Elerrina

Mirkwood

Forest green eyes stared at her intently, unreadable, seeming to pierce through her, so infinite, so full of many secrets and knowledge hidden inside their impenetrable emerald irises. She wanted to look away, but did not dare to break the stare, forcing her face into a mask as much as she could. The face of the elf remained as unreadable as his eyes, perfectly composed, cold and yet so noble and gentle, his undeniable authority over the rest of the elves clearly visible in his relaxed face, as if he had no need of even raising his voice for his command to be obeyed. The sole power of his serene confidence and impenetrable eyes was enough.

However, there was something in his piercing stare that made her suddenly feel nervous. She felt as if at that precise moment he knew exactly who she was, but she could not see the faintest glimpse of confirmation, or the slightest clue of recognition behind the hard emerald irises. Then as suddenly as his eyes had fallen over her, they moved away to look at the twins.

Soft words in elvish escaped the elf's mouth, the sound floating out of his lips so naturally, like a gentle melody carried effortlessly by the wind. His voice was soft, as tranquil as his face, the words perfectly pronounced one at a time, and yet there was such a power inside his kind, soft voice, that she felt sure she would instantly obey anything he said.

She could not understand the words, but by the way his arms danced open to his sides, and the way in which his head inclined slightly, she could tell he was welcoming them. All of his movements seemed so light and graceful, so regal and beautiful. Almost instantly, all of the other elves bowed slightly to them in greeting, imitating this regal looking elf. Elladan and Elrohir nodded their heads respectfully in return, and she copied them, completely at a loss of what to do.

"Thank you for such a kind welcome, Prince Arahaelon. It is an honor to be received by the Crown Prince" Elladan was the one to speak, in the same polite, gentle tone, looking exactly as the Lord of Imladris he was.

The name hit her like a bucket of cold water, her heart skipping a beat, but she did not let her sudden comprehension and surprise show in her face. Arahaelon. She had heard Legolas say that name before. The Crown Prince of Mirkwood: her eldest brother.

She was silently thankful to Elladan for discretely specifying the identity of the elf, the spark in his silver eyes letting her know that he had done it on purpose. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Legolas staring at her, a wide smile reflected in his infinite blue eyes.

She did not know how to feel. Her heart raced and nerves washed over her once more. In front of her stood a brother she had not met before. It felt strange, and suddenly she felt scared, terrified. Did he know who she was? Did he remember her like Legolas did? Had her father, the King, told her siblings she was alive? Or was he still keeping it a secret for himself?

Stranger of it all, she knew they shared the same blood, and yet she did not know anything about this elf, did not feel at all like family. She did not know what she had been expecting, but reality was proving to be quite different. She had built a mental image of the moment in which she would meet her siblings, and in all of them she had instantly felt as if they were related, as if they had known each other their whole lives. And now, in reality, it did not feel that way. They had not known each other their whole lives. The Crown Prince, her eldest brother, resulted as strange to her as the rest of the elves surrounding them, and yet, he already fascinated her.

The Crown Prince's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion, questioning Elladan's choice of tongue but he did not say anything about it. Again, she was grateful that the elder twins had chosen to reply in the common tongue for her to understand.

"The honor is mine, Sons of Elrond" Replied Arahaelon in the same soft voice, a welcoming smile appearing in his unreadable face. She wondered if the blond regal elf knew which twin had been the one to speak, if he could tell them apart at all, but again there was nothing visible through his crystal-like green eyes.