'Searching for a Last Hope'
Chapter One: 'A Heart For War'
Celebnúr could hear it again: voices coming from her father's room. It was clear that her father and brother were again having another argument. Cautiously and quietly as she could, she crept up to the closed door and pressed her ear against it. She didn't need to though, because their voices were loud enough to be carried across the hall.
"How many times must I tell you, Calmenel? No son of mine is to set foot in this war! Do you hear me?" it was her father's voice, ringing harsh and stern in her ears.
"But Father!" Calmenel protested urgently. "Minas Tirith is the final strong hold! We cannot just let Sauron take it, especially when the defenses have weakened so greatly."
Her father seemed to have taken no notice of her brother's remark, although she herself silently nodded her head in agreement. Her father continued to press on with the discussion, not letting Calmenel leave until he was proven right.
"You are my only son," he said slowly, as if taking this all in. "Do you realize what it would do to me if you were killed in some pointless war? Think of your mother! Your sister! Do you want to risk losing them for a war?"
At this Calmenel paused to consider his answer. "I would not be losing them, Father." He said softly. "Rather, I would be helping them."
"How would you be helping your family by killing yourself?" her father's voice rose again, nearly shaking the walls.
"If we manage to win the battle, no one would have to move out form Middle-Earth. We could continue to live here, and not be threatened by war." Calmenel seemed to have no fear of his father's angry tone.
Her father paused, as if thinking over some extremely hard choice. At long last, he finally spoke, softer than last time. "So if that is what will keep you from the war, so be it. I'm sorry, my son, but you leave me no choice. You shall be shipped out, like your mother and sister, when the ship arrives. I was considering to have you stay with me, Elrond, and a few of the others, but from your behavior tonight, it is clear to me that you are not yet quite ready to handle the responsibilities of dealing with war. This conversation is now dismissed. Good night."
Celebnúr couldn't hear her brother's footsteps approaching the door. Instead, she heard his voice, this time rising urgently as if in protest. "But Father! This isn't-"
"I will not have my son talk back to me!" Her father's voice rang out. "Now, good night!" It was evident that the argument was indeed over. Celebnúr could hear Calmenel's feet trudge heavily to the door.
She leaned against the wall and sighed. She couldn't dare to even think of parting with her beloved home in Rivendell. Celebnúr was an elf maiden of about five foot eleven inches in height. Her figure was slender, although she was more on the thin side. Her long, silvery light blonde hair cascaded down to her feet, just barely touching the floor. Her sparkling bright amber eyes always burned with a sense of curiosity, which explained her knack of getting into things she shouldn't.
Her mind wandered about in a haze as at last her father's room opened and Calmenel walked out. He nearly rushed into her, but she managed to move away. He wasn't through with her yet, however. He grabbed her by the collar of her tunic, and dragged her to an empty drawing room. There they found the time to talk.
"How much did you hear?" Calmenel's gaze looked threatening, but Celebnúr knew better than to fear her brother. His eyes were such a soft hue of blue that he never looked menacing. His blonde hair combined with his eyes made him seem all the nicer. Sure he was taller than her, him being six foot three inches, and of course he had a nice build, but his eyes always gave everything away.
"Enough to know about what is going on," came the reply.
Calmenel grew angry with this. "Why must you listen to our conversations, Celebnúr? These matters are between Father and I. You shouldn't get meddled with them."
It was as if the elf maiden had ignored all he had just said. "I was never told we were to depart from Middle-Earth. Why are we leaving? Didn't the Fellowship set out more than a month ago? Surely they should be making some progress?"
"Obviously not enough, it seems." Her brother sighed. "Minas Tirith is growing weaker by the days. If the city falls, then the Fellowship shall be doomed. I feel that it is our duty as Man's ally to aide them in such times. But you need not worry yourself about such things."
Celebnúr had always loved to hear of the goings on of the war against the Dark Lord. Such things had always fascinated her. But to hear of her brother trying to go off to war was ill news to her heart. "Please, Calmenel," her voice was soft as a tear managed to slide down her cheek. "Please don't go to the war. I don't want to loose you." She ran over to him and hugged him closely, as if this would be the last time they ever saw each other.
Calmenel wiped away her tear as he hugged her in return. "You'll never lose me, Celebnúr. As long as you still love me, you'll never lose me. I'll always be found within your heart. Come now, it's getting late. What do you say we sleep?" he smiled warmly and affectionately down at his younger sister.
She smiled back in reply to his question. They held hands as they walked out of the drawing room. Soon Celebnúr was in her warm bed, sleeping peacefully to the gentle flow of the nearby stream.
Calmenel's horse was soon readied to mount. He was about to mount and ride off, but not before doing something first. He ran quietly as he could down the vast elegant hallways, until he reached he reached her room. Without bothering to unlock the door he slipped inside, and stood right by Celebnúr's bedside. There was a pendant, an elegant silver leaf, which rested upon his neck by a thin silver chain. He removed the necklace, and placed it about his sister's neck. She almost immediately grasped it in her sleep. Calmenel would have loved to stay beside his sister longer, but the precious moonlight still left was waning. So he kissed her gently on the cheek, and ran briskly out, closing the door quietly behind him. As soon as he was in front of his horse, he mounted swiftly and rode into the night. And that was the last of Calmenel that Rivendell ever beheld.