Chapter 20: The Die is Cast

Galadriel could feel her fingers twitching against the cold ceramic cup of tea. After an hour of questions from Elrond and Celeborn as they tried to ascertain Halbrand's identity, Galadriel desperately wished the tea was still hot. Or better yet, that she was somewhere, anywhere, else.

"And you are certain that Halbrand made no move to seize power while you both were in Númenor? Or to sway their rulers to some cause?"

Galadriel sighed. Celeborn had asked nearly the same question half an hour before. "Quite certain. He was seeking a forge where he could take up his craft as blacksmith and earn a living. I believe he sought to convince Miriel to allow him entrance to the blacksmith's guild, but I do not recall him asking anything else of the Númenóreans. It was I who asked for their aid in retaking the Southlands."

"And you do not believe this was a ploy? He was not using you to gain their aid, knowing that Miriel would be more amenable to trust an elf?"

Galadriel sighed heavily, dropping her head to stare into the cold tea. "No. As I explained already, Halbrand was resistant to aiding me at all. He only agreed to return east when he found his hopes of obtaining access to a forge in Númenor unattainable. Even when he returned to Middle Earth, he had not committed to taking any position of authority."

"Galadriel, why did you send Halbrand away in Ost-in-Edhul?"

Galadriel faltered at the interruption. Elrond had been silent for several minutes at least, and the question caught her off guard. "What?"

He was staring down at his meal, brows furrowed in thought. "When we forged the rings of power, Halbrand had worked with us for weeks on the project, but you sent him away before we could complete our work. At the time, you asked me to trust you but gave no further reason."

Galadriel felt her fingers twitch again and her heart raced. "I did not think any but the elves should be involved in the completion of such a delicate project."

"So you said, but you had never said a word against his presence up until that time. I do not trust men any more than you, but I did not see a threat in one who would pass from the world so soon. Thus I must wonder, did you know he was not who he claimed to be?"

Celeborn reached forward, gripping her hand firmly. "Galadriel? Is this true? Do you know who Halbrand truly is?"

She flinched, and both her companions sat back, eyes wide. Celeborn bit his lip lightly. "Galadriel, you must tell us. We must inform Gil-galad, especially if he could be a threat to the stability of this new line descended from Númenor."

"Besides," Elrond cut in. "You spent years hunting down the lieutenants of Sauron. How can you now consider… oh." Already wide eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets.

"Elrond?"

"All knowledge of the forge and the treasures of the earth springs from Aulë. I found it odd that any man would have such knowledge of these things to teach even Celebrimbor whose skills rival those of the dwarves, a race formed by Aulë to learn his teachings. Neither would any orc or lieutenant of the darkness have such skills, save one. The one who served Aulë before straying into darkness and calling another 'lord.'"

Celeborn swore softly. "I do not know what purpose Sauron could have had in saving me from his own dungeons or you from a shipwreck, but it bodes ill for us all that he has seduced this people into following him."

"He did not. I asked him to take the throne of the Southlands when I believed him to be a man."

Both of her companions turned to Galadriel abruptly. Elrond opened his mouth to speak but Galadriel interrupted. "I did not know his true identity at the time, but, as I told you, he had no wish to rule these men. It took me the long weeks of our stay in Númenor to convince him to return to Middle Earth with me. He wanted nothing so much as to fade into obscurity."

"Galadriel," Celeborn snapped. "He is a deceiver. This is his nature as you well know. He tried to deceive even the Valar, feigning contrition but balking at the punishment dictated."

"Why does the latter presume the former? His contrition may have been genuine even though he disagreed with his punishment. Regardless, I have stayed here since I discovered his identity to ensure that his actions are for the benefit of this people, not in support of the aims of Morgoth."

Celeborn stood. "He has blinded you to the truth, holding you under the sway of some dark power."

"He wields no magic here, not against me nor any man in Middle Earth. Halbrand is loved by these people because he has led them to prosperity and hope after Adar, an elf who voluntarily allied himself to Morgoth, destroyed their homes."

"You will not even speak his true name. Halbrand," Celeborn sneered, face twisted in bitter disgust, "is nothing more than a mask. Tell me you truly believe Sauron is acting in the best interest of these men with no ulterior motive."

Galadriel looked between Celeborn's furious glare and Elrond's hurt confusion. Her hands shook and her stomach roiled. "I believe I hunted Sauron for an age and knew him as nothing but a figurehead for all evils committed in the name of Morgoth. I do not know if all I thought I knew of his story was even correct, but I will put that aside. In the time I have spent with him, I have seen a broken being, plagued by the errors of his past but unable to chart a new path. Halbrand—Sauron—is here among men because I asked him to fulfill his promise to them. He has spent years preparing Isildur, son of Elendil, to take this throne from him in the future. Isildur is a good man and son of the strongest elf friend in this generation of Númenóreans. Halbrand knows that I will strike him down myself if he fails to uphold this vow."

"Why are you defending him? He has killed scores of our kin. He held me captive and under torture simply for the thrill of causing pain to another."

Galadriel let out an annoyed huff of air. "It was a war. We killed many more of his men than he killed of ours. And he did not hold anyone captive personally. He knew not who all resided in the dungeons."

"He walked those halls, Galadriel. We saw him watching our agonies. If he had desired to stop them he could have."

"And taken your place on the rack? Morgoth is not known for his loyalty or mercy toward his generals. Setting his captives free, defying the laws of his master, would have led to such pain as his dungeons could never have inflicted on even an elf. As soon as he had the chance to help you safely, he did."

Celeborn laughed, a harsh and grating sound. "Following the will of the Valar when no one watches and there are no consequences is not noble. It is cowardly."

"Perhaps, but cowardice is not evil. If he held within his heart the evil you seem to see there, he would have prevented your escape and left you to die in the slowly crumbling fortress. Instead he recognized you as an innocent and helped you escape as soon as he could without a cost to his own life. Has it ever occurred to you that he was as much a prisoner of that place as you?" Galadriel breathed heavily, trying desperately not to show her own mixed feelings. How many times had he said those words to her, and she had argued against them? And now, with hardly a thought on her part, she had thrown the same argument at her friend and husband.

Celeborn's eyes had lost their heat and were instead like chips of ice in a face carved from stone. "This magic he holds you under is stronger than I could ever have imagined. Come, Elrond, we must break his hold over her before it is too late."

In a blink, Celeborn wheeled toward the door and marched toward the exit. Elrond glanced back at Galadriel before hurrying after him, leaving Galadriel to scramble in their wake. Celeborn's fury drove him through the barracks and back into the palace where Halbrand sat at table with Tindómëon and the guests who had arrived for the council.

Halbrand smiled pleasantly at the new arrivals and began to stand but Celeborn interrupted before he could speak. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I do not know what magic you have cast upon these people, upon my wife, but I will not allow you to continue unchecked. I leave today, returning to the court of Gil-galad to tell him all I have learned here. I will not let you drag another line of men into darkness."

Halbrand sat back in his chair, keeping the pleasant smile on his face, but his shoulders were tight, betraying his discomfort. "And what, pray tell, do you believe to have discovered?"

Galadriel's eyes widened and she shook her head minutely, but Halbrand's gaze was focused on her husband.

Celeborn sneered. "I recognized you at once, you know, from the fall of Angband. An age of Middle Earth and you look the same. And beyond that, to have the knowledge of the forge you shared with Celebrimbor and Elrond? Who could you be besides Sauron himself, servant of Morgoth."

Halbrand did not flinch, though those around him all reared back in shock. Tindómëon moved forward, palming his hilt as though about to draw his sword and defend his lord. Isildur and Anárion looked back and forth between the elves and Halbrand, unheard questions on their lips. Ontamo stared openly at Galadriel, brows furrowed in concern.

Halbrand stood, and silence swept over the group at once. He did not remove his gaze from Celeborn, though he did gesture Tindómëon behind him. "I had not imagined the trouble you would bring me when I saved you that day, freeing you from the crumbling ruins of Angband before it could crush you, but I cannot say I regret it even now. You are, on most points, correct. I have been called Sauron, and I did learn the arts of the forge at the knee of Aulë himself. However, I have not served Morgoth since the destruction of Angband broke my chains along with yours. We both found freedom that day, and I have not returned into his service."

"Lies!" Celeborn spat, face contorted with loathing. "No one escapes his bonds. Whether you follow the path he laid out for you intentionally or unwittingly, follow it you must. And I do not believe for a moment that you have rejected the darkness."

Elrond stepped forward, laying a steadying hand on his friend's shoulder. "Sauron, wearing the name of Halbrand, if you truly wish us to believe you have left the path of darkness, you know what you must do. It is time for you to cease running and submit yourself to the judgement of the Valar. You must release these men from your influence, give up your throne, and be ready to accept whatever judgement the Valar bestow. If you fail to do so, the combined armies of the elves will have no choice but to destroy you and all kingdoms under your influence by force.

"We must bring word of this matter to Gil-galad. We will be back to take you into custody. If you try to escape, you will be hunted to the farthest corners of Middle Earth." He turned to the wide-eyed men who still sat stunned around the table. "Use this time to put your affairs in order. We do not wish to cause chaos for your peoples."

Gripping Celeborn's arm, Elrond turned and walked them both to the door. He stopped, realizing that Galadriel was not following. She looked back at the table, where all eyes were fixed on the retreating elves, then back at her best friend and husband. "I cannot leave."

Celeborn made to pull away from Elrond's grip, but Galadriel held up a hand. "I have been a part of this affair since the beginning. I will not abandon it now. I know Gil-galad will come here himself to ensure your demands are met. I will return north at that time only, once the matter is resolved."

Celeborn took a step forward, visage warped with disgust and fury, but Elrond nodded gravely. "Gil-galad knew your place was here as this age draws to its conclusion. I believe he was correct. We will be back." He tugged lightly on Celeborn's shoulder.

Celeborn snapped his eyes to Elrond, a scowl marring his fair features, before allowing himself to be led away. He glanced back at Galadriel only for a moment. She couldn't help but shudder at the cold fury that had blazed in his eyes.

The door swung shut behind them, the dull thud echoing in the heavy silence that remained.

Galadriel turned back toward the hall. Halbrand's eyes were closed as he sat back in his chair, weariness heavy upon his brow, while the others in the room continued to glance uncertainly between him, Galadriel, and the door. Seeing that no one else appeared ready to speak, Galadriel sighed and strode forward to take a seat at the table. "I believe the original subject of our gathering must once again be put on hold. In the meantime, Anárion, Isildur, would one of you be so kind as to send a message to your father? I believe we will need his presence after all."