Chapter 31

The Elegy

The silent journey was broken when the High Pass finally came to an end, and the valley wherein Rivendell was hidden came on sight. The soldiers in the front line rejoiced and spoke eagerly in their native elven-tongue. Elrond's banner of silver was held higher and the horn was blown to announce their arrival. In the ensuing festivities, Erynlith's eyes grew wide; years of being away from home registering in her mind. She kicked on her steed's sides, sending Arcastar running off into the blue. Elrond and his companions laughed at her eagerness and followed her trail.

Rivendell was just as she had left it: beautiful and majestic. The bubbling noises of the stream welcomed her first, followed by the sunlight that emanated from the cliffs. Arcastar passed the approach bridge and neighed wildly, further announcing their return.

As Erynlith slid off the back, the elves that remained there quickly emerged. One by one, the courtyard was filled with familiar faces. Celebrían smiled and threw her arms around Erynlith; the two maidens laughing at their reunion. The silver-haired lady was followed by both Lindir and Gildor, who seemed to be racing down the staircase.

"Erynlith!" the golden-haired elf exclaimed and admitted her into an embrace. Gildor was laughing with her, not caring if his long white robes were grazing the dusty ground. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as Elrond and his company arrived.

Celebrían rushed over to Elrond, and he quickly kissed her forehead. Lovers sundered for seven years of warfare. And the lady was more than delighted that her beloved returned safe and sound, with all the companions he set out with. She smiled at Erestor and Círdan, and then her grey eyes searched for someone else. The High King was not present. She looked up at Elrond. He spoke no words to her. He only shook his head and looked wistful.

But the reunion did not stop there.

Lindir approached Erynlith with a knowing smile. "You have been gone for a long time, Eryn."

She chose to ignore the petty nickname. She proceeded to embrace him, and the minstrel laughed. "All roads lead to home, tra-la-lay." Ah, she missed her singing.

"That sounds like a good title for a song," Lindir beamed at her. "Perhaps we can work on it soon. The others will sure be looking forward to it."

"Let us come inside now!" Elrond enthusiastically announced.

Thus, the festivities in Rivendell began. The kitchen was bustling and the stewards of the household ran to and fro. At dinnertime, everyone was gathered in the Halls of Fire; a long table was prepared for the foods. Lindir led the minstrels in singing festive elven songs, many of those he learned while still living in Lindon. Erestor and Erynlith were occupied on one corner by Gildor, who breathlessly narrated about all his travel in the far South. There was much singing and drinking in the Halls.

Suddenly, everyone fell silent. The once festive melody turned into a quiet elegy.

Lindir and his minstrels began. Everyone listened to the elegy, their hearts quietly mourning for the loss of the great High King. Celebrían wept on Elrond's shoulder. She loved the High King like a brother, and they were akin to each other. She lived with him in Lindon in her youth, just before she had met Elrond. Everyone loved their High King, and it was the greatest loss they had.

As Erynlith stood on the corner, she leaned closer to Erestor for comfort. She was happy she was not one of the minstrels singing the elegy, or she would have cried right there on the spot. She could tell the minstrels wanted to stop, but Lindir urged them on; the feeling of honoring the High King was there.

When the elegy ended, everyone returned to their respective chambers. No one ever spoke another word about the lost High King.

In Greenwood, Thranduil felt different. There were three elves inside his chambers, and although he trusted them with his life, he still felt different. Celairis was fumbling through the bandages above his ears, carefully unknotting it. He could feel her face near his, as she reached out behind his head. And she leaned back, carrying the bandages along with it. He was silent, as the bandages slipped slowly from his eyes.

"Are you ready?" Celairis asked with obvious excitement. Behind her, Santien and Raithon waited.

Thranduil only nodded his head.

She proceeded to pull the bandages away. The cloth fell in a heap in her hands, and she looked up to Thranduil. He still had his eyes closed, as in the manner for almost three months.

With a slight urge from his female counselor, he fluttered his eyes open, reluctantly as he did so. The first face he saw was fair and beautiful, bright blue eyes contrasting her ever dark hair; and she was smiling as his unsteady vision slowly focused on her. He blinked once, and then twice. Indeed, it felt different. Absentmindedly, his hand reached out for her face. It felt unbelievable for him to be able to see once more.

Celairis smiled. "What do you think, my lord? Does it look alright?"

"Yes," he answered. The breath he did not know he held was sighed. "Yes, I remember your face, Celairis." He smile grew wider as he looked around his chambers. Everything looked so familiar.

Behind his counselor, Santien and Raithon walked up to him, and both congratulated his returned eyesight.

"I can see again…" Thranduil drawled in disbelief. He soothed his left cheek, and though it was still burned, it did not matter anymore. He could finally see.

"You like what you see?" Raithon teased his friend, innocently gesturing towards the Chief Counselor.

The Prince laughed quietly. "Oh, I do, very much."

"Will this be the end of your brooding, Thranduil?" Santien asked. An unusual smile was on her face. The auburn-haired healer helped Elrond with the medicinal herbs, and she learned so much from him. She was grateful in learning from one of the world's master healers.

Thranduil shifted and leaned his back against the headboard. His counselor was sitting on the edge of his bed. "I hope so," he answered thoughtfully. "Now then, shall we have a celebration? Invite the newly-crowned King Amroth of Lórinand and his entourage. Let the King's wine cellar be opened."

"King?" Raithon repeated enthusiastically. He heard from Erestor of his friend's refusal to take the crown of his father.

"Yes," Thranduil answered again. "It is about time Greenwood takes on a new Elvenking, wouldn't you agree, my friends?"

"Excellent choice, my lord," Celairis said, standing up from the bed. "Shall I inform the other counselors?"

He nodded. "Yes, please. Thank you, Celairis."

The counselor smiled and nodded. She left the chambers to Thranduil and his friends. When she was gone, Santien took her place and sat on the edge of the bed, whilst Raithon put his arms across his chest. He looked at the elf prince, whose infamous smirk was plastered again on his handsome face. One could tell that his mood had been lifted eve since the return of his sight. Raithon hoped that his friend would stay the same and rule over their Silvan folk with the same uplifted spirit.

"What made you change your mind?" The Captain of the Elven-guard raised a slender eyebrow as he inquired.

Thranduil paused for a moment, looking up at his friend. Even the healer who sat beside him wondered about the answer. At length, he smiled and said: "It is not 'what', my friend. It is 'who'."

"She has great influence over you, hasn't she?" Santien mused.

He laughed. "I am afraid so."

"Is it really okay to let her leave like that? You know you can still chase after her. Rivendell is just one mountain away, and the High Pass is accessible," Raithon pointed out.

Thranduil shook his head. "There is no need to force myself upon someone. I am sure she is happy in Rivendell with her family and friends. As for myself, I would rather focus on the rebuilding of the kingdom. We should make Greenwood more prosperous than Lórinand. I'd like to see Amroth's envious face when that happens."

"We'll get that done right away, my lord." Raithon laughed. There could be no more joy to him than to see his friend take the crown.

Down the Elvenking's halls, Celairis assembled the other counselors of the previous King Oropher. All had sour looks on the faces; none was too pleased to have someone, a female, to lead the counseling group. The other counselors were aware that Thranduil trusted Celairis more than anyone, and it made them indifferent towards the soon-to-be Elvenking. Rumors had it that some of the counselors wanted to usurp the throne should Thranduil refuse it. The idea of merging with Amroth's Lórinand they despised, and even thought that the King's son was insane. No one else was more aware than this than Celairis, and she was proud to announce that Thranduil chose to take the crown.

"Lord Thranduil has come into his final decision," Celairis began. Her voice was powerful and full of authority. "Today he regained his vision and announced his intention of retaking the title of King of Greenwood. He has ordered a little celebration, which would be shared with our neighbors at Lórinand; King Amroth and his entourage should arrive soon."

A great murmuring commenced amongst the counselors.

Her bright eyes dimmed with warning. "I am aware of the intention to usurp the throne from the King. But let me tell you this: I will not mention any of it to the King. Such a petty conception is not to be dealt by him. Whoever wishes to continue that objective, I am sure the Captain of the Guards will hunt you down. Moreover, you will answer to the Elvenking Thranduil himself."

Erynlith knocked on Erestor's chamber doors. No answer came. How odd for him not to answer his door. It was not even midnight yet; he couldn't have fallen into reverie that fast. Lindir and the other stewards cleaned the Halls of Fire after the elegy, and Elrond and Celebrían retreated into their respective chambers. Erestor and Círdan left after that; Erynlith was once again occupied by Gildor. The Ñoldo forced, almost pleaded, her to come with him to his next travel. He planned on accompanying Lord Círdan back to the Havens, but Erynlith declined. She was not up for anything at the moment.

"I'm coming in, tra-lil-lay," she announced in her singsong, opening the large double doors.

She poked her head in, looking for her brother. She blinked when the bed was unoccupied. Where could he be? Finally, she entered and the latch of the doors clicked softly. A single candle illuminated the room, and it stood on Erestor's desk. And there he was: the dark-haired captain and Elrond's-almost-chief-counselor dozing off on his desk. His arms pillowed his dark head as his back rose slightly from his faint breathing.

Erynlith smiled at the sight and approached his bed to get a blanket. She draped it over his shoulder and tucked it under his chin. Then, she noticed the crumpled papers on his desk; the ink of his quill carelessly spilled on his fingers. One paper was laid out, also stained with the ink, and it had something written there. She pulled the paper from under Erestor's elbow and began to read it. It was written in Tengwar:

"His sword was long, his lance was keen.

His shining helm afar was seen;

the countless stars of heaven's field

were mirrored in his silver shield."

Erestor recounted on how the High King looked during his final battle, his final confrontation with the Dark Lord. And Erynlith distinctly remembered how the King looked like before he left for the battlefield, in that morning when he said his farewell to her and asked her to stay with Elrond. Again, she felt a lump in her throat, and sadness filled her being.

Carefully, she took the quill and drenched it with the black ink, continuing Erestor's unfinished poem.

After Celairis's announcement, the counselors huddled to themselves and began whispering again. Many expressed their dislike of the "atrocious" Thranduil and how he would become a tyrant during his reign. Some were offended by Celairis's words about the Captain of the Guard hunting them; for one thing, the counselors of the King were mentally and orally sharp, not physically. The thought of Raithon running after them with a sword on hand was exceptionally terrifying. None in Greenwood would dare to induce the wrath of the Captain, no matter how laidback he could be. Others hated Celairis—her downright honesty and announcement of the planned usurpation.

"But how did she know?" One of the counselors barked angrily.

"Someone must be providing her all the details!" Another counselor gasped.

"Or she must be eavesdropping!"

The counselors quickly looked around them. The halls were dimly-lit because of the night, and the corridors were unoccupied except for them. The eleven counselors huffed and returned to their discussion.

"That is impossible!" the first counselor exclaimed. "Celairis is not one of the guards. She knows nothing about stealth. I am leaning more on the idea that someone here is a traitor. Should Thranduil find out about all our plans, he could be exiled, or worse, be killed!"

"Or have Captain Raithon running with a deadly look in his face." Another one shuddered at the thought.

"If what she said was true, that Thranduil would take kingship, then the host of Lórinand will arrive soon. The crowning of the King is upon us."

Another series of murmurs continued. The counselors were once loyal to King Oropher and refused to work under Thranduil's reign. The elf prince was hostile with them even before his father was dead, thinking the counselors foolish and distrustful. It was the reason why Thranduil turned mostly to Celairis for counsel and even left the management of the palace to her when they marched off for War.

"If the throne cannot be usurped, then the place of the King's Chief Counselor should be usurped instead."

And that was when, in the middle of the night, eleven counselors of the King planned of their own realm's downfall.

Erestor's head slipped from his arm, and he jerked up from his seat. The candle fire dissipated into the late night. He yawned and stretched, rubbing his hazy eyes at the same time. He began to discard all the crumpled papers on his desk. It would be embarrassing for Elrond to see his friend in that state. As he moved from his seat, he felt the blanket slip off his shoulders and he flinched. He did not remember placing a blanket over his form. His eyes followed the fallen blanket and then widened when he saw Erynlith lying on the floor, curled up on her side. Erestor jumped onto his feet, examining her face. Like before him, she was in a deep reverie.

Dreaming something pleasant, Erestor thought with a smile. He carefully picked her up from the floor and laid her on his bed, draping his blanket over her. He tucked a stray umber lock behind her ear and kissed her forehead. As he moved to leave, his eyes caught the paper in Erynlith's hand. He tilted his head in wonder and took the paper. He recognized his own writing in Tengwar but as his eyes wandered lower, he did not remember adding the last part of the elegy:

"But long ago he rode away,

and where he dwelleth none can say;

for into darkness fell his star

in Mordor where the shadows are."

*The Fall of Gil-galad – J.R.R. Tolkien

Next Chapter: To visit Rivendell or not to visit—that is the question.

Author's Notes: I already miss writing Erynlith/Thranduil moments. She should have been the first person Thranduil sees after his blindness. *sighs* I am going to regret separating them, am I not? Cheers for Celairis's defiance though!

*SparklesJustReads - Thank you for the lovely review! In all honesty, I dislike the idea of another woman going in to steal Thranduil (as you have mentioned). I like well-behaved characters, with sincerity in them, no matter how childish they may seem. Someone prancing in without depth does not deserve Thranduil's attention (or fabulousness). With my rant done, I hope you like this one.

*LovelyThorn - Stay tuned to find out! *insert evil laughter* Thank you for the review!

*Evangeline Pond - *cries and joins you in the corner* I knooow~ I ship them, too! But character development has to be done! I am sooo sorry!

*Asmodeus Black - Thank you! We'll see how things will work out in the next few chapters! See you then~!

*DeLacus - Awww, the feels are back! Yes, I do intend for Thranduil to learn and become King. With Eryn in Greenwood, he'll definitely be distracted. Come to think of it, Eryn needs a new hobby to keep herself as well. Hmmm. Oh, and thank you for stopping by!

*Charmeleonz - Yes, the best ones are the most difficult, but your efforts would not go to waste in the end. *fangirling* And Glorfindel? GLORFINDEL?! The bestest elf to grace Middle-earth? *calms down* Nah, don't worry! He'll come around in the next three chapters! Thank you for the review!

P.S. I am thinking of writing that Haldir/OC I promised last year, but I still cannot rack my brains to think of a name for the newest OC. If you have suggestions, even if it is just a name meaning in English, it would be greatly appreciated! I'll translate the name into Sindarin.

Thank you all for reading!