My first fanfic. Please, do criticize me and give me ideas if you want to. Please do mind that I have not read the Hobbit, LotR, and Silmarillion (even though I want to… But I don't have one and neither do my library in the school).

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, it belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. If I do, I will not share my favorable Elf-Lord to anyone that no one knows of him. And if I do, LotR will be the strangest story ever.


Prologue

The air here was getting clamped more and more. The evil lingering in the air was making her suffocate slowly, yet she can't escape it. Caramiriel can feel every vibe of the earth, trees, and other living things that she has to go away from Eregion. Her instincts were telling her to take her war steed and her weapons just to run away from Eregion. But her mind told her to stay in Eregion to help her cousin. Every day, every time she woke up, it's always been like that.

It irritated her. It also makes her nights restless, of which Celebrimbor noted dark lines under her eyes started to appear and her sharp tongue whenever she was offended in many kind of ways since a few months ago. THAT makes him even more tired as he made the last ring for Men and makes him to order a messenger to do an errand for him by going into Lindon – Gil-Galad's kingdom of Ñoldor.

Caramiriel was young – according to elves standards. Well, according to Celebrimbor's standard, anyway. His young cousin was born in the times before her father succeeded on taking the jewel back and casted himself into the fiery chasm of the earth. Yes, if you should know, her father is the oldest son of the elf that makes his sons takes the same oaths as him to recover a jewel. Her father is Maedhros the Tall, and yet, the young Caramiriel has not known of that truth for that truth was hidden from her for 1510 years of her life.

Caramiriel was strong, at least strong for an elleth's size. But then again, she wasn't one to be underestimated and wasn't one to be angered in any way. Some elves that actually survived from traumatized caused by her torture when she was angry said that she is like Feanor but more evil in many ways that almost makes her into the same level with Balrog. To say the least, no, she did not enjoy the title 'Mistress Balrog' or the attention of the elves that immediately go to her whenever she was nearby the slightest. But she has some dignity not to snap at them for that, so she just has to bear with it.

Her red hair was her pride. Not even once she spared those who mocked her hair within her range of hearing. A proud elleth, that even though never really knows her father since the father died when she was only 10 years old – a child both into human standards and elves, ironically is similar to her father in a way and appearance.

Celebrimbor sighed. Even though Caramiriel is his cousin, he was forced to take the role of her parents since her mother too, had died of grief only days after Maedhros casted himself and a certain jewel into the fiery chasm of the earth. He doesn't want to be departed from his foster daughter/cousin, but since her being within Eregion makes her restless. THAT could be her downfall whenever she travels alone.

And besides of that, aside from the responsibility as a foster parent to his baby cousin, he was also forced to remain in Arda rather than going into Valinor because of the Doom of Mandos. He decided that even though the curse of Mandos is still upon the bloodline of Feanor, he would not try to go to Valinor with his foster daughter and be responsible for the death of the said child because the said child is also a direct bloodline of Feanor… The child has nothing to do with her father's family did during the last hundreds of years (as in: his brothers and father, and followers).

He admitted that she could be one of the watchers standing by the gates of Eregion with no effort, as she is a genius when it comes to fighting techniques, but a fool when it comes to politics and the crisis of the times as of now. So because of that, even if she was told by him about the crisis about the times like this – orcs roaming freely in great bands or such things that can cause war – she would remain oblivious as she does not know the dangers that could come out of it.

Yes, she did have Noldorin blood, a full blooded Noldorin elf with red hair (which comes from her father), and strangely, her knowledge is deep when it is about anything related to swords or wounds or poisons and not politics, no matter how much she was forced to study in the past millennia while Noldor means elves with knowledge. So if Celebrimbor was to give the title of Lady of Eregion, as he was the Lord of Eregion, to his foster daughter/cousin (because of one thing of course; if he die), the kingdom would perish because of no money exchanging and such, no doubt of it.

If Celebrimbor had not enough self-control, he could have stopped multitasking for he was making the ring of power and thinking about his cousin at the same time, and accidentally dropped his hammer on his feet, which would be a great teasing material for the said person who he thought of earlier and a not-really-challenge to heal for her. Of which, yes, he DID accidentally burned his fingers in one of the few occasions of thinking and slow to react for the pain did not actually got into his brain yet.

And with a strangled yelp as he realized he burned his own finger, he could not hear any footsteps (through elves did not make footsteps whenever they wished) or whatsoever as he is distracted with a great deal of pain. A red head can be seen sticking her head out towards the very room he was working on making the Rings of Power Annatar instructed him to do. "Is anything alright, Celeb?" She asked.

Celeb has been his nickname from her as she refused to call her 'ada' or as no one told her to do so anyway and his name was too long even for her to say when she was still 10 years old, only days after her parents died. Somehow that name always stuck in her despite the protests he gave her on those years, even when she was growing up as an elfling.

"I suppose something is wrong, Cara." And Cara (red in Sindarin), is a nickname from him to her, as she refused to call him Celebrimbor during those years. He hissed as he still feels the burn. "I accidentally burned my fingers while working."

She shook her head with a small smile slowly showing on her face. "I never know that I was raised by such a clumsy Elf-Lord here." She said, amused to what was happened. "Do you prefer of going into the House of Healing or me taking my medicines here?" She asked. Surely, she know better than making him to delay his work.

Once she had seen some stupid elves made him delay to finish his work more than he intended to finish the work - of which, the time he lost was only a week - because of their reckless actions and… No, she doesn't want to be a subject of his wrath. The elves that were stupid enough to do it in the past would be in an unnatural shade of white just to mention his name or be in his presence. It was like they are looking directly at Morgoth without any weapons, is tied by orcs, and surrounded by wargs.

"I prefer to do it here." He hissed.

She shrugged and grinned, she would have a teasing material later on. "As you wish." Then she went.

He sighed yet again. The only people she ever tolerated are a few warriors of Eregion and himself. She never snaps at them (except for some occasions where it involves some fighting orcs and wargs that she missed) and of course, helped them to heal those who are wounded because there are times she herself was wounded and need to heal herself in the wilderness, where not one is safe by themselves. Which was miraculously, whenever she was alone in the wilderness, she managed to hide her scent and appearance from the nearby evil, showing that she has a good spying skills and helped in many ways that she always come back safe (Celebrimbor thanked the Valar because of that. And to his horror, she WAS alone in the wilderness for many times.).

It was a few moments later that she managed to come to him with a small box, of which she always put some of her medicines as well as bandages there. It was always useful, in many cases. Celebrimbor sat on one of his wooden chairs on the hot room. "You were lucky that I happen to be nearby." She said, in the middle of her work inspecting his hands. "Otherwise, you would delay your work much more than you'd like. Of which," She smiles mischievously, "Annatar might have been scared of your wrath when he asked about the rings."

He shakes his head in amusement. "I doubt it. And it's Lord Annatar to you, young one."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, Lord Annatar." She said the word 'Lord' as if she was to spit at an orc's eye – which she sometimes do out of annoyance to the hideous creatures that knows only to fight and destroy. She frowned as she finished her job. "I do not like him."

He then smiled, in amusement to her dismay. "Oh? Are you sure?"

She frowned even more at him. "I am sure, Celeb. My instinct tells me that he is only the beginning of something bad that will happen later on. I am not one with Sight like the Lady Artanis you told to me years ago, but I feel that there is something wrong with Lord Annatar."

He then raised his eyebrow at her. It was not the first time she told him about her instinct about Annatar. He seemed to think about some facts before he responded to her. "I suppose. However, I suspect that because of that very fact you achieved small amount of rest. Do you distrust him so much that you are also alert in your sleep – which you did not rest at all?"

"I believe my lack of rest is because of that fact." She muttered, agreeing with him.

"Then, how about if you were to go to Lindon for a break? Maybe you could have some rest during the journey or in there." He suggested.

She frowned. "If I were into a break to Lindon , I am not sure about the defenses of Eregion. So far, I was the one who ambushed many orcs and wargs and slain them as you know. The elves, even though many of them are older than me, many are scholars rather than warriors." She said, narrowing her eyes. "And I do aware that those that are older than me are great with swords, but they do not want to lift another because of some things before I was even born to understand, of which, I do not know what happened before I was born anyway." She shrugged. "How do you expect Eregion to be safe while I'm away?"

He paused. Well, she did have a point there. But then, she is his first priority (aside from the ring of powers and his kingdom, of course). She could debate about Eregion's defenses so well but could not debate about other things as well as that. "Well," He paused again, thinking. "I suppose I can always have one of my trusted advisors to take your place during the mean time. You do know that my advisors were those who fight during the war of the Jewel?"

"Yes, I do." She stated. Then she groaned as soon as she sees the point. She could not debate very well against him in this… "Gah, fine." She said it rather ungraciously for an elf. "You win and I get the unwanted break into Lindon." Somehow, that statement did not actually do well in a form of a sentence.

Celebrimbor then chuckled. "You love work much more than anything that it eats away your health. Why should I risk my dear cousin to be ill as if she was impaled by a weapon when she is not?"

"Fine, fine. Either way, you win. When will I depart?" She asked impatiently. She missed his statement about her being ill. But then again, if she was to hear it, she would tell him wryly, 'elves do not get ill.'

"In a few months. I have an errand for you when you go to Lindon." He responded.

She shrugged. "Fine by me. I have no plans to go away from Eregion in a short time anyway." She said. Then her eyes brightened as she realizes something. "I… Should go." She then grabbed her medical box and run away, leaving a surprised Celebrimbor behind. Then, he realized that they talked long enough that the day was replaced by night. He cursed (although he does not blame his foster daughter, but rather the time that happened to fly so fast). He was planning to finish the last of the Rings of Power today!