Chapter One – Long Years Ago

As it is written in the Red Book of Westmarch, the Third Age ended with the War of the Ring and the Ring Bearers going over the Sea to the West. With the end of the Third Age, so ended the reign of the Elves in Middle Earth. Yet there were a few who remained, Elladan and Elrohir Halfelven, sons of Elrond and Celebrian of Rivendell, King Thranduil of Mirkwood, and Lord Celeborn of Lothlórien.

With the end of the Third Age and the destruction of Sauron, the Necromancer, the realm of Mirkwood was restored to its splendor and renamed Eryn Lasgalen, the Wood of Greenleaves. This is where my tale begins.

My name is Ainu Alassë, an Elf from the realm of Lindon, on the River Lhûn. This was once the realm of Oropher, the father of Thranduil. My great-great-great grandmother, Lindoameldawen, Beloved Maiden Singer, was the sister of Thranduil. After the departure of Oropher and Thranduil, she stayed in Lindon for her lover, Thronalarca, Swift Eagle. They were soon married and bore three children. The first, a son Furinecco, which means “a concealed spear.” Years later, she bore a daughter, Rínawilwarin, whose name means Crowned Butterfly. At her birth, many butterflies greeted her by lighting upon her head. Then, some time later, she bore Nyamelissenuruwen, Daughter of my Lover’s Death. She was thus named, for in her birth Lindoameldawen died.

After the passing of Lindoameldawen, Thronalarca departed with the children to the realm of the Wood of Grennleaves, where his Father-in-law reigned. The next few years were trying times. This was the beginning of the formation of the Last Alliance. For the next ten years, it was a battle to keep Sauron and his forces from attacking the Wood. Finally, in 3441, Sauron is defeated, but at great cost to Elves and Men. For in the heat of the battle, Oropher and two-thirds of his army was lost. But to the gladness of the heart of the Elves of Greenleaves, Thranduil returned to become King. Though he was battle-weary and deeply grieved, he quickly took to him a wife. And thus ended the Second Age.

Many years passed and the children grew strong and healthy. Rínawilwarin and Nyamelissenuruwen married the sons of Thranduil’s chief advisor. Yet Furinecco desired to return to his homeland, the realm of Lindon.

Because of the peace between Mirkwood, Rivendell, and Arnor, Furinecco’s travels were fairly uneventful. After many days of travel, Furinecco reached the land of Lindon. He was amazed that many of the Elves were now gone. He hadn’t realized what a toll the War took upon the whole of Middle-Earth. He soon learned that the Lord Gil-galad fell in the same battle, along side his grandfather. This brought back many memories, which had caused him to flee the Wood of Greenleaves.

Furinecco wandered the land of Lindon from Forlindon in the North to Harlindon in the South. He even journeyed to the East, into the Realm of Arnor and Fornost. Finally, he settled in Mithlond, The Grey Havens, on the mouth of the Gulf of Lhûn. Some years later, as he was walking through the forest, he saw a very fair Elven maiden of the Noldor. There was a light that shone about her. Her hair seemed to be weaved with the purest silver. He was drawn to her beauty, yet dared not to speak. She seemed to glide thought the forest as she danced. It seemed to Furinecco that a spell had been laid upon him, for he could not move. There he caught a vision of butterflies dancing around her as she danced. He was entranced for hours, caught by the beauty of this maiden.

As the evening star appeared over the horizon, the trance was broken and he discovered that she was gone. Furinecco’s heart was broken. He lay upon the grass and waited. He waited till the dawn of morning, rising in hope that the maiden would appear again; in a vision or before him he did not care. As the sun rose into the morning sky, the dew glistening in the newness of the day, she appeared. She was standing shrouded in mist. Her raiment was white as freshly fallen snow; her sleeves were intertwined with silver, bright as the evening stars. Every move that she made was as fluid as the river itself. Her eyes were grey, yet deep and sad.

Furinecco was afraid to speak, but a greater fear yet held sway of his heart. He was afraid that she would leave him again. He longed to reach out to her, to touch her fair skin, to hold her body close to his. He stepped out from his place of hiding, the sun now full in the sky, its bright rays glowing behind him. As he walked closer to where she lay, a song came into his heart. He began to sing in the ancient tongue of the Elves.

Linda, lissëlinda (Beauty, sweet Beauty)
A Tula! (Come!)
Liltalya mápanë indonya. (Your dance has seized my heart.)
Milya, milya! (I desire, I desire.)
Nalyë melrina (You are Crowned with Love)
Lindanya, lissëlinda. (My Beauty, sweet Beauty)

At this, the fair maiden rose from her resting place. She wore a garland of sweet smelling honeysuckle, entwined with silver ribbons and sapphires. Her grey eyes met Furinecco’s dark blue. She spoke within herself, “My heart doth desire this one. The sound of his voice quells all fear of harm. But I must leave now, the day passing.” She started dancing through the forest, quickly weaving a path that Furinecco could not follow.

How his heart cried out in longing. He walked the forest, calling out the name that he had given her in song, Rînanmelth, crowned with love. “Rînanmelth, aníron. Rînanmelth, I desire you. Come to me, my love.” Into the late hours of the night, Furinecco wandered in seeming darkness. His heart was blackened; all hope had fled from him. It was in the moment of greatest despair that Love returned to him. He saw again the beautiful maiden, her raiment was as the midnight sky, glistening with the stars of heaven.

He called out to her, “Rînanmelth, my love!” Her heart was pierced by his words. She came to where he stood by the riverbank. “Rînanmelth, my love! I crowned you with my love since I first saw you. You captured my heart with your beauty; your dance entranced me in a dream. Aníron! I desire, I desire.” He took her hand and drew it to his heart and with the other he caressed her cheek. She softly spoke to him. “I am Silmariën, the Lady of the Silver Crown. I am the kinswoman of Gil-galad. I have endured much since his passing; my heart has been wounded, I thought, beyond repair. But now I see Love, my heart will heal and my soul shall soon rejoice.”

Furinecco and Silmariën walked hand in hand through the forest many days. They soon departed from each other, to make preparations for their marriage. After many days apart, the longing in their hearts grew, but soon the day of their union approached. The ceremony took place at the Grey Havens, King Thranduil of Mirkwood, his uncle, and Cirdan of Mithlond joined the hands of the two in marriage.

In the course of time, Furinecco’s heart began to heal from all hurts and he and Silmariën bore a son, so they named him Envinyatalis, which means “Sweet Healer.” After the birth of Envinyatalis, Thronalarca came to Mithlond. He watched his grandson grow strong, a warrior at heart.

A great day of sadness soon came, for Thronalarca was ready to depart and sail to Valinor. Before he boarded the ship, he laid his hand upon his grandson’s head and blessed him. He spoke a destiny upon Envinyatalis. “As you grow strong and fight long, there will come one from you who shall break evil’s hold. Stay true to the path that has been chosen for you. Namarië!” With that, he boarded the ship to Valinor.