[Esgallhugwen]

It grew utterly dark before her, the fading blue of the sky pulled back to reveal a void adorned with the silver of stars, who in their cold silent vigil were witness to the history of Middle Earth throughout its ages. She looked across the expanse of sky naming constellations and seeing some whose names she could not recall, for they seemed foreign to her.

The celestial beings glowed with unnatural light, brighter and brighter, blinding Esgallhugwen until the lights extinguished leaving her in a starless abyss. She dare not call out into the darkness, thus she searched with her mind.

A faint whispering came to her sharp Elven hearing. Dare she take a step?

She reached out farther with her mind, groping in the dark for a sign of the sound.

Silence.

"Tread softly Dark One, you may wake the light", Esgallhugwen's breathing stopped, her heart slowing to that deadly rythm she knew too well, pounding hard and ready.

"What do you speak of? I am no Dark One"

A penetrating gaze seared through her and the voice scoffed, she could feel it's hot breath on her face. "What is it then that is inside of you Firstborn? Or do you know yourself?".

Esgallhugwen stepped back unnerved by the voice's knowledge, she quickly set up a barricade for her mind. None shall enter.

"I am not here for me, I come searching for a friend, an unearned evil has been wrought upon her, I seek to right it"

"Very well. Perhaps another time you will care to be enlightened, and perhaps then it will be too late, you have yet to see your full purpose".

Walls of razor ice began to descend from above, hitting the floor only to leap up as flame. Eswen's pale face glowed red against the fire's light. She heard crying.

The flames were climbing fast and on the other side of the blazing wall she could make out the trembling form of Uien.

So hot yet it freezes.

"Uien!", Esgallhugwen called, "come to me, leave this darkness that another has cast upon you", Uien looked to her with livid fury burning in her bright eyes, she seemed to shake something off continueing along the black path.

"Uien Inglorion", Esgallhugwen seemed to grow in height, shadows clinging to her form, drawn to her by something within. Uien turned to face her the fire diminishing, "come to me, Uien".

Eswen heard the familiar foot fall of Falowik walking back into the Common Room with an ale in hand. "Where is Uien?", Eswen asked sipping on a small glass of miruvor to recover her strength.

Falowik sat across from her and smiled, "sitting by that hawthorn tree, waiting for it to do something I reckon", Eswen nodded. "You're not suprised by this?", Falowik inquired taking a healthy sip of ale.

The Elf shook her head with a faint smile, "that tree is more than a tree, mellon, speak no word of this to another. Her secret must remain as such".