Stone-verse: Ravenér




After http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1slg45k

On the way west, through the Dwarf Roads, Kíli and Elennárë sense something and find the grave of someone Elennárë knows.

@Valandhir ‏@DurinUncle @SilmarilNaro @Boromir_Aesir @Gyrfalconsheart
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Kíli

The gates of the Hidden Kingdom lay behind them and they followed a long dark tunnel through the deeps. Kíli knew that this was one of the pathways interlinking the hidden Kingdom with the ancient dwarf roads. Argáz, who led their escort troop had taken point, carrying a small silvery lantern that lit their way.

"We have to go past Tharnul's crossing," he explained towards Thirán as they walked. "we had to block up the access point at Shimmering Deeps Hold years ago, and thus the only way to access the dwarven road into the Misty Mountains is by Tharnul's crossing, it is safer that way."

"One of the upper crossings?" Kíli asked, never having gone past Tharnul's himself.

"A cavern crossing," Argáz explained. "Even if anything made it there, they would never find the gate into our halls. It is a big crossing, even we do not know where two of the other gates there lead - and it took a Seal-Master to find them in the first place."


Thirán

"If Tharnul's Crossing is the best way, I have no protest," Thirán said in a quiet rumble. "Those other gates, they may be something to look at some other time but they may lead other directions entirely." He glanced around to Boromir who seemed to agree with his wish to not wander off. Past Boromir, his sister seemed to be studying the roadway in serious detail, looking around at the carvings in the stone, signs engraved along the way, quietly chattering with Anvari, often in Elvish.


Kíli

They had walked in silence, the dwarven road was even, here and there markers adorned the walls, giving the distance to and from the next gate. Kíli always wondered when the dwarves of old had built these roads and how far they reached. Could they even link to the Orocani, the fabled Red Mountains of the East?

He abandoned these thoughts when a huge stone door opened before them, and he felt an icy draft against his face. The crossing did have a connection to the surface, though they only could see the far end of a tunnel like a bright spot to their right. To the left opened a wide cavern with a small lake inside, and Argáz pointed past the lake to the other side of the cavern. "The other gate is over there."

They walked into the cavern, at first Kíli thought the sparkle that he felt in his eye came from the surface tunnel, reflecting on the water, but when they came closer to the lake, he *felt* it too - something brushing against his senses, something so powerful that it almost made him stagger. When he turned his face towards the lake, he could not see a thing, except the bright glow of too many arcane patterns interwoven, glowing like a fierce fire. He raised one hand, like he could shield his eyes from it, like he could from the sun.


Elennárë

Elennárë stopped in her nattering on to Anvari as she heard Kíli gasp. Boromir was already moving towards him in a second while Elennárë found herself wondering what had caused his reaction, looking along the passageway towards the surface. "What is out there?" she wondered aloud, opening up her senses to look a bit further.

"By Andraste's knickweasels..." she muttered in Thedosian, before switching back into Westron. "Those patterns... some of them are Valinorian, some..." she shook her head. "How did they get here? Did survivors from Angband come through these mountains on their way east?"


Kíli

Anvari too had raised his hand, turning away after a moment, unsure how Kíli could stand looking at it for more than a fraction of a moment.

"There is an ancient gravesite over there, in the middle of the lake," Argáz explained, slightly worried to see the strong reactions from all of the royal family. "It was already here when Tiórvi founded this Kingdom, and no one knows who built it. You say... it could be as ancient as Angmar?" He asked, looked at Elennárë directly.

"Whatever it is, these patterns are the most complex, most brilliant I have ever seen," Kíli replied, his voice still tense but he was getting used to looking at them, though he had to force himself to do it, he *could* do it. He was not an arcane crafter to run, when things became complex.


Elennárë

"If I recall what I know of Angmar... the kingdom was founded originally by Men who refused to go to Númenor, Edain Men, though there are theories I heard amongst the scholars in Minas Tirith that thought there had to be some of the ancient Easterlings who went there as well." Elennárë answered the question Argáz had directed towards her. "But it is not the age I am curious about, but the patterns in the arcane work through there. I see lines and links that were invented in the Years of the Trees, and patterns that only came about in Morgoth's fortress... I wish Losá could look at it, she would know better than I where the Valinorian patterns might have come from, though I can only think of half a dozen people who it could have been." Her voice trailed off as she took a step into the passageway.


Boromir

"It might not be wise to go near," Boromir reached out to catch Elennárë's arm. "If it's something from Angband... I would fear it as much as facing Minas Morgul again."


Elennárë

"No," Elennárë turned to put a hand over Boromir's. "It is not dark, per sé, though I do not know exactly what those enchantments are intended to do. I do want to look at it though, something about it is... familiar, but I *will* be cautious."


Kíli

"I will go with you." Kíli had straightened up and lowered his hand. His eyes were burning, he was not sure if they'd not end up bleeding by the time this was through, but by Mahal's hammer, he'd not turn away now.

He looked up to Boromir, understanding the worry he must feel. "Better we know what was left behind here, or who was buried here during the nameless years." he said softly, somewhere deep down a voice whispered that no one deserved to rest forgotten.


Boromir

Boromir nodded and stepped closer to Kíli, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Take care of yourself as well, Kíli, I would not wish to see you hurt either," he said, concern in his voice.

He turned back to Elennárë. "I will stay just behind you. If there is trouble, I will be there."


Elennárë

"I know you will, though I know I have my defenses against arcane things." She turned to Kíli then. "Shall we?" Looking back at the bright web of arcane weaving she stepped forward, slowly tracking lines as she approached. While she did still lament how much she did not know about her family's craft, at good part of what took up Elennárë's time when she sat talking with her sister was Lossanárë passing her some of the basic ideas of arcane work. More of what Losá was teaching her was healing concepts to augment what the Gondorian healers had instructed her on, but smithwork also arose, with talk about basic patterns Losá knew. It was this knowledge Elennárë had to draw on now, trying to discern the basic intent of what she could see, deciding how to navigate it.


Kíli

They slowly advanced towards the lake, Kíli gritted his teeth, for with every step the patterns became more intense, and oh-so complex. When they reached the waterline, he could see an island in the middle of the lake, it held a tomb - a tomb of crystal holding a body he could not really see, for there were two items, the sources of the patterns, that outshone everything. A ring, resting on the icy tomb and a sword, impaled into the ground before it.

"Mahal's light... this blade... it is like a blaze, so much power, wrought into any one single item... the craft must have been brilliant." Kíli's eyes traced the lines of the patterns, sometimes one seemed to flow into the next, he could not tell where one began and another ended, the master who had wrought this blade, had declared many crafters lesser apprentices simply by existing.

A shadow came to his attention - reflected in the water he could see writing, like the icy tomb itself had written it's message into the water. He frowned, the writing was weird... he would claim he could not read it, but then, something inside him knew what those letters meant, though he could say how.

"In the last, lorn fight
'gainst the fall of long night,
the mountains stand guard,
and the dead shall be ward,
for the grave is no bar to my call."

"How in the world did that Eastern blessing end up here?" he asked. "Or is it an Easterling buried over there?"


Elennárë

"No... not an Easterling..." Elennárë murmured as she stared at the sword. For a moment she closed her eyes and then opened them again, looking at the sword again. "I know that sword... made so it's bearer could stand side by side with the likes of dragons, balrogs and other Dark Maiar..." She turned to look at the water of the lake. "There is a way across, a bridge hidden just under the surface... It is not the only way, but the other would need someone who knows the Dark disciplines to call it forth, and while I may recognise it, I am far too Light to do so."

She walked a few paces along the edge of the water and stepped out, testing the hidden surface before stepping onto it.


Kíli

"A sword that powerful?" Kíli had no doubt by what he was just seeing, but he still tried to tie it in with the lore of the past that he had learned. Many of the dark artifacts were shrouded in mystery, veiled in legend and knowledge of them was not easily to come by, and right now he realized he knew too little.

Still he followed Elennárë on the hidden bridge, careful where he stepped.

When Elennárë reached the other side, long before him, he suddenly saw a bright light, like a pale figure appearing before her. Kíli's hand went to his sword, but he suddenly found he could not move any more.

"Little Firestar," the voice of the apparition was clear and he spoke Quenya, looking at her with a smile. "not so little any more."


Elennárë

Elennárë stifled a giggle. "Now I know why Shakurán calling me that sounds so familiar, I wonder if it's something that got back to the East from you, Toronatar," she gave the spirit a smile, looking at him, just a little sad to know he was dead, but curious all the same. "I would guess, with the signs of Eastern presence here, you were headed for their lands... but that you did not make it is evident, just not the reason you fell here, if you made it this far."


Ravenér

The elf's spirit shape became clearer, more defined as they spoke. "I was wounded in the battle," he said to Elennárë. "one of the Vanyar got to me. He was good, I will give him that, though he had yet to learn how to fight dirty... not that I would ever expect the Vanyar to learn that truly." There was a gentle amusement in his voice, like the other-worldliness of the Vanyar had amused and vexed him in the past. "While I made it off the field alive to meet up with Shangraile and Cartanár, I got weaker and weaker as we moved on. The wound would not heal and my fëa's link to this body frayed. Thus, once I knew my comrades, our men, were safely out of Vanyar's reach - and beyond what they would care about - I released my fëa into the void."

He stepped closer, very gingerly raising a hand to touch the dark locks of Elennárë. "You have grown much, little Firestar, you have become one beautiful lady."


Elennárë

"At least part of that is thanks to Kíli," Elennárë looked towards the dwarf, a frown crossing her face at his seeming to be locked halfway through a movement. "He is an arcane smith and gave me a way to change shape, out of friendship to both myself and the Man who has become my adopted brother." She looked back across the lake and saw Boromir standing a little back from the shore, Anvari behind him.

"I can only say I still hope I have further to grow, Losá has been helping, but I have only been free of the Deep Fire for a short time. Maybe I will be even better once I find Little Star."


Ravanér

"Your friends are aware what is transpiring, though their bodies cannot come closer," Ravanér said. "it is not ill will, the sword - my sword - could easily endanger any of them, were to to draw closer. It is your spirit that protects you against it's force." He raised his hand, still upholding the barrier that would not allow them close, though not freezing them in their other movements any more.

He looked at Elennárë and there was a little sadness in his eyes. "I would not have wished a journey through the fire to you," he said "in spite of your name."


Elennárë

"It was mostly my own fault, if I had not lashed out at first touch..." Elennárë bit her lip, holding back on all the old self-blame she used to put herself through before her sister started trying to persuade her to stop. "But I know Maitimo is alive, I am hoping to meet him while I am in the north, if Aralaimé can contact him and ask him to come. I think Cáno is out on an island off the coast and Little Star may be there as well."


Ravanér

"You did what you had learned to do during your captivity - let no one touch you, or come too close," Ravanér replied, seeing her self-blame over something that she need not blame herself for. "And yes... I know Maitimo is still in this world, I can sense his dreams sometimes, when his soul becomes restless." They had known one another well once, their sons had been friends... in a life that was now long gone and would not return. "I hope you find them, little Firestar, they might need some of your spark."


Elennárë

"I hope so too, it would make me feel all the better to have them, and Elenlossë deserves to also be able to speak to Lossanárë as well, and maybe even if she stays in the north, if we can both reach Losá, we can bridge the distance across the lands between us," there was a soft hopefulness there in Elennárë's voice as she said that.


Ravanér

Ravanér hesitated for a moment, looking at her thoughtfully. "She is journeying through the void... or very close to it." he said after a moment. "Bridging the void and the world is only a small step... even if it leads straight through a wall..."


Elennárë

"It is a long tale, but suffice to say I had a vision of a life that went differently, enough so that Losá was here, in Middle Earth. That version was able to reach mine... and I have been able to keep in contact, though I hear her best at night, when she is visible in the sky," Elennárë explained.


Ravanér

"So you can hear her, good." for a moment Ravanér went from the warrior he was back to being a mentor. "it is easier to reach the skies... the void... when letting go of all that is the physical world, like meditation, only instead of drawing inward you need to spread outward, like wings to carry you into the realm only the spirit may walk."


Elennárë

"Maybe there is something in that... I have always more worked to keep myself in one place, one form, not spreading out, even when I wandered away from my stoneform..." Elennárë commented thoughtfully, as she considered how Ravanér's advice might work for her. "Perhaps I will test that once we are out under the stars again, where Losá can act as a guiding light."


Ravanér

"I am sure you will find your way," Ravanér stepped back a little, towards his grave. "if you ever have need of me, call for me in your mind and I will come to you."


Elennárë

"Rest well, Uncle," Elennárë replied, waiting for him to fade out of view.

Once he was no longer visible, both in mundane sight and to her arcane senses, she turned to Kíli. "I do think we should go, maybe also put up some sign warning people not to approach."


Kíli

Kíli slowly stepped back, he could feel a warm liquid under his eyes, blood, not looking away had strained his eyes much. He hastily wiped it away. "We will see to it when we return," he agreed.

Anvari looked at him questioningly. "you should have looked away... your eyes..."

"A crafter only learns, when he is willing to risk a little pain, Anvari," Kíli replied. "and that sword was a lesson unto itself."


Elennárë

Elennárë spotted the drops of blood and reached over to brush a thumb across Kíli's cheek. With it, she let a tiny, soft whisper of healing power touch him, just enough to encourage whatever had been strained to start to heal. "A risk it is. That sword is very dangerous, and by the sound of what Toronatar said, would kill anyone who touched it. Just being as close as you were was risky enough."


Kíli

"He too must have had an artifact to protect him," Kíli said slowly. "not even an elf, not even one as powerful as he, could wield this blade unaided. The other artifact must contain a kind of soulward to manage halting the drain of the soul..." He relaxed a little as the healing touched him, taking the pain from his eyes. "And strangely... while insanely powerful this blade is not dark, it does not corrupt. The one who made it had no wish to change the wielder..."


Elennárë

"The ring that was there, on the tomb," Elennárë back behind them. "And no, the one who made them, he preferred it when people came to him of their own will, not through his twisting their souls to make them do so. It is maybe one thing where I think Sauron failed, as he never worked out how to do that." She looked on as Boromir moved to wrap an arm around Kíli's shoulders.


Boromir

"So he was someone you knew, an Elf... who took Morgoth's side?" Boromir asked, puzzled over that odd fact. Most of the histories and legends seemed to imply no Elf had ever sided with the Dark.


Elennárë

"There were a few, those who he drew into his confidences in Valinor," Elennárë spoke quietly, the subject one that had always made her feel a bit unsettled. "Ravenér was perhaps the one my sisters and I were closest to, and the one who interceded on our behalf. He may have gone over to the Dark, but he still cared and it was something we clung to."


Kíli

Ravanér... the name had finally helped Kíli to link the name to legend. To story. Not that there was much, but there was little. He leaned into Boromir's embrace, allowing the warm presence to calm him a bit. "The name is legend... though I think Elennare will know more about that, than any of the other races combined." He looked back at the blade and deep down inside him, there was an echo... like he finally understood something, but what was it that he understood? He pulled it together. "We should leave."


Boromir

As they turned and headed back to the others, Boromir frowned at Kíli's tone. "You know something else?" he asked quietly.


Kíli

Ceasing to walk, Kíli tried to sort the foggy feeling in his head. "It is like... I finally understand something, something I once tried to understand but failed... or saw someone try to comprehend and fail... I do not know, it is all hazy. But... I know that seeing that sword taught me something, and somehow I have tried to understand it before." He knew it made no sense, it sounded crazier than even Bifur on a bad day, and that was saying something.


Elennárë

"When would you have seen it before...?" Boromir started to ask, but Elennárë interrupted softly.

"Past lives, one or other... Kíli has lived more than a few, and at least a couple during the First Age."


Kíli

Past lives? Deep down Kíli understood it was true, though his mind laughed at that. He was no Durin the Deathless who would return to his people at the turn of the tides. "Maybe... maybe I just need to let all that I saw settle," he tried to push it off. "my head feels ready to burst."


Elennárë

Elennárë stopped and stood still for a moment. "You don't yet remember...?" she asked, puzzled. Maybe she had been too influenced by Elenaria, she thought to herself. "Nevermind... only, if you start to have dreams... do not let them worry you overly much."


Kíli

Kíli looked at her, for a moment tempted to truly lie to her, but he would not start that - he once had lied about this, not again. "I did have dreams - long ago, they stopped after the Battle of the Five Armies. They never returned."


Elennárë

"But..." Elennárë looked at Kíli closely. "The memories are still there, maybe buried under whatever happened at Erebor." Kíli did not talk about exactly what he did there, but Elennárë knew something had happened when Smaug had been killed. "You knew what Elenaria's brother spoke of, the life we first met."


Kíli

Kíli ran his hand through his hair, an absentminded gesture that he was hardly aware of. He recalled that moment during the forging, the presence, the clarity. He looked at Elennárë and Boromir a bit shyly. "I... it was not me." he said after a moment, admitting to something almost no one knew. "I was aware, I witnessed what happened, though it was not me speaking in that moment." It sounded like possession, and in a way it was, or something close enough. "I... I was exhausted, too drained and..." Light, his words sounded even worse than he liked.


Elennárë

Elennárë caught the worried look on Boromir's face and put a hand on his arm to forestall the questions she knew he was on the verge of asking. "They do that, if what Elenaria saw remains true, her brother had to argue with Thorin over the Arkenstone and that life, your second, was the one that took control," she explained. "I do not know how it will carry out with you, you must have suppressed them somehow. Maybe they will surface again in the future... if they do, I would gladly support you through it, though I think my dear brother's presence will be needed even more than I."


Boromir

"Aye," Boromir acknowledged her words. "I would not wish to leave you to go through such a thing without support." He turned to pull Kíli close.


Kíli

Gratefully Kíli returned the hug, holding onto them. For a moment he considered silence, to simply say no more, but a stronger part of him demanded honesty. "It has happened before," he said softly. "only twice - one of them was at Erebor." He looked up, wanting them to understand. "When it all came down to chaos, Smaug returning from scorching Laketown, diving down on us, almost frying us in his first attack... my brother tumbling down the side of the Mountain... I could hear the voice again, the voice from my dream, from the nightmares. *When you are foolish enough to get close to a black dragon, there is only one path left for you - right through his fire.* And... seeing my Uncle trying to reach my brother, seeing Smaug swing around for another pass... I let it happen. I let *him* act... and he was the one who knew how to fight a dragon, how to pull it off... how to do the impossible. I guess this also is the reason why I never was angry that the kill was attributed to someone else, because... I cannot honestly say,it was I either."


Boromir

"Even so, I feel I should be glad he woke long enough to protect you. IF he had not..." Boromir shook his head. "I do not want to think about the world where you did not live long enough for us to meet."

He gently turned the both of them towards their group back at the crossroads, looking at Elennárë as he did. "If you met his previous life, it would have been before the fire?"


Elennárë

"Yes," Elennárë nodded. "When Frérin Dragonsbane was taken prisoner by Dark forces, a force of dwarves led by his younger brother set out to try and rescue him. It would have been less than a year before Beren and Lúthien were able to remove Losá." She did not directly link Kíli with Askíl, believing it all the better not to push him at this stage.


Kíli

Her words conjured up pictures in his mind - echoes of the dreams from long ago, for only a moment he could smell the ash again, feel the hot wind. *In there, where the light flees and shadows gather, is where you must go...* a voice whispered.

Almost instinctively Kíli blocked the voice out, pushing it out of his waking mind, walling it up in a dark place. Getting to his feet, he pulled it together. "We should move on;" he said "we lingered longer than we should have."


Boromir

"That sounds like a good idea," Boromir said, offering Elennárë a hand before following Kíli. "While I am glad you had a chance to speak to someone from your past, Dream-sister, our journey must carry on for us to get north in good time, and south again before next winter hits."


Elennárë

Elennárë nodded absently, reaching out to take Anvari's hand when they came rejoin the others. She however believed Kíli was still burying things, perhaps some recognition of what she said? Even so, it was up to him to decide when he would let it through, not her.


Kíli

Anvari took Elennárë's hand, and they walked on into the tunnels. Kíli followed, grateful neither of his friends questioned further. One day he would have to face his sleeping *twin* so to speak. But not today. As Thorin had once said - a dwarf haunted by a spirit of the past was considered cursed by his people and better to not show such things occurring in the royal house. With that in mind Kíli again focused on the way ahead, as they entered another dwarven road.


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