Chapter Twenty-six: Many Partings

Aerandir found Gil-celeb sitting in his private quarters, watching the storm rage on violently outside from his windows.

"He is here." Aerandir said.

Gil-celeb looked at him sullenly.

"I knew you both knew. Once the storm began, I knew you would recognize it immediately." he said.

Aerandir sat down next to him. This was not his King. Gil-celeb never looked so. Annarámainen warbled softly from Aerandir's shoulder.

"Where is Míriel?" the King suddenly asked.

Aerandir did not want to worry him. So he answered:

"She is with Celoneth, in our quarters."

"Amorith and Giliath with her?"

"They are."

Gil-celeb smiled slightly.

"Celoneth is a very beautiful child." he said.

Aerandir smiled as well.

"She is. I love her dearly. Yet it is strange she came early. I feel it was done for me. I prayed to see my child born before I depart." he said.

"And it has been done." Gil-celeb said.

"And soon I shall depart."

Gil-celeb rose to his feet. The storm had lessened. There was an eerie quietness. Nothing moved. All seemed to wait for the moment.

A sudden knock on the door made Aerandir and Gil-celeb jump slightly. The captain went to open the door. Two men stood outside. One was hooded and cloaked. Aerandir knew who it was.

"Aran nîn, there is someone wishing to see you." the other said.

That was the last he spoke. The hooded and cloaked figure stabbed him in the back, and he crumpled to the floor. The figure laughed.

"Ah, how nice to see you, Aerandir." it sneered.

Aerandir stared.

"What a greeting. Yet I hardly expected more, Falathar." he replied.

The figure's eyes smoked. The hood was lowered, and Aerandir was staring at his brother Falathar. They were very similar in features, but Falathar's eyes were blue, not gray like his brother.

"Will you not allow me to step inside?" he said. "Where are your manners, my dear brother Aerandir?"

Falathar pushed his way roughly into the room past Aerandir. The captain took the opportunity to let Annarámainen go. He kept the door slightly ajar. Perhaps some passing subjects would come to their aid.

"Aran nîn," Falathar said with a bow. "How wonderful to see you."

Gil-celeb stiffened.

"How dare you mock me, Falathar, you traitor." he said angrily.

Falathar's eyes burned.

"My apologies for betraying you. Yet, it had to be done." he said.

Aerandir went next to Gil-celeb. He would protect him if he could.

"Why did it have to be done?" Aerandir asked.

"You see, it was all very simple. I could not get Míriel on my own accord, because you stole her from me. So I went to someone who could get her for me." Falathar replied calmly.

Gil-celeb's eyes blazed.

"Míriel never loved you, and she never will. You know it." he said.

Falathar narrowed his eyes.

"I will make her love me." he said hotly. "I will make her as I did before. Tell me, brother, did she give birth yet?"

Aerandir's fists were clenched.

"How dare you talk about her so!" he shouted.

Falathar's upper lip curled.

"Did she tell you how I would come to her at night and chain her to the walls before I would make love to her? She enjoyed it very much. She often told me how much she hated you." he whispered.

This was too much for Gil-celeb. With a cry he lunged at Falathar. The traitorous Elf watched the King come towards him, and at the very last moment he pulled a small knife from within his cloak and plunged it in the King's chest. Gil-celeb stumbled backwards into Aerandir's arms.

Aerandir stared in horror at his King.

"You killed him! Curse you!" he cried.

"I did not kill him, not yet. Your beloved King is still alive. He will be in great pain, but he will listen to me. I have not finished my words. We will watch him together, Aerandir." Falathar said coldly.

Aerandir knelt beside Gil-celeb. The King was breathing with great difficulty. His blood was soaking into his tunic. There was nothing Aerandir could do except put him out of his misery. Yet he could not.

"There, what a great man you are, Aerandir. You will let your King suffer instead of ending his misery!" Falathar laughed. "I honor you."

Aerandir glared at his brother.

"What do you want?" he asked Falathar.

Falathar looked at his brother.

"You know what it is I want, or rather, whom I want." he said.

Aerandir stood up. Gil-celeb was pale now.

"Míriel will not come to you. I will not allow it. You will have to kill me first to get to her." the captain said defiantly.

Falathar's eyes glittered.

"You see, if my dear king had not lunged at me, he would have had a choice of two things: to hand me the kingdom, or to pay dearly for it. Yet he chose the latter unknowing that there was another choice. I am so very sorry." he said in mock sadness. "As for you, my dear brother, you have two choices as well: give me Míriel peacefully, or, as you seem to be leaning towards, do not give her to me peacefully. It is your choice."

Aerandir laughed forcefully.

"As if you will not alter our choices anyway, Falathar! 'It is your choice' you say. You know very well what we choose will always be the second option. You enjoy that option. Why not admit it?" he said.

Falathar's eyes blazed. He was becoming angry.

"You trust no one, do you?" Falathar asked icily.

Aerandir narrowed his eyes.

"I trust those who can be trusted. Traitors I do not trust." he said.

Falathar tossed his head angrily. He threw aside his cloak and unsheathed two long knives from his belt. One he threw to his brother.

"Let us see, brother, which is sharper, your tongue or your skill with a blade. At least we fight fair." he said to Aerandir.

Gil-celeb had managed to crawl behind a chair. Falathar did not seem to be aware of him any longer. Nor did he realize that the chamber door was open slightly. Somehow, Aerandir and Gil-celeb came to a silent agreement. The captain would attempt to keep Falathar occupied while the King would crawl to the door. If he got out, then perhaps he could meet someone. It was their only hope. Aerandir began to wonder where Míriel was. She still had not arrived.

"It has been such a long time since we fought." Falathar said.

Aerandir stepped lightly aside as his brother aimed a heavy blow.

"Indeed. I remember clearly the first time we practiced with our swords. Do you remember?" he said, his voice unusually quiet.

"I do. I injured your shoulder." Falathar said.

Aerandir studied his brother's eyes. Gone was the warmth he once knew. Gone was the caring and love. Instead, there was a harsh and cold expression in his eyes. He looked like a Dark Lord. He knew no pity or mercy. His brother was long dead to him in spirit, though he yet walked.

"Indeed." Aerandir said.

He saw an evil smile creep over his brother's lips.

Gil-celeb had managed to make his way, though extremely slowly, towards the door. Aerandir was careful to make sure that Falathar's back faced the King. As long as he kept Falathar occupied and did not show the slightest sign of being aware of the King's movement Gil-celeb had a fair chance of escaping. The captain wondered where Míriel was.

Aerandir led Falathar purposely away from the door, making sure to keep his gaze from Gil-celeb. The King had only one foot left. Aerandir shot glances whenever he could to check on his progress. Slowly, the distance dwindled. Half a foot…Three inches…He was almost there—

"Ah, my King!" Falathar said suddenly.

He had turned around very quickly. Gil-celeb was a hair away from the door. Falathar pointed at the door and it snapped shut. Gil-celeb's head sank. Aerandir stared hopelessly at him. There was no escape now.

'Hollen i ven.' he thought. 'Where are you, Míriel?'

Falathar was smiling triumphantly. He knew they were trapped.

"I have not dismissed you, not yet." he said to the King.

Aerandir pointed his knife at Falathar's throat.

"You dismiss no one, least of all the King. You are the last to dismiss anyone, Falathar. Do you know how much humiliation I have felt because of you? You have shamed our family." he said.

Falathar laughed.

"Shame? I have become great under my Lord. Countless servants were under my very command. Any who disagreed with me did not live to see the light of day. I was feared and honored. Tell me, in all your days serving under Gil-celeb, have you reached my status?" he asked.

Aerandir attacked his brother with renewed vigor. Their blades clashed violently; their eyes locked. Twice Aerandir almost lost his head. His shoulder was beginning to ache. Then he understood.

Falathar knew that if he fought long enough against his brother, Aerandir's shoulder would begin to ache. If the aching persisted, then Aerandir would be forced to stop. Once he stopped, Aerandir was an easy target. One swift knife swipe and Falathar would kill his brother. That was the reason Falathar had smiled so evilly. Aerandir fully understood.

"What a coward." Aerandir said quietly.

Falathar feigned surprise.

"Coward? It is not cowardly to hit an enemy's weak spot." he said.

"Is that what I am to you? An enemy?" Aerandir asked icily.

Falathar did not reply. He had no need. Aerandir already knew the answer. He was marked an enemy from the first day Falathar found out that Aerandir loved Míriel and that she loved him as well.

Aerandir was beginning to tire. He ceased attacking and was now protecting himself. Gil-celeb watched helplessly from his position next to the door. His wound was still bleeding, and he felt he would die soon. He watched Aerandir weaken. Then a sound outside the door caught his attention. He recognized Míriel's footsteps as she ran. The door was flung open. His daughter stood on the threshold. Then she screamed.

Falathar had taken advantage of Míriel opening the door to hit Aerandir, who had looked to see who had arrived. The captain felt the knife pierce his chest. He staggered, then sank to his knees. Míriel screamed, then darted forward to her husband's side.

"Aerandir!" she cried, dropping to her knees beside him.

The captain smiled wanly at her.

"Míriel, we meet once again." Falathar said.

The Princess looked up at him coldly.

"You are cursed! How dare you to attack him so! You knew of his wound! You knew it was the only way you would hit him! How cowardly you are! May Eru punish you heavily!" she told him.

Falathar laughed.

"Your tongue is still slippery. No doubt Aerandir is to be thanked for it. I will teach you." he said, and leaned down to grab her.

But Aerandir would not allow his wife to be touched by Falathar. He moved in front of her. Falathar, furious, hit him again in the chest.

Aerandir gasped. The knife was stuck. He sank onto his back. Falathar laughed. Míriel screamed once more. Falathar was reaching for her again. But she sank her own knife into his thigh. Falathar winced.

"You wish to be rough?" he asked, pulling the knife from his thigh. "Your dear Aerandir will pay for this as well."

He bent over his brother, meaning to stab him in the heart. There was a warble, then something whistled in the air. Falathar groaned, then slumped forward, swaying on the spot. Míriel saw a figure at the door.

"Legolas!" she cried.

The Prince stepped into the room, Annarámainen on his shoulder.

Falathar turned. Míriel saw an arrow in his back. He smiled at Legolas.

"Ah, my old master." he whispered.

Legolas fitted another arrow onto his bow. He did not speak. He let the arrow fly. Falathar crumpled to the floor instantly. He was dead.

"Where is my sire?" Míriel asked suddenly.

Aerandir pointed to the door. Míriel ran and closed it. Behind the door lay her sire. Aerandir saw her place her hand over her mouth as she sat next to him. The King was dead. Aerandir shut his eyes.

Legolas bowed his head. He then turned to Aerandir. The captain was wounded badly. Blood soaked his whole tunic. Legolas attempted to remove the knife that Falathar had sunk into him.

"It is no use. Do not waste your effort." Aerandir said weakly.

Míriel left her sire and returned to Aerandir. There was grief in her eyes. Aerandir knew he was gazing upon her for the final time.

"My dear, weep not after I am gone. Think only of the time we spent together. Celoneth needs you." he told her.

Legolas stood aside as he watched them. His heart was broken. He had lost Gil-celeb, and now his mentor was dying.

Míriel did not reply. She was deathly pale. She placed his head in her lap and stroked his hair. Then she leaned her face over his, and Legolas knew they were absorbed in a final passionate kiss.

"Come here, Legolas." Aerandir said when they broke apart.

Míriel stood and went to her sire's body. She gazed upon it silently.

"I know that you love Míriel. My time as her lover is over. I leave her to you. Take care of her well. It is indeed as Lady Galadriel foretold. I only hope Míriel does truly become healed." Aerandir said to Legolas.

The Prince listened intently. Aerandir's breathing was quite shallow now. His eyes finally turned to Míriel and his King's body. That was the last he saw. Legolas stared at him in utter disbelief.

"Aerandir!" Míriel screamed. "Aerandir, come back! I love you!"

Then she fainted.

Sindarin Translation:

Hollen i ven: the way is shut