Glorfindel's Daughter

15. Stars

"You're sure you'll be all right without me," Cadhradriel questioned Lindir, as she held onto his arms. The wind blew their hair everywhere, and Fyrien swished her head back and forth to keep her mane from getting in her eyes.

"Yes, meleth nin, I will be fine. I'll see you when you return home."

Cadhradriel smiled and kissed his cheek. Lindir wrapped his arms around her tightly before letting go. She mounted her horse, and blew him a kiss as she, Sarthanir and a few other elves rode off for Lothlórien.

Lindir waved goodbye to her, and turned away when they were out of sight.

oOo

Cadhradriel had a smile on her face when her younger brother rode up next to her. "You haven't stopped smiling since you and Lindir became a couple," Sarthanir noted.

Cadhradriel raised an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong with that?"

The blonde elf shook his head. "No, I'm just pointing out a fact. I'm happy for you, dear sister."

Cadhradriel smiled. "Thank you little brother."

The small company of elves rode in silence for several hours. The sun was starting to go down when they stopped for the night. After eating, the few elven soldiers set a watch over the small camp.

Cadhradriel stared up at the black sky that was littered with stars. She had always felt a peace when looking at the stars. Her mind wandered back to when she was an elfling, long before the fall of Gondolin.

oOo

"There's one," Cadhradriel cried as she tugged on her father's sleeve. Glorfindel looked up to where the elfling was pointing.

"I'm sorry, my flower, but I'm afraid I missed it."

Cadhradriel giggled. She snuggled closer to Glorfindel's warmth under the blanket. He smiled and pulled her up into his lap. He then draped the blanket over his shoulders, so only Cadhradriel's dark head could poke out of the makeshift blanket tent.

"Ada?"

"Mhmm?"

"Why do we love the stars?"

Glorfindel smiled down at his young daughter. "Because the light is sacred to the Eldar. They gave us light to help find our way here."

"Oh," Cadhradriel whispered as she yawned and snuggled into her father's chest. "Goodnight Ada."

Glorfindel kissed the top of her dark head. "Goodnight my flower."

oOo

Cadhradriel smiled at the distant memory. She sat up and faced her brother. Sarthanir looked up from the fire, alert that she was awake.

"Are you all right," he asked as she sat down next to him.

The Elleth nodded. "I couldn't sleep. Figured I'd keep you company."

Sarthanir nodded and stared at the dying fire. The nocturnal creatures could be heard around them in the dark forest, and the distant sounds of a nearby village of men filled their pointed ears. Cadhradriel moved closer to her brother when a warg howled in the distance.

The blonde haired elf reached for his sword a few inches away. "It's okay. It sounds too far away."

Cadhradriel raised an eyebrow. "If it's too far away, then why the sword?"

Sarthanir shrugged. "You can never be too cautious."

The Elleth leaned her head on her brother's shoulder, and looked up at the sky. She felt sorry that her younger brother never got to experience the star gazing that she and their father had when they still lived in Gondolin.

"I wish you could've known Gondolin as I did," she whispered.

Sarthanir looked down at his sister, a puzzled look on his face. "What do you mean?"

The older sibling sat up and looked at her brother. "When I was an elfling, before Gondolin fell, Ada used to take me up onto the room of our home to watch the stars. Every night he'd climb up the stairs and set me down in his lap. I'd ask all sorts of questions about the stars, where they came from, why we loved them. He explained to me our love of stars, and why the Eldar found them sacred."

Sarthanir looked at his sister. "You taught me those things. You used to do the exact same thing with me when I was an elfling."

Cadhradriel nodded. "That's true. I guess I wanted you to experience what I did with Ada."

The Ellon smiled. "Go to sleep, Cad. I'm still on watch for another hour."

Cadhradriel nodded and leaned her head back on her brother's shoulder. The dark haired Elleth a few minutes later, and Sarthanir kissed the top of her head, continuing his watch over the camp.