The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - THE LONELY STAR (Contd. from BD birthday party)

mark12_30 · 08-12-2002, 01:14 PM

Lindo stirred in his sleep, dark dreams pressing down on him. His mother's and father's faces haunted him. During the long march, his father and mother lagged and fell behind; when he assisted one, the other straggled. While he had half carried his mother, an orc had speared his father; and as they turned to hold him as he died, the same orc had ruthlessly speared his mother. They had died in each others arms. Again and again, in his dreams the bloody scene played out, and again and again, Lindo woke, biting back tears, til finally he lay awake, afraid to sleep again.

He stealthily raised himself partway up, and looked. The hobbit-camp was quiet, but there were sounds of carousing coming from the main orc-camp. Still, orc-guards were visible around the hobbits, and one had noticed him; he froze, and then slowly lay back down, after that moving only his eyes. The orc that was now watching him seemed none too steady; all the more reason for caution, he thought. If the orc was drunk, Lindo didn't want to be his evening's entertainment.

The only motion from hobbits in the camp came from the mother and father of the little child who had been killed during the previous day's march. They sat quietly rocking as they wept. Their minds were open, partly because of their weariness, he thought. He wondered if he could reach them with Osanwe. He reached out to them with his thoughts, and felt their grief.

He hesitated then, not wanting to add his own grief to theirs, and so burden them further. But helping them was preferable to reliving his parent's grim death again, and so he gently thought, May I sing for you?

Sing? they wondered. Why would we want to sing in our grief?

Please, I would like to sing a lullabye for your lost child.

Their tears started afresh, and so did his; in the listening silence of their minds, Lindo sang several lullabyes that his mother had sung over him as a child. He sang gently in their minds until he sensed that their grief had softened somewhat. He knew their grief would be bitter again, but for now, they were comforted just a little.

Then the three of them waited together for the sunrise, and took comfort in sharing the silence and stillness in their minds, even as the coarse laughter from the orc-camp grated in their ears.

[ August 16, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

08-12-2002, 01:14 PM	#497
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Lindo stirred in his sleep, dark dreams pressing down on him. His mother's and father's faces haunted him. During the long march, his father and mother lagged and fell behind; when he assisted one, the other straggled. While he had half carried his mother, an orc had speared his father; and as they turned to hold him as he died, the same orc had ruthlessly speared his mother. They had died in each others arms. Again and again, in his dreams the bloody scene played out, and again and again, Lindo woke, biting back tears, til finally he lay awake, afraid to sleep again. He stealthily raised himself partway up, and looked. The hobbit-camp was quiet, but there were sounds of carousing coming from the main orc-camp. Still, orc-guards were visible around the hobbits, and one had noticed him; he froze, and then slowly lay back down, after that moving only his eyes. The orc that was now watching him seemed none too steady; all the more reason for caution, he thought. If the orc was drunk, Lindo didn't want to be his evening's entertainment. The only motion from hobbits in the camp came from the mother and father of the little child who had been killed during the previous day's march. They sat quietly rocking as they wept. Their minds were open, partly because of their weariness, he thought. He wondered if he could reach them with Osanwe. He reached out to them with his thoughts, and felt their grief. He hesitated then, not wanting to add his own grief to theirs, and so burden them further. But helping them was preferable to reliving his parent's grim death again, and so he gently thought, May I sing for you? Sing? they wondered. Why would we want to sing in our grief? Please, I would like to sing a lullabye for your lost child. Their tears started afresh, and so did his; in the listening silence of their minds, Lindo sang several lullabyes that his mother had sung over him as a child. He sang gently in their minds until he sensed that their grief had softened somewhat. He knew their grief would be bitter again, but for now, they were comforted just a little. Then the three of them waited together for the sunrise, and took comfort in sharing the silence and stillness in their minds, even as the coarse laughter from the orc-camp grated in their ears. [ August 16, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ] __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.