The Hunt

Act III

Act III

The Council of Elrond

Chapter 19: Daybreak Disharmony

The transition back to the serene, ancient beauty of Elrond's halls felt surreal after the chaos of recent events. That night, Elenion was plagued by vivid dreams, a disorienting mix of past and present. In his dream, he found himself standing before a mirror, but the reflection that stared back at him was not his own. The face in the mirror belonged to a girl from another life—a life Elenion had left behind, not out of choice, but out of necessity.

In the dream, as he stared into the mirror, he felt a deep sense of dissonance. The reflection showed a stranger, a young girl with long, flowing hair and eyes a shade deeper than reality presented. Elenion's mental image of himself had always been more ethereal, more aligned with the persona he envisioned rather than the physical form he inhabited. Despite his sharp, realistic mindset, this incongruence puzzled him, blurring the lines between his current appearance and the vivid, more feminine persona he remembered.

A pragmatic individual at heart, she recognized the face in the mirror as her own, yet she couldn't shake off the notion that it should have been different. She was grounded firmly in reality, dismissing any fanciful ideas about magic and otherworldly phenomena.

Elenion woke up abruptly, the dream feeling more like a memory than a nightmare. His heart pounded as he lay in bed, the reality of his past life flooding back with a force that left him breathless. It took him several moments to reorient himself, to ground his senses in the here and now. The dream had been a memory—a memory of a life he had been forced to leave behind.

Rising slowly, Elenion crossed the room and stood before the mirror. He stared at his reflection, taking in the familiar yet foreign features. He would not lie to himself; he was beautiful in the way that most elves were, with a unique, ethereal quality. His eyes were a little darker, his hair a little brighter, marking him as a Half-Elf like his siblings and father.

Despite this, the reflection still felt like a stranger's. Elenion traced the outline of his face in the mirror, a sense of melancholy washing over him. The dream had reminded him of the dissonance he always felt, the sense that he did not fully belong in this body or this world. But he was here now, in Rivendell, among his people, and he had a mission to complete. Steeling himself, he turned away from the mirror, resolving to embrace his current identity and the challenges that lay ahead.

Elenion splashed his face with cool water, hoping to shake off the lingering effects of his vivid dream. He moved to his wardrobe, carefully selecting his attire for the day. He chose a pair of finely woven leggings, made of a soft, forest-green fabric that clung to his form comfortably. To complement them, he picked a cream-colored shirt with intricate, silver-embroidered patterns along the cuffs and collar. Over this, he donned a rich, deep blue tunic, belted at the waist with a finely crafted leather belt adorned with small, elven runes. His outfit was completed with a pair of supple leather boots, designed for both comfort and agility, reaching just below his knees.

His sword, a graceful elven blade gifted by Galadriel, lay sheathed and untouched on a stand in the corner of his room. It was a beautiful weapon, its hilt inlaid with mithril and etched with delicate patterns that glinted in the light. Though he treasured it, he had no need for it within the safe confines of Rivendell. Nearby, his desk was cluttered with maps, notes, and various tools essential for his cartographic work.

As he closed the wardrobe door, his eyes lingered on the far corner where a collection of opulent gowns hung, hidden away. Each gown was a masterpiece of elven craftsmanship, adorned with shimmering fabrics and intricate designs. However, he rarely wore them, opting instead for the practicality and ease of his current outfit. Before stepping away, he secured the elastic corset around his torso—an essential item that helped maintain his appearance and his secret.