October 4th, 2986 T. A.

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Dusk comes to the mountains, and it seems to me as if the waning light symbolizes one life. The last rays sink behind the horizon… Does your heart still beat? Your eyes are closed; no movement, no visible breath, and your lips have a bluish tint… Fight, I beg you! Do not sleep! You are past waking now. Only a skilled healer could call you back now from the borders of death…

Oh Elrond, hurry! Where are you? You drive your horse through the quickest paths; you push aside the fir branches, and wade through streams in mad haste. You know the direction – your heart guides you. Will you be there in time? Every moment can decide now, every heartbeat…

Aragorn… hold on! You have the will, I know. I have seen it. You showed me the strength of your will and courage. You showed me hope when I had none for you. You have found it in your heart through my light. Look at me, please! Look at me now! There is hope… I just wish I could give it to you. But your eyes are closed. You do not hear my pleas. I am too far away… Now only someone close to you could take your hand, and guide you back to light.

Elrond, please hurry… You hesitate at the crossroad. There are many paths in the mountains, many similar valleys… You look around insecurely, then wrap your cloak tighter around you, and breathe at your fingers. O Eru, if even you feel the cold… Hurry, Elrond, hurry! You will choose the right way. I trust you, my son. You hesitate for a while longer, but then you nudge the horse in one direction, without a trace of doubt on your face. I knew that you would choose correctly…

You are close… You stop near the bodies of the slain orcs, and now a trace of doubt appears on your face. Your sons have been here already – they have been here two days ago, yet they didn’t return yet, didn’t find him. Oh no! Do not let the voice of reason silence the voice of heart! He is here, within your sight… He calls to you in his dreams… Do not turn away now!

You continue on your way higher into the valley. Slowly, carefully looking around… Yes my son, you are close…

Ai, but you do not see! The rain has washed all tracks, and nothing moves in the barren land, no sound… he has no strength anymore… You pass the place, and you do not see… Return, Elrond! Return! He needs you now! There is no time!

You continue on your way, and do not mind my cries… Oh Valar! Is this a punishment for my words? I cursed you in my blindness: I cursed you like the fallen kings of Númenor! Oh, what have I done?! I was wrong, so very wrong! I didn’t see… You did not let him die alone… but I didn’t see the whole picture like you did. Oh Valar, forgive me! You guided my son so far… why you not guide him the rest of the way; show him where to look… If this is a punishment for my words, then punish me, not them! They have suffered enough…

Punish me! I call you! I call to the stars of Varda Elentári. Burn me! Crush into my ship, and destroy it, end this endless curse! Burn me, but let him live…

One of the stars is nearing. It is terrible in its beauty… I look to it. After the long centuries, and endless journeys, I face my death. I see the face of Elbereth in the light. I bow in humility, and expect my punishment. I will burn for my words, burn like the kings of old. Just let him live…

The fire does not come. I look up, and I see her face smiling at me, her eyes full of grace. In that moment I know: they have forgiven me… In her eyes I see my hope, and the song that resonates in the foundations of the world. And my heart answers with its own song. It was there for the whole time, but I didn’t hear it. Now I listen, and I know what to do. I have known it the entire time! The starry eyes look at me for the last time, and a spark of mirth flickers in them. Then they disappear, and all the stars shine as they ever have, but I know what to do, as I have ever known. Thank you, Elbereth Gilthoniel! Thank you, merciful Valar!

***

Elrond, my son! You do not look to the stars anymore. Now I call to you, like your father. Look at me now! Look at me, and see my sign!

I take the Silmaril, and cover it in my hand, like a father should shield his child from the evil of the world. Only one ray of light I let shine through my fingers, and direct it at the place that I want to show you. Nothing from my ship reaches the Mortal Shores. Nothing… except the light of hope… Look at it, Elrond! Look and see!

You turn… Your eyes widen in astonishment. You see my sign! For a moment you do not move, do not breathe. Yes, my son. I am here, now. A man, not a legend… Follow my light!

You look at me. For a short moment our eyes meet. Then you let out a breath, and nod in comprehension. You don’t lose any more time, but nudge your horse to gallop as you follow the light. Then you slip from the horse, and run those few steps that divide you from the place where the ray falls. There you stop, stunned in the movement. I can almost hear your gasp. I can almost see the tears that well in your eyes. But my sight is blurred by my own tears, and the lump in my throat doesn’t allow me to whisper the question that burns in my mind. Does he live, Elrond? Does he still live?

You drop to your knees at his side, and pull him gently to your heart; you stroke his hair with one hand, as your search for a pulse with the other. Your hands, Elrond… They tremble…

A moment passes, torturously long…

A sigh of relief… He lives!

You hold him closer, and wrap your cloak around you both, giving him your own warmth. You need to threat his wounds, you need to take him to warmth, to the crackling fires of Rivendell, but you fear to move, to not lose him again… So you hold him close, and cradle him in your arms like a hurt child, forcing your warmth into the frozen body.

“It will be well. All will be well. I’ll take you home…” you whisper over and over, and hold him, as I you wouldn’t want to ever release your hold. But you must – if only for a short while, to take the supplies from the saddle bags. Then you pull him into your embrace again, and quickly but carefully change his wet and cold clothes for dry woolen sheets. You bring a small flask with honey-colored liquid to his lips. I recognize it – miruvor, the mead of Valinor! Miruvor… may it revive the blood in his frozen limbs again! May it bring the scent of summer among the cold stones of the mountains! May it…

…Yes! His eyelids flutter! You lean over him gently, and block my sight of his face. You take his hand, and whisper something, too quietly for me to hear. Then you kiss him on the brow, and breathe at his hands to warm them.

When I can see his face again, his eyes are closed. Did he open them? Tell me, Elrond, did he recognize you? It is important! It is the difference between life and death! If he recognized you, then he knows that there is a reason to fight…

You do not have time to answer my questions. Quickly and skillfully you treat his wounds. For a while your hand wavers, when you examine the broken leg. Like me, you know who has set it, and how painful every move was. Then you are the calm healer again, and you fix it in a splint. Yet your face is worried: it will take all your skills to heal it to full use of his leg. Later. You can worry later. Now you must get him to the warmth, to Rivendell, as quickly as possible to save his bare life!

You lift him on the horse easily, trying to be gentle with the broken leg. How light he is, how thin… For almost two weeks he had nothing in his mouth. You wrap him in the sheet, and in your cloak, and hold him firmly before you, his head resting on your shoulder. Like a priceless treasure you hold him. You have tears in your eyes, my son…

***

You rode with haste through the whole night, and my light lit your road, and guided you to the safest paths. Several times you stopped, and every time my heart froze. You were losing him, I knew, I felt it. You gave him a few sips of miruvor then, and whispered something soothingly, but urgently. You were his lifeline in the dark of the night. You did not allow him to slip away… With worry I watched the emptying flask of miruvor. About an hour before the dawn it was empty, and you forced your horse to mad speed. You clutched him desperately, and your hair blew in the wind…With the first rays of dawn, you finally reached the Last Homely House. Tears of relief blurred my sight. Thank you, Elbereth! Thank you, merciful Valar! Thank you for your forgiveness! Thank you for the haven of warmth and light. They are home…