Merenell

I woke after what felt like a cold, endless night. It took a long time for me to orient myself; my eyes recognized none of my surroundings and the sensations that accompanied them. Soft linen sheets encapsulated me and a warm glow like the radiance of sunlight beneath a canopy of trees illuminated the large hall. I could hear the distant chirping of birds and the meanderings of a breeze.

It was a long time before I saw another elf.

At first, they asked the same question again and again: “Where elves hidden?” Sometimes their butchering of Sindarin changed, though.

“Hidden elves, where?”

When I gained consciousness, I opened my eyes. But still, I saw darkness. An unsurprising reality in Mirkwood. Yet, this was too dark.

A few more blinks. I began to feel my lashes brushing against fabric pulled taut over my eyes.