S.A 1350
Orneth and Mistamë strolled side by side on the eastern outskirts of the city, surrounded by the tranquil woods. For Orneth, walking outside of Eregion was a welcome relief from the painful memories that still haunted her each day. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about the similarities between Eregion and her fallen home city of Doriath triggered suppressed memories of her grief. Despite this, Orneth found solace in Mistamë's company. Perhaps it was their shared physical resemblance or the fact that Mistamë was half Sindarin and half Noldor like herself. Whatever the reason, Orneth felt a sense of home whenever she was with Mistamë, and it seemed to be a mutual feeling. Though Mistamë was young and curious, she was also wise and virtuous, with a determination to pursue her dreams despite any obstacles in her way. It was this very determination that had led her to secretly join their journey towards Eregion, despite her parents' wishes for her to return home.
Mannamo knew better than to force Mistamë to come back home, as he understood that it would only have the opposite effect. And indeed, Mistamë's skills as an excellent scout proved to be invaluable to their search for Manyamë. As Orneth and Mistamë walked through the serene beauty of nature, they couldn't help but feel a deep sense of longing for something more, something that was just out of reach. Yet, they found comfort in the fact that they had each other, and together they could overcome any obstacle.
Their search for Manyamë led them to the Hall of Hollin, where Marlio and Simawen spent countless late nights combing through the archives for any trace of her. At last, they uncovered a record of Lady Manyamë of the House of Mannamo, listed among the thousands of Noldor who had arrived in the city in the year 105 of the Second Age. But there was another name that puzzled Marlio: "Falchon." The name was marked with a solid line drawn directly downward from Manyamë’s entry, which seemed to suggest that she had given birth to a son early in the Second Age. This discovery was a startling revelation, and they spent hours searching for more information. With Simawen’s assistance, they were able to track down additional clues that confirmed Manyamë had indeed been in Eregion. The revelation of Falchon sparked new hope that they might locate Manyamë and reunite her with her long-lost family.
Orneth watched as Marlio and Simawen presented their findings about Manyamë's son. She could see that Mannamo was not particularly pleased with the news, as Falchon represented yet another mystery and a lost member of their family—a matter that clearly troubled him deeply. They concluded that Falchon must have been an adult for over 900 years and may not have been very steadfast during the unrest in the East.
Orneth thought about Prince Celebrimbor, renowned not only as a master smith but also for his travels with his followers into Khazad-dûm, where they exchanged knowledge with the Naugrim in the deep halls. The pathway through Khazad-dûm presented another potential lead in their search for lost family members, extending further into the lands of the East. Orneth wondered where their journey would take them next.
There was one final discovery from the archives. Simawen had found a possible location for the last known whereabouts of Lady Manyamë. Several leads pointed to a guesthouse called Golden Hope, where healers had recorded the birth of Falchon, Manyamë’s son. This guesthouse became a new and mysterious addition to their growing list of potential clues.
At that point, they made a decision: they needed to go to the guesthouse. Simawen, familiar with the region, knew whom to approach for help in locating it. Without hesitation, they left the city.
As they rode north through the lush woods, the landscape began to change. The air was thick with the scent of pine and fresh earth, and the trees grew taller and denser. Sunlight filtered through the leaves in golden beams, casting a warm glow over the travelers. Despite the beauty of their surroundings, an undercurrent of tension was palpable. Each member of the group understood that the fate of their lost family member rested on the success of this mission.
All pictures are AI-generated from Microsoft Bing DALL·E
