Disclaimer: The concept of Middle Earth and all who live there was the brainchild of J.R.R. Tolkien. This story is meant to be entertainment only and I receive NO monetary compensation for it.
Summary: The Star of Elendil also known as the Elendilmir, was the beautiful white gem set in a filet of mithril that was the token of royalty worn by the Kings of Arnor and was Aragorn's by birthright. When a strange human is rescued from orcs by Mirkwood warriors, he immediately asks for a private audience with the Prince. He tells Legolas that he has information for Isildur's heir, information that he and his ancestors have been guarding for over 3,000 years. This information must be passed on for that which has been kept secret is in danger of being discovered, something that many lives have been sacrificed to keep from happening. The time has come for the responsibility of the Elendilmir and he who wore it last to be passed on to his kin.
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This story is AU and the OC characters of Anayah Dúnedhel and her Thurin Tirith Guards will appear later in the story.
AN1: I will be posting two chapters today because this one is so short.
A/N2: The "Disaster of the Gladden Fields" excerpt was taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's book Unfinished Tales written by J.R.R. Tolkien and edited by son Christopher Tolkien, and will be in Italics. My thoughts or additions will be in regular case letters.
A/N3: The last few paragraphs of this chapter will be used in context with the mystery and will appear in another chapter.
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Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even
when scared half to death.
Omar Bradley
Chapter 1
Prologue
Disaster of the Gladden Fields
After the fall of Sauron, Isildur, the son and heir of Elendil, returned to Gondor and there assumed the Elendilmir as King of Arnor. The King of Arnor wore no crown, 'but bore a single white gem, the Elendilmir, Star of Elendil, bound on his brows with a silver fillet.
Isildur remained in Gondor for a year, restoring its order and defining its bounds. When he at last felt free to return to his own realm he was in haste, and he wished to go first to Imladris, for he had left his wife and youngest son there, and he had moreover an urgent need for the counsel of Elrond.
So it was, as is told in the legends of later days, that the second year of the Third Age was waning when Isildur set forth from Osgiliath early in Ivanneth (September), expecting to reach Imladris in forty days, by mid-Narbeleth (October). He took three of his sons with him, Elendur, Aratan and Ciryon.
On the 20th day of their journey, as they came within far sight of Greenwood the Great, the sky became overcast and a dark wind came up from the Sea of Rhûn laden with rain. The rain lasted for four days; so when they came to the entrance to the Vales, between Lórien and Amon Lanc (Naked Hill) at the south-west corner of Greenwood, Isildur turned away from the Anduin, swollen with swift water, and went up the steep slopes on its eastern side to gain the ancient paths of the Silvan Elves that ran near the eaves of the Forest.
They were near the end of their day's march, on the 30th day of their journey and were now just passing the north borders of the Gladden Fields, on a path that led to Thranduil's realm. Orcs suddenly came out of the surrounding forest and attacked them in what seemed to be an organized fashion.
Elendur, who was in his father's confidence, reminded the King that 'they were bearing burdens of worth beyond all reckoning.' Isildur then gave unto his esquire, Ohtar, the shards of Narsil, his father's sword, instructing his esquire to 'save it from capture by all means necessary by all means that you can find, and at all costs; even at the cost of being held a coward who deserted me. Take your companion with you and flee! Go! I command you!' Then Ohtar knelt and kissed his hand, and the two young men fled down into the dark valley.
It was said afterward, that Isildur had been wearing the Elendilmir at the time he was shot dead by the Orcs and, in fact, that might have been the case. However, it could also be assumed that the 'friend' that fled with Ohtar, Isildur's esquire, was, in fact, carrying away the original Elendilmir that had been handed down from Silmarien to Elendil the Tall, father of Isildur. Perhaps the Elendilmir that Isildur wore at the time of his death had been nothing more than a beautiful duplicate. Perhaps the King might not have wanted to endanger the great jewel any more than he had wanted to endanger the shards of his father's sword.
When what was thought to be the original Elendilmir was found in Orthanc after the death of Saruman, it had been surmised that the former white wizard had taken it from the dead body of Isildur then had callously thrown the dead King's body aside to be lost in the Anduin forever.
But what if that had not been the case?
What if Ohtar's companion had actually been a second Token Bearer? What if Ohtar and his companion had been separated and the second Token Bearer had tried to make it to Lórien but for some reason never reached his destination? What could have happened to the original Elendilmir?
This, then, is the story of the great jewel's strange journey, a journey that spanned over 3,000 years.
And so it begins...
TBC
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COMING NEXT: Flight: The trees began to despair that the human would reach safety before the Uruks, who drew closer to their quarry by the minute, caught him. There was one last bit of assistance they felt they could give the man, and would be more than willing to do so, for they had long before deemed the human's cause worthy of their intervention and assistance. A deep sigh ran through the branches then, touching leaf, branch and bark as it passed from tree to tree, gaining momentum as it traveled onward towards the place where there were those who might be more able to help the man than they.
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Soccer-Bitch: Thanks for reviewing the final chapter of Possession. Hope you enjoy this story as well.