Rivendell
---Upon Arrival---
My father's words echoed forcefully within my mind as I entered the sanctuary of the Elves. It was not without a sense of anxiety, wonder, and silent dread that I gazed up at the eerie beauty of Elrond's home…though the trees glowed golden with the gentle and familiar light of Autumn, I could not shed my dogged feelings of 'otherness'…
To the common folk of Middle-Earth, indeed, to many men of my Kingdom, the Elves are the subject of much reverence and wonderment. But I am not a common man- I am the son of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor, and I am not bereft of my father's wisdom. He has long since warned me of the trickery and illusions of Elves, and of their arrogance concerning the world of Men and our affairs. The ethereal and angelic are more seldom intertwined than most would believe; the Elves are manipulative in ways that few have the wit to see…but while I have mine about me, I will ensure that Gondor receives its due. I know not much concerning The One Ring, but I know this: if, as my father said, this trinket contains within it power enough to restore my Kingdom to its former glory, it shall be in my possession before darkness falls upon Middle Earth once more.
I can only hope I am permitted to leave this place as swiftly as I came- it haunts me like no other…a fear of this unknown haven, and of what might take place here, has cast shadows upon my soul…I fear I shall have no peace until the wretched shelter of the Elves is behind me...
