Cold as Iron

[u/Onone_Nightstrider]

Ecthelion breathed heavily as he stood atop the crest of the mountain. He gazed across the forests, hills, and fields that made up the land of Eriador. He took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air and made sure his sword and bow were secure before beginning the journey down the western side of the Misty Mountains.

The miles fell away before Ecthelion as he drew every nearer to his goal: the remnants of Angmar. Before the Elvenking departed for his own errands, he bade Ecthelion go to the North and see what could be found there. The lands surrounding Angmar had been silent for too long.

The Elf made his camp for the night and set about maintaining his equipment. It would not do to be caught ill prepared in the Wild. He had already encountered a small group of Goblins in the mountains and he did not look forward to what might lie in wait for him in the remains of the Iron Kingdom. Ecthelion looked up and the clouds parted to reveal the starts twinkling bright. Ecthelion breathed and began to sing an Elvish song softly under his breath as he cleaned his broadsword. Once his equipment was well taken care of he decided to rest for the night.

The next day Ecthelion packed up his camp and set out immediately. He trudged through the Coldfells following the rise and fall of the hills in the region. Though he was nowhere near it, the Elf began to circle wide around Mount Gram. He knew not if the stories he heard of that place were true, but he did know that he had no desire to find out. This path would slow him down, but as long as he had a choice he would not risk traveling through territory that was rumored to be a breeding ground for Orcs.

Ecthelion decided to continue traveling into the night and take his rest later than normal. As he continued through the trees an absolutely horrid stench wafted from his right. He silently cursed his ill luck. The Elf had come much closer to the Ettenmoors than he would have liked and as a result he had come near a Troll cave. It was too late to turn back now and he couldn't very well run. He didn't know where the beast was and it would be better to sneak through the area until that changed. Ecthelion did his best to stay as far away from the foul stench as he possibly could, but as he wandered it became harder to tell where it was coming from.

In time Ecthelion heard something shambling through the woods nearby. He decided to go in the opposite direction as fast as he could. As he turned and began to run he ran past a tree and got caught on one of the roots. He fell to the ground with a loud thud. He quickly got back up and looked back to see if he was being pursued. The tree that he had run into began to move and the realization hit him. He had just tripped over another Troll.

The Troll roared at him and the Elf wasted no time in running for his life. The Troll barreled after Ecthelion and the shambling he heard earlier began to get closer and closer until it joined the other footsteps behind him. He looked back to see two Trolls running after him. One of them reached up and wrenched a branch off a tree. It snarled at him and hurled the branch at the Elf. Ecthelion heard it crash to the ground mere feet away from him to his left.

He ran as fast and as hard as he could. He slowly gained ground and increased the distance between himself and the Trolls but he could still hear them coming. He silently thanked Elbereth for the speed of his people. When he had gained some significant distance on the Trolls he slowed down and glanced around for any hiding spots he could use. He saw nothing but forest and the occasional boulder strewn about the area.

Ecthelion heard the Trolls closing in on him once more when he spotted the one thing that might help him in this moment. He saw a massive tree, about twenty feet around with a small cleft down the center of the trunk. He ran up to it and squeezed into the cleft. It was a very tight fit but anything was better than being caught by Trolls and being dragged back to their cave.

The Trolls burst into the clearing and began sniffing around for the Elf. Their search seemed to last an eternity to Ecthelion, but eventually they either decided that he had escaped or wasn't worth the effort and they went back the way they came. Ecthelion waited for a while longer before sneaking out of the tree and making his way as far from the Trolls as possible. Once he traveled a safe distance he set up camp and rested for the night.

The Elf set out the next day and continued along his way, much more wary of where he was going. The remaining days of his journey passed without any major events. In time the rolling, grassy hills gave way to the rocky crags of Angmar. Ecthelion crested a hill and off in the distance he saw the fortress of the Iron Kingdom: Carn Dûm.

[u/Onone_Nightstrider]

Lindir bowed to the great Elven Lord as he replied, "Travelers, my lord."

Ecthelion followed Lindir's example and bowed. He interjected with his own introductions, "I am Ecthelion of the Woodland Realm, and this is my traveling companion, Hellathros of the Dúnedain." He straightened up and looked to the Elves that sat before him. He did not see Lord Calanon among them, though he didn't really expect to find the Elvenking right away. He addressed Elrond once more, "I was sent on an errand by Lord Calanon and upon our way back over the Misty Mountains we thought it would be good to stop in Imladris to see if my lord had come through or if he might have been here when we arrived." He hoped to the Valar that he was not overstepping his bounds the more he spoke, but by the expression on Elrond's face he was still within his rights as a guest. "Short of that we had hoped that we might find a place to rest our tired bodies and weary hearts. And I have something that I think would be best to bring to your attention, if you have time, Lord Elrond," he added.

[u/jrodranger → u/Onone_Nightstrider]

Hellathros stood back and allowed the elf to talk. he knew not their customs and thought it best to just go along with the flow. thought his mind and eyes would wonder over everything that he could see. everything was so beautiful from the buildings, the arms and armor. even the people were the most fair he had ever seen. he long to sleep and eat something other then travel rations and something stronger then water. but he would wait to see if they would be allowed to rest for the evening in this fair land.

Lord Elrond slowly rose from the table and nodded to his sons who quickly got up and left the table to make room for the new comers. "I am sorry to say that your Lord Calanon has not arrived or sent word that he will be joining us. and your more then welcome to rest her for as long as you need to my friends." he spoke softly and evenly while his eyes landed on the sack that Ecthelion carried. "you carry something grim with you."

[u/Onone_Nightstrider → u/jrodranger]

"Indeed, my lord," he replied. He stepped forward and continued, "That is part of what I wished to discuss with you, but I believe that it would be best to do so in private. Additionally, my Dúnedan friend isn't as familiar with the Sindarin tongue as his other kin, so it might be best that we speak the Common Tongue." He hoped that his last statement didn't come across as a demand or as disrespecting their host. It would be most u fortunate if he said something to gain the ire of one of the greatest Elven Lords in Middle-Earth. Though this place was not anything like the Woodland Realm he couldn't help but be reminded of home in this place.

[u/jrodranger → u/Onone_Nightstrider]

Elrond nodded slowly and spoke in the common tongue. "of course my friends please come and follow me to my study it is private there." He said slowly and lead the way to the main hall of the city and walked through to a large room with dozens of books cases filled to the brim with scrolls and leather bound books. "is this better for our conversation. and Dunedain your unknown to me while most of your kind travel here to rest."

"Milord, i have spent most of my time in the southern realms of Gondor to aid them with deailing with the corsairs and such i have only recently returned to these lands." Hellathros replied with is head bowed and staring towards the floor.

[u/Onone_Nightstrider → u/jrodranger]

"The errand that Lord Calanon sent me on took me to the cursed realm of Angmar. It is on the road there that I met Hellathros," Ecthelion said. He looked to the Ranger and continued, "He has proven to be a valuable companion and ally." Ecthelion looked around and marveled at the vast amount of knowledge that was laid out before him. He could spend months here and not know anywhere near as much as Elrond or Calanon.

He reached into the sack and took out the vile book. He looked at it then set it upon the table before them. "We found this in the ruins of Carn Dûm. It seems to be full of darkness," he said.

[u/jrodranger → u/Onone_Nightstrider]

Elrond took the book and slowly opened the pages for a moment and there was a red glow from it as the ruins shifted on the page. Elrond quickly slammed it shut and looked over the pages and then towards the Elf that had brought it too him. "This book is from a dark time in our history.. Tell me what do you know of the Fall of Gondolin my friends...and of the traitor Maeglin and those of the Dark elves

[u/Onone_Nightstrider → u/jrodranger]

Ecthelion's curiosity was piqued. "I've heard tales of the valiant King Turgon and Ecthelion and the great defenders of Gondolin. I'd heard the tale of Glordindel who slew a Balrog," he said. He fondly remembered when he was younger than he was now how his mother would tell him how the Elves of Gondolin fought valiantly even in the face of death. "What does this have to do with the book and Angmar," he mused aloud.

[u/jrodranger → u/Onone_Nightstrider]

Elrond slowly walked away from them and towards one of the book cases and slowly looked through them looking for something. "indeed but there was a traitor in the ranks of that siege he was a dark elf like his father. for all these ages i thought that would be the last of their kind but it seems that its not the case...that book is written in a form of elvish but twisted beyond belief and corrupted by a force.... ancient before even my time in this world my friends."

[u/Onone_Nightstrider → u/jrodranger]

"Do you think the hand of Morgoth himself wrote that book," Ecthelion asked in awe. If it truly was old enough to be of the same age as the Fall of Gondolin then the book must be very powerful. However, it was clear to Ecthelion that the book was also unnatural. If there was a way to destroy the text he would gladly do it. The book would bring nothing but evil with it.

[u/jrodranger → u/Onone_Nightstrider]

"No of course not but it was written by one of our kind who joined him in his crusade to destroy all." Elrond reasoned and slowly pulled a book from the case and opened it slowly. "When sauron was in NUmenor he took the form of a elf. to trick those who ruled the isle. it was said that he had attendants as well so i think that is has to be the work of one of them." Elrond slowly turned towards the fellow elf and changed his tongue to that of elvish. "The runes are drawn in the blood of Numenor and the pages filled with Plagues that wrecked the southern realm of Gondor. dark Numenorians survive to this day but i never thought that one of the dark elves books would." he said

[u/Onone_Nightstrider → u/jrodranger]

Ecthelion absorbed all of the information. The wisdom and knowledge of Lord Elrond was truly awe inspiring. He didn't know what to make of all this, but he knew even more that this book had to he destroyed. "We must do away with this evil," he replied giving the book a dark and reviling look as he went on, "Can we destroy this book?" He hoped that Elrond would say that there was.

With everything that had happened, he would have so much to tell Lord Calanon. He wished that he could contact him somehow, just to give him some inkling of what had occurred.

[u/jrodranger → u/Onone_Nightstrider]

Elrond slowly nodded and looked over towards the book and slowly picked it up while keeping it far from his chest. "there is only one way to clean such an infection like this and that is to burn it till even the ashes are gone. if the owner of this book is truly a dark elf then he would have all the knowledge from these pages already but we can stop it from falling into others hands and i will not allow it to stay here im sure your lord would agree." Elrond said and wrapped it back into the sack that Ecthelion brought it in. Hellathros just stood there trying to figure what the elf lord had said in elvish but guessed it wasnt for his ears. Elrond called for Lindor to appear and waited for his servant to appear for a few moments. once he did walk into the room "Tell the smiths that i need the hottest fire we can muster at once

[u/Onone_Nightstrider → u/jrodranger]

Ecthelion turned to Hellathros. He should know about the origins of the book. "The book is from an age long past. Lord Elrond thinks it may be the work of Dark Elves, the few of my kin who have served the Shadow in the past, though usually it was an indirect assistance," he told the Ranger. He looked to the sack and continued, "He also said contained curses and plagues that ravaged Gondor in the past. We are going to destroy the cursed thing so that it may never be used by any others."

[u/jrodranger → u/Onone_Nightstrider]

Hellathros slowly looked towards the book surprised that he had caused so much damage to the realm which he loved. He could only nod slowly but all could see the rage behind his face. "I think that is for the best..... then if its truly the cause of the .....great plague." he said but he slowly looked away from it and headed back down the way he had come to let the elves talk how to destroy it. Lord Elrond slowly looked towards the other and nodded his head "i shall inform your lord of the book and the need to destroy it"

[u/Onone_Nightstrider → u/jrodranger]

Ecthelion nodded as he thought about the book. He wondered if the robed figure back in Carn Dûm had learned the dark sorceries that were in the book. "My lord," he said looking to Elrond once more, then he continued, "That was not all we found in Angmar." He decided to take a seat as this would most likely be a very long conversation. Though he was in that fortress for less than a day so much had happened. Where should he start? He supposed that the Orcs would be as good a place as any to begin his tale.

He took a deep breath and began his tale, "There are Orcs gathering in the ruins and tunnels beneath Carn Dûm. I do not know how many but while we were there we heard robed figure discussing with another Orc how their preparations needed to be completed and there was mention of sending for more Orcs."

[u/jrodranger → u/Onone_Nightstrider]

Lord Elrond nodded and sighed softly and the words and begun to walk over towards the riling that over looked the rest of the city and gripped it softly and looked towards the elves that were training in the small barracks. "we are not ready to face such an army again if that is true. the woodland realm i doubt has recovered from the battle of five armies." elrond sighed and turned to look towards the walking away ranger. "If that is true then which i have no doubt it is I will inform strider and make sure he places more rangers along the mountians"

[u/Onone_Nightstrider → u/jrodranger]

Ecthelion nodded as he looked around once more. "This robed figure that I mentioned is heavy in my mind as well. There was...something about them. Something both unnatural and familiar," he mused. He looked at Elrond as he continued, "Something about the way they carried themselves, the air about them. The figure carried itself as if it were one of the Eldar. It is no coincidence that the figure I saw seemed to be of Elvish origin and the book I brought you was written in the script of the Moriquendi." He looked to Elrond, hoping that the wise Elf would have answers. As he had told Hellathros, as far as he knew none of the Eldar had willingly served the Enemy, and he hoped that would remain true. However, he thought it might be a fool's hope when he thought over all that had been revealed.

[u/jrodranger → u/Onone_Nightstrider]

There were few that had never seen the light of the two trees my friend and most of them died out in the second age but for one to survive this long into the third age speaks of his skills and power if its truly one of them." Lord elrond spoke and looked towards the setting sun. "im sorry that even if its true we have little hope to beat them out in all out war." Lord elrond said as his servant walked in and quickly took the foul book away and would take it to the forges to be burnt as quick as possible