Finding Lost Family by chrissystriped

---

Chapter Seven

---

One of the elves – Laeglin, Sharû thought, he wasn’t good with names – offered him a jug of wine and Sharû gratefully took a deep draught, his hands were covered in blisters. He hadn’t realised what hard work ploughing was.

“I think they want to kill us”, Ithrû said to him in a stage whisper, sitting down beside them with a groan. “It’s their late revenge.”

Laeglin laughed. “No, not at all. You asked us to teach you to provide for yourselves. This is what you have to do to start growing corn. Living the life of a farmer isn’t easy, soldier.”

He had never appreciated how much their women had to work to support them.

“And we are grateful for your help”, Sharû answered. “I know that you have your own troubles.”

Ecthelion had looked tired when he had visited the last time. Laeglin shrugged.

“You should have a real chance, me and the others who are here today, think that means to give you an opportunity to change your life. You were soldiers, for your whole life, how are you supposed to know how to life a live in peace? And... I didn’t expect that, but if I’m honest, with you I don’t feel so inadequate as I sometimes do on the mainland. You at least don’t judge us for our past.”

Sharû looked away embarrassed and gave the jug back. “It is not for us to judge you for something that was our fault. I’m sorry that you aren’t treated well, you don’t deserve that.”

Laeglin sighed. “Most of them don’t even mean it, but they don’t understand. I was born in Beleriand, in Aman everything is new to me, I barely speak Quenya – not the way they speak it here, at least. It never mattered until now, but here it is a flaw.” Laeglin fell silent and blushed. “I don’t know why I even tell you that”, he mumbled.

Sharû swallowed a laugh and just smiled instead. He didn’t want the elf to think that he was laughing at him.

“Maybe I just look trustworthy to you”, he joked.

Laeglin laughed and bumped his shoulder into his. “Yes, maybe. You are alright, colonel. I hope I won’t insult you if I tell you that it is easy to come round to Ecthelion’s opinion that you are relatives when I talk to you.”

Sharû gulped down the lump in his throat with an effort.

“I’m not insulted”, he answered. “In my eyes it is the biggest compliment you can make me.”

Laeglin smiled at him and looked like he wanted to answer but then he only said: “Our ship is coming.” He stood up. “We’ll be back soon and see how you get along.”

Sharû offered him his hand and Laeglin shook it.

“Goodbye and give my regards to Ecthelion.”

“I will.”

Laeglin called his people together and they waited on the shore until the Solosimpi went ashore. Ithrû straightened.

“Estel is here.”

Sharû saw him and his family climb from the boat. He and Ithrû started to walk without having to talk about it.

“Hello, brothers!” Estel embraced them both. “I’m sorry that I took so long to visit you, but we had to find our place first, too.”

“I understand.” Sharû greeted Raywen and waved at Tantareita.

They had made the passage on separate ships and the boy was still a little shy with them. Estel called a greeting to Zak who walked over from the other side of the freshly ploughed corn field.

“How are you?”, he asked Sharû. “The people on the mainland are very concerned about your being here.”

“I know. I wish the Valar would come to a decision, but there’s no rushing it, it seems. And we do well here. The Angband-Elves help us and the Solosimpi are wary but not hostile as long as we follow the rules they set for us. One of their princes visits now and then. It could be a lot worse.”

“Are you staying for dinner?”, Ithrû asked, his face was alight.

Every time Sharû saw him with his twin, he realised how much Estel was missing when he wasn’t here. Ithrû had never complained in the long years of their separation, but Sharû wondered how much it had hurt him.

“In fact, we’d like to stay for a few days”, Raywen answered. “Estel misses you and I’d like to get to know his family.”

“That’s wonderful! Come, we’ll set up a tent for you.”

Ithrû took Estel’s hand and pulled him after him. Raywen followed with her son, an indulgent smile on her lips. Sharû looked happily after them.

“It’s strange to see him like this”, Zak said softly and Sharû threw him a surprised glance.

“Strange? I think it’s wonderful. And I’m glad he found us.”

“I’m glad, too, but... this whole situation makes me nervous. We didn’t obey the order to kill the slaves in their sleep, but what keeps them from doing it to us? And Estel is one of them.”

Sharû shook his head. “Zak, you have to stop thinking like that.”

He knew all too well that Zak had tried hard to ignore their mother’s words and listen to their Masters instead. They had fought a couple of times because he treated the slaves more brutally than Sharû thought it necessary.

“The elves are not our enemies. Our fate is not conclusively decided yet, sure, but if they’d wanted to kill us, they’d have done it already. And Estel is our brother, no matter what he looks like. His family is ours, too, and that is a good think.” Zak growled something unintelligible.

“We’ll see how merciful the Valar are”, he said then. “I wouldn’t count on them being better than our king.”

Sharû sighed. "We can only hope they are. Aule at least doesn't seem so bad." The Valar had talked a few times with him. "Let's follow the others." He wanted to spend the time Estel was here, with him.

 

~*~*~

 

Ecthelion ran through the labyrinthine streets of a city, searching for something he couldn’t remember, he only knew that it was important to find it. He heard screams and the sound of battle, his armour weighed heavily on his shoulders. He was exhausted, but he moved on, putting a foot in front of the other laboriously...

Suddenly he realised that the houses around were ablaze, heat singed his skin as he walked on, it burned in his lungs and made him cough. There was an enemy in the fire, he knew it without any doubt...

An explosion roared in his ears and he was hurled through the air, his body feeling like it stood in flames...

H ands on his skin and it hurt so much...

A voice saying something he didn’t understand above the buzzing in his ears...

Darkness, a futile attempt to open his eyes...

 

Ecthelion woke from the sound of his own whimpering. His heart raced in his chest and the pillow was wet with his tears. He stumbled out of bed and tore curtains and window open. The cool, clear night air met his heated, tearstained face and Ecthelion took it in in deep, desperate gulps, his hands trembled and he closed them around the edge of the windowsill. He looked up at the stars and let their twinkling calm him. It was over, he had healed, he was free.

After a while he started to shiver in the cold air and went back to bed but left the window open, his blankets were warm enough and the sweet scent of the flowers down in the garden would keep the fire from his dreams – he hoped. Ecthelion closed his eyes and breathed evenly, let the soft night sounds of the town – the meowing of a cat, the chirping of the crickets in the fields around the town, the song of a night bird – calm him. It was peaceful and his body, still prepared for fight or flight, relaxed.

Ecthelion fell asleep again and couldn’t remember to have dreamt badly again in the morning. He felt refreshed and that was just as well, he wanted to visit Sharû on the Island and it was far to the coast.

 

Sharû already waited at the shore when Ecthelion came off the ship that had carried him over from the main land and would bring him back in a day. He had an agreement with one of the Teleri because he came so often. “I see that your attempts at farming bear fruit.” Ecthelion looked at the green shoots of wheat and something that looked like a large vegetable garden and smiled when Sharû straightened, glowing with pride.

“Laeglin attests us good work”, he said. “Thank you for finding him and the others.”

“I’m happy that I could be of help”, Ecthelion answered. “I would have come myself, but I don’t know anything about agriculture. I’m glad that you get along.”

Sharû frowned. “Some of them sound like they don’t get along so well with the other elves.”

Ecthelion grimaced, if even Sharû was noticing it...

“Let’s say, some of the elves here find it hard to accept us the way we are now, with all the memories we have about Angband, it’s not so easy to come back.” He shook his head. “But that’s nothing that should bother you. I watched Mormirion’s trial, I thought you’d like to know about it.”

“Yes, very much!”

They sat in the grass, the sun warming their skin and Ecthelion realised suddenly that Sharû didn’t seem to mind the sun. He pushed the thought aside for later, he didn’t want to keep him waiting for the news.

“Mormirion did incriminate himself, but I and a few of my people made sure that the Valar also hear about the good things he did. He is placed under house arrest for a hundred years, but he isn’t imprisoned in Mandos and I think Aule looks favourably at him.”

Sharû sighed relieved. “That’s good. Thank you for coming over to tell me.”

“You’re welcome, it gives me an excuse to come here.”

Ecthelion smiled at him and became aware again of how easy it was to talk to Sharû. He’d always thought orcs stupid and if they had any cunning it related to cruelty and war, but that had been a wrong preconception. Sharû wasn’t stupid.

“Can I ask you something?”

Sharû shrugged and nodded.

“I thought orcs don’t like the sun, but you don’t seem to be bothered by it. Why is that?”

“I don’t know. It’s true that many of us can’t abide the sun. They say the light burns on their skin and in their eyes. My eyes had to get used to the light, too, but I don’t have a dislike for it and you’ll have noticed that I’m not the only one. I can’t tell you why. Does it matter?”

Ecthelion laughed. “I’m Noldo, they say we are curious to a fault. It doesn’t really matter, but many elves would probably see it as a sign that you aren’t wholly twisted.”

Sharû growled and Ecthelion felt himself shudder.

“I’m sorry”, Sharû said. “Didn’t want to scare you. And as long as it means that the Valar are going to let us live, I don’t mind. Did you hear anything?”

“Nothing about a decision concerning you, but... you know Garam and Silwen I suppose?”

Ecthelion had talked after Mormirion’s trial with Silwen and she’d left him impressed.

“The Valar seem to have come to the decision to treat Garam like an elf. I don’t know if that’s because Silwen is one of Aule’s now and thus is under his protection, but I’m inclined to see that as a good sign.”

“I only wish we could have certainty." Sharû sighed. "I try to follow your optimism but the uncertainty is gnawing at all of us. We’d like to build houses, but we can’t before we know that we can stay. And I’d really like to... to see the main land.” He looked shyly at him as if he expected Ecthelion to laugh at him. “I’d just like to know if that’s ever going to be possible.”

“You want to see Aman?”

Sharû nodded and Ecthelion wondered if he’d be blushing right now if his skin weren’t so dark.

“I want to visit Estel and his elves, they live with others in a wood and he seems to be very happy there. And I’d like to see Tirion and Valmar, I’ve heard so much about them.”

Ecthelion wanted to ask him who had told him, when he realised the answer. Their songs, they had so often sung about their lost home in Angband.

“From the other side of the island the shore and the harbour of the Solosimpi is just visible and sometimes we can hear them sing at night, it fills my heart with longing to go there", Sharû continued and Ecthelion could see the longing in the orc’s eyes.

He slowly laid his hand on his arm. “I’m not that well received in Alqualonde, but I’m going to show you Tirion as soon as possible”, he said. “It is my home town, I know the most beautiful places there.”

And hidden corners where it was possible to kiss and, if you were especially bold, even more without being watched... Ecthelion pushed the thought quickly into the dark corner it had come from, but Sharû’s skin was warm through his shirt and he didn’t want to take away his hand. Luckily, Sharû didn’t seem to have followed his line of thought.

“You really would do that?”, he said surprised.

“It would be my pleasure”, Ecthelion answered.