The clasp was small.
A center wooden piece, and two crossing swords.
The clasp turned to ash in his hands.
Thendryt blinked, but thought nothing of it. He looked up, and gazed upon the wooden structures of Imladris. The Vale was quiet, solemn.
Something caught his eye. A cloak, gently flowing through the air. He caught it with both hands, and held it.
Flames suddenly covered the cloth. Thendryt released the cloak, his eyes opening wide. He took a step back, as the cloak became confused by the fire.
“Thendryt? Something wrong?”
He turned, and saw Adanmiel and Faorie standing behind him.
“The cloak, I…”
“What cloak?” Adanmiel asked.
Thendryt turned around, only to find a pile of smoking ash.
“He’s trying to fool us.” Faorie giggled, and embraced him.
Thendryt slowly brought a hand up and laid it on the back of her head.
Faorie suddenly cried out.
Thendryt stumbled back, as Faorie screamed. Her hair was on fire, and the flames quickly covered her entire body.
“Thendryt! Water!” Adanmiel shouted, horror in her eyes. She dashed past him.
“Wait, I –“ Thendryt said, and caught her shoulder. Flames instantly took hold of her. She screamed, and ran.
Thendryt collapsed on the ground. As soon as he landed, flames erupted from under him.
Thendryt stood in front of the Last Homely House. It all felt so hopeless. The flames were everywhere, and everywhere Elves ran around. Every living thing was aflame.
He saw Lilleduil, sitting on the ground. Burning corpses of animals laid all around her.
“Thendryt…” She said, with a low voice. She looked up. Thendryt heart skipped a beat. Her face was so filled with sadness. Tears, streaming down her cheeks. He felt a jolt of pain in his chest.
“Why did you do this? We didn’t deserve this.” She could barely get the words out. “We only cared about you! Why would you do something like this?”
Lilleduil hugged a burning animal, and joined them in the flames. Her sobbing was the last Thendryt heard before she disappeared in the inferno.
This. This is your legacy.
The flames were everywhere, all around him.
This is what you will bring. Pain, suffering, and death.
Thendryt felt his own tears vaporizing.
This is what we’ll do. This is what you’ll do. You grow weak. There is no avoiding this. You will fail, and you will be ours.
Thendryt awoke with a scream.
This is what your weakness brings…
Slowly, he got up from the bed. He went over to a cupboard, and took out a bottle of Elven wine.
As he drank the wine, he caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror.
The two scars on his face seemed uglier than usual. They reminded him of it. They reminded him of them. He glared at his own reflection for a moment before throwing the bottle at the mirror.
The bottle and the mirror shattered.
