[Lyra Greenleaf]

As Emilia brushed out her long, shining hair she watched darkness fall outside the window. By degrees the sky faded to royal blue, then black crept across the sky towards the West. It was a beautiful night. Above, stars winked through faint whisps of cloud. Emilia remembered that when she was little her father had taken her and her brother outside in the cool dark and told them the old Elven names of the stars. Menelvagor the huntsman, Soroúmë the eagle, Remmiraith and the special stars of the Gondorian banner- the Sickle of the Valar. She could still recite the names, just as she could still see her father’s face in the fleeting light shining from their windows while he reached up pointing.

In daytime different things were important, but at night the old habits re-emerged in her head. She missed Father, but he was due to write tomorrow. That meant a letter from Mama too, and a more welcome one from Emrin her brother.

After the normal 150 strokes, Emilia slowly readied herself for bed, the short, plump maid dashing round the room while Emilia sat and digested the day’s events. Somehow, sitting in her room she could not be bothered to think of what to do. With a yawn she decided to wait until the morning and went to bed resolved NOT to dream of Thenidir.