[littlemanpoet]

"No, I have not. But I would love to go. And now the chance is upon me, so I shall go with you, as a friend."

Eodwine smiled and rose, and Finëwen followed suit. He extended his hand.

"I will be honored to have your friendship on the road, Finëwen."

She took his hand in hers and they shook.

Eodwine's eyes left hers to look at a couple coming in through the south gate. "Someone comes that I would speak to. I bid you good night, Finëwen."

"Good night, Eodwine of Rohan."

She left him and walked to the bunk house in which she had made her bed. Eodwine waved at the couple.

Falowik waved back.

"Eodwine greets us," he said to Uien.

"Give him greeting for me. I would go and speak to Eswen and Lumiel."

"Good night, my fair one."

Smiling, she reached up and traced the line of his jaw, stepped to him, and kissed him once. "Good night, Lauréatan." Her eyes were filled with the light of the stars, and Falowik felt the world shift as she walked away, taking his heart with her, remaining with her at the core of the world. He would never speak of such things to anyone, for they would think him moonstruck. And this was not far off, for he thought that he had been struck, not by the moon but by the love of an Elven woman, who was his Valinor, if such a thing could be.

When she disappeared from view, a hundred paces away, passing into one of the bunk houses, he turned and walked up to Eodwine. They greeted each other and sat by the fire.

"I see, friend Falowik, how you look at the one called Uien."

"Aye. I cannot help myself, nor care to." He grinned.

"It is a fine thing! It was so for me once, years ago."

"I would hear of it if you care to talk of it."

Eodwine shook his head, smiling ruefully. "Maybe another time, for I think our paths run together for a while yet. But tell me how you came to know of Uien."

Falowik related the tale of the night and following day when Uien had begun as a stranger and become so quickly the holder of his heart.

"But one thing troubles me, Eodwine. I have heard the tales of Beren and Luthien, and now lately of Elessar and Arwen, and for a man to love an Elven woman is a high thing, too high for me! She has told me that she has given her heart to me, which whelms me like a great flood! But I cannot hold her to it. It is not right of me to hold her love, and for her to lose me some day to death, and to live in grief for the rest of her days, which may not have an end for thousands of years!"

"My friend," said Eodwine, "it is well that you think of her fate in this, but there is one thing that you may not know, having lived in the wilds for so many years. The Third Age of the world is over. The fate of the Elves is changed. Those who have chosen not to cross over the sea, have turned from the hope of Valinor in the west, and have married their fate to Middle Earth. The old Law that forbade union of Man to Elf is passed."

"That the Law no more forbids it does not make it a good thing."

"No, you are right. But there is more. As I have heard it from the wise in Gondor, and from Elves who remain, those Elves who remain in Middle Earth will join more and more with wood and leaf and field and lake, and become ever more like them. Some few may join with humans, and become ever more like us. So it seems that you may love Uien freely, and that both of you will become more like the other. Who knows? Maybe you shall have longer years because of it, but that is just a guess."

"I will not hope for it. But if Uien knows this, and has married her fate to me, then I will not deny her the choice she has made, for I do love her and would spend the rest of my days with her."

"Then love her well, my friend."