Estateillio

from Mirrormere to Nimrodel

• The sunlight was bright in comparison to the dim magical light of Gandalf that had been their main light source over the past four days and so the fellowship stopped outside Moria for but a second to allow their eyes to adjust to the brightness.

• Only Estateillio, who could not see and thus was not bothered by light differences, and Gimli, who as a dwarf was less bothered by quick changes in brightness, went ahead slightly to look for any imminent threats and to their relief found none.

• And the others followed, ruining away from the darkness and the stench of Moria and farther into sunlight and the fresh breeze and when they caught up with the elleth and the dwarf the tears started.

• And Pippin started to weep, for in his mind it was he who was guilty of Gandalf's death, because hehad woken the goblins and the balrog, and Merry hugged him and Sam sat down silently on a rock and Frodo stared unseeingly into the distance and Boromir side-hugged Gimli, two seasoned warriors sharing their grief over a lost friend, and Legolas seemed more confused, trying to get to terms with the fact that Gandalf, ageless, wise and kind Gandalf, had fallen, had died.

• "Was there nothing you could do?", Aragorn asked Estateillio, both more gathered than the others, for they were used to seeing death, even from those one would think immortal. "I could have defeated the balrog in the great hall, I could have destroyed the bridge with but a snap", she spoke bitterly, mirthlessly, "I could have done that and two days later we would have the Nazgûl on our heels with thousand of orcs well on the way."

• Aragorn accepted that for now, deeming their safety more important now he urged the fellowship to get up again: "By nightfall this hills will be swarming with orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up!"

• And he helped Sam to his feet and Estateillio put a hand on Frodo's shoulder to get the hobbit's attention and he emerged from his thoughts and looked up at the elleth who forced a smile on her lips to reassure him and then she spoke to the whole fellowship: "It's not even a day's journey to the Golden Woods if we hurry. We should do that, I say, for as soon as we enter Lothlórien we are safe and can rest and mourn properly."

• "Là-análiën hí lillumë. Tanuvan mé rantá? (I have not been here often. Will you show us the way?)", Aragorn asked her and Estateillio ever so slightly inclined her head in agreement and called: "Come!" And she led the fellowship down a narrow path at the of which there lay a lake, its surface calm and smooth like a mirror and when they reached its shores Gimli stopped and knelt and Estateillio spoke: "Here lies Mirrormere, which is holy to the Khazad."

• And after the dwarf rose again they continued their journey, following the Celebrant down the mountains and after not four hours of quick walking they reached the outskirts of a forest and Estateillio halted the fellowship at a stream that joined with the Celebrant and she spoke: "This is the Nimrodel. Bathe your feet in this water and they will forget their toils."

• And they did so and rested for a bit and the hobbits took that opportunity to dig into their food supplies.

• "They say that an elf-maid lived here once", Legolas stated out of nowhere, "before she fell in love with the king of the woods." "What happened to her?", Merry asked, mouth full. "She was never seen again after her lover drowned", Estateillio curtly answered, but Legolas was apparently in the mood to talk, for he continued: "My kin wrote a song about her."

• "How does it go?", Sam questioned and Legolas mused: "I will try my best to translate it." And then he sang the Song of Nimrodel:

An Elven-maid there was of old,
A shining star by day:
Her mantle white was hemmed with gold,
Her shoes of silver-grey.

A star was bound upon her brows,
A light was on her hair
As sun upon the golden boughs
In Lórien the fair.

Her hair was long, her limbs were white,
And fair she was and free;
And in the wind she went as light
As leaf of linden-tree.

Beside the falls of Nimrodel,
By water clear and cool,
Her voice as falling silver fell
Into the shining pool.

Where now she wanders none can tell,
In sunlight or in shade;
For lost of yore was Nimrodel
And in the mountains strayed.

The elven-ship in haven grey
Beneath the mountain-lee
Awaited her for many a day
Beside the roaring sea.

A wind by night in Northern lands
Arose, and loud it cried,
And drove the ship from elven-strands
Across the streaming tide.

When dawn came dim the land was lost,
The mountains sinking grey
Beyond the heaving waves that tossed
Their plumes of blinding spray.

Amroth beheld the fading shore
Now low beyond the swell,
And cursed the faithless ship that bore
Him far from Nimrodel.

Of old he was an Elven-king,
A lord of tree and glen,
When golden were the boughs in spring
In fair Lothlórien.

From helm to sea they saw him leap,
As arrow from the string,
And dive into the water deep,
As mew upon the wing.

The wind was in his flowing hair,
The foam about him shone;
Afar they saw him strong and fair
Go riding like a swan.

But from the West has come no word,
And on the Hither Shore
No tidings Elven-folk have heard
Of Amroth evermore.

• But then he wavered and stopped, claiming: "I know no more of the text I fear." That didn't seem to bother the hobbits though, for they asked him many questions about the legend, and Estateillio was glad to see that the halflings had regained their lively spirits.

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Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoyed!
AT