[Nogrod]

It took a while for the Elves to understand that they had defeated their foes. They began to laugh from relief and embraced each other.

In the midst of all the joy, they heard a broken voice speaking: ”They all died because of me.” Valier and Roa were the first to recognise it. “Lady Elenwë? You’re alive!” Valier cried out in astonishment, forgetting the pain in her broken arm. “I almost thought I had failed you, Milady”, Roa said, kneeling before her Mistress, tears in her eyes.

Everyone gathered around their Lady, relieved to see her. “What happened to you? And what has happened to us? What is this place?”

Elenwë tried to push the questions away. “We don’t have time, my friends. All I can tell you is that this island is inhabited by an evil spirit, one of the fallen Maiar, a former servant of Ulmo, who rejected his master and lent an ear to Melkor’s lies and became allured by them. He controls those damned birds, tortures their souls to make them do his bidding. As a cruel game, he took over three of you, Boromir, Naria and Anguirel, and turned them against the others. He stole their fëar and your friends became enslaved by an evil spell. The creatures you slew were but a mere shadow of your friends an alien spirit had taken over, making their bodies to obey him over their own fëar, and giving them the dark power of lycantrophy.”

The Elves were looking at her in disbelief, their mouths trying to formulate the most pressing questions, but Lady Elenwë continued in haste: “Now you must run! I’ll come to your help!”
She rushed out from the Great Hall and through the doors, leaving the confused Elves standing to the Hall.
“What did she say?” asked Dimwë.
“I’m not sure, but we will just have to follow her. Now!” answered the phantom and took after Lady Elenwë. Roa and Valier had already started after her. Firefoot, spawn and Encaitare followed them. Dimwë glanced once more to the Hall and noticed Kitanna still tied to the chair. “I promised to look after you, and so I will. Even if I’m dim-witted, I’m not dim-hearted.” She untied the ropes and took Kitanna’s bruised and soulless body by the hand. “Maybe someone can make you brighter than me again one day.”

And there was a ship down at the shore! It was very small, but still, it was a ship. All the Elves ran down the hill to reach it. Hurriedly they jumped aboard while lady Elenwë stood beside the ship and called them to hasten. When they had all gotten to the ship, lady Elenwë loosened the rope with which it had been moored and threw it onboard. The Elves were stunned as the ship took off without Lady Elenwë. Elenwë’s personal guard Roa and her chambermaid Valier ran to the rail and yelled to her in anguish “What is this? Come with us! We’ll just steer this back to take you on.”

“Nay, my dear friends. You have to go by your own. I’m bound to this Valar-forsaken island, but because of your success in the macabre game of his, you have earned your freedom. But make haste! I can’t promise that his word can be trusted” she called them back, waving her hand to say farewell.

The Elves onboard were agitated and stricken by the sudden revelation. The ship was slowly but steadily sailing away from the shore. Firefoot leaned to the rail and shouted back to her: “Why? Why aren’t you coming with us?”

“Tell my husband and my daughter that I loved them dearly!” she replied and turned her back to the Elves and the Sea that washed the shores of both Aman and Beleriand. With a heavy heart she started climbing back to the palace, and towards her fate.

The ship disappeared to the horizon, and no living soul ever saw the lost Elves nor spoke with them. Thus the tale of Elenwë was forgotten and the fate of the lost became a mystery – and the mystery became a legend.