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Old 07-01-2004, 07:31 PM   #344
littlemanpoet
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: The Edge of Faerie
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littlemanpoet is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.littlemanpoet is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
White-Hand Tharonwe, swamp elf

Tharonwe listened to the humans, not far off in the swamp. Children, all of them. They had survived the swamp beast, more the pity. He had heard the one's dreams from far off, and had wondered. The curse was at work again. It had been hundreds of seasoncycles since its power had been felt. Why now? Because the Dark Lord's waxing had ended. That must be it.

So this boy dreams of Mithrellas, and of himself as Imrazor, while he is in a fever. Tharonwe considered how dreams came to this boy whose red hair placed him if anywhere, among the half civilized humans that dwelt between Eryn Lasgalen and Ered Mithrin north of Lothlorien. But he was tall as the Elves. Strange. Yet this one seemed a part of the curse.

Unless some force sought to undo it, after all these seasoncycles? Tharonwe's brow lowered in growing anger. Who did this? It must not be undone! She had spurned him and claimed Amroth, upstart of Lothlorien, as her lover. They could not be allowed to reunite. She needed to remain where she was until all things that needed to pass, did so, and then - then! - he would claim her and win her heart, she who had captured his long ago. There was no one else for him to love, only Nimrodel. Sweet name, fair heart, turned to the wrong Elf. Cruel fate had cast Tharonwe's love in his face with a mocking laugh. He had believed in Nimrodel's true heart. And it had been false. She had spoiled his faith in her. Others would say that she was true indeed, and to the better elf. Tharonwe scowled. Cruel fate had dictated his bitterness, not an upstart king of Elves too fearful to protect themselves as he had done for ages now.

So be it. Tharonwe would have the final laugh, and would have Nimrodel in the end.

He fed the two young humans dark dreams. Feed them long enough and they would cower from sleep, would give up on their quest to piece together the puzzle of the dreams that had come to them true. He would have to find out who it was that had given them these dreams, find out what power in Middle Earth worked against his curse. The Valar? If so, only through one of the cursed Istari, but that was unlikely.

Tharonwe knew enough of what had passed in the world beyond his swamp to understand that the world had changed, and the ages of the Elves were past. And that the new King in Gondor had ended the curse of the dead men of Dunharrow. Maybe this Elessar's power over death and shadows had something to do with it. Maybe the tales lied. Tharonwe would have to learn what he could from these children.
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