The Hall of Fire, some time last month.
Her heart had leapt when he returned. She had shamelessly smiled and dropped whatever one-sided conversation had been targeted at her, the moment he appeared in the great Hall. Now, some hours later, the gathering has come to an end. The Hall is emptied, save for him and her: two figures seated on the ground, at the marble-carved feet of an Elfmaiden who dances her stationary dance.
She had teased him, wordlessly, when she patted the ground next to her - inviting him to sit while knowing full well he wouldn't oblige. It had become a repeated jest. Though now that there was no one else around - no one to see him nor anyone lacking a seat which he could then graciously offer - now he had laughed and given in. So they sat on the floor, sharing a moment of comfortable silence.
She had broken the silence by asking about his journey. He told her of the land he had returned from, of Lindon and its vast green forests, its cliffs, its breathtaking shores, and above all, the Sea...
That was when dread set in, when the grave consequence of her feelings became clear. The Deep-Elf and the Dark Elf are caught up in an inescapable dilemma: He longs for the Sea and the Uttermost West, she intends to remain in Middle Earth untill it's last day, whether she remains embodied, Houseless1, or lingering2. Yet, neither are at peace with their chosen path any longer, for it would mean a permanent farewell and an everlasting existence alone.
A tear escapes from her eyes. He gently wipes it from her cheek. He calls her by a new name, 'Melduwen', a name of love. She responds alike, naming him 'Uurisaaru' in the tongue of The People3.
Twilight and the Sun, opposing though they seem, aren't they also bound together untill Arda itself is no more?
~~~
1 The 'Houseless' are those Elves that died, whose spirits didn't answer the summon of Mandos and instead remain in the Unseen realm of Middle Earth.
2 'Lingerers' are Elves who didn't physically die, but who remained in Middle Earth long enough for their spirit to have fully "consumed" their physical body.
3 The name the Hwenti refer to themselves with.
