Summer turned into fall and we saw more and more of Annatar in our tower, much to my chagrin. I found it odd how he suddenly became interested in us after mother had passed but I remembered my manners and did not blatantly ask him why. In retrospect, it would have saved me much misery and pain but I digress.
He had taken a great interest in our work and would often stop by and spend hours talking to Kendriun about various topics from alchemy to astrology and medicine to casting runes.
His favorite, of course, was the secret knowledge of the Eldar and how it could be gained. Kendriun would listen affably but refuse to mettle in the affairs of the Elves. If they desired a human apprentice, they would take one was his philosophy and I was inclined to agree.
I could not understand his obsession with this "secret knowledge" he was determined that they possessed. If it were secret, then how did he know about it? I often wondered but kept that biting comment behind my teeth. It seemed to me that he knew more about the Eldar than he was telling us and I became more suspicious of him.
However, by all his outward appearances, he seemed the perfect guest. He even gifted Kendriun with a stunning collection of manuscripts in the original Quenya. I was amazed at such a generous gift but Annatar insisted that Kendriun accept them. He knew of no other sorcerer or wizard who could even begin to understand the knowledge they contained.
Perhaps that was his ploy all along, I reasoned. He wanted the secret knowledge of the scrolls but was unable to unlock it himself. He needed Kendriun and me to do it for him. Well, I determined, until I know what he is truly about, I will not reveal anything I glean from them.
It was during this time that I began to have nightmares about the end of the world.
I hadn't had nightmares since I came to be Kendriun's apprentice and that is saying something! Considering all of the strange books, scrolls, stories and objects I was exposed to on a daily basis, I should have been having nightmares long before.
The dream started differently but always ended the same. I would be in the tower and a shadow would fall across the land. I heard people screaming and crying but when I ran to help, I couldn't find my way out of the door. I was trapped inside the tower as darkness fell and the terrified screams increased. Panic would set in and I would try every spell I knew to lift the darkness or find the door but nothing helped. The more I tried, the darker it became and the more frenzied the screams. I felt so helpless and terrified. If only I could lift the darkness or find the door, I knew I could help those desperate people but I was trapped.
I would wake up with a start, my nightclothes soaked in sweat and my bed disheveled. I never spoke of my nightmares to Kendriun and to this day I cannot say why.
When the morning came, I felt foolish for behaving like a frightened child and so kept the dreams to myself. Ah, foolish pride! Had I known they were but an omen of times to come!
He had taken a great interest in our work and would often stop by and spend hours talking to Kendriun about various topics from alchemy to astrology and medicine to casting runes.
His favorite, of course, was the secret knowledge of the Eldar and how it could be gained. Kendriun would listen affably but refuse to mettle in the affairs of the Elves. If they desired a human apprentice, they would take one was his philosophy and I was inclined to agree.
I could not understand his obsession with this "secret knowledge" he was determined that they possessed. If it were secret, then how did he know about it? I often wondered but kept that biting comment behind my teeth. It seemed to me that he knew more about the Eldar than he was telling us and I became more suspicious of him.
However, by all his outward appearances, he seemed the perfect guest. He even gifted Kendriun with a stunning collection of manuscripts in the original Quenya. I was amazed at such a generous gift but Annatar insisted that Kendriun accept them. He knew of no other sorcerer or wizard who could even begin to understand the knowledge they contained.
Perhaps that was his ploy all along, I reasoned. He wanted the secret knowledge of the scrolls but was unable to unlock it himself. He needed Kendriun and me to do it for him. Well, I determined, until I know what he is truly about, I will not reveal anything I glean from them.
It was during this time that I began to have nightmares about the end of the world.
I hadn't had nightmares since I came to be Kendriun's apprentice and that is saying something! Considering all of the strange books, scrolls, stories and objects I was exposed to on a daily basis, I should have been having nightmares long before.
The dream started differently but always ended the same. I would be in the tower and a shadow would fall across the land. I heard people screaming and crying but when I ran to help, I couldn't find my way out of the door. I was trapped inside the tower as darkness fell and the terrified screams increased. Panic would set in and I would try every spell I knew to lift the darkness or find the door but nothing helped. The more I tried, the darker it became and the more frenzied the screams. I felt so helpless and terrified. If only I could lift the darkness or find the door, I knew I could help those desperate people but I was trapped.
I would wake up with a start, my nightclothes soaked in sweat and my bed disheveled. I never spoke of my nightmares to Kendriun and to this day I cannot say why.
When the morning came, I felt foolish for behaving like a frightened child and so kept the dreams to myself. Ah, foolish pride! Had I known they were but an omen of times to come!