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15. Wind-Singers Volume I: The Hunt; Cellindien and Ioristion search for artifacts in ruins across Eriador
Topic Started: May 23 2014, 08:00 PM (1,306 Views)
Ioristion

Chapter CII: Beneath the Eaves of Sorrow

Cellinden, for her part, was concerned only with the moment. Her anger and pain still boiled close to the surface, and it was for this reason that she had pushed herself
almost to the end of her strength after returning to the Vale. Thinking herself alone, she slowly began to unfasten her training armor, laying it beside her.

The wind hissed softly through the trees. The river was tranquil in its surging rush. He maneuvered cautiously toward the boughs. Cellindien was before him, as he had
suspected. He approached silently, with caution. The main market of Imladris appeared over the brow of the cliffs, past a bridge. The waterfall surged before them. Alcano
moved closer.

She had just removed her gauntlets and was lifting the guards from her shoulders when Cellindien sensed the presence of another.
She froze, fingers still on the leather buckles. "Who comes?"

Alcano hid beside the nearby trunk of a large elm tree.

A frown darkened Cellindien's expression. "I know you are there.... and I caution you, I am not in the mood for games..."

Alcano began to sing softly, "Brave aunt, valiant Finlos... wandering in the shadows...... Cellindien, fair lover..... angered by Rostor's absence........"
"Alcano." Cellindien resumed her work, laying the guards on the ground beside her and wincing as the movement strained her aching muscles. "Alcano.... leave me."
"Is this what your betrothed would most desire?" Alcano sadly allowed the question to pass unhindered from his lips.

Cellindien sighed. "Who can say? Who can name the desires of the dead... when thousands of years lie between us..."
Edited by Ioristion, Mar 28 2016, 06:26 PM.
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Ioristion

Chapter CIII: Tension's Foe

"I do not think he would have ever wanted for you to live so long alone......." Alcano's heart-rate quickened.

"Alone!?" Cellindien laughed harshly. "Not with you and your fool of a father to torment me! Will you never have enough? I have served my purpose... told my tale, wielded
my sword.... leave me to what peace I can find."

A tear slowly dripped its way across the vast white surface, as if marble, rolling over the distant hills, passing the narrow gorge of his lips, and down across the brow
of his chin, "I am most heartily sorry..... that we are not your husband, or he who should have been........and if I could have died in his place, I would have...... for
your sake and his, I wish to all the Valar..."

Cellindien closed her eyes. The words and the emotion behind them touched her, raising guilt and shame from the mire of her anger. "Alcano..."

He shed another tear. He waited in silence.

She pressed one palm to her heart, slowly closing the fingers as if to grasp her heart tightly. "...Ai.... Alcano, you must not.... do not take that responsibility upon
yourself. You should never have been brought into this struggle... I am sorry...." She did not cry, staring wearily before her at the rushing water. A faded leaf fell into
the river and was pulled beneath the surface, rolling and spinning violently in the current before disappearing completely.

Alcano bowed and smiled, his eyes still teary, "You do not have to apologize...... I was not "brought into this struggle..." I am this struggle........ he is in me......
he lives within my blood...... his struggle lives within the flames within my hair..... the flames that crown my head and stream down my back in torrents...... there was
no choice involved. Do not blame my father....."

Cellindien retorted, "Poetic nonsense."

He approached and sat beside her without a word.
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Ioristion

Chapter CIV: The Flood Bursts

Cellindien bowed her head, giving no acknowledgment of his presence. "I will blame who I please... you... you, for all your looks and blood, are no Rostor. And that is
good... for you are not Rostor, but Alcano. Free yourself from that, at least. Do not live your life under the identity of another. We each have our own burdens to bear
without bearing those that do not belong to us."

Then, Alcano suddenly allowed his head to gently fall toward Cellindien's lap, "Free me then......"

Cellindien stiffened, a startled, bewildered expression on her face.

Alcano closed his eyes and smiled, "I am not cracking a joke...... or playing at absurd nonsense........ I am agreeing with you...... once you were Rostor's beloved
Finlos..... but you are also of my kin...... Cellindien...... sister of my father....... I am your brother-son......." his head reached down close, before it could lend
its weight upon her lap. He was waiting to see if she would allow it.

The meaning of the words swept over Cellindien and she let out a quick breath of air, raising one hand and gently guiding Alcano's head to her lap. "You.... would have me
as your kin....."

He felt the gentle warmth of her lap, and Alcano smiled, "Yes..... even if your past was wholly different...... you are regardless......"

A quiet sob broke free from Cellindien's chest and she pressed one hand to her mouth, resting the other tenderly on his head as tears rolled down her cheeks and formed
dark stains on the leather of her armor.
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Ioristion

Chapter CV: The Past Defeated

Alcano smiled warmly, tearing again himself, "Gondolin has passed away.... its streets...markets, courtyards and spires..... but we today still draw life's breath.......
we breathe..... we have outlasted stone." He did not know why he had said this, but his mind became struck with the thought: he said what he thought Rostor would have said
if he were here amongst the living......"

Cellindien breathed deeply. Tears still fell from her cheeks, but her voice was soft. "And new life has risen..." She smoothed his hair, a genuine smile gracing her lips
for the first time since she had returned to the Vale. "It is said that a mere Sapling has the power to burst forth, breaking the strongest stone."

Alcano smiled deeply, "We must dry those tears from your cheeks." His hand reached toward his pack by his side, his hand toiling to unfasten the straps, the luminous gold
peering through it, gleaming in the light of the sun.

Cellindien's smile faltered. The golden cloak, for all its glory and aid, had become almost as a burden to her on the last journey. Seeing it now brought painful memories
of everything that had happened, but she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing herself to release the pain.
Edited by Ioristion, Feb 21 2015, 10:27 AM.
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Ioristion

Chapter CVI: The Bond that Never Fades

Alcano's hand pulled the gold out of the sack, his mind flooded with peace, powerfully through the currents of it. He braced himself, knowing Auruiron's words concerning
this touch of the cloak in its majesty. As he passed it toward Cellindien, as he felt it drape upon her, Alcano's mind became transfixed, the vision growing, as he saw Rostor in all his glory, standing in Gondolin, dancing in his cloak, and then the horrors of the Last Alliance, as he saw him struck down. But he blinked and closed his eyes again. It was the last glimpse he would ever
have of his ancestor in the distant past, through the memories of his betrothed, his kin. But he did not let it get to him. He smiled as if nothing had happened.

Cellindien reached for the cloak as well, unthinking of the consequences as they both touched the fine cloth. At once an image sprang to her mind, clear and bright. A
young Alcano, yet an elfling in physical stature, was dancing. The steps were different from Rostor's but the elfling's intent was clear and it brought mixed pain and
sadness to her. She released the cloak.

And then Alcano said, "Forgive me, I forgot.... the powers of the Vala. Touch the cloak again, for the initial touch has passed." And as he did, the pain of the memory
vanished from his heart. And he no longer saw Rostor. He felt an overwhelming beauty, an awe-struck plucking of the chord-strings of his heart, a wave of emotional
flourish, of happiness, of peace, of hope, that all would turn out well in the end, and he no longer feared the memories of the past, nor dwelt upon them, the pain and
sorrow fleeing from his soul. And then he knew how Auruiron had endured the thousands of years of watching, waiting, hoping, for the return of Maglor son of Feanor.

"As did I..." Cellindien hesitantly returned her fingers to the cloak, breathing in relief and ease as the same peace and comfort swept over her. In one smooth motion she
lifted the cloak and spun it about her, letting it fall over her shoulders. One generous fold she wrapped about Alcano, smoothing it into place.

And Alcano smiled and closed his eyes to rest. He felt more safe than he had ever felt, in familial love, the closeness of their kinship bond: brother-sister and brother-
son. The fair songs of the river flowed peacefully beside them.
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Ioristion

Chapter CVII: A House Divided

As Cellindien, Ioristion, and Alcano rode back into the Vale of Imladris, three days prior to the present time, Rostoriel caught sight of their approach. Throughout the weeks of their absence, her heart was filled with grief at Ioristion's swift departure. She saw them part and the downcast glance upon Ioristion's face. He seemed deranged. A pale, sickly light was in his eyes. He did not speak. Rostoriel questioned him as they passed further inside their house. Rirossel peered in from the other room. Rostoriel cast her downcast eyes upon her husband's sorrowful face, "What did you do...?"

They were standing in their library, the dim light of candles reflecting on bindings of sapphire and ruby, emerald and opal in their brilliance. But the shadows crept up from the floor, down from the ceiling, and across from the walls nigh the doors. The shadows reminded Ioristion of Moria. He trembled in the darkness.

Finally, Ioristion allowed the breath of words to cross his tightened lips, "She.....I........ we were assailed by a grave Shadow from which we fled and....... we saw visions, ghosts of the past that still seem to haunt us...."

"Do not tell me that you found him," Rostoriel's eyes grew wide, and Ioristion nodded gravely. She turned away, "You should not have left this Vale. Now he is nearer than we have feared. Oh, my husband......."

Suddenly, Ioristion showered her with kisses, rich as honey, and if a kiss was a flower, she received a meadow. And they embraced and tried to forget all of it, the stress and the angst, their lost centuries. They left the library and went to their place of rest in their living space. She spread her cloak of crimson around them both, and he, his cloak of gold, intertwining them together, the two becoming one in their close embrace. They slept peacefully that night.

And when dawn's bright rays pierced the vale on the second day, their night of mirth had turned swift to bickering. For he had still treated her as if nothing had happened. And Rostoriel realized it as she saw him resting next to her. She saw it before she opened her eyes. The thought had crossed her mind before she saw him, wrapped close against her like a babe in his mother's arms. She got up and went into a different room while Ioristion's body crashed onto the empty seat, his mind running wild, his eyes open. A flood of thoughts subdued Rostoriel as she paced back and forth in the library chamber. And she marched back into their living space. Ioristion, meanwhile, had thought of several past events, including Alcano's sudden appearance. He wondered why his son was allowed to leave the Vale. He was still pondering it when Rostoriel barged into the room.

"You left us.... you abandoned us........." Rostoriel retorted.

Ioristion stammered, "Why did you let our son escape?"

Rostoriel's eyes gazed back at him, defiant: "No force upon this earth could have stopped him, my husband."

Ioristion yelled, "Did you not command?"

Rostoriel spat back, "Nay. His strength had returned and he knew how to survive."

And in a deep, low voice, Ioristion: "You..."

Rostoriel turned away sadly, "And now you have scared poor Finlos away from us...."

Ioristion withdrew inside himself, hiding in his memories, but then he felt Findekano near at hand. He did not see him, but he felt him, and he knew that something was amiss. But the spirit did not reveal himself. Ioristion thought through the past several weeks, his goading, commanding, his leading.... leading his sister nigh the worst Shadow he had ever faced..... and he abandoned her. He had unseamed her feelings, her emotions, he gave her the past, and stripped her of it, in her loneliness in the shadow of Rostor's long past death. And then he began to think of her as she was, the elleth trainer in Imladris, and he spoke his thoughts aloud: "Cellindien. Cellindien is her name. Finlos is dead."

Rostoriel shook her head. For centuries, she was Finlos. Finlos the mystery, the ecstasy of her brother's thoughts, the phantom.... the vanished shade, the dead elleth who escaped. She had known. Somehow she had known. And her brother never listened. He seldom smiled. Only Ioristion had made him laugh for a time. Then he was gone. Can I truly dwell on this forever? Have I truly forgiven her loss, her absence? And she demanded inside herself, she fought herself, and as Feanor's legions charged beneath the stars, Rostoriel's past thoughts swarmed to overwhelm her voice: "Finlos will never die. My brother..."

And Ioristion suddenly shouted, "Is dead or worse than dead, I will hear no more of this."

"Oh!" Rostoriel shouted and stammered away. Ioristion sighed. He had long decided in his silence that the memories of the past were tearing them apart. And the dark tendrils of his madness were indeed attempting to sprout newly delicate roots. He shunned them and tried not to allow himself to grieve. And Cellindien's anger was just. He now knew he should not have taken her to Eregion. It was far too much for anyone to bear. And now it was over. She would stay away from him, scattered leaves in Imladris, never again to sprout upon the bough. Or so he thought. Yet he bickered with Rostoriel throughout the day, Rirossel kept mostly to herself, and no one had noted Alcano's absence from the household.
Edited by Ioristion, Feb 22 2015, 09:40 PM.
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Ioristion

Chapter CVIII: An Elven Marriage

For the next two days, the tension remained the same. Alcano periodically appeared, unnoticed. He slept where he wished to sleep. But then he vanished again. Rostoriel was wondering about it all. But still Ioristion insisted that his Quest was more important than anything else. And Rostoriel sobbed in secret. She could not bear it. She could not bear the discord. The discord wrought in her husband's heart. And it was all this Guldrambor's doing. Amanuiron was a dreadful name in her vocabulary. She wondered if she herself could have been bewitched by his beauty. And then horrified by his malice. She began to gradually ascend from her depths of grief. The wretched Maia would not grant them peace until his demise. And in her depths of heart, her pulsing heart, beating strongly, she saw her husband as a victim. They were all assailed by this grave wretchedness. And it was all the fault of Feanor. And of their ancestors, for crossing the Ice.

The ice of her heart melted into water. It was never truly frozen. For goodness was the nature of the Eldar. And she approached her husband, "Forgive me..."

Ioristion had brooded. He had brooded over all of it. The treasures. The searching. All of it. He felt sorry for Cellindien, who lost herself in the wake of Finlos' return. He felt sorry for what he had done. As he heard his wife's words, he sobbed. And tears came from her eyes as well. As they embraced and kissed and proceeded to rest.

"My dear, beloved wife.... forgive me...."

But Alcano did not see any of this. He was with Cellindien, resting his head upon her knees, wrapped generously in a fold of her cloak.
Edited by Ioristion, Feb 26 2015, 08:27 PM.
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Ioristion

Chapter CIX: The Stars

Their rest was long and tranquil. Hours passed as if mere moments in eternity. Their rest and peace in mirth was aided by the songs of the river in their soothing,
beautiful tones. Alcano was at peace. He did not wish to speak and break the silence. He rested with his eyes closed. The sun had set and the stars of Elbereth unveiled
their grandeur in the sky.The stars reflected in the Bruinen's flowing surface, glittering in the moonlight. Alcano opened his eyes, gazing upward toward Cellindien.

Cellindien did not meet his eyes at once, drifting in peaceful reverie. After a moment she breathed deeply and looked down, seeming to sense his gaze. "The stars are
beautiful, are they not?" She smiled softly.

Alcano smiled, his head lifting slightly for a nod, then returning to its restful gaze. He looked upward, the moonlight shining on her silver hair. His ancestor's
betrothed of legend, yet Cellindien also. Real, of the myth, living outside the myth. Her eyes gleaming as the stars above. -I will protect her for you,- he thought. He
wished his thoughts reached Mandos. He gazed at the stars, his eyes attempting to pierce the firmament. His eyes journeyed far, but not beyond the dome of the sky. The
stars were made brighter by the void. At this, he wondered. He wondered if it was all so that the stars might shine more brightly. He finally uttered, as if a mere
whisper, "Yes... they are..."

Cellindien waited silently, watching his face with a mild curiosity. What was he thinking of? When he finally spoke she laughed quietly. "Can it be...? The heavens have
stolen the Sapling's tongue?"

Alcano nearly laughed, "No. His tongue still wags inside his stem." He rubbed the generous fold of Cellindien's cloak gently. He lifted a portion of it to his nose and
smelt it. It had a fair and pleasant scent. He let it fall above his neck. He thought back to his days of training. Drill after drill. Sharpening his skills. The skills
that saved him from the troll. But he resolved not to think of grueling thoughts. He made them flow away with the songs of the river. He smirked.

"I do not know if your mother would be more pleased or angry if you returned to the house silent." Cellindien raised an eyebrow when she saw the smirk. "What is this
face?"

"Oh, chasing away memories of training. I wonder how we lived in the same Vale for so long, and never spoke......" This was something he had not thought of before. How had
Cellindien dwelt there. How had he not spoken with her. He wondered, pondering it. An elf with silver hair. Many Elves had silver hair, he reasoned. He did not think it
would have been Finlos, who perished.But how had she not questioned he, or his mother, elves of the rust-hair? He did not know. He raised his eyebrow, waiting with expectation.
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Ioristion

Chapter CX: Chasing Tension

Cellindien's body felt stiff from sitting for so long in her armor after training, but she felt relaxed and rested despite the ache that waited beneath the surface. His
question surprised her and she laughed again. Mirth seemed to come easily this night. "There are many elves in this Vale to whom I did not speak." The laughter faded from
her expression and it became more thoughtful. "I... do not reach out, Alcano. I have had no reason to do so, and many reasons not to. My training has been enough, and my
duty to Master Elrond."

Alcano nodded, "Yes. I am glad I know you now." His smile widened.

"And I am glad to know you, brother-son." The mention of Ioristion had been a mistake. Cellindien sighed heavily, a hint of the old tension returning to her body and
spirit. She still felt a lingering trace of anger and pain at the thought of her brother, but she could not hide from him forever.

Alcano saw the tension slowly return. He thought quickly. She was still in her armor, and probably aching. He hatched a quick plot. He ran his hands along the lining of
her cloak, raised his head, suddenly sprinting upward, kissing her quickly on the lips, and laughing, running away toward the Last Homely House, hoping she would give
chase. He laughed as he ran, thinking "It worked at Amon Sul," ran out of the forest, up the hill, across the bridge, across more hills, across another bridge, in front of
the courtyard, around the stoa, hiding himself lightly behind several vines of ivory in the rear of the stoa of the Last Homely House.

Cellindien was caught completely off-guard and had no chance to fend off the kiss. She jumped to her feet as he ran, wincing at the sudden move, then seized her discarded
gauntlets and gave chase. "Alcano!" What was the Sapling up to now? But there was a part of her that still wished for company, and so she swallowed her pride, ignoring the
shocked look of an elf out for a quiet stroll.

Alcano laughed some more, for it was a chaste kiss, a gesture to bring her away from the pains of tension. He smirked as he hid behind the vines, awaiting her.

Cellindien's muscles protested the sudden sprint violently and as she reached the House the muscles of one leg spasmed, sending her to one knee in a flurry of muffled and
embarrassed curses.

Alcano still heard no one coming. He snickered, but then wondered what he would do next. He did not know. So he took his crimson cloak of silk and let it pour down his
body, hiding inside its folds, as his father would have done. He felt safer inside his cave of silk, the vines behind it.
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Ioristion

Chapter CXI: The Groaning

Cellindien drew in a deep breath and called out in frustration. "ALCANO!"

A voice. Alcano heard it from afar. He snickered to himself, but he maintained his hiding place. Alcano did not hear further yelling. He wondered if she gave up the bait.
Now he was afraid of her. He remained in hiding. He heard footsteps. He suddenly released his cloak, unveiling his face, and ran down toward the tributary of the Bruinen,
to follow it beneath the House.

"Alcano...?" Cellindien suddenly caught sight of a flash of red and groaned, following at a slower pace. Why must the sapling play such games? She was weary.

Alcano darted through several high shrubs and slipped beneath the Hall of Fire, and hid inside his cloak, standing behind a pillar.

The ground was damp as Cellindien followed, paying attention to the traces of footprints and disturbed shrubbery. This seemed excessive, even for Alcano, and suddenly she
began to wonder if she had frightened him in her anger. She sighed, limping slightly as she moved forward. "Alcano? Sapling... enough."

Alcano moved around the pillar as she approached, hiding still, his eyes peeking through his cloak.

Cellindien could sense that he was near, but mud was sticking to her boots and her leg threatened to spasm once again. "Alcano, please."
Edited by Ioristion, Feb 27 2015, 05:01 PM.
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Ioristion

Chapter CXII: Flowing Wakefulness

Alcano was ready to peer behind the pillar, when his foot slipped in the mud and he fell tumbling into the river.

Cellindien spun around at the sound, jumping forward. "Alcano!"

Alcano floated sullenly in the water. He looked down to see mud washing away from his cloak. His cloak and robes flowed around him, tickling him at times, as he felt the
fabric flowing with the water, lapping against his legs and upper body. "I..."

Cellindien sighed and crossed her arms. "You....?"

Alcano's teeth chattered, "I...I am sorry..... I....."

"Well... I can hardly blame you for my own lack of discretion in training, can I?" Cellindien offered him a half-smile and an out-stretched hand. "Come. And don't think of
pulling me in... I don't think my leg would take it at the moment."

Alcano reached for her hand and smiled, stumbling back onto the muddy shore, quickly hoisting his robes and cloak up toward his arms.

Cellindien looked him up and down, unable to resist a smirk.

Alcano laughed, "Now, concerning my father...."

"...Your father will not be pleased when he sees..." Cellindien gestured towards the mess that was Alcano. "...this. Come, give me your cloak. I will.... see you home.
That is all."

Alcano smiled, handing her the soggy cloak. "Very well." He bowed, and they climbed the slope, making their way toward his home.
Edited by Ioristion, Feb 27 2015, 08:18 PM.
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Ioristion

Chapter CXIII: On a Familial Threshold

When they reached the home, Alcano proceeded cautiously through the doors. All was silent inside. The hall seemed empty. Alcano sighed at his wet clothes.

Cellindien followed, having done her best to wring some of the water out of his cloak before entering. Even so she left muddy footprints and a trail of water drops from
the door. "Perhaps they are out...? If you stay here I could fetch you something from your room."

Alcano nodded, "I think I should change in my room. One moment please." He darted up the stairs through the door to their right.

"You will leave a trail...!" Cellindien sighed and looked down at the sodden cloak in her arms. She could simply leave it out and slip away now, rather than risk running
into Ioristion or another family member. And that was what she decided to do, folding up the cloak as well as she could and setting it down near the staircase. The
footprints she could not help.

Alcano grabbed the seams of his robes, which had partially stopped dripping, drying in the journey back to the home. Still, parts dripped, and it was damp. He found a
silken robe engraved with golden markings, akin to the robes of his grandfather. He dried himself and changed, and then he had hung the wet clothes. Meanwhile,
downstairs.... A voice came from behind Cellindien. Rirossel stood, her raven locks pouring behind her frame. "Finlos..."

Cellindien jumped and turned to face her, relaxing slightly when she saw who it was. "I am not staying. I am merely returning Alcano's cloak. He had a bit of... mishap...
in the river."

Rirossel smiled, "So that is where he was. With you...... oh this house has felt pain the past three days...."

"He was." Cellindien stood tall, seeming almost emotionless, though her eyes were more uncertain. "I am sorry to hear that. I will not prolong it. And... you seem to be
mistaken as to my name. It is Cellindien."

Rirossel nodded, "Forgive me.... I did not know."
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Ioristion

Chapter CXIX: A Vanished Brother

Another voice came from an adjacent hall, "Who is there?" Rostoriel trod into the room. "Cellindien...."

Cellindien blinked, surprised. "Ah... did you not?" She stiffened as Rostoriel entered, beginning to step towards the door. "I was only just leaving..."

Rostoriel nodded, "Fear not. I do not blame you.......my husband's madness had clearly not abated. I am sorry you even journeyed to Eregion...."

"It has made some things clear." Finlos was no more. Cellindien lived on. Even if she should meet Rostor someday... it would be as Cellindien. She sighed. "Ioristion... is
he unwell?"

Rostoriel frowned, "He..... we..... did not enjoy as great a depth of mirth as we have wished. But now we are reconciled. He is sitting in our resting space. Let me
see...."

But as she turned into that chamber, he had vanished. "He is not here..... that is strange...."

By now Alcano had descended the stairs in his new robes, with a rag, forcing himself to dry the wet spots on the stairs and floor. Then he came into the entry hall,
overhearing Rostoriel. Alcano sighed, "Where is he now...."

"I am glad things have settled." Cellindien's eyes widened in alarm as Rostoriel turned away to find her husband. "No, that is not... he is gone?" She felt a slight tinge
of worry despite herself.

Rirossel shrugged her shoulders. Alcano began to think. He was somewhere in the house.... and not upstairs in the tower. So where....... he thought about it carefully. The
cellars. The secret places beneath their estate. Where they had hid......... Alcano impulsively ran back up the stairs, grabbing a certain Staff from within his room. He
ran back down, "I have my sad suspicions..

"What do you mean?" Cellindien demanded. "Speak plainly."
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Ioristion

Chapter CXX: The Good that Faded

Alcano sighed, "Remember a certain artifact.... we hid it in the cellars?" He suddenly ran through several corridors without a warning.

Cellindien's eyes widened. "No! The fool!" She ran after him, hoping to find Ioristion. Whatever her argument with the elf, she had promised to protect him, and she could
not in good conscience desert him even now.

The others followed them both cautiously. Alcano turned and found the shaft open. A set of stairs descending into the shadows. He followed, down through several narrow
stairways, and into several veiled and dusty chambers. Old and ancient tomes lined some of the walls. And a strange light emitted from a chamber far ahead.

Cellindien was close behind, then pushed past Alcano, hurrying towards the light.

There Ioristion had walked. As if entranced. The thought burning within him. Secretly for days. A glimmer of gold touching. The threshold on the stones. He slipped
through, the gold streaming behind him. Billowing in bright domes. Streaming in long, flowing rivers. Beautiful, if light had shined upon him. Reflecting the light of the sun. Waves upon waves of fabric billowing down the stairs. He seemed as if a Noldorin King of old. There the orb had stood. He touched it. He brought forth the artifact from Eregion. And the orb began to exude a ghostly glow. And the golden eagle spread his lofty wings. Then he touched it with the artifact. The jewel upon the sphere. And his thoughts soared higher than the stars, brighter than the sun.

Cellindien sprinted forward, fear rising in her heart at the sight before her. "Ioristion!" She ran to his side, taking hold of his hand and trying to draw it away from
the sphere. "You fool, what do you think you are doing?!"

Rostoriel darted after her, fear welling in her eyes. Rirossel followed behind her.

The jewel's approach toward the sphere had grown brighter and brighter. Then a cascade of light surrounded and blinded their eyes. Ioristion blinked. Cellindien's hand
grasped his, pulling the jewel away.

Ioristion's hand impulsively shoved back, struggling to touch the jewel to the orb once more, "I can see them......" he uttered strangely.
Alcano approached slowly with the Staff.

"See who?" Cellindien shuddered, trying to move between her brother and the orb, to do anything to keep him away. "Ioristion!"

Alcano grabbed Ioristion's cloak, shoving him away, but still Ioristion grasped relentlessly. Then Rostoriel desperately shouted, "Ioristion! This is madness! Stop resisting us!" Her heart pounded throughout the rhythms of her body, thumping loudly with each successive beat.

"Brother!" This time the fear was obvious in Cellindien's voice and she seized the front of his robe. Then, as if pressing with a shield, she pushed him away with all her
strength, her back to the orb.

Ioristion fell between them, grasping and crawling on the floor. There was no response from the Staff. Rostoriel tried to pull on her husband's cloak.

"The jewel," Cellindien gasped, "We must take the jewel from him!" She knelt by his side and tried to take hold of it.

Alcano aided as Ioristion struggled madly. Ioristion's hand kept reaching, grasping, painfully gripping the jewel. Rostoriel grabbed and pulled, along with Rirossel. Rirossel struggled, her hands reaching closer to the orb. The three sisters grasping, grappling with one brother over his prize.

"Ioristion, listen to me! You must let go! Let it go!" Cellindien finally seized the jewel and wrested it from his grip.

Ioristion ceased to struggle. He stopped moving. His limbs fell limp as he faded from consciousness.
The jewel, severed from the orb, faded in its light, until it sat calmly in her hands.
Edited by Ioristion, Mar 11 2015, 11:29 PM.
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Ioristion

Chapter CXXI: From the Depths of Vanished Goodness

Cellindien spared it a quick glance before quickly formed a pouch out of a fold of her cloak and wrapping the jewel in it.

Alcano shook his father, who was not responsive.

Cellindien hurriedly reached out to place a few fingers on his neck below the jawline to test his pulse. "Ioristion!"

Rirossel quickly covered and removed the orb. Rostoriel was still gasping from the struggle, "My husband..."

Ioristion's pulse was slow under Cellindien's fingers and she quickly removed them. "He is not well... I can do nothing here... we must find a healer, and quickly!"

Ioristion suddenly began to moan, almost at a mumbling whisper, struggling, "No.....no....."

At once Cellindien lifted him in her arms, cradling him against her chest and wrapping their two cloaks about him. "Brother... brother, you are safe. Awake, Ioristion."

Ioristion slowly opened his eyes, barely able to speak: "...my sister...."

Cellindien closed her eyes for a moment, nearly overcome with relief. "Yes...yes, Ioristion. What have you done now, brother?"

"I....I do not know...... it felt beautiful........." Ioristion weakly smiled.

"We feared for you. You would not release the jewel." Cellindien sighed. "How do you feel?"

Ioristion tried to move his limbs slowly, "As if I stepped forward from a deep dream."

"I believe that you would be better off away from this dark room..." Cellindien looked up at the others. "Please, find something to conceal the jewel... and wine, for
Ioristion..."

Rirossel returned with a wooden chest, "I have already hidden the orb. Here," and she hastily grabbed and hid the jewel, vanishing into another chamber. Her heart pounded with fear, not understanding what the artifact was. She hid it swiftly behind several stones in the cellar walls behind the wine-casks. Then she returned.

Rostoriel's face was impassive at first, still in shock of all that had transpired, but she smiled at the close bond between brother and sister. "Come, Cellindien, let us help him back upstairs to our chamber of rest."

Cellindien agreed, "Ah... yes, of course."
Edited by Ioristion, Mar 11 2015, 11:30 PM.
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Ioristion

Chapter CXXII: The Flight to the Present

They helped Ioristion out of the chamber and through the dusty corridors.

At once Cellindien felt ashamed to have taken the place beside Ioristion. She assisted Rostoriel and together they were able to bring the ellon up the stairs.

To their left was the entry chamber. To their right, the chamber of rest. It was a fair chamber with several bookshelves, and a resting place with cushions and pillows.
Rostoriel brought him some wine and he sipped it slowly. Ioristion felt comfortable and began to breathe with calmer ease. "...forgive me...."

Cellindien stayed back once Ioristion was settled on the bed, wishing to go to her brother but unsure of her place, or if Ioristion was even speaking to her. "Rostoriel, I
beg your pardon... I will take my leave, and allow you to tend to your husband. Only keep away the artifacts for now... hide them." She turned to leave.

Rostoriel spoke calmly, "Wait. You need not leave, my dear Cellindien. Your concern is appreciated. You have saved him from his madness yet again. Feel not ashamed. You
are my sister too." She warmly smiled.

Cellindien paused at the door to the chamber, looking back at them for a minute before shaking her head. "Thank you... but I have done what needed to be done. Farewell."

Ioristion mumbled, "I dreamed...... I saw......." He spoke no more. Rostoriel leaned-in and kissed him deeply, attempting to awaken him, to no avail. He fell into a deep slumber.

But she was gone before he could finish the sentence. As Cellindien left the home, Alcano stealthily followed her.
Edited by Ioristion, Mar 11 2015, 11:32 PM.
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Alcano

Chapter CXXIII: Sisters and Wives

Cellendien paused as the doors to the house closed behind her and put a hand to her head. The brief respite with Alcano seemed an Age away after yet another battle for
Ioristion's life. She wondered if their task would ever be completed, then shook her head and started to walk away wearily.

Alcano stealthily slipped outside the door, following her footsteps carefully.

Weary as she was, Cellindien's senses were still on edge and she had only traveled a short distance along the path from the house before she became aware of the other elf.

"Alcano..." she said, for it could only be him. "Come out..."

Alcano sighed, revealing himself, "Very well..... father-sister....."

Cellindien: "Your father is not well and there is trouble in your house. Why do you follow me?"

Alcano's perceptive eyes glanced into her own, "You speak of 'your' house........"

Cellindien shook her head. "No, Alcano. I have my quarters... they are my own, and I have very little. This place is not my house, nor my home."

Alcano sighed deeply: "I understand you are afraid........ I could tell, when we rested astride the river...... you have created your own name for yourself....... your own
place.... to escape the past....."

"No!" Cellindien closed her eyes, pained and angered. She had believed as they spoke that he had at last come to understand... she was no longer Finlos. It was not an
escape, but a recognition. "I have created a place for myself, so that I may continue to live in my own right, so that I may look beyond the past!"

Alcano smirked, "Calm down, Cellindien. I know that Finlos has passed away. I do not deny this recognition. But I must ask you...... why? Why not be both........ the past
reconciled with the present....... no longer at war........"

Cellindien sighed again and her shoulders slumped in exhaustion. "There is no peace to be had in that house... I long to rest, but I fear to leave... even now, Ioristion,
how do I dare leave him alone?! But I am not his tender..."

Alcano's eyes blazed, "So that is your concern........ your close bond as my father's sister, versus my father's marriage with my mother......."

"Has only one solution." Rostoriel had suddenly come into view. She had been listening nearby out of sight. She approached Cellindien, "If that is your fear, think
again......."
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Rostoriel

Chapter CXXIX: The Overwhelming Past of Death

"That is not-" Cellindien's eyes widened as Rostoriel stepped out and she crossed her arms over her chest, abruptly tightening her jaw. Ioristion had borne the brunt of
her anger before, but even after thousands of years Luingil's training would not allow her to do the same to an elleth.

Rostoriel's eyes widened, "Ai! Do you have to....... listen to me. We both know that my husband can drive us over the edge to madnesses of our own, of a different kind.
The madness of one left alone in this world. I still think back in frustration, when I think of how I could have, should have, prevented my brother and my husband from
going to war. Their minds were fixed, their hearts as if iron........ and now iron has taken them away. You have restored one whom I have greatly loved. Yet, I loved that
my brother and he had bonded so closely..... and my husband respected the same between us. There is no discord........ There is only one way through this. Why, we should
spent more time together.... the two of us. We should share our thoughts. Then, our roles will be well, known, and fulfilled. Jealousy..... the mortals have this problem.
The Enemy sowed it. But we are not as weak in spirit as they.............. my beloved sister."

Cellindien spoke, trying to keep her tone civil, but with each word she became more agitated. "If there is no discord, why does your husband flee below ground in an
unstable state, yet no one notices? Your son disappears and no one knows where he has gone. There is a tension that never eases... there has always been, with Ioristion...
and no amount of chatting over tea can end that."

Rostoriel laughed, "'Chatting over tea!' Now that has brought mirth into my heart. I have a better draught than tea. But it matters not. My son disappears...... why?
Because his father does. I have tried to watch over both of them, but they are un-tameable, because of their madness. Melimwe re-assured me countless times. In truth,
........I do not know.......I keep watch as best I can, but you must understand...... I was not trained in the ways you were........ I was trained to dance, to sit
properly, to bow..... not to wield a sword, observe an opponent's movements, or to hold my ground....... Melimwe supported us throughout these ages. To him, I owe more
than everything..... and to you."

Cellindien was caught off-guard by the laugh and she listened with a puzzled expression on her face. "I do what I have been trained to do, Rostoriel... I care for
Ioristion in the only way that I have learned. What...." Her voice trembled but she quickly pressed down the flood of emotion. "What more do you want of me? Why will you
not leave me in peace? Why will none of you leave me in peace? I am not like you."

Alcano was about to speak, but Rostoriel hushed him. She approached her, "You wish to remain alone...... as you have throughout all of these sad, unhappy years. My brother
dwelt in similar sadness..... I could only watch him from afar, none brought mirth into his heart.... neither the glimmer of the sun on holly-trees, nor the gentle
mountain winds...nor all the mithril scattered beneath the deep places of the earth, ever brought peace into his heart. Only my husband, finally, brought laughter into his
heart. You are not like us, you say.......... But I will tell you. We are more like you than you have come to believe, Cellindien." She stressed her name. "You were born
from the ashes of Gondolin, raised in the realms of our kin. Auruiron, who is now one of your fathers, was once Alcon. And Alcon was very different. Alcon dwelt in bliss,
his worst fears were his father dragging him to court...... Auruiron harped along the shores of the sea for centuries, mourning, sad......... We are all changed through
the passage of time, through what we have lost..... clinging to what we still have, to become anew..... Our former names, forgotten, as we cling to our new names..........
I, too, perished in Gondolin. The young elleth girl who exited her parents' estate perished in the flames that burned them."
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Rostoriel

Chapter CXXX: Familial Beloved

Cellindien stood motionless, her arms still crossed, but inside her thoughts were reeling.

Rostoriel spoke on, "And for years, I did not know who I was. But I could not feel my brother's pain. I should have embraced one of my suitors.... and I sent them all
away. Now I am glad that I did, for Ioristion's sake........ but I am not who I once was, Cellindien....... so be it then. Finlos did indeed perish in the Court of the
Fount. And there, you were born. And together, I am confident we can bring peace."

Realization hit Cellindien and she physically stumbled from the shock. How could she have not realized? Of course.... of course Rostoriel had lived there, walked the same
streets. Ioristion had not. Alcano had not. Only the sisters and the distant Lord Glorfindel shared in those memories. She paled as memories came flooding back, stronger
than ever before... The house she had grown up in, the dry, dead smell of the barren soil of its garden, never tended... the bustle of market day in the lower circles...
the pain of the smoke in her eyes as the city burned. She turned away, determined not to lose her composure, even before Rostoriel. "Excuse me...."

Rostoriel approached her again, coming closer, the train of her crimson silken dress gliding gently on the fair stones of the road behind her, flowing with her cloak.
"Forgive me, I should not have mentioned those memories. The past, as you say, is past. We must live for the moment now. And you must teach your beloved brother, and I, my
beloved husband, how to do the same." She placed her warm, comforting hand on Cellindien's shoulder. And in doing so, she touched the cloak. And she heard the familiar
screams and cries, the sounds of soldiers charging, and beheld her brother naught but briefly. And then the shadow rose. She felt fear, a chilling depth of terror, it froze her soul.She saw it rise tall and terrible. Gothmog, Balrog of Morgoth. And she saw him raise his weapon. She narrowly escaped, but was fading quickly. She felt hands grabbing her from behind. Melimwe's touch, she knew it well. And then the vision ended. And she wondered what her sister saw. The image of Rostor sitting sadly in meditation in the distance. The image of Ioristion in his insanity, ranting about history. But then the vision turned upon herself, her steadfast face, challenging ages of despair.

Tears rose to Cellindien's eyes as she felt the hand upon her shoulder. At last, one who truly understood... not a warrior of Gondolin, no, but one who had lived there.
One who had lost almost everything... and how much more had she suffered, in losing beloved parents? Then the images rose before her mine and she turned, pushing them away
and firmly gripping Rostoriel's hands in hers. "Rostoriel!" She did not know what her... sister... had seen, but there were few enough memories. It was not right, to add
more to one who had lost so much.

And Rostoriel returned the tight grip, gently moving both arms aside in her tightness, as she deeply embraced Cellindien, "We have both endured..... through many terrible
things..... and we are here......, my sister...... my beloved sister........"

"I am sorry... I am so sorry...." Cellindien wept in earnest now. Rostoriel and Rirossel spoke of Cellindien's loneliness, but what of theirs? From the depths of her heart
and memories, Finlos rose from the ruins and reached out her hands to her sisters. "Please.... let us go inside.... so much time has been lost..."

Rostoriel smiled, "There is nothing to forgive......." She affectionately kissed her sister on the cheek, "And I will leave it up to you. You shall have a room in our
house, as well as your own quarters, and may take your rest wherever you would prefer.... varying, even.... and," she smirked, "Are we truly going to allow my husband to
disturb us, after all we have endured, the Terrors we have faced?"

Cellindien laughed through her tears. "No, certainly not."

Alcano had watched the whole conversation in awe. He slipped inside, to tell Rirossel what he had heard.

Rostoriel's face beamed, "Cellindien...... remember. You need not surrender who you are now, to the past. Come then, let us check on our mutual patient."
And when they came inside, Ioristion was still fast asleep, unconscious in their chamber of life. Rostoriel smiled, "Come. I have wine. It is more warming than tea, do you
not agree?" She laughed.
Edited by Rostoriel, Mar 12 2015, 03:41 PM.
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Ioristion

Chapter CXXXI: The Elves' Favored Medicine

Rostoriel led them into the pantry, where she obtained one of her more recent vintages. Then she placed the cups on the table. They sat down as she poured the wine. It was
an elder vintage. She did not toast the wine. She nodded and began to drink it slowly and deeply, the epiphanic currents plunging down her throat in a sea of warmth and
velvety splendour.

She placed the glass back on the table. She had only had one sip.The table was small. The pantry doors were of oak, richely carved. The table was small and round. The chairs were well-crafted in a Lindonian style. The walls in this chamber were bright red. Light was shining through the open twin windows that overlooked the Vale.

Cellindien followed Rostoriel quietly, doing her best to compose herself as they passed into the house. She sat silently at the table, hesitantly taking the glass offered
to her. After thousands of years she had at last begun to savor such pleasures, but in the face of freshly awakened memories she could not bring it to her lips. She ran
one finger around the rim of the glass.

Rostoriel nodded, her smile decreasing, not out of anger, but of sympathy. "Forgive me. I...I should have waited."

The other elleth looked up in surprise. "Waited...? What ever for?" She looked back at her glass and grimaced before she could help herself. "No, it is I who should
apologize. I thought that this particular trouble had passed..."

Rostoriel reached out across the table, to hold her hand. "It will pass.... with time, it will pass......"

Cellindien did not move, allowing her to do so. When she spoke, her voice seemed softer, younger. "My father was very fond of wine."
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