Disclaimer: I own nothing of Tolkien's works, however all original characters and story concepts solely belong to me.

Author Note: I firstly want to than, in advance, anyone who does chance upon my story, reads it and enjoys it. I want to thank everyone who read A Singular Honour most sincerely. Again I do not expect anyone to review, if they read and enjoy it then I have achieved my aim. However all comments made whether critical or approving will be welcome, as long as the criticism is constructive.

The tale of Eonwe and Kim and their child, Almare (known as Allie by her family) is continued in this tale against the backdrop of modern Middle-earth. It's a story of new beginnings, ancient and some new adversaries, searches, joys and closures for some and also some new characters, into which the continuing story of the Herald and his lady is woven. I hope that it proves to be an enjoyable and believable tale.

"Seems like I've been here before, can't remember when
I get this funny feeling, we'll be together again;
No straight lines make up my life, all my roads have bends;
No clearcut beginnings; so far, no dead ends."

--Tom Chapin ("Circles")

Dark Power Arising

Chapter 1 – The Prologue

Eldamar, circa present day

He had been here in his dreams...nay rather call them nightmares... before, many, many times in fact, but only once in reality yet the remembrances had never been so intense and so...so real.

Careful not to disturb his sleeping wife, he swung his legs over the side of the low sleeping couch. The silken covers on his side were all bunched down at the bottom of the bed indicating his thrashing movements during sleep and his wife had tucked her portion around her so that she lay in a cocoon on her side, eyes staring blankly at the opposite wall, firmly on the Elven path of dreams.

Finrod Ingoldo, known as Felagund, an epesse given to him by the Dwarves and meaning 'Hewer of Caves' to many from Ennorath who knew him, trod silently to the wide carved windows of their wing of his father's palace and looked out over a peaceful, starlit Tirion.

Few were abroad at this time, but there were twinkling lights in many of the houses since the Eldar did not have to take their rest the same way that mortals did. Many stayed up through the hours that Tilion sailed the heavens and worked and played or sang until Arien lightened the sky. They did not require sleep and especially not here in a peaceful realm where the biggest danger lurking was whether to have too much of the delicately sparkling pale Teleri wine or the darker gold more potent brew of the Vanyar at a festival or celebration.

The cold sweat of his dream still lay upon his skin and the fast beating of his heart betrayed the fear he had felt both then and still felt now. A vision of red jaws and sharp yellow fangs tainted with blood, unbidden by him, flashed in front of his mind and he shuddered and trembled. He had to force himself back to the peaceful scene of a slumbering city in front of him, but the trembling in his limbs still persisted and he sagged against a couch with a low moan of anguish as the visions took the place of a more welcome reality.

And that was where his wife Amarie found him a few hours later, slumped in a foetal position against the couch, his face pale as death, teeth clenched in a rictus of fear and pain and covered with a thin sheen of sweat.

At first she could not rouse him. His eyes were fixed and staring at a spot in the wall opposite and fear was dark in the back of them.

"Finrod, beloved...please, wake up." Her voice had risen with anxiety, but she hesitated to touch him. She had made that mistake only once before and had been terrified by the violence of his response.

The sudden appearance of Lords Namo and Irmo in their apartments on that occasion had terrified her even more, especially since Lord Irmo gently removed Finrod immediately from the room and took him to Lorien, dis-incarnating both himself and the bristling, enraged Finrod. It had been left to Lord Namo to sit and explain gently to her that it was better for her and everyone that Finrod went for further healing.

Instead, this time she left him and sought the apartments of her father in law, Finarfin, no longer King of the Noldor, he had long since passed that responsibility back to Fingolfin, and Earwen his wife. She knocked hesitantly on the door which was answered by Finarfin who hastily donned a robe. Earwen was not there, it being her habit at this time of year to dwell with her kin by the sea.

"What happened?" He asked, staring fearfully at the slumped form of his son. Finrod's gaze was no longer fixed and staring, which was a good thing, but he was trembling from head to foot and Finarfin could hear the teeth chattering from the doorway. He was mumbling something over and over again like a litany, but Finarfin was too far away to make out the exact words.

Amarie shook her head. "I was not awake. He was unusually restless during the night though. He moaned and cried out at one point and I asked him what was wrong, but he merely muttered to himself and turned over to sleep. He seemed to relax then and I went back to sleep. When I awoke he was like this."

She sank onto the low sleeping couch her face buried in her hands.

Finarfin turned to the guard who had followed them. "Fetch the healers." He said quietly. "Tell them that Lord Finrod is having one of his seizures again."

The guard left and Finarfin bent down. "Finrod, my son, what is it?"

Like Amarie he did not touch the trembling elf and he was loathe to get too close as Finrod had been known to react violently when touched during these seizure. He sighed and decided to await the healers, so he stood up with the full intent of leaving the room and summoning more of the guard just in case they needed to restrain him. However as he stood up, his forearm was suddenly gripped with such ferocity that he yelped in pain. He turned back to find that Finrod, who was now upright against the couch, eyes bright with a mixture of fear, ferocity and anger which roiled off his tense form in waves, had his arm held in such a tight grasp that the knuckles showed white as the fingers dug into it.

"Tol-in-Gaurhoth." He whispered. "Tol-in Gaurhoth... Thuringwethil, Draugluin.... ."

The dam of tears behind his anguished blue eyes then broke and came tumbling down his cheeks. When the healers came running into the room followed by the guards they found Lord Finrod wrapped tightly in his father's arms and weeping helplessly and uncontrollably.

ooOoo

The ante-chamber to the Halls of Audience of the Valar, Oiolosse

Finarfin paced restlessly around the ante- chamber in the Halls of Manwe awaiting summons into the presence of the Valar, oblivious to the silent warrior Maiar standing motionless at both entrance to the inner Audience Chamber and the exit to the chamber.

Inside the Audience Chamber was his son, currently being questioned by the Valar and he felt frustrated that he and Earwen, summoned hastily from Aqualonde, and who was now gently consoling their daughter in law had not been permitted to go in with him. He had been in there what seemed like hours upon end.

His father-in-law, King Olwe and his brother in law Elmo sat quietly watching Finarfin pace and his frustration reach boiling point.

"It will do no good for you to pace like that my son." Olwe gently remonstrated gently with him as though Finarfin were indeed a son of his flesh. "All you are doing is causing both yourself and Lady Amarie more distress." He patted the velvet cushioned marble bench beside him. "Calm yourself and sit. We will know more presently."

"I cannot sit." Finarfin spat out, and then felt immediate remorse at his outburst. He sat down on the edge of the bench. "I am sorry, it is not your fault. He has been bad before, but never raving like this after the seizure has worn off. Something is terribly wrong. He needs healing not interrogation."

He buried his face in his hands and Olwe gently put his arms around the other elf and held him close.

Neither of them saw Olorin, who was standing in as Herald in the absence of Eonwe, now in Middle-earth at the behest of Iluvatar, appear beside them. His eyes were filled with sympathy and his tone was gentle as he put his hand on Finarfin's trembling shoulders. "Lord Manwe bids you all enter now."

Finarfin jumped up and Olorin led him to the entrance of the Audience Chamber, followed more slowly by Earwen, Olwe and Elmo. As they entered the chamber they heard raised voices outside the ante-chamber and a flustered looking King Fingolfin came striding in, dressed in riding clothes, followed by a more serene Lady Galadriel and her husband Celeborn of Doriath.

Olorin smiled in greeting and waved them into the Audience Chamber as well. As they all entered the presence of the Valar, Celeborn stopped and spoke to Olorin.

"What's going on Mithrandir?" He asked in a low voice as he passed by the Maia. "Why have Galadriel and I been summoned here? What does Finrod's condition have specifically to do with us?"

Olorin chuckled. "It has been a long time since any called me by that name Lord Celeborn, but it is a welcome sound, even if it does bring back memories of darker times. As to what is 'going on', as you so eloquently put it, apart from the fact that your wife is Lord Finrod's sister, Lord Manwe will explain once he has received counsel from both of you. I can only tell you that it is concerning Middle-earth."

Celeborn punched a fist into the palm of his hand. "I knew it! There's trouble over there isn't there? That crazy son in law of mine has stirred up some hornet's nest by his poking and prodding into the past..."

Olorin interrupted him with an amused smile. "Well as to that I cannot attest and I daresay neither can Lord Finrod, given that neither of us are there. However, although this is a matter of grave import and will impact those who are now back over in Ennorath, it is not of their doing. It does concern matters of which you and your lady wife have do have some knowledge though, and that is all I can say."

By now, a baffled Celeborn had been ushered to a seat beside his lady wife, whose delicate eyebrows were raised at him as she rolled her eyes heavenward.

Olorin nodded to the Maia guards who closed the doors of the chamber and positioned themselves in front of them.

The Valar were sitting on a long raised dais and to everyone's surprise, Lord Ulmo had also graced them with his reluctant presence. He glowered at all and sundry, with the exception perhaps of Olwe and his children who were dear to him in his capacity of Lord of the Waters.

Finrod sat in a chair to one side. He looked calm, but Lady Este stood beside him with one hand on his shoulder and only the fire kindled deep in those blue eyes indicated that not all was quite as well as it seemed.

Before anyone could speak, Finarfin stood up and addressed Lord Manwe directly. "I would like to know what is going on my Lord. Why has my son been summonsed to council here? Why were we kept waiting with no explanation? My son is sick, he needs healing..." And there his frustrated outburst came to an end as Lord Manwe cast his bright and benevolent gaze on the frustrated elf and spoke.

"Be at peace Lord Finarfin, we apologise sincerely for the wait you have had, but we needed to speak to Lord Finrod at length on matters concerning Middle-earth."

"What has Middle-earth to do now with us?" Finarfin demanded without preamble.

Manwe sighed but replied with patience. "Granted, we no longer have lordship over those lands Lord Finarfin, however we have been granted the leeway by Iluvator to deal with such matters that interfere with the running of this realm and as such, we have reason to believe that things from ancient times which should have been left buried are now rearing their heads and could affect not only Middle-earth, but also this peaceful realm."

"I knew it! I just knew it!" Celeborn jumped up in his turn only to find his tunic being pulled firmly from behind by his wife. He sat back down on the marble bench with a bump and scowled. "I knew it. They should never have gone back"

"I do wish you would stop saying that." Scolded Galadriel. "Why do you not just stop repeating yourself and let Lord Manwe explain? It may have nothing at all to do with Elrond and Celebrian searching for survivors of Arwen's line."

Celeborn subsided, grumbling quietly to himself and everyone else hid their smiles.

Lord Manwe waited patiently until silence reigned again and opened his mouth to finally speak, only to be interrupted once again. He sighed deeply and Lady Varda gently placed her hand over his.

"I am going back." Finrod stood up abruptly, shaking Lady Este's hand off his shoulder and careless of the fact that he had just rudely interrupted the Elder King. "I have to go back. There is nobody else around who knows more than I do about this, with the exception of Edrahil and the others and they have not been released from Mandos yet. It is no use asking Celeborn or Artanis. They were not actually there and I am glad they were not. I have to go back to Middle-earth."

Amarie burst into floods of tears.

ooOoo