Chapter 22

Sauron was greeted by the familiar smell of smoke and molten metal as he strode into the forges. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs and nostrils with the scent that to him was the closest thing to home he'd ever known, either here or in Beleriand. It was the one place available to him where he did not feel utterly out of place, where he was still able to hold his own. He might no longer be Aulë's head apprentice nor the most esteemed smith in Valinor besides Aulë himself, but he knew instinctively that he could put any other smith in these forges to shame if he so desired. That at least was a skill he had honed faithfully during his years of service to Lord Melkor which had not been wrought obsolete after the War of Wrath.

Ignoring all glances, both curious and hostile, from the other occupants of the hall, he made straight for the forge in the corner that he had unofficially adopted as his own. It had been several weeks since his last visit, but the forge was exactly as he had left it last. He wondered wryly if that particular forge was as good as cursed in the eyes of the rest of the smiths, now that his filthy, evil hands had touched it. There was almost something darkly empowering to the thought: that with a single touch, he could render anything defiled that he chose.

He went about the normal tasks of prepping the forge: checking the tools, anvil, and bellows, making sure there was an ample supply of charcoal, and fetching the materials he wished to use from the storage area at the near end of the massive hall. Satisfied that everything met his standards, he dusted off his hands and turned towards the stairway entrance, folding his arms and waiting.

A few minutes later, an elf in a heavy apprentice's apron approached the neighboring forge and began going through the preparatory steps that Sauron had just completed. The elf glanced nervously over at him then quickly looked away, doubling his attention to his tasks, but Sauron saw the telltale tightening of his shoulders that meant he was still very much aware of Sauron's nearby presence. Sauron fixed his eyes on the back of the elf's neck, where his dark hair was bound in a braid that reached almost to his waist, and stared, directing all his will into his gaze. The tension in the elf's shoulders increased and he twitched as if he'd been bitten by a horsefly. A few seconds later, he scratched at the spot then cast another uncomfortable glance over his shoulder. Sauron kept his face entirely blank, his unblinking stare unwavering. The elf glanced around, his movements becoming more shaky and sharp, like a deer that has sensed a lion in its vicinity and is seeking an escape route. He haphazardly rushed through the final steps of his preparation, barely even glancing at his charcoal stock, then bolted off towards the storage area. Sauron let his victim go with a smirk and leaned back against the stone wall beside the forge.

His smirk quickly faded as he caught sight of a new figure heading his way, clearly making for the forge that the elf had been preparing.

Curumo shot Sauron a disdainful look as he arrived at his forge and began setting up the space to his liking. The Maia frowned when he saw the half-depleted charcoal stock and the careless way his tools had been laid out and looked around for the elf apprentice, who still had yet to reappear from the storage room. His shoulders were straight and hard, and Sauron could see the irritation in every line of his body.

The elf returned presently, carrying a gold ingot and several gems and still looking skittish, though he meticulously avoided Sauron's gaze as he passed him, then deposited the materials on Curumo's work table. Curumo turned his back on Sauron, facing the elf, and though Sauron could not catch any of the words themselves, Curumo's tone was clear, as was the chagrined posture of the apprentice.

After the berating had finished, the elf skittered away again, this time towards the huge bins containing bags of charcoal over on the far side of the hall. Curumo inspected the ingot and gems on his table, picking each one up and examining it for imperfections. Nothing but the absolute best for Aulë's head smith apparently.

As the elf replenished his charcoal, Curumo's gaze flickered once again over to Sauron, who had not moved the whole time. His eyes flashed condescendingly up and down Sauron himself, then across the readied forge, and one of his black eyebrows quirked upwards. This time his voice carried clear, despite the sounds of clanging hammers, whooshing bellows, and hissing fires that filled the hall. "It's been some time, Sauron. I had almost begun to think you'd given up playing at being one of Lord Aulë's smiths with the rest of us. In the time that you've been away, have you forgotten how to get started? If you have, I can spare Elentar for a few minutes to help you begin." He indicated the elf apprentice, whose eyes nearly bugged out of his face at the thought of having to assist, or get any closer to, the dark, menacing Maia in the corner.

Sauron remained unflustered, showing neither irritation nor amusement. "Thank you for your concern, Curumo, but I have everything under control and exactly how I want it."

There must have been just the right measure of smugness in Sauron's voice to catch Curumo's attention. He looked back over at Sauron, eyes narrowed slightly, gaze harder than before, as if trying to read Sauron's mind or divine what he had up his sleeve. Sauron made a show of dusting off his anvil, even though it was already spotless, radiating an air of imperious secretiveness that he knew would wind Curumo up like an iron rack.

Knowing the other Maia was still watching, Sauron casually pushed himself up from the wall and opened the door of the wooden storage cabinet with which each individual forge was equipped. Keeping his movements languid, he pulled out a second apron and gloves, along with a second set of tools, and laid them out meticulously on the work table beside his own. Only then did he glance back at Curumo, whose face had darkened. "Was there anything else you wanted to discuss, Curumo? Once my apprentice arrives, I'm afraid I will need my full attention and cannot allow myself to be diverted with idle chatter."

Curumo's eyes blazed for a split second, then that careful, calculated placidness descended over his features once again. "Lord Aulë has been informed of this, I assume?" he said smoothly, with just enough inflection to indicate that if their Valarin lord wasn't aware, he soon would be.

"Of course," Sauron replied, equally smoothly. For a moment, he considered throwing in that Aulë himself had been the one to suggest it, but he decided he better liked the idea of Curumo scurrying off to Aulë to tattle and finding out that little tidbit of information directly from the Smith. "Although, from what I recall," he added, "unless things have changed, there was no requirement to arrange an apprenticeship with Aulë ahead of time. Was it not usually an arrangement directly coordinated between the master smith and the potential apprentice?"

From the set of Curumo's jaw, Sauron surmised that this indeed was still the way of things. When Curumo spoke again, his deep, flowing voice was slightly lower and darker. "Between a master smith and an apprentice, yes. But I believe your status as a master smith of Lord Aulë was revoked when you betrayed your lord and fled with the Enemy of the Valar."

Sauron acknowledged the point with an incline of his head. "I don't doubt that is so. Thus my clear communication about this arrangement with Aulë beforehand."

Curumo turned away from him and reached for his apron to slip it on and deftly tie it behind his back. Sauron allowed himself a smirk. He knew Curumo was weighing whether or not Aulë would be so hospitable to his traitor Maia and was coming to the conclusion that he absolutely would be.

By the time he turned back around though, Curumo's countenance was once again serene. "Well, congratulations are in order then, Sauron. You seem to be moving up in Lord Aulë's favor by leaps and bounds. No doubt you'll have all your powers returned to you and a complete pardon in no time." He picked up the hammer on his table, testing its weight and balance. "I just hope for your sake, as well as this apprentice of yours, that your currying of favor does not hide a less repentant and well-meaning undercurrent that collapses under you and sweeps you away from us once again." He looked back up at Sauron, and his eyes glinted. "I would suggest however that you make the best use of this chance of mentorship while you have it. After all, I doubt the Void would offer such extravagant opportunities."

"No, I doubt it would," Sauron replied quietly, but then a flicker of movement behind Curumo caught his attention.

Curumo noticed the refocusing of Sauron's interest and turned around to face the newcomer. When he did so, a thin smile crossed his face. "Ah, Erenquaro, there you are. I was hoping you'd be able to get started today. So, your training as a proper Maia of Lord Aulë commences."

Sauron's brow creased and he glanced curiously between Erenquaro and Curumo. There was an unexpected familiarity between the two of them and in Curumo's tone. Of course, with Curumo being Aulë's head smith, it would make sense that he would know most, if not all, of Aulë's Maiar. But the relationship between the two of them did not strike Sauron as that of an overseer and an underling, at least not entirely.

Curumo clapped Erenquaro's shoulder. "Now, which master smith has Lord Aulë assigned you to work under? Ilsahon? Tulcaroman perhaps? I made sure to express to Lord Aulë that I expected the best training for you." He chuckled. "Well, third best, under Lord Aulë and myself of course, but I already have enough apprentices that I can barely step out of the forge hall as it is. Come now, Erenquaro, who have you been assigned to? I can take you to your new master's forge and introduce you properly, and of course make it clear that I expect only the best from you both."

Erenquaro just stood there, his mouth tight shut, a wild, cornered sort of panicked look about his eyes. He glanced over at Sauron, who was still standing in the background quietly observing the exchange, then he looked back at Curumo. Curumo frowned, his fingers twitching with impatience. "I know it must all seem very overwhelming, but you'll get used to it quickly enough. Now tell me, who has Lord Aulë assigned you under?"

Erenquaro's eyes darted past Curumo once again, then slowly, the silver-haired Maia lifted his hand and pointed.

Curumo turned to follow the direction of Erenquaro's finger and froze. The smug smile that he'd been wearing as he spoke to Erenquaro was still plastered across his face as if carved into stone, but there was a wild look in his eyes that Sauron had never seen in him before. Curumo looked at Sauron, then back at Erenquaro, then back at Sauron. His smile faltered, and Sauron saw the very moment when Curumo put two and two together.

The color drained from Curumo's face and for the first time that Sauron had ever had the pleasure of observing, Aulë's head smith was rendered entirely speechless.

Curumo's frozen stupor of horror lasted only a second, then his face flushed red and his dark eyes flashed and his jaw visibly clenched. He seized Erenquaro's arm, tightly and forcefully enough to cause the younger Maia to flinch. "Obviously there's been a mistake," Curumo said, his voice low and even but with an unmistakable threat like the first rumbles of an earthquake. "Whoever told you that you are to work under him was either extremely mistaken or attempting to play what might pass in lesser minds as some sort of pathetic joke. Now you will go to Lord Aulë immediately and learn from him to whom you have truly been assigned."

Erenquaro looked genuinely baffled. "Lord Aulë himself told me that he had assigned me to work with…with…him."

Curumo shot another glance at Sauron, who had not moved from his position by the forge, casually watching the drama that was unfolding before him. His grip on Erenquaro's arm tightened impulsively and Erenquaro flinched once again. "I am not amused," Curumo spat, the velvet of his voice going harsh. "I made it explicitly clear to Lord Aulë that I was requesting the highest quality of training for you, and I hardly believe that our lord would be so dismissive of my request." He regained some of his composure, but there was still an uncharacteristic tightness to his usually smooth voice. "It would seem that you misheard Lord Aulë's instructions. It is quite unbecoming of you to be so doltish, Erenquaro, especially with your lord's own directives and particularly now that you are to be a smith. I hope you pay more attention to the instruction of the one to whom Lord Aulë has truly assigned you. Now you will return immediately to Lord Aulë, and this time listen properly to his instructions as befits the brother of Lord Aulë's head smith."

Sauron's brow shot up at that. Now this was interesting. His eyes flickered quickly from Erenquaro to Curumo, his mind suddenly racing as everything clicked together. Brothers. His face remained completely neutral, hiding the sudden swell of malicious glee in his heart. He had known that him having an apprentice at all would grate upon Curumo's nerves, but it would seem that Aulë (the well-meaning buffoon) had handed Sauron a far more fiendish method to torture Curumo than Sauron had ever hoped for or devised for himself.

Erenquaro opened his mouth as if to protest, but evidently saw the dangerous glint of Curumo's eyes and slowly shut it again, a helpless slump to his broad shoulders. Sauron decided it was his time to step into the spotlight as it were.

He picked up one of his hammers, twirling it expertly with one hand, and adopted a nonchalant expression. "I certainly don't want to intrude upon a family affair," he said, and he saw the combination of wariness and fury in Curumo's eyes at his casual emphasis. "But I am afraid neither Erenquaro's hearing not his attention are at fault. I can second Erenquaro's claim that it was indeed Aulë's intention to assign me as his master smith."

The viciousness immediately returned to Curumo's voice. "This is none of your business, Sauron. This matter is between myself and Erenquaro."

"Quite the contrary, I seem to be an integral part of this matter," Sauron countered, his voice still mockingly pleasant which seemed to effectively attain its intended goal of riling Curumo even further. "Perhaps Erenquaro might have misunderstood or misheard Aulë's instructions, but I can assure you that I did not."

Sauron noticed Erenquaro not-so-subtly edging out of the way between the two older Maiar.

Curumo turned to fully confront Sauron, his eyes still blazing, but his voice was honeyed poison. "And why exactly should I trust your word on this or any matter? Were you not called The Deceiver in Endor? Hardly a vote of confidence."

Sauron shrugged languidly. "You don't need to trust my word. Fortunately, it is a dispute that can easily be proven one way or the other. Your lord Aulë should be able to set the record straight in short order."

Curumo hesitated, and now it was he who had a hunted look about him. Sauron could guess the thoughts racing through his head as his eyes darted over to Sauron's forge. Sauron smiled thinly as he gave voice to Curumo's thoughts.

"I already informed you that Aulë assigned me an apprentice before Erenquaro arrived. What reason would I have to lie about such a thing? It would have made for a poor joke and my lie would have become apparent shortly enough when no apprentice arrived and I would have been left looking the fool. And you know how much I hate looking the fool."

Curumo's thin lips pressed together into hard line. "Oh yes, that I do know," he said, his voice low. A thin, biting smile crossed his face. "And you are quite right of course about determining who is telling the truth. And perhaps you were able to weave your deceptive charm around Lord Aulë and convince him to assign my brother as your apprentice, but I will soon make sure to clear up the matter. I would not get too used to being a master smith again, if I were you."

Sauron shrugged and made a gesture with his hand to indicate his lack of concern. "And I obviously cannot stop you, though no need for you to hurry to Aulë so fast that you trip over your own confidence. I'm not going anywhere after all." Curumo huffed, but as he turned away, Sauron added his final barb. "It is a pity, Curumo, that you have such a lack of faith in your lord's discernment. I can only imagine how disappointed in you he'd be to learn how easily you believe he can be swayed by the words of a dark lord."

For a moment, it seemed like Curumo was about to retort but then he decided better of it and instead walked stiffly back towards his forge. He tossed his hammer down roughly on the work table, producing a loud clang that made his skittish elf apprentice jump, then snapped at Erenquaro. "I am going to speak to Lord Aulë about this matter. In the meantime, I forbid you from taking any instruction from The Deceiver!"

Sauron watched Curumo storm up the stairs towards the exit to the forges and finally let a satisfied smirk creep across his face. Erenquaro stared after his brother, a slightly shell-shocked look in his eyes. Sauron stepped up next to him, arms folded, silently watching Curumo's dramatic exit for several seconds until he spoke. "I did not know you had such a close affiliation with my old compatriot, Erenquaro," he said. "Does he always make the decisions about your welfare, life, and preferences for you?"

Erenquaro turned and looked at Sauron with wide, silver eyes, but Sauron had already walked back to his own forge.

~o~o~o~

Curumo was furious. No, furious didn't cut it. He had been humiliated and Sauron (that Void-cursed traitor) was no doubt at the center of it. The Deceiver's final rejoinder rankled Curumo in particular. It wasn't that he didn't trust Lord Aulë or lacked faith in Lord Aulë's wisdom – that wasn't it. Lord Aulë just so happened to have a gaping blind spot when it came to anything dealing with his precious Nauron, and of course Sauron knew how to manipulate that to his benefit, curse him. His dull-witted brother had probably let slip to Sauron that Curumo had procured him a place in the forges, and Sauron had scuttled straight to Lord Aulë like the cockroach he was and wheedled Lord Aulë into assigning him the job.

He would have to have a serious talk with Erenquaro. He might have been assigned the unenviable job of escorting Sauron to that quarry, and who was Curumo to dispute the decision of Lord Manwë after all, but Erenquaro didn't need to run his mouth to the traitor every chance he got. It was none of Sauron's business what Erenquaro did with the rest of his life. No doubt Sauron felt isolated and rejected, but well he should after all he had done. Erenquaro was simply too soft-hearted at times. Curumo would have to make sure Erenquaro understood clearly that Sauron deserved no pity and certainly no small talk.

He pushed open the doors of the forges and emerged into the late afternoon sunlight, which briefly stung his eyes after the relative gloom and smoke from the forges. He stretched out his mind and will, searching for the unmistakable sheen of his lord's power. It did not take him long to locate the presence of steady strength that radiated from Lord Aulë's fëa. He brushed his will against Lord Aulë's, conveying his desire to speak to him, and a moment later he felt the Smith's simultaneously acknowledgement and invitation to join him in the storehouses behind the forges.

As he headed towards the storehouses, his mental berating of Erenquaro continued as he imagined the dressing down he was going to give his brother as soon as he had cleared up this mess with Lord Aulë. Sometimes he did not understand how the thoughts of Eru that had created himself had been so intertwined with those thoughts that had created Erenquaro that they had been brought into being as brothers. It was situations like this that highlighted just how different the two of them were. If Lord Aulë had propositioned him with such a ridiculous idea, he would have had the wherewithal to stand up for himself and his own dignity, to explain why Sauron did not deserve such a chance and that even if he did, forcing such an indignity upon his own head smith was hardly befitting. If their positions had been reversed, he certainly would not have set Erenquaro up for such an acute humiliation as Erenquaro had done to him. How had he ended up with such a dull-witted pushover for a younger brother?

As he reached the storehouse doors, he ran his hand over his sleek, dark hair, less to slick the stray strands back down and more to mentally compose himself before speaking to his lord. There was no call to appear before Lord Aulë as a hot-headed hysteric.

He stepped inside, his eyes once again adjusting to the sudden relative darkness, and looked around. The main storehouse, surrounded by half a dozen other small buildings, was a utilitarian structure where the gems and raw metals for the forges were kept. There was a skylight in the middle of the domed ceiling, spilling natural light down into the middle of the huge room, while the edges of the room were bathed in a mixture of flickering torchlight and wavering shadows.

Lord Aulë was in conversation with one of the Maiar who kept track of the inventory, both of them poring over several long scrolls. Curumo touched his mind confidently to the Smith's again and Aulë looked up, saw him, and beckoned him over, dismissing the other Maia as he did so.

"Curumo," Lord Aulë greeted him as the Maia approached, "what did you wish to speak to me about?"

Curumo shoved his temper down to simmer in his stomach, his voice coming out calm and smooth. "My lord, I wanted to speak to you about my younger brother, Erenquaro. Perhaps you recall that last week I approached you about him joining me in the forges as an apprentice smith?"

Aulë set down the inventory parchment that he was still holding and turned to face Curumo fully. "Yes, I do recall. Today was to be his first day, was it not?" A smile crossed the Smith's face. "How is he faring?"

Curumo bit down a sarcastic and not-at-all appropriate response to answer evenly. "I am afraid there has been some misunderstanding in regards to my brother's training. I apologize that my brother sometimes allows his mind to wander when he should be paying attention, but he seems to be under the strange impression that you assigned him to work with Sauron." He congratulated himself that he didn't even spit the traitor's name.

Aulë frowned slightly. "No, your brother heard correctly. I did indeed decide to assign the position to Sauron and that is what I told Erenquaro."

Curumo cursed mentally, though he was careful to keep that part of his thoughts withdrawn enough from Aulë so that his lord wouldn't sense it. An unpleasant sensation that was somewhere between nausea and anger settled like a rock in his stomach. He had still been cradling the hope that Erenquaro had simply misunderstood and Sauron had merely jumped on the opportunity that Erenquaro's confusion had provided, peddling his lies. He maintained his collected façade in the face of this disappointment however. "I see. However, in that case I find myself curious about the choice, my lord. After all, he is my brother and I want to remain appraised of the progress of his training."

Aulë nodded, his frown fading. "Of course, Curumo." He scratched his beard thoughtfully. "It seemed like an excellent match. Sauron has been interested in increasing his involvement in the forges, and he and Erenquaro are already acquainted. When you spoke to me about Erenquaro's interest in learning smithwork, it seemed an excellent opportunity to reintroduce Sauron to smith training."

"So it was not Sauron who approached you with this idea?"

"No, it was my idea and Sauron seemed amenable to it when I broached it with him." Aulë paused and cocked his head slightly, a hint of a frown reappearing. "Has there been trouble?"

The unpleasant feeling in Curumo's stomach dropped down a notch further and his jaw clenched instinctively at Aulë's confirmation that Sauron had been telling the entire truth. He could just imagine the smirk that Sauron was probably wearing at that very moment, and it sent waves of helpless rage radiating through his fëa. "No, my lord, not as such. I am merely concerned about Sauron's qualifications in taking up the position of a master smith once again, let alone teaching the brother of your own head smith. When I made my request, on Erenquaro's behalf of course, it was with the understanding that Erenquaro would receive training of true quality. I am sure there are many more qualified, not to mention more trustworthy, smiths to whom he could be assigned."

Aulë's strong brows began to crease at that. "Mairon was always among the very best of my smiths, and he assured me that he has not let those skills wane. I have seen several of the pieces he has made since his return and they have all been of the finest quality, and he was always a skilled teacher. I have full confidence that Erenquaro will receive excellent training under a skilled smith in this arrangement."

"But my lord, you know that Erenquaro can be a bit sensitive and Sauron…well, his temperament is neither the most pleasant nor-"

Aulë put a hand on Curumo's shoulder. "And if Erenquaro begins to feel intimidated or uncomfortable with Sauron or his teaching methods, then I am sure that Erenquaro is fully qualified and capable of coming to me and letting me know of his concerns himself," he said with a gentle but pointed look at Curumo.

The Maia's eyes dropped, but his cheeks were hot with impotent anger. His fingers had curled impulsively into fists, his palms sweaty, at Aulë's condescension. Lord Aulë simply did not know Erenquaro as well as Curumo did. Erenquaro had such trouble standing up for himself and he was such a terrible pushover, and wouldn't his brother know best what he needed? But the expression on Aulë's face made it clear that this line of reasoning was closed, so he switched to another argument that surely, surely, Lord Aulë would be able to understand and sympathize with. "Maybe this is so, my lord, but would you not agree that there is inherent danger in giving Sauron such a position of authority? You know how arrogant he is and how he revels in any amount of power handed to him, and I do not think it takes much foresight to predict that he will abuse this power, the same as he has done in the past. Regardless of whom he might be teaching, I know I would feel deeply uncomfortable knowing he held any amount of sway or any measure of authority. Surely as a lord who has already felt the sting of betrayal once from him, you can see the wisdom of my words. Besides, is Sauron not here to be punished? Regardless of whether it was his desire to become more involved in the forges, does he truly deserve a reward of this degree, especially so soon after his return?"

Aulë's hand rested firmly on Curumo's shoulder, keeping the Maia facing him. His face was stern. "Sauron may have betrayed us, but he also came back, and that in and of itself was a show of faith in all of us and is deserving of recognition. And no, Curumo, he is not here to be punished but to gain back our trust. Isolating him and scorning him will only drive him further away, and the next time he might very well be lost to us for good."

And what a shame that would be, Curumo thought bitterly to himself.

Whether Aulë caught some echo of Curumo's thought or he was able to read Curumo's lack of empathy on the Maia's face, Aulë's expression saddened. "No Thought of Eru's was without purpose in Eä, and Eä loses something with every Thought that is unmade. The loss of Melkor has shaken the world enough; it does not also need the loss of Mairon. But I fear that is what might come to pass if we do not do our duty to him. It is our task – all of us – to make him feel welcomed and forgiven, to restore to him his sense of purpose and direction. That is why I gave him this task and this position: to extend my trust to him and to help him feel that he has truly returned home."

Aulë's hand tightened slightly, not enough to hurt but enough to ensure that he had Curumo's full attention. "This is a task for all of us, Curumo. All of Mairon's brothers and sisters. We cannot ask nor expect good faith from him if we are unwilling to extend it first to him. He has taken the first step by returning, and now it is up to us to show him that he was right in doing so."

Aulë lifted his hand, but when he looked at Curumo, there was a sad, knowing look to his eyes. "He is not an object of disgrace, Curumo. He is your brother, perhaps not to the same degree as Erenquaro, but of the same thoughts of Eru as you nonetheless. He has shown great bravery in submitting himself to our wills, knowing very well that he might be rejected or even punished. And I believe that one day he shall rise among the Ainur again as a great and noble spirit in our midst. It is no shame nor disgrace to you, Curumo, that he should give instruction to Erenquaro."

Once again, Curumo was not able to meet the Smith's eyes.

"Do you understand, my child?" Aulë asked, his voice gentle.

Curumo nodded sharply, not trusting himself to speak. For a moment he composed himself, then he looked up and flashed his lord a serene smile. "Yes, of course. I understand completely, my lord."

"Good," Aulë responded firmly. "Then if you have nothing more to say, we will consider the case settled."

"Yes, it would seem to be so, my lord."

As Curumo turned to leave, Aulë stopped him a final time. "Remember this, Curumo. Just because one new gem is unearthed to shine its beauty upon the world does not mean that any of the gems before it gleam any less brightly or beautifully."

Curumo exited the storehouses, his stride quick and elegant, his back ramrod straight and his face composed. It was not until he reached the colonnade that the serene façade melted and a combination of anger and humiliation transformed into a dark, simmering wrath that burned in his dark eyes.

He should have known the Lord Aulë would not understand and would turn a blind eye to his well-thought reasonings. Lord Aulë clearly did not understand the risk that Sauron posed to all of them, and he certainly did not understand the humiliation that Curumo would have to face once word got out among the other master smiths that Sauron was Erenquaro's new teacher. Lord Aulë could preach forgiveness as long as he liked, but it was simply a fact that the majority of the Maiar of Valinor had no desire to forgive or welcome Sauron back among them. And of those Maiar, there were few who knew how to harbor a grudge as deeply and as long as Curumo, particularly when it was born of an attack upon his pride.

As the Maia turned from the colonnade into the halls, his mind was racing with indignant fury.

If Lord Aulë refused to do anything, then it seemed that it was up to him to take matters into his own hands.