Finding Lost Family by chrissystriped

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Chapter Eleven

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Ecthelion laughed when Sharû flopped down on the bench at the riverside with a groan. He had met him at the building site, the houses grew swiftly thanks to the help of the orcs.

“Sore muscles?”, he asked.

“You have no idea! No, scratch that, of course you do.” Sharû rubbed his shoulders. “It is tiring, maybe more so than drilling – at least I feel some muscles ache I didn’t even know I had – but...” Sharû gaze travelled out on the water. “It is somehow satisfying to see the result of our efforts at the end of the day. You know what I mean?”

Ecthelion nodded. “Yes. Although for me it’s usually not something tangible. But if I can see that my people are happy, I know that I did good.”

“We would have helped you with this, even if Matil hadn’t demanded it”, Sharû suddenly said. “Should I have told him? Isn’t that against the spirit of it? It feels dishonest to hide it.”

Ecthelion shook his head. “I thought you might help us, if I’d asked. But Matil thought of it first and I think it pointless to rub in their faces that you are decent enough to help without being forced. Would they have demanded something else, if they’d known? Some maybe, but ultimately this is about giving them compensation and that’s what they get. If it makes you feel better, you can talk to Matil, but I wouldn’t worry too much, if I were you. You don’t cheat, you do something good here.”

Sharû sighed and smiled at him. “I hoped you’d see it that way, but I didn’t want to say nothing.”

“You’re a good sort, Sharû.” Ecthelion playfully nudged him with his elbow and Sharû almost jumped off the bench. “Sorry”, he said surprised at the intense reaction. “I didn’t want to startle you.”

“It’s okay.” Sharû rubbed the spot and Ecthelion wondered if he’d hit him harder than he’d intended. “No harm done. Estel wants me to visit him in his forest”, he changed the topic. “Ithrû’s been there twice since we are free. I think, once we have paid our debt here, I want to go there.”

“Is Estel going to pick you up?”

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll rush here, if I write him that I have time. He’s very keen on introducing me to all his family.”

Sharû smiled gently and Ecthelion wanted to bow forward and kiss those lips. He checked himself and said instead: “That’s a good idea. You deserve some rest.”

“Oh, look who’s talking!” Sharû laughed at him.

“I didn’t say that I’m any better”, answered Ecthelion with a chuckle.

He knew that he was worrying too much sometimes. His people were doing well, but there were enough problems to keep him occupied.

“How is your guest? Dolthan, was it?”

Ecthelion nodded. “Better. His wife visits regularly and while she’s understandably confused, he kept very quiet about everything that happened to him, it doesn’t look like she wants to desert him. I’m sure they can work it out in time.”

“It’s good to hear that things get better – for all your people, but especially for those who have been hurt. I know, there’s probably not much I can do, but if there ever is, tell me.”

Ecthelion nodded. “I...”

“Ecthelion! Quick, we need you!”

Matil came running across the meadow that separated the new building grounds from the river and Ecthelion  jumped to his feet.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“There’s this guy! With a hammer! He barged in and attacked the first orc that crossed his way.”

“What!” Sharû had jumped up and Ecthelion could see Matil shrink back a little at the look on his face. He started to run and Ecthelion and Matil followed him.

“Sharû, wait!”, Ecthelion called and his friend slowed a little.

“What did you do with him?”, Ecthelion asked Matil.

“We locked him in one of the tool sheds but I have no idea, what to do now. He didn’t sound like he meant to simply walk away again!”

An agitated crowd of elves and orcs stood around the shed.

“Who was injured?”, Sharû asked one of his men.

“Gurush, the elf broke his arm. We brought him into one of the finished houses, Erad is with him.”

Sharû nodded and patted the orc’s shoulder.

“I’ll check in on them”, he told Ecthelion.

“Do you need a healer?”, Ecthelion asked. “I could...”

But Sharû’s face closed up and he shook his head. “We’ll manage.”

Ecthelion was surprised at his gruff reply, but he needed to concentrate on the problem at hand. The shed’s wall trembled at a punch of the resident, who was clearly not happy to be locked up. A constant stream of curses could be heard, some to Ecthelion’s surprise in Molyanoldorin – and the voice sounded familiar.

“Do you have the weapon?”

Matil looked around and soon a long-handled warhammer was turned up. Ecthelion groaned inwardly.

“I think, I know who we have here”, he said. “Rog, is that you?”, he called through the locked door.

The ruckus stopped abruptly and he saw a few elves sigh in relief.

“Ecthelion? Let me out!”

“Only if you promise not to attack anyone.”

Silence. Ecthelion held his breath. Then: “Fine.”

“Matil, the key.”

Matil gave it to him before quickly putting distance between him and the shed, he obviously didn’t want to stand too close when Ecthelion let the maniac out. Ecthelion opened the door and looked into a face he knew and at the same time didn’t. He had never seen Rog without the scars someone had carved into his cheeks in his time in Angband.

“Before you say anything, lets discuss this in private”, he said when Rog opened his mouth.

He was relieved when the elf followed him without argument to one of the half-finished houses nearby. It didn’t have doors, yet, but they’d have enough privacy in the backrooms.

“What were you thinking?”, Ecthelion snapped at Rog as soon as they were alone. “You can’t come here and attack random people!”

“People? Orcs! I heard about this and I couldn’t believe that anyone who’d been a slave could ever agree to such an thing. What are you thinking to let these monsters live in your midst?”

“They are not monsters! Wasn’t it you who ‘entertained’ us in Gondolin with stories about how orcs are made? Their ancestors were elves – damn it! – some of them were elves.”

“Murderers, torturers, rapists!”, Rog growled. “Slave drivers! They don’t deserve to live!”

“Do you hear yourself talk? I know what they did, we all do! But you can’t sentence a whole people to death.” Ecthelion took a deep breath. “It was war, Rog! They were taught to hate us as we were taught to hate them. But it can be different, they proved it. They helped us escape, saved our lives. They are building these houses for us to make up for the wrong they did.”

Rog huffed. “Hardly an adequate compensation for all the suffering they caused.”

“And that’s your decision?”, Ecthelion snapped at him. “You don’t have the right, neither do I. We decided together what their reparations should be comprised of.”

Ecthelion hesitated to tell him about the other agreement Sharû and Matil had come to. Rog was in a bloodthirsty mood, maybe he could talk to him about it another time under better circumstances. To keep it from him entirely felt wrong.

“Rog, we never got along very well and I admit that was to a large part because I didn’t want to understand what had happened to you. I do now, I was there. I’m sorry for mocking you, that was dishonourable. I ask you now, don’t force me to bring this matter to the king’s notice, I’ll try to convince Sharû to let the matter go, if you swear to not attack an orc again. You broke the arm of an innocent person!”

Rog curled his lip. “None of them is innocent! Who is Sharû?”

“Their leader. My friend.”

Rog shook his head. “I won’t attack them again, but don’t come running if something goes wrong. You can’t negotiate with these monsters, or... be their friend.” He made it sound like a curse. “And I want my weapon back.”

Ecthelion sighed. “I’ll come with you back to the city and give it back to you there.”

Rog nodded curtly. “Let’s go. The sooner I get out of here, the better.”

Ecthelion would have felt better, if he could have talked to Sharû before, but he felt that it wouldn’t be a good idea to let the two of them come too close and he couldn’t lock Rog up. He fetched the hammer, Matil looked like he’d grown a second head when he asked for it, and walked Rog back to the city.

“Since when are you...”

“Alive again?”, Rog asked with a huff. “Quite some time. Don’t forget that the curse never applied to me. I live in the north, near Mandos. There are a few others who settled in the woods there, but we leave each other alone, the area is large enough. Those of us who live in families have settled down more southwards in Orome’s woods.”

Ecthelion nodded, Rog had always been something of a loner. “I know, a few of my people moved there.”

“Your people?” Rog cocked an eyebrow at him and Ecthelion shrugged.

“Not in the sense that they owe me fealty, but they made me their leader and... well, we all usually say ‘us’.” Ecthelion hesitated. “You could belong to us, too, if you wanted. We share a past.”

Rog shook his head decisively. “I live alone. Always have, when I could and I want it that way. No offence.”

Ecthelion shrugged. “As you wish.” They’d reached the old Tirion and he gave him his weapon. “Don’t hesitate to knock on my door, if you are in town.”

“I’m not that often, but thank you.” Rog sighed. “I didn’t mean to cause problems, Ecthelion, but... I heard about it, and my mind went blank. I still don’t approve of it, it makes me angry to think they should get away so lightly, but I won’t attack them again.”

“That’s good to hear.”

 

“You let him go?”

Ecthelion was for a moment afraid, that Sharû would attack him, but then the orc took a deep breath and stepped back.

“Why?”, he asked more calmly but still with a growl in his voice.

“I can’t detain him, Sharû, I don’t have the authority.”

“Matil says you know him.”

“That, too, and I promised him to ask you to let it go, but if you want him to be brought to trial, I’ll help you with it. We can go to the palace immediately and ask for an audience with King Arafinwe. How is your man?”

“Simple fracture, it’s splinted and going to heal without problems, says Erad. He got hold of a barrel lid he used as a shield or it might have been much worse.” Sharû growled again then he caught himself. “Sorry for frightening you.”

Ecthelion shook his head. “It’s fine. What do you say? Do we get an appointment with the king?”

Sharû slowly shook his head. “I don’t want more attention on us than necessary. He won’t come back?”

“He won't. He promised.”

“Then I’ll trust your and his word. Who is he?”

“Rog? He was one of the other Lords of Gondolin.” Ecthelion shrugged.

“Rog.” Sharû stared at him. “The Rog.”

“You know him? He wreaked havoc in the battle, I suppose...”

“No, that’s not what I meant. You don’t know?”

Ecthelion shook his head. “Can’t say I knew him all that well. He's not a Noldo, came to Nevrast one day and stayed with Turgon. Said, he'd escaped from Angband.”

“I never encountered him personally”, Sharû said with a shudder, “and I’m quite glad of that, I assure you, but there were stories. A slave who escaped but didn’t run as far and fast as he could, but hid in the mountains to kill any orc who was foolish enough to get caught alone. He made a... uh, spectacle of them. They say he called himself Rog, to teach the monsters of Angband fear. There was a high price on his head and eventually he vanished. It was said he was killed, but looks like he was clever enough to know when to leave.”

Ecthelion swallowed. “I... never knew. He wouldn’t say what his real name was or why he called himself that.”

He shook his head and felt the urge to run after Rog and hear his story, but he knew that Rog would be long gone by now. And searching him in his wood would be useless, Rog would find him, if he ever wanted to.