First Born
folder
-Multi-Age › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
8
Views:
4,476
Reviews:
15
Recommended:
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Currently Reading:
0
Category:
-Multi-Age › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
8
Views:
4,476
Reviews:
15
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Grief and Healing
Chapter 2 – Grief and Healing
Chapter 2 – Grief and
Healing
Thranduil woke much later
when the sun was streaming through the window. For a moment
he lay at peace until the full horror of the events of yesterday rushed in on
him. He leapt from the couch, kicking aside the throw, and ran down the short
corridor into the bedchamber that he shared with Athiel.
She was sitting, propped up
by pillows and looking wan. When she saw him, she raised her hands. He went to
her, enveloping her in his arms. They both dissolved into tears, their sorrows
mingling with their cries.
Hachon stood at the door; he
had been watching them both all night. It was painful to see his lord and lady in such turmoil but the tears would help, help in the
healing. He gently withdrew, leaving them together to draw comfort from each
other.
‘I’m so sorry Thranduil- the
healer did everything he could but- but when the herald arrived and said that
Oropher was slain- I thought how closely you always fought…I thought you had
perished as well!’
‘Hush mellîn*, it’s all over now,’ Thranduil soothed, stroking her hair.
her here.’ Inwardly, he cursed over and over…how many
more innocents would pay for Sauron’s wicked scheming?
‘But the baby, he was so
perfect!’ Athiel’s voice took on a hysterical edge. ‘So tiny…he never even
cried. He just lay in my arms and watched- watched everyone around him. It was
a though he knew that he wouldn’t be staying long in
Arda. He was trying to see and remr evr everything for when he went to Mandos.
But he never got to see you.’
‘Shh,’ Thranduil said again.
‘He saw you. He knew he was loved. When we meet again you can tell him who I am. He’ll
have met Oropher and the others. He’ll know why I couldn’t be here.’
‘But when we meet- will he
still be a babe, or will he grow in Mandos? Who will look after him? How will
we know him?’
‘I don’t know,’ Thranduil
replied, at a loss.
Then they both abandoned
words, and the silence was broken only by Athiel’s now
muted sobs.
Their
contemplation was disturbed by a soft tap on the door; a small worried face peered around the door. It was
Riawen, a young child of nearly forty years. Her parents had
both been killed the previous year by an Orc intrusion. Athiel, as was
her way, had taken the child into her home until relatives could
be found.
Thranduil beckoned her into
the room and the door was pushed open wide. The small
girl eed ted the room carrying what to her was an enormous tray. She was
concentrating with such intensity that a small pink tongue could be seen
peeking out between her lips. Thranduil leapt to the rescue before it and its
load won the battle with gravity.
‘Thank you, King Thranduil. I’ve bought you both some breakfasou hou haven’t eaten at
all today,’ she declared, hands on her small hips.
Athiel could not help but
smile at the girl despite her sorrow. How many times had she nagged Thranduil
for not eating properly? Even with her hands on her hips in the same manner!
‘That was very kind, Riawen.
I am a little bit hungry.’ She patted the couch. ‘Come and help us eat.’
Athiel could see Thranduil
pulling faces at what was on the tray.
‘I made it all myself,’
Riawen proudly exclaimed.
‘It looks lovely. I’m sure
it will be delicious,’ said Thranduil as he put the tray on the couch.
It was a disaster area.
There were several unusually shaped lumps of bread which had been toasted to
charcoal, some sliced apple which had been all but squashed to a pulp in its
dish and a pot of lukewarm tea most of which had slopped out to mingle with the
spilt fruit juice. The butter dish was full of tea and the preserve jar had
fallen over.
‘I used the sharp knife to
cut the bread, and I didn’t cut myself,’ Riawen said.
Thranduil just nodded,
chewing hard and trying to look like it was all delicious.
They sat and sipped lukewarm tea, when there was another tap at the door. Hachon
entered the room, smiling at the picture he s
‘
‘Hachon,
how nice to see you! Please, you
must join us for some of this excellent breakfast that Riawen has so kindly
made,’ said Athiel. ‘ Riawen, please pour some tea for
our guest.’
Riawen, who was enjoying
acting the host, presented the healer with a cup of tea. He took a sip and
pulled a face. He hated cold tea. Thranduil hid a grin as he tried to
hide his disgust from the attentive Riawen.
‘Will you have some toast?’
Athiel offered. One look was enough.
‘No!’ he said quickly, then
saw the rather hurt look on Riawen’s face at the refusal and hastily concocted
an excuse. ‘Ahem. No thank you. I’ve
not long eaten. I couldn’t manage another bite.’
Unfortunately his stomach promptly proved the lie by growling
loudly.
*“My dear” although meaning is closer to ‘my love’
Chapter 2 – Grief and
Healing
Thranduil woke much later
when the sun was streaming through the window. For a moment
he lay at peace until the full horror of the events of yesterday rushed in on
him. He leapt from the couch, kicking aside the throw, and ran down the short
corridor into the bedchamber that he shared with Athiel.
She was sitting, propped up
by pillows and looking wan. When she saw him, she raised her hands. He went to
her, enveloping her in his arms. They both dissolved into tears, their sorrows
mingling with their cries.
Hachon stood at the door; he
had been watching them both all night. It was painful to see his lord and lady in such turmoil but the tears would help, help in the
healing. He gently withdrew, leaving them together to draw comfort from each
other.
‘I’m so sorry Thranduil- the
healer did everything he could but- but when the herald arrived and said that
Oropher was slain- I thought how closely you always fought…I thought you had
perished as well!’
‘Hush mellîn*, it’s all over now,’ Thranduil soothed, stroking her hair.
her here.’ Inwardly, he cursed over and over…how many
more innocents would pay for Sauron’s wicked scheming?
‘But the baby, he was so
perfect!’ Athiel’s voice took on a hysterical edge. ‘So tiny…he never even
cried. He just lay in my arms and watched- watched everyone around him. It was
a though he knew that he wouldn’t be staying long in
Arda. He was trying to see and remr evr everything for when he went to Mandos.
But he never got to see you.’
‘Shh,’ Thranduil said again.
‘He saw you. He knew he was loved. When we meet again you can tell him who I am. He’ll
have met Oropher and the others. He’ll know why I couldn’t be here.’
‘But when we meet- will he
still be a babe, or will he grow in Mandos? Who will look after him? How will
we know him?’
‘I don’t know,’ Thranduil
replied, at a loss.
Then they both abandoned
words, and the silence was broken only by Athiel’s now
muted sobs.
Their
contemplation was disturbed by a soft tap on the door; a small worried face peered around the door. It was
Riawen, a young child of nearly forty years. Her parents had
both been killed the previous year by an Orc intrusion. Athiel, as was
her way, had taken the child into her home until relatives could
be found.
Thranduil beckoned her into
the room and the door was pushed open wide. The small
girl eed ted the room carrying what to her was an enormous tray. She was
concentrating with such intensity that a small pink tongue could be seen
peeking out between her lips. Thranduil leapt to the rescue before it and its
load won the battle with gravity.
‘Thank you, King Thranduil. I’ve bought you both some breakfasou hou haven’t eaten at
all today,’ she declared, hands on her small hips.
Athiel could not help but
smile at the girl despite her sorrow. How many times had she nagged Thranduil
for not eating properly? Even with her hands on her hips in the same manner!
‘That was very kind, Riawen.
I am a little bit hungry.’ She patted the couch. ‘Come and help us eat.’
Athiel could see Thranduil
pulling faces at what was on the tray.
‘I made it all myself,’
Riawen proudly exclaimed.
‘It looks lovely. I’m sure
it will be delicious,’ said Thranduil as he put the tray on the couch.
It was a disaster area.
There were several unusually shaped lumps of bread which had been toasted to
charcoal, some sliced apple which had been all but squashed to a pulp in its
dish and a pot of lukewarm tea most of which had slopped out to mingle with the
spilt fruit juice. The butter dish was full of tea and the preserve jar had
fallen over.
‘I used the sharp knife to
cut the bread, and I didn’t cut myself,’ Riawen said.
Thranduil just nodded,
chewing hard and trying to look like it was all delicious.
They sat and sipped lukewarm tea, when there was another tap at the door. Hachon
entered the room, smiling at the picture he s
‘
‘Hachon,
how nice to see you! Please, you
must join us for some of this excellent breakfast that Riawen has so kindly
made,’ said Athiel. ‘ Riawen, please pour some tea for
our guest.’
Riawen, who was enjoying
acting the host, presented the healer with a cup of tea. He took a sip and
pulled a face. He hated cold tea. Thranduil hid a grin as he tried to
hide his disgust from the attentive Riawen.
‘Will you have some toast?’
Athiel offered. One look was enough.
‘No!’ he said quickly, then
saw the rather hurt look on Riawen’s face at the refusal and hastily concocted
an excuse. ‘Ahem. No thank you. I’ve
not long eaten. I couldn’t manage another bite.’
Unfortunately his stomach promptly proved the lie by growling
loudly.
*“My dear” although meaning is closer to ‘my love’