The End of Banishment
From the Elfin Chronicles of Elledan, son of Elrond, son of Eärendil
By Mark Essenburg
Chapter One
A Rising Fear
Author's notes: These chapters are very complimentary. the story is told from three different points of view, so I highly recommend reading them all. They will weave a tapestry of love, hate, betrayal, loss and salvation. If you like where I am going, please review and let me know. Also, I love to hear your ideas, though I may keep those private in case they become spoilers.
Enjoy!
"Father, you must let me go to him!" Elevana stood tall and proud before her father, the Elven King. She was his only child and heir to the throne of the Elves of Mirkwood, which they still called themselves, even though they had now lived in Valinor for nearly five thousand years. She was a willful thing, Elladan knew and curious. He worried that if he gave in to her, she would discover the world outside and fascinated, might never return.
"I cannot allow you to go; it is too dangerous." He replied, evenly, though his heart trembled with fear. He possessed something of his father, Elrond's ability to see into the future. His vision was not as clear as the mighty Elrond's, as his skill was still developing.
In this matter, however, he could see only darkness and he didn't know if it was just unknown, or if it was death. He was beginning to become afraid that he had made a terrible mistake.
"But father, just look at his crystal! His magic fades daily. He is dying! Something terrible has happened to him." Strikingly beautiful, like most elves, she leaned forward on her toes, the heels of her slippers rising from the polished marble floor. All around her was beautiful art, much of it her own creation; gifts for her father. Her magic enabled her to manipulate metal like few others could and the abstract shapes had a flow that both pleased the eye and yielded incredible strength.
The sculptures decorated the study of Elladan. A spacious, yet private collection of raised gardens and benches woven between shelves shaped into tree branches. The living shelves held what seemed like an uncountable number of books in a loving embrace, their large leaves providing natural shelter from dust and sunlight.
The desk the king sat behind, was spacious and also a part of a living tree, for after the great forests were clear cut in the early years of the Time of Man, Elladan declared that no living tree in Valinor would be cut down for its wood. Instead, the flesh of the tree should be encouraged to help the elves, as the elves in turn help the trees. If the tree would not cooperate, then it simply could not be shaped and therefore it would be left to grow according to its own wild design.
He wondered if his daughter was also un-tamable, as he gazed at her calmly. Growing by her own wild design. He was trying to appear untouched by her pleading, seeming that he listened only impassively. But in his heart, he was worried that his plan was in desperate trouble, so he let her rant. It gave him time to think.
She paced now, as she argued her point, moving smoothly among the trees upon a beautiful floor polished from the living stone of a naturally occurring vein of marble. Not a seam interrupted its perfect beauty and even the many long years of elven footfalls were too soft to wear it. Here and there the roots of trees crawled over the marble, looking for the rich soil along the edges. At the edges, spray after spray of flowers bordered the floor and the buzzing of bees gave a slightly ominous hum to her speech.
"So you must consider it, Father. Please. For me.", she paused and lowered her head as a single tear spilled onto her right cheek. She gracefully brushed it away. "For us."
"You cannot be careful enough, Elevana. You do not know the mortal's ways. They are hasty and care not for the trees. By the Light, they do not even care for each other! Look at what they do. The wars, the random, pointless killing. Too many have gone mad and you simply cannot tell a madman from one who is not."
"The mad ones are far apart, the random we cannot control and the war that will come if the Dark One rises again will make all human wars look like children's playground spats. You know this Father. It is why you sent him. It is why you must now send me."
"I will send another."
"Another will not know him as I do. He will have changed his appearance. I will know where to find him, for I know his ways."
"Allow me the night to think on it. His spirit is strong, he will not die this night."
"What if he has been captured? The Dark Lord-"
"The Dark Lord is banished! Bilbo destroyed the ring! It cannot be the Dark Lord. With any luck at all it will never be the Dark Lord ever again, until the end of days."
"But Elrond-"
"I know what he said and it troubles me, too." He rose from his desk and glided to her side. "Please, Elevana, let me consider your request a little while. He still has much strength." Together they gazed at a small perfect crystal hanging from a branch by an impossibly thin and elegantly woven golden chain.
In the middle of the crystal a blue glow could be seen.
"Thank you father."
"I have not yet done anything, Elevana"
"Thank you… for considering me." She smiled, brushing the back of his hand as she turned and strode out of his study. He watched her glide away and thought of her leaving. He didn't think he could bear it. He stood and strode to a window .
The Elfin King rested his hands on a centuries old windowsill whose wood that had been smoothed nearly flat by his own hand and gazed out over the New Homely House or New Rivendel as some called it. The grand waterfall sparkled in the sunlight at the far end of the valley and between him and the waterfall, lay the beautifully shaped trees that were the houses of the elves.
It was a good life, he mused. For almost five thousand years, the elves living in Valinor lived in peace and had not concerned themselves with the ways of men. Humankind was slowly destroying the Middle Earth with their industries and profiting, but here, in The West, the garden was still unspoiled.
He would have been content to continue like this forever, but for the recent news that came from his Father, Elrond, who spoke to him of the darkness that was rising, once again. The power of Sauron could be felt again. Somehow it was different, though and that was a mystery that had yet to be unraveled, but the evil was the same and it was getting stronger.
Middle Earth was once again in danger. A danger that the 21st century humans would not be able to predict or defend against. They knew nothing of magic and either believed it didn't exist or was dead. Very few practiced any magic at all and those few were in fringe groups that usually got almost no respect.
Something would have to be done. Even the 21st century human race, with all their technology, bombs and war machines would be unable to fight against massive armies of blood hungry, savage orc hoards driven by the undead. And if someone ever found the dragons, well, he shuddered as he banished the thought.
But it could not be denied. Someone in the world of men, had discovered something that should have been left undiscovered. He didn't think they knew what they held, but the possibility remained, however remote, that the old knowledge was in the hands of someone who had some skills. Someone who probably had no idea what they were playing at.
If it was someone who knew what it was and how to use it, that could be disastrous.
Could he send his daughter into the middle of that uncertainty? Elladan felt sure in his heart that he could not risk her, but could he stop her, remained the question.
AUTHORS NOTES:
If you haven't figured it out yet, (and I am sure you have) I placed this in the here and now. Where is Valinor? In the West... somewhere. Elves do not have to be seen if they don't want to; they are magic, after all. I love it where Tolkien suggests in The Hobbit that Hobbits are so quiet and careful that you and I probably wouldn't even notice them.
Since we are helpless against a magical threat, Elladan feels that humankind is no defense. Knowing the danger, he cannot just stand by and let us get slaughtered. But first, he needs to know what he is dealing with.
Up next? A little history. I am finishing up a flashback to the day the Black Tower fell. What didn't get destroyed, that day. Make sure you follow me to get that update and don't forget to give me a review, so I know how I am doing.
thank you, My Faithful Reader. This is for you.