Return to Valinor

Tellonnion had led Carantaliel deep into a part of the forest to where she had never been. For while the she-elf had not traveled previously to Valimar or any of the other cities in the Undying Lands she had spent much time riding through the woods on Thaurrant. This area, however, was completely unfamiliar.

It was dark and close and completely silent. There were no animal sounds or even the whispering murmurs of trees overhead. Nor could she smell the Sea or anything else pleasant. It seemed a dead place.

But how was this possible in the Blessed Realm? And how did Tellonnion make it over the Sea in his corrupt state? Was his remaining Elven-ness and the presence of the great eagle Thorondil enough to keep him from being cast out of the Undying Lands?

He was gone for the moment, leaving her in uneasy peace while he went off to scout the perimeter. Naturally Tellonnion did not trust the Elven princess to stay put when he left and so fastened her securely to a limb on the makeshift flet that seemed to be his current lodgings.

Carantaliel was disgusted by the filth that surrounded her: unclean furs and utensils… picked over remains of food… depraved trophies of a life given over to darkness and greed…

She shuddered and moved closer to the tree, hoping to find comfort in its organic presence. It was cold and hard, but at least it did not repulse her. Warily Carantaliel drifted off into a troubled sleep.

Before her Carantaliel saw a young elfmaid sunning herself, dangling her bare feet in the white stream that gamboled merrily through the wide expanse of lawn. She recognized her younger self at a time when she lived with her mother Novannoniel in Lothlórien.

Fimbelis was long gone, having returned to her home in the Mirkwood as the current threat of Darkness was pushed back from their borders. This was a day impressed indelibly upon Carantaliel’s memory, but now ignorant bliss gave way to sinister knowledge.

As the elfmaid cooled her feet in the refreshing water, she was daydreaming and humming absently to herself, so she did not hear a party of elflords approach from behind her.

“Is that the daughter of an Elven warrior I see?” announced a merry voice. “Or is it an idle elfchild shirking her lessons?”

The elfmaid recognized the voice instantly.

“Ada!” she exclaimed and leapt to her feet with eager joy. “You’re home at last!”

She checked her enthusiasm, however, when she realized Elladan was in the company of several elflords she did not know. Hastily she gave them a respectful bow of her head.

“Well, I see that your manners at least are still intact, my dear,” teased her uncle Elrohir, who stood as always at his brother’s side. “Better come give your father a kiss, for it’s all he’s prattled on about since we crossed Nimrodel.”

Elladan grinned sheepishly, for his twin was only slightly embellishing the truth. He held out his arms to his daughter and the younger Carantaliel ebulliently ran into them. He held her a long moment and then kissed her forehead thoughtfully once he gave her an appraising look. “More beautiful than I even remembered,” he murmured. “You are a fair sight, cormamin, after the carnage of battle. The Valar have surely blessed you…”

The elfmaid blushed to hear her father speak of her beauty in front of these unfamiliar elflords.

“Ada…” she ducked her head.

Briefly he kissed her hand then released her to her uncle who also gave her a more formal kiss and hug.

Once that was done, Elrohir spoke, “My lords, let me introduce you to my niece… Carantaliel. My dear, this is Glorfindel and his kinsman Tellonnion.”

Trying not to gasp aloud, for the celebrated feats of Glorfindel were well known to her, the elfmaid curtsied deeply and said breathlessly, “Mae govannen!”

“Hannon lle, Carantaliel,” Glorfindel responded. “It is a delight to be greeted in such a pleasant way and by such a lovely maiden, is it not, Tellonnion?”

“Most delightful, cousin,” Tellonnion agreed amiably. With a gallant bow he caught the elfmaid’s hand and added, “I do hope to see you again, arwenamin…” And as she again blushed prettily, he drew her closer and whispered, “I hope you are not spoken for, Carantaliel.”

She could not bring herself to look up into his intense gaze and only breathed, “Laume, herumin.”

“Good,” he stated with a satisfied grin that the elfmaid was too distracted to notice.

Carantaliel watched as her younger self was overcome by Tellonnion’s virile and audacious manner. She had still been inexperienced in the ways of courtship when she met the elflord who was to be her first love and was quickly drawn in by his captivating personality.

As she watched the scene dispassionately now, as if her younger self was someone she did not even know, she saw the signs then that Tellonnion was not who he presented himself to be to others.

He was amiable and handsome and wore such a mask easily, but in unguarded moments Carantaliel saw a restless spirit behind those enchanting steel blue eyes. Restless and greedy, she realized now. Her meeting Tellonnion that day was more calculated than she realized at the time.

Had their love been an entire lie? It would seem so…

Hearing movement below, Carantaliel was instantly awake. Her distant blue-green eyes refocused to watch as Tellonnion easily negotiated the rope ladder to the flet. Shuddering with revulsion, the Elven princess steeled herself to submit to her captor’s vile presence once again.


Frodo and his companions did not continue their journey once night fell. As they plunged deeper into the forest, the evening sky was more obscured and the trail was too difficult to follow. Nor were the Elves properly provisioned.

The hobbit had taken the time to pack his gear while awaiting the return of Aldananeth to Elvenwood, but Figwit had only his Elven bow and Elrond, the graceful sword Hadhafang, which he had the forethought to seize before mounting Eärenya.

Stopping at a flet where they could stock up on supplies for their journey, the group paused in their desperate attempt to catch up to Tellonnion and his prisoner. Frodo chafed at the delay, but was practical enough to realize that wandering the dense woods in the dead of night was not going to get them anywhere but lost.

“Why not rest, Frodo?” asked Elrond gently as he gripped his halfling friend’s shoulder kindly. “You should take advantage of this time to sleep while you can.”

He spared the elflord only a brief glance then returned to staring out into the curtain of trees. “Perhaps I will try later, my friend,” he answered apathetically. “I don’t think I could sleep now even if I tried.”

Elrond grunted sympathetically and remained quiet for a long moment. Finally, though, he asked, “Is Tellonnion much changed then?”

“I cannot answer your question fully,” Frodo responded. “Not having met him before, I have nothing to compare him to. Yet, I cannot help but sense that this dark elflord allowed his baser instincts to rule him long before he was taken by the orcs.” Shaking his head in disbelief he added, “I would not have thought it possible for any elf to be so calculating and cold, but when I saw how he looked at Cara, I knew he never could have truly loved her. She is only a possession to him. A mere trophy. Something to bring him prestige or power.”

Lord Elrond’s brows furrowed deeply as he seemed to look beyond the trees into another age. The sigh he expelled emptied his entire being and Frodo watched the elflord with anxious curiosity.

“I’m remembering a day…” Elrond growled quietly. “Elladan and Elrohir were abroad, searching for an orc band rumored to be harassing the populace across the Bruinen. Glorfindel…did you know Tellonnion is his kinsman?” Wide-eyed with astonishment, the halfling shook his head. “I had asked Glorfindel to bear a message to Lórien, so Tellonnion was on his own.”

“Where was Cara? I thought they were inseparable?”

“I would not say that exactly,” he replied. “Now that I think back on it, he was more often in the company of my sons. And since Elladan encouraged Cara to ride, shoot and spar it was only natural that they were thrown together quite often.”

Frodo allowed himself a small smile as he recalled his mate’s brave stand against her former love. “That is a part of her that I had no knowledge of,” he mused. “It was quite an eye-opener…”

“She has a lot of her father in her, though it hasn’t been much in evidence,” the elflord revealed. “Cara’s wit and talent for mischief was well known in Imladris once…” he added, “but dark days and sorrow changed all that.”

Elrond’s grim statement brought Frodo back to the present and he asked, “What was it then that you were remembering about Tellonnion?”

“It’s nothing really…” his dignified friend shook his head. “Or so I thought at the time. Even now I may be making too much of it.”

“Go on, herumin,” urged Frodo. “I would hear what you are thinking.”

Again, Elrond’s forehead creased deeply with worry lines. “I had ridden with Glorfindel to the borders of Rivendell to see him off earlier in the morning and took my time returning to the Last Homely House. When I entered my private study unawares, I found Tellonnion there wandering among all my possessions.” Frodo raised an eyebrow, encouraging him to continue. “It’s not that he was there. Or even that he was touching objects that do not belong to him. Who hasn’t caressed a particularly beautiful article that was fascinating? But it was the way he touched them, fondling them covetously. And then just before I made my presence known to him, he sat in my desk chair settling in the seat as if it was his own. I can still see him stroking the smooth wood of the chair arms and sitting up in it as if preparing to hand down some judgment.”

Appalled, the halfling asked, “What excuse did he give when you discovered him there?”

“Something glib to be sure,” he shrugged sedately. “Whatever it was I accepted, though I never quite trusted him after that. Cara loved him, however, and I had to trust in her instead.”

“It seems your instincts were correct,” said Frodo despondently. “What must you think of me now who cannot even defend her properly…”

“Goheno nín, mellon nin ,” Elrond murmured, contrite in his lack of faith in the hobbit. “Don’t think that I consider you any less than worthy, Frodo. You have proven time and again that you may be counted on. I was wrong to doubt you or the power of your love for my granddaughter. You will find Cara, and we’ll be at your back to help you reclaim her.”

“Hannon lle, herumin,” answered Frodo. “Ú-moe edhored .”

The hobbit and the elflord were then quiet for sometime, each alone with his own thoughts. Eventually Figwit called to them to eat a brief meal and Frodo was finally coaxed to an uneasy sleep while the wizard and the elves took turns keeping watch throughout the night. As soon as dawn broke through the thick canopy of leaves above their flet, they were back on their way.

-end of Chapter Twenty-one-

Ada – Daddy
Goheno nín, mellon nin – Forgive me, my friend
Ú-moe edhored – There is nothing to forgive