Glorfindel and Elladan followed Lithroleah and the cloaked figure for a day before they came to the edge of the great bodies of water.

"Eru!" Elladan said, staring out into the gloomy distance. "I have never heard of these bodies of water."

"There was a battle which scarred the landscape, leaving these pits."

"But I have never come across mention of it in the books --"

"Some events do not survive in the form of tomes, Elladan, especially when none live to tell the tale."

"How do you know, then?"

A quick glance at their quarry revealed that they had paused for a break on the bank of the first great lake, and so Glorfindel and Elladan retreated into tall vegetation, where Glorfindel sat down and uncorked his flask.

"A war was fought over the power of the gem after its creation. The Dyrian were on one end of the battle, and mortals on the other --"

"Mortals against the Dyrian? What did they use as their weapons? Did you not see what that thing was capable of doing? What it did to Roh?" Elladan said, disbelief flooding him.

"Hear me out, young one. The humans had command of a powerful magic, a magic that drew its strength from Arda itself. They were called the fatebearers, and sought to wrest the jewel from the hands of the Dyrian.

"Battles were fought, and the sky ripped into two. Still, they were too evenly matched for any side to triumph over the other. Then, the humans brought into the war one of the first-born, a young Elf by the name of Nondwë. He was to prove to be decisive in the battle, and to be their downfall. In the midst of a harrowing fight on the summit of Mount Atilak, he slipped through the Dyrian's defences, unnoticed, for he had not the great elemental magic possessed by the fatebearers. Yet, once he took the stone, a sudden power flowed into his veins, and he directed its malice and hate at the Dyrian, reducing the proud and powerful race to ashes.

"The fatebearers celebrated, but they did so too soon, for the Makleni's bloodlust had yet to be satisfied, and Nondwë unleashed its destruction on the humans. They too, suffered the same fate as the Dyrian. These lakes are a reminded of what it is capable of unleashing should the stone be activated and its full power unleashed -- again."

"So the gem was activated before?" Elladan cried.

"Yes. But the story does not end here. Horrified by what he had done, Nondwë fled into the far north, where he dwelt in bitter solitude, spending his energy fighting its lure, fighting its call. That he managed to resist it is remarkable. What he did not know was that there was one of the fatebearers had been injured in a previous fight, and was recuperating when his comrades were killed. When he heard of the Makleni's activation, the fatebearer, Lillemir, raced to inform the Sinda. On his way, he met a peredhel, and a vision came to him that night. He dreamt of a monstrous creature, breathing flames, but with the tail of a fish, subduing a dark shade. The peredhel -- a half blood -- was the one he needed to subdue Nondwë.

"When they reached Nondwë, he had been twisted beyond hope by the dark magic and dwelt in darkness and fear. Ready to cast a spiteful flame at the peredhel, Nondwë suddenly gave out a great cry, and threw himself on the peredhel's drawn sword. He died instantly. It was then did the peredhel recognise Nondwë, his best friend."

Elladan took a deep gulp of air.

"Glorfindel, I do not like the similarities."

A long sigh escaped Glorfindel. "There are more worrying details. Nondwë was one of the noblest of the Sinda, a Prince."

"No!" Elladan cried, jumping up. In the distance, Lithroleah rose and stared into the vegetation, startled by the disturbance.

"Sit down."

"And you knew this all along! How could you, how could Ada send us here, knowing what the Fates have decreed? Should you not be concentrating your efforts on keeping Roh and Legolas as far away from the gem as possible, instead of leading them straight to it?"

"Because we believed there was a chance that they might defy it."

"Do you?"

"Do not tell me what I believe, Elladan," Glorfindel said. "Nothing is ever set in stone till it happens. Nondwë's line split, and the Princes scattered, until Oropher adopted the Silvan customs as his own. The other line turned into wanderers, never settling in one place, only to join the Royal Household in Eryn Galen as servants to the King. It is said that they did so to protect Nondwë's fate from befalling his heir."

"Esendri," Elladan said. "He was born on the same day as Legolas!"

"Yes, Elrond would have told you about Legolas's command of a special magic. It is the same power that resided in Nondwë, and it lay dormant in their bloodline, only choosing to reveal itself in two young Elves born on the same day. Legolas's mother recognised the power her son possessed, for she had a dream in which she foresaw this. She died defending him against dark forces who sought to kidnap him as a child and turn him to their side. Few know of Esendri's heritage, not even himself, which is why all the efforts have been concentrated on Legolas."

Elladan felt a shiver run through him.

"How much more do you know, Glorfindel? What else are you hiding? Why did you keep this from me?"

"How would you have reacted if I were to sit you down and tell you everything then?"

"I would have told Roh, who would have done something drastic. He will never kill Legolas."

"Which is why I have chosen to tell you this now."

Elladan shook his head. "You are asking me to kill the one who opened my brother's heart anew?'

A frown crossed Glorfindel's face. Catching it, Elladan quickly clarified himself, "I am talking about what happened with Naneth."

Glorfindel's mouth twitched, but he did not speak.

"Then, no one could talk to him, for he shut himself up in a wall of despair and guilt. When he found Legolas, all his defences came tumbling down. It took a small, lost child to teach him how to love again."

"Sometimes we are forced to make certain choices, some sacrifices --"

"I cannot promise you anything, Glorfindel."

"I do not ask anything of you, yet there is more I wish for you to know. Once he had buried Nondwë, the peredhel hid the Makleni, rendered impotent by the death of its master. With Lillemir's help, he protected it with a series of spells and magic drawn from the fatebearer's powers. Only when all the puzzles have been solved and all the trials passed, can the stone's true form be revealed, and only then can it be destroyed. Just in case the worst should happen, they arranged for a second power, the nature of which we can only guess at, to be hidden. It is said that it is the world's only hope against the wielder of the Makleni.

"All this I knew from Elrond's study of the scrolls of Hikanarwen, a series of ancient parchments left behind by Lillemir, written in a code which took us many years to decipher. While we were astounded by what they revealed, its truth was always in doubt.

"Last week, in the village, I met a woman who saw through our quest. Speaking with her, I learnt that the peredhel stayed behind in the north, where he chose mortal death over immortal guilt. His descendents remained bound to their fate of guarding the secrets which will lead to the gem. While their village was attacked by the last wave of dragons, she sent Legolas, Esendri, and Elrohir on their way."

"So it has begun," Elladan said, rubbing his suddenly aching head. "The wheels have been set in motion."

"Yes. It also appears that the cloaked one with Lithroleah is after the second source of power."

"Who is he?"

"More riddles, Elladan, more guessing in the dark."

"What of the Dyrian?"

"Of the two, we should fear him less, for at least we know that his purpose is to hunt Legolas and the gem down."

*****
Sindarin Translations:
Peredhel -- half-Elf
Ada -- Papa
Naneth -- Mother