Spike: Oh, someone put a stake in me.
Xander: You got a lot of volunteers in here.
Spike:I just can't take all this namby-pamby boo-hooing about the bloody Indians.
Buffy: Uh, the preferred term is...
Spike:You won. All right? You came in and you killed them and you took their land. That's what conquering nations do. It's what Caesar did, and he's not going around saying, "I came, I conquered and boo hoo, I felt really bad about it." The history of the world isn't people making friends. You had better weapons, and you massacred them. End of story.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Chapter 42 – The Lesser of Two Evils

Jim took the small cup of cordial and smiled his thanks at Olorin. "Nice to have you back and in one piece too. You look a lot better than you did when you set out."

Olorin raised an eyebrow and grinned at him. "You sound surprised at that. My powers of recuperation must be better than I thought they were." He sensed a whole world of questions threatening to burst from Jim that he didn't really feel equipped to answer so instead he looked around and decided that diverting the topic of conversation from him and his miraculous recovery to the much safer subject of Kim's whereabouts was in order. "But where is Kim? I don't see her anywhere. Did they hide her for safety or something?"

Jim paled. This was going to be a bit awkward given the Chief's obvious affection for Kim. "Er... well..." He sounded rather unhappy, but before he could continue Eonwe interrupted him.

"We are not sure where she is Chief." He said gently, knowing that whatever information he gave his fellow Maia would be passed on to the real Chief currently residing in the Halls of Mandos. "She dashed off into the forest after a small argument. Search parties were sent out but to no avail. We thought at first that the orc Thadak had taken her and we could see signs of a scuffle, but it was obvious that others intervened. Another party of Eldar. We believe that she was discovered by Maedhros and his brother Maglor. It would appear that they chased the orc off and took her with them. At least that's what we hope happened."

Olorin wisely refrained from commenting immediately. Instead he conveyed his now certain knowledge of Kim's whereabouts to Eonwe in thought. Eonwe listened and although he felt a pang of loss with the knowledge that it would be some time before he saw her again, he felt gladdened by the confirmation that Kim was indeed in the company of the Feanorians. Obsessed with the Silmarils and their oath they might be, but they would not harm Kim. Not unless she stood between them and those jewels and since she didn't even know they existed and cared less, she wasn't about to make that mistake.

Eonwe would have had little understanding of Gil-galad's abhorrence of the Silmarils, the enforced exile of the Noldor and his ambivalence towards the Valar prior to leaving Valinor to come east with the Host. Now, however, he had seen and heard much from those same Noldor and learned much from his future self. His subsequent view of Gil-galad's outburst and his own attitude to the sons of Feanor was a lot more sympathetic and understanding than it might have been.

If the Valar had pulled it all together faster after Ungoliant sapped the life from the Trees and had not alienated Feanor to such a degree in the first place, then perhaps the Simarils would not have been so sought after and then refused. True, Melkor would still have slain Finwe and taken them, but then the blame, if one were apportioning it, firmly rested with Lord Manwe who had been too forgiving and trustful of his brother. Had Melkor not been released on his own recognisance, then he would not have whispered his honeyed and insidious evil on the fertile ground of Feanor's ire and disgruntlement with the very beings who had allowed his father to re-marry in the first place.The root cause of the whole sorry matter.

He heaved a deep inward sigh. So many mistakes, so many mis-spoken oaths, so much bloodshed and all ultimately leading to this War of Wrath. They did not belong here, he and his armies. They had not come with the sole intent of rescuing the people of Arda although that was meant to be a by-product of the war. They had come to find Melkor and bring him to justice and grant the exiled Eldar the privilege of sailing West. The earth would be changed from the fall out of their actions and many innocent people would die or suffer. What did Gary call it? Collateral damage, that was it. In essence they were hardly any better than a conquering army rampaging through a land they did not belong in and the realisation left a rather bitter taste in Eonwe's mouth.

The only shred of comfort he could take from it all was, ironically, Gary's presence. At least that meant that Arda did survive in some shape or form. If it had not, then what would be the purpose of sending his future self there?

Olorin broke into his meandering thought processes. The young one, Jim. He knows you are Eonwe and not Gary?

Yes.Eonwe replied absently. He guessed. He was angry at first, but he also feels guilty that Kim ran off. He was the last one to talk to her before she did so.

Ah, I see. A heavy burden for one so young to carry. Let us see if we can perhaps lighten it for him a little.

Olorin reached out and put a sympathetic hand on Jim's arm. "You shouldn't beat yourself up about this Jim. If she is with Maedhros and his group, then I'm sure they'll keep her safe." He offered another small drop of the cordial to the young policeman.

Jim stared into the heart of the fire. "I bloody hope so. Although I'm not sure they know what they're letting themselves in for." He said dryly. He tossed back the remainder of the cordial and allowed its warmth and goodness to spread over him. His Grandma has always told him what can't be cured, must be endured and he could see the wisdom of that now. There was nothing he could do about Kim at that moment and there were more pressing problems to hand.

Eonwe smiled at him. "If she is with Maedhros then we can be assured that they will take her to my camp and to Gary and Lord Tulkas. I'm sure that the two of them can handle one Kim." Even a pregnant and brooding Kim, he added as a silent afterthought.

"They have my sympathies. She wasn't exactly in a reasonable state of mind when she ran off. Part of me feels I should be looking for her, but the rest of me knows that we can't let that orc even get one weapon to his boss. We have to keep after him."

Gil-galad turned from where he was quietly conversing with Celeborn, Glorfindel, Cirdan, Celebrimbor and the leader of the Naugrim on the other side of the fire. "No indeed. We cannot afford to let him get away. We take a short rest only and then we will seek him out. In the meantime Lord Glosur and his Naugrim will bear our messages updating the situation to Garee and Lord Tulkas. They had intended to offer their services to the Host as Smiths in any case. They part from us now and we head in the opposite direction, after the orc."

Jim stood up and handed his empty cup to the young Elf who had been standing patiently waiting for it. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get after him." He strode off to find his horse, determination bristling in the set of his body.

Eonwe felt torn. Part of him also wanted to rush off and find Kim, but he knew that there were much more important matters at stake than his personal relationships. He felt eyes upon him and looked up to meet Gil-galad's steady gaze. There was nothing but sympathy in the High King's eyes, but nothing further was said. Their path was obvious and laid out before them. The Maia sighed and went to find his own mount, followed by Olorin. Moments later Glorfindel was ordering the breaking of the makeshift camp and the group were preparing to ride.

However, just as Eonwe and Olorin were about to mount their horses, Celeborn approached them on his large white stallion. He reined in and sat quietly for a moment, as if he had some burdensome problem weighing on his mind and was considering whether he should say anything.

Eonwe mounted his horse. He looked quizzically at the silver Elf Lord and decided to give him a little help. "Something on your mind Lord Celeborn?"

Celeborn hesitated slightly while Olorin drew his horse closer and listened with interest.

The silver-haired Elf Lord stared at the Maia for a moment and then looked over at Olorin. "By some chance is the name A-lann familiar to either of you?"

Eonwe and Olorin exchanged a swift look and a small crease appeared between Eonwe's finely shaped brows. "I am not sure..." He began, but Olorin interrupted him with a small gesture.

"Do you mean Alan rather than A-lann?" He asked sharply. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind the face of the policeman Alun Davies, who had insisted on Kim going out with Gary and another policeman, Jim, to the scene of the original crime in the Forest of Dean, sprang to the surface.

Celeborn nodded. "It ispossible that may have been what my lady wife meant. The vision was not entirely clear to her."

Eonwe's bright gaze held him fast. "Lady Artanis...Galadriel has seen something?"

A small, grim smile hovered around Celeborn's mouth. "She does possess some measure of foresight." He said lightly. "She has sensed that another mortal from your time is here in Middle Earth and the name that came to her during the vision was A-lann. Is it possible that one more of you came through this portal in time? Perhaps without your knowledge. Someone who followed you?"

Olorin frowned. "I somehow doubt it. There was a rather nasty earthquake and a series of smaller aftershocks just as we were searching the area for evidence. We ended up on the wrong side of a very large chasm that opened up which is why we are here.. I can't see how one person without equipment would have managed to cross it."

"Yeah." Jim agreed immediately. "When we crossed over it was as though our world was on one side and this world was on the other, but I suppose once the earth had calmed down, it's possible that a smaller gap might have closed up." He shrugged. "I don't know much about geology, but then we aren't talking about straightforward earth movement here are we?"

Eonwe was silent, but his dark blue eyes had suddenly taken on a dull silver cast to them. For those familiar with the Maia this was a usual event, since it meant that the Maia in question was conversing with his Lord, but in this case the conversation was between Eonwe and Lady Varda Elentari.

Hear me Eonwe. What Artanis daughter of Arafinwe has seen is the truth. There is indeed another mortal come to this Age from his own. This was mine and Lady Vaire's doing. We felt that at least one worry should be removed from you and had intended to try and send Kim and your unborn child back to her own time and thence to safety. We managed to create another temporary portal near the first one so that we could achieve this and we influenced matters so that she came into the hands of Maedhros and his brother Maglor. It was intended for them to take her to the point where the original portal emerged, where you all came through. However somehow events were overtaken by Sauron. He sensed the portal we created and used it to bring a man through from their time instead. Someone Kim would trust implicitly. He is a policeman, like young Jim, but older and more influential and Sauron seeks to use him for his own ends. Even now he rides to meet with Maedhros and his party. We believe that his task is to convince Kim and the Feanorians that he should take Kim home, but instead will deliver her to Sauron himself at Thangorodrim.

"Alun Davies." There was a faintly bitter note to Eonwe's voice when his eyes cleared and he finally spoke.

Celeborn didn't know whether to feel comforted by the fact that Eonwe seemed to know who he was referring to or not. "You do know someone with that name?"

Eonwe nodded and beckoned to Jim who edged his horse over to where Eonwe was. "What's up Boss?"

"Strange you should say that." Said Eonwe dryly. "It seems your real boss, Inspector Davies, is here. "

The expression on Jim's face was comical to say the least. "The Inspector? Here? You meanhere here? As in Middle Earth here?"

Eonwe nodded and Olorin bit back a chuckle at the sudden dismay in Jim's face.

"Oh crap, and me looking like something from the Pirates of Penzance. But... what on earth is he doing here? How did he get here?" Confusion replaced the dismay in the young man's face.

"As to the how he got here, he had a little help from some powerful beings. With regard to the why, well it would seem that he has fallen in with thieves for the moment." Eonwe said as lightly as he could manage. "Apparently he is working for the other side."

"What? No. I don't believe it. The Gaffer's a good bloke, one of the best, especially when you consider just how bent some of the more senior officers are." Jim looked utterly shocked and a little angry at what was being suggested.

Celeborn looked from one to the other and was a bit horrified to see a highly emotional scene clearly brewing from the expression on the young man's face. He decided to take the subject to a more pressing matter, hoping that the change of topic would divert any kind of incoming outburst.

He inclined his head in a bow and placed a hand over his heart. "My apologies, I think I may have chosen to speak of this at an inopportune time. Under the circumstances, perhaps it would be better to talk of this later. The remaining weapon is still on its way to the enemy and the longer we tarry, the further away and closer to his goal the orc gets."

"I agree." Olorin added his support to Celeborn's attempt to defuse a potentially difficult situation. "We can do nothing about this until we have the last weapon safely in our hands. Let's see to that and then we can discuss the matter of Inspector Davies. I'm sure that Lord Gil-galad will want to know of this development in any case, since I take it you haven't mentioned this to him yet?" He cocked an eyebrow at Celeborn who shook his head..

Eonwe glanced at Jim who finally gave a brief nod, but the anger, dissatisfaction and confusion in his face did not lessen. Eonwe resolved to try to have a conversation with the young mortal as they rode. They spurred their horses to catch up with the rest of the battle group who were already at least a quarter of a mile ahead of them.

Inside, however, Eonwe felt more wretched by the minute and his concern was shared by Gary through their link. The discovery that Alun Davies had been brought here by Sauron was a heavy blow indeed. If Davies had been turned to the other side and met up with Kim, she wouldn't realise it. Knowing her, she would automatically trust him and insist on going with him if he suggested it instead of heading to where the Host were camped. If that happened then they would bypass Gary and Tulkas completely and no doubt head north.

His heart sank with each passing mile that their group put between where they had left Kim and where they were headed to. All he could do was hope that Maedhros and his brother had not turned so far inward with their private war over their father's benighted creation that they could not sense any evil that might reside in the new arrival.

He would just have to trust to hope. As slight as that hope might turn out to be.

ooOoo

The only way Kim could tell that they were approaching their destination was because Maedhros had slowed their pace to a walk.

Elrond turned his head and grinned at her. "Now you will see a sight. The massed armies of the Valar, although we will pass through the minor encampments first." He pointed with a gloved hand at some tents now visible through the trees and bushes. "See? Those are some of the camps of the Houses of the Edain who have chosen to serve. This is the House of Beor who gave their loyalty to the house of Finarfin in the form of Lord Finrod Felagund and were the first of the houses of men to fight for the Eldar. Their numbers are few though and most remain in Estolad. They do not concern themselves with this war of the Valar. Further up you will see the House of Hador who were called Marach. They are fearsome warriors indeed and they are larger in number than the other two houses although they are now mere remnants of the original house. Their people are scattered and no longer a cohesive group. The other house of the Edain, the House of Haleth, eschew our wars and keep to themselves, even their language is different."

Kim glanced around with interest as they picked their way through the chaos that was the camp of the people Elrond was referring to. Here and there she spotted a woman, but for the most part they were all men and more than a few young boys. The women who were there were either quite young and bold looking or they were much older and work worn. She didn't need any explanations to tell her who did what. The women's clothes were patched and dirty.Most of the men wore chainmail armour with the emblem of their house on a surcoat that covered the mail. They all looked to Kim as though they could use a bath with bleach and a brillo pad.

Some stopped what they were doing to watch Maedhros and his elves ride by, and there were more than a few admiring glances from the women to the tall beautiful Elves, but most glanced up without any undue interest. They had now fought with the Eldar long enough to not be amazed by them any more. However Kim herself drew more than a little interest from a group of warriors sitting around a campfire in the middle of the camp..

A tall fierce looking warrior with dirty blond hair hanging below his helm jumped up and caught at Elrond's bridle causing the horse to jerk its head away and whinny shrilly. The warrior grinned showing mouthful of discoloured and rotting teeth and Kim shrank back against Elrond in disgust.

"And who might this lovely creature be?" The warrior raked Kim up and down with one lewd glance, amidst raucous laughter from his comrades. "Is this pretty burd for us? How thoughtful of you." Kim couldn't really understand what he was saying, but his meaning was very clear from the tone and the laughter.

Whatever else he intended to say or do was brought to an immediate halt by the fact that Maedhros had ridden over and imposed his impressive form on horseback between Elrond's horse and the warrior, who stepped back hastily to avoid being trodden on by the hooves of the massive chestnut horse that the Elf rode.

Maedhros smiled, and the man blanched, for the smile was not a pleasant one. "She is not for the likes of you Lord Godgifede. We are taking her to Lord Eonwe. She is under his protection." His tone left the warrior in no doubt of what would happen if he tried to get in the way.

Godgifede stepped back and bowed, although a dull anger lurked in the back of his eyes. "I meant no harm my Lord. I was merely jesting." He muttered.

Maedhros raised one delicately sculpted auburn eyebrow. "Indeed? I strongly suggest that you save your humour for those who appreciate it." His tone was silky but deadly.

Godgifede slunk back to the campfire and sat down, but his anger was plain to see, as was the matching anger of his associates.

Alun sat his horse and watched the scene play out. Of course these men had a completely different idea about women to the modern view, especially those women who followed armies. Kim was lucky that she hadn't ran into these guys instead of the Maedhros and his bunch because she was unlikely to be any better off had she run straight into Thangorodrim and Sauron's waiting arms. Still Maedhros was impressive and quite scary. A good person to have on your side rather than against you.

Maedhros nodded to Kim who bit her lip, shivered and clung closer to Elrond. He then rode to the head of his band and signed for them to resume their journey. Godgifede and his men muttered darkly among themselves as they watched the horses disappear through the trees towards the shining tents and banners of the Host of the Valar.

Kim kept her head down and her face buried in the folds of the Elrond's cloak as they passed through other groups of men just in case. He gently placed his hand comfortingly over hers as they rode. It wasn't until they came to the outskirts of the first of the camps of the Eldar that she ventured a quick peek. She gasped in admiration as they rode through the first of the brightly coloured tents and saw the tall shining, golden-haired Vanyarin warriors in their bright mail with keen swords and spears. They reminded her of Melannen and the young blond warrior who had been with Gil-galad and the others a few days ago.

In turn the tall warriors greeted Maedhros and his warriors with a certain wariness, but when they saw Kim staring around her in round-eyed amazement some laughed and bowed to her with their right hand over their hearts. She blushed and smiled at them and they laughed even more, the silvery sound rippling from one to the other.

But it was as they approached the silken tents of the Commanders that amazement and wonderment took Kim's speech away.

Compared to the virtual dirt and chaos of the tents of the Men, all here was shining cleanliness and order. Even as a battle camp it was stunning in its gold and silver glory. An elf with masses of wavy golden hair tumbled loose and unbound around his shoulders and hanging almost to his waist sat on a chair outside one of the tents honing the edge of his huge sword on a whetstone. He looked up in curiosity, flicked a thick hank of hair behind one ear and smiled at Kim. Beside him a regally beautiful elf with masses of equally golden hair confined on each side with small braids woven through with a simple silver ribbon sat with a goblet in one hand and his lean muscular legs crossed nonchalantly on a another chair.He flipped off a salute at Maedhros who grinned ferally and returned it with an equally flippant salute of his own.

Dark and golden haired elven warriors went about their business with nothing more than a quick salute to the newcomers. Alun noticed though that some of them looked at them with thinly veiled hostility in their eyes and he wondered at it. Apparently Maedhros and his warriors weren't thatwelcome among all the tents of the Valar and Elven Commanders.

They finally stopped outside a very large tent which had an awning under which was set a table and a few chairs. Maps were scattered across the table along with a pile of leathern satchels which were clearly used for dispatches. Two tall strong looking Vanyarin warriors in bright golden mail with long shining spears stood on guard on either side of the entrance of the tent.

Maedhros alighted along with his brother Maglor and approached the tent. They spoke with the guard and another young warrior joined them and after a while hesitantly ducked his head into the tent. Everyone else stayed mounted and the horses shuffled restlessly as they could sense journey's end, some clear water and some hay awaiting them.

The young warrior finally emerged and nodded to Maedhros who turned without another world and strode up to where Kim sat behind Elrond. He offered her a hand.

"Come." He said abruptly. "Lord Eonwe waits inside for you." He looked over at Alun. "You had better come too. I imagine Lord Eonwe will want to know why you were in the company of the enemy."

Kim looked frantically at Elrond who smiled reassuringly. "Go with my uncle, Kim, Lord Eonwe is one of the Maiar and Commander of this army. He will not be unkind to you."

She sighed and slid down to the ground, clutching onto Maedhros as though he was a life preserver as they made their way between the tall watchful guards to the entrance of the tent.. Alun swung his leg over the horse and also jumped down, gently patting the mare's neck as he did so. He followed Maedhros and Kim and ignored the veiled curiosity of the Elves at this strangely dressed Edain in their midst.

The young warrior parted the tent flaps for them and they stepped inside.

ooOoo