Meeting at the Lawn with Elethin

Lawn
Here the stairway through the mellyrn meets the top of a mighty hill. You stand in the middle of a great lawn filled with blue and yellow flowers. A sweet scent fills the air. In the middle of the lawn stands a great shimmering fountain which falls into a basin of silver. From the basin flows a white stream of water out into a small brook, which then trickles away down the hill. Further north stands a mallorn tree of such magnificent height that it seems to reach even to the clouds.

Elethin ends the song with her laughter. "What say I? I say that is a fine name, mellon!" Shestrums the harp. "I am Elethin," she says, rising to greet him.

Matching the beautiful maiden's laughter with that of his own, Belegedhel takes her hand and kisses it softly. "I am pleased to have been blessed with one's acquaintance as fair as yours." He says as he bows his head low to her. "I have not met you before have I?  Or do my eyes decieve me, for I feel as if I have seen your face afore." He says inquisitively.

"You might have," replies Elethin, as a blush blooms on her cheeks. "I lived  long in the woods of Lorien ere I left. Your name sings on my tonguie. Will you sit with me?" She  indicates the bench behind her and sits down, smoothing her dress out just so.

Blushing, Belegedhel moves towards the bench that she had gestured to. "I  have not been back in the wood for very long mellon, but I do recall seeing you afore tonight."  Stroking his pale, bare chin; Belegedhel starts suddenly saying "Aye! I remember fair maid! Were you  not the emissary who spoke for Imladris at the Council Meeting?" he says as he sits aside her finally.

Elethin laughs. "Why then you have seen me! And recently! Ah, my own wits  must have left me, for I should have known you instantly. Aye, I am the emissary from Imladris,  although I have come to visit with old friends as well." Her hand caresses the harp. "Do you play,  mellon?"

Smiling broadly at his own skill of recollection, Belegedhel looks deeply into the eyes of Elethin for a moment, as if enchanted. Returning at once from the sound of her query, Belegedhel looks to the finely crafted  instrument and says "Nay mellon, I fear I do not have that skill." he looks away, silent for a moment. Then speaking he says "But I hope to learn someday. My real skill lies with my tongue however."

A smile grows on the maiden's face as he gets lost in her eyes. "Ah! A poet, then?" Elethin rests her hands on her harp. "Do you have some thing for me? Or perhaps your tongue's talents lie elsewhere?"

Looking now back at the maid, Belgedhel says "I have a love for language, though know only one. I hope to soon learn others, if I may convince a teacher with a good-heart to take me as their tutor." Now looking again at the elf-maid, and finding himself falling deeper into her eyes, Belegedhel says "I have but one thing for you mellon. If you wish to hear a song, I may wish to perform." with his words trailing off as he finishes his sentence.

Elethin lets the silence stretch for a while.

Finally, she nods. "I would here your song, mellon." She picks up the harp. "Accompanied? Or do you wish to sing solo?"

The light of the setting sun plays in Belegedhel's eyes as the beauteous maid looks at him and heanswers "I would greatly appreciate accompaniement from one as skilled as you. Remember though, this lay is one of great lamentation, and is the tale of my return to the Golden Wood after my long exile."

Elethin runs her finger along each of the strings, slowly, and coaxes one back into perfect tune."I am not so skilled," she laughs softly, "but well enough for this." She starts a slow song in a solemn mode, and looks closely at him, her eyes now reading his. "Like so?"

Slowly, Belegedhel nods and stands and as Elethin begins to pluck her harp-strings he says quietly "yes, that is perfect mellon... I think you jest to tell me you are unskilled!" Then his mouth opens and his sad, sweet, elven voice begins it's tale.

Belegedhel, in the forest fell
beneath a sea of leaves
How long he lay, none can tell
There he spent far too many an eve

Elethin watches Belegedhel closely, matching her tune to his words, and  listening.

His voice is now somehow sadder, but there is a glimmer of hope within, which is the meaning all of his songs

Upon silver bark, he knocked his head
upon golden leaf he made his bed
His name:forgotten by elven memories
and so he lay:maybe for days, perhaps centuries

Elethin's hand plays more softly now, summoning the trees, and the bed of  gold beneath them. Her eyes hold his, reading.

His face now takes on a pained expression as he continues singing

Belegedhel, the mighty fell
he struck his head quite hard
No sound, nor sight, nor feeling, nor smell
Upon his long sleep marred.

The harp's tones become less distinct, and a slow, dreamy countermelody is laced through it. The sounds of the trees, and of the fountain, diminish.

Now as he sings the last staves of this lay, his face brightens a bit and his voice is no longer quite as sad. His sweet elven tongue feels ready to rest once again and as he finishes, it seems that the trees and blue and white flowers surrounding the two quendi are upturned, listening to them in their beautiful melody

Naught he remembered when he awoke,
"Lorien!" was the first word he spoke
Not knowing of what he was before
He came knocking at House Arduril's door

Belegedhel, now a pacifist
a mighty elf he may have been.
But in the Golden Forest's mist
He forgot all ere he had seen.

Like mist, the trees and the bed of leaves vanish, and the fountain returns to it's usual roar. "And so here you are," Elethin smiles. "Alas, I have nothing to compare. Only that I was nearly flattened by a troll." She giggles. "It was not funny then, but looking  back...'

Laughing in return to Elethin's own laughter, Belegedhel says grinning broadly "I don't think getting flattened by a troll would be ... an enjoyable experience to say the least" Now taking the maiden's hand in his he continues "If you have any criticism for an aspiring learner then it would be greatly appreciated mellon.' A questioning 
look upon his face now, Belegedhel asks "What errand have you in the Golden Wood maiden? Anything of interest to an elf such as I?"

Elethin shakes her head. "I am no writer of songs, mellon. I sing what better pens have written." She lowers her eyes. "I have sung many of the songs I know in Quenya here, for that tongue is banned from Imladris. It has been hard for me; I cannot sing many of my  favorite songs." She looks up again. "But that is not so hard to endure. As for my errand," she  raises an eyebrow, "It is merely to be here for my friend Aldarwen. There is little that another could do to help." She smiles warmly. "I do appreciate the offer though." And she places her 
other hand on his for a moment.

Looking up at the starlit night, Belegedhel says without turning back to her  " I have often heard that Quenyan is banned within Imladris, and 'tis a shame in this humble elf's opinion. I would love to learn the high elven speech some time, but alas, know not where to look." Then looking back to her, he says "You know the Master Bard, mellon? I had the pleasure of  making her acquaintance just yester-eve. She is a wonderful lady, is she not?"

Elethin smiles fondly. "She is an old friend, and dear to my heart. I was delighted to hear that she had become a loremaster!" Her face becomes more pensive. "As for why the High-Elven speech is banned, there are reasons that I dare not argue with. A few songs is a small cost for turning away from the old sins of our kind. And there are translations." This seems like a small consolation, but it is obviously not a new grief for the lady. There is only  a momentary darkening of her eyes, and then she is smiling again.

Belegedhel nods gravely before saying to the elven maid "Aye, and I know the reasons well. But it gladdens my heart knowing that in the Wood we are still allowed to use our tongues in whatever language we know." Then looking again to the maiden with a look of urgency, he says "It grows late mellon, and I fear I must depart, but I wish to meet with you again  sometime and we will hold converse." Smiling he finishes "You will be in Lothlorien for awhile?"

"I will be in Lorien for a while," Elethin assures him, "and there will much ado made about my leaving, for I will require an escort of Galadhrim. I will see you again ere long."

Taking leave of the maiden, he again kisses her hand and bows his head. Upon raising his head again he smiles broadly, and the moonlight flickers in his eyes of jet.  "Until we meet again, namarie mellon. I will be sure to come see you off with your escort, for an event as such should be witnessed by many." Then turning sharply with a wave, he hurriedly made his way back down the stairs from which he ascended.

Elethin calls a merry "Namarie!" after the departing elf, blushing at his elaborate courtesy. As he descends, the song of the harp drifts down from the lawn, a merry dancing-song.