As the Mithril Knights travel throughout Middle Earth, their Guild Houses serve as points of safety and rest from their travels. Messages are sent and received, armor is repaired, weapons are sharpened and cleaned...

The latest message to be sent to the various Guild Houses comes from Lothlorien, from the Guild Master, Lord Elbren.

"There is to be a candidate considered for membership...Nurvilya. Be aware of this and lend aid if you are nearby. Send word of any encounters.

Elbren"

The parchment was delivered in a worn leather tube, but when it was drawn forth, the seal of the Mithril Knights Warrior's Guild was clearly visible. Upon breaking the seal, instructions, written in Rohirrim, Common, and Sindarin, were read that told the seeker to rendezvous with the Guild Master, Lord Elbren, at Isengard.

The garrison at Isengard will be expecting you. Speak your name and tell them that you are to meet Lord Elbren. I wish for you to accompany me upon an errand and then we shall discuss your desire to join our Guild. Do not tarry! For the errand is urgent. I shall see you in Isengard.

Lord Elbren

The lone rider finally reached the crest of the last hill. She brought her noble grey gelding, Tamir, to a halt and then slowly looked over the land laying out before her. An eagle flying high above let out a piercing cry as her eyes finally made out the features of what she was searching for...Isengard!!!

'Were almost there' she spoke out aloud to Tamir, and to her faithful wolf companion Chirion. As she continued to gaze upon Isengard, her mind reflected back to the two main events that had brought her to this point. The first was when she was a little girl and had seen the Mithril Knights being honored at a special celebration put on by King Theoden of Rohan. What an impression they had made on her! The second happened just over a week ago when she received a request from Lord Elbren himself! If it hadn't been for the rain storm which delayed her departure, she would have reached this point two days earlier. But the storm didn't matter now, the rest of her journey had been uneventful and here she was. Isengard was within site and her first meeting with Lord Elbren only hours away!!!

She desperately wanted to remember this moment, to ingrain it in her memory forever. This moment...a mix of anticipation, hope, and fear. Anticipation for what her future held, hope that she would attain what it was she had for so long desired, and fear over the prospect that she might not have what it takes to become a Mithril Knight. Up to now becoming a Knight had only been a dream, but the opportunity, the reality, of that dream now awaited her below. She took another deep breath and then decided it was time to move on. The three began to descend down the hill.

It took a little over an hour for her to reach Isengard, and once there, she spotted the garrison immediately. She rode over to where there were two men talking and standing apart from the rest of the group. When she reached the men she pulled back her hood, smiled at them, and dismounted. A few loose strands of her light brown hair blew across her face while the rest of her hair stayed pulled back into a ponytail that reached down to her mid back. As she stood in front of the two men, she noticed that the blonde haired man was taller than she was, and the dark haired man was about her height. Holding her reins in her right hand, and with Chirion sitting attentively at her left side, she said 'Greetings, I am Rholarowyn of Gondor and I have come at the request of Lord Elbren."

The taller man answered 'Yes, we've been expecting you." He then looked down at the wolf, smiled gently, and returned his look to her. The dark haired man reached out his hand and said 'Here, I will take care of your horse." Handing him the reins, she replied with a thank you and handed him Tamir's reins. She and Chirion watched as the man lead the mare towards the stables. The blonde haired man then told her to follow him. She obediently followed while Chirion trotted beside her. He lead them towards the Tower and then to it's front doors...

Elenath stayed at Imladris while she waited for the reply from the Mithril Knights. When she wasn't travelling, she could often be found there: it provided a peace that was a welcome counterpoint to the rest of her life. When the message came, she was in the library. She had been told that she lived on books when she was in Rivendell - it was so hard to tear herself away from the ancient volumes. She spent time in the Hall of Fire, of course, but sometimes the memories that the songs and tales brought back were too much for her. She was so absorbed in her reading, that it took her a moment to notice the elf standing before her. He smiled when she looked up, and handed her a battered leather tube. "A message for you, Elenath," he said, then left quietly.

Elenath held the tube for a moment before she opened it, the mixture of smoothness and roughness in the leather matching her conflicting emotions. Shaking her head, she twisted the tube to open it, and gently drew forth the parchment inside. It was as she thought: the seal of the Mithril Knights Warrior's Guild was there before her. Elenath gently broke the seal, and straightened the parchment. She glanced through the writing quickly, then went back and slowly read the instructions.

The garrison at Isengard will be expecting you. Speak your name and tell them that you are to meet Lord Elbren. I wish for you to accompany me upon an errand and then we shall discuss your desire to join our Guild. Do not tarry! For the errand is urgent. I shall see you in Isengard.

Elenath stroked her lip with her finger - a habit she had when she was puzzled, intrigued, or surprised. Or all three. The message was not what she had expected: but after all, she should have known better than to expect anything. If Lord Elbren wished her to go to Isengard, to Isengard she would go. Making her decision, Elenath moved quickly. Holding her message, she strode through the halls of Rivendell, seeking Lord Elrond in order to take her leave. Having done so, she went to her room, and stowed her belongings in her travel-worn pack. She changed into travelling clothes, leaving behind the borrowed gown, and picked up the treasured grey cloak she had received in Lothlorien. She took a last look at the comfortable room, then made her way to the stables. Asgar was waiting for her, tossing his head, impatient to be off again. Elenath smoothed his black mane, smiling. "Yes, Asgar, we are leaving now," she said softly. He stamped his foot and snorted, as if telling her it was past time. She smiled again, and collected her saddle. Soon she was leading Asgar out of Imladris, into another journey through the Wild.

Elenath travelled quickly, not pushing her horse too much, but keeping a good pace. She went South, through Hollin, past the peaks of Moria, down to the Gap of Rohan. At the Fords of Isen she turned, following the river North. Soon the tower of Orthanc rose before her, black and unyielding, and she slowed Asgar's pace. She walked him up to the gates, and halted at the guard's challenge.

"My name is Elenath Ceredir," she replied. "I am here in answer to Lord Elbren's summons."

The guard nodded. "You are expected, Lady. Please enter."

Elenath entered the tunnel through the great wall, calming Asgar as they went. She halted at the other end, as two more men stepped forward. One of them spoke: "If you will leave your horse with me, my Lady, we will see to him."

Elenath dismounted, and took her bow and quiver from their place on her saddle before handing over the reins. "Thank you. But beware: he has a temper."

The guard smiled, and led the horse away. The other man said, "Follow me, Lady, I will take you to Lord Elbren." Elenath turned to face the silent tower, and followed the guard as he led her into Isengard.

The halls of Orthanc were always so eerily quiet. Smooth. Polished. Elbren walked the corridors in silence, his Mithril cloak trailing in his wake, as he absorbed the energies of the ancient fortress. The task that had been recently appointed to the Mithril Knights Warrior's Guild would not be an easy one. Both Elessar and Treebeard had been adamant that the mission could be accomplished; it was just a matter of finding the right pieces to the puzzle.

Few matters that are brought to our attention are that simple Elbren thought to himself as he turned a corner and entered the small chamber that he was using as his quarters during this stay.

In truth, he was not yet completely comfortable within the walls of Orthanc. The presence of Saruman and his betrayal to the Order of the Wise was still a prominent energy coursing through the ancient structure. Radagast had visited the tower in an effort to cleanse the shadows and even Lady Carnimiriel, Elbren's wife and Lady of the Golden Wood, had performed workings to re-establish Orthanc as a holding of Gondor. Yet, Saruman's presence still lingered; and, at times, it chilled Elbren to the bone.

"M'lord, the Lady Elenath and the Lady Rholarowyn have been received and shown to their quarters. Are you ready to receive them?" one of the Isengard Garrison Officers was standing just outside of Elbren's door.

Elbren folded his cloak upon the back of a chair and nodded, "Yes, please, bring them here and can you bring some refreshment? I am sure that their journey was long. Have any others presented themselves?"

"No, M'lord, there have been no others asking for entry in your name," came the reply.

"I see," Elbren frowned, "well...bring the ladies here, please."

Only two had answered the summons? Interesting and perhaps a bit disconcerting as well. Would the three of them be enough to solve the riddle of Isengard?

Rholarowyn and Chirion followed the Garrison Officer down the long quiet hall.

Before entering Orthanc, she had inquired about and had obtained temporary permission for Chirion to be allowed inside. As long as he stayed with her! Final approval, she'd been told, would be up to the discretion of Lord Elbren.

The guard continued to lead them up several flights of stairs and upon reaching her room, he pushed open the door. 'Here are your quarters, my lady, do you require any thing else?" He asked.

'Thank you, no, this will be fine," was her reply. The guard then gently closed the door behind them.

Rholarowyn stood in place as she slowly looked around the room and noted what had been placed there. The room was small and all that was in it had purpose. To her left there were five hooks placed on the wall, about one foot apart. In front of her there was a small window carved into the wall and was covered by a piece of fabric, placed there temporally to act as a curtain. To the right of the window there was a large wooden table. And next to the wall, on her right side, was a small bed which had been placed lengthwise against it. On the floor next to the bed was a small oval shaped rug. It was dark in color, and despite it's worn state, Chirion quickly decided that the rug would provide the best place for a quick nap.

Rholarowyn removed her shield and cloak and hung them each on separate hooks. Next she removed her sword and walked over to the table to set it down. There were three candles sitting near the back of the table, so she laid her sword down in front of them. Towards the front of the table was an ordinary looking bowl that contained some water. Beside the bowl was a folded piece of brown cloth with a small chunk of soap sitting on top of it. Picking up the soap and then dipping her hands into the water, she proceeded to wash her hands, face, and neck. Upon finishing, she picked up the cloth and dried off her hands and her face.

While drying off the back of her neck, she walked over to the window and pushed aside the fabric. An overwhelming sadness came upon her as she gazed upon the site below. The once beautiful land that had surrounded Orthanc and Isengard now lay barren and scarred. There is still so much work to restore what we have all lost she thought to herself. Slowly the memories of those now gone entered her mind. Some she had known well, others she had not.

She thought of Theoden, King of her grandmother's people, and felt deeply for those grieving over the loss of their king. And then there was Denethor, her uncle, and the unusual, no the bizarre, circumstances surrounding his death. Finally, she allowed herself a brief memory of one other. Unknowingly, a few tears spilled forth from her green eyes...

Suddenly a loud knock startled her back to reality. This is neither the time nor the place to be thinking such thoughts she scolded herself!

'Yes' she replied, although it was weaker than she intended.

'Lord Elbren is ready to receive you now," the voice answered.

Rholarowyn took the cloth that was still in her hand and quickly dried her face and eyes, trying to remove any and all evidence of the few tears she had shed. Placing the cloth back on the table, she walked to the door, and motioned to Chirion to follow.

Opening the door and facing the officer she said, 'I am ready."

The guard lead them back down the stairs and then through a hall she had not seen before. At the end of the hall they turned a corner and then entered the small chamber where Lord Elbren was waiting.

Idril had received the summons late in the afternoon and once she spoke with a few of the other Knights that were there, she realized that none were able to go to Isengard to help initiate the new candidates for membership to the Mithril Knights Guild. It made the most sense for her to go as it was on her way home. She decided to make a side trip in her journey to help Lord Elbren. This would prove an interesting tale once it was finished so she sent orders for her horse to be made ready and she packed quickly what she had brought.

Lacing up her boots, braiding her floor length hair in a braid with a leather piece and grabbing her Mithril Cloak was just the beginning of her readiness. She then placed Silmar in the sheath behind her hair's braid and grabbing her dagger's and placing them in their hidden spots, she then made her way down to the door as she checked for The Ellasar at her breast. A servant passed her some food, lembas and water flask, for she hadn't eaten since the summons had arrived and she would take her food on the rode with her. He also passed her the herb pouches that she carried and she tied them to her belt at her hip.

She gave instructions to the servants about alerting the necessary people to her lengthened absence from the Lorien Guild House and that she hoped to be home within a couple of weeks if all went well with this initiation. She then put her Mithril Cloak on over her water flask that was slung over her shoulder and under her arm for ease of reach on the journey to come. She made a quick check of her weapons, her pack and took leave of the Edoras Guild House. She put on her Mithril Knight Cloak as she left.

She mounted Thalion and took off on the almost two day ride that she would be on and she Prayed that she would have good weather. She waylaid food for a time until she would need to slow down the pace to a walk. Until then she rode fairly hard. It would be a fairly easy ride for there were no mountains to cross and she would not need to cross a river until she got to the Fords of Isen. There she would cross and head on towards Isengard and the halls of Orthanc. As she slowed early in the wee morning hours to eat, walk and rest Thalion from his labors, she looked at the sky and the full moon that had risen among the light layer of clouds. It gave an eerie feeling as she drew closer to this fabled area.

Soon she was back on Thalion and riding hard again towards the lands of Isengard. She watched as the sun rose over her shoulders on her right and tinged the Methedras (Last Peak) a bright pink before the day started to turn hot. Later in the day the clouds thickened and she knew that she was not to be blessed with dry ride as the clouds would surely dump on her before the evening would arrive. She tried to prepare herself but when the heat of the day and the coolness of the storm clashed, she shivered and tried to stay as dry as she could. She pulled her cloak around her tightly and hunched over the neck of her mount as he slowed his pace only slightly as the storm obscured the sunset of the first day. She was tempted to stop and eat but knew that she was coming close to the Fords of Isen and if the weather permitted, she would dismount after crossing there. It did not and she made her way, without food, in the down pour that continued. She would feel better reaching Orthanc and hoped for a fire and something warm to eat.

The rain continued and made the surrounding desolate area look even worse and more dead than it already did. She rode carefully through the area so that Thalion didn't slip. The last thing she needed was her horse coming up lame when she would still have to journey to Lorién in a couple of weeks, if all went well. The guards at the gates recognized the Mithril Cloak and let her pass. She arrived late in the evening of course, just as the storm was blowing itself out. It figured that she would arrive totally drenched, soaked to the skin and wanting not only a warm bath and food for herself but for Thalion a warm rub down, blanket and warm mash of oats. She dismounted near the front doors and knocked. Thalion stomped his foot while the waited the door to be opened.

The person inside was surprised that another Knight would journey out in this storm but was glad to see her. She asked if there were a groom or someone who could tend to her horse and she received an affirmative answer. She took her things from his back and dripping wet, walked inside the doorway of Orthanc after she pet Thalion and spoke to him before going in. A puddle quickly formed under her feet and she started peeling her cloak from her back. She finally spoke.

"I am Lady Idril and I am here to assist Lord Elbren in the initation of the new squires. Would you please let him know that I have arrived since he was not expecting me and that I will be down to meet with him momentarily? I would like some hot tea when I come down, a pot would be nice thank you, and some warm soup also." She was curt and shivering with the cold wetness of her long ride. She would make appologies later when dry and warm once again. She was shown to a room up the stairs where a dry garment was brought and some towels and she was also give another robe to help warm her. She slipped on something warm on her feet and then made her way back down the stairs to find Elbren and hopefully, the new squires.

Elenath shut the door on the retreating guard, and looked around. The room was sparsely furnished, but was comfortable enough. There was a simple bed against the wall to the right, and a sturdy table against the other, with two candles standing on it. A window was set in the wall across from the door, and a small chest of drawers was placed underneath it. A plain wooden chair sat in the corner, near the table. Someone had placed a curtain on the window, and a small mirror on the drawers. On the table there was a wooden bowl filled with water, a folded towel, and a rough block of soap. Elenath set her pack on the bed, laid her cloak across the back of the chair, and stood her bow and quiver in the corner behind it. She decided to leave the unpacking for later, but she definitely needed to clean herself up now. She washed her face and hands in the bowl, wincing a little at the cold water, then hung the towel on a corner of the chair to dry. Looking down at her clothes, Elenath decided it would be a good idea to change them before she met Lord Elbren. A few steps took her across the room to her pack, and she pulled out a clean pair of leggings, a clean white shirt, and her silver embroidered tunic. She quickly changed her clothes, placing the travel-stained shirt, leggings and tunic at the foot of the bed. Then she unraveled the braid that hung down her back, running her fingers through the dark-brown hair. She had almost finished braiding it up again when someone knocked at the door.

"Come in!" she called as she tied off the braid with a bit of leather. The man who opened the door bowed politely.

"Lord Elbren would like to see you now, Lady Elenath. Would you follow me, please?"

Elenath followed the young man down the smooth, dark hallway. She shivered suddenly and checked her pace for a moment. Yes, Saruman could still be felt here: she had hoped that the Tower had been freed of him, but it seemed his presence was too strong. They stopped suddenly, and the man knocked on a door.

"Enter." The man bowed his head to her, then turned to go. Elenath took a calming breath, and pushed open the door. She quickly scanned the small room as she entered. There was a young woman with light brown hair sitting in a chair near the door, with what appeared to be a wolf at her feet. And standing, facing the doorway, was Lord Elbren.

"Lord Elbren," Elenath bowed her head. "I am honored to meet you, my Lord, and I sincerely hope that I can be of service to you." She raised her head and met his eyes, trying to still the flutter of nervousness in her belly.

Elbren was elated to hear that Idril had come to Isengard to lend her assistance to their quest. It would make them stronger and would lend him the support that he might need to train the new squires. When the two ladies, Elenath and Rholarowyn, came to his chambers, he immediately took notice of their apparent intelligence and strength. Indeed, it relieved his worry a great deal to see that they looked more than capable of holding their own.

"Welcome," Elbren greeted as he gestured for them to make themselves comfortable, "the weather has not given us the best circumstances in which to travel, but travel, and soon, we must."

Elbren poured hot tea for them and then sat down near the small fireplace. The sound of heavy rain could just be heard outside of the eastern window of the chamber followed by the rumbling of thunder.

"We have been given a task," Elbren began, "that will, we hope, help cleanse this tower of Saruman's betrayal and allow King Elessar to fully claim Orthanc and Isengard once again for the Gondorian Kingdom. Are either of you aware that the true name of this tower has been lost?"

Elbren sipped his tea and then leaned back in his chair, "The Rohirrim called this place Orthanc; most likely, it was given this name when the Rohirrim granted the stewardship of Isengard to Saruman around 2759 of the Third Age. However, this tower was built at least 2500 years before Rohan even existed. The survivors of Numenor, the Gondorians, built it and they built it with the power and knowledge of Numenor, for no power has yet been able to even scratch much less damage the tower. That is, lest you call the betrayal and time spent here by Saruman as damage."

Elbren looked down at the wolf lying at the feet of Rholarowyn and was surprised to see the creature looking at him with intelligence and curiousity. Could the wolf understand him? An involuntary shiver ran up Elbren's spine as his childhood fear of Wargs tried to emerge from the shadows of his mind. He quickly looked away and spoke again.

"It is believed by Treebeard and Elessar, and others of the Wise, that we can reclaim Orthanc with the power of Numenor and completely erase Saruman's lingering shadow if we can discover the name given to the tower by the Gondorians. Most likely, the name was Elvish. Now, we DO know that the name given by the Gondorians to the whole of Isengard was Angrenost, which means, I'm sure you know, Fortress of Angren. Angren, of course, is the Eldar name for the river Isen. Both names, Angren and Isen, mean 'iron' in their native tongues."

Elbren paused a moment, "The library of Minas Tirith has been searched by Elessar and his scribes as have the scrolls here in Orthanc. Nothing has been found. And yet, secret chambers have been found here since Saruman left. One of those chambers held several objects that were heirlooms of the House of Gondor. I will show you that chamber later tonight. It is our task, mellyn, to discover the true name of this tower. It may be in yet another undiscovered secret chamber; or, it may be lost forever. But, we must try. Now, tell me what your thoughts are on the matter, please."

Rholarowyn and Chirion entered the chamber and the door was closed behind them. Despite her nervousness, she introduced herself and the wolf to Lord Elbren, and immediately felt her tension subside. Elbren had a reassuring certainty about him, and that had a calming effect on her. He motioned towards a chair and invited her to sit down. As soon as she had there was a knock at the door.

'Enter' said the voice behind the door. And then the door was opened.

A woman walked into the room and introduced herself to Lord Elbren. Rholarowyn quickly saw that Elenath was an elf and she wondered if she had come from Rivendell. She also noticed the embroidered silver tunic that she was wearing and thought it was beautiful. She had never seen anything like it before. The tunic fit Elenath well and it was obvious that it had been made especially for her. The tunic was enhanced even more by the crispness of her clean white shirt.

Suddenly Rholarowyn was struck by the realization that she had forgotten to change out of her traveling clothes and wondered what she had done with her pack. It then occurred to her that she had never taken it off of her saddle. While standing up to be introduced to Elenath, she discreetly she looked down and accessed her current state of cleanliness. There were some grey hairs from Tamir on both of the long sleeves of her collarless brown shirt, but luckily there were only a few. Her black waistcoat, which was belted, held closed by three silver clasps, and fell to mid thigh, was free from any hair or dirt. There was a stain on her black breeches just above the right knee, but other than these few things she determined that her appearance was more or less acceptable. Thinking back, she was grateful that she had cleaned off her riding boots before entering Orthanc.

After she had been properly introduced to Elenath, Rholarowyn shared with the two her desire to be called Rho, instead of being referred to by her more formal name. Lord Elbren then invited them both to sit down, and once they were seated, he handed them each a cup of warm tea. Chirion quickly went over to where Rho was sitting and laid down by her feet.

Rho listened intently as Lord Elbren began to explain some of the history of the tower, and was surprised to find out that the Orthanc was not it's original name. When Elbren paused and glanced down at the wolf, she was even more surprised to see Chirion looking back at him with such an intense interest. Understandably, most people were uneasy around the wolf, especially at first, and in trying to be sensitive to this, she had spent much time teaching him to be calm and unthreatening in the presence of others. So the wolf's interest in Lord Elbren was unusual, but it was obvious that Chirion was quite taken with him! Elbren then looked away and continued to speak. When he had finished, he sat back and asked for their thoughts.

Sitting silently, Rho reflected on what she'd just heard. The thought of heirlooms from the House of Gondor excited her and for a moment she wondered what they might be. But these items she and Elenath would be shown soon enough, so she began to recall what she did know about Orthanc. Unfortunately it wasn't much, although her brain immediately went to work trying to figure out if there were any patterns or connections between the current names that she did know. Finally, she decided it would probably be best to include the others in on her thinking. " I know that Orthanc has also gone by the name Mount Fang and when translated into Rohirric it means 'the cunning mind', but are either of you aware of any other names that the tower has been called in the past?" She asked and then waited for their reply.

Elenath accepted the hot tea thankfully, curling her fingers around the cup. She sipped it slowly, relishing the warmth, as Lord Elbren began to speak. The revelation of their task caught her interest: she had not known until she came here that Saruman's presence had such a hold on the Tower. A memory rose in her mind of her visit to Isengard long ago: the green avenues, the fragrance of the blossoms on the fruit trees, and her heart ached for what once was. But now, perhaps she could aid those who were trying to restore some of that beauty. She turned her head as Rho began to speak, watching the firelight glancing off the mortal's light brown hair. She had noted the gleam in Rho's eye when Lord Elbren mentioned the heirlooms of the House of Gondor, and wondered a bit. She was also intrigued by the partnership of human and wolf, a thing not often seen. After the young woman had finished speaking, Elenath shook her head.

"I know of no other names than those that are common knowledge, Rho. The elvish word Orthanc has been translated as Mount Fang, or more literally as Forked Height, and as you said its name in Rohirric means Cunning Mind." She frowned, thinking back. "I remember hearing about the Tower of Orthanc soon after it was built, but I did not take much of an interest in the buildings of the Numenoreans then. I'm afraid I bring no more knowledge with me than either of you. But it seems to me that though all the names we know are descriptive, it would be unlikely that the name given to this tower by Elendil and his sons would be similar to those: they are more like nicknames, while the real name was kept secret. We will have to look deeper, to the purpose the Gondorians had in mind for their creation, to the essence of the tower as it was in the beginning. I agree with Lord Elbren, the name would most likely be an elvish one." Elenath paused, and looked at Lord Elbren. "Have the Wise been able to discover anything? And will those heirlooms you spoke of be any use to us?"

Elbren began to reply when another soft knock resounded on his chamber door. He got up and opened the heavy door and was smiling when he ushered in the new visitor.

"Elenath and Rholarowyn, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Lady Idril, Mithril Knight, and Steward of the Lothlorien Mithril Knight Guild House," Elbren offered Idril a chair near the fire, "Idril, please meet our two new Knights-in-Training, Elenath and Rholarowyn."

The ladies gave their greetings as Elbren poured more tea for them and stoked the fire into a warmer blaze. The rain had begun to fall harder and a wind was gaining strength from the East; the rumblings of thunder were louder and more ominous.

"We were just discussing the hidden room that Master Gimli found not long ago for Elessar," Elbren handed Idril a mug of the strong tea.

"I see," Idril took the tea and settled into the chair comfortably.

"The room was found by Gimli, as I said," Elbren continued, "but I do not know if Elessar was actually looking for the room or if it was a sheer coincidence. I suspect that they were looking for what Saruman might have hidden away during his sojourn here, but I also think that the hidden room was completely unknown to them. At any rate, Gimli recognised the subtle art of stone melded together as a false wall, and there, in a steel room, very small, they found the gold box where Isildur had, at one time, kept the One Ring. The other Gondorian heirloom was the Elendilmir, the symbol of royalty worn by the Kings of Arnor. There were other items...jewels and heirlooms of Eorl, filched from Edoras by the agency of Wormtongue during King Theoden's decline, and other such things, more ancient and beautiful, from mounds and tombs far and wide. Saruman in his degradation had become not a dragon but a jackdaw."

A sudden chill entered the room and one of the lanterns flickered, casting a shadow upon the Eastern wall.

"Tomorrow, we shall depart for Fangorn, where Treebeard shall tell us what he knows of Saruman's last days in Orthanc and what the Ents experienced during their battle here. Tonight, though, we shall further explore the chambers of Orthanc," Elbren glanced towards the windows, where the sheets of rain were now forming small rivers upon the glass panes, "it will be a dark night and stormy. Yet, we should explore all that we can. We will dine together in the main hall and then begin our tasks. I will show you the hidden steel room that Gimli discovered, and then we will look on our own."

Idril had gone to a room shown to her to dry her hair as best she could and to change out of the soaked clothes that she was in. She was careful to finger comb her soaked hair and to leave it down save to small braids (1 to each side of her head) which were pulled back and placed into a small barrett of clear stones encased in mithril. She put on a dress that was warm and dry from the closet. She chose

a dress of deep blue that changed to a very light blue starting up the bodice of the gown and had a warm cape of deep blue velvet wrapped around her. When she came in and met the new Knights-in-training Elenath and Rho, she was very impressed of their willingness at such a task when finding the secrets of Orthanc would easily scare anyone, including a Mithril Knight. And she saw a beautiful wolf sitting near the one called Rho. It brought back memories of Sarge, the silver wolf she befriended.

She drank the tea and warmed herself by the fire, thinking the whole time of what Elbren had said about Saruman and the jackdaw. She could not place what that was and searched her memories to be sure she did not have the information somewhere hidden in her brain. She was sure that she did not have the information anywhere. She knew that no matter what it was, a jackdaw could not be good if it was worse than a dragon. The lanterns flickered and she thought that the Eastern Wall had moved, much like the Mural Wall in another Guild House but then she became convinced that she was just very tired and needed warm food.

Tomorrow would prove to be a strenuous getting to Fangorn Forest and finding Treebeard. It would be wonderful to meet the Great Treebeard of old that she had heard so much about. She looked forward to it and then she suddenly heard in her mindseye the moaning of the old forest that was ripped down so brutely here in Isengard. It grew louder with each second that passed and then she felt what they felt as their roots were ripped from the ground. She jumped up dropping her cup, breaking it into many pieces as she grabbed the mantle of the fireplace with one hand and her head with the other. She slowly looked up at Elbren as he came to assist her but again suddenly the feelings of the Great Trees that once were here, were somehow transfered to her. She dropped to her knees as if someone had cut her legs off with an invisible sword. There was a sudden rumble of thunder and a flash of lightening which illuminated the Eastern Wall again and she happened to look up at it as Elbren helped her back to her feet and to her chair. She whispered in his ear "look" as she pointed to the Wall. It was still moving as if it had become a liquid pool with a slight ripple in it. Then the moaning again and an picture of the trees being burned for fuel hit her. The pain was tremendous! Then just as suddenly as the 'vision' had hit her, it was gone leaving her head spinning and her mind full of questions.

'Lady Idril are you all right?' asked Elbren as he looked at her. She reached up to her breast and pressed the hidden necklace into her breast to release its healing powers. She closed her eyes and meditated for a moment to regain her composure before answering. After a few minutes she answered in a quiet voice still tinged in pain.

"Yes I believe that I am. Elbren did you see it? Did you see the Wall move or was it part of my vision? There is still much pain here ... and evil. It is like it is buried deep within the earth, in its very core."

The storm seemed to become even more enraged than it had at first seemed. Like it wanted to rid these lands of the people who had come here to help cleanse it even more.

Rho listened carefully as Elenath began to answer her question, but when she mentioned hearing talk of the tower shortly after it had been built, and not taking interest in Numenorean buildings, this caused Rho to pause. It was then that she realized Elves could talk about the details of history that were hundreds or thousands of years old the same way she could have shared with them the details of her 21st birthday, which had happened just four years ago. Being in the company of Elves was going to take a little getting used to, she decided. When Elenath had finished, Rho agreed with her conclusions, besides men much wiser than she had been searching for the answer to Orthanc's lost name. If there had been any connection between the known names, surely they would have discovered them.

Just then there was a knock at the door and in walked the Lady Idril. Rho greeted her along with Elenath and then everyone went over to the fire. After they sat back down, Elbren continued to explain the details of the secret room and what had been found there. A chill entered the room and Rho looked around to see if it was coming from the window. She couldn't tell.

All of a sudden she sensed pain, but she didn't know where that was coming from either. Then Idril jumped up, and Rho could feel that it was her distress, but it was also greater than hers alone. When Idril's legs gave out from under her, Rho jumped up to assist Elbren in breaking her fall. Right at that moment there was a strong flash of lightning followed immediately by the rumble of thunder and Rho stumbled to the floor. It had felt as though she had been shoved from behind. Landing on her hands and knees, she then heard Chirion growling behind her. The wolf was facing the east wall, and had placed himself between it and the four of them. The sense of pain was still lingering as she quickly stood up to call the wolf back to over to her. That's when she looked towards the wall and noticed that it appeared to be liquid. The walls appearance then return back to normal and the pain she had been feeling left her. Rho continued to stare at the wall trying to comprehend all that had just happened.

It was Chirion's gentle nudge that finally brought her back to reality. Well that and Elenath voice asking her if her hand was O.K. What's wrong with her hand? She thought. Looking down, Rho realized her left hand was bleeding. As she raised her hand up to look at it, she saw a piece of the broken cup was stuck into her palm. Grasping her wrist to support the wounded hand, she wondered why it didn't hurt. Raising her hand up to slow the bleeding, she then heard the voice of Lady Idril asking Lord Elbren 'Did you see the wall move or was it part of my vision?" Rho never heard the rest. If what just happened had only been Lady Idril's vision, it was one that both she and Chirion had participated in.

'It's a poor night for traveling Eore. Aren't there supposed to be two more of those Prentice Knights arriving?"

'Aye and I pity them. You know, they say that after old Saruman died up in the Shire, a horrible storm occurred."

'Really?" Theodar perked up. Stories of the Tower's former master always intrigued the troops.

'Truth. It sounded like a thousand howling orcs were running around in the air overhead. The rain beat down with drops as large as eyes, and thunder and lightning flashed. People said that at times the clouds looked like eagles, other times like a wizard. It was weird. Coarse that's just hearsay, stories from a traveler in a bar, but there's always an element of truth to a lie, I say." He sat back, thinking about all the yarns he had heard in a lifetime of soldiering. Theodar looked out into the night, musing about Saruman's peculiarities.

'Say Eore. Come 'ere."

Eore dropped his legs off the table, joined Theodar over at the watch window. 'What?"

'Is that someone coming in the rain?"

Eore strained his aging eyes to the limit, trying to pierce the dense night by will alone. He thought he could make out the outline of a horse and rider, but it could be his eyes showing what he wanted to see. 'Don't know. But we will presently. Very shortly indeed."

Aurandir rode up to the tunnel gate, huddled inside his over-cloak. He was dripping wet, chilled to the bone by the blowing wind. He was not happy.

'I am here by the request of Lord Elbren. Would the night-guard open the gate?"

'Aye sir. Just go straight on the road, you'll get to the Tower soon enough."

'My thanks and good night."

He rode on away to the Tower. Tiredly he dismounted, led his horse into the nearby stables. He chose an empty stall for Destrier, looked to his needs for the night, then walked into the vestibule of the Tower. He rapped on the door, and a curious face opened the watch shutter. The guard spoke before Aurandir could summon up any words.

'Here on Lord Elbren's business?" Aurandir nodded mutely. The guard opened the door, beckoning him inside. 'Come in. A few are already here, talking by the fireside. Seldor will show you the room." The man connected to the name appeared, a youth just beginning to shave.

'This way sir." He began walking along, and Aurandir followed, too tired to care that he was late, just elated that he had finally arrived. In a few minutes they had come to the room. He opened the oaken doors without knocking and spoke to the members inside the room.

'Lord Elbren, Lady Idril, Aurandir."

Aurandir followed in immediately after his somewhat embarrassing introduction.

'My Lord Elbren, I'm sorry for my unpunctual arrival. By your leave, may I stand by the fire? I was slightly chilled by the storm still raging outside, and I would dry myself off."

Elbren looked up and nodded at Aurandir, "Welcome and yes, indeed, please sit and rest. Please meet Lady Idril, Steward of the Mithril Knight Lothlorien Guild House and two other Knights in Training, Elenath and Rholarowyn."

"I'm feeling better," Idril said as she sat up straight and rubbed her eyes, "did you see that?"

Elbren shook his head, "I did...but I didn't. It was odd. However," and at this, he stood up and walked to the wall, gingerly placing his hands upon the smooth stone, "I do think it harbors further investigation."

"It certainly harbors something," Idril insisted.

Elbren then proceeded to share with Aurandir what had just happened, "Certainly," Elbren commented, "it almost seems as if the tower knows that we're seeking its true name and has awakened."

"But, to aid or hinder us?" Aurandir asked.

"Good question," Elbren nodded, "good question."

The Elven Lord walked to the windows and tried to peer out at the gathering darkness. How dangerous was this? Should he take the new recruits on this journey or had he mistakenly thought this mission to be less than it was? He made up his mind and turned around.

"Elenath, would you mind going to the room across the hall and asking for Thalos? Tell him to bring his tools to my chambers," Elbren instructed, "he is one of the Dwarven builders who was brought here to help repair Isengard. Perhaps he has eyes that are just as keen as Master Gimli's."

"Yes, of course, Lord Elbren." Elenath bowed her head, and walked quickly to the door. She had not been affected by what happened as deeply as Idril or Rho, but she had seen something. And it had certainly seemed more real that just a vision: she agreed with Lord Elbren, it seemed the Tower was awakening.

Elenath closed the door behind her, and stood for a moment looking up and down the hallway. Her gaze stopped at the door across the hall which must be the one Elbren referred to. She wondered a bit that he chose her to fetch the dwarf: it was well known there was no love lost between elves and dwarves. But though she was not particularly fond of dwarves, she harbored no great ill will toward them in general - she only hoped the dwarf felt the same.

She knocked on the door, hearing low, muted voices inside, which stopped at her knock. She waited a few moments before it was opened. The dwarf didn't open it very far, and Elenath could just make out his bright eyes peering up at her over a thick black beard.

"Are you Thalos?" Elenath asked, meeting his eyes.

The dwarf's eyes narrowed. "I am," he answered, sounding slightly suspicious.

"Lord Elbren requests that you bring your tools to his chambers."

The dwarf grunted, and left the door only slightly open as he went back into the room. Elenath heard a brief exchange of low voices, then Thalos came out, carrying a leather bag, and closing the door carefully behind him. The dwarf didn't look at her again, but walked swiftly to Lord Elbren's chambers, as she followed close behind. Thalos knocked on the door, then opened it at Elbren's answer.

"Lord Elbren," Thalos said, gruffly but respectfully, and bowed. "How may I be of service to you?"

Elenath poured herself another cup of tea and sat, listening as Elbren told the dwarf of what had happened. Before he had finished, Thalos was already eyeing the wall and fingering his tools.

Elbren watched with great interest as Thalos inspected the mysterious wall. Were they about to discover yet another secret chamber within Orthanc? It was exciting, Elbren had to admit, even though worry tugged at the back of his mind and reminded him to be cautious. Saruman may have left traps and charms to keep unwanted adventurers from these hidden rooms; then again, perhaps even Saruman had not known of this!

Which led Elbren back to the overall mystery of the true name of Orthanc. It seemed to Elbren, if memory served him well, that Osgiliath and Minas Ithil had been built close to a contemporary time period with Orthanc. Fortress of the Stars....Tower of the Moon.........was it possible that the Numenorean refugees had left them a hidden message with the names of their other fortresses and towers? What about Amon Hen and Amon Sul?

Elbren suddenly stood up and retrieved a map of Middle Earth from his desk. Rolling it out and smoothing it with his hands, Elbren called the others over.

"Let us see if we can see any sort of pattern with these ancient fortresses," Elbren suggested. "Down here, in the South, we have the Moon honoured here at Minas Ithil. Over here, the Stars are honoured at Osgiliath. Here, we have the watchtowers, Amon Hen, Hill of Sight near the Falls, and back across the Misty Mountains, we have Amon Sul."

Elbren thought for a moment as Idril spoke up, "More than one of these places was a home to a Palantir...Orthanc included."

"True," Elbren nodded, "very true. Perhaps that, too, is a clue." Once again Elbren's finger drew a line from each fortress to the other, "Stars....Moon...Seeing....what are they trying to tell us?"

"As far as we know, this is the only tower that actually had a key made for it," Idril mused.

"Hmm, yes...I wonder who fashioned the key? Was it just one?" Elbren asked.

"Th'keys weren't made 'til the Rohirrim were given their lands by Cirion 'round 2510...Third Age, 'course," Thalos muttered as he continued his survey of the chamber wall. "When Eorl made his oath, this place was sealed and the key sent to Minas Tirith. It wasn't opened again til Saruman asked Steward Beren for the key."

"When was that?"

"2759 or 60, I think," Thalos replied.

"Do you have any idea what type of stone was used to make Orthanc so strong?" Elbren asked.

"It's more than strong, M'Lord," Thalos chuckled, "it absolutely cannot be damaged save by very strong energies of a type probably no longer even in Middle Earth. Sealed and protected by Numenorean craft. I doubt anyone knows."

"But the stone is real...do you not recognise it at all?" Elbren persisted.

Thalos paused for a moment, still staring at the wall, but then he turned to the gathered company, "There's only one material that I know of that cannot be damaged save by magic."

Elbren's eyes narrowed, "You mean Mithril?"

Thalos shrugged, "Just a thought, M'Lord."

"It would take an enormous amount of Mithril to build this tower," Elbren thought aloud. "Then again, it would take an enormous amount of Mithril to build Earendil's ship."

Elbren looked around at the others as Thalos continued his searching of the mysterious wall.

"Why would they build a tower of Mithril?" Idril suddenly asked, her eyes bright, "unless they had something here that needed great protection? And why make a key and lock it?"

"Indeed," Elbren nodded, "what did Orthanc hold that was so precious?"

"A Palantir?" Rholanowyn suggested.

"So did Minas Ithil, Osgiliath, and Amon Sul," Elbren replied, "they were not locked nor built from such valuable resources."

"Well," Thalos grunted, "you may be about to find out...or at least find some clues. I've found your false wall," he pointed to a slight crack in the stone, "now to figure out how to open it and see if if there are any traps or enchantments upon it."

At the words of the dwarf Thalos, Idril had gone over to the wall to stare at it, hoping to see it move again. Mithril and magic in stone was something and she hoped to be able to figure out this puzzling but it would not come to her.

"Lord Elbren, what about writings, like the one's along the gates into Mines of Moria? Sir Thalos, do you see any scripts? Do you make out anything that could clue us into the possible enchantment? For it to look so liquid only a few moments ago, there has to be an enchantment here."

'M'Lady I am only just now inding the crack. Give an ol'dwarf time to find the other part of your request' the old dwarf complained with a huff.

"Yes my apologies good dwarf, I meant nothing by it, just voicing my thoughts aloud. Please carry on."

'Idril you might be onto something. What was happening to you when you dropped your cup and before you saw the wall move? Be explicit.'

"Well Elbren I was thinking about the evilness of this Tower, its life and how 'if only the walls could talk'. The storm had grown and become louder. Lightening flashed and I heard a howling upon the winds as if thousands of voices of the tortured still were here. The moaning of the old forest was also in the wind, their pain I could feel as they were ripped from the ground and burned as fuel. I was warming myself by the fire, drinking the tea. Then suddenly, as if by some type of magic I looked and saw the wall become like liquid. All this took only seconds yet it was like I lived through the brutality that took place here. It was a vision but with much pain, and not one I would like to repeat."

'Understood. We need to decide how to best proceed. Have you found anything yet Thalos?'

Thalos grunted as a reply as he continued to work at the crack in the wall as the candles began to dim. "Light! I need more light!" Lightening chose to illuminate the wall with a several second display of powerful luminousness. It made the dwarf jump back in surprise as the wall, once again became liquified.

Rho didn't notice the knock at the door, and it wasn't until she heard Lord Elbren introduce her by name that she realized Aurandir had even entered the room. She then listened closely as Elbren shared with Aurandir all the events that had just happened. When Elbren finally asked Elenath to go find Thalos, Rho decided that this would be a good time to attend to her hurt hand. By the time Elenath had returned, Rho had her wound covered with a healing salve and had wrapped her hand with a small scarf she always carried.

Thalos was still inspecting the wall, when Elbren called everyone over to look at a map he had just rolled out. Rho listened with great interest as he discussed with Idril some of the details of the ancient fortresses. When there was a brief pause in the conversation she glanced down at Minas Tirith, which had once been Minas Arnor. The Fortress of the Sun, she thought.

The conversation continued until Idril began to explain what had happened during her 'vision'. When Idril had finished, Rho had a better understanding of where the pain she'd felt earlier had come from. Just then there was another flash of lightning and Rho watched Thalos as he jumped back and the wall became liquefied again.

Other than a slight tingling in her wounded hand, Rho felt no sensation of pain or fear this time. In fact it was quite the opposite, she felt drawn to the wall. She slowly lead Chirion closer to the wall to see what his response was. He did not appear to feel any concern for it either. She continued moving closer to the wall until she felt someone's hand on her shoulder stopping her momentarily. She then heard their warning for her to be careful, but she continued moving forward as the wall drew her in closer. Slowly the swirls began to take shape until the wall appeared to be an exact reflection of everything in the room, themselves included. Except for one spot. The area where the fire should have been reflected actually appeared to be dark. When Rho knelt down to look at this area more closely, she could actually see through the wall.

Still kneeling, she asked 'Could someone please bring a small torch over here?"

'Could someone please bring a small torch over here?'

Aurandir was jarred out of his train of thought by the request. Ingrained habit made him instantly glance around the room, seeking what the lady had requested.

'Certainly.' He pulled the torch out of its lampstand, went back to the lady - what was her name - Rholarowyn? He knelt on one knee, handed it to her, then stood up, brushing off the thin layer of ash and dust. As he did so, he spoke slowly to Lord Elbren.

'Lord Elbren, I have the glimmerings of an idea that may possibly help us. On the other hand, I have not been here as long as you, so you may have already looked into it. But, in some rooms there are designs, shapes made out of all straight lines, most notably Saruman's palintir room and the summit of the tower. Since all know this fortress to be unmarrable, they were obviously drawn into the surface by the builders. If these designs are not mere decoration, but a cipher, might it not take us one step closer to our goal? One more piece fitted into the mosaic?'

As Aurandir approached Rho with the torch, she could tell that the firelight was not reflecting on the wall, but was actually creating a window-like effect that allowed her to see into the chamber behind it. Kneeling down, he handed her the torch and after she thanked him, he got back up.

Rho was surprised that he didn't stay to see what she was looking at. Was she the only one in the room who could see through the wall? Just then something caught her eye inside the chamber, but she couldn't make out what it was. With the torch in her right hand, she continued to gaze through the wall until Idril came over and knelt down beside her.

'Do you see it too?" Rho whispered to the elve.

'Yes, although I'm not sure what it is" she replied. "But it does have the appearance of something Elvish."

Rho reached out her hand to touch the wall, but Idril stopped her. 'Wait," she said quietly.

Idril removed her small dagger and gently grasped the blade. She then tapped on the wall lightly with the handle of her dagger. It was met with solid resistance. So the two of them could see through into the chamber, but the clear glass-like barrier, which only appeared in the presence of reflected firelight, was not going to allow them beyond it.

Rho had a thought and patiently waited for a pause in Aurandir and Lord Elbren's conversation. When it came Rho asked, 'Lord Elbren, do you know if Legolas was present when Gimli found the wall to the secret room?"

'Why do you ask?" He replied.

'Well I am wondering if the presence of Elves is having some type of influence upon the tower." She answered.

Rho looked at Elbren while he considered her answer. She then remembered something he had said earlier in the evening, just before Idril had entered the room. Elbren had been talking to her and Elenath...and yes, he had called the two of them mellyn, the Elvish word for friends.

Elbren watched Rholanowyn with great interest as she and Idril knelt before the enchanted wall of the chamber. He had a tingling at the back of his neck that was uncanny; the growing intensity of the storm outside didn't make him feel any more comfortable either.

Tower of the Stars...Tower of the Moon....could Orthanc be constructed of Mithril? Gimli was currently working with a group of Dwarfs down in Minas Tirith to construct Mithril gates for the White City, since the gates had been completely destroyed during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. But, working with Mithril was a Dwarven craft, wasn't it? And Orthanc was Numenorean...but, wasn't there a myth that Numenor, too, had the precious metal?

"You may be onto something, Aurandir," Elbren finally said, "why don't you and Lady Idril go and investigate the carvings? If we go with the theory that Orthanc is made of Mithril, then perhaps they have been carved in another Elven fashion: Ithildin. A substance made of Mithril."

Elbren remembered what his father had told him of the Ithildin lettering on the Gates of Moria, "They are wrought of ithildin that mirrors only starlight and moonlight, and sleeps until it is touched by one who speaks words now long forgotten in Middle-Earth."

"But, what words will reveal their secrets?" Idril asked.

"That is what we must discover," Elbren replied.

"And what about this room?" Rho asked, gesturing with the torch towards the phantom image on the chamber wall.

"Well," Elbren smiled, "you, Elenath, Thalos, and I will attempt to enter what looks to be another secret chamber, mellon."

As soon as the word, "mellon", escaped from Elbren's lips, the wall shimmered again and the mirror image seemed to become more solid and clear.

"I think that we should stay together," Idril muttered.

"Perhaps you are right," Elbren agreed, now kneeling beside of Rho and peering into the shimmering chamber beyond.

"Thalos, go and inform the captain of the watch what we are doing. I want guards in this room while we are away," Elbren stood up, "prepare yourselves, we will enter the chamber as soon as Thalos returns."

Nurvilya had been fleeing the glade of the shapeshifters for many nights now, stopping only to rest when absolutely necessary. Exhaustion was setting into every corner of her body, sending fire and daggers through her limbs with every stride she took. By her reckoning, she had been traveling for a fortnight, heading roughly southwest, bringing her into the land of Rohan, nearly south of the ancient forest of Fangorn.

As she topped the rise of a low hill, the young woman could see for miles in every direction; the soft, rolling hills of the Brown Lands spanned out as far as she could follow them, as waves spread on the sea, chasing the horizon. Far off to the east, a faint shimmering ribbon could be seen: The Great River, glimmering in the pale light of the westering sun. Nurvilya decided to turn in that direction, and make for Fangorn, where she hoped to find council from the race of the Ents. But tonight, she would rest in an inn and recover her strength for the journey. Descending the hill, her mind was filled with thoughts of a warm meal and a soft bed.

The sickle moon was hung high in the dark sky by the time that Nurvilya reached the tiny inn. When she opened its door, the light cast an orange glow about her, sending odd shadows out into the blackness of the night. She entered and approached the innkeeper, a young man who was dozing behind a large oak desk.

"I'd like a room for this evening please," the young woman asked, pulling her hood up higher. She wished to avoid recognition, however remote the chance of it may be.

The proprietor looked her over and said, "Right away m'dear. Why don't you take back your cloak and let me have a look at you. I always like to know who's taking accommodation under my roof, especially now when there's many a thing wandering the wilds that has no place there, if you catch my meaning."

Hesitantly, Nurvilya drew off her hood, and scanned the room. There was a small common room, deserted by this hour, though a few embers still glowed red in the brick fireplace. Down a narrow hallway to her right, she could see half a dozen rooms, their doors closing the occupants from her sight.

The young innkeeper watched the lady standing before him, trying to recall why she seemed familiar to him. Then, as she turned and met his eyes, he remembered the strange messenger that had come and left him with a battered leather message tube, saying that he was to give it to the lady Nurvilya who was to be arriving in about a fortnight. The strong jaw, slightly sunken cheeks and sad, green eyes of this woman matched nearly perfectly with the description the messenger had left, though her yellow hair was short, as if it had been cut with a dull blade. Turning to take her to her room, he asked her for her name.

"Nurvilya," she answered forgetting that she was trying to remain anonymous here. Her cheeks flushed when she realized her impetuosity.

"Yes, I thought it was you," the young man replied. Nurvilya's mind raced as she tried to recall how this man could have known her. She opened her mouth to ask him, but he laid a finger across her lips, saying, " Don't. I will not tell anyone who you are. You need not worry tonight."

With that, he unlocked her door and gestured her inside the cozy room. "Good Night, m'dear," he said, and turned to go, placing a small tanned leather tube on the dressing table before he closed the door.

Nurvilya stood silent in the middle of the room, still unable to determine how she could have been known in this strange land. Surely the message he left was not from her father in Gondor? She strode across the floor and opened the case, pulling out a scrap of parchment that was sealed with an unfamiliar mark pressed into the red wax. She neatly cracked the seal in half and unrolled the message.

As she read, her mind was swept back three years to her home under the sixth arch of Minas Tirith, where she, as a girl of only 18 years sent a message to the Lord Elbren, expressing her wishes to become one of the famed Mithril Knights. Now, she stood here, holding the key to one of her dreams in the palm of her hand.

The garrison at Isenagrd will be expecting you. Speak your name and tell them that you are to meet Lord Elbren. I wish for you to accompany me upon an errand, and then we shall discuss your desire to join our Guild. Do not tarry! For the errand is urgent. I shall see you in Isengard.

The exhaustion that had been taking over her body now fled as excitement took its place. She began to make erratic plans for her departure; she would need a horse, and provisions to last her for at least a week of difficult travel, if she left early. Pulling out her map, she decided that the fastest way to the circle of Isengard would be to avoid the forest, ride through the Gap of Rohan, and then follow the river Isen north to the tower of Orthanc. As Nurvilya made plans for the morning, she prepared for bed, and then fell into a deep sleep full of dreams of gallant knights with silver cloaks streaming behind them as they went about on their adventures.

As dawn broke, Nurvilya was tying her last bag to the saddle of the bay horse she had used the last of her money to buy from the innkeeper, who gave it to her for a most reasonable price. She ran a mental check to ensure that she had not left anything behind in her haste to set out. Her bow was secured beside her, and her quiver was stocked and at her back. Her daggers were in their places; one was in her boot, the other was concealed in a sheath on her belt. Nurvilya drew in a deep breath, savoring the clean morning air as she looked ahead down the road that was to be hers. She imagined she could see the tower of Orthanc ahead, like a shadow in the sun.

She turned and bid farewell to the innkeeper, thanking him again for his help and for the horse, to whom she now leaned down and whispered, "The road is long, Firawey, but at the end there will be many rewards. Let us go." With that, the horse sprang away towards the rising sun.

Nurvilya travelled for six nights with good weather, making good time as she passed through West Emnet, and finally, coming to the Gap of Rohan. On the morning of the seventh day, she found herself at the river Isen, which was low as the summer turned into autumn. Firawey crossed without difficulty and then proceeded to head north, following the river upstream towards the great circle of Isengard.

Fat raindrops had begun to fall as the sky began its western descent, and Nurvilya was no more than an hour's distance from the Black Tower. Her mind began to fill again with thoughts of the Mithril Knights, of what errand had prompted Elbren to call on her after three years, and why he had chosen Isengard as a meeting place. A formidable roll of thunder startled Firawey into a canter as the rain fell thicker and faster, soaking the woman and all her gear. She kept her eyes down to protect them from the whipping winds and stinging rain. It seemed that they rode for only a few moments before Firawey pulled up suddenly and reared onto his hind legs. Nurvilya raised her eyes and gasped aloud. Before her rose the mighty tower of Orthanc, slick with the rain so that it reflected the image of green trees and wide avenues spreading behind her. She shuddered as she turned around, for all that she could see were gaping holes and a few stray branches where the great trees had been torn cruelly from the ground. Shivering with cold and fright, the woman searched the gate for the garrison that was supposed to be there, but the only thing that met her eyes was the terrifying image of the ghost trees.

Nurvilya quickly dismounted and tied Firawey to the gate. She ran up the stairs and opened the heavy doors to find an empty hallway, dimly lit only by the occasional torch hanging from a wall bracket. Taking one of these, she proceeded deeper into the hallway, searching for any sign of inhabitance.

"Hello?" she called, "Lord Elbren? My name is Nurvilya. I received your summons, though I fear I have arrived too late. Is anyone there?" Her words seemed to be swallowed by the surrounding darkness. She approached a small round window that was cut into the stone of the wall. Looking outside, she could see no more than five feet through the rain. There came a mighty flash of lightning, and Nurvilya let out a piercing scream that resounded through the entire tower. For she had seen, reflected in the wall, a man standing just behind her. He wore long robes of white, the same shade as his hair and beard. His eyes were a stormy grey that chilled Nurvilya right through. She recognized him as Saruman the White, wizard of the highest order of the Council, just before she fell unconscious to the ground, her torch extinguished at her feet.

Thalos had just left the room when a scream of terror tore through the halls and chambers of Orthanc. Elbren stood bolt upright and whipped around towards the door as the scream wailed into silence.

"WHAT was that?" Idril asked, echoing everyone's own mind.

Elbren frowned, "I'm not sure..." He turned to the new Knights in Training, "wait here for Thalos to return. Lady Idril and I will go and investigate."

Elbren did not give anyone time to protest; instead, he and Idril dashed out of the chamber and down the hall. Their boots clicked sharply upon the smooth, polished floors as they ran. They turned a corner and were nearly bowled over by three Gondorian soldiers; in fact, Elbren immediately recognised them as the gate guardsmen.

"What's going on?" Elbren demanded, alarmed that something really terrible was amiss. Why else would the guards abandon their post?

"M'Lord," replied the Sergeant, "I know not if the storm is playing tricks with our eyes, but I swear to you that we saw...someone...a man...near the door into the tower. We could not shout above the storm to alert the door guard, and the man was already entering the archway, so we pursued him."

"ALL of you?" Elbren asked.

"No, M'Lord, we left Eldandil at the Gate," the Sergeant and his two men were soaked and by the look in their eyes, they at least believed that they had seen an intruder. "And then we heard the scream. We assumed that someone was being attacked."

"We heard that, too, though we've seen no intruders," Elbren nodded, "continue your search, Sergeant, and have one of your men inform the Captain. Lady Idril and I will search the western conclave."

With hearts racing, Idril and Elbren took off again down the long hallway. They had not gone far when they saw a figure lying motionless upon the smooth stones. Idril kneeled beside the fallen figure while Elbren took in the scene: a torch, no longer burning, was lying on the floor not far from the figure's hand. The floor was wet, but not with blood; it was water from the unconscious woman's, for Elbren clearly saw now that it was a young woman, soaked clothing.

"She's not injured," Idril pronounced, "at least not too badly. She'll have a bump on her head from hitting the floor and be a bit sore, but I don't see any signs of attack."

"Let's get her into my chamber with the others and near the fire," Elbren helped Idril lift the woman between them, "if I'm right, this is one of our candidates for Guild membership."

"Aye then, let's get her dry and something to eat," Idril agreed.

*****************************

An hour later, the storm still raging outside, the company, now with Nurvilya among them, were still within Elbren's chambers. The Captain of the Watch was concerned and even a bit superstitious about the Mithril Knights attempting to enter the mysterious chamber. He protested that they had no idea what might be in the chamber; and the intruder that the Sergeant had seen had still not been found.

"We don't know that they actually saw an intruder," Elbren argued, "it could well have been Nurvilya."

"With all due respect, M'Lord Elbren, it was not the young lady," the Captain shook his head, "and I'm not trying to prevent you from carrying out the King's will...but, strange things are happening tonight, you have to admit, and I just think we would be wise to delay your exploration of the chamber until at least the storm subsides a bit."

Elbren sighed heavily and sat down, "I understand your concern, Captain, and it has been taken into account. But, you see, I think that one of the reasons that the chamber is now visible is due to the storm. We are going in and I will take all responsibility for what occurs."

The Captain was visbily unhappy, but protested no more, "Aye, M'Lord."

"And now," Elbren turned to Nurvilya, "you seem rested. Before we begin our explorations, tell me how you found the road to Orthanc? Did you see anything strange as you traversed the storm?"

Nurvilya scanned her memory of how her day had played out. She lifted her eyes and met them with those of the great elf.

"Well, sir, I set out about a fortnight ago or less from an inn I found south of the eaves of Fangorn. That's where I got your message, they seemed to expect my arrival there. Once I read your summons, I assumed that you had known where I would be and had left the message for me there.

Anyway, I rode east from the inn, through the Gap of Rohan, until I came to the river Isen. I then turned north, and followed the river here. The weather was good until this morning, when it suddenly turned ugly and began to storm. My horse - oh goodness! He's still outside in the rain! I do hope he'll be alright. Anyway, he was startled by a peal of thunder, and bolted away. He was running so fast that I had to cast my eyes down, and didn't see where he was going. Before I knew it, we were standing at the steps of the tower here. Then I came inside and started searching for you. I don't remember what happened after that."

Lord Elbren looked at her with kindly eyes, pitying her in this wretched state.

"Is that all you remember?"

"Yes," she replied. Nurvilya paused then and thought hard, trying to remember what had happened before she entered the tower.

"Wait, there's more to it. When I arrived outside, I remember looking up at the tower and thinking how slick it had become with the rain. Yes, that's right! And how it was reflecting all the trees and gardens that were behind me. But, when I turned around," Nurvilya shuddered again, "There were no trees, only dug-up pits in the ground. That's when I came inside. I remember staring out the window at the rain, and then something frightened me terribly and I screamed. But for the life of me, I cannot remember now what it was."

Nurvilya realized that she was staring at her hands as she finished her account. She lifted her gaze to the others that were sitting with her. She noticed the beauty of the other two trainees, and how they were both clothed in finery of a type that she had not seen since she had left home. She painfully thought of her own outfit consisting of stained shirt, mud-splashed tunic, and leggings that were wearing thin and even had a few holes in the knees. She was no beauty, but she was strong, though she did not look it now. Proudly, she held her head up and waited for the others' thoughts on her tale.

Aurandir watched the woman, still shuddering from her fright. With half an ear he listened to her speak; his mind was already thinking about the significance of those lines, and what this tower was made of. The designs were placed in the audience room, the gate room, and the palantir room. Possibly they could also be on the tunnel entrance floor. What did these designs mean though? Cleverly disguised runes? Directions to yet another hidden chamber? He would get some more ideas when he took a close look at them though.

And then the material. He didn't believe it was mithril, or derived from mithril. This tower was built by the early Numenoreans, those who had employed the arts now lost to their descendents. They brought all their craft from Numenor... Could Sauron have given them this secret? There was the saying, "A silver lining resides in every cloud." Possibly this could be derived from him. But likely? Probably not.

It was all the more baffling since he hadn't heard of any other tower being built in this fashion, out of this material. And if Sauron had told them, why hadn't he employed the technique? Dwarven manufacture? He hadn't known of the Gonorrhim and Numenoreans getting along famously. He returned his consciousness to the present as she finsihed her tale.

'It does seem as if this place were haunted by the shade of Saruman, does it not?' He smiled grimly. 'Liquid pools, reflections of the past. Mayhap he rests uneasy in the Halls, and wishes to redress his folly.' He shook his head, wondering at the strange happenings. Yet maybe the idea was sound? Maybe...

As Elbren and Idril ran out of the room, Rho stood up and looked at Elenath and Aurandir. When no one said anything, she walked over to the window and looked outside. Chirion sensing her distress followed her to the window, and then sat down next to her legs. Rho instinctively reached down and petted his head. This brought her some comfort. She continued to stare out the window while the other two remained quiet and the storm raged on. Finally Idril and Elbren re-entered the room with one very shaken up and wet young woman.

A few minutes later as Nurvilya was getting warmed up by the fire, one of the servants entered the room with a large platter of cheese, bread, fruit, and some sliced meat. Rho was grateful that someone had thought of providing them all with some food. With all that was happening, a formal dinner was appearing less and less likely.

Rho listened intently along with the others as the newcomer shared the accounts of her journey and what had happened once she had entered the tower. When she was finished Aurandir said, 'It does seem as if this place were haunted by the shade of Saruman, does it not?" then he continued, 'Liquid pools, reflections of the past. Mayhap he rests uneasy in the Halls, and wishes to redress his folly."

'I agree' Rho spoke up. 'But I sense more than just Saruman's presence alone, there is something else here at work too," she paused for a moment and looked towards the enchanted wall which even more clear now. Suddenly the chamber began to shimmer more brightly. 'It's as though something else is wanting our help," she paused again and continued to stare at the chamber. Finally, she looked at Lord Elbren and finished her thought, 'I sense it is as though something is seeking our assistance for it's redemption."

"Well," Elbren stood up, "let's find out, shall we?"

The Elven Lord strode to the shimmering chamber wall. Thalos offered him a torch, which he took, and then with one swift motion, Elbren stepped into the wall and disappeared.

And then he appeared again as he crossed back, "Seems to work both ways," he grinned, "let's take a look."

The chamber that they entered was not large, perhaps twelve feet in diameter, and was perfectly round. There were no windows in the smooth walls, at least none that they could see. Elbren walked the circumference of the chamber while holding his torch aloft. The others did likewise in silence.

Suddenly, Elbren stopped.

"What is it?" Idril asked.

"I don't hear the storm, do you?" he asked.

It was true: they could no longer hear the wind, rain, and thunder. In fact, the chamber was as silent as a tomb.

"Look," Nurvilya gestured to the black stone floor, "there's a design of some kind here."

"Interesting," Elbren said as he walked around the design, "Seven designs--"

"They look like stars," Aurandil observed.

"Yes," Elbren agreed and nodded his head, "seven stars." Elbren paused and looked directly up into the chamber ceiling, "and there's a window just above it."

"There are letters here," Idril pointed her torch near her feet. "It's Quenya....A hótule asinye i meneltannar tirien."

"Come with me and gaze at the stars," Elbren searched his mind for the correct translation, "or...more like come with me and look at the constellations."

"Constellations..." Elenath murmured.

"It's the Sickle of the Valar," Rho began to point at each of the stars that were in the design, "the Valacirca. Elbereth's warning to Melkor that sits forever in the stars."

"Is there anymore to the lettering?" Elbren asked.

"Yes...just a few lines," Idril began to read them, "Seven to Mark the Way and Seven to Protect."

"That's it?" Elbren shook his head, "some sort of riddle. Well, let's cross back over to the chamber. I'm beginning to think that we do indeed need to look at the other carvings within the tower."

*************************

Once back in the chamber, Elbren began to draw upon a piece of parchment what they had seen while Thalos looked over his shoulder.

"Looks like other ritual chambers that I've seen...or burial chambers," Thalos commented. "Most likely, the opening that you said was in the ceiling looks out directly upon the Wain...sorry, I mean the Sickle."

"What sorts of rituals?" Elbren asked.

"Numenor had many religious ceremonies that were led by the King; I'm sure that Elendil the Tall brought some of that worship with him to Middle Earth. I would wager that some of it even carries on today in the White City; even the Stewards observed some of the most holy days," Thalos shrugged.

"Okay, so we have a chamber that is dedicated to or important to the Sickle of the Valar...or Wain as the Men call it," Elbren held up his sketch, "religious or not, we don't know."

"I think that the lad was on the right track, Lord Elbren," Thalos stroked his coarse beard, "we should have a look at those other chambers with carvings in them. Couldn't hurt."

"Alright," Elbren nodded, "I wish to confer with Lady Idril on a few matters and the hour grows late. If the weather allows, I should still like to travel to Fangorn and meet with Treebeard on the morrow as planned. Thalos, you go with these four to the other chambers. We'll all meet here in a few hours. Watch yourselves."

After Elbren and Idril left the room, Elenath looked at the others and smiled. "Well, this is a nice puzzle we have before us. Seven to mark the way..." Her voice trailed off into thought. Seven to mark the way, seven to protect... seven stars, seven stones... She was brought back to the present by Thalos' voice.

"And if we are to solve this puzzle, we had best get started. Aurandir: you've seen the other designs. Where do you think we should start?"

"Perhaps the Palantir room - that would likely be the one of most importance."

Thalos and Aurandir left the chamber, with Rholarowyn, Elenath and Nurvilya following behind. Elenath's thoughts returned to the riddle, going over the designs and the words in her mind. She was sure that Thalos was right, the window in the ceiling of the chamber would show the Valacira. Seven to Protect...

"What are you thinking, Elenath?" Rho's voice broke into her thoughts.

"I was just going over the words from the chamber in my mind. Seven to Protect - perhaps that has something to do with the Valacira's role as a warning to Morgoth? Seven to Mark the Way..." Elenath shook her head. "I feel like I'm just on the edge of it, but I can't quite see it. I'll be interested to see what's in the Palantir room: I wonder if there might be a connection with the seeing-stones. Seven stars and seven stones and one white tree..."

"We're here," Nurvilya said quietly. They followed Aurandir and Thalos through a large doorway, into a large circular chamber. The surfaces were black, smooth, except for the angular design in the center of the room. Elenath shivered slightly: she could feel Saruman's presence lingering here, a shadow on the edges of her mind.

"Can you see anything unusual here, Thalos?" she asked.

"Of course not," he answered testily. "If there was anything obviously unusual, Gimli - or someone else - would have spotted it before now!"

"I'm sure Elenath didn't mean anything by it," Rho said quickly, glancing at the elf.

Elenath sighed quietly. "Perhaps we may see something differently than they did, however, now that we've seen the Star Chamber. Does anyone have an idea of where to start?"

Before leaving the room, Rho asked Elbren if she could have a few small pieces of parchment and something to write with. If Elbren and Idril were not going with them, she wanted to be sure that copies of the other designs that were found could be shown to the two of them later.

Rho called over to Chirion as the group left the room and he quietly trotted along side her as they walked down the hallway. When they finally entered the Palantir room Rho was surprised at how large it was. A few moments later Elenath asked, 'Does anyone have any idea where to start?"

Aurandir, Elenath, and Nurvilya began exploring the walls, while Rho and Thalos walked towards the Palantir stand that was in the middle of the room. She began to examine the stand and after several minutes, she knelt down running her hand down the smooth base. It was ice cold. Not finding anything, she was about to get up when she glanced at the floor and noticed some marks, barely visible, in the floor. She called Aurandir over to where she was kneeling.

'Aurandir, look at this lines in the floor, are these similar to the other markings you've been talking about?" she asked.

Aurandir began tracing one of the faint lines with his finger, and as the others came over to watch him, they were all taken by surprise when the faint line continued on under the Palantir stand.

'We need to see if we can move this stand!" he said excitedly.

With Elenath, Nurvilya, and Rho pushing and Thalos and Aurandir pulling, the five of them were only able to budge the stand a few inches. However, when Thalos check to see if this revealed anything new, he discovered that the line had now spilt into two separate directions. With renewed enthusiasm, the group continued their attempts to move the stand.

They found out that they were a little more successful if Thalos and Aurandir actually did the pushing while Nurvilya, Elenath, and Rho either did the pulling or kept the stand balanced. When the group had moved the stand just passed half way, they looked down to see a partially revealed precious stone. The stone appeared to be about two inches across and was inlayed level with the floor. It was also placed in the center of a pattern. Wanting to see the entire pattern, the five were finally able to move the stand completely off of the design. The stone was surrounded by an angular pattern , which was then encircled by a sentence that was written in Elvish.

Standing between Aurandir and Elenath, Rho waited for one of the Elves to give the group the translation.

Nurvilya gasped when the stone was revealed from under the stand. It was decieving in colour; from some angles it was as brown as the earth, and from others, it shone as green as spring leaves with flecks of gold suspended in its depths.

Nurvilya reckoned the stone was an ammolite, the largest one she had ever laid her eyes upon. While the others' eyes were cast down to the ground, she carefully removed the ring from her third finger and compared the two gems. Though the small one from the ring was darkened as though it had been scorched, there was no doubt left in her mind now what the stone was, only why it was there.

The room was oddly silent as Nurvilya quietly told the others what she knew. "The stone is ammolite. It has two main uses: one is to take the shape of another living being, be it human, animal, or plant. It can also be used, though it takes great strength, to store, or preserve existing powers until they are called upon, or the stone is broken.

I know that I have felt it, as have the rest of you; Saruman still holds power in Orthanc. This should be an impossible feat, for once the body has passed away, the soul can no longer corrupt. And yet, here we stand, quaking in the darkness of an empty tower, starting at blank walls and dim corners. I may be wrong, but I think that Saruman has invested power in this stone, that it is the cause of the fright we've all felt since we entered through the gates." She gazed around at the faces of the others, trying to read what they felt.

Aurandir was eyeing the unearthed stone with a look of disgust. "If the stone is broken, the power is too, right? Well then, let us split the stone and let Orthanc rest in the peace it deserves." He reached for his sword hilt.

Nurvilya took his hand and looked into his eyes. "I do not think that we should destroy it just yet. At the very least, Lord Elberen should see it, though I think we may be able to use it somehow to find an answer to our question. I would wager that the script and the pattern of lines that surround it hold a clue as to how to unleash the power in the ammolite. Perhaps if we can decipher that, we can direct the energy within it to lead us to the end of the riddle of what the true name of the tower is." Suddenly realising how long she had been talking, Nurvilya lowered her head, her face flushing in shame for her babbling. "My apologies," she mumbled quietly, "I always let my tongue run away on me. I should not have been so discourteous with you whom I hardly know."

Idril and Elbren sat quietly in Elbren's chamber, the fire crackling softly behind them while the storm raged outside. Rain slashed against the window with determination as the thunder rolled across the sky.

"Do you think that they will be safe? Wandering through Orthanc on such a night as this?" Idril asked as she looked up from the map of Middle Earth before them.

"Who? The new arrivals?" Elbren leaned back in his chair and smiled, albeit tiredly, "they will be fine. I have a feeling about them."

"A feeling?" Idril squinted her eyes in question, "what sort of 'feeling', Elbren?"

"Oh nothing for you to get rattled about, I assure you," Elbren chuckled, "I simply trust their intuition. They have good instinct."

"So do all of our Guild members," Idril pointed out.

"Yes, precisely why they were summoned from their homes," Elbren brought his attention back to the map. "I want you to look at something here." He took the feathered quill and began to draw tiny stars on various locations upon the parchment. "Annuminas, Amon Sul, Amon Hen, Amon Lhaw, Minas Anor, Minas Ithil...." Elbren drew the last star for Minas Ithil and then turned the map at a slight angle.

"Okay, all cities and monuments built by Men of Numenorean descent," Idril nodded.

Elbren drew a star upon Orthanc, "Seven. Seven to Protect. Seven to mark the way."

Idril's brow furrowed as she studied the map. Elbren then took the quill and drew lines between the stars, joining them together. He then turned the map again as Idril gasped.

"It's the Sickle again!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, I think so, too," Elbren agreed. "Seven monuments of power to protect Middle Earth."

Idril was shocked to see the sickle design materialize yet again. She was now deep in thought at what seemed to be a great puzzle and was trying to place the wording that she knew was around the one area. She began talking outloud to try to work through her ideas.

"Seven towers that were protected by seven stars. Seven to Protect. Seven to mark the way. Seven monuments of power to protect Middle Earth. Is there something in the middle of the sickle? Something that the towers circle or protect? What are we missing here? What is on the outside of the sickle arch?"

She began looking at the map that Elbren had drawn and then by moving her head this way and that, she tried to figure out what there was in the area of both the inside and outside arch of the sickle that could be protected. Then she broadened her thoughts to each Tower. And then to what might lay beneath the towers and the arched area's. She looked at Elbren wondering if he had come up with anything yet. Would they have to wait for the stars to illuminate this puzzle? She hoped not.

Rho watched as Nurvilya compared the stone in her ring to the stone in the floor. She had never seen anything like them before. Nurvilya finally spoke up and explained that the stone was an ammolite. When the young woman had finished describing the rock and it's powers, Rho had a few questions.

'Nurvilya, please help me to understand what you are saying. Does the stone actually change shape, or does it contain the power to allow others to change shape? And can this ability be changed or directed by different people? I mean yes Saruman was the last one to inhabit Orthanc, but he was not the original builder. I would think that the power of the stone would have been controlled by the Numenoreans since they were the ones that originally built the tower."

She then turned to Thalos and asked 'Are you familiar with this stone at all?

Thalos stood there shaking his head, indicating that he hadn't, 'I have seen many types of stone, but no, I have never seen anything like this one before."

Rho paused for a moment, and then collected her thoughts, 'I agree this is something that Lord Elbren should see, but I think we should continue our search for now and at least check out the other chambers before we return to him."

Deciding that she would go ahead and draw out the pattern to show the Elven Lord later, Rho walked over to where she had set the parchment down. She patted Chirion on the head as she picked it up, and then walked back over to where the others were standing.

Suddenly something streaked by the open door catching Chirion's attention and interest. He jumped up, and bolted through the doorway. When he reached the hallway, he quickly turned left, and was gone.

Dropping the writing paper, Rho ran out of the room and stopped when she reached the hallway. Looking down the hall to her left she saw the hind end of the wolf turning right around a corner that was much father down. Rho called out to him, and when he didn't respond, she took off running down the hallway after him, What has gotten into him, he never does anything like this,she quickly thought to herself.

Rho, it seemed, was not satisfied with the explanation Nurvilya had given. She quickly began questioning the woman about the powers of the ammolite. Nurvilya kept her eyes low as she debated explaning what else she knew about the power of an ammolite. For so much of her life, she had kept her secrets guarded and hidden, but surely now, in the presence of friends, she could reveal some of her past?

Hesitantly, she began to explain more about the stone, and herself. "The stone itsef does not change shape, but it gives the bearer the power to do so at will. The ring I wear contains a stone of the same type that once allowed me to transform my body into that of any animal I chose. But these stones are not beyond the corruption of evil forces. I once used mine to do good for my friends in their times of need, though now it gives no help to anyone.

You see, I was once running in the form of a wolf, when the group I was travelling with was hit with an attack of Wargs. A stray stroke from a friend's blade hit me and I was rendered unconscious. When I awoke, I found my ring to be powerless in the transformations it used to perform so easily. I thought that perhaps my injury had lessened my ability to control it, but I found that it was not so, for on the next night of the full moon, I lost control completely. I could not do anything to warn my friends as my body shifted into that of a wolf, I could not even tell them to run. I do not know exactly what happened that night, but ever since then I have been alone, trying to learn how to control the beast that lives inside me."

Looking up into the faces of the others in the room, Nurvilya saw there the same frightened look she had seen on the faces of everyone else who knew her story. She brought her hand to her face and felt that her cheeks were damp with tears she did not know she had cried. Shaking her head, she smiled at them weakly, hoping that some of their friendly light would return, but their smiles were forced, and their eyes still held a look of fear.

"I am sorry," she said softly , "I only meant to demonstrateto you how easily the stone can turn powers invested in it for good into those used for evil. Perhaps I have revealed too much now, but I cannot unsay what I have said. I can only apologize and give you my word that no harm will come to any of you when the full moon arrives. Until then, we must work together to solve the mystery we have been faced with."

"Rho," the young woman said, turning to her, "I think that you are probably right that this stone was laid here by the Numenoreans, for if the tower is indeed crafted from mithril, it would be near impossible for anyone other than those who built it, to submerge the stone into the foundations themselves. Perhaps then, this stone began in purity, but was brought into corruption by the corrupt forces of Saruman himself. There are many possibilities. I agree that we should conti-"

Their attention was drawn to the doorway where the wolf that accompanied Rholarowyn had bolted into the hall. Immediately, Rho follwed him out, with the others close on her tail. They just saw the wolf rounding the next corner before they all took off after him, their feet echoing sharply in the dark halls.

Horror dawned on him, his normally guarded face showing amazement and pity. The girl must've taken everyone's looks amiss, for she looked down, pressing her hand to her damp cheeks. After a moment, she smiled weakly, trying to look at ease, to act as if she had not made a major revelation. She failed. He, and the others, smiled back at her, but awe and pity were still evident. Awe, at the effects of mis-using a ring of power, and pity, for the unwilling monster she regularly became.

"There are many Rings of Power in this world, Bilbo Baggins, and none of them should be used lightly."

The words came unbidden to his mind, recalling the wise advice of powerful Maiar, one who bore a ring himself. The other girls wolf suddenly darted out the door, determinedly chasing after something. His owner ran out the door after him, looking down the hall he had run down. Interesting...

'Ladies, Master Dwarf. I believe we should tell Lord Elbren of our findings now. Shall we head back to his quarters?' There was a general agreement, and he swept out the door, his travel worn cloak billowing slightly after him.

He desperately wanted to inspect the designs tonight. Elbren had suggested the Lady Idril accompany him. Maybe he would ask her to come with him. Perhaps not. Usually things were accomplished faster if he did them alone. But they were more agreeable if he had company. And he would need a sharp mind to bounce his ideas off of. It was settled then. Lady Idril would be invited to join him. The first one he would inspect would be the roof top drawing. Then he would proceed progressively lower, until he reached the First Hall. Pleased with his plan, he strode into Elbren's room.

Hearing footsteps coming up behind her, Rho stopped to see that Nurvilya was running after her. She waited for the young women to reach her, and then the two continued to pursue the wolf down the dimly lit hall.

When they reached the end they rested and tried to decide if they should continue down the other dimly lit hall to their right, or to check out the completely dark hall on their left. Suddenly they both heard a scuffle down the dark hall. Rho ran back to where one of the small wall torches placed and removed it from it's holder. When she got back to where Nurvilya standing, they both heard the noise again, and then it was silent. Rho called out to Chirion as she and Nurvilya began to walk down the dark hall.

When they had gone down the hall about 50 yards, Rho heard the distant sound of the wolf's footsteps. Motioning for Nurvilya to stop, the two waited as they heard the sounds from the wolf getting closer. Finally Rho was able to see Chirion's eyes, which were reflecting the fire from her torch.

The wolf trotted up proudly to where the two women were standing, carrying his prize in his mouth. Angry and yet relieved, Rho looked at him sternly and said, 'I'm sure Lord Elbren will be greatly relieved to know that you have taken it upon yourself to eradicate his rodent problem!" Chirion replied by dropping his prize at her feet.

Nurvilya began to giggle and said, 'You have to admit that's was a fairly large rat to have roaming around these halls."

'Whatever it was, he shouldn't have taken off' Rho said in her feeble attempt to still look angry. 'We should be getting back to the others."

'Agreed' Nurvilya replied.

As the two women turned around toward the dimly lit hall and began walking, Rho noticed that Chirion, who was now following her, had left his prize on the floor.

Turning to the wolf she said, 'I'm not carrying that, and you're not leaving it here. You go back and pick it up until we figure out how to get rid of it." Chirion went back and retrieved it, and then continued to trot proudly after returning to Rho's side.

After they had disposed of the rat, the three of them returned to the Palantir room and discovered it was empty. Rho also noticed that the writing papers were no longer on the floor.

'Perhaps we should return to Lord Elbren," Nurvilya stated. Rho nodded her head in agreement.

When they finally reached Elbren's chambers, they found the other's from their group involved in a deep conversation with Lord Elbren and Idril.

Lord Elbren listened intently to the reports from the Knights in Training. He sat attentively at his desk, the map of Middle Earth still before him, while the fire crackled and spat in the fireplace behind them. Idril stood near the window, listening as well, as the storm began to subside outside the great tower of Orthanc.

"Well," Elbren finally said as the tales concluded, "we have some very interesting clues, do we not? Very interesting indeed...and look here at this map where Lady Idril and I have pinpointed the various towers of the Numenoreans from the Second Age. What do you see?"

He turned the map so that each of them could study it clearly and moved the candles in closer to shed some light.

"To me," Elbren said, "it looks like the Numenorean refugees were making the Sickle here in Middle Earth. In fact, I wager that their Sickle of Towers mirrors the Sickle within the Stars. Does this bring us closer to the name of Orthanc? I do not know," Elbren sighed, "but, it has been an eventful evening. In the morning, we ride to the edge of Fangorn Forest to meet with Treebeard and share what we have learned. From there, we will make our way to the Guild House in Edoras. If you so choose, that is where you will be Initiated into the Guild as full ranked Mithril Knights. I ask that you meditate upon what we have found here amongst our clues. Perhaps in the morning, we will have more to add to the tale."

After leaving Elbren chambers, Rho entered her room with Chirion, and sat herself down on the bed. The wolf quickly curled up on the small rug on the floor and quickly went to sleep. The sounds of thunder echoed intermittently in the distance as she tried to focus her thoughts on all that had happened to her during the day. Realizing just how tired she was, Rho got back up and then got ready for bed. When she was finished, she climbed back into the bed, and just like Chirion, was asleep in just a few minutes.

Rho awoke to the early morning sun peaking into her window. The sun would be a welcomed companion on their journey she decided as she got up and prepared herself for the day.

Placing the last of her belongings back into her pack, she and Chirion left the room and proceeded back down to Elbren's chambers.

The door was open when she arrived, but she went ahead and knocked just to let Elbren know she was there, and then gave him a good morning greeting. The Elven Lord was sitting behind his desk studying a piece of paper as he motioned Rho to come in. She was the first one of the group to arrive.

Placing her pack down on the floor, she approached the desk and asked, 'Do you mind if I look at the map again?"

'Not at all," Elbren replied, 'I was just looking at it."

Glancing down over his shoulder, Rho could now make out the pattern of the Sickle that Elbren had mentioned the previous night. She was a little too embarrassed to tell him that she had been too tired to see it before.

Finally wanting to break the silence she asked, 'When do you plan on leaving for the Fangorn Forest?"

"Actually," Elbren said as he leaned backn in his chair, "I will be unable to accompany you to Fangorn as planned."

"Oh?" Rholarowyn replied, looking up from the map.

"A message came during the night from Edoras...our Guild House there. It seems that documents have been found that may add a few more clues to the mystery of Orthanc," Elbren studied Rholarowyn for a moment, "perhaps...if you wouldn't mind missing the trip to Fangorn, you could accompany me to Edoras."

Rholarowyn didn't immediately reply so Elbren went on to explain, "Lady Idril will take your fellow recruits to Fangorn as planned. You may go as well, or, you may come with me. You won't get to speak with Treebeard, but you might find my company enjoyable, even if I do lack Treebeard's wisdom and vast knowledge."

Elbren stood up then and grabbed his cloak; it was then that Rholarowyn realised that he was already dressed for travel.

"Well," he said again, "will you come with me to Edoras or go to Fangorn?"

"...will you come with me to Edoras or go to Fangorn?"

Realizing that the others would still be going to Fangorn to learn what they could from Treebeard, Rho answered him with a smile, 'I would like to ride with you to Edoras."

Picking up her pack and motioning to Chirion, the three quickly left the room. As they were walking down the hall, one of the servants approached the them with a couple of packages containing their food for the trip as well as some water. Elbren thanked him and then asked if he would be sure to see that Rho's horse was also tacked up for the journey.

Once they were outside they waited a few minutes for Rho's horse to be brought to them, since Elbren's horse was already there. As the grey gelding was lead over to her, Rho greeted him and then tied her pack to the back of the saddle. When she was finished, she mounted Tamir and said to Elbren, 'I am ready M'Lord."

Erelas stamped impatiently as Elbren paused to speak to the guards of Isengard's gates; Rholarowyn sat her horse quietly by while her wolf watched expectantly. Elbren nodded at something that the guards said and then he turned to Rholarowyn.

"Ready?" he asked as Erelas continued to dance.

"Yes," she smiled.

"Good, then let us ride," the Elven Lord smiled in return.

**********************

They rode a great distance that day, pushing hard against the grasses of Rohan as the sun rose and began to set. Finally, seeming to find what he was looking for, Elbren pulled against Erelas's rein and they came to a halt. To their right, rose a high hill while the grasses stretched as far as the eye could see.

They made their camp near the foot of the hill and built a small fire while the horses grazed on the rich grasses of Rohan.

"Erelas looks quite content to be here," Rholarowyn remarked.

Elbren looked over at his horse and nodded, "Yes, this is his home. He was gifted to me when my horse, Andros, fell in battle...not far from here."

"During the War of the Ring?" she asked.

Elbren shook his head as a shadow crossed his face, "No...but not long after." He nodded at the hill that loomed over them, "we were holding our ground here against the tide. It was here that my brother fell and here that I buried him."

A silence fell upon the quaint camp, but Elbren quickly spoke again, "We buried many here, Elf and Man."

Rholarowyn built up the fire but said nothing.

"We will reach Edoras tomorrow," Elbren finally said. "You haven't asked me about the documents that were found? Aren't you curious?"

The sly smile upon Elbren's face puzzled even the wolf who watched him so closely, but Rholarowyn merely shook her head.

"I see," Elbren took a lembas cake out of his pack and handed it to his companion, "you did not wish to pry? No matter, I appreciate your patience. As a Mithril Knight, patience is much needed."

"I can imagine," Rho replied as she took the offered waybread.

"What was found," Elbren continued as he retrieved a cake for himself, "is a document that mentions a desire to build a series of Watchtowers that would serve as a line of enchanted defense against the Dark Lord Sauron." Elbren shook his head, "I've never quite understood what Mortals mean by 'enchanted', but I think they mean places that draw upon the power of the Elements. The stars, the sun, the moon...does that make any sense?"

Elbren paused long enough to see a nod and then went on, "Yet, Orthanc continues to be haunted by the memory and...'enchantments' of Saruman. Treebeard is convinced that the only way to free the tower of that darkness is to call it by its true name."

"And that we still do not know," Rho said quietly.

"No," Elbren agreed, "not yet." He sighed, "But, here we are, upon the plains of Rohan under a perfect starry sky. Look! There is the Sickle now!"

They both looked and watched as the twilight faded and the stars came out in full. Elbren began to hum and then sing as the beauty of the stars overcame him. When he finished the short hymn, he smiled, "My people are a people of the stars."

He stood up then and put on his cloak, for the night was beginning to chill, "I do not think that we need to set a watch, for we are well within the borders of Rohan, but I do not feel sleepy just yet. I am going to climb the hill and watch the stars for a bit. I'll come wake you near dawn."

And with that, he turned and walked into the shadows, his Mithril Cloak shimmering in the starlight...

Rho watched as Elbren walked off into the darkness, and then she looked back towards the fire. Erelas let out a relaxed snort and both she and Chirion looked over to where the horses were still grazing. Elbren's horse was indeed beautiful and had some strong similarities to one of the stallions that her father had once owned and bred. Perhaps he is descended from his lines? She thought to herself.

Rho then sat down and called the wolf over to her side. Chirion quickly came over and laid down next to her. She gave him an affectionate hug.

'We are now in the land where I was born." she informed the him. 'And although you have not been here with me before, I think you will like it."

Chirion responded by calking his head and looking at her with one of his inquisitive looks.

Smiling back at him, she then laid herself completely back down, and rested her head on one of her arms. The wolf settled his head down on his front paws.

She thought about many things while she laid there and watched the stars. Being back in the land of Rohan brought to mind many pleasant memories of her early childhood. Then she remembered the terrible circumstances that forced her and her mother to move back to Minas Tirith when she was twelve, and the extreme difficulties that she had in adjusting to her new life there. What was it that Lord Elbren had appreciated in how she had handled herself today, her patience? It's a good thing he hadn't seen me back then she thought to herself. Patience was about the last word anyone would have used to describe her in the first few year she'd lived in Minas Tirith.

Rho then reflected on what the Elven Lord had shared with her this evening, about the War of the Ring and the death of his brother. He too had been deeply affected by the events surrounding and following the War. So much had been gained and she knew that, but so much had been lost, and that she was still struggling in to face. Elbren's request to join the Knights had come at the just the right time. It gave her a new sense of purpose and hopefully a place to belong.

She knew that King Elessar had been keenly aware of her sense of loss too and how greatly that had affected her. Rho then wondered if he had had anything to do with the timing of Lord Elbren's request. It was a question she would never ask the Elven Lord though and she knew that. How she got to be here wasn't as important as the fact that she was here now. It was then, while lying in the grass, and with Chirion at her side, that Rho finally fell asleep and rested peacefully throughout the night in the land she had once called home.

Elenath lay still on her bed as the night passed, her eyes open but unseeing, walking through her memories and pondering the riddles of Orthanc. When the sun rose, however, it brought her no new answers. She was so involved with her thoughts that when she became aware of the room again, it was later than she had intended. She went quickly to Lord Elbren's chamber, and was slightly surprised to find only Idril there, seated at a table set with bread, cereal and fruit. Idril gestured for Elenath to join her at the table, and told her of Elbren and Rholarowyn's departure.

"Are we to go on to Fangorn without them, then?" Elenath asked.

"Yes," Idril replied. "You, Nurvilya and I are to leave for Fangorn Forest as soon as we have eaten."

Elenath nodded, and the two continued eating in silence. They were soon joined by Nurvilya, and after Idril had explained the situation to the young woman, they ate quickly. All three were eager to reach Fangorn, and to learn what they could from Treebeard. Elenath was looking forward to meeting the old ent: it had been long since she had seen any of his kind.

When they had finished their breakfast, they went their separate ways to collect their belongings. Elenath went quickly to her room, donned her cloak and strapped on her quiver, and picked up her pack and her bow. She was a little thankful to be leaving Orthanc: the power of Saruman was still too strong here. Elenath hoped they would be able to rid the Tower of his taint: she wished none of his spirit to trouble Middle-earth any longer. She met Idril and Nurvilya outside the Tower, where their horses were waiting for them, saddled and ready. She stroked Asgar's neck in welcome as he stamped and nuzzled her in return, then mounted and, with Nurvilya beside her, followed Idril out of Isengard.

Elbren and Rholarowyn met with an eored of Riders near noon of that day and had their midday meal with them. Their Captain was named Eoden and he welcomed them warmly. Their halt was brief for Elbren wished to enter Edoras before sundown; and so, before an hour had passed, he and Rho were riding the Plains of Rohan again with the winds calmly blowing and a blue sky overhead.

Elbren's mood was light; despite the memories of war and battle, the land of Rohan was a comfort to him. His Guild Brother and friend, Freahelm, hailed from this land, as did Tempest, though her memories were dim from her childhood. Elbren had great respect for the warrior skills of the Rohirrim; their means of fighting from horseback had long been a study of his and he had adopted many of their techniques into the Cavalry of the Galadrim. So, as they rode, he found himself speaking of these things to his companion while she listened quietly.

Finally, as the afternoon waned once again, the hill became visible in the distance: Edoras. Capital city of the Rohirrim. Shining against the magnificent backdrop of the White Mountains, Edoras was a welcome sight. Elbren and Rholarowyn soon began to encounter farms and houses of the people of Rohan who would shout greetings and wave as they rode past.

It was near sundown when they rode the hill towards the gates of Edoras. They were weary but elated to have reached their destination. Elbren led them directly to the Mithril Knight's Guild House where they were greeted by the Steward of this House, a Rohirrim woman called Atheler.

"Well met!" She cried as she saluted, "we are glad to see that you have arrived safely, Lord Elbren!"

"Well met indeed," Elbren replied as he dismounted, "please meet Rholarowyn, who will soon be initiated into our Guild."

Atheler turned to the young woman and nodded, "Welcome to the Edoras Guild House. I will show you both to your rooms and then we can share dinner together with the other Knights who are here."

Elbren, Rho, and Atheler entered the Guild House once Atheler had given the Words of Greeting and they were led to their rooms. The Edoras Guild House was large and built of heavy wood. There were designs carved deeply into the timbers that told the tales of Mithril Knights who had hailed from the land of Rohan. The motif of horse and rider was prevalent throughout the House.

"I will leave you here now," Atheler said as she stood in the hallway, "dinner will be in an hour. We can discuss the scrolls then, M'Lord?"

"Yes," Elbren nodded and then looked at Rho, "rest and after the dinner we will speak of your initiation preparation." He paused for a moment, "I wonder'how is your wolf friend going to react to you leaving him for a short while during this ritual?"

************************************

Back in Orthanc, Thalos pounded again on the chamber door of Aurandir, "GET UP LAD! Are you goin to sleep yer whole day away!"

The Dwarf had been tasked with escorting the Knights in Training to Fangorn along with Lady Idril, but Aurandir had not been at breakfast and now the ladies were mounted and ready to ride.

"AURANDIR!" Thalos roared, his patience wearing thin.

He finally opened the door and marched in fully expecting to find the young man asleep. What he found, though, stopped him in his tracks: Aurandir was not in the room. Indeed, from the looks of it, Thalos concluded that the trainee had not unpacked nor slept there at all.

"Now what's all this about?" the Dwarf muttered as he turned and strode down through the tower and out to where Lady Idril waited.

"Ye best go on ahead, Lady Idril," Thalos told her, "the lad's not in his room and it doesn't look like he's been there for quite some time."

Idril frowned at this, "That does not bode well."

"Eh'.we'll see. You go on ahead and we'll catch up. Treebeard will wait for ye til the moon rises again, but Lord Elbren is waitin' for ye in Edoras. I'll find'em and get'em on the trail."

Idril had a very good talk with Elbren about his suspicions and she shared her own regarding the unusual pattern that they had uncovered. Elbren decided to journey to Edoras to check on some things there in hopes of uncovering an answer. Therefore, he sent Idril to take Elenath & Nurvilya to Fangorn Forest to speak with the great Treebeard.

She had rested only a little the night before looking at the stars and then again at the map, making plans on the most direct way to get there and the speediest also. The 'sickle design' had captured her mind and it was now always at the back of her mind constantly. She was sure that there had to be a clue somewhere, either in the sky or on the map. But then as she lay thinking about it more and more, she felt that she was concentrating too hard on it all. So she relaxed and just watched the twinkling of the stars, waiting for the moon to come from behind the dark clouds. The storm was abating for the moment and she hoped that it would be gone by morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morning came with the promise of some sunshine. This raised Idril's spirits as the thought of riding in a storm into Fangorn Forest was not a comforting one. But with the sunshine her spirits rose. She readied herself and packed her things. She braided her hair as she had not yet revealed her 'secret veil' and would not until these were initiated and full Mithril Knights. She brought her sword and placed it in its scabbard and then put her daggers in their hidden places. She had brought with her bow and quiver for hunting so she had that ready also. She put all that she had ready by the front door and near her Knights Cloak as her horse, Thalion, was readied.

She had ordered a hearty but quick breakfast for them all and that if there was such a thing as lembas here, for that to be packed but that some type of foodstuffs be made ready for the 3 of them. Flasks also with water. She wanted this all ready before the rest were and things were done quickly for them all. She heard when Elenath woke and made her way down and also when Nurvilya was wakened. They spoke quickly of the days journey and the readiness of their gear. She told them that she had ordered food stuffs that should already be out by her things.

The other two ate quickly and then got their things ready and were mounted and soon ready for their journey. Idril had wanted to be up and off before the sun had climbed into the sky to much and they were ready. Just then, Thalos came out and reported that Aurandir was unaccounted for but that he would find him and that they would make their way to meet up with them.

"Ye best go on ahead, Lady Idril," Thalos told her, "the lad's not in his room and it doesn't look like he's been there for quite some time."

Idril frowned at this, "That does not bode well."

"Eh'.we'll see. You go on ahead and we'll catch up. Treebeard will wait for ye til the moon rises again, but Lord Elbren is waitin' for ye in Edoras. I'll find'em and get'em on the trail."

Idril nodded and took her leave of Thalos and Orthanc for the time being. She felt reassured as they rode off. She made for the quickest exit and the closest that crossed the Isen. She then rode down in a Southwesternly direction she hoped to make it around the mountains edge quickly and then head Northwest to Fangorn Forest.

She attempted to make some small talk on their ride as they started out. "Care to tell me a little something more about yourselves while we are riding"?

"I for one am excited at the prospect of speaking the the Great Ent Treebread. I wish that our visit was not going to be so short as I would like to spend some time with him and hear some of his tales."

She waited for Elenath and Nurvilya to speak and she listened to all the surrounding noise's and living things as they came back out of their dens and hiding places after the storm.

Rho listened intently as Elbren shared various topics that came to his mind while they rode. The Elven Lord had much wisedom and knowledge of life and she was grateful to have this opportunity to learn what ever she could from him.

Finally they saw Edoras in the distance. It appeared just like she had remembered it, even though she had only seen once before, and that had been when she was quite young.

When they finally reached it's gates, Rho noticed that the sun was just about to set and stopped for a moment to take in the beauty of the orange and pick colored clouds that were left over from the storm. There were times when certain sunsets could take her breath away, and this was one of them.

"Well met!" came the greeting from the Rohirrim woman called Atheler 'and welcome to the Edoras Guild House. I will show you both to your rooms and then we can share dinner together with the other Knights who are here." Rho smiled back as she greeted the woman, and then began to follow Atheler and Elbren as they walked towards building. Chirion trotted along side.

Once inside, Atheler left the two new arrivals and the wolf standing in the hall. Elbren looked at her, and then at Chirion and said, "rest and after the dinner we will speak of your initiation preparation. I wonder'how is your wolf friend going to react to you leaving him for a short while during this ritual?"

Rho looked down at Chirion and then back at Elbren and said, 'While he prefers to remain with me, he can also quite content to stay with Tamir. He has come to understand that if my horse is around, I must be close by or will be retuning shortly' She then asked, 'Would you like me to take him out to the stables now, so I won't need to later?"

Aurandir yawned as he slipped down the passageways to his room. What a tiring night. But at least it was not spent in vain. Once in his room he locked the door and sat down to his writing desk. He did not want to be disturbed right now. Taking a quill and parchment, he began to relate his findings to Lady Idril.

From the Tower of Orthanc

Lady Idril

I have written to you concerning the present mystery of the Tower. Last night I had intended to ask you to help me figure out the curious designs which are plentiful inside the tower. However, as events turned out, that was not possible. I am ashamed to say I fell asleep, and when I awoke, thought it would be slightly rude if I woke you at that hour. So, I carried on by myself.

The largest, and first seen circle, is the one in the Great Hall. It spans fifty feet, and is made of many curious lines. After walking around this circle many times to no avail, I stood in the middle. Now when I turned around, four Cirth became visible to my eye, though not at once. Naturally, I was excited about this and hurried upward to the room directly above, where I was disappointed. Nothing in that circle made any sort of sense. Not to be put out, I again went to the room directly above, and was rewarded once more with four cirth that were made out when one faced a certain set of points on the compass. This process eventually took me to the roof of Orthanc.

There I found something of use I hope. The name morgal. Morgal is a little used, little known substance variously known as orc-silver, orc-mithril, or false mithril. I say little used because even the dwarves cannot cut it. From this name, I conjecture that this tower is one piece of morgal, made using a lost art known only to ancient Numenor. But it is, after all, conjecture. Perhaps Treebeard will tell you something else.

I, for my part, ride to Edoras, to tell Lord Elbren.

Farewell,

He scanned its contents once, then sprinkled sand on the paper. Dusting it off, he folded it, then dripped hot wax to seal it, pressing his signet ring into the wax. Finished with that aspect of it at least. He rubbed his eyes, bleary from lack of sleep, then stood up and walked down to the courtyard. He gave the letter to be delivered to Lady Idril, then walked to the stables. His beautiful sable horse was waiting, practically begging in horse-fashion to be given a good ride. It would get it wish, soon enough. He saddled it, checked to make sure he had food, water, and anything else he wanted, then swung onto the saddle. Clicking to his horse, he rode out the gates of Orthanc, bound for Edoras.

Thalos stomped around the Captain's chambers with hands clenched, "So ye just let'em go off without even lettin me know that ye had found'em!!"

The Orthanc Gate Guard stood quietly before the Captain's desk, but the crimson glow from his face told of his embarrassment, "I didn't know you were looking for him, Thalos."

"WELL YE DINNA ASK DID YE?!" Thalos roared.

"Aurandir is on his way to Edoras, where Lord Elbren is expecting him, and the letter is enroute to Lady Idril," the Captain intervened, "so no need for battle crisis." Turning to the gate guard, "Next time, make sure that whomever it is that's leaving is not needed by someone else," the captain held up his hand at the guard's protest. Then, to Thalos, "Next time, Sir Thalos, make sure that your crisis is made known to the gate guards."

Thalos opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it abruptly.

********************************************

The Gondorian soldier raced across the plains with the intention of overtaking Lady Idril and her two companions. Mithril Knights, he thought the two companions were, or at least Mithril Knights in Training, and that was about the same as a Mithril Knight, wasn't it? And the man who had given him the letter to deliver had commanded it with the same authority that a Mithril Knight would hold; but then, he hadn't been wearing the Mithril Cloak that all Knights wore. So, was he a Mithril Knight or a friend of Lord Elbren's or...

Cresting a hill, he could see Lady Idril and her companions just ahead. Spurring his horse to a burst of speed, he quickly overtook them, though he didn't notice that they had long stopped as if waiting for him.

"For you, Lady Idril, from Aurandir," the soldier was breathing hard, "he asked me to deliver it back at Orthanc."

*****************************************

In Edoras...

Elbren glanced down at the wolf as Rho spoke, "Well, you needn't cast him to the stables," he said, "he must just understand that he cannot enter the Initiation Chamber. Of course, that is not to say that he won't join you on the vision quest in his spirit form."

The look of puzzlement upon Rho's face caused Elbren to continue, "The Vision Quest takes your spirit to far away places. The Initiation Vision sends you to a specific location and time, as do all of our journeys. Sometimes, in those quests, we do meet old friends whose love transcends time and place."

"How..." Rho began to say.

Elbren smiled, "Well, it is a blend of herbs that the Guild began to use in the Third Age; you are not yet Initiated so I cannot tell you more than that. Once you have witnessed the Giliath Londe, we can speak more upon this matter if you still find that you are curious. For now, we can rest a bit before we go to see what the Knights of Edoras have found for us in the scrolls here. Oh," Elbren paused as he turned towards the door to his chamber, "one last thing. Eat your fill at dinner tonight, for after that, you shall begin a fast that will last until tomorrow evening. During that time, you may only drink water. From midnight tonight until sundown tomorrow evening, remain in your room and do not leave no matter what you hear from outside. A Mithril Knight will come to retrieve you when the time for the Vision Quest has come."

'Where will I put your horse sir?'

Aurandir stopped for a moment, considering the choices. He didn't really know much about Edoras, and truly didn't want to take the time to look for a good stable. He decided to ask the slightly dirty boy's opinion.

'Well sir, there's the Grapes, and the Wanderer's Hold. The Grapes I would choose sir. The Hold is nice sir, clean, but they would charge your hand and more. Very exspensive sir.'

'Alright then. Take Galád to the Grapes. And here's two pennies for you.'

He walked off towards Meduseld, believing the what was it - Chapter House - to be in that general direction. After a quarter of an hour a Rohirrim Horse Lieutenant set him on his way, pointing him in the exact opposite direction while informing him it was called the Guild House.

Aurandir rapped on the wooden door for a few moments, and was rewarded by the sight of what he supposed was the doorkeeper.

'I am here on Lord Elbren's business. May I enter?'

'Ah, are you initiated?'

'No.'

'Then I'm sorry, but you will have to wait until the Steward or Lord Elbren gives you leave to enter, and both seem to be busy. I'm sorry.'

Aurandir looked a little blank, then laughed. 'It is no problem. I shall come back later. An hour perhaps? Pray inform Lord Elbren of my arrival. I am Aurandir.' He started to go down the steps, then turned back to the door.

'I confess I am recently arrived here. Would you tell me how to reach the Grapes?'

'Certainly sir. I'll draw you a map.'

'Thank you.'

"His name is Aurandir, Sir," the Knight reported to Elbren, "and he asked for directions to the Grapes."

"The Grapes? Well then, quickly send a squire to the Grapes and bring Master Aurandir back to the Guild House. He should join us for dinner and prepare quarters for him," Elbren spoke quietly, "and have Rhonawn prepare the Initiation Chamber for tomorrow evening." Elbren handed the Knight a list, "send someone out for these herbs, we seem to be running low on those three."

The Knight bowed and left, tucking the herb list into his belt, and left the Guild House. As he passed the Common Room he paused as he espied Rhonawn, the Guild's Herb Master, "Lord Elbren commands that the Initiation Chamber be prepared for tomorrow evening and that a room be prepared for another Knight in Training."

With that, he left and quickly made his way to The Grapes, where a quick scan of the evening crowd showed him a lone young fellow in the corner just ordering his dinner. The Knight strode over to the table.

"Greetings, you are Aurandir?" the Knight asked.

"I am," came the reply.

"I am Lord Anwyn," the Knight bowed, "Lord Elbren bade me bring you to the Guild House and your chambers there. He wishes you to dine with the Knights this evening. If you will follow me, I will ensure you entry into the House."

"I, too, would like to spend more time with Treebeard, Lady Idril," Elenath answered her. "I have seen all three ages of Middle-earth pass, and it would lift my heart to speak with one whose memory stretches back farther than mine." Elenath paused. "You wished to know more about us: for myself, there is not too much to tell." Not too much that she would tell now, that is. "My father was a Noldorin elf, who met my mother when she was travelling away from Doriath, shortly after he came to Middle-earth. I was born soon after the start of the First Age. My mother returned to dwell in Doriath, while my father travelled, and I often went with him. He was killed in the Dagor Bragollach, and my mother was killed in the sack of Doriath. I dwelt with Earendil's people at the mouth of the Sirion, then went with Gil-galad to Lindon after the fall of Morgoth." Elenath hesitated. No, she would not speak of Lindon now. She looked at Idril, and smiled. "Since the Last Alliance I have spent much of my time travelling through Middle-earth, staying here and there, but never for very long. When not travelling, I am often studying: the library at Rivendell has become almost a home to me." She paused, listening, and turned in her saddle.

"What is it, Elenath?" Idril asked.

"There is a horse riding hard behind us. I cannot see it, but I can hear it drawing closer."

After entering, Rho closed the door behind her and looked around. The room was being lit by an oil lamp on a rustic wooden table in one of the corners, and she also noticed some paper, an ink well, and a small quill next to the lamp. There was a bed pushed up against the wall that was across from the door, and a window was located on the wall to her left. She also noticed an uneasy tension running through her body, but tried to disregard it as being tired from the ride.

Rho laid her pack down on the bed and was about to lean her walking stick against the wall, when she stopped and ran her hand over it's smooth wood. The walking stick had been a gift from Master Erinhue, and as Rho turned the top part of the handle, and removed it, a blade was exposed that turned her innocent looking stick into a deadly spear. While she placed the top back on, Rho wondered if Master Erinhue would be at the dinner tonight. He was the only Mithril Knight that she knew and it would be reassuring to have his presence around. Leaning the walking stick up against the wall, Rho then looked a Chirion, who was sitting near the table, looking back at her. From the look in his eyes she could tell he was concerned.

Calling the wolf over to her, she knelt down trying to reassure him, and well as herself, that she was OK, but it didn't work. Rho got back up and went over to look out the window. There was a full moon peeking up just over the horizon, but looking at this didn't bring her any comfort either.

What is wrong with myself she thought, then she noticed the sensation of every hair on her arms and neck standing up, due to some unknown apprehension. Finally she walked over and sat herself down on the floor, leaned her back against the bed, and replayed the brief conversation she had just had with Lord Elbren. It was then that she realized where these feelings were coming from. It was related to her uncertainty of the Initiation Vision.

She had always known that there was going to be an initiation process, but the thought of going on a Vision Quest was something that had never occurred to her. But her apprehension ran deeper than just thinking about the Quest itself, it was when Elbren had said, 'Sometimes, in those quests, we do meet old friends whose love transcends time and place..." that sparked a fear in her she had never felt before.

Rho took a deep breath and leaned her head back against the bed. Chirion laid down next to her and laid his head on her lap, as he always did when he could sense her distress. Thinking back to one of her earliest days of training, Rho remembered the words that her mentor had first taught her, and tried to find strength in their truth.

Elbren rested for just a short while and then bathed and dressed for the dinner. His mind was awhirl with the upcoming Initiations and the lingering mystery of the Tower of Orthanc.

But you are not really Orthanc, are you he thought as he smoothed down the front of his tunic, you are a part of the Sickle...some grand plan that the Numenoreans had for the defense of Middle Earth...

Elbren sighed. This was one riddle that was eluding them all. Hopefully, Treebread might be able to shed some light upon the mystery once Idril and the other Knights in Training told him of what they had discovered thus far.

The Sickle...the image of the constellation was ever in Elbren's mind eye; even as he left his room and softly knocked upon Rholarowyn's door. Elbren could smell the aromas of dinner wafting down the hallway and his stomach uttered a low growl in response. The dinners of the Mithril Knight Guild Houses were not usually something to be missed; he anticipated quite a meal of culinary delights!

When Rho answered the door, she was dressed and looked rested, but there was something...not yet settled about her. Elbren greeted her politely and then together they walked the corridors to the large dining room. They found Aurandir waiting with the other Knights as they stood behind their chairs at the table; it was tradition that no one sat until all were gathered together.

Elbren made his way to the head of the table as he eyed the food laid out upon the dark wooden table: roasted venison; steaming, fresh bread; golden cheese; bowls of sweet butter; fresh vegetables both cooked and raw; pitchers of wine, ale and water....it was indeed a feast.

"Well," he said as he moved to stand behind his own chair and gestured to the table of food, "I must say that I should get to the Edoras Guild House more often!"

A few chuckles broke out from those gathered as Elbren took his goblet and filled it with rich, red wine. He raised it high as the Knights did likewise. With a nod to Aurandir and Rholarowyn, the two Knights in Training followed course and raised their goblets as well.

"A gathering of Guild members is always something special," Elbren said, "and tonight is no different. I am always honoured to be among such fine company. A toast to the Mithril Knights and to the Edoras Guild House! May your journeys always be meaningful."

The Knights drank and then took their seats and the food was served...

************************

"So, you have something to tell me?" Elbren said to Aurandir, who sat close by.

"Sir?" Aurandir asked, looking surprised.

"About Orthanc," Elbren said as he took a bite of buttery bread.

"How did you---" Aurandir shook his head, "yes, I do."

"Then, please, do tell us," Elbren encouraged.

Soon, Aurandir had the attention of the entire table as he told of his discovery of the Runes at Orthanc.

"Morgal..." said one of the Knights, "I've not heard of that before."

Elbren nodded, "Always thought to be a myth, but my father was a jewelsmith, as most of you know, and I've worked a bit with metals myself. I have heard of this mysterious substance, but I always thought it to be something from the distant past...or perhaps just a dream."

"I believe that it is real," Aurandir said defensively.

"Indeed," Elbren pursed his lips, "I think that I am headed down that same road, Aurandir."

"What about the Sickle?" asked Athelos.

"Well, before we go on with that, what did you find here in Edoras in the archives?" Elbren asked.

Athelos smiled, "Several documents, no author named, that describes the Sickle. At first, we thought it was the constellation, but towards the end, it was clearly referring to real buildings and real places."

"I would like to look at that," Elbren stood up, "shall we make our way to the library?"

Rho was unsure how much time had passed by the time Elbren knocked on the door, but it hadn't been long enough for her to rid herself of this gnawing apprehension. As they made their way down the hall, she could smell the various aromas of the dinner that had been prepared for the Knights.

When they entered the large dining room and her seat was shown to her, Rho let out a sigh of relief. Not only was Master Erinhue here, but she was going to be sitting right across the table from him. Erinhue was a wonderful storyteller and she loved to hear him recite his poetry.

Erinhue was indeed entertaining as usual, but Rho struggled to be engaged with the conversations that were happening around her and forced herself to participate when she had something to add to them. When dinner was finished and Elbren had requested that everyone meet in the library, Master Erinhue pulled her aside and asked, 'What is troubling you so this evening?"

Rho had hoped that her unsettledness and uncertainty had gone unnoticed, and with most of the others it had, but her Bard Master knew her better than the rest, and now he was trying to help.

Looking back at him she replied, 'This evening Lord Elbren shared with me some things about the Initiation process that have me...well...concerned."

'What things are those?"

'He mentioned that one can sometimes meet old friends whose love transcends'" Rho paused and looked down for a moment. When she finally collected herself she looked back up at him and continued "...whose love can transcend time and place."

'And most people would be grateful for that opportunity." He smiled back.

Looking down she quietly continued, 'There are some that I'm not sure I am ready to face yet."

Seeing that she was still very distressed, he finally took her back to the dining area and they both sat down on some chairs. The two of them talked for quite awhile and by the time they were finished, Rho felt that a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. When they stood up to go back to the others, Rho thanked Erinhue for helping her to regain some perspective and then gave him a big hug.

As they were walking towards the library, Chirion trotted up next to her, which brought to mind another little dilemma that she needed to deal with.

'Lord Elbren mentioned that Chirion cannot come into the Initiation Chamber with me tomorrow night. Would it be OK if he stayed with you while I'm in there?"

'I would be honored to have him stay with me." Hue replied smiling.

When they finally reached the library, Rho, Erinhue, and Chirion slipped quietly into the room and found a place to sit down in the back, while Athelos continued to discuss what had been found on one of the documents.

Elbren was holding the parchment in his hands, studying the text, as Athelos told how they had found it and when. The Guild Master glanced up and sideways when he heard Erinhue and Rholarowyn enter the library chamber. He handed the parchment back to Athelos and stood up.

"This leads me closer to the theory that Orthanc is at the center of a series of towers that were built, and their sites chosen, as a specific tool to be used againt the power of Sauron," Elbren stated.

"What about the true name?" Athelos asked, taking the parchment carefully.

"It is a tower so the first part of the name would be 'Minas', in accordance with Minas Ithil and Minas Anor. If you follow the path that the Gondorians were making, you get the Stars, Moon, and Setting Sun...and Minas Anor became Minas Tirith, Tower of the Guard, after Minas Ithil fell to the Enemy and was renamed Minas Morgul. But, at the time that Orthanc would have been built, as near as we can surmise, it would have been the fourth in a series of towers...star, moon, and sun. Then you also have a series of sacred mounds...Amon Hen, Amon Lhaw, and Amon Sul. At the almost exact center point we have what we know as Orthanc. Wind here," Elbren stood and walked to a map of Middle Earth that was framed upon the wall and pointed to Weathertop."

"Wind and then Hearing...Seeing..." Athelos said as her eyes followed Elbren's finger as he traced the path again.

"Then Setting Sun, Stars, and Moon," Elbren finished with his finger upon Osgiliath.

"Almost sounds like...communication and destination," offered one of the Knights.

"How so?" Elbren asked.

"Speech begins with air or wind. Then, seeing and hearing are added to the message as the form in which the air or sound should be received. Then, it passes through the Sun, Stars, and Moon to each--"

"The Valar?" Athelos asked, frowning.

"Hmm," Elbren thought a moment, "interesting. Very interesting."

"It does come very close to forming the Sickle, though," Erinhue noted. "The entire trail of towers and mounds, I mean."

"Yes, it does," Elbren nodded, "too close to ignore, I think.

"And Orthanc is at the center of it," Athelos stared at the map.

"It was Varda who put the Sickle into the sky as the warning to Melkor and his servants," Aurandir said thoughtfully.

"And when you are in the secret chamber that we found three nights ago, you are staring directly up at the Sickle when it rises," Elbren mused.

"Perhaps Orthanc is a tower that calls directly to Varda," Athelos suggested.

"Minas Circa....Minas..." suddenly Elbren closed his mouth and an understanding came into his eyes.

"What is it?" Athelos asked.

"I'm not sure...not yet..." clearly, though, Elbren was excited about something. "I need to some more research. Athelos, please make sure that Aurandir and Rholarowyn are made to be comfortable during their vigil. I will be busy until their Initiation tomorrow evening."

"I will," said the Guild House Steward and motioned for Aurandir and Rholarowyn to come with her.

**************************************

Treebeard stood completely motionless upon the edge of Fangorn Forest. Waiting. The Earth had sent him rumblings that the Mithril Knight and the two Seekers were not far away....soon he could share with them what he had learned about the fortress that was known as Orthanc...

Rho listened carefully to all that was being discussed in the library. She knew that as soon as she entered her room later this evening, she would remain there until the following evening. Hopefully this would give her plenty of time to think over all the clues that she had been told about or had discovered in regards to finding the true name of Orthanc.

When the discussion in the library was finished for the evening and Athelos had motioned Rho and Aurandir to follow, Rho looked over at Erinhue, who was sitting next to her.

'Well this is it' she said with a smile. 'The next time you see me, hopefully I will be a Mithril Knight."

He smiled back at her with his warm smile and said, 'Will I not see you for a moment when you bring Chirion to me tomorrow night?"

'I'm not sure' she replied. 'I will have to find out how we are going to arrange that."

Giving Erinhue one last look of appreciation, she then called Chirion to her side, and followed Athelos out the door. As she and Aurandir walked down the hall, Rho was surprised to find that she was still feeling the sense of relief that had come upon her during the earlier conversation with Erinhue. Tonight had been the first time she had finally opened up to someone about the source of the pain she had been trying to deal with. The death of her mother just before the War of the Ring, as well as her uncle Denethor's and cousin Boromir's death during it, was something she'd been keeping to herself and up until this evening, had refused to talk about.

As the three of them and the wolf continued to walk down the hall, Rho noticed that Aurandir appeared lost in thought. She was about to ask Athelos where they were going, but decided against it. Both she and Aurandir would be finding out soon enough.

Treebeard towered over the three visitors as he listened with infinite patience to their tale of their previous night in Orthanc. The sun had risen high and a glorious autumn day now graced the edges of Fangorn where they met the rolling plains of Rohan. Lady Idril, Nurvilya, and Elenath had dismounted, tethered their horses, and made themselves comfortable while the Ent, oldest of living creatures in Middle Earth, stood with his leaves waving gently in the breeze.

"Hroom..." he would say from time to time and a branch would bend as if in accordance, but he did not interrupt any of the ladies as they unfolded the events of Orthanc.

Even after the tale had ended, Treebeard stood for a long time in deep thought. He would occasionally bend to and fro while blinking slowly, but still he did not speak. It was only when he could see the visible impatience of his visitors that he seemed to become aware of them again.

"Hroom..." he said again, "these matters need time to settle. The Sickle...the Sickle....and the Runes...hroom...hroom...."

He became quiet again, but not for long, "We were never able to damage the tower during our anger," he spoke quietly, "and I have often thought that it was due to some type of sorcery of Saruman's. But....perhaps not...perhaps not...hroom..."

Finally, the Ent seemed to come to a settlement within his own mind, "Go to Edoras, for I will need more time to speak with the other ancients of my kind. We will send word to Lord Elbren when we have news to send. Stay on the course that you have begun with the Sickle and the Runes...there is something there....there is something there, I think."

********************************************

Back in Edoras, Elbren was still sitting in the Guild House library when the sun rose the next morning. He finally pushed away the parchments as they lay upon the table before him and leaned back in his chair. He knew that he had to leave the matter, at least for this day, for as sundown, the Initiations would begin.

He stood and left the chamber and immediately the smells of breakfast meats and baking bread met him in the hallway. His stomach growled in response, and for a moment, he wondered if Rholarowyn and Aurandir were resting well and how their fast was affecting them. He knew well how hunger and restlessness, coupled with anticipation of the Visionquest, could affect the new members.

I must go and check the herb supplies and prepare the tincture as well, he reminded himself. and prepare the new Mithril Cloaks...

The Guild Master smiled deeply; he was always thrilled to bring new Mithril Knights into the Order. Quickening his pace, he entered the dining room and greeted Athelos and Erinhue...

Treebeard had not been able to tell them much, but Elenath could tell that he had something in mind. They would just have to wait until he was ready to tell them his thoughts. Elenath was lost in her own thoughts as they rode, turning over the riddle of Orthanc in her mind yet again. She wished now that she had paid more attention to the doings of the Numenoreans, but her memories held nothing that could help.

It had been late afternoon by the time they finally left Fangorn and Treebeard, and they rode until the sky had darkened. They ate a cold supper, watching the stars appear.

"The Sickle shines bright tonight," Idril said softly. Then she turned to Elenath and smiled. "Rest tonight, Elenath, and let the secrets of Orthanc be until we reach Edoras. Turn your mind elsewhere for now, and come to it again fresh when we know what Elbren has found."

Elenath smiled in return. "You are very wise, Lady Idril."

They set out early in the morning, and Elenath let herself simply enjoy the beauty around her: the rolling plains, the sun shining down, the movement of her horse. They did not speak, but rode quickly, eager to reach Edoras. They stopped only briefly at mid-day, then rode straight through the afternoon. And as the sun began to set, it kindled a flame of gold before them: the Golden Halls of Edoras.

They entered the city without incident, and went straight to the Guild House. They were stopped at the door, but Idril said some words that Elenath couldn't quite hear, and they were let in.

"Ah, Lady Idril!" A woman was coming forward to meet them. "We have been expecting you. I will send someone at once to tell Lord Elbren you have arrived."

Elbren finished his breakfast and went to his chamber to sleep for a few hours. Not long before the noon meal, he and Athelos took a walk to the Guild House stables and then the armory, laughing and talking about old times and adventures.

"Where will the wolf be during the Initiation?" Athelos asked when they entered the Common Roon again later that afternoon.

"I don't know, he can stay in Rholarowyn's chamber, I suppose," Elbren mused, "is all prepared?"

"Yes, all is ready," Athelos replied.

"Are the Mithril Cloaks in the Mural Room?"

"Yes, newly stitched. They just need for you to complete their joining to their Wearers," she answered.

"Excellent," Elbren cocked his head for a moment, "I think we have visitors," he said and stood up.

Moments later, Lady Idril with Elenath and Nurvilya entered the Guild House. They were travel worn, but seemed in good spirits.

"Greetings and welcome," Elbren said as he helped take their gear, "how was the visit with Treebeard? Any information?"

"Of course not," Idril chuckled, "did you expect a prompt response?"

Elbren laughed at that, "No, not really, but thought I should ask anyway," he then looked at Elenath and Nurvilya, "and how are you ladies?"

The two Knights in Training responded with tired voices that were tinged with excitement.

"Athelos will take you to your private chambers. You may bathe and rest, but you may not eat before your Initiation. There will be water in your room and that is all of which you can partake for a fast is required for the ritual. Do not leave your room, no matter what you hear within the Guild House. Athelos will come for you when the time approaches, which will be near to midnight. Rest as much as you can. I will see you then."