2. Imladris
Something wicked this way comes, Elrond thought, touching the elf ring Vilya for assurance. I will bar its way to Imladris, or fall here myself.
A lone black horse cautiously approached the edge of the valley.
"Halt!" Elrond called out. "State your purpose!"
"I bring a gift for the House of Elendil!" the rider called out. A woman, Elrond thought in surprise.
"Very well," the former herald said, approaching the horse warily. I dare not trust her, he thought. I do not care if she is Varda herself. Let her prove her words.
The rider dismounted and walked slowly towards Elrond, stopping a few feet from the elflord. She carried a packaged wrapped in a cloak under her arm.
"What is it?" Elrond asked.
"See for yourself," the rider said, opening it with a flourish.
Elrond could not contain a cry of dismay. The shards of Narsil lay there, shining faintly in the daylight.
"They all died," the rider said, her eyes shining in delight.
"Servant of Sauron," Elrond cursed her.
"Ah, you don't need to worry about the return of the Dark Lord…yet," the rider said, smiling. "I found no One Ring there. But I slew Isildur myself. Likely he and the Ring are taking their last journey together down the Anduin. Neither you nor I will ever see it again."
"You are one of the Nazgul," Elrond said, glaring balefully at her. "You are supposed to be Sauron's most loyal servants. Why do you not search ceaselessly for the Ring?"
The rider shrugged. "I'd prefer to use my immortality and invulnerability to my own gains for a while."
"Treachery," Elrond hissed.
"Ah, so you'd prefer Sauron rising up and destroying the world?" the rider asked, raising an eyebrow.
Elrond cursed, but snatched the shards of Narsil from the Nazgul. "Go back to the darkness," he hissed.
"I intend to," the Nazgul said. "Enjoy your time of peace, elflord! It won't last for long!"
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.
