3. Knowing
She had been flying far and wide, all through the moon lit night.
She had returned to her tower with the first morning light.
She had crumbled to the floor in an exhausted heap of white hair and white feathers.
There had been no information.
In all of Aman.
And Eressëa.
Even the Enchanted Isles.
The Valar – vanished at her approach.
The Sisters of Time – while sympathetic, silent.
Nothing.
She woke, when a small, soft body collided with her.
Turning, she knelt to pick up a small white bird in her small white hands.
It was a tern, a sea swallow, swept in from afar.
Tiny and torn.
“Tuílínn, tuílínn! Man agorech, muínthel-nîn?“
„Tern, tern! What hast thou done, oh sister mine?“
Dark birds’ eyes strained to meet her gaze.
By Ulmo’s grace Elwing the White, bird-sister, white bird, star lover: though not as words little sister tern spoke to her soul in images seen from above.
A gift of knowledge, a gift of love:
The Western shores of Arda, green hills graced by grey ruins, columns of forgotten grace – and the blue and white crystal of the lighthouse blazing brightly across the sea.
Blue and white light in darkest night.
One jewel shining with the light of Two Trees.
Light of the noontide lingering.
Blue and white light in darkest night.
Eärendil’s shining star!
But tiny sister tern, tiny heart torn, lay dead in her hand.
White bird Elwing might be, but would her wings carry her across the sundering seas?
She had returned to her tower with the first morning light.
She had crumbled to the floor in an exhausted heap of white hair and white feathers.
There had been no information.
In all of Aman.
And Eressëa.
Even the Enchanted Isles.
The Valar – vanished at her approach.
The Sisters of Time – while sympathetic, silent.
Nothing.
She woke, when a small, soft body collided with her.
Turning, she knelt to pick up a small white bird in her small white hands.
It was a tern, a sea swallow, swept in from afar.
Tiny and torn.
“Tuílínn, tuílínn! Man agorech, muínthel-nîn?“
„Tern, tern! What hast thou done, oh sister mine?“
Dark birds’ eyes strained to meet her gaze.
By Ulmo’s grace Elwing the White, bird-sister, white bird, star lover: though not as words little sister tern spoke to her soul in images seen from above.
A gift of knowledge, a gift of love:
The Western shores of Arda, green hills graced by grey ruins, columns of forgotten grace – and the blue and white crystal of the lighthouse blazing brightly across the sea.
Blue and white light in darkest night.
One jewel shining with the light of Two Trees.
Light of the noontide lingering.
Blue and white light in darkest night.
Eärendil’s shining star!
But tiny sister tern, tiny heart torn, lay dead in her hand.
White bird Elwing might be, but would her wings carry her across the sundering seas?
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.
