The Other Ranger [ Lord Of The Rings x Silmarillion ]

On The Move Again

"That's..." Elrohir trailed off as he looked at the dagger with the brightly shining jewel inlaid in it. "It's..."

Maglor nodded, suddenly feeling a pain in his right palm. That was the Silmaril, there was no doubt in his mind. He tore his gaze away from the dagger and back to Miril's face. She was struggling with something, he could tell. Her hand was tightly wound around the hilt of the dagger as if protecting it.

"You should cover it up, Miril," Maglor told her softly.

Miril snapped her head to face him and hesitated. He was right, of course. She needed to keep it concealed. Elladan and Elrohir were already watching her carefully for any sign of weakness, she was sure. Dousing the light with the cloth, she wrapped it up once more and hid it in her pack.

Maglor sighed and rubbed his forehead. "What did you do to get it?"

Miril looked at him in confusion. "Do? Nothing. I traded ten gold coins for it."

He looked somewhat skeptical but nodded.

Good, he thought. At least she didn't kill anyone for it. If she's telling the truth.

"We must keep that hidden," Elladan sighed. "Who knows who would want it!"

"Agreed," Maglor said quickly. "It warps the mind of elf, man, and dwarf. Hundreds of thousands of all races have died because of this."

Miril nodded and frowned. She could feel it beginning to effect her as well. When she looked at it, all her troubles faded away. At least until the thought of someone else possessing it came into her mind.

"I can feel it," she murmured quietly.

They stopped chatting and instantly looked at her. Elrohir took her hands in his.

"Do not worry, melda, just think of our child. How much more perfect will our little half elf be than even the jewel of which we speak!" He smiled at her softly.

Miril began to smile as well, hanging her head in shame for her own mind. She nodded. Her child was more precious to her even than the Silmaril.

After dinner, the four travellers split to rest. Tomorrow they would leave Thaurband aboard a vessel and hopefully reach the other side of the Sea of Nurn by three days of travel, better than the six or seven on foot.

Miril slept erratically for most of the night. She kept having visions in her dreams of her killing Elrohir. She woke up with a startled scream, causing her husband to wake as well.

"Are you alright, Miril?" he asked immediately. "What is wrong?"

"I do not wish to speak of it," was all she would say, tears streaming down her face.

She looked at her hands, expecting them to be covered in blood. In her dream, she had driven Galmegil deep into Elrohir's chest, causing the sword to turn black and her hands to be stained scarlet.

She didn't know why she had killed her husband in the dream, only that it had been if her own free will. She had been angry and desperate, and somehow had thought the only way to achieve her goal was by killing her beloved.

Miril made herself go back to sleep, ignoring Elrohir's persistent questions. She tasted salt as her tears dripped past her mouth and over her lips. How could she have done such a thing, even in her dreams? Was it the Silmaril? And was it destined to come true?

In the morning, Elrohir was not there. As she sat up and changed into her travel clothes, he returned alongside the other three. According to them, they had been saying farewell to Gnasher and loading Bill the Pony with their food and water supplies.

"The boat is big enough to accommodate Bill then?" Miril asked.

"Indeed, it is quite large. The biggest one I could find," Elrohir nodded with a smile. "Come. We must get going."

As they walked through the town, Miril realized this would likely be the last settlement of Western men she would see for almost two months. It would take upwards of a month of travel time to reach Harad and only the Valar knew of how long they would remain there.

They arrived at the boat and Miril led Bill up into it. There was a large and spacious animal cage waiting for him. They placed him inside and Miril assured the beast that they would be there the whole time.

The crew of the boat was kind enough, and the Captain was pleasant. He told them they could go bellow decks if they so desired, but were also welcome up top.

The trip took four days in all. Miril spent most of it watching the way the sailors worked, or looking out at the blue water around her. She had never been on such a large expanse of water; the Anduin was the largest she had been in until now.

When at last they reached a dock mid way through day four, Miril quickly undid Bill's cage and took him out. Elrohir paid the remainder of the price to the Captain before he, Elladan, and Maglor followed Miril onto dry land.

"Up there, top of the hill." pointed the Captain. "That starts the Khand Road. That'll be what you want. It heads East and then South after the Mountains end."

"Thank you, sir," Elrohir bowed. "Take care."

Together the four travellers, plus Bill, began the couple hour March along the tributary to where the Khand Road crossed. When at last they reached it, they found it to be a well trodden road.

"According to what the locals in Thaurband said," Maglor muttered, looking at the map, "there should be another tributary that crosses the Khand Road about ninety miles from here."

"Let us walk, then." Miril took a few steps forward.

The others followed her. Maglor tucked the map back into a side pocket of Bill's saddle bags. All they had to do was follow the road, simple really.

They had begun their journey nearly three weeks previous, leaving Emyn Arnen mid to late June. July was now all but half gone. They were beginning to feel the intense heat of the south as they drew further from inner Mordor. For though Mordor had been unnaturally cool for its geographical location, even it began to warm.

They could see the Mountains in the distance beginning to peater off. The gap that led into Khand from Mordor was perhaps five days' travel ahead.