Rowan Mercer walked through the streets of the elven city, and wherever he went, elves paused and bowed to him without hesitation.
These were not ceremonial gestures. Every Light Elf still living in the city had either fought beside Rowan in the gorge or witnessed him during the siege. They all knew the same truth. Without him, most of them would already be dead.
Among the elves, only princes received such respect. Rowan was the sole human in this age to be greeted the same way.
After a short walk, he reached the council hall. While forging the dragon crystal, an elf had come to inform him that the three princes requested his presence.
"Sorry to keep everyone waiting," Rowan said as he entered.
He quickly noticed that, in addition to the three princes, Bregolas, and Barahir, there was one elf he had never seen before.
This elf stood taller than the princes, broad-shouldered and steady, and the power within him felt immense. Rowan could tell at a glance that this presence alone rivaled that of all three princes combined.
"You're not late," Finrod said calmly. "We were waiting for you. Rowan, allow me to introduce my cousin, Fingon."
Rowan's eyes sharpened.
"So this is Fingon," he said, his tone respectful. "The brave one. The future High King of the Elves."
Fingon was a legendary figure, even by elven standards.
When the sons of Fëanor had pursued Morgoth and perished, Maedhros inherited the High Kingship of the Noldor. Not long after, he was captured through Morgoth's deception and hung from a cliff for decades. None of his brothers dared attempt a rescue.
Old grievances ran deep. Neither Finrod's people nor Fingolfin's line were eager to intervene.
Only Fingon acted.
Alone, he entered Angband and saved Maedhros.
In gratitude, Maedhros relinquished the crown, passing it to Fingon's father. Later, when Fingolfin fell in single combat against Morgoth, Fingon inherited the kingship himself and would go on to unite elves and men in repeated victories before meeting his own end at the hands of the Balrog King.
"This is Rowan Mercer," Finrod continued. "Without him, my entire host would have been annihilated. Galadriel might have been the only one left."
Fingon looked at Rowan closely, then inclined his head with sincere respect.
"Rowan Mercer," he said, "thank you. The Noldor will remember this debt for as long as we endure."
The gratitude was genuine. Finrod's branch of the family was as dear to Fingon as his own siblings. Rowan had saved them, preserved the central defenses, and prevented Morgoth's forces from crushing the west in a pincer attack.
For the elven people as a whole, this was no small favor.
Rowan responded modestly, as he always did. He made no requests, no demands. He had something better in mind than pressing for elven secrets now.
After the formalities, everyone took their seats around the round table, and the real discussion began.
Rowan listened more than he spoke.
He was no strategist. His earlier contributions had relied on knowing how events were supposed to unfold. Now that history had shifted, those advantages were gone.
After nearly two hours, the council reached several conclusions.
First, there would be no attempt to reinforce the eastern front.
The defenses there had already collapsed. Morgoth's forces had broken through, and the sons of Fëanor were retreating south. Sending troops now would only expose them to attacks from both Angband and the interior of the continent.
Worse still, concentrating forces in the east would leave the central and western regions vulnerable to another sudden assault.
Second, the central and western defenses would be reinforced immediately.
Finrod would summon all available elves to his brothers' cities to strengthen the line. Bregolas and Barahir would gather the scattered human tribes and relocate them into elven territory for protection.
Three human clans had once emerged in the far east of the continent. Only the House of Bëor had reached this region so far. The Houses of Haladin and Marach were larger and still in contact. Bringing them together would provide enough manpower to establish a truly solid defensive front.
With this, even a renewed assault by Morgoth's combined forces could be held.
As for the gorge, Fingon would personally visit his brother Turgon and request aid from the hidden city of Gondolin.
Turgon's secret kingdom, founded after divine guidance during his travels, had grown rapidly and boasted a powerful army. With Gondolin's support, the gorge could be secured.
The western lands, guarded by Fingolfin himself, required no further reinforcement.
Finally, regarding the Balrog King's army now rampaging through the heart of the continent, Finrod declared that he would personally seek aid from the Grey Elves and petition Thingol to intervene.
There was a reason he could make that request.
They were family.