I Choose a Mortal Life by Uvatha the Horseman

The New Colony

"Come, let me give you a tour. I want to show you how much we've done." Pride filled Elros' voice. "

It was good to see his brother looking happy. After the War, Elros had been so lost. Here in Númenor, he seemed to have found himself again.

Elros led them from the dock to a sandy path that passed between the dunes. After thirty paces or so, it emerged from among the palm trees and widened into a sandy road, little more than a rutted lane.

Elros had written about the palm trees, the endless white beaches, and the sea as warm as bathwater. He'd described a harbor filled with fish, the mountain slopes clothed in timber, and the rich soil for farming. Most of all, he mentioned the enormous satisfaction he'd gotten from building a house with his own hands, from selecting the trees to laying the stones in the fireplace. Elrond couldn't wait to see it.

They entered the settlement. A handful of cabins jostled for space along an unpaved street, currently occupied by a herd of sheep. Someone burned trash in an open pit. The wind shifted, revealing that sanitation was not a solved problem.

Elros didn't seem to notice any of it, or if he did, he didn't find it worthy of comment. Proud as a new parent, he pointed out every feature of the settlement.

"Our first priority was shelter. It was a huge effort, but within a year of landing here, we had everyone sleeping indoors."

Woven withy fences enclosed vegetable gardens planted between the dwellings. To call them "houses" would have been too exalted a word for them.

"We dug a well, but learned it was a good way to obtain brackish seawater. Now, we collect rainwater in cisterns instead."

A gutter fashioned from a half-cylinder of bamboo hung below the roof thatch. A flock of birds landed on it and perched on the edge, their tails over its middle.

Elrond frowned. "Regarding the collection of fresh water, what about…?" He waved a hand at the birds.

Elrond looked unconcerned. "As a pioneer, there are things you choose not to notice."