Day 2 :

Maglor :

He never stayed more than a week in the same place, constantly moving like water which travels without ever stopping. Over the centuries, he had seen the world changed, both in form and appearance, and he had met people just as different from each other. He had met saint and wise person, fighter and scholar, ignorant and idiot, assassin and murderer ... He had spoken and taught something to each of them and in return, they had spoken and taught him something else. He remembered each of these meetings, whether they were good or bad.

But the first one remained forever in his memory ...

He walked slowly, feet bruised by his long walks without a break. His clothes weren't more than rags, standing by some miracle, and bleached by the sun. His hair, black in the past, were only a whitish mass. His blue eyes were empty of life and looked without seeing the world around him. Suddenly he toppled forward and fell into darkness.

When he woke up, he didn't see the sand like every time he fainted. Instead, he saw wooden beams supporting a floor. Getting up slowly, he discovered a small room where a fireplace was broadcasting a gentle heat. The furnishings were simple but they possessed a small discreet charm. The bed where he lay was covered in several thick blankets presenting embroidery relatively simplistic, but pleasant to the eye. A window near the bed informed him that it was dark.

Getting free slowly from the covers, he left the comfort of his bed to resume his way. However, when his foot landed on the carpet, the door to the room opened and a man of strong stature came in.

- Oh ! You're awake ! Exclaimed the man, a huge smile devouring his face, This is going to make more than three days you sleep, we began to worry, my wife and myself! I'm called Bern, and you my friend? Asked Bern, his brown eyes sparkling with life, before frowning when he didn't answer, Can you speak ? What I'm saying, it must be days that you didn't drink drinking, of course you have difficulty to speaking, he muttered, don't move, I'll get you some water and eat.

And just as quickly as it had appeared, Bern disappeared. The elf remained motionless for a moment, still under the shock from this flood of words, before trying again to get up. But again, Bern arrived with a pitcher, and accompanied by a woman with black hair holding a tray.

- Hello. Bern told me that you had difficulty to speak, so I brought you a herb tea of sage, lemon, ginger, cinnamon, mint and chamomile, as well a little soup and a pitcher of water for the night. If you ever need anything, please come get me. In the day, I'm either in the kitchen or in the garden and Bern is in his workshop, a building just next to the house, so you can hardly missed him, especially with all the noise he makes. Oh ! I'm Lúviel by the way. We will let you rest. Good night ! Continue the woman named Lúviel without resuming once her breath during her whole tirade.

And the couple disappeared again, leaving the elf with a bowl in one hand and a cup of tea in the other one. It was at this moment he noticed that his left hand was bandaged and he was wearing clothes worthy of this naming, but also that his hair had been cut. Hesitantly, he put the cup on the bedside table and carried the bowl to his lips.

Lúviel opened quietly the door and penetrated on tiptoe into the room. The elf was asleep eyes closed, evidence of fatigue, and his pale face was marked by dark circles and hunger even after having spent the week staying in bed and be pulled out by her or her husband. On the bedside table was a cup half empty and a barely consumed bowl of soup, which drew her a pout. She took the dishes, taking care to make no noise to wake their guest, and just as quietly left the room.

- So ? Asked her husband.

- He barely touched the soup ...

- I'm going continue to watch him. Make something light for him, he can't remain so long with an empty stomach.

- I wonder if ... She began after a pause.

- Give him time. He will eventually tell us himself, he murmured, kissing his wife who happily left again to the kitchen after acquired.

He listened for a time his wife bustled in the kitchen, then he concentrated again on their old guest whose restless sleep indicated an imminent awakening. With a leisurely pace, he went to the bathroom, great deal of ingenuity of the dwarfs, and ran a bath. Just as slowly, he returned to the room of their guest and gave a few knocks on the door before entering.

The elf was sitting on the bed, his back against the wall, distraught and pale face, wide and agitated eyes and restless and labored breathing, fixing the door as if he expected to be attacked. Keeping a smile, Bern slowly approached him, taking care to make no sudden movements and letting his hands in sight to not cause more violent reactions from their guest.

- There is a hot bath waiting for you. Come, he said kindly and gently grasping the hands of the elf, who followed him without resistance, still lost in the throes of the nightmare.

Once in the bathroom, he helped their guest to undress and to go in the bath. Little by little, the elf seemed to regain his senses. WhenBern decreed him sufficiently awake, he helped him to wash, then to dry off and to get dressed. Once all this was done, he took their guest in the kitchen, where a new cup of tea and an apple was waiting for him on the table. With a smile, Lúviel invited him to sit down and to begin to eat while she was serving her husband. When she was about to sit down, she noticed that the bandage on his left hand of the elf was about to come undone and thus left to get bandages to redo it. Seizing gently the hand of their guest, she removed the bandage and began to make a new one.

- Why…? Asked the elf, his voice hoarse from lack of use.

- I could give you an answer, but it probably will not be the one that you hope, she replied softly without leaving her work of her eyes.

- Why did you help me?

- Why not ?

- Because I don't deserve it, he blew, eyes haunted, I have committed many crimes, too important to be forgiven! Even my death can't buy back half of the offenses that I have caused! He yelled before his voice broke into a sob that he tried to choke.

Calmly, Lúviel took him in her arms, as we would take a child frightened by the thunder to comfort him, and began rocked him, before whispering in his ear: "I forgive you.". Then he snapped, releasing for the first time all his tears he had held over the centuries, screaming his sadness for his destroyed family , his dead brothers and all these lost and destroyed lives...

It's with a smile that he remembered that day when he could finally begin to heal. It's with a laugh that he remembered the long months passed with Lúviel and Bern, both acting like mother hens. It's with a touch of sadness that he remembered the day he left. And today, it was with a free and light heart that he went towards the sea.

Sitting on the edge of the cliff, he grabs his harp, present of his father's whom Bern had repaired, and sang for the first time since he had thrown his silmaril into the sea. The music of his harp was sweet as his innocent young years spent in Valinor with his family, before taking a darker tone, a sign of the influence of false words of Morgoth on his father over the years. It was filled with lamentation when he sang the Kinslaying Alqualondë, the Doom of Mandos, the abandonment of Fingolfin and his followers in the Helcaraxë and the death of his father. He didn't conceal any of his actions during his long centuries he had lived in Middle-earth, singing the Kinslaying of Doriath and of the Havens of Sirion. Then his music took a new note of hope when he sang these years when he took care of the twins Elrond and Elros. But soon came the darkness again in his song when he told the theft of the Silmarils with his last brother alive, who didn't stay after this action. He spoke of his long years of wandering to sing his pain on the coast until his voice broke of fatigue. And suddenly, his singing resounded with life when he sang his meeting with Bern and Lúviel and all the other people he met thereafter. Whereas his music drew to an end, he heard the sea, silent, waiting.

Then he stood up and said:

- For a long time I carried the weight of the sins of others, without ever relieved my burden. Today I'm free from this chain because I was forgiven, but especially because I was finally able to forgive muself. I am Kanafinwë Makalaurë Maglor, second son of Fëanor Curufinwë and Nerdanel, brother of six other as brave and loyal as stupid and father of heart of Elros Tar-Minyatur and Elrond Peredhil!

At the same time he pronounced his words, the sea gave way to her joy and soon, a white bird flew for his last trip.

See you soon !