Aldarwen is back from Imladris

Naith of Lorien
You stand riverside, in Dwimordene, amidst the grey bowls of the mallyrn and the conceiling underbrush on the eastern banks of the river Celebrant. It is here in these golden woods where the rolling foothills of the Misties come to an end and in the Elven realm of Lothlorien, often called Dwimordene or Dreamland by men, begins. It's summertime, and the mallyrn's leaves and branches form a light canopy of green to match the scattered undergrowth below. Presently, the mid afternoon sun casts lengthening shadows across the Wood as it begins its descent.

The afternoon is clear and warm, the Celebrant runs smoothly toward the south, singing its eternal song, many birds fly around the trees at the Naith, and just a very soft cool breeze blows through the high branches. And in this peaceful afternoon, a maiden is lying on the grass very near the river, with her face toward the sun. She's clad in a shinning white dress, short enough to let most of her legs dive inside the silver waters. Beside her lies a medium-sized travel-bag, and a pair of elven travel-shoes. From her red lips comes a soft humming, similar to that of the birds, that identifies the maiden as Master Bard Aldarwen.

Terridan steps lightly down the path, glancing around the riverside. As he hears the humming, he quickly scans, and smiles warmly as he sees Aldarwen resting there. He walks over to her, and bows his head once, "It is good to see you mellon... I had just heard you all had returned from your trip," he smiles slightly, "I trust everything went well?"

Her hands still beneath her head, her legs splashing freely in the waters, Aldarwen giggles softly as she opens her eyes and stares at Terridan for a brief moment. She starts to sit slowly, her face shinning with a broad smile, then answers in her sweet musical voice, "Indeed, my friend, everything has gone quite alright." As she says this, she extends her arms into the water and lets her hands stay there for a while, "The best thing of all is coming home again, it's like being reborn".

Terridan smiles softly, then steps down next to her, and kneels, "Yes... that I can truly understand, mellon..." he seems hesitant for a moment, then turns to face her slowly, "Mellon, might I ask you something?"

Cupping some water in her hands, the bard wets her face many times, making the water reach also her new shinning dress. As she does this, her face seems to brighten, and the travel-worn expression slowly disappears. With shinny eyes and a giggle upon her lips she says, "Yes, of course you can, mellon". With this she sits back a little, but letting her legs inside the waters for some more time.

Terridan smiles softly, then watches you for a moment before he looks back towards you, "When you were gone... searching for something you said... what was it you were searching for?"

The expression upon the maiden's face now changes completely, she raises an eybrow and her lips become a thin line upon the whiteness of her face. She does not answer Terridan's question, but instead, she takes her legs out of the water and turns in her sitting position so that she faces the guard. She then asks slowly, "Gone? Searching? I'm sorry, mellon, I don't know what you are talking about. You mean when I went to Imladris? I was searching nothing then, although I came back with quite a number of presents". At this, she starts giggling again, and she pulls her pack to put it just in front of her, and starts opening it.

Terridan looks ready to ask again, then looks to her pack, his eyes widening curiously, "What did you bring back with you?"

Aldarwen smiles and looks toward Terridan with a misterious expression upon her face, while her hands finish opening it, "Oh, many nice things." She takes out a small leather bag and opens it, "Here, there are some blueberries I collected on my own. Excellent berries, Elethin showed me where to get them". At this, she looks to one side and then to the other, then again into the guards eyes, "Speaking of that, have you seen Elethin?"

Terridan smiles, then shakes his head once, "No... I have not, she is back in the woods?" he smiles widely at this, and looks down towards the bag, examining it's contents.

Aldarwen nods eagerly and exclaims, "Indeed! She came with us, it seems she missed the woods too much, and needed to pay the city a visit". Taking out a bunch of blueberries from the bag she offers them to Terridan, "Want some? They are very nice." Meanwhile, with her other hand she takes out a clay jar from inside the pack and she says, "This is an imladrim cordial. Incredible liquor!"

Terridan smiles softly, and with a sad reluctance, places his hands on Aldarwen's, holding them steady for a moment, "Aldarwen... what were you searching for when you went looking for the ent? When you woke up, and I found you in the garden."

The bard raises an eyebrow and her gaze seems to frozen, her hands become completely steady, leaving the jar on the ground beside her, and still holding the bunch of blueberries. She blinks in silence many times, then shakes her head, "You've got all the facts wrong, my dear friend. But still, why do you want to speak of such awful things in such a beautiful day?" She lowers her head and stares emptily into the pack.

Terridan sighs, "Because mellon... I was concerned for you while you were away... and I want to know what it was that took you from your home and your friends..." he looks down into Aldarwen's face, "I don't want to see it happen again."

Aldarwen shakes her head eagerly, her lips trying to curve up in smile, but her face still frozen by the memory. Then, she looks into Terridan's eyes and answers slowly, "I didn't search for anything. I met him totally by accident. I found him, after so many years of longing for him." She makes a pause and lowers her eyes to look at the blueberries she holds in her hand, "But... " her voice trembles and so do her hands, "But... He didn't remember much of me, and it was so clear... So evident..." Her voice cracks completely and she stares away into the forests in deep silence.

Terridan sighs softly, then walks forward a bit, resting his hands on Aldarwen's shoulders, "Mellon... keeping this in can do you no good... tell me what troubles you so?"

Aldarwen nods very slowly, her expression being that of pain and deep suffering, but she doesn't break into tears. Instead, she looks at Terridan straight in the eyes and answers, "I had always thought of him as someone very special, I've composed many songs for him and I've spent many hours thinking on what he might be doing. When we met and spoke, I realized he didn't feel the same. He had almost forgotten our past encounter..." She makes a pause to get a deep breath and then shakes her head eagerly again, "It was very sad for me, and it took me months to finally understand what that meeting had meant. But it's settled now..." Her look becomes begging and angry at the same time, as she looks deeply into the guards eyes, "Why had you to bring it up again?"

Terridan sighs softly, then lowers his head, a bit ashamed of his actions, "Because... I was worried for you mellon... I felt that if I did not ask, that you might leave again..." he looks over towards her, "I apologize, but I could not allow a friend to go... not while there might be something I could do... especially so dear a friend."

Aldarwen shakes her head twice, her look becoming more permisive now, a small smile starting to gain land on the maiden's face again, "I won't disappear again, my friend, you can be sure about it". Her gaze diversing to the running waters of the river she says, "Now, can we talk about some nicer things? You still haven't taken the blueberries I've brought!"

Terridan smiles softly, then nods his head once, taking the berries, and picking one out from the bag, "Thank you mellon..." he tastes one, and smiles, "They are excellent."

The bard grins broadly and her face slowly returns to her shinning expression, "Now you have to taste this cordial," says Aldarwen as she looks inside the pack, "I know I had some glasses in here". Her hands start searching for a while, as she murmurs, "They must be somewhere inside here, I know they must". Finally, she takes out a wooden box and exclaims, "Here!". Opening the box she takes out two delicate glasses, smiling broadly as she does it.

Terridan smiles widely, then nods his head once, taking one of the glasses from her, "It is good to have you back mellon... it truly is."

Aldarwen giggles merrily as she takes the cordial jar and pours some of the violet-blue liquid into Terridan's glass first, then into hers. Once she has put down the jar she says, "I've really got fond of this special liquor". Her gaze diverts toward the treetops, where the hidden city lies and she sighs, "But it's so nice to be back home".

Terridan smiles softly, "It wasn't the same without you..." he sips the liquid slowly.

Raising an eyebrow at the guard's comment, Aldarwen asks, "Wasn't it? I'm sure everything just went on smoothly as ever." Her eyes return now inside the pack and she says, "Let's see what else can we find here..." While she fiddles with the many things inside the pack she murmurs, "Or, well, I guess it might have been quite different without our Lord in the woods".

A puzzled expression appears upont Terridan's face at this comment, but he stays silent. After a moment he stands up and looks toward Aldarwen with a smile, "My dear friend, I can't stay now, I have to leave since my duty calls me. I doubt not that we will meet again very soon. Till then, take care of yourself". With this, he bows toward the maiden and takes his leave.

The bard bows her head to Terridan as he makes his leave, and she manages to call out a "Farewell!" before he disappears into the trees. After that, she takes the many scattered things around them and start placing them into the pack again.

Aldarwen
You look upon a slender elf maiden, her eyes are dark green and if you look deep in them you can see the leaves of the trees of her childhood still quivering. She has long hair and the color is a bit greenish, like the grass in automn.
She's wearing a shinning white dress made of silk, short enough to show most of her slim legs.A thin silver belt tightens around her waist. Hanging from the belt at her waist there is a small leather bag, that seems filled with many things of different shapes.  She wears no necklace or rings of any kind.