In An Age Before - Part 143
Chapter Ninety-seven
Aran Eriador – The Third Age of the Sun
Now the Lord Galor and the Lady Lainiel became e'er more conjoined in those days, for as the mutual experiences 'twixt them grew, so too did their regard for each other and their desire for each other's company. 'Twas an informal courtship if e'er the Elves had seen one, but 'twas a courtship still, whether the two involved recognized it or not, and whether they acknowledged it or not. Elrond, Helluin, and Beinvír were happy for their friends, for they held them both in high esteem and deemed them a good match in temperament, intentions, and station.
"Though I do wish that they would proceed, for they have not unlimited time," Elrond commented one afternoon as he watched the couple strolling together on a terrace outside the windows of his study.
"Meaning that they have not some centuries to delay as did thou and Celebrían," Helluin chided.
"Nor the excuse of awaiting the downfall of Sauron," Beinvír added.
"And whither art thy lady and children?" Helluin asked, for they had not been seen upon this visit.
"They have gone to Lórinand, Celebrían to visit her mother and our children to spend the summer with their grandparents," the Peredhel answered, then laughed and said, "I deem they revel in being doted upon."
"'Tis only with difficulty that I imagine Celeborn and Artanis as doting grandparents, now that Elladan, Elrohir, and Arwen art no longer babes," Helluin mused.
"'Tis not only they, but the folk of the Golden Wood as well," Elrond said, "for they art accustomed to the forms of royalty, having always had a king, as Imladris does not, and so whether with office or no, because of Artanis' status as Princess of the House of Finarfin, my sons art regarded as princes and Arwen as a princess."
Helluin nodded in understanding, for nobility begat nobility even if the title carried not the rule of a realm. Out the windows she marked that the couple now walked side by side with Galor's arm draped 'round Lainiel's shoulders and hers 'round his waist. Their course meandered somewhat, as if neither was truly accustomed to that mode of perambulation.
"Regarding the King of Lórinand," Beinvír asked, breaching a favored topic, "how fare Amroth with Nimrodel? Has their courtship progressed?"
"To that I could answer both 'yea' and 'nay'," Elrond said, "for of late the lady has acknowledged her feelings for him as he hath long declared his for her, yet I have heard of no plans for a royal wedding."
"One step at a time, 't'would seem," the Green Elf said, recalling the lady's peculiar excitability and provincial notions. "And has there been any word from the Greenwood regarding Thranduil and Inthuiril?"
"I have heard only from Arwen the tidings of her grandmother's handmaidens, that they have undertaken to court in earnest. T'would seem the young hunter has long been dear to the Lord of the Greenwood, and she hath found her heart turned to him as well."
"Dost thou know that they art sisters, Nimrodel and Inthuiril?"
At this the Peredhel's eyes widened and he pondered the Green Elf's tidings. Perhaps yet closer ties would be forthcoming 'twixt the Greenwood and the Golden.
And why am I not surprised that t'would be Beinvír and Helluin who would know such facts ere any other, Elrond thought. Were I not duty bound hither, I deem that traveling in their company would be most enjoyable and most informative. Celeborn and Galadriel still tell of their trip to Calenglad and their introduction to the Lord Oldbark. Sometimes I wish I were free to be an explorer and learn my lore firsthand. Ahhh well…
"And I wonder just what they shalt uncover next, for I doubt that their exploration of thy library is done," Beinvír had said as Lainiel and Galor left the dining hall on the 8th.
In fact their readings continued well 'nigh nonstop thereafter, for the Lord Galor was loath to waste such a rare opportunity to read what could be read nowhere else. Natural enough it seemed to him to examine then the records of the next great war, that being The War of the Last Alliance. Having been the defining event upon the Hither Shores that ended the Second Age, that conflict was recorded in several volumes, by several authors. On all the main points these accounts were in agreement, but on the particulars they differed somewhat, for each came of a different point of view.
Perhaps the most important version was contained in E-Narn en Ennin, 'The Tale of the Years', initially penned in Gondor by Saeladan, chief scribe of King Anárion, as a compendium of the history of Númenor, and updated to include the founding of the Realms in Exile with narratives dictated by Anárion and Isildur. A copy had been brought back to Imladris following the war. Upon many added leaves, Elrond had added his perspective on the war, and then amended the contents through T.A. 1460 to keep the volume current.
The second source was E-Ndagoron, 'The Great War', and 'twas the most complete. 'Twas Arnor's official record of the Last Alliance from the Royal Library of Annúminas, beginning with Isildur's account of the fall of Minas Ithil in early Gwirith, S.A. 3429, and ending with the return of King Isildur's squire, named only as Ohtar, (soldier), in late Narbeleth of T.A. 2, bearing the shards of Narsil and tidings of grief.
The third account of the war was provided as a preface to En Erain Arnor, 'The Kings of Arnor'. The original text had been authored o'er many years by various scribes of the North Kingdom, but had been continued from the partition of the realm to the present reign of Araphor by Elrond Peredhel. 'Twas little more than a record of the royal succession, with short synopses of each monarch's life and fate, and Galor had opted to read first the prior two accounts. The remainder of the month of Lothron passed in that pursuit, and 'twas not 'til 4 Nórui that he and Lainiel returned to En Erain Arnor.
That morning they examined a number of folded charts of lineage appended to the text in the back of the book. Traced in full was the descent of the kings, down from the First House of the Edain, following the line of Balan. Thither the names of Balan Bëor, Baran, Boron, Boromir, Bregor, Barahir, Beren, Dior, and Elwing led to Eärendil, Elros Tar-Minyatur, and all the kings of Númenor and the North Kingdom who followed. Upon an associated chart was traced the king's line through Bregolas. Not only was the line of the royal house traced back to antiquity from each House of the Edain and its origins in the First Age, but also the lines of other great families amongst the Exiles from Andúnië. And finally, in a flowing and unfamiliar hand, they found the lineage of Balan's lost son Balar.
Herein is Recorded the Line of Balar
Elder Son of Balan and Right King of Eriador
Thereafter followed the names but recently learnt from the Green Elves, and much else besides; Balar, Baran, Berthir, Baras, Beleg, Berion, Bolger, (king during the founding of Arnor), Brannon, Callon, (king during the War of the Last Alliance), Tuidir, (the last king known to Gwilolrán), then Thavron the Elder, Ivannethron, Iondos, Thavron the Younger, Nathron, Nethronion, Berion II, Terion, Ovror, Narnron, Megligoer, Mánon, Úieithion, Olthor, (king during the partition of Arnor), Redhir, Meldir, (Lord of Celenhár in whose journal Galor had read of the migration of the Perrianath whilst still back in Celenhár), Mánon II, Miluion, Rochben, (a horse breeder and farmer of wheat), Thoror, (who had fenced many a paddock, a trade he'd learnt on his father's horse farm), Tuion, Tuior, (in whose time Rhudaur had been subverted by Angmar), and Ivandir. No further entries had been made, but the Lord Galor could fill in what was lacking; the name of his father, Galion, the previous Lord of Celenhár.
He bolted from the library, charging down the hallway towards the Peredhel's study, the chart held aloft and Lainiel trailing behind. Thither he smote upon the door, crying out with urgency, "my Lord Elrond, I pray thy counsel!"
The Peredhel opened the door to find his guest in a state of high agitation, flushed, wild eyed, and waving a full folio sheet bearing much fine lettering. The Lady Lainiel stood behind him, obviously upset, a look of confusion on her face. 'Twas a shocking turn.
"Whence came this? I must know!" The Lord of Celenhár demanded, waving the sheet before his host so energetically that Elrond had no chance of actually reading the writing it bore.
"Pray calm thyself, my Lord Galor," the Peredhel implored, "and I shalt aid thee as I can."
With effort the Lord of Celenhár forced himself to take a deep breath. He simply could not afford to alienate the Lord of Imladris with rash behavior. Another breath he took and closed his eyes whilst he strove to comport himself as a proper noble. When he opened his eyes he had found a modicum of civility, and with a sigh, began his rede.
"I beg thy pardon, my Lord Elrond. I have allowed a discovery from thy library to discomfit me, yet 'twas wholly unexpected and indeed of great import, at least to me."
"Please come in then and say on," Elrond offered, standing aside and inviting Galor and Lainiel to chairs in his study. He quirked a brow in question at the lady as she passed, but she could only shrug, comprehending not her companion's sudden behavior.
When the lord and lady had seated themselves facing him, the Peredhel took his accustomed chair at his desk and gestured to Galor to lay the sheet out for them all to see. This he did, smoothing the folds from the page, then sheepishly turning it so the writing faced his host. Elrond looked at the lineage chart without recognition. He could read what was writ thither easily enough, but he had no recollection of the document, and he knew from memory well 'nigh all of what his library contained. Yet in this case, even with the object before his eyes, it held no familiarity for him. He shook his head. 'Twas a most confounding turn.
"I find that I have no knowledge of this chart," he said, "and though of great interest, 'tis wholly strange to me. 'Tis notably fine and somewhat antique in the formation of its letters, yet the author's hand is unknown. I am sure I have ne'er laid eyes upon it 'til this moment."
"But how is that possible?" Galor asked in amazement.
Lainiel looked from one to the other. She had little doubt that the Lord Elrond had read every volume in his library…those that he had not penned himself. 'Twas to be expected of an immortal loremaster. She also knew enough of the Elves to know that they forgot 'naught, being able to call forth memories, even those deemed obscure, with but little effort. 'Twas an astonishing turn.
"How it came hither," Elrond said, "that too is a mystery. Pray tell me whither 'twas found and whyfor it hath caused thee such unquiet."
"I found it amongst other charts of lineage, tucked into the back of a book called En Erain Arnor, which chronicles the Kings of Arnor. 'Twas originally penned by many scribes of the North Kingdom, but has been periodically updated after the partition by thyself, for I recognized thy hand. Charts of the lineage of the kings there were too, and then this," Galor said, sweeping his hand o'er the desk.
The Peredhel frowned. He knew this book well. He had even studied the charts of the kings' lineages, for they were kin. But a chart of the lineage of the Kings of Eriador? It had not been present following the coronation of Araphor in 1409, the last time Elrond had amended En Erain Arnor. He was sure of it. Sometime in the past seventy-three years, a whole chart going back to the Second Age had been surreptitiously added to his library by parties unknown. And the chart had been misplaced. It had little to do with the Dúnedain royalty of the North Kingdom. One of the several volumes recounting the history of Eriador would have been far more appropriate. Whosoe'er had planted the chart was likely a stranger to his library, or knew it not intimately, and perhaps was not even an inhabitant of Imladris. The library was neither locked, nor guarded, and access had ne'er been restricted. Still, t'would have been a masterful contrivance, to enter unmarked, find a book of royal lineage in which to plant the document, and then slip away leaving none the wiser. All this passed through Elrond's mind in moments, and he realized that his second question was still unanswered.
With a sigh the Peredhel again asked, "whyfor should this chart have upset thee so, my friend?"
"Because the last name upon it is my grandfather, Ivandir, first Lord of Celenhár after the subversion of Rhudaur by Angmar," Galor said with remarkable calm. "The chart lacks only the names of my father, Galion, and mine."
Lainiel gasped in shock and Elrond's eyes grew wide.
After a moment he asked, just to be sure, "so thou art the right King of Eriador?"
"According to this," Galor said with a shrug, "for the earliest names agree with those told to us by Gwilolrán Laiquende whilst returning from a raid in '72."
To this, Lainiel nodded in agreement, pointing to the chart and saying, "the names of the kings following Tuidir in the early Third Age were unknown to Gwilolrán."
"The names of those from Thoror forward art known to me as family history," Galor said, "and the chance of the same names appearing in the same order for four generations is slight at best."
Elrond nodded in agreement. Such a chance was slight indeed. Then with a dip of his head he slid his writing set 'cross the desk and said to the Lord of Celenhár, "t'would be fitting that thou amend this chart to make it current and correct, my lord king."
'Twas in a state of shock that Galor took up the proffered pen and dipped it into the well of ink, but 'twas many long moments ere he could still his shaking hand. All felt unreal to him. Finally, following two aborted attempts in which he withdrew abruptly ere setting pen to page, he lettered in his economical script the missing names and years in office; Galion, Lord of Celenhár 1419-1467, and Galor, Lord of Celenhár 1467- .
Elrond blotted the ink and nodded in approval; the chart was current and correct, and though Galor was competent at his letters, his hand was not close in elegance to the masterful calligraphy practiced by the original author of the list. Indeed even in Imladris, he knew of few who could have rendered their letters so fine.
The Peredhel removed the chart to the safety of a sideboard and then rang a small bell. In moments a buior¹ rapped upon the door, and at a word, opened it. ¹(buior, servant = buio-(v. serve) + -or(agent suff, n on v) lit trans server Sindarin)
"Pray bring us a bottle of the '29 Dorwinion Parchúr¹, with three flutes and some fine cakes. We have a toast to celebrate." ¹(Parchúr, Extra Dry = parch(dry) + -úr(intensive agent suff, n on adj), Extra dry or Brut by modern standards for sparkling wines Sindarin)
With a shallow bow the buior disappeared and Elrond smiled 'cross his desk at the two mortals.
And the Lady Lainiel smiled and said, "t'would seem thou art a high lord indeed, as well as the lord of an ancient town. My congratulations, Lord Galor, Aran Eriador."
As in any small community, the joyous tidings spread quickly, (probably by word of the buior, who had lingered to hear the toast after returning with the refreshments), and by the dinner hour well 'nigh everyone in Imladris knew. 'Twas thus that upon 4 Nórui, 1482, a great feast was held to celebrate the recognition of the long lost King of Eriador, whose title was renewed after 1,400 years of obscurity by chance and conspirators unknown.
Now following the official announcement and toasting at the feast, Elrond spoke with Helluin and Beinvír at table whilst Lainiel graced King Galor with a dance.
"Mildis nín, I have need of thy aid and counsel, for a mystery attends the revelations regarding King Galor's lineage," he said. "The chart upon which his claim is based has come into my library from sources unknown, was penned by an author unknown, and appeared at a time unknown through the actions of an agent unknown."
To this Helluin groaned and Beinvír blinked in surprise whilst subtly ticking off the factors unknown upon her fingers.
"I find that I am curious," the Peredhel said as an understatement. In fact he had been wracking his brain o'er the mystery all day and had concluded 'naught.
"We shalt be glad to aid thee as we can," said the Green Elf doubtfully.
"Pray tell us first what is known, meldir nín," Helluin suggested.
Though they could read and write in several languages and scripts, neither of them had personally written, or owned a book in all the long years of their lives. Such histories as mentioned them, including those chronicling Helluin's explorations with Vëantur, had been set down by historians, or dictated to scribes.
"The document appeared at some time during the last seventy-three years," Elrond began.
Helluin nodded, straight-faced, showing her appreciation for this helpful clue, whilst Beinvír resisted the temptation to roll her eyes.
O'er 26,600 days…not so very many possibilities really, the Green Elf thought.
To be Continued