[littlemanpoet]

The sky was light blue with wisps of clouds floating above on a high west wind. The sun had warmed the air so that it felt like spring. Birds trilled and sang, flitting from tree to tree. The tack of the horses were the only sound of their passing. Everyone was silent and expectant. The Elves were responsible for this; not through any command. Their anticipation was palpable and caused the others to expect something, anything, around the next bend of the stream by the side of which they rode.

It was just after mid-morning when the jumping and chopping stream fell into a small deep pool where the water swirled and slowed, then flowed slow and clear into a grassy field, still high on the mountainside, through which the cold water flowed gently down toward a line of evergreen trees.

Roy felt his heart race suddenly.

We have arrived!

Roy turned to Mellonin, whose thought he had heard. Her face was stretched and tired, her eyes lit with a fire beyond the scope of humankind.

Nimrodel!

Mellondu looked hardly less the worse for wear, but the same light was in his eyes, which seemed to look through the thick eaves of the evergreens.

They dismounted. Roy went over to Bergil, who had placed Indil before him on his saddle. Bergil handed the girl into Roy's arms, and he placed her on her feet; then he knelt beside her while the Ranger dismounted.

"Do you know where we are, Indil?"

She nodded. "Nimrodel and Mithrellas are in there with my mama and papa."

"Shall we go see?" Roy held out his hand to her. She placed her small hand in his big one, and they began walking with the others toward the evergreens. Roy and Indil were the first to pass between two of the evergreens, and stopped.

"I've been here in my dreams," Roy murmured. Indil nodded.

At the far end, where the stream divided into many rivulets before leaving the vale, sat a woman with bright hair, her face unseen. Near her stood another woman, her hair raven and lifting a little in the breeze. Mithrellas! Roy's heart quickened. She turned and looked, then smiled, and reached out a hand to someone whom he had not seen at first. This other was another woman through whom he could somehow seen the evergreens behind her; yet her blonde hair and lively brown eyes could not be mistaken. Angela!

He began to walk forward, still holding Indil's hand, and she walked with him. He approached Mithrellas and Indil approached Angela. Five paces apart, he stopped. As did Mithrellas. Indil stopped with him. But Angela kept coming, letting go Mithrellas' hand, and grew suddenly smaller with each step until she was the same height as Indil, then she walked right into Indil. Roy thought she they would bump and collide, but no.

Indil stood there holding his hand, but Angela was nowhere to be seen. Then Indil looked up at him. Suddenly he realized that her brown eyes were the same as Angela's had been. No. They were the same. Both Angela and Indil looked up at him out of the same pair of eyes.

"Indil? Angela?"