Atanatari: Of the Three Houses of the Edain by Himring

Their Kinsfolk Rejoiced

Two boys in their teens, who were missing, presumed dead, are unexpectedly returned to their family: the return of Hurin and Huor to Dor-lomin, also featuring Galdor, Hareth and Aerin.

'Then they took their leave, and the eagles coming bore them away by night, and set them down in Dor-lomin before the dawn. Their kinsfolk rejoiced to see them, for messengers from Brethil had reported that they were lost; but they would not declare even to their father where they had been, save that they were rescued in the wilderness by the eagles that brought them home.'

Silmarillion Ch. 18: Of the Ruin of Beleriand

Rating--somewhere between General and Teens (reference to canonical deaths)

The sky seemed huge. Hurin had become used to the height of the Encircling Mountains obstructing the view. Above, the eagles--who had just loomed so impressively over them--were rapidly growing smaller, difficult to make out in the remaining darkness, although the first streaks of dawn had appeared on the horizon.

They had deliberately been set down in a desolate marshy spot. Nobody had spotted their arrival.

Hurin glanced worriedly upwards at his younger brother: 'Huor, you do remember we heard that Grandfather and Uncle died? And...'

'The only way to find out is to start walking,' Huor said.

‘Galdor, Galdor!’

Galdor’s first thought was that there had been another major attack. But the excitement on Berion’s face seemed to promise good news, for a change...

‘Galdor,’ Berion panted, waving a scroll. ‘Your sons! They’re back!’

Galdor’s throat constricted.

‘What! How…?’

‘Grey Elves report they were found wandering in Dor-lomin!’

Galdor could not help it—he wrapped the elven captain in a crushing bear hug and kissed him on both cheeks.

It was only much later that he even thought to ask his sons: ‘But where were you, in the meantime? Did the eagles house you in their eyries?’

Aerin was a well-behaved child, usually, but breathless excitement had got the better of her completely. She dashed into the hall, screeching: ‘They’re back, they’re back!’

‘Who are?’ asked Hareth, in a calming tone of voice.

Aerin pressed her little fists against her pounding heart.

‘Hurin!’ she managed. ‘Huor!’

The large soup tureen, a prized gift from Hareth's mother-in law Gildis, dropped to the floor with a crash, hot broth spattering everywhere.

Hareth took no notice. She leapt over the broken fragments and ran to the door. There she had to stop, clutching the door post.

‘My sons, my sons!’

Chapter End Notes

Written for a fixed-length fic challenge at the LOTR community on LiveJournal on the subject of family reunions.

The title is taken from the same Silmarillion passage.

The question Galdor asks his sons is based on a following passage. (The boys were actually in the city of Gondolin, the location of which is a well-kept secret, and they had been missing for almost a year.)

The first scene is also inspired by the following illustration by peet (Peter Xavier Price): http://peet.deviantart.com/art/The-Return-of-Hurin-and-Huor-602247539.

Berion is an OMC of mine, a captain in the service of King Fingon.

Hurin is canonically shorter than others of his male relatives, while Huor grew to full height early.

Tripe drabble (3 x 100 words on MS Word)