,

Maedhros noticed movement and watched as Ailsa walked into view.



“Good luck!”  Ewan

answered smiling as he too noticed Ailsa. 





Maedhros turned, and raised one well-arched brow. “Indeed.”



Ailsa rounded the corner of the house, and came up short.  For not the first time that day, her jaw

dropped as she found herself confronted with another of Maedhros’

understatements.   She stood with her

hands on her hips as she surveyed the gardens. 





There was an area just behind the house that must be considered

the official backyard. White cast-iron chairs and a round glass top table stood

near stone steps. The steps began a long decent down the middle of what Ailsa

could only describe as wide cascading terraces with rows and rows of every

imaginable flower.  



She glanced up, and could see the balcony attached to what

must be Maedhros’ room.  She could just

see the French doors leading inside his room. They were open and white sheers

billowed out onto the balcony as a light draft played with them.  There was a half circle of marble railing

curving around the balcony. Even from a distance, it was easy to see that the

balustrade was carved to resemble tree bark. The house had so many touches like

that, wedding nature to stone in a very pleasing affect.



She slowly walked down the garden steps, looking at the

colorful displays to her left and right. Each grouping of plants more beautiful

than the last.  As she recognized the

different varieties, she wondered how they got some of the flowers to bloom so

late in the season. At the bottom of the steps was another broad strip of

grassy lawn leading into a wooded area. 

Ailsa smiled as she looked into the trees.  She took a quick glance at the house to get

her bearings and entered the forest.  She

stopped several yards into the trees, and looked back the way she came.  She could still see where she had

entered.  She decided it wouldn’t do to

get lost her first day there. 



As she walked, she enjoyed the solitude and the wonderful

stillness the woods afforded.  Shafts of

bright gold broke through the thick foliage spotlighting the carpet of pine

needles and leaf debris.  She nearly

danced around the tree trunks, gently touching the bark.  She loved the feel of the wrinkled wood.  The trees were very old; her hand almost

disappeared into some of the deep crevices. 

She craned her neck seeking the treetops, and laughed as she caught

herself before falling backwards with her attempt.  She reveled in the complete bliss of just

being there. 



The trees dwindled the further she walked and there was a

familiar crashing sound that grew louder. 

She could see more sunlight up ahead and hurried her pace.  The woods ended abruptly onto a stony ledge.

Tufts of scruffy dune grass sprouted from cracks in the stone.  As she advanced into the clearing, a new

wonder filled her eyes. There before her was the sea and the ocean beyond.  She squealed with delight as she realized

that the estate had a secluded cliff overlooking the restless vista.



She moved onto the cliff, the wind whipped at her hair and

body. She stepped a bit further. Great walls of craggy rocks rose up from

narrow paths on either side of her. These paths would have to be explored

another time.  She gingerly approached

the edge of the cliff to see what the crashing sound was. Below, huge rust

colored arches stood sentinel just off a crescent beach of white sand.  The surf pounded the rocks with a great crash

of exploding seawater.  “Amazing.” The

word slowly slid from her lips.



“You should not get too close to the edge, Ailsa.” 



Ailsa spun, instantly face to face with Maedhros.  There was a touch of fear in his eyes.



“My God, Maedhros, you startled me.” She suddenly felt she

needed to defend herself.  “I’m okay. I

was only looking.”



With the slightest of smiles, Maedhros gently took Ailsa’s

arm, and began to draw her further back towards the trees. “Forgive me Ailsa,

but you are too close.”  He was adamant and would not let go of her

arm until they were well away from the cliff edge.



Defiantly, Ailsa looked back and realized he was right. She

quickly began to feel a little foolish. 

“I’m the one who should be sorry,” she apologized reluctantly.  “Whenever I get close to the ocean I can’t help

myself.  I just can’t resist its call I

guess.”  Maedhros’ face suddenly paled as

she spoke.  He raised his hand to his

brow, closing his eyes as if in pain.



Ailsa reached out and touched his upper arm.  “Are you all right?”  Maedhros stepped back, away from her hand and

her question.



Suddenly it was

there…beating against its restraints. The desire to sail back to its waiting

shores. The need to return to Aman began to thunder through him.  By the Valar, why is this forcing itself to

the surface now! NO! Torment me no more!  Maedhros took a deep breath and waited,

praying the moment would pass. When he looked at Ailsa again, he was more

himself. The girl’s face was filled with fear and worry. “I am well,

Ailsa.  I thought I was getting

a…headache. But I was wrong. I am sorry if I caused you concern.” 



Ailsa relaxed a bit. 

“Is there anything I can do?”  The

way his face paled and the way he acted made her think it was more than a

headache coming on. For a moment, Maedhros had looked so ill.  Though, he seemed fine now.



“I think we should return to the house.” Was all he said and

started walking towards the trees.  Her

only option was to follow.



Once in the woods, she caught up to him and tried to make

conversation. “How did you know where I was?”



“I saw you from the library window as you made your way to

the gardens.”  He kept walking.  “I thought you might have some questions, so

I decided to join you.” 



Ailsa ignored the unspoken “and it’s a good thing I

did.”  She immediately felt bad. Maedhros

didn’t seem to be a “I told you so” type of person.  She decided to change the subject.  “These are lovely woods.”



“They remind me so much of my home,” he said wistfully as he

looked around. 



“Oh? Where’s that?”



“Many miles from here.” 





Ailsa waited a moment and finally asked, “You’re not going

tell me, are you?”



Maedhros looked away for a moment.  “No,” he finally replied, forcing Ailsa to

smile. 



“You really love playing the man of mystery, don’t ya.” Her

voice was full of amusement.



Maedhros stopped abruptly. “All things in their proper time,

Ailsa,” he answered tilting his head slightly. “I find many Americans have this

unexplained need to tell complete strangers their entire life’s story within 15

minutes of meeting them.  I have always

found that rather…frightening.”  He gave

her a quick nod and proceeded once again through the trees. Ailsa realized that

Maedhros had just told her very nicely to mind her own business.  But rather than being insulted, she found

herself amused again as she rushed to catch up to him.



As they climbed the stone stairs of the garden, Ailsa

stopped at a large bush of red roses. Bending slightly, she brought one of the

deep red blooms to her nose and breathed in its heady scent. “Hmmm, I don’t

know if it’s the Cornwall

soil or what, but I’ve never smelled roses like these.”



“They are quite lovely. 

I will have some brought to your room.” 

He offered.



“Oh no, don’t do that.” She asked as she put another bloom

to her nose. “Better to let them stay where they are.  Cut flowers die so quickly.”  She gently felt the velvety petals between

her fingers.  “That way everyone can

enjoy them.” 



“It will be as you wish,” he said in a low voice.  Ailsa was certain she detected a tone of

pride as Maedhros spoke. Once again, it seemed he heard her thoughts. Clearing

his throat, he continued towards the house.



Ailsa stood watching him walk away.  Just

who the hell are you Maedhros?



= = = = = = =




Her language felt crude on his tongue, but he was

determined to learn it as quickly as possible. As they took their walks into

the countryside, Elizabeth

would point to things and say their names; Maedhros repeating them back to

her. Sometimes he would tell her the

Elvish name for something and she would attempt to repeat it. Each would laugh at the other’s

attempts.


Finally one day,

Maedhros was able to ask her the question that burned in his mind. “Where am

I?”  Her answer did nothing to calm the

flame.  The words Cornwall

and England

held no meaning for him. Arda was nothing! Middle-earth was a memory to no one

but himself.

Elizabeth must have observed the distress in his
face.  One morning as they sat outside

the passage, she told him that he would come to love this world more and miss

his fairy kingdom less and less. Maedhros could not fathom why she thought he was

from a “fairy kingdom.” She told him that it was an honor to offer hospitality

to an obvious King of the fairy world. 

Maedhros tried not to laugh at her childish misconceptions. She was so

eager to make him feel better.



She went on to tell

him she knew who he was right away.  It

was not only his strange garb and his ears that curled into a point. The

glowing white jewel now safely stored in the leather pouch she gave him, and

the shimmering visage that hung above the pool, were obviously made by his

great magic. Who else but a fairy of nobility could travel to this world and

have such treasures?



He found it hard to

disappoint the little face that looked so triumphantly at him.  Her hazel eyes were alight with anticipation

as she waited for him to confirm her conclusions. But there could be no lies

between them.  Their friendship was too

important to him.



“There are no such

things as fairies, tithen min. I am not a king, not even a prince.”  He said the words carefully so he would not

stumble over them and lose their intent. 

He said them for himself as well; fore there was no longer any nobility

about him. “I have no magic. I am but an Elf. 

I am nothing more.”



(Tithen min = little

one)



= = = = = = =



Dinner was served in the large dining hall that night.  Ailsa thought Mrs. Whitehall wanted their

first dinner to be special.  She found

out that all the meals would be served in the large dining hall with all the

family china, linen, and cutlery present. That night, Maedhros joined them.  Conversation was light and Ailsa’s trip to

the cliff was barely mentioned.  Ailsa

did notice that although her father still seemed preoccupied, he had relaxed a

bit.  Now that they were finally there,

maybe he would get back to being himself.



Right after dinner, Ewan excused himself. “I have some

research to attend to in the library.” 

He got up and headed for the door. 

Before he could reach it, Maedhros called.  “Ewan, I think Ailsa should see the rest of

the library.”  Her father stopped dead in

his tracks and slowly turned.  “The rest

of the library?” he asked.  There was a

confused look in his eyes.



Maedhros got up and placed his napkin on the table. “Yes, I

think she’ll enjoy seeing the Archives.” 





The confusion in her father’s eyes turned to relief.  “Of course.” 





Ailsa had watched the exchange between Maedhros and her

father with interest.  “Come on Ailsa,

let me show you the rest of the library.” 

Ailsa gave Maedhros a hard look. 

She was beginning to dislike the imperious way Maedhros sometimes acted,

as if he was the owner of Egla Tir.  She

pushed her chair back and stood up. 

“Okay, dad, let’s go.”  She

ignored Maedhros and followed her father.



As they entered the library once again, Ailsa felt the same

charm she had experienced earlier. The drapes were now closed covering the

windows for the night. Even in the artificial light of the various lamps, the

library was a warm welcoming place. 



Ewan turned to his left and walked directly to the far end

of the room. Reaching up, he pulled on a green leather book and it moved

slightly.  A mechanical sound came from

behind the bookcase and suddenly the first six shelves moved outward, opening

as a door, exposing darkness within.



Ailsa moved cautiously toward the dark doorway. Her father

reached just inside the opening and flicked on a hidden light switch, offering

a better look.  There were stone steps

leading down a few yards and she could see a cement floor continuing on.  She looked at her father, excitement filled

her eyes.  “What’s down there?”  Her father only smiled back.  From behind, she heard Maedhros voice, “It is

the true legacy of Egla Tir.”  Ewan threw

him a questioning glance. With a slight shake of his head, Maedhros indicated

“no.”



“Let me go down first,” Ewan offered and started his

descent.  Although she was filled with

curiosity, Ailsa carefully went down the stairs.  The steps were steep, and she was glad there

was a handrail on the wall. 



Once at the bottom, she took a few steps through a short

passage and stood in the doorway of what looked like a cellar. The room was

large, the air felt warm and dry.  There

was nothing damp about the place. Books of various sizes and rolled up scrolls

filled the shelves on the wall in front of her. 

There were stacks of shelves to her left with the same kind of books and

scrolls on them.  To her right was a desk

with a computer on top, ready to use. 

Her father’s voice followed her around the room.  “The air in the room is controlled to keep

the documents and books safe from time and decay.” 



With the excitement of someone who has stumbled onto a

precious treasure, Ailsa walked to the far wall and opened one of the

books.  Her eyes widened as she gently

turned the pages.  It was a beautiful

edition of the Book of Kells.  Each page

was filled with Latin script and the amazing drawings and designs of Irish

monks from centuries past.  The book was

priceless, both monetarily and artistically. 

Her father sat on a corner of the desk watching her, a pleased look on

his face.  She put the book back and

walked around the room checking random tomes, scanning various scrolls. 



“This is the legacy that your father has inherited.”  Maedhros stood in the doorway and gave Ewan a

slight bow.  Ewan nodded back to him.

“These books and scrolls have been collected by the family for

generations.  They contain histories,

legends, myths, and stories of valor as well as tales of great evil.  By accepting the Egla Tir inheritance, your

father has given his word that he will protect them.”



 “I’ve taken on the

task of cataloging and organizing all this,” her father said as he gestured

around the room. 



“Now I know why you’ve been so preoccupied lately.” She

looked around once more. “This is going to be quite a job,” she admitted.  Ailsa clapped her hands together. “Well, I’m

ready when you are. When do we start?”  She was excited at the thought of working with

these wonderful volumes and the various documents. 



“Well, I won’t be needing any help right away,” Ewan slowly

began. “I’ll need to do some preliminary work before the actual cataloging can

begin.”  He smiled at her, but Ailsa

could sense he wasn’t telling her the whole truth.  Didn’t

he want her help?



Ailsa’s feelings began to hurt.  “Okay. 

I’ll keep myself busy working on the library above. I’m sure it could

use a little organizing as well.”  Ailsa

tried to sound light, but her voice was heavy with disappointment.  “I think that’s a good idea,” her father

said, “It won’t be long before it’ll be time for you to join me down

here.”  Ailsa couldn’t help noticing that

her father spoke more to Maedhros than to her. 

Maedhros only nodded his assent. 



No one said anything for a moment.  Ailsa decided she couldn’t stand being down

there another minute. “Well, I’ve had a big day.  I’m going to bed.” She gave her father a

quick kiss on the cheek.  She turned and walked

silently past Maedhros and up the stairs to the main library.  Maedhros’ “Good night, Ailsa” followed her up

the steps.



She felt so foolish. 

She only hoped her father hadn’t seen how disappointed she was. When she

got to her room, she didn’t put on the lights, but sat on the window seat

looking out at the night. The moon winked its bright eye as it peeked over the

silhouette of the oak treetops. In a few days, it would light up the night

world with its full silver glow. 

Usually, Ailsa enjoyed such nights. 

She sighed heavily; at least there was something to look forward to.



Back in the archive room Ewan fumed.  “I don’t think we pulled that off very well,

do you?”



Maedhros leaned against the desk.  “It would seem you were right after all.”



“Did you see how disappointed she was? And did you see the

look she gave you when she left? If

you want her to dislike you, you’re going about it the right way.” Ewan was

upset with the way things turned out. “Maedhros, I truly understand your

concerns, but I can’t and won’t keep her in the dark much longer. I’m her

father, and it’s my decision!”



Maedhros eyes snapped to Ewan’s face.  “And I am…” He stopped immediately; he knew

better than to confront a father protecting his child. “…going to bed. Good

night, Ewan.”  He silently climbed the

stairs leaving Ewan alone with his anger.



Later, as he stood on his balcony, Maedhros watched the

waxing moon as it came out from behind high thin clouds and traveled across the

night sky.  Although not in its full

splendor, it still hung above him as a great blue-white beacon. Closing his

eyes, he began to think of the coming full moon and his need of a better plan.



= = = = = = =



A few nights later, Ailsa again sat in her window seat. It

was very late, and the end of another day at Egla Tir. The moon filled the sky,

its full-face bathing the grounds with the glow of false daylight.  She had tried to act as if nothing had

happened, but it had been impossible. 

She hadn’t actually seen her father at all since their first night.  The doorway to the archive room remained

closed whenever she was in the upper library. 





Ailsa had halfheartedly begun her cataloging. Her bruised

feelings just wouldn’t let her get into it. 

Oh, there were some amazing editions of various histories and

commentaries. She loved handling the leather bindings and reading snatches of

original passages she had only previously read in textbooks.  Who knew, maybe this could be the place to

kickstart her thesis? 



Ailsa’s concern for her father had quickly turned to

full-blown worry. He was even more preoccupied than before.  And now, he seemed to have put up a wall of

secrecy as well.  Ailsa would have

confronted Maedhros about it, but she hadn’t seen him in as many days.  In desperation, she even thought about

calling her mother, but decided that wouldn’t be a good idea.  Kyle would be just as worthless.  She figured they would only tell her she was

imagining things.



She sat a while trying to pull her thoughts together.  Something wasn’t right.  Her gut told her that nothing was as it

seemed.  She knew Maedhros was

deliberately avoiding her.  And there was

something important unspoken between she and her father.



Her attention was drawn to some movement below.  There was a figure moving across the lawn towards

the garden.  It was Maedhros.  Why is

he out so late?



Although his walk was a bit hurried, he wasn’t sneaking

around.  A little voice inside her

whispered. Follow him.  Well, she thought, if she stayed well behind

him, he’d never know she was there.



She quickly put on her jacket and left her room. Once

outside, she hurried and caught up with Maedhros as he was just about to enter

the woods.  He stopped for a moment and

angled his head as if trying to make up his mind about something.  She stood at the top of the stone stairs

ready to dive behind a bush if he looked in her direction.  He stood there for a moment more, then

promptly walked into the trees.  Ailsa

was down the stairs as quickly and quietly as she could. 



Thank God for the full

moon, she thought as she rushed into the woods.  The path was easy to follow in the bright

blue moonlight and she could see the back of Maedhros as he walked far

ahead.  As she hurried to close the gap

between them, she realized Maedhros had loosened his hair.  The night breeze made his long dark hair

billow like a shadowy cape behind him.



She tried to follow as quietly as she could.  The rustling of the leaves in the mild wind

and the gentle creaking of the tree limbs hopefully covered any loud missteps

she might make. When Maedhros suddenly turned off the path, she knew he wasn’t

heading for the cliff. Where can he be

going? Ailsa hesitated for a moment, but her curiosity and the bright

moonshine spurred her on.  She could

still see Maedhros walking up ahead, his tall figure bathed in the moon’s

glow.  Suddenly, he made another turn and

was gone.   



She raced to the spot where she had last seen Maedhros

before he disappeared.  She walked a bit

more, searching for any sign of movement. 

The breeze swirled around her body encouraging her forward.  She had decided to turn back when she began

to hear the most incredible sound. 

Someone was singing.



Never in all her life had she ever heard singing like this.

The song filled the woods with its mysterious presence.  Her breath caught in her chest as she walked

toward the haunting melody.  Ailsa knew

she had to find the singer.  She tried

not to rush, because she was afraid she’d startle him and he’d stop.  But she already knew whom she'd find.



Peering from the safety of the trees, she saw him walking,

eyes closed, arms slightly stretched out at his sides.  The skin of his face glowed like the

moonlight as he walked among the trees, going from light into the shadow.  His mouth forming words unknown to her.

Strange, wonderful words…their sounds rang in her heart.



As he walked deeper into the trees, she knew what she had to

do.  Ailsa didn’t care if she was lost.

She had to follow his song, to find out where he was going.  She pursued him, quickly ducking behind a

large trunk as Maedhros entered a circular clearing. 



In the middle of the clearing lay a pool of water and a long

stone bench to one side.  The moon

reflected its cold light into the mirrored surface of the water, and bathed the

entire clearing in its unearthly illumination. 

Maedhros sat on the bench looking at the pool and began another song.



This one was quite different.  Ailsa could feel the sadness in this

one.  No, it wasn’t just sadness, it was

grief.  A pure grief so deep, it clutched

at Ailsa’s heart with its cold fingers making her want to sob into her

hands.  As he sang, he turned his face

towards the sky.  His long hair hung

motionless down his torso.  His

countenance so noble in bearing was so sad to see.  On and on he sang his song of torment.  It hurt to look at him, but look at him she

did.  Something deep inside her made her

need to comfort him, despite the pain she knew she’d feel if she even touched

him. 



She heard the soft voice inside her whispering. Leave him now. She listened to him for a

few moments more then slowly turned and began to walk back.  She glanced only once more in Maedhros’

direction. He was still sitting there as he sang his song. 



Thank goodness, he hasn’t seen me.  She looked up at the white moon. She

recognized the same glow she’d seen coming from Maedhros face.  Suddenly she was very tired. She knew she had

to get back to the house, and then a comforting sensation filled her whole

being.  Somehow she knew she’d find her

way back. 



As Ailsa walked quietly away, Maedhros ended his song and

turned his tear filled eyes towards the path she had taken. Of all my children, what is it about this

one…?  Something is in the air…I can feel

it!  He slowly lowered his eyes and

began to sing again.





To be continued.