[ he settles against the headboard, and exhales slowly, relaxing. ]

Once, when a little elfing was supposed to be slipping off to reverie, she reached up to her mother who was tucking her in, sleepy in the way little elfings are when they do not wish to go to bed.

"Guess how much I love you," she said to her mother.

Her mother replied that she could not possibly guess. The elfling laughed, and spread her arms wide. "This much," she said.

"That is a very great amount," her mother agreed. "But I love you this much," her mother said, and she spread her arms, which were much longer than her daughters'.

The elfling thought and realized this was quite a lot. So she thought. "I love you as high as I can reach."

And her mother said, "I love you as high as I can reach."

The elfling said, "I love you to my toes." And her mother touched her toes, and agreed. "I love you to your toes."

And the elfling stopped and thought very hard. After a moment, she said, "I love you from our house to the gates of Thingol's palace." And she looked out the window, to the palace, where the lights had dimmed to allow for reverie.

"And I love you from our house to the stars." And the little elfling looked from the palace to the stars, and realized it was very far indeed.

And the little elfling was very tired, and blinked sleepily, and let her mother settle her down into bed.

Her mother continued. "And I loved you from the moment your father and I begat you, and I will love you until the end of the world."

"Oh," said the little elfling softly. "That is very far."

And her mother leaned down and kissed her. "Yes," her mother agreed. "And I will always love you just that much."