I backed away to the great hall and leaned, breathing deeply, trying to calm myself down. What was that?! I have never felt anything like this before. When I reached Cartelion`s mind I felt something like an iron wall, cold and strong. Then he, maybe surprised by my touch, lowered his barrier for a second, enough for me to unwittingly peer behind it and glimpse what really lies underneath. And I didn`t like it. It was like looking into the cold ocean, full of great wrath and hatred against all the world, under which, deep, deep down, some wounded creature was moving, pleading for release and screaming, screaming... my name?

~ Talia!'

I came back to reality, exhaled deeply and looked around me. What? Then I saw Alcar, who hung in the air before me, waving his wings quickly. He landed on the sculpture of a white hart and looked at me with his dark eyes in which sparked golden twinkles. He reached my mind again, gently as if he was approaching a frightened animal.

~ Talia, tell me what happened.`

I didn`t know how to talk about it, so I just showed him my memory with all the details. His dark pupil widened and he clenched his claws on the sculpture, leaving long scratches. He lowered his head, looking up to me.

~ Talia, something is terribly wrong with that Elf.` he exclaimed, opening his beak.

`Well, I know, I`ve sensed it' I answered him, rubbing my forehead. 'But what of it? What should we do? I can`t just avoid him, I want to have normal life here! Just once, for a time, I want my life to be peaceful and happy! I hoped I would get at least some time. That is why I chose Eregion!' I kicked the wall, but the physics worked and my toe exploded with pain. I glowered at it.

Alcar sighed mentally and I sensed a trace of sadness in him. ~ Life is not that easy and it`s not fair. You know it well.` I sighed too, thinking about my dad with both sadness and anger. ~ But why we should do something about him? For now he isn`t doing anything bad towards us. Maybe he`ll just let us be.' I could see even he had a problem in believing it.

~ No, Alcar." I said quietly. ~ I`ve seen something I shouldn`t, something terrible. For all my knowledge about Arda I can`t tell what it was. Being him I wouldn`t want me to tell everyone about it, even if they probably wouldn`t believe me. He will do something about it, because right now I am his problem. And there is little I can do to prevent that.`

Alcar looked worried for a moment, but then his eye hardened. ~ No, we can do much, because we are strong, especially together. We can solve this problem or at least we will try.'

I smiled faintly. A little of the uncertainty and worry went away and I felt better. He always knew how to comfort me.

I straightened and moved to the entrance, wanting to go outside. I nodded to the guard when he asked me if everything was all right and walked through the open gate, stopping at the top of the stairs. I watched the wind rustle the leaves of many old trees growing here and listened to sweet voices of birds, swirling around, fluttering their feathers. Sounds of anvils added their own tune to the music of nature. It was so peaceful... and yet it was not.

Alcar landed near me, clattering his claws on the stone. I looked at him, thoughtful.

"So, what do you think, what should we do?" I asked tentatively, but with growing hope.

He walked closer to the edge of the stairs, watching the surroundings. ~ One thing puzzles me.` he answered, blinking. `Why has no one here sensed what you did? Not even his closest companions? Galorn is maybe less watchful, but Celebrimbor is a very old Elf, of keen mind and eye. He wouldn`t have to have touched his mind to sense that something is wrong.' He shook his wings.

"But he seemed completely at ease with his companions at the feast." I said, remembering the morning`s events. "He talked with them, even laughed with them! If he was the same to me, I wouldn`t be suspicious. But he wasn`t, he looked as if he couldn`t do it! The question is: why?"

Alcar watched the horizon, deep in his thoughts. ~ I don`t know...` he then glanced at me. ~ But I think you shouldn`t be too hasty in your actions. You are only one day here and you are their guest. You can`t just go to Celebrimbor and say that you feel something is wrong with one of his best friends, because you saw it in his mind. Regardless on his reaction, Cartelion would know about this and it could provoke him to do something about your unwelcome statements. If something really is wrong with him, which we cannot be quite certain, you would be placed in great danger.`

"Then what should I do?" I cried silently. I hated this uncertainty. And I hated that I couldn`t solve my own problems by myself as I used to.

~ What should we do, Talia.` myfalcon corrected me, watching me closely. `Tell me, my mind companion, what falcon does, when he wants to assess the size of his prey?'

I smiled when I understood his idea. "He observes it."

~ Yes, he observes it from above, soaring in the heights, all-seeing and unseen.' He bounced off the ground and flew up in the air, above the tops of the old tress. I linked my mind with his with a thin line - this way I could see with his eyes, but stay in control of my body. The town was flowing down below, like a wave of wavering leaves and gleaming stone. Two rivers were flanking it like a pitchfork, its waters shimmering in the sun. Eastward loomed the wall of the Misty Mountains, and, as if in agreement to their name, the white fog was veiling them, blurring their outline. In the town below the inhabitants were attending to their business. Alcar adjusted his eyes and we could see their faces, well enough to recognize them. ~ Live your life like them, Talia. Observe the world and its phenomena, get to know it and learn its laws. It`s your world now and you will stay here, for good or for evil, tied to it by the bonds of immortality.`

And we will be watching Cartelion with your eyes and we will know the truth about him, if it`s possible, without arousing his suspicion.` I nodded, went down the stairs and began wandering among the trees. The wind brushed my hair with its tiny fingers. ~ It is still risky, because we don`t know his intentions, but it`s not a bad idea.`

Then I realized that, during the talk, I unwittingly arrived at training grounds. It was divided into two parts. One was the great open square, covered only by short grass. The other was an archery range on which could practise fifteen archers could practise at time. To my surprise, no one was there. Near the square stood a low, wooden building. Curious, I went to it, opened its doors and went inside. It was an armoury. To the right, on the shelves and racks, were placed lots of swords, spears, maces, bows and other weapons. Some of them were wooden, but many were made of real steel, only dulled. On the left hung many types of armour, from light leather, to heavy mail and plate armour. I smiled and broke the contact with Alcar, which was making me see double. Then I grabbed the nearest bow, made from flexible light wood and the quiver with the bunch of grey-feathered arrows in it, and left the building.

I went to the archery range. Before every mark at least the score of targets stood scattered, spaced every ten yards. I aimed at the second one, stretched the bowstring and fired. It missed the target one yard to the left and the arrow was stuck in the grass. I frowned. I aimed the second time and barely hit the target in its edge. I winced, what was wrong? Not that long ago I was killing Orcs to quite good effect!

I fired many times, till the sun started to lean toward western horizon, but only twice I managed to hit the middle of the target. I sighed, it looks like I need a lot of practise to be as good as I thought I was. Maybe Elves have some skill trigger, which activates in the moment of a danger? Or maybe I was just lucky? But I shook my head at this thought. Simple luck could not made me kill twenty Orcs, while standing fifty yards away!

"Arrows are not good for you today, Rovahlen?"

I turned around to see Celebrimbor, standing at the edge of the training grounds. He was garbed in the simple black tunic this time and his long black hair was flowing freely behind him. He smiled lightly and came up to me. Fortunately, he was alone.

"Welcome, Lord Celebrimbor" I greeted him, sighing. I lowered my bow. "I do not know what is happening with me. I thought I could manage hitting a few targets. But to my surprise I found I am awful at it."

He looked at me appraisingly. "Show me." he exclaimed.

I wasn`t very keen to show my clumsiness, but I stood, set my bow in the right position, aimed, and fired. The arrow missed the target by few inches and I groaned unhappily. "As I said, I am awful."

Celebrimbor observed me for a moment with his grey eyes, frowning, but then his brow smoothed. "As I remember correctly, you found yourself on the verge of death after the battle?" he asked.

"Yes, if not for Celeborn and Galadriel, I would be dead." I grimaced when I remember my imprudence.

He smiled then, as if my answer confirmed his assumptions. "I am not the expert in that kind of matter, but I think you should not be worry. As you well know, because of the nature of a connection between our fëa and our hröa, if one is damaged it affects the other. The connection was nearly broken, so now they are... shaken. Hence your problems. They should stabilize in time and then you will regain the full level of your skill."

I smiled at him, relieved. "Thank you, my Lord. I am glad to hear it."

"Please, you do not have to address me by my title when we are not in the Court. Call me just by my name." He answered me with a flicker in his grey eyes.

"Thank you, Celebrimbor." I corrected myself. Then I remembered the morning feast. "May I ask what caused you to leave in such a hurry earlier this morning? You looked worried."

His bright eyes darkened considerably and he tensed his jaw. "The Orcs" he nearly spit. "It looks like they have grown in number in the mountains. The messenger came from Khazad-Dúm, informing us that they are harassed by regular attacks of small groups of those beasts. It is not enough to threaten the defence of their realm, but still, it is worrisome. We must be careful now, on the road to the mountains and if attacks worsen, or the events from the past week repeat we will have to deal with this problem. People would not be happy, for they are still counting on peace, but there will be no other choice. We do not want to have more funerals."

"But if it is not better to deal with them now, when they are weaker and not well organized?" I asked him. I had a feeling that letting those Orcs be wouldn`t do any good. What if someone takes control over them... what if someone already had?

He looked at me with a gleam in his eye. "Those were also Galadriel`s and Celeborn`s words. But we will not risk the lives of our people in pursuit of some imagined threat. Morgoth had been defeated long ago, his allies were smashed, the Valar gave us their pardon, realm of Numenor gleams in the West and our countries flourish." His eyes were hard now, like two grey stones, full of old wrath and pain he tried so hard to forget. " There is no new threat, no new shadow, it cannot be. If those Orcs dare to attack us again, they would regret it dearly. Until then we should enjoy the peace, not wondering how much blood another war may cost us, for there may never be another one."

I stand here for a moment, pondering over his words.

"The world holds many secrets. Are you sure you know them all, Celebrimbor?" I said to him quietly and in my voice sadness was hidden, the sadness about the future which may not be in my power to change.

He looked in my eyes then, and stayed there, watching. There was something in his calm gaze that made me lower mine. The evening breeze moved the blades of grass around our still figures.

"No," he answered at last and his voice was calm. "But we have suffered enough and we deserve to live happily, in the homes crafted by our own hand without fear that something will tear our families away. We deserve the light of sun, the shade under the boughs of our beloved trees, the singing of birds, the call of the sea, not the clatter of war, where our lives mean nothing, where we will be left, to bleed to death in the dirt or to mourn the loss of our loved ones. Surely the Valar realize that."

With that he left the training grounds and soon the fast approaching shadows swallowed him. He didn`t even start to practise. I stood there for some minutes, feeling the emptiness in my chest. Then I put the bow back in its place and climbed the old oak of low branches. I sat high in his boughs and watched the stars, reliving the events of this long day, sunken in my own thoughts. Nothing was how I thought it would be, and I felt lost and uncertain. Many hours passed until I went to rest.

please, review!

And the winner is KiyaJinnSkywalkerKenobi.