I think that one of the major sources of conflict between the elves and the Númenoreans comes from my people not valuing the contributions of the elves to our society enough. True, right now they elves aren't giving us much, and it has been that way for over a millennium now. However, in the past the elves were our main source of technology, trade, and culture.
Until around 1700 SA, the elves were the dominant race in northern Endor. They were superior in technological terms due to the innovations of the elves Eregion and their then-strong alliance with the dwarves of Khazad-dûm. They possessed superior physical talents to the Men of Endor and at that point they still had large numbers. The elves also controlled the markets with their superior quality goods.
Two major events destroyed the elves' control of Eriador. The first event occurred sometime between 700 and 900 SA. At this point, a group of elves presumed to be from Eregion broke away from the other elves of that region and began committing a variety of atrocious crimes against the Men of Eriador. However, the Men rose up against them and destroyed these elves. From that point on, many of the Men of Endor treated the elves and Númenoreans with suspicion or even outright hatred.
The second event occurred around 1700. It was around this time that Celebrimbor discovered that Annatar had betrayed them and was in fact, Sauron. Sauron created his Ring and attacked the elves of Eriador. Instantly, the entire region was thrown into chaos. The elves' control over the region had been slipping for the last millennium as the humans grew to resent their control more and more. In addition, most of Eregion's focus for the past century or two had been on the rings of power, weakening the technological strength of the elves. Finally, already many elves were sailing to Valinor, decreasing the numbers even further.
When Sauron attacked, many tribes of Men took their chance and sided with him against the elves. Although some joined with the elves, many of those Men were slaughtered in the ensuing battles. The following conflict lasted for generations and was ended in part because of the timely intervention of Númenor (although Sauron was still dominant outside of Eriador). Many of the remaining Men fled Eriador, leaving a very desolate land.
The elves, having been devastated by the war and having lost Eregion and most of their market, suffered greatly. Before, they had been Númenor's source for pretty much everything. Númenorean technology was based off of elvish innovation. The elves were able to sell their goods in Númenor because their goods sold so well in Eriador. Even the language of Númenor, Adunaic, was based in part off of Sindarin.
Now, the elves fell behind. Númenor became the supplier of the elves. It was expected that this wouldn't be a long-lasting agreement, but the elves unfortunately never truly recovered from the devastating war. Númenor was helping them out more and more without any gain, while the elves attempted to maintain cultural superiority.
I suspect that this is one of the main reasons that we ended up severing ties with the elves, in addition to their ties with Valinor. Without them, we got by better economically; although I would argue we did worse spiritually. The elves, for their part, finally made that recover we kept expecting them to make and were able to survive without us. I suspect, however, that they view what we did as abandonment.
I seem to have rambled slightly. The point I was attempting to make is that many undervalue the earlier contributions of the elves. Beyond the things that I highlighted above, the elves also sent us many papers about natural history, magic theory, art, mathematics, and philosophy. Of most interest to me was natural history, specifically about the possibility of other sentient creatures on Arda.
Yes, now you see were I was going with this tirade. Tar-Palantir finally uncovered the papers I was looking for. Over two millennia ago, a pair of famous elven researchers (well, famous to nerds like myself anyway), Golwendir and Saeldas took a journey farther away from Eriador than any other elf living there. They headed south to the far depths of Harad, exploring many features of that land along the way. Their expedition took nearly 100 years, and many feared that they had been lost and were not going to return.
However, they did eventually return. Their discoveries caused a flurry in the scientific world. However, there were strong traditionalist sentiments among the elves at this time, and most of the ideas were crushed before they could escape Eriador. However, a few reports did manage to make their way here. It is these reports that I examine today.
From the Abridged Journals of Arnuzîr
Peladin awoke early that morning, even earlier than Sirilfa, although she was usually the light sleeper. Aulenmir's sudden departure weighed uneasily on his mind and had not slept well in general. He also had no idea what to do. Aulenmir had given them instructions on how to survive, but not how they should entertain themselves. Peladin was so preoccupied by his own worries that he nearly tripped over Noldolma.
She sat up at once, giving him her usually doggy grin. She wagged her tail and walked off. Peladin felt oddly compelled to follow her. She led him to another strange bookshelf, where he discovered yet another one of Aulenmir's letters.
Dear Peladin and Sirilfa,
This should be the second letter that you discover. If Noldolma led you to it, again, make sure you tell her how good of a dog she is! I hope you two survived your first day without your uncle just fine. I should be back shortly, although I don't know exactly what it is that the Ephûl want me to do.
In the meanwhile, there are a few things that you can do. First of all, there should be plenty of food, so make sure the two of you are eating regularly. Second, if you have the spare time you should attempt to get the snares working again, just so that it is one less thing for me to worry about on my return. Finally, the most important thing is that you continue with the Tale of Aldarion and Erendis. We need to finish that before your mother returns, after all.
Obviously, it will be difficult to continue it without me there, and I regret that you will not have me to read it to you. On the other hand, think of how much better a storyteller you will become! You will find a book that has the Tale on the second shelf, bound in maroon.
~Uncle Aulenmir
Peladin lowered the letter and stared thoughtfully at Noldolma. "Awfully convenient that Aulenmir would leave all these letters behind, innit?" There was, of course, no response. "And it's interestin' that he would have just the right book." The silence that followed this observation was one of the quietest ever experienced. "And isn't funny how you just happen to lead me to these letters?" There was a sudden more-than-silence, as if the universe itself had gone utterly still in order to show how pointedly it was ignoring Peladin's inquiries.
Noldolma just sat there, giving off her cheerful doggy grin. All concerns were banished from Peladin's mind and he went to get out some bread for breakfast. Sirilfa soon woke up and was too tired to register surprise that he was up. She quickly vacuumed up her breakfast and asked Peladin what they were doing today.
Peladin held up the letter. "Looks like Aulenmir left us another letter." Sirilfa was about to ask how he could have done that when Noldolma nudged her leg with her cold wet nose. Sirilfa shrieked with glee and all questions were forgotten. Irked by the interruption, Peladin waited impatiently for Sirilfa to calm down. He then continued, "Looks like we are going to be reading a lot about Aldarion and Erendis today. Are you ready?"
"Oh, yes!" said Sirilfa. As soon as they had cleaned up from breakfast, Peladin started.
All of Númenor relaxed once they heard that Aldarion and Erendis were finally getting married. At long last, after far too many years of arguing and fighting (and a betrothal that lasted much too long, everyone agreed) the two of them had put their issues behind and were getting married.
In the spring of the year 870 SA, the two were married to the greatest celebration Númenor had ever seen. People sang gaily at the sight of the new couple, and all of Armenelos was transformed, as though by magic, into a place of celebration and merriness. After riding through Armenelos, Aldarion and Erendis toured the island, making sure to visit the forests and the coasts in equal measure.
They ended their tour in Andúnië, where Valandil, lord of that land, greeted them warmly. The people of western Númenor also greeted them, for Erendis was a westerner and they were glad that she had become queen. Valandil announced that the next day Erendis and Aldarion would have one last wedding feast.
Aldarion and Erendis rested for the remainder of that day, and awoke early the next morning. There, they were privy to a sight that would become more and more rare over the next few millennia, until it no longer came. In the sea, out to the west, there was a beautiful ship the likes of which Númenor could never build. It was speeding into the harbor, faster than any other ship in the world.
"Look, Erendis, it is a ship of the Eldar!" cried Aldarion. Hearing him, Erendis turned and beheld a magnificent ship, with gulls circling around it and sails that glimmered with a silvery light. The elves had come to grace Aldarion's wedding, for they had ever been friends of the western Númenoreans. Many flowers they brought to adorn the feast: golden elanor and sweet lissuin. They also brought many Telerin minstrels, who are surpassed by none musically save for Maglor son of Fëanor, and he is lost.
Despite the beauty of the fair elves, all those who sat at that table recalled afterward that Erendis was the most splendid sight to behold. Many compared her to Morwen, wife of Húrin, or even to one of the Calaquenya. A few compared her to Lúthien but these people were undoubtedly flattering her to gain favor with Aldarion.
The Eldar brought wedding gifts to the couple. To Aldarion they gave a beautiful sapling tree of many properties. It had white bark and its trunk was strong like steel. Aldarion remarked that a tree like that must have fine wood indeed. The elves were puzzled by this comment, for they did not see why one would cut down so fine a tree.
To Erendis the Eldar gave a pair of grey birds with golden beaks. They sang many sweet melodies together, but they never sang separately and if they were separated they tried to get back together as soon as possible. Such birds were only found in Valinor, and the fact that the Eldar would take some outside of Valinor was a sign of great respect. It is sad how this relationship deteriorated so much in the latter days of Valinor.
The Eldar said that the birds had been instructed to remain with Erendis throughout her entire life. Indeed, they stayed by her side when she slept at Andúnië and later she saw them again when she and Aldarion returned to her home. At last, they bade farewell to the parents of Erendis, who wished them many long years of happiness, and rode back to Armenelos, where Meneldur wished they would dwell. In Armenelos, a house was built in the massive palace gardens, and there the sapling was planted and the birds sang.
It was not until two years afterwards that Erendis first bore Aldarion a daughter. The child was a beauty even when she was an infant, and she blossomed as she grew older. It is often said that of the royal house of Númenor none were fairer save Ar-Zimraphel, the last Queen of Númenor. The child was named Ancalimë, which literally means "bright beyond measure".
Erendis was glad that she had Ancalimë, for she believed that Aldarion would stay with her for a long time to ensure that he also had a son as his heir. Erendis still was concerned by the grasp that the Sea had upon his heart, though she strove to hide it. While she would often talk to him about his old ventures and journeys, she found herself filled with jealousy every time he went to the shipyards or to the headquarters of the guild of Ventures. Aldarion once asked her to accompany him on a small voyage, but he saw that she was not willing to do that and did not ask again.
Erendis did have reason to be afraid, for it was true that Aldarion also loved the sea. After five years he once again busied himself with his duties as Master of Forests. Erendis was not glad at all to know that he was felling her beloved trees once more, nor that he was away from her and their bed so often.
There was sufficient timber in Númenor, largely thanks to Aldarion's skill. However, the increase in supplies meant that people desired more things, which in turn made people want more supplies. And although many in Númenor also made things of stone and things of metal, people often desired things of wood more.
It could be that perhaps the people of Númenor felt closer to wood than rock, for more of the island could be described as woody than as rocky. Perhaps it was because the skills of metallurgy were yet to be gleamed from the elves, while even then Númenorean carpentry was beginning to exceed elven carpentry. Whatever the reason, the demand for timber was great.
Aldarion thought for future generations at this time, and made sure that plenty of trees were planted in place of those that were cut down. He also planned to have new trees planted where none had ever been grown before, and to grow new varieties of trees brought from Endor and from Valinor. During this time the people of the island began to see that he would make a wise and farseeing King. However, Erendis noticed that he did not care for the trees themselves, but rather for the timber that could be gained from them.
Aldarion was similarly far-sighted when it came to the sea. He did not love the sea because he loved the winds or the waves or even exploration, but rather because he had a deep-rooted desire in his mind; a dream that he longed to fulfill. This was Núneth's theory, anyway. Aldarion believed that a time would come when the people of Númenor wished for more land and wealth. He dreamt, therefore, of Númenor's future glory and grandness and the majesty of its imperial kings.
He decided to make footholds in Endor to make the job of these Kings easier. He then turned away from forestry and to the building of ships. He dreamt again, this time of a massive ship with great sails and a grand mast. He ordered a great wooden hull, which many called Turuphanto (Wooden Whale), to be made amidst the lesser ships that were being built in Rómenna.
Erendis, hearing of these things, was displeased, as you can well imagine. She was also irked that Aldarion had not spoken to her of these things himself, and it was probably a poor decision on his part, for she would have almost certainly taken the news at least a little better from him. She spoke to him one day, asking him why he was now spending so much time with his ships than with her and Ancalimë. "Have you not cut enough trees and made enough ships this year, O Lord of the Havens?" she asked in a light tone.
Aldarion replied, "I must have something to do with myself, even though I may have a pretty wife and a lovely daughter." He also spoke lightly. However, neither of them continued the conversation any further, nor did either of them bring it up again in the next few years.
Nearly four years had passed since Ancalimë's birth when Aldarion professed his desire to sail the seas again to Erendis. She had already long since guessed at his desire, and knew that to contradict him would be a waster effort. He stayed until Ancalimë's fourth birthday and made her very happy on that day. They laughed and were merry, though many others were not, for they knew Aldarion's mind. Ancalimë asked Aldarion where he planned to take her next summer, saying that she would especially love the farms and the sheep-lands that Erendis spoke of. Aldarion said nothing to her, and left the house for several days to prepare for his voyage.
He then bade Erendis farewell, and against her will she shed tears at his parting. It grieved Aldarion to see Erendis so distraught at his leaving. However, he was also somewhat annoyed, for she was weakening his resolve. He hardened his heart and said, "Do not mourn so, Erendis. You could not have hoped to bind forever a prince, and moreover a descendant of Tuor and Eärendil. Do not worry; I go not to my death. Before you can miss me, I will return."
"You will be back that soon? I very much doubt that, for I miss you already. Do not be so flippant about the passing of time, for it is unrelenting and our time will be gone before you know. My time especially is shorter than yours, and soon there will be no chance for my children; for your heir. Too often is my bed cold!"
"Sometimes, I think that you prefer it that way, so as to make things gentler in the end. Fear not though, my sweet love. You are beautiful and look ever young yet. I only ask from you two short years, and nothing more!"
"You do not ask; you demand, knowing that I will comply. Take your two years, Aldarion, Lord of the Havens, if you will! But see to it that you keep to your word, as a man of Eärendil's blood should.
The next morning he departed in speed, taking time only for a quick goodbye to Ancalimë, who did not wish for him to go. However, he did leave, departing on his great ship from the port of Rómenna. He named his ship Hirilondë, which means Haven-finder, though many still preferred Wooden Whale. Hirilondë departed from Rómenna without the King's blessing and Erendis did not place the Bough of Return or in any acknowledge the departure. The captain's wife ended up placing the oiolairë, much to Aldarion's consternation.
Erendis grieved alone in her chambers for she did miss Aldarion deeply. However, she also felt a great cold anger at Aldarion that smothered her love for him and made her hate the sea that he loved so. She couldn't even love the trees as she once did, for they reminded her too much of the masts of her husband's ships. She could not stand to look at the sea, so she departed Armenelos again along with Ancalimë and went back to Emerië.
Erendis sought only to have herself, her daughter, and her servants in her household. Her servants were all women, and she sought to have her daughter grow bitter towards men as well, though she was only four. Ancalimë hardly ever saw any men growing up, for Erendis had few lands to take care of, and her shepherds and farmers lived at a distance from her house so that she rarely interacted with them. The only men who came to that place were messengers from the King, who departed soon after delivering their message, for the very air of that place seemed to drive away men.
One day Erendis discovered the birds that she had been given all those years ago had followed her from Armenelos to Emerië, as the Eldar had promised they would. However, she was not pleased to see them, and shooed them away. They flew away to the house of her father, and Núneth tried to catch them. However, they soon whirled high up into the sky and flew back to the land that they had come from.
Núneth knew what events this strange occurrence told of. "The Prince has left her, and she has given into despair."
"How can you know this?" responded Beregar. "And why had she not sent news or come home?"
"The birds are all the news I need," Núneth responded. "And I doubt she can feel this place as her home any more. Why must my daughter hold such expectations? Oh why, oh why, oh why? You would be so much happier were you to relax!"
When the second year had passed, the house in Armenelos was made ready for the return by the King's orders. However, Erendis herself made no movements to return to that place. She told the King that she would come if commanded, but did not feel that she needed to move hastily now, for his sail had not yet been spotted. She told herself that she would not wait at the docks like a sailor's girl, for those days had long passed.
The second year faded away, and there was still no sign of Aldarion. The next year passed, and autumn set in. Erendis grew harsher still, if possible, and ordered the house in Armenelos to be shut, against the King's will. She kept to Emerië as much as possible and kept others out of there as much as possible. She clung to Ancalimë her daughter and forced her to live the same life of self-exile, not even letting her leave to visit her grandmother Núneth.
All that Ancalimë learned was taught to her by her mother. She learned to write and to read, and how to speak Sindarin and Quenya to her mother. In those days, learning these languages was expected of the nobility, not the eccentric talent that it would become in later days. Often, elven tongues were used more frequently in western Númenor, for even then it was closer to the elves than the rest of the island. Erendis not only wanted Ancalimë speaking in Quenya because her family spoke it, but also because Aldarion spoke Adunaic more than Quenya. Ancalimë spoke little Adunaic.
Ancalimë also learned much from various scrolls books that were in the house. She also learned much of the lore of the land from the stories that servants told, though Erendis was unaware of this. However, the women did not speak often to Ancalimë, for they feared her mother and did little that could in any way displease her. In that household, there was little laughter and there was little music, for more men than woman played instruments, and the women only snag when they were out of Erendis's hearing. The house sounded as though it was a house in recent mourning.
The people began to refer to Erendis as the White Lady, for they feared her and mocked her. Ancalimë often fled from her house when she could, for she was already seven. She would go with the shepherdesses, tend to the sheep, and eat in the great outdoors.
Peladin finally stopped his reading, exhausted from the sheer volume of what he had just read. He was horrified to realize how much more there was left to the tale.
"I think you did much better, brother," Sirilfa said encouragingly.
"Thanks," mumbled Peladin. He was too tired to elaborate. The two went to bed soon afterwards, praying for Aulenmir's return.
The battle between the Ephûl and the Keraq'ar was not a long, drawn-out battle where both sides expected to clash again at a later point and wanted to whittle down their enemies forces before resting. Nor was it a short skirmish to see the strengths and weaknesses of either side. Neither group was well trained in the art of war, but they both knew how to fight. Both sides had decided that was a battle in which there could only be one victor.
The Ephûl fought with the determination of those who knew that they were fighting for their lands. They knew that if they lost this battle they could never recover. The momentum that the Keraq'ar would gain would be too great. Sure, they could survive and retreat further back. However, eventually they would be backed up against a wall, and the Keraq'ar would slaughter them. So, they fought hard.
The Keraq'ar, if anything, fought back harder. Unlike the Ephûl, they had nothing to retreat back to. If they lost here, they would be destroyed within a matter of weeks, and then nothing would remain of them at all, for they knew that the Ephûl would destroy all records of their presence.
The ensuing battle was a bloodbath. There were no brilliant tactics or strategies used, for neither side had generals or chains of command. Instead, the battle progressed by picking someone that you thought should be killed and then killing them.
This wasn't to say that they fought entirely without intelligence. Both sides understood the importance of not being flanked, of holding certain regions, of how to pierce through the enemy's ranks and how to flank them. However, they focused on the important aspect of any battle: winning. The speed and ferocity of both sides took Aulenmir by surprise. He found himself being caught up in the frenzied emotions of the fighters, doing things that he never otherwise would have done. He fired his bow many times that day, although he was fairly certain other warriors felled his targets before his arrows reached them.
The snow fell harder, not making the battle any easier. It was blinding if it fell in your eyes, and it made hitting targets a lot harder. In addition, the cold made the armies sluggish and uncomfortable. Aulenmir felt that the battle would have finished in a couple of hours if not for the fact that the snow slowed down the fight.
One thing made a large difference in the battle. The Keraq'ar were newcomers to this land. They had moved up to the Ered Nimrais from Harad and had spent the previous months struggling to adapt, struggling simply to survive. The Ephûl, on the other hand, had been living in the Ered Nimrais, in one form or another, since before the world was made round. As a consequence, the Keraq'ar were weak right from the start, whereas the Ephûl were strong.
Slowly, the Keraq'ar were driven back across the plains. It was a slow defeat, so gradual that Aulenmir hardly noticed that the archers were advancing. The Keraq'ar refused to retreat, for they knew that retreat would just prolong their suffering. Each death was at a great cost for the Ephûl, and each orc that fell could say that they gave their lives bravely. However, the fact that the Keraq'ar refused to retreat allowed them to be surrounded and at last destroyed.
Jamai came over to Aulenmir. "You should be thanking me right now. Thanks to us and the hundreds that we lost today, we have rid these mountains of one of the greatest threats that the world has ever seen since the War of the Ring. However, I know you don't quite see things that way, weak as you are. So, I'll send you on your way." Jamai then wandered over to the front of his army, ready to make a speech. "Guess I'll have to send a messenger to King Elessar," he muttered to himself.
Aulenmir took of at a run, sprinting away from the field of death, which was already being swarmed by all manner of clever carrion fowl. He sprinted away from his crimes, from his bloodstained bow that he had abandoned to rot in this place. He sprinted back to his family, which he could teach to never do what he had done. He sprinted for safety and for his comfortable home.
Finding a priest turned out to be far than Telimperion or Tu-Ankh had assumed. Things had started out well. They had both woken up early and gotten breakfast from a market stall. The vendor of that stall was able to direct them to the Kirran sections of Minas Tirith, were most of the priests would undoubtedly reside. From there, things hadn't seemed too difficult either. They simply had to find out which god or goddess was responsible for death, and then locate a temple with some priests.
The trouble had first started with finding out which deity was responsible for death. Apparently, this deity was one of the less popular ones, and finding out who they were and who worshipped them is difficult. They were being sent to increasingly nasty sections of the city.
"Hey, is that who I think it is?" asked Telimperion.
"Is who what?" asked Tu-Ankh, very much confused.
"I think it is," said Telimperion, refusing to explain. Her next sentence made everything clear. 'Hey Síthiel!" she called.
The tall elf turned around smiled. "Hello, Telimperion. How interesting that we would meet out here. You look like you need help."
"Trust me, we do," said Tu-Ankh. "We could definitely use an extra set of eyes, as well as some lovely protection in these sections of the city."
"I would be happy to help," Síthiel replied. "What am I looking for?"
"Do you know who the Kirran deity for death is?" asked Telimperion.
"Oh, that's who you're searching for. That makes sense. The Kirran goddess of death is called Heizdi."
Telimperion sighed with relief. "Thank you, Síthiel. No one wanted to tell us. Supposedly, saying her name brings her attention to you, although I suppose that's what we want, in a way. Do you know were her temple is located?"
Síthiel shook her head. "I'm afraid that I do not. However, I am sure that Baidhrif knows, if you are willing to accompany me back to our place."
"Well, I would prefer not to detour…" Tu-Ankh began, right as Telimperion said,
"Lovely! Let's go right away."
They quickly set off for the elven headquarters, which wasn't quite as far away as Tu-Ankh had feared. Everyone was there, and there were all quite happy to see them. Telimperion went over to talk with Raudael and Helgalad, while Tu-Ankh went over to Baidhrif.
"Hey, you two! I didn't think we'd be seeing each other so soon after last night!"
"I can't believe that Síthiel just happened to stumble across you two in the city!"
"Do you know how miniscule the chances are?"
"Hey, do you wanna come help us bake something? We picked up some tasty ingredients last night."
"Sure, I would love too. However, I can only stay until Tu-Ankh gets the information he needs, so I probably will only be able to help for a few minutes." The three of them disappeared into the kitchen. Tu-Ankh watched them go, and then turned to Baidhrif.
"So, what can you tell me about Heizdi?"
"Well, first of all, her worshippers are surprisingly nice, considering what everyone thinks of Heizdi. I guess they are eager to remove the stigma that had placed against them. Second, they tend to hide in the darkest places of the city, where most people aren't likely to consider worshipping Heizdi a problem. Might even come off as light-hearted to those people. So, I'm going to send Síthiel with you again."
"Do you know any specific regions?"
"If I were you, I would check near the houses of healing. I imagine that most of them would appreciate the irony in such a situation. They will probably also be near a morgue, as you might expect."
"Thank you very much for your help," Tu-Ankh replied. "If I had any doubts about you because of what the Shapet had done, they have been erased now."
"I'm glad I could help cleanse the sins of my people." Baidhrif said with a smile.
"You should feel no need to," said Tu-Ankh. "It was their decision, not yours, and my doubts are entirely my problem, not yours at all."
"Still, I can't help but feel bad but for what was done." He paused, as though searching for something more to say, then gave up. "Well, guess that you had best get going."
"I suppose you're right. Tel, let's go!"
Telimperion took a few seconds to reappear from the kitchen, but soon headed eagerly over to Tu-Ankh. Síthiel soon joined them. "All right," Tu-Ankh said as soon as they left the building. "We're going to head over to the houses of healing and then look around the seedier sections of that area. Síthiel, do you know of any morgues in that area?"
"I am sorry, Tu-Ankh, but I am afraid that I will make a poor tour guide for this search. I have only been in the city for a few weeks, and the only way in which I can help you is by supplying information about the various Kirran churches. Baidhrif has been here for almost a decade know which is why he knows so much."
Telimperion's eyes went wide. "Almost a decade? Wow! I wonder how he feels about having stayed away from Mirkwood for so long."
Síthiel giggled. "Oh, Baidhrif's not from Mirkwood."
"He's not?" said Telimperion. "That's two surprises in one day."
"Nope. He actually is a Noldor from Imladris. His name in Quenya is Calwaldo."
Even Tu-Ankh looked surprised. "I never would have guessed that."
They reached the houses of healing fairly quickly and began looking for the nearest morgue. Getting answers out of people turned out to be surprisingly difficult, as few wanted to talk to random strangers about morgues. However, they finally figured out where one was and set out in that direction, asking all the while about Heizdi. Finally, they came to the morgue.
"I'm not seeing any temple, how about you?" asked Telimperion.
"I am afraid that I see no temple either," responded Síthiel.
Tu-Ankh was silent for a few moments, then said, "I see it!"
"Where?" asked Telimperion and Síthiel simultaneously.
"There is a door on the side of the same building as the morgue. However, it looks as though there are steps leading down, unlike the morgue which is slightly above ground."
"That's a strange design," remarked Telimperion.
"It's probably a tradition for the worshippers of Heizdi," said Síthiel.
"Keeping the morgue above the ground keeps their souls closer to Azao," whispered a voice from behind Telimperion.
Resisting the impulse to shriek, she whirled around. "Who said that?" she called out.
A hooded figure stepped from out of the shadows. Síthiel frowned, worried that she hadn't noticed they were there. The figure pulled off their hood, revealing their full features.
Standing in front of the three was a tall man. He wore a heavy amount of face paint. There were dark black circles around his eyes, and his face was rather pale, possibly due to ever greater amounts of paint. His hair was long and unruly, as though the priests of Heizdi had some compunction against combs. Noticing their stares, the man gestured at his face.
"The paint is part of a traditional costume. Beginning on January 10 and continuing until the end of the month is the Festival of the Fireflies." The man opened his mouth to say something, but then waved a hand. "But I'm sure you didn't come here to hear me talk about that. My name is Maurius. I'm the senior priest of this temple. Please, follow me."
Without waiting to see if they actually followed, Maurius strode towards the door that Tu-Ankh had spotted earlier. The trio looked at each other, then shrugged as one and hurried after him. Maurius had opened the door for them and waited patiently for each of them to file through. Inside was a short, dimly-lit hallway that contained very little aside from a painting of what appeared to be a cross with a handle at the top. For some reason, a shudder ran down Tu-Ankh's spine.
"This way, please," called Maurius. He opened up another door at the end of the hallway. This one had been locked twice. Peering past the priest, Síthiel saw a stairway on the other side of the doorway. Maurius spoke again. "I must warn you that once you have walked past this doorway, the gaze of Heizdi will be upon you for the rest of your life. There is no place within Eä where you can escape her. And when your time comes and she finds you, she will know that you have delved into Huyen Bimat. And you shall be Judged.
Tu-Ankh frowned. "Into what?"
"Huyen Bimat. It is our name for the study of the mysteries of Death. Heizdi does not like those who study her and her art. So, we warn those who enter our monasteries that what they are doing could be seen as learning about Huyen Bimat. Our studies have not yet concluded how greatly it factors into the Judging, but we believe it is not an insignificant amount."
Tu-Ankh turned to Síthiel and Telimperion and spoke in a whisper. "If I don't enter the monastery, it doesn't matter how Heizdi views me, I'll never meet her anyway. By the Iron Hells, maybe having her eye on me will hasten the fate I wish to bring about." Tu-Ankh paused. Telimperion could see that there was clear pain in his eyes. "However, I don't want to bring any misfortune on you two. This is something that I need to do, but you do not. I know that both of you are willing to help me, but I won't ask you to do this."
Telimperion snorted audibly. "Don't be absolutely absurd. You saved my life. There is no way that I would abandon you now. Even if it brings some fate to me in their afterlife, I don't care. Your health is what matters here."
Síthiel nodded. "And I as well. Even though I don't know you that well, I sympathize deeply with your plight. I also can't help but feel that this is all my fault."
Tu-Ankh looked much better. "Thank you. It means a lot to me that the two of you are so willing to support me. However, I don't think that this was your fault in anyway, Síthiel. It's important that you understand that, all right."
"I understand. Still, the Elves that made you how you are have a lot to answer for."
Tu-Ankh smiled, but there was no emotion to it. "Believe me, if I don't do soon, I think they will answer." He then turned back to Maurius. "We've come to a decision."
Maurius raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"We will follow you on."
Maurius gave a thin smile. "Good. I believe you have chosen well. Now come! Tientu!" With those words, he strode downward into the dark. Tu-Ankh, Síriel, and Telimperion followed him down several flights of stairs. With each successive flight, the air seemed to grow colder and the torches seemed to give off less light. It felt as though they were being lead into another part of Arda, not just going deeper below the city. Maurius seemed not to notice, most likely because he was used to this journey.
They stopped moving farther down and instead began moving through a series of doors. No doubt they had been designed to keep the unwelcome out. The priest navigated the maze smoothly and surely, eager to waste no time. Finally, after what felt like an hour they stepped through a door way and into a grand hall. Many tables were set up there, and several other priests were eating and talking. They were all dressed similar to Maurius. However, as the four stepped into the hall, they turned from their food and looked at them.
"Who have you dragged in this time, Maurius?" called one of the priests. A few snickers accompanied this question. Maurius ignored them.
"They are curious and are eager to learn. I feel that they have many questions we can aid them in. I'm taking them to the apothecary."
Silence followed this proclamation. Then, the one who had spoken earlier stood up. "Very well," she said. "I should go with you, just in case." She leaned in close to Telimperion. "My name's Isha. My job here is to keep Maurius sane in his old age." She winked at them, pointedly ignoring Maurius' glare. "Let's go. The shorter your time in here, the better."
This time it was Isha's turn to lead them through a series of doors. This time the scenery was more exciting, as Isha was leading them through actual places in the monastery rather than empty hallways. Telimperion saw living spaces, initiates training and learning the Huyen Bimat, and older priests studying by themselves. Also, this time the trip was a lot quicker, and soon they were at their destination.
They had stopped outside of a room that was raised slightly above the floor of the hallway. Isha spoke. "This is where the apothecary lives. He is one of the wisest of the priests here. Between the three of us, any question you have can be answered." She opened the door.
Telimperion looked inside the room. Seated on the floor was another dark-robed priest. However, this one did not have the same face paint as the others. When they stepped into the room, he did not look up from his work. He seemed to be comparing several different works, but Telimperion did not know enough of Heizdi to know why.
An uncomfortable minute passed in silence as the Apothecary concentrated on his work. He furrowed his brow and stared intensely at a particular sheet of paper. Síriel thought that it may have been written in Quenya. Tu-Ankh coughed, but the Apothecary didn't look up. Finally, Maurius said something. "Excuse me, Apothe—"
"Can't you see I'm busy?" was the swift reply.
"I think we have a case here that might interest you."
The Apothecary snorted. "I doubt anything can keep me more excited than the Tamdoi."
Isha broke in. "Will you at least give a listen? The worst case scenario is that you lose an hour of blankly staring at pages. Maybe you'll even learn something that will help you in your study."
The Apothecary finally looked up. "Very well." He looked directly at Tu-Ankh, somehow knowing that the problem was with him. "Tell us your story."
Tu-Ankh took a deep breath at launched into his story. He reiterated how he had been born in the second age, how he had been captured by the Shapet, and how he had been made to live forever. "And know, I seek for a way to remove this curse," he finished.
The Apothecary stared at Tu-Ankh with his eyes wide open. "That's incredible," he murmured to himself. "They found a way…What else could we learn from the Eldar?" Aware that everyone else was listsening, he stopped talking. "I have a suggestion, and I believe that Isha and Maurius do as well. Would you be interested in hearing our three suggestions?"
"Absolutely," said Tu-Ankh with extreme conviction. "I must know how to die."
Maurius spoke first. "My specialty of the Huyen Bimat was always about stories of death. Within my notes I have compiled the largest complete collections of such stories, and I must thank you for your wonderful addition. Using my knowledge of cases similar to yours, I have one thing to suggest: the rite of undoing."
Tu-Ankh frowned. "That does not sound so pleasant. What is it?"
"At the end of the Third Age, several of Sauron's minions lingered on, cursed by some dark power to wander Arda forever. However, one of them discovered a way to end his life. He gathered a substantial amount of life energy and used it to counteract whatever was keeping him alive. This ritual should also work in your case."
"And how does one go about gathering life energy?"
"When someone dies, there are ways to store their life energy that we could show you."
"That sounds rather…dark. However, I will think it over. Thank you."
Isha spoke next. "My area of expertise in the Huyen Bimat was learning how others have perceived death. From this, I can tell you a common theme in these stories: the idea of cycles. Essentially, everyone's beginning is connected to their end. Thus, in order to end your life, you must return to where you were born, seek out one of the Shapet, and get them to end your life."
"That would not be easy, but I prefer it to hanging around the dead. What is your suggestion, Apothecary?"
The Apothecary hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "It is with unease that I tell you this. Take heed, for I do not lightly suggest this path. Should you follow my advice, many dangers could bar your path. I, for one, do not yet fully understand what the Eldar have done to you. However, if there is anyone that can, it is the necromancers of this city. Go to them, and if you survive your encounter with them, you will almost certainly be healed."
"Thank you for your sage advice. I appreciate that you have chosen to help me, even though you did not have to."
"It is part of our creed," said Maurius. "We seek to understand Heizdi so that we can help others understand her." He stood up. "Now, come with me. I will lead you back up to the streets." And so, with a closer understanding of their goals, Tu-Ankh and Telimperion headed back to their inn.