My Long Lost Love
Julia Ormond as Thalindriel (Elf-OC)
The Captain of Gondor suddenly came to a halt as he heard a faint noise in the distance. He blinked repeatedly as his vision adjusted to the outdoors and hid behind a nearby tree, slowly unsheathing his dagger. For the first time since he had left his home for Rivendell, he took full notice of his surroundings. Two weeks had passed since he had entered the Valley of Imladris and, unlike so many others, he had not been able to appreciate the nature around him, his mind occupied by gloomy thoughts concerning the safety of the White City and that of its people. It was there that he longed to return, it was there that he wished to be. He wished to be with his father, he wished to fight alongside his countrymen. He wished to fight alongside his little brother who, now more than anything, was in need of his help and comfort.
Two weeks had passed since he had stepped into a realm concealed to those whom the One had doomed to die and for fourteen days he had suffered, his heart blind to the unwavering beauty of what had been and still was a sanctuary for weary travelers. He was now noticing all the details of the forest in which he had almost inexplicably found himself, his brain fully alert. His fingers were tightly wrapped around the hilt of the dagger, his muscles tensed as he prepared to attack. Though he was fairly confident no harm would come to him, he still did not trust the Elves. His heartbeat quickened, his breathing becoming labored as a feeling of intense anxiety grew within him. That mysterious noise had reached his ears once more and he could now hear it more clearly. It was a whistle. Someone was whistling and he was unable to see their face. He gulped as he remained still, his lips pursed and his brow furrowed.
And then he saw her. A tall woman was coming his way, her long dark hair styled in a tousled braid which caressed her back. She was holding a rack in one hand and some sheets in the other. Boromir lowered his weapon as he curiously watched the scene unfolding before his eyes. Who was that woman? What was her purpose? Was she a friend of Lord Elrond's? A daughter of his perhaps? Was she even an elf?
She walked calmly and Boromir resisted the temptation to look away. He knew it was not polite to stare at ladies, yet there was something in her ways which he found surprising and utterly fascinating. Her whistling soon turned into humming and her humming soon turned into a tune. Boromir did not know the language she was singing in but the marvel of her voice could not be denied. He felt as if he had strayed into a dream, the worries which had plagued his mind and tormented his spirit abruptly washed away. Minas Tirith, Gondor, his people, the One Ring...it all seemed irrelevant. Unable to take his eyes off her, he watched as stopped in front of a giant oak tree. She looked up and he followed her gaze until he noticed a small house, the branches of the tree serving as its main foundation. He scratched his beard pensively. Did she truly live in a tree house? Was it common among the people of Rivendell? Faramir would have known. He had developed a fascination for the Eldar early in his childhood and had read extensively about their customs. Boromir did not recall him ever mentioning tree-houses though. He frowned and sighed. She had placed the sheets into a basket fastened to a rope and then patiently removed a few dead leaves around the base of three with her rack.
Boromir stepped forward and the woman turned. He offered a polite smile as he noticed her pointy ears. She was indeed an elf.
The eyes of the Elf-maid were wide and Boromir was surprised to see how different they looked compared to those of the other Elves he had met until that very moment. While the eyes of other Elves were cold and gray, hers had a warmth to them and were as brown as the good, tilled earth.
He cleared his throat as he awaited an answer and lowered his gaze as he received none. She stared at him in fear, her hands clenching the rack.
“There is no need for you to be afraid. I will not hurt you," he said, hoping to sound convincing. "I only wondered..."
Her gaze shifted to his hands and Boromir realized she was actually looking at his dagger.
Forgive me. With your permission, I will put it away. As I said, there is no need to be scared."
The Elf-maid remained silent and Boromir ended up staring at the tip of his boots in embarrassment.
"Do you...understand me? Do you speak my language?
He took another step forward but, before he realized it, he fell to the ground, his head bulging. Something heavy had hit him and the Captain of Gondor whimpered as he very slowly opened his eyes again. The Elf-maid was still holding the rack and Boromir quickly figured she had used it as a weapon.
The Elf-maiden dropped the rack, her and eyes even wider than before. She quickly climbed the tree using the rope attached to the basket and pulled it up, disappearing into the tree-house. Still sore and confused, Boromir sat up and buried his face into his hands.
He wanted to see her again. He needed to apologize. He would wait for her. He had time. She had enchanted him and he knew in his heart that there was no going back.
So...I made this edit today and I immediately started writing this. Thalindriel (unnamed in this snippet) is Boromir and Erien's mom, Enna's cousins. They will appear in The Lady of Ithilien and Long Lost Love (I'd love to translate the title into Sindarin) is basically a spin-off telling the story of how their parents met. I honestly giggled so hard at idea of her hitting him with a rack so I kind of ran with it. Also, she didn't answer him because she doesn't speak Westron. And the tree-house is her safe place away from everyone. She's nice but very anti-social and shy. I suppose she just loves being on her own.
I hope you enjoyed this little snippet!
I'll post the full chapter (I think it will be the first) on AO3 when it's fully done (in a long, long while).
