Chapter Text
It was the Second Age in Middle Earth. Among the trees of a vast forest in the land of Eriador, a lone Elven woman rested quietly, watching the river in the distance. The colour of her hair that she had inherited from her mother was reminiscent of the crackling campfire she sat beside, its flames flickering and dancing in the cool midnight breeze. For over a thousand years she had travelled around Middle Earth. As she watched the flames, her mind wandered to her past.
Her parents had come to Middle Earth in the First Age. To try and escape the war, the Elves had sought to create a new life for themselves in peace, in a remote woodland not too far from the land that was now known as Eregion. Surrounding the woods were grassy plains where wild horses ran free. Her parents built a beautiful cabin made from wood and stone, nestled in the trees on the edge of the woods, overlooked by a majestic weeping beech tree. It was for her beloved forests and woodlands that Neldoriel took her name, nature was a part of who she was. Sadly they were no longer with her and she missed them dearly.
Getting up from the campfire to stretch her legs, she walked over to her horse who was idly foraging about for anything edible he could find. The dapple grey horse noticed her and came trotting to her happily, he snuffled at her hair affectionately and pushed her with his nose. She giggled and scratched his chin in greeting. She loved horses and her bond with him was unbreakable.
Stroking the side of his silvery grey face, she touched her forehead to his as she spoke softly to him. “Suilad, Thalion.” He was a descendant of a rare race of horses, intelligent and strong, with a lifespan longer than that of ordinary horses.
It was time to move on. She decided to head for Eregion to go and spend some time among her kin. Being near her homeland might bring her comfort, she thought. Packing away her things, she paused and took a moment to look at her sword with reverence. It once belonged her father and she she had kept it for all these years, a lightweight steel blade, expertly crafted by the finest Noldor smiths during the First Age, it was artistically and beautifully formed with exquisite detail, with a dark blue-grey sapphire embedded into the pommel. It matched the colour of her and her father’s eyes. Mounting her horse, she pulled up the hood of her woodland green cloak and they set off on their way.
*
A few years passed, a fleeting amount of time to an Elf. Neldoriel had been staying in a small house which she had been graciously been allowed the use of by an old friend. She passed the days simply enjoying Elven life, it was nice to have a break from living in the wilderness sometimes.
One morning as she was strolling down a beautiful stone walkway, enjoying the morning sun as it came up above the high walls of the city of Ost-in-Edhil, she happened to overhear a conversation between a couple of young Elves about some rumours of trouble in the Southlands. She stopped and sat down by the fountain as if deep in thought, while quietly listening in to the conversation. The young Elves continued to talk about how the land had been destroyed, and how it was now a land of darkness. She didn’t know whether to believe it or if this was just gossip.
Curiosity got the better of her and she decided she was going to travel there and see for herself. She had spent long enough in the society of Eregion and was ready to journey out into the wilds again. She made the necessary preparations and soon set off for life on the road once again.
Suilad is a way of saying hello in Sindarin. It means ‘Greetings’
Thalion means ‘strong, dauntless, steadfast’ in Sindarin.