Broken soul. (A fanfic starring Adar from the 'rings of power')

1

Eilith had been roaming through the woods, farther than she was allowed, but she had done so many times before, and there hadn't been any consequences so far.
Gil-Galad did come to see her sometimes, but it wasn’t likely he would visit today.

He still loved her, but she didn’t return his feelings, never had and never would. He wasn’t allowed to be with her anyway. She was a half-blood—half-elf, half-wizard. He was the High King, only permitted to be betrothed to a pure-blood.

Eilith was glad that this rule also ensured Gil-Galad couldn’t be with her. Thankfully, he had some propriety, which ensured he’d never defiled her. Instead, he would bring her gifts, converse, or practice sword-fighting with her. He didn’t seem to consider that Eilith might resent him, for it had been he who banished her to live alone, hidden away. He couldn’t be with her, but he would also see to it that no one else could be with her either. He had, of course, argued that her confinement was for her protection because he loved her so much and couldn’t bear to see her hurt.

How could he say he loved her? If he truly loved her, he would set her free!

Eilith thought it was wiser to be compliant. He was the High King, powerful enough to lock her away for good if he wished. She hoped that one day she would stand up to him, but it had been many, many years now, and so far, she had only been brave enough to defy him in small ways.
Over time, she had grown quite fond of her home, no longer minding being alone most of the time. She had used her time wisely, practising all the skills she possessed, staying agile, fast, and alert. She also explored the powers that her father’s heritage had granted her—magical powers. These were only partially mastered; there was still much to discover.

Her mother, too, came to visit her from time to time, keeping her company and filling in the information that Gil-Galad would withhold from her.

Once, Eilith found a badly wounded elleth in the woods, unconscious and fading. She had taken her in and nursed her back to health. The young elleth was named Galadriel. This had been her biggest act of defiance so far, for Gil-Galad had decreed that no one should know of her location.

GALADRIEL

It took a while for her to calm down. He was infuriating, knew exactly how to provoke her, and it was clear that’s what he intended. He had almost made her lose control. If it hadn’t been for Halbrand, she might have killed him. Some of what Adar had told her made her thoughtful, but after everything that had just happened, she felt only hatred for this elf.
But now that the battle was over, she felt drained. What should she do with Adar now? If she killed him, she wouldn’t have to think about it anymore, and he would no longer be a threat.
As she was lost in thought, a terrible thing happened—the volcano erupted. She stood, unwilling to accept it, facing whatever came her way while others scrambled for safety. Then, there was only blackness, noise, and smoke.
When she came to, there was ash everywhere, disaster, and destruction. Many who had survived the battle had now fallen victim to the fierce force of nature.

Then she saw someone alive—it was Theo, the village healer’s son. He was distraught and needed reassurance, which helped her overcome her own numbness. She promised to help him find his mother if she was still alive. Reassuring him, she led him in the search. They found a frightened horse in a half-collapsed stable as well. Galadriel managed to calm it and decided it could be useful to have the horse along.

As they passed the shed where she had taken Adar after the battle, she considered leaving him, but if he was reunited with the orcs, they would once again have leadership. Right now, they were just a scattered, less dangerous group.
Adar was half-buried under the rubble from the shed, still tied up and unconscious. Again, the question loomed—what should she do with him? Then she had an idea. Eilith’s hut was about half a day’s ride from here. She explained to Theo the importance of securing Adar. Theo, full of hate for the elf who had led the orcs into battle and nearly killed his mother, nearly drove a dagger into Adar’s heart.

“If we don’t want to be the same as scum like him,” she pointed at Adar, “we must not behave as they do.” She remembered how close she had come to doing the same herself.

Together, she and Theo dragged Adar outside and tied him to the horse. Then, Galadriel poured a bucket of water over his face. With a start, he awoke, trying to scramble to his feet.
Galadriel held her sword to his throat. “Don’t you dare make a foolish move,” she warned him.
He held still, watching her intently.

Galadriel mounted the horse, helping Theo sit behind her.

“Where are you taking me?” Adar asked.
“Move!” Galadriel commanded, ignoring his question.

She would have liked to ride faster, but Adar wouldn’t have been able to keep pace. As it was, he limped behind, dragging his leg. She had no mercy for him. On and on they went. She knew Theo was anxious to continue searching for his mother, and she herself was eager to return, perhaps to ensure Halbrand was alright.

It was near midnight when they arrived at Eilith’s hidden home. Eilith had shown her how to pull a secret string to alert her of visitors.

Galadriel would have liked to stay the rest of the night, remembering the comforts of Eilith’s home, but she was eager to return.

EILITH

Eilith’s alarm woke her. Who could be visiting at this hour? Nobody could see her hut—it was concealed by magic. So it couldn’t be intruders. It had to be one of the three people who knew how to find her. She lit a few candles before opening the door, hoping it wasn’t Gil-Galad, especially not at this hour!
It was Galadriel. Eilith was happy to see her, but Galadriel looked terrible, as if she had been through something sinister. So did the other two with her—a boy, perhaps 14, a human, and another elf who looked the worst of all. He was tied up, and Galadriel treated him roughly. His eyes were cast down as if he didn’t care, but the boy seemed to take everything in.

Galadriel dragged the elf to a large wooden beam in the centre of Eilith’s house and tied him to it before addressing Eilith.
“I’m really sorry, Eilith. I’m in a great hurry. I need you to make sure this elf does not escape. He is evil and has the blood of many on his hands. I urge you, Eilith! We have to go back and find this boy’s mother, who nearly died because of him,” she said, pointing at the ragged elf with disdain.

Eilith didn’t fully understand, but she sensed the urgency and gravity of the situation. She knew Galadriel, and when she was on a mission like this, it always had a greater purpose.
“I will help you,” she said. “I hope you find the boy’s mother!”

After that, Galadriel and the boy left. Before departing, Galadriel turned to her again.
“I will return as soon as I can to remove him from your sight,” she said, pointing once more at Adar, who was now watching them, his expression unreadable.

Then they were gone. Eilith took a deep breath. Now what? She slowly walked toward her peculiar guest, setting down the candle she had been holding the entire time, and sat in her armchair. She stared at him. He looked away again. His face must have been handsome once, but now it was scarred. Even in the dim candlelight, she could see how ragged he was.

“Enjoying the view?”

His voice startled her, breaking the silence of the night and making him seem more real.

He looked at her now. She didn’t respond, just continued staring, knowing it was rude, but somehow feeling as though this was all a dream she couldn’t quite grasp.