Elrond Peredhil, Master of Rivendell, was in a state of utter disbelief. He
gazed out of a window of his house. From there he could see almost all of
the great refuge and its entirety. He stood and silently remembered why he
had chosen this valley. Memories of the war started to plague him, and fear
crept over his mind and face. Now his thoughts were entirely of what was to
happen in the course of the next few days. "It is coming again," he
thought. His mind wandered into various possibilities. "Maybe it is not the
one ring. Maybe they are deceived. The Dark Lord would not have the courage
to show his face once again."
But then the harsh, cold crack of reality shattered his thoughts. "Orcs and his other minions are slowly beginning to attack. If it is the ring, then it must not stay here. We are too weak, and they are too numerous. Rivendell will fall if the evil ones discover it. It must not stay here." This was all triggered by a rider that had just informed Elrond of the events about to take place.
Elrond was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Nuinwath walk inside the door. Nuinwath called to him thrice, but each time Elrond gave no answer. He tried once more.
"Lord Elrond, bid me speak with you, sir?"
Elrond's head shot up like he had just come out of a trance. He stared at the Captain of his army.
"Yes, of course Nuinwath," he answered.
"Sir, are you alright? What troubles you?"
"I'm fine, think nothing of it. Tell me, how did young Tancal fare? Is he to finally join us?" A smile grew upon Elrond's face as he thought of Tancal's eagerness to become a fighter.
"That is the reason I come to you. He has passed the test. With your permission sir, I would like for him to be assigned. He needs to build experience."
"Why, what timing! We need as many soldiers as we can get. I've seen Tancal fight before; he is well needed on our front lines. He will do –"
"Ah, sir I beg your pardon," interrupted Nuinwath.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Sir, Tancal is still extremely young. I say again, he needs experience. I do not think it best to send him straight out into battle."
"Captain, is it not true that soldiers will learn more if they are actually in battle?" said Elrond.
"Sir, it is not a subject to jest. I do not want anything to happen to him. He has been my longest student, and I've grown very fond of him. Perhaps could you assign him to patrol until he becomes more familiar with his new duty?"
"Alright Nuinwath, as you wish. I see that you are for his best interests, and I take that to heart."
Elrond paced back and forth, thinking of what to do next. He stopped in front of Nuinwath.
"I also wanted to mention this to you Nuinwath." Elrond leaned forward as if he was going to whisper in his ear, but paused as his eldest daughter walked into the room.
"Good Nuinwath, tis a pleasure to see you once again." Arwen said.
Nuinwath turned and bowed to Arwen in courtesy. "The pleasure is mine, malady."
"What stories and secrets are floating around this day?" Arwen smiled and turned her glance to her father. She noticed that he looked different, as if something was sickening him. She looked into his eyes, and knew there was something wrong. He slowly walked to a chair and sat down. Then there was a long silence, and it was finally ended by a sigh.
"Finish your conversation. I am eager to hear what troubles my father in such a way."
"Daughter, you need not hear what we are about to discuss. You have no part in it."
"I am merely curious. But before you say anything else, I have noticed this - Tancal and my sister are frolicking about. They are acting very strangely. They seem immensely joyful. Do you know the reason?"
"It is celebration, malady," Nuinwath explained, "Tancal's dream has come to pass."
Arwen smiled in excitement. "Oh I know his heart is happy, for I know what he has longed to be for so long. It makes perfect sense now."
She saw that the excitement that she felt was the same with Nuinwath, but when she turned back to her father, happiness was not what she saw. Arwen's smile faded. She walked up to Elrond and kneeled down at his side.
"Father, I beg you. Tell me…"
Elrond looked at his daughter and knew that he would have to tell her in time.
After another long pause Elrond started, "Battle is stirring. I fear there is an evil coming to Rivendell and the rest of Middle-Earth will perish because of it. There is a strong force abroad, and it's growing closer…I can feel it."
Both Arwen and Nuinwath fell still. Their faces became almost as grave as Elrond's.
"Because of this I order you, Captain, to start double patrols as of now. Assign Tancal as you wish."
"Yes sir." And with that Nuinwath bowed to both of them and was on his way.
Elrond stood and walked back to the window. He sighed as he took in the view.
"Eldest daughter, many people will be arriving in the next few days. There will be a meeting of great importance, and I need you to inform your sister of this. Tell her to be cautious of what she speaks. There will be honorable people to come, and no one needs to be offended in a time like this. We need full cooperation from everyone."
"Yes Father, I will tell her as soon as I see her."
"And another thing I need you to take care of – this evening, possibly even in an hour's less time, a Silvan prince and princess will be arriving. They are brother and sister, children of Thranduil, King of the Wood-elves of Mirkwood. They come before everyone else. Be sure that they are welcomed and shown to their lodgings."
"As you wish," replied Arwen. She walked out of the house and down to perform her errands. Elrond watched her leave, and then he turned back and looked out the window one last time.
But then the harsh, cold crack of reality shattered his thoughts. "Orcs and his other minions are slowly beginning to attack. If it is the ring, then it must not stay here. We are too weak, and they are too numerous. Rivendell will fall if the evil ones discover it. It must not stay here." This was all triggered by a rider that had just informed Elrond of the events about to take place.
Elrond was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Nuinwath walk inside the door. Nuinwath called to him thrice, but each time Elrond gave no answer. He tried once more.
"Lord Elrond, bid me speak with you, sir?"
Elrond's head shot up like he had just come out of a trance. He stared at the Captain of his army.
"Yes, of course Nuinwath," he answered.
"Sir, are you alright? What troubles you?"
"I'm fine, think nothing of it. Tell me, how did young Tancal fare? Is he to finally join us?" A smile grew upon Elrond's face as he thought of Tancal's eagerness to become a fighter.
"That is the reason I come to you. He has passed the test. With your permission sir, I would like for him to be assigned. He needs to build experience."
"Why, what timing! We need as many soldiers as we can get. I've seen Tancal fight before; he is well needed on our front lines. He will do –"
"Ah, sir I beg your pardon," interrupted Nuinwath.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Sir, Tancal is still extremely young. I say again, he needs experience. I do not think it best to send him straight out into battle."
"Captain, is it not true that soldiers will learn more if they are actually in battle?" said Elrond.
"Sir, it is not a subject to jest. I do not want anything to happen to him. He has been my longest student, and I've grown very fond of him. Perhaps could you assign him to patrol until he becomes more familiar with his new duty?"
"Alright Nuinwath, as you wish. I see that you are for his best interests, and I take that to heart."
Elrond paced back and forth, thinking of what to do next. He stopped in front of Nuinwath.
"I also wanted to mention this to you Nuinwath." Elrond leaned forward as if he was going to whisper in his ear, but paused as his eldest daughter walked into the room.
"Good Nuinwath, tis a pleasure to see you once again." Arwen said.
Nuinwath turned and bowed to Arwen in courtesy. "The pleasure is mine, malady."
"What stories and secrets are floating around this day?" Arwen smiled and turned her glance to her father. She noticed that he looked different, as if something was sickening him. She looked into his eyes, and knew there was something wrong. He slowly walked to a chair and sat down. Then there was a long silence, and it was finally ended by a sigh.
"Finish your conversation. I am eager to hear what troubles my father in such a way."
"Daughter, you need not hear what we are about to discuss. You have no part in it."
"I am merely curious. But before you say anything else, I have noticed this - Tancal and my sister are frolicking about. They are acting very strangely. They seem immensely joyful. Do you know the reason?"
"It is celebration, malady," Nuinwath explained, "Tancal's dream has come to pass."
Arwen smiled in excitement. "Oh I know his heart is happy, for I know what he has longed to be for so long. It makes perfect sense now."
She saw that the excitement that she felt was the same with Nuinwath, but when she turned back to her father, happiness was not what she saw. Arwen's smile faded. She walked up to Elrond and kneeled down at his side.
"Father, I beg you. Tell me…"
Elrond looked at his daughter and knew that he would have to tell her in time.
After another long pause Elrond started, "Battle is stirring. I fear there is an evil coming to Rivendell and the rest of Middle-Earth will perish because of it. There is a strong force abroad, and it's growing closer…I can feel it."
Both Arwen and Nuinwath fell still. Their faces became almost as grave as Elrond's.
"Because of this I order you, Captain, to start double patrols as of now. Assign Tancal as you wish."
"Yes sir." And with that Nuinwath bowed to both of them and was on his way.
Elrond stood and walked back to the window. He sighed as he took in the view.
"Eldest daughter, many people will be arriving in the next few days. There will be a meeting of great importance, and I need you to inform your sister of this. Tell her to be cautious of what she speaks. There will be honorable people to come, and no one needs to be offended in a time like this. We need full cooperation from everyone."
"Yes Father, I will tell her as soon as I see her."
"And another thing I need you to take care of – this evening, possibly even in an hour's less time, a Silvan prince and princess will be arriving. They are brother and sister, children of Thranduil, King of the Wood-elves of Mirkwood. They come before everyone else. Be sure that they are welcomed and shown to their lodgings."
"As you wish," replied Arwen. She walked out of the house and down to perform her errands. Elrond watched her leave, and then he turned back and looked out the window one last time.