At long last an update, I am sorry for the extreme absence of me as of late, the muse so to speak has not been very vocal. But out of the days that i have been idle this chapter opened up and I must admit it isnt my crowning achievement, only a bridge to get somewhere i wish to go.
The land of the Eastern people who stood free from the shadow that engulfed their lands lay south of the great mountain range called the Orocarni, A land that was once profuse in valleys and whose gentle sloping hills were once covered in lush green and whose great rivers flew longer than the Anduin to the ocean on the other side of the broken world. These great rivers are now dwindled, save in times of rain, for under the hand of the dark one, the land became barren and wasted, and this paradise was lost. The only remnant of its ancient glory remains closed in the fortresses of the Orocarni, in a wood, which does not yet enter this tale, in a valley that would remain hidden from the eyes of men for many years. The borders of the lands of Harad and Rhun were ever changing in those days when Khamul, the dark hand of Sauron in the east, ruled in his capital, the only city standing in great height east of Minas Ithil in the land of Gondor. The city stood at the edge of that great sun burnt valley opposing the very fortresses of the Orocarni, it was in this way that the vast wasteland that was the valley protected those it cursed. For none of the either the Harad to its south nor the Easterlings to its West would dare cross it for fear of the mighty spirit that flowed beneath its flat and motionless plain, save when the whips of their masters lay close upon their backs. Long years had past since the days that the free-peoples sought shelter beyond the land that they curse and consider something so strange and evil by its sight and angered hatred.
Yet beneath the light of the silver crescent moon that hung low in the eastern sky the sun-scorched valley looked like the surface of a blue pearlescent stone that was newly polished by the waves of the sea. The sand dunes of Harad to its immediate south could not be seen as the distance they had traveled dwarfed them in the horizon; if one were to climb to the height of the nearest mountain they would see a large scar running across it that once fed a mighty river valley; in that deep and dark night that shone with unending stars the violet blue veil that covered the entire world was pierced only by a faint glow in the distance from where the travelers now tread.
Silently the travelers walked through the valley where the ruddy, rocky mountains met the flat mountain floor and formed a hill country not unlike those that surrounded Imladris or Mithlond, though here the hills were not covered in grass or deep cool earth but by red sand and thorn-ed bushes. Soon as they walked a rugged road made crudely by mortal steps, they came to a place surrounded by tall hills, an obvious vantage point for defense, and a place that made the elf's spine twinge with a certain dread, Thingalad himself became ill at ease with the situation, for beneath his hands Celebrin could feel the muscles of the beast tense and the breathing become more and more rapid.
Cidrhali led their train, she bore a semblance of confidence and joy as though she were a warrior bringing home a fabled army under her command, a look that Celebrin had never seen before in a woman among men, save Galadriel when she arrived into Lorien with her following of Noldor, or so an elf described to him one night as his small band slept beneath the shadow of Orodruin, an age ago it seemed, before sorrow assailed his life. Celebrin smiled shyly when she looked back at him, though through his mind warning signs flowed, the birds became quiet, the ground itself spoke that they were not alone, and the trust of this Tal-ano was too easily gained and still his eyes spoke of mistrust, though the pleas of his sister calmed his fears. As Alatar came close beside him Celebrin spoke his peace in a hushed voice that only the ears of elves could hear,
"This I trust little…the earth around us speaks of…a warning, it seems too easy a passage to a hidden realm of men opposed to the Darkness that resides in the South."
"But what choice do we have Master Uial? Alone we cannot stand against the power we faced three days hence…We need all the aid we can attain…even if it must be garnered under suspicion."
"It is not suspicion that I worry about…I feel a trap…"
It was then that Tal-ano ceased his trek, his hand quickly was laid upon the hilt of his curved blade and, as he drew it from its resting place, from the shadows stepped men of dark complexion, dressed in similar garb as he, robes of sable and a covering upon their faces, revealing only their fierce, deeply hued eyes. The sable horse of Cidhrali reared as three stepped before her branding swords that shimmered silver in the amber of the moonrise. As if from the very shadows figures descended from the rocky hills around them holding arrows poised for firing, Celebrin's eyes flared with rage at this treachery, yet as he looked upon Cidhrali she bore his same anger in her heart, though there was a sadness there as well; from her breast came a voice filled with an ancient anger,
"What is this? What madness has come over you Tal-ano!"
" No madness has come over me sister, it is the one that has come over you that I do indeed fear…"
His voice was not authoritative but seemed to be on the verge of tears as though holding a sword to his own blood filled him with such dread and self-loathing, a sign that made Celebrin cease his movement to reach for Lin-gladaear, the two elder men also lay their staffs at their hips, for though betrayal was a working of the Dark One and his minions, regret and loving fear were emotions the Dark powers could not touch, or so the wise say. From their steeds Celebrin, Alatar and Pallando were ushered into the midst of the band dressed in sable black. Their eyes were fierce and from their mouths came cruel words as their rough and violent hands forced their captive's own into bonds of rough rope and thorny sinew. Cidrhali alone was spared the rough treatment as she was bound by her brother's caring yet firm hands, they spoke strange words in a tongue varying from the one Celebrin had learned; Alatar winced in pain and spoke in a whisper to Pallando words that Celebrin could faintly hear, for they spoke in the tongue of the West, one that he had heard only once in his life, yet like to all tongues it shared some things which were not foreign to those that he did know, and from their hurried words he found one that struck deep into his memory as though it was not of his own but of one farther into his past, before he even laid eyes upon the stars.
A blind was placed upon his eyes as a shout of authority came from the man called Tal-ano,
"We have showed them mercy because of my love for you…do not tempt this matter further…the council will decide their fate and your crime in bringing them this far, as well as mine for sparing their life."
Celebrin, Alatar and Pallando were placed upon foreign horses or so it seemed for the build seemed different than the ones they had been riding for two weeks in the desert since they began their journey from Lorien. Surrounded in that forced darkness Celebrin heard the sounds of the wild around them the call of the night owl and of the swaying of limbs in the wind which also flew through the stones with a dreadful hollow whistle so low it reverberated in the bones of all living things. The cracking of twigs beneath feet and the rustling of small rocks upon pathways filled the silent, long and seeming lonely night. A memory raced through his mind as the sounds of the wilderness became familiar to him and the feeling of forced blindness filled his heart with a dread for the unseen and unexpected,
Darkness surrounded him then as it did now, for he had worn a blind then though he was young, a step brought with it a sudden crack that pulsated through his ears, his voice, shuddering in fear, followed,
"Ada? I'm scared…take it off."
No sound followed in reply, fear took his young heart as the sounds of the forest of Nan Elmoth surrounded him, gone were the songs of the nightingales that once lived there, and Menegroth lay miles away, his heart beat faster as silence told him no aid would be coming from the father he came with. A sound came to him, though he knew not if it was through his ears or the inner recesses of his mind, yet the voice which came to him bore his father's voice.
"You cannot see all things at once, Celebrin, in battle, there may come a time when you will not see and all that will be left you is the sound in your ears, the wind upon your skin, and the blood rushing through your heart…now be silent and pay attention!"
The young elf nodded and gripped the handle of his bow tightly in his hand as the sounds of the dark and lightless wood enveloped tightly around him again. He heard the footsteps of his father depart where they were, he would have called for him to return but he knew it would only mean another lecture…another look of worry from his father's peers… another reason that Uial's son spent too much time with his mother in the safety of Menegroth while his father rode the wilderness.-
A calm fell over him then as though he were immersed in water and all sound left his ears, and were only faint mummers of the world he once knew, fear almost left him until completely unexpected a sound came toward him, inhuman it seemed as though it were barely clinging to the life of the world, a growl that sent shivers through his entire being. He called to his father yet no sound came in response, the growl came closer and grew more menacing and the sounds of the wood around him filled with an intense dread as the birds and trees told him to flee. He would have reached to rip the blind from his eyes but fear kept him planted where he stood, gurgling, gaping, hollow sounds grew louder as the poundig of great claws paced the ground. Yet he stood still as his trembling hands drew an arrow to the bow and pointed it in the direction of the growling. He heard the sound of the arrow fly from the quivering bow yet the sound of sharpened point hitting the trunk of a tree filled his ears- a guttural, choking,sound came from before him as though filled with an anger or a rage beyond his comprehension and yet it seemed then to laugh and mock him. As his hand moved to obtain another arrow he felt a great weight push him to the ground as a cry was thrown from his mouth; he felt the heat of the beast in the darkness, and could hear the moans of rage and anger bellow from the recesses of the creatures body. An unearthly flame burned at his face, and through the blind a light came to his eyes, and it seemed then that he looked at the very light of the stars undimmed and it brought him peace for a little while. A tearing feeling went through his body, severing the peace of his mind,as his arm was aflame with what felt like thousands of piercing arrows each one piercing deeper and deeper into him. A great cry went from his mouth, a broke into silence as before him the light that was once beautifuland inspiring became a great flameburning all that surrounded it. All he knew then was fear, anger, and pain and yet was powerless to do anything as the jaw of the beast release the arm that gaurded his neck and left it limp upon the floor.A dark and violent voice came from within the creature's growl as though it screamed in pain, itsvery lungs consumed into ash, a cry went from the creature as the sound of horns andarrows entered the young elf's ears; in the distance he heard the cries ofhis father, inhuman as the beast that weighed him to the ground with its tearing claws, filled with sorrow and agony...
The memory left him as quickly as it had come when a voice familiar to him as Tal-ano came into his ears; the fragments of that one night reverberated as fleeting images of his father looking at him, his hands covered in blood and tears falling down his face. The voice of the mortal was quick and direct, it was clear he was the person being spoken to,
"You should know stranger that the love I bear for my sister will overcome the passion with which she guards all of you…For stealing her you will indeed die, this I am sure of."
"If you bear so great a love for your sister why do you not trust her?"
Pallando's voice came from behind them, its smooth liquid quality was laced with an anger that sounded like the rushing of a river after a rain makes it over flow its boundries. The man Tal-ano replied with like courtesy,
"Trust is not something you servants of the dark one are accustomed to knowing… I trust her, though her choice in companions are not to my liking and against the laws of her people…"
The sound of hoof beats raced away, and Celebrin was left in thought, he knew from his own private thoughts that they were allowed upon horse back so that no feeling of road or wilderness would be left for them to remember, or to know of their wherabouts, tactics all people in hidden places knew, regardless of what side of Ennor they were from. For sometime they traveled in this way taking winding roads, the air grew crisper and colder, and then descended again, to the ears of the elf came to sound of birds awakening, as the dawn could be felt upon his face, the sound of a distant drum greeted the morning. They had stopped, no music greeted them, for no welcome would they find there, amidst the people who lived in the land of distrust, a fruit of the seed of evil The Dark Lords Sauron and Morgoth had sewn in the East, while the elves and other men busied themselves in the West.
The flashback- For those curious as to the events surrounding the flashback they take place in the Time of Luthien and Beren's courtship, when the Great Wolf, Carcharoth broke through the girdle of Melian and terrorized Doriath whilst being burned on the inside by the Silmaril.