Chapter Seventy-Five: The Very Strangest Gift
The banquet hall of Ilmarin was wide, with many pillars around the walls, made of what looked like marble; the high ceiling, which was so transparent that it appeared not to exist at all, revealed the multitudinous stars that glittered not-so-high above them. Beneath the diamond-studded ebony dome, there sat a round table set with seventeen chairs. Some of these were already occupied by other Valar, while most still were unfilled, but soon to be in use as more guests filed in.
Elrond scanned the table quite apprehensively, wondering where he was to sit. From what he could see, the Valar were seating themselves in the same order that they always sat in during councils. This would mean that Elrond and Elwing would take up the places of the lowest rank – that is, directly across from Manwë and Varda. But to their surprise, Nessa and Tulkas took their seats comfortably there.
Elrond I and II both glanced up rapidly as Lórien and Mandos, respectively, caught them lightly by the shoulders, and steered them toward two seats a bit closer to Manwë. Lorien guided Elrond I to a place at his right, with Tulkas on his other side; Mandos sat down in-between Oromë and Elrond II. Across the table, Elwing was seated happily between Estë and Vairë, her two Valarin daughters-in-law. The laughter of elves and Valar echoed like music, ringing sweetly off the walls and the ceiling. But the merriment fell to a hush in an instant, when Manwë rose to speak.
"Friends," he beamed to one and all, "this night is truly a blessed one! Among us tonight are two of the Eldar, whom we regard as friends and above all, family. Truly, they are the only two of their race to be counted as such in past or present. Each of them have played integral roles in our lives, helping to shape us all into who we are today. I now ask Elrond and Elwing to rise, that we may honor them."
Amid a clamor of cheers and applause, mother and son got slowly to their feet. Neither of them could believe what their eyes told them so clearly. The Lords of the West, who were revered by all races of Middle-earth, were applauding two children of Eru. Both elves felt their ears burning, but it was embarrassment suffused with gratification. And when at last Elrond and Elwing both thought their knees would support them no longer, their kinsfolk graciously let them sit.
Soon all eyes were turned toward Yavanna, who had risen smoothly to her feet like a tall green sapling emerging from the sun-warmed earth. She clapped her hands together once, and the bare table was covered with empty platters, bowls and goblets; with another clap, these were filled nearly to overflowing with all kinds of food and drink. Wild game and fowl were heaped on platters amid bowls of fresh fruit, fresh or cooked vegetables, plates of bread and large pitchers of wine, water and fruit juice. The tempting aromas mingled and wafted seductively about the hall. Yavanna smiled, pleased, and spoke a single word before seating herself mildly again: "Enjoy!"
That was all of the encouragement the others needed, and more. Everyone tucked into the bountiful spread like a brigade of half-starved soldiers returning from a battle. The merry clatter of cutlery upon dishes accented the mirthful conversations that sprang up all round the table. But one exchange of dialogue was hushed, and considerably more solemn.
"Elrond," said Mandos softly into the elf's ear, "I must speak openly with you. I have had a specific preparation in my mind for many years now, and it must come about very soon. I understand all of the misgivings you will have, but I assure you that this is for the best. I have your best interests in mind."
"What best interests?" Elrond II asked, his venison-laden fork hovering midway between the table and his mouth. Elrond I turned his head to listen in, lowering the goblet of wine he had just been about to sip from.
"Please, do not let me interrupt your meal," the Doomsman told him. "As I was saying, I know that you have lost several treasured friends because of me, and I see a chance to let many things – kinsmen and kinswomen – of your past… cross paths with you again, so to speak. And so I grant you a proposal, Elrond, son of Eärendil: would you be willing to let me take you temporarily into my Halls, and by this means reunite you with your long-lost friends for one day, and one day only?"
Elrond's immediate answer was a splutter and a gasp, perfectly synchronized; both halves of the elf had choked, completely simultaneously. The elder involuntarily sprayed a large amount of spit and wine across the table, while the younger fought to breathe around the sizeable hunk of venison lodged firmly in his windpipe. Estë leapt up without a moment's pause to aid them, much to the half-elf's gratitude.
"There is one drawback, however," Mandos continued, as his kinsman caught his breath. "No living person save the Valar may pass into the realm of the dead. In order for you to enter my Halls, I would have to fully remove your soul from your body. In effect, just to do this, you would still have to die like any other elf who was dwelling there for ever."
"Well," Elrond I finally murmured, very softly, forcing himself to meet the Doomsman's gaze, "it would really only be like walking a little further in Cirdan's footsteps, wouldn't it? But I have to ask… when exactly is 'very soon'?"
"I had hoped that it could be as soon as tomorrow night," the Doomsman told him, "from midnight until the next midnight. That would give you precisely twenty-four hours to stay among the dead."
"Tomorrow night," Elrond I breathed. "But that's the fourth of April. My – my birthday."
The dark-haired Vala nodded. "Think of it, if you wish to, as a birthday gift from me."
All four of Elrond's eyes glistened moistly. "Thank you, Lord Mandos."
Somehow or other the half-elf managed to let mirth suffuse his heart again, and joined in with the fun his kinsfolk were having all around him. Careful not to drink too much wine or swallow his food without chewing it thoroughly, Elrond laughed and joked willingly with his mother and the Valar. But deep in the elf's heart now lay a weird new reality: he was going to die the next night. And not only that, but he would be utterly happy about it. It was a strange world, after all…
----
"It's nearly time, Elrond," Celebrían murmured, gazing gravely out of the window of the bedroom she shared with Elrond II. "Lord Mandos will be here in less than a minute. Are you sure you're really ready?"
"Yes," two voices answered her sincerely from the bed. Elrond I and II lay side-by-side on top of the coverlet, their hands clasped tightly together. Their pale faces were lit up by the stars only, for the moon had not yet begun to show his face again. Four blue eyes met, locking doggedly. Two hearts beat as one, pulsing almost audibly. Elrond quietly savored his last few moments as one of the living.
He knew full well that it was merely temporary, but there was something about the act of dying peacefully, a fate never before granted to the Eldar, that sent chills up the elf's two spines. His own twin brother Elros had passed away in his sleep: totally painlessly, much like Elrond soon would. There was something oddly special about the similarity there.
"Good evening," said the Doomsman, entering the room almost imperceptibly. Celebrían turned and dropped to her knees, and Elrond I and II sat up hurriedly. Mandos gently laid a pale hand upon each of his outermost shoulders, urging him politely to lie down again. The Vala nodded courteously to Celebrían, who inclined her head respectfully in return. Neither of them had completely forgotten the debt that still lay unpaid between them.
"We have only a moment," Mandos said insistently to Elrond, clasping the younger half-elf's hand in his own. "Close your eyes and relax…"
Elrond did so, deliberately slowing and deepening his breathing. He didn't see the Vala's body fade from sight, nor did he notice his wife's widened, teary eyes. Death's blackness closed in around him like an icy, choking blanket, and tightly gripping the Doomsman's hand he plummeted down, down and down, to a state of unconsciousness deeper than the very deepest slumber, where few but the deceased could ever follow…
----
Elrond I carefully opened his eyes, gazing uncertainly around him. His godson stood next to him, and Mandos was on the younger elf's other side. But the Vala looked nothing like he did in the land of the living: no more a solid figure clothed in raven hues, the Lord of the Dead was now a shining, impalpable figure with two eyes like dark-colored jewels. Elrond himself had changed little; he appeared almost as he had in life, save that now he was semitransparent.
"Why am I still in two halves?" Elrond II spoke up into the silence.
"As the body is divided, so shall the essence be," Mandos answered cryptically.
For a moment there was little else to see but a hazy void of iridescent shadows (how was that possible, the elf wondered wordlessly, if there was no light?), and then a brilliantly-lit gateway was before them: the Door of the Dead, impenetrable by any living elf's soul.
"Home, sweet home," the Doomsman smiled strangely. "Welcome."
The doors swung open, without creaking, as Mandos extended his right hand. The elf and the Vala strode forth together, into the light that streamed blindingly through the gateway into the next realm…
----
When Elrond opened his eyes for a second time, it was to see a beautiful realm unfolding on his every side. Echoes of distant laughter rang merrily in his ears, as did the melodies of wind, birdsong and running water. As he stared around in awe, he saw that there were high walls surrounding him at a distance; some of the walls had arched doorways leading off to other rooms, he supposed. Yet when the elf looked right up and down, a full moon blazed among bright stars like a shepherd in the midst of his flock, and verdant grass was growing below his feet. He must have been in some kind of courtyard.
Mandos nodded, affirming Elrond's unspoken notions. "This is one of many courtyards in the halls I keep. Look at the walls, Elrond; what do you see?"
Elrond looked, and smiled when he noticed that the walls were covered with beautifully-woven tapestries. A wall-hanging nearby held a skillful depiction of nothing other than the Two Trees of Valinor, in all their long-lost splendor. Telperion glimmered like cool silver, while Laurëlin blazed with golden flame. Illustrated beneath the trees were figures Elrond recognized right away as Yavanna and Nienna. The Giver of Fruits stood with her arms reaching to the heavens, her lips moving in some soundless song, while the Weeper let her tears flow onto the Trees' roots and nourish them.
Elrond I and II moved to and fro between the walls, quietly admiring Vairë's handiwork as well as the magnificence of Mandos' Halls. The Doomsman watched and waited good-naturedly, smiling to no-one but himself. Turning his head slightly toward something that the elf wasn't paying attention to, he counted backwards silently: Three, two, one…
On "one", a small, brown-haired ellon sprinted around a corner, giggling like mad as he came hurtling inadvertently straight toward the unknowing Elrond II. The half-elf spotted the child just in time and leapt aside, but he wasn't quite fast enough to dodge the elfling. The boy squeaked in alarm as he attempted to impede himself, but a minor collision was inevitable. The elves tumbled to the grass in a tangle of limbs.
Blinking as he tried to discover just who had hit him, while getting his breath back at the same time, Elrond II was mildly surprised to find himself nose-to-nose with an elven boy who looked scarcely older than ten. A pair of round, bright silvery-blue eyes met a pair of rather puzzled sky-blue ones, and elf-lord and child both gave bemused smiles. The little ellon giggled again, and Elrond II managed to gather enough breath to talk. "Why, hello, little one."
"Hello," the boy replied politely, a slight flush reddening his cheeks. "My name's Elurín. What's yours?"
"Elrond the Second," the young half-elf replied. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Elurín."
"Pleased to meet you, sir," Elurín smiled. Then his face became anxious as he scrambled to his feet. "Did I hurt you when I bumped into you?"
"Not at all," Elrond II assured him, rising as well and brushing grass from his robe. "You just gave me a bit of a scare when you came running around the corner like a rabbit being chased by a dog."
The idea of being likened to a rabbit set Elurín into another giggling fit. During this time, Elrond racked his brain, searching for the origin of the boy's name. Elurín… Elurín… the name was so familiar, and yet not so…
"Elurín!" cried a voice, cutting into his thoughts. An older ellon, perhaps sixteen years of age, hurried around the same corner that the younger boy had come from. This newcomer had the same brown hair and silvery eyes as Elurín; the resemblance was startling, as was the nagging familiarity. Where had he seen a face like that before?
The older boy hurried over to Elurín's side, scolding him fretfully. "What have I told you about running off like that? You could have hurt someone!"
"He didn't," Elrond II told him warmly. "He only startled me."
The ellon blinked at him momentarily in surprise, and then bowed his head respectfully, correctly assuming the half-elf's status as a lord. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't realize…"
"That's quite all right," Elrond II smiled, holding his hand out courteously. "Lord Elrond the Second at your service."
"Eluréd, son of Dior Eluchil, at your service," the boy responded, grasping Elrond's hand and shaking it. "You've already met my brother Elurín."
Something clicked together just then in Elrond's mind. Eluréd, son of Dior Eluchil… Dior was the name of Elrond's grandfather – his mother's father! But that would make Eluréd and Elurín his mother's brothers… the uncles he had never known. Of course, yes… that was why their faces looked so familiar! These two boys were the image of their sister.
Elrond I had turned his head just a bit too sharply at the sound of his grandfather's name. Now rubbing his neck, he rushed to his godson's side. Eluréd flinched in surprise, staring from one to the other. A slow smile found his lips. "Oh, I see… you're twins?"
"Not precisely," Elrond I sighed. "I'm his godfather, Elrond the First. Elrond the Second had a twin brother once, whose name was Elros, but he died many, many years ago. The strange resemblance between Elrond and I is nothing but coincidence." The last sentence was a lie he had grown oddly attached to.
Eluréd nodded. "So, Elrond the Second's parents named him after you for some reason?"
"That's right," the elder half-elf nodded. "When Elrond was born, his mother had trouble with the delivery, and I was the one that Elrond's father chose to help. I ended up saving the lives of Elrond, Elros and Elwing, all in about fifteen min—"
"Elwing!" both young brothers yelped in surprise.
"She's our sister!" cried Eluréd. "She came here once a long time ago, but she didn't stay – she went back. She came back to life. Elurín and I both kind of knew her, and she knew us, too, even though she's grown up now. We thought she wouldn't remember," he added sadly.
"You're her brothers," Elrond II smiled. "Of course she'd remember you. She loves you."
Eluréd suddenly stared up at Elrond II, his widened eyes alight with wonder. "You're our sister's son. That would make you our nephew, wouldn't it?"
The younger half-elf nodded, beaming down at his uncles. "Yes, I suppose I am!"
Elurín yanked his brother's sleeve earnestly. "Let's take them to visit Caranel!" he urged.
It was Elrond I's turn to yelp. "Caranel!"
"Oh, did you know her?" Eluréd asked, smiling. "She came just a little while after Elwing did, but Caranel stayed. Elurín here absolutely adores her." The older boy fondly ruffled his younger brother's hair as he spoke.
Elrond I sobbed openly as he answered, "She was my best friend! She helped me when I was going through a terrible ordeal, and I repaid the debt when she was horribly abused by Maedhros, son of Fëanor…" He faltered at the odd look on Eluréd's face. "What is it? Did I say something?"
"It's nothing," the boy assured him, still wearing the same weird look. "You'll find out in a minute. Come on."