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Ulmondil and Ciryaher two young men were playing around the old shipwrecks laying at the beaches near their home in Hyarrostar, close to Mittalmar. There were only few people living there at that time. Ulmondil was known as the strongest man in the Hyarrostar, as Ciryaher was the wisest.
The ships had been left at the beaches to decay for over 500 years. The wood was rotten and twisted, but the outline of a ship were still recognizable.
Few remembered the story of the Edain arrival at Numenor. A shipwright, who returned to Middle Earth after setting the Edain a shore, led them. The ships steered by humans were sailed upon the shores of the bay.
However, neither of the two young men knew the story.
They understood that this were ships, but were puzzled about the apparent significant size compared to the small Numenorean fishing boats that could only carry one person. In addition, the ships seems to have carried large stones, which the two could not understand.
What puzzled Ulmondil most was the round heavy timber that seems to have penetrated the ship from the bottom and many yards above he deck.
He tried to lift one of them only to find it broke.
"I trust you will be more successful when the king asks services of you;" Ciryaher joked.
At Erulaitale Ulmondil travelled to Armenelos. He was with a dozen other young men. The King Heir's Elendil received them, but did not more than welcome them to their ten years duty. Afterwards the young men get assignments. Ulmondil along with a few other men was ordered to escort elves from the west to Eldalonde.
The elves and young Numenoreans walked towards Eldalonde. They take pauses as needed by the Numenoreans.
Ulmondil asked many question during the journey.
"How do you find your way back home?"
However, the elves answered in riddles, "The road is laid for us!"
When they approached, Eldalonde Ulmondil saw the Mallorn trees of Nisimaldar. Many of them were now 500 years old and fully-grown. The height and massive trunk of the tree was something that Ulmondil have not seen before.
If the Mallorn trees were breathtaking for Ulmondil so were the ships from Tol Eressea that lay in the bay of Eldalonde.
Ulmondil saw the white sails was set. He understood that it was masts, he had seen at the shores in the east.
He watched as the elves ship caught the winds and seems to be lifted out of the water and left the bay for the west at great speed.
In Armenelos Elendils daughter, Silmarien were called to the king.
She entered the throne room, where only her father Elendil and king Amandil were present. To her surprise her father were sitting at the throne, while Amandil were standing at the open vaults where he could look onto the courtyard and Nimloth.
Elendil spoke first: "My daughter, I have ask you to come on this day where you become fifty years old to answers a single question.
Elendil then stated; "if you were offered the scepter of Numenor from me would you accept it?"
Silmarien were surprised by the question. She looked at Amandil but asked her father; "Do you offer me the throne of Numenor?"
Amandil interrupted: "Your father asked you a simple question, please answer that!"
Silmarien stood for a while and then smiles looking back at her father, "yes, father I will" she answered.
Elendil smiled at his daughter, "I thank you for the answer, and ask that you do not share the content of this conversation with anyone. Now you are excused to leave"
The short meeting surprised Silmarien, but she quickly bowed and left the throne room and entered the courtyard.
She sat on one of the benches around Nimloth. She were in a good mood believing she would become ruler of Numenor.
As she sat there, Ulmondil entered the courtyard from the stairs leading up to the Kings house.
As it was the day after Eruhantale, the king would receive any Numenorean in the Throne Room.
Ulmondil stopped after the entrance to the courtyard; there were several doors in the atrium leading to different areas of the Kings house.
Silmarien looked at him.
"You seems unable to find your way, should I help you?" she said
Ulmondil did not know who she was. He ignored her, and then picked a door he believed to be right. He chose the correct door.
Ulmondil entered the throne room. He was very nervous, not having met the king before.
The king stated, "Speak my friend, there is nothing that your king cannot hear!"
Ulmondil then declared, "I am a servant of the king. I saw the ships that carried the western lords onto the sea! With the king permission I can build similar ships."
Elendil looked at his father. For once, his father look angry,
The king said, "This is why we require all of Numenoreans youth to server their king; to learn about the ways of Numenor! You have been in the service of the king for less than a year, but you should have the ban that prevent us from sailing west" Your king orders you to study the ban, and then only return after you have fully understood this.
Ulmondil wanted to say more. He looked at Elendil but saw no help from him. Finally he bowed and left the Throne Room deeply disappointed.
Silmarien had left the courtyard. So Ulmondil just left the kings house to return to his duties.