[Garen LiLorian]

The young man had sat, deep in thought, for a long time. But, upon hearing Dwarin's request, he stood up, still leaning heavily on his spear. "If Findolfin doesn't mind, he said, bowing deeply to the Elf, "I have a tale for you." After recieving the Elf's nod of affirmation, he limped to the center of the room. "Sirs and Madams," he began, "courteous gentlefolk of mortal and immortal heritage, I beg leave of you to tell a short tale. In sooth, mine is not the bard's gift, yet I may hope to enlighten some here among you. The story is that of younger times, of a line of Men both doughty and wise, in particular, of the founder of the house of Lorian, the Elf-friends, who lived in times past on the borders of the Golden Wood." The introduction finished, he stood lost in thought, like a statue, until some of the younger hobbits started fidgeting. He started chanting in a low voice:

"The leaves shone in the sun like gold,
Nimrodel running swift and cold,
Khazad-Dum was fair and young,
The race of Man had scarce begun,
When Gareth walked upon the face,
Of Middle-Earth, he learned the place,
For everything, be it beast or birds,
He spoke to them, and learned their words,

He crossed the mountains fair and tall,
And stood before golden Rauros Falls,
And sorrow came into his breast,
For wandering far he'd ne'er found rest,
And wondered long, that every beast,
Should have its home and secret place,
When home for him he had found none,
Nor wife to love or bear a son,

Then North he came, the Anduin he followed,
'Till darkened woods, they loomed and swallowed,
His spear so bright, his sword so keen,
Glinting in the sun were seen,
By eldest of the eldest race,
And stopped and sat for many days,
And talked of many things unknown,
Of sorrows and an empty home,

Then Fangorn spoke of many things,
Of Elf and Man and bird on wing,
Of Lorien fair and Elvish quest,
And wonder stirred in Gareth's breast,
And North again he traveled fast,
And came to Lorien, the winter past,
The spring had never dawned so fell,
As when he spied there Mariel,

Dancing in the grasses new,
The sun shone on the morning dew,
And Gareth came, entranced he stood,
At the entrance to the Golden Wood,
Unaware the maiden danced,
And sang and all the sorrow passed,
From Gareth's breast, and his heart did swell,
To see her there upon the dell,

The maiden heard his soft footstep,
As Gareth's heart within him leapt,
She turned and fled, and he came after,
His heart was beating ever faster,
Through wood and stream he followed fast,
At Nimrodel they stood at last,
No bridge was there for her to cross,
And Mariel stood, and felt her loss,

And Gareth came, and found here there,
He softly lifted her golden hair,
And spoke her soft, and lovely things,
And felt as if his soul had wings,
And Mariel felt within her heart,
A trembling, like an ensnared hart,
And so Garath caught the lovely maid,
And on the edge of Lorien they stayed,

Garath built a hall of wood,
To please his bride, who ever stood,
Among the trees, and wept alas,
That it should ever come to pass,
That mortal and immortal folk,
Thus being caught, could never hope,
For anything but sorrow to come,
She bore for him a noble son,

But always in her heart she lived,
Among the trees and with her kin,
And ever did she sigh and mourn,
The fairest daughter of Celeborn,
And when the spring did come again,
She left him, and returned to Lorien,
And he was left to curse the fate,
That ere him had led to Lorien's Gate.

The young man stopped. He seemed to come back from somewhere far away, and his eyes came slowly back into focus. He smiled, apologetically, "That is a part of the lay of Garath, founder of the House of Lorien, and my forefather. The whole would be many nights' telling, and describes his search for the Elf-maid Mariel. He searched for her far and wide, for she had left Lorien, and returned to her mother's people in Mirkwood, or perhaps it was the Havens and the West that she sought, none can now tell. But wherever rumor sighted her, Garath followed, until at last his steps led East, and into the Shadow, from which he never returned." Then, having spoken his piece, the young stranger retired to the corner, where he watched, with strange bright eyes.