The Silverleaf (LOTR Fanfiction)

To Be A Remembrance Child

                         The 28th of Yavannie,
                                       523 TA

Dancing

Laughing

Loving

Hoping

Hi ai ayyy

Little maiden of the fair folk

Come to join our play?

Always so gentle

Always afraid

Don't you know

That memories come and go?

Hi ai ayyy

Come join our play!

The cheerful song rang out from the grove of small trees in the garden as elflings could be seen flitting about, sitting high in the branches to watch or dancing about on the soft grasses. Sneaky ellyn wound around the crowd, only to jump out and pull the hair of another unsuspecting merry-maker. A ring of little feet could be seen running around in the middle of the clearing. One lone figure stood in the middle of the circle, trying her best to smile and appear happy.

She was Rîniel. Now at the tender elfling age of 15 years old, barely 7 in human eyes, she had lived with the Lady Of The Wood for about 13 years. Galadriel had made good on her promise, continually nurturing the young maiden and teaching her to grow with a gentle heart, humble spirit, and willingness to serve. She was a happy child. She had seemingly all she needed. Except she bore a sorrow no elfling could understand.

She was gifted with memories of the past. Memories from all people, memories of horrors and trials that her soul was much too young to know. But Galadriel had understood this one thing  when Haldir brought her from the ruin of Ostwhesta; Rîniel was resilient and her feä held more courage than she let on.

Rîniel forced a smile on her face, even though tears threatened to prickle her eyes. The elflings were not being cruel, they just enjoyed new games. Unfortunately, the newest one was trying to tease her and make her laugh and make her be happy and silly like the rest of them. She sighed. She must find a way out of this dreaded circle, as much as she adored hearing their laughter and merry voices.

Circles. She suddenly froze as a memory struck her. All sounds seemed to fade away and melt into nothingness. A large dark expanse seemed to take over her vision. She then saw forms, things lying on the dark ground. She gasped.

They were human corpses. Arranged in a huge circle, splayed out with their limbs facing every which way. A grotesque laughter filled the air as she turned her frightened gaze to the middle of the circle. She knew instinctively who it was, the massive dark figure standing there, a glittering sword dripping red in his hands. A golden ring encircled his finger.

The Darkness fell around her as she crumpled back to the green grass at home, clutching wildly at her face and sobbing.

The elflings all stopped their singing and dancing, glancing uneasily at each other. This had happened a couple times before with the strange elleth. A few turned tail and ran, others fled to get help. Muffled voices still reached Rîniel's ears as the worried children called her name, trying to draw her out of her grief. Something inside of her was repulsed by their light forms, something wanted to cower away from their voices. But that faded instantly as a little hand pushed its way into her clenched ones, and two bright frightened blue-grey eyes stared into hers. She gasped and came back to reality, only to find she had collapsed in an elleth's arms. She looked up. Arwen stared at her worriedly.