In Rivendell, the general opinion of Uialithil of the House of Elrond was that she wasn't a typical elf-maiden. This was quite off the mark, since elves are typically very polite, so it would be exceedingly more accurate to say she acted more like a son of Elrond instead of a daughter. In actuality, she wasn't related at all to Elrond (unless it was indirectly, which was possible): elves, being very interested of geologies and histories and lavish family trees, were wholly annoyed that they knew none of her relations, except that she was born to an elf called Anartuile. There weren't even any records of a elf by that name (even in the immense library) anywhere in Rivendell, or anywhere else for that matter. But Uialithil didn't mind: as far as she was concerned, she was born in some no-name inn off the East-West road, and one day Elrond called her his own.
"She is out with Elladen and Elrohir!" was the common reply offered when asked where Uialithil was. It was so frequent that when she couldn't be found anywhere in the city of Rivendell, no one bothered inquiring anymore, unless they wanted specifics. "Hunting" was the usual follow-up, but as she grew more mature "riding with Lord Glorfindel" became another response, one that made the elves smile, as the two were close friends. She did other things besides travelling, of which writing and reciting poetry was the most well-known. Her songs were revered and beloved in Rivendell, and one of the best ones was "the Hymn of the Stream, My Elven-King, and I, His Queen".
Uial, as she began to become known, grew up trampling everywhere with almost anyone who would go with her. She became an accomplished archer and avid traveler. In other lands she was known as the Elven Wayfarer, but she hardly stayed long enough in one place to tell her Silvan birthname, since she mainly rode through them and took in the sights. This was mainly due to, according to others, Elrond, who wished her to stay with her brothers and be brief on the road.
This went on for many years until the threat of Sauron returning was overwhelming. As time drew on her trips became shorter and shorter and the lands she saw became fewer and fewer, until one day she went nowhere. Many were confused by this, and Elrond himself was questioned by many an elf. Uialithil spent her days practicing music and letting her mother Celebrian (at long last) how to teach her to be a proper Lady of Rivendell. She followed along quite dully, and everyone knew she wasn't truly happy. Then one day she rode out to war.
The tale was quite well known to many people, but the one who knew it best was Wesemar of Gondor, who later died in a battle. He told the children and others of Gondor the story, so it was passed down many mortal generations, of an elven-maiden cloaked in darkness under a horse with a pelt of night and a mane of snow. The year was 2510 of the Third Age, and a lesser-known struggle was going on near the border of Gondor.
Here was the story as he told it:
"The year was 2510, and I was leading a troop of about a hundred men to a field off in the country of Gondor. I could hear the sea-gulls, oddly enough, and it reminded me of my life as a mariner. Many of the soilders were complaining- and rightly, because we had marched nearly a day without any rest. That was perhaps the biggest flaw: no use fighting when you're already worn out! But that was what I ordered my men to do, when we found a huge flood of orcs. They were frighteningly intelligent, speaking in Westron and mocking us.
'"Men!' they chuckled with a sort of hiss. 'Men... easy pickings. They come to fight us, yet we are many and they are few!' One of them swung a mace at my underling Borik, a cleric dwarf who had been travelling and decided to help us out. It didn't do much use to block because Borik had no shield of any kind, only a heavy axe. So, I stepped in and did it for him, and the orc was angry.
"The battle began at that moment. You should have seen it- or heard it, for that matter. The shrieks were deafening. We fought for nearly three hours, and the moon was starting to rise. The body-count was more men than orc, and I had a heavy wound in my chest. All was looking very hopeless.
"Then! Then suddenly, on a far hilltop came a lone black shape with a cloaked rider. Many of us were scared, and when I finally saw it I was frightened: I thought it was of the enemy. But I realized it rode not one of those disgusting Warg creatures but a beautiful horse glowing in the moonlight, its mane dusty with starlight.
"'It is of the elves!' I cried. "The horse has a mane of snow and a pelt of night! We are saved- for the elves have come!' Many others turned and my heart rose and the fight stopped for a moment, the orcs were confused. But then our hopes fell: for only the one horse rode down from the hill: we had expected an army. Then a strange song came down, in Elvish. Later, some of my men, entranced by it, decided to translate it, and here's how it ran in the Common Speech:
"'O Star Queen, this battle is nigh! Your starlit path is mine to follow, to cut into the spawn of Sauron with your name on my lips! To be of noble spirit and pride, and walk home with your blessing! O Star Queen, let me be your shieldmaiden!' But then the rider began to sing in Westron, in a song I hope becomes known to all in Gondor:
"'O! Sons of Mortal men!
Keep your tempered steel close!
Never waste a shot of bow!
For when you need it most
You'll find your options low!
O! Sons of Mortal men!
Learn from the kings of old!
Listen to what history makes!
For when the tale is told
You'll learn not to make the same mistakes!
And O! Sons of Mortal men!
Treat your family right!
Never seek immoral fame!
For when it is time to fight
Pure will be your name!'
"The song ended, but it rang on. The voice was of an angel, we thought at first, but then we saw who had spoken: a dark elf-maid of a faraway land. I think she had ridden from the battle in the field of Celebrant, which we later learned happened earlier that week. She came down amongst the orcs, her arrows showering into the fray, never hitting a single man.
"But then, once we had gathered our strength and pushed back the last orc and cut off his head, the elf disappeared. We felt her a holy apparition, a ghost of sorts, for we never saw her again. We know not her name, so we will call her the Lady of Song and Sword- the Greatest of the Shieldmaidens!"
To these men, she was known later revealed to be a Lady of Rivendell, Uial. They found this hard to pronounce as u-yale and took to calling her yale and later ale. Before long, the spelling of Uial had become Iael, and then all besides the elves called her this. But soon, hearing of this unusual name (and her new titles) and what she had done, Elrond naturally heard of her actions. Fresh in his rage and grief for Celebrian, who had just passed over Sea, he sent Glorfindel as an escort to bring her back home.
Once they came back, Elrond forcefully kept her there in Rivendell. These years, from 2510 to 2940, was called the Years of the Caging of the Nightingale and was a source of great sorrow for Galadriel, who had cared for her as a baby. When it ended, she travelled to Mirkwood to reason with King Thranduil, which was met with failure. She met Legolas there , but not much is known of what sprung from this meeting. Afterwards, she returned to Rivendell but in 2951 she departed for Lorien, where she stayed until 3018.
And that is where our story begins.
It was the 18th of October when Uial of Lorien returned to the waterfall haven of Rivendell.
Aiglos, as was her stallion's name, bore her across the stony ground silently, pulsing faintly in the dusk. His snow-white mane gleamed like silver gemdust was scattered throughout as he tossed his head impatiently. His solemn rider was wrapped in a heavy dark cloak, a pale hand on the horse's dark muscular neck, and a deep hood shadowed her fair face from any onlookers. Only those who stared long enough could make out the teal eyes and young face of the beautiful Uialithil. Clippety-clip came faint and then stopped as the horse and rider finally halted. The soft fsssh of the waterfalls echoed around and she sat shining as a star as the dying evening gathered around her, and her voice rang out clear, calling for Elrond.
It was not long before this request was granted. Elrond approached the maiden in silence, but he was full of a gentle wisdom instead of hard weariness. For the bitterness that had occurred many yen ago had melted away since last they saw each other, and he could see what the Lady Galadriel (who had raised her before Elrond brought her into his House) always had: a silently beautiful yet gravely powerful elf-maiden, clad in the shadow of the night yet shining as a pale star in the evening sky.
"Hina! Tindomerel Uialithil," came Elrond's voice.
Uialithil gave a gentle smile, and slid gracefully off her mount, saying, "Alda." She pulled her cloak around her against the slight chill of the air but cast her hood backwards. Her dark brown hair caught a sudden gust of wind, and it flowed shimmering in long soft strands. "Lord," she began in the common speech, bowing, "I have returned to this fair land ny Galadriel's leave. I have heard of a great strife that has come to pass: the rebirth of the Nazgul, of the Nine- and the matter of the One Ring." Her face was young and fair, pale as a cold frosty star in the winter sky, yet her ocean-blue eyes shone from beneath her dark hair that shone with dying light, and the pale pink of her lips glimmered with something like a springtime river. A flowery scent encased her. She appeared to be no more than sixteen mortal years old, yet she was well over three thousand.
Elrond came forth and hugged her: so sudden was this that Uialithil was startled. "Hina, you have grown since I last laid eyes upon you, You are as fair and dark as the twilight, yet your eyes tell me of the Sundering Sea."
"Then Galadriel named me rightly," laughed she, as Elrond released her; for it was the Lady of the Wood who first called her by that name of twilight. "But I wish not to dwell on lost time yet. What of the Ring, Alda?"
"We have sent Glorfindel over the river to find the Ring-bearer- by Mithrandir's wish." Elrond said, referring to the wizard Gandalf. "That must make you sad, not to see him this night?"
"I was looking for Glorfindel's among the fair faces of this land," admitted Uialithil, "but I have faith in him. He has survived many a harder time, and I know that soon he will return hither to us." her clear words were soft and gentle, and it brought hope to those who were listening.
Uialithil smiled as the sun was drawing deeper into the mountains beyond. She turned to them, her hand still resting on Aiglos. "Aiglos is tired," she whispered to an elf who had approached with a halter. "for we have travelled many days with little sleep. Please take him back to the meadow, where he may rest."
The elf nodded and looped the silver halter over Aiglos's nose, who was unencumbered except for a satchel that was tied to his side and a sword-sling around his thick neck, which were then removed. Hrivelilta stood still and permitted the elf to lift the items off him and lead him away, but his ears were pressed flat against his head, and he glanced back at his master several times. Uialithil watched them go silently, before turning back to Elrond.
"I should retire to my chamber," she said, "do I still have a place in your House?"
Elrond smiled, his dark hair framing his ageless face. "You always have a place in my House. Shall I lead you to it?"
Uialithil nodded, her dark cloak just then being caught in a sudden gust of wind, revealing the pale green of her underskirts. She walked slowly behind Elrond, both their robes straying in the breeze, and from amongst the onlookers two verses rose in Sindarin:
Aduial! i gilrim, i dun aeron!
Aduial! i menel ithil, i rhun galadh!
O, galahremmin ennorath al lasseien!
Which roughly meant in our tongue: "Twilit evening! Of star-people, of Western Sea! Twilit evening! Of heaven's moon, of eastern trees! O, tree-woven lands of Middle-earth hail daughter of leaf!" For Uialithil's name meant "twilight moon", and her eyes were as blue-green as sea-beryl: yet she lived and had been born in the mortal land under the forest, and it was not yet her time to embark over Sea- yet she appeared as a living piece of it.
Then all night rose a chorus of voices, welcoming the Lady, into the morning. She was not present, but asleep in her chamber, but many sang: "Uialithil, of the twilight! Uialithil, daughter of Elrond, daughter of Tunuviel!" and the verses from before. It rang and was joined by other voices, and before long the subject of the Ring turned to the subject of Uialithil amongst the elf-lords and people. It was a refreshing change to rather depressing and hard-pressed events. As the day went on, Uialithil did much of nothing, which puzzled many of those who knew her and troubled a few. It was expected that she would be out, perhaps with Arwen (who had arrived before her and was overjoyed by her foster sister's return: no doubt everyone was, but Arwen, Elladen, and Elrohir were the most) before Glorfindel came with the Ring-bearer Frodo. Before long, the news reached Lindir, who had much to say on the matter.
"Why does she return? Surely this place holds bad memories?" a younger elf of hair the color of rich earth inquired of him, when Uialithil had retreated to her chamber after lunch to wait on Glorfindel. It was the late afternoon of the 19th, and the elf-lord, Aragorn the Dunedain, and the four hobbits were expected by the next night.
"I would very much believe so," Lindir replied, "You do remember why, Farin?"
Farin nodded vigourously, his dark blue robes swirling as he sat down on the balcony on which they were. It looked out over the other abodes of Rivendell, and the waterfalls and rivers were seen in their silver glory. "But give it to me again, Lindir. It only happened a couple yen ago, if I'm not mistaken."
"You are not," said Lindir and eager to tell the tale he began. "It was shortly before our Lady Celebrian passed over Sea that I noticed. Uialithil was madder than usual, I remember- clashing with poor Glorfindel over almost everything from here to the Grey Havens.
"'Glorfindel!' she would say. 'Where's my blade? I stored it away just here a nigh ago, yet it has seemingly grown legs like an Ent!' and later she added, 'And lo! My shortbow has joined in this tasteless attempt to evade me!'"
"But Uial was never angry," came Farin's soft, slow voice. "Always quiet, always polite, she was. Only angry on very rare occasions." he shivered at the thought. "I would very much not like to see that, I have heard it is like being yelled at by the Lady of the Wood herself!"
Lindir nodded, saying, "Little did I know that our dear Uialithil was in fact plotting."
"Plotting?!" came a voice.
"Not sweet Uial!" exclaimed another. "She was always singing in the days before all of this."
"Oh yes," said Lindir knowingly, a crowd of interested elf-folk and a couple of wayfarers (in town for the advice of Elrond regarding the Ring) surrounding him now. "She was scrambling all over Middle-earth for her weapons, and to do what? Ride off under the evening shadow to join the battle at the field of Celebrant. and later come to the aid of the Gondorians!"
One of the listening elves sighed deeply and said, "I remember how worried Glorfindel was, thinking he had done something wrong, when he couldn't find her."
"He's always worried over Uial," said another elf. "As we all know, he's quite in love with her, yet he feels his love invalid."
"If only he'd just tell her, they'd be the finest Lord and Lady since Celeborn and Galadriel!" exclaimed another. "I know that it isn't in either of their best interests', and Elrond doesn't like the thought of a Firstborn of the Eldar marrying a lowly Silvan many yen his junior, but-"
Farin waved off his piece of common opinion (and Rivendell gossip) and beckoned to Lindir with a thin hand. "And what of that? She rode into war, and our Lord Elrond was furious, as never I had seen him."
"You must understand," Lindir said, "that Lady Uialithil is as close to him as our Lady Arwen. Our beloved Celebrian had just passed over Sea, and he and Glorfindel searched everywhere. Elrond heard of the strange tale coming out of Gondor, and put two and two together, I daresay- and sent Glorfindel to catch her like a deer and bring her hither to us. I was told Elrond said when he saw her again:
"'You are a Lady of Rivendell by my hand! You have returned with a bloody sword and a body-count to your pure name-! Of this I despair, and upon hearing your actions I have come to this conclusion!'" Lindor paused for dramatic effect, taking a deep breath, as his friends hung onto every word under the autumn sun. "Elrond swelled before her and in his anger he said what we all heard that day, 'You will be a prisoner within and of my House, never to set foot out again!'"
"And we all know what happens next!" said Farin. "Galadriel remorsed for this news and she and Celeborn came to talk to our Lord. Afterall, Uial had helped the victory be won at Celebrant, and for the men in Gondor! It was noble and brave, by any account!"
"But fresh in his rage he was not swayed," Lindir said solemnly. "He had vowed to protect Uial until her dying day, or until the day she passed over Sea, preferably with him."
"Be it even in a cage of cliff, water, and leaf," said one sadly, but then her face brightened, and her gentle face bore a smile. "But such bitterness does not last long! She was let out after a yen or two, and travelled the world again, and came to reason with King Thranduil. Then she went away after finally being free, and went eastward to the land of her father's birth and her childhood home, Lotholorien- but now she has returned!"
"I have wondered why," said Lindir, very thoughtfully. "It must be because of the matter of the One Ring."
Translations
Here are the translations if not provided by the text:
- "Hina! Tindomerel Uialithil!" (Quenya)
This means "Child! Daughter of the twilight!". Uialithil's name is Sindarin.
This means, "father". Sindarin is the common tongue of elves, and is also called Grey-Elven/Silvan tongue.
As said above, this means, "child". Elrond says this because Uial is his foster daughter.
This word means "elvish year" and is really 144 of our years, so I didn't italicize like the other elvish words.
