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.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


The Forgotten Ring
by Sienna Dawn


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Chapter 8 - In the Hall of Eadril

First day of Firth, late Autumn - Year I. 1754

Haldir was extremely worried and very perplexed. But no one studying him could have seen the turmoil in his heart. On the surface he appeared calm and in control. His intelligent and intense blue eyes missing nothing of what transpired before him. His breathing even and calm.

A brown-clad elf approached Haldir, one he recognized as being a leading member of Eadril's ruling council. The tall elf bowed and spoke, "Blessings of Elbereth upon you, Haldir of Thalion Tirion." The elf bowed politely. Haldir bowed deeply as a sign of respect for the elder elf and his rank.

"Thank you, my lord." He raised his eyes to the older elf. "Will I be able to seek counsel with the King today?" His voice was soft and anxious.

The elder elf smiled, "Yes, within the noon hour. Will this be acceptable?"

Haldir nodded, it would have to be. "Yes, it will be." He bowed again and the elder elf moved away to speak to a group of elves who seemed by their manner of dress to be from the northern realms of the Ered Hallas.

Haldir returned to his position by the window, waiting to be summoned. From his vantage point he could see the southerm gates of the city and the main avenues that led from these to the heart of Avonea. As his eyes traveled over the wide streets and avenues, far above he heard the cries of the Eagles as they and their Ryders returned from sentry duties. His eyes raised and he saw them, soaring over the skies of Avonea. He frowned. Now here was another mystery: the mighty eagles, descended from the line of Thorondor and Gwaihir, had survived the reforming of Middle Earth without change.They were still the mighty creatures of old, who had been friend to the Istari Mithrandir, led the Hobbits Frodo and Sam out of Mordor and ally to the House of Fingolfin. Intelligent, astute and loyal. Stalwart enemies of shadow and evil. His eyes followed one golden eagle as it soared and dipped, circling in the standard landing formation. Perhaps, he reflected, they had been spared by the hand of Illuvatar because they were the emissaries of Manwe, and in more ways than one, their presence in the former Middle Earth had been pivotal in many of the events leading up to the War against Sauron. In any case, the intelligent birds, friend of Elves for thousands of years, had become an invaluable ally in the new Middle Earth. Although their ancestral home, Crissaegrim, no longer remained, the Eagles had built their great eyries south of the Ered Hallas and from there watched most of Middle Earth. Now, in these days and partially thanks to his continued pressure on Eadril, the Eagles and their elven riders, who were given the title "Ryders", protected the realm from several locations. These elves were specially chosen and trained together with the eagle to become as one fighting unit. Riding atop the strong shoulders of the giant bird, the Ryder was taught to shoot with precision and scout without being seen. There was no place on Thalion Tirion that was not under the watchful eye of the Eagles and their Ryders. The most important and sensitive missions were usually conducted by them and their ability to cover vast distances at great speed had proven to be one of their greatest assets. For without the Eagles, he knew they would not be able to patrol the immense realm that was Thalion Tirion, most likely resulting in the isolation of the more distant parts of the kingdom. He watched the Eagle finally descend and disappear behind the city square, where he knew their eyries on Avonea were. The Eagles were a blessing. A true gift of the Valar.

Haldir turned around and frowned. This was taking longer than usual. He crossed his arms and leaned against the window frame, letting his eyes sweep over the assembled crowd.

Anyone caring to study the Lord Commander of the Elven Armies of Thalion Tirion would have seen a taller than average ewithwith broad shoulders and well muscled arms and thighs from years of training and exercise. His stance was erect and regal, words commonly used to describe Haldir. His was not an overpowering physical presence, but his personal power and magnetism were undeniable. His blonde hair, which now reached close to his waist, was usually bound at the sides in three thin braids. These were usually pulled and gathered at the back of his head while the rest of his hair was allowed to fall free past his shoulders and back. Although the elven men of Thalion Tirion wore their long hair loose, free from braiding of any sort, it was Haldir's tradition to honor the ancient ways of his elven ancestors.

His face was a study in contrasts. Smooth and unblemished skin with a high and noble forehead. His nose straight and narrow, while his blonde eyebrows arched away from intense blue eyes. Eyes that seemed able to read the thoughts of others. His lips were full and generous, but often set in a firm line,. Still, they were lips that could smile in pure delight. Yet, Haldir rarely smiled these days. If he was aware of how his smile transformed his face from that of a high-minded and serious elf Commander to that of a young and boyish elf lord, he certainly would not have believed it.

But if there was one thing that the elves of Thalion Tirion, and indeed of anyone who knew him well, would cite as the most unique characteristic about the Lord Commander of the Elven Armies, it would not have been his looks, his eyes, his commanding presence nor even his startling musical voice.

It would have been his aura.

Like a gentle, warm glow, Haldir's lifeforce pulsed with a great silver light. Although all elves possessed this life force, somehow in the remaking of Middle Earth, some elves who had lived before the great change and returned to Middle Earth, seemed to possess a brighter life force than any seen before. This was also true of Lord Elrond and his son Elrohir, although it was not apparent in Haldir's brothers. It was the same brilliant light the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn had been known to possess. It was this great light, which flared to a blinding brilliance, that set Haldir far apart from the majority of the elves of Middle Earth. Few now remembered, except for some elves like Elrond, that this brilliance had marked a special grace given to some, for it was not unlike the Blessed Light of Valinor. Whether this was a passing gift from Illuvatar or the Valar when Haldir was released from the normally implacable Mandos was not known. What was certainly known and whispered amongst elven children is that when the mighty Lord Commander was greatly angered, the bright life force that normally hugged his body in a gentle glittering band of silver light, suddenly flared to a great luminosity.

Although he was aware of this, Haldir rarely paid attention to his looks, instead making certain his regulation tunic, leggings and boots were maintained within the strict dress code imposed upon all elven soldiers. What he looked like, except to make certain he looked and smelled clean, and was within regulation code, was all that mattered to him. Not once did he act upon the covert looks and implied suggestions offered to him by both mortal and immortal females. And not to say he never looked back. He was very aware of the impact he made on women, but it was their da det determination to bed him that made him nervous. Although he had known females and had passing relationships with a few, he had decided that love and all that went with it was not a thing he wished to experience, at least not as the Commander of the Armies of Thalion Tirion. Love would prove to be a distraction, and if what he suspected was indeed true, then this was a distraction that could prove fatal to him. Love, for now, he reasoned, must wait. But then again, he reflected sadly and honestly, perhaps his time for love had passed. He knew he was different from the rest of the elves of Thalion Tirion and he knew that most feared him, even while he was respected and well liked. He often wondered how he could breach this gulf that threatened to stretch wider between him and his fellow elves. After 543 years of living amongst these elves, he had yet to learn how to feel as one with them. And, he reflected, it was not that he did not try to fit in, it was more like they preferred to keep him separate and different, somehow as if this made him better or less real in their eyes. This thought often confused him as he refused to follow it to its logical conclusion. He was an elf and a soldier, no more, no less. That he had few friends, this much was true. That he would ever find he was truly accepted here was still too soon to tell and that love might come to his life one day was completely out of the question.

He shook his head and walked toward another window in the great hall. Love? Where did this come from? He was here to see Eadril on a matter of very great urgency. How had the issue of love entered his mind? He sighed silently. He needed some rest. He hoped that this night he would be able to sleep without dreams.

Back to pondering the issue that brought him to seek counsel with Eadril, he was adrift with uncertainty. What had his brothers told him when he was found outside Thalion Tirion? That no shadow had taken hold of the new Middle Earth. Even as he explained about Oomberfoot, the limping Orch that had been returned to Middle Earth with him, even then, his brothers said that it would be the last of its kind and most likely die within the first winter snow. Haldir remembered that even Lord Elrond, well versed in the ways of Shadow and Yrch, had also agreed with his brothers. Everyone, except Haldir, believed the lone Orch would soon die or be hunted to its death by the maudering bands of Men. His golden eyebrows furrowed in thought. Unlike his brothers and Elrond, Haldir did not believe that Oomberfoot had succumbed. Soon after their return to Middle Earth the Orch had abandoned him. And a lucky thing it had been for the Orch, since Haldir was found a few hours later by a small elven party from the city of Alasse Imladris. But what persisted in Haldir's mind for these past 543 years was the nagging question that no one seemed able to answer for him: why had Illuvatar allowed an Orch back to the new Middle Earth? Was the creature not one of Sauron's creation? The endless questions kept him awake almost every night until his mind surrendered to troubled dreams of blinding light, green mists and a dark shadow. He knew these were dreams with meanings, but what that may be he was at a loss to explain. And now, with the evidence of an Orch-like creature found inside Thalion Tirion, the time for complacency was at an end. His spirit told him something was at hand and that something was called Oomberfoot.

Now, as he gazed out at the streets of Avonea, the capital of Thalion Tirion, he wondered just how much his brothers had decided to ignore and how much was slowly becoming a certain danger?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

[To be continued...]