1556

"He wants to speak to you;" the orc said.

Annatar walked to the cell, where his prisoner was captive. He looked in through the tight grid in the iron door. The room was dark only a small beam of light came from a crack in the ceiling. A person was sitting at the floor; in front of him lay a small black lump.

"33 years is a long time in solitude;" Annatar said.

"Will you keep your promise and leave the humans to rule themselves?" the prisoner said.

"I will, but the doors here remains closed until your work is done" Annatar said. He lifted a chain, so it could be seen from within the cell. "-and you will stay chained to me while working!"

"I accept;" the small man said with a low voice.

"Vice choice! I was close to start a search for another candidate, but I could not let you go as I saw lots of potential in you. In time, you will look back and understand this, at the latest when you unite all of men under you, and you will look back on me with gratitude."

Thus, Annatar worked with the human for nine years. They put everything they knew into their creations until the nine rings of men were finished.

Annatar took them to the cell with the little man and unchained him. He let the two heavily armed orcs guard the door, but did not close it. He laid the rings on a plain wooden table, and lighted candles to make the cell less scary. The rings had no stones and seems to be made of simple iron, but they were not. They were impervious to damage.

"You have kept your promise for that I thank you!" Annatar said; "I will keep my to you!"

The little man looked at the two orcs in the doorway, to question Annatars will. Annatar made sign for the orcs to step away from the door.

"You knew about my knowledge, please tell me where you obtain yours?" the little man asked.

Annatar answered honestly; "Before the sun rose, I had the same more knowledge than any orc. I obtained more from the Avari, including what you knew. However, the majority I learned from the glorious Celebrimbor the most knowledgeable of the Eldar in Middle Earth."

The little man answered; "You know a lot! -and you believe knowledge will give you power over others, but you are wrong, because you do not have more of this!" He lifter a ring and held it in front of Annatar in a threatening manner.

Annatar did not reaction, but the orcs in the room got nervous and grab the handle of their weapons.

"Did you knew this?" the little man asked. He quickly let the ring fall onto his finger, within a blink of an eye he vanished before Annatar and the orcs.

Before anyone could react, the ring on the table vanished one-by-one as an invisible force consumed them.

The orcs started to react, they screamed; one ran to the table, the other to the doorway. They looked in panic around the room.

Annatar stayed calm; "Relax, he was faster than you. He is not in the cell anymore."

The orcs was about to run after him, but awaited Annatars orders.

"Let him run!" Annatar said; "what he carries will come back to me. He cannot destroy them, and I will know where to find them.

"He did not know that I hold similar power in my other hand;" He showed the other half of the silima from Valinor.

In Numenor, the majority of the population of the capital as well as many others had gathered in the streets below the King House. This was the day when Tar-Surion would pass the scepter to his daughter Telperien.

Surion was standing at the top of the stairs leading to the King House together Telperien.

He stepped forward and raised his hands.

"People of Numenor I salute you!" Surion shouted.

"I present to you your new queen!"

Telperien stepped forward and stood with his father.

"She is Tar-Telperien"

The people cheered and then began to repeat the name of the new queen.

Surion turned towards his daughter with a smile; he handed her the stick.

Telperien took the scepter, and without speaking, she went down the stairs to the people. At the bottom of the stairs Isilmo was standing. The sister and brother started walking up the path leading to the top of Meneltarma.

The people looked at them; then most of them started to follow their new queen. Many of them started to sing as they started their journey.

Surion stood at the top of the stairs watching his daughter lead the Numenoreans. He then looked down the stairs and saw Minastir approaching him with a smile.

"So my grandchild does not want another chance to spot the tower in Avallone?" He asked.

Minastir answered; "In time, my lord, I will see this, but first I will make myself worthy of this present."