Chapter 3
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An Engoli warrior appeared before the Emissary of Sauron. The warrior wore the ceremonial robes of a royal tribute. The hair was shaven and tattooed with tribal prayers and blessings, believed to invoke the protection of their ancestors on the tribute. Gold adorned the uniform, sparkling among the red and black. The warrior carried weapons, and a solemn expression.
The Emissary smiles, a new wound forming on his pale lips. "Where is the other?"
The warrior held out the second set of ceremonial clothing. The suit was torn and bloody, a dagger mingled in with the blood and fabric. "My kin felt unworthy of the Eye's call, committing kujiua (suicide) so as not to dishonor our people in battle."
"Then the other shall be chosen." The Emissary considered after a while.
"My lord, I am fit and ready to fulfill the purpose of the Eye. I can be trusted to more than fill the place of both our duties. I believe this is the will of the Eye himself, to test our commitment. My kin failed and now honor of my people depends on my fulfilling both our calls. Please, do not take this obligation from me."
The Emissary regarded the warrior for a moment. Finally, he placed his hands on both of the tributes shoulders. "The will of the Eye is with thee. Very well. Join the camps. I shall see to the collection of the remaining tributes of your people."
"Neshan manke llie naa!" (Stop where you are!)
The warrior paused, knowing now that despite the best of intentions, the elves eyes couldn't be fooled. As the warrior stood from the crouched position in the bushes, a group of elf archers revealed themselves, positioning their arrows to fire. The warrior quickly dropped the weapons she carried, lifting her hands in surrender as a dark-haired elf walked directly in front of her. "Mani naa llie sinome, tuar en' i' Elee? (What are you doing here, servant of the Eye?)"
She thought quickly, trying to remember the bit of Elvish she new. She bowed down at the Elf's feet, trying to speak clearly in the unfamiliar tongue. "Amin llie. Amin naa revanthas nae. Amin atar nae tanar amin nae ho. Amin hada nae llie . (I employ you don't hurt. I am friend to Elrond. My father commits to send myself to him. I surrender myself to your shoes.)"
The elf smiled, then laughed. The warrior wondered what was so humorous when he, put simply, held her life in his hands, but did not have time to question his intentions. He motioned for her to stand and walk with him. The other elves traveled with them, and, to her surprise, put down their weapons. They traveled in silence as the Elf led them into the heart of his country, taking her through a gate that had Elvish lettering scripted on it that she wished she could read. She had no way to know if he was taking her where she needed to go and he did not speak or even stop until they reached a grand structure surrounded by smaller ones and a great waterfall. He whispered in Elvish to the other elves and they departed, and he motioned for the warrior to sit down on a large couch in the middle of an even larger room. "Do not worry, Haradress. You are safe here so long as you prove your well-being to our lord."
"Please," she said, grateful that he was speaking in the common tongue rather than forcing her to translate her intent in Elvish, "where are we?"
"You are in Rivendell," my lady, a voice called from an opened door. A very tall elf entered, also dark-haired. He carried a wisdom in her eyes that reminded her of her father, and in that instant she became homesick for her family. He smiled and sat in front of her in a nearby chair. "You came alone." There was concern in his eyes, something she had been taught not to expect from the elves. They were enemies, plain and simple, and should have always been regarded as such.
She questioned his motives but knew this wasn't time for such thoughts. If the plan she and Dingane' made was to work, she had a part to complete and she intended on completing it. "There was no other way, my lord," she answered simply. "My father was discovered. The Eye demanded tribute early. The only way to complete the mission agreed upon by you and my father was to send only one of us to you."
"He took your brother." The elf lord looked at her, his eyes showing sadness. "Your father thought it would come to this, and that it would be you that would come to Rivendell, Ghadelyna."
He thought it would be her? Did the elf know what her family had gone through for the three days before she left? She had considered the possibility that her father had spoken to the elf lord about her and her siblings, but considering her last encounter with her father, she hadn't thought about being trusted to do something more than Dingane'. She wondered what Dingane' was doing right now. They'd never been separated for longer than a day or so and it had taken weeks to sneak into enemy territory. She wondered what part of the Mordorian army he'd been sent too. Had he convinced the Eye and his servants of his loyalty? Was he safe? Was he dead?
But she pushed these feelings aside. The fact was, she didn't know these people. IF her father was right, they would help save him and her tribe from the fate of turning against the Eye. If he was wrong, she would do what she could to stop them and reset her family's status in Mordor, even if it cost her life. "Ghadelyna is wafu (dead), my lord. For the sake of my people, that name must never be heard in the land of the North. I am Enzi, a simple soldier."
Elrond regarded her for a while, watching her cover up her tribal tattoos on her left arm. "Heritage is something that cannot so easily be hidden and royal lineage cannot be denied by the simple change of a name, but you will see this in time. For the time being, a room has been prepared for you. Go and rest. Others are coming, given similar missions as your father gave you, and I guarantee they will hold just much more mistrust for you as you have for me." He smiled knowingly and Ghadelyna frowned. He knew she didn't trust him. Good. Less room for pretense. "Tomorrow," he continued, "the Council meets.
Okay – What do you think? Any ideas for what will happen at the Council of Elrond? I don't think a Harad walking into the meeting would go over well, do you?
I don't know if all of my elvish is correct. I used on-line translation sites.
Reviews are not only welcome but appreciated!
