The Music in My Heart
folder
-Multi-Age › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
75
Views:
7,288
Reviews:
108
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
-Multi-Age › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
75
Views:
7,288
Reviews:
108
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 13 Sorting Out
Title: The Music in My Heart, Chapter 13 (betaed)
Author: Sorsha
Fandom/Pairing: Elrond/OFC, Glorfindel/Haldir, Elladan/OFC, Elrohir/Legolas, others implied
Rating: NC-17 for future chapters
Warning: AU --- Story set 770 years after ROTK; Some slash but, mostly het
Feedback: This is my first fanfic, so constructive feedback appreciated.
Archive:
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Alex Cat for her help in betaing this fic.
Disclaimer: Any of the residents of Middle-earth and Aman that you recognize belong to Prof. Tolkien’s estate. The same is true about Middle-earth and Aman. I’m only visiting and admiring the “views”.
Summary: Sauron may be gone, but his legacy of evil still lingers. As Middle-earth faces the threat of another dark lord, a party of elves departs Aman on a mission for the Valar, a mission of mercy long delayed.
Chapter 13 --- Sorting Out
“I have this feeling that if I could
sort out what's on my dining room table,
everything would fall into place."
Alan Rickman
*****
Elrond spent the remainder of the day with Ermehtar and his sons discussing the current state of readiness in the Imladrian defenses. They, along with Erestor, Celeborn, and Glorfindel, had retreated to the office Ermehtar used in the main barracks to review maps and discuss the most effective deployment of the guardians to counter the growing threat of attack. The number of yrch, uruk hai, and their human allies in the area had grown in the last three months and they were attacking anyone caught outside the protection of Imladris’s defenses.
With the arrival of refugees, the duties of the guardians had increased as internal policing of the realm became a more demanding obligation. They had been asked to keep order among the ranks of the new population and to look for signs of spies hiding amongst the refugees. The latter was of particular concern as recent reports from Gondor indicated several spies had been found among the refugees housed in Osgiliath. A stroke of good fortune uncovered the threat before an attack on the city could be carried out, aided from within.
Hopefully, they were in a better position to ferret out possible spies than their human allies thanks to the practices of their chief counsellor. Erestor had required a recognized leader or representative of each party of the refugees identify the members of their own group and vouch that they were from the village. A detailed roster of all the refugees had been prepared and was updated daily to include notations of any incidents reported from the guardians.
As most of the refugees were members of families and had lived in these villages all their life, there were few that had caused any concern. Of the rest, the guardians had been keeping a careful watch of their activities since they arrived. Three of these had displayed behavior that continued to cause concern. They had not lived in their village long prior to its evacuation, did not appear to have any established relationships with their fellow villagers, and had been seen near places the refugees had been told were off-limits. Most troubling of all was that they had been seen meeting together in out of the way places despite the fact that they did not give any indication of previously knowing each other.
After discussing the matter, it was decided to increase surveillance on the three while continuing to keep a watchful eye on the remainder of the refugees. A plan of action was devised to deal with the three should they be found meeting again in secret.
*****
The additional patrols of the borders and the woods surrounding Imladris coupled with their increased duties within the realm were beginning to strain the resources of the current force. New recruits needed to be found to expand the guard and to allow new defensive measures to be employed.
With the arrival of over 1700 returned elves, a number of former guardians were now available from their numbers. Many had expressed interest in rejoining the force. There were also men among the refugees that had volunteered to serve, but this was new territory as the guard had always been exclusively an elven force.
If these pressures were not enough, the Elven Convocation was scheduled to begin in three months and the Council of Middle-earth was planned for a month after that. Until then, all the returned elves other than those that stayed with Cirdan in the Havens had to be housed and security for them provided.
With the two events, many of the leaders of the free peoples of Arda were scheduled to come to Imladris for weeks of meetings. The potential for an attack timed to undermine either event was enormous and the threat to the internal security of Imladris was massive as strangers would be everywhere.
Glorfindel summarized the situation. “We have four challenges facing us it seems. First, and the top priority, is maintaining and strengthening our external defenses. The second is our expanded need for internal security, especially focusing on our three suspicious refugees. The third is the need to train and prepare additional guardians to assist with the first two. And, finally, the fourth is the need to provide security for the upcoming Elven Convocation and the Council of Middle-earth. Have I missed anything?”
Elrond, his face set in hard lines as he gave his total focus to the discussion at hand, began, “Yes, there is one issue that we have not discussed and it may well have a large impact on these matters.”
Pausing, he considered his next words with care. “Our expeditionary force has been sent by the Valar to perform a task and undertake a mission to eliminate this latest threat to the peace on Middle-earth. I would anticipate, therefore, that we will have to leave Imladris to accomplish these duties.”
“If past experience is to be our guide, we will need troops for an army ready to fight if need be. I would hope that we could once more create an alliance of all free peoples to fight this threat, but I still expect we will need troops of our own.” A grim look settled on his face as he concluded, “As I was the one the Valar called to Mahanaxar to receive this commission, I expect I will be going with them should it come to that. The events of the coming months will decide our course, but it is prudent that we start to consider the resources we will need should we march. This must include a regular training schedule for anyone that might be part of that force or be left to defend Imladris… including ourselves. Several of us, myself included have not trained with an eye for battle in millennia. We will need to remedy that situation.”
The assembled fell silent at the enormity of the problems before them became clear. Elladan’s deep sigh expressed the mood of all.
Erestor traded a look with Elrond and Celeborn. Receiving a nod to proceed from the former, he began, “I would propose that we address these matters by focusing our attention to them in the most efficient manner possible. If I may, it seems Elladan, Ermehtar, and Celeborn are in the best position to coordinate our current defenses and develop a plan to strengthen them where needed. This should include additional security for the upcoming events.”
“Elrohir and I are the most familiar with the issues of internal security and our refugees. Again, we will need to consider the issues of housing our returned elves and the internal security issues resulting from the Convocation and Council. I feel we would benefit from Elrond’s counsel on these matters,” he continued.
“And, as Glorfindel is a master at training, especially preparing new recruits and assessing their potential, he would be best suited to develop a plan to address these needs. Perhaps you could ask Haldir to work with you on this matter while he waits for the Council of Middle-earth to conclude.” Pausing, he looked around the table before continuing, “Ermehtar and Glorfindel are the logical ones to analyze the impacts of all needs so that we can determine a recruitment plan. The latter cannot be completed, of course, until the first three reports have been prepared and these plans approved. It will, therefore, be the last one to be completed.”
Nodding his head, Elrond agreed. “I would suggest we meet again in four days to review the first three reports. This would allow the last one to be completed quickly thereafter. Is this acceptable to everyone?” Seeing acceptance from around the table, he concluded, “Very well. We do not have much time and a lot of work is before us.”
“Erestor, Elrohir, please let me know what support I can offer to you in our task. Perhaps we can meet over breakfast tomorrow to divide the work. Agreed? Wonderful.”
“Erestor, do you think your daughter would have time to meet with me tomorrow so that I may finally hear the full report of her visions and dreams? I suspect there is much I will need to know in her words,” Elrond asked rising from his chair as their meeting ended.
“I am sure she can find the time in any case. I will ask her to join us for breakfast if that is acceptable with you and the two of you can meet when we conclude our talks. Seere is my principle assistant and it would be helpful for her to hear our discussion as she will be working with me on this matter,” Erestor offered.
“An excellent idea, mellon nin. I will ask Lindir to arrange for breakfast for the four of us in my private study rather than the balcony to allow us greater privacy.”
*****
Lomelinde was standing in the middle of the sitting room of his private chambers when he returned. Elrond entered in the company of the twins intending to have a private conversation with them before the formal welcoming banquet that evening. He was taken aback to see her standing there. Fighting back his irritation, he asked, “Is there a matter that requires my attention that you have been sent here to wait for my return?”
“Nay, my Lord Elrond. I simply thought you might want a bath prepared upon your return. I would be happy to attend you if you would like,” came the reply. A coy smile played across her face as she let a long strand of her golden hair slide over her shoulder to settle over her right breast, a feature made very apparent by the sheer material of her dress.
Hearing his sons stifled laughter behind him, he felt a faint blush creep up his throat at her brazen behavior. “I am well able to attend my own bath and your services are not needed. In future, I would expect a servant in this house to wait for such a request to be made from a personal attendant or a guest rather than imposing yourself in a private chamber. Such familiar behavior is unacceptable and the sanctity of private chambers is to be respected. Are you clear in this?” Anger and embarrassment gave bite to his voice.
A bright flash of anger flared in the elleth’s eyes before she could drop her head. “Aye, my lord.”
“Then, you are dismissed,” he said, turning away to walk to his desk.
Hearing his sons begin to laugh as the door closed behind her, he turned back to glare at the pair. “I realize there has been a scarcity of elves to staff Imladris in recent years and this has made it difficult to be selective, but ….has it become the norm for servants to offer such a… full range of services?”
Grinning broadly, Elrohir walked over to his father and laid his hand on his shoulder as an apology for adding to his embarrassment. “Indeed not, Ada. You have, it seems, become the latest ranking elf to become the focus of Lomelinde’s attentions. She can be quite relentless, though you may well have cooled the ardor of her pursuit.”
“And quite a select group it is, Ada. I should have seen it coming, that she would turn her affections from me once the real Lord of Imladris returned!” teased Elladan. “I am broken!” With that, he collapsed into the chair in front of Elrond’s desk, his arm flung dramatically over his eyes.
Smiling at his son’s antics, Elrond commented, “Then someone must tell her immediately that she is in error. I would hate for true love to be impeded by her mistaking me for the Lord of this valley. Apparently, she already has garnered the attention of the bearer of that title.”
Looking up in surprise, Elladan asked, “What do you mean, Ada? You are now, as you ever have been, the Lord of Imladris. I was just the keeper of the title until your return.”
“Nay, ion nin. I relinquished the title to you when I sailed. I will gladly serve as an advisor if you desire, but I did not return with the intention of reclaiming it.” Sighing, he added, “Therefore, I must offer you an apology for speaking out of turn in our recent meeting. It may take me a little time to adjust. I hope I did not cause you any discomfort with my actions.”
The twins traded puzzled looks before Elrohir asked, “To what do you elude, Ada? I saw nothing amiss.”
“Nor did I,” Elladan added.
Elrond sat behind his desk and studied his sons. “I am alluding to the way I concluded the meeting and approved the assignments like it was my decision to make. I am no longer the Lord of this realm. That is your right, Elladan. For that I apologize. As I said, it may take me a few days to adjust…”
“Ai! Ada! I am sorry it took me so long to follow your meaning,” exclaimed Elladan. “Nay, I do not want you to adjust. I held the title in your absence, but happily return it to its rightful owner. I am far better suited to be a warrior than a leader of a realm. You would take a huge burden from my shoulders in doing so as you are a far better lord than I will ever be.”
“Elladan, you are just saying this to be kind, but it is not necessary. I…” Elrond began.
“Nay, Ada, I am not. I will always be a Lord of Imladris and proudly so, but you will always be THE Lord of Imladris. Please believe me when I say this is of my own free will and of my own desires,” Elladan urged.
Elrond looked between his sons, at a loss of what to say. Seeing this Elrohir offered, “Truly Ada, he speaks his heart. Since Seere saw you return, he has said several times what a relief it will be to have you back in these difficult times. You are taking nothing away from him as he freely gives it back.”
Smirking, he added, “You can ask Erestor and Adar’ra if you want to confirm this. They know this and have been teasing my brother about his joy over not only having you home, but of returning the mantle to your shoulders. It has sat heavily on his since you placed it there.”
“If you are sure, Elladan, I will agree. But I do so with your promise you are in earnest in this matter and that you will tell me when you begin to feel otherwise,” Elrond conceded.
“Well, Ada, as you have indicated to us you plan to stay on Arda when this business is completed, you may be in for a very long wait for I am very much in earnest!!” Elladan grinned.
*****
Elrond surveyed the large crowd assembled in the dining hall of the Last Homely House East of the Sea. The banquet was the official celebration of the return of the elves from Aman. Elladan had made a speech thanking the Valar for sending them back --- for the pleasure of their company, the need of their contributions, and the comfort of their aid in these difficult times. He had concluded by asking all present to stand and raise a toast with him “in honor of the return of Elrond Peredhel, the Lord of Imladris.”
Settling back in his chair, Elrond surveyed the room. /This warm reception is indeed gratifying. I do hope Elladan was being sincere. I will ask Celeborn and Erestor for confirmation. No matter what he says, he has great presence and is a born leader./
/Still, I must confess that I have not felt this vital in more years than I can remember. I am needed here and I have purpose. I am surrounded by all those dearest to my heart that still live in these lands. What more could I ask for?/
Without conscious thought or acknowledgement, his eyes sought and found a pair of golden eyes several places to his right. /What more indeed!/ he mused.
*****
The cold blue eyes watched those sitting at the high table, the places of honor and respect. Bitterness and anger narrowed the gaze as it studied three faces. /They will pay. If is the last thing I do, I will make them suffer as I do./
*****
Author: Sorsha
Fandom/Pairing: Elrond/OFC, Glorfindel/Haldir, Elladan/OFC, Elrohir/Legolas, others implied
Rating: NC-17 for future chapters
Warning: AU --- Story set 770 years after ROTK; Some slash but, mostly het
Feedback: This is my first fanfic, so constructive feedback appreciated.
Archive:
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Alex Cat for her help in betaing this fic.
Disclaimer: Any of the residents of Middle-earth and Aman that you recognize belong to Prof. Tolkien’s estate. The same is true about Middle-earth and Aman. I’m only visiting and admiring the “views”.
Summary: Sauron may be gone, but his legacy of evil still lingers. As Middle-earth faces the threat of another dark lord, a party of elves departs Aman on a mission for the Valar, a mission of mercy long delayed.
Chapter 13 --- Sorting Out
“I have this feeling that if I could
sort out what's on my dining room table,
everything would fall into place."
Alan Rickman
*****
Elrond spent the remainder of the day with Ermehtar and his sons discussing the current state of readiness in the Imladrian defenses. They, along with Erestor, Celeborn, and Glorfindel, had retreated to the office Ermehtar used in the main barracks to review maps and discuss the most effective deployment of the guardians to counter the growing threat of attack. The number of yrch, uruk hai, and their human allies in the area had grown in the last three months and they were attacking anyone caught outside the protection of Imladris’s defenses.
With the arrival of refugees, the duties of the guardians had increased as internal policing of the realm became a more demanding obligation. They had been asked to keep order among the ranks of the new population and to look for signs of spies hiding amongst the refugees. The latter was of particular concern as recent reports from Gondor indicated several spies had been found among the refugees housed in Osgiliath. A stroke of good fortune uncovered the threat before an attack on the city could be carried out, aided from within.
Hopefully, they were in a better position to ferret out possible spies than their human allies thanks to the practices of their chief counsellor. Erestor had required a recognized leader or representative of each party of the refugees identify the members of their own group and vouch that they were from the village. A detailed roster of all the refugees had been prepared and was updated daily to include notations of any incidents reported from the guardians.
As most of the refugees were members of families and had lived in these villages all their life, there were few that had caused any concern. Of the rest, the guardians had been keeping a careful watch of their activities since they arrived. Three of these had displayed behavior that continued to cause concern. They had not lived in their village long prior to its evacuation, did not appear to have any established relationships with their fellow villagers, and had been seen near places the refugees had been told were off-limits. Most troubling of all was that they had been seen meeting together in out of the way places despite the fact that they did not give any indication of previously knowing each other.
After discussing the matter, it was decided to increase surveillance on the three while continuing to keep a watchful eye on the remainder of the refugees. A plan of action was devised to deal with the three should they be found meeting again in secret.
*****
The additional patrols of the borders and the woods surrounding Imladris coupled with their increased duties within the realm were beginning to strain the resources of the current force. New recruits needed to be found to expand the guard and to allow new defensive measures to be employed.
With the arrival of over 1700 returned elves, a number of former guardians were now available from their numbers. Many had expressed interest in rejoining the force. There were also men among the refugees that had volunteered to serve, but this was new territory as the guard had always been exclusively an elven force.
If these pressures were not enough, the Elven Convocation was scheduled to begin in three months and the Council of Middle-earth was planned for a month after that. Until then, all the returned elves other than those that stayed with Cirdan in the Havens had to be housed and security for them provided.
With the two events, many of the leaders of the free peoples of Arda were scheduled to come to Imladris for weeks of meetings. The potential for an attack timed to undermine either event was enormous and the threat to the internal security of Imladris was massive as strangers would be everywhere.
Glorfindel summarized the situation. “We have four challenges facing us it seems. First, and the top priority, is maintaining and strengthening our external defenses. The second is our expanded need for internal security, especially focusing on our three suspicious refugees. The third is the need to train and prepare additional guardians to assist with the first two. And, finally, the fourth is the need to provide security for the upcoming Elven Convocation and the Council of Middle-earth. Have I missed anything?”
Elrond, his face set in hard lines as he gave his total focus to the discussion at hand, began, “Yes, there is one issue that we have not discussed and it may well have a large impact on these matters.”
Pausing, he considered his next words with care. “Our expeditionary force has been sent by the Valar to perform a task and undertake a mission to eliminate this latest threat to the peace on Middle-earth. I would anticipate, therefore, that we will have to leave Imladris to accomplish these duties.”
“If past experience is to be our guide, we will need troops for an army ready to fight if need be. I would hope that we could once more create an alliance of all free peoples to fight this threat, but I still expect we will need troops of our own.” A grim look settled on his face as he concluded, “As I was the one the Valar called to Mahanaxar to receive this commission, I expect I will be going with them should it come to that. The events of the coming months will decide our course, but it is prudent that we start to consider the resources we will need should we march. This must include a regular training schedule for anyone that might be part of that force or be left to defend Imladris… including ourselves. Several of us, myself included have not trained with an eye for battle in millennia. We will need to remedy that situation.”
The assembled fell silent at the enormity of the problems before them became clear. Elladan’s deep sigh expressed the mood of all.
Erestor traded a look with Elrond and Celeborn. Receiving a nod to proceed from the former, he began, “I would propose that we address these matters by focusing our attention to them in the most efficient manner possible. If I may, it seems Elladan, Ermehtar, and Celeborn are in the best position to coordinate our current defenses and develop a plan to strengthen them where needed. This should include additional security for the upcoming events.”
“Elrohir and I are the most familiar with the issues of internal security and our refugees. Again, we will need to consider the issues of housing our returned elves and the internal security issues resulting from the Convocation and Council. I feel we would benefit from Elrond’s counsel on these matters,” he continued.
“And, as Glorfindel is a master at training, especially preparing new recruits and assessing their potential, he would be best suited to develop a plan to address these needs. Perhaps you could ask Haldir to work with you on this matter while he waits for the Council of Middle-earth to conclude.” Pausing, he looked around the table before continuing, “Ermehtar and Glorfindel are the logical ones to analyze the impacts of all needs so that we can determine a recruitment plan. The latter cannot be completed, of course, until the first three reports have been prepared and these plans approved. It will, therefore, be the last one to be completed.”
Nodding his head, Elrond agreed. “I would suggest we meet again in four days to review the first three reports. This would allow the last one to be completed quickly thereafter. Is this acceptable to everyone?” Seeing acceptance from around the table, he concluded, “Very well. We do not have much time and a lot of work is before us.”
“Erestor, Elrohir, please let me know what support I can offer to you in our task. Perhaps we can meet over breakfast tomorrow to divide the work. Agreed? Wonderful.”
“Erestor, do you think your daughter would have time to meet with me tomorrow so that I may finally hear the full report of her visions and dreams? I suspect there is much I will need to know in her words,” Elrond asked rising from his chair as their meeting ended.
“I am sure she can find the time in any case. I will ask her to join us for breakfast if that is acceptable with you and the two of you can meet when we conclude our talks. Seere is my principle assistant and it would be helpful for her to hear our discussion as she will be working with me on this matter,” Erestor offered.
“An excellent idea, mellon nin. I will ask Lindir to arrange for breakfast for the four of us in my private study rather than the balcony to allow us greater privacy.”
*****
Lomelinde was standing in the middle of the sitting room of his private chambers when he returned. Elrond entered in the company of the twins intending to have a private conversation with them before the formal welcoming banquet that evening. He was taken aback to see her standing there. Fighting back his irritation, he asked, “Is there a matter that requires my attention that you have been sent here to wait for my return?”
“Nay, my Lord Elrond. I simply thought you might want a bath prepared upon your return. I would be happy to attend you if you would like,” came the reply. A coy smile played across her face as she let a long strand of her golden hair slide over her shoulder to settle over her right breast, a feature made very apparent by the sheer material of her dress.
Hearing his sons stifled laughter behind him, he felt a faint blush creep up his throat at her brazen behavior. “I am well able to attend my own bath and your services are not needed. In future, I would expect a servant in this house to wait for such a request to be made from a personal attendant or a guest rather than imposing yourself in a private chamber. Such familiar behavior is unacceptable and the sanctity of private chambers is to be respected. Are you clear in this?” Anger and embarrassment gave bite to his voice.
A bright flash of anger flared in the elleth’s eyes before she could drop her head. “Aye, my lord.”
“Then, you are dismissed,” he said, turning away to walk to his desk.
Hearing his sons begin to laugh as the door closed behind her, he turned back to glare at the pair. “I realize there has been a scarcity of elves to staff Imladris in recent years and this has made it difficult to be selective, but ….has it become the norm for servants to offer such a… full range of services?”
Grinning broadly, Elrohir walked over to his father and laid his hand on his shoulder as an apology for adding to his embarrassment. “Indeed not, Ada. You have, it seems, become the latest ranking elf to become the focus of Lomelinde’s attentions. She can be quite relentless, though you may well have cooled the ardor of her pursuit.”
“And quite a select group it is, Ada. I should have seen it coming, that she would turn her affections from me once the real Lord of Imladris returned!” teased Elladan. “I am broken!” With that, he collapsed into the chair in front of Elrond’s desk, his arm flung dramatically over his eyes.
Smiling at his son’s antics, Elrond commented, “Then someone must tell her immediately that she is in error. I would hate for true love to be impeded by her mistaking me for the Lord of this valley. Apparently, she already has garnered the attention of the bearer of that title.”
Looking up in surprise, Elladan asked, “What do you mean, Ada? You are now, as you ever have been, the Lord of Imladris. I was just the keeper of the title until your return.”
“Nay, ion nin. I relinquished the title to you when I sailed. I will gladly serve as an advisor if you desire, but I did not return with the intention of reclaiming it.” Sighing, he added, “Therefore, I must offer you an apology for speaking out of turn in our recent meeting. It may take me a little time to adjust. I hope I did not cause you any discomfort with my actions.”
The twins traded puzzled looks before Elrohir asked, “To what do you elude, Ada? I saw nothing amiss.”
“Nor did I,” Elladan added.
Elrond sat behind his desk and studied his sons. “I am alluding to the way I concluded the meeting and approved the assignments like it was my decision to make. I am no longer the Lord of this realm. That is your right, Elladan. For that I apologize. As I said, it may take me a few days to adjust…”
“Ai! Ada! I am sorry it took me so long to follow your meaning,” exclaimed Elladan. “Nay, I do not want you to adjust. I held the title in your absence, but happily return it to its rightful owner. I am far better suited to be a warrior than a leader of a realm. You would take a huge burden from my shoulders in doing so as you are a far better lord than I will ever be.”
“Elladan, you are just saying this to be kind, but it is not necessary. I…” Elrond began.
“Nay, Ada, I am not. I will always be a Lord of Imladris and proudly so, but you will always be THE Lord of Imladris. Please believe me when I say this is of my own free will and of my own desires,” Elladan urged.
Elrond looked between his sons, at a loss of what to say. Seeing this Elrohir offered, “Truly Ada, he speaks his heart. Since Seere saw you return, he has said several times what a relief it will be to have you back in these difficult times. You are taking nothing away from him as he freely gives it back.”
Smirking, he added, “You can ask Erestor and Adar’ra if you want to confirm this. They know this and have been teasing my brother about his joy over not only having you home, but of returning the mantle to your shoulders. It has sat heavily on his since you placed it there.”
“If you are sure, Elladan, I will agree. But I do so with your promise you are in earnest in this matter and that you will tell me when you begin to feel otherwise,” Elrond conceded.
“Well, Ada, as you have indicated to us you plan to stay on Arda when this business is completed, you may be in for a very long wait for I am very much in earnest!!” Elladan grinned.
*****
Elrond surveyed the large crowd assembled in the dining hall of the Last Homely House East of the Sea. The banquet was the official celebration of the return of the elves from Aman. Elladan had made a speech thanking the Valar for sending them back --- for the pleasure of their company, the need of their contributions, and the comfort of their aid in these difficult times. He had concluded by asking all present to stand and raise a toast with him “in honor of the return of Elrond Peredhel, the Lord of Imladris.”
Settling back in his chair, Elrond surveyed the room. /This warm reception is indeed gratifying. I do hope Elladan was being sincere. I will ask Celeborn and Erestor for confirmation. No matter what he says, he has great presence and is a born leader./
/Still, I must confess that I have not felt this vital in more years than I can remember. I am needed here and I have purpose. I am surrounded by all those dearest to my heart that still live in these lands. What more could I ask for?/
Without conscious thought or acknowledgement, his eyes sought and found a pair of golden eyes several places to his right. /What more indeed!/ he mused.
*****
The cold blue eyes watched those sitting at the high table, the places of honor and respect. Bitterness and anger narrowed the gaze as it studied three faces. /They will pay. If is the last thing I do, I will make them suffer as I do./
*****