Ithilien, start of the Fourth Age
"What is your favorite color?"
"Eh?" Earcalie blinked, taken back in the real world from her reverie by Inweth's words. They were enjoying a light meal watching the sun set, sitting atop Henneth Annun's rocky outcrop. Below them, a sea of green dotted by the yellow Culumalda trees. "Mine is green" said the gardener elleth. As if that wasn't obvious... the other one thought, but didn't say out loud
"What's yours? Everyone has a favorite color"
"Hm..." while Earcalie wasn't so sure that everyone must have a favorite color, the sudden question made her mind go back in time to the day she did decide which was hers...
Road from Elostirion to Forlindon, some centuries ago
Little Earcalie looked up from her book, nestled in a large woolen cloak as the caravan slowly made their way up north. Winters weren't usually too harsh in that part of Lindon, but that morning a chill biting wind blew from the mountains far away. That at least is what her mother said, for they were still going uphill and the Blue mountains were visible yet.
"Who gave the name to the mountains ammë?"
"The first elves, those who awoke many yeni ago in the east, and on their journey to the west, named all they saw"
The elfling sat on the wagon in front turned so she could face her mother, riding beside her, with a frown on her face. "Then they were wrong". Mehtarnis blinked, and stared at her daughter dumbfounded. "Excuse me, dear?"
"The old elves were wrong. Mountains are made of stone, so they are grey. When there is snow they are white and when there are trees green". The little one said so with a tone that conveyed foolproof logic, and indeed, to a child's mind that reasoning would make perfect sense. To the elven riders around her though, it was source of much amusement while they tried their best to hold their chuckles and not upset the elfling. Mehtarnis however smiled kindly at her daughter and pointed up the hill. "Look to the north-east once we are at the hilltop, then tell me what you see"
"Hmf". Earcalie put her book away, stood up on her wagon seat and stared impatiently.
As the caravan reached the top of the hill, and slowly started its descent, the beautiful, unobstructed view of the grasslands below greeted the travelling elves. They could see an expanse of green, further beyond the glisten of the sea as the sun made its way up in the sky, humble dwellings of the Edhel dotted here and there and even further, as far as eyes could see, the morning haze blurring like fog the shape of Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains which as distant as they were, appeared pretty much like the name intended: a veil of dark blue, shifting like someone covered the mountain chain with a velvet blanket, stray rays of sunlight piercing it for but a moment giving the little elleth the impression it truly was an enormous blanket embroidered with lapis lazulis.
"As you can see, far away mountains naturally tend to look bluish. That is because light scatters blue hues more easily in the landscape, although the deep shade is also given by the metals present in the stone..." Mehtarnis' explanation was all but lost to the child, who couldn't even care to be proven wrong in that moment. She was mesmerized by the view, and exclaimed "That is my favorite color"
"I thought it was sea blue?"
"No, that's the old one. Ered Luin is my new favorite color"
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She half smiled recalling that episode. As it were, the particular shade of blue became widely popular all over Middle Earth, extensively used in the process of dyeing articles of clothing, just to name one. "Ered Luin blue" she answered Inweth.
"Ered Luin....? Oh let me guess... the color of your tunic". Earcalie nodded. "I have not yet seen any other place where you can find a color such as this... I wish you could see those mountains. But that would bring you dangerously close to the sea"
"You can draw them for me!"
"Please... I am not a painter, I couldn't do it justice"
"Then we find someone who can"
In the middle of the wilderness, sure. But Earcalie had to admit that her friend's unwavering optimism was contagious. "We'll see if we can". She missed her own homeland, truth be told and longed to return to her familiar shores soon. But for now, a drawing to keep as memento wasn't a bad idea at all.
ammë: mother in quenya
