The darkening of hearts

The true fighters

Lerina did manage to get home, then she had a sort of nervous breakdown and Alimiel had to take care of Ariniel until she managed to pull herself together. Nerdanel had gathered some of the ner of the mansion to ride back for Lerina but now they didn't have to. Nerdanel felt terrible since she had ridden off but Lerina told her she didn't bear any grudges against her, Nerdanel had thought of her unborn baby and Lerina would have done the same had she been in that situation.

Now they started to think that maybe they really ought to leave, to seek refuge in the woods, and Lerina had a feeling that it would be wise. Then one morning as they prepared for the day there was a strange light spreading over the horizon and soon it became stronger and warmer and everybody went outside in awe and shock. The light came from a huge golden orb that slowly made its way across the skies and Lerina had to shield her eyes and blink. The light was stronger than that of the trees, much more harsh but at the same time it held more heat. The elves saw the effects of the darkness for the first time, the fields were naked, the forest stood without leaves, it was a barren land now but that would change fast.

The golden light slowly descended and another silvery one, much smaller took its place. Some of the servants left for Tirion to hear what this was and they returned and told that it was the last fruits and flowers of the two trees, turned into lights and guarded by two maiar who had dedicated themselves to the task. Suddenly there as a night and a day once more and life felt better. The leaves slowly returned after some showers of rain and the world turned green once more, living became more easy. But the attitudes didn't change that much, and Nerdanel made the decision for them all. As soon as her new child was born and strong enough to travel they would leave for the forests. The mansion simply couldn't feed them anymore, there wasn't enough land and it was too close to the cities.

Nerdanel gave birth to a girl, a very beautiful girl with her father's raven locks and her mother's green eyes and she soon made herself well known with very strong lungs and a constant high volume. Ariniel loved to baby sit and proved to have quite a talent for it too and that enabled the other nissi to pack and prepare things they needed to bring along. Lerina had lived in luxury there, now her life would be much simpler but perhaps it would be better in many ways. Nerdanel's daughter was named Alciel and she grew at an alarming rate and it soon became very apparent that she had inherited both her father's temper and his intelligence. They left for the woods early in Alciel's second year, the house had been prepared for their arrival and Mahtan had made sure that it was safe. There were wood elves living in that area, elves who had lived their entire lives across the sea but had died and been reborn there in Aman. They refused to have anything to do with the aman elves and few even knew they were there.

Lerina was glad they no longer had to go to Tirion that often, here they had all they needed and soon they became very independent and formed a sort of a small tribe. The servants had followed them and Lerina felt safe, and content. Then Ariniel got closer and closer to her coming of age and that started a new type of problems. She was after all of the blood of Finwê, and a princess. Finarfin demanded that she came to court to learn how to be a proper lady and Lerina didn't like it, she didn't like it at all! Indis sent Lerina a letter, promising to take care of the young nis and protect her and Lerina knew that they were right. Ariniel had to face the truth and learn who she really was. She was a tall and very pretty young nis now and she had a sort of innocent charm that was very endearing.

Still the vanyar and the teleri were hostile against any noldor they came across and as the years went some who had died started to return from the halls and the things they told were enough to make anyone shiver. Lerina refused to listen to any of it. She didn't have the stomach to endure hearing any of it and she was afraid of what her daughter would have to face. Nerdanel tried to calm her and make her feel better about it and Alciel would join Ariniel at court. The daughter of Fêanor was already a very skilled artist and she had a keen wit and a sharp tongue and she knew that truth about the past events since Nerdanel never tried to sugar coat anything. Ariniel was thrilled when she left, she was eager to learn new things and to see that splendor that was the court with her own eyes. She didn't anticipate any sort of problems at all.