Day 78: Leave each to choose freely

elena_tiriel gave me the quote:

'You remember?' said Frodo, speaking his thought aloud in his astonishment. 'But I thought,' he stammered as Elrond turned towards him, 'I thought that the fall of Gil-galad was a long age ago.'

'So it was indeed,' answered Elrond gravely. 'But my memory reaches back even to the Elder Days. Eärendil was my sire, who was born in Gondolin before its fall; and my mother was Elwing, daughter of Dior, son of Lúthien of Doriath. I have seen three ages in the West of the world, and many defeats, and many fruitless victories.

The Fellowship of the Ring, LoTR Book 2, Ch 2, The Council of Elrond

...and, well, I think an Elrond series may have been born.... *eek*

as part of the Mighty among both Elves and Men series

Day 78

Leave each to choose freely

Elros returned from wandering along the strand. "You have chosen, brother?"

Elrond looked up from where he squatted in the dunes, absorbed in watching a honeybee suckle a lavender flower. "Aye. And you?"

Elros nodded, but Elrond scarce needed him to voice his choice. It was as he had known it would be. They were both seekers, but of different ends. Elros had the restlessness of Men, to strive for what was beyond sight; he the absorption of the Elves to understand what was before him. Sprung from one source, their paths had always led them to this final sundering.

Note: The title comes from the text of the Quenta Silmarillion:

It is told among the Elves that after Eärendil had departed, seeking Elwing his wife, Mandos spoke concerning his fate; and he said: 'Shall mortal Man step living upon the undying lands, and yet live?' But Ulmo said: 'For this he was born into the world. And say unto me: whether is he Eärendil Tuor's son of the line of Hador, or the son of Idril, Turgon's daughter, of the Elven-house of Finwë?' And Mandos answered: 'Equally the Noldor, who went wilfully into exile, may not return hither.'

But when all was spoken, Manwë gave judgement, and he said: 'In this matter the power of doom is given to me. The peril that he ventured for love of the Two Kindreds shall not fall upon Eärendil, nor shall it fall upon Elwing his wife, who entered into peril for love of him; but they shall not walk again ever among Elves or Men in the Outer Lands. And this is my decree concerning them: to Eärendil and to Elwing, and to their sons, shall be given leave each to choose freely to which kindred their fates shall be joined, and under which kindred they shall be judged.'

The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Ch 24, Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath