Hello guys! Well I did...the character of Oropher would not leave my head, he sat and pestered me until I promised to tell his story. So this is the result, a short origin tale and accompaniment to the main story "To Live Again." Although it is not essential for you to read the original work, for I believe that this can stand alone, it might be fun to check it and see why I decided to do this piece.

So please read and review if you feel compelled to do so. I can't promise this will be updated as regularly as I would like, but I can promise it will progress just like the main story. The good news is I have the whole story drawn up, so all I need to do is get it all down on paper...so to speak. :D It will probably be short, I am saying roughly around 15 chapters, off the top of my head...it is just an estimate.

SO if like me you have become very attached to Oropher and are curious about his origins and why his beloved had to leave him in the end, then this may be the story for you.

Enjoy

1. A Kindred Spirit

A quiet life that is all he had ever asked for… A quiet undisturbed life of leisurely comforts. But Oropher never had any such luck. The young Sinda elf, whose hair was as close to spun silver as any elf could wish to get and placid grey eyes that tended to turn to wild flames when his temper was flared… but that was usually a rare thing. Oropher prided himself on his good self-discipline, enviable patience, and careful use of words. He would rather be silent and considered a recluse than chatter too much and be thought a fool.

So it should come as a surprise to many, that this affable and gentile elf- so fond of his quiet corners and peaceful strolls through his beloved Neldorath- was in fact an incredibly formidable warrior. It was true, Oropher was indeed one of the most talented and skilled of his chosen craft. So renowned was he with a spear and a blade, that King Thingol himself had granted the young elf lordship for his endeavors in battle, for his loyalty to the crown, and for the sacrifices he made for his people. So it was that the silver haired elf came into possession of some land and a fine home in the newly constructed Menegroth. A glittering underground city of such elven splendour that Oropher was of the belief that no other elven kingdom in all of Arda and beyond could rival its majesty. To Oropher, nothing could compare to the sheer beauty of his wonderful Doriath, not one single thing could replace in his heart the love he had for his home. Not one other thing… except for maybe a pair of pretty silvery blue eyes. So pretty was their shade, that not a word could be best found to describe them; though Oropher would spend many a long night musing over their precise colouring because he was – admittedly - quite entranced by them.

He first caught sight of these astonishingly unique eyes at yet another feast. It was just another evening of jovial entertainment for the hard labouring elves of the realm - nothing special. In fact, these parties often made Oropher uncomfortable, forcing him to dance and dine with pretend vigour, when he would much rather be snugly settled into a root of a tall beech tree with his nose stuck in a book. Sadly, he had agreed to put up with the nights festivities if only to please one of the realm's most incorrigible Prince's… Amdir. The excitable and overly charismatic ellon found great pleasure in teasing the young Oropher about his lack of social interest… and tonight was no different.

"You are a lord, dear Oropher, and you should act like one," the fair haired elf crowed from the head of the table as he shook his over filled wine glass zealously at his shy friend. "You could have your pick of ellith, and there are many fine ladies here tonight."

"I did not think it was a lord's duty to relentlessly chase respectable young ladies," Oropher quietly replied, his nose crinkling at the overly obnoxious Prince.

"Ah, but we are young, and the night is always for the young," Amdir drunkenly slurred, whilst the other intoxicated elves hooted in agreement. "Loosen up young lord; no fine elleth wants to be cumbered with a boring old toad." Oropher shuffled uncomfortably in his seat at the loud cheer of agreement. He was not boring, he was just quiet, and there was a subtle difference between those two traits. However, he did not feel inclined to argue the point with an already intoxicated elf; it would be a pointless battle.

"Oh, he is no toad," cried a beauty of a brunette elleth by his side, whom he had quite forgotten the name of, despite her constant chatter. "Such a fair face and gentle eyes, he is just shy," she remarked with a confident nod, the sniggering of the other ellyn made the young lord blush as he leaned away from the brazen elleth's advances.

"Will you not dance with me my lord?" she mewed and pressed herself into his much guarded personal space.

"Um…well…I," he managed to splutter as her chest heaved suggestively. By the Valar, that dress was much too low cut, it was positively distracting for the young and very easily flustered elf. She batted her doe-like eyes and gave him an expectant look;

"I cannot dance," was his gruff reply as he rigidly sat back in his chair, ignoring the titters all around him. The pretty elleth was obviously stung by his curtness, and immediately recoiled from him with a scowl and a spoilt little pout.

"I told you," Amdir remarked with an easy laugh as he offered his hand to young elleth. "He is a boring old toad, but I would be honoured my lady if the offer still stands?" And with that the young lady practically purred in delight and skipped into the other elf's waiting arms, leaving Oropher to quietly work through his social phobias… of which he had many to consider.

It was in the loneliness of the crowded table, surrounded by acquaintances and elleth hoping to charm an unsuspecting and unwed lord, did Oropher spy the set of startling eyes as they lit up a doorway. The very intensity rendered him immobile for the longest time, and he considered that their bearer held him in some sort of enchantment. He was in no doubt what she was; she was an enchantress, a divine elleth much higher in station than he. It could be the only logical solution, for Oropher was not the whimsical kind, he had no time for fanciful notions of the heart.

The bearer of the strange unfathomable eyes appeared to glide into the room, though her gaze never seemed to leave his as she moved. She was strange, beautifully strange and hypnotic, with an incredible presence that was both sure and yet unpredictable, maybe even dangerous…Oropher could not be sure. She wore silk, cold grey silk; in fact her gown appeared to him like running water, shimmering and flowing as she moved. Her sleek hair, which fell straight almost to the back of her knees, was a wonderfully cool platinum, with just the hint of warmth that made it gleam exquisitely. She was tall, powerfully tall, and maybe even a little taller than he - a feat indeed. Her gait was fluid but- he could not be sure, but there something about her walk that appeared suggestive…was she…was she slinking? Her expression was even and not once did she give away a hint of any emotion, except when she passed him. Oropher was certain her perfect full lips twitched at the corners, pulling into a teasing smile. In a fluster the elf diverted his eyes, she was well aware of his lingering gaze and he was ashamed of himself for being so forward.

The magnificent elleth approached the head of table and seated herself by other ladies of note. Suddenly, her expressionless face lit up and she easily conversed and joked with the other guests about the table. They seemed to know her and she them, but he had never laid eyes on her before. He would have known if he had, because she was truly memorable, her essence intoxicating. Truly, her presence was unavoidable, and he wasn't the only one to watch her like she was the most fascinating being in the entire world.

For the next several hours, Oropher was mesmerized by the strange elleth and struggled to take his eyes from her. He learnt much in his quietness, indeed he had been correct she was an enchantress; Curuni was her name. A Quenyan name, a language barely spoken in his home but by those who knew it. He was not sure how an elleth who was not of Sindar heritage had been welcomed by their King, but she seemed well respected- even liked- by the other elves. He had heard of some kin of the King being allowed entrance to Doriath; maybe she was from one of those houses. Although she was very close in features and presence to that of the Sindar, excepting that luscious hair, which was more like to the Vanyar, and those eyes that held the wisdom of those who had seen the ethereal light of a distant shore. Whatever the riddle, it did not matter, what mattered most at this present moment was his burning desire to alert this fair maiden to his existence. For what reason he was entirely unsure, and the only explanation he could come up with was that he felt compelled to do so. Many had dissuaded him from approaching this Curuni, telling him she was beyond his reach and would not entertain a lowly lord, but maybe this is what fueled his desires. So downing the rest of his wine, he did the unthinkable and approached the fair lady.

Oropher chose his opportune moment when the elleth stepped out into one of the great verandas for some fresh air. Shyly, he slipped out behind her and with much uncertainty, he watched her from behind a pillar, considering that indeed this may appear a little unorthodox, but he need not have worried so.

Curuni, having sensed her pursuer from the moment of his arrival, smirked at the skies before sauntering up to the pillar and leaning her back against it. Tilting her head to the side closest to the now trapped and frantic ellon, she sighed dramatically;

"I knew you would come to me," she said in a voice that was as smooth and breathy, as it was sure and commanding. Oropher could not help but be drawn to the very hypnotic lure of that voice, and much to his shame, he found he could do nothing but stare with his mouth slightly ajar- a terribly unbecoming look for a lord. To this, Curuni merely smiled and raised her perfectly defined eyebrows, she was clearly amused by his stupidity, and at that moment, Oropher could have cursed himself for allowing himself to think he had the ability to approach such an elleth without getting tongue tied.

"Why are you hiding?" the elleth asked curiously as she peered around the pillar, turning her body so that it faced him, although she did not push herself into his space, something he appreciated greatly. When he did not answer straight away, the curious expression on her shimmering ivory face was replaced with an irked frown; "Do I frighten you, my lord?"

"No!" Oropher squeaked, in an admittedly rather shrill way making the fair maid briskly jolt back from his tone, her irked frown deepening.

"Then why are you hiding from me?" Curuni asked more clearly, her eyes seemingly appearing to intensify greatly in their demand for an answer – or so this was Oropher's interpretation of the weighted gaze.

"I was trying to find my courage to speak to such a beautiful maiden," he blurted out and then, with a horrified gasp, blushed a delightful shade of damson. He tried to find more words, other words, anything that would sound better than such a stalker-like response. Alas, none would come and so he buried his face in his hands and muttered an awkward apology, hoping the elleth before him would happily forget his outburst and move on without another word, allowing him the small mercy of being crippled by his awkwardness alone. He should be so lucky…

"What is your name?"

Oropher blinked spastically at the elleth before him, who was smiling a full and sincere smile that lit up her whole face with a joyful light. Again the poor elf found himself transfixed by the way that those eyes danced and shimmered, almost forcing him to answer. It felt like a strange compulsion to do so;

"Oropher," he murmured quietly, and to his delight, the lady seemed to approve of his name, her lips curling into an even bigger smile. "I am a lord of Doriath, commanding general of his majesty's forces."

"Is that so Oropher?" she queried, a teasing hint to her voice. He liked the way she said his name, it was pleasing and almost musical to his ears and it did not bother him that she used no title in addressing him. "Well, I am Curuni, hand maiden to the Queen."

"You are no mere serving girl," Oropher found himself making the statement like it was accusation and he cringed outwardly.

"How very observant of you my lord," Curuni laughed softly as she crossed her arms about her chest. "If you wish to know, I was specifically chosen to aid the Queen, due to my gifts, but you are a smart ellon- I assume you have guessed my heritage just by the mere mention of my name."

"Enchantress," Oropher answered truthfully and the elleth nodded in agreement. "You are gifted with the powers of elven magic, yes?"

"In ways, yes," the lady replied honestly, "And you are not frightened of me?"

"No."

"You should be."

"Why? Are you dangerous?"

"Only if you cross me."

"I would do no such thing."

Curuni let out a peal of musical laughter at the exchange, and Oropher found he could not help himself from smiling gleefully in response to the sound. The elf maiden gave a nonchalant little shrug of her shoulders before she sashayed away from the pillar, gesturing with her finger for the giddy looking ellon to follow her; he did so obligingly. Oropher asked no questions and simply trotted along behind the elleth as she meandered away from the riotous party. At last she stopped in a quieter garden on the fringes of their guest's home, and elegantly perched on the edge of small marble pool that reflected the light of stars overhead. Not wanting to crowd the young lady, Oropher held back leaning against an oak sapling whilst he continued to curiously observe the strangely pretty elf before him.

"Do you want to know why I knew you would come to me tonight?" Curuni asked in an even tone, as she observed her reflection in the water. Her lips pursed as she considered her hair for a moment, before she quickly undid the little braids that held the long wisps off her face.

"I would not mind an explanation," Oropher replied and took a few tentative steps forward, his curiosity piqued.

"Because I made sure of it," she answered and threw him a sneaky grin over her shoulder. "I was watching you this evening, you were interesting to me. So I ensured I kept your attention."

"It is not often I am called interesting," Oropher half snorted at the comment, considering for a moment that the elleth brought him out here to poke fun at his failings again. "At least that would explain why I thought I was under some compulsion."

"Just because I know how to wield magic does not mean I use it for my own gain!" Curuni suddenly snapped her whole body twisting to face the ignorant ellon before her. Her eyes lit with a fiery intensity that seemed to make her presence even more formidable.

"My apologies my lady," Oropher yelped and practically dipped into a low bow. "Th-th-that is not what I meant."

"Apology accepted," the elleth snorted, satisfied enough that the young lord was genuinely innocent. "Besides I do not need magic to ensnare a friend, I prefer to think my friendships are built on mutual understanding, rather than enchantment."

"I had not meant-"

"I know," Curuni interjected with a soft sigh, a hand raised to the young lord. "Forgive me; sometimes I feel my gifts are more often curses. There are many here that would have you believe I am capable of those things. Oropher, elven magic does not lend itself to such malice, it is grounded in life and in nature and is meant only to protect such things."

"That is what I was always led to believe my lady," Oropher quietly replied, sensing much weight on the young elleth's shoulders and this saddened him. She seemed too bright and too youthful to be burdened with such responsibility.

"And it is for that very reason you interest me," Curuni chirped, her whole countenance suddenly brightening. "You are kind and quiet, your fae it…is steady."

To this, Oropher simply chuckled and nodded sadly in agreement; "It is true Lady Curuni; I am a rather boring soul."

"I do not think it is boring," the elleth replied her eyes dazzling in a softer more hypnotic gaze. "I much prefer quietness to the frivolous noise."

"I would heartily agree,"Oropher nodded and found himself sitting down beside the strange elleth by the pool. He was certain that the lady had an ability to wisely discern who she should choose as her friends- something he understood, for did he not practice the same method? Indeed, her way of approaching him was much more unorthodox, but he found he quite welcomed that uniqueness. Yes, it felt like a natural thing for them to be friends.

"I knew you would," she teased with a jovial smile, then shyly ducked her chin into her chest. Oropher found the slight tinge of pink on her cheeks almost endearing, for it showed that for all her strength and bravado, she was just as vulnerable as he when it came to making friends.

For a few long minutes the two companions sat silently, considering how best to set about building on their new found friendship. Until at last the young lord spoke, with a hopeful expression;

"Do you like the woods, Lady Curuni?"

"The woods," she murmured her eyes widening like he had just uttered the magic words. Slowly a bright and unhindered smile spread across the elleth's fair face and she nodded vigorously in agreement. "There is none that love the forests more than I; I adore the music the leaves make when the wind whispers to them."

"It is a tremendous sound." Oropher agreed with a chuckle, amused by how her eyes sparkled at the memory. "But I would disagree that there is none who love the woods more than you."

"Oh?" she chimed innocently in question, raising an elegant eyebrow, "Who?"

"Me of course," he smirked and raised his chin haughtily to prove a point, at which Curuni giggled happily.

"See, now I know we will be good friends Oropher," she replied and placed a hand over his. The gesture stirring something deeply hidden within the young ellon, he was not aware of it yet, but in his carefully guarded heart, he was beginning to fall for this enchanting stranger. But for the moment, he was ecstatic to just be in her company.

"We shall only be good friends if you promise to let me show you Neldorath," Oropher replied evenly and half laughed at the displeased look the fine lady gave him.

"But I know Neldorath, I have explored it quite thoroughly," she answered with a slight frown.

"But not with me," he added cryptically with a knowing look. "I can assure you my lady that you do not know Neldorath as I do. I will show you a wilder forest than that which you have become accustomed to."

"Then you have my attention young lord," Curuni answered giving Oropher a challenging look. "I will join you on this little adventure, if just to prove that you are wrong."

"I accept the challenge," Oropher grinned happily at the prospect of spending some more time with the darling elleth. He rather enjoyed her wit and intelligence. She was a handful, of that he was certain, but he quite liked her spontaneity. "I shall meet you in the morning, if that would suit and you do not have tasks to attend to?"

"That would suit me just fine," Curuni replied and hopped to her feet offering her hand to the ellon before her. He dutifully accepted and allowed her to pull him to his feet. "I shall look forward to it."

"As shall I!" Oropher agreed heartily and the two grinned excitedly at each other. With a smile and tilt of his head, the young lord bobbed his head back to the party; "Would you like to dance?"

"I thought you did not dance?" Curuni asked with a look of faux shock.

"I shall make an exception, but just this once," he warned playfully making the elleth give another peal of glittering laughter. "I do not want others to get the wrong idea."

"No, certainly not," she giggled and accepted the ellon's outstretched arm; "Just this once?"

"Just this once."

With that the two young friends made their way back to the festivities, exchanging many a joke or meaningful conversation throughout the night. Before the end of the night's entertainment, it was well spread about by the young elves that one of the Queen's high ladies had actually managed to coax the shy and retiring Oropher out of his shell, and much to all their shock, he had actually danced…more than once!

Oropher did take the young Curuni into his beloved forest as he promised, and for many long weeks they met regularly to explore the woods more deeply. Mostly because the elleth was enamored. It was true, the Sinda lord knew more of the woods than even she was aware existed. And out of this mutual love of the natural world a tremendous friendship was formed, one that would quite literally change the course of history and turn a quiet young elf's world upside down.