Stars of Heaven's Dome by Cirdan

Elrond cursed quietly as his horse refreshed himself. They had ridden hard for five days and still had farther to ride. They'd unknowingly crossed into woods that were infested with the servants of Sauron, and the werewolves hunted them when they rested. Surrocco was skittish. He drank from the stream and allowed himself to rest but started at every sound. During the first encounter, he'd been wounded. Elrond was no less anxious. His bow was cocked even as he rested his weary body. He only had three arrows left. The werewolves had attacked at every opportunity and forced them to ride circles around the woods. At first, Elrond had been concerned that Gil-galad's message to Oropher concerning the Union of Gil-galad and Elendil would be delayed. Now, he feared it would not be delivered at all.

A werewolf leapt at Elrond from the bushes, but Elrond's arrow flew true to its mark, and the werewolf died before it hit the ground. Behind the trees, Elrond heard the baying of more werewolves. He sprung quickly onto his horse and shot two werewolves that had come forth. It was already too late to ride away though. A ring of werewolves had formed. They snarled and laughed, for they knew Elrond to be out of arrows. They slowly approached to feed the fear of their prey. The werewolves attacked. Surrocco kicked at them and kept the first two at bay, but more closed in to join their friends. The battle was a blur. Elrond was too tired to think straight. He defended himself clumsily with his bow as a melee weapon. A werewolf knocked Elrond from his mount and, before he could stand, the monster was atop him. Elrond was quick enough to shield his face with his arm. The dreaded fangs tore into his forearm and nearly snapped it in two. The werewolf suddenly went limp and fell heavily on top of Elrond. Elrond heard the whisking of more arrows and thought that reinforcements from Gil-galad had miraculously appeared, though he knew not how they could have known of his predicament. The journey to Oropher's was to be long but not dangerous. Elrond pried the jaws of the dead werewolf open and withdrew his arm. He pushed the carcass from him, and by the time he stood, the battle was over. Over two dozen werewolves lay dead. His horse Surrocco was also dead.

Elrond turned to face his rescuers, but the twin elves might as well have been ghosts. Their clothes were distinctly fashioned from the First Age. Though they must have been over 3,400 years old, the brown cloaks showed no sign of age. Underneath, Elrond could see fine red silk with golden embroidery, and the making of the collars alone was a lost art. The red glow of their wooden bows was now fading. But most unusual of all was not their First Age raiment but their faces. Elrond could have easily been their triplet brother. They studied Elrond's face with just as much interest. The twin brothers looked at each other then at Elrond again. Wonder filled their bright eyes.

Elrond's caution reminded him of where he was. There would be time enough for introductions later. "I thank you for saving me, but let us talk elsewhere. More werewolves may be coming." He hastily wrapped his arm with a strip of his outer shirt.

The twins looked at each other. One made a low whining sound, and the other nodded. They three elves began to sprint through the woods, and the twins paced themselves according to Elrond's needs. Fear was greater than pain though. Elrond scarcely felt the gaping wound in his arm, and the exhaustion he'd felt earlier was temporarily overridden by his survival instincts. Once they were safely hidden in a cave behind a waterfall, Elrond slumped to the floor. His arm had stopped bleeding. His body had needed the blood to fuel his heart as they'd run. The venom of the fangs was already coursing through his veins. He'd need some elanor petals and some hot water. All this registered dimly in Elrond's mind as he slipped into unconsciousness and delirium.

Elrond woke up several times during his fevered sleep. Always by his bedside was Elros putting hot compresses to his forehead or wiping his skin with a piece of cloth. He slipped into darkness again and then awoke to the taste of a floral paste in his mouth. His brother held a bowl of cool water to his lips. Elrond drank until his brother drew the bowl away. No, probably best that he didn't drink too much. Elrond tried to put his hand on his brother's but found that he could not move. He gave up and let the darkness wash over him once more.

The shadow of death passed over Elrond and at last his dreams were filled with light. He dreamt of Rivendell and the trees that graced the sanctuary. Elrond awoke. He found himself in a cave, and the sound of crashing water was close by. He sat up slowly. His brother murmured something unintelligible and eased him up. He brought a bowl of cool water to Elrond's lips, and Elrond drank sparingly. His body was still recovering and should not have been treated to extremes. Elrond gazed to his right arm and found the werewolf bite neatly bandaged in bright red cloth. Underneath the bandage, he could feel his skin closing. The venom had been leached out or he would not have awakened. He turned back to his brother to face the eyes of a stranger. The memories of his rescuers, the twin elves in First Age garb, returned to him.

"Thank you for saving my life. I am Elrond Half-Elven, herald to High King Gil-galad and Lord of Rivendell."

The elf looked at him and replied in a low whine. "Ruscoel," the elf said slowly at last. He pointed deeper into the cave, where his brother was preparing food. "Ruscowe. We words not." The words that he chose were of an arcane but high Sindarin tongue, but he spoke awkwardly and slowly. He turned to his brother, who was approaching with some fruits and nuts, and whined like a dog.

Ruscowe laughed and whimpered back t him. Then he burst into wordless song, vocalizing in high and clear notes. He evoked images before Elrond, and in this manner did Elrond understand them. Ruscowe offered the food to Elrond and summoned an image of Elrond accepting the food and eating. Elrond did as he was bid to do and listened carefully to their songs.

The twins were raised by foxes and had lived with the descendants of their fox parents for countless years. Of course, they knew they were different, but the foxes accepted them, especially because they were skilled and helpful in all things. The years passed and generations of foxes passed before Elrond's eyes. Then, at last, the generations ended and a whole lineage died out. The brothers had then wandered westward and come to dwell in these woods. They'd chosen to live in the cave behind the waterfall because it reminded them of their first home, a vast dwelling within caves whose walls were decorated with tapestries. Their fox parents had dwelt in dens, and when they'd outgrown the foxholes, they'd taken to living in hidden caves near their fox brethren and grown used to it. Only recently, in the last few days, had werewolves invaded their home.

Elrond put forth his powers of song. He asked where they'd come across their clothes and weapons. They looked at Elrond with surprise, for they had apparently not expected Elrond to be able to speak in wordless music and images. Ruscoel called forth visions of their fox mother bringing a pack back to the den, and in it were most of the items that they used to this very day, like the bowl and their flint and steel. Their fox father had brought back the bows at a later time with the foreknowledge that his elven children would not be able to hunt with their teeth like foxes. The quivers were enchanted such that arrows appeared once they'd been used. Ruscoel gestured at his own bright red and golden clothing. He showed Elrond that the shirtsleeves were too long and the pants legs had been rolled up.

These fine raiments were not that of just any elf, but Elrond kept that to himself. The bright clothing was made from very finely woven silk and had possibly been brought out of the West. The emblem of the House of Feanor embroidered in the center made it clear that the raiments once belonged to Maedhros, head of the House of Feanor. Elrond's childhood memories stirred, and he remembered seeing Maedhros wear the same outfit in the past. Could Maedhros have purposefully left his pack behind to be found by odd chance by the fox mother? Elrond remembered the tale of the Second Kinslaying. Maglor had said that Celegorm's men had left Dior's sons to die in the forest and that Maedhros had sought long for them but without success. Was it possible that Elured and Elurin, Elrond's uncles and Elwing's brothers, had lived? And that they were these same strange elves who had been rescued by foxes? It seemed impossible, and yet their resemblance to Elrond was too strong to be coincidence. Elrond needed more time to discover the mystery of his saviors, but he also needed to deliver Gil-galad's summons to Oropher and return to the war against Sauron.

Elrond had lost his bow and horse in the last encounter with the werewolves. He would have to travel by foot. The lands should not have been so infested with the fell servants of Sauron. There was no way of telling if the band of werewolves was a rare situation. The two elves had already proven that they'd be excellent bodyguards and, regardless of their identities, they would be assets to the Union of Gil-galad and Elendil if they could be persuaded to join.

Elrond started by summoning visions of the werewolves that they'd encountered earlier. He showed them the Dark Lord that controlled these beasts. The shadow had caused the downfall of Numenor but had not perished. Instead, he'd returned as a spirit to the east and again assumed control of Barad-dur. Elrond explained that he needed to travel farther east still, into lands that were possibly dangerous now that the Dark Lord had returned. He begged the twin elves to join him on his journey and then return to Lindon, for their skills would be useful in the war against Sauron and he believed them to be his close kin but needed more time to discover their pasts.

In his eyes and posture, Ruscoel already agreed. He was about to vocalize his agreement when his brother stopped him. Ruscowe spoke to Elrond of their fox mother's prophecy. They'd obviously been left in the forest to die, and she believed that mingling with elves and returning to their native society would lead the twins to the Doom that they'd averted. She'd brought her family far into the southeastern lands to avoid elves and later asked her elven children to stay with her family of foxes. They'd stayed with their fox brethren and their descendants because they were the only family the twins had truly known, but they also remembered the words of their mother. Thus, when the fox lineage had ended, they'd chosen to dwell in solitude in the forest rather than seek out their own kind.

Ruscoel admitted that this was all true, but he told his brother, in visions so that Elrond could also understand, that they'd also obeyed their mother because they'd known themselves to be long sundered from their kin and unable to communicate or fit into elven society. What's more, they'd never expected to find their elven parents' kin. When Ruscoel sang of their parents, Elrond saw clearly in his mind the images of Dior and Nimloth. He'd seen them in Maglor's songs about the Second Kinslaying and the ruin of Doriath, when the sons of Feanor had sought to possess the Silmaril won from Morgoth's crown by Beren and Luthien. Ruscoel did not hear Elrond's gasp or chose to ignore it. He said to his brother that no one, not even the animals, would be safe if the Dark Lord reigned supreme. They should aid Elrond even if it led to the Doom foretold by their fox mother.

Ruscowe nodded and hummed a soft song of calming, and it was then that Elrond realized that the two were not twins. They were close in age and looked alike, but Ruscowe was the older brother. Elrond had been fixed on thoughts of himself and Elros and so had too easily assumed that Ruscowe and Ruscoel were twins. Ruscowe sang that he also wanted to escort Elrond through the eastern lands and join the elves in the fight against the Dark Lord, but he knew his brother to be impulsive and had simply wanted to make sure that Ruscoel had thought through his decision. Now that Ruscowe was certain of his brother's resolve, he informed Elrond that they would, indeed, return to their elven kindred.

Elrond responded with words but did so in song that conjured visions so that he could be understood. "Thank you. A fortunate star shines above our chance meeting, and I look forward to your company, my uncles."

Elrond was a teacher and scholar by trade, and because the fox-elves communicated with him through music, he taught them the language of the Elves through song. Ruscowe and Ruscoel learned quickly, partly because they'd once, long ago, known the high Sindarin tongue spoken in Doriath and partly because they were of a great and mighty lineage, lending to exceptional intelligence. Amongst themselves, they would sometimes slip into body language or whines and yelps, but it was not long before they could converse regularly with Elrond, and they avoided the fox speech and the more primitive song speech that seemed inherent to the Quendi as much as possible. Some of what Elrond taught them, like true wisdom about the Valar in the West and the history of the Quendi, would gradually resurface in their minds even as Elrond spoke. Other things, like the plight of the Noldor and the events of the Second Age, were wholly new to them.

An unexpected side effect of the relearning of the Sindarin tongue was that the fox-elves began to slowly understand events in their own lives. They would remember conversations that had, at the time, been adult jargon to them but now made sense. Ruscoel told Elrond of the time he'd been in his Elven mother's lap, cradled protectively, as she and her husband had discussed the letter from the sons of Feanor. Apparently, the rumors that Dior the Beautiful had openly worn the Nauglamir with the shining Jewel of Feanor set in it was true, for Ruscowe and Ruscoel had seen the Light of the Silmaril in their youth. It explained the brightness in their eyes, which had seemed too bright even for descendants of Melian the Maia. Elrond tried to be impartial in his recounting of history, especially when they asked about the sons of Feanor. Elrond did not conceal the fact that they had later sacked his home at the mouths of Sirion as well in pursuit of the Silmaril which Elwing, Elrond's mother and the fox-elves' sister, had possessed, but neither did he withhold from them the fact that, after the Third Kinslaying, Maedhros and Maglor, the two remaining sons of Feanor, had raised him and protected him from the numerous servants of Morgoth roaming Beleriand.

Elrond continued to teach them history, language, and social behavior as they crossed the lands to Greenwood. Elrond's encounter with the werewolves proved to be a warning but not the norm. There were bands of Orcs abreast, but most were scouting parties and were easily avoided. Elrond explained to the fox-elves that he was the Lord of Imladris but had been sent as High King Gil-galad's messenger because the Wood-elves of Oropher did not like or choose to follow the rule of the Noldorin King. Some even believed that it was the Noldor that had brought evil with them from the West. Even those who knew this to be untrue could be persuaded to believe when offered a seemingly peaceful solution to war. Of late, Sauron had treated with the Elves of Greenwood and said that he would let them remain as their own kingdom, independent and free. Sauron had concentrated his attack on Gondor, and because he left Greenwood alone, Oropher had begun to believe that the war against Sauron was Gondor's affair and the affair of the Elves of Gil-galad if they so chose. As a descendant of Thingol, who had been the leader of the Teleri, from which was descended the Sindar and Nandor, Elrond hoped to win the alliance of Oropher, who was himself of Sindarin origin. However, the history of Elrond Half-Elven was known to Oropher, who did not wholly trust Elrond because he had been raised by Maglor, the second son of Feanor, and because he was the vassal of Gil-galad. Thus, Elrond was not wholly sure if he could accomplish his errand. The fox-elves listened to all this with great attention, for they were now Elrond's escort and their behavior and words would reflect on Elrond and the High King. Elrond also spoke to them about Oropher's personality so that they would not inadvertently offend the King of Greenwood.

As they neared their destination, Ruscowe began to speak more at the nightly campfires. Before, it'd always been Ruscoel, the younger, who had offered snippets of his memories or explanations of their lives and self- learning process as wild elves raised by foxes. Apparently, Ruscowe was of a wholly different nature, and now that he had good command of the Sindarin tongue and better grasp of his childhood memories, he began the tale of the fox-elves from the beginning.

Indeed, Ruscowe could now recall his given name and that of his brothers, though he spoke it not. They'd been born in Ossiriand, which was now Lindon after the War of Wrath and the changing of the shape of the world, but had moved to Menegroth after the death of King Thingol, the great-grandfather of the fox-elves. Ruscowe's father, Dior Eluchil, had then raised anew the glory of the Kingdom of Doriath, and success was only more impressive after he had received and donned the Necklace of the Dwarves, upon which was, of course, the Silmaril. Elrond knew all this, but he listened patiently as Ruscowe built the foundations for his own memories.

Ruscowe and Ruscoel had been too young to understand all that took place in the ruin of Doriath, but they had known enough to follow instructions and hide in one of the many caves as their parents and the guards of Menegroth had tried to protect them in the Second Kinslaying. In the end, though, the battle had been lost, and they'd been dragged from the secret room in a wine cellar. They had not cried or begged for their lives when the soldiers had found them. Their wrists and ankles had been tied, and they'd been left in the wild to die.

After two days, Ruscowe managed to gnaw through the ties about his wrists, and he then set his younger brother free. Now that the Girdle of Melian was no more, the dark creatures of Morgoth crept into the woods. The boys wandered and found what food they could on the trees and bushes, and when they heard the rustlings of wolves or Orcs, they hid. Twice, they even saw a great wolf and ran for their lives. By chance, they managed to escape each time. Or perhaps it was not mere chance, for from their places of hiding, they often heard the sounds of battle and the death howls of the wolves or screams of the Orcs. Once, Ruscowe even saw a glimpse of a figure tall and fair in the woods, the shadow of an Elf perhaps, for its movements were too light and graceful to belong to an Orc or Troll. But if it was an Elf, the Elf never once approached them or offered them aid. It was Ruscowe's strength and force of will that pushed them onward and forced them to struggle to live when it seemed easier to just lay down and die. Then, after what seemed like eternity but must have only been twelve days, a fox approached them.

At first, Ruscowe continued as before and ignored the fox that came close to them and watched them. In the evening, she brought white peaches to the boys and left them on the forest ground and withdrew a distance. Ruscowe was proud despite his youth and refused to accept the charity of the fox, a mere beast. But Ruscoel had approached the peaches without hesitation, for the food that they found for themselves was never enough. Ruscowe allowed his brother to eat three of the peaches before chiding him and forcing him to stop. They were outlaws now, but they were still princes, not beggars. The food belonged to the fox, not them. They left the other four peaches and went in search of their own food. The fox watched them for a time and then disappeared.

She reappeared to them the next afternoon, and this time she offered them some grapes. Although she had carried them in her mouth and left fox saliva on the grapes, Ruscowe allowed Ruscoel to eat the grapes, for they had not found food since the fox's last visit. Again, in the evening, the fox came to them with food, two apples, and even as Ruscoel ate, she brought them more apples. Ruscoel pressured his brother to eat, and Ruscowe, driven by hunger, gave in. When the fox departed this time, the brothers followed her. They had to crawl on hands and knees to reach the den, and at that, Ruscowe had balked, but Ruscoel had already followed the fox down the tunnel, and so Ruscowe swallowed his pride and entered the fox den as well. There, they snuggled with two foxes, not one. That night was the first night that they were able to sleep without fear of attack since the Kinslaying, and more importantly, they were warm. When they awakened in the morning, there was food, for the foxes had fruits and nuts stashed in their den. From that night forward, Ruscowe and Ruscoel had stayed with the foxes and learned their language.

They had never questioned the elven equipment found by their fox father, but now that Ruscowe gave the matter more thought, he found it unusual that a fox had been able to find such things. Perhaps the mysterious elven figure had given these things to the foxes. This Elrond did not find unlikely at all despite the incredible nature of the tale. Celegorm was said to have known all languages of beasts, and Elrond himself had witnessed Maglor conversing with birds. It was theoretically possible that Maedhros had known the speech of foxes. But Maedhros was an ill-name in Middle Earth, for he had slain his kin three times and committed one of the two remaining Silmarils to the depths of the earth. Ruscowe was quick to understand Elrond's point, and though they apparently delighted in the bright red raiment with the emblem of the House of Feanor, they changed into brown riding clothes, which Elrond also recognized to have once belonged to Maedhros or Maglor. The riding clothes were less obviously of the First Age though, and there was no symbol of Feanor, so the Wood-elves would not take offense. Before long, shortly after Ruscowe concluded what he could of his tale, they arrived in Greenwood.

The guards waylaid them and brought them to the Halls of Oropher, King of the Silvan Elves, and before the King, Elrond spoke with great eloquence and urgency of the threat of Sauron, now returned to Barad-dur in Mordor, and the need for an alliance between Elves and Men.

"Your words are smooth, Half-Elven, but I will not join this hopeless alliance," Oropher said. "Gil-galad seeks to use the Elves of Greenwood as his shield, and while his forces march eastward, my people will be dying as they hold off the expansion of Sauron's forces." He held up his hand to stop Elrond from speaking. "I know what you are thinking, but I am not a fool. I do not believe that Sauron will leave my people alone and free as he has promised. When he has taken over all of the world with his dark forces, he will crush Greenwood as well. But for now, he has chosen to leave Greenwood in peace. It may be that the time will come when we must wage war against Mordor, but until that time, the time of my choosing, we will remain neutral in this fight."

"So you intend to sit on the fence and wait for Gil-galad and Elendil to exhaust their own troops and diminish the forces of Sauron before joining in the war?" Elrond said. He tried to keep his voice even, but his hand was clenched tightly.

Oropher smiled, and though it was not a malicious smile, there was a certain amount of grimness to it. "No, Half-Elven, I intend to stay out of the war entirely, even to the end, and if Sauron is defeated, then Greenwood will benefit from it. If it is not, then Sauron will have been weakened enough for Greenwood to wage its own war against Mordor and win. I will not follow the leadership of the self-styled 'King of the Elves.' Here, I am the King." Elrond knew at that moment that his errand had failed. He bowed curtly and prepared to leave, but Ruscowe stepped forward.

"What of your loyalty the ancient High Kingship of the Teleri, King Oropher?" Ruscowe said in a clear voice. His words were of the high Sindarin tongue and gave no indication that he had not even known the language just weeks before. "Would you follow the descendant of Elu Thingol, once King of the ancestors of both the Sindar and the Nandor?"

Oropher laughed. "I know of the ancestry of Elrond Peredhil, but I will not be persuaded by one who follows his Noldorin blood, for he looks after the interests of Gil-galad before those of the Silvan Elves."

"I do not speak of him." Ruscowe drew out a ring of silver with a large diamond-shaped crystal. A moon of pearl was set in the crystal, and thin slivers of blue topaz were set around it as rays of moonlight. Between the moonlight were small stars of sapphire and diamond. Ruscowe held it up for all to see with their keen elven sight.

"The winged moon!" Oropher exclaimed.

"It is," Ruscowe said. "This is the Ring of the Elu Thingol." Later, Elrond would learn that Dior had given it to Ruscowe before leaving to defend Doraith from the sons of Feanor, and Ruscowe had swallowed it before being captured by the soldiers of Celegorm. "And I am his heir, Elured Nelyaelwe, son and successor of Dior Eluchil. I have been in the lands farther east than even Mordor, but I return now to fight the threat of Sauron, who will lay all of Middle Earth in ruin if he is not stopped. In this, I ask for your aid, King Oropher."

Oropher stood from his wooden throne and came forth to look in wonder at the fox-elf before him. "What veil was over my eyes? I had only seen the resemblance to Elrond, but now I begin to perceive the blood of Thingol, which runs more strongly in you than in the Peredhil." He looked to Elurin, who inclined his head to the King of the Silvan Elves.

"I am Elurin Elmaiadan, second son of Dior the Beautiful and Nimloth the Fair," said Ruscoel.

"The sons of Dior live!" Oropher exclaimed.

Ruscowe smiled. "Indeed we do. I remember you, Lord Oropher of Doriath, from the time when I first arrived from Ossiriand, for it was you who made for me a wooden top and taught me to use a sling ere I was old enough to learn the bow."

Oropher's voice was full of glee as he said, "I need no further proof, Elured, Heir of Elu Thingol. I have no great love for Gil-galad, the Last High King of the Noldor, but you. you I would follow as the High King of the Teleri. And if you choose to enter into alliance with Gil- galad, then I will obey."

Ruscowe clasped arms with Oropher. "I thank you, King of Greenwood. I must depart now with my nephew and see to the arrangements with Gil- galad, but I will return when I can."

Diplomacy with Oropher proceeded much more smoothly after that point, and Elrond shared with Oropher, Ruscowe, and Ruscoel the plans that Gil- galad and Elendil had set into motion. They accomplished more than Gil- galad could ever have hoped for Elrond's errand, and the three began their journey back to Imladris before the second week of their visit passed. Oropher offered armed escorts, but Ruscowe refused and asked instead for three good horses so that they might travel swiftly, and this Oropher gladly granted to them. All seemed to be going smoothly, yet, when they were again in private, Elrond perceived that a shadow had come over his fox- elven brethren, for they had named their own right names and the doom that Thingol had called upon himself in that moment when he named the Silmaril as the price for his daughter's hand was stirred from its long slumber.

Chapter End Notes

Elured means "Heir of Thingol." Elurin means "Remembrance of Thingol." This is part of the canon. As for Nelyaelwe, I made that one up, and it means "Third Elwe," as in the third Thingol (who used to be named Elwe) in line to rule. Elmaiadan is also my invention, meaning "Elf-maia-man," and I suspect it is the inspiration for the name of Elrond's eldest son, Elladan. The horrible puns involved are on the names of Maedhros, their indirect savior, though Dior and Nimloth obviously didn't choose these names because of Maedhros. Nelyafinwe is Maedhros's father name and is echoed in Nelyaelwe, and Maitimo, "beautiful body," is Maedhros's mother name and is echoed in Elmaiadan's name since "maia" is derived from the same root and means "the beautiful." My most sincere apologies to people who are of superior Elven language skills.