After Decking the Halls
Originally posted on December 21, 2007
Laurelin: Thank you for helping me finish. For the high places, it is much easier with someone Entish like you around.
Eron: (smiles) I am not an Ent – I keep telling you….
Laurelin: And I will keep teasing you, because it is wonderful to hear you laugh.
Eron: So what is it you’ve been hanging up all over the place here?
Laurelin: It is nim lote riel, a tradition in my family home on the eve of winter. Since you celebrate Christmas around the same time of year, I thought one of our traditions might go very nicely with some of yours this year.
Eron: You miss your home.
Laurelin: Yes, I do. But it is important for me to be here right now, with the other part of my family.
Eron: It’s a great idea of yours, to mix the traditions like that. Tell me more.
Laurelin: More – about our traditions?
Eron: Sure, or anything else. I enjoy hearing your voice….it’s pleasant, soft and musical, like listening to a brook.
Laurelin: Eron, I………….thank you. Let me see – a tradition to tell you about….…….You were right to say I miss my home. I do miss it – very much. Do you remember when we passed that spot yesterday on our walk – where they were burning the trees?
Eron: Yeah, they do that to clear the land quickly when they’re building on it.
Laurelin: One thing elves do is keep our surroundings as untouched as possible. Instead of clearing away trees to build a house, we make our houses in the trees, or build our houses right around them. It is traditional to make something living or growing into a part of our homes. To elves, there is nothing more glorious to see than the sky above our heads and the woods surrounding us; therefore we take care not to spoil what nature gives to us. It is always beautiful in my homeland, even in winter when it is not so green or golden.
Eron: I can understand why you miss it. It sounds just about perfect.
Laurelin: I do not think most humans would think so, even if they were allowed to pass its borders.
Eron: Humans are not allowed to live there? Ever?
Laurelin: No, for that is the only way to keep our lands as we wish them to be.
Eron: I see. So.... if an elf and a human were to fall in love, they would have to make their home in this world, wouldn't they? I can't imagine that that would be an easy situation.
Laurelin: You are right. For many elves, to be long separated from their homelands would be a grievous thing indeed. On some rare occasions, a human might be allowed to visit in the company of one of us. But it is unheard of that a human would live among us because we are so protective of our homeland, you see, and we wish to keep our heritage as it has been for so many years.
Eron: I guess it’s a little selfish of me when you miss your home so much, but I can’t help being glad that you’re here in our world right now.