The Elven Gates [CONTINUING!!]

Chapter Two

"Yes. A beautiful sight to see, isn't it? I can't imagine waking up to a land without these golden shores."

The elf sighed, as if remembering some deeply buried happy memory.

She turned her head to face the landscape and I caught sight of her ears. They poked slightly from her head of neatly tamed hair, the fronts braided back, and the one on the left had a scar.

It was a heavy scar, and it could have only been caused by a very deep gash or wound. It ran along the edge of her outer ear and flicked off at the top end. I tried to keep myself from staring, as I had a few nasty scars myself, (all from miserably failing archery), and knew what it was like to have people watching them instead of you.

Sadly, my curiosity got the better of me at this particular moment, and I guess my manners were wearing off with my energy.

"How did that happen?"

The elf immediately knew I was referring to her ear, and put her hand to it. Blushing and holding/covering her ear from me she suggested we sit down somewhere.

She led me down the hall she had originally came from, and suddenly jerked down into a narrow passageway. Stairs led us down to a lower level, and it seemed like we were indoors but for the open walls. The she-elf gestured towards a large bay window, facing the lower bay so that you could see a bit of the shore. She then sat down rather gracefully on the bench infront of it, I followed suit.

"First things first, I am Nalwi'ear, but you can call me Nalwi."

I nodded and said

"Hello Nalwi."

"I was born and raised on these shores, but I left them seeking adventure for too long to ever leave them again." She shot me a look that said 'understand?', so I nodded.

"This scar is to force me to remember a curse. In my lifetime, I have done many wrongs, most of them to innocent people who deserved no harm. I lied an smuggled my way in to a secret army rallying in the East. I thought that my doings would bring me honour, valor, glory, but they brought the opposite, shame, to all of my kin.

"Little did I know that the forces growing where those commanded by evil. Morgoth himself probably could have ruled over those lands and people. One of his closest servants, Sauron, was using those troops for his personal issues.

"Troops they called them, troops! But they were no army. There was no courage or will to be found within these men and creatures. Long they meddled and tarried with weapons, but they where slaves to the darkness. And where bent upon the will of the nameless."

She paused, and I wasn't sure if it was for effect or because she was stifling back a cry. I could see her tensing, her body had become rigid and she was shuddering in silent, choking sobs. I moved to place my hand on her shoulder, for comfort, but she quickly stood up and faced me.

"I almost died in battle, and Mandos knew I shouldn't have lived. I was lying still and cold for days on the battlefield, doing nothing to avoid feasting crows or gnawing flies.

I saw a light floating towards me, and it drained all the darkness from my heart like poison from a wound. The light spoke to me, but it had no recognizable voice. It had said 'You have done many wrongs, and may it be carried with you and your future generations to right all of them, so that none have to suffer innocently for your doings.'"

"That sounds more like a blessing than a curse. You can never hurt anyone again, and you get to forgive everyone you have hurt in the past. Couldn't that be a good thing?" It wasn't my place, but maybe I could help this immortal woman get over her past so she could live with herself for the thousands of years to pass her.

"It's a great thing to be forced to right your wrongs if all the people you harmed are still alive. Even if I tried, I cannot even die until I help all of them, and there are so many, so many..." She fell in on herself and stared sobbing again. This time she allowed me to hug her, and I think it helped her at least a little.

"Anyway, the scar is there until I undo all of my wrongs. Enough about me, how did you just end up here?" she looked up at me and gave me an expecting expression.

"Well, I'm Rhoevien Darkwood. And I-"

"Moritaurë! We have been waiting for you for so long!"

It all clicked in my head. 'Moritaurë means dark forest you dumb nerd. Good thing you know that, huh?' So they had been waiting for me?

"Who has been waiting for me?" I asked impatiently. Now I was excited, and nervous. What were 'they' planning to do with me anyway?

"Well, The Lady of Light has been mentioning a wanderer venturing to Arda for a while, and about a moon cycle ago Elrond Half-Elven of Rivendell brought together a council to explain his foreseeing of this event. I am just guessing you are the one they where referring to."

'The Lady of Light, that's Galadriel. The one who knew about Smaug and Gandalf and did that mind-reading stuff in the movies.'

I nodded and rested my face in the palm of my hand. Nalwi'ear seemed to let out a sigh of relief. I stood up from the bench and faced the ocean, I studied the waves and continued racking my brain for any memory of the books or movies that took place in this fantasy-lovers' wonderland.

'Elrond, Half-Elven, oh yeah, the guy from Rivendell, right. Arwen's dad, Aragorn's somehow-related-person. Wait, aren't they engaged?...'

"Oh, I almost forgot," Nalwi started, "They and Gandalf had requested your presence as soon as you had, erm, returned." She stood up so our faces where even and she placed a hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to go just yet if you're not comfortable. Maybe you want a few days to get used to your new body, clear your mind, you know. Any business the White Council has with you must be really important, might weigh down your mind."

"My new body?!" I almost shouted, "What do you mean 'my new body'! I was dying! And then I suddenly woke up in this place that I have been dreaming about for years!"

"I'm so sorry, I didn't realize..."

"No, it's fine. I'm sorry I was just mad and.." I looked down and forced myself not to cry. I felt so bad for her, she had just explained to me her devastating life story and now I was screaming at her about some stupid body. 'Get back in there tear. Don't you even dare, or I'll get my dad's ninja blender to come karate-chop you into pieces in the middle of the night.'

"Maybe you should go rest." I nodded. Nalwi took my hand and walked me back up the stairs and down the hallway to the room I had first appeared in.

"Stay here." she said. She left the room but soon returned with her arms full of bedrolls, blankets, and pillows. 'You always told mom you wanted to sleep on a bedroll,' I thought, 'here's your chance.'

Nalwi'ear placed all the bed supplies on the center of the floor, that I dare mention was no longer cold- but warm as if the sun was shining on it.

"Quel kaima." Sleep well. She whispered something else softly and shuffled out of the room.

"Lle quel esta," You rest well. I replied. A slight smile played on her lips. 'She doesn't know you speak elvish.' I laughed quietly to myself. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.