Rings of Pride; Rings of Ruin by Aiwen

Panic Time

Celebrimbor waited impatiently for Elcaran to answer the door. When Elcaran finally did, he was still half asleep. His eyes widened when he saw who his visitor was. "Lord Celebrimbor! What are you doing here at this hour of the night? Come in," Elcaran opened the door fully and waved Celebrimbor in. "What's going on?" he asked as soon as Celebrimbor was inside.

"Tell me," said Celebrimbor, "did you dream tonight?"

Elcaran looked puzzled, and said "Yes. Why?"

"Because I did too. What exactly did you see, and what did you hear?"

Elcaran leaned back against the wall. "I don't remember clearly, but there were Rings - the Rings of power, I think."

"Did you see anything else? Or hear something, perhaps?"

"There was a voice. It sounded nasty, but I didn't understand a word."

He heard it too, thought Celebrimbor. That will meet my task easier. "Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul" said Celebrimbor. "Does that sound familiar?"

"Yes, it does. What does it mean? Do you know what's going on? And what does it have to do with the Rings?"

"My dream started off much like yours, but I heard and saw more. I used Vilya as a link to the speaker and I managed to get a glimpse of him. It was Annatar. I didn't know the language but the meaning was clear because of the link: one Ring to rule them all, one Ring to find them, one Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. Annatar has betrayed us."

"Annatar! But that doesn't make sense. Why would he betray us?"

"I don't know! It makes no sense to me either. We don't have time to engage in speculation: he can pull information from the Rings, and probably from the minds of the wearers which means he will soon know all there is to know not just about us here in Ost-in-Edhil, which he already knows, but about anyone who wears a Ring. We have to get the Rings away from their owners and I don't even know where all the lesser Rings are!"

"Are you sure it was Annatar?" Elcaran asked, wearing a doubtful frown.

Celebrimbor wasn't listening. "I should have listened to Galadriel! The Valar warned us: to evil end shall turn all that they begin well... I am truly cursed and a fool besides." Celebrimbor's eyes opened wide. "I am such a fool. I should never have taken power; it was Annatar that urged me. Why didn't I see something was wrong?" Celebrimbor's voice rose to a wail and he buried his face in his hands, stumbling back against the wall.

Celebrimbor looked up when Elcaran placed a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you come into the living room and sit down?" Elcaran said. He pulled Celebrimbor away from the wall, and Celebrimbor followed him down the hall and into the living room where Elcaran insisted that he sit down in an armchair and have a drink.

"How am I going to face Gil-galad? He has to know about this." Celebrimbor muttered, putting the drink aside untasted on a small table.

"Need you try immediately? Most of the Rings are here and almost all the knowledge about them is here. Perhaps you can undo whatever Annatar has done. Or talk to him. I can't believe he'd do this as it doesn't make sense. He's always logical and it doesn't seem like him. In addition, I can't see anyone sent by the Valar doing such a thing. Are you sure it was him? I saw and felt nothing that seemed like him at all in my dream."

"I can't believe it either, not really," said Celebrimbor. "But he has - I saw him and I'm sure it was him - I certainly know his face well enough by now! I think we can assume he wasn't sent by the Valar."

"If he wasn't sent by the Valar... Are you saying that Annatar served Morgoth?"

"There has long been speculation that the shadow that lies on much of eastern Middle-earth is created by one of Morgoth's servants who escaped capture. We know the Valar did not catch all of Morgoth's followers."

"I can't believe Annatar served Morgoth. He showed no signs of it among us. How can you be sure that this person whom you saw had not taken Annatar's form so that we would think Annatar had betrayed us? He was not evil! Maybe he is dead - have you heard anything from him since he left a hundred years back?"

"A short letter about seventy years ago saying that he had been unavoidably detained and would not be coming back soon. Nothing since. The person I saw was Annatar, much as I don't want to believe it - who else would have the knowledge and the power to build something that could control all the Rings? I wouldn't be able to, at least not without many years of research, and I very much doubt some random Balrog would know how, or that they would have the imagination to do so. Annatar has either betrayed us for his own ends, or he has been forced to tell everything he knows and lend his expertise to one of Morgoth's Umaiar, who has then stolen his identity. I suspect the simpler explanation is right because building a magical artifact that complex and powerful is not something that can be done without all of one's mind and will behind it. No one could force him to create that thing."

"But-"

"He has betrayed us all. He looked triumphant, and he was laughing. I suspect some of his acts among us may not have had so innocent a purpose as they seemed. Do you know what he did or where he went in the form of an owl at night? He may have been doing more than hunting rats and mice."

Elcaran spread his hands helplessly. "I am no sage or philosopher, and nor are you. What do we know of maiar behavior?"

"Galadriel might know. She was born in Valinor, and was a pupil of Aule, so she should have more of an idea of what is going on than either of us. Maybe... I need to go talk to Durin and persuade him to give up his Ring. He's a stubborn soul, and he won't listen to any one else. If I go through Khazad-dum, I can keep going into Lorinand and speak to Galadriel." Not that I look forward to it. She has every right to be furious with me. I'll take the Three - Annatar never touched those and perhaps I can hide them from him.

Celebrimbor stood, feeling a little stronger now that he had some idea of what to do next. "The sooner I'm away the better."

Elcaran shook his head. "What of all the Rings here?" he asked. "I am not going to be able to get people to remove the Rings, and if you are correct we dare not leave the Rings in their owner's hands any longer than we must. We must call a meeting of everyone who owns a Ring. The only person who can do that is you, and a trip to Lorinand with a side trip to see Durin is going to take over a week. That must wait. The meeting will not take long."

Celebrimbor wavered. Elcaran was right about the importance of the meeting, but what was there in Ost-in-Edhil that Annatar did not know already? "What secrets have we here that Annatar does not already know? Very few, and after a meeting full of people with Rings, none! Khazad-dum and Lorinand, however, are another matter entirely, as are Lindon and Mithlond. If I can convince Galadriel of what has happened, she can deal with Gil-galad. He listens to her." He always did have more sense than I.

"Try to find out where all the Rings are, and borrow or confiscate as many as you can. Tell them there has been an unforeseen problem with the Rings that we are trying to fix. Put them in isolation boxes in the House of the Mirdain. I will be back as soon as I can, but I must go now."

Elcaran bowed his head and said "It is your decision my lord, and your responsibility. So be it." His serious expression lightened abruptly. "But I suggest that before you do that, you put on some clothes. Nightgown, slippers and cloak are not garb that will pass unnoticed in Khazad-dum or Lorinand."

Celebrimbor looked down at himself, having completely forgotten that he had run out of the house in such a state, and couldn't suppress a smile. "Indeed you are right. I would rather not meet either Durin or Galadriel in such garb. I may have a reputation for eccentricity, but that would be too much. I will also need a horse, food, and water so I shall take my leave of you. May the Valar guard and protect you."

"And you. If what you fear is true, we shall need all the help we can get before long."