She awoke quietly, without excitement. Beside her, rhythmically lapping at the beach, water stirred. But it alone moved in that place. She looked around, her eyes taking in every minute detail from the blades of grass between her toes and fingers, to the shifting leaves in the nearby towering trees.

The grass she lay on felt ticklish to her bare body. She held up a hand before her eyes and wondered at it, opening and closing her palm to make and release a fist. She wondered at her feet too, feeling each toe. She wiggled them and laughed.

Feeling a tickle on her back where she sat, she reached with her right hand and pulled her hair so she could see it. It was a brilliant light golden, and she gasped at beauty of the strands. She let out another light laugh.

Suddenly she noticed to her left that another figure stirred. Silencing her laughter, she eyed this one curiously. This one had hair almost as long as her own but he was not shaped the same. Somehow she knew they were of two different types, and yet meant to be one despite their differences.

She watched as he inspected himself and his surroundings as she had done but moments before. His golden hair flashed as he moved his head slowly. Finally his gaze met hers. They stared at each other for a short while before he hesitantly stood. He wobbled slightly before managing to stand and then walk forward slowly.

She watched him from where she sat, a small smile playing on her lips. When he reached her after a few moments, he held out his hand. She accepted it and stood with him. In silence they walked to the shore that sat but a few meters away.

When both looked down, they gasped audibly. For in the dark waters of the inland sea they saw ultimate beauty. Two fair faces looked back at them. Eyes of stone grey and lips pale pink like nothing they had seen thus far sat in smooth skin. She laughed lightly, and he smiled at the reflection.

But beyond themselves shined what next caught there gazes. He turned to the sky, looking away from the water. Pointing up into the darkness of night, he stood in shock. For the clouds that had obscured the sky before had now passed away and behind them lay the most fantastic display of beauty either had seen thus far. Beyond the beauty of themselves, these points of light in the darkness caused movement in their hearts and souls.

“Él,” she whispered, standing in shock as she beheld the stars.

He smiled. “Él!”

For hours they stood there, watching the bright twinkling of the stars in the dark sky of Middle Earth. Soon others of like shapes to them join, always in pairs. Some had fair hair, others dark like the sky, and still some silver like the stars themselves. All repeated the word spoken by the first pair, and knew it to be right. The Firstborn had awoken, and the stars would become their guides.