About Losgar Again by oshun

Chapter 1

Macalaurë sat down on the edge of the bed. Maitimo tried without success to avoid wincing against the slight dip of the mattress. The act of doing so caused him to tense the muscles in his shoulder and arm making the grimace more obvious.

“I hurt you,” Macalaurë said. “I am so sorry.” He tried to stand, but Maitimo grabbed him with his left hand.

“Don’t move. Stay here.”

The sigh Macalaurë released seemed to hold within it all the regret of two worlds. “I had another nightmare. About Losgar again. I should have supported you there. Everything . . . everything might have been different.”

“Please! You are wearing me out. How many times do we have to discuss this? There was nothing you could have done at Losgar to help me. I’m glad I confronted him. Not sorry that I didn’t try to physically stop him though. And if you had challenged him also, others might have suffered. As it was, he could look on me as simply a sole blithering lunatic who had lost his nerve.”

Macalaurë’s month twitched into something that almost became a smile. “You looked the part.” He took hold of Maitimo’s hand and squeezed.

“I’ll bet I did!” Maitimo said, remembering his snotty nose, the harsh chest pains, and the tears in his eyes, none of which had been caused by the soot and smoke. “He heaped on me all the opprobrium he might have dumped on others less able to withstand it.”

“You take too much onto yourself.”

“This discussion has come full circle. Sing me a song?”