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Elf, Interrupted: Book Two: Glorfindel's Quest  by Fiondil

51: Taurevayari

Birdsong woke Glorfindel, that and the smell of eggs cooking. He focused his eyes to find that the Valar and Maiar were still there, apparently never having moved the entire night. It was Lisselindë who was tending the fire, cooking eggs and leftover deer meat. A kettle was next to the fire, the water beginning to boil. Everyone looked over at the ellon as he rose, his expression one of bemusement and embarrassment at the same time.

"Good morning," Manwë said. "As you can see, breakfast is almost ready. Why don’t you go freshen up? After you’ve broken your fast, we’ll hold a council."

Glorfindel cocked an eyebrow. "Council?"

"Go freshen up," Manwë ordered. "We’ll explain after you’ve eaten. Tiutalion will show you where to go."

Glorfindel nodded, going over to his haversack and rummaging about for a scrap of cloth and some soap before following the Maia out of the dell towards a copse further west where a small rill trickled out of the ground, running southwest towards the sea.

"It’s not much, but you have privacy," Tiutalion said.

Glorfindel nodded and the Maia left. For a moment or two the ellon just stood there, not sure how he was feeling, then he gave himself a shrug and went through his ablutions. Fifteen minutes later he was making his way back into the dell. Everyone ignored him, continuing their own conversations. Lisselindë handed him a tin plate of the eggs and deer meat, along with bread and cheese. He sat beside the fire and slowly ate, feeling self-conscious, for none of the others joined him. He kept his eyes on the fire as he ate and thought about the events of the previous day, wondering what sort of council they would have. It sounded a bit ominous to him.

He ate slowly, trying to delay the inevitable, but finally the last of the eggs were gone and his plate was clean. Lisselindë took it, handing him a cup of tea, then went about the business of cleaning up the camp. The other two Maiar were already looking after the horses, gathering up gear, thus leaving Glorfindel alone with the Valar.

"Come over here, Glorfindel, and sit with us," Manwë said.

Glorfindel looked up from the fire to find that the Valar were seated a few feet away in camp chairs set in a circle. There was one empty chair obviously meant for him. The circle was arranged so that his chair was facing Manwë and Oromë while Námo was on its left and Nienna was on its right. With a sigh, he rose and took his seat, keeping his eyes on his lap.

"Yesterday was not a good day for you," Manwë said quietly, "nor for the Maiar who were with you. Lisselindë was correct: we cannot keep up with you."

"I’m sorry," he said in a whisper. "I knew I was acting like an idiot but I couldn’t stop myself. It... it was as if someone else was doing all the yelling and I was just standing there watching it."

The Valar nodded, well aware of the phenomenon. "It happens," Manwë said. "Even we Valar are not immune to it, though I suspect in your case it was more frightening."

Glorfindel looked up, his expression one of surprise. "How....?"

"How did I know?" the Elder King said with a smile. "Glorfindel, you are not the first Reborn to suffer this. It happens."

The elf nodded, his eyes going blank. "Somewhere in the back of my mind I was screaming to myself to stop, but it was as if I was caught in some kind of whirlpool and my emotions just kept spiraling out of control." He gave them an embarrassed look.

"You were caught up in the memory of what happened between you and your parents at Alqualondë," Námo said sympathetically. "I imagine you had a difficult time separating what happened then to what was happening now."

Glorfindel nodded, looking glum. "It’s not as if I didn’t already remember what happened, but it was as if I was reliving it again for the first time."

The Valar nodded in understanding. "My brother refers to it as a flashback when the memory returns in this fashion," Námo said, "when you are unsure if you are back in the past or still in the present. It’s something you have experienced before."

"Yes," Glorfindel admitted with a sigh. "I thought by now I would recognize what was happening and be able to control it. It’s bad enough when it’s a new memory that crops up, but this was an old one. It shouldn’t have bothered me so much."

"It was a memory of an event that brought home to you in a very personal way the face of evil," Oromë said.

Glorfindel glared at the Vala. "My atar wasn’t evil," he declared hotly.

"No, he was not," Oromë averred. "He was as much a victim of it as were you and your amillë. The difference is, he allowed himself to be an instrument of evil when he followed Fëanáro in committing the atrocities inflicted upon the Teleri. Your amillë’s death at the hands of your atar was the moment your own innocence was forever lost. The price you paid for it cannot be ignored. I suspect that that memory will haunt you all the days of your life when others, even those more horrific than this one, will not trouble you as much."

The ellon sighed and nodded, recognizing the truth of the Vala’s words. His expression was one of deep pain but the Valar knew that there was nothing they could do or say to assuage it completely. This was something Glorfindel would have to deal with himself. In the meantime, though....

"While we regret that you had this experience, Glorfindel," Manwë said, "we still need to address the question of what you want to do now, to return to Tirion or to go with the Maiar as originally planned."

The ellon did not answer immediately, and the Valar sat patiently, allowing him as much time as he needed. Finally, he looked up, his expression one of deep resolve. His eyes were on Manwë as he spoke though his words were addressed to Nienna. "Your Maiar accused me of being an oathbreaker. I will not give them the satisfaction of proving them right. I will go with them, little though I like the idea now."

"You wished to learn more about your ability to sense evil," Oromë reminded him. "Surely you have not lost your desire to hone this skill, have you? A warrior never disdains the weapons given him, but seeks to use them to their fullest."

"After yesterday, I doubt they would want to teach me anyway," Glorfindel said. He gave them a rueful look.

"In that you would be wrong," Manwë answered. "You will find that the Maiar are quite forgiving of the foibles of you Children. They understand how young you all are and make allowance for it."

Glorfindel gave them a disbelieving look and for the first time the four Valar smiled. Manwë stood as did the others, Glorfindel following somewhat belatedly. "That’s settled then," the Elder King declared. He gave Glorfindel a warm sympathetic smile. "I hope your training goes well, child. This talent of yours is too precious not to be developed as fully as possible." With that, Manwë, Námo and Nienna all faded from view, taking the chairs with them. Only Oromë was left, giving the ellon a smile.

"As soon as you’re ready, we’ll set off," he said. "We still have some distance to cover."

Glorfindel looked around and realized that the camp had been struck while he and the Valar had held their council. Leaving the dell, he found the Maiar waiting for them with the horses. Glorfindel stopped before Alagos, giving him a pat on his neck as he looked upon the Maiar. "I’m sorry about yesterday," he said sincerely. "I shouldn’t have taken my frustrations out on you."

"Now that we understand why, you have our deepest sympathy," Nyéreser said, speaking for them all.

"Thank you," the ellon replied, then mounted his steed and they were off. He glanced down at Oromë striding beside him. "I was surprised that we weren’t heading north," he said.

The Vala glanced up at him, giving him a wide smile, then pointed towards the southeast. "See those mountains on the horizon?" he asked and Glorfindel nodded, shading his eyes for a better look. A smokey purplish line like jagged teeth marked where a range of mountains cut across the southern horizon. Between their party and the mountains lay a dense forest, which he knew was the demesne of the Vala striding next to him. "There was a time when the region beyond those mountains was lost in perpetual darkness and much evil lived there. You may remember that Ungweliantë came from that region."

Glorfindel nodded. "It was called Avathar, as I recall."

"Well, technically, that applied only to the land between the southern Pelóri and the Sea," Oromë said, "but I suppose it could apply to the rest of the lands beyond those mountains. At any rate, with the coming of Anar, all those lands, which were fairly barren at the time, began to flourish. We have thought to open them to the elves in due time, but for now they are our hunting ground, for Ungweliantë was not the only evil creature to dwell there."

Glorfindel stared at the horizon in dismay. "It will take me weeks to reach the mountains and then I must find a way over them."

Oromë chuckled and the Maiar grinned. "We’re not going quite that far," the Vala assured him. "As it happens, some of the evil creatures make their way from time to time across the mountains into that forest before us. I have my Maiar standing guard and they usually hunt the creatures down. However, we’ve allowed a few to escape. It will be your task to find them."

"Using my gift," Glorfindel surmised and the Vala nodded.

"You have an innate, almost instinctual, ability, but we will try to bring it to a more conscious level. Once you’ve mastered the technique, you should have no trouble sensing the presence of evil."

"How great a range?" the ellon asked, thinking in terms of weaponry. It would be a poor gift indeed if he could never sense the evil unless it was virtually on top of him.

"How far were the alatyauli from where you first felt a wrongness?" Oromë countered. "I think they were at the very limit of your power of detection. You probably will not be able to sense much further than that, but certainly you will have a better focus once you’ve been properly trained."

Glorfindel nodded, and spent some time mulling over the Vala’s words. They continued to make good time and by the second hour past noon they were coming to the eaves of the forest, a mighty stretch of wood, hoary with age. The trees were impossibly tall and their trunks massive. Glorfindel suspected that it would take nearly a half dozen elves to ring even the smallest of them. Their rough bark was a reddish-brown and their feathery leaves were dark green with silvery undertones. Glorfindel stared at them in absolute awe, for even the malinorni were dwarfed by these red giants.

Oromë motioned for Glorfindel to dismount, giving him a smile. "They are called carnitavari," the Vala said, "in case you were wondering. Here we must leave the horses," the Vala said. "Fear not! They will be well cared for, but this hunt must be done afoot." He pointed to one of the trees on the very perimeter of the woods, and Glorfindel was surprised to see that a door-like entrance had been carved at its base. Peering inside he saw a comfortably appointed lodge where travelers might rest with an area marked off for horses further in the back.

"As the hour grows late," Oromë said, "we will not go any further into the woods. Spend the night here and tomorrow the Maiar will take you to where you will begin your training." With that, the Vala faded away. Lisselindë and Tiutalion also left. Glorfindel gave Nyéreser a questioning look.

"Don’t worry," the Maia said with a smile. "They’ll be back later. For now, why don’t I show you around? I’ll give you your first lesson in finding your way through the woods. We’ll see how easily you are able to find this lodge again."

"Lead on, then," Glorfindel said and he followed the Maia into the forest.

****

Nyéreser took a piece of dark cloth and tied it over Glorfindel’s eyes. This was the tenth time they had played this game. The Maia would blindfold him and lead him away from the lodge walking erratically through the woods until Glorfindel was completely confused as to which direction they had come. Then the blindfold would be removed and he would have to find his way back to the lodge. The first few times, Nyéreser pointed out the necessary clues for him to look out for in the trackless forest, but after that he left Glorfindel to find his own way. Sometimes he wandered around for a while before hitting upon familiar territory, but eventually he was able to find his way back to the lodge with little effort.

Now came the final test. Nyéreser led him in a set pattern which Glorfindel needed to memorize. Then, at some point he stopped and turned the ellon around. "You are now facing the direction from which we have come. Without removing the blindfold, see if you can retrace our path."

Glorfindel nodded and started tentatively to walk away. He had been given a stick with which to guide himself and as he continued to walk, he gained some confidence in where he was going. He was confident that he would be able to find the way back to the lodge.

"Why build the lodge?" he asked, suddenly curious. "I would think that flets would be better."

"Further into the forest there are indeed flets," Nyéreser said as he walked just behind the ellon, "but one cannot take a horse up one." He laughed and Glorfindel joined him. Then the Maia continued his explanation. "Along the perimeter of the woods are these way stations, as they are called by the elves who help patrol this forest and the passes over the mountain. Lord Oromë asked Lady Yavanna about it and the trees themselves gave their permission for them to be created."

"I was unaware that any elves were involved in patrolling for monsters," Glorfindel said in surprise, even as he neatly jumped the small rill that marked the halfway point back to the lodge. "Do they all have this ability to sense evil?"

"Some, perhaps," Nyéreser said, "but most have simply a love for the woods and wished to take service with Lord Oromë. They are known as Taurevaryari. Lord Oromë’s Maiar train them and they help protect the forest, guarding the passes to assure that nothing evil reaches the more inhabited parts of Aman. Their flets are known as treegards and they are scattered throughout the woods with the Taurevayari assigned specific parts of the forest to guard."

Glorfindel nodded. "I wonder if some of the Sindar and Nandor on Tol Eressëa would like to join them. They would certainly be in their element. Beleg, for instance, would feel right at home, I deem."

Nyéreser smiled though Glorfindel could not see. "I am sure Oromë looks forward to the day that Lord Manwë permits the Tol Eressëans to come to the mainland permanently, but that day is not yet."

"I think it would go a long way towards diffusing some of the frustration and resentment the Tol Eressëans now feel," the ellon suggested, now making his way around the bole of a tree. He suspected that he could have gone straight on but the path Nyéreser had taken necessitated going around this particular tree, and so he would do the same. Glorfindel would never know that had he gone straight he would have fallen into a deep hole created when part of the ground had subsided after a quake some years before.

"Yes, it would," the Maia agreed, "but there are other factors involved. The elves of Beleriand were under the Shadow of Melkor’s evil for many centuries. Their fëar have been, shall we say, darkened by its touch. The incessant warfare, and the horrors visited upon them by Melkor and Sauron, have taken their toll. Lord Manwë believes that over time the Sérë Valion will dispel that darkness from them. Until then, it is best that they stay on Tol Eressëa for the time being. The presence of the Reborn among them, I suspect, will go a long way towards helping them to heal."

Glorfindel nodded but said nothing more, concentrating on where he was stepping. Soon they were back at the station and Glorfindel removed his blindfold, grinning triumphantly, but Nyéreser shook his head. "You went off the track."

"But I got us here," Glorfindel protested.

"But not the way we had come," Nyéreser replied. "Though, I’m curious to know just how you managed to find the lodge even though you went completely off the path I’d laid out for you."

Glorfindel gave the Maia a wide smirk. "That’s easy," he said. "I just followed my nose. Supper smells really good, don’t you think?"

He heard laughter and turned to see Lisselindë and Tiutalion approaching. "He’s got you there, Nyéreser," Tiutalion said and Nyéreser shrugged, though his eyes were shining with amusement. "Well, let’s not stand out here letting dinner go cold," Tiutalion said, motioning them into the lodge. Soon Glorfindel was seated, happily digging into the venison stew. As he ate, the three Maiar told him about the schedule for the coming days.

"Lord Oromë has allowed certain creatures to come over the passes at this time," Nyéreser told him. "They are predators imbued with an evil intelligence. We know that in the early wars for Arda, many of the Úmaiar who survived fled into the depths of Eä only to return to Arda in secret. Some, like Ungweliantë, we suspect had thrown off their allegiance to Melkor and hid in the dark regions of Valinor unlit by the Two Trees. They took on animalistic shapes in conformity with their fëar, much as the Valaraucar were once spirits of fire."

"They still exist?" Glorfindel asked as he dipped some bread into the sauce.

"Most have been destroyed," Tiutalion said. He gave the ellon a wry smile. "Lord Oromë’s Maiar have been rather busy since Anar was created."

"However, it appears that in their animal forms, some were capable of procreating, not with one another, but with true animals whose forms they had adopted," Nyéreser went on to say. "These offspring have a heightened intelligence, imbued with the evil of their progenitors, and these are the ones that we hunt today."

Glorfindel gave an involuntary shudder.

"Tomorrow, we will make our way to one of the treegards deeper in the forest," Tiutalion said. "The rangers have been keeping track of the monsters who are roaming the woods. They will be able to tell us more about them and their habits."

"For now, though," Nyéreser added, "rest well tonight and fear not! No evil will come to you this night, for we will guard your sleep."

With that, Glorfindel readied himself for bed and soon only the Maiar and the nocturnal creatures of the forest were awake.

****

Anar was halfway up the sky when Glorfindel and the three Maiar came to a rise in the forest marking the beginnings of the foothills. The trees were thinner here and a glade opened up before them. Glorfindel looked about him with interest. He had never traveled through the forested regions of Beleriand much during his first fifty years there. Certainly he never went into Dorthonion, held by Finrod, or into the great forests of Ossiriand where the Nandor dwelt, so these primeval woods intrigued him.

Nyéreser, again taking the lead, brought them to one particular redwood around which had been built a circular stair. "Here is one of the treegards from which the watch is set," he said to Glorfindel. "Come. We are expected."

With that he started climbing the stairs with Glorfindel right behind. The other two Maiar trailed them. As they rose further into the tree, Glorfindel looked out over the landscape. The mountains were closer here, rising precipitously into the blue sky, deep jagged peaks, forbidding and sheer.

"They make the Echoriath look like hills in comparison," he commented, pointing to the mountains.

Nyéreser paused to look where Glorfindel was pointing, then glanced back at the ellon, his expression unreadable. "They are higher than they used to be," he said. "The Valar raised the heights of the Pelóri after the Noldor left to further prevent Melkor’s return."

"And ours," Glorfindel said without rancor.

But all three Maiar shook their heads. "No," Tiutalion replied. "The raising of the Pelóri was in response to Melkor’s attack upon Tilion soon after Isil rose."

"We remember the ruin of Almaren," Nyéreser said then. "The Valar vowed that Aman would not share the same fate." He turned and continued up the stairs and Glorfindel followed, his expression thoughtful.

Soon they reached the first great branches of the tree and came upon a talan where they were greeted by two elves, one an elleth, both Noldorin. Their dark tresses blended well with the shade of the tree. They wore simple hunter’s tunics in shades of deep green and red-brown to better blend into their surroundings. Nyéreser made the introductions.

"This is Palarran," he said, motioning to the ellon, who gave Glorfindel a brief bow, "and his wife, Amauriel."

The elleth gave him a shy smile, which he returned.

"Welcome to our humble home," Palarran said with a laugh, gesturing for them to come further into the talan.

Glorfindel looked about, seeing a comfortably appointed home. He approved of the way the talan blended well with the tree. It was made up of three tiers, the highest being the bedroom while the middle tier served as their living space, including a kitchen. The first level, where they were, was where weapons and gear were stored, always at the ready.

"There is also a fourth level, the aldinga," Amauriel said quietly as she pointed out the features of her home to Glorfindel. "It is reached by a series of rope ladders. It is merely a four-foot square lookout. It is from there that we keep watch over our part of the forest."

"How long have you been here?" Glorfindel asked with interest. "This talan looks... permanent somehow."

Amauriel smiled. "We have been here for only three hundred and fifty years," she replied. "We took service with Lord Oromë shortly after we were wed. Many of the rangers are married to one another, keeping watch together over the woods and its denizens. Lord Oromë prefers it, for the life of a taurevayar can be a lonely one. Some have even brought forth children. When they are of an age to be parted from their parents, Lord Oromë insists they be sent back to Tirion or Vanyamar to be fostered, for in truth, these woods are too dangerous for elflings. Lord Oromë will not even accept any elf under the age of one hundred into his service and they must spend the first thirty years under the tutelage of his Maiar, who teach us woodlore and weaponry, before they are ever assigned to a posting."

While Amauriel was showing Glorfindel around the talan, even inviting him to climb to the lookout platform at the treetop, the Maiar were consulting with Palarran. "Any sightings?" Nyéreser asked.

The ellon shook his head. "We had word that the monsters were making their way towards Clearwater Glade, but that’s fourteen leagues to the east of us. There have been no sightings closer than that."

"How many creatures made it through the pass?" Lisselindë enquired.

"About a dozen," Palarran said. "An entire pack, including two females and their cubs."

"Fourteen leagues," Tiutalion mused. "That’s further afield than we thought."

"We have received no orders from Lord Oromë to herd them in any particular direction," the ellon told them, "else we would have done so. There’s a place about two leagues south of here, a deep crater with sheer walls and only one way in or out where we have often herded them to make it easier to kill them."

The Maiar nodded, well aware of the geography of the land, though none of them had ever hunted these woods with Lord Oromë’s People. Such knowledge had been given to them by Lord Oromë himself when it was decided to have them accompany Glorfindel. It was felt by the Valar that the ellon would be more comfortable around them than around Maiar whom he did not know.

"We’ll set off first thing tomorrow," Nyéreser said. "Say nothing about the creatures or where they are," he admonished the ellon. "We will lead Glorfindel in that general direction and see if he senses anything and from what distance. Once we have ascertained the strength of his ability we will be better able to teach him what he needs to know."

Palarran nodded. "I’ve already set up a sleeping place for him," he said. "I was told he would be with us for a few days."

"Yes," Tiutalion said. "Lisselindë will be his chief instructor and will remain here with him. Nyéreser and I will return in the morning. Remember, speak not of the monsters but if he asks, tell him only that they were seen heading east."

The ranger nodded. "Until tomorrow then, lords," he said with a respectful bow. The two Maiar faded away, leaving Lisselindë alone with Palarran. He gave her a tentative smile which she returned more fully.

"While your lovely wife is entertaining Glorfindel," she said in a friendly tone, "perhaps you could tell me something about your life here in the woods. What brought you and Amauriel here in the first place? Do you ever think of returning to your families in Tirion?"

Palarran gestured to the Maia to follow him up to the middle talan where he offered her a seat on a comfortable settee. When the two were settled he started speaking. "I think I always was more comfortable playing in my ammë’s garden than anywhere else...."

As he continued to inform the Maia about his life, Glorfindel stood on the aldinga with Amauriel. She was pointing out certain landmarks but Glorfindel was not paying too much heed. His eyes kept wandering eastward. The day was bright with sunshine, a warm late spring breeze teasing their hair and bringing a wealth of pleasant scents to them, but Glorfindel did not notice. Somewhere to the east lay a shroud of darkness and the light there seemed dimmer than anywhere else. Somewhere to the east, he was sure, lay evil.

****

All words are Quenya.

Taurevaryari: Plural of Taurevaryar: Ranger, literally, ‘Forest Protector’ [taurë ‘wood, forest’ + varya- ‘protect’+ -r ‘gender neutral agential suffix’; cf. envinyatar ‘renewer’].

Ungweliantë: Ungoliant.

Malinorni: Plural of malinornë: mallorn tree.

Carnitavari: Plural of carnitavar: Redwood [carni- ‘red’ + tavar ‘wood’].

Sérë Valion: Peace of the Valar. Vali is an attested alternative plural form of Vala.

Úmaiar: Plural of Úmaia: A Maia who became evil and followed Melkor; an attested word.

Valaraucar (sic): Plural of Valarauco: Balrog.

Talan: Flet.

Aldinga: Tree-top.





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