Sins of the Father

Orophin stood over him, a sour look of displeasure plastered across
his face. Grabbing Rumil by the tunic he slammed him against the
trunk of the tree, his face looming close, a snarl curling across his
lips. The young Galadhrim closed his eyes, anticipating the blow that
was sure to come, but instead his face was pinched in a vice like
grip, as he was slammed against the trunk again.

"Look at me , you little wretch......." Orophin's voice was thick
with rage, his body shaking. Rumil swallowed hard, he had not meant
to intrude on his brother, in fact ,the farther away he kept himself
the better. But he had been hungry, and thought that none would miss
a few berries if he was quick and quiet. What he had come upon though
in the darkened woods behind the talan ,held him still and rooted,
unable to move or breathe. Orophin sat crouched naked in the
moonlight, his arms cut and bleeding , the silver flash of a blade
rending his pristine skin ,as crismson life gushed forth, running in
small rivers to the earth.

Rumil must have gasped, for Orophin turned, his face a hideous mask
of pain and pleasure and rose to his feet. The young Elf backed away
from the advancing Galadhrim,slamming hard into a Mallorn that had
been at his back. Orophin was upon him before he could move, pinning
him to the tree with bloodied arms.

"Forget what you saw here ... it is not your business" A rancid
smell of sweat and spent lust assaulted Rumils senses ,rising from
his brothers skin like a miasma of illness. Rumil forced down the
bile in his stomach, trying not breathe lest he vomit from both the
fear and the smell. Orophins eyes had a distant look about them, and
Rumil flinched and slammed his head back against the tree as his
brother brought the flat of the sticky blade to trail along his
cheek.

Leaning close to his ear, Orophin rasped, " Go back to bed little
brother, and do not speak of this , ever, or you will have to deal
with me." Orophin released his hold on the frightened Elf, and
Rumil all but tripped over himself in his haste to be away.

As soon as his brother was out of sight Orophin dropped to the ground
his dagger plunging into the soft earth at he base of the tree over
and over again. Rage and disgust boiled over as stabbed incessantly
at the dark loam, the blood from his arms anointing the soil with
ribbons of red.

"NO!!!!!!" The young Warden's voice shrieked in to the night,
startling the birds from their nearby roosts to noisily take flight.

Falling into an exhausted heap, Orophin let the mithril blade drop
from his dirty fingers and curled his body around the base of the
tree. He could not at this moment hate himself more.

She was right.... he WAS evil.... he was despicable.... just like his
father...he did not deserve happiness.... he only brought despair...
Even Rumil...sweet Rumil, was terrified of him..his own
flesh...perhaps it was for the best...

Orophin closed his eyes tightly, tears of grief and self loathing
streaking his face. The dirt stung in the wounds of his arms...and
there was barely any skin upon his palms......Pain was all he had
left.......she had taken everything else away.

The wood was quiet, nothing dared to disturb his agony..lightheaded
and utterly spent....Orophin slipped from consciousness....his body
and mind merciful in its numbed abandonment...

~%%~


Orophin shifted upon the high branch within the cover of the huge
oak. His legs were tingling for having spent so much time in one
position, but even his discomfort could not tear him away from the
object of his rapt attention.

She had spent the better part of the morning tending to her small
vegetable garden, rolling up her sleeves and walking barefoot among
the rows of beans and beets. She loved the feel of the earth between
her toes, the radiating warmth from the sun that was captured within
the dark soil soothed her and made her feel somehow connected to the
source of life. Her basket brimming with her harvest, the young woman
made her way towards the end of the row, the midmorning sun glaring
in her eyes as she set the basket upon a grassy knoll. Though it was
still early in the day, she had been at work since the sky had
lightened and she found herself longing for a bit of shade in which
to close her eyes for but a moment before her mother found her and
set to another task.

Smoothing her sleeves, she sought out the large oak at the edge of
the plot where her family had set their garden. It large branches
spanned gracefully, affording a cooling shadow in which to rest a
weary body.... even if it was only for a stomomemome
S
Sliding down the roughened bark, the young woman sighed as a light
breeze lifted the stray tendrils of her auburn hair from her neck
setting them to dance and curl about her face as if they had life of
their own. Swatting them away and curling her legs beneath her
skirts she closed her eyes.....only for the briefest of moments...

Orophin held his breath daring not even to blink lest he be spotted
lurking about. If Haldir knew he was even near this human village, he
would have duty for the next year solid and then some. He was not
quite sure why his brother was so wary of human contact and he did
not even think to question him on the subject for once Haldir had his
mind set there was no discussion to follow. It simply was. Ever since
their father had disappeared Orophin had looked to his older
brother for guidance, but the duties of the newly appointed March
Warden left little time for heart to heart chats let alone much
conversation at all. Rumil and he were pretty much left to their own
devices.

The young warden laid his cheek upon the cool bough and listened to
the thrum of the tree as it told him stories. Mostly about the other
trees and how there were always trying encroach upon the oaks
territory and how the birds kept building nest after annoying nest
within its branches….
Orophin pretended to listen to the arbor's prattle, but mostly he
just watched…Watched as a breeze lifted the delicate ringlets of
copper from the woman's slender neck with unseen fingers, and set
them to tremble in the current. Watched as her eyes slipped closed,
shading their verdant hue from the glare of the day, and setting her
seemingly to drift in a restful daydream.

A sigh floated from the woman's relaxed body, as she drew in a
cleansing breath, her lips parting as she drifted further into sleep
oblivious to her audience. She would only rest here for a few
moments….that's all….just a few…..

Orophin saw them fall as if in slow motion, and even with his sharp
Elven reflexes, he was not able to catch the acorns before they
plummeted towards their target. Wide-eyed and helpless, he could only
watch as the miniscule nuts pelted the poor youngling startling her
from her reverie.


Covering her head from the assault, the woman jumped to her feet and
glared up into the tree, thinking to find an obnoxious squirrel or
chattering jay behind the storm of projectiles, but what met her
squinting gaze caused her breath to catch and her heart to pound in
her chest. For a moment she did not know quite what to do. It seemed
there was a man in her tree, and she was quite certain that he had
been watching her. If she screamed then no doubt her father would
come running with half the village and of course then her mother
would come as well… and then she would not hear the end about how
lazy girls who fall asleep under trees deserve what they get.

No she couldn't scream…. and well on second look the man seemed
quite harmless, his blue eyes sparkling like rain in a barrel on a
sunny day, his long silvered hair shining almost ethereally in the
dappled light as it filtered through the leaves…

The woman blinked hard, thinking perhaps she was still dreaming, but
when she opened her eyes, the golden beauty was still there, but this
time he was smiling, a smile brighter and more gentle than any man in
her village…than any man at all for that mr….›r….