Annael by Tomour

Chapter 2, Annael, section 2

Scenes from Tuor’s childhood.

By the time he was six Tuor showed a clear talent for music, so they taught him to sing and to play various instruments, harp and flute drum and more. They sang songs of the divine beings, the Valar, old friends now living in distant lands. Tuor longed to see those Valar too. He said, "With them I will be at peace; restful like the lake when the wind is gone." Annael wondered if this was childish dream, or prophecy.

When they sang songs about Ulmo, ruler of the waters, Tuor felt a special wonder. Listening, he learned that it was the power of Ulmo, through water, that had carved valleys and caves and had formed stalagmites out of stone. Even more wonderful were stories of the ocean.  The older he got the more Tuor questioned them about oceans. "How could there be so much water? What makes it move in waves? Does it taste different than the salty water of Lake Mithrim? When can I go see it?" 

In response most elves would just just laugh at his unanswerable questions, or get a distant look and say, "We shall see.  First, we must resist the shadow over this land.” Tuor watched as they continued their guerrilla war against the orcs and the men of the east, and kept Tuor safe. 

By the time he was seven Tuor's lessons included the use of simple weapons and the martial arts. He liked the challenge of martial arts, and noticed how Annael smiled when he did well. Still, he could tell they protected him. They did not let him get wounds like they did, and never took him on raids. Occasionally the enemy forayed into their mountain valleys, but the elves treated them harshly there. It was by fear that these cruel men ruled one another, and so it ruled them.  Fear of Morgoth's shadow hovered ever behind them, and fear of the hidden elves before them. This aided Annael's people, protecting even Tuor, for a while.

As a boy his biggest worry was disapproval from his people.  Dawon, especially, said things that made Tuor feel odd, and unwelcome.  The elf was not unkind so much as bold-faced in his honesty.  Once, when Tuor was about eight years oldhe asked the elf Maerwen to take him to see ocean waves crashing in, and rolling under. But Dawon overheard the request and said, "There is no purpose to visit the ocean.  We will only go there if we were planning to leave Middle Earth.  Besides, the only way to the sea from here is hidden and dangerous to reach in a time of war. If we go, it will be on a path that you are not allowed to follow."  Tuor felt chastised and looked to the floor, but Dawon spoke on.  "No, it is not your destiny to see the edge of the earth.  This is your place." The little boy's eyes filled with tears, but before crying in front of Dawon he ran from the room