Elohir Lorienil

[Elohir]

((An unfinished history of a character that I based my screen name off of. I made him for a fan fic about J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings."))

Here follows the account of Elohir Lorienil, first son and child of Vagorion Palantari of the Noldor and Vanariel Vanwetari of the Vanyar as recorded by his younger brother Ingolion Liritano.

Born roughly nine hundred years before the darkening of Valinor and the beginning of the first age. From birth he took after his mother and her kind, the Vanyar, evident by his fair features and his golden blond hair. Yet his father loved him the greatest, for he was the firstborn, and was to be a Lord set above the others.

He grew to be the eldest of four siblings, two brothers, and one sister following after him. His father named him Elohir, meaning ‘Lord of Elves’ for he was the eldest of his brothers, and it was he would become a lord of Elves even if just in his own household, for so his father willed it. During his younger years he spent much time with his father in the halls and forests of Lorien the Valar of dreams and Visions, for his father was a follower and friend of Irmo (also called Lorien) and brought Elohir before him so that he might bless him. Thus Elohir became friends with Lorien also. And learned much from him and his wife.

When he was grown to full maturity in body his brother was born, Ingolion Liritano, and his other brother, Ithalion Macilidan, a while after that, followed by his sister Almaarea Silmariel, shortly thereafter. His father, although he was always prideful of Elohir and favored him, loved his sister and youngest brother the most. For his youngest brother, Ithalion, took most after the Noldor, the people of his father, and became a smith after Aule. Elohir and Ingolion however had the love of their mother, for they were most like her people the Vanyar. Elohir the most fair of the four, for he had long thick golden hair, which was the mark of the Vanyar, and Ingolion had Silver hair with traces of Gold blended into it. For many centuries and ages they lived happily in the light of the two trees. But all good things must come to an end. And so came the Darkening of Valinor.

His sister had become a mighty hunter of Orome and a fighter of Tulkas, for she spent her time in Valinor between the two, loving Orome and his craft more. It was her and Ithalion that heard the speech of Feanor upon the top of Tuna, and it was she that first decided in her heart to follow Feanor, and go to Middle-earth with him. Upon hearing this, her brothers agreed among themselves to go with her, and ensure her safety, for the siblings were grown close, and their love and loyalty to each other was strong. Elohir too was kind, gentle, and loyal and believed it to be his duty as the head of the household to protect his sister and younger brothers, whatever path they may take, for he knew that he could not dissuade them. And so the four swore an oath together, to stay together until the defeat of Morgoth or the death of the four.

However his father stopped them while they were on the road and forbade Elohir. Saying that as the firstborn he should command the others to stay and take his place as Lord of the household. But Elohir refused for he had taken an oath with his siblings, and knew that he could not dissuade them even had he not taken such an oath. And so his father cursed him in the name of Lorien, blaming Elohir for what the father thought to be the loss of his entire household.

And his father cursed him with these words that Elohir remembered through the ages to come:

May Lorien curse you
And the beauty of the Vanyar
Be stricken from you.
Until you have seen
The folly of your choices.
Tragedy shall haunt you
All of your days and
Never shall you escape it.
It will strike you hardest
When you are happiest,
Never will you be at peace.
You have made your doom
And never may you unmake it.
Nor return to this blessed realm.
And should you do so
May your body fade away
And your spirit wander
Never to find rest
In the Halls of Mandos
Or in the forests of Lorien.

Long afterwards did Elohir ponder these words and their fulfillment, but still he would not turn aside. And seeing the fell determination in his and his sibling’s faces his mother came to them on the road, and blessed Elohir saying, “Though I cannot undo your father’s words, long shall I plead your forgiveness. May you find love where you go, and may you find happiness ere the end, after your tragedies have passed.”

And so Elohir left Valinor with his siblings, bearing both a blessing and a curse. And his siblings wondered when they saw him, for at the words of his father he had been made less fair, and his hair was now brown instead of the rich gold that it had been, and he appeared as one diminished, a light that had been put out, or faded beyond recover. Thus was the price that Elohir paid, taking the judgment of his father for his siblings willingly, and for it the loyalty between them grew ever stronger.

Now during the years of the trees his brother, Ithalion, had crafted four swords of great power. These swords showed the mastery of his craft, and were indeed his greatest creations, that he might not craft things of the same power or magnificence ever again. These four swords he presented to his siblings on their journey saying, “Take one each of you, and I shall take the last, for these swords are made of great power of skill, and will come in much use when the need arises.”

And so Elohir chose first, taking the sword that was called ‘Vilmacil’ meaning ‘sword of air’ but its power was strange to him, and he did not yet understand it. His brother Ingolion took the sword ‘Nenmacil’ the ‘sword of water.’ His sister, Almaarea Silmariel, took the sword called ‘Naurmacil’ the ‘sword of flame.’ And Ithalion took the remaining sword, which was called ‘Gondmacil’ which meant ‘sword of stone’ the least fair of the four in its sheath of stone. This sword Ithalion bound to his blood, that only he might draw it from its sheath, and wield it afterwards. None but he could draw it from its sheath, or even pick it up and wield it after it was drawn, for if anyone tried they would not be able to lift it, as if the sword itself weighed as much as a mountain.

The sword, Vilmacil, which Elohir took, was crafted of crystal and silver, clear gems that seemed to shine when the bearer laid his hand upon the handle. Both the handle and the sheath bore designs of silver, including the mark of an eight pointed star on both the hilt of the sword and the center of the sheath. The sheath itself is extremely light in weight, and crafted entirely of crystal like gems, as is the handle and hilt of the sword, with the designs of Silver laid over top it. The sword itself was unusually swift, and bore an enchantment that only Elohir and Ithalion knew, although Elohir did not fully understand it. His brother Ithalion also bore with him a stone of Aule, later called the moonstone, Isilond, but of that more is told in another tale.

Now of the deeds of the four during the first age naught is told save among themselves only, for though there were brief instances of peace, the years were filled with much sorrow. The four always stayed together, and seldom worked beside any king or army, nor did they settle down in any permanent home, but instead traveled abroad in Beleriand and fought many of the battles of that age. But at the end of the first age the four separated themselves from one another by choice, now that their oath had been fulfilled, for Morgoth was overthrown. Ingolion stayed in the west, in Ossiriand, which became known as Lindon. Ithalion went north and was last seen by Elohir towards the north end of the Ered Luin. Almaarea traveled east, beyond the Misty Mountains, even into the easternmost lands where the Avari still dwelt. And Elohir himself turned south, but did not travel as far as Almaarea or Ithalion.

He first turned east, going beyond the Ered Luin, and then turned south upon reaching the great forest that remained there still. And upon coming to the river later known as Branduin he turned and followed it southward to the sea. And after gazing once more upon the vast waters he turned once more into the forest. Dwelling on the cape that was later called Eryn Vorn. There he spent much time learning of the world in solitude, and he learned much of the thoughts and habits of the forest and what creatures were in it.

However his peace there only lasted a while, for the trees grew hostile as the ages went on, as trees in other lands were felled. And yet they grew sad, and restless. Thus Elohir left the forest, though not until fifty years had passed since the last alliance of Men and Elves. Thus he came to Imladris, though none knew him, and most indeed thought him stranger than most of the Elven kind, mistaking him at first to be one of the Dunedain. They thought him strange for it had been thousands of years since he’d been in contact with another speaking being, and ragged were his clothes. And thus his stay was short, and he traveled instead to the forest known as Lothlorien.

Once there he took on the name Orondil, which the Elves at Imladris had given him, meaning ‘Tree-friend.’ And so Orondil Vilmacil met and was befriended by Lothion, an elf of the Nandor and one of those that had followed Lenwe. It was from Lothion that Orondil learned much of growing things that he did not already know. And he became quite skilled in herb lore and healing that so that many thought him to be Nandor himself, but so apt was he with the forest that most thought him Silvan, for he claimed to have no knowledge of his ancestry or background, and he would speak naught of his background and past. Combined with the skills taught to him by Este, wife of Lorien, and the skills of herb-lore taught to him by Lothion, Orondil found himself quite skilled in the arts of medicines and healing, and became mildly known among the Ghaladrim for his knowledge and skill in those arts.

For nearly three milenia he stayed in the forest of Lothlorien under the name Orondil, but at last the time came when the desire to see his siblings returned once more to his heart. Thus in the year 2900 of the Third Age he departed from Lothlorien and went again Northwards to Lothlorien, hoping to travel to Lindon, taking again the name Elohir Lorienil. There in Imladris, to his surprise and joy, he met his brother Ithalion, and the joy was mutual, for Ithalion had recently (well, recently enough for Elves that is) given up hope of finding Elohir, for he had not seen him since the end of the first age. It was then that his brother Ithalion gave to him the crown of Isil, a small band of metal wrought by Ithalion during the second age. ‘A crown for the lord’ was Ithalion’s saying and joke. It was then that he, under the name of Elohir, was known to those around him, and the Elves of Imladris thought him to be a young (by Elven reasoning) Silvan elf from the forest of Lothlorien. Elohir still wished not to remember his past, and so fell into the guise of a barely come of age Elven healer, and Ithalion said nothing to no one, for he found it to be of Elohir’s business and did not concern himself with it.

He stayed there only a short time, ten years roughly. Learning all that he could in so short a time of the lay of the lands as they now where, and the information on the races, cultures, and histories he had missed, though most of the records kept at Imladris were of the Dark days, which he already knew full well, though none save he and Ithalion knew it. But ever he desired to know more, especially of the histories and cultures of Men. So he took leave of Imladris and traveled south, to the realm of Gondor and the city of Minas Tirith. There he was thought to be a man of Dol Armoth, but he never claimed any such thing, and gave the name, Elohir, when asked. Most left him alone, and paid little heed to him, for he was concerned more with the ways of the people and the histories and thus spent his time in the libraries, reading documents and scrolls.

Thus it was that he came to Minas Tirith just before the end of the reign of Turin II. And men of Gondor continued to think he was a man of Dol Armoth for many years, for at the curse of his father he looked more like a fair man with noble descent than an Elf. From the reign of Turin II through Turgon, until the reign of Ecthelion II, he studied the histories and the lore of men. And it was not wondered that he did not age, for many thought him to be of the High Numenorean and Elven descent, and few thought him otherwise even though he never confirmed the suspicions. But his studying ceased due to Ecthelion II, who called for many from near and far to join his service. And so Elohir did, using still his true name, bearing Vilmacil throuch many battles for Gondor. Through all of Ecthelion’s reign he served in the service of the steward, but at the death of the steward Ecthelion Elohir took his leave of the service and turned his mind to things of peace. Thus he began to serve in the Houses of Healing, however he found that his herb-lore and skills surpassed even the head of the healers, so he humbled himself and served those of lesser skill and knowledge than he. This lasted for only six years however, during the reign of Denethor II.

It was at the end of six years that he met Kohth, a man of the Dunedain, and became friends with him. To Kohth he revealed his false descent, that he was a Silvan elf of Lorien, only a few centuries old, for he wished still to forget the truth. And so it became told that he was a young healer from Lorien, well young in Elven reckoning anyway. But he soon took leave of Minas Tirith and began to wander, first with Kohth, and then on his own. Soon after departing from Kohth he met an Istar by the name of Valasse. He traveled with her for a long while, ever-learning more of the ways of men and beings of the third age from her, and experience. He traveled with her for a long while, twenty to years to be exact, learning from her what lore she would teach him, for he was ever curious, and always thirsting for more and new knowledge and wisdom, which he excelled in. But an end came to their traveling and Elohir turned once more south and came to Ithilien.