Meetings

Valandil kept his promise, and soon the high-ranking visitors were adequately accommodated, and lodgings were also arranged for the army. Elrond had nevertheless sent Glorfindel to see to it, even if it did not suit him that he had to play the nanny all the time. At least that is what he said.

Now, after they had calmed down a bit, Elladan, Elrohir, Estel, and Legolas and Gimli had gathered in the rooms assigned to Elrond. Ceomon and Rethtulu were also not far away and provided wine (which seemed to appeal to Legolas in particular) and some fruit. For the evening, Valandil had invited them all to dinner, so they did not want to eat too much yet.

"It seems that not everything is really going on here," Estel opened the discussion. "The reports I have received in Minas Tirith speak of much greater construction progress than is actually the case."

"And now we have the problem that a horde of orcs is trying to overrun these very crumbling walls," commented Elladan. "Aside from the fact that even if these walls weren't so crumbling, they would only be a real obstacle if they were better jointed."

"I tell you, Aragorn," muttered Gimli. "One hundred dwarves and all that is no longer a problem. The offer stands."

"That is kind of you, friend Gimli," said Estel. "Unfortunately, however, they will not be able to arrive in time. I'll come back to the offer later though, it can't go on like this."

"How much have the construction costs been so far?", the dwarf checked again.

Estel told him the sum.

Gimli snuffed snidely. "But that's not what it looks like! I bet my beard that this Valandil is pulling you over. For the money, the construction work would not only have to be further along, but of far better quality."

"I agree with Gimli's suspicions," Elrond now also took the floor. "I don't like the mayor, his whole appearance seems false and contrived. Do not trust him, Estel. Take matters into your own hands, at least for now, and then appoint a more worthy representative than this man."

A little astonished, Estel looked at him. "You rarely judge so quickly," he said. "But you understand much better than ordinary mortals, even better than some of the Eldar. If you are so sure that you have already made your judgment, then so be it. I will handle it that way. Still, it would be better if we had really solid evidence."

A mischievous glint entered Elrohir's eyes and Elrond already guessed that this could not mean anything good. "Surely you do not doubt the effect of adaro gaze!" he exclaimed. "With his evil eye, he could have stared down even Sauron."

Elrond looked at him gloomily, but his son just grinned.

"There, that's the one I mean!" he said.

Those present laughed, even if it only made Elrond's gaze darker.

"That's right, I guess you're right," Estel responded to the joke.

"That's enough," Elrond grumbled grouchily.

Estel tried to find his way back to the seriousness of the situation. "The most urgent problem, however, is and remains the enemy army," he said. "We have to find a way to deal with it somehow with the available resources, no matter how. I will address the subject before Valandil later and make it clear to him that he has cut his own flesh with it, no matter what he wanted to achieve".

"If I may, I may be able to fix some things," Gimli offered. "In Helm's Deep, it did bring a little something, the little I could do there."

Estlel smiled crookedly. "Valandil won't like that at all," he said with an ironic undertone. "We'll come and mix it all up."

"But it's his fault," Elladan threw in dryly. "Then Master Gimli inspects the fortifications while we should take a closer look at the soldiers in the city."

"Archers in particular will soon be needed, I can take them on if it is desired," Legolas now also interfered and added with a smile: "Then I too can contribute something and not just stand uselessly by and watch!"

"Then it's decided," Estel said at the end. "Valandil will certainly not be pleased, but he will have to live with that.

"And in the meantime, I will do some research," Elrond concluded the round. " It cannot be right here if this man is really deceiving you, Estel. "

A little side note: I'm translating this with Deepl. In German we have the word Esel (donkey). As you can see it looks ands sounds really simillar to Estel. Deepl thinks all the time, that I mean Esel and not Aragorn's child name and always translates it to Donkey and I JUST CAN'T! I have to laugh so hard all the time!