Is a "sword" a euphuism? (BL)

I was ashamed to say that Archer's preparations for being in close quarters with Curumo were both better than my own and also covered us both.

To no great surprise, his solution took the form of a sword. Two of them to exact. One for each of us. 

It helped that the Eldar protocol for gatherings of this nature didn't include disarming.

What he did was to use his newly developed spell to overlay both of our swords, Larmo and Niquis with a copy of the same Noble Phantasm of the Servant whose origin was monk-poet Hanshan - Chandrahaasa: The sword of Bodhisattva Manjushri.

It was also known as the Diamond Sword of Discriminating Insight. That sword could cut through ignorance and the entanglements of conceptual views. It could cut away ego and self-created obstacles. It could cut things in two, but it could also cut into one. Or at least that was what Archer told me about it.

Very potent tool against deception. Perhaps a little too potent. For something that was called Diamond Sword of Discriminating Insight, it didn't discriminate.

Chandrahaasa was a two-edged blade. As I cut, I was cut.

It was a bringer of violent enlightenment. The blade of harsh truths. And its wielder was not spared.

As I held it, it cut away all the little lies I told myself, flaying me gently with unwelcome truths. 

I liked my self-deceptions. They helped me function. They also helped me lie, which was more relevant to what was about to happen.

Also, I hated self-reflection.

Upon my head, I wore my new accessory, the circtlet made from iron and mercury.

The newly formed Guardian Spirit was silent for now, still assimilating his differing natures. But even in a sessile state it still dampened foreign influences on my mind. I tested it by hitting myself with Ancalmiquë and it hurt no more than any other strike of a riding crop.

Unfortunately, it didn't help much with Chandrahaasa, because that sword didn't influence, it just revealed.

As they said, three things cannot be hidden, the Sun, the Moon, and the truth. 

After we finished talking to hobbits, Archer and I joined others in a small garden behind Elrond's House. We were not the first to arrive, but neither were we the last. I could see Elrond and Glorfindel talking with a tall human of Numenor stock wearing typical ranger equipment. I didn't know him, but he seemed strangely familiar. Arwen was here too; I didn't know that she would take part. She was talking to a dwarf.

There was also another group of Elves, who were sitting together quietly. I knew most of them, if only casually.

Erestor disliked me on principle, and I found him to be very tiresome. For the sake of peace, we avoided each other, and his followers took a cue from him.

And for Gildor Inglorion, though we were distant kin, we met very infrequently and failed to build any notable rapport. I couldn't understand his longing for the West, and he disapproved of my dedication to smith-work.

The word he used was an obsession, but I wouldn't go that far.

I didn't know if it was the sword or just a broader perspective, but I could somewhat understand their point of view. I could even see a path toward reconciliation except I was still planning to lie to everyone here.

Probably the sword was to blame.

All conversation stopped. The wizard had arrived, and the council was about to begin.

If I could use one word to describe the White Wizard, it would be shiny.

He was almost blindingly white, from his clothes to his hair, finishing with his staff. His face was naturally stern. Old but not unpleasant to look at. His robes seemed simple at first glance, but there was a subtle craft of cut and embroidery that rendered them ostentatious for those who had eyes to see them.

When he spoke, his voice was low and melodious, unsuitable for such an old man. So pleasant to listen to that even the voices of Elves seemed crude in comparison. It was easy to be lost in it and miss the actual words he had said.

He was accompanied by two men, one blond and one dark-haired.

Flaxen-haired one was taller than the wizard but shorter than the man with dark hair. His blond hair was done in braids, and he wore expensive-looking clothes, decorated by gems and heraldry I was unfamiliar with. His voice was boisterous, and he smiled often.

Other men's clothes were much simpler, but he wore them with quiet dignity. He had thick dark hair and intense blue eyes. His skin was rough and ruddy, fractured with many lines. His face was stern and not quick to smile or laugh.

The council started with introductions. Much of it was known to me but there was some new information.

I learned that the ranger's name was Halbarad and he was one of the four captains of Rangers of the North. What exactly that rank meant for rangers I didn't know nor was interested in finding out.

The Men who arrived with Saruman, and since the wizard introduced himself by the Weston translation of his name, I would be using that alias from now on, were Gailhen, a scholar from Gondor, and Théodred son of Théoden, prince of Rohan and the Second Marshal of the Riddermark.

Another divergence, from what I remembered he was supposed to be killed by orcs under Saruman's command, not escorting the Wizard here.

But when it came to my turn to induce myself Saruman had something to say, "You are Finculin's last and most gifted student, right?"

Finculin, a name not often spoken in Imladris, especially after he was gone. He was the Elf that took me in after my father left. He taught me both smithing and lore, and it was both his house and smithy that I had inherited after he was gone.

"Last is true, but I can't be certain about most gifted." Mostly because I didn't know any of my teacher's other students. I thought that they were all dead or had gone West.

"False modesty is unbecoming of someone with your gifts. My old friend often spoke of you in his letters, in later years. I had invited him to come and bring you to Isengard, but he declined. Do you still have his old hammer?"

"Yes. I use it often. I made mine and Fano's sword with it, for example."

"Can I examine it?"

"I have no objection. But perhaps it would be better to do so after finishing here. I think that it would be bad manners to draw a sword here and now."

"I meant the hammer."

"You are welcome in my forge any time."

The Dwarf turned out to be not he, but she. Not that anybody but another dwarf could recognize that on sight.

Thondora the daughter of Girna was here representing the dwarven holdings in the Blue Mountains. That was a rare honor. It was not often that a female dwarf left their holdings.

"Now that we all know each other we can begin addressing the matter at hand," Saruman spoke taking command of the meeting, "Hill of the Winds features prominently in much of what we discuss today. So I will begin with a very old tale. Sometime before the awakening of the Firstborn, when most under the guidance of Valar had left for Valinor, a group of Ainur came from beyond Arda, and dwelled for a brief time on Hill of the Winds."

It was obvious that this tale was new to anyone here. Including me. There was nothing in either the books I read in other Worlds or in the holy book I received in this one.

But then the making of Arda was a long and complex process, not helped by having two opposing camps of architects. There was probably much of the record that existed nowhere but in the minds of those who were there. Still, I thought something like that would be recorded. Coming of Tulkas certainly was.

Elrond asked the obvious question," What were their names? And which side were they on?"

"No name they had in any language spoken, for they had come and left before language was first imagined by the Elves. But if I had to approximate their chieftain's name it would be a Traveller." Saruman replied, "And for their allegiance, they openly warred with Utumno, but held an uneasy truce with Valinor. For Traveller and those who followed him would submit to neither Manwe nor Morgoth. On the Hill of Winds, they sang into being a mighty bastion. Deep were its pits and tall were its towers. From its forges emerged the weapons of war seen neither before nor after in Arda. For ten long years, they waged war without rest. Until they left as suddenly as they arrived. Much of what happened during that time remains a mystery, for both sides in that war often used arts to conceal and confuse. Traveler and his cohorts had left Arda, and those who served Morgoth never spoke of it. In the end, little of them remained, for Morgoth scoured any trace he could find from Arda. Trying, and mostly succeeding to scour even memory of them. But the hill itself remained untouched, for reasons unknown to me."

The Wizard paused there for a moment. This explained much. The war as described in all sources did seem overly simple. Just two sides, one good, and one evil. I expected more dissidents from both. Well, there was Ungoliant. But there was something about that Traveller. And I think someone mentioned something similar before. If I could just remember.

"For countless years, Hill of Winds remained untouched, fading from all memory, until the arrival of Man," White Wizard continued his tale. "From the moment of its discovery by Man, it was revered by them. It was the Men who had named it Hill of the Winds. Considered a holy place by the early Edain, it served as the site for Bereg's Watch for the latter days of the First Age. Then, Adan priests observed the motions of the sky and read ever-present and capricious winds, trying to predict the future for the refugees of the First House of mighty Edain. Yet, in time Bereg's Watch fell into disrepair and became a place of dread. Few tales survived from time, mainly those that were taken into Numenor at its founding and survived its fall. Those legends speak of mystical waters that rolled behind hills' rocky surface, of a hidden door to the Deep, and some hinted at darker secrets. Ruins of Beren's Watch would remain until the War of Elves and Sauron."

He then proceeded to tell the tale of how Sauron in the guise of Annatar visited the court of Gil-galad and how he was refused, and he called Elron to give his testimony for what had happened, for he was there. But then he said something interesting, "For a long time I believed that he went directly to Eregion next, but that to my friend Gailhen, I have found otherwise. I would call him to give his testimony next."

Listening to the words of the black-haired man from Gondor after the honeyed speech of the Wizard was like awakening from a pleasant daydream, by braying of a donkey. 

"Lore has always been my passion. After I left my father's estate in Pelargir in the capable hands of my younger brother Melagor I traveled to Minas Tirith." I wouldn't have noticed without that sword, but there was a touch of bitterness in his words when he spoke of his brother. "There I had availed myself to those great libraries. By accident, in records taken from Umbar by one of the Ship Kings, I have found a key and instructions to the secret forge of Sauron. According to the documents, it was a gift to one of his followers during Sauron's time in Numenor. There was a promise of a powerful artifact hidden within. Believing that secrecy was the best shield, I had left Minas Tirith without telling anyone, but it was in vain. On the road, I was captured by a Sorceress from Umbar. It was good fortune that the Lord Saruman company had rescued me."

He was concealing something. I didn't know when. Probably it was something mostly irrelevant, like the Sorceress being particularly beautiful and that he had been attracted to her.

With a brief nod, Saruman dismissed him and then continued to speak, "I have looked over Gailhe's findings, and having visited that location, I am now certain that Sauron had spent some time there before going to Eregion. That was the reason our coming was delayed. Since we failed to capture all of the men from Umbar and especially their leader, I deemed it prudent to examine it as soon as possible, without any unavoidable delay. So we made a brief detour."

"I have been studying the works of the Enemy for a long time. After all, knowledge is power. And if we are to defeat Sauron we must know how had won in the past. With knowledge gained from the Forge of Shadows, which is the name of the secret forge we are talking about, I am finally able to shed some light on a long-standing quandary. Why was Sauron so much more successful in Eregion than in Lindon?"

"I had theories before. There was a difference in both culture and leaders. But that alone was not enough. By questioning survivors of Eregion and those who had been present at the court of the last High King of Noldor at the time, I have found that he had refined his approach after the first failure. While he had approached Gil-galad directly and was refused, he didn't talk to Celebrimbor until he had already gained the full confidence of his nephew Finculin, and Celebrimbor at the time was not the ruler of Eregion."

"But that still seemed insufficient. But there were answers in the forge. The One Ring was not the first tool of domination that the Dark Lord had created. There were others before it. Of much lesser power and abandoned once he had completed his masterpiece. But still potent enough to do much harm."

And then he went to speak of the creation of the Rings of Power. It was a longer tale than I expected it to be. He talked about the smiths of Eregion with a clear longing, their thirst for knowledge with understanding. He was quite detailed in describing Sauron's methods and motives. When he talked about Sauron, there was something like admiration in his words and tone. But then it could be just me hearing what I expected to hear.

"Once he was certain that he achieved all that he could he departed Eregion for Mordor and there in the forges built on Orodruin he made the Master Ring. One that would allow him to corrupt and enslave all others who wore the Rings of Power. He either must have thought that effect would be more subtle, or that Elves were much more attached to their rings. In that he was wrong. So when Elves took off their rings, he knew that what he failed to gain by guile he must take by force. For almost a hundred years he prepared, completing his dreadful fortress, gathering armies, and then when he was ready there was war."

And then he spoke of the War of Elves and Sauron. From time to time he would ask Elrond to speak, but most explanations were given by the White Wizard. Even though Elrond was part of the war, and the Wizards were to arrive in Middle Earth a whole Age later.

"... asked for the surrender of the Rings of Power, claiming that they couldn't be made without his knowledge. And so, they belonged to him…"

"... crossing the Fords of Isen…"

"... but the reinforcements arrived too late. Ost-in-Edhil was in ruins. Celebrimbor was dead, and his tortured body was used as a standard. Sauron claimed all the Rings of Power, save three. It was only the intervention of the Dwarves of Khazad-dum…"

"... Elrond fled north with those survivors he could gather, into a hidden valley that would later be called Imladris. It would have been a doomed endeavor save that Sauron, in the beginning, paid little heed because he suspected that Gil-galad, being the High King of the Ñoldor and thus Celebrimbor's superior, was in possession of all three Elven rings…"

"... occupied the whole of Eriador. There was one event I took little notice of before. Just another pointless act of destruction, like setting fire to the great forests in Enedwaith and Minhiriath. But now it has sinister connotations. Sauron had spent some time on Hill of Winds, utterly destroying what remained of Bereg's Watch…"

"... the arrival of the Numenorian forces changed the situation…"

"... retreating to the Gwathló…"

"..Sauron himself barely survived and he, along with a small bodyguard, were all that was left of his great host…"

"...his forces were crippled, and it would take him more than a thousand years to rebuild. But in the end, he had achieved some of his objectives. The Rings of Power were his. Seeing as the Elves could not be swayed, he divided the rest of them between Men and Dwarves. Of those Men would prove of greater use."

Next, he spoke of the fall of Numenor.

I thought I would get bored with listening to Saruman recite history, especially since I was familiar with most of it, but the Wizard knew how to keep his audience's attention. Not just mine. The blond rider from Rohan also seemed almost enthralled, and he did not seem like someone who had much interest in history. Less of a surprise was Man from Gondor since he was a scholar. Even Elrond seemed interested, and he should know matter better. He had been there after all.

"... bereft of proper guidance, Men of the West had slowly descended into Shadow…"

"...that may have been known to Sauron, for he had given three of the Rings to the Men of Numenor…"

"... demand Sauron's fealty…"

"... in the land already darkened by greed and fear, he found fertile ground…"

"...introduced the worship of his former master. He also promised whole new worlds made by Melkor to the fateful. That even may not be untrue, for there were such worlds made in long-forgotten past, although they would little joy in them…"

"...Sauron expected the death of a proud king and his army, and was ready to take charge…"

"...sea rose, and he was sunk in his great temple with rest…"

"... and if he had One Ring with him, it would have been lost at sea. That shows an interesting property, that Master of Ring could bear to be separated from it…"

"...but not all perished. The chief of those was Elendil the Tall and his sons, Isildur and Anárion. Kinsmen of the King they were, descendants of Elros, but they had been unwilling to listen to Sauron, and had refused to make war on the Lords of the West…"

"..north realm of Arnor, a south realm of Gondor…"

And there Elron interrupted, "I remember well the splendor of their banners. It reminded me of the glory of the Elder Days and the hosts of Beleriand, so many great princes and captains were assembled. And yet not so many, nor so fair, as when Thangorodrim was broken, and the Elves deemed that evil was ended forever, and it was not so."

"Because evil is not so easy to end. Just defeating the Dark Lord is not enough. Look at what happened to Numenor. It takes a firm hand and an ever-vigilant eye," Sarum countered, "Evil spreads like a weed, and so the garden must be from time to time carefully plucked."

There were some troubling implications in what he said, but I was not sure if I could completely disagree with it. That was trouble listening to someone like Saruman. The more I listened to him, the more I found myself personally liking him. It was not just the voice, although he was using it extensively. Enough that I could intuit the basics of enchantment. Well, knowing how to use hypnosis helped.

"Now if we are finished with interruptions I would like to continue. I know that this is known to some of you, whether because you were there or because you have studied history. But there are those among us to whom this new information, and even for those who are familiar with the material, there is wisdom to be gained from a new perspective."

"Among relics, Eldedil and his followers brought from their lost home isles were seven Palantiri. The Seeing Stones..."

"...needed the special place to place chief Palantir of the North, second greatest of the stones. Elendil chose the hallowed Hill of the Wind and there built a great tower that he named Tower of the Wind to house seeing stone. But years of peace were short…"

"... Sauron received much faster than he should. No doubt the effect of the ring. But not only was he barred from taking that form in which he brought Doom to Numenor again, but it was also that he needed to become dully flesh to affect the material world and thus vulnerable…"

"...he gathered those men he had already corrupted, as well Orcs, Trolls, Wargs and other fell creatures…"

"...he took Minas Ithil, and he destroyed the White Tree of Isildur that grew there..."

"...knowing that they were being overwhelmed Elendil and Gil-galad formed a League that would be known later as the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. That name I find ill-omened, for Sauron rises again and such an alliance would be needed again…"

"... they won a great victory on Dagorlad, the Battle Plain. And then marched to lay siege to Barad-dur…"

"...in the seventh year of siege, Sauron himself joined a sortie. Unwilling to believe that war was lost, he tried one desperate gamble. Rather than try to break the encirclement and flee he charged the commanders…"

"...using the hilt-shard of his father's sword Narsil Isildur cut off the One Ring from Sauron's hand. And to the sorrow of all, he was allowed to keep it." And then he looked at Elrond, in a way that was both disappointed and disapproving.

"I tried," said Elrond. "Both Cirdan and I tried. We counseled him to destroy it, to cast the ring into fires of Orodruin. But he would not listen. There was nothing we could have done."

"Nothing?" Saruman raised his voice, then spoke in a softer tone, yet his words were even more cutting. "So wise is Elrond, the wisest of all Elves, for he knows what to do when Men would not listen to his sage advice. Nothing, and let them reap the full folly of failing to heed his wise words." Elrond rose to speak again, but the Wizard interrupted him, "Enough. Perhaps I was too harsh. But we are not here to argue about past follies but to chart a path forward. Let me end the tale of the ring."

"For two years Isildur remained in Gondor, but he was ambushed by Orcs on the way to Arnor. Three men survived the battle and Isildur was not one of them. And the One Ring was lost in river Anduin. I had thought that the ring had been carried away to the sea, but I suppose that I could have been wrong. If, if the One Ring is truly under the Hill of the Winds."

"Galadriel is certain that it is so," Arwen said, speaking in this meeting for the first time after introducing herself, "She had taken that information, at great cost, from the mind of the Enemy."

"Perhaps she was deceived," Sauron countered, "and perhaps Sauron was deceived. We have no other sightings of the One Ring."

And thus Elrond spoke, "Who could deceive Sauron?"

"Celebrimbor for one, if he still haunts these shores. Who could better make a forgery that could deceive even Ringwraiths? Or maybe Sauron deceived himself. For he yearns for One Ring above all other things. He may have seen it where it was not. But we will talk about that when we get to that point. We still have much ground to cover before that."

"Three Men survived the disaster and one of them brought shards of Narsil to Isildur's heir. A prophecy was made, that it would not be reforged until the One Ring is found and Sauron returns. And so, the shards were given to Elrond's keeping, where they abided to this day. Or have they been lost?"

"The shards remain here, safe." Elrond said, "But it is time for them to be reforged."

"So certain that the One Ring has been found? Or perhaps you have lost faith in the prophecy you spoke yourself? It would not be the first foretelling that has been overrun." And then he threw a short glance at Glorfindel. It was obvious what he meant. When the Witch-King had been driven out, Glorfindel had made a prophecy that he would not return and that other part. "No matter. I offer my skills to the task. That weapon would be of great use in times to come. Rin you have already offered me the use of your forge, will you assist me in this task as well?"

Not exactly what I meant when I said that he would be welcome to visit, but there was no way to politely refuse. And I didn't want to. There was much to learn observing such skilled hands at work, "It would be my honor. "

Also, I had an unwise idea. In the book, one of the reasons Saruman fell was that he felt that there was no hope of winning against the mind of the Enemy. At least that was what he said, in the book.

So if I could give him some hope. Ideas for potent weapons against the Enemy.

But there was too much divergence from the original, so I would need to proceed carefully. And talk to the Archer before committing to anything.

"And who would wield the reforged blade?" Théodred asked. "Gondor has no king. The line of Elendil has ended."

"In the South, not in the North, " the captain of the rangers replied. "There is still an heir to Isildur."

"Where is he in this dark hour?" Théodred asked again.

This time it was Elrond who replied, "Where he is needed." And would say no more on that matter.

"Let us return to the topic of the Hill of the Winds. The latest of the fortress on it would stand for some time. It began as just a tower to house Palantir, but in time it was expanded. There is little to be said about it in times of peace, except for the fourth Royal Seer, who had made a dubious prophecy riddle and then jumped off the tower. It was the site of many struggles after the sundering of Arnor, but in the end, Cardoland and Arthedain agreed to use the citadel in common. It was the thread of Angmar that brought them to their senses."

"The sundering of Arnor is yet another example of how Kingdoms of Men decay without proper guidance. At the time I was tempted to intervene, but I was advised that it would be outside the remit I was given. If only I had not listened. But I was not the only one who had failed there. The only one who took advantage was Sauron who sent his chief servant nearby."

"I have mentioned the nine Rings of Power which Sauron gave to men. He had promised them great power and eternal life, and he delivered. In a way. Úlairi we now call them. Nazgul. Ringwraiths. Chief of them is the Witch-King of Angmar. He had other names before, but they are all forgotten. Overshadowed by his mightiest deed. The destruction of Arnor."

"Tower of the Winds would be razed long before the destruction of Arnor. Palantir, it hosted would be taken to the capital and later lost at sea."

"But now, at last, we come to the present moment. Two sets of visitors, one before and one after the event."

It was my turn. As Archer and I agreed before I spoke for both of us.

"I had never visited the town of Man before and I was curious. So I went to the closest one, Bree. Fano came with me. Amon Sul, the Hill of the Wind, was on the way. The spot was mostly unplanned. There was something that called to us."

I was wrong about the sword. It didn't prevent me from lying or even make it harder. It just showed reasons I hid from myself why I was doing it. I was afraid. Afraid of rejection. After all, I was not truly Rin the Elf. I have somehow stolen his life. His bonds. I was afraid of losing them all. It also showed me that the more I lied worse it would be if it came out. And while I was being dishonest any bonds I made were tainted by those lies.

There was also a realization that it would have been best if we had been honest from the beginning. If we spoke of what we knew to Elrond we wouldn't be in this situation. We could have availed ourselves of his wisdom, to his active help. The ring would be well on its way. Our lies and secrecy could and probably would cause much harm.

And all I had to risk were bonds that I had. But by lying I was also eroding them.

I really hated this sword. The truth was unsightly, like pushing the beautiful rock, showing squirming worms underneath. 

"We found the entrance to the cavern under the hill and having nothing urgent we explored them. We cleared the caves of various creatures of the enemy, Orcs, Trolls, and even a giant spider. Deep within we found a small building built on the isle on the underground river. There we found an artifact hidden during the last battle. We took it and when we returned to Imladris we gave it to Elrond to pass it to the proper owner."

"Could there be more in those caves?" Saruman asked.

It was Archer who answered, "It could. We didn't explore much more after we were entrusted with the staff."

I just nodded.

"Then is time for my tale," Glorfindel spoke next, "We had received word that all the Nazgul, under the lead of their dread captain, have taken the form of Riders in Black and are traveling to Eregion. I rode forth to bring warnings. Then I saw it. Storm and fire over Amon Sul. I rode as swiftly as I could towards the hill, but by the time I arrived the battle was long done."

"So, you didn't see the battle or those who had fought in it?" Saruman asked.

"No. Just the aftermath. I have found the broken bodies of horses. They seemed to be struck from a distance by a great force. I haven't seen anything like that since the siege of Barad-dur. The air was still stained with the stench of Dark Arts, and what seemed like Elf-work but very strange. There were signs of a second confrontation in ruins on top of the hill. Nazgul retreated. I followed them, but they reached Mountain Gram before I managed to catch them."

"So, you have no evidence of the One Ring?"

"Not then."

"I see. And for the device that was used to kill their horses, you found no trace."

"Nothing except some dust from crushed gems. There was something quite peculiar with them."

The teacher had excellent eyes to manage to find the remaining traces of the jewels I used in that confrontation.

"I see how that could work. Expensive, but perhaps quite compact."

Now I really wanted to pick the Wizard's brain. Because I could not. Not without using magecraft.

"There is nothing more I can tell on this matter," Glorfindel said, "They had not left Mountain Gram as far as we know, although they have been gathering Orcs and other foul beasts to them. But Halbarad would be better to talk about what was happening. Rangers of the North are not as numerous as they were in the past, but they still outnumber scouts I sent by a fair margin."

"Next would be Galadriel's message. The only source we have of the One Ring's whereabouts. The knowledge that she managed to wrest from the very mind of the Enemy."

"You doubt it?" Elrond asked.

"You do not?" Saruman returned, "It is a very thin thread."

"It would explain why his most potent servants are here, so far from the main front," Elrond countered, "And what the Nine were doing in Amon Sul in the first place? The search for the One Ring is one the few reasons that could bring them forth."

"They were not searching for the One Ring," Arwen softly said, "That came as a surprise to them as well."

All eyes turned towards her. That was new information to me, and from what it seemed everyone else as well.

"Grandmother shared her thoughts with me so I could serve as her voice here. She would have come herself, but attacks from Dol Guldur were becoming both more numerous and stronger. When she first sent those messages she could glimpse two words from the mind of the Enemy: The Ring and Celeberimbor. It would take her much time and effort to gain more."

"In time, at great cost, she had learned more. She had learned that Celeberimbor had done the unthinkable, fallen into the dark arts of necromancy, and had taken a mortal host. She had learned that this came as a surprise to the Dark Lord for he had his mightiest servants on a completely different task. They were to search for someone or something. But what she could not find for all of her efforts."

"I see," Saruman said after she stopped talking. "What happened after Nine retreated?"

The next part of the tale held little surprises for me. Those who spoke now were mostly Elrond and Halbarad. They talked first about the sorcerous rime that gripped Eriador.

Then Halbarad began to speak about the incursion into the Shire by the malevolent bat creature. He was the ranger that stopped me from getting to Frodo. I knew that he seemed familiar. I should've recognized him earlier but, in my defense, he looked quite different through the eyes of a bat.

"... brought them here to Rivendell," he was finishing the tale. "Although I still don't know why the young hobbit has been a target."

"Something his uncle brought back from his journey," Elrond said. "Mithrandir had some thoughts about it. But he didn't share them. At least not with me."

"Nor with me," Saruman said. "But my old friend does have some strange fascination with that breed. For his sake, I also tried to keep an eye on them."

"I may know what," I said, taking out a small golden ring. "Frodo came to me just before. He wanted my advice about an item his uncle had gained in a game of riddles from some sort of creature under Misty Mountains."

"Gollum," Elrond interrupted.

"So you know about that creature?" I asked.

"Yes, Bilbo talked about him," Elrond replied.

"Enough about the creature," Saruman said, "What about the ring?"

"That was the item in question. At Mithrandir's advice, Bilbo left the ring after leaving the Shire. But now he encountered it again he began to covet it. That caused a lot of strife between them. Unable to bear it anymore, he came to me for advice."

"Why you?" Saruman asked.

"I suppose it was because of Sam. Sam is his friend or servant or both. I am not quite sure. The ways of hobbits are not that familiar to me. That young hobbit was interested in what he called elf-magic. Someone directed him to me, and I showed him some of my work. One thing led to another, and I told him about Rings of Power and how dangerous even lesser ones could be."

"Since you have it, I can guess what advice you have offered. Unusually direct for an Elf."

"It is just common sense. Even lesser rings, and this is a lesser ring for there is no gem, are dangerous in mortal hands."

"I didn't say I disproved. Sometimes the wise must take responsibility and firmly guide others, for their own good of course," Saruman replied, "I will be taking that ring. For safekeeping."

"As you wish." I gave him the ring. He quickly put it away and then changed the topic back to the season of unnatural cold.

"...culminated with a persistent blizzard, but then it was ended."

"And we still don't know who broke the spell?" Saruman asked.

"No," Elrond replied. "But it was potent working. Unfortunately, by that time High Pass was already lost to us. And considering incursions from Moria we were effectively isolated. The Misty Mountains have been turned into an impassable barrier."

"Orcs. From Khazad-dum? Are you certain?" the female dwarf questioned.

"Yes, my scouts are quite certain in their origin."

"That is grave news. Our kin from Lonely Mountain had mounted an expedition to reclaim Khazad-dum. If the Orcs are swarming from it they are probably lost."

Then the ranger-captain spoke about clashes between his rangers and roving bands of Orcs and other creatures of the enemy. They had managed to kill quite a lot of them, especially small roving bands. Among other things, they had also observed the probing assault on my caves.

"... and the whole hill was covered in thick green smoke. When it dispersed the Orcs were gone. We have kept watch, from a distance, but there has been no further activity."

"Troubling." Saruman said, "That was the last of the relevant testimonies. We now must decide what to do next. Two perils we face here, one is whatever mystery surrounds Weathertop and the other is a potential revival of the dread Kingdom of Angmar. In the end, we must deal with both, but we should deal with one first."

"One is closer and other yet far more perilous," Elrond said, "But we don't have to make that decision just yet. First, we must gather what forces we can. That would take time. Here would be an obvious choice."

"I can offer the axes of our menfolk," Thondora said, "No one wants Angmar as a neighbor."

Next was Gildor, "I will see about gathering Wandering Companies here, and what aid can be brought from Lindon."

"I will gather what I can," Halbarad said, "although I am loath to leave the people of Bree and Shire unprotected."

"They should see to their own protection. And maybe even contribute to our efforts," Saruman countered.

"If they lack weapons and armor, we could provide some," Thondora added.

"They are not people who would seek war," the ranger-captain warily said.

"And yet it has found them nevertheless," Saruman hardly commented, "I will help in rousing them. After all the Bree is near the Hill of Winds. And I would take a look at it."

"If you are busy doing that, should I give the task of reforging Narsil to other smiths?" Elrond asked.

"No need. I will complete that task before I leave. "

The prince of Rohan gave a short contribution.

"I would offer the help of Rohan, but it will be likely that our strength will be needed in Gondor. The Nameless Enemy is attacking in the south too. But still, I will take the news of this to my father, and perhaps, depending on how much strength the Enemy musters to attack Gondor, we may spare some troops."

"It would be helpful if you could keep the road from Rohan to here clear. So, we won't be attacked from the back once we march north," Elrond added.

"I will see what could be done."

There was a little discussion, mostly about logistic details. About gathering supplies, weapons, and other things needed for the campaign. But little of that was of much interest to me.

Later, when we were alone and in a safe place, Archer spoke to me of his concerns. "I know that you wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible, but was it wise to give the ring to Curumo?"

"It was just a matter of time before hobbits talked with someone else. Unless I wanted to be very liberal with memory modifications, soon it would be known that I had received a magic ring from Frodo Baggins. Better to give a ring away at the first opportunity, than to have to answer awkward questions. Besides, it's just a Lesser Ring."

"Are you quite sure? I thought you didn't have time to check."

"I thoroughly tested the ring I gave away."

A small pause. And then he understood. "You switched the rings?"

"I switched the rings. But I must say that I am disappointed in Curumo. He should have tested the ring right away. I suspect that he has ulterior motives." I took the ring Frodo gave me out. "Do you have any burning swords?"

"Several. " He projected one. At glance, I could say that it was not a Noble Phantasm, just a Mystic Code. From the shame and symbols etched on it, I could with some certainty determine that it was using Kabbalah as Foundation. From there it was not hard to intuit that it was verse 3:24 of the Book of Genesis that was the basis for that Mystic Code.

"Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden. He drove out the man; He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life," I recited in Latin. The sword reacted burning brighter, confirming my theory.

"You could have just asked," Archer said. Even if I was not looking at his face, I knew that he was smirking from his tone of voice.

"Interesting," I mused. "Reaction is a bit stronger than I expected. Could that be an influence of the Blessings we received in the previous World?"

"You are getting distracted again. Remember the ring we need to test. Potentially very dangerous ring."

"Yes. Of course." I covered my right hand, one in which I held the ring, with my slime familiar, and readied myself to plunge it in the fire. I hesitated for a moment. There was something about that ring. But it wasn't as this fire could damage it, and if it could it would just prove that it was not worthy.

I held it in the fire for a minute or two and then took it out. The bright fiery letters removed any doubt and clearly spelled my doom. The course was set.

Yet, with the destruction of the One Ring, many other beautiful things will disappear. The world would become less wondrous, less magical.

And what of the ring's maker? Sauron would be reduced to a bodiless spirit of malice. What path to redemption would be left to him? It was my belief that punishment should serve to correct unacceptable behavior. All else was just needless cruelty and I preferred to keep such things in the bedroom.

Perhaps I spent too much time with Archer. He had rubbed on me, and not just literally. So, there was a question I asked aloud even if it was quite a foolish one. "Should we try to save the Dark Lord?"