Shawn Daysleeper
Irmo and Nienna, the Keepers of Spirits, meet in the Gardens of Lorien following the Council of Manwe.
"Greetings, Brother."
"Greetings, my Sister."
Nienna asks, "Do you have any ideas about visiting the Teleri? I have never travelled much." Irmo responds. "I have visited the Teleri King through his dreams, I have learned a little of their ways."
Nienna replies, "That will be useful now. I have met the Vanyar, of course, at their feasts and music festivals. Are the Teleri much different? I don't even see many dead Teleri, in the Halls"
Irmo answers. "They are somewhat different in appearance, but their love of music and their singing is unmatched by any of the Children of Illuvatar." Nienna smiles at the idea of music. Irmo continues. "I have heard their singing by the shores of the sea, it brings about many mixed emotion with me."
"How so?"
"They sing of sorrow at times, for their losses during the Kinslaying, but they also sing of joy and desire of the sea and the stars. They fill my heart with both joy and sorrow, even at the same time." Nienna replies "A strong-willed people. Yet not so headstrong as the Noldor."
Irmo nods. "But it grieves me now. I no longer hear their song, for many of their kin are lost in these times."
"Then we have work to do." Irmo nods to his sister. She continues. "But will we not frighten them? The Children seldom see us, these days. In dreams, yes, but not in person." Irmo responds. "I am certain our appearance in our current form would frighten them. But it falls upon us to restore hope to their remaining kin"
Nienna says, "Yes, we must do what we can to restore their hopes and their courage. The Vanyar are accustomed to us, but I think the Teleri are not. Maybe Ulmo visits them." Nienna laughs, "Maybe Ulmo frightens them, too."
"How can we present ourselves so that we can reach their king? He has a few guards now, and swordsmaidens to defend him, and a sailor there is also."
"A few guards, a few soldiers, and a sailor ... This is all that remains of the Third Clan?" Irmo nods greviously. "This is serious indeed."
Irmo nods again. "Those are all that I have seen there sleeping under the stars of Alqualonde."
"Linfea was not exaggerating," responded Nienna.
"So we must assume we will meet hostility and doubt from them, unless we plan our course of action carefully."
"I suppose if we appeared as if we were of the Children, we would look less frightening. Though also we would have less reason for them to listen to us."
Irmo nods. "We could appear as of the Children, and at least seek council with King Olwe."
Nienna asks "Hostility? Why? ... Though, after the Noldor ... who knows what lies the Evil One has set loose now. If we can speak with the King, that will be very good. If you told him that messengers were coming to him, do you think he would listen?"
"I suspect he would. He has taken to heart all of the dreams he has experienced."
Nienna nods thoughtfully. "That is good. That makes things a little easier for us."
"I could appear in his dreams, and notify him of new arrivals sent by Lord Manwe to assist him in his cause."
"The poor child will expect an army."
Irmo nods with a tear in his eye. "But strong courage is as good as an army and hope is as keen as any sword."
"Indeed. And hope and courage must carry the Teleri a while longer. If they are such singers, would they respond well to songs of hope and courage?"
Irmo responds. "Ah yes, I expect they shall. Much of their purpose they put into song."
"Then perhaps we should appear as singers."
"Yes, and assume a form that they would find pleasing, we could walk among them in the guise of their kin."
Nienna gives a concerned look. "Although it will be tedious to make the music the way the children do, with instruments."
Irmo nods. "Perhaps we could learn the art of music through instrument from the Vanyar?"
Nienna considers the mechanics of making music by physics. It seems difficult, but not impossible. After all, the Children manage. "Hmmm, perhaps so. That will amuse them, to have Vala students!"
Irmo nods, then smiles and laughs. "We could then convey our message through song to the Teleri. Songs of hope and courage."
"And we must practice living like the Children. I have tried eating at the feasts. Sleeping, now ... how do they do it?"
"They sleep, their bodies seem to fall unconcious, but their minds are most active, seeking the doors to psyhic realms beyond the circles of the world. It is through this medium I am able to enter their dreams."
Nienna considers this. "Even the youngest of them seem to manage to sleep. It cannot be too hard. And, if we don't do it right, they probably won't notice."
Irmo smiles "They are beautiful when they sleep, they are truely at peace."
"They are beautiful awake, too. But so solemn."
Irmo nods. "I hope we can contain our guise long enough to convey our message, and perhaps when we are discovered, they will accept us for who we are."
"Yes, it does seem like our best chance."
"The Teleri are light-colored, like their Vanyar kin, are they not?"
"They are fair skinned, but are not as fair as the Vanyar. Their hair is of silver-white, like that of Isil. They are also a little shorter, but no less as strong as the Vanyar kin."
Nienna concentrates a moment, and changes her skin to a lighter shade. "Like this?"
Irmo smiles at his sister and does likewise. Irmo nods. "Yes, our appearance looks similar to the children of the Third Clan."
"What fashion of clothes do they wear?"
Irmo thinks for a few moments then says, "They wear loose fitting clothing, in colours of the sea and the foam of the coast. Blues and whites, inlayed with silver."
Nienna considers her first attempt. "No, this doesn't look like that style at all."
Irmo smiles and concentrates for a few moments. "Is this better?" Nienna asks. Irmo smiles to his sister.
"This looks wintery. But then grey was always my color." She smiles.
"Yes, you could walk among the Children," answers her brother. Nienna laughs. "As long as I can walk without tripping over my feet." Irmo smiles. "This clothing is most unusual. It will be difficult to move also, for we must walk as they do."
"Yes. We can practice when we go to music lessons with the Vanyar. Ingwe will have a decade of songs just from watching us."
Irmo smiles and laughs.
"So we can be musicians, travelling to Alqualonde. Can we just appear there?"
Irmo nods. "Yes, I believe it is the only way, for Alqualonde is now an island, we could not travel overland there. Now an island, further treachery instilled by the dark forces we now fight."
"Will they wonder how we got to an island? But then, singers often tell their stories in riddles ... perhaps we can avoid giving too much detail." Irmo: nods "We can tell of our travels in riddles."
Nienna agrees. "Yes, yes, that would be best."
Nienna says "And names, we will need travelling names. Perhaps riddling names." Irmo replies, "Many teleri names are derived from the elements they cherish most, such as the sea, songs, and their ships."
"Names of significant meaning?" Irmo nods to his sister. "Names for the bringers of messages of hope and courage ..." Nienna thinks.
Irmo concentrates for a few moments. "The name "Estelin" could work, it means "Song of Hope"
"Yes," Nienna says thoughfully, "That would work well. Prophecy, messages, that would be "Apaken". "Apakenwë" would be an appropriate name for a messenger."
Nienna says, "It is a mouthful, but the Children seem not to mind long names."
Irmo nods in agreement. Nienna grins. "What else do we need? Music lessons. Oh, Ingwë will laugh ..."
"Yes we need lessons in music. We shall become students of Ingwë."
Irmo laughs. "When we feel our skill in music is ready, I shall appear in a dream to Olwë, and I hope he will give attention to my message."
"Very well, then. I hope we are quick students."
Irmo says sadly. "It pains me to deceive the Children this way, but we do not have a choice. I only hope that we are not too late."
> Next
"Greetings, Brother."
"Greetings, my Sister."
Nienna asks, "Do you have any ideas about visiting the Teleri? I have never travelled much." Irmo responds. "I have visited the Teleri King through his dreams, I have learned a little of their ways."
Nienna replies, "That will be useful now. I have met the Vanyar, of course, at their feasts and music festivals. Are the Teleri much different? I don't even see many dead Teleri, in the Halls"
Irmo answers. "They are somewhat different in appearance, but their love of music and their singing is unmatched by any of the Children of Illuvatar." Nienna smiles at the idea of music. Irmo continues. "I have heard their singing by the shores of the sea, it brings about many mixed emotion with me."
"How so?"
"They sing of sorrow at times, for their losses during the Kinslaying, but they also sing of joy and desire of the sea and the stars. They fill my heart with both joy and sorrow, even at the same time." Nienna replies "A strong-willed people. Yet not so headstrong as the Noldor."
Irmo nods. "But it grieves me now. I no longer hear their song, for many of their kin are lost in these times."
"Then we have work to do." Irmo nods to his sister. She continues. "But will we not frighten them? The Children seldom see us, these days. In dreams, yes, but not in person." Irmo responds. "I am certain our appearance in our current form would frighten them. But it falls upon us to restore hope to their remaining kin"
Nienna says, "Yes, we must do what we can to restore their hopes and their courage. The Vanyar are accustomed to us, but I think the Teleri are not. Maybe Ulmo visits them." Nienna laughs, "Maybe Ulmo frightens them, too."
"How can we present ourselves so that we can reach their king? He has a few guards now, and swordsmaidens to defend him, and a sailor there is also."
"A few guards, a few soldiers, and a sailor ... This is all that remains of the Third Clan?" Irmo nods greviously. "This is serious indeed."
Irmo nods again. "Those are all that I have seen there sleeping under the stars of Alqualonde."
"Linfea was not exaggerating," responded Nienna.
"So we must assume we will meet hostility and doubt from them, unless we plan our course of action carefully."
"I suppose if we appeared as if we were of the Children, we would look less frightening. Though also we would have less reason for them to listen to us."
Irmo nods. "We could appear as of the Children, and at least seek council with King Olwe."
Nienna asks "Hostility? Why? ... Though, after the Noldor ... who knows what lies the Evil One has set loose now. If we can speak with the King, that will be very good. If you told him that messengers were coming to him, do you think he would listen?"
"I suspect he would. He has taken to heart all of the dreams he has experienced."
Nienna nods thoughtfully. "That is good. That makes things a little easier for us."
"I could appear in his dreams, and notify him of new arrivals sent by Lord Manwe to assist him in his cause."
"The poor child will expect an army."
Irmo nods with a tear in his eye. "But strong courage is as good as an army and hope is as keen as any sword."
"Indeed. And hope and courage must carry the Teleri a while longer. If they are such singers, would they respond well to songs of hope and courage?"
Irmo responds. "Ah yes, I expect they shall. Much of their purpose they put into song."
"Then perhaps we should appear as singers."
"Yes, and assume a form that they would find pleasing, we could walk among them in the guise of their kin."
Nienna gives a concerned look. "Although it will be tedious to make the music the way the children do, with instruments."
Irmo nods. "Perhaps we could learn the art of music through instrument from the Vanyar?"
Nienna considers the mechanics of making music by physics. It seems difficult, but not impossible. After all, the Children manage. "Hmmm, perhaps so. That will amuse them, to have Vala students!"
Irmo nods, then smiles and laughs. "We could then convey our message through song to the Teleri. Songs of hope and courage."
"And we must practice living like the Children. I have tried eating at the feasts. Sleeping, now ... how do they do it?"
"They sleep, their bodies seem to fall unconcious, but their minds are most active, seeking the doors to psyhic realms beyond the circles of the world. It is through this medium I am able to enter their dreams."
Nienna considers this. "Even the youngest of them seem to manage to sleep. It cannot be too hard. And, if we don't do it right, they probably won't notice."
Irmo smiles "They are beautiful when they sleep, they are truely at peace."
"They are beautiful awake, too. But so solemn."
Irmo nods. "I hope we can contain our guise long enough to convey our message, and perhaps when we are discovered, they will accept us for who we are."
"Yes, it does seem like our best chance."
"The Teleri are light-colored, like their Vanyar kin, are they not?"
"They are fair skinned, but are not as fair as the Vanyar. Their hair is of silver-white, like that of Isil. They are also a little shorter, but no less as strong as the Vanyar kin."
Nienna concentrates a moment, and changes her skin to a lighter shade. "Like this?"
Irmo smiles at his sister and does likewise. Irmo nods. "Yes, our appearance looks similar to the children of the Third Clan."
"What fashion of clothes do they wear?"
Irmo thinks for a few moments then says, "They wear loose fitting clothing, in colours of the sea and the foam of the coast. Blues and whites, inlayed with silver."
Nienna considers her first attempt. "No, this doesn't look like that style at all."
Irmo smiles and concentrates for a few moments. "Is this better?" Nienna asks. Irmo smiles to his sister.
"This looks wintery. But then grey was always my color." She smiles.
"Yes, you could walk among the Children," answers her brother. Nienna laughs. "As long as I can walk without tripping over my feet." Irmo smiles. "This clothing is most unusual. It will be difficult to move also, for we must walk as they do."
"Yes. We can practice when we go to music lessons with the Vanyar. Ingwe will have a decade of songs just from watching us."
Irmo smiles and laughs.
"So we can be musicians, travelling to Alqualonde. Can we just appear there?"
Irmo nods. "Yes, I believe it is the only way, for Alqualonde is now an island, we could not travel overland there. Now an island, further treachery instilled by the dark forces we now fight."
"Will they wonder how we got to an island? But then, singers often tell their stories in riddles ... perhaps we can avoid giving too much detail." Irmo: nods "We can tell of our travels in riddles."
Nienna agrees. "Yes, yes, that would be best."
Nienna says "And names, we will need travelling names. Perhaps riddling names." Irmo replies, "Many teleri names are derived from the elements they cherish most, such as the sea, songs, and their ships."
"Names of significant meaning?" Irmo nods to his sister. "Names for the bringers of messages of hope and courage ..." Nienna thinks.
Irmo concentrates for a few moments. "The name "Estelin" could work, it means "Song of Hope"
"Yes," Nienna says thoughfully, "That would work well. Prophecy, messages, that would be "Apaken". "Apakenwë" would be an appropriate name for a messenger."
Nienna says, "It is a mouthful, but the Children seem not to mind long names."
Irmo nods in agreement. Nienna grins. "What else do we need? Music lessons. Oh, Ingwë will laugh ..."
"Yes we need lessons in music. We shall become students of Ingwë."
Irmo laughs. "When we feel our skill in music is ready, I shall appear in a dream to Olwë, and I hope he will give attention to my message."
"Very well, then. I hope we are quick students."
Irmo says sadly. "It pains me to deceive the Children this way, but we do not have a choice. I only hope that we are not too late."
> Next