A/N: This post is supposed to be the last chapter for this part, but there was too much stuff, so I divided it into two. The next one will be up later this weekend. Too many things are happening at the moment for me to post for a while. The next section-Green Woods-won't be posted until sometime in April.

Thank you, everyone, for your kind support and generous reviews. Take care and stay safe.

Grey Havens. May 10, SA 543*

GIL-GALAD stepped next to the Lord Commander who stood leaning on the private deck of the Swan Manor. By the look of the rumpled sheets on the bed, he could tell the commander did not have a peaceful night. Gilmagor looked pale and thin, his skin stretched taut and almost transparent. There was not much of him left. The king swallowed the lump in his throat.

The moment the Lord Commander returned just four days ago with Elrond and Thranduil, the Council chamber had been abuzz with the discussions and hearings of the reports from the Silmacils, scouts, and the two captains. With the emissaries from the east also at the Grey Havens, the past few days had been endless meetings, and this was the first morning Gil-galad had a chance to speak privately with the Lord Commander.

The entire episode at Forochel had been discussed and debated in varying details. But one thing was clear: Sauron stirred again. It was one fact no one could deny.

"How do you fare, master?" Repressing a sigh, Gil-galad watched the sun's golden light rise over the blue waters.

Sauron was alive according to Gilmagor, but all signs seemed to indicate that the Maia had left this area. How long would he stay away? No one knew.

The king turned to his Lord Commander. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Without a word, Gilmagor pointed to the pair of swords on top of a chest by the foot of his bed. "I had entrusted them to Astalder and Astarno."

The lump in his throat was back again. "Then, they did face Sauron."

"They did. I am certain it was their sacrifice that held Sauron back for the past four centuries."

Gil-galad took in a long breath. "Will you be planting a tree for Astalder when you plant them for those two lost Silmacils?" Gilmagor had not wanted to plant trees for those Silmacils with whom they had lost contact four centuries ago.

Gilmagor nodded. "I made the arrangements. Both Astalder and Astarno wanted the same tree. Perhaps we can plant them in the western shore overlooking the ocean."

"You will plant for Astarno as well? He might not have been there or have survived and left for wherever. I heard his wife went with him."

"I know Astarno. If he survived and Astalder didn't, he would have sent a word." Gilmagor was silent for a while before he continued. "I know it in my heart that he was with Astalder. He was one of the Silmacils. If his father and brother were not lost in the Battle of Sudden Flames, if he didn't have to take up the family responsibility, he would have remained one of us. Once Silmacil, always Silmacil. But I know because they were the best of friends." The elder Elf was silent for a while. "Besides, all three of them wanted their trees planted alongside each other." The Lord Commander's feeble voice cracked at the edges.

"Three? Who is the third? Not Rusco or Sadron." Gil-galad's heart pinched thinking of the two additional members of the Silmacil lost at Forochel.

"There was another. Asumo was his name. His tree sank with Beleriand. Those three lads…"

Gilmagor was again silent. He seemed unable to talk for a long time, but the king could not urge him or question him. There was grief in that silence, old grief, one of many, Gil-galad was certain, that his master carried inside.

Asumo? The name was vaguely familiar to him. Just as Astarno's name had been when it was first spoken at Thranduil's trial after that incident at the Dwarven ruin. If they were the brothers of the Silmacils together, then they could have been around Hithlum when he was a child.

But Gil-galad had been young and ignorant of the world at that time and had not concerned himself with the names of the surrounding people. And now only a handful of the Silmacils was alive.

So many people. So many lost through the years.

A servant brought in a pot of hot tea and the plates of food.

"Where is Lammaeg? Isn't he late?" Gilmagor limped to his chair.

"My uncle has a meeting with Lord Cirdan and the emissaries from Amdir and Oropher. He may join us later."

"I was quite surprised that the Silvans took Amdir to be their king. I always assumed it would be Oropher. "

"So did we all. There was an extensive discussion about it at the council chamber when they first arrived. And as you may have guessed, Oropher wants his son back."

"Perhaps it is time Thranduil returns to his father. The lad had been through enough. I have already removed him from his current position. Belegor will take the full captaincy of the Royal Guards."

Gil-galad grimaced. He knew his master would not take their disobedience lightly. And whatever he had in mind for Thranduil would also apply to Elrond as well.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Thranduil and Elrond will teach the recruits coming in next year.

"Is this really necessary?"

"They defied not only my order as their commander but your command as their king. That is a failure of discipline and should not be taken lightly. As officers, they should be held to a higher standard than the common soldiers. If officers are allowed to disobey with little consequence, how could you expect them to command and have their orders obeyed?"

"But to remove them from their position entirely, is it not too harsh?"

"By teaching others discipline, they will learn its value. And they may need time for themselves. It will give them some time to recover and think about their future. And Elrond can concentrate on his work as the councilor."

"But…"

"I know what you wish for him, but Elrond is not ready for this position."

"If it wasn't for Thranduil, Elrond would not have disobeyed our commands. You know this."

Gilmagor sighed. "It is not just that, Ereinion. I feel my position is not the best use of Elrond's talents. For now, let Elrond concentrate on learning to control the Council Chamber. We need to give the lad a chance to find himself instead of throwing him into where we think he should be. Give him a couple of years to think about what he wishes to do with himself. If commanding an army is what he wants, you have the authority to make that happen. As for me, I believe Elrond will shine as a councilor and a diplomat. I am hoping Lammaeg will take Elrond under his wing. Your uncle is an excellent orator and negotiator. Lammaeg is prickly, but he knows how to command a crowd and move people. Elrond could benefit much from your uncle's tutelage which in turn will benefit you. He will be a voice of calm reason, and a staunch supporter of your policies."

"But then, who will take…" Gil-galad could not say it. A lump was caught in his throat.

"I recommend Thoron. He will make a wise commander."

"I thought you wanted him for the captaincy of the Silmacils?"

"I did. But I realized Thoron is ready to leave the fieldwork behind. Losing Rusco struck him hard. When he returns, I will have a talk with him."

"But isn't he leading those bear people back to the Misty Mountains?" The king sipped the tea which tasted bitter on his lips. "He may not return for a year or more."

The Skin-changers, Gil-galad had learned, took a brunt of Sauron's attack. One of the Skin-changers had turned on his people and attacked the two bear villages, one black, and the other white. Most of the white bears were destroyed, but many from the black bear clan survived. Thoron and some of the Silmacils were leading them back to the Misty Mountains where the Skin-changers originally came from and wanted to return.

"Thoron should return while I am still here."

The king nodded. He wanted to ask Gilmagor to stay but could not. The commander had already postponed his departure twice, once by his plea and another to await Astalder. And the ordeal of the events at the north took much out of the Lord Commander. Gil-galad could see it in the almost painful slowness of the commander's movements, in the haze of Gilmagor's once eagle-like eyes, and in the pale flickering of his once bright light.

"Lammaeg prevented me from saying it at the Council, but the mistakes I made at Forochel are too grave."

At the council meetings, Gilmagor had offered the resignation of his post, stating he made a grave error during the incident at Forochel. His uncle had effectively changed the discussion, moving the topic away from it.

"We all make mistakes, master."

"Not like this. Granted, I could not have known Sauron's plan for the Silmacil. But I should have anticipated. I have allowed my feelings for Astalder to cloud me. Then, there is that matter with Thranduil. I ordered Elrond to use the King's Gambit when I saw Thranduil using the technique that I knew Elrond could not counter. I thought he meant to kill Elrond, that he had given in to Sauron just like…"

Gilmagor did not complete that sentence, but the king knew who he meant to compare Thranduil to—Maeglin, the one who betrayed the location of Gondolin to Morgoth.

"It was an easy mistake under the circumstance."

Gilmagor shook his head. "Before Thranduil attacked, he took up one of my swords. I knew the swords did not tolerate the touch of those who are evil. I should have known Thranduil's intention could not have been evil. I should have seen it. Had Elrond obeyed me, Thranduil would not be alive today. I let my prejudices cloud my judgment." The commander shook his head again. "Even after all those mistakes I have made…I let Lord Finwe down, could not keep my promise."

Gil-galad exhaled a long breath. He knew what his master carried inside. His uncle had told him about it, too. Gilmagor's grief lay in having lost all the kings in the line of Finwe. His uncle said the commander carried the burden for each king lost during his watch.

"I have heard from my uncle, about you and Feanor. But it was Feanor who abandoned you. You did not let anyone down."

"Feanor lost his father, whom he loved more than anything. He was so full of anguish with the pain of loss and anger at the world that took everything from him: his mother, his beloved father, and those damn jewels on which he poured his soul. They were enough to drive anyone mad with grief. I had not understood then what such loss could do to a person. Had I understood him better…If I had only tried to work with Feanor rather than walk away." Gilmagor's eyes misted. "I watched rather than do everything I could have done to stop him when the slaughter started."

"But you stopped my father at the head of Lord Fingolfin host before things got worse. My uncle said if it wasn't for you, it would have been much worse."

"Perhaps. But I angered Feanor even further after the battle. He may not have left me and the Silmacils behind if I had tried to understand. Had I been more compassionate." Gilmagor dropped his head. "Instead, I judged first."

"Did you not think that you were meant to be with my grandfather? My uncle told me, you and the Silmacils took on the bulk of the danger by scouting the road ahead and planning the routes through Helcaraxë, that without you, so much more people would have been lost in that icy hell."

"The Silmacils did what they were supposed to. But we could not protect any of our kings. We lost them again and again."

"Through no fault of yours or the Silmacils." Gil-galad could sit no longer. He got up and paced. "My grandfather left everyone behind and gone off to fight Morgoth telling no one. And my father…I heard he sent you to his brother with an important mission. You didn't leave him."

Gilmagor let out a long sigh. "I was sent to Lord Turgon with a vital message as well as to divide the Enemy's attention."

"And you were routed away from my father and my uncle and forced to follow Lord Turgon to Gondolin because the Enemy's army now separated you from my uncle. It was what it was, master. You could not have done otherwise."

"And when Gondolin fell…"

"You were away on a secret order from Lady Idril to find a route from Gondolin to the sea. You met them as Tuor and Lady Idril led the people out from their secret way. The entire Beleriand was under the control of the Dark Lord. How long do you think the hundreds of people, consisting mostly of women and children, would have survived if it wasn't for your carefully chosen routes that kept them safe? Especially when the entire land was infested with Morgoth's minions."

Gil-galad knew he was droning on right now, but he felt that his master needed to be reminded. If it was allowed, he wanted to shake the commander.

"I heard it all from Lady Idril herself at Sirion. I know you think you let them down, but you were spared because Eru had meant for you for other things. You are the one who told me that, that I was spared for a reason, that there is a bigger scheme of things than we are privy to. You said to look ahead and not look back because my job in this world is to walk the path before me, not to look back and wallow in sorrow."

Gil-galad did not realize he was shouting until he saw a servant rush in with his eyes wide. He waved the poor elf away before returning to his seat.

Gilmagor threw his head back and laughed out loud.

"Now the student teaches the teacher. You have learned well, my pupil."

"Of course, I have, master. You taught me."

The king was glad. Gilmagor's eyes shone eagle-sharp the way it used to. It would not last, he knew. But he was grateful for the every moment he could have with his mentor. And for the first time, he felt he could understand his master in a way he had not done before. His uncle had said that Feanor was his master's biggest regret. Perhaps now he could understand a little of his master's preoccupation with Thranduil.

"You are in a good mood this morning." It was then that Lord Lammaeg joined them. "I was afraid you were fading away from the ordeal you faced up at the north. Good to hear you laugh again." Lammaeg took the tea the servant offered.

"Your illustrious nephew was reminding his teacher of his old words and making him very proud."

"Yes, yes. He has grown over-tall these few years. Very becoming, don't you think so?"

"Now, you two are making fun of me." Gil-galad turned to his uncle. "So, how did the meeting go?"

"I am glad that Amdir is the king. He is certainly much easier to work with than Oropher."

"What do we know about him?" While they had an extensive file on Oropher, there was hardly any information concerning Amdir. And Gil-galad did not remember much about Oropher's younger cousin.

"We didn't provide you information on Amdir because we didn't think he was worth mentioning." Gilmagor leaned in. "His father was Lord Arandur's younger brother. I believe he perished in that first battle Thingol had with the Morgoth's forces. Lord Arandur raised him with Oropher, I was told," Gilmagor said. "They are more like brothers than cousins."

"That means both Istuion and Amdir grew up in Oropher's house. What makes Amdir easier to work with?"

"Unlike Oropher, Amdir is easy going and can be persuaded. From what I remember of him from Sirion, he also seemed to feel less strongly about our people than Oropher. During those days, we had to work together to make sure the Orcs did not encroach too near our settlements. While Oropher set clear boundaries when it came to us, Amdir crossed over few times and was lax with the rules. He was easier to work with but was also less reliable. Oropher, on the other hand, I never worried about the areas he commanded because Oropher is meticulous, and his Elves are highly trained. But, as you know, Oropher knows exactly what he wants and can be unyielding and unwilling unless there is a definite benefit to his people."

"With Amdir as their king, our people need not negotiate with Oropher directly," Lammaeg said. "That would be a load off our emissaries. You think Thranduil is difficult, Ereinion? Try dealing with Oropher. He is a grumpy old fox. Bad as Gilmagor, I say. Perhaps not as intelligent, but certainly sly and prickly."

"Who's calling who prickly?" Gilmagor frowned. "At least, we can have the best of both, it seems. We could use Oropher's expertise on the deployment of the warriors in the east but negotiate with Amdir."

"I suppose he doesn't know?" Lammaeg turned to the king.

Gil-galad shook his head. "Amdir and Oropher are not together, master. Amdir is a king to a small minority of the Silvans. Oropher moved across the river. And it is my understanding that the majority of the Doriathrin warriors and the counselors from Menegroth went with him. If we want to work with Oropher's warriors, we will still have to negotiate with him and not Amdir."

"How did that happen?"

"I am surprised you are not aware of it, Gilmagor. Was there no news from the Silmacils in the east?"

"Oropher keeps a tight house. No holes. And my lads stand out too much for them not to be noticed. And I didn't want to alarm Oropher. He is sharp and, as you put it, he is prickly, a dangerous combination."

"Perhaps it is time we recruit Sindar and Nandor into the Silmacil," the king suggested.

"The new Silmacils should be trained to blend in with the other Silvans and sent to Amdir, Ereinion. They should be able to gather information without Oropher's knowledge," Lammaeg said.

"Do we really want to send spies? Oropher is a beehive. Go too near and we may get more than we bargained for." Gilmagor frowned as he shook his head. "He is suspicious of us as is. We should show our friendship rather than send spies. If Oropher gets even a whiff that we have spies gathering information, we may alienate him even further. Is that what we want?"

"That is why I am suggesting we send them to Amdir. Perhaps instead of the Silmacils, we can send an ambassador who can stay with Amdir and keep his ears open. No matter how tight a ship Oropher may command, news must flow to his neighbors. We are not intruding into his territory, but we could still gather information."

"I think that is reasonable. Overall, I think it is a good thing that we have Amdir as the king and not Oropher," Gil-galad said. "Perhaps we didn't need Thranduil here."

"No. I think it was good that we had the opportunity to educate the lad here," the commander said as he turned to the view of the sea outside.

"He certainly came out the richer." Lammaeg harrumphed.

"I believe we all came out the richer." Lord Commander sat up. "He gave us a lot of trouble, but we also received much in return. He made us think about things we would not otherwise have. Had he not? And the incident at the Dwarven ruin would have been disastrous without him, and I believe even this time, if Thranduil and Elrond did not catch Sauron's interest, the outcome would have been very different." Gilmagor looked up and met the king's eyes. "As you said, Ereinion, we are a part of a bigger design. Things happened the way they did for a reason. Even the loss and the betrayal. There was also sacrifice and courage. And we know more about Sauron than we had before. There are both the benefit and the loss. The combination of all these is a valuable experience for us in preparation for what is to come. We should all remember that."

Gil-galad sat back in his chair. The morning sunlight reached in illuminating the gold utensils. Perhaps Lord Gilmagor was right. He had learned to understand the grief of the Sindar more through his encounter with Thranduil than he did with Lord Cirdan or even Lord Celeborn. As much as he was trouble, Thranduil made him think about things beyond what he saw with his eyes. At the least, Elrond seemed to have changed much in how he viewed the Sinda. That said much to him. Yes. The years with Thranduil at Lindon were not wasted. The road went ever on, and each meeting, each relationship meant something. And even if we are not aware of it now, these relationships could have a vital impact in the future, to him, to his people, perhaps to all free people on this land.

At the least, Gil-galad prayed that the connections he and Thranduil made in Lindon will help in uniting his people so that when the day came to face Sauron, all Elves, regardless of their allegiances, will stand together as one.

Maeglin (Sindarin. Sharp Glance)—Child born to Eöl the Dark Elf and Aredhel, sister to Turgon(Elrond's ancestor). When Maeglin was 80 years old, Aredhel left Eol taking Maeglin with her to Gondolin. Eöl pursued them and was given a choice of death or life live within Gondolin. He chose death and sought to take his son with him, but instead killed Aredhel who jumped in front of the poisoned darts meant for her son. Turgon had Eol thrown off the cliff. Turgon held Maeglin in honor, and Maeglin became a valiant warrior and wise counselor to Turgon. However, he was in love with Idril (Elrond's grandmother) which was considered taboo as she was his first cousin. He was later captured by Morgoth and taken by the promise of Idril and the lordship of Gondolin, betrayed its location.

A/N: *I noticed a mistake on the year. After April 1st, the New Year, the year should be Second Age 543.