I sit in front of the hearth and take a sip of the bottle of dark, red wine I had purchased in Bree. This wine is not quite as deep and flavorful as the elven wine I am more used to, but has a simple and nice taste just the same.
It rained today, or should I say poured. Perhaps the storm in the morning set the tone for my mood today. I have done nothing of importance and just sat in front of this fire all day. I am annoyed, but I know not why.
The fire is still barely crackling and alight but the sound seems to be making me drift off....
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There is warmth on my face. I fear my nightmares have returned. When I open my eyes, surely I will see naught by fire and death. Weary, I slowly open my eyes. My imagination could not have been more wrong. There is no fire or flames, and no pain. I hurriedly sit up and look around me.
I am in a small glade. There is tall lush grass surrounding my body and it tickles my face. Just a few feet away lies a small pond, a shock of blue in the greenery that surrounds it. There are roses of orange and red and pink growing on the bank of the pond.
The sun is bright and shines on my face and it blinds me as I look up. This is a most welcome change from the nightmares I am used to. I am going to savor the time I have in this place, before reality calls me back. As I sit and enjoy the beautiful nature my mind has deemed fit to show me, I begin to hear a distant song.
It is a woman's voice and the song she sings is sweet and merry. I stand up, looking for the person who is singing the happy song. Just on the edge of the glade by the trees, a figure approaches. The sun still blinds me and all I can see is a gown of blue and long, flowing silver hair.
When she steps forward into the light, my eyes fill with tears and my heart aches.
'Naneth...." I whisper as she smiles and holds her arms out for me.
'My little moon. Come here.' I rush into her warm embrace, just like I would as an elfling. And though I now stand heads taller than I used to, the embrace makes me feel young once more.
"Where are we? Why are you here? Are you real?" Words come spilling out my mouth in a mix of Sindarin and Quenya. I sob into her shoulder and squeeze her tight, just like a child.
"My little moon." She pulls back a little and the smile that graces her face is soft. "We are but in your dreams of course. I am here, because you have not heeded my words. I told you to not wait did I not?"
I look up, confused. "What do you mean, naneth?"
"Oh, my sweet child. I came to you but recently, do you not recall? I advised you to search for answers, but you still hold back."
I pull back from her embrace but keep my hands locked tightly in hers. "That really was you...." I try to speak through my tears and trembling lips.
"Of course it was me, little moon. But it seems that you needed, shall we say, a more direct approach." She sits down in the grass and softly pulls me with her.
"I miss you....more than anything." I whisper out.
"I know you do, child. And I miss you with all my heart. But you are still stuck in the past, in a home that no longer graces this world. It is time you look to the future. There are many who still walk Arda who have need of you. We shall see each other long into the future. Look to those who surround you now. Your fate resides in the Arda of now, not Gondolin. That was my fate, not yours."
I look away from her deep grey eyes, finding her stare calming but also uncomfortable.
"But I do not know what to do Naneth. I have no path to follow."
She takes her hand from mine and pushes me to face the other way. I can feel long delicate fingers begin to braid my hair. A memory of ages past flashes in front of my eyes. Naneth and I sitting in front of the fire, braiding each others hair. Adar, sitting in the armchair, telling tales of glory and great kings.
"Of course you have one. You are already on it. Why do you think you joined this company of yours? Fate, little moon, knows what it is doing." She finishes braiding my hair and takes a red rose from the bank of the pond and gently presses it into my hand.
"Just keep looking forward, little moon. Answers are already appearing, you just need to open your eyes to see them." She stands up and gently pulls me with her.
"Naneth.... I do not understand." I embrace her once more, already missing the feeling of her arms.
She kisses my forehead softly. "I know. But you will soon. I love you my little moon. I am so proud of you." She removes my arms and begins to walk away.
I call out one more question with tears already drying on my face. "Naneth. You never answered my final question. Are you real?"
She stops and gives me a soft smile. "Perhaps. But that is not for either of us to know." She turns back away and walks through the edge of the glade.
"I love you!" I call out, but the dream is already dissipating.
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I shoot up, finally awakening. The fire is still crackling, though my glass of wine has spilled and stained the rug. My eyes widen in shock when I realize there is still a red rose in my hand and my fingers shake as my arms raises to find a perfect braid, resting on my back.
