Throw Away the Umbrellas by Cirth

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own The Silmarillion.

Throw Away the Umbrellas

I press my cheek against the window, which is cooled by wind and water, and let the sound of the rain penetrate the darkness. Slowly, the tension in my back lessens, and for a blessed, blessed while I forget my body exists.

Fingers land gently on my shoulder and I open my eyes. Uldor gazes at me from the chair opposite the small table, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. Shallow wrinkles trace his face, which is smeared with a stubble that is peppered with grey, and a worn blanket slips from one of his shoulders. It has been a long time since I called someone a friend.

"More tea?" he says, and I groan at the sudden pain that spikes through my recently broken left leg, which is bound tightly and elevated on a footstool. Through a grimace I manage, "Tea is always a good idea." The little chamber already smells of the brew, warm and smokey.

Uldor's smile widens and he pours more tea into my empty cup, and I watch his strong, sepia hands as they work and give me the drink.

The rain pounds the earth and neither of us notice.

- finis -