Kizár Elená Durin · @SilmarilNaro
24th Jan 2015 from TwitLonger
Stone-verse: Breaking Bonds, Making Bonds.
After http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sk7rrr
Shakurán decides what he has to do, Elennárë gains another brother.
@Morgulwarrior @SilmarilNaro
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Elennárë
Boromir had been in and out a good few times since he and Elennárë had managed to convince Shakurán not to give up his life, and in that time had passed on to Elennárë the progress of dealing with the two who had been apprehended. He had come to a conclusion that the trial involving Eärnil and Aldamir, as well as Brannor, would be such a big event in Minas Tirith that if they also had an Easterling prisoner there at the same time someone was *bound* to try something and attack him.
That suited Elennárë well, since she had decided Shakurán was someone she wanted to keep as a friend she did not want to put him in the line of mundane dangers as well as the spiritual ones already searching for him, and search for him they were.
Elennárë had already deflected several psychic probes, both from the Witch King and the Veiled Sorcerers. She had come to think only the first couple of attempts from any of them had been searching for Shakurán though, as the latter probes seemed to be attempting to identify her fire. She herself was just as much behind the barrier she had created as the Easterling she protected, so all they could sense was her outer guard.
In truth, she found it a bit of a trial to maintain the sort of anger that she had when she started, turning to a number of songs invented by herself while she was in the Deep Fire. They were angry things, full of sorrow and pain and a will to resist the spirits of the Fire.
She had very little idea exactly what Shakurán made of them though, and wondered what he thought on it.
Shakurán
Boromir's announcement to not send him on to Minas Tirith had Shakurán wonder what his plans were - or rather what his father's decisions were, but he kept his own questions to himself. He had made this choice, now he had to deal with it.
Elennárë's presence was a constant in his cell, protecting him from the reach of the Witchking or the Veiled Sorcerers. As time passed her anger shifted and something else crept into her fire, songs that Shakurán would hear in his mind, sad and angry songs about the flames. Her voice was beautiful, and it made him wonder if this was what Shangraile had heard in his dreams for the rest of his life. Though the longer things went, the more Shakurán became worried for her, not just because he knew the Shadow was patient, and would not easily give up on searching for him, also because they might learn her identity this way. After a particular intense brush that Shakurán had sensed happening he looked at the ghostly form, that sat not far from him in the cell.
"You are straining too much, Elennárë." he said, leaning back against the wall. "and if they get too interested in you, you are in danger. We cannot hold this game up forever."
Elennárë
"I know, I cannot do this all the time, but the question is what to do that would keep you from their sight, and what you are willing to do." Elennárë said, her voice showing a hint of tiredness starting to creep into it. "The issue, as I see, is that you have bonds and oaths that tie you to them. They can follow those back to you at any time."
Shakurán
"They cannot kill me from afar, though." Shakurán replied. "They can torment me, send dreams and the like, pain most surely, but I can deal with that, at least for a while. The link you sense... it is the Initiation of Service on the one hand, the other is my oath to the Witch King." He had been thinking about what might be done, there had been Easterlings in the past who had broken their bonds. Some had been ordered to do so - and the artifacts needed for that were out of reach, that much was sure - others had done so out of their own volition, but Shakurán knew only little on how they had achieved it. "I have been thinking on how to sever those... at least the Oath to the Witchking, which is the most dangerous in the whole bunch. And what I came up with, will not be to your liking."
Elennárë
Elennárë sat silent, in thought for a moment, considering that. "I would guess it would mean pain, for you. Broken oaths usually do, as far as I have understood what I have heard of them." She had not seen much of such, but there had been a few instances in Angband of people who had second thoughts a bit too late and had suffered for it. Depending on how angry Melkor had been about the matter, some were imprisoned to suffer the pain of the broken oath.
Shakurán
"They always do, that is part of it." Shakurán replied calmly, he knew this was to come. Even if he managed to break his Oath to the Witchking, the pain would be the price. He could live with it. Sometimes a man needed to know what - or whom - he was doing it for. "There is a way to break an oath, even one as powerful as the one to the Witchking. The Empire would consider the knowledge forbidden, were it not integral to what the Night teaches us." Appropriate treachery was part of what the Night had taught them. They were able to break their Oaths, if they could live with the price. "But to do it - to break the Oath and maybe the Initiation of Service, would have to be at the brink of death, in that place in between, before the soul has to relinquish itself to what is beyond - that place in which our souls are no longer fully tied to the flesh." He looked at her. "They say, that this way was known even in the old days - and as you know the consequences you might have seen it before." He reached over, like to touch her arm. "I would not wish for you to relive old pains."
Elennárë
Elennárë closed her eyes for a moment, trying not to react badly to what Shakurán has said. She has walked that place only a few times in her life. Two were elves, who, because of the way elven fëar were tied to the world for the length of it's existence, were in some ways easier to draw back, though the third had been a Man, one of some relevance with Shakurán.
"I have walked that edge before, the border of life, where the Lord of Mandos stands watch." She opened her eyes again to look at Shakurán. "The tale you told of Shangraile told of him being caught under stone. He almost died under that stone and it is much for the same reason we saved Ravenér, because those we knew were kind to us in the Darkness deserved a chance to live on."
Shakurán
Spontaneously Shakurán reached over to hug her, he could see - sense - the sadness, the pain her words- How much hurt had she gone through? Not just from being captive, or the deep fire, but from caring about some souls that crossed her path and ultimately ended up in painful and deadly places? "Maybe you should not be here when I do it," he says softly. "with all the paths I walked my soul will be close to the void. There is no need to put yourself through that pain again." Others have done it on their own before, and so can he.
Elennárë
"I..." There's a soft hitch of pain in her voice. "I would rather stay and be something that can guide you back. To be a friendly light, one that means no ill to you." Even if he does not fear the Void himself, it would ultimately make Elennárë calmer being able to be there when he walks that edge - to know what is happening instead of worrying in ignorance, and if he needed aid, she could be there to help him find the path back.
Shakurán
"You care too much, little Firestar." Shakurán's voice has gone soft, shedding the usual harder edge in it. "and you hurt yourself over it." Still holding her, his hand touches her hair, like always he can feel the sparks tingling in his fingers when he does it.
Elennárë
"What else is there I can do?" Elennárë says, sounding on the edge of tears. "I have lost everything, over and over again. Why can't I hold onto the few things I find that are good and kind? Even if they are destined to leave me eventually, I can hold them for as long as they can stay."
Shakurán
"Shh..." Shakurán simply wraps his arms more tightly around her, holding her."I understand," he says after a while. "needing people to care for, needing something to hold onto... for you it is harder than for most, because you are eternal." There is a thought that comes to his mind, it is crazy enough, but maybe it can be done, if he does his breaking of all bonds correctly. "If you really want to stay, I will not say no."
Elennárë
Elennárë just nods her head, slightly gladder that Shakurán will let her stay by as he runs this risk. There is part of her that wonders if maybe walking that edge again will bring Námo's notice to her. She would not be unwelcoming if the Vala chose to speak to her, maybe he would be able to let her know how her sister was.
Shakurán
Shakurán gently squeezes her shoulders before he lets go. He sits down against the wall, so once his body collapses he will not fall. Closing his eyes he focuses inwards, towards the place inside himself, where all begins. It is an exercise he has been taught since childhood, the secret why many of them are so strong at surviving, for their own control of their bodies is just that bit stronger than that of lesser men. Slowly he begins to put pressure on that spot, his heart slowing, his body cooling. It takes time, but the more he does it, the more he becomes aware of the radiant presence with him, he bright spark. He almost wants to smile - it should be easy to find her, to maybe tie into her spark, once he truly is there.
Then it all stops and he loses his sense for his body, as the darkness envelops hims. He can see and feel the void's embrace, an embrace cool and powerful, protective... he always will be awed by the void, by the vastness itself.
And it is true - like stories and teachings claim, here, in the emptiness he can see his bonds, the ties that cling to his soul, the oaths, the rites... everything. In the end there is truth in the words, that they always could break their bonds, if they only wanted to. In a strange way, it reinforces his knowledge that his people never were slaves. As he touches the bonds to move them, thoughts, voices, begin to echo into his mind. Some are wordless whispers, some are more concrete, some remind him, that one of his reasons for doing this, one of his reasons why he would go that far will ever be a dream. He tells that voice that knows and now to shut up. Another reminds him of the pain that will be the price for what he is doing, and he tells that voice to go and play Orc's chess.
It is the strangest of things when he feels the bonds break, things falling away, it makes him feel vulnerable, exposed. But this is not all he plans on doing, though the last part is the most tricky one, especially to do it without fully dying. Luckily he can see little Firestar's spark all the more brightly here - like a radiant beacon. Tying his spirit to hers should be easy.
As he tries to reach out, he can feel a sudden presence - a wise ancient man, looking at him, reminding him, that it is not for him to do that to his soul. He knows who it must be. <My people broke the pact with you long ago, old man.> he tries to tell him without being disrespectful. <And someone has to watch over her.>
He hears no answer, no true voice, but he does not expect any either. Again he reaches out for her, their spirits touching, just enough to leave a tie within Shakurán's spirit.
Elennárë
Elennárë sits back after Shakurán lets her go, her attention centered on him as he starts to descend into himself, and out of the thin veneer of the material world. It is not easy to hold back as she can sense his body slowing to a deathly state, but she does, making herself ignore that level and look deeper.
The Void... it is not a place she is fond of, and now after everything she has been through, it reminds her of that chasm, only here and now she feels as though there is no hand holding her and the fire at the bottom will burn through even her Atar's great work to steal the Light she carries.
But even as she shudders at this mental image a presence comes upon her, one powerful and reassuring to her, like a gentle hand on her shoulder. He does not speak in words, but she feels as though he is talking to her anyway, inquiring her reason for being there. She opens herself to him, letting him see her most recent memories, trusting him with them.
Shakurán reaches out to her and for a moment is stopped. What he says is only for the guardian to hear, but what Elennárë can sense of it seems polite, certainly enough so that the second time he reaches out to her he is not stopped.
For a moment she holds back on responding to him. <I can accept, as a friend, a protector. Beyond that... I do not think I able to accept much more.>
Shakurán
<I can accept, as a friend, a protector. Beyond that... I do not think I am able to accept much more.>
Her voice is a warm echo in his mind, beautiful as her songs are. <And as a friend I will follow you, little Firestar.> he replies in the same way, trying to let her see - or feel - he means it. He can be a friend, he is sure he can be a protector, and all that may be beyond is for time alone to tell. Maybe in another age, when this is long memory, they may be friends, family, or simply kindred souls, companions of a long journey. He tries to somehow show her that he does not make demands on her, all he asks to be allowed to protect her on the long journey ahead.
Elennárë
There is only one answer Elennárë can give, and that is to reach out and hug Shakurán, soul to soul. <Friend, family, protector. I accept you.> The quiet presence watching them acknowledges her words, looking towards Shakurán and giving him a nod.
Before he departs, he offers Elennárë something that glows softly and she accepts it a little tentatively. It is bundled in a way that she can carry it in her soul and look at it later, but she believes it to be nothing of harm, that would not be his way.
Shakurán
Shakurán embraces her, holding her close. He can feel the Guardian's presence, the silent acknowledgement, though he does not know what the spark is, that Elennárë receives from him. The darkness begins to fade away around them, and suddenly they are back in the cell under Osgiliath and a fiery pain brings Shakurán back to his body. He exhales sharply, accepting the pain and reaches out to embrace Elennárë here again.
Elennárë
As she returns to the material world and the sense of the surface of the spirit world that is closest to the physical, she willingly curls up in Shakurán's hold. She can sense he is hurting and knows it is something he has to work through himself. She can be a supportive presence though.
Shakurán
Shakurán gently holds her, her presence a warm comfort. A sudden and quite amusing thought comes to him and he cannot hold back on the teasing grin that is usually reserved for his best friend-enemy in this world. "I think someone will have to tell your brother about the changes to family." There is genuine humor in his voice now, as he sits up a bit more straight.
Elennárë
Elennárë looks up at him, an expression of puzzlement on her face for a moment, before breaking into giggles as she thinks through Shakurán's quip. "If nothing else, it will be a changes of pace from well-meaning worry from Fari." A thought occurs to her. "Though if Faramir finds out about this, that will end up with more well-meaning worry."
Shakurán
Shakurán's eyes sparkle with mirth when he hears her laugh. "And here I thought Faramir's worry was reserved for one very sensitive problem." he quips amused. "So we best be careful what to tell him first."
Elennárë
"Yes, quite." Elennárë acknowledges. "I do not even think he is aware of my presence. He has enough sight that he would see me when I am perceptible enough for Boromir. I doubt Kíli counts as 'acceptable' according to Denethor's opinion of Boromir's partners anyway."
Shakurán
"Kíli?" Shakurán's eyes widen slightly as he realizes something, so the dwarf is more than a useful to Boromir. Strange where Boromir's heart should lie. "Hm... it certainly depends somewhat..." He can see a few options there, especially if Kíli has some link to the Lost Kingdom. "Denethor is ambitious, I am not sure he is a moralist, and that he has not yet married off his son, means either he knows Boromir is not a Ladies' man, or that he has plans for him. Both is well possible."
Elennárë
"Either is possible. I know I have my suspicions about how he acts towards both of his sons." Elennárë frowns a bit. "There is much about him he keeps hidden. All I know is that the relationship with Kíli is something written in Fate. I felt it the first time I touched Kíli, so many lives that could have been have seen the two of them together, one way or another."
Shakurán
"Tell your brother that his relationship with a certain someone is written in fate, and he might hide somewhere," Shakurán teases a little. "I believe he detests such stories. As for Denethor, we can only wait, wait and see - find ways to deal with things." He shakes his head. "They said he could have been the next Frérin Dragonsbane, after he took down Smaug and now Boromir... if he is to be the next Talion we better make sure their story ends differently."
Elennárë
Elennárë knows well that Boromir has a love-hate relationship with legends for how they get changed to suit the tastes of society through the years, and the tale of Frérin Dragonsbane is one such story she knows he has issues with. "Maybe you can tell me a clearer version of that story, I don't think the version told here is a very clear one. Kíli probably knows it better than any of us, but as you liken him to Frérin, I am not sure how he will react if I ask."
Shakurán
Shakurán settles a bit more comfortably, still one arm firmly around Elennárë. "Frérin Dragonsbane was the Eldest son of the King of Khazad-Dûm, his father was King Regin, Grand-son to Durin the Deathless. Frérin was a great warrior, and some say he itched to go and join the fighting against the Shadow, as their people in Belegost did, other say he did not care much until he met Talion. Talion was of the Edain, a brave and courageous warrior, who happened to save Frérin from an otherwise lethal trap. When they first met, they were bound together by a bond - later known as the Dragonsbane seal - and some likened it to the way Durin the Deathless himself had been bound to some protector of sorts. But on that you truly would have to ask Kíli.
Nevertheless, upon learning on how dire the situation of Talion's people were, Frérin forsook his role as Crown Prince of the Dwarves and went West to assist Talion's people. They were too late to save them, for a dragon had already destroyed their small city, but Frérin chased that dragon right into the Mountains of Ash and there slew him. It was only the beginning. From that day Frérin and Talion would hunt the most dangerous of monsters, and especially hunt Melkor's dragons. Their actions put Frérin somewhat at odds with his younger brother, who led the armies of Moria and suddenly had to deal with the Dark Lord's ire. Their father died during such an incursion, and Frérin's brother was crowned Durin II.
To make a long story short, Frérin and Talion were not just comrades in arms, they were lovers and eventually formally bonded. Talion being the main reason why Frérin and his brother ever reconciled. But the good days were not last. The dark forces set a cunning trap for Frérin and captured him, dragging him alive to Thangorodrim where he was eventually tortured to death. Talion escaped, if wounded and Durin II truly tried to rescue his brother. Alone, with only one companion, who's name did not survive in either history, he dared to venture deep into the black lands and infiltrate Thangorodrim itself. There is a long story about that journey among my people, but in the end, he was too late. He only reached his brother's corpse and with skill and courage - and some say the help of a ghost - he managed to retrieve his brother's corpse for burial.
Talion, while surviving the initial injury, did not survive what he felt happen to Frérin, nor the aftermath, when Frérin was lost to them. Within a year of the events he took his own life. Their son - Hurán - to be raised by Durin II, and some legends say, to even become his heir."
Elennárë
Elennárë listens quietly, absently noting certain details that were missing in Gondor's version. The mention of Durin II going to rescue his brother however makes her frown in thought and the mention of a ghost helping him makes her murmur a soft wordless sound. She does not speak until Shakurán is done though.
"Well Gondorians do like to leave out any mention that Frérin and Talion had a relationship, even theorizing some unnamed dwarf woman as Hurán's mother, and there definitely was a ghost who helped Durin II, or more like three ghosts." For a moment she paused. "That was less than a year before Beren and Lúthien."
Shakurán
Wordlessly Shakurán's arms tighten around her, when she mentions how shortly before losing one of her sisters, she was touched by another sad and tragic story. "It seems ironic," he says after a while. "my people kept the chronicle of Frérin Dragonsbane, because he was a great enemy, as a warning what even one - or in that case two - people can accomplish, even against the might of an Empire. While it seems his true story was much forgotten in the West."
Elennárë
"Possibly not by dwarves, but I would have to ask Kíli about that." Elennárë responds, her own arms absently curling around Shakurán. "It is cultural prejudice that does it. I know there are no tales that talk of my sisters and I as living beings either. Most of the histories that Gondor has come from Sindar sources, or Ñoldor from those who followed Indis's sons."
Shakurán
"Maybe it is time someone told them the real story?" Shakurán asks, though he also wonders if the belief that the Silmaril were just jewels is not a protection now, because no one would even guess he met a Silmaril. "Though I believe that many stories - especially the forbidden ones - have their ways to survive, if one only can find them."
Elennárë
"Sometimes because people who were there remember them?" Elennárë quips, wondering how many of her memories would be 'forbidden'. "Or at least leave some record someone protects?" She shrugs. "Maybe one day it will be known again. I am just glad to have people who support my wish to choose where I want to be."
Shakurán
"Always, little Firestar." Shakurán did not break their cuddle, leaning back against the wall. It might sound crazy, but in the strangest of all places, he had found someone to belong with again.