Estarfin

It was not that the mine was empty. It only appeared that way because the sentinels had spotted four trespassing elves, and they were debating what they should do about it. The most fearsome denizens of Moria were, at that moment, deep down in the lower tunnels, and the Enemy's attention was far away, occupied with weightier matters than the long-abandoned underground kingdom of the Dwarves.

The late afternoon of the fourth day saw me ride into Celondim. I wanted to pick up a few resources from my house, and speak with the stone mason. As fortune would have it, a patrol was just passing Numenstaya and I joined them. Lelyaro has been to visit Barahirn, and spoke encouragingly to him. He was not to be concerned about the horses; there was someone on their way to act as temporary stable hand. The job would still be his if and when he wanted it.

It was the afternoon of the fourth day when the first of our visitors arrived.

Continued from Leaving Thargelion Pt IV

There had been little time to organise the defence; the host of Barad Eithel felt as though they were upon an island, surrounded by a sea of foes. They had been separated from the other Noldor kingdoms in the lands surrounding the fortress by the sudden flames. The fates of any others in the sudden madness were unknown, for all of Beleriand could have been destroyed in the unexpected tumult. 

“So what do you think? Be honest, sister.” Losshell shook me from my daydream with her insistence.

“Hmm…”

“If it is true that a Valarauko yet haunts this place, if we come across it, there will be no escape,” he said.