Chapter 5

Elrond leaned forward, studying the grass. He waited in silence for a long moment, but finally spoke.

'I suppose that I knew before hand what was to happen. Perhaps I had sensed it. But I knew that something was stirring. The message came to me at night, I did not know where from. I had been with Glorfindel, for he could not sleep that night either, and we were once more planning the defense of Rivendell against the assault that Sauron was certain to bring down upon us. He was certain that our strategy could be improved on, I was agreeing with him, and yet, it seemed that I was not really there. Vilya sat cold on my finger. Glorfindel turned to me and fell silent. He knew it too.

'"Elrond," he said to me, his bright eyes filled with concern. "What troubles you?"

'I made no reply, his face was blurring before my eyes. I held my hand out to him and he took it, but I had not the strength to hold his, my fingers were numb and my hand limp.

'"Elrond," he cried. "You seem ill."

'I no longer had the strength to sit upright; he caught me as I fell. I lost all consciousness of my surroundings. Instead it seemed that I was standing in front of a door, tall and strong. There were people about me, but I could not make out their faces or voices; I know now that they must have been you and the rest of the fellowship, but at the time they appeared as flitting shadows. There was a terrible pain in my head and I thought that I might be dying. Vilya was burning my skin, but it was not Vilya; or, at least, not only Vilya. Nenya and Narya burnt as well, I tried to cry out, but I could make no sound.

'I saw Glorfindel for a moment, bending over me in concern, and the worried face of Celeborn; I heard the gentle winds of Lorien and distant music. Lastly I saw your face, grave and worn, speaking words that I could not hear. You called me by a name that was not mine, and yet, was. And then you were all gone.

'Galadriel spoke to me then, her voice smooth and comforting. She showed me the danger that you were in through my mind, and still, it was not only to me that she spoke, nor was it only her voice that I heard. I spoke also, and we debated slowly while it seemed that time passed at a pace strong and fast, but I was frozen in space, in a dim nothingness.

'All was lost in my thoughts, I no longer had my own perceptions, time flew past me and I alone remained unchanged, bound undeniably to the two others, and yet, severed from all; watching time and lands and people—billions of people, passing through the flow of time, swift and bright, before vanishing forever into darkness. I saw their faces, heard their voices, but they were all so soon gone.

'Then, time stopped. I saw a bleak street, a broken flowerpot, a rubbish bin. All was still, but that was just a moment. I found myself once more in nothing, feeling the touch of the other's minds. I tried to call out to them, but my thoughts were lost in the void. And then, they were gone. I was severed from the other two bearers, cast back sharply to my own reality. I cried out and Glorfindel answered my cry.'

Elrond stopped and picked absently at the grass. 'My hand was burnt as if I had held in it a living flame, and yet, Glorfindel had never left my side, and he had seen nothing strange about Vilya, nothing that could harm me; I had never left my own bed. He tended my burn, and I found that my ring had grown cool again. But my heart was empty, my soul felt severed in two. I could not explain it.'

Aragorn twisted Elrond's hair about his fingers. 'And that is how we were brought here?'

Elrond nodded. 'Yes.'

'And who bore Narya?'

'Mithrandir did. He is the bearer of the Ring of Fire. But where he is, I cannot say.'

'But, you said that you awoke in Rivendell. If it took all that to bring us here then how did you make it alone? And what of Saruman?'

'Patience, Estel, and I shall tell all.' He turned his face away.

'I felt that I was being called to go back to that world—this world—that I had only glimpsed for a moment. I heard Galadriel's voice in my head once more. She also had lost Mithrandir, and she knew that Saruman knew how to follow us.

'I could feel that I would not stay there. I was hovering between Imladris and this strange new world that had lain dirty and aching before me for a moment. I could not stay; I knew that I was leaving.

'Glorfindel was asking me what had happened. He wanted an explanation, he wanted answers, but I could not give them to him.

'"Elrond, what did you see?" he asked me.

'"I saw the future,' I answered. "And I must go back."

'"But why?"

'I did not answer. I caught him close and kissed him, trying not to cry. I tore the ring from my finger and slid it onto his. "I must leave now. Where I am going I cannot say, but I must be gone now. Take Vilya, protect Imladris, Glorfindel promise me that you will do this. Promise me that Imladris will not fall!"'

'He nodded. "I will try, but in these times, who am I to promise such a thing?"

'I did not answer him; instead, I turned to leave.

'"But, my lord, when will you return?" he called out to me.

'"That, I know not the answer to." I kissed him again, for he was crying, and fled from him.

'I went next to Arwen, and found her asleep. She looked so beautiful and peaceful lying there that I did not wish to wake her. I should have, for I regret it now, but I instead let her sleep, and kissing her, I left.

'Rivendell now appeared to me strange and shaking, the walls quivered and the few Elves I came across I could see through. I went to Elladan's room, for he had not yet returned to the wild, but he was not there. Grieved that I had missed him, I went to Elrohir's room. I found them both there. Elrohir was asleep, and I thought at first that Elladan was as well, but I saw that he was not. He was awake watching his brother; he turned to me as I stepped in. His eyes seemed to read right through me.

'"So, you would leave us," he stated.

'His words burnt my heart. I could only nod in answer.

'"You will be missed."

'Again I nodded.

'"You choose a perilous time in which to go, Father." His words were accusing, cutting. He had a cold fire in his eyes.

'What could I do but turn away? I could never hope to explain myself to him. He would not understand.

'He did not wish me to leave; he called after me to wait and ran to me, throwing his arms about me. He held me close, weeping, begging me not to go. This woke Elrohir, and he came to me as well. He did not accuse me, but I could read in his eyes that he felt betrayed.

'"Come back to us," he told me.

'But I could not promise him this, I could not promise him anything. I held them close, stumbling over words of explanation. Everything about me had dimmed, my sons were fading, I could feel my hands slipping through their bodies, and then they were gone.

'I found myself standing under a tree in a park in the midst of a roaring city. New York City I know now it is called. I caught a glimpse of Saruman a few minutes later, but he did not see me. I came to you as soon as I could.' He broke off and turned to the ranger.

'And that, Aragorn, is how I came to be with you.'

'But how is it possible?'

'I do not know, nay, only Galadriel and Saruman perhaps could answer that.'

'But is there certainty?'

'Certainty that they know the answer? No. But there is certainty on one point.'

'And that is?'

'That neither are here to help us.'

'And Mithrandir?'

'I cannot say.'

They fell into a silence that was only broken by Sam calling them in for supper.

Elrond rose to his feet. 'Come, Estel, the others await us.'

Aragorn got up. 'Yes.' He paused. 'And you know nothing else of Gandalf?'

'I am sorry.'