Well here is chapter 7, it and chapter 8 were originally written together witht he intention of putting them together but circumstance has forced me to seperate them even though they take place in realtivly similar time periods. I thank you those who have read and reviewd this ongoing work and beg those of you who haven't reviewd to please tell me what you think of this, your opinion matters to me.
As quickly as the tight embrace was initiated Celebrin felt something odd about the moment, he felt two arms wrapped around his form, strongly holding onto him in a lock of friendship. Pulling away his companion looked at him puzzled at first, then giving a slight chuckle of disbelief asked,
"Why do you recoil? I am no shadow of a dream…"
"You left…"
Celebrin interjected, trying desperately to return to the present he knew, where his memory only comprehended the image of his gwadorind leaving into the sunset of the Mithlond sky, and the breaking of his heart. The other sighed in dismay looking defeated at the statement, his shoulders fell as he gazed out toward the western skies where the feet of the Hithaeglir met the gentle vale if Imladris, closing his eyes in frustration he said,
"I thought we were never going to speak about…what happened."
"Then… you did leave?"
"Yes! How many times must you remind me of that Celebrin! How many times must you remind me of that weakness?"
"Tell me what happened Alphindil… every ounce of memory."
The blue-robed elf began to pace the floor holding his arms around his being, uncomfortable with what was being recalled, as if it hurt him deeply to the point of shame, an emotion not easily maneuvered by the Noldorhim. He spoke again, as he looked into the eyes of his friend, kneeling at the other's knees he said,
"Please, do not make me recall it…It is a punishment for me to do so."
"I must know mellon nin. You do not know the dreams I have had as of late, I cannot distinguish what happened then and what has happened now, my mind tears at itself trying to remember, please…if you love me, tell me."
The other, remaining on his knees, told the tale, his voice trailed into memory and shame filled his visage, holding the hands of the seated friend he looked deeply into the eyes of his long-friend, his companion and only family,
"I left, you remember, two years ago, 998 years from the Last War of the Elves, the sun was at dusk and filled the gray harbor with its blood-red light. You gave me, upon your knees, a lock of your immortal hair as a final farewell…And as the ship pulled away I saw your figure fall to the ground, in desperation, I wanted to cry out to you, though none but the sea would hear my cry. It took all my strength to stop myself from jumping into the ever-moving waters, to swim to your side again and rekindle the friendship you ended that day…But I did not, my mind was made and my path forged before me, to return in such a manner, would have meant shame and the label of coward…and I knew not how you would receive me, knowing I had caused you such torment at our parting…Yet the skies began to darken, and the waves rushed against the ship, Osse turned the seas against his favored race and the ship we rode was tossed beyond our course. The stars were foreign in that land where the ship did stop… when again the skies cleared and before us lay no land of light or blessed song…Again the sea ripped forth from the depths and crashed us upon the rocks of hidden islands, the ship was torn in two and many a valiant elf sank beneath her weight and the sudden rage of the storm. I thought then I too would die, beneath the waves of the sea I grew to love more dearly than you…Yet my life was spared, and by some blessing of the Valar I found myself lying upon a piece of broken stern, gazing up at the blanket of stars, I was lost to their beauty and I remembered you then, how safe I was under your watch, under your wing of protection and care…And I wept as the now calm waves bore me away, for I had forsaken the one person in the world who loved me as you did, I had betrayed your gentle heart and long service, for what? I let the sea take me, knowing it was only a short matter of time before the storms returned and took me to a watery grave, but nothing happened and a current took me to where the stars I had seen from birth flung their light into my eyes…And then I saw it, the tower lights of Mithlond glowing in the distance and I swam, from that piece of torn and shattered ship toward the light of the tower guard. Far was the distance and weary my body became before I even saw the rocks of the gray cove, yet the desire to see you again claimed my mind and I knew no weakness…I did not rest until I found you…do you remember that night? Do you remember how, sea-soaked and weary I came to your door?"
Looking into the teary eyes of his companion Celebrin felt his heart break, it did not matter that none of what he had just heard were not familiar to his mind, all that mattered then was that all he had wished for what seemed like eons in his dreams had come true, or that it had all been a dream after all, a nightmare that he could not awake from. Raising his companion to his feet he again embraced Alphindil, in a whisper he said,
"I remember…"
And with laughing mingled with joy the two friends joined together in happiness, and four arms surrounded two bodies in reconciliation and renewed joy…
Feeling the tight embrace closing around him Celebrin now sensed two arms grappling him around his waist, two arms that for any other purpose should not have been used together, for his memory reminded him of the reason for his companion's leaving, and trying to pull away from the friend he held he found he had no the strength to do so. Tighter the embrace held him and the air within his lungs began to escape from his mouth, trying to let out a cry his voice was stifled by the smell of brimstone and foggy-smoke. Gone was the shadow and unveiled before him stood the rushing wall of the waves of wind and a cloaked figure wearing a gilded necklace, which sent out a bone-chilling laugh that brought fear to the hearts of men. Tighter the grasp was held and more and more he felt the life of the world leaving him, until, in his blood-filled ears, he heard a cry in a tongue he had not heard until a few days ago. And being dropped to the floor by the shadow he saw before his own prostrate figure the woman called Cidhrali wielding the sword of Elorn Uial, the song of the woods and the sea, Lin-gladaear which had been carried from a land afar and beneath the ever-moving waves. In his tear-filled eyes Celebrin saw what came to pass before him, for the shadow laughed haughtily and said in a metallic voice deep with long-anger and suffering,
"What weapon have you, wife of goats, that will cause me fear…the elf will be mine, and his bloodied carcass will lay with your own at long last."
Moving to take hold of her she moved swift as the wind that surrounded her and stood once again a warrior clad in no armor or mail. Her brow was furrowed as she swiftly ran to guard the Sindar at her feet, she cried again to the oncoming shadow and raised the sword of the ancient land. As the shadow lunged forth to take her life she swung the curved blade forged by elvish hands and cut at the pale sable robes of the terror of the east. A cry went forth from the figure, as it wreathed in pain, for long years of men it had never felt such anguish, thought immortal and almighty by the wise the figure of fear cried out at his wound as a child cries out after touching the flames he knew not would hurt him. Crying out a curse in the language of the Hated Island of men, he flew into the rushing wind and the storm began to rush harder upon them filled with a renewed anger. The woman warrior knelt in pain, and held her arm close to her body for it had become limp in as in death and purple with broken blood veins beneath unbroken skin.
Taking the woman into his protective arms, Celebrin guarded his defender and seeing a pale sea-green light emitting from the corner of his eye he saw the two wise men holding true their staves, undaunted by the raging winds, the cruel laughter had ended and all he could hear was the crashing of the wind against a mountain of light amid the shadow. Crying out to the wind the two beings of the west once again struck their staves to the ground and as if from the very foundations of the earth a wall of pure crystalline water shot up before them and pushed against the wall of wind, images of warships made of starlight were seen in the water and they flew against the might of the wind, the ground shook and the leaguer of the dark wind was broken. The battle for survival was over, the two travelers knelt in weariness as the wind was ushered away by the forces of water and the flaming figure was banished for the moment. And all four lay close that night beside the gorge, Celebrin wiped the forehead of the woman who lay in pain and fire, and over her he spoke words of healing he was taught long ago by the great ones of Ossiriand. And as the stars covered them and sleep came, her pain was over and she slept in peace, dreaming of far off lands, hidden in the mist.
The next day greeted the weary ones to a bright sunrise and a quick dispersing of the light of the stars. Pallando was the first to awaken and next his companion Alatar; at the rising of the sun they spoke, with furtive glances at the others who lay sleeping close together for warmth when the desert became cold in the din of night. Alatar spoke looking at the elf,
"He was nearly killed yesterday, brought down by his wants and desires…what hope does he have here where the very land creates images that are not there and perilous if seen as truth…"
"We brought him because you wished to bring him, here he must face his past, here he must conquer it for his sake so that he may live again…were he to return he would be more of a danger to others, and himself. Yet he is your guest, you must decide to counsel him on these matters."
And they left their conversation at that; Pallando rode his horse west in search of any sign of their lost companion called Curumo yet no sign did he see or sense of him, thinking his fellow traveler lost to life and time he turned as the sun began to reach higher in the firmament of the sky.
Into the west the winds of violence were driven and through the lands of Harad and Khand the great storm flew; none of it was counted in the history of Gondor, yet in the records of Harad and Khand it was told of in great detail, for the shadow storm destroyed villages and covered many livestock and human in choking fine grains of sand. Before the borders of Rhun it stopped and inhumanly stood before the borders of the land, an impenetrable wall of choking ash colored wind, dark was its visage and none even of the wise could see through its veil of sand. At the borders of Rhun the monstrous wall of ash-wind threw from its depths a figure dressed in tattered white robes and the lifeless body of a horse. As the thrown figure stood tall against the sky-height wind a dark a deep voice laughed at the small figure's bravery; his guttural laugh sounded as if stone were crashing against stone and grinding all around it to nothingness,
"Where do you go wise Curumo? Home to your master of stone, or to lick your wounds as a cat defeated in battle.?"
"You cannot destroy me Gorthaur! I know your mind, brother disowned and hated by the west…I fear you not and heed none of what you say."
"No indeed Curumo of Aule…brother in ancient time before the making of Ea…Lost you are now to the East, Return home! And find what loss awaits you!"
"You cannot deter my mission Sauron! Lord of the Abhorred!"
"Not now indeed…but from the East you are barred, what hope lies for you there? Your kinsman gone…weak and easily they fell without you at their side, my vultures will make good sport of them…and the elf; was he not easy to take my pet? A wretched mind brought to me…you were kind to do so, he was a treat indeed."
"Play not your games with me Deceiver, I will see your days ended!"
"Now is not the time, we have much sport to enact you and I, old friend…Let us see how you place the pieces of your game against mine own…if indeed your pawns will forever be against me… the first gain is mine, remember that Curumo…all the days of your life, remember your first failing."
And with that the shadow-wind fled away and all that stood before Curumo was a wide expanse of land; trying his best to peer into the desert land he could not see or feel any inkling of his companions…so far they were now from his mind and feeble hope he came to believe what the dark one said true. Turning he walked toward the setting of the sun, defeated and without pride in his loss; alone now where he had left with three others at his side…who knew then in his hours of lonely westward wandering what he thought in the dark depths of his mind, of the words he shared with Sauron.
Thus ends chapter 7 and on a bit of a mysterious note, this is my little musing as to how and when the treachery of Sauron began to take place, and as a possibility his guilt of this failure could have led him to wish to supplant Sauron...well thats my interpretation any way.
gwadorind- a construction of "brother of the heart" adeeperterm for the normal adoptive brother relationship.
Taking a bit from Tolkien's work it is of course the woman who has the possibility of destroying the Nazgul, just thought I would throw that in there.
Please R&R i would greatly appreciate it, thanks