Wolf of Númenor

Chapter 62: The field of Fire

Greenwood the Great

After breakfast, the three of them set off towards the court of the Silvan Elves; it was a warm morning with the sun creeping high above the trees, blanketing the valley in a soft ocherous glow.

Upon his Gryphon, Jon could see the forest stretched for many leagues its wide halls and aisles were the haunt of many beasts and of birds of bright song, and there lay the realm of King Oropher under the oak and the beech.

But he had little time to ponder the beauty of the Greenwood as they soon came upon the fortress of jutting up from the forest like a spear of stone.

It seemed that the fortress was carved from the bones of the earth, and neither tree nor bought grew on its summit; indeed, it seemed less a stronghold of a Lord of the Forest and more akin to a dwarvish mansion.

"You seem troubled beloved", Galadriel said melodiously.

"It's nothing, my beloved star, though I can't help but judge the talents of these Woodland elves in the arts of masonry," Jon said in a learned tone.

"Aye, what of their talents? " Galadriel asked curiously.

"It is better I look upon their halls before passing judgement", Jon said smiling, before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss that she was all too eager to return.

"What possessed you to do that?" Galadriel asked happily.

"Do I need a reason, my love? I am courting the fairest maiden in all of Arda, and I shall show my love for you always," Jon growled possessively.

"At this pace, my lips will ache ", Galadriel lamented without worry.

"Then I'll claim every inch of you until I'm sated," Jon said before peppering her neck with kisses, much to the pleasure of Galadriel.

Alas, the Gryphon wouldn't tolerate such frivolities and began to fly swiftly, separating them.

Jon perceived the beast had done that purposefully and growled in a fury.

"You think yourself clever, you fowl bird? If you wished for us to not show affection, you merely had to ask," Jon snarled, but the Gryphon paid him no mind.

"This damnable bird did that purposefully?" Galadriel asked, annoyed.

"It seems that my companion deems our show of affection to be vulgar", Jon grumbled.

Galadriel said nothing and began to caress his face hoping to soothe him.

"Perhaps it is for the best, my love; we must be presentable", Galadriel said humorously, and Jon chortled.

"Aye, it would do little good to appear before king Oropher in such a mood," Jon said.

Though the Lady of Light was wroth that the damnable Gryphon had despoiled her moments with Jon.

She grew ever more wroth with the foolish beast and hoped the Great King would call it back to Valinor.

-------------------------------------------------- -----

Lastly, they landed in the courtyard of Amon Lanc though the guards offered no greeting nor welcome; and as they drew near to the great oaken doors, Jon discerned an air of distrust that seemed to emanate from those elves.

"It seems though we are expected, we shall not receive a warm welcome," Jon said cynically.

"no, I'm afraid not, my love, the Kingdom of Oropher is made up of wood elves; you recall, in the First Age, the Valar summoned the first Elves to move with them to Valinor. There were three hosts that first set out to answer the call of the Valar. Of these, the largest host was that of the Teleri. They advanced very slowly and would often lose sight of the other two smaller hosts. There was a time when they reached the river Anduin, one smaller leader of that host, Lenwë, wished to go no further, and he and his people began to live in the forests surrounding the Anduin Vale as the remaining Teleri continued their journey to Valinor. Their descendants were the Silvan elves of Lothlórien and Greenwood the Great." Galadriel said, happy to share her knowledge with Jon.