Disclaimer:

The characters, places, and events are creations of J.R.R. Tolkien. No profit was or will be made from this story. It was written solely for entertainment.

Author’s note:

Many many thanks to my new beta reader Linda Hoyland.

Summary:

While searching the ruins of Angrenost after the ring war Glorfindel makes a discovery he had never thought possible……

Rating: PG-13

Hitheaglir – Misty Mountains

Angrenost – Isengard

Curúnir – Saruman

Chapter 1:  anywhere but home

The Elf-lord took a deep breath. He had just emerged from the depths of Angrenost. He was now standing on the top step leading down from the black tower.

Elrond surveyed the desolation surrounding the imposing building. Once a green country with rich vegetation, it was now nothing more than a barren wasteland. Located on a plateau of the Hithaeglir, it had once been the great watchtower of Isildur. Now the unleashed river Isen had completed the destruction by washing away the last remnants of any plant or animal life.

It would need years, if not decades before this place would heal and regain its former beauty, if at all. Too deep were the wounds the orcs had inflicted and the filth and poison Curunír had infused into the land surrounding Orthanc.

It was not a place that a rational thinking mind would seek out voluntarily, yet when the new King of Gondor and Anor had offered him the opportunity to investigate Orthanc before it was cleansed of all traces 0f Saruman’s presence. Elrond could not resist.

For over a week now, he and Glorfindel, a handful of Imladris´ warriors, and some men under Aragorn´s command had searched the former residence of the Istari in the hope of finding something useful that could aid the now free peoples of Middle earth after the War of the Ring and the fall of Sauron.

Aragorn had offered the opportunity to his foster father, knowing how interested the Lord of Imladris was in ancient lore.

Aragorn could not destroy the tower of course, its walls were indestructible, yet he could bring everything hidden there out into the light either to give it a new use or be destroyed forever. No malice would remain at this place.

Never fond of leaving his sheltered valley, Elrond could not resist the temptation to discover and investigate some of the secrets the Maia had undoubtedly stored away in his fortress. He would leave these shores soon, yet he would seize the opportunity to explore this mystic place and would take with him what seemed valuable before it was lost forever.

When he thought about Curunír Elrond sighed. How he had betrayed them all. How many times had he sat at the White Council and how much secret information had been passed on while he was under the influence of Sauron?

Today however, the Elf-lord was no longer able to endure the depressing atmosphere in those underground caverns. In the last two weeks, they had discovered and removed corpses of elves and men, dwarves and beings unrecognizable, as well as animals, all of which had suffered and ended their lives in this dreadful place.

Elrond had looked into sealed boxes and sniffed at countless jars not always sure what their contents might be.

He had discovered too many abhorrent things, which had only disgusted him, too many creatures had been tortured in the name of science or simply to satisfy the pure lust of having the power to extinguish a life at a whim.

The healer was a scientist himself, yet he would never gain knowledge by killing or torturing a living thing, not even a plant.

Before Curunír´s dependence upon Sauron, he had been an excellent master of lore and science. Elrond had discovered many very ancient books about medicines and cures that he had quickly stored in the wagon they had brought with them. He would study them all and hopefully gain some further knowledge in the art of healing.

Shortly after their arrival, they had indeed encountered living orcs in the depths of Ortanc. The warriors had made quick work of them and the elves had even been able to release a few men from the underground prisons. However, there was not much information to be gained from them. Those which had not lost their minds after years of imprisonment and torture desired only to get as far away from the tower as possible.

Elrond had pondered where Curúnir had vanished to. After entering the tower after the handing over of the keys to Aragorn who had entrusted them to Treebeard they had found not trace of the Istari. Not that Elrond had expected otherwise. Supposedly, he had vanished from this world as mysteriously as he had once appeared.

Elrond idly watched the workers, men and elves alike, while they carried out Saruman’s belongings. They would check what might still be useful later. Every one was glad to leave the tower from time to time.

Elrond’s head whipped around in alarm when he heard the anguished shout of his advisor.

“Elrond! Come quickly,” Glorfindel called.

The Elf-lord frowned at the tone of his friend’s voice. Surprise, dread and grief he had recognized. What had Glorfindel found? Without another thought, the Master of Imladris turned and heeded back into the depths of Isengard….

To be continued………………….