As always, I own nothing, except, the protagonist, his wife, and his brother. The rest is Tolkien's, and we must all thank him for coming up with it. The story takes place just before the start of the War of the Ring. Please read and review. Thanks
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Whisper in the Darkness
I
I looked down from my front door at the plains. A low fog covered most of it, making it seem as if the bluff upon which I built my house was hovering above the clouds. If I gazed out to the west on a clear day, I could see all the way across the grasslands to the great Anduin. Beyond that lay Ithilien, the empty land, and even farther in the distance were the Ephel Duath, the Mountains of Shadow, which guarded the Black-land, Mordor. If I looked to the South, I could see the spires of Minas Tirith rising majestically above the horizon as if in defiance of the terrible afflictions the land of Gondor received from Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor, and his army of darkness.
But these hazards did not concern me. In fact, I had taken measures not to involve myself with the plight of Gondor. I preferred the quiet, simple life of farming to politics or war, quite unlike my brother, Earendur, who was a member of the tower guard in Minas Tirith. There was a time when I would have loved to defend my homeland from vile creatures, but things had changed. I had met the woman I wanted to live out the remainder of my days with, and she was my only concern now.
After discovering that there was nothing to see that night due to the fog, I turned and went back inside. My wife Lynna was sitting by the fire, reading quietly. I studied her features as she was resting there, as I often enjoyed doing. She let her chestnut hair hang down around her delicate shoulders. She had a pale complexion which made her look even more dainty than she really was. Her eyes were a deep brown, and they gave her a very soft gaze. Her body was slender, but not in an unhealthy way. She wore a plain colored, homespun dress. Her whole form appeared angelic to me. When she spoke, she had the sweetest voice in which I could hear the laughter of the children we would one day have together. However, her beauty, although great, was ultimately overcome by her wit and intelligence, and most of all, by her love for her me.
My appearance was less striking than that of my wife. I also wore plain colored garments, the type most suitable for the grain farming that was my livelihood. I had very dark hair, which I kept short, unlike many men I knew. I also had begun to grow a beard. My boots, hands, and face were covered with dust, as they usually were after a day's toil in the fields. On my belt, I carried a sickle for harvesting grain, and in his hand he held a scythe for the same purpose.
I hung my tools up on the wall, and joined Lynna by the fire. She immediately looked up from her reading, and we began to converse about the days events. Shortly thereafter, Lynna rose to prepare dinner for the two of us. Our dwelling was small and sparsely decorated, and it contained very few fine adornments. Above the fire hung my most prized possession, my great-grandfather's war sword which had been carried into battle against the fearsome orcs of Mordor. Lynna's only luxuries were two mithril goblets, enscribed with runes, and adorned with various gemstones. These she had received on our wedding day, and she cherished them greatly.
I loved my wife greatly. She was everything to me. I can't believe that I forgot that. If only I had though more about my love for her, and what she would have wanted me to do, perhaps things would have turned out differently. If only I hadn't been corrupted by revenge. If only...
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Whisper in the Darkness
I
I looked down from my front door at the plains. A low fog covered most of it, making it seem as if the bluff upon which I built my house was hovering above the clouds. If I gazed out to the west on a clear day, I could see all the way across the grasslands to the great Anduin. Beyond that lay Ithilien, the empty land, and even farther in the distance were the Ephel Duath, the Mountains of Shadow, which guarded the Black-land, Mordor. If I looked to the South, I could see the spires of Minas Tirith rising majestically above the horizon as if in defiance of the terrible afflictions the land of Gondor received from Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor, and his army of darkness.
But these hazards did not concern me. In fact, I had taken measures not to involve myself with the plight of Gondor. I preferred the quiet, simple life of farming to politics or war, quite unlike my brother, Earendur, who was a member of the tower guard in Minas Tirith. There was a time when I would have loved to defend my homeland from vile creatures, but things had changed. I had met the woman I wanted to live out the remainder of my days with, and she was my only concern now.
After discovering that there was nothing to see that night due to the fog, I turned and went back inside. My wife Lynna was sitting by the fire, reading quietly. I studied her features as she was resting there, as I often enjoyed doing. She let her chestnut hair hang down around her delicate shoulders. She had a pale complexion which made her look even more dainty than she really was. Her eyes were a deep brown, and they gave her a very soft gaze. Her body was slender, but not in an unhealthy way. She wore a plain colored, homespun dress. Her whole form appeared angelic to me. When she spoke, she had the sweetest voice in which I could hear the laughter of the children we would one day have together. However, her beauty, although great, was ultimately overcome by her wit and intelligence, and most of all, by her love for her me.
My appearance was less striking than that of my wife. I also wore plain colored garments, the type most suitable for the grain farming that was my livelihood. I had very dark hair, which I kept short, unlike many men I knew. I also had begun to grow a beard. My boots, hands, and face were covered with dust, as they usually were after a day's toil in the fields. On my belt, I carried a sickle for harvesting grain, and in his hand he held a scythe for the same purpose.
I hung my tools up on the wall, and joined Lynna by the fire. She immediately looked up from her reading, and we began to converse about the days events. Shortly thereafter, Lynna rose to prepare dinner for the two of us. Our dwelling was small and sparsely decorated, and it contained very few fine adornments. Above the fire hung my most prized possession, my great-grandfather's war sword which had been carried into battle against the fearsome orcs of Mordor. Lynna's only luxuries were two mithril goblets, enscribed with runes, and adorned with various gemstones. These she had received on our wedding day, and she cherished them greatly.
I loved my wife greatly. She was everything to me. I can't believe that I forgot that. If only I had though more about my love for her, and what she would have wanted me to do, perhaps things would have turned out differently. If only I hadn't been corrupted by revenge. If only...