The Forgotten Ring

Disclaimer: All familiar characters of this story belong to the awesome world and works of JRR Tolkien, who is an unparalleled genius of this genre. All unfamiliar and original characters, animals and places are of my own invention. I do not derive any monies from this work and created this story solely out of the love and respect that I hold for all of the works related to this canon.

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The Forgotten Ring
by Sienna Dawn


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Chapter 11 - Ronihim's Deception

Three months later....4th day of Echuir (February 15)

Ronihim had just returned from his trip to Lord Elrond's realm. This marked his fourth visit there, and he was not very happy. Why that sour elf had decided to return to Middle Earth was beyond his ability to understand. Ronihim thought darkly that Elrond should have stayed in Valinor and let the more easily influenced Elrohir rule Alasse Imladris. But that was his personal opinion and one he would share with only one person, Dani. She would understand him as no one ever had.

His horse was led to the Stables and his personal aide, Celbrel, approached him in the royal gardens where he had come hoping to find Dani. He stared at the elf with disapproval. "What is it now?"

"My lord, these are the latest reports from the northern and western borders." Celbrel attempted to hand him several folded packets. But Ronihim let these drop to the ground.

Narrowing his gaze at the nervous elf, he pointed to them, "Pick them up and take them to my father. Say I have read them and agree with whatever Haldir wishes to do." He turned to leave and then added without turning, "And don't ever interrupt me like that again or I will have your sight permanently taken." His dark blue tunic waved in the early morning winter breeze.

Celbrel looked at the retreating figure of his Prince and shook his head with distaste. The day that elf came to power in Thalion Tirion was the day he'd sail for the west. He busied himself by picking up the packets and went off in search of Haldir, whom had only returned the night before from a patrol on the southern borders of the realm.

He knew Haldir regularly met with his captains in the royal Hall, where his personal receiving chamber was. He hoped it was here that he would find the tall Lord Commander. Hurriedly covering the distance he turned toward the sound of the familiar voice. Here was a true warrior, he thought. Not the madman that was meant to follow in Eadril's footsteps.

Finding the tall elf in conference with his captains, Celbrel approached the open doorway. At once Haldir noticed the nervous elf and frowned slightly. What was Celbrel doing in his receiving chambers? He glanced over to the elf and nodded a silent acknowledgement and waved his right hand in a signal to him give him a moment. Celebrel understood and waited patiently.

Excusing himself from his captains, he walked quickly to the waiting elf. He noted at once Celbrel seemed agitated. No doubt from something Ronihim had said or done. He sympathized with the young elf, knowing full well the weight of Ronihim's wrath and illogical behavior. He at least had the maturity that came with experience, but he doubted Celbrel was emotionally equipped to handle Ronihim. He hoped the Prince would not torment the younger elf too often. Making a mental note to ask one of his lieutenants about wrangling a possible reassignment for Celbrel, he nodded toward the packets,

"Reports from the borders?" He asked while he reached for them. His eyes turned up to Celbrel. The younger elf nodded,

"Yes, Prince Ronihim was unable to accept them."

Haldir smirked and arched one eyebrow while browsing through the first batch. "No doubt." he murmured and turned to Celbrel. "Thank you, Celbrel. You did the correct thing by bringing these to me." He turned back to his waiting captains, and stopped, realizing Celbrel had not moved. Looking expectantly at the younger elf, he asked carefully,

"Was there more?"

Celbrel nodded and took a deep breath. Haldir realized that whatever was coming next was difficult for the elf to say.

"My lord, the Prince bade me deliver these to the King instead and to advise the King that you had already received and reviewed the reports. Further, the Prince bade me tell the King that he agreed with whatever course of action you suggested."

Haldir stood rooted to the spot. What was this? Border reports that had bypassed him? He turned and glanced at his captains. Their grim faces underscored the enormity of what they had just learned.

Intelligence from the border sectors had not reached them! Therefore, they were operating with only a portion of the information they needed to access the situation and make the best possible decisions and implement these. Outrage began showing up on the faces of the elven captains. The meaning of this was so terribly clear.

Haldir reined in his fury tightly and thanked Celbrel in a quiet whisper. The younger elf hesitated before departing and Haldir reassured him, "No word of what has been said here will reach the Prince. You have my word on it." His captains murmured agreement. Celbrel relaxed visibly, bowed quickly and left.

Haldir turned to his captains and walked back to the table, handing them the packets of the border patrols. Each were opened and read. What they found was that they lacked a serious understanding of the true magnitude of the problem. In deliberately bypassing Haldir, all of the information contained in these reports rendered their well-laid out and well-thought plans useless. They would have to compensate, and judging from these reports, very quickly.

Tamarcil, Commander of the Eastern Sector, finally voiced what they all were thinking, "My Lord! We have been kept blind. These reports place the Yrch within 1,000 leagues of Thalion Tirion. If they move at speed, and rotate their ranks, they can reach us by Summer's end!"

Tamarcil picked up another scroll. "Look at this report, dated four months ago," He handed it to Haldir. "The Eagles spotted Yrch patrols near the mouth of the Valandil River! Four months ago!" The elf Commander's eye were wide with disbelief. "My Lord!" he exclaimed in exasperation.

Haldir nodded, studying the last of the reports. His quick eyes scanning and reading. Long years of scanning reports under all sorts of difficult conditions had taught him to read quickly. He looked up at his captains and his eyes glazed somewhat as he calculated, "That would put them within striking distance of our borders in less than 6 months."

Haldir thought quickly. Even after five hundred years on this new Middle Earth, he still found it necessary to create a mental map of the former Middle Earth and then impose that on the new boundaries. Although the Middle Earth of now had indeed changed, the Valar had left some things intact.

Now, he was trying to encompass in his mind the vast region that was Thalion Tirion. He knew his captains were still studying the reports and spoke quietly amongst themselves. This gave Haldir time to recollect his thoughts.

What was before them was almost staggering. Thalion Tirion was made up of a vast territory that encompassed many areas once known on Middle Earth as the domains of elves, dwarves, hobbits and men. In his mind he calculated that it began in the northern reaches of Ered Mithrin, which had been called the Grey Mountains and were now a majestic expanse of towering mountain ranges called Ered Halla which none dare assail. He knew that no attack would come from there, not while the great eyries of the Eagles blocked the passes. West of the Ered Halla, their lands reached as far as the coastal areas once called Forlindon, now simply called Uile, though the ancient mountain range of the Ered Luin no longer existed. This wide expanse of flatlands and fertile valleys from the ocean to the inner realm of Thalion Tirion worried him the most, for here could a large army prepare itself and be lost to the elven' patrols as long as the enemy knew to keep moving their camps around. If enemy patrols were able to access the heart of Uile, then attacks to Thalion Tirion could fan out in several directions at once. Thalion Tirion would collapse from within.

South from Ered Halla, toward what had once been the crags of Emyn Muil and which now were flat dusty plains called the Plains of Asto Nuut, Thalion Tirion's southern borders ended. Westward, it cut through what had once been his beloved Lothlorien and Fanghorn, and which now was the heart of Thalion Tirion, with its capital of Avonea where Caras Galadhon had once been. Imlad Yave, a fertile fruit-bearing valley, formerly known as the Gap of Rohan, was its southern most boundary, reaching as far westward as the Sea of Yave Uile, which had once been the tributary of the River Isen into the sea.

Eastward, Thalion Tirion's realm ended at the doorstep of a marshy wet lands once known on Middle Earth as the Sea of Rhun, but now called Morthond Salque. The sea had been reshaped and closed off from the rest of the open ocean and a vast dead wetland had surfaced. Most of this area was still unexplored.

Haldir realized that unless they had the cooperation of the Lord of Alasse Imladris, whose realm fell within Thalion Tirion, but which had been given independent rule because Elrond and Eadril were cousins, attacks could come on any of the three fronts of this vast elven realm. He realized that the situation was precarious at best.

Turning to his captains he spoke, "If there is to be an attack, it will come by sea, since it is the only logical entry into our lands. " His captains frowned. "If the enemy sails from the northern coves of the Sea of Yave Uile, and then encamped within the fields and valleys of Imlad Yave, they can be in a position to attack us from inside our own realms."

Haldir turned and walked to a nearby book shelf, quickly scanned them and reached for a large vellum bound tome. He brought it over to the wide table where the other documents rested and threw it open, leafing to the pages of a large, carefully folded map of Middle Earth. He opened it and pointed to the areas he had mentioned.

"Ships and even small convoys hugging the coastline sailing south from Uile, just west of Ered Hallas can meet up with convoys setting north from the Sea of Yave Uile. Here they can anchor and send foot soldiers to fan out throughout Imlad Yave, skirting close to Avonea. If the reports we received today are accurate, and I have no reason to suspect they are not, the enemy can already be entering Imlad Yave, in which case we have less than two months to form a plan of defense and possibly evacuate everyone south of Avonea. If our routes north are blocked..." He did not have to finish the sentence. It was obvious as his slender finger traced the route he suspected an attacking army would take. If their escape north out of Avonea was blocked, the loss of life would be enormous.

An outroar burst out in the quiet room as his captains roared in disgust and rage at the Prince's deliberate interference and in disagreement over how to counter this weakness. Haldir shook his head slightly and walked toward the door.

Turning to his Commanders, he said quietly, "We must develop a plan to counter this weakness. Study the maps and let us find a way out of this. Send the Eagles out toward the Uile and Ymlad Yave. Have one ready to carry word of this situation to Elrond. I will inform the King of this discovery." He gathered the packets and turned abruptly, his cloak lifting with the sudden movement.


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[To be continued...] Feedback appreciated.