In An Age Before – Part 56
Ere they had lowered their gangplank to debark, a company of the Guardians of Lebennin was drawn up and the mariners were hailed, but as friends, for they sailed 'neath the banner of the High King in Lindon. Then the captain answered, saying that they had come indeed from Lindon in search of survivors of their native land which they believed had ceased to exist, and would meet if they could with those who had sailed upon yonder ships.
The captain and his officers, along with Helluin and Beinvír, were ushered by the Guardians to an inn 'nigh the docks, and there they were bidden to wait whilst those they sought were summoned. After about half an hour a party of Dúnedain entered the common room and were directed to their table.
Two Men there were amongst them, one a century in age, the other a decade older, and both were lordly of bearing though careworn from many hard days at sea. Dark haired they were and grey-eyed, tall and hale as the great sea captains of old. Helluin swallowed her surprise, for they reminded her of none so much as the young Peredhil, Elrond and Elros, though they were indeed mortal Men. They greeted the captain of Ráma Nárova as old friends long sundered, but the captain and his officers bent upon one knee to them and bowed their heads.
"My Lords Isildur¹ and Anárion²," the captain said, "we art thankful for the Valar's mercy and blessings upon ye, and our hearts sing to find ye safe." ¹(Isildur, Steward of the Moon(?) = isil(moon) + -ndur(suff, expert of) Quenya. Note that arandur = steward(of king), where aran = king) ²(Anárion, Of Greatest Dawns = (?)an(a)-(most, greatest/superlative) + ára(dawn) + -ion(pl gen suff, of) Quenya. Note that precedent for use of the –ion rather than the –ron ending is set with the name of the king Tar-Aldarion in UT III, TLoE:KoN, pg 219)
"Come, my friends, rise," Isildur said, the smile still bright upon his face, "ne'er did we think to find such welcome faces here in the south. I had thought thou sailed for Lindon when thou left Rómenna five years past. Pray tell, hast thou instead made thy home hither in Lebennin?"
"Nay, my Lord Isildur, for indeed to Lindon did we come, and there we have enjoyed the welcome of the Elven King since. But through some enchantment the High Elves have discerned great changes in the world, and more, they say Númenor is no longer. We have seen great destruction upon the coast 'twixt Lindon and Anduin, the result of some mighty cataclysm at sea, yet we know not what it might be. We have come south searching for any who might, like thee, have been spared and come thence to these Hither Shores."
"Indeed a cataclysm at sea there has been, and greater than any I could have imagined aforetime. And indeed we have been spared and much do I have to tell. It should come to the ears of the Eleven King, but as thou hast come hither from his lands, tell me first, hast thou had any tidings of my father, Elendil, or even of my grandfather, Amandil? Lord Elendil too set sail, but from us his ships were sundered early in the voyage."
The officers remained silent and some looked down, unable to meet the brothers' eyes. But the captain said, "nay, my Lords. No word or sight of thy father, Lord Elendil, had any known when we left upon 30 Nórui. I can only pray that he hath come to Lindon after, for it hath been a month since we sailed. Ne'er have we heard 'aught of the Lord Amandil."
Isildur nodded and Anárion said, "we ourselves came hither but five days past, for our way was hard, and perhaps our father fared likewise upon the sea. We shalt keep hope that he and his folk art safely landed elsewhere. I thank thee for thy tidings."
"We have much else to speak of," Isildur said. "Let us speak now of what has befallen our homeland 'cross the sea and what the Eldar have learnt of Arda since."
For some time he had cast glances at the two Elves and most at Helluin. Now when he and his party took seats with the officers of Ráma Nárova, he found himself 'cross the table from them. Helluin gave the two brothers a nod of respect, remaining with her head dipped for a beat ere she looked up again. Beinvír offered a smile to each of the Men.
"I should swear thou bear a resemblance to one known long aforetime to me," Anárion said to Helluin, "though thou art much younger than she was in the days when I knew her…"
At his words Helluin raised a brow in question. Beinvír grinned having heard the like more than once aforetime. Isildur gently elbowed his brother, drawing his attention.
"She is of the Elder Children of the One, not one of the Elendili of Lebennin," he said gravely. "No guess of her true age may such as we make."
Anárion looked more closely at Helluin, now noting the pointed tips of her ears and the light in her eyes. He gulped. Having been born o'er a hundred years after the Eldar were forbidden to come to Númenor by Ar-Gimilzôr, he had ne'er aforetime met an Elf.
"Forgive my impudence, my Lady," Anárion said.
"I have heard such aforetime and perhaps such a claim even has grounds in blood," Helluin replied. "There is 'naught to forgive, Lord Anárion. Pray tell, with whom dost thou feel I share a resemblance?"
"He speaks of the late Queen Inzilbêth," Isildur reported. His brother nodded in agreement.
Helluin recalled with the clarity of Elven memory the beautiful and doomed young woman she had comforted in the garden of Lindon 324 years ago.
My poor, precious, distant daughter…how I wish to free thee. How I long to forestall thy doom. For thee and the Faithful of thy house, upon this day I would sink the Isle of Fallen Kings 'neath Belegaer if I but had the power. I fear I am less merciful than the Lords of the West.
The Lords of the West had laid the same doom upon Númenórë, but for different cause. Helluin had to blink and swallow ere she could again speak.
"I knew the Lady Inzilbêth in her youth, in Lindon ere she returned to Númenor to wed Ar-Gimilzôr. I know not what befell her after save that it could not have all been bad, for thou art here."
The two brothers nodded in acknowledgment of her compliment. For one of Faithful heart like their great-great-grandmother, marriage to the king had been a long and distasteful sentence. They had known her for only a few decades ere her death, and those were in the years after Ar-Gimilzôr had passed. To the young brothers she had always seemed so strong of heart and so unshakable in her beliefs.
"Tell me, I pray thee, how art thou related to the Lady Inzilbêth?" Helluin asked.
"We art her great-great-grandsons through maternal blood, for our great-grandmother was Lady Almiel, the Lady Inzilbêth's third child and only daughter. She married the 17th Lord of Andúnië, our great-grandfather Númendil. My Lady…?"
Anárion had stopped and now stared uneasily at the tear that made its way down Helluin's cheek. He marked that her eyes now seemed focused far away.
Lady Inzilbêth had known, Helluin thought, or ere she named her daughter she had learnt her history. Beinvír laid a hand upon Helluin's thigh 'neath the table and gave it a comforting squeeze ere she answered for her partner.
"Fear not, Lord Anárion, for thou hast committed no trespass. Only is it that long aforetime was Almiel the name of her granddaughter. I have no doubt that name was given in tribute by the Lady Inzilbêth, and perhaps in token too of her hopes for better times."
At this Anárion sighed with relief but his elder brother looked again at Helluin with a more acute glance.
"My Lady, might I know thy name? I wager thou did indeed share a tie of blood with the Lady Inzilbêth, but that tie is far more ancient than I deemed at first."
"It is indeed, Lord Isildur," Helluin said, "and I share too a tie in blood with thee and thy brother, perhaps more than one. I am Helluin Maeg-mórmenel."
"Far more ancient indeed," Isildur whispered. "The name of Almiel has graced the House of Elros but twice, and the first time was 'nigh 2,600 years ago. We art indeed related upon at least two counts. Thy blood has long infused the noble houses of the Dúnedain." He turned thence to his brother, saying, "as I said aforetime, 'no guess of her true age may such as we make'. Indeed if I recall my histories aright, her life began long ere Men e'er awakened in Hildorien when the sun and moon were young. She has succored our houses ere Elenna rose from the sea." He then turned back to Helluin and bowed his head, and his brother did likewise.
"Honored and fortunate do we count ourselves to have met thee, distant foremother," Isildur said, "and much do we desire to speak with thee, for now we art come to Middle Earth and it hath long been said that none know it better than thee. Likewise, we would give an accounting of ourselves to thee for the knowledge of thy king. Great evil came to pass in Númenor and a great doom fell upon it for incurring the wrath of the Valar and the One. All that is past, 'tis true, but one enemy remained in Armenelos and we know not his fate. He was thy enemy too. Wilt thou harken to our rede?"
Helluin and Beinvír both had a sinking feeling at the Man's words. So, the Isle of Kings had been destroyed because of some wrath of the Lords of the West? Helluin thought it had been a long time in coming. But what straw had broken thus the horse's back and brought down the doom of Númenor at last? The two ellith nodded their interest in hearing Isildur's tidings and the captain beckoned the inn keeper o'er to order drinks.
"Ar-Pharazôn brought Sauron the Deceiver to Númenor as a prisoner?" Helluin asked after listening for some time to the brothers. Her incredulity knew no limit. "What upon Arda was he thinking? 'Tis a wonder Sauron awaited his old age ere he contrived to estrange thy people totally from the West." She shook her head in amazement.
"All who have welcomed him he hath destroyed," Beinvír added. "Knew thy people not of Gorthaur's deceit of Celebrimbor? He hath undone Númenor as he undid Eregion aforetime. Whyfor thought thy king that he had such resources to resist that which the grandson of Fëanor could not?"
"'Tis done for whate'er reason," Helluin sighed. 'Cross the table the two Men hung their heads in shame though they'd had less than nothing to do with Ar-Pharazôn's blasphemy. She could see only one excuse for coming within a thousand leagues of Sauron, and that was to slay him as quickly as possible.
"Dost thou think such a cataclysm hath slain him?" Anárion asked hopefully.
'Twas an interesting question. Helluin had her hopes, yet her heart misgave them. In her opinion, water could not quench the Imperishable Flame of which the Ainur, Vala and Maia alike, were endowed. She wondered if a flood could even destroy the body in which Sauron had cloaked his spirit. And if it had, would he not then simply form another with his will? In her experience his werecraft had been great, and now he had the One Ring.
"In truth I know not," she said after consideration, "yet I have my doubts despite my hope. Perhaps his flesh perished indeed, but his spirit? In my heart I feel that he shalt trouble us yet again someday."
Now after long consultation 'twas decided that Ráma Nárova should make her way back to Lindon bearing tidings of the safe landing of the company of Isildur and Anárion at Pelargir. The brothers would also send upon that ship an embassy to the High King of the Noldor. Later, regular communications would be established up and down the coast. As for Helluin and Beinvír, they would stay a while in Lebennin to counsel the brothers about the Hither Lands.
'Twas two weeks after their first meeting when Helluin and Beinvír ushered a company of Elendili north from Pelargir. In that company went Isildur and Anárion and many Men of their houses and of the Faithful of Pelargir. Up Anduin they rode, and on the third day came to the foot of Mindolluin where the Emyn Arnen to the east forced the river close to the Ered Nimrais as it bent to the west. In that place they stopped and made a camp, and the brothers marked that t'would be a fine landing for ships come upriver from Pelargir.
All about them lay the tilled lands of northern Lebennin, bountiful and green in early autumn. Crops neared their time of harvesting and fruit was plentiful upon the trees. The weather held fair, and in the mornings Anor blessed the snowcaps of the tall peaks to the west with a blush of rose.
Ere the dawn of their second day, the two ellith led the brothers by the ascending path, and after two hours' climb they came to the hallow where aforetime Helluin and Beinvír had come upon the morn when Helluin's time in Middle Earth had equaled her time in Aman. Now Valinor was gone from the world and Númenor was gone fore'er. They sat and gazed out to the east and marked another sunrise o'er the jagged peaks of the Ephel Dúath.
Anor rose and the Men were struck with awe at the beauty of that land. They watched in reverent silence. Beside them Helluin and Beinvír sat side by side, arms wrapped 'round each other, speaking silently their thoughts.
'Tis a beautiful land and well blessed, Beinvír said, and yet so close by that of the Enemy, and should he return indeed from the wreck of Númenor, then into jeopardy shalt it fall.
Aye, indeed it shalt, Helluin agreed, and yet long aforetime did I imagine here a great city that should be a strong guard against Mordor for the lands behind.
And now thou feel at last have come those whom thou would entrust to build it, meldanya? The time is certainly right.
Indeed so, anamelda¹. The Númenóreans art great builders and the sworn enemies of Sauron, and these art high lords amongst their people. They shalt raise someday a city and strong place of refuge for their realm that is to be. Now, whilst Mordor is empty and Sauron absent 'tis indeed the proper time. ¹(Anamelda, "Dearest" = ana-(adj superl suff) + melda(dear) Quenya)
Beinvír nodded in agreement. For the realm of Lebennin that she had helped establish, she could think of no better custodians and rulers. All the Elendili of Pelargir would soon take these two or their father for their lord. Once the majesty of their realm developed, the other Men of Lebennin would probably accept them as o'erlords of the realm. Isildur and Anárion had been born and bred for this role, nobles of lineage and subtlety who claimed kinship with the kings from 'cross the sea.
Thou art wise, beloved, the Green Elf said stealing a quick kiss, thy will shalt come to pass. I feel it in my heart. Now what is Isildur doing?
To Be Continued