3. A Grief Revealed

If hearth makes home, a home he had,
A cavern chamber. The fire's flames
Illumined little. The bed was bare.
The floor unfinished. No care for comfort
Stood revealed,
- But warmth there was, -
- And shelter well-concealed. -

Silent they sat and ate unspeaking:
Quiet Corùwen, light-limbed Nèhaléni,
Daeron, dark of hair and hue.
The hearthlight half-revealed
- What shifting shadows -
- But half concealed. -

What voice dares venture to dwell on disaster?
Silent sat Nèhaléni holding in hand
A ring retrieved from her captor's corpse.
Its twin still twined enfolding her finger:
In silent reminder
- Of memories lying -
- Forever behind her. -

That ring removing, she stood face stark
In firelight flickering: fingers unfolding.
The rings released fell amid flames.
'Fool, farewell!' - So violent her voice -
'You tore me from kin and hearth and home, -
- and now I must bear -
- your child, alone!' -

Then Daeron raised his eyes, met hers
That delicate, desolate, grim with grief
Stared back with silent, shocked disbelief.
He stood, his fingers found his flute
Then played with savage arts
- music to break -
- immortal hearts -

She stood unspeaking, features fixed:
All lost, alone, engrossed in grief.
His fingers flexed, and trilled a tune
Whose sorrow in immortal art
- recalled the pain -
- of lover's heart. -

She swayed unspeaking, caught in chords
Whose framing, fashioned great with grief
Swept past sorrow to beauty past belief:
A beauty caught in elvish art
- whose dance enthralls -
- the hearer's heart. -

With sudden swirl her limbs unlocked,
Unminding mirrored dancing dreams
Whose flames reflected amber eyes.
Her auburn hair about her swept:
- She sudden stopped -
- and knelt, and wept. -

He swayed unspeaking, caught in cords
Whose framing fastened loss to guilt.
He might with music help to heal
Those whose grief might find an end.
- But heal himself? His music opened -
- All the wounds he sought to mend. -