《West of Arda》Losengriol

1、Chapter one

　　The silver light of Telperion started to simmer from the north the moment when Laurelin’s golden flower slowly clasped its petals around the bright bud. The white marbled stairs that led to the backyard just began to cool. The silhouette of Rumil’s study casted long shadow onto the steps. I sat on one of them. It had long past the hours to return to the afternoon classes, but I felt no particular drive to get up.

　　Footsteps echoed behind me. I craned my neck around to see who the intruder was. Ecthelion quickstepped the last two stairs and sat by my side with a slight smile.

　　“Where have you been?”

　　I grunted, edging away from him just a little. Truth be told, I had been a little annoyed with him.

　　His smile did not falter. I felt his hand on my shoulder, tilting me gently but firmly to face him again. “Did I do something?”

　　My annoyance did not fade but I did feel slightly unjust to shun him. After some struggle, I took out a piece of neatly folded letter and threw it at him. Another love letter, passed onto me to pass to him, again, by one of the elfinesses in town. I was not his appointed messenger, a fact ignored by many.

　　Ecthelion did not try to catch the paper. Instead, he let it swirl in the air before hitting the ground like a dead flower. Then, he took out his silver flute and played a merry tune: midsummer dance by the starlit shore. This was how I forgave him, and we were friends again.

　　When the last staccato of the sweet music dissipated into the shadowed air, he packed up the flute and extended a hand towards me. “Remember you said you would like to sail off the harbor of Araman?”

　　Of course I did. I just did not expect him to still remember. I was born near the Hall of Mandos, where my mother spent many months in confinement with a difficult pregnancy. After she fell ill, I was taken back to Tirion to be raised by the King-sister, my paternal grandmother. I spent two summers in Aqual?nde with my mother’s folk. I was not a good swimmer but could race on a dinghy like a shark.

　　We rode his horse, Silver Tide. By the time we reached the Bay of Eldamar, the mute, simmering light of Telperion has enclosed the coastline in a slumbering silver cocoon. We rented a rowboat at the harbour.

　　Out in the dark Eldamar Bay, the silver light of Telperion had now faded into a distant thin veil. Night descended on the still, dark water. There were stars innumerable, studded on the night sky like diamonds. Their reflections were also in the water, rolling and simmering.
　　From here, one could just catch a glimpse of the Lonely Isle, a mere shadow by the horizon. Underneath the stars, the night quieted. Through the glassy veil on the water, the depth parted way into another world. Deep ocean currents passed through. Large schools of fish rushed forward, while pods of giant cetaceans stilled on the ocean bed. Echoes from the depth rang, like ancient music from the era of creation.

　　I helped Ecthelion spike the sail to let the vessel float on the water. There was gentle wind blowing across, but not enough to sway the head.

　　There was this particular crook on his chest that I liked to rest my head on. I pulled his arm closer to shield the wind and smiled at my own ingenuity. After I made myself comfortable at his discomfort, my mood started to get chatty.

　　“What do you think lays beyond the Sea?” I was always curious. The lore masters in Tirion wrote about the Lake of Awakening and the Great Journey westwards. The Valars said that the Great Land was under a slumber still. But who now lived there? Why did they have to remain?

　　Ecthelion thought for a moment. “I think it is perhaps filled of Peluri?n’s animals and wild plants. There were wild wolf hounds, black bears, four-footed foxes, hogs and stags. There were also many critters and insects with shiny outer armours and were made to feed on flowers and saps. Some say that they once saw a beautiful wetland spirit bathing in the mouth of the river Gelion---”

　　I laughed. “Really, a beautiful wetland spirit! Did you see her unclad? Or did you imagine so?” I paused and turned to look at him. Under the cold, silver starlight, the tip of his ears was a suspicious shade of pink. Then it hit me. “Are you growing up? I have once heard Maitimo and Findecáno whispering over something of this effect…in fact, Lindon was talking about how he wished he could find someone with delicate dimples to marry.”

　　“So I told him: no need to look further! Have you ever paid attention to Ecthelion’s smile? There was surely some of the prettiest dimples one would ever come across!”

　　Now the pink at the tips of his ears started to spread downwards rapidly. His eyes flashed just like his cheeks. I already knew this and had prepared to unwrap his arm from my shoulders so I could run away from his fury. But Ecthelion was quick. I was trapped by his arms and upper body. The prospect of him tickling me again was worrisome enough. I spared no thoughts and bit directly onto him forearms.

　　“Did you just bite me as well!” Ecthelion yelped in pain and surprise. Me jesting at him then proceeding to bite him directly after has obviously made him mad. He tightened his grip to free his other arm to reach me. I started to thrash again him.

　　The next moment, the boat tipped, and we went overboard into the freezing water.

　　I was still kicking and air punching when the black water went over my head. Ecthelion yelled at me to stop. He then swam downward to the underside of the boat. Moments later, the boat went up again and Ecthelion was treading water next to me.

　　“Come quickly!” his voice sounded cold, and his hands were even colder. I tried to edge away but he caught my shoulder and lifted me up onto the sideboard. I unceremoniously thumped onto the deck.

　　Soon I realised that Ecthelion was still in the water. I rushed to the side and reached to him. Under the pale starlight, he was bobbing up and down in the black waves. His eyes were a particular shade of dusky blue. They were burning, as bright as the overhead stars.

　　I was startled, instinctively withdrawing from the intensity of the light. But Ecthelion was quicker. He grabbed my hands and used them as a pivot to easily flip onto the deck. We were both dripping wet. The cold wind from across the ocean sent a shiver.

　　After the boat came up, he was very quiet. I supposed that he was upset by me, but also did not think that I did any wrongdoing. Maybe it was best to return. I grabbed a paddle and started to row furiously.

　　We had come out fair amount of distance onto the outer sea away from the bay. The lamplit towns along Eldamar still seemed very far away. I tired quickly and put down the paddle in frustration.

　　Suddenly, I felt his arms on my shoulder again. He kneeled down in front of me and produced a dry piece of handkerchief with which he used to wipe water off from my hair and my brows.

　　Then he picked up the paddle I dropped and started rowing towards shore.

　　After returning the rowboat to the harbour master, we rode back to Tirion basked in the shadowy light of the silver Telperion. It was early summer, and the wind was light. I settled on his back and held onto his waist while the horse leaped and trod.

　　“Are you annoyed by me?” I felt obliged to inquire.

　　He answered quickly enough. “Not really.”

　　I was not convinced. “Are you certain?...I thought I was annoying you greatly and am sorry.” His reply did not come so I continued. “Would you still be my friend, if I was not the King-sister’s descendent?”

　　“Of course I would.”

　　This time he did sound a little annoyed. But my chatty mood had already been rekindled and could not be quenched by his discomfort. So I pressed on with more questions.
　　“Have you thought about what sort of girl you’d like?” I had to admit, this question was very loaded. But it came out in a much lighter tone at my deliberation.

　　Silence. Then he replied curtly: “Not really.”

　　“What do you mean by not really?”

　　“I have not thought about this, nor do I need to think about this.”

　　This time I was a little annoyed by his non-committal answer and the coyness that came with it. “What do you mean by you have not thought about it. Do you know what you intend to have for breakfast ‘morrow?”

　　He laughed at this, then sighed. “Surely it is different! I do not know how to explain to you.”

　　“Fine! Let’s do it this way. Now, would she be beautiful?”

　　“Of course she’s beautiful.”

　　Now this is a good start. We talked about a lot of things, from the trivial matters of which tune he should play during the Summer’s Eve, to the maybe not so safe discussion regarding certain Avatars and Noldorin politics. I did not know why this subject was so difficult.

　　“Is she smart?”

　　“She is the smartest I have ever known.”

　　I narrowed my eyes behind his back. So he already knew this girl. Beautiful and the smartest. I wonder if he was referring to one of the princesses.

　　“Is she courageous? Is she kind? Is she a warm sweet person or calm and reserved?”

　　“Please slow down, you are making my head spin.” He pleaded. “If you must know, she is a little shy, and maybe quiet towards strangers. But she is very sharp and lively with those close to her.”

　　I was already not listening, but instead searching frantically in memory of this beautiful, smart, shy on the outside but warm towards those she knew kind of girl that Ecthelion was in love with. I had my suspicion but did not want to suggest names. Otherwise it would start to hurt.

　　For the rest of the ride, I kept quiet. Part of me was still desperately curious, but the other part of me was deadly afraid.

　　Maybe he was glad of my rare quietness, upon reaching the north gate of Tirion, Ecthelion asked me to mind his horse for a moment and returned with a paper bag.

　　He handed the paper bag to me, which I instantly torn apart. In it there were two large crystal lollipops and a smaller bag of candied almonds.

　　The almonds I shared with the horse who gobbled them down with great delight. I stared at the lollipops and thought for a long time. Eventually I decided to part away with the lemon flavoured one and handed it back gravely to Ecthelion.

　　He laughed, like peals of silver bells fluttering high into the sky. “Do not despair! Both are for you.”

　　This had made me feel more guilty, but I gladly took back the offering. In return, I sang his praise with more enthusiasm and simpering than ever. “O you generous being! For this bag of gloriously sour lemon drop and beautifully citrusy orange pop, I shall love you forever!”

　　His laughter came through once again upon hearing this sycophancy. We walked slowly, in companiable silence as I busied sucking on the lemon sour, along the winding white stairs leading up to the Noble Quarter of the city.

　　In truth, I really tasted the bittersweet and sourness of the candy. I believed, back then, that this girl he was in love with, must be the luckiest elfinesse in Aman.