Always Hope by Jenni

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

B2MEM Challenge: N41: Sons of Feanor: The Evil Servants of Celegorm
Format: Ficlet
Genre: Gen
Rating: PG
Warnings: May be a bit harrowing, bordering on horror.
Characters: Elured
Pairings: None
Summary: After Elured and Elurin are taken to the forest of Doriath by the evil servants of Celegorm, Elurin disappears. Told from the PoV of Elured.





It is cold when I awake, nestled in a bed of leaves, my cloak wrapped tight around me. During the night I had managed to sleep, protected well enough from the bitter winds that swirled among the branches above my head.

With a sudden start I remember how I came to be here, and rise quickly to my feet. My brother is no longer here beside me.

"Elurin!" I cry as loudly as I can, my hands pressed to either side of my mouth. "Rin...." the sound of my voice fades away in the dense forest. There is no other sound save the rustling of the wind in the leaves.

The soldiers who brought my brother and me here last night were not kind to us, but they left us together, and together we fell asleep. But where had Elurin gone this morning? Where could he be?

I remember that this forest is said to be full of wolves. Did one drag him away during the night? I am afraid for Elurin and feel I must find him, so I look around for any clue that might show me where he went. But there is nothing to see here in this tiny clearing. Nothing but straight-trunked trees, branches and leaves high up near their treetops, and a carpeting of dead leaves on the forest floor. Here and there broken-off twigs and branches are strewn. I see no flowers, mushrooms or green leaves, since it is the middle of winter.

I look around the clearing, examining every tree trunk lest one might hold a clue to where my brother has gone. He fell asleep crying, his tears wetting my hands while I held his face.

The soldiers who brought us here wore helms so that Elurin and I could not see their faces. But we could see their eyes - they were grey and cold like hard metal. They were clad in heavy armour, as if we would hurt them. I think they were Elves - cruel Elves like their masters, the sons of Feanor. I shiver with the cold, and fear, and memories.

I remember seeing lots of blood. And the soldiers told us that our parents were dead. Elurin was crying for them. I tried to cheer him by putting my arms around him and telling him that we didn't know for certain that they were dead, and soon we would go home again and we would find them.

Elurin said he was hungry but I told him that we would find no food in the dark of night and that if he went to sleep in my arms that would make me feel better and in the morning we would walk away from here together and find some food. And later we would find our way home - and father and mother would be there - and Elwing too.

But Elurin may have been too hungry to wait for me and went to find food all by himself. Through the trees I see something red. I push my way through the underbrush to get a better look. Berries! Red berries still attached to long, thin branches full of thorns. I pick some and fill my mouth with their juicy sweetness. Elurin must have found them too and followed a path that wound through this berry patch.

I begin to move faster along the narrow pathway. There is no snow here in the deep forest and I can see my way clearly. It is bitter cold and I wrap my cloak more tightly around me.

"Elurin!" I call once more, and I keep moving.

Looking up, I can see a bit of clear blue sky above the treetops. And I see a bird before I hear it. It is an eagle, sending out a lonely cry.

"Hey!" I shout. "Hey!" And I wave my arms above my head at the big bird.

I think the eagle has heard me, for it begins to circle in the sky above me. I think it wants me to keep watching it. It needn't worry, for I shall not stop looking.

Maybe the eagle knows where Elurin is.

And I wait in hope, for father told me long ago that there is always hope.

Comments

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Very well-written. Seeing the abduction from the other side makes it even more harrowing than in the Silmarillion proper.

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much. I always wanted to write something from the PoV of a child and this prompt was the perfect opportunity. :)

[engarian.livejournal.com]

My heart just bleeds for those two small boys. Beautifully heartrending.

- Erulisse (one L)

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. It's perhaps the saddest of all Tolkien's tragedies. :(

[silver-trails.livejournal.com]

I hope he finds his twin.

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

I'd like to think he does. When I checked LoTR Wiki, it said that tradition among the Nandor of Ossiariand held that they were led to safety by birds and beasts of the woodland and survived. I went with this and presume that Elurin wandered off, was rescued first, and then Elured when he went to look for his twin. :)

[blslarner.livejournal.com]

And perhaps was the Eagle sent by Manwe to aid the children?

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

Most likely the eagle was sent by Manwe. I like LoTR Wiki's explanation of what happened to the children. :)