The Last Elf Queen of Arda

Chapter 12 - No Longer to Wander Alone

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The next morning Anthelísse roused herself from her reverie well before sunrise. Outside the window a pair of finches were chirruping softly, but otherwise quiet was all around. Even the slight wafting of the curtains at the window was ethereal and dreamlike. Anthelísse had almost forgotten how the shelter of the mountains could calm the air of an entire city. It reminded her of Nargothrond. She and Gil-Galad had left their sister Finduilas there with their father Orodreth, many long years ago.

Rolling over onto her side, Anthelísse watched the branch of the tree outside the balcony quiver with the movement of the little birds. That morning had been very much like this one. Her final parting from her elder sister came back to her and played in her mind's eye.

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" Be sure to watch out for Gil-Galad, yes?" Finduilas had said after kissing Anthelísse's cheek. Her golden hair had shone brighter than a dragon's hoard, reminding all of the name her betrothed Gwindor had given her; 'Faelivrin' or 'Gleam of the Sun in the Pools of Ivrin'.

With a smile, Anthelísse had glanced over to where their brother was bidding their father goodbye.

" I think more likely he'll be watching out for me. At least, that's what Adar is telling him."

Finduilas had rolled her eyes in that way which so entranced men both elf-kind and human alike. "Gil may be the eldest, but we both know that you are the smartest. And don't you forget it, little sister!"

" And what about you? Won't you miss us, alone here in the city with just Father for company? Hasn't Gwindor sent back word yet?"

Finduilas frowned slightly, but shrugged. "No, we have had no word yet. Perhaps it is best for a time, that I might finally get Father to myself." The princess of Nargothrond laughed. "Between the three of us and a city, Valar only know time alone with him is a precious commodity!"

" I will miss you, Finduilas." Anthelísse said. Having her handmaiden Aislinn accompanying her helped, but Anthelísse wished that her elder sister could join them in Gil-Galad's party too.

"And I you. You are off to see more of the world though, little sister, and maybe not having me constantly pecking at you will give you room to breathe at last." Stepping back, Finduilas threw Anthelísse a parting wink. "Just take care not to dally too long with any particularly handsome human men. They are fun for a time, but have a way of causing trouble."

" Pah!" Anthelísse exclaimed, waving Finduilas off and mounting the horse awaiting her. "Human men are far too hairy for my taste! Namárië !"

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It hadn't been but fifteen years after that when they had received word of the fall of Nargothrond to the forces of Morgoth. Gil-Galad had been beside himself at the death of their father and the capture of their sister. When the missive reached them of Finduilas's murder at the hands of her orc captors, Gil-Galad was nearly inconsolable. Anthelísse had written to their father's old friend Círdan, the shipwright of the Noldor who was at the time living on the Isle of Balar. The elder elf had invited the royal pair and their folk to come and stay with him for a time. The two siblings had rebuilt one another in their time on that island, and piece by piece had regained the will to fight against the rising tide of darkness.

After all the nights spent pouring out the stones of sorrow in their hearts to one another after the deaths of Orodreth and Finduilas, Anthelísse still couldn't really believe that there was now no Gil-Galad to comfort and confide in. She knew that Aislinn was only a matter of yards across the hall, and would come to her side if Anthelísse but spoke her name. There was something different about a brother though, something about an ellon that was vulnerable and stoic both at the same time.