In Dreams

The following weeks were busy ones for both Elrond and Amarie and they saw little of each other. While he was less than pleased at this, she was relieved that she was able to maintain a friendly but firm distance from him without it being obvious. Elrond was almost constantly in meetings with representatives of all the major groups of elves and men as he tried to forge a consensus among them on what action was necessary to face Sauron. He found himself frustrated at their inability to understand the nature of the evil growing in Dol Guldor where Sauron was gathering his power. Day after day he sat and listened as the various delegates argued for or against a proposed activity. He saw little progress and often found his thoughts wandering to a certain elleth.



He had little time for personal matters but did manage to eat meals with the twins when they came back from patrol. He was glad when Arwen arrived for her visit at the end of iavas and pleased to spend time with her. Of Amarie he only had fleeting glimpses.



Arwen had already heard of her from her gwanurs Elladan and Elrohir and when they added that their ada seemed very taken with Amarie she was curious to meet her. Arwen’s skill with the needle was well known and doing needlework herself she appreciated the amount of work and different skills the tapestries required. She had often admired the tapestries in her ada’s sitting room and the news that the missing fourth one had now joined them pleased her. Such unique gifts were usually the prerogatives of kings and to be gifted by one not of their ranks was indeed unusual. The Mistress of Bar-Meneg-Mir-Lain was proving an interesting subject for study.



Amarie had been receiving visitors of her own from the delegates as news spread among them of the establishment of the Bar-Meneg-Mir-Lain workshops at Imladris. Elrond had made a point of speaking to them of his delight over the four seasons tapestries. After visiting the workshops, several of the delegates had eagerly placed orders giving the workshop sufficient new work that would keep them busy for the next three years and the promise of an additional amount that would carry them through the next two decades. While she was pleased to receive the creative work, Amarie was careful to include the more mundane and regular work of repair and cleaning on the schedule remembering the leaner days she now hoped was permanently behind them.



Late one afternoon as Amarie was finishing up some paperwork on a new order, she heard the light footsteps of an elleth outside the doors of her studio. Expecting Sadi she called out.



“Sadi, I am just about finished. We should be able to get cleaned up before dinner.”



“I regret I am not your Sadi.” A lovely voice answered.



Amarie looked up into the face of a dark beauty and recognized the Lady Arwen at once. She rose from the desk quickly and gave a formal greeting with bowed head and hand on her heart. “My lady, Welcome to the workshops of Bar-Meneg-Mir-Lain.



Arwen laughed, “Lady Amarie, I thank you for the welcome, but such formality is not required.”



“My lady, you are the daughter of Lord Elrond and the grand-daughter of Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Of course such respect is appropriate.” Amarie smiled in response.



Arwen studied her for a long moment. “Your gift of the Echuir Tapestry has pleased my father very much. He speaks highly of you. His admiration for what you have accomplished in bringing Bar-Meneg-Mir-Lain to Imladris is…..boundless.”



Amarie was quiet for some time before replying. Looking directly at Arwen she commented seriously. “He has been most kind to us. By opening Imladris to the workshops I believe he saved Bar-Meneg-Mir-Lain. I do not think we could have survived another idhrinn back at our old village.”



Arwen smiled, “I would very much like to learn more about the processes of creating a tapestry. May I request a guided tour sometime soon? I also understand you wish to begin a school of needlework. I would be interested to learn more about that as well. I can think of several elleths who would like to attend.”



“I would be delighted to provide a tour when ever you have the time, my lady. As for the school I am afraid that remains only a dream at the moment. The workshops must remain my most important focus.”



“Perhaps you would join me for dinner in my rooms this evening and we could have an elleth to elleth discussion. If we eat in the dining room we would have no privacy and worse yet my gwanurs would pester us. My father and Erestor have their hands full with all of our official visitors and I am bored with playing hostess to them.”



“My lady, I don’t know what to say.” Amarie looked uncomfortable.



“Then please say yes. I would like for us to be friends. Being the only elleth in this family of ellons for so long around here has often been quite lonely. To be able to talk about something other than weapons and patrols or politics would be a wonderful relief. Somehow my brothers and father just don’t appreciate the finer things of life like pretty cloths, and good looking elleths and just plain old fashion gossip.”



Amarie laughed at Arwen’s disgusted look. “When you put it that way how can I refuse? I will have to let Sadi know not to expect me for dinner. What time should I be there?”



“ At the usual dinner chimes. That is the Lady Saeldae? She would be welcome as well.”



“Yes, an I will pass on your invitation to her although she and Lord Erestor have taken to eating together most evenings.”



“Until then.” With a wave and a smile Arwen turned and left for the main house.







iavas = late summer between August and October

Bar-Meneg-Mir-Lain -house of a thousand jewelled threads

echuir = "stirring-time;" spring between February and April.

Idhrinn- year

Gwanurs-brothers-a pair of twins