Ósanwe

'Why was it, that Rowena could speak with the birds?' asked Severus.

'For the same reason Slytherin could speak with serpents, Hufflepuff with badgers and those related to badgers, and Gryffindor with griffins – as well as some felines for some particular reason,' Alatar answered with a smile. 'Nobody knew, really. Not even them. But when in doubt, just ask the Hat.'

'Some things just are, I suppose,' said Severus. Over the past few days had he conversed with the Hat from time to time, but most of the conversations between the Founding Members of Hogwarts ended up in quarrels on whose House would have better suited for him, making it clear they really were just an imprint of a time long forgotten.

He looked over at where Frodo was standing. By the waterfall he stood alone, gazing into the distance to the dark path that was laid out before him. 'Why couldn't Gandalf take the Ring?' he asked.

'For what little time that I now have spent with Hobbits,' said Alatar, taking notice of Frodo too, 'I can say with all certainty that we should not underestimate them. For they are untroubled by the burdens of the great wide world, and they hold no desire to rule it, or be its master. As for those, like Gandalf and I – and forgive me for my subtle arrogance here – our power is simply too great. Even from a desire to do good with it, terrible things can only come from it. The Ring is bound to only one master, Severus – and it wants to go back. There is nothing to be gained by taking it.'

'I think I understand,' said Severus, and fumbled around with the Ring on his finger. Tonight the White Council would gather, and decide on the fate of his Ring. No matter the outcome, he was about to embark on his own journey for it. A journey, he could only hope, would lead him along Isengard, and find a way back to Lily. 'Is there anything we need to prepare for tonight?' he asked. 'And so far I have not seen Galadriel, Círdan or Radagast arrive. Will they not be here for it?'

'They will,' Alatar answered. 'Just not in a way that you would expect. Just let your heart be open, and feel free to speak your mind.'

…o0o…

Gandalf walked with him as they made their way over to the table of the White Council, followed by Elrond, Glorfindel and Alatar. Tilion's moon was full, and shone directly above them, accompanied by thousands of stars that twinkled in the cloudless sky.

They sat down, and Gandalf took the seat at the head of the table, leading them. Severus understood that what was happening wasn't a common occurrence. The Council of the Wise had not happened for many years, and would only be called when it mattered most. History was written by it, for it, and through it. Being seated amongst the greatest powers that roam Middle-earth, he felt insignificant and out of place. Undeserving, even, and he wondered what Lily would think had she been here to see it.

'Severus,' said Gandalf, 'are you familiar with ósanwe?'

'Can't say that I am,' said Severus, shaking his head. 'It's not a word that I've come across in the library at least.'

'Ósanwe,' Gandalf explained, 'is the interchange of thought. It is the way to connect and to communicate with those who are great distances away from us. Any mind can be willed closed, and thus the challenge lies for it to be opened. But do not fear, Severus, for we have spoken this way before during the Council we held for the One Ring. I know that you are capable.'

A silence fell over the group. The moon and starlight shimmered through the canopies of the trees, and the rustling of the wind announced the arrival of the others. One by one, the remaining members of the Council appeared before them. Círdan the Shipwright came first. Out of the shadows he stepped, and his grey robes appeared to be billowing in the breeze of the sea. Second came Radagast the Brown. His robes as dark as the soil he walked on, and with him came the songs of birds that surrounded him. And at last appeared Lady Galadriel. Her dress as white as a foaming river, and it was laced with shimmering gold. With her came a light that shone like the Two Trees of Valinor, and her face was youthful, yet in her grey eyes it could be seen that she was wise beyond her many years.

Ghostlike they appeared. They were here, and yet the very distance between them could be felt. Radagast was the first to speak, his voice sounding as though he hadn't spoken for many years. 'It's been a long time since I last saw you,' he said to Alatar. 'So long that I have quite forgotten your name.'

'It is I, Alatar,' said Alatar. 'My dear Radagast, it has indeed been many a year. And by the sound of the songbirds I can hear that the Kelvar and the Olvar have been well cared for by you.'

Radagast merely smiled and looked away. Círdan had walked a circle around the table, taking in the presence of the others. 'All four Rings of Power are presented here,' he said wisely. 'Never could I have foreseen that this day would come.'

Severus, though hearing what was being said around him, could not tear his eyes away from Lady Galadriel, who, in return, did not tear her eyes away from him. Feel it was the right thing to do, he took the Ring from his finger and placed it in the middle of the table, and the seed of Laurelin cast its golden light around them.

'Yavanna,' said Radagast with admiration, and bowed slightly before the Ring. 'Long has it been since I gazed upon her light.'

'Radagast,' said Gandalf. 'You were once a pupil of Yavanna. Would you care to enlighten Severus, on what he holds?'

'I know that it is the seed of the fruit of Laurelin,' said Severus before Radagast could speak, and yet he dared not look away from Galadriel. 'Goldberry has taught me so.'

'It is indeed,' said Radagast, 'and the Ring is awaiting the day in which she shall be buried in the ground. She wants to be reunited with her brother, and together, they will carry the memory of the Two Trees that once gave light to the world.'

'Radagast speaks of the White Tree of Gondor,' said Elrond. 'When Telperion was destroyed by Ungoliath, Yavanna grew Galathilion from a seed of Telperion, but it did not bare the light Telperion once held. From a scion of Galathilion, Celeborn was planted in Tol Eressëa. From Celeborn, the Elves brought a seedling to Númenor, which they named Nimloth, and became the White Tree of Númenor. It was Isildur who had stolen a seedling of Nimloth before the fall of Númenor, and planted it in Minas Ithil – now known as Minas Morgul. When Sauron had sent his great army to attack Minas Ithil, the White Tree was burnt down, and Isildur took a sapling with him to Minas Anor. Minas Anor was renamed Minas Tirith when the Stewards of Gondor took over the ruling when the last King of Gondor was slain, and now there stands the third White Tree of Gondor, though it is fading.'

'You spoke of Ungoliath,' said Galadriel. Her voice was deep, and laced with the sound of silver rain. 'Long has it been since I have seen the veil of Unlight cast before me.'

I see the darkness that resides in you.

Severus could hear her voice echoing in his mind, and it freightened him.

It is keeping you from awakening.

'What is it that I must do?' he asked her.

'He should come to me.' It was Radagast who spoke. 'Kémya main contain you, but soon Sauron will be after your power.'

'We have briefly spoken of this before, Severus, on the day we met,' said Gandalf. 'The outburst of your Unlight has not gone unnoticed by the Orcs of Isengard, nor by the Nazgûl. For you to go to Rhosgobel, may be the best way forward.'

'You seem confused, Severus,' said Alatar. 'You remember the tragic tale that I have told you of Ariana. Of trying to save her from the Obscurus in her, as it was named there. But no matter what I tried, I could not do it without the guidance of the Valar. I had recognised it for what it was, and I had held on to the believe that it was within my powers to release her from it – to no avail.'

To path to Rhosgobel will lead you along the eyrie of the Great Eagles,

Child of Rowena.

'Glorfindel, you have been silent,' Galadriel spoke.

Glorfindel appeared deep in thought, and it was long before he spoke. 'A guardian of the forest will save her from the highest tower,' he said. 'I know that in your heart you wish to go to Isengard, Severus, but it is to Rhosgobel you must go.'

'Isengard,' said Círdan. 'I am standing at the very top of Elostirion. Long has it been since I have looked upon its Palantír, and I am weary of doing so again.'

'The Palantír of Orthanc is veiled,' said Gandalf with a warning tone. 'It is no guarantee to us to hear of Lily residing there. The temptation to look inside the Palantír is great, but the risk of being caught by Saruman outweighs said risk. We just have to believe it to be true.'

For the first time, Severus dared look away from Galadriel, remembering Alatar's words from earlier today about speaking his mind. 'If going to Rhosgobel would mean that I could find her, then I will,' he said to Glorfindel. 'And Alatar, if there is but a small chance for me to be released from the Obscurus, then I will take it. Círdan, I don't quite understand what the Palantír is you speak of, but I will not have you risk being seen, as it could impose a risk on Lily too. And Lady Galadriel,' he said as he looked up at her again, 'I wish to know more about Rowena. I know she came from Lothlórien, and that she was your friend. You must know more than the books can tell me.'

Galadriel smiled a radiant smile at him, and her eyes turned to Glorfindel. 'Rowena was the daughter of Nimrodel and Amroth, who was the last King of Lothlórien,' Glorfindel spoke softly. 'Remember when I asked you, if you were certain you were not a Prince?'

'I thought you were referring to the history of my mother's name,' said Severus.

Glorfindel shook his head. 'Here, you are the last living relative to the queen of Lothlórien, even though she did not to bare the title, and chose Lady Galadriel and her husband Lord Celeborn to rule in her stead. Rowena,' he said with great fondness in his voice, and turned his gaze towards the stars. 'I have loved her so.'

...o0o…

The Council was long. The first rays of the sun appeared from behind the mountains when Gandalf had called for it to end. Galadriel, Radagast and Círdan faded away, and the remainder of the group left the table feeling exhausted.

Galadriel's voice had continued to echo in Severus' mind, but some of the fear he held for it had started to subdue along the way. We will meet again, were the last words she had spoken to him, and he believed it. To his own surprise, learning about Rowena's ancestry was not the biggest shock to him. Learning that there was a way to rid himself of the Obscurus once and for all however, had.

He had locked himself inside the Halls of Lore again, bending over the many maps that were drawn of the region. In his mind, he had started preparing for his inevitable leave. Passing over the Misty Mountains would become his biggest challenge yet, and he had called Bilbo for help, as he had crossed the mountains before.

'We had taken the Cirith Forn en Andrath,' said Bilbo, and pointed at a flowing line on the map. 'It means the Northern Pass of the Long-climb, but is more commonly known as the High Pass. It was Oromë the Vala who created it, to give passage to the Eldar to cross the mountains. Much later it was discovered again by the Dwarves, and they connected the Great East Road from Mirkwood to it. It is still an important trade route between Eriador and Rhovanion, and it is maintained by the Beornings.'

'The Beornings?' asked Severus. 'I remember you mentioned them before when you told the tale of your journey to the Lonely Mountain, but I don't quite understand what they are.'

'Skin-changers,' said Bilbo. 'They are a race of large Men, who can change their appearance by their own will. Beorn is their leader, as you may remember from my tale. They are not fond of outsiders, but if you do happen to encounter one of them, I suggest you bring them a jar of honey.'

'It almost seems to easy,' said Severus, still looking at the map where Bilbo had pointed at. The idea of Skin-changers brought him back to the night where the Marauders had lured him to the Shrieking Shack. He had come to know that they were Animagi, and they in return had come to learn of him being an Obscurial. He shook it off, not wanting to linger on a terrible memory. 'These mountain peaks are high, and I doubt Tilion can make it through.'

'Your Tilion was ones one of the Maeras,' said Bilbo. 'I would not doubt the strength that your horse possesses. But you are right to say that the peaks of the Misty Mountains are high, and just because the road is accessible, it doesn't mean that it comes without danger. The goblins are still there,' he said, and his voice grew darker. 'Their numbers had dwindled after I had passed them with Thorin's company, but they were not eradicated. With Sauron's power growing in the East, their numbers are bound to grow large again. And goblins are not the only beings you will find there. There are Wargs, bred to be the mounts of Orcs. And Werewolves too.'

'Werewolves?' Severus looked up from the map and felt his voice rising higher than he intended. 'Are those what the Skin-changers are during a full moon?'

Bilbo looked at Severus with a tilted eye. 'I don't think I understand your meaning of a full moon,' he said. 'But Skin-changers are not Werewolves, if that makes you feel any better. Werewolves are related to the Wargs, but they far exceed them in intelligence. Sauron had fashioned them in his image, when he had once taken their form. They are inhabited by dreadful spirits, and it is rumoured that they still guard the gates of Angband. I can see the fear in your eyes, Severus. But I ask you not to dread it as long as you remain on the road. The chances of an encounter with them is small – and you and I both know you are capable of defeating them if necessary.'

The memory of being inside the Shrieking Shack resurfaced again. He saw how Remus Lupin had been transformed into a terrible Werewolf. His yellow eyes filled with fury as he sniffed him out in the other room, while the remaining three were holding up their wands against his throat, laughing at him for having fallen into their trap. They must not have known that Lupin's transformation had already been completed, for when he leaped out they all morphed into their beastly forms. He had barely escaped the clutches of Lupin's jaws when the Obscurus poured out of him. Lupin had his tail between his legs as he glided past him towards the critters, who had jumped out of the window in haste, running fast towards the castle. Dumbledore was the first to arrive. All he remembered at that point was a blinding white light that had forced him out of his downward spiral, and of waking up in the Hospital Wing the day after, with Lupin by his side. They had gone up to the Headmaster's Office together, where they were met with the rest of his gang. They had all shaken hands on it to never speak of it again. For Black, Potter and Pettigrew he didn't care at all, but as he shook hands with Lupin, their eyes had met, finding a common ground they never had expected to find. At least Lupin never bothered him again.

'Your mind is wandering,' said Bilbo. 'Care to share?'

'I've dealt with a Werewolf before,' said Severus as the memory faded from his eyes. 'One of a different kind. To come back to this,' he said while pointing at the map, 'what comes after passing the High Pass?'

'On the Eastside of the Mountains you will find the upper reaches of the River Anduin,' said Bilbo. 'Within the river there is a tall stony eyot, named the Carrock. Beorn named it the Carrock after he had built the stairs in it that reach the top. It gives a grand overview of your surroundings, and you will see Mirkwood forest to the East, the old Forest Road to the South, and the Great Eagle's eyries to the North and West.'

'I hope to meet the Great Eagles,' said Severus. 'By now I've heard many great tales about them.'

'You are of the line of Rowena Crabannamma,' Bilbo answered with a smile. 'I believe that the Great Eagles will come to you. Aid you even, on your journey to Mirkwood. It is a dense and dangerous forest, and it is best left alone when and where you can.'

...o0o…

'Galadriel spoke of awakening,' said Severus. 'I know that I must go to Rhosgobel for it, but I don't know what it means.'

'When I speak of Awakening,' Glorfindel answered, 'I speak of the Awakening of the Elves at the shores of Cuiviénen in the far East. One day, Oromë stumbled upon the Elves for the first time since their Awakening, and he persuaded – though not all – to come with him to Valinor. Those that followed him made the Great Journey to the West, and they became known as the Eldar, the People of the Stars. There they were touched by the light of the Two Trees, and would forever be known as the Elves of the Light. You, Severus, have not awakened in this world. A Wizard you are beyond these shores and yet a mere Ranger you are here. You need the guidance of the Valar to awaken here, and become the Wizard you were always meant to be.'

'You've been to their Realm,' said Severus. 'Do you have any idea how it's done?'

Glorfindel merely smiled at him. 'I believe some things are better left unsaid,' he said. 'It is a journey that belongs to you, and only you.'

'If that it was it takes to find Lily,' said Severus, 'then I will do what must be done.'

'For her you would walk through fire and flame, would you not?' said Glorfindel.

'For her I would go to the very End,' Severus answered. 'Which reminds me – what is your story, with Rowena?'

Glorfindel laughed. 'You are curious about many things, are you not? Has it ever gotten you in trouble?'

Severus laughed along with him. 'I have a tendency to stick my awfully big nose in places where it doesn't belong,' he admitted. 'And yes, I have gotten in trouble for it occasionally. When there is something to know, then I simply must know.'

'You got that from her,' said Glorfindel. 'The Elves of Lothlórien rarely dwell past its borders, and many do not even speak the common tongue. But Rowena could not be tamed. And when the call for adventure came to set sail – it came as no surprise that she took it.'

Severus poured them another glass of mead, feeling that the story was about to get better. 'I met her in the earlier days of this age,' Glorfindel continued as he took the glass. 'Lady Galadriel had arrived in Lothlórien, then known as Lindórinand, but recent, and brought with her the seeds of the Mallorn trees from Lindon. Rowena was there and had welcomed Galadriel with open arms, for now Lothlórien would have a Lord and Lady to rule it.'

'Is there any particular reason why Rowena did not want to be queen?' asked Severus.

'There were no parents for her to pass on a crown,' said Glorfindel. 'Nimrodel had left her there to be raised by her people, and then she was gone. Amroth never knew of her existence. It is uncustomary, unheard of, even, for Elf-children to be born out of wedlock. But even if by family right she were given the crown, she would still have rejected it. It is how she was able to maintain her freedom.'

'Where I'm from children are born out of wedlock all the time,' said Severus. 'In fact, I was.'

'Then what name do you hold?' asked Glorfindel, and there was no judgement to be found in his voice.

'Names work a little differently there than here,' said Severus. 'It is customary to receive your father's family name. It's like belonging to a House, only much smaller. My full name is Severus Snape, son of Tobias Snape. My mother's name is Eileen Snape, but before she married him she was known as Eileen Prince.'

'Did Rowena ever have a name like that?' asked Glorfindel, and looked curious to know more.

Severus shook his head. 'Her name became Rowena Ravenclaw. Derived from Crabannamma, as I know now. Her daughter, Helena, was also named Ravenclaw, because nobody knew who her father was. In the books he is just an unnamed Wizard.'

Glorfindel drank a large swig of his mead and looked up at the stars above them. 'When I met her I had felt something I had not felt in either lifetime,' he said. 'A feeling, I am sure, you are familiar with, for you feel it too for Lily.'

'I heard you say that you loved her,' said Severus, and he wondered what else was going on in the depths of Glorfindel's mind. 'And you are right, for Lily I feel the same.'

'I had thoughts of marrying her,' said Glorfindel. 'The day that I came for her to ask for her hand, had turned into the day that we would say goodbye forever.' A tear her formed in his eye, and he let it fall to the ground. 'I had wanted her to stay, but the heart knows truths that the mind cannot grasp.'

Severus thought about what he would have done had he been in Glorfindel's shoes. He had lost Lily before, or so he believed. Losing their friendship had let him to walk a darker path, but she was not gone. Not truly, as he would still see her on the streets of Cokeworth, as well as at school. It was but a mere veil that was cast between them. Incomparable to having her sail off to an entirely different world. Willingly saying goodbye forever; he wondered if his heart could have taken it. 'How did you cope with it?' he asked. 'Losing her to the great beyond?'

Glorfindel, though saddened, smiled at him. 'Are you asking why I did not turn bitter, Severus?' he said. 'For the answer to that is simple. The need to leave behind a legacy lies in the nature of all. Men perhaps more so than Elves, as their time is limited; but to leave behind a great story is to immortalise a piece of yourself into this world. The legacy that Rowena left behind for me is her legacy of love. For love is the most enduring magic of all.'

A/N Ósanwe is the Quenya word for "interchange of thought".

Ósanwe is an inherent ability that all Ainur and Incarnates possess. Incarnates are races were those beings whose natural state is to exist as a union of fëa and hröa [Soul/spirit and body]. These races were Elves, Men, Dwarves and Ents. Although Maiar, the Wizards, also became Incarnate for the duration of their mission; although immortal, their physical bodies were capable of pain, weariness, fear, and could be killed. However the power is lessened by having a body or hröa, so it is generally weaker for Elves and especially for Men. All minds are "equal in status, though they differ in capacity and strength." A mind can only be communicated to with ósanwe if it is open (sanwe-latya, "thought opening, telepathy"). Any mind can be willed closed, and this is a barrier that cannot be overcome by anything or anyone, not even Melkor applying all his power and will on a mind could do so. The ability can be strengthened through various means: from affinity between the persons communicating, urgency on the part of the person sending the thought, or their authority lending effectiveness, allowing thought to pass through bodies more easily. Language can also become an impediment to the development of ósanwe, since it is easier for Incarnates to use which can lead to neglect.

Ósanwe, to me, sounds like the very opposite of Occlumency, as it requires you to open your mind as wide as possible.

A/N Kelvar = is Quenya for 'quick ones'. They are all earthly living creatures living in Arda. Equivalent of fauna.
Olvar = is Quenya for 'growing things with roots in the ground.' Equivalent of flora. Trees are the highest ranking of Olvar, and Ents are their appointed guardians.
Tolkien considered the Kelvar and Olvar to be of equal importance as the People of Arda, and Radagast being the Wizard to protect them was therefore equally as powerful and important as Gandalf was to protect the People of Middle-earth.

A/N The names in the lineage of the White Tree are a bit confusing. Celeborn is also the name of Galadriel's husband, and was probably named after the tree. Same with Nimloth, who was an Elf of Doriath. Wife of Dior, who was the son of Beren en Lúthien.

A/N Glorfindel made prophecies. "Do not pursue him! He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall." - Glorfindel's prophecy about the Witch-king after the Battle of Fornost. The prophecy came true over a thousand years later, when Éowyn and Merry slew the Witch-king during the Battle of the Pelennor fields.
Glorfindel was never written to have married, giving me some free range to have created a love interest. The Prince thing refers back to chapter 23.

A/N Obscura is Latin for 'Dark'. Hence why the words Obscurus and Obscurial essentially mean 'darkness' or 'dark being'.
Unlight was a weapon and cloak of inexplicable, all-encompassing darkness used solely by the primal being Ungoliant. It was a thing of unspeakable horror and dread, for it swallowed all light caught in its path.
This is why I took the creative liberty to think that an Obscurus is essentially the same thing in the Wizarding World as Unlight is to Arda.