Glorfindel gazed down from the rocky outcrop of the Citadel, staring upon the lower levels with his elven eyes. He heard a bird's call.
CAW.
Looking up he saw a small eagle flying above the city. A damn eagle. Why did it always have to be eagles? He unsheathed a small knife and let the sunlight glint off it, signaling the eagle with a flash from his knife's reflection. The bird swooped low and landed next to him.
Their eyes met.
"Manwe bids you return to Valinor. He has summoned you, Glorfindel." The eagle spoke in clear Quenyan.
Glorfindel sheathed the knife, "No. My fight is here. Not in the West."
"You will do as commanded, elf. Revoke the summons of the Elder King and face his wroth." The eagle said, ruffling its wings and looking out over Anorien.
"May Mandos judge me fairly." Glorfindel countered.
"Mandos no longer judges; not after his betrayal. Manwe judges. Do well to think on that, Noldor."
Glorfindel visibly squinted at the eagle. What was this? A lie. Had the eagles become deceitful too?
"Manwe's soldiers slew my kinsmen. How does the Elder King judge when he needs to be judged for his crimes?" Glorfindel remained calm albeit his anger flaring.
"It is not your place to question the Elder King!" The eagle squeaked and began to take off, "You have been warned, elf!" It flew away.
"So I have been," Glorfindel muttered when he disappeared into the skies. He looked down upon Minas Tirith and contemplated it all. It was so similar to Gondolin. His memories came back to him. The war. Morgoth's endless hordes, the dragons, the fire-drakes, the Balrogs, Gothmog.
His hand clenched around the knife. So many of his brethren had fallen to him. Feanor, the strongest elf in will and power; Fingon, the High King of the Noldor; Ecthelion, his friend and so many more. Glorfindel had been unable to save him, unable to stop Gothmog. And he had died to protect the remainder of his troop. If that insipid creature was roaming Arda once more, he would be the one to end him. Even with his own life.
His eyes arose and looked out across the Anduin and to the Ephel Duath. The Ash Mountains. He saw something beyond them. A shadow. Clouds. Rain. Rain? There was rain in the Land of Shadow? He blinked and looked again. Karoltai, Morgoth walking amongst the living and rain in Mordor. These were strange times indeed.
--------
"Uhhhh, I dun want dat stupid book!" Ela pushed it back into Ha'zi's hands, insulting him. "And I dun wanna go with this weird man! I want Card! I want mama!" She screamed a bit too loudly inside the barracks and ran back over to Cardiloc, clasping onto his legs.
Cardiloc looked down at her, pat her head and whispered gently, "Ela, we will get mama back but first I have to do this thing. I must go for a long time. I will return. And we will get mama back. Just stay with my friend and wait for me, okay, Ela?" He took her outside of the barracks, gently guiding her along to the doors and pointed out across the land to the east.
"See those mountains? I have to go in there. Okay. I will come back."
"But, Cardiloc! I want to go with you! I don't know any of these peoples and they scare me..." Her great brown eyes filled with tears at the prospect of losing her brother. He was the only one she had left.
"You can't come with me because it will be dangerous. It's far scarier in there. See those dark mountains. I have to go and fight a bad person. Alright, Ela? If you ever feel scared, look out over the mountains-" he pointed at the Ephel Duath, "I'll fly over them and come back to you."
Ela was not fully deterred but resisted protesting.
"C'mon Ela, let's take you to a new home," Marco said to her, offering his hand. She did not take it but followed him.
"Let's go Iver," He said to the Dalishman, "Come with us, Card, I'll show you where she'll be staying." And the three of them departed, Daugo could tag along as well if he wanted as they were heading down the fourth level.
Ha'zi and Miriel were left alone. Sigeric was also there but he seemed too pre-occupied with finding himself a room.
"Hey, let's explore the city, how about that?" Miriel asked turning to Ha'zi, almost completely out of the blue.
Iver, Marco, Ela, Cardiloc and potentially Duago made their way down the sixth level, through the fifth, and unto the fourth. It was an arduous journey but filled with many sights. There were plenty of gardens and stores that they passed as well as beautiful residential blocks before they reached a large mansion-like house. It was one of three in its own residential space and dwarfed the others. There was a fence that surrounded it and Marco walked up to the gate and rapped on it a couple times. A gardener walked up to it and asked, "Who goes there?"
"A family friend," Marco responded after a bout of thought, "A nephew of Lady Eldrith."
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((I've assumed control of Cardiloc as I expect Wither is at a camp and offline for the next two days.))