The Eye of the Ice Dragon
by Elarin
author's note: yay… I'm going to give you some more info on the exact time of the story… now that I've referenced Appendix B in LOTR and now that I've actually bothered to count out the years. And for those of you who haven't ever looked at the chronology I'm also telling you where Arwen is right now as well.
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Chapter 11 | The Voice that Sings Yet Mournfully
Their first night of riding northward had gone rather slow due to the many feet of snow that lay around them. Elrond had finally given in to surrender to the storm that night and they sought shelter in an alcove of a greast and ancient oak. Telperiel leaned against one of the great roots jutting out as Elrond fixed a fire away from the cold winds outside. He turned to her seeing that she was focusing on something.
"What is it?" He asked softly as he managed to light only a few of the embers. Her blind eyes turned to the source of his voice and she shook her head slowly.
"Nothing." She said in a whisper. Elrond frowned, her expression had faltered an in it he saw sadness. He moved next to her with swift and easy steps in the snow.
"Pray, speak to me, my lady, for short is our time and I would have you talk with me." He had not realized how much he had voiced aloud until a moment later and almost regretted, it but no suspicion marred her countenance only a gentle smile.
"A voice," she whispered, "A voice in the wind." They she focused once more on it and her expression grew somber, "It sings to me…" She added. Elrond watched her with some sad wonder. Part of him was beginning to piece together the other mysteries of Gandalf's tale and of Telperiel's former self. Although the keen hearing of the elves did not avail him Elrond wondered if perhaps the power of the Ice Dragon that lied in the cold winters and freezing of time sang to her.
A voice in the wind, he wondered quietly, and what voice that only she could hear?
"Elrond," She said, it seemed to him that she was suddenly fearful because her voice quivered, "Sing to me." She pleaded with a whisper her gloved hands suddenly seeking and clutching his own, "Please." Elrond paused at her request looking at her for a moment.
And if I sing what shall you hear? What shall you then know of me? But he could not bear to see her afraid, not now. Kindly he pulled her from into his arms and she leaned against him and his memory fell to another time another place…
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FLASHBACK
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"But I am afraid…!" said Arwen her large silver eyes looking at him. The little girl, who had crawled onto her parents' bed, wrapped her arms around her father, "When will momma come home?" She asked quietly her voice quivering, "When will she come back from Lothlorien?"
Elrond sighed but hugged her understanding how Imladris missed the presence of Celebrian who had gone to visit her parents for a short while.
"In a few days she shall return, my undomiel." Elrond said sleepily, "In a few days. What is it that you fear?"
"I had a nightmare," She answered her voice small, "About orcs…" and she trailed off. Elrond shivered at the word. "Ada, sing me a lullaby! Please! Momma always does when I am afraid!"
Elrond managed a slight amused smile. "'Tis have been long since I sang, undomiel," he said quietly, "But I will sing, if only for you…" and he began a song weaved in the magic of Valinor.
"Come to me my little dreamerpast the gateways of gardens fair
by evendim and starlit shores
where there lies a realm called Valinor
and from whither where twilight sprung
from whither first the spring begun
the endless and unfading trees of silver
and golden crowned sunlit rivers
where grasses grow by mossy bank
and yet the moon had not let sank
his silver tresses weaved around
spells and words of enchantment abound
past the gateways of gardens fair
by evendim and starlit shores
in the realm called Valinor…"
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END FLASHBACK
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"In the realm called Valinor…" Elrond finished. By that time Telperiel fallen fast asleep at his side. Elrond sighed deeply. The snow had ceased and the clouds had moved away and the stars twinkled brightly from above. He looked down at her, her countanance held a soft and content glow and it seemed to him that she slet peacefully. Her dark tresses reflected the white glow of the snow and Elrond could not help but weave his fingers through her soft curls.
Oh silent dreamer, he thought mournfully, how this shall all end for you… He closed his eyes leaning his head up against hers and he too fell fast asleep, sad dreams taking him.
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Elrond… Elrond!
A voice called him from afar. He was floating, in blackness, until the void shifted and beneath him was a sea of moonlit clouds. He looked up and he saw another figure, robed in deep blue and white, a silmaril on his brow. Memories flickered through him. His mother before the crashing waves when Maglor and Maedhros surrounded her.
His father's voice calling back to her from across the seas.
"Ada?" he asked, uncertain, the world seemed twisted around him and although Earendil's voice was the strongest about him he heard other voices, "Where are we?"
The bright figure before him did not move his lips but Elrond heard his voice. In Mandos, he answered. Elrond looked around him, terrified, there were the ghosts of men grasping him, calling out to him, but by another name…
Elros.
But the scene changed, and then he was before darkness again, and the only person who stood before him was Earendil. Why did you call me here? Elrond asked his father puzzled. Earendil said nothing but turned facing another thing before the moonlit clouds. Mists swirled ahead of them and then a great white light shone through it and Elrond nearly turned away from the brightness but chose instead to hold his gaze for someone walked before him
He felt that he was looking into the mirror of his own being but he knew very well who was there before him.
It was the same face, silver eyes, and long raven hair, but he wore the red and gold of Numenor and he stood the same height as Elrond.
It was Elros.
"Elrond," it was his own voice speaking, in the voice of his twin, "Elrond! Lasto-nin!"*
"Im lasto le, muindor,"* Elrond answered in awe feeling strangely light and dazed.
"Athan e daerond ned gwanneir im na tulien, lasto-nin, Elrond! Si e lumenn entulien an le car si demiar…" Elros said softly clutching his brother's shoulders worry creasing his brow, "E orecuio o lyanwen caita ned camland…"*
His brother faded and another thing made its presence known.
A great blue eye with a black slit surrounded by white ice and snow stared straight through him and a hissing voice came from it.
-Iarethando!-*
*
Elrond awoke suddenly a violet shiver passing through him.
It was early morning, twilight, and the snow came down once again heavily amid the dark gloom. Elrond looked around him frantically.
Telperiel had vanished.
His eyes looked ahead of him. The fire had been smothered, but no steps marred the newly fallen snow. Elrond was on his feet immediately his mind trying to recall the threads of his dream but in that moment of fear he could not.
"Telperiel!" He called out.
Looking to his left he saw his horse gone as well, its reigns shredded and the only marks that lied in the snow was the wild steps of hoof beats and some trailing blood… and the trail moved northward.
Elrond clutched his sword at the sight but his heart was suddenly frozen, as if a cold hand had slutched itself around it, filling him with terror.
Where was Telperiel?
No sound registered in his ears, no voice, no step, no treading feet.
You must beware of the wargs, came Gandalf's warning in his mind, the great White Ones who move swiftly and silently…
Elrond cursed in Sindarin under his breath as he untied his bow and unsheathed an arrow and promptly notched it.
Telperiel, he thought anxiously, where are you? Who has stolen you from my arms this night? But up ahead he caught a scent. It was a wild one covered in snow. A warg.
He followed it, his elven steps leaving no mar in the snow, but he heard a howl in the wind, and three more joined it.
The vision of the blue eye flashed in his thought and then his intuition spoke to him in its silent voice, she is bound to him…a spell… a dark enchantment…painted in ice…weaved in the soft words of the song…
"Telperiel!" Elrond called out loud and sharply in realization that he cound break that enchantment which was over her.He heard the faint sound of her whisper in the wind, and it was filled with terror.
"Elrond…!"
Without a second thought he followed her voice.
*
From far away Glorfindel caught the sound of the wolves in the air. "What do you hear?" asked Gandalf coming up next to him on his horse. Glorfindel looked out to the northeast, his blue eyes sharp with anticipation.
"One day into our journey," said Glorfindel grimly, "And I fear trouble plagues Elrond now. The wargs are by him." Gandalf looked at him broodingly.
"Worry not of the wargs," Gandalf said holding him back before the golden haired elf decided to run to aid him friend, "Worry abou the shadow that shall hear the wargs. We must keep to our path, Glorfindel, if the Witch King finds him are journey is in vain."
Glorfindel frowned but nodded not liking the idea of leaving Elrond.
"Elrond can deal with the wargs," Gandalf assured him his expression vague, "And believe me they shall not touch Silme, at the order of another." He added ominously, "I fear in that irony some luck may come of it for them. Now come!"
And they went on beneath the brazing winds, toward Angmar, following the path of the Witch King.
*
She had fallen onto the snow, curled up, like a frightened child, her tears falling from her eyes heavily, staining her fair features. The three white wargs surrounded her their dark and icy eyes looking at him warningly as they bared the fangs on their large jaws and growled deeply at Elrond who stood meters away his bow and arrow in his hands. They were larger than the common wargs, with thicker coats, and a larger build.
Get away from here, elf! came one of their voices to his mind, a voice filled with wrath, or we shall tear you limb by limb…
"I shall not leave." answered Elrond his voice dangerously low and his eyes narrowed, "Until you surrender the mortal before you."
We shall not! said another. They circled Telperiel like vultures, like guards.
Suddenly, with a silent movement one of them had managed to lunge at Elrond… from behind, without the elf lord's eyes catching it.
But Elrond moved faster unsheathing one of the long knives in his belt and stabbing it into the warg's open mouth which was about to clutch his throat. The white wof backed off his mouth bloodied but he growled more angrily now and the other two also made for Elrond moving more swiftly than the normal wargs he had dealt with.
Elrond was thrown back, one of them had clutched his cloak and threw him easily hard against a tree. The elf lord cried out through clenched teeth still clutching his knife as another made for him and Elrond slashed its fore arm and it backed away.
But the three then made another attack as they all luncged for him simultaneously, beared jaws and foul faces twisted in bloodthirsty wrath.
Elrond cried out as the larger one with the bloodied tongue clamped down firmly on his arm, the others were about to do the same when something stopped them.
A long a sharp note broke the sounds of fury by the three wargs. It broke into the early and dark morning echoing through the forest, a sad and lonely song and Telperiel sang it her eyes reflecting her terror as she gazed upon Elrond in grief.
The wolves released the raven haired elf whining and turning away from her.
The song was mournful… and yet strangely it was not her song.
Elrond clutched his wounded upper arm leaning back against the tree watching her feeling himself tear apart from inside because of the sadness in her voice, which was sung in a tongue unknown.
The wargs took one last wary glance at Elrond before they ran off but their lord was not so quick to leave his thoughts.
I shall return to you, came his hateful whisper, and I shall have your throat…But Elrond heard not his threat his eyes on Telperiel who was now a wretched by beautiful sight all at once her song shifting the snow about her, shifting the mists, as if I have walked into a dream…
And then he understood her song and before him he was in a cave of glittering ice and mithril, cast in the wayward beams of moonlight. It's halls shimmered and glowed in starlit beauty even though everything within was cold… even a coldness built within himself… a dreamy… and sleeplike… forgetfulness…
As if you have never lived, whispered a strangely familiar voice, as if you have never suffered the pains of the world, nor have you ever laughed, nor loved, nor felt anything…
A numbing cold.
When Telperiel finished her song, about an hour later, she looked around frantically her hands, scratched and bleeding, seeking him. "Elrond?" She said sadly her blind eyes filled with tears, "Elrond are you here? Please…" She whispered fear in her voice.
Elrond looked up from his daze his eyes still on her but he was returning from another place and then suddenly the pain shot up his arm as he returned to reality.
"I am here." He said painfully.
"You are hurt." She said, her voice filled with dismay. She came to him, slowly limping and Elrond noticed a strange thing.
"Is that not the leg I healed?" He asked her looking at her curiously forgetting his own pain for a moment.
"I…I…" Her voice shook, "I don't remember…" Elrond closed his eyes a moment.
All that happens this day bodes ill, he thought, the journey ahead shall not go well. That feeling did not leave him for a long while.
"Elrond?" she whispered clutching his shoulders. As he looked into her dead silver eyes he saw the reflection of terror and pain, and guilt, a heavy guilt.
"It was not your fault." Elrond told her softly. She shook her head.
"Nay, this is my fault…"
In spite of his bleeding arm Elrond hugged her tightly.
"My little nimloth," He whispered holding her closely and he felt her weep against him and he closed his eyes a moment and made a vow to himself, I shall not lose you…
As if her heart had opened to him her voice echoed in his, I know…
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AN: I'm sorry 'No Name' I'm afraid your request might be denied… but I'll entertain and alternative ending for you. So what do you guys think so far? Please review! o_~ toodles, Elarin
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TRANSLATION from Sindarin: Some of which are wrong…
Elrond! Lasto-nin! – Elrond! Hear me!
Im lasto le, muindor. – I hear you, my brother.
Athan e daerond ned gwanneir im na tulien, lasto-nin, Elrond! Si e lumenn entulien an le car si demiar…- Beyond the great halls of death I come to youm hear me, Elrond! Now the hour has come for you to make a choice!
E orecuio o lyanwen caita ned camland…- the life of another lies in the palm of your hand…
TRANSLATION from the Hidden Tongue of the Ice Dragon/Song of the World:
Iarethando! – He Who Claims What Is Mine!
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