Shannar of the Branded Ones
Book One of the Legends of Shannar
By Priscilla Stafford
Author's Note: Hello! Here is finally the chapter where Shannar will once more meet Elrond. This was somewhat hard chapter to write since Elrond is a very complex character. Please review after reading! Thanks so much to Maki and Maria for their support!
Chapter 3: Imladris, Home of Elrond
It was now almost twenty years since the Last Alliance of Men and Elves. Elrond walked the gardens of Imladris in the peace and quiet of the moonlight. It was times like this that Elrond thought of the lovely Elf maiden Celebrian. Oh, Celebrian, her beauty seemed to flow within him, soft and glowing, tender and radiant. From the moment he had been introduced to her, he had fallen in love. But Elrond was a careful Elf, he would not rush anything. He knew Celebrian shared his love and would marry him without any hesitations. Not yet, but soon...
Elrond stopped suddenly. With his keen Elf hearing and senses, he heard something. Pausing for a bit more, he waited to see if he would hear anything else. But all was quiet once more. Maybe he had imagined it. But then again, maybe he had not. Since the end of Sauron's reign, the land was more or less a safer place. Yet there were still fell and evil things in Middle Earth and Elrond was wary. Something or someone was in his gardens...
**********
Shannar watched the Lord of Elrond stand as still as a statue. He had tried to be as silent as he could but he had been distracted. Shannar was glad that he had persuaded Dane to stay behind, just outside of Rivendell territory. If Elves were able to pick up on the sounds he made, they were sure to hear any noises made by two men.
It had taken almost two weeks to reach Rivendell. Shannar and Dane had taken their swiftest horses so that the two of them were surprised how quickly they had reached their destination. Shannar alone had infiltrated Rivendell, more out of luck than skill. It was very late and the sun had long ago disappeared from the horizon. He had been able to slip past the night guards though altogether to get to the main gardens had taken a few hours. But it was imperative that he entered Imladris unnoticed, no one but Elrond mustn't know that he had visited him.
As he had searched for Elrond, Shannar became lost in his memories. He remembered clearly the morning he left. He had said good-bye to his younger children first. He then stood before his oldest son. Ennar seemed sullen, but that was understandable. His father was his idol, and he was leaving him. He took Ennar by the chin so that were meeting eye to eye. Both sets of eyes were dark brown, passed down from father to son.
"Son, I will soon be back. I trust you take care of family until I return."
"There is nothing to worry about." Sullenness was replaced by sadness. There was also a hint of helplessness. Shannar then presented his son with something wrapped in a cloth. With questions in his eyes, Ennar unwrapped the mysterious object. There lay his hands was something he had never seen before. It was basically shaped like a short sword, the double edged blade the length of his forearm. The only difference was that coming out from the handle on either side of the center blade, were two shorter blades. The overall effect of the weapon resembled a three pronged blade. Ennar did not to feel the blades to know that they were in perfect shape, sharp and deadly.
Shannar explained. "It is called a sai, a very dangerous weapon if used correctly. As you know, I used to be a craftsman. I was also a forger of metal. I designed this and made this myself while I was a warrior. There are two ways to use the sai, either with two sai or with a sword in one hand and the sai in your other. I will be taking its pair with me. But I want you to keep this for me. I will teach you how to use it after I come back." Ennar was at a loss for words. Shannar just smiled then went on to face his wife.
Enya was not one to give into her emotions easily, she was a woman of strength. She stood before her husband and smiled. While they embraced, she spoke quietly in his ear. "That was a good idea of yours to let Ennar hold on to your own sai."
"I didn't just give him my said, I gave him a promise." He backed up a bit then said, "But I also have something to give you." Reaching into his belt pouch, he brought out a piece of wood carved into the shape of a candle. Though small enough to fit into the palm of her hand, Enya's eyes could see the delicate words written around the base: 'My love, my light, forever'.
Enya had not once shed a single tear ever since hearing of her husband's departure. She would be strong for him. But now, holding the present in her hands, she couldn't keep the tears from escaping. "These were the words you spoke to me on our wedding day."
"I would never forget." Shannar then became a bit embarrassed. "It's been a while since I carved something and I didn't have much time..."
Enya stopped him. "Then the gift is all the more special to me."
"I love you." Shannar then gave his wife a brief kiss.
She smiled then answered, "I know."
Shannar was suddenly jolted out of his reverie. Elrond was now calling out for a guard. The intruder almost panicked. Shannar knew Elrond would have the guard search the gardens and he would have to hide somewhere else. After all his patience, he couldn't let Elrond out of his sight. He had wanted to confront Elrond somewhere more private but this seemed as good a chance as he was going to get.
Shannar came out of hiding and revealed himself to the Elf Lord. "My Lord, I am sorry for this intrusion."
Elrond narrowed his eyes at him. "You are no Elf. Who are you to come in uninvited?"
"No, I am not. But we have met before. To be specific, we met almost twenty years ago, at the foot of Mount Doom."
The Elf became speechless then whispered, "Shannar?"
It was then that Shannar heard the guards coming towards them. He laid a steady gaze on Elrond and spoke softly. "No one but you must know I am here. I ask you to keep my presence a secret, at least until I have left." With that, Shannar once more backed away to melt into the shadows of the night.
Elrond was deep in thought when the guards arrived. "Is everything all right Lord Elrond?"
He stared at where Shannar had been just moments before. Shannar held his breath. Would he betray his whereabouts? But his worries soon vanished when Elrond simply replied, "Everything is fine. I just thought I heard something. You may return to your posts."
He waited a few moments after the guards left before beckoning the man in hiding to come out. He was finally able to take a good look at the man. He hadn't changed that much in appearance. He held himself up with the pride of a warrior, his body still fit and ready for battle. The times had been good to him, his face was only lined with a few wrinkles and his hair was still dark. He was dressed in the plainest of black, the only contrasting color was dark forest green cloak. And as for the haunted look that was in his eyes when he had last seen him, it was gone, replaced with a peace he had thought him never possible of having.
At the same time, Shannar was also studying Elrond. Being an Elf, he hadn't aged one bit. The only difference from their last meeting was that the Lord was dressed in the robes befitting his station. The robe was made of fine silk, obviously hand sewn by the talented Elf seamstresses. The blue highlights in the silver material shined in the moonlight. Encircling his head was a circlet of silver. Shannar was once again struck by the wisdom, strength, and command this Elf projected in his whole being. Humbled, he bowed before him. "Forgive me again for the intrusion, my Lord."
"You are a sensible man, I trust you to have a very good reason for coming from. Which leads me to ask where you have been all these years? You seemed to have disappeared from Middle Earth."
"My companions and I settled up in the North, though I will not give you the specifics."
"Your reason for coming...?"
"What happened to the Ring?"
Elrond paused and considered his words carefully. "You must really not have been kept up with the news. Isildur was killed right after leaving Mount Doom."
Shannar was shocked to hear the news. "How did it happen?"
"He and his men were attacked by orcs."
Shannar felt his mouth go dry as he voiced his next question, afraid of the answer. "And the Ring?"
Silence. Then, "Lost."
"How can it just be lost?" Shannar felt himself starting to lose his temper. "You said you would take care of everything? How can the Ring just disappear?"
"You should know better than anyone else that the Ring has a mind of his own. It betrayed Isildur. I did not know that it would happen." Elrond felt tired. It was a painful subject to bring up all these years and the warrior had touched a nerve. Back twenty years before, he had felt so guilty. If only he could have stopped Isildur, he 'should' have stopped Isildur! But he hadn't, why? Maybe the Ring had something to do with it. But he would never know.
Shannar seemed to understand what Elrond was going through. There was nothing he would rather do than try take away the Elf's burden. He spoke softly, "I too am guilty. Who was it that crafted the tools which would make such a terrible weapon? Who had not the strength to resist the Ring's evil? Who had run away from the temptation instead of facing it? It was I. It is no use to ponder what could have been." He stopped for a moments before continuing. "I am also here to offer hope."
"Hope. Now words of hope I would gladly listen to."
Shannar then proceeded to tell Elrond of his dream. After his story, he said, "So you see. The Ring will someday be found. The good people of Middle Earth will unite together to destroy it."
"Yes, but the question is whether they will succeed."
The man shook his head. The Elf was sometimes a bit too cynical. "That I do not know. But all I can promise is that I will do my part, my descendants will be there to see the quest is accomplished." Shannar bowed again to the Elf Lord. "It is time I left. I thank you Lord Elrond."
Elrond smiled. "What is there to thank me for? I should be thanking you, for bringing me hope. I have foreseen that in the times to come, hope will be something scarce in the lands of Middle Earth."
"Then I am all the more pleased that I was able to give you my service."
"Farewell to you, Heru Shannar."
The other man looked puzzled at that remark. "What did you just call me?"
"Lord Shannar. I have also foreseen something for you. You and your descendants will do many great things, and I feel that you deserve the title." Elrond raised his hand in farewell. "Naamarie."
That was a word which Shannar understood. "Naamarie, Heru Elrond." And with one final bow, Shannar disappeared. Elrond never saw him again.
**********
Shannar and Dane were soon back in their village. Shannar and his three companions soon began the training of their children. The students were eager to learn and their teachers were patient, by the time the younger generations were grown up, they too had mastered all they were taught.
By the Third Age year 30, Shannar was now 1891 years old. By the dark powers of Sauron and the one Ring, Shannar, Dane, Mithlin, and Gwenor were granted unnatural long life though they were still mortals. In the year 34, Shannar and his three lifelong friends were struck with a terrible illness. Whether due by natural causes or because of their prolonged life, no one would ever know. Before the very eyes of their friends and family, they seemed suddenly to age and weaken. One by one, Dane, Mithlin, and Gwenor died, and the people of the village mourned their deaths. Their children were then appointed Captains.
Before his death only weeks later, Shannar spoke his last words in the presence of his wife, his children, and the children of his dear friends. So as to remember in the years to come, his words were recorded and are now written in the book "The History of Shannaran:
"My friends and family, my time here will not be long. Do not weep for me, I have lived a life full of both despair and joy. I have been blessed in my life to have received love and hope after a service in darkness. I only pray that you will never give into the darkness. I urge you to pass on to your children, and them to their children, the secrets of the gifts they will receive. One day the Ring will be found and they will need to fulfill the deed of destroying it. May the strength of all that is good be with you."
And with that, at the age of 1895 years old, Shannar passed away.
His son Ennar was made Lord of the village, and in honor of his father, the village was named Shannaran. And with his father's last wish in mind, Ennar and his Captains established a chain of informants. Sending them out in secret to all parts of Middle Earth, their jobs were to gather all and any information. In this way, Ennar believed that someday the whereabouts of the One Ring would be found. But in his lifetime, and the lifetimes of his children, the Ring was never found.
**********
Author's Note: Hope you liked this chapter! This here is the end of Shannar's part of my story. The next book of the Legends of Shannar will begin in Third Age 1300 with the main character being Minnar and Gwendolyn. For those who are very familiar with the history of Middle Earth, the year 1300 was when the Lord of the Nazgul disguised as the Witch King begins to take over the lands of Arnor and establishes the lands of Angmar. The next few chapters will deal with how the descendants of Shannar resist the first invasions. Please review!
Book One of the Legends of Shannar
By Priscilla Stafford
Author's Note: Hello! Here is finally the chapter where Shannar will once more meet Elrond. This was somewhat hard chapter to write since Elrond is a very complex character. Please review after reading! Thanks so much to Maki and Maria for their support!
Chapter 3: Imladris, Home of Elrond
It was now almost twenty years since the Last Alliance of Men and Elves. Elrond walked the gardens of Imladris in the peace and quiet of the moonlight. It was times like this that Elrond thought of the lovely Elf maiden Celebrian. Oh, Celebrian, her beauty seemed to flow within him, soft and glowing, tender and radiant. From the moment he had been introduced to her, he had fallen in love. But Elrond was a careful Elf, he would not rush anything. He knew Celebrian shared his love and would marry him without any hesitations. Not yet, but soon...
Elrond stopped suddenly. With his keen Elf hearing and senses, he heard something. Pausing for a bit more, he waited to see if he would hear anything else. But all was quiet once more. Maybe he had imagined it. But then again, maybe he had not. Since the end of Sauron's reign, the land was more or less a safer place. Yet there were still fell and evil things in Middle Earth and Elrond was wary. Something or someone was in his gardens...
**********
Shannar watched the Lord of Elrond stand as still as a statue. He had tried to be as silent as he could but he had been distracted. Shannar was glad that he had persuaded Dane to stay behind, just outside of Rivendell territory. If Elves were able to pick up on the sounds he made, they were sure to hear any noises made by two men.
It had taken almost two weeks to reach Rivendell. Shannar and Dane had taken their swiftest horses so that the two of them were surprised how quickly they had reached their destination. Shannar alone had infiltrated Rivendell, more out of luck than skill. It was very late and the sun had long ago disappeared from the horizon. He had been able to slip past the night guards though altogether to get to the main gardens had taken a few hours. But it was imperative that he entered Imladris unnoticed, no one but Elrond mustn't know that he had visited him.
As he had searched for Elrond, Shannar became lost in his memories. He remembered clearly the morning he left. He had said good-bye to his younger children first. He then stood before his oldest son. Ennar seemed sullen, but that was understandable. His father was his idol, and he was leaving him. He took Ennar by the chin so that were meeting eye to eye. Both sets of eyes were dark brown, passed down from father to son.
"Son, I will soon be back. I trust you take care of family until I return."
"There is nothing to worry about." Sullenness was replaced by sadness. There was also a hint of helplessness. Shannar then presented his son with something wrapped in a cloth. With questions in his eyes, Ennar unwrapped the mysterious object. There lay his hands was something he had never seen before. It was basically shaped like a short sword, the double edged blade the length of his forearm. The only difference was that coming out from the handle on either side of the center blade, were two shorter blades. The overall effect of the weapon resembled a three pronged blade. Ennar did not to feel the blades to know that they were in perfect shape, sharp and deadly.
Shannar explained. "It is called a sai, a very dangerous weapon if used correctly. As you know, I used to be a craftsman. I was also a forger of metal. I designed this and made this myself while I was a warrior. There are two ways to use the sai, either with two sai or with a sword in one hand and the sai in your other. I will be taking its pair with me. But I want you to keep this for me. I will teach you how to use it after I come back." Ennar was at a loss for words. Shannar just smiled then went on to face his wife.
Enya was not one to give into her emotions easily, she was a woman of strength. She stood before her husband and smiled. While they embraced, she spoke quietly in his ear. "That was a good idea of yours to let Ennar hold on to your own sai."
"I didn't just give him my said, I gave him a promise." He backed up a bit then said, "But I also have something to give you." Reaching into his belt pouch, he brought out a piece of wood carved into the shape of a candle. Though small enough to fit into the palm of her hand, Enya's eyes could see the delicate words written around the base: 'My love, my light, forever'.
Enya had not once shed a single tear ever since hearing of her husband's departure. She would be strong for him. But now, holding the present in her hands, she couldn't keep the tears from escaping. "These were the words you spoke to me on our wedding day."
"I would never forget." Shannar then became a bit embarrassed. "It's been a while since I carved something and I didn't have much time..."
Enya stopped him. "Then the gift is all the more special to me."
"I love you." Shannar then gave his wife a brief kiss.
She smiled then answered, "I know."
Shannar was suddenly jolted out of his reverie. Elrond was now calling out for a guard. The intruder almost panicked. Shannar knew Elrond would have the guard search the gardens and he would have to hide somewhere else. After all his patience, he couldn't let Elrond out of his sight. He had wanted to confront Elrond somewhere more private but this seemed as good a chance as he was going to get.
Shannar came out of hiding and revealed himself to the Elf Lord. "My Lord, I am sorry for this intrusion."
Elrond narrowed his eyes at him. "You are no Elf. Who are you to come in uninvited?"
"No, I am not. But we have met before. To be specific, we met almost twenty years ago, at the foot of Mount Doom."
The Elf became speechless then whispered, "Shannar?"
It was then that Shannar heard the guards coming towards them. He laid a steady gaze on Elrond and spoke softly. "No one but you must know I am here. I ask you to keep my presence a secret, at least until I have left." With that, Shannar once more backed away to melt into the shadows of the night.
Elrond was deep in thought when the guards arrived. "Is everything all right Lord Elrond?"
He stared at where Shannar had been just moments before. Shannar held his breath. Would he betray his whereabouts? But his worries soon vanished when Elrond simply replied, "Everything is fine. I just thought I heard something. You may return to your posts."
He waited a few moments after the guards left before beckoning the man in hiding to come out. He was finally able to take a good look at the man. He hadn't changed that much in appearance. He held himself up with the pride of a warrior, his body still fit and ready for battle. The times had been good to him, his face was only lined with a few wrinkles and his hair was still dark. He was dressed in the plainest of black, the only contrasting color was dark forest green cloak. And as for the haunted look that was in his eyes when he had last seen him, it was gone, replaced with a peace he had thought him never possible of having.
At the same time, Shannar was also studying Elrond. Being an Elf, he hadn't aged one bit. The only difference from their last meeting was that the Lord was dressed in the robes befitting his station. The robe was made of fine silk, obviously hand sewn by the talented Elf seamstresses. The blue highlights in the silver material shined in the moonlight. Encircling his head was a circlet of silver. Shannar was once again struck by the wisdom, strength, and command this Elf projected in his whole being. Humbled, he bowed before him. "Forgive me again for the intrusion, my Lord."
"You are a sensible man, I trust you to have a very good reason for coming from. Which leads me to ask where you have been all these years? You seemed to have disappeared from Middle Earth."
"My companions and I settled up in the North, though I will not give you the specifics."
"Your reason for coming...?"
"What happened to the Ring?"
Elrond paused and considered his words carefully. "You must really not have been kept up with the news. Isildur was killed right after leaving Mount Doom."
Shannar was shocked to hear the news. "How did it happen?"
"He and his men were attacked by orcs."
Shannar felt his mouth go dry as he voiced his next question, afraid of the answer. "And the Ring?"
Silence. Then, "Lost."
"How can it just be lost?" Shannar felt himself starting to lose his temper. "You said you would take care of everything? How can the Ring just disappear?"
"You should know better than anyone else that the Ring has a mind of his own. It betrayed Isildur. I did not know that it would happen." Elrond felt tired. It was a painful subject to bring up all these years and the warrior had touched a nerve. Back twenty years before, he had felt so guilty. If only he could have stopped Isildur, he 'should' have stopped Isildur! But he hadn't, why? Maybe the Ring had something to do with it. But he would never know.
Shannar seemed to understand what Elrond was going through. There was nothing he would rather do than try take away the Elf's burden. He spoke softly, "I too am guilty. Who was it that crafted the tools which would make such a terrible weapon? Who had not the strength to resist the Ring's evil? Who had run away from the temptation instead of facing it? It was I. It is no use to ponder what could have been." He stopped for a moments before continuing. "I am also here to offer hope."
"Hope. Now words of hope I would gladly listen to."
Shannar then proceeded to tell Elrond of his dream. After his story, he said, "So you see. The Ring will someday be found. The good people of Middle Earth will unite together to destroy it."
"Yes, but the question is whether they will succeed."
The man shook his head. The Elf was sometimes a bit too cynical. "That I do not know. But all I can promise is that I will do my part, my descendants will be there to see the quest is accomplished." Shannar bowed again to the Elf Lord. "It is time I left. I thank you Lord Elrond."
Elrond smiled. "What is there to thank me for? I should be thanking you, for bringing me hope. I have foreseen that in the times to come, hope will be something scarce in the lands of Middle Earth."
"Then I am all the more pleased that I was able to give you my service."
"Farewell to you, Heru Shannar."
The other man looked puzzled at that remark. "What did you just call me?"
"Lord Shannar. I have also foreseen something for you. You and your descendants will do many great things, and I feel that you deserve the title." Elrond raised his hand in farewell. "Naamarie."
That was a word which Shannar understood. "Naamarie, Heru Elrond." And with one final bow, Shannar disappeared. Elrond never saw him again.
**********
Shannar and Dane were soon back in their village. Shannar and his three companions soon began the training of their children. The students were eager to learn and their teachers were patient, by the time the younger generations were grown up, they too had mastered all they were taught.
By the Third Age year 30, Shannar was now 1891 years old. By the dark powers of Sauron and the one Ring, Shannar, Dane, Mithlin, and Gwenor were granted unnatural long life though they were still mortals. In the year 34, Shannar and his three lifelong friends were struck with a terrible illness. Whether due by natural causes or because of their prolonged life, no one would ever know. Before the very eyes of their friends and family, they seemed suddenly to age and weaken. One by one, Dane, Mithlin, and Gwenor died, and the people of the village mourned their deaths. Their children were then appointed Captains.
Before his death only weeks later, Shannar spoke his last words in the presence of his wife, his children, and the children of his dear friends. So as to remember in the years to come, his words were recorded and are now written in the book "The History of Shannaran:
"My friends and family, my time here will not be long. Do not weep for me, I have lived a life full of both despair and joy. I have been blessed in my life to have received love and hope after a service in darkness. I only pray that you will never give into the darkness. I urge you to pass on to your children, and them to their children, the secrets of the gifts they will receive. One day the Ring will be found and they will need to fulfill the deed of destroying it. May the strength of all that is good be with you."
And with that, at the age of 1895 years old, Shannar passed away.
His son Ennar was made Lord of the village, and in honor of his father, the village was named Shannaran. And with his father's last wish in mind, Ennar and his Captains established a chain of informants. Sending them out in secret to all parts of Middle Earth, their jobs were to gather all and any information. In this way, Ennar believed that someday the whereabouts of the One Ring would be found. But in his lifetime, and the lifetimes of his children, the Ring was never found.
**********
Author's Note: Hope you liked this chapter! This here is the end of Shannar's part of my story. The next book of the Legends of Shannar will begin in Third Age 1300 with the main character being Minnar and Gwendolyn. For those who are very familiar with the history of Middle Earth, the year 1300 was when the Lord of the Nazgul disguised as the Witch King begins to take over the lands of Arnor and establishes the lands of Angmar. The next few chapters will deal with how the descendants of Shannar resist the first invasions. Please review!