“So, you are to forsake me as well?” Her pain must have been apparent for Boridhren hastened to her side to embrace her as her face fell. Her eyes were sparkling with the first hints of tears as her reached up to cup her face in his hands. “My beloved, I shall never forsake you, neither here nor in the west” he caught the faint glimmer of hope light within her deep silver eyes, a pair of eyes that had melted him the first time he had espied her nearly ten score years hence. “Then why sail west my love? Why leave me now? I am not to tarry here long...just...” He reached up to her olive cheek and wiped away a tear that had begun it's descent towards her throat, this sight was one that would haunt him as he gazed back upon middle earth, this he knew in his soul. “Gwathwen, I know you will not be long, we will not be long parted...as you know I will be waiting at the harbours day upon day, dawn upon twilight.” His shoulders slumped with a resigned sigh as her face creased with worry, he knew that was the wrong thing to have said. For all her ferocity and wild ways, she was still just as fragile and fey as he. “Do not misunderstand me my love, I will do this just so I can think of you, to be closer to you as you speed your path back to me. I will not diminish there, for I know you are returning to me...we have till the end of times after all.” He allowed himself a warm smile at that thought, an eternity with her, his emerald-eyed warrior. “I understand why you must stay for this time, I truly do. You are a woman of action, you have that fire within that must burn. This is why I love you so, this is why you will be my wife when we are together again!” She sagged against him for a moment, overcome with her emotion at the sentiment but pushed herself away to an arm's length as she asked “But then,why can you not stay with Cirdan until I come for you? Why must you sail...now?” Boridhren's face took a grave and saddened visage as he turned away slightly from Gwathwen's gaze “ Gwathwen, you have been roaming for three years hence now, my mother has taken a turn for the worse, she has seen a the turn of a full age. She has grown weary of middle earth and I am fearful for her, her heart is borne heavy with sorrow.” The huntress stepped closer to her betrothed and encircled him with her arms, holding him fast. “ I did not know..I did not feel that she was so very tired, I am sorry Boridhren, truly.” He turned within her powerful embrace “as am I for not confiding in you, I feared you would worry and become wounded, and this I cannot bear. I knew you wanted to stay for a time, and I cannot risk you being slain or suffer hurt for worry.” Gwathwen reached up to the nape of his neck and pulled him closer gently, nuzzling his neck and kissing him lightly upon his mouth, letting him see her rare smile as she pulled back to look him in the eye. “ I will not worry my beloved, I know she needs the gift of song and cheer that only you can provide, master of the words that you are, I understand, I truly do. I am just saddened that I too need your songs and your words, for they grant me strength beyond strength.” she gently kissed him once more, smoothing a tear from his eye. “ I must be away soon, my father wishes to see me, I fear that will be a painful parting, as I am sure you know he too is sailing west with mother. I fervently pray that the darkness here can be overthrown as swift as courage will allow, for my world will be elsewhere-staring across the seas looking for me.” Boridhren began to openly weep as he took his love by the hand, placing a small wrought-silver leaf shaped necklace “For my emerald-eyed champion, so she may have something of me to keep close.” Gwathen began to tremble and shake, knowing the time to part was close, knowing she would walk the steps to her father's home with a heavy heart. How was she to stay strong in the coming days and months? She decided then and there that Boridhren's gift would never leave it's place from her neck until they were together again...