Summary: Day 23: "Everyone avoided the tower. It was believed to have..."

A/N: References are made to "Mercy found in Betrayal", an earlier B2MEM fic of mine. The definition of "Formenos", North Fortress, is something I learned from Fiondil's "In Darkness Bound." "Formandos" means "North Prison" rather than "North Fortress" The geography of Valmar and its surrounding environs is based on Fiondil's.

Everyone avoided the tower. It was believed to have been the last remnant of Formenos, the North Fortress. Superstitious ones even now called it "Formandos"...at least the ones who believed Feanaro's exile had been imprisonment. Everyone avoided the tower...until one day, a hooded rider was spotted turning onto the Mall' Etellerroron, the road that curved away from the North Road out of Valmar and toward the old fortress. The Elves who saw the hooded rider go were curious about his identity, but not so curious as to follow...

The lone rider slowed as hoofbeats came across the desolate ground. Why had he not heard a pursuer? Of course, he thought sardonically. A Maia or one of the Elves loyal to the Valar, come to see you are a good little elfling and do not stray from your place.

He turned, brushing a lock of raven hair back from his face, and met the eyes of a dark-haired elleth. There was something hauntingly familiar about her; he felt he should know her. Valar damn it, he thought, why must I be cursed with this...this...
"You do not know me?" the elleth asked. Shrugging, he scowled.

"You interrupted my ride."

"You choose a strange place to ride, Morifinwion."

Morifinwion. Alcarin Morifinwion. Alcarin, son of Caranthir...He nodded briefly. "If I am strange, so are you," Alcarin pointed out drily.

"I am here because you are here."

"Why?" Alcarin demanded.

"Why are you here?" the elleth countered. Alcarin scowled at the maddeningly familiar companion the Valar had seemingly thrust on him.

"It is none of your business, elleth. Go away."

"I'm not."

"Not what? An elleth?"

"Yes. No. Maybe," she said, flashing a smile at him.

Alcarin growled. "I said go away, you stupid elleth." He frowned. "You're not a Maia, are you?"

"Hmm..." she murmured, not answering his question.

"It's not fair that you know who I am, and I do not know you," Alcarin pointed out.
"Do you not?" The elleth...possibly a Maia, he corrected himself uneasily...looked rather pleased at that.

"By your look I would take you for a Sinda," Alcarin said cautiously. They were riding together now, riding along the Mall' Etellerroron as companions. "But what Sinda would I find here, on Valinor itself?"

"Oh, I am not merely one of the Sindar," came the reply. The elleth hummed softly to herself. "You might say I have an interest in this place," she added, looking up as the old tower of Formenos loomed in the distance. "I quite like towers."

"I have come to seek my anatar's grave and pay my respects to Finwe Noldoran," Alcarin told the elleth.

His companion nodded. "I suppose you might say I came out of curiousity," she said. "To see where it all began; this declaration that entwined my people's fates with yours."

"I killed one," Alcarin admitted, turning his head aside. "A little girl; she was crying for her mother and father, who were dead. But after that...after that, I...things changed."

"Aunt Galadriel entreated you to change." She abruptly changed the subject. "I want a closer look." Suddenly, she was just not there...and a white sea-bird soared above Alcarin's head, letting out a cry before heading for Formenos. The Reborn Noldo paused as realization struck, and the familiar elleth's identity fell into place.

Valar help me, he thought. Never did I think to see her again.

It was, all in all, a very strange day.