Almarëa

Song of the Forest

The cool night breeze toyed gently with her hair as she stood at the large balcony. It had stopped snowing some hours ago, and a thick layer of white covered the forest of Mirkwood, shimmering in pale silvers and blues under the dark blue sky. It was quiet. The only sound that reached her ears was the soothing lullaby of the wind as it caressed her face, playing a serene tune for the sleeping trees to sway in an enchanting waltz.

Elerrina let her eyes absently fall on the sleeping realm of Mirkwood. It was still an hour before the first rays of sunrise would wash over the forest. The sight held a beauty that only some months ago she had never dreamt she would see. And yet, it was right in front of her eyes now, right under the large balcony at her bedchamber in the palace. By dawn every elf in Mirkwood would know about her. The King had not yet formally presented her, but word had already started to spread since the moment of her arrival at the palace the day before. Part of her was scared, part of her confused. She had not idea what to expect, had no idea how to be the Princess they would expect her to be.

She shook her head slightly, forcing her thoughts into a different direction. The last hour of darkness felt oddly comforting, shielding her in her solitude. She had tried to sleep, but after long hours lying silently on her bed she finally recognized that sleep would not take her. The few times she had been about to give into the arms of sleep, the fresh image of the stream in the forest brought her back into the waking world.

Slowly, Elerrina turned around and headed back inside the elegant chamber. The pale cream curtains framing the balcony swayed lightly at the silent breeze, casting pearl white reflections on the polished marble floor. Letting out a sigh she headed out of the chamber and into the long corridor outside.

She did not really know where she was going, the twins would be sleeping by now, as well as Legolas and her other siblings. Walking through the deserted corridors of the palace felt more comforting that staying in that overly large chamber by herself. The tall thin columns seemed more delicate now in the emptiness of the night, the hallways wider and longer. Somehow, this cold emptiness felt friendly, like the only witnesses of her lonely walk.

Her feet seemed to take her body on their own, her mind not really paying attention to where she was headed as she descend an elegant staircase. She only noticed where she was when she had reached a small empty terrace leading out to one of many gardens that surrounded the palace.

The pale moonlight filtered through the pointed archway that framed the terrace, falling delicately over the elegant pieces of furniture that filled it. The wind had lifted some of the white snowflakes and deposited them at the edge of the terrace's floor, creating a thin white borderline over the few steps that reached to the grass below.

Silently, she made her way to a long chaise placed in one corner of the terrace. Her eyes carefully studied the gardens ahead, which resembled more of a free growing forest than a real garden. The forest of Mirkwood held an enchanting allure to it, both beautiful and at the same time frightening. Here, the song of the trees was louder than it ha been in Imladris, as if they could actually speak with one another, whispering secrets into the wind. And yet, the song did not felt strange to her ears. It felt natural to listen to it, it felt soothing and welcoming, as if the tall trees were singing only for her, knowing that she was listening.

"They sing beautifully, do they not?"

She  jumped slightly at the unexpected voice, startled. She turned her head to look back in the direction of the speaker, surprised to see the tall regal figure of the Elvenking standing still beside one of the delicate columns that framed the entrance into the terrace. She quickly rose to her feet, not knowing how to react to this unexpected visitor. She did not know for how long he had been standing there and felt slightly embarrassed for not having acknowledged his presence before. She had been so immersed in her thoughts she had not even heard him approach.