Drabbles: The Silmarillion, part 2 by Zdenka

Heartbeats

In his cell in Gondolin, Eöl counts heartbeats. (Eöl; implied Aredhel/Eöl. Implied character death. Written for a prompt to write 100 words of poisoning.)

Eöl’s hands are bound, in this cell they have put him in. He cannot press his hand over his heart, but if he concentrates he can feel the beats through his flesh, quick and strong like a smith’s hammer-blows.

He can feel another heartbeat also, like an echo. Like a ghost. This one is weaker, slow and unsteady.

He paces back and forth, five steps this way and five steps that way. He does not make his poisons to fail.

Just before dawn, he leans against the wall and pretends that the chill spreading through him comes from the stone.