Loose Ends
by
halavana, aka Laura White
In the privacy of his own chambers, Annatar congratulated himself on his astute handling of that elf. Though he planned to depart as soon as the spell of silence took hold, he soon thought how much better would it be to leave less mysteriously. A missing goblet and elven ring on the same day he should disappear would instantly cast suspicion upon him. Now, with the help of Morfindel's ring and the spell of concealment he placed upon it, the other elven smiths thought Morfindel suffered from some derangement left over from Fëanor and his sons, and that marvelous, magnificently tragic oath they swore. Celebrimbor had long since distanced himself from the line of his father and now was all too willing to discount his cousin's distress as guilt from the past. After all, he had taken no part in the Kinslaying, while Morfindel had obeyed Caranthir, his father, using a sword more skillfully than expected from one so young. With precision, Annatar had taken all those attributes he most admired in Morfindel and used them against him. Was he not defiant of so many known and accepted customs of Ost-in-Edhel? And his carousing with his children, an embarrassment to his proud Noldorin kin? And what of this continued bearing of children? Was it not most unseemly in an elf of his position? These were merely symptoms of a much deeper ailment, he had reasoned, and watched the heads nod assent.
Deftly, Annatar squeezed the goblet he took from the smithy, kneading it until it appeared as no more than a lump of unrefined gold, and placed it in a pouch beneath his robes. Only one thing yet remained, but his open attempts to visit the stricken elf were met with even more vehement refusal after Lurisa's arrival. So he again made his way along the narrow walkways between the buildings to a familiar balcony near the southwest corner of Ost-in-Edhel. He had watched the goings on within the chamber on the other side of the balcony door, silently trying to figure a way to pass through that confounded hedge which sprang up between him and his quarry, and at last Annatar was convinced he knew exactly what could remedy the situation. Still he could not enter, but that mattered not any more. The elf was fully clothed now, and bandaged, his hair neatly braided. Even his demeanor was less desperate. Lurisa certainly knew how to take care of her own, Annatar mused. Completely unsurprised, the elf merely glared at him from his couch.
"Really, we must come to some agreement," began Annatar reasonably. "You realize that we can't allow anyone to know my true identity as long as they hold such limited views of my good will. You must realize also that if your wife and children discover my identity, I can not guarantee their well-being, or that of anyone else who may discover this news should they share this information with others. However, if you prevent them from discovering what you know, it will keep them safe. Therefore, if you should stop trying to tell them, no harm will come to them." The stricken look on the elf's face after hearing the proposal revealed his answer before he gave it. With downcast eyes, the elf said, "I will be silent." Though he used only movement of his lips to speak, Annatar heard him quite clearly.
"You are wise," replied Annatar. "I am a fool!" responded Morfindel, once again glaring at his enemy.
"Come now, be not so morose. In time you will find me a worthy ally..."
"Be gone!" shouted the elf, surprising Annatar with the power and force of his voice. Slowly approaching the doors of the balcony, speaking in a hoarse whisper but heard in a voice that resonated through Annatar's mind like a bell in a closed tower, Morfindel continued, "If silence is the price I must pay to insure the safety of those I love, so be it, but never mistake me for your ally on that account!" So saying, Morfindel slammed the balcony shutters in Annatar's face.
Normally, Annatar would have been enraged at such an affront, but recognizing it for the futile gesture it was, he merely fumed silently and returned to his rooms the way he had come. He had what he wanted - Morfindel's sworn silence on the subject of Annatar's identity, and the elf knew he must keep his word, though he would continue to fight the spell of silence with increasing success no doubt. The elf remembered too well the scenes Annatar showed him of what would happen to his wife and children if they discovered the truth. Now it was truly time to depart.
Earlier in the day, Annatar had spoken to Celebrimbor of his intentions and was pleased with the sadness in the elf lord's voice. No need to make another appearance at the smithy or treasury. As if going for another of his strolls through the city, he ambled the byways he was used to frequenting, making his way to the western gate. Many greeted him as he passed and he returned their salutations. Galadriel held court in an oaken grove not far from the gate but he did not so much as acknowledge her. When he came to the River Glanduin, he took the form of a great swan and with surging wings rose high into the air, beyond the sight of even the keenest eyed elf. Turning back briefly, he cast off all physical form, except that needed to grasp the gold, and sped southward to Mordor.