Sorry about the delay, head colds do not permit good writing. Though, they do permit curling up in bed and sleeping and giving you just enough energy to force your way through grad classes. The chapter is short for that reason as well, apologies.
Disclaimer: Tolkien's world, I just mess with it.
Arcana
Chapter Four: Chariot
Bad news is always true.
- Spanish Proverb
Bad is never good until worse happens.
- Danish Proverb
Mirkwood TA 2850
"Why are we standing out here?" Legolas asked.
Tirnion held back a sigh, "Because we are waiting on word from Mithrandir."
"Why must we do this?" Seidron asked,
"It is our duty, now, do it. Quietly." Tirnion gritted out having grown quite tried of such foolish questions. Over the past five years they had become common as the trusted soldiers from many realms that were under his command had asked them, not truly grasping the importance of the situation.
"Someone is in a mood." Legolas muttered.
"Young Legolas," Tirnion said through a clenched jaw, "I would think you, being the youngest of your father's children and therefore seen as least important by some, would appreciate the trust that has been placed in you by the most powerful elves on Arda by selecting you for this patrol. It is an honor, I would hope you would do your duty well and without complaint out of gratitude, if not anything else."
Legolas nodded, "Yes, of course, Captain."
Tirnion gave a commanding nod as he turned back to watch the horizon. He knew full well taking out his ire on Legolas was hardly professional or kind, but the elf had to learn respect even for the most tedious of tasks. Tirnion's eyes were drawn to the sky as he saw four messenger birds fly out. He looked in the distance, seeing the familiar outline of Mithrandir.
Tirnion turned to his soldiers, "Let us go meet him. I fear we will not like the news."
The elves ran towards Mithrandir, all seeing the dark look on his face, his horse bearing a battered body.
"Is that…….." Legolas asked
"The corpse of Thrain. His clan would want it." Mithrandir said.
"Mithrandir," Tirnion asked, "what did you see?"
"I will not say out here in the open, wait until we are behind Thranduil's walls. There are far too many eyes, and ears, and mouths out here." Mithrandir stated as he looked around the woods.
King Thranduil took the news as well as one could expect, not very well. He had, at the very least, finished throwing things. Thranduil came out of his office, glaring at his councilors and his soldiers, even his sons.
"Where is Mithrandir?" he demanded.
"He has already set out, he was in need of…." Legolas started.
Thranduil waved him off, "He has to get to Imladris, I am aware."
"Why Imladris?" Bellion asked.
Thranduil glared at him, "Because it is a center of knowledge and if any had information on the line on Isildur it would certainly be the brother of the first king of Isildur's people."
"Who?" Bellion asked.
Thranduil looked at him and then turned to his guards, "Please remove him before I harm him. He does not know the Line Elrond descends from and that is simply foolish in our times. One must at least know it to make insults. Honestly, who appointed him?"
"Saeros." Tirnion couldn't help but say.
"Oh, that explains it. Either way, remove him." Thranduil turned to the others gathered, "We cannot make a decision until everything is confirmed. Keep the patrols steady, Sauron has most likely heard the news that we know and he will send out things of a greater degree of evil."
"Spiders?" Berenon asked.
Thranduil shuddered, "Most likely." He looked over his people, "Enjoy this day, for it might be the last peaceful we have for some time. You are dismissed."
Tirnion made to leave when Thranduil grabbed his arm, "I must ask something of you."
Tirnion nodded, "Of course, my King."
Thranduil smiled, "I need you to travel to LothLorien and give Merileth an order. Do not worry, I will enforce said order by royal decree."
Tirnion swallowed, "And what is that, my King?"
Thranduil sighed, "She is ordered to sail. I will not take the chance, despite what her husband might say. She is still of this realm. By royal decree, she is ordered to sail."
Imladris, TA 2850
Morwen, Rian, and Eluialeth jumped as they heard door slamming, loud cursing and items being thrown.
"What happened?" Eluialeth asked.
Morwen and Rian both shook their heads, "No idea." They said.
Elladan came bursting into the room, giving Rian a quick smile.
"You must come now, there has been news from Mirkwood." Elladan urged.
"I take it is not good news." Rian said.
"Hardly, Father is throwing things, Erestor is slamming doors and Glorfindel may have broken many of the practice targets. There has been a call for a meeting, all nobility and councilors, scribes and more are to be gathered." Elladan stated.
"We best leave." Morwen said.
"If only to keep Lord Elrond from breaking everything capable of being thrown." Rian muttered.
"What could cause such ire?" Eluialeth asked.
Morwen and Elladan shared a look, both knowing these certain members of the household longer than the others, "I can only think of one thing, truly." Morwen said.
"And it is a very bad thing." Elladan said, "Let us go."
They all hurried out of the room, heading to the inner-council hall. The hall was full of elves, all speaking in hurried and worried tones, trying to discern the reason for the meeting. There was nowhere to sit, the chairs being taken up by the senior council members and the highest of the nobility; elves with young children trying to secure the rest. Elrohir was leaning back against a wall, Arwen in a chair beside him. Balanauth was pacing as much as was able and Thandrog appeared to be counting how many times Balanauth came towards him.
Eluialeth leaned into Morwen's side, "Where are we to stand?"
Morwen glanced around the room, "Wherever you are able."
Glorfindel caught the small bust that came flying at his head as he opened the door to Elrond's study. "You always have been destructive when surprised."
"Not so surprised." Elrond barked out, "Furthermore, I am sure you gave the practice targets your own special brand of attention."
"The crafters were happy for all the new business." Glorfindel said.
"Of course they were." Erestor said as he walked inside, pushing Glorfindel out of the way.
"The people are gathered, we have to tell them."
"Indeed." Elrond said. "Now we must quickly ponder on how best to tell them Sauron has returned and is gathering the rings."
"Perhaps leave out the ring part." Erestor said.
"Sauron is bad enough." Glorfindel said.
"And the younger elves might not understand the ring significance." Erestor said.
"No reason to cause all to become worried at once." Glorfindel said.
"Well, more so. Sauron's return is really all they need to hear." Erestor said.
Elrond held up his hand to stop their babbling, "I will tell them of Sauron. The rest will wait until we have a full report from Mithrandir on all that he has heard and seen."
Elrond took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he centered himself, "Let us go do this, there is no easy way. It must simply be done."
Elladan paced back and forth in Erestor's study, eyes often straying towards the door in hopes Erestor and his father would soon show. After delivering the devastating news of Sauron's presence in Dol Guldur, Elrond had ordered the younger elves out of the hall, and by younger he meant any born in the Third Age or in the last one hundred years of the Second Age. Those raised by Lord Elrond were ordered back to Chief Councilor Erestor's office to await further instructions. Eluialeth was also present, her mother having ordered her to the room. The air of disbelief was around all gathered inside. They had heard the tales, listened to the songs, looked at the murals and the engravings and yet, none here knew what they were truly dealing with. Sauron was a mythical figure, one who had been vanquished. He was a part of nightmares and cautionary tales, he was not supposed to come back to animate form to truly haunt them again.
"They can be mistaken can't they? It could just be the Witch-King, yes?" Rian asked, desperate for her own fears to be proved false.
Morwen bitterly laughed, "Oh, Rian, if any could discern the identity of the evil in Dol Guldur, it would be Mithrandir. He has been there once before and he has seen it again, with the change."
"They have known in their souls it was Sauron, for he is the one the Witch-King answers to. Father was merely hoping such a thing was not true." Elrohir said.
"Mithrandir will have more to explain once he comes and once we receive a report from the special patrol." Elladan said.
An uneasy silence settled over the room as they all sat in wait.
Finally the door opened, Elrond, Erestor, Faeleth, Glorfindel and Lindir coming inside. Elrond regarded them all with heavy and sad eyes as Erestor moved to his desk and Faeleth to one of the bookshelves to start pulling out tomes.
Elrond regarded the younger elves, the children. His eyes rested on Morwen, "Morwen recite the Ring Poem."
Morwen flinched, "The Ring Poem…..why?" she asked as her eyes widened. "You cannot mean…"
Elrond held up a hand to silence her. He turned to Elrohir, "Elrohir, recite the Ring Poem."
Elrohir took an uneasy breath and began in a soft voice, as if fearing to be heard,
Three Rings for the Elven-Kings Under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
Elrohir finished with a steady voice.
Elrond nodded and then turned to back to Morwen, "You have been doing the research. Tell us why I would make him recite that poem.
Morwen swallowed, "The Mortal Men doomed to die are the wraiths, as we know, and Sauron already has those rings in his power. Thrain was the last carrier of the surviving dwarf-lord rings." Morwen paused, her eyes flitting to Elrond's hand and then back to his face, "the rings of the elf lords are not in his grasp, still held by elves and the…."
"One Ring is still lost." Elrond finished. "He is searching for it, to gather power, to rule again."
"Mithrandir, as you know, has confirmed Sauron is the master in Dol Guldur." Erestor said. "He also found the dying, now dead, body of Thrain. Thrain confirmed before he died that Sauron had taken his ring."
"Sauron has been sending out agents in search of the One." Glorfindel said. "He has made the assumption it is with the heirs of Isildur, being carried by the current heir."
"The Rangers." Elladan said.
"The Rangers." Glorfindel agreed.
"What if he thinks it is with the heirlooms?" Rian asked. "What if he thinks it is here?"
Elrond shook his head, "Only elves and a few select of the Rangers know the heirlooms are here and only those gathered in this room know exactly where they are. Furthermore, Sauron knows, having created and carried the One, few would turn down the chance to wear it. Isildur certainly did not."
"It has been lost," Erestor explained, "no one knows where it is and if they do, they certainly are not telling."
"So he is searching and he does not care who and what he must destroy in order to find it." Elrond said. "We are telling you this, as we have already informed those who lived through the Last Alliance, because you need to know. Because each of your individual duties requires you to have some knowledge of this. Do not yet share this knowledge, except with those we tell you to. Once Mithrandir arrives you will all be sent out to inform in person and in secrecy certain members of our elven allies what has occurred. The Lord and Ladies of the respective realms already know, but I am sure Cirdan has not seen the need to share such a thing with Thalion, for instance, and with Cirdan's leave I would have one of you pass the information along. Same can be said for our allies among Gildor's people and in LothLorien and even the Rangers. You are all trusted in this, do not abuse this trust." Elrond ordered.
All nodded in consent, following the sage advice of their Lord Elrond.
"Very good." Lord Elrond said. "Now, return to your regular duties, act as if nothing has changed, do not alert the others in this House to the situation. Learn to don the masks you have been taught to wear. There will be time for despair in the future, that time is not know." Elrond glanced out the window, "It is a lovely day, despite the news. Enjoy it."
They were gathered under the moonlight, performing a familiar task from long ago, gathering strength from each other. They were not preparing for a banquet or a festival, they had no idea what they were preparing for, but they needed this, their gathering under the moon light.
"I have an observation though I think it may be highly inappropriate." Eluialeth said.
"Share it." Elladan said.
"The creators of the songs must have stolen from each other just a bit. That ring poem, for instance, it states 'in the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.' Compare it with The Fall of Gil-Galad." Eluialeth said.
Morwen smiled, " in Modor where the shadows are. Yes, I am sensing Mordor must be a dark place."
"They could certainly find another word." Elladan agreed.
"Yes, but shadows sounds so foreboding." Rian said.
"I believe that is the point." Elrohir said.
"Are you really criticizing literature?" Glorfindel asked as he joined them, sitting down between the reclining Elladan and laid out Morwen.
"Of course we are." Rian said. "It is a trivial thing to focus on."
"Are you not supposed to be in a meeting?" Morwen asked as Glorfindel pulled her hair away from her face.
"I was, for some time. Elrond dismissed us. There will be plenty of meetings later."
"You do not seem overly concerned." Elrohir observed.
"I have already let out my frustration. Furthermore, we have suspected this for a long time. We all knew he was never truly gone. Something that evil does not simply die." Glorfindel made to lay down as well, lightly pushing Morwen and Elladan to the sides. "However, that does not mean we are all to sit here in worry and mourning for things that have not come. We are elves, we will find a reason to be merry. We have defeated dark lords many times in the past and we will do our best to do so again."
"Except," Eluialeth said, "that now with the knowledge of Sauron's return, elves will be fleeing to the Havens in rapid numbers. Cirdan will need to find more ship builders to handle the frequency."
"And more guest rooms." Elladan said.
"So we will assist. Even as our kin flees, we will still be here." Glorfindel said. "Now, enough of this talk. Let us find something more pleasing to speak of."
"Rian and Elladan are still not together." Elrohir said.
"We are taking our time!" Rian protested.
"And we are right here!" Elladan exclaimed.
"Indeed, you are." Glorfindel laughed.
"We taunt only because we love you so." Morwen said.
"Yes, well, I still say we move onto other pleasing things." Elladan said, with a small pout.
Morwen traced the patterns in the stars, "I do wonder what they are doing in Mirkwood. They are so much closer."
Rian sighed, "They are used to ill news, I am afraid to say. They will become more cut-off from the rest."
"They need to for protection's sake." Glorfindel said.
"I though we were speaking of more pleasing things." Elladan said.
Elrohir laughed, "I wonder how Grandmother reacted to the news."
LothLorien, TA 2850
"Tirnion, it is so very good to see you again." Rumil said, one of the few elves of the realm who truly liked Tirnion. "Though, I fear now is not the best time to visit. Our Lady has been a tad angered today."
"Yes," Tirnion said as he dismounted, "I can imagine why. I am sure temper tantrums are being thrown throughout the realms. Do not worry, I am here to deliver a message to Merileth, you do not need to worry Lady Galadriel."
"Lord Celeborn would still like to speak with you, he always enjoys speaking with the seneschals of other realms and offering strategies to help their patrols." Rumil said.
"I fear I must simply deliver this and be back on my way. I do not wish to be far from my home at this time." Tirnion told him, truly not wishing to listen to a ramble of Lord Celeborn's.
"No, no, of course not." Rumil said. "Well, Merileth is in the talan of that tree." Rumil gestured to a large tree before them, "She may have some company. I hope you have a safe return, Tirnion."
"Have a safe patrol, Rumil." Tirnion answered.
He made his way to the talan flinching as Merileth came dropping down from the eaves.
"I saw you as you rode in." she said, her eyes full of sympathy.
Those eyes were the reason Tirnion had taken to avoiding Merileth, he could take many things, but his pride would not allow him to take the pity.
"I have an order from your father." Tirnion stated.
Merileth studied him, "Is that all you have to say?"
"At this time Lady Merileth, it is." Tirnion stated.
"Have you finally found another elf maiden to love? Or have you fallen for Morwen as the rumors state?" Merileth spat.
"Merileth, I am here because my King asked me to deliver this most important decree to you. I once gave you my blessings and my wishes for your good and happy marriage. You have no right, none, to criticize me if my heart has fallen to another and if it had, I have the tact and the decency not to inform you. Furthermore, do not, ever, say Morwen's name like that again. You owe her your respect. Unlike you, she has not been hiding in the Golden Wood while the world changes, she has done her duty well." Tirnion held back all of his anger, "To answer your question, rumor in this instance is simply that. You have been ordered to sail, Merileth, by royal decree. You will be going to your mother."
"I will not!"
"You have no choice. You are still your father's child and you are still a citizen of Mirkwood and a king outranks a march warden You will sail." Tirnion stated. "Now, I must return home."
Tirnion walked back to his horse, a slight smile on his face. That had hurt, to be sure, he might regret it in the future. As for now, though, it felt quite good.
The End.
Again, here are many author notes and thanks:
A/N 1: Ring Poem is obviously from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, as is the line from the Fall of Gil-Galad.
A/N 2: The Chariot can mean war and struggle, though eventual victory, though after a hard battle, the unification of opposites and the control over them in order to defeat an obstacle or an enemy. It, of course, can also mean a need for control in a very bad, tyrannical way.
A/N 3: Again, end of story, not series. Story list can be found on the first entry of the writing lj (see my profile and hit the link for homepage). I was going to do a major jump to the War of the Ring period, but, eh, we need the twins connection with Arathorn II and little baby Estel, and young Bilbo, and yeah.
A/N 4: Renna, if you stop reviewing I will hunt you down and throw a book at you. And I am a graduate history student, I have some pretty damn heavy books. Seriously though, your reviews do really brighten up my day, they are usually the only ones I get for a story, and if not that, usually the first I see, and they push me on. I do not find them tedious or anything, as long as you are still willing to write them, I am more than willing to read them.
Evil Enchantress, babbling is okay, babbling is good, I like babbling. Seriously, thank you for the review and I am so glad you've enjoyed the series so far. I admit, when writing it I have deviated from the original plan (Galdor and the Havens, yeah, never supposed to be too big. Glorfindel and Morwen, yeah, weren't even supposed to be together until the Fourth Age.) so you see, it is an adventure for me as well. And I will try to update as soon as possible.
Nima, that is really why I decided to write the story, the little behind the scenes of the major events and how the elves reacted to it all, especially in Imladris. I like to fill in the little gaps or add a different perspective. Thanks for the review!
