The Music in My Heart

Title: The Music in My Heart, Chapter 75
Author: Sorsha
Fandom/Pairing: Elrond/OFC, Glorfindel/Haldir, Elladan/OFC, Elrohir/Legolas, others implied
Rating: R this chapter
Warning: AU (Story set 770 years after ROTK); Slash and het.
Feedback: This is my first fanfic, so constructive feedback appreciated.
Archive: AFF: FF; OEAM; livejournal
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.


"Wise kings generally have wise counsellors; and he must be a wise man himself who is capable of distinguishing one."
--Diogenes

Chapter 75 --- Wise

The sun had barely risen when the various patrols Erestor and Celeborn had organised began their assigned searches. Haldir and Háma led a search party up the steep incline toward Cirith Ungol. They went well armed, though the Tower itself was heavily guarded by Thalion’s men. Their mission was to find the secret cache marked on the vision map, though its exact location was not known

Grór led his dwarves into the maze of tunnels around Minas Ithil hoping to find any trace of its dark days as Minas Morgul. Glorfindel and several dozen warriors scaled down the sides of the deep ravine that surrounded the fortress looking for any debris or artefact that might have fallen from above. Both parties were charged with finding what they could and bringing it to the attention of one of the elven scholars that might be able to make sense of it.

Oropher was given the task of overseeing a systematic search of the main building and grounds. No room was excluded from the search and he was often called to smooth ruffled feathers from the inhabitants of those rooms. In deference to their privacy, he had selected soldiers from the Prince’s own guard to handle most of the private chambers.

Thalion instructed those that left for routine patrols of the approaches to the Pass to make note of anything that might indicate some remnant of the dark days had been overlooked by Faramir’s men, though the Prince did not hold out much hope they would. He had read Faramir’s journals from that period and knew how relentless he had been in completing the ‘cleansing’ of the entire area. Realising there may be useful information in those journals to aid their search, he had his attendant collect them and any other relevant document to leave with Seere, Celeborn, and Lindir in the meeting room that served the main floor of the fortress.

Once the patrols were away, Thalion led Elrond and Erestor into the deep recesses of Minas Ithil. Ancient doors resisted their efforts to enter as rusted hinges had to be forced open to allow them to pass. Cobwebs and a thick layer of dust attested to the fact that no one had ventured into this section of the fortress in many years. “I suspect none have been here since I came down here as a young soldier, curious about these dark spaces. I had read some of Faramir’s journals regarding his work. When I stumbled upon the trunk and crates, I recognised his seal.”

Holding a torch high, Thalion motioned for one of the guards that had accompanied them to shoulder open the last door. The dust on the floor shifted in the breeze caused by the opening door. Specks of dust drifted through the air, causing the two men to sneeze. After a moment, Thalion managed to croak, “They are over in the corner, Adar’ra.”

Following the prince over to the stack of crates occupying the far corner, Erestor knelt by a large trunk. Carefully, wiping away the years of accumulated grime, he found what he had been hoping to see. “The wax seal is intact, my liege. As Thalion remembered, it is Prince Faramir’s crest for I saw it often on correspondence he sent to Imladris as the King’s Steward. Whatever is in this truck has not been viewed in hundreds of years.”

Nodding, Elrond asked, “Am I right to assume his seal was destroyed at his death to prevent its subsequent misuse?”

“Indeed, Adar’ra. That is the practice for both the seal of the King or Queen and their Stewards,” Thalion replied. Dusting off the latches of the first crate in the stack, he added, “These are intact as well, my lords. Adar’ra, shall I have them carried up to the meeting room for study or do you want them sent directly to Minas Tirith?”

“A good question, ion.” Looking at his advisor, he asked, “Have you any thoughts on this, Erestor? My first thought is to open them immediately and see what we have.” (son)

Erestor considered the question for a moment. “May I propose we have the entire lot carried to the meeting room? I think it wise to open the trunk immediately, for I would expect the Prince would have placed the most important items in it. After we see what is inside we can better judge the advisability of opening the rest.”

Grinning at Thalion, Elrond noted, “The first step in any successful reign is to surround yourself with able and learned advisors. They will keep you from making rash decisions and can prove handy to have about if you need someone to blame a mistake upon.”

Chuckling at his grandfather’s teasing, Thalion moved back to the door to call for assistance in transporting the heavy crates and trunk to the main floor of the fortress. “I will mark that advice, Adar’ra. I can only hope to find the services of an advisor half as able as Lord Erestor.”

“An ideal model, ion. There are none better.” (son)

-----

“Well… what do we have?”

Looking up to meet his wife’s excited gaze, Elrond smiled. “I cannot immediately say, beloved. There appears to be several maps, but they will need to be studied before we can determine for what purpose they were made.”

Pointing to a smaller chest, he continued, “It looks as though Faramir placed a number of amulets and other trinkets in this chest for safekeeping… or found them thusly stored. I hesitate to handle them until we know more about their properties. Perhaps there is some indication of their origins in the journals and other documents at the bottom of the trunk.”

“I wonder if those weapons were the Witchking’s or others of the Nazgúl? They look too costly to be the weapons of the Morgul rats that lived in Minas Morgul,” Celeborn observed. “That dagger is encrusted with valuable gems and what appear to be rubies. Its workmanship is exceptional. The rings and amulets in the small chest are also remarkable.”

Prodding the hilt with a pointer borrowed from the hearth, Erestor nodded in agreement. Easing the dagger from its sheath, he commented, “Indeed you are right. Look at the dagger; note how the blade has kept its edge even after centuries in a damp dungeon. That bespeaks either elven or dwarven craft.”

Leaning closer to the small chest, Elrond observed, “These rings remind me of Vilya. If I am right, it may be possible that these rings and other trinkets are the earlier attempts made by the smiths of Eregion under the guidance of Annatar. We often wondered what became of them. It should not be surprising to find Sauron kept them, though for what reason I cannot now say.”

Celeborn nodded. “They do indeed look familiar. I was there when he first arrived in Ost-in-Edhil. He beguiled the smiths with kind words and promises he would teach them even greater skill in metalwork. Their pride betrayed them… Celebrimbor’s pride betrayed them, a failing of the line of Fëanor.”

“Sadly true, but you have called to mind where I have seen a dagger such as this one. It reminds me of a similar dagger the former High King often wore… one gifted him by Celebrimbor upon Gil Galad’s assumption of the crown.” Looking over at Oropher, he asked, “Do you know the one of which I speak, meldir? He lost it during the Battle of Dagorlad and it was never recovered, so it is not among his weapons in the Hall of Memories in Imladris.” (friend)

Moving closer to study the dagger, the Sivan elf nodded. “I remember it well. It does bear a striking resemblance to the one Ereinion carried, but his held sapphires around a large diamond in the hilt. He wore it often as his sidearm at state occasions.”

“Indeed that is the one I was recalling.” Falling silent for a moment, Elrond finally spoke. “Seere, Erestor, perhaps you could look though the libraries at Minas Tirith to see if there was a copy of a letter Celebrimbor sent to the High King that included an inventory of the items they were foolishly duped into making for Sauron. I know we have one in Imladris, but I believe Ereinion gave one to Elendil as a show of good faith. I would like to compare that inventory with what is in the chest.”

“I will see to that as soon as we reach the City,” Erestor replied. “If I cannot find it quickly, I will send a request to Elladan that a copy be despatched immediately in our weekly packet. I can tell him where it is archived in the main library. One of my scribes should have no problem making a copy overnight and sending it with the caravan when they leave the next day. You are right to remember there were rings and amulets on the list.”

Thalion looked back and forth between the elves, a look of shock and dismay on his face. “Are you suggesting these are tied to the creation of the One Ring? That these were earlier efforts that failed for some reason?”

Reaching out to clasp his shoulder, Elrond caught is gaze. “Indeed that is a possibility. Though he had no way of knowing it, leaving this trunk and crates to gather dust in your dungeons may have kept them from Lhach’s hands. Faramir may well have done us quite a favour and once again helped protect the safety of Middle-earth.”

A soft, “Ai!” preceded Lindir’s dash across the room. Shuffling through the stack of journals they had been reading while the trunk and crates were recovered from the dungeons, he quickly found the one he wanted. Flipping quickly through the pages, he stopped mid way through the volume and began to read, a gasp of surprise his only outward reaction.

After a minute, he looked up to find that the others in the room were watching him, curious about his behaviour. Meeting the king’s silver gaze, he walked to his side and handed him the journal. “I had just gotten to this passage when you returned with the trunk, my king,” he explained. “I think it may aid this discussion, but… You will want to read this, sire.”

Puzzled, Elrond accepted the journal from Lindir and began to read. His soft gasp of surprise echoed the minstrel’s earlier one.

“What is it, Elrond… Lindir?” Celeborn demanded.

Looking up briefly to share a look of amazement with his attendant, Elrond began to read…

-----

FO 82, 9 May … Received a report from Forlong, the commander of the garrison at Minas Ithil, regarding a visit from the son of Gandalf. It seems he wanted to know what had been done with the contents of the former Minas Morgul. He claimed to be compiling a report for the King on the disposition of records and artefacts associated with the Dark Lord Sauron so that the King could be sure it was all recovered and properly destroyed. Unable to answer his questions, Forlong sent him to see me here in Henneth Annûn.

He arrived earlier today. I must admit to being extremely uncomfortable in the company of my visitor. This surprised me for I expected him to be of a kind with his father. I knew Gandalf rather well as he was one of my tutors for a time in my youth and a friend once I reached my majority. My friendship and regard for his council was one of the reasons my father never trusted me, but I now know it was far more than that that divided us… but, as for Gandalf, he saved my life and I held him in the highest regard. I have missed his wry wit and insight since he sailed.

His son, however, was a different matter. He left me feeling uneasy, for I sensed he was hiding much from me, indeed, was lying. As Steward, I knew the King had commissioned no such report, but chose not to reveal this knowledge, hoping to discover his true motives upon further discussion. Sadly, both of us left our meeting without achieving our goals.

I may be mistaken, but I am convinced he attempted to place a spell on me to gain control of my thoughts. He wore a strange amulet around his neck and repeatedly toyed with it, as if to make it catch the light. I had read of such magic and make sure to keep my eyes averted from its lure. And it did seek to lure me; I felt its pull. It left a strange, sickly feeling in the pit of my stomach, yet I felt I was missing something important by ignoring its call. This feeling seemed to urge me to look into the amulet, whispering to my heart and dulling my senses.

Still, I managed to resist its call and my visitor who called himself Lhach Half-elven became obviously frustrated by my success in evading his charm. Sensing his growing anger, I decided to end the meeting by telling him I had personally seen to the destruction of the contents of Minas Morgul, all the weapons melted down and discarded, all documents were burned, and all artefacts or statutes crushed, their pieces scattered to the wind. I assured him this had been done many years earlier. He was not pleased with this information, but attempted to look satisfied with this news.

He next asked if I had prepared an inventory of the items I had destroyed. I replied that I had, that it had been given to the King and that he had burned it once he had read it. No copies were kept. He left soon after, with false thanks. I sent immediate word for Furlong at Minas Ithil to bar him any entry and to be aware of his amulet’s magic.

I am glad those foul objects were carefully packed and sent to Minas Tirith long ago. I want no chance of his getting his hands upon them, though I have no firm reason why I am resolved of this. Tis but an uneasy feeling, but as my dear Éowyn oft told me, my instincts are usually sound and should be heeded. How I miss her, but my days in Middle-earth will run their course in the coming years and I will join her. It is well, for I am ready.

FO 82, 18 June --- The son of Gandalf has twice been caught attempting to enter Minas Ithil, but was stopped both times. He managed to convince the guards that found him the first time to let him go, telling them the King had asked him to test the fortress’s defences for weakness and promised to specifically commend the guards for their diligence.

Once again he played upon the love and respect our people hold for his father. This disturbs me greatly for it could well gain him entry to all manner of places he has no business being. I must discuss this with the King.

Yesterday, he made a second attempt to enter the fortress by casting a spell to confuse the guards. As luck would have it, Furlong arrived in time to see what was happening and, armed with my warning about his magic, managed to get his staff away from him before he could complete the spell. The staff was confiscated and Lhach was taken under guard to Minas Tirith to be judged by the King.

I will make a point of being there for I fear this wizard may be up to no good. I admit to being worried by his actions and his persistent attempts to enter Minas Ithil. Perhaps, the King can force an answer from him for his behaviour.

FO 82, 30 June --- I am most concerned. My advancing years slow me and I arrived too late to prevent the release of the prisoner Lhach Half-elven. He pled his innocence to the King and, given his great affection for Gandalf, the King released him with a word of caution not to venture near to Minas Ithil again.

The King confirmed my story that all the contents of Minas Morgul had been destroyed at his order. The King and I had long ago resolved to keep secret the wealth of materials we received after the war for safekeeping, for fear it might tempt a weak spirit to evil. Perhaps this will end his interest in attempting to enter where he has no legitimate business being.

I spoke with the King at length upon my arrival and related my experience with the Half-elven during his visit to my home. I could clearly see the King was made uneasy by my report, but the Wizard had already slipped from the City before I arrived. The King has, discretely of course so as not to tarnish the reputation of our great friend Gandalf, given orders for the Half-elven to be watched closely and barred entry to any sensitive place.

I only wish I had some clue as to his intent. He has repeatedly shown himself willing to trade on his father’s good name and to be lacking in honour by his recent conduct. My instincts tell me he is up to something that may yet imperil our people. I sense great anger, coupled with great intellect in his nature. My only consolation is he does not seem as powerful as his sire. I could ever feel the power of Gandalf’s magic, but his son is far less gifted. I cannot help but think this is a good thing.

His anger taints the very air with malice. Life has taught me an angry man is often a dangerous man. How much more true is this adage for one with the gift of magic and a keen intellect? I fear time alone shall answer this question if I do not find my own answers quickly, but how?

Perhaps if I knew the cause of his anger, I could make some sense of his behaviour, but where would I go for such answers? I could write to Lord Erestor in Imladris. He has been ever cordial in his dealings with me and I greatly respect his council. Then too, I could write to one of the twin brothers of the Queen. Ah, the Queen! I will talk with Arwen on my next visit to Minas Tirith. She may know this Lhach Half-elven’s history and can perhaps help me make sense of his behaviour.

Perhaps it is also wise to send a note to the librarians in Minas Tirith to see if he has stumbled over our cache of documents there. I will say nothing for now, save to simply ask if he has been seen in the Archives since the War. Tis best for the moment to keep this matter close and only discuss my fears with the King and Queen. At least we are aware of his behaviour and Elessar has taken steps to have him watched while I try to investigate this matter.

How I wish my wife were here! I miss her and her wise council. I have felt so very alone since her passing. She was my other half and I find I am no longer able to face these challenges with the passion I once had. I lost much of my fire and drive when she passed from my life. Some days I live for the time when I can put my duties aside and rejoin her beyond the Veil between the worlds.

FO 82, July 10 --- Such distressing news has come to me today. The Half-elven has been allowed free and unfettered access to the Archives for many years now! He used his father’s name and was welcomed in with open arms by those fools in the libraries. What were they thinking?? They were told repeatedly by the King that none but those he approved could enter the Archives, much less have free access to read and… Ai! His amulet! Tis possible he beguiled them with his magic!

Is there reason to doubt he may have made free with what he found there and perhaps removed material for his own use? And what use might that be? I grow more certain each day that he has some evil intent. Tis ironic that it was his father that helped me develop a great skill in reading the hearts of others. I have no doubts that his son’s heart is corrupt and black. I also have no doubts he was looking for something among the items we found at Minas Morgul, but what… and has he now found it?

There is no help for it. I must go to Minas Tirith tomorrow and see to this myself. The King will give me leave to interrogate the librarians to see what more they can tell us. We may need to consider having some sort of inventory of the documents made to see if anything is missing, but I hold little hope we would be able to determine this with any certainty. The amount of material from Orthanc alone is more than those few assigned to the task could have catalogued, much less the vast amount of material from elsewhere.

I must make a point to find the crates I sent to Minas Tirith… a trunk too I recall, and assure myself the wax seals have not been broken on their locks. I set those seals myself before I left their transport to the garrison commander. Ai! I had forgotten until now that I did not personally oversee their transport. I was called away by news Éowyn was in labour with our second child!

How disquieting that such a happy event should be tied to so a nasty business as the collection of those evil objects! I can only hope the Half-elven did not find them during one of his visits to the archives. Indeed, I must assure myself of this. I find it a hopeful sign that it is not likely he did or he would have no reason for his attempts to seek them at Minas Ithil.

If I can find some proof of wrongdoing on his part beyond what has already been judged, the King would act quickly to have him detained while we investigate further. I would sleep better knowing he is in our custody rather than freely operating beyond our sight. His magic and his cover as the son of Gandalf make him a danger/

Yes, I will leave for Minas Tirith in the morn. I will speak to the Queen immediately upon my arrival. As Gandalf was a frequent visitor to Imladris to meet with her father, she likely knows much about him. After that, I may still write to Lord Erestor, if the King has no objection. He was privy to much during his many years with Lord Elrond and he still knows more of what is happening in Middle-earth than any other I know. I would love to know his sources! Tis a good thing he is on our side… but I digress.

I will leave as early in the day as I can escape from my weekly meeting with my council. There is nothing on the agenda of great urgency and I feel the matter of Lhach Half-elven needs immediate attention. The more we know, the better I will feel… and quickly!

-----

Silence fell over the room as Elrond finished reading the passages from Faramir’s journal. Seere broke the silence. “I wonder what came of his talk with Arwen? She was close friends with my mother and would have known of the estrangement between my uncle and the rest of our family.”

Shaking his head, Elrond flipped through the rest of the journal. “I cannot answer that from this journal, for there are no more entries.”

Seeing the frown on Thalion’s face, Celeborn asked, “What troubles you, ion? You seem quite bothered by something.” (son)

Rising without answering, the prince walked to a bookcase on the opposite end of the room. After a moment’s search, he pulled a book from the shelves. Moving back to the table, he leaned against the edge and began to read. Some minutes late, he muttered, “I remembered correctly.”

Puzzled, Elrond rose and walked over to place a hand on his descendant’s tense shoulder. “What have you found, Thalion?”

Angry eyes lifted to meet the peredhel’s. “I have found the answer to an old family mystery involving Prince Faramir. You may not know this, but he was found dead, sprawled on the floor of his library in Henneth Annûn. The circumstances of his death were baffling. While he was indeed an old man, 120 years old to be exact, he had been in good health and his mind was clear as you can see from his writing. He was of the line of men from Númenor, thus gifted a longer life span than most, including his wife. His death was unexpected and unexplained.”

Celeborn and Erestor traded a confused look, before the Lord of Lorien spoke. “Ion, I recall hearing of the Prince’s death, but no hint was given there was anything out of the ordinary about it. What did the King do?” (Son)

“The King came at once upon hearing the news, distressed by the sudden death of his friend and confidant… a trusted advisor.” Eyes still locked with those of his distant grandfather, he continued. “The King apparently found no signs of poison or obvious physical trauma to support a pronouncement of murder, but he was likewise unable to find a natural cause of death. He told Elboron, Faramir’s son who was married to the King’s oldest daughter*, that he felt a lingering evil in the room… anger and the remnants of magic when he had first entered.”

When he fell silent, Elrond prompted, “What did you find in this book that now makes you so angry, ion?” (son)

Taking a deep breath to steady his voice, Thalion answered. “In the days after his death, several people reported seeing a cloaked stranger going into the library in the hours before his body was found. The witnesses all stated that the stranger seen slipping into the library had vivid red hair, for his hood failed to hide it completely. Faramir died on July 11, FO 82, the morning after he wrote that last entry. He never got a chance to talk to Queen Arwen or further investigate the breach of security in the Archives of Minas Tirith. I now believe I have an answer to this ancient mystery; this Lhach murdered him before he could expose his plans.”

----

A/N --- Faramir’s murder is entirely my invention. Sorry, I love the character too, but he had to have died in some manner long before the time of this tale. At least I made his death heroic because he had seen through Lhach’s façade and knew he was dangerous. He was still a worthy and noble adversary of evil-doers to the end.

I wrote the journals to read as if they were his private thoughts, written for his own record rather than an official document of state. I wanted to include some personal references and allow him to freely record his thoughts rather than stick to the bare facts as he would have needed to do in an official report.

A/N --- To keep the family tree of the early Fourth Age royals straight, here is a quick review of what we know from canon. Tolkien wrote that Arwen and Aragorn had one son (Eldarion) and several unnamed daughters (six I think). A reference in HOME – PME mentions a son of Faramir and Éowyn (Elboron). They are also given a grandson (Barahir), who wrote “The Tales of Arwen and Aragorn”, an appendix in The Lord of the Rings. Beyond that, nothing is given. Whether Barahir is Elboron’s son is not clear, but I have decided to use that interpretation for this story.

In this story, I matched Elboron with Arwen and Aragorn’s oldest ‘unnamed’ daughter and added a daughter for Faramir and Éowyn. She married Eldarion in this tale. Therefore, Arinzil and her children are also descendents of the Prince and Princess of Ithilien through their daughter and Thalion and his family are descendants of Arwen and Estel through their daughter’s marriage to Elderion. I should add, one of Aranuir’s daughters is married to the heir of the throne of Rohan, making their children descendents of both couples… and, therefore, Elrond, Celebrian and their ancestors. Hope that helps keep things straight! WEG!