Note: According to my beta-reader, there is some question regarding whether Elves celebrate their the date of their birth or of their conception. Since I can't find anything definitive, and "anniversary of conception" seems a rather long term for a casual discussion, I have left this as originally written. If Elves do, in fact, celebrate their conception rather than their birth, please let me know where the information was found! In the meantime, "birthday" will have to serve. You get the idea, right?

Chapter 2

Legolas led her to one of his favorite places to sit: a fall of rocks from the mountain sat near the mouth of a stream. They sat for some moments in silence before Legolas spoke again, "Will you tell me more about your family, Linilya?" he asked softly. "I have no wish to bring back unpleasant things, but I would like to hear more about it, if I may. I have never lived among Men. "

"I will, if afterwards you would tell me of your life. You have lived far longer than I, and my knowledge of Elves is not consistent... " She dearly wished she knew more about the people of her birth. This trading of stories with Legolas seemed to be her best opportunity.

"Very well, we shall exchange, " Legolas agreed.

Linilya reiterated a bit of what she had said earlier to the council, telling with a bit more detail how her foster-father had found her. Then she continued on, telling him of some of her happy childhood memories. "For my 40th birthday, my father, mother, brother and sister went on a picnic. We rode horses, heading inland. We went up to the top of a hill some few hours ride away from home. And it was simply beautiful... the grasslands spread out beneath us, the river a silver ribbon glowing in the sun, and off in the distance was a forest of dark greens and misty hazes. It was truly a lovely sight."

Legolas smiled gently as her words painted a picture for him. "From the way you describe it, I can almost see it in my mind." After a brief pause, he asked her, "You remembered when your birthday was, then? I would have thought you were too young to know the calendar."

"Indeed I was," Linilya agreed. "But I knew that it was around the time that the flowers were beginning to bloom and the leaves were coming back to the trees. So my family decided that we would celebrate on the seventh day of spring, since I seemed to them to be 7 years old, in human terms, when they found me."

"I see. In a manner of speaking, it seems a good way to mark an event that one wants to remember." Legolas' voice showed only the barest hint of his feelings. He felt rather sorry for her, not knowing when she'd been born. One's birthday was not terribly important after several hundred years of life, but the coming of age celebration was one every Elf looked forward to. And it was one that she had never known. Perhaps for her next birthday, he would have to arrange a celebration for her.

Linilya watched Legolas for a few moments, a smile of amusement on her lips as she watched his mind wander with his thoughts. He was, like all elves she'd met thus far, very good at keeping his emotions buried within himself. But that didn't mean that she couldn't tell when something was on his mind. She was accustomed to dealing with stoic beings; she had done so for much of her life.

When he finally noticed that she had fallen quiet, his eyes lost their inward look and returned to her, a question in them. She answered his silent question with a question of her own, "Where did you go, just now? What were you thinking?"

Her question took him aback and he briefly considered what response he should make. Finally he simply said, "The story of your birthday past left me thinking of one of my own." Legolas was relieved when she seemed to accept that answer, simply nodding in response. "Please, continue your tale."

She shook her head and smiled softly. "Truly, there is not much more to tell unless you wish to know what we ate, what gifts I was given, or how long we spent on the hilltop. But simple memories are often the happiest. I remember summers spent near the river, learning to swim with my sisters and brothers. I remember evenings spent sitting on the seat before the upstairs window, gazing up at the stars and hearing tales of their naming. And countless evenings before the fire with all the family gathered together to tell stories and sing songs. On many such evenings, my family bid me to sing. Anything that came to mind, they urged me. And so I would sing whatever songs I could think of. Some in the Common Tongue, some in Elvish. Happy songs brought much joy, and sad songs often brought people to tears. I never did decide if it was the story or simply the way I sang it, but some said that it was me and my singing that did it." Linilya blushed lightly and ducked her head, her long hair shadowing her face.

Legolas smiled and reached out to brush her hair away from her face, his fingertips gentle. "You have no need to feel embarrassed, little one. You do indeed have a lovely voice, and there are some singers who have the talent to move others to tears. It is a combination of the song's tale and the singer's ability to put emotion into the music. I do not find it hard to believe that you possess such a skill. Your voice is musical, even in ordinary speech."

"Thank you," she replied, her voice soft but warm. Then she changed the subject, as was her tendency when an emotion came upon her that she did not know how to handle. "Will you tell me now of your life here, please? You said that my story brought to your mind a birthday of yours. Will you tell me of that?"

"If you wish," he told her, though he decided to tell her a tale of a different birthday celebration than the one he had initially thought of. He wished to surprise her with her own coming of age celebration. "We elves to not celebrate birthdays yearly, for a single turning of the seasons means little over the course of thousands of years. But those closest to us will often give small gifts or leave them for us to find on that day of the year. We usually celebrate every hundred years or so, as a century is somewhat more noticeable in the span of our lives."

"I can understand that," she spoke into the quiet when he paused. "I myself have not truly celebrated my birthday since I left my foster-family. After the first few difficult years, the passing of time meant little, save that I was still safe and content."

Legolas nodded. "It is much the same for us, save that there are loved ones near who seldom forget little things like that." He smiled, remembering the occasional reminder of his own birthday coming when he woke to find that someone had left his favorite sweet-cake outside of his door. "When celebrations occur, they are very rarely planned by the one who is having the birthday. I have never planned an event for myself, and would not be surprised if I never needed to. Parents plan celebrations when one is younger and friends when one is older. If you are lucky enough to find a life-love and marry, then your husband will probably plan them from that point on. I have gotten together with friends to plan parties for others, and they have always been happy times.

"But you wish to hear about one of my celebrations, you said?" At her nod, he smiled and continued. "Then I shall tell you of my 1300th birthday."

Linilya drew one leg up onto the rock she sat upon and wrapped her arms around it, settling in to listen to his tale. As a child she had always loved stories; from this one she also hoped to gain some bits of information she would need to be accepted in Elven society.

"The celebration was planned for me by two of my closest friends, Helinan and Kaylin. In some ways, I knew something was going on but I did not really think about it overmuch. I simply let events happen as they would. So I was a little surprised when they came to me, as excited as a pair of younglings, and grabbed hold of my hands. They pulled me out of the caverns and into the forest. There is a large clearing somewhat to the east of here, a grassy area near a large lake. It was to that clearing they brought me, and I could hardly believe all that they accomplished. Tables were scattered about, containing food and drink and sweets enough for hundreds of elves. There was the usual music and singing, but also dancing and tale telling as well. People moved about singly or in groups and a pleasant time was had by all. As is custom, throughout the night those who wished to give me gifts drew me aside. And lovely gifts they were, too. After a few gifts, I had to find myself a place to put them all because there were far too many to hold for the night. When the party came to an end, sometime around dawn, I had to ask my friends to help me carry my new possessions back to my home."

"Is that where this came from," Linilya reached out and just barely touched the fine gold chain about his neck as she spoke. "I have only known you a few weeks, yet I have never seen you without it. It seems to hide itself, but I saw you looking at the pendant one night on the road."

"Indeed, it was my gift from Kaylin. She is very skilled at making jewelry, and she made this for me." Legolas lifted the chain over his head and held it so she could look at the pendant.

It was a mallorn leaf, soft green on the front and gold on the reverse. It was delicately made, a fine veining visible on the surface of the leaf. It almost looked real. "It's beautiful, Legolas," Linilya breathed after a moment of studying it. "I can see why it is special to you. And thank you, for telling me the tale. It sounds as if it must have been lovely."

"You are quite welcome," he answered with a gentle look in his eyes. Then he glanced up at the sky and noticed that it was growing dark. "But for now, I believe we should head back in. It will be dark soon, and it has been a long day for the both of us."

Legolas smiled to himself as they walked back to the mountain that housed most of the Elves in Mirkwood. She seemed to him to be like a younger sister, looking up to him to help her settle into this new life she had found. And he would do his best to help her. He promised himself that, as he had promised her in his mind. She would not be alone any longer.

End