The beginning came with an ending, as two lost souls arrived at the shores of the sea. One wished strongly to leave, but was held back, while the other wished to stay, but felt pulled toward the horizon. But neither expected to meet the other, and to feel there might still be hope left in the darkening world. And so Arvaethor, the elf of white stone, and Aduialant, the elf of silver trees, were bound by oath to one another, and there was no ending for either of them. For a new chapter was begun that day beside Belegaer, and life was breathed anew into their fading spirits.
The memory of that fateful meeting is recorded here in verse by Aduialant, who in another life might have been a celebrated minstrel
An elven lady tall and fair
With silver eyes and raven hair
Far down the road came riding;
Her graceful shoulders slumped with care,
To waters edge she soon did dare,
But her pale face was hiding.
She trailed her fingers in the tide
And begged the ocean, deep and wide
To whisper softly to her.
But though the sea birds aching cried
And she had let go of her pride
The froth did not her heart stir.
But down the path an argent lord
Had also come, with gleaming sword,
To board the ship soon sailing
His thoughts were only then toward
The billowing sails, the prow there moored
And not his spirits failing.
He saw the elven lady stand
And turn away from streaming strand
Back to her horse there gaiting;
Then all that he had dreamt and planned,
And all that duty did demand
Was paused a moment, waiting.
“O Arwen! Noble Lady tall!
There seems about you a dark pall,
And I may truly empathize!”
He sang to her, as if to stall
But then she turned to heed his call,
And mirrored were their pale eyes.
Beneath her shadowed hood she gleaned
That somehow fate had intervened;
For there before her standing,
Another had come to be redeemed,
Though in his core he felt demeaned
By powers too demanding.
“Alas! Glanhir, oh shining lord,
To this lost land I remain moored!”
She groaned and spake her plight:
“I've come through forest, fen, and ford
But to me, Ulmo’s sang no chord.
There is no end in sight!
The silver elf held out his hand,
The first offered in that sea-land
And he did speak in kind;
“I meant to sail by heart’s command,
But now my soul is called inland
To free my burdened mind”
“I have a thought to travel now
Through every land that will allow
My aid, for I shall give it.
I must fulfill an age long vow
And would indeed be pleased, if thou
Would join me, kindred spirit
The lady threw back her dark hood,
And all the power of the wood
Was in her visage pale.
Upon the ocean’s edge she stood
And thought this stranger kind, and good.
“I’ll follow, without fail”
And so their path then turned away
From dock and ship, from sail and quay
And into lands more wild;
For though the two began to stray,
And in the East did longer stay,
For once, both of them smiled.
