"Do you have an answer?"
The Noldo's words were heard across the cold room, reaching Angelnarth's ears like a violent awakening, a nightmare that disturbed his peaceful sleep, yet more true than reality itself.
"Nonsense.." Angelnarth thought. "I have heard Noldor blaming my kind before. Violent, greedy,corrupted they call us. What do they know, their thoughts are always prejudiced" Yet, these thoughts wouldn't leave him alone. A moment has passed, and he was already panicking inside his head. Sweating, even.
The young Noldo continued "I once heard of a man who slaughtered an entire village and burned it to the ground. And for what? For the love of a woman, he claimed. I say, it was his greediness that made him the murderer he was."
Angelnarth sighed silently, his eyes facing the ground. "Now, you have proved your honor and abilities to everyone worthy of mention in the Veil. Still, you insist on fighting for these people. You, one of Numenor blood, who should have known better. They are mortals, like you of course, but yet.."
Angelnarth felt like he was being struggled, helpless to do anything. He still could not come up with an answer.The Elf became more aggressive over the Dunedain: "Corruption is in your blood, greed and selfishness. Wouldn't you, Angelnarth Naurmeril, warrior of the Veil, as you like to call yourself, put another life at stake to save yours?"
"No.." Angelnarth answered, swiftly but silently. His answer was true inside of his head, but even he had doubts. What if mankind's evil side was, in fact, its only true face? He momentarily recalled his conversation with the Avar Minyelaire. She was one of the oldest persons to ever walk the lands of Middle Earth, and she assured him with anything but grief upon her face, that corruption will, in the end, be mankind's own end.
"Liar!" The Elf yelled with anger. Angelnarth barely heard his furious response. His thought was already focused to a certain individual. "What if she never really trusted me", he thought."What if i am only an obstacle for her, someone who will, one way or another, hurt her in the end. I will not be near her forever, after all, i am only a man.."
And then it finally came to him: "No, this cannot be right. I love her, and i would never do harm to her, even in my own unawareness. There is definitely darkness in my heart. I accept that. But there is also light. And i accept that light too. I make it my weapon, and i embrace it with all my heart!"
The Man turned his gaze to face the Noldo. His dark blue eyes showed all the determination he gathered inside his own heart. "Not all people are the same, Hir." he responded in the most calm of ways. "We make mistakes, and when we do not admit them, this leads to even bigger ones. And one day, some of us lose their ways, and turn into things they never meant to be. Darkness is always in our hearts. But we fight it every day. We learn from our mistakes. We struggle, and we fight the evil inside of us, sometimes more than some warriors struggle upon the battlefield."
Angelnarth then smiled to his accuser, making him seemingly surprised, if not uneasy."We are a young race, and just like a young person we make mistakes. But we mature, little by little. I have seen people do good. People dedicating their lives to help strangers. People dying for others, even." Saying these words, his talking became more bold and passionate, as he continued: "Do not tell me, Hir, that there is no hope for us, that mankind does not deserve a fight for its survival and prosperity. It is a dishonor to all those who dedicate their lives, and for those who have already fallen, both mortals and those of the Quendi, your own kin! Do not forsake those lives, those gleams of hope. Embrace them..! Protect them..!"
With those words, Angelnarth left the room, leaving the Noldo both speechless and in deep thought. Angelnarth was sure that this day he won yet another battle, not one by sword, but using his heart and spirit. He smiled to himself, draining courage from his own very words..
