SA 1697
Ereinion Gilgalad son of Orodreth to Tar Minastir of the line of Earendil, greeting: the Valar keep you and may no shadow fall on the Isle of Kings.
After nearly two years of siege, Eregion has fallen. The dwarves of Hadhodrond proved less willing to assist militarily than we had all hoped, though that is perhaps not surprising given the strength of the enemy's forces and the dwarves' faith in the impregnability of their home. I hope for their sake that their faith does not prove as misplaced as my father's did.
Elrond's force could not reach the city before it was besieged. They have withdrawn northward with survivors who managed to cut their way out of Ost-in Edhil. These were led by Lord Celeborn. He also survives.
Ost-in-Edhil is destroyed, and most of its citizens are dead or taken. Celebrimbor is either dead or taken. I have not been able to determine which. I hope for his sake that he is dead. Better that than what Sauron would do to him. We have only intermittent contact with Elrond. He has been forced into a position where we cannot easily update him, nor he us. Khazad-dum has closed its doors, and Lorinand and Greenwood are completely out of contact.
Lindon itself has received numerous refugees from outside Ost-in-edhil, some elves, others mortal men. The smaller number of dwarvish refugees has mostly been taken in by the dwarves of the Ered Luin.
In this situation, your ships patrolling the shores have been invaluable. There have been two attempted attacks from the south, both of which were stopped by ships out of Lond Daer. For that, I and my people are in your debt.
However, when Sauron finishes with Eregion and turns west towards Lindon we are not going to be able to stand without more help. There are simply not enough of us to withstand an army as large as his. The armada that you have promised us is essential to our survival, and the sooner it arrives the fewer of my people will die.
The situation becomes more dire with every passing month. Is your council still giving you trouble? I am willing to completely overhaul our trade agreements so long as your armada shows up in time. If it does not show up in a timely manner, you will have no trade arrangements with Lindon at all because we will all be dead. This has already happened to Numenor with regard to Eregion.
I am sorry to state things in such blunt terms, but I must impress upon you the gravity of the situation here. We cannot hold out here by ourselves, and those elves of other realms will not even be able to escape to the west as Sauron holds the main roads. As for those mortal men who do not have the good fortune to live in Numenor, they will be killed or enslaved by Sauron, as too many of them already have been. Numenor is the only hope all of us have left.
Manwe keep you under the One, and send fair wind to your sails.
1698
Tar Minastir of the Line of Earendil to Ereinion Gilgalad, High King of the Noldor and King of Lindon, greetings. The Valar keep you and Middle-earth safe from the shadow.
I am sorrowful but unsurprised by the fall of Ost-in-Edhil, and by the destruction of Eregion. Are you certain that Sauron will turn towards Lindon next, rather than continuing to chase Elrond's forces into the north, or returning east to destroy Lorinand? I know that he likely intends to destroy the eldar of Middle-earth, and that to do that he must destroy Lindon, but might he not seek an easier target first?
The shipbuilding has been continuing apace, but it is taking longer than I had anticipated. Would that Sauron had delayed another twenty years before starting this war. We would have been better prepared.
There is a great shortage of adequate timber, especially for masts. The shipyards of Lond Daer have been crucial in building what we have so far, but attacks by wild men stirred up by Sauron on our work parties has slowed progress by half compared to my hopes, as Ciryatan must then spend time chasing wild men rather than building ships.
The council has become less of an issue, but it has been overtaken by the problems with the wild men. I think trade agreements are something we can both worry about after the war is won. The news of Eregion's fall has caused consternation among the less well-informed of my council, and among the men of Numenor in general. All of a sudden, the army and navy have more volunteers than my officers can train, or ships to carry them to Middle-earth.
What we need is more time. Can you hold Sauron out for a year or so? We will come and help you, but we need time.
I find that sometimes the stories of old and our limited knowledge of the elder of Tol Eressea causes us to overestimate the ability of the elves of Middle-earth to fight against overwhelming odds and win. We forget that just because you don't die of old age doesn't mean you can't be killed. You would think that those self-same stories, which tell of ruined realms and the death of High Kings, would teach us that, but there you go. People may read their history, and yet not learn from it.
On that note, please don't get yourself killed. You are the one living elf whose name everyone here recognises, and many are thinking of this war as 'go and rescue our friend Gil-galad', rather than 'go rescue the people of Middle-earth.' I don't want to end up merely avenging your death.
Manwe keep you under the One, and may Sauron's wrath be delayed long enough.