#atalefromrivendell

[laerthel]

Elentirmo, a LotR OC from my 'A Tale from Rivendell' series.

[laerthel]

The King’s Doom

(Set in my ‘A Tale from Rivendell’ universe. I wrote this in August 2015, and found it again in my folders a few minutes ago. Lousy as it is, it might deserve a bit of audience).

Read about Elentirmo HERE.

...and all the week that followed, the King sat on his throne in the Hall of Kings and pronounced his orders and judgements; and this took countless hours, for there were embassies coming from many peoples and from distant lands that not even Gildor Inglorion had ever heard of. And the King set them free and gave them lands to govern in their own manner and he made peace with them; and there were also fighters that earned his reward for their valour in battle. Days flew quicker than the Winds of West; and at the sunset of the seventh day of the judgements of the King, when he remitted the penalty of Beregond, Guardian of the Tower the Knights of Gondor were surprised to see the Lord Elentirmo emerging from the deepening shadows of the hall and stepping before the King. To their great wonder the Elf took a knee but stood almost immediately, before the King could say a word; and thus they saw he wasn't wearing his bright silver mail, nor his heaving red cloak, and he was unarmed. His garment was grey and simple, much like that of the Dunedain, and the White Tree of Gondor was embroidered on its chest where his heart should be. Then the King spoke: "All hail the Lord Elentirmo, son of Anardil!" - and when the praise quiesced, he said: "A good friend and a faithful companion you've been to me on many journeys, and you're as dear to me as any brother could be. You pledged your sword to my father and never failed him, nor did you ever fail me. And now that everything we'd planned and everything we'd ever wished for came true I hear that you are reluctant to leave my service, though you be a lord yourself with your own people to rule and your own home to build." "It is not my wish to rule anybody, Elfstone", thus spoke the Lord Elentirmo, and the sharp glance of his eyes pierced through the heart of those that dared to look at his fair face. "Nor is it my wish to pretend to be somebody I am not. I am but a late son of the Lords of old; and I cannot content myself with spending my days in the shadow of a forgotten Age, waiting and dreaming, clutching onto my existence as I run out of the time of this world. There is still much to do. Orcs lurk in the wastelands, wargs dwell in the mountains and the Shadow still lives on in some grey puffs of cloud. I am indeed reluctant to leave your service, be you my Captain or my King; if not a sword, I can still pledge you a chisel to work on your gate. You might forgive me if I say it requires improvement." The King sat silent for a moment, as if considering the truth in these words; then gently, he smiled and raised his hand to cease the murmur of his Knights who were not accustomed to such harsh words. "If it is indeed your wish to remain in service of my kingdom", he said, "this I shall grant you as a token of our friendship; but you cannot stay here for long." At this the face of Elentirmo went still as stone and pain shone in his eyes as if stricken to the heart. But the King went on: "In my northern lands you shall dwell, for I give you the City of Annúminas, fortress of Arnor to rebuild and to strengthen as you will. In more peaceful days I shall pay visit to you, but until that time comes I bid a hundred of the Dunedain to part with you; and it is my counsel that you should take with you all of your kindred that are willing to go. For the city of Kings cannot be rebuilt but by the hard work of many hands and by the endurance of long labouring years. And when that is ready you shall be given orders to return here to Minas Tirith and study the old plans of Osgiliath, then rebuild that also, without even changing the length of a street; and when that is ready indeed, you and your kindred shall clean the Minas Ithil and build me a new watchtower facing the East. Now tell me Elentirmo Carastar, Master of Builders and Son of the Exiled, do you still wish to remain in the service of Elfstone?" "I do indeed, lord - I do more than ever", Elentirmo laughed and raised his hands as if to bless the King; and as his fingers moved the Knights of Gondor glimpsed a large silver ring on his finger. It was the likeness of a star, as on the blazon of Númenor; but of another shape.