96: Ingalaurë Takes Command

The Council meeting did not last long. The councillors quickly informed Ingalaurë of the most pressing needs of the people, especially food and supplies.

"We will be reduced to rationing soon if the situation does not improve," Nolondur pointed out with a frown.

Tamurilon spoke up. "Indil and I visited a few of the closer farms before we returned to the city and now I wish we had both stayed away."

Ingalaurë shook his head. "What was done was done, Tam. No sense blaming yourself. Now, what did you learn while you were at the farms?"

Tamurilon nodded, not looking entirely convinced, but he continued his report. "The crops continue to grow, though how, we are not sure, for certainly they require light. Granted, they are not growing at their normal rate, at least according to the farmers, but they still flourish. The main problem I saw was apathy on the part of many of the farm people. I fear the shock is still there and many are unsure how to proceed. Only the fact that they have animals to care for as well keep them from slipping into depression."

"And that is a danger for us all," Lassezel said. "We are all still reeling from the loss, I deem, and Ingoldo’s actions have not helped. I truly wish Ingwë were here."

"My uncle has him somewhere, I have no doubt," Ingalaurë said with a grimace.

Several of the others gave him surprised looks that mutated into expressions of concern or even anger. "You mean you actually believe Ingoldo holds him prisoner?" Lindórië asked.

Ingalaurë nodded. "Though he will deny it," he said with a sigh, "and short of beating the answer out of him I doubt we will learn anything from him. Our only hope is Ingwion. He’s out there along with Valandur and some others. He has the best chance of finding the High King. In the meantime, we need to address the situation as we find it. How much has my uncle done to see to the welfare of our people?"

"Precious little," Lassezel said with a snort of contempt. "I have ever been a friend of Ingoldo, and to my sorrow I even supported him in his bid for power, but not at the expense of the people who look to us to lead them and guide them and succor them from harm. I hold my position as a lord of the realm to be a sacred trust, as do we all, I believe, but Ingoldo seemed more interested in attaining more and more power. He was ready to disband the Council, but I was able to convince him of the folly of such action on his part."

"And glad I am that you did, Lassezel," Ingalaurë said with a grateful smile. "If Ingoldo had succeeded in disbanding this Council, I do not want to think what might have followed." He shook his head in dismay. "I know he always resented not being named ambassador for our clan when Lord Oromë brought Atar, Finwë and Elwë to Valinor, but I guess I just never knew the depths of his hatred for his own brother. Well, that is neither here nor there. Let us address the situation as we have it. The first thing we need to do is reopen the city and encourage the farmers to continue supplying us with produce. Has anyone gone to the Southern Fiefdoms to ascertain what is happening there?"

"I was planning to go myself," Nolondur said, "but Ingoldo closed the city before I could leave. I am, in fact, well overdue and I cannot think what my steward must be thinking about my absence. Also, I’ve had no word from Intarion or Lirulin since... well, since...." He gave Almáriel a sheepish look.

The lady sniffed. "You mean since your daughter and son-in-law saw fit to kidnap my daughter."

"Kidnap?" Nolondur exclaimed in surprise. "It was my understanding that Amarië asked Intarion and Lirulin to help her to... er... leave without bothering with the niceties of asking for your permission."

"Well, I’ve torn up the betrothal contract," Almáriel stated angrily. "Even if Findaráto decides to marry Amarië, he will do so without my permission or blessing."

Ingalaurë gave her a surprised look. "They are of age, Almáriel. Your permission is not needed and as for your blessing...." He shrugged. "We’re getting a bit off topic here. Let us concentrate on what is important. We need to find out what is happening elsewhere in Eldamar. Ingwion filled me in on what happened in Tirion with Fëanáro. Ñolofinwë and Arafinwë decided to join in the exodus along with their children."

Almáriel gasped. "Amarië! Did she...?"

"No, Almáriel, she still is in Tirion as far as I know. There is something else, though." Here he turned to Nolondur. "Ingwion told me that Intarion and Lirulin joined the Noldor in their leaving in an attempt to speak with Findaráto and convince him to turn back."

"Did they now?" Nolondur exclaimed. "I can see Intarion doing just that, but what success did he have?"

"As to that, I cannot say, for Ingwion left Tirion almost as soon as Fëanáro led the Noldor away. All I can tell you is that Eärwen and Anairë have remained behind to govern those Noldor who refused to leave. At any rate, we need to send a courier to Tirion to find out what has happened."

"I plan to leave for the Southern Fiefdoms as soon as possible," Nolondur said.

Ingalaurë shook his head. "I cannot allow you to leave just yet, Nolondur. I need all of you here to help support me and Ammë. You will have to send another in your place."

Nolondur reluctantly agreed.

"Speaking of the queen," Tamurilon said, "shouldn’t she be here, and Indil, as part of the Council? Indeed, by rights, she should be leading the Council."

"You are correct, Tam," Ingalaurë said, "though I think Ammë will simply turn everything over to me anyway, but why don’t we go and pay our respects? I do wonder why they haven’t come here. Uncle should have released them from their confinement by now." He gave them a worried look and Nolondur and Lassezel nodded, both looking grim.

"I think we should go and see, shall we?" Nolondur asked and without further ado, they all rose and left the chamber, making their way back towards the royal apartments with Ingalaurë in the lead, Lassezel and Nolondur flanking him. When they reached the queen’s apartments, they found no one guarding the door. Ingalaurë tried the door, and finding it unlocked, opened it cautiously, calling out.

"Ammë? Indil? It’s I, Ingil."

Only silence greeted them and Ingalaurë began to feel panicky. Where were they? What had Ingoldo done with them? He silently castigated himself for not immediately seeing to the ellith’s release.

"Let me check Indil’s rooms," he said. "Maybe Uncle had them put there."

He strode out of the apartment and the others parted for him. He made his way further down the hall and around the corner to where his sister’s suite of rooms lay and stopped in consternation when he found Ingoldo standing there smirking. Tulcaner and some other guards were with him.

"Where are they?" Ingalaurë demanded angrily, glaring at his uncle. "What have you done with them?"

"Of whom do you speak, Nephew?" Ingoldo said with a sneer that, to Ingalaurë’s eyes, seemed triumphant. "You need to be more specific."

Suddenly, Ingalaurë felt himself growing cold inside and with a wordless cry he was on Ingoldo, driving him to the ground, straddling him and punching him in the face. "Tell me, you spawn of Melkor! Where are they?"

He felt, rather than saw, Tulcaner and the other guards reach for him but even as Nolondur and Tamurilon started forward to stop the guards there was a sudden blinding light and cries of dismay and fear. Ingalaurë ignored all that, intent only on his uncle. He lashed out at the still stunned ellon, nearly screaming at him, all the hurt and anger and fear of these last few weeks finally taking their toll.

"Where are they? Where are they?" he screamed over and over again, even as he continued pummeling Ingoldo. Then someone casually grabbed him by the back of his tunic and pulled him off his uncle. He gave a squawk of protest as he dangled a few inches off the floor and tried to squirm out of the person’s grasp.

"Farëa, hína," he heard the person say even as he was given a slight shake.

As soon as he heard the voice, Ingalaurë stilled himself and craned his neck to see who held him. It was a Maia, of course, one whom he vaguely remembered from a long time ago.

"N-n-nornoros?" he stammered.

The Maia gave him a beatific smile and set him on his feet. "Ah, you remember me," he said. "I did not think you would after all this time. You and your brother were still quite young when I returned to my own duties. Your sister had yet to be born, as I recall."

"What are you doing here?" Ingalaurë asked.

"Saving you," the Maia said without any levity. When Ingalaurë just gave him a blank stare, the Maia nodded in the direction of Ingoldo, whom Nolondur and Tulcaner were helping to stand. Ingoldo’s face was bloodied and bruised and one eye would not open. "Wouldst thou become a Kinslayer as thy Noldorin brethren have?" Nornoros asked in forbidding tones and Ingalaurë was not the only one to gasp in consternation, having no idea what the Maia meant. "I decided to rescue you from that fate, child," he continued in a less ominous voice.

"He’s taken Ammë and Indil," was all Ingalaurë could say, trying to defend his actions, though now that the heat of his anger was over, he felt slightly sickened by what he’d done. He glanced at Ingoldo, being steadied by the two ellyn. "Where are they, Ingoldo?" he demanded softly. "Why are you being so... so...mean?" He faltered on the last word, feeling suddenly embarrassed by the elflingish tone of his voice, but truly, his uncle’s actions defied understanding and he was at a loss as to how to respond.

"They are safe, I assure you," Nornoros said.

"Where are they?" Ingalaurë asked him, but the Maia shook his head.

"I have interfered enough," he answered. "Indeed, I fear I have interfered too much, and I doubt not that my lord will be wroth with me when he learns of this, but I could not let you do what you most wanted to do at this point, Ingil, and so I stopped you before you went too far. The rest is up to you. Whatever information you need, Ingoldo can supply."

"But...."

"No, child," Nornoros said with a kindly smile. "The rest is up to you." With that, he faded away, the fragrant scent of cedar filling the air at his leaving.

Ingalaurë stared at the space that had been occupied by the Maia and sighed, turning to the others. He noted that Tulcaner was the only guard still there. Apparently the others had fled at the sight of the Maia. The other members of the Privy Council were still there, though they all looked a bit shaken. Ingalaurë sighed. "Nolondur, Lassezel, take my uncle to his apartments and have Healer Calamírë tend to his injuries. No, Tulcaner, you and I are going to talk."

The guard gave him a mulish look. "I have nothing to say," he growled.

"Oh, but I think you do," Ingalaurë said coldly, "and if you don’t want what I did to Ingoldo happen to you, you will tell me what I want to know. Do not insult me by stating you don’t know of what I speak or that you do not know where Ingoldo had the queen and my sister taken. You are his right hand in all things, Tulcaner."

"You wouldn’t dare," Tulcaner sneered.

Before anyone could move, Ingalaurë stepped forward and punched the ellon in the solar plexus. Tulcaner gasped in pain and collapsed to his knees, struggling for breath. Ingalaurë stared down at him dispassionately. "Yes, Tulcaner, I would. After what Ingoldo did to me, I would dare just about anything." He reached down and pulled the still gasping ellon up by the placket of his tunic. "Now, you are going to take me to where my uncle has hidden the queen and you are going to take me now, or so help me, I will make your life so miserable that in the end you will be begging me to kill you."

He ignored the surprised looks on the faces of the others. "Tam, go find some of our own people. Ingwion mentioned that Sérener was now a gate guard. I’m sure some of the other guards whom Ingoldo dismissed are about somewhere. I think it’s time to take over the palace again."

Tamurilon nodded grimly. "I’ll see whom I can find," he said. "What about him?" He jerked his head at Tulcaner, still holding his side where Ingalaurë had hit him.

"I’ll take care of him but if you others would be kind enough to remain with me, I think it will be easier to convince Tulcaner of the error of his ways. Ingoldo couldn’t have taken Ammë and Indil too far in so short a time."

Almáriel gave a sniff. "I wouldn’t be too sure of that, youngster," she said, "but if I might suggest, Tamurilon, that you enquire as to if anyone was seen leaving the city. I know, I know, the gates are closed, but not if Ingoldo ordered them opened for a particular purpose."

"You think he spirited them out of the city?" Ingalaurë asked. "Even so, they couldn’t have gotten too far. Do as Almáriel’s suggested, Tam. Find out if two ellith... no... if anyone left the city by Ingoldo’s orders."

Tamurilon nodded. "Don’t worry, Ingil, we’ll find them." Then he strode away to carry out his orders.

Ingalaurë gave Tulcaner another cold look. "Save yourself some grief and tell us where they are."

"Find them yourselves, seldo," Tulcaner hissed, his eyes dark with pain and hatred.

"Don’t worry, I will," Ingalaurë promised him. Then he turned to two of the Council lords who were still there. "Let’s find a place where we can secure him. I never thought we would have to construct our own... um... mandonómë," he said, groping for a word that, until then, had no reason to exist.

The others nodded and Tulcaner found himself in the firm grip of the two lords and in spite of his protests, they hustled him along until they found a storeroom that had a lock on the door. They had to hunt for the key, which they found with the chief housekeeper for the royal wing whom Ingoldo had kept on only because she knew where everything was. Soon, Tulcaner was secured. Ingalaurë asked him once more for his cooperation, and when Tulcaner simply turned away and faced the wall opposite the door, Ingalaurë sighed and gestured for the door to be locked.

"Let’s go see how my uncle is faring," he told the others and they made their way back to the family wing and Ingoldo’s suite.

****

When they got there they found Ingwë’s chief healer just leaving. She gave Ingalaurë a hard stare. "Your handiwork, I take it?" she said.

Ingalaurë tried not to blush. "Only what he deserved after the beating he gave me," he retorted coldly.

Calamírë’s eyes widened and she instinctively reached out her hands, as if to start examining the ellon right then and there. Ingalaurë took a step back and it was Calamírë’s turn to blush. Then she straightened her shoulders. "He’ll be an interesting shade of purple and green for a day or two, but nothing was broken."

"Thank you," Ingalaurë said and the healer gave them a stiff bow and left. Ingalaurë entered the suite, ducking just in time to avoid the vase that Tinwetariel threw at him. Luckily the others were also able to avoid being hit and the vase crashed against the wall in the hallway, splintering into shards.

"You dare!" Tinwetariel screamed, rushing at him with her hands out in claws. Ingalaurë grabbed her wrists in time to avoid being scratched and pushed her away.

"Peace, Aunt," he said. "Your husband is alive, for which you should be thankful, for I was this close to killing him."

"You ungrateful...."

"Enough!" Ingalaurë shouted. "I am in charge now and I mean to learn where Ingoldo has hidden Ammë and Indil."

Tinwetariel gave a start and then her expression turned sly. "My husband sleeps and cannot be disturbed. The healer...."

"Said nothing about it," Ingalaurë interrupted. "Now I believe Lady Almáriel and Lady Lindórië would like to visit with you, Aunt. Perhaps you will be so kind as to entertain them while I have a word or two with my uncle."

Not giving her a chance to retort he moved past her into the bedroom where he found Nolondur and Lassezel sitting on either side of the bed where Ingoldo lay, clearly awake, glaring at them out of one eye.

"...make it easy on everyone...." he heard Nolondur saying as he entered. The ellon looked up and gave him a grimace. "Ingoldo is being obstinate as usual. What about the guard? Was he any more helpful?"

Ingalaurë shook his head. "I’ve had him locked in a storage room for now. Tam is checking to see if anyone was seen leaving the city. Even if they are still here somewhere we’ll find them even without your help, Uncle, but it would be better for you if you cooperated. When Atar...."

"Your atar is dead!" Ingoldo spat.

Ingalaurë felt his blood go cold at the words. "You lie!" he hissed. "You wouldn’t dare. You may be many things, Ingoldo, but a kinslayer isn’t one of them. I’ll give you that much credit. Now why this obstinacy? What do you gain by it?"

"The pleasure of seeing you squirm, seldo," Ingoldo retorted, his smile distorted by the cut lip and bruising. "You’ll never find them, and as long as you cannot, I will continue having power over you, for you will fear to do anything that might spell their doom. And your Maia friend will not help."

"We’ll find them," Ingalaurë promised, as much to himself as to the others. "In the meantime, I am through with your threats. If any harm does come to Ammë and Indil or to Atar for that matter, your life is forfeit, áni hlárë Valar."

With a gesture to Nolondur and Lassezel to follow him, he turned and left the room. In the sitting room he found Tinwetariel sitting stonily between Lindórië and Almáriel while that formidable elleth was going on about her daughter and Findaráto. The other Council members stood about, rolling their eyes and exchanging amused looks. Almáriel ceased speaking as Ingalaurë entered and gave him an enquiring look. He just shrugged and addressed his aunt.

"I highly suggest you encourage Uncle Ingoldo to talk, Aunt. It will go better at the trial if he’s more cooperative."

"Trial!" Tinwetariel exclaimed in shock. "What trial?"

"The trial the High King will hold when he returns," Ingalaurë stated coldly. Then, he gave his aunt a stiff bow and exited the suite with the rest of the Council right behind him. As Lassezel, the last to leave, closed the door and locked it with a key that Ingalaurë had taken from the chief housekeeper, they heard a squawk of dismay from the other side as Tinwetariel realized she and Ingoldo were now prisoners. Several of the councillors smirked at the sound.

Ingalaurë took back the key from Lassezel with a nod of thanks. "Let us find Tam and see what news he has for us." With that he strode down the hall with the others right behind him, and as he went, he wondered where Ingwion was and if it was possible to find him and let him know that he, Ingalaurë, was now in command of the city.

****

Farëa, hína: ‘Enough, child’.

Mandonómë: ‘custody-place, place of safekeeping’, i.e. a prison or dungeon. The name Mandos, for instance, literally means ‘Castle of Custody’.

Áni hlárë Valar: ‘The Valar hear me’.