Tinessael As the end of the third age drew close a girl was born in Mirkwood. Her father called Polistion had served many years for King Thranduil and he was a skilful warrior nearing the rank of an Officer. Her mother, Lorimawen was a healer known for her gentle hands that had healed many. Their story was simple. He came to her wounded after a battle and she healed him. During a feast that followed after the battle she came up to him in a white dress suiting to her golden hair carrying a goblet of wine. She offered it to him and he accepted with a smile. So it all started. Soon the wedding was held and life went on...until a child was born. After a night of hard labor a nurse placed a tiny girl in Lorimawen's arms. The girl had bright gray eyes of her parents but her hair weren't golden of her mother nor black of her father but dark brown as Lorimawen knew her uncle mother and her uncle had had. And as the infant fell asleep in her mother's arms sun came up lighting up the clearing before the window of Lorimawen's room where golden flowers grew. It was a breathtaking sight and she called her daughter Anna Silaninglorwen, Gift of the Golden Flowers. Some years passed and the girl grew in the halls of the Elvenking. A cheerful girl she was who won the hearts of many. One could always see her playing with others for she had many friends both her age and much older. If she was not playing she would be seen learning and reading for her parents taught the letters early and she enjoyed books. Not much older than a toddler she would often watch her father practicing on training grounds or her mother’s work as a healer. Other elves would sometimes her how to play a harp. Only a few years had passed since her birth as the long-expected promotion for good service was given to Polistion but no one had predicted his actions that followed it. He resigned. But that was not all. He made a small cottage in northern-western part of the forest. Both Lorimawen and Anna were reluctant to leave the halls of which they thought as their home but still did so for love of a husband and a father. The change came slowly as they lived alone in the woods. From outside it even seemed the same. Anna still played in the forest, but she played alone. She still learned, but only with her mother not with other children. She still watched her father, now working in the fields or hunting. At the same time shadow from Dol Guldur was spreading. Yet no direct anger was there for them but the darkness went deep into the hearts of both men and elves, changing them… Her father did not smile to her now and more and more often Anna would fall asleep listening to the shouts of her parents. More and more often tears would flow down her cheeks, as she would be yelled at. And every now and then doubt came into her soul: Did she love her parents? And did they love her? Then she would dream of a miraculous escape, but then thinking that the situation was just fine the dreams stayed dreams only. With her childish mind, she always guessed that it was her fault. The shadow did not leave her unaffected. Though she still often laughed and smiled, her laughter was empty. She turned shy, which was a line so uncommon for her before. She forgot the friendliness of others of which she always was so sure before. The girl became pale and weak and her physical lessened even with all the work she did outside. Still even in this situation there were positive sides, for she grew patient and mature not for her years. She always found something good in everything. No one knows what would have become of her in the end if one summer morning her father would not had taken Anna with him on a hunt. They strayed too far south and suddenly harsh voices reached them: “Tomorrow we’ll start, lads!” They knew those voices well. The voices of orcs. But the sound of their escape was heard and soon the whole band of orcs was at their heels. Not realizing what they were doing the elf with his young daughter ran back home leading the orcs there as well. When the six year old could not run her father took her in his arms and continued running. And so Lorimawen working in the field heard the screams: “Naneth! Run! Fast!” and “Lorimawen, flee! Now before it’s too late!” But in shock the elf-maid could not move and only watched as her husband ran into the clearing with orcs behind him. An arrow whizzed through the air and hit Polistion in his back making him drop the little girl from his arms. Anna fell on the ground, breaking her right arm. The pain made her stay on the ground and only watch as the orcs cut her father’s throat. Then it all happened to quickly. Anna, just seen her father’s death, jumped up with a cry. An orc turned towards around and threw a dagger towards her. The dagger hit her left shoulder ripping the muscles and breaking the bones. But the girl was too shocked to heed the pain. Her mother ran away into the woods yelling to her daughter to run as well. Last she saw before leaving the clearing were orcs firing arrows at her mother. Anna Silaninglorwen ran and ran and ran. And ran. Seconds, minutes, hours, days? She did not know and did not care. She was sure that the orcs followed her and so she stormed forward, hot tears streaming down her face, her shoulder burning as the broken bones cut the muscles more deeply. She gasped for air, sweat drops trickled down her face and her heart beat in her chest. Still she kept running, fear and despair giving her strength she would not normally have. Branches tore her dress and scratched her face. Now all of her body ached from exhaustion. She was almost blinded by tiredness, pain and tears. And so it was that she did not see the steep bank of a forest stream. Tripping she fell down the cliff. Last thing she heard was sickening crunch of her right leg. Then her head hit a stone and everything went dark with a last thought: “Now I am going to die here.” By a lucky chance a group of rangers of the North passed by heading from King Thranduil to Imladris with an urgent letter to Lord Elrond. ”Something is there!” called out one pointing with his finger on the shore of the stream. ”Is it an orc?” asked another notching his bow in some moments. ”No…wait! It is a girl!” cried out the third, quickly dismounting and running over to her. So she was found, all wet and cold from the water of the stream with dagger in her shoulder and a wound in her head as well as broken leg and arm. ”She needs help and quickly!” ”Take her back to Thranduil!” ”It’s better to take her to Imladris. The distance’s the same but the healers are better.” Said one and it was decided to do so. Gently she was lifted up by strong hands and before dawn of the next day sound of hoofs roused Imladris. The Rangers, the familiar shadows rode to the houses of healing and the healers were awoken with an urgent shout: “Boe enni nestor! Hi!” The healers rushed outside. The Rangers were their usual patients but great was their surprise when they saw a small girl in their arms. Quickly a stretcher was brought and she was taken inside and laid down in a soft bed. Healers had to work hard and for a long time they were afraid that their work was desperate. Her head wound was cleaned and bandaged and her many scratches and bruises were smeared with healing salves. Her arm and leg were set in place and wrapped into a cast. The most grievous was her shoulder. Carefully the healers removed the dagger and stopped the bleeding. After placing the crushed bones together they cleaned the wound of dirt and of poison. At last they sewed the tissues together and bandaged it tightly. But poison had already spread in her body, shock, cold, blood loss and running worsening her condition. Alea, the first master healer sent others to rest and to tend to other patients. Herself she remained to watch over the girl. She rarely left her side and often her meals would have to be brought to her and other healers managed to make her get some hours of sleep every day only with the greatest effort. Nearly for two weeks the girl stayed unconscious and in high fever. During that time it often seemed to Alea that a strange kind of light shone from her young face. Just as from a distant star…young and sparkling. Thus she named the girl in her mind- Tinessael. Sparkling young star. It seemed that nothing could help her. But at last she came to consciousness but only for a few moments. The healers gave her some water with infusions for pain and for fever to drink and after a few mouthfuls of the drink the girl drifted off to sleep. But now the healers could be at peace, at least for her life for that sleep was not of evil but brought strength and recovering to everyone. Following weeks passed drifting in and out of her deep and anxious dreams but the dreams turned shorter and the periods of wakefulness longer. She did not talk much and accepted her new name gladly for she would do anything to forget her past. As she lay in the soft bed with windows into the gardens it seemed often to her that it all had been a nightmare. As she recovered Alea took the girl to live with her and her family. Ness quickly became close friends with daughters of Alea, Avi and Arwil and soon the three girls were like sisters. She met Alea’s sister Aundiul and her aunt Eglagaladiel. All soon thought of the sever year old girl as a member of the family. A year passed and she became eight. While playing in the valley some she began again trusting people and stopped being shy and often a long-forgotten child would wake up in her. The glint of sadness disappeared in her eyes and there was no time for being lonely. Her days were filled with helping out in the Houses of Healing, doing her lessons or learning how to ride a horse. Often she would watch soldiers training in the grounds and sometimes they would allow her to join in. The evenings would pass in the Hall of Fire wrapped in warm blanket listening to the ancient songs and tales. There the elves encouraged her to take up her harp again. One dark autumn night Alea was awoken by screams coming out of Tinessael’s room. She rushed there to find the girl tossing in her bed crying and screaming for help. As Alea grabbed the girl in her arms, she calmed down though tears still flowed down her cheeks. “Naneth…” she whispered as she opened her sleepy eyes and looked at the face of the elf in front of her. At first Alea though the girl had dreamed of her parents and in her sleep had confused her for her mother. Holding the little girl more closer she whispered: “Avaro naeth, Tinessael. Losto hi, iel nin.” But the girl was fully awake now. She placed her little arms around Alea’s neck whispering: “Le hannon, naneth.” Since that day Ness would call Alea her mother and Avi with Arwil her sisters. More and more years passed and Tinessael grew into a fair and skillful maiden. 40 human years had passed since that fateful day when Rangers had brought her to Rivendell and soon she would reach her 50th birthday, the coming of age by the elves. But something happened that ruined her peaceful life… That something found her while she was sitting in one of her most favorite places. Just outside the valley, in the Birch Grove she was sketching some trees and chatting with her friends as a hawk landed near her. He had a letter attached to his leg, with the seal of Mirkwood. Urged by hr friends and her own curiosity she tore the letter open and began to read it out loud. Dear Anna Silaninglorwen, I am writing to you form the Halls of Thranduil. Our soldiers brought to us today an elf whom they found in the forest. From the little she was able to tell us, she has escaped from the very fortress of Barad-Dur. They brought her to our healers but she will not stay long in this world. She managed to tell us her name, Lorimawen and the name of her daughter, Anna Silaninglorwen. Many remembered the skillful healer Lorimawen, her husband Polistion and their daughter Anna Silaninglorwen though no one knew what happened to them. In this seemingly hopeless attempt I have written you a letter. I hope the hawk has found you for nobody knew where you would live or would you live at all now. “Please, if you can, come as soon as possible. Your mother will not live long now. I hope the letter finds you well. Yours sincerely, The first healer of Halls of Thranduil Ness had turned very pale and read the end of the letter with shaky voice. ”Are you alright? Ness?” asked her friends worriedly of her. But she ignored everybody’s questions and looks. “I have to go…” she said and grabbing her things jumped down on the ground and soon her figure disappeared behind the trees as she ran home. At home she packed quickly most basic belongings and some provisions. Only to Alea she showed the letter. “Please naneth. Understand that I have to go.” She asked of her kneeling in front of her. Alea raised her by her hands. “I understand, Ness.” She answered. Ness rode off an hour later and few saw a maiden riding off into the dusk. After a few days of constant riding she soon reached the Halls of Thranduil and rushed to the healers. In large and long room, only dim lit on one of the beds lay her mother. Ness recognized her immediately though her face now as thin and wrinkled and her skin pale and grey. Her body was covered in bruises and cuts. Ness grabbed her hand and sat on her bedside placing her other hand on forehead. Just then a healer came to her. Ness stood up. Her misty grey eyes were sad and tired and her dark brown, almost black hair that reached even lower than her waist were tangled from the long ride. Still, though she was young for an elf, she looked proud and noble at that moment. This made the healer bow to her as he greeted her. “Greetings, my lady. I believe you must be Anna Silaninglorwen, daughter of Lorimawen. Welcome back to the Elvenking’s Halls. I am glad to see you alive and am I right to suppose that my letter reached you?” Surprisingly even to Ness herself her voice was stern as she answered the elf. “Indeed it reached me. I have lived in the fair valley of Imladris all this time.” The more surprised was Ness at her own feelings for she felt bitterness. Did nobody remember her in a place she used to call her home? If they missed her how come they never looked for her or her parents? Surely she was easy enough to find in Rivendell…”But I did not ride without a break from Imladris all the way here to chatter. What is wrong with my mother?” she asked. ”Of course, my lady.” Answered the healer and stood up. Casting a grievous look at Lorimawen, he told her: “I am afraid your mother will soon pass to the halls of Mandos. She is too grievously injured to be healed.” Ness did not want to believe that, but the healer took off the covers to show Lorimawen’s body with bloodied bandages covering all of it. “We changed the bandages an hour ago. The wounds are bleeding no matter what we do. Most of them are deep and poisoned long ago. It is a miracle that she has lived until now.” Explained the healer quietly. Ness knew a bit of the art of healing which she learned from both her mother and Alea and understood the truth in healer’s words. But her heart did not want to believe it. She shook her head, muttering: “No. No! No…” She bowed over her mother: “Naneth…can you hear me? Mother, please!” she asked desperately. Only the voice of healer answered her: “She hasn’t spoken since she was brought here. We don’t think she is going to be able to do so anymore.” Ness asked the healer to leave her. All night she sat by her mother. She did not know exactly why. Still she did not take her eyes off her mother. With every hour her condition worsened. She started to gasp for air and her heart would beat sometimes so fast that Ness was afraid it would explode. Then it would be so slowly that the maiden thought it had stopped. She changed her bandages twice during the night, cleaning and treating the wounds the best she could but as the healer had said nothing helped. In the morning as the Sun came out Lorimawen came to her senses. The face of Ness seemed familiar…”It’s me, mother, it’s me, Ness…I mean Anna.” The maiden said, smiling through tears. She had forgotten for a second that her mother would not know her as Ness. ”You’re alive…” said Lorimawen weakly. ”Yes, yes, I am. A woman in Imladris took me to live with her. I lived as her daughter for all these years there.” Explained Ness quickly. ”I love you… But you…never…searched for me.” Uttered her mother gasping for air. Then her body relaxed and no more did Lorimawen gasp for air as her soul passed over to the Halls of Mandos. It seemed to Ness that all her world she knew and loved collapsed upon her. Under it’s weight she collapsed over lifeless body of her mother, covering her head with her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. It seemed to her that it went dark and no more lights shone around her. She did not know for how long did she stay that way until a voice of the healer roused her. “My lady… I am afraid we need to prepare her for the funeral.” Ness unwillingly stood up. “You do not have to worry about anything. She was an honorable and important elf and will be given all required honors. “A room is prepared for you and a meal will be brought to you as soon as possible.” Informed the healer the maiden and she followed him silently. As she was left alone in the small room, the maiden who had galloped with no sleep for days and nights collapsed on the bed and strayed into dark dreams. She stayed for the funeral. Many remembered Lorimawen and her daughter, but few offered their comfort to her. One of the few who did was an elf called Annawen. She seemed to know that no words could make the young maiden feel better and to her Ness trusted her deepest feelings. After the funeral this is what she told her. “I don’t know what I was expecting to see or hear here. Perhaps words of encouragement…or thanks to Alea. But no the words of blame. I thought that she had died and got used to thinking of Alea as my mother. Now I think I should not have given up so easily…I could’ve done something. But then…what could’ve I done? And what to do now? I don’t want to stay here. I expected that I would be missed here and others will be glad to see me here. It is not so. And even if don’t heed it, every corner of these halls remind me of my childhood. I cannot go back to Rivendell. I know the feeling is silly but I can’t look at them now. I simply cannot and that’s all.” “Then don’t. You don’t have to stay here or return.” Answered to her softly Annawen. ”You are right. I need some time to get my thoughts sorted out. They are a mess right now.” Said Ness and the decision was made. On the same evening the maiden cut down her long hair. She folded the dress she was in carefully and placed it in her bag. She put on a pair of simple leggings and a long tunic with a rough cloak over them. Well armed with a dagger, a sword, a knife along with a bow with a quiver full of arrows, Ness rode into the darkness from the Halls of Elvenking. Many long years passed traveling all around Middle-Earth. Tinessael would introduce herself as Ness, a human maiden. Sometimes she would take a completely different name. Her short hair would always be covered with a shawl or a hood to hide her true identity of an elf. The elvish maid lived a life of a true wanderer. She would hunt for food and then cook the meat in a fire and while it cooked she mend her clothes that got torn. But she could not do anything if it was shabby. If she passed a village or a town she would earn some money and shelter with warm meal by doing casual work-sometimes gardening or helping in healing facilities, cleaning and washing or dressmaking. She became especially skillful at the latter. The elvish maid made many friends but she did not become close with any of them and always she seemed to them shy and distant, though her laughter was warm and clear. So Ness passed every corner of Middle Earth from Ered Mithrun to Harad, from Lhun to Ered Rhun. She would dare to venture around Mordor, thinking in her despair that darkness would ease her pain. But she understood that she was wrong and escaped into Lorien. For some years she stayed there, once or twice meeting Annawen there as well. Mostly she stayed there by a kind elven maiden called Calla, who took Ness to live with her as her own daughter. During following decades Ness still traveled around Middle Earth, but in more civil way so to say and often returned to Lothlorien. She never thought of Lorien as her home. It was more of a shelter…a sanctuary where her injuries would be healed and a warm bed with a meal would await her. A hiding place. But at the same time the shadow grew over Middle Earth. Sauron returned to Mordor and Mount Doom had burst into flame once again. Visitors were not welcome anywhere and the roads became more and more dangerous, even for someone with skill with blades. The Healers there were already used to her coming once again in pain with an arrow wound or a slash of a blade. And though she did not show it Ness knew well that it was pure luck that she would come back every time. And even better than that, she knew that her luck would end some day. She began thinking of settling down somewhere and returned to Lorien, once again injured. There nobody had heard of or seen Calla for many months. Ness was greatly saddened but could not do anything. Strangely there was Annawen again, as usually appearing when Ness needed someone. Long conversations with her as well as the peacefulness of Golden Wood made Ness understand that her heart wished to return to Rivendell. Suddenly she understood that she missed the valley as her home and Alea with her daughters as her family. And most surprisingly the maiden felt that no pain filled her heart now. She did not need to hide from anything. And so on one day, Tinessael returned to Rivendell after more than half a century absence from there only to find that almost nothing had stayed the same. She was a complete stranger in a place she once called home. But that did not put her off as it did in Mirkwood, as she had expected nothing less. She started from the beginning. She started searching for her friends as well as her family but she had changed much and so had they. And the truth was that Ness tarried in her search for she dreaded the many meetings that lay ahead. She spent more time discovering her favorite places once again: The Birch Grove, the banks of Bruinen, the Library… Days passed and she met new people. She rested and corrected the way she looked, putting on a dress for the first time in many years and braiding her hair. During her travels she remembered hearing much praise over the warriors of Imladris and joined the Host. It was one of the few things that had stayed from her childhood though it, too, had not escaped the changes. But the during one of her walks, she noticed a building she had not noticed before. The building, which seemed somehow familiar… Skipping a heartbeat, she read the sign saying Adab Nestad. Not daring to breathe she stepped inside. Just then an elven maiden entered the Main Hall from corridor. “Can I help you?” Her voice rang clear through the Hall. Ness took up her courage to ask: “I wondered if I can find Alea, the Minestor of Gwaith i-Nestoer here?” ”I am afraid that Alea is not the Minestor any more. But you have come at a right time. She has just come to Imladris. You can find her in the Gardens with the Minestor.” The maiden smiled to her and led the way to the Gardens as Ness tried to take all of the information in. In some moments she entered the garden. On one of the benches there sat Alea, and Ness saw Arwil and Avi there along with Gala. Not looking at them she rushed there and kneeled, asking of forgiveness. Gently hands raised her and she was answered that there was nothing to forgive. And so, in the Gardens of Adab Nestad, Tinessael was reunited with her family. Many days passed until all of the news were shared. Alea had moved away from Imladris and Arwil had become the Minestor in her stead. Avi had joined the Army and got married. Ness’s best friend Gwen had moved away as well. Who had been simple soldiers were now officers and officers were now generals. The apprentices were masters. Many had left those shores and had sailed across the sea. Annawen, as a last reminder of her previous way of life left those shores as well, leaving her quarters for her. Slowly Tinessael got used the new way of life in the valley. At first she would still ride away from the valley for a week or two but those trips became more rare as Ness had duties in the valley. Work in Adab Nestad and service in the Army took most of her time and soon the duty of organizing the feasts was added to them. To a maiden who had become mature in the wilderness, life in the valley seems peaceful and sometimes even boring. Still it required time almost equal to the time she spent traveling, to settle down completely in Rivendell. And that she has done, waiting for new challenges that she might meet in her path. Back to the top Return to the front page of the book