Everyone have a story to tell about their life, even an elf, Ive been lucky to have meet lady Tardhilhael one evening in Imladris, she told me about her past, a story with both good and bad in it, here it follwos.
It is a early spring morning in a house in Greenwood the Great or as it is now known as Mirkwood. In the house a father walks impatiently, his name is Elhadron, after all this was the moment he had waited for for so long, his wife, his beloved and beautiful Elhadril is coming down with their first born child, after many hours a daughter is born, she's given the name Tardhilhael, as beautiful as her mother, full of laughter and a keen mind as she grew up, as she began to grow older she started to take a intrest in herb lore and the skills of healing and she learned the craft and became a skilled healer as she grew older.
Meanwhile in Rivendell, a elven boy is also born on the same date and year as Tardhilhael, his name was Beridhren, he grew up to become a soldier, a skilled warrior, noble and proud. As a young elven man he did what most young men does, he trained hard for his soldier until...the marching orders came, to march towards Mordor and war.
Meanwhile, far away in Mirkwood, all the soldiers and healers recived the same order as well, Tardhilhael as well, side by side with her father in his golden armour, a deep red cloak draped his back, on her other side was her mother, draped in a dark green robe with silver embroidments in the fabric, as well this was the same attrie of Tardhilhael as well. Days and days they marched before they met up with the marchign force from Rivendell under lord Elrond and the elves of Lindon under High King Gil-Galad, with their forces their healers as well, not long was it that the men of Gondor marched togehter with the elves, the men under Elendil and his son Isildur.
"Father, why are the men marching with us?" Tardhilhael asked her father who replied "They're marching for the same reason as we, to stand agaisnt the dark lord and defend the free people of Middle Earth, for freedom my beloved daughter." Tardi, as many of her friends called her by now nodded and grew quiet as the soldiers of the elves and men seperated from the healers, little did Tardi know that this would be the last time she saw her father alive.
The battle for freedom took place on the slopes of Mount Doom, elves and men suffered great losses as did the orcs as well, in midst of all this the healers worked not just on the battlefield but in the rear lines as well, one of the ones on the field was Tardi, unknowing that her father and mother had fallen to orcish blades and arrows, she was jsut too busy helping wounded soldiers of the elven hosts and the gondorian host, she had no fear for doign her duty on the field, she did not care, she felt safe with the sword she had on her side, something she had got from her father just before they marched, she knew how to handle it as well. She ran to a fallen elven soldier, Beridhren, as by the time she did not know his name, he had a foul wound across his chest, Tardi began to do her work while battles were fought around her. After a while she had got the wound cleaned as good as she could and had a bandage wrapped around his chest as well as she found help to carry him to the rear lines where they could look at the wound better, as he was carried away Beridhren gave her a look and she lost her herself in his eyes for a moment, a moment she would regret perhaps someday as she took an arrow to her right shoulder then another one to her back, missing her spine but the arrows poision was aldready in her system, she ignored the pain as she made it with the ones carrying the wounded soldier back to the rear lines, well there she fell to the ground and drifted away.
She was found shortly after and some of the healers began to take care of her, preparing her for transport back to Rivendell, if she could make it. The war was won and so Tardi and Beridhren and many of the injured were taken to Rivendell, well there in Rivendell when she woke up, she looked around the room and thats where she saw it, her fathers sword and helmet along with her mothers belt with her many pouches, laying on two empty beds next to her, she knew then what had happened and began to cry and mourn, weeks passed as she remained in her room, recovering form her wound and loss. One day a soldier came to the healers quarters in Rivendell where Tardi was, he sat down on her bed and took her hand gently and spoke to her "Lady Tardhilhael..I doubt you remember me but I however do remember you and your healing skills on the field, I am in debt to you." It was Beridhren that spoke to her, his hand that normaly used to grasp swords and spears with a firm grip now held her soft hand in his.
She shifted her empty gaze up at him and spoke with a weak voice and a faint smile "I only did what my duty said to me, nothing more, nothing less." he gave her a smile in return as he continued "I fought with your father, he spoke very highly of you as we marched to the battle and I..managed to get a glimpse of you as I was carried away." She could not help but smile some more from his words "I will let you rest for now lady Tardhilhael." he continued before he gave her hand a soft kiss in a goodbye mannor.
He came back the next day and the day after and the day after that, always talking to her, as he did so she slowly started to shine of happiness again, much to the healers joy. One day he asked the healers if it was possible to take her with him outside the house and into the Vale again, they nodded and said yes and so he walked to her room and they both walked outside togehter, for hours they walked and talekd about good memories, stories and much much more..this went one for day after day after day while they both healed their wounds, if she felt weak from their walks and her wounds he carried her bakc to her room and placed her in her bed.
One day, as they both were outside walking, he stopped by the falls and took her hand, looked into her eyes and smiled gently "Tardi, I've become very fond of you" his gentle voice said, she felt how she started to turn red as he continued "A year we've known each other now, would you..I mean..perhaps we could see if we could share the room and more?" his hand giving her hand a soft squeeze, she turned rose red and looked down at first but then back up at him, a soft smile on her lips as she nodded gently "Yes, I'd like that Beridhren." she said with her soft voice. He took her into his arms for a soft embracement and there in his arms she felt secure.
So they started to share the room and the grew closer and closer together, a year later he were chosen to help in Escorting Isildur back to Arnor from Gondor, he would of course stop as they reached Rivendell and stay there with Tardhilhael, who grew worried about him but a promise of return to her were made and she took it, embraced him and watched as he and a troop marched. She knew it would takea days, even weeks for them to get to Gondor but when they turned to months and he shoudl have been back by then she was told that he had fallen trying to protect Isildur from an orc pack, it was the disaster of the Gladden Fields, Tardhilahel took it so hard that she almost ran to their chamber, his sword had already been brought there as well, and ther eon the bed along the sword were a note, a note he had written on the eve before he sat out, as she was sleeping. She opened the sealed note, a white gold rign with a shappire fell out of it, she took the ring and she felt how tears began to fel las she started to cry as she took the ring and began to read the note, yet with a smile on her face for in this note he declared his love for her and wished that if something would happen to him she needed to stat strong and continue to live, to be happy, finding love if they would be parted. "He loved me and never told me.." she said for herself while she smiled.
She spent the night in the room, the ring in her hand and the note gently folded togehter on the bedside table as she then the following morning she took the ring and walked to the smiths asking for a gold chain, a day later she were given the golden chain and she placed the ring so she could carry it in the chain placed the chain around her neck, walked away back to the room as she thought about him.
And so much as I know she still wears the necklace, as a reminder of him.
