Prologue: The Dweller of the Land of Stars

Véryangólë Aldarwion of Tirion paced the length of his sitting room. Outside, the light of Laurelin had reached its zenith.

"How long is this going to take?" he asked the air. The room erupted in laughter.

"It will take as long as it takes, Sailo," said Findárato, his long-time friend and liege-lord.

"Patience, Aldarwion," said Amarië. "If you are going to be a father, you have to learn that children take their own time."

Véryangólë turned to his companions with a helpless expression. Findárato, Amarië, Angárato and his wife Eldalótë had joined Véryangólë's parents and sister in waiting with the distraught father-to-be.

"Indeed, yondo," said Eleniel, his mother, "you took much longer than this to decide to come into the outside world."

Aldarwë walked over to his son and placed an arm around his shoulders. "Relax, pityawë," he said. "This waiting only seems long because you are anxious. Trust me, when it is over and your son is here in your arms, you will think nothing of it."

Véryangólë gave his father a shaky smile. "Does the nervousness get any better, the more children you have?"

Aldarwë raised an eyebrow, but before he could answer, the door opened and the mid-wife, Ninquellë, walked in. Véryangólë's eyes went wide.

"Come, Aldarwion," she said.

As Véryangólë stumbled his way out of the room, Ninquellë smiled and winked at the assembled company. Joyful laughter followed after her.

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When Véryangólë entered the bedroom, the first thing he saw was his wife lying comfortably in their bed. He had expected her to look beyond exhausted, but she looked radiant there with her golden hair spread across the white pillow. To Véryangólë she glowed with a radiance to rival glittering Laurelin; a radiance of joy, a radiance of love, which never left her, and gave rise to her name, Erulassë, 'Eru is joy'.

Eärnyellë was at the side of Erulassë's bed. In training as a mid-wife, Eldalótë's sister had come to help with the birth. When Véryangólë entered, she was placing a small bundle in Erulassë's arms, a tiny fist having taken hold of a long silver braid.

'My son,' Véryangólë thought in awe. For a long while he had known of the existence of his son; but not until now, not until seeing him actually here in his mother's arms, did it seem real to Véryangólë.

Erulassë and Eärnyellë both laughed silently as they tried to disentangle the baby from the Teler's hair without waking him. Véryangólë came over to peer into his son's face for the first time.

"How do you feel, Indillë," he asked quietly, using his name for his wife.

"I have never felt better," his wife said. She smiled down at her sleeping child. "He has your eyes, Atto. Wait 'til you see them."

Atto... "And he has your hair, Ammë," he replied with a crooked grin. He reached out and very gently ran a finger over his child's fuzzy honey-gold head.

"Would you like to hold your son, Atto," Eärnyellë asked. When Véryangólë looked at her in shock and concern, she smiled and continued, "He will not break, Aldarwion."

"You have a sister, verno. Did you never hold her when she was young?" Erulassë asked.

Véryangólë shook his head and very carefully took the newborn from his wife's arms. "We were too close in age. I was not allowed to hold her until she was several months old," he said.

After a few moments he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see his father's eyes filled with joyful tears, too proud to speak.

Findárato was peering over Aldarwë's shoulder. "Are you planning on letting the rest of us see the new addition to our circle, otorno? Or were you going to keep him all to yourself?"

Erulassë laughed. "Would you like to hold him, herunya?" she asked.

Findárato's eyes immediately went wide.

"Don't worry, otorno," said Véryangólë said with a cheeky grin, "he won't break."

Findárato sent him a glare. "Unlike you, my friend," he said, "I have held babies many times before." He gently accepted the small white bundle from his friend. As he gazed at the tiny face, the child opened his eyes. Harebell blue gazed into paler blue. Findárato's look of consternation quickly changed into one of joyful adoration.

"I am so happy for you, my dear friends!" Findárato exclaimed. "I almost feel as if it were my own son's birth." So intent was he on looking at the newborn in his arms that he missed Amarië's blush at his exuberant exclamation.

A look of sorrow and confusion crossed Erulassë's face. "That is good, herunya, for I think he shall have need of your friendship."

Véryangólë looked at his wife fearfully. "What do you mean, melda?"

"I do not know, really. I only feel that Lord Findárato will help our son in a time of great need."

The room was silent for a while, as each person pondered what her words could mean.

"What shall you name him, yondo?" Aldarwë finally asked to clear the tension.

Véryangólë took his son back, and looked from him out the window. "Well, as he was born at the brightest part of day, and his mother is my light," he said, placing a kiss on his wife's hand, "I shall call him Cálion, for he is my child of light." He ran the back of his finger down his son's tiny cheek. Sleepily, Cálion turned his face into his father's touch.

Erulassë took her son back and held him close. "Welcome to Valinor, Cálion, yondonya," she whispered.

"What of you, Erulassë?" asked Eleniel.

Erulassë stared out the window for a moment. "All I see of my son," she finally said, "is a tall and strong warrior in a vast country under the stars." She did not tell them of the pain and weariness in her son's eye as she saw him then. She did not speak of it, but it haunted her own eyes, here in the brilliance of Laurelin. Erulassë had seen the vision of this starlit warrior for most of the time she had been carrying her son.

"Therefore," she said, turning back to her family and friends with a smile, "his name shall be Nillenorinwë, the dweller of the land of stars."

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Notes:
In This Far Land: story title taken from a verse of the hymn to Elbereth: "We still remember, we who dwell/ In this far land beneath the trees,/ Thy starlight on the Western Seas" (FotR, p. 78)

Véryangólë Aldarwion: my character, as are his parents, his wife and Eärnyellë

Laurelin: the golden Tree of Valinor

Sailo: one who is wise, as opposed to knowledgeable (istima)

Findárato: Finrod

Amarië: Finrod's love, of the Vanyar

Angárato: Angrod

Eldalótë: Angrod's wife

yondo: son

pityawë: little one

Erulassë: my character, a Vanya

Eärnyellë: my character, sister of Eldalótë; she has silver hair because she and her sister are part Telerin (my invention, not canon).

Indillë: Véryangólë's nickname for his wife, means Lily

atto: papa

ammë: mom

verno: husband

otorno: (sworn) brother

herunya: my lord; the -nya ending is possessive

melda: beloved

Cálion: my father-name for the elf later to be known as Gildor Inglorion

Nillenorinwë: a name of my creation; literally meaning "of the star-land"; composed of ngillë (an archaic form for star) + norë (land) + masculine ending -wë