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Olwe wrapped his hands around the steaming mug and slowly slipped the broth. His seablue eyes gazed about the walls, hewn from the living rock itself, upon the fireplace before him, the logs crackling and splitting as they are devoured by the flames. Mesmerized, he gazed deeper into the fire, and it seemed that he could see into the dancing firelight a greater fire, his nostrils stinging from the acrid smelling of buring flesh and wood. He was struck deaf by the cries of pain, of suffering, of dying, the clash of steel, a mingle of languages assailing him...and though he cannot understand them all, he knew well the sound of those laying down their lives in battle.
A hand settled upon his shoulder, and Olwe leapt up from his chair, throwing off the blanket a kind elf maid had rested upon his shoulders when she brought the broth, fruit and cheese to him. The cup of broth fell and crashed as it hit the ground, Olwe reaching for his mighty two handed sword, forgetting that upon Manwe's mount, no living being takes up steel, save by the will of Valar. The same hand stretched out to him and a voice, made gentle by the passing of centuries, made soothing by hurts and joys immeasurable, speaks.
"Peace, Olwe, peace, brother. What you saw within the flames are shapes of what may be...nothing more."
Olwe, eyes widened, beholding before him the highest of all the elven eldar kings. Speecheless, he stared, frozen for a few seconds. Then, his face flushing, he went on bended knee, head bowed. "Hail, Ingwe, High King, Lord of the Vanyar, Beloved of the Valar." His eyes flickered over to the broken crockery.
With a laugh refreshing as a summer rain, the HIgh King bent down and grabbed Olwe's forearms, raising him and looking into the Teleri King's flushed face. "Hail Olwe, King of the Teleri, kinsman I name you, for you, too, were at the Waters of Cuivienen."
Olwe looked into the Great Vanyar King's eyes and saw a warm welcome. He bowed his head. "Thank you, My Lord, for the warm welcome you and yours have given me."
Ingwe nodded and gestured for Olwe to retake his seat as he took the chair next to Olwe. "I am afraid we cannot offer you more, gentle Olwe, than this brief respite before you are, again, on your journey. " Here, he looked into the fire and fell silent a moment before continuing. "The Valar have met long in council, and your visions have been but part of a larger mirror into a future that has become murky."
Olwe nodded, his eyes intent upon the High King's face, but nothing in that placid visage gave away any hint of Ingwe's true feelings. Ingwe's hand moved to rest upon a large bound tome. "In this book is the accounting of our people, my cousin. The Sindar, the Noldor, even my own people, the Vanyar." He tapped a finger upon the cover. "Now, new pages shall be written in the history of the elves.' He slowly swiveled his head and leveled his gaze upon the Teleri King. "Now it is time for the tale of the Teleri, the story of their king."
"But I..."started Olwe. But the High King continued. "Even here, the joyous songs of the Teleri carried upon the Winds. They filled our nights and our days with laughter and happiness and hope. Now, instead is heard a dreadful silence, and long have we wept for the ceasing of the music of the Teleri."
Olwe tried to hold his gaze with the High King, but at those words, his eyes swam with tears. "You are stronger than you know, Olwe of Alqualonde, Olwe of Tol Eressea. You who ever pushed onward, leading your people to the promised home, your eyes ever fixed upon the shores of the undying land. Steadfast you are, and determined. It is the will of Eru that you rise now, to the challenge that awaits. It is time now, Olwe, for you to begin to gather our kin in Middle Earth, all the elven kin and clans, and guard against the darkness that is to come."
"My Lord King, "Olwe answered slowly. "I am but..."
"You," interrupted Ingwe sharply, "are Olwe and Teleri, and now a new song shall be sung." The High King rose smoothly to his feet, and Olwe rose as well. "One of Manwe's own eagles awaits to take you back to the Haven of the Swans." Ingwe then turned and briefly embraced the Teleri Lord. "Remember, Olwe, Shadows cannot truly destroy who we are...unless we allow them to fall across our hearts."
Then he released the Teleri Lord and, with a brotherly arm around Olwe's shoulder, walked him through the stone passages, out to a courtyard where awaited a giant eagle. Olwe bowed once more to the High King, and as he rose, the Great King of all the Elves took from his belt a sealed letter and pressed into Olwe's hands. "You are loved, more than you know, " he said gently. "I was bidden to give you this by one whose heart holds you close."
Olwe look from the letter to the Great King. "Thank you," he whispered, and pushed it inside his jerkin against his chest. After mounting the eagle, he had time to give one last wave at the Lord of all the Elves before the bird launched into the air, homebound for Alqualonde.
> Next Olwë > Next Alqualondë > Next Ingwë
Olwe wrapped his hands around the steaming mug and slowly slipped the broth. His seablue eyes gazed about the walls, hewn from the living rock itself, upon the fireplace before him, the logs crackling and splitting as they are devoured by the flames. Mesmerized, he gazed deeper into the fire, and it seemed that he could see into the dancing firelight a greater fire, his nostrils stinging from the acrid smelling of buring flesh and wood. He was struck deaf by the cries of pain, of suffering, of dying, the clash of steel, a mingle of languages assailing him...and though he cannot understand them all, he knew well the sound of those laying down their lives in battle.
A hand settled upon his shoulder, and Olwe leapt up from his chair, throwing off the blanket a kind elf maid had rested upon his shoulders when she brought the broth, fruit and cheese to him. The cup of broth fell and crashed as it hit the ground, Olwe reaching for his mighty two handed sword, forgetting that upon Manwe's mount, no living being takes up steel, save by the will of Valar. The same hand stretched out to him and a voice, made gentle by the passing of centuries, made soothing by hurts and joys immeasurable, speaks.
"Peace, Olwe, peace, brother. What you saw within the flames are shapes of what may be...nothing more."
Olwe, eyes widened, beholding before him the highest of all the elven eldar kings. Speecheless, he stared, frozen for a few seconds. Then, his face flushing, he went on bended knee, head bowed. "Hail, Ingwe, High King, Lord of the Vanyar, Beloved of the Valar." His eyes flickered over to the broken crockery.
With a laugh refreshing as a summer rain, the HIgh King bent down and grabbed Olwe's forearms, raising him and looking into the Teleri King's flushed face. "Hail Olwe, King of the Teleri, kinsman I name you, for you, too, were at the Waters of Cuivienen."
Olwe looked into the Great Vanyar King's eyes and saw a warm welcome. He bowed his head. "Thank you, My Lord, for the warm welcome you and yours have given me."
Ingwe nodded and gestured for Olwe to retake his seat as he took the chair next to Olwe. "I am afraid we cannot offer you more, gentle Olwe, than this brief respite before you are, again, on your journey. " Here, he looked into the fire and fell silent a moment before continuing. "The Valar have met long in council, and your visions have been but part of a larger mirror into a future that has become murky."
Olwe nodded, his eyes intent upon the High King's face, but nothing in that placid visage gave away any hint of Ingwe's true feelings. Ingwe's hand moved to rest upon a large bound tome. "In this book is the accounting of our people, my cousin. The Sindar, the Noldor, even my own people, the Vanyar." He tapped a finger upon the cover. "Now, new pages shall be written in the history of the elves.' He slowly swiveled his head and leveled his gaze upon the Teleri King. "Now it is time for the tale of the Teleri, the story of their king."
"But I..."started Olwe. But the High King continued. "Even here, the joyous songs of the Teleri carried upon the Winds. They filled our nights and our days with laughter and happiness and hope. Now, instead is heard a dreadful silence, and long have we wept for the ceasing of the music of the Teleri."
Olwe tried to hold his gaze with the High King, but at those words, his eyes swam with tears. "You are stronger than you know, Olwe of Alqualonde, Olwe of Tol Eressea. You who ever pushed onward, leading your people to the promised home, your eyes ever fixed upon the shores of the undying land. Steadfast you are, and determined. It is the will of Eru that you rise now, to the challenge that awaits. It is time now, Olwe, for you to begin to gather our kin in Middle Earth, all the elven kin and clans, and guard against the darkness that is to come."
"My Lord King, "Olwe answered slowly. "I am but..."
"You," interrupted Ingwe sharply, "are Olwe and Teleri, and now a new song shall be sung." The High King rose smoothly to his feet, and Olwe rose as well. "One of Manwe's own eagles awaits to take you back to the Haven of the Swans." Ingwe then turned and briefly embraced the Teleri Lord. "Remember, Olwe, Shadows cannot truly destroy who we are...unless we allow them to fall across our hearts."
Then he released the Teleri Lord and, with a brotherly arm around Olwe's shoulder, walked him through the stone passages, out to a courtyard where awaited a giant eagle. Olwe bowed once more to the High King, and as he rose, the Great King of all the Elves took from his belt a sealed letter and pressed into Olwe's hands. "You are loved, more than you know, " he said gently. "I was bidden to give you this by one whose heart holds you close."
Olwe look from the letter to the Great King. "Thank you," he whispered, and pushed it inside his jerkin against his chest. After mounting the eagle, he had time to give one last wave at the Lord of all the Elves before the bird launched into the air, homebound for Alqualonde.
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