[Tenduriel]

according to my origin, slender bows and green feathered arrows should be my favorite weapons, silent in use and more efficient than the bloody slashing blades of mortal men, for I am raised in the far forrests of Lothlórien in the days when the world was young. long I have thought I was Elven, but when the days of our departure came, I found out that I was lied to. because my father was a mortal man, a warrior of the ancient people of Arnor named Faruom; so I was told by Celebrían. I left my mother and went to the north, roaming in the cold lands of the fallen kingdom of Arnor. in Fornost it was that I found his grave, a simple tombstone on a low hill, but the inscriptions told me about his part in longforgotten battles, and it appeared to me he was a hero, a concept alien to the mind of the Elves. that night I stayed there, keeping vigil over this little spot of earth that suddenly had become sacred to me. and in the night a voice came to me, and following its instructions I arrived in a depression not far from the grave, and there I started digging. long I digged, and when I finally looked up I saw the midday sun sparkle above the hazes. but no weariness came over me, for I had found a treasure! when the sun appeared over the broken edge of the pit I saw a flash of silver, and when I layed my hands on the metal grip I lifted up a mighty sword, silver-blue, unaffected by the years it had been burried! ancient runes ran over the blade and they appeared to move, like the waves of the Western Sea. "I am Ingawen, forged by dwarves hands in the dungeons of Fornost, blade-of-water, servant of Faruom, descendant of Elendil," it read, and I knew I had found my legacy.

long ages have passed since that day, and even though I am half Man I have not died. so perhaps the elven blood in me is stronger. still, I do not long for distant coasts: my home is here, in Middle-Earth where the shadows grow longer every year, and the winter of times has begun. just a few elven relatives live in these modern times, forgotten by Men, and all the evil creatures have hidden in deep caves, growing stronger with darkness. soon, I can feel it in the vibrations of earth, they will come to the surface again, when Men do not expect them. Orcs and Balrogs, and Trolls.

and the time of mighty swords, if ever ended, will return.