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Elrohir's eyes grew slightly wider, and he nodded slowly. "Yes ... Mother, I would indeed like you to meet Beren ... as quickly as you can, before breakfast even if you're not too hungry ... there's just something I'd like to see."

Serenity's expression was curious, but she nodded. "I ... think I could manage that," she agreed softly. "Lin, I expect from the way that you're nodding your head that you'll be coming too?"

An amused light appeared in Serenity's eyes, and she nodded. "Well, then, lead the way, Elrohir," she smiled, turning back to her son and shrugging out from under his arm. "Where is he?"

"He should just be coming back from duty with Elros," Elrohir nodded, heading towards the door and opening it. "I'd offer to describe him so that you'll know him on sight, but I don't think that will be necessary."

Serenity followed him outside, looking at him curiously. What was that supposed to mean?

As the three of them headed outside, Elrohir pointed ahead to where Elros was just emerging from the trees on the far side of the ranch. "Beren should be with him," he stated, looking further into the trees.

Serenity waved to Elros, who waved back. The two of them had always gotten along quite well, after all, and both were glad to see the other.

"Oh, there he is," Elrohir smiled, though it was a grim smile, and he pointed at a cloaked figure who came out after Elros.

The two men changed direction and headed instead towards the three who were coming to them.

"Good morning, Lin, Lord Elrohir, Lady Serenity," Elros smiled warmly at the three of them. He bowed his head at Serenity. "It's wonderful to see you again, my lady. It has been far too long."

Serenity laughed softly at Elros. "And I've told you so many times that that life is behind me," she told him warmly. "It's just Serenity now."

Too many memories.

"And it seems that I have someone to meet," she smiled at the cloaked figure. "Or re-meet, as it were. I was on the hunt that rescued you from the slavers, wasn't I?"

The cloaked figure nodded, and Beren lowered his cowl to show that he was smiling happily at her. "Indeed you were, my lady," he said warmly. "It gives me great pleasure to see you again."

When he lowered his cowl, Serenity's eyes grew wide and one hand flew to her mouth in shock, and she fell back one step, almost stumbling. "You ..."

Elrohir put one hand on each of his mother's shoulders to steady her, then smiled grimly at Lin.

"It's just a shock," he told her softly. "Seeing someone who was dead."

Beren blinked in confusion. "What do you mean, dead?" he demanded, startled to Elrohir's words. "I'm not dead, I'm -"

But then he stopped, and his eyes grew wide, and he stared back at Serenity, then at Elrohir, then back at Serenity again. He held his head in his hands and fell to his knees, his face an expression of pain that went deeper than physical.

A look of worry crossed Elros's usually emotionless face and he knelt next to Beren and put one hand on his shoulder and called softly to him, but there was no response.

Behind Beren's eyelids, his proverbial life flashed before his eyes. Images of the man who had raised him, meeting the blind girl, discovering his heritage, helping Serenity regain her sight, a daughter, a war, eight sons, and then -

He gasped and opened his eyes, looking weakly at Serenity, who still looked shocked.

"My dreams," he whispered, not even noticing Lin, who was right in front of him, or Elros, whose hand was still on his shoulder. "They were ... you ..."

He rose slowly to his feet, his entire body trembling - and then Serenity broke free from Elrohir's grasp and ran forward, throwing her arms around Beren and hugging him as tightly as she could, tears streaming down her face.

Elros shook his head, for once at a loss to explain what was going on.

Elrohir on the other hand stepped forward and knelt next to Lin, putting one arm around her shoulder and smiling, his own eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I'm sure you must know from Elnara how when we were children, our father was murdered," he told her softly so as not to interrupt Beren and Serenity. "What I'm not so sure she might have told you - or anyone might have, for that matter - is what happens to elves after their deaths. They are dead for a time ... and they are reborn, sometimes as very similar people to their original selves, and other times quite different."

He cleared his throat so that his voice wouldn't crack on him, and then murmured softly, "Beren is my father, reborn ... and it looks as though he just got his memories back of his previous life."

Elrohir nodded. "Dreams about a creature that could change its shape," he murmured softly. "Love leading the way to reunion ..."

Beren released Serenity finally and looked over her, examining her closely. "You've aged," he said, his voice filled with pain. "What has this world done to you?"

"It doesn't matter now that you're back," Serenity smiled through her tears, cupping his cheek in her hand. "By the Valar ... I thought I'd never see you again ..."

Elrohir coughed and nudged Lin a bit. "Maybe we should go inside and give them some time alone," he murmured.