Got this prompt for teamedain's party: "Hello! I hear you're taking prompts for the Edain Party. Can I request something about Hurin and Huor's first sight of the Hidden City?"
After three days and three nights on the eagle's back, Hurin could see something besides treetops and plains. They were reaching some mountains, but that wasn't what had caught his attention; they had seen mountaintops earlier. What caught his attention was that these mountains seemed to have stars sparkling on their tops with a clean, white light, so different from the colors of the sunrise, and yet they made him feel as happy as any sunrise could.
The fair-haired man turned around to check on his brother. Huor was scared of flying-who wouldn't be? It was not a normal thing for Men to fly. The skies belonged to the birds and the earth to the Elves and the Dwarves. However, Huor seemed better than before. The lights had gotten his attention.
What are those lights? wondered Hurin, but he was sure he would learn soon enough. It was clear to him now that the Eagles were flying towards the bright lights. For a moment he thought that maybe it was a trap, that the Eagles would betray them to Morgoth, but his heart said otherwise. No lights so beautiful, and pure can be the work of the foe, he thought, and somehow he knew he was correct.
As they approached their destination he saw that the lights were not lights, exactly, but rather the reflection of the sunlight on white towers. His wonder grew as they came closer to what was clearly a city. He had never heard of this city, but it was the most beautiful settlement he had ever laid eyes upon. He heard bells ringing, and saw Elven ladies caring for colorful flowers on balconies of white and black and pink marble. He started counting fountains, but soon he lost count; he started counting statues and again he lost count. Instead, he observed the Elves. They seemed as beautiful and wise as all their kin, but there was something different about them. They seemed more carefree than the rest of their race, like they had never been touched by war-maybe that was the case.
"Where are we, brother?" Hurin heard his younger brother's voice echoing nearby. "I have never heard of this city, which is unfortunate. I would have liked to live here".
"As always, you mirror my thoughts. Alas, I too not know where we are. But look, we are about to land. Surely, we will find out more soon enough," said Hurin. The eagles were almost touching the ground. A large crowd of Elves was closing in on them, curious eyes watching them carefully. I suppose they don't have many visitors coming that way, except for the birds.
Finally they landed in a huge courtyard. He could smell a lot of different flowers in the air; some of them he recognized, some of them not. He saw two large fountains on his left and on his right, and the courtyard was enclosed by a thousand tall white columns.
"I feel so small here… even though I don't know where we are," Huor whispered into his ear, and Hurin nodded in agreement.
"Me, too, but I don't feel afraid. Something in my heart tells me that we are safer than we ever were or will be in our whole lives. But look! Someone is coming, I think that we will soon learn the name of the place as well as the name of its king". The tall, dark haired elf could only be the king. It wasn't the garments or the jewels that he wore, nor the fact but he had conferred with the eagles before their departures, but his posture and stature that marked him as such. Hurin was sure since the first moment he saw him that he would love him and obey him as he should his king, and by the look on the face of his brother, he was sure that Huor shared the same thoughts.