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━━━━»•» act two. age of shadow
13. whispers of a shadow «•« ━━━━
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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ third age ━━ year 3018
𓇻 lindon; mithlond {grey havens}
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THE SUN WAS RISING ON THE HAVENS OF MITHLOND AND AS USUAL ITS QUEEN COULD BE FOUND ON THE WATCHTOWER ON THE CLIFF. Every morning since her return home, Elgarain had started her day walking with the memory of her father. She saw him everywhere, in the hallways and empty rooms, in the smiles and tears of her people but nowhere did she feel so close to him as the place where she'd last spoken to him.
Every time she stood upon that tower she remembered the words he spoke to her. "Our people will look to you for guidance, to heal them after the pain of this war has passed." And she felt every doubt that still plagued her mind at times disappear. She knew she was meant to do this. The weight of the silver crown braided into her hair didn't feel as heavy as she once feared it might.
In fact, she'd managed to outgrow most of her childish fears. She had accepted her destiny and though she knew she still had a lot to learn, she knew her people would grant her the time she needed to get there. Just like they had once given her father that same time. If there was one thing Elves had enough of, it was time.
Though there were times she missed that little Elfling, so carefree and happy. The girl who loved to escape the watchful eyes of her guards, the girl who recklessly accepted duels, the girl who marched up to the boy she loved and told him exactly how she felt...That little Elleth wasn't completely gone. She had just accepted her destiny and tried to bury her spontaneous impulses. She couldn't afford to be spontaneous as Tári.
With a small smile on her lips she watched as Mithlond slowly awoke. The guards made their rounds through the city, the little Elflings were playing in the courtyards before they would have to go meet with their mentors. The city was alive and vibrant, the way it had been before the Last Alliance.
One of the first things Elgarain had done when becoming Queen was to establish an art school. Most Elflings were young when they chose their craft, it was why Elves became so dedicated and skilled in their crafts. Part of her plan to heal and rebuild was to make sure the arts were not lost. Every kingdom needed warriors, healers and leaders but to truly live...Only musicians, artists, writers and singers could make sure wounds were healed and a life was well lived.
Besides setting up schools for various forms of arts, Elgarain had strengthened their borders and made sure they were well guarded against whatever evil lay beyond. In the sixty-seven years of her rule the kingdom of Lindon had been mostly at peace. This all of course with the help of the Captain of her Guard. Of the two of them, Gyda had been the only one to see war before and Elgarain had learned to listen to her strategies and knowledge about such matters. It was only because of the great warrior standing so closely by her side that Elgarain had managed to bring peace to her people at all.
Her mother had been greatly amused when she saw the bond that had been forged in Imladris between the two Elleths. They left fighting and hating each other's presence and returned as friends, maybe even more than that, sisters in arms.
Finally Elgarain understood what her father meant when he talked about knowing your brothers in battle by soul. Maybe there was more than one meeting between souls, meant for those who chose each other through the hardships that life threw at them, those who chose to stick together. She'd come to learn such bonds were just as valuable as the feelings she'd once felt for a certain human man.
She closed her eyes for a moment, forcing those memories down. When they left Imladris she'd left everything of Estel behind. Her drawings, the book of poems he'd given her saying they reminded him of her, all of it...What she couldn't leave behind though, no matter how hard she tried, were the memories. They seemed to be forever burned into her mind, impossible to let go off. She hated the nights when he returned in her dreams and she awoke with a feeling so real it was almost as if he lay beside her again. She hadn't so much as spoken his name since their return. Even if her mother guessed something had happened, she hadn't spoken with her about it. Elgarain wasn't sure she could even say his name without breaking down. And so she didn't try.
It was the price she had to pay to make sure her people had a leader worthy of their trust.
Taking a deep breath she decided it was time to return to her duties. Before she walked down the stairs however, she placed her hand on the wooden railing, smiling sadly. "I will make you proud today, Adar." Then she turned around and made her way down from the tower, greeting the guard standing by the door with a gentle smile.
She walked the path that led down the cliff and back to the city, enjoying the way the salty western wind played with her hair. It was only when she'd returned home that she realized how much she'd missed the ocean. But her joy soon disappeared when she saw an Elleth running hurriedly towards her, her white dress and black hair being messed with by the same wind Elgarain had just admired.
As the Elleth got closer Elgarain finally recognized her face, it was one of the healers from Mithlonds healing rooms. And then picked up her own pace as well. She met with her halfway across the cliff, her heart beating nervously when she saw the wide eyed look of worry on the Elleths features.
"Galwenn, what's the matter?" Elgarain questioned.
"Tarinya, the patrol you sent out to the southern border a few weeks ago have returned. They have wounded amongst them," the Elleth spoke, voice tight with worry.
Elgarain's gaze hardened and she picked up her pace again. She sprinted across the cliff and up towards the stairs chiseled into the cliffside, leading up directly to the palace. Her green dress trailing behind her like grass moving in the wind. She passed the two guards by the garden gates and made her way up the stairs towards the Healing Rooms.
The Rooms in Mithlond were much larger than the ones in Imladris, considering Lindon was a much larger kingdom than the small hidden valley. Elgarain had made sure that despite its size, the most useful herbs were within reach from each bed. She refused to let people die because precious time was being wasted running across the room.
As soon as she entered the Rooms, all heads raised to look at her, as if her presence alone was enough to calm the storm. Her eyes quickly scanned the room and made quick notes of which wounds had to be treated immediately and which wounds could wait a little longer.
"Galwenn, I need fresh cloth, a clean knife and dried leaves from the Athelas plant!" she instructed before marching away towards a bed in the right corner. Upon it lay an Elf with a black arrow protruding from his side. Her eyes went towards his face and she regretted not even knowing his name. She sent him out to keep her peace and she didn't even know his name.
Pushing that thought aside she quickly put her hair in a braid while Galwenn returned with the necessary tools. "I need you to hold him still, this is going to hurt," Elgarain said, her voice stern and collected.
Galwenn nodded, determination burning in her eyes as she pinned the Ellon's legs down against the bed. The white sheets were slowly turning red, they were running out of time.
"Goheno nin," Elgarain whispered before pressing her hands down on the wound.
The Elf screamed in pain and beside her Galwenn winced. Once Elgarain might have done the same, but now she didn't even blink. "Hold him still," she reminded her assistant before taking a hold of the arrow. With one, strong, movement she broke the shaft, leaving only the tip in the wound.
She threw the arrow aside and reached for the knife. The steel was still hot where it had been cleaned above the ever burning coals in the hearth of the Rooms. She didn't waste a second and pushed the blade into his skin, hoping she could manage to get the tip of the arrow out in one quick movement. If she'd been treating anyone but an Elf, the trauma of having a hot knife shoved into their wound would've been enough to kill them right then and there. But Elves were built to endure more than the other races of Middle-Earth and so Elgarain wasn't worried about her heavy handed methods. But the tip of the arrow was buried deeper than she initially thought.
"Rhaich!"
The Ellon screamed and trashed beneath her, making the other healers hurry towards them to help hold him down. Elgarain clenched her teeth as she pushed the knife even deeper, finally feeling the tip of the arrow. In one smooth movement she managed to pull it out, throwing it in an empty bowl beside the bed.
But the Ellon didn't still, instead he only seemed to trash even more.
"We have to get him to lay still or I cannot stitch his wound," Elgarain said, her eyes going over his body to see what else could be wrong.
Her eyes caught sight of the red blood on the sheets, only it wasn't red. There were black dots in it, thickening it. "Poison," she murmured.
Orc arrows were often poisoned, which was exactly the reason she'd asked Galwenn to get the Athelas. She reached for the Athelas leaves and quickly crushed them in a bowl, mixing them with warm water. Then she carefully sprinkled it on the wound, making sure not to waste any of it, as Athelas was rare enough in these parts of the world.
Almost immediately the Ellon stilled and Elgarain breathed out slowly before moving a few stray strands of hair out of her face. She took a step back and immediately her spot was filled by another healer who started to work on stitching the wound.
"Tarinya?"
Elgarain looked up at the sound of her voice. Gyda came walking into the room, followed closely by Galion, who seemed to tense at the sight of his fellow warriors lying wounded in their beds. Elgarain couldn't help but inspect Gyda for any injuries. The Elleth had just returned from the northern border this morning and if it was anything like the southern border, she could've been injured as well. But when she didn't see anything a small breath of relief left her lips.
"Gyda. I'm glad you've returned safely." Elgarain smiled at her.
Gyda bowed her head slightly and touched her forehead in a sign of respect. "It wasn't too bad at the northern border. Do you yet know what has happened? I recognized a few of them. They went to the southern border."
"I sent them south a week ago. There had been messengers from our villages there of frequent Orc attacks. I suppose they fought them off but not without injuries."
Gyda frowned. "The south seems to get the worst of it. We haven't come across much the last few weeks up north. Which is a blessing of course."
A deep sigh left Elgarain's lips. "It seems like their numbers are growing. We can barely hold them back. I fear if we cannot defeat them for good, we will not be able to keep off their attacks for much longer."
"Our numbers are still small, and the villagers have not had much training. I fear we might need to give them refuge in villages closer to Mithlond. That way we might be able to protect them better." Gyda paused, her eyes scanning the room before taking a step closer towards Elgarain. "There are rumors, Elgarain. Awful rumors of the return of the One Ring."
For a moment the world seemed to disappear. At the mere mention of that huge evil her blood seemed to freeze and her heart stopped. Her memories took her back to nightmares she used to have as a child about the plains of Gorgoroth. To even speak of it seemed to give that evil object power. As if it was right there in the room with her, enveloping them all into darkness. She took a shaky breath and turned to Galwenn. "Make sure his wound is cleaned thoroughly, if he worsens you let me know." Then she looked at Gyda. "Let us talk elsewhere."
"Lead the way Tarinya."
They left the busy Healing Rooms behind. Elgarain led them into an empty room down the hallway. It was a round room without chairs or couches. Her father had meant the room to be used for urgent meetings. Saying urgent matters required discomfort, so the decisions would be made quicker, or so he used to say. Elgarain did not disagree entirely with his methods, though she had ordered to make sure there was at least a fire burning in the room.
Only when the doors were closed did she turn her attention back to Gyda and Galion. Despite her efforts to hide it, she knew there must've been a flicker of fear visible in her eyes. She couldn't help it, but the mere thought of that ancient evil made her scared beyond words. "I thought the One Ring was forever lost, carried away by the river to the sea. That's what the stories told."
"There's always truth to stories told long ago," Gyda said. "It was lost, but a creature has had it in its possession it seems." She turned to Galion, a silent way of telling him to continue.
Galion straightened his back, "There were whispers of Gollum wandering the countryside near the Shire. They believed he had the ring once, before it was stolen. A Dúnedain has captured him, and brought him to Mirkwood."
At the mention of the men of the north Elgarain tensed, the shadow of a memory passing through her eyes but it was gone almost as soon as it came. Instead she frowned and asked: "What's a Gollum?"
Gyda opened her mouth, probably to scold her lack of knowledge about such matters but then she closed it again, seeming a little lost herself. "Well, erh...Galion?"
The Ellon shrugged. "No one really knows, but it's a foul creature dwelling in the shadows."
"And do we know where the Ring is now?"
"There's rumors Gollum has been in Barad-dûr, held captive by a horde of orcs." Gyda swallowed nervously. "If Gollum was indeed in possession of the ring, it might be in Mordor."
Elgarain wiped her forehead with a heavy sigh before whispering beneath her breath. "Let us hope not, or we're all doomed." Then she straightened her back, placing her royal mask back in place. "If this is indeed true it might be the reason the Orcs are growing bolder in their attacks. We cannot fight the might of Mordor alone. We're going to need help."
"If there's one thing my father taught me it is not to make hasty decisions ruled by fear." Gyda began, voice strong. "If we raise the alarm, if we call our people to arms, we need to be sure. Let me make the journey to Mirkwood, confirm suspicions before we take action."
"I would hate to part with you in these difficult times but, as always, you're right."
Gyda smirked, "I like it when you tell me I'm right, makes all those tantrums during your Elfling years' worth it."
Elgarain winced at the unpleasant memory. "I take it back, please go to Mirkwood. I'm sure King Thranduil would love to make time in his busy schedule to listen to that sharp tongue of yours again."
"Ladies, while I love to hear all these embarrassing matters openly discussed, we should make haste if Gyda's is to make for Mirkwood today." Galion interrupted them.
Gyda nodded, her face growing serious once again. "For what it's worth Tarinya, I will miss you too."
Elgarain grinned. "I know you will." Then she turned to Galion. "I hate to ask you to part with Gyda but I trust no one else with this message. Will you ride to Rivendell? We could use Lord Elrond's advice on the matter."
Her trust in him wasn't the only reason for her question. She knew he missed Arwen, she knew exactly how it felt to be parted with half your soul...Yet he'd never complained, never asked her anything and only ever served her. She would grant him permission to leave for Imladris any time but he never put his own interests before anyone else's. Which was exactly why she was sending him there, hoping he understood the silent gift.
Galion nodded, a faint smile on his face. "I would be honored Tarinya." He bowed his head.
"Thank you, mellon nin. I suppose this means goodbye then."
Before any of them could make a move to leave the room however there was a knock on the door.
"Minno," Elgarain called.
The doors were opened and a young Elleth stepped inside. "There are two messengers here to see you, Tarinya."
"Let them in."
The Elleth bowed and stepped aside, letting two Ellon's inside before closing the doors behind them. Their long brown hair and almost identical faces were more than familiar to her.
"Elladan! Elrohir!" Elgarain called out and for a small moment she was a young Elfling again, all courtesies forgotten. She sprinted forward and pulled both of them into a hug, for a moment forgetting her hands weren't entirely clean from her earlier healing works.
"Elgarain," Elrohir laughed, untangling himself from her grip and throwing a look at her hands. "You haven't changed a bit."
"Don't let the crown fool you Elrohir." Gyda moved forward to embrace the Ellon. "She's still a pest when she wants to be."
"What brings you here?" Elgarain asked when Galion had finished greeting the twins as well, ignoring Gyda's jest. She made sure to keep her hands on her back this time.
All laughter immediately disappeared from the room, as both their faces suddenly turned serious, almost grave. A sudden shadow seemed to have taken hold of the room, pressing on their hearts and holding them captive.
It was Elladan who spoke first. "Lord Elrond has called for a council."
Elgarain slightly startled from the heaviness lingering in his voice. It seemed the rumors had been right after all. There was only reason Lord Elrond would call for a council...
"The One True Ring has returned," Elladan continued.
Elgarain closed her eyes for a moment, trying her hardest to push her fears down. She could break down later, when she was alone...
"We heard the rumors." Gyda spoke softly, "we hoped they'd be false."
"A hobbit by the name of Frodo brought it to Imladris accompanied by three more and..." He trailed off, eyes flickering to Elgarain. "the ranger Strider."
She frowned at him, wondering if the name was supposed to hold any meaning to her. But she couldn't remember ever hearing it before.
"A Hobbit?" Gyda frowned, exchanging glances with Galion. "How has he come in possession of the ring?"
"We do not know, but I feel as if Adar knows more than he's willing to tell at the moment. Messengers have been sent to different Kingdoms to gather in Imladris. We shall learn more about what awaits us when everyone arrives."
Elgarain looked at Gyda, worried for her friend. If the mention of the Dark Lord Sauron was enough to recall mere nightmares from her childhood, she could barely imagine what it must be like for her friend, who actually faced him and fought in Mordor. Gyda might've thought she was hiding it well but her face was pale. Now, however, was not the time to talk about such things.
"I suppose we are expected to leave immediately?" She asked instead.
Elrohir nodded. "As soon as possible. The fate of Middle-Earth cannot wait."
"Then we won't wait," Elgarain said before calling the young Elf maiden back inside. "Please show Lord Elrond's sons to the kitchens. You can eat and regain your strength while we pack our things."
The twins bowed before retreating from the room.
Elgarain breathed out slowly, gathering herself. She felt hollow, as if all the happiness had suddenly been sucked from her life and the sun would never shine again. "Gyda and Galion you will both accompany me. This council is too important for me to remain here. Gyda, please choose a few warriors you trust to join us. The road is too dangerous to travel with just the three of us."
"I already know who to call upon," Gyda assured her.
"Then let us not waste any more time." Elgarain nodded. "We ride at dawn."
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𝕬𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝕹𝐎𝐓𝐄 . . .
Look at our baby Elgarain, all grown up.
Not gonna lie, writing her being so confident in her role made me a little emotional. I just adore her so much okay. But not everything is sunshine and roses because she very clearly misses Aragorn, even though she likes to pretend she doesn't. Well they're about to reunite soon and who knows how that will end... ;)
Also the Ring has been mentioned! We're getting into the plot of the movies now and I'm so excited to show you guys everything we've planned!
xx Nelly
ELVISH TRANSLATIONS:
Tári ― Queen
Adar ― Father
Tarinya ― My Queen
Goheno nin ― Forgive me
Rhaich ― Curses
Mellon nin ― My friend
Minno ― Enter