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| Kelenaro is among the younger of the Noldor, having recently reached his 1002nd year. Born in Valinor, the youngest of three sons (Ramagil and Duinlinde being his elder brothers) born to Elenmir, a diplomat that served as an emissary from the Noldor to the Teleri, and the vinter Celetari, he grew to maturity during the waning of the Noontide. In the West, he was regarded as being on the temperate side for one of the Feanorian, for even in those days the pride and aggression of that kindred were starting to show themselves. His father attempted to train him in the diplomatic arts and he also frequently spoke with the servants of Nienna and Irmo in the silver woods of Lorien. Interested in music and possessing a good voice, Kelenaro was trained as a bard, at times studying with Maglor or his servents, though Elenmir was a follower of Maedhros and the son followed the footsteps of the father. However, the father feared having his son so close to the House of Feanor and eventually forced a very angry Kelenaro to stop his lessons. As the Shadow fell more and more on Tirion, however, Vornmir responded to the words of others---and the fire of the Feanorian woke within him. Leaving the path of a bard, the young edhel instead chose the path of a knight, excelling in swordsmanship and horsemanship. Friction also came between him and his father and brothers, who opposed the growing militancy of the Noldor. This cumulated in a series of violent wars of word between father and son, that ended with the departure of Kelenaro to Formenos and a full turning against his former ways...ways of weaklings and fools he now called the diplomatic and bardic arts. With the Darkening of Valinor, he gave himself fully to his new path, the last traces of the gentler Kelenaro lost in a violent hurricane of rage and grief. At the swearing of the Oath of Feanor, the family of Elenmir had its last meeting as a whole. Elenmir denounced his son and tried to get him to see that by accepting exile, he would be going against the laws of the Valar...but Kelenaro called his father weakling, coward, and traitor to his High King for wishing to stay behind rather than take the Exile. Both Ramagil and Duinlinde backed Elenmir, trying to convince their youngest brother to see reason. However, he was committed to his decision and naught could alter his choice. That night, Kelenaro swore the Oath of Feanor, was banished from his home and formally disowned. Finally, in the last hours before the departing ones prepared to march away from Tirion, Elenmir approached his son. �Thou art sure of thy course, Ambarkano?� Yes. It is my duty to the High Kings, slain and living, and even if it were not my duty, only a coward and a weakling would turn away such a chance for glory and exploration.� But you know the Valar do not favour this.� �They did not favour Tar-Aran Feanor�s keeping of the Silmarils either. They care naught for us save as their slaves�and I will not be anyone�s slave and the directives of slavemasters mean naught to me.� �In time you shall find you have erred, Ambarkano. And I tell you this---if you do this and depart from Tirion in rebellion against the wish of theValar, you shall no longer be my son.� You would disown me?� �Yes. Go against the Valar and I shall disown you. You will never see me, your mother, or your brothers again. You are a fool and a madman and the follower of a man insane!� Kelenaro turned away and it was a long pause before he spoke. �Then so be it!� he laughed, a fell flame in his eyes. �I have no use for cowards and weaklings and no wish to claim them as family!� With such words did father and son part, Elenmir with his eyes sad and head lowered, Kelenaro with fire in his heart and his head held high. He did not miss his family---for who can miss rank cowards who have no love for kin or lord? He fought bravely at Alqualonde, considering it not a pleasant thing to do, but one that was necessary due to the current emergency...and he took a certain amount of pride in the fact that he slew no civilians; the memory never troubled him or shamed him. Joining Maedhros� calvery, Kelenaro served with honour even when orders seemed to make no sense (at Losgar) or when all hope seemed lost (Maedhros� capture by Morgoth and the Dispossesion of the House of Feanor). Not long after the transfer of the High Kingship, a beautiful young elleth entered Kelenaro�s life. Calarinna was of the Feanorian, but of mixed blood for while her father was Feanorian, her mother had been Teleri. The circumstances of their meeting was this: Kelenaro was gravely wounded in the Dagor Algareb, suffering two guar slashes. During his long recovery, Calarinna�s father took him in so that he could be cared for. In time a close friendship developed and Kelenaro was sure he had found the one who would be his meltha---until Kelenaro overcame his comrade-in-arm�s coercion and admitted both his love to Calarinna and the truth about Alqualonde; something her father had kept from her in his shame and growing madness. �I will not share my life with a Kinslayer,� she said, sadness and anger mingling in her eyes. �Thy hands are stained with more than blood. I had thought thee more noble than to succumb to such base actions. Worse than base! No, our fear are not meant for each other. Even if they were, still I would not wed a Kinslayer. Thou must find thy own path---without me.� And Kelenaro watched the one he had loved turn her back on him and walk away, deaf to his entreaties, to his stammering explanations. Rage again kindled, and he was all too happy to return to patrol of Ard Galen, to seek relief from anger and despair in battle, and hopefully to die with honour. For four centuries he remained on the far north-eastern front, never returning to his home in Himring, in a self-imposed exile. On the long, lonely nights that he was on patrol, memories started to stir and new thoughts began to be birthed. To ease the torment of his heart, again did Kelenaro take up his harp and again did he set quill to parchment---soon at his camp his liquid tenor could be heard. Until one disasterous night--- |
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