The Great Sacrifice

Symbols

Thranduil was furious. The guards had returned from the sacred river bearing bad news. News that outraged him. Thranduil rushed to his private chambers, their doors slamming shut behind him. Dwarves! How dare they? Thranduil walked to his balcony and looked over the forest. Why now? Why can't they just exist without anyone noticing? Why can't they just stay inside their mountain and rot? Thranduil's head hurt, like every time he was tense.

In the northern part of Mirkwood there was a fast flowing river with icy cold waters. A sacred river to all elves in Middle-Earth which even themselves rarely touched. Nothing had ever soiled its purity. Even in the times of darkness when the forest had become severely corrupted and sickened due to the presence of orcs, trolls, spiders and other vile creatures, the river had remained pure. It had always supplied the elves of the Woodland Realm with fresh drinking water. Its springs lay in the northern part of Mirkwood, beneath a small hill. Some said that its spiritual origin was, in fact, in Valinor. That the Valar had blessed the elves thus and provided them with aid.

On certain days when the starlight was very strong and the moon shone bright, the light of the stars and moon was captured by the twirling waves of its waters, twisted and molded until it turned into beautiful gems of pure starlight. Smaller and larger gems, forever embedded on the depths of the everflowing river. There was just one place in the long river where this occured.

While still an elfling, Thranduil had heard of the tale and had once traveled there without his father's consent. There, in the pure icy cold waters, he had found one of those gems and had brought it home. Oropher had been furious. His father had demanded that Thranduil returned the gem to the river at once and ask the Valar for their forgiveness by staying there for days without drink and food, meditating in hope to achieve their forgiveness.

Thranduil had gone back, had fasted and meditated on the banks of the river. But he had failed to part with the gem. Its unearthly beauty had captured his heart. He had kept it well hidden within his chambers. Oropher had known nothing of his son's deed. But ever since Thranduil had brought the gem home, he had been claiming that his son's curiosity and greed would bring ill fortune upon them and their realm in the future. Back then, Thranduil had doubted his father's words. Today, looking back into the past and the struggle of the elves in the Woodland realm, he was not so sure anymore. Perhaps his desire had truly brought ill fortune upon them. After a long period of darkness which had made the forest virtually uninhabitable, light had come to it again, and Thranduil was sure that the worst was over and that the Valar had finally forgiven him for his deed.

When Thranduil became king, he set up a watchtower on the river banks. Two guards would always watch over that very spot where the gems were molded. For hundreds of years no one had dared to go there. Until now...

*****

Ari arrived in the room which had been offered to them the day before. Her companions were in there engaged in a conversation. No one knew about the reason that made the entire company return to the King's halls. Upon leaving the stables, Ari had noticed guards clad in armor and bearing weapons, riding hurriedly on their horses through the large gate. But the purpose of their mission was a mystery to her.

She quickly left the room again. Ari feared the anger of the king if she returned to the stables and so she wandered through the palace. There were guards nearly everywhere, but they did not stop her. Still, their eyes followed her wherever she went. Ari walked through the beautiful halls and marveled at their size and beauty. Elves were highly skilled at the arts of sculpting and carving. Being a woodcarver herself, Ari started to pay close attention to the carvings on the pillars, running her fingers gently over them, while studying their structure and the craftsmanship of the elven people.