Rainfall by Elleth

[elleth]

B2MeM Prompt, Card and Number: N42 - glum, smudge, demand, leash (Four Words I), Shadow-Shapes in the Hills (Cuiviénen)
Format: Drabble
Genre: Vignette
Rating: Teens
Warnings: N/A
Characters: OFC Orc
Pairings: N/A
Summary: A shadow-shape is watching.

Glum weather; rain smudges the contours of the village fires and the light streaming out through cracks in huts, from cave mouths. Songs rising demand that the falling water cease, that it release the stars to keep the shadows at bay.

The watching shadow-shape stirs. It knows the words to those songs, knows them intimately even through the pouring rain; they draw it forward as if on an invisible leash, running down the hills with the rivulets. But even so, it shies away from the fingers of light, from the once-familiar voices, even one fair and once-beloved.

She slinks away.

Comments

[zdenka]

I like this -- beautifully written and sad. I can really picture the Orc sadly lurking in the rain and the dark.

[elleth]

Thank you! I will eventually write something happier, I hope. :)

[narya_flame]

This is beautifully done, and so sad. The idea of the early Orcs slinking back to their villages but not being able to go too close...heartbreaking. I love your drabbles, they always show so much in a few words.

[elleth]

Thank you, that's a big compliment! I am very interested in early orcs, so even if it turned out sad, I'm glad this resonated with you.

[elwendell]

I love the images in this. If I were to quote all the bits I like I don't think there'd be much left, so I'll just select two...

"rain smudges the contours of the village fires"

"running down the hills with the rivulets"

A beautiful piece.

[elleth]

Thank you! I loved hearing which phrases stuck with you, that's always fun to find out!

[shirebound]

Ohhh, this is heartbreaking. *sniff*

[elleth]

*offers tissue* Thank you, I'll take that as a compliment. :3

[erulissedances]

Such a tragedy when the orcs were first made. I can so easily see this and feel its sorrow.

- Erulisse (one L)

[elleth]

Isn't it? I keep wondering about how orcish they - especially the early orcs - really were. This one, she's still quite elvish at heart, at least.

[hhimring]

Oh, what a heart-breaking ending!
Unable to return, despite the pull of memory.

[elleth]

Thanks, Himring. That's a beautiful summary, I'm glad this moved you.

[sasha_honeypalm]

I think I got a bit of dust in my eye...

[elleth]

Oh no! *hands out more tissues* But thank you for the comment all the same, sorry it made you sad.