Bound by Shadows | Adar x OFC | Rings of Power

Answers

Adar led Eleneth and the two uruk guards back to Adar's chambers. He opened the door and gestured Eleneth to enter. Adar remained outside. Her eyes flamed in anger as she passed him into the room. He watched her impassively and closed the door. Eleneth paced the room inside and could hear Adar speaking to the uruks in the black speech. His voice was rough and raised. "Lûb dashûrz, ghaash" She heard footsteps ebbing into the distance. As the sound vanished, she took a step towards the door thinking he had left. But Adar entered the room suddenly, his eyes flaming and his face hardened. Eleneth stood in shock for a moment before striding towards him, ready to beat his breastplate,

"You mean to slaughter the elves!" she cried.

Adar grabbed both her raised fists hard before she could lash out, "Lower your voice!" he growled angrily, looking down into her eyes, that now flowed with tears. He frowned, fearing that the uruks would hear an elf speaking to him this way.

"I am not one of your children." Eleneth scowled. He watched a tear travel down her cheek and began to take in the meaning of her distress.

Eleneth tried to yank her wrists away painfully. She thought of the dagger at her chest and felt desperate to inflict some injury, to put up some fight against the disastrous consequences of her decisions, but he held her fists tight with an extraordinary strength, seeing that she would only resume her attack if he let go. For a moment they stood like this, until Eleneth felt how weak and helpless she was in his grip. The fight left her. Her arms sagged, she cried loudly and hopelessly, sinking down to the floor. Adar tried to hold her up, but lowered her hands slowly before letting go, as she lay sobbing at his feet.

Adar felt a pain in his chest, a twinge like the turn of a tiny knife. "You have questions." he said quietly. "You deserve answers." He stooped down onto one knee and held out a hand. Eleneth looked up, her face streaked with tears, her cheeks red. She did not want to take his hand, but she could not stand by herself. Reluctantly she placed her palm against his, and he pulled her up from the floor, guiding her to the armchair by the hearth. He took a seat on a stool, on the other side of the fire and waited.

Now that she had his attention and his permission to ask the questions that plagued her, she found it hard to think of what to say. Her ragged breathing settled as she stared into the flames, trying to find the words, but all that would come to her were thoughts of how wrong she'd been. Adar did not move. He sat upright and calm. After a long time searching her mind, she gave up trying to find the right words. "You have tricked me." she said, not looking up from the fire.

"No." came the short reply.

Eleneth looked up, furious again, at his denial. "Then why do you march to Eregion, if not to slaughter elves?"

Adar heaved a sigh, not taking his eyes from hers, "It is true. Elven lives will be lost." He leaned forwards in his seat, "And so will Uruk."

Eleneth opened her mouth to reply in outrage, now proof had come from his own tongue. But Adar spoke first before she could utter a sound, "This is Sauron's doing. Not mine." Adar looked into the fire now, his eyes distant, looking almost beyond the flames, into memories he wished to forget. "He has deceived and manipulated the elves. Celebrimbor is under his spell as we speak. He came to them in disguise. His deceit knows no limits. He can corrupt even the purest hearts." Adar looked back to Eleneth now, into her gentle eyes, and he thought of what corruption Sauron could wreak on her heart, what weakness he would exploit.

Eleneth felt bewildered at how an elf so powerful and wise as Celebrimbor could have been overtaken by Sauron. She did not believe it. Adar could see this in her eyes. "Do not underestimate the power of Sauron. Even the greatest among us can be corrupted and twisted by his sorcery. As long as the elves are under his spell, they will stand in the way of his destruction. I have spent nights trying to find another way and there are none. The longer he festers in Eregion, the more powerful he will become, the further his influence will spread."