Silmeriel arrived in Ithilien long before the others, borne by her winds. She headed first for the waters, murky, clogged, and barely trickling. She touched the streams with one finger, clear, pure water spreading outward from her touch.

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I'm going to be away for the next three weeks. You may powerplay my character, on three conditions. One, you can't kill her. Two, you can't make her look stupid. Three, she has to be involved in repairing Ithilien. She's got wind and water magic, so it shouldn't be a problem. Oops, I almost forgot- the other characters aren't supposed to know who she is. So keep her cloak hood up.

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Corwin touched the ancient elm tenderly, feeling it's life force flow. What a wonderful gift life is... He looked up at the branches of the great tree, which seemed to hover protectively about him. He put his hand against the tree again and put his will into the tree. His very life source. Corwin's mind flew through the branches and through the life of the tree. He saw times of old, of wonder and pain...
And he remembered... and felt tears rise to his eyes. Faces flashed by. Fingolfin, Feanor, Luthien, and so many more. So many he would never see again. So much was lost.
He saw himself touching this same tree an age past, young and youthful. And then her face came to him. Ethelion... my Ethelion... He collapsed weeping at the foot of the tree.

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One door has closed, but another has opened, and beyond... our future...

(lol, all righty, so we're there!)

I stepped down from my horse gently. The earth was good here, and the trees were sad with memories. Once they appeared stately and beautiful to lords long passed by. Spring and summer mingled were peeking their shy heads here. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye, not too far from where I stood, I saw the one who was called Corwin. His Gondorian helm had fallen from his head and he wept bitterly. My heart filled with pity, and my hand unconsciously reached out a little. I drew it back swiftly. It did not concern me in the least. But sorrow in one so strong and brave I could not help but feel.

Softly and silently I stepped to him and knelt in the fern. I bent my head a little sideways and looked at the sun playing on his hair. It was unconscious of the bitterness directly beneath. My gloved fingers very gently smoothed the hair from his brow.

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"Come on girl." He told his black horse. They gallop down the plains. Molgar say a horse ahead. Eastbond gallop at his own speed not stopping. As they got nearer. Whoa ferdirand my girl whoa as he stop her. dismounting. "Have you seen Legolas?" He asked. Turning to the maidin. "eastbond." He yelled. The small colt came galloping in sight.

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The Quiet A-U Gentlewomen

Corwin started at her touch. "Forgive me, my lady. I... I lost control for a moment." He stood and took her smaller hand in his. " It will not happen again." Yet his eyes told a different story.

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One door has closed, but another has opened, and beyond... our future...

"You need not be forgiven for emotion." I smiled and squeezed his hand gently. "Take heart! We are here to heal, and healing goes both ways, they say." My eyes fell upon a lifeless tree, smothered in its bloom of youth. I stepped over, holding my skirts above the thorns that grew over the ground and felt its bark. Life quivered yet inside!

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(Suiliad, may I join?)

An elf steps out from behind another tree. She is tall with golden hair and voilet eyes. Her cloak of green is lined with brown mink fur with a brown fur collar. She looks at the strangers with a friendly eye then says

"Greetings, You have entered Ithilian. The area in which you are now is occupied by my people from Greenwood. We await the arrival of our Prince, Legolas, son of Thranduil the Great." She said this with pride, then kindly asked "What brings you to these woods and why do you weep so? The tree is not dead if that is why, we have let them sleep until our Prince comes, then they will awaken and spring will come again to this fair land... Come will you not take lodgings with us?" As she said this 7 other elves came out from behind trees, some even jumped down from their hidding places in the trees. They all moved towards the travellers.

As my companion was silent, I smiled. "We come in the company of the Prince Legolas, and weep no longer. If I am not mistaken, we are in my lord Legolas's presence now," I said as Legolas approached and dismounted. He greeted the Elves with a bright smile. "My brothers and sisters! Joy will flow in this land as we work together."

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*bows low* "Greetings my Prince.You have been eagerly anticipated and there is much I must acquaint you with! Come to our camp where you and your companions shall have a fine meal." She said then she turned to a young elf and said "Gondien, go and tell the rest of our party to prepare for our royal Prince and his friends. And make haste!" The young elf sped of to the east. She turns back to the group and says "I am Aranelwen, I have been sent by the King himself to greet his son. Come, let us start towards the camp." As she said this she turned eastward.
"I do not mean to question my fathers actions..." Legolas said as he walked beside Aranelwen "Forgive me, but I do not remember you being in my fathers court, milady."
"Your magnificant father sent me because I am your own cousin." She said delicately.
Legolas was stunned for a moment then said "How? Neither of my parent had siblings!"
"It is a long and complicated story that I do not have the time to tell here, but in good time you shall hear it in full, I promise you that. For now, know that our mothers were twin sisters, seperated at birth and brought up in different classes. But now all has been set to right and I am under the protection of your father the King. You may ask any of my company, many of whom you know well, to testify to the truth of my tale"
When they had finished talking they came over a ridge and went down into a small valley where there were tents scattered around a large fire area with several deer being cooked on a spit. The beginnings of more permanent buildings could be seen.
"As you can see.." Aranelwen said as they descended towards the camp "... we have already become settled and have started building homes here. What do you think, cousin?"

(pssst, I dunno if Thranduil came to Ithilien. I don't think he did, at least. Another thing, I think the Elves would have dwellings in trees, flets, that sort of thing, you know?)

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(Thranduil didn't but a bunch of Mirkwood elves did. And the buildings are going around the trees ya know kinda like Lothlorien.... btw Thranduil lived in a cave underground so the Greenwood elves may not be used to living in trees... you never know..)

Corwin followed at a distance behind Lord Legolas and the others, silently trudging along. His face was set, but no tears were shed.
((Sorry bout the delay guys. I've been camping in Yosemite con mi amigos))

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One door has closed, but another has opened, and beyond... our future...

(Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know you meant buildings AROUND trees. Okay, all clear now! Yep, Thranduil lived in a cave. A very shiny cave, albeit, but a cave all the same! Yeah, I think some of the Mirkwood Elves lived in trees.)

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(fun stuff! hmm... the only thing Iiiiiii remember about Yosemite is a black bear. lol)

I looked around me. Progress! Lovely. The flets looked beautiful already. I had been raised in Lothlórien, and living in a tree was natural to me, in fact, my preferred way of sleeping. The ground made me feel vulnerable. But here, living in the heights, beautifying the earth's creations, made my heart feel light. I hoped we might gather together at the end of the day to sing and make merry.

Just then, I was courteously showed to a place in front of a delicious meal. I took off my gloves and set them next to me as I began to eat.

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(hey guys I think I'm going to talk in first person as Aranelwen now, sorry for changing on you but its easier for me)

I lead the party to the camp and was much delighted in their enraptured faces, all our hard work was paying off. I was still a little nervous around my new found cousin, and I think he was kind of nervous as well... I had to stop myself from helping serve, reminding myself that I am royalty now and it is not my place to serve others as I used to, I knew it would be hard adjusting to this new way of living, but I tried to keep a calm and regal appearance on the outside so as not to distress my cousin or any of his friends... The last thing I wanted to do was displease my cousin. It felt so strange calling him "my cousin" when for so long I had only known him by "Your Highness" but he had always been my flesh and blood and now I would just have to get used to us being equals...