Hossis
Title: Hossis
Author: fawsley
Characters: now that would spoil it - wait and see
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: not my characters, all property of JRRT
Notes: Written as a birthday ficlet for the incredibly talented alex-quine.
Thanks to good ol' dock_leaf for beta duties.
Warnings: not exactly cheerful for a birthday ficlet...
Hossis
‘Hossis!’ Little Gem exclaims excitedly.
And he’s right. Horses are indeed to be sighted on the approach road.
If she turns back now they’ll be at the courtyard by the time the riders arrive. Little Gem loves horses and it will make his day to see them.
He has no fear of the great beasts and is far too often to be found happily weaving his way between the long legs of his father’s bemused but gentle bay.
It will make her day too if the horses are - as she thinks - the mounts of the brothers.
Sometimes she feels guilty at the pleasure she gains from seeing the brothers. But then again, she tells herself, it’s only natural for a young woman to feel that way. They are so very handsome - tall, grey-eyed, raven-haired. Alike, but then again, quite different.
How would it feel, she wonders, to be held by one of the brothers? Strong arms wrapped around her, long hair veiling their embrace…
Oh! It is pure fancy!
Of course she loves her husband. But he is much older than her, grim of face and stern of word, while the brothers embody the graceful beauty of youth…
Then she realises the foolishness of her reasoning and laughs at her own silliness.
Appearances can be deceptive.
If her son grows up to be even half as fine as one of the brothers then she will be more than satisfied in her work as a mother.
‘Hossis!’
Little Gem is getting impatient.
She clasps his small hand tightly and they turn to retrace their path, footsteps quickening in merry expectation.
*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•
Something is wrong.
There are far too many people and they all turn to face her as she appears.
These people do not display disquiet as her own kin do, they are coolly restrained at all times. Yet a wave of horror flows from them, overwhelming her as she reaches the courtyard.
Sad-eyed and silent they part, granting her a clear path towards the awaiting doom.
The Lord of this place is here, pale and grief stricken.
Something is very wrong.
Three horses.
The two black stallions of the brothers.
And the great bay mare of her husband.
The blacks fidget nervously, rolling eyes betraying their distress.
The bay stands with head lowered, steaming and shivering beneath a terrible burden.
Already Little Gem is weaving between the mare’s legs.
‘Hossis!’
She must tear him away from the horror but she cannot bring herself to move, cannot approach the dreadful load.
‘No! Oh no! No…’
Her legs buckle beneath her but strong arms catch her, bear her up.
One of the brothers.
She struggles, lashes out, but his grasp is too strong for her to escape.
‘Orcs…’ she hears whispered as she is borne away into a pall of firm yet gentle sympathy.
Still Little Gem skips in and out, back and forth, deliriously happy, totally oblivious.
‘My son!’ she wails.
‘Get him!’ hisses one brother to the other.
But Little Gem refuses to acknowledge his rescuers’ calls, laughingly evades their clutching hands.
‘Leave him!’ orders their father, the Lord of this place.
‘Gem… Little Gem….’ he croons, kneeling with arms outstretched. ‘Come here, little one.’
But still the child dances out of reach.
And in so doing catches sight at last of the awful weight slung across the mare’s back.
He freezes, puzzled.
‘Papa?’
Elrond sighs and stands, grieving as much for the impending loss of innocence as for the fine man slain.
‘Come’ he whispers, his voice close to breaking.
‘I must be your father now. Come to me, Estel.’
*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•
Note: Most commentaries say that Gilraen took Estel to the safety of Imladris after Arathorn was killed and the wording of Appendix A seems to support this. But in The peoples of Middle-earth JRRT says that they went there before and that as Isildur's heir, Arathorn - who died whilst hunting orc with his great friends the twins - had also been raised in Imladris 'such was the custom of that day'.
And my apologies for making Raggy into a lettuce but the name seemed right and dock_leaf agreed that I should keep it. But then she would - she's a chef!
Author: fawsley
Characters: now that would spoil it - wait and see
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: not my characters, all property of JRRT
Notes: Written as a birthday ficlet for the incredibly talented alex-quine.
Thanks to good ol' dock_leaf for beta duties.
Warnings: not exactly cheerful for a birthday ficlet...
Hossis
‘Hossis!’ Little Gem exclaims excitedly.
And he’s right. Horses are indeed to be sighted on the approach road.
If she turns back now they’ll be at the courtyard by the time the riders arrive. Little Gem loves horses and it will make his day to see them.
He has no fear of the great beasts and is far too often to be found happily weaving his way between the long legs of his father’s bemused but gentle bay.
It will make her day too if the horses are - as she thinks - the mounts of the brothers.
Sometimes she feels guilty at the pleasure she gains from seeing the brothers. But then again, she tells herself, it’s only natural for a young woman to feel that way. They are so very handsome - tall, grey-eyed, raven-haired. Alike, but then again, quite different.
How would it feel, she wonders, to be held by one of the brothers? Strong arms wrapped around her, long hair veiling their embrace…
Oh! It is pure fancy!
Of course she loves her husband. But he is much older than her, grim of face and stern of word, while the brothers embody the graceful beauty of youth…
Then she realises the foolishness of her reasoning and laughs at her own silliness.
Appearances can be deceptive.
If her son grows up to be even half as fine as one of the brothers then she will be more than satisfied in her work as a mother.
‘Hossis!’
Little Gem is getting impatient.
She clasps his small hand tightly and they turn to retrace their path, footsteps quickening in merry expectation.
*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•
Something is wrong.
There are far too many people and they all turn to face her as she appears.
These people do not display disquiet as her own kin do, they are coolly restrained at all times. Yet a wave of horror flows from them, overwhelming her as she reaches the courtyard.
Sad-eyed and silent they part, granting her a clear path towards the awaiting doom.
The Lord of this place is here, pale and grief stricken.
Something is very wrong.
Three horses.
The two black stallions of the brothers.
And the great bay mare of her husband.
The blacks fidget nervously, rolling eyes betraying their distress.
The bay stands with head lowered, steaming and shivering beneath a terrible burden.
Already Little Gem is weaving between the mare’s legs.
‘Hossis!’
She must tear him away from the horror but she cannot bring herself to move, cannot approach the dreadful load.
‘No! Oh no! No…’
Her legs buckle beneath her but strong arms catch her, bear her up.
One of the brothers.
She struggles, lashes out, but his grasp is too strong for her to escape.
‘Orcs…’ she hears whispered as she is borne away into a pall of firm yet gentle sympathy.
Still Little Gem skips in and out, back and forth, deliriously happy, totally oblivious.
‘My son!’ she wails.
‘Get him!’ hisses one brother to the other.
But Little Gem refuses to acknowledge his rescuers’ calls, laughingly evades their clutching hands.
‘Leave him!’ orders their father, the Lord of this place.
‘Gem… Little Gem….’ he croons, kneeling with arms outstretched. ‘Come here, little one.’
But still the child dances out of reach.
And in so doing catches sight at last of the awful weight slung across the mare’s back.
He freezes, puzzled.
‘Papa?’
Elrond sighs and stands, grieving as much for the impending loss of innocence as for the fine man slain.
‘Come’ he whispers, his voice close to breaking.
‘I must be your father now. Come to me, Estel.’
*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•
Note: Most commentaries say that Gilraen took Estel to the safety of Imladris after Arathorn was killed and the wording of Appendix A seems to support this. But in The peoples of Middle-earth JRRT says that they went there before and that as Isildur's heir, Arathorn - who died whilst hunting orc with his great friends the twins - had also been raised in Imladris 'such was the custom of that day'.
And my apologies for making Raggy into a lettuce but the name seemed right and dock_leaf agreed that I should keep it. But then she would - she's a chef!