Atlas, At Last

1. Of the Light

The Lord of Rivendell gazed peacefully west, and drank in the sight of the golden light bathing his home. He watched the sunset warming the leaves, blessing the waters, and enchanting his kin. From the stone balcony where he stood, Elrond felt himself being re-energized by the brilliant glow... Only another hour before hosting another dinner for the company. Elrond grimaced at the impending exhaustion.

And suddenly, the sound of trots.

He heard two sets of hooves amble from a distance. They were light, and strong. But it was not that belonging to a elvish colt- too free willed and spirited did their steps sound.. Though, nor were they heels of creatures domesticated by Men of Middle-earth- too noble, historic and sublime were their strides.

Ah?
What was this?
Oh. Of course..

He reminisced of years long ago of the Second Age in the great island of Númenor, a kingdom that lay in the Great Sea between Middle-earth and the blessed realm of Aman. These steeds belonged to a rich history: their ancestors, inhabitants of meadows in a country that was the gray of where heaven stopped and earth began. Only the few, the distinguished were able to hone horses of this caliber- and their equestrianism unmatched by all, save for that of the Valar.

Only the children of the Isle of Elenna. The descendants of the fallen Númenóreans, the Kings among Men. The peoples, Dúnedain.

Elrond looked to his visitors, and was pleased to see his judgment right. Before him were two hooded Men on massive steeds, foreign to any of their kind on the continent.

"Ravion the Light," Lord Elrond bowed low and graciously, til they could see the back of his silver circlet glistening, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

The larger figure removed his threadbare cowl, and shook loose his silver hair to have it blown away from his eyes. He was an aging man, whose appearance landed him in the range of early 50s. From his face, one could tell he was a man that has seen adventures, many perils, and many thrills. Time had only recently caught up to him. Though his clothes betrayed him, he was well groomed, well mannered, well spoken.

"You owe me nothing but a bed and a meal," Ravion laughed, dismounting his great horse, bred selectively generations after generations since the time they roamed freely in the grasslands of Mittalmar. Those lands were now only mentioned in tales of old. He propped himself on one knee by the steps, as if pledging allegiance to a king, and looked up at the Lord.

It seemed as though they stood in mirrors, a reflection showing a different dimension of status: An earthly traveler, cloaked in worn leather having seen too many harsh winters facing a Lord enrobed and cherished by satin and sun. And yet, they matched equally in regal demeanor. There was a balance in the opposites, as they have carried a piece of each other in themselves for decades past and centuries to come.

Elrond exhaled deeply through his nose; tired of formalities, tired of being a servant of the conventions of elvish hospitality. The dwarves had him weary and drained. Just a few hours before Ravion's delightfully unexpected arrival, the company had mercilessly pillaged the fountains of Rivendell- one by one, each wellspring basin fell victim to the long overdue washes of naked children of Aulë. He closed his eyes and suppressed the instinct to shudder at the thought. All he wanted, all he needed was to share a round of miruvórë and a long evening with his confidant.

Ravion stood up, and they met each other at eye level. It was then when Elrond realized the man of vigor he once knew was now vulnerable to the perils of time.

"Elendil... you have aged, mellonamin," Elrond whispered, shaking his head at the wrinkles on the face and the graying hair of his long time friend. It was surreal, and almost too difficult to grasp. He had forgotten about the fragility and mortality of Men, even that of the Dúnedain, who possessed lifespans three times longer than those dwelling in Middle-earth. The reminders always hurt.

"You are mistaken, we have both aged. My youthful appearance has only been replaced by wisdom, and being so inexperienced, yours has yet to set is all," Ravion spoke in a low whisper, as if it were the secret to the rejuvenation of elves. Elrond laughed generously, the loudest and the most cheerfully he had been in a while, and patted Ravion's cloaked shoulders.

The host looked to the other cloaked Man, a bit puzzled, but finally settled when he saw the quietly humble expression on Ravion's face. Elrond nodded, motioning for the second guest to come forth.

Still hooded, Ravion's companion stood beside him, head inches away from matching at the height of where his shoulder was. They knelt to Lord Elrond just as Ravion had done before, though not facing up to meet eyes with the host- for they were not as well acquainted for years and years as Ravion was, and therefore owed more respect.

"Child of Númenor, Child of Dúnedain," said Elrond with a kind smile. He too, had knelt. He gently lifted the chin of his guest, and began folding back the hood, "Welcome, Althea. Daughter of Raumion, daughter of Ravion, daughter of the Light."

She was very young, having only seen twenty years. Very little traces of her ancient heritage were recognized, but it was there and it was prominent. Honest brown eyes like that of the rings of trees lit at the mention of 'welcome,' and bore much resemblance to the same eyes of the man beside her.

"Tula sinome, come here, my child" Elrond said, and gathered the girl into his arms, "You are your grandfather's bearing..."

Thank you for reading.
Elrond calls Ravion "Elendil" only as a form of endearment, as he greatly resembles King Elendil the Fair, being a close friend to the elves and all.
Ravion and Althea are not by any means directly related to Elendil or being of royal lineage, just Dúnedain and descendants of the people from Númenor.
I'm sorry if the logistics aren't by any means accurate, I tried my best haha. I read nothing about only descendants of Elendil being Dúnedain, but a race of people.

That's all I can reveal for now, but I hope you enjoyed it!