In celebration of having completed chapter 10 of the sequel to this (yes i have recent had a burst of inspiration) i am posting early.
Incidently, does anyone have any idea's for the title of Part 3? I am suffering a complete lack of ideas on that front.
TTSS 37
The hundred years or so succeeding the foundation of Gondor and Arnor did not win any awards for peace and cheerfulness. Despite having lost his body in the sinking of Númenor, Sauron apparently had no issues with carrying on his campaign of evil, though he had gone from trying to destroy the race of men from within to simply using terror and the threat of main force to subjugate them to his will.
The stress levels of the three maia were not helped by Oropher being his usual pig headed self. Even though the presence of the three maia had vastly improved relations between the Noldor and the Greenwood, it was mostly on a personal level and there was the simple fact that few sindar or Noldor were capable of working together.
XXX
"Papa, uncle, can you please knock their heads together?" Meriliel snapped as she paced across the sitting room, swearing sulphurously. It was one of those days that she was extremely glad that Ingwë had taken her daughter off for weapons lessons.
Ingwë, her father and great uncle took turns in teaching the half maia how to fight, since Oropher had stated that she would learn no more fighting than was proper for an elleth – namely long knives and archery. Whatever her father said though, as Losmeril hit adolescence she was also gaining reasonable competence with a range of other weapons.
"Unfortunately not my dear. We can't touch them remember?" Meriliel turned to where her aunt was standing by the door. For some reason, Riona was grinning insanely. More than one person in the room closed their eyes in resignation, since it was obvious she had done something.
"What did you do?" Daffyd asked cautiously. Riona attempted and failed to pull off an innocent look.
"I decided that everyone needed a bit of cheering up. I also decided it was time to remind Manwë and Varda that I have yet to forgive them taking my child." Finarfin raised his eyebrows.
"That is a very long time to hold a grudge, lady." She shrugged.
"I said that I would not forgive them until my daughter is returned to me. Last time I checked, that had yet to happen." She cocked her head sideways, listening for something. "I think that might be my cue to run, since I don't think Tigger and Thumper are too happy with me right."
"Tigger and Thumper?" Fea asked her mother. "Dare I ask?" Riona laughed and plonked herself on her husband's lap, apparently not going to run even in the face of two irate Valar.
"Yep, Manwë and Varda's new nicknames to match their new look." Daffyd buried his head in his hand.
"Oh god." As if summoned, Manwë and Varda appeared in the doorway looking equally irate and comical. It was all the room's occupants could do not to laugh out loud at the pair.
XXX
"What has you so cheerful today Fea?" Elrond asked wearily as she placed a tray of food on his desk, rightfully assuming he had forgotten lunch again in favour of the worries of state.
"Mama decided to remind the Valar that she has yet to forgive them for taking us away in the name of cheering us up." Elrond raised an eyebrow.
"Obviously she was successful. What did she do?" Fea grinned wickedly.
"Painted Manwë's face with a tiger face and glued orange ears into his hair and made Varda look like a rabbit, also with the aid of face paint and glue on ears. They both also acquired tails." The look of pure amazement on Elrond's face got more and more incredulous throughout the explanation. Eventually he shook his head.
"Your mother truly is one of a kind, you know that?" Fea laugh.
"What got you so depressed, or was it Arda in general?" Elrond laughed hollowly.
"Reports from Gondor about Mordor. How the hell does a bodiless spirit cause so much trouble?" He sighed as Fea waited for a better explanation. "Smoke has been seen over mount doom. The inevitable war is beginning." He sighed and muttered an expletive, a sentiment Fea fully agreed with.
XXX
They were in their childhood home with their adopted father, since it was safer than the palace to talk in. Meriliel sat curled in Eama's arms as her brother paced fitfully and Galion watched on.
"What the bloody hell is Oropher thinking? He refuses a bloody alliance and refuses to prepare properly. No offence Arallë, but you husband is delusional! Why won't he prepare properly?" Meriliel snorted dryly, no idea herself. Out of some misguided sense of protection, Oropher deliberately kept her out the way of the preparations they were making for war, or apparently the lack thereof.
"What about the armour situation Galadhion? I know that armour is being prepared." She asked. He brother gave her a dark look.
"Wearing a bloody cooking pot on your head would probably be better than the standard issue stuff he's got made for the main army. Thank whichever deity is listening that Thranduil and I not only had the foresight to have decent armour made for us some time ago but also some for Ada as well." Thranduil snorted from the doorway.
"No bloody comment." Both maia raised their eyebrows at the prince questioningly, silently asking if he was going to drop them in it. He shook his head. "Out of curiosity, who is going to tell Ada that most of his general staff are military idiots?"
There were several dark laughs around the room and Meriliel replied.
"Considering the fact that, much as I love him, I have to admit that he is also a military idiot that happens to agree with all those morons?" Thranduil laughed humourlessly again.
"So we are agreed, the Greenwood is monumentally stuffed?" Galadhion gave the prince a wry look.
"Thank you, prince of mine, for raising my mood and filling my soul with hope about the oncoming war." Galadhion very nearly stormed out of the room, dark cloud hanging over his head. He wanted to kill his brother in law right now.
XXX
Elendil looked tired as he ascended the steps of Imladris to greet the high king. He had good reason to, Gondor was actually in a state of war with Sauron and he was in the hidden valley for the purpose of formalising a military alliance between the Noldorin and his people.
It did not take long for them to come up with terms for the alliance, mostly since there was a need to hurry that precluded windy negotiations.
The most significant decision made was that Gilgalad would head the alliance, though the individual components would still be headed by their individual leaders. It had been decided because Gilgald was the only one who could get the non-Noldorin elves to join the alliance and Elendil knew the worth of stepping back in such a situation.
XXX
When he 'woke' Elrond was highly surprised to find that, even though he knew instinctually that he was in one of Riona's dream visions, he was still in Imladris rather than in the house his home had been based on.
He looked around, somewhat surprised by the gathering of people in the Hall of Fire. The assorted elves seemed equally shocked and the humans just seemed very confused, if a bit scared. Elrond looked around to see if he could find out the cause before noticing Fea, her cousins and her Valinorian family. As he walked over to the group, Gilgalad joined him.
"Why are we in Imladris this time?" He asked curiously. Before he could get an answer, Isildur, who was standing nearby with his father and brother, spoke.
"Wait, you know what this is?" He asked in a hoarse whisper. Elendil and Anarion looked at the group expectantly and a quick glance around the room confirmed that all but those who had been in dream visions before also focussing in on them. Those who had previous experience were also listening but with less worry.
"Of course they do, this is a dream vision and to answer the previous question, you all needed to talk together so I brought you all together in a dream vision but the prohibition on mortals in Valinor still stands so I used Imladris as a location instead." Riona snapped, looking no less stressed than anyone else. Everyone nodded or murmured their agreement.
"So this is some sort magical method of getting people spread over a large area together to talk?" Anarion asked, still rather pale.
Riona nodded, smiling.
"Yes, and since I have gone to great lengths to arrange this little conference, you better not waste your time, especially as I actually got Manwë's permission for once." She poked her tongue out at Gilgalad as he snorted and stared at her in surprise. Riona, get anyone's permission? Apparently there truly was a first for everything.