Note: I’m not sure what category to put this under, but I hope it touches each reader to heart. I’m sure just about everyone has some experience that is close to hers. I hope this will make you laugh and perhaps cry a little. Please Review.

Part One Early Years
Ch 1 Arrival

The suns rays rose up into the horizon as dawn began to break. The forest outside of Rivendell was silent except for a few woodland animals stirring. On the ground under a tree there lay a child in an uneasy sleep. Her face was fair with gray eyes that twinkled like stars in happiness. Her hair was long and very dark spread across the ground which she lay on.

A bird cooed as it flew overhead making her awake. Her eyes which were faded became clearer as she sat up and rubbed them. Looking about for a moment she almost forgot where she was for a second, but reality quickly came back to her. She was in the forest on her way to Imladris with Brandir and Elenna, her two former servants.

Her eyes blurred for a moment as she remembered all that had happened. Her parents were dead, so she assumed, and she had nothing left She had lost everything, No relatives, no home, no parents, and no possessions except for a small pony which she had almost ridden to death when the orcs chased her away from her blazing home.
Quickly she pushed these feelings aside trying to think on the more positive side of things. She could overcome her feelings in the day time when she had other things to keep her mind entertained, but at night things were very different. She would look up at the stars and remember how her father would tell her stories of danger and excitement while she would sit on his lap and how her mother used to sing her elvish songs as she tucked her in at night. Those were the hard times; the times were grief was unbearable.

“man re, Yavanna.” (good day, Yavanna) She greeted as she stroked her small steeds white mane. “I’m glad you seem better today. You were terrible sick yesterday. I was afraid you wouldn’t get better, but I seem to be wrong by the light of your eyes and what pretty eyes you have.” She cooed as she fed it some weeds she had grabbed from the ground and hugged it. “We shall be approaching Imladris today. I know you will miss home and so shall I, but there we will meet several new friends and have new beginnings…..” She chattered on with her horse and if let out little gestures like nodding it’s head as if it were fully comprehending all that was said to it.

Elenna woke and gave a little nudge to her husband next to her. They both watched and smiled at the little scene for a few moments. “She seems a little bit more cheery today.” Elenna commented in a whisper and he nodded.
They were a very young couple to young it seemed to have the responsibility of raising one like Luthien. To her it seemed like only yesterday that the two had shown up as runaways from Lorien. They had not served Luthien’s parents that long, but they quickly became part of the family anyway. It was good of them to be so kind to her considering they had only been married for less than six months and had little time to enjoy being a couple.

“I think she’s going to be alright.” Brandir said hopefully in a low voice as he got up.
“Good morning.” Luthien greeted cheerfully. “How far are we from Rivendell?”

“We should be there by nightfall if nothing delays us.” He replied.

“Good. I want to see the valley. I hear it’s very beautiful.” Luthien replied as she gave Yavanna one last cares and turned away.

“Have some breakfast dear.” Elenna offered.
“No thank you…” Luthien replied.

“But you must be famished.” She coaxed.
“No thank you.” She replied again.

Brandir and Elenna looked at each other somewhat concerned. Luthien hadn’t eaten hardly anything except for a few bites of Lembas for the past four days and it was beginning to show through her pale face and dark rings under her eyes. Yet, they didn’t know quite what to do about it. She had been through a lot, but they couldn’t let her go on like this.

“Please, Luthien just a little bit of Lembas as least.” Elenna tried once more holding it out to her.

“Mom’s Lembas?” Her voice was soft. Elenna nodded and Luthien took some and wiped away a tear quickly before it was seen. At least that would hold her hunger for the rest of the day.

Elenna mounted her horse and pulled Luthien up with her while Brandir went of foot leading Yavanna that was still rather weak. They went at a good pace stopping only for short periods of time and took several shortcuts. At twilight they could hear the pleasant sound of the falls crashing down and see the lights of several buildings and lanterns in the distance.

Dismounting once they had entered the city Luthien looked about wide eyed. She had visited the edges of Lorien before, but she had never actually entered a large city like this or around so many elves at once. Also the water falls fascinated her as well as the well kept gardens that grew there.

Before them were several elves all in a line with lanterns shining with a pale blue light. They were leaving the city as the three of them entered. Their voices were lifted in a sad song and their faces bore a bittersweet emotion on them. “Where are they going?” Luthien asked curiously.

“They are on their way to the Gray Havens and from there they will sail to Valinor.” Elenna explained.

“Then why do they look so sad? Valinor is a nice place.”

“They are leaving their homes never to return and those that they love.” She gave Brandir’s hand a little squeeze and he smiled back at her. Luthien tried not to take notice of their eyes gazing at each other.

“Where are we to go now?” She tried to interrupt their thoughts which were obviously romantic ones; her nose wrinkled slightly.

“We will seek out a friend of mine that might be so kind to let us in.”, Answered Brandir as he led the way down the street. Before long they stopped at a rather large and beautiful building. Going up the door they knocked upon it and were let in. The rooms were large and ornate.

Right away Luthien made herself at home by sitting down on the sofa. A well dressed Elven Lord then entered and spoke with the two paying little attention directly to Luthien though her name was often mentioned. Her pointed ears pricked up every time it was said, but she couldn’t make out anything verbally said only make out the emotions in their eyes which were mostly pity.

Soon the conversation ended and Luthien was told to follow them to their quarters. She thought for a moment that they were going to be led upstairs and that their stay would be temporary, but she was greatly mistaken. They were led out to the stables and given a clean and simple apartment adjoining it. There they would stay and work as servants.

Though she had stepped down from a lovely home filled with luxury to a simple life she cared not at first. The house within it’s self suited her just fine and the fact that horses were so close at hand pleased her for she loved them. Yet, there was something about the place that wasn’t right. Her heart wasn’t there and it was not her true home.

After bidding them both goodnight and entering her small room she lay down on the bed. It seemed to consume her and was very soft and fluffy compared to the root filled ground she had been for the last four nights. Quickly she drifted off into a deep sleep.