(Untitled)

[somanytitles]

Evening had settled on the island and Aragorn leaned back against the small hill he had found himself on. It was a relatively quiet night, for which he was thankful. He had spent a few days down in the city that was known as Rapture and was looking forward to something a bit more peaceful. It reminded him far too much of the Mines of Moria, and

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[island_anne]

"Oh, no apology necessary," said Anne, pushing a branch aside and ducking beneath to find herself on Aragorn's hill. "I've never been fond of smoking, though I have a great many friends who are. If you don't mind the accidental intrusion, I would be pleased to join you."

[somanytitles]

"Lady Anne, you are always welcome to join me," he said, beaming her a smile and gesturing at the ground next to him. He had only spoken to Anne once, but he had enjoyed the conversation quite a bit.

"And if I remember correctly, I owe you a song on the subject of your choice."

[island_anne]

"Oh, I couldn't believe it when I heard I'd won!" said Anne, carefully taking a seat next to him and letting her skirt flow down over her legs and the ground. "I don't believe I mentioned it, but I'm a great fan of verse and song and story of all sorts. I am an aspiring writer myself, though there are few venues for my work here, and also a teacher of literature at the school."

[somanytitles]

"I am glad to have such an appreciative winner," he said, encouraged that she was so excited about winning. He had wondered if anyone would actually bid on his offer since most people here didn't value songs and poems the way his world did.

"If you would like, I could sing some of the songs that I know so you may hear what they sound like in the language of the Elves."

[island_anne]

"Oh, that would be lovely!" said Anne. "I've sometimes imagined what the language of elves and other woodland creatures might sound like, perhaps akin to the breeze through the trees on a summer night, but I've never once actually heard it."

[somanytitles]

"Then I will sing to you the song of Beren and Lúthien," Aragorn said, sitting up a bit as he prepared to sing. It was one of his favorite stories, one that was very personal to him and he sang with a lot of emotion.

"It is a true story, of a Man and an Elf who fell in love. If you should like, some day I will tell you the entire story. I will sing the song first in the language of the Elves, and then in what is known here as English."

Clearing his throat and finding a pitch, Aragorn began to sing.

"The leaves were long, the grass was green

[island_anne]

"Oh, it's so beautiful!" said Anne. "I feel as though I could sit on this hill and listen to you sing forever, though of course I would never ask it for you. I once was made to recite poetry until my throat hurt and it nearly took all the magic out of the words, though nothing could take all of the magic out of poetry."

[somanytitles]

"I would be more than pleased to sign to you whenever you wish and I am free," Aragorn told her. He wasn't really a performer, but having a truly appreciative audience was something he didn't mind singing for.

[island_anne]

"I hope you don't come to regret the offer," said Anne, "for I fully intend to take you up on it."

[somanytitles]

"I look forward to such times then," he said. Aragorn liked what he knew of Anne, she seemed to have a joyous spirit from what he could tell. Of course, he rarely found anyone on the island who was ambivalent about the whole thing.

"How long have you been on the island, Lady Anne?"

[island_anne]

Anne didn't keep track of the days as closely as she used to, but she still had a general idea, at least partly thanks to Matthew's steady growth.

"Over five years now," she said. "I suppose I haven't yet fulfilled whatever reason I have for being here."

[somanytitles]

"Five years is quite a long time to spend here, especially for someone your age," he said. For Aragorn, five years was not a significant amount of his life thus far, but for the girl that had to be nearly a quarter of her life, if not more.

[island_anne]

"It's nearly the longest I've spent anywhere," said Anne, and it wasn't until she said it that she realized she'd now been on the island for as long as she'd been at Green Gables. She'd considered them both equally home for a long time now, but it was a startling thought all the same. "And of course Matthew was born here, so this is where he's spent his whole life."

[somanytitles]

"What sorts of places did you live in previously?" Aragorn asked. People on the island had come from so many different backgrounds, it was fascinating. Not only were their differences in time, but the make up of societies were very different here.

"And who is Matthew? I do not believe I have met anyone by that name."

[island_anne]

"My son," said Anne. "He's three and a half, though that certainly doesn't stop him from trying to strike up a friendship with anyone who catches his fancy so I would not be surprised if you met him with or without me present. I myself grew up in many different places after my parents passed away, though I did settle finally at a lovely farm known as Green Gables. Oh, I do still miss it dearly, no matter how rich I find my life here."

[somanytitles]

"Ah, I have seen a fair number of young ones here," Aragorn said. He could no imagine how hard it would sometimes be to raise a child here, though it was no doubt equally rewarding.

"I too have traveled much in my life, though Rivendel was my home for the early years of my life."