Tianwen·Magweth Pengolodh

It was vast and wild, but when he saw Fastito Kalon, he realized that although this place was a blessed land, it still belonged to a larger world.He's not resting in between, he's procrastinating -- procrastinating here; as Kirjatan points out, that's not good.

Pengolod reflected on his evasion and preaching at court.He shuddered at the realization that he had assumed a condescending stance for a thousand little things around Alfwine.He didn't say a word about how he corrected Tom, or about Rosenzier's concerns that he had overheard.And Minas Tir's longing that violated itself, as if the tower from which he was named was built too high.Only then did he feel that it all revealed ills that he thought he had worked so hard to change, but instead contributed to.He recalled his proudest, most condescending moment, the confrontation between himself and Noof, and his heart writhed like a hooked fish.Thankfully, the man laughed it off at the time.

And thinking of that past, Pengolod suddenly realized.

It was only through grief and shock that he was able to discover the answer to Noof's question in the midst of his thoughts.But it's correct, coherent, and it feels like he's cracked a new language.This realization made him feel excited as well as sad.He felt the urge to write it down when he remembered that he had left Alfwine's shop unattended and forgotten to lock the door.He ran back as fast as he had come, scolding himself again as he went.

The street was quiet when he arrived and the store doors were ajar.Pengolod scurried into the shop to check it out.From the looks of it, nothing was lost.No matter how bullying and boastful Cirjatan may be, this is still Númenor.However, he couldn't quite believe it.The tiny house doesn't feel half as safe as it used to be.He checked it again, brushed aside the history he was writing earlier, and quickly wrote half a page with full concentration.Then he read it, considered it, paced up and down, and read it again.

Pengolod had calmed down when Alfwine barged in.Alfwine grinned from ear to ear, and came in staggering, not so much from being unsteady with his deformed foot, as from drinking too much. "She said yes, Pengolod, she said yes!" he came, pounding his hands on the counter, and then cried out with delight.After shouting enough, he laughed again: "Can you imagine? She has been expecting me to propose to her! She said that there is no better lover than me, and she has been married, so she knows what she is saying What! She said she would marry a man with turned feet, and she would spit in the face and throw the basket over the head of anyone who dared to speak ill of her for it. Vera, when she lost her temper It's very charming! What a wonderful woman!"

Pengolod smiled, but didn't realize that the smile didn't reach his eyes: "When will you get married?"

"In two months, when the apples are ripe. We... don't you agree?"

"No, that would be wonderful. But I probably won't be able to attend your wedding. Alas! I'm leaving by ship this weekend by order of Cirjatan," Pengolod confessed.

"What?" Alfwine roared, "What's wrong with you?"

Pengolod explained.In the end, he said: "Therefore, it doesn't matter how I behave. As long as Cirjatan intends to make a fuss about it, it may hurt you. Whether I go or stay, I must obey Cirjatan's order .”

"It's unbelievable that he came here in person to say such things," said Alfwine. "I can't believe that the crown prince came to my store for such a purpose!" on the counter.

Pengolod held back his grief and made up his mind: "I'm afraid I've put you at a disadvantage just because I'm here. Cirjatan was jealous of his father's reverence for the elves, and he wanted to force me to be by his father's side." , to win his father's praise. But Alfwine, we elves do not deserve such veneration—the kind of respect that men give, that flattery, that imitation, that yearning. On the contrary, we yearn your fate."

"You want to die like us. I heard you hint that," murmured Alfwine.

Pengolod said calmly, "To live as you do, and die, to leave the world, to be free." He moved closer, his gray eyes bright.There is only a counter between them. "After Qiryatan talked to me, I finally understood how Iluvatar improved your people and the answer to that question."

At Alfwine's urging, he said: "You mortals are different from us elves in many ways, and the two biggest differences are closely related: your reshaping of your own destiny, and your jokes and laughter. With these two , mortals let everything that is wounded have its place. We elves never do that. We pursue what we think is good, and we reject all that is wounded. The curse of Mandos shows that our destiny is our shackles , we cannot escape it, we cannot twist it as we please. We do not change, even after decay - in fact, we may never be truly healed. But you mortals subvert the order, you allow anything to happen, you reinvent created the world."

"Aren't you saying that our clowns—such as the Pocket Court gang—will undo the damage and restore Arda to its original state?" Alfwine asked in disbelief.

Pengolod spread his hands: "It is not them, but the inspiration that inspired them. Where would your pocket king and all the queens in his court be without their crazy roles? They have won us The ultimate freedom envied by the elves, so free that you can even resist the supreme judgment of your king."

"So we shouldn't try to imitate the elves at all... and the whole court..." Alfwine laughed bewilderedly.

"On the contrary, we elves should try to become more like you and open our hearts to the whole of Arda."

"I don't think you're entirely right," said Alfwine, scowling at the unpleasant memory. "Jokes can be cruel."

Pengolod echoed: "True, because they sharpen the ways of the world. But that can also be used in reverse, to weaken the mighty and the evil, can't it?"

Alfwine considered this: "You really can't stay? Can't you present these insights to the king?"

"Should I? I mean, should this be done by an elf?" Pengolod shook his head, and blurted out the hidden reason behind his hesitation, "I'm worried, that just happens to be what Cirjatan claims I provoked. trouble--instilling the cunning assertion that we elves are the most learned and superior. He may well think that I shall accept his offer to be Minas Tir's counselor. We elves have quite a few opinions about this There are studies to be done. If I tell the elves all I can, will you tell your people?"

Alfwine stretched out his hand, and the gesture revealed the elegance and dignity of a mortal, even beyond his own imagination: "You speak as if it is such a difficult task. Of course I will. Although I am a soft-spoken person, I will Tell those who will believe me. But on one condition."

"Bring it on," Pengolod said eagerly.

"Since we're both celebrating and mourning, we're going to get drunk tonight. Because I know all too well that I'd be sad to let you go."

Pengolod laid his hand on Alfwine's, as they had done when they first met, the ink on both hands overlapping. "Me too, my friend. I..." Pengolod blinked, covering his eyes with his left hand. "You're right, drunk. When do we start?"

It was when they were starting to drink that Alfwine asked for a story, as he had done so many nights before.He asked a specific question; Pengolod drained his glass of wine and answered.

sea ​​bells

Thank you for asking me what ultimately prompted me to leave Middle-earth.What exhausted me physically and mentally was the so-called big battle here.When Sauron attacked Eregion, we the Elves of Lindon went there to defend our kind.Although we arrived in time to help, we were severely outnumbered.So, once again, I witnessed the destruction and burning of an elf country where I had made friends and had fun.I must say that Sauron was not able to muster all the evil of old.No dragons, no war machines, no strange beasts, only Orcs and mortals who defected to his banner.But they were too many to count, a shrewd and cunning new force, eager for war.And if that wasn't enough, I also went through the siege of Imladris.

The siege I remember best is when we ate my horse.

Yes, we ended up being that desperate.I will tell you how that happened, so you will understand what a gift Minas Tir gave us when he sent your warriors to our rescue.

After the fall of Eregion, we elves of Lindon did what we could.We rescued less than half the population of the main city of Eregion, and we fled north together.Sauron's army followed closely behind.We thought we could get rid of them, until the scouts spotted a group of orcs descending from the brutal hills of Gundabad.We were flanked back and forth by evil forces, so we had to hide and take refuge in a valley.