*For this I borrowed a bit of wizard magic to stand in for dwarf magic, but I like to imagine they could do similar things with their enchantments, especially way back at the turn of the Second Age…

.

.

The Dwarf Kingdom

.

At last Elrond saw for himself the fairest and largest of all the dwarf kingdoms ever wrought. Just as Celebrimbor had described it was like Belegost to the west, but far larger; its grand breathtaking gathering halls had very high ceilings with beautifully wrought columns and many shaft windows and bright lanterns, and there were endless displays glittering gems and works of smithcraft that hung from the walls. Morfindel paused as they passed these by to point to a mail shirt on the wall, which was flanked by weapons and armor made with the same material.

"It shines like a coat of glittering diamonds," Elrond remarked in wonder.

"Yes," she replied. "And it is far stronger than anything we have at home. It is made from a rare ore that is found nowhere else. They call it the Gray Brilliance."

"Mithril," said Elrond.

Morfindel nodded. "The dwarves told Celebrimbor that they made these things for his heirs when he has them. But I am not certain he will have any, he is too married to the smelter," she joked. "But Celebrimbor is quite keen to avail himself of this wondrous material, to have more such armor for our people when the need arrives." She picked up a shield and handed it to him, and to his marvel he found it was fabulously lightweight.

Setting it back in its place Morfindel moved on, introducing them to folks here and there as they went, including a stop to allow Elrond to pay his courtesies to Durín the King of Moria. Then she led them past the great gathering halls through a labyrinth of stairwells and walkways and small rooms, until at last they came to the central smithies. Here they found Celebrimbor who rejoiced to see them, and Elrond told him of his mission to Gil-galad.

"Wise plan," Celebrimbor replied. "Though you need not worry about gifts to these folks, I have given them many. You focus on the elf realms. I can serve as ambassador to Moria and the dwarves. But come! I wish to show you something." And he led them to a room where there were many finished items, mostly jewelry. The jewel smith picked up a pair of diamond earrings and clasped them on Elrond's lobes. "Now," he said, "take them off."

To his dismay and confusion (and the amusement of Dúrlos), Elrond found that they would not come off. At last Celebrimbor spoke a word of command, and the jewels released themselves from his ears.

"Amazing, is it not?" he said with excitement. "We elves set enchantments on our doors and our weapons. But I had not thought of doing so with jewels."

"The dwarves mostly do it for fun," Celebrimbor continued. "For practical jokes and children's toys. But, it makes me wonder if I could enchant such items with elf magic. Real elf magic."

Elrond was reminded of a conversation he once had long ago. "Galadriel once told me she could not do all she desired, as powerful as her own magic is. She said she would need some way to concentrate more power, to focus and direct it."

Celebrimbor thought for a moment, then his face lit up. "And I will accomplish it!" he declared. "I will make such a tool. Galadriel will have her desire. She will be able to create a realm of wisdom and growth and healing that rivals her homeland in Valinor. I will make one for the king, too. And of course, one for myself, as well."

Elrond laughed. "That would be wonderful," he agreed. "Círdan foretells that the Shadow will return one day. It would be good to have such things available to us."

"Well, let us hope it will not return any time soon," he replied. "I expect it will take me a long time to figure out how to create something strong enough to do what we wish. I think I will need a smithy of my own. The dwarves here are masterful crafters of metal and stone, and they are dear friends to me, but to create things of such power I think I will need a purely elven space to work."

"That reminds me," Celebrimbor added, "I did find a spot of land that I like, which would be a good place for one of the realms we discussed with the Lady a while ago. It is near the pass not far north of here, just as Círdan recommended, but it is on the western side. I have persuaded the dwarves to add another door to Moria on the other side of the mountains, so we might continue to trade in knowledge and goods with ease. There is good stone in the hills nearby for quarrying. If you go back through the pass you must stop to see it – it is quite lovely, there is a grove of holly trees that grows wild there. "

*.*.*

At length Elrond parted with Celebrimbor and his company of elven smiths and returned to the golden valley. Here their companions from the elf town by the sea rejoined them, and passed over the great river back to the eastern side, with the help of the woodland elves who had many small boats for river travel. Then the party continued north, passing by scattered dwellings of wood men living just within edges of the massive expanse of the great Greenwood Forest nearby to the east. At one point Dúrlos spotted a strange folk along the river banks. Very small they were, smaller than dwarves, but they were certainly mortals, similar in many ways to Elrond's kin, but in others as different from mortal men as elves were from dwarves. Elrond tried to turn and approach to meet them, but they swiftly scattered and hid from sight in caves or dugouts he could not find. "Shier than the dark elves and wild men who dwell in the mysterious woods of the coasts and mountain dells," he said to his companions. Eventually they approached the old dwarf trade road Círdan had once mentioned which led to the dwarf realm of the Iron Hills in the distant east.

"Shall we turn onto it?" asked Dúrlos.

Elrond paused and thought for a few moments. "No," he replied. "The Iron Hills are quite far, and I do not wish to keep us traveling too long into the season. Our journey must return to the mountain passes before the season wanes."

They continued on, and soon came to a settlement of mortals. These folk were descendants of the house of Bëor, and were said to have been specially graced by Oromë god of the forest animals long ago. They ate no flesh of any beasts, for it was said they could have speech with them, and legends told they could even shape-shift into animal forms. They were wary of strangers, but friendly to elves at least, and their chief was happy to welcome a fellow descendant of Bëor. Elrond was not entirely sure what help they would be able to provide each other, but as distant kin of his mortal ancestors, he reasoned he could at least foster good relations on behalf of his lord Gil-galad, and the other elf realms in the region. These folk were also more practical and less enamored of sparkling things, so Elrond gifted to their chief a set of carving tools made by Curulien, one of Celebrimbor's companions, as the Bëornings, he saw, were fabulous wood-workers.

At last they came to the north elf road, and turning east they plunged into the forest. In those days the forest was still a pleasant and beautiful place to walk, the rays of the sun lit the summer leaves like polished stones of jade. They crossed over the elf bridge and came at length to the elf realm led by King Oropher at the eastern edge forest. To him Elrond gifted an array of fine jewelry, for he knew the king and his family were partial to the precious delights of metal and gem made by the great jewel smiths.

It was here that Elrond and Dúrlos parted with their friends from Edhellond, who had reached their destination. Elrond and Dúrlos soon continued on to the growing settlement of mortals along the Long Lake nearby with whom Oropher's kingdom kept up trade, and Elrond gave to their lord a long and sturdy elven arrow that had a shining steel head molded with intricate designs. That folk in turn traded much with the dwarf community in the mountain, and they led him there for a visit, where he gave them greetings and gifts from Celebrimbor.

Finally Elrond and Dúrlos began their return journey, stopping by the northmen who lived beyond the north edge of the forest. They were a stout warfaring folk, and he gifted to their leader a spear with an iron head tipped with mithril, one of many things Celebrimbor handed to him to bring home to the havens. They turned south, passing by the Bëornings again, and at last came to the central pass through the mountains. By now summer was waning, and autumn was coming on, and as they approached the top of the pass Dúrlos turning back pointed out to Elrond the trees of the woodland valley of King Amdír far in the distance; alight as promised with brilliant crowns of radiant yellow.

Soon they reached the western side of the Misty Mountains, and detoured south a short ways to survey the hilltop groves of holly trees that Celebrimbor had told them about. Turning back north they skirted along the western foothills until they found the old dwarf road. Here they stopped to explore for a while, finding a deep valley with singing little waterfalls and tall pines and willows and birches, that remained pleasant and mild while the winds of the coming winter blustered down onto the plains beyond it from the frigid tops of the mountains. Elrond knew he had come to the hidden northern valley that Círdan had once told him about many years ago. He could indeed imagine living happily here, and thought he might remove here to do so one day. But he could not say when, for his heart was still with his friends by the gulf. He judged Celebrimbor to feel the same about the underground kingdom, being enamored of the great dwarves and their craft. Elrond guessed that it would be many years before work began on the new elf realms planned for long ago. At last the two travelers hurried on the last stretch westward down the old road, reaching Lindon just as autumn finally gave way to winter.