Night had fallen over Rivendell like a black velvet cloak studded with diamonds. Escanor found himself waiting on the balcony Arwen had indicated, his heart pounding with an anticipation he hadn't felt in... well, he couldn't remember when.
The council had lasted for hours, discussing routes, supplies, and the dangers they would face. But through it all, a part of his mind had been here, in this moment, hoping to see Arwen again.
— Are you arriving early, or am I arriving late?
He turned to see her emerging from the shadows, and his breath caught in his throat. She had changed out of her green robes and into a dark blue one that seemed to capture the starlight, making it shimmer softly with every movement. Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders, a midnight cascade that framed her face perfectly.
"I... arrived early," Escanor admitted . "I couldn't wait."
Arwen smiled, and there was something warm and pleased about that smile.
"Me neither. I've been thinking about tonight since this morning." She came closer, extending her hand. "Come. The place I mentioned is a bit far, but it's worth the trip."
Escanor took her hand, marveling at how perfectly it fit in his, and followed her through Rivendell . They climbed staircases carved from living stone, crossed delicate bridges that arched over dark chasms, and finally reached a promontory that jutted out into the valley like the bow of a ship.
And the stars...
The stars were brighter here than anywhere Escanor had ever seen. Not just points of light, but glittering jewels that filled the sky from horizon to horizon. The Milky Way stretched above them like a river of light, and constellations he didn't know traced ancient patterns on the canvas of night.
"It's beautiful," she whispered, fearing that even a normal volume of voice might break the magic of the moment.
"The elves call this place Telpanor ," Arwen said softly, standing beside him. "The Observatory of the Stars. It is the highest place in Rivendell , and the sky is so clear here you can see all the way to Arda."
—Arda ?
"The world. Middle-earth is only a part of it." He pointed to the sky. "Do you see that star there, the brightest one? That is Gil- Estel , the Star of High Hope. Sailors use it to navigate, and the lost use it to find their way home."
—And you? What do you use the stars for?
Arwen looked at him, and in the starlight, her eyes were like liquid silver.
—To remember. We elves were born under the stars, long before the sun and moon existed. The stars are our heritage, our first home. When I look at them, I remember where we came from. Who we are.
"It must be beautiful," Escanor said , "to have such a connection with something so eternal."
"It is. But it can also be... lonely." Arwen walked to the edge of the headland, looking down into the valley below. "The stars are beautiful, but distant. Cold. They shine, but they don't warm. And sometimes... sometimes I long for something warmer. Closer."
Escanor approached until he was standing next to her, so close that their shoulders almost touched.
- Like what?
"Like this," she said softly, and before he could react, she took his hand again, intertwining their fingers. "Connection. Warmth. The feeling that I'm not alone under these endless skies."
Escanor looked at her clasped hands, then at her face, and saw something there that made his heart race. Vulnerability. Hope. And something else, something he didn't dare name yet.
" Arwen ," he began, his voice husky, "we barely know each other. We only met yesterday. And yet..."
"And yet it feels as if I've waited my whole long life to meet you," she finished. "I know. It's irrational. It's impossible. But it's true."
" How can that be true?" he asked. Escanor — I'm a man with no past. I don't know who I was, where I came from, or what I did. I could have been a villain. A monster. How can you feel anything for someone who doesn't even know himself?
Arwen said , turning to face him directly, "you are not your past. You are your choices. And I have seen the choices you make, Escanor . Protecting the weak. Standing up for what is right. Risking your life for strangers." She raised her free hand to gently touch his cheek. "Those choices tell me everything I need to know about who you are. Not who you were."
Escanor leaned into her touch, closing his eyes for a moment.
"I'm afraid," she admitted softly. "Not of dragons or battles. But of this. Of feeling something for you and then losing you. Of opening my heart and discovering it was a mistake."
"I'm afraid too," Arwen whispered. "Elves don't love easily, Escanor . When we give our hearts, it's forever. There's no going back, no getting them back. And if I give you my heart, if I let this feeling grow… I'm choosing a path I might never return from."
"Then perhaps," Escanor said , opening his eyes to meet hers, "we should be careful. Take it slow. Not rush into something neither of us fully understands yet."
"Or" —Arwen moved closer, until they were just inches apart—"we could be brave. We could acknowledge that sometimes, the heart knows things the mind takes years to understand. We could trust this connection, however inexplicable it may be."
" Is that what you want?" Escanor 's voice was barely a whisper. "To be brave?"
Arwen said , and there was absolute certainty in her voice. "Because I've lived three thousand years being careful. Being safe. Watching the world go by while keeping myself distant, protected, alone. And in one day, just one day with you, I've felt more alive than I have in centuries."
— Arwen ...
"Don't ask me to be sensible," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "Don't ask me to ignore this. Because I can't. I don't want to. And I think... I think you don't either."
She was right. God, she was right. Every fiber of Escanor 's being screamed that this was right, that she was right, that this moment was something he had been waiting for without knowing he was waiting for it.
"I can't promise you a future," Escanor said , his hands moving to gently frame his face. "I'm going to face a dragon. I might not survive. And beyond that, there are threats I don't even fully understand yet. My life could be short, violent, and end at any moment."
"Then don't promise me the future," Arwen whispered, her own hands rising to cover his. "Promise me now. This moment. Tonight. Promise me you won't run away from this out of fear. That you'll give it a chance."
"I promise you," Escanor said , and felt the weight of those words settle upon him like a sacred oath. "Arwen" Undómiel , I promise I'll give this a chance. Us. No matter what comes.
Arwen smiled, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
—Then that's enough. For now, that's more than enough.
And the final distance between them closed.
The kiss was gentle at first, tentative, as if they both feared that too much passion might break the spell of the moment. Her lips were warm and sweet, tasting of the flowers she had worn in her hair. Her hands moved to his shoulders, holding him as if afraid he might disappear.
Escanor 's hands slid down her back, pulling her closer, and she felt his heart beat against hers, two rhythms becoming one. The kiss deepened, growing more urgent, more desperate, as if they were both trying to pour everything they couldn't put into words into this single act of connection.
When they finally separated, they were both breathing heavily, their foreheads resting against each other.
" Escanor ," Arwen whispered, her voice trembling, "what have you done to me ?"
"Only what you've done for me," he replied, his hands still holding her close. "You've made me feel alive. Whole. Like all the pieces of my life have finally fallen into place."
"The elves have a word for this," she said. "Melethron . It means 'beloved.' But it's deeper than that. It means someone whose soul is intertwined with yours, someone without whom you cannot be whole."
" Is that what we are?" he asked. Escanor —. Melethron ?
"I don't know yet," Arwen admitted. "It's too soon to be sure. But I feel… something. Something deep and real and terrifying in its intensity." She looked into his eyes. "Do you feel it too?"
Escanor said without hesitation. "Whatever it is, I'm sorry too."
They stood there for a long time, holding each other up under the stars, neither wanting to break the spell of the moment. The world might be on the brink of war, dragons might be lurking, darkness might be growing, but in this moment, none of that mattered.
Just this. Just them. Just the perfect peace of two souls who had found each other against all odds.
"You leave tomorrow," Arwen finally said, and there was sadness in her voice.
—Yes. Thorin is eager to reach Erebor before Durin 's sun sets. We cannot delay.
—How long will you be gone?
"Months, probably," Escanor said, gently stroking her hair. "The journey to the Lonely Mountain is long and dangerous. And then there's Smaug . And after that..."
"After that, you'll come back," Arwen said firmly. "Promise me. Promise me you'll come back to me."
Escanor hesitated. He knew better than to make promises he might not be able to keep. But looking at Arwen , seeing the plea in her eyes, he couldn't resist.
"I will do everything in my power to return to you," he said instead. "That is the only thing I can honestly promise. But Arwen , if there is a way back, I will find it. Because now I have a reason to survive that goes beyond mere duty."
—What reason?
"You," she said simply. "Coming back to you. Seeing what this can become between us. Building something beautiful in a world that is often dark and cruel."
Arwen kissed him again, and this kiss was different from the first. Softer, more tender, but somehow also deeper. It was a kiss of promise, of hope, of two people choosing to believe that love could blossom even in the most impossible circumstances.
"Then go," she said when they parted. "Go and face your dragon. Save Erebor . Be the hero I know you are. But when it's done, when the battle is over... come back to me."
Escanor promised . "For my pride, for my honor, for everything I am... I promise you I will return."
"Your pride," Arwen smiled slightly. "The Lion of Pride's Sin. Such a title for such a man."
"This is who I am," Escanor said . "Or at least, who I believe I am. A man who takes pride in doing what's right. Who takes pride in protecting others. Who takes pride in living with honor."
"And now," Arwen said , touching her chest over her heart, "someone who takes pride in being loved. And in loving in return."
The words struck Escanor like thunder. Love. That word. So simple, yet so profound.
Did he love her? Could he love someone he had met only two days before?
But as she looked into his eyes, she felt his warmth, remembered every moment they had shared, and knew the answer.
"Yes," she said softly. "I love you, Arwen. " Undómiel . I don't know how or why, I don't understand the speed or intensity of it, but it's true. I love you.
Arwen closed her eyes, and tears, sparkling like diamonds in the starlight, rolled down her cheeks.
"And I love you, Escanor . Only Escanor . The man without a past who became my future in the space of two days." She opened her eyes, and they were shining with tears and joy. "How is this possible? How can the heart beat so fast?"
"Perhaps," Escanor said , gently wiping away his tears, "because our souls have been searching for each other for longer than we know. And when they finally found each other, they recognized what our minds were slow to grasp."
—That's... beautiful. And terrifying.
—I know. But I will choose courage over fear. Will you?
"Yes," Arwen laughed through her tears. "Yes, I'll be brave. For you. For us. For the possibility that this could be real. "
They embraced, standing beneath the stars as if they were the only two people in the world. And for that perfect moment, that was enough.
The rest of the world could wait.
The Next Morning
The Company assembled at dawn, preparing to depart. The ponies were loaded, the weapons sharpened, the provisions packed. The elves of Rivendell had come out to see them off, offering blessings and gifts for their journey.
Elrond stood before Thorin , holding something wrapped in elven cloth .
"These are Orcrist and Glamdring, " he said, unwrapping two beautiful swords that shone with their own light. "Elven blades of the First Age. They were forged in Gondolin and have slain hundreds of orcs. The blades glow blue when enemies are near. Use them well."
Thorin took Orcrist , the Orc-cleaver, with reverence. Gandalf claimed Glamdring , the Hammer of Foes, with a smile.
"Fine weapons for dangerous times," said the magician. "Thank you, old friend."
Elrond turned towards Escanor , who stood a little apart, Rhitta already secured on his back.
"For you, Escanor , I have no weapons. Yours are finer than anything I could offer." He placed a hand on the warrior's shoulder. "But I offer you this: my blessing, and a warning. The path you walk is perilous beyond measure. Smaug is only the first challenge. Beyond him lie trials that will test not only your strength, but your heart. Your soul. Who you choose to be when everything is at stake."
Escanor said . "And I'm ready."
"I think you are," Elrond smiled. "And Escanor … watch over my daughter. Her heart, once given, is not easily taken back. If you hurt her…"
Escanor interrupted . "On my honor, on my life, I will not harm Arwen . I love her, Lord Elrond . I know it's quick, I know it seems impossible, but it's true."
Elrond studied him for a long moment, then nodded.
—I see it. And although part of me wishes my daughter had chosen a less complicated, less dangerous love... I can't deny she's chosen well. You're a good man, Escanor . Regardless of what you were before, you're a good man now.
"Thank you," Escanor bowed deeply. "That means more than you know."
Arwen then appeared, dressed in traveling clothes, a green cloak draped over her shoulders. She walked straight toward Escanor , ignoring the stares of the dwarves and the whispers of the elves.
"I thought we said goodbye last night," Escanor said , though he couldn't help but smile when he saw her.
"We said a lot last night," Arwen replied. "But proper goodbyes weren't one of them." She reached into her robes and pulled out something: a silver chain with a pendant that shimmered with soft light. "This is my gift to you. The Elessar , the Elven Stone . It's a crystal that captures starlight. As long as you wear it, you'll have a piece of Rivendell , a piece of me, with you always."
Escanor bent down so she could place the chain around his neck. The pendant rested against his chest, warm despite its cold appearance, and he could feel... something. Like a light touch of Arwen 's presence , a reminder that he wasn't alone.
"It's beautiful," she said honestly. "I will treasure it."
"Don't lose it," Arwen said , her voice light but her eyes serious. "Because when you return, I want to see it around your neck. As proof that you kept your promise."
"I won't lose it," Escanor promised .
They gazed at each other for a long moment, the whole world disappearing until it was just the two of them. Then Arwen stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, soft and sweet, a kiss of farewell and promise combined .
"Come back to me," he whispered against her lips.
"Always," he whispered back.
When they parted, Bilbo was openly crying ( hobbits were sentimental creatures), several of the dwarves were smiling (even Dwalin seemed a little excited), and Gandalf was smoking his pipe with a satisfied expression.
"Well," said Thorin , clearing his throat. "That was... touching. But if we're done with romantic goodbyes, we've got a mountain to reclaim."
—Correct— Escanor moved away from Arwen , though he maintained eye contact until the very last possible moment. —Let's go.
The Company departed, riding out of Rivendell and eastward. Escanor glanced back once and saw Arwen standing on the bridge, watching them leave. He raised a hand in farewell, and she returned it, and then a bend in the road hid them from sight.
But the weight of the Elessar against his chest, and the warmth in his heart, remained.
—So— said Fili , riding nearby— you and Lady Arwen , eh?
—Yes —Escanor said simply .
"That was quick," Kili observed . "Generally, you're supposed to court a lady for at least a few months before declaring your love."
"The heart doesn't follow schedules," Escanor replied . "It moves at its own pace."
"Well said," Balin rode close by. "And if I may say so, young Escanor , you made a good choice. Lady Arwen is special. Anyone can see that."
Escanor agreed . "And I will do everything in my power to be worthy of her."
"You already are," Gandalf said from the front. "But the fact that you strive to be even better... that's what truly makes you worthy."
The journey continued, and as they left Rivendell behind and ventured once more into the wild, Escanor felt a renewed determination settle upon him.
He had a reason to survive now. A reason to be careful, to be strong, to do whatever it took to ensure her return.
Because Arwen was waiting for him.
And he wouldn't disappoint her.
Two Weeks Later
The journey had been difficult. They had crossed treacherous rivers, climbed mountain paths that threatened to collapse with every step, and avoided two orc patrols that would have outnumbered them had they been detected.
But now they were climbing towards the Misty Mountains, the high peaks that divided Middle-earth in two. And with every step, the weather worsened.
" Storm's coming!" shouted Thorin over the howling wind. "We need to find shelter!"
" There!" Bilbo pointed towards what looked like a cave in the cliff. "That cave!"
" She might be busy!" Dwalin warned .
" Better than being frozen!" Bofur shouted .
They hurried toward the cave, leading the ponies inside just as the storm fully broke. Lightning lit up the sky, thunder roared like war drums, and rain pounded the mountains hard enough to hurt.
—Good — Glóin shook off the water— this is cozy.
"At least we're dry, " Óin pointed out .
Escanor studied the cave carefully. Something felt... off. There was a strange smell in the air, like damp stone and something else. Something unpleasant.
—Gandalf—he said softly— do you feel that?
"Yes," the wizard frowned, his fingers tightening on his staff. "This cave is not natural. It was carved, not formed."
" Carved by what?" Bilbo asked nervously.
Before anyone could answer, the ground beneath them shifted.
No. It didn't move.
It opened.
The dwarves screamed as they fell, disappearing into the darkness below. Escanor reached out, grabbing Bilbo just before the hobbit slipped through the crevice.
" Hold me!" he cried, and Bilbo clung to his arm with desperate force.
Gandalf struck his staff, and light shone, revealing what lay below: a tunnel, deep and dark, and at the end of it...
Goblins . Dozens of them. Hundreds, maybe.
And the dwarves were falling straight towards them.
" Damn it!" Escanor released Rhitta from his back with one hand, still holding Bilbo with the other. "Gandalf, go! I'll follow!"
Gandalf leaped after the dwarves without hesitation. And Escanor , making sure Bilbo was firmly attached to his back, leaped after them.
The fall was shorter than expected, ending in a pile of groaning dwarves and squealing goblins . Escanor landed like a cat, Bilbo still on his back, and immediately began swinging Rhitta .
The first goblin he hit simply exploded, reduced to ashes by the power Escanor channeled through his weapon. The second met the same fate. The third, fourth, fifth...
But there were too many. For every one Escanor killed, two more appeared from the surrounding tunnels.
" They're everywhere!" cried Fíli , his sword singing as it sliced through goblin flesh .
" Withdraw!" he ordered Thorin — Find a way out!
But before they could move, a drumbeat echoed through the caverns. Deep, rumbling, full of malice. And then, a voice. A voice that made even the goblins flinch.
—Bring them to me.
A figure emerged from the shadows, and Escanor felt his power vibrate in response. This was no ordinary goblin . This was something bigger, older, more dangerous.
The Great Goblin . Leader of these wretched creatures. And at his feet...
At his feet lay a sword. A sword that Escanor recognized immediately, because Bilbo had been carrying it all the way from Rivendell .
Thorin 's sword . Orcrist . The Orc-cleaver.
"Well, well, well," the Great Goblin grinned, revealing rotten teeth. "What do we have here? Dwarves? In my tunnels? With the elven sword that killed so many of my own?"
" Thorin said firmly. "We were just looking for shelter from the storm."
" Liar!" the Great Goblin struck his staff. "You came to spy! To steal! To kill my people!"
"We didn't come here to do any of that," Gandalf said, stepping forward. "Let us go, and there will be no more bloodshed."
"Oh, there will be bloodshed," said the Great Goblin. He laughed . "Your blood. His blood. All his blood on the floor of my throne..." He stopped, his eyes resting on Escanor . "Wait. You. You're... different."
Escanor said nothing, he just stood there, Rhitta in his hands, ready to move at any moment.
"There is light in you," the Great Goblin said, narrowing his eyes. "A light that burns. A light that could destroy everything in these caverns if unleashed." He smiled, ugly and malicious. "Kill him first. Before he can use his power."
The goblins surged forward like a tide.
And Escanor let his power be unleashed.
The tunnel exploded with golden light. Goblins shrieked and covered their eyes. Some, too close, simply burst into flames.
" Run!" he shouted. Escanor — I will stop them!
" We won't let you!" Thorin refused to move.
" It's not your choice!" Escanor channeled more power, and a wave of heat swept through the tunnel, forcing everyone back. "Gandalf, get them out! I'll find another way out!"
" Escanor !" Bilbo shouted.
" Trust me!" Escanor looked at them, his eyes filled with absolute determination. "We will meet again! I promise you!"
Gandalf grabbed Thorin , and with a flash of light from his staff, the wizard created an explosion that knocked down the goblins between them and Escanor . When the smoke cleared, the Company was gone, running down a side tunnel.
And Escanor was alone.
Only with hundreds of angry goblins .
And the Great Goblin , who looked at him with pure hatred in his rotten eyes.
"You will die here," the creature hissed. "In the dark. Alone. And no one will ever know what happened to you."
Escanor smiled, and it was the smile of the Lion of the Sun in his greatest glory.
" Alone?" He lifted Rhitta , and the weapon began to glow with golden light. " I am never alone. For I carry the sun itself within me."
And with a roar that shook the caverns to their foundations, Escanor unleashed his full power.
The battle had begun.
Goblin City would never be the same again.
To be continued...