Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR characters, whose births are credited to J.R.R. Tolkien.
"Lyraniel, what is your interpretation?" Gandalf the Grey's voice pierces through my muddled thoughts. He sits across from me, waiting to hear the results of my readings of the future. Arwen, Elrond, and Aragorn sit with us on the round table. I make eye contact with Aragorn, getting him ready to interpret.
There are only so many things I can see, I sign. There will be many variables involved in this journey. People change over time, the future is not set in stone.
Gandalf watches my hands. "Aragorn, what does she say?"
"She says she cannot see a definite outcome to our journey. There are too many uncertain circumstances and too much time to see," he answers.
Gandalf turns to me. "What about the beginning of the Fellowship?" he asks. "What can you see about the beginning?"
The Fellowship refers to the party of inter-racial relationships the Council hopes to establish as part of the plan to defeat Sauron. They intend to have the One Ring destroyed, weakening the Dark Lord enough for me to take back my tongue. But to destroy the Ring, one must deliver it to the fires of Mount Doom, where it was forged, in Mordor. A strong, united party is needed for such a journey: that is the Fellowship.
I sign to Aragorn, Hardships are ahead. The Enemy will send his forces against you. Beware of darkness and of betrayal. No matter what, you must continue your journey. Sacrifices made must not be in vain.
As Aragorn translates, my mind wanders back to what had happened in the council room.
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*FLASHBACK*
"Her tongue?!" Gimli cried. "Master Elf, please explain what you mean by 'her tongue'!"
"I mean exactly what I said, Gimli," Elrond said calmly. "Sauron took her tongue. I do not know how he managed to extract that appendage from a heavenly being, but he did."
"Why is her tongue important? Why take only the tongue?" Gimli asked.
"Lady Lyraniel taught languages to all the races and animals alike, and her greatest power was over sound. The tongue is most important when speaking, and Lyraniel used to be able to control things with ease through her singing commands. She channeled much of her power through her tongue to be able to do so, so her tongue became a strong adapter for power. Sauron realized this, and wanting to use some of her powers, he realized that he would need to take her tongue," Elrond explained. "I know not of what powers he has gained now, but it is clear that Lyraniel's power has been halved, and she can no longer use her power as freely as she once did."
"But that still does not explain why she has not yet fought against Sauron. If you say that she is the one who can defeat the dark lord, why hasn't she already? You say her power is being eaten by the darkness in this world, so why risk waiting thousands of years of rot to strike?" Boromir asked.
"The lady has fought for us," Legolas son of Thranduil interjected before Elrond could respond. "My father, King Thranduil has oft told me of her battle prowress back in the First War of the Ring, how she wiped out scores of orcs with just one note. He told me that the power of Lady Lyraniel is not to be trifled with."
"And yet Sauron still lives," Boromir said.
"The creation of the One Ring was an unexpected event we were not prepared for," Elrond said. "With the Ring, Sauron's power grew even more, overpowering Lyraniel's own halved power. Through the Great Alliance she was able to draw out the dark lord from this throne and weaken him enough for Isildur to cut the ring from his finger."
He looked at Aragorn. "You wonder how Isildur and the men around him survived the worst of the dark lord's power. Lyraniel protected them, shielding them and suppressing Sauron's evil. It is a feat that may be impossible for her now."
He turned back to look every council member. "The greatest mistake was made by me, that day," he said sorrowfully. "I allowed Isildur to leave Mordor without destroying the Ring. This tarnished the trust Lyraniel had with Men, and she has stayed with us Elves since then. After his death, I sent out scouts to search for it. It escaped our advances, and Lyraniel has been wasting away here, for thousands of years. She cannot return to her home without her full power, and she can only regain that full power when the Ring is destroyed, destroying Sauron as well and releasing the magic trapped by him."
Gandalf walked forward. "I hope you do not mind me asking, Master Elrond, but there is one thing that has bothered me. You say that Sauron is in possession of the Skyling's tongue, but the magic cannot be retrieved until he is dead. What happened to her tongue? If it remained a magical object, would it not be able to be stolen? The only energy that can be released upon destruction is energy that...has been..." Gandalf's eyes widened. "No...he could not have...you mean to say..." He looked to me and asked me. "He consumed it?"
I nodded. "Whole," I croaked with some effort. The harsh sound of my voice caused him to flinch. I made Aragorn translate again.
"Sauron took the tongue and ate it raw in front of her. He had her subdued and tortured before having her watch the spectacle." Some Men hurried from the room, retches echoing in the tall corridors.
I signed to Aragorn and he said to the council, "The lady says that though her power has been halved, she still has some measure of power over sound. That will be her greatest weapon in the fight. She hopes that once again, an alliance can be made to destroy Sauron once and for all."
The council agreed, and the Fellowship was formed. With some little eavesdroppers tagging along as well.
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Aragorn touches me lightly. I jump a little, and turn to his face. He was asking me a question. "Lady Lyraniel, are you well? Your complexion is pale." I nod, not wanting to speak further.
"Lady Lyraniel, thank you for doing this." Gandalf says. I turn my attention towards him. "This time, we will not fail, and you will return home again."
