A House so Infamous (a drabble for Maglor)
I walk along the beach and listen to the cry of seabirds and the
crashing of waves. The sea offers no comfort to one from a house so
infamous. The bright jewel burns my hand. I curse pride and ambition
and brothers. I helped destroy so many. Will one I saved remember me
with kindness or curse my name? I raise my arm and, with all my
strength, cast the gem from me. It catches the sun brilliantly in its
descent. I sing a dirge but the notes are as light as sea foam and
stolen away by the wind.
The Drowning of Numenor
She looks out at the storm clouds, gathering black and dense in the
sky, blotting out the Sun and the Sea, spitting its fury on the
uncomprehending land. The tall, proud woman with dark hair feels the
ground tremble beneath her feet. She meets her fate with a straight
back, she who supported the King whose reckless assault angered the
Valar and brought this destruction. Elendil and his kin may go but she
remains. She sings a defiant farewell, barely heard over the rain and
the howling wind, and meets the rising waters as they claim the Isle of
Numenor.
Lost Comrades
They were my brothers, my comrades and they are gone. I led them into
death and yet I survive. They looked to me to make wise decisions and,
in my pride and despair, I failed them. I let my duty to my father
outweigh my duty to them and we owe a greater duty to those in our
charge. Was I really so different from Father in my failings? Did I
have a choice? In war choices are few. It is an ugly thing, even if
waged for a noble cause. I shall always hear their voices in my dreams.
top
End of Day
Minas Tirith, Rath Dinen
Day of Merry’s funeral
The sky was grey and sent a light rain that was soft as tears down on
the mourners. It made the white stones of the city glisten and
collected into small silver streams to flow into the gutters. One small
figure could do nothing but gasp in pain and wonderment, “I am the
last.”
A tall, dark-haired queen kneeled down and looked into his eyes. She
thought of all her vanished kin and her children, who would be mortal.
“The dusk is beautiful but we must mourn the end of day,” she whispered
and they cried in each other’s arms.
One Bright Day
He shone above the city that day, the Sun
glinting off his armor. The star’s radiance was shamed by his smile.
His banner was bright and all praised his name and cried, “The city is
ours!”
“Remember this day, little brother,” he told me. The
memory of its brightness warms me more than the failing fire before me.
A great decision burdens me and I wish for his counsel but dreams and
this cloven horn tell me memory is all I have. I stare into the embers,
trying to forget dreams of boats in moonlight and remember one bright
day.
top
The Bath
He had been clean when he woke up for they had washed him in his
unconsciousness but it had been long since he had a bath he could
remember. He banished all, even Sam, from his room. He had an intense
need to be alone and to be cleansed. He sunk into the tub and scrubbed
fiercely at his skin, wanting to erase the foulness of Mordor from his
body. When he drew blood, he knew that it would take more than water
and, for a long time, he added his own tears to the water until it grew
cold.
Song For An Elf Lord
The Lord of Imaldis was alone in his garden. The roses in his
garden rioted in colors of white, gold, red, and the delicate pink of
dawn but the magic in them had faded and the white ones no longer
glowed in the moonlight. He would have to leave this garden and his
most precious jewel was given to Men. Something soft brushed his cheek
and a feathered rainbow sat on the hand that bore Vilya. The bird flew
to a rosebush and sang. Elrond listened to its song and dreamed of lost
beauty until the shadows deepened into blue.
top
Boromir's Last Butterfly
The dying warrior lay against a great tree trunk. Dappled light fell
over a gravely handsome face that was full of pain and his life bled
out on the forest floor. A butterfly wearing the colors of dusk; indigo
and dark purple edged in black, floated towards him. It fluttered on
his cheek as if to kiss him and offer comfort in his final moments. It
hovered above him and, as the edges of his world turned black, the
gossamer thing whirled in tight circles above him until he heard an
anguished cry that told him Aragorn had found him.
The Last Birthday
The cup of tea cooled in his hand as Frodo gazed, unmoving at the stars
dancing above the trees. He wondered if those same stars shone west of
the sea. He heard the sound of the Elves singing and the crackle of the
fire. He was so enthralled by the stars and the sounds of the evening.
He wondered if he would see Bilbo, if they would share this day again.
He wanted no party or gifts. He was going beyond such things. He jumped
when he felt a hand on his shoulder and followed Sam back to the
campsite.
A Mortal Life
It would not be long now. That is what Arwen
thought when she watched her youngest daughter with the human knight.
Choosing a mortal life for herself was simple but she had chosen for
her children as well and that was proving more difficult to accept but
the Elves had been long in fading and, without wedding herself to
death, these new lives would not have been. Her hair was still black,
her face unlined but she grew weary and Aragorn was worn and grey. It
was time to rest and let the children carry on the Age of Men.
