Chapter 105
I found her in one of the dormitories in the House Of Healing doing her round of those who lay within, in the company of one of the elder leeches. She was dressed in the pale smock and cap that they all wore by custom and carried a scrip full of medicinal materials at her waist, and I was able to observe her unnoticed for a little while as she worked calmly and effectively. When I was finally observed she broke into a radiant smile, said a few words to her colleague and came over to where I had been standing in the doorway and we embraced. "I hoped you would come" she said simply "and I see you are well. Once I have finished these rounds my work here is done for the day, if you will wait for me below I will not keep you waiting long". She was a beautiful as ever, her face full of happiness and her manner poised and confident, and once again my feelings for her were stirred as I knew they would be. But they no longer troubled me, for I had long since reconciled myself to them.
A short while later we stood upon the walls looking eastward, while the chilly autumnal wind tugged at our cloaks. The shadows were lengthening over the empty lands below, the evening light staining them orange and I stood at her side with my arm about her shoulders once again. This time I knew I would not falter but would open my heart to her for good or ill. "Elien" I asked her gently "I hope I do not ask something impertinent of you, but you once told me that your heart was given to one who could not return your love, who was he?" She turned towards me and smiled wistfully. "Nay, it is not impertinent of you, for we are old friends who have lived through much together and there can be no secrets between us. He was someone I came to know in Lastbridge, a fine man, strong and true and unlike so many of the others there who were devious and cruel. His humble origins would have made it impossible, but if I had been able to have his hand rather than that of Berthedir and the crown had passed to him instead perhaps much of what passed thereafter might have been averted. But his heart was given to another". I wondered who it could have been, Daeron perhaps, and I gathered myself and continued. "My lady, our days may be short and so I am compelled to speak plainly. I too gave my heart to another and I too lost them. Now we both find ourselves here, alone and far from everything that was once familiar to us, surely it cannot be wrong to accept the chance of any small amount of happiness that may come our way in these dark days? For whoever this man was that you gave your heart to so utterly, he is gone, but I am not, I remain at your side and say that I love you Elien of Rhudaur, if you will have me in his stead".
To my initial horror and dismay her first reaction to laugh, but then her laughter was instantly followed by happy tears and she flung her arms around my neck and kissed me. "Oh you sweet fool" she exclaimed "of whom did you think I spoke? For I have loved you since the day we first met, but as your heart was given to my dearest Idhrethil I did all within my power to bring the two of you together and allow you the happiness I could never know. And then we lost her, and have grieved for her all these long years, and though I loved you still I could not dare presume that you could ever bring yourself to love another or that my feelings would ever be returned other than as a friend and companion. So I say to you too that I love you, Esteldir of Northford". Then I too wept a few tears of happiness of my own. We remained there long on the wall as the wind whipped up and night began to fall, before returning to the halls, filled with a happiness neither of us had dared hope we would ever know again. From that day forward we were pledged to each other, and brought each other much solace and comfort during many times of great danger and hardship in the years that followed. But thought it may have been considered unseemly by some we were never wed, for as Elien said we had already made other vows to duty that came first. Those duties often meant we were separated, and as a result our time together was made all the more precious by the knowledge that every parting that would follow might be our last.
King Malvegil passed away the following year after reigning over the kingdom for seventy seven years and he was greatly mourned, for his rule had been wise and just and the land had prospered greatly under his guidance. He was laid to rest with great ceremony among his forefathers at Fornost, but this time it was rightly Norchon who was chosen to represent the exiles and I remained with Eryndir in command at Amon Perin. After the funeral sadness turned to joy and the new King was crowned in a great ceremony accompanied by much feasting and celebration, for Argeleb had taken the title of King of Arnor renewed rather than Arthedain, and the Princes of Cardolan swore allegiance to him and relinquished their own claims to sovereignty. It was naturally to Rhudaur that he next turned his attention, and a few months later when he came south to Amon Sul I was surprised and flattered to be summoned to the tower, for he wished to speak with me again.
I was shown into the same room where we had met thirteen years earlier, and the scene was very much the same as it had been then, although Argeleb now wore a finer raiment along with a silver circlet on his brow. Otherwise he remained unchanged to look upon, and after I did my obeisance to him he put me at my ease and introduced me to his companions. Norgalad I was already familiar with, but the other, a gaunt looking man of advancing years with eyes that spoke of great intelligence and compassion was new to me and I assumed he had travelled with the King's party from Fornost. He was introduced to me as Lord Saelon, one of the King's most trusted and experience counsellors, and I immediately took a liking to him. After asking after my wellbeing the King quickly came to the matter in hand. "Esteldir, as you may recall my greatest desire has always been to reunite the sundered Kingdoms of Arnor for the betterment of all its peoples. Rhudaur has always stood apart, and the events of the last few years have made it even less likely that our offer will now be heard favourably. But now I have come into my Kingship I must at least make the attempt even if it is likely that it will be rebuffed, and so I intend to send an embassy to Lastbridge to offer our terms to the Hillman King. Lord Saelon has offered to act as my envoy, but few if any can match your knowledge of that land and its people, for you also speak the Hill Tongue and would be able to greatly aid him in his task. However I will not command you or any other to take part in this enterprise for it may well be perilous, so all those who take part must expressly do so of their own free will. We have had no commerce with Lastbridge and do not even know whether they will still respect a flag of parley, nor do we know how much influence Angmar now wields there. So I will think no less of any man who chooses not to take part, least of all one from your renowned Company. What say you? Do you require some time to consider this matter?" I shook my head and replied without hesitation."Nay my Lord King, I will do this thing you ask of me".
Two days later we set off for Amon Perin, and Lord Saelon and I were accompanied by a small escort of mounted knights led by my old friend Amdir. It had been a wrench to be parted from Elien again so soon, but she was sanguine and told me that in my position she would have done just as I had. The first part of the journey passed pleasantly enough, for as I had suspected Saelon turned out to be a most satisfactory travelling companion, a man of rare wit with an immense knowledge of many diverse subjects. From him I learned a great deal regarding the history and policies of Arthedain, and he was keen to learn as much as he could from me regarding Rhudaur, though he already seemed to be uncommonly well versed on the subject. I also enjoyed Amdir's company, and the irony of the situation we now found ourselves in was not lost on us, for he had once escorted my embassy westward from Rhudaur and now we rode to the same purpose in the opposite direction.
After spending a night in the familiar surroundings of Amon Perin we continued our journey into the empty lands beyond, and met a party of dwarves marching westward who told us they had seen nothing amiss along the road or during their passage through Lastbridge. Our mood could not help become increasingly sombre however as we began to near our destination, especially after we had paused for a while by the grave of Idhrethil and all the others who had died that fateful day. My grief for her was all the sharper given the happiness I had lately felt with Elien, and I realised with a pang that this would be the first time that I would reach Lastbridge and she would not be there waiting for me. Saelon, seeing my discomfiture offered me words of comfort as we rested later that night, and then listened with interest and kindness to the long tale of our doomed love. "You have endured much" he told me when I had done "now let us see if we can ensure that at least some small part of it might not have been in vain, and attempt to bring lasting peace to these long suffering lands".
Our rest was untroubled that night, and when we returned to the road in the morning no guard or patrol hindered our progress until we reach the towers of the West Gate. The gates themselves were resolutely shut against us, and though we reached them only a few hours after sunrise they were not opened before nearly noon, for the guards must have sent for instruction to the citadel. But we were not fired upon from the walls, and none assailed us as we entered under the familiar stonework of the arch, so it was as auspicious a beginning to our embassy as we could possibly have hoped for.