[Tinuviel of Denton]

Ai, Ai! The end is come!

My post for Reyn's departure (if you would put it up immediately before Nerindel's last post, that would be great. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] )

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Reynion felt very much out of place when the tired group entered Thranduil's hall. His heart was heavy with guilt over Talas' death and with sorrow over his lost leg (and with it his hope that Taurewen could love him) and the reunions of family members were only a bitter reminder of his parting words to his own father.

He stood silently as Ceros told of their journey, and winced when he came to the part where he had lost his leg. Eyes turned toward him, and he held his head high, meeting no one's eyes. He would be glad when this ordeal was over.

His mother and, surprisingly, his father approached him immediately after Ceros' recital. Eldarion was thoroughly sorry for his angry words to his son; the fear that Reynion wouldn't come back had taught him just how important his son was to him. Reyn wasn't entirely pleased to be reconciled to his father under these circumstances, but it was pleasant to be with him without the friction that had marked their meetings for the past centuries.

Well, it was pleasant until the subject of conversation came around to Reynion's missing piece.

"I'm so sorry, son. You must feel it deeply." Pity was one thing that Reyn hated, and from his father--it felt as though his father had traded one way of looking down on him for another. And since he could no longer live in the middle of Greenwood--no, Mirkwood--alone, he would either have to live with his parents, or with someone else. Either way, he couldn't be alone. He'd almost forgotten that during the long imprisonment in the Cage.

"Father, if you never mention that again, I will be grateful."

****

The music made Reynion sick to his stomach. It was like someone was deliberately trying to remind him of all the things he could no longer do. The dancers all looked like they were enjoying themselves, even if the cause of celebration was mixed with sorrow.

Reyn watched them, bitterly contemplating centuries of this standing on the outskirts, forever condemned to watch and never experience that again. He finally couldn't take it, and began to walk out of the hall.

A flash of movement caught his eye. A swirl of blond hair, a hint of green, and he knew that Taurewen had arrived. He smiled almost unconciously--until he saw her dancing with Orodhin.

Then he walked out.

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And Talas' death:

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Reyn watched as Taurewen ran ahead, wondering if this was a mistake and if he would die after all. He clamped down on that sort of thought; that was the road to madness. If he had time to go mad. If he survived the next few minutes...

The orcs were no longer stunned by the knife that had taken Rhtalk's life, and they were coming after the two elves, cursing loudly in the Black Speech and throwing more rocks. Fortunately, there were no more wooden legs for them to throw.

Talas supported Reynion and they limped along at a fairly decent rate. Unfortunately, a fairly decent rate was about half the rate the orcs were running. They were getting closer with every second and both Talas and Reynion were getting tired. Talas, because Reyn was in no way a small man, even minus a leg, and Reyn, because it's frankly rather difficult to run when you have only one leg.

Another rock flew at them, and this time, the orcs had better aim. It hit Reynion in the middle of the back. Hard. They were thrown off balance and tumbled to the ground. They both cursed, loudly and at length, whilst attempting to rise.

"Talas, go on without me; I'm only slowing you down. Go on!"

"I can't leave you to face them alone. Taurewen would have my head," Talas responded, trying to inject a modicum of humor into their bleak situation. They had managed to stand by this time, and Talas was pulling Reynion along, desperation giving him the needed strength. The two elves were crashing through the underbrush in a very unelvish display.

Then another rock hit Talas in the back of the head. His eyes widened, then glazed over. He inhaled sharply, then suddenly Reyn was pulled down by the other elf's weight. Dear Eru, NO! he thought numbly. Please, not now. She's only just got him back; he can't die now!

But Talas wasn't moving, he wasn't breathing, his heart, when Reyn pressed a hand to his chest, wasn't beating. He was gone. Reyn wept, knowing that Talas' body would never receive the honor he was deserving of, knowing also that he would have to leave the body to the tender mercies of the rabid orkish hoards, angry at the death of their leader and the escape of their fugitives, knowing that Taurewen would blame herself for the leaving them behind.

Then he used one of the maltreated trees to pull himself up, and, silently begging forgiveness for his action, but too desperate and guilty to really care (Talas would never go home because of him, what did it matter if he killed a tree? His soul was already stained black as the heart of Rhtalk), broke off two branches to use as crutches and pushed off, sparing no glance for the empty husk that had once breathed and laughed and loved.

With the crutches, his speed was greater, and he half-wondered that they had not thought to do this before. The other half of him knew that only an elf whose soul was tarnished would think to do such harm to trees already sorely mistreated. He did manage to lose the orcs when he got into deeper shadow. His black clothing made that easy.

His heart tore as he thought of Taurewen's reaction when he told her. Almost, he could have let go the crutches and waited for the orcs to kill him rather than to face that. But something in him knew that she would be just as grieved to lose him as she would be when she heard of Talas' passing. It was with more a sense of dread than of relief when at last he stumbled into the clearing where the others were.

"Reyn!" cried Taurewen, rushing forward, but she stopped when she saw that he was alone. "Where--where's Talas? Where's my brother?"

He couldn't tell her after all. He looked away, and she read in his posture and in his face the truth.

"Eru, NO!"

Reyn closed his eyes, but he couldn't stop his ears from ringing with the sobs of the woman he loved, weeping for her lost brother.

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Arien, isn't it an Epilogue?

I've really enjoyed playing in this game. I hope to play with some of you again sometime.

(And if you read the Green Dragon, part 5, Nerindel and I have begun to continue the story of Reynion and Taurewen. We stopped because real life intruded on her posting, but now that this is ended, maybe we can start up again. Happy ending!)

[ October 08, 2003: Message edited by: Tinuviel of Denton ]