Laurië Lassi – Golden Leaves by Esteliel

The Tower

The Tower

“Everyone avoided the tower. It was believed to have been the Necromancer's lair, but in truth...” Glorfindel paused for effect, delighting in the way all the gathered children stared at him with wide-eyed excitement.

“When their parents come calling tomorrow because suddenly their children are plagued by nightmares, you will answer the door,” Legolas whispered. He shook his head at the crowd that had gathered in front of Glorfindel. He really should not leave his Lord's side, at least not on market day – the news had quickly spread among all the children in this hamlet close to Tirion that the stranger with the remarkable mane of golden hair was not only a great hero, but could also tell the best stories ever.

“I know who he was!” a precocious girl crowed. “It was Sauron! My ada said we lived there before we sailed across the ocean!”

“Indeed he was!” Glorfindel smiled at her, so that she beamed at being proven right in front of her friends. “And after he was defeated, so that he can never again return to trouble you, we dismantled his tower. And guess what we found?”

“Spiders!” the girl supplied. “Orcs!” the boy next to her shouted. Glorfindel grinned.

“Much, much worse!” He hesitated again for effect. “Moldy bedrooms! Dripping roofs! And the only food in the kitchen was a thin, gray gruel that even Orcs would not eat! If that was what Sauron had to eat for breakfast every morning, no wonder that he was such an unlikeable fellow!”

The children giggled with delight, and Legolas shook his head again, smiling despite himself.

“And what will Lord Manwë say if news comes to him that our next generation of children all feel sorry for the Deceiver, thanks to your stories?”

Glorfindel laughed, taking Legolas' hand as they slowly walked back to their current accommodation. “Manwë did not see that place. Believe me – even he would have felt sorry for Sauron, forced to hide in such a dismal place!”

“I'll remind you of that when Manwë decides to see how you would enjoy a stint in one of Sauron's dungeons.”

“All destroyed now,” Glorfindel said and grinned. “Ah, but I forgot – you never saw Dol Guldur as I saw it. Never fear; I'll build you a little Dol Guldur of our own, once we find a place to settle.”

“With gruel even Orcs wouldn't eat?”

“Only if you are very, very bad. And you'll try very hard to be good – won't you?”

Legolas shivered and for a moment, forgot all the din of the market around them, as instantly breathless with need as when he had been a youth. “You know I will, Lord...”