New Journey

Author: Marina (taelle@yahoo.com)

Pairing: none for now

Rating: G

Dislaimers: This story uses characters and

universe belonging to J.R.R.Tolkien. They

characters are not used for profit. Please view my

story as a respectful comment on the work of a

beloved writer.

Series: sequel to First Song and Dinner Guest.

Warning/summary/notes: this story contains an OC,

and more than that, it's from the POV of that OC,

though a Tolkien character does figure in the

story. If the original content is unacceptable to

you, do not read any further.

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(Time and place indefinite)

Alder leaned back and looked at the bonfire. The

flame was steady and would certainly last all

night. It was time to rest — if he could.

Maglor was laying quietly a bit further from the

fire, but with the man's ability to keep still and

quiet Alder couldn't really say whether he was

sleeping. At least now, settled into Alder's

father's old bedroll and with the fire going, he

was sure to be warm. Alder didn't even want to

imagine how he got by before that.

Everything was quiet around them, so quiet that

Alder could distinguish the soft whisper of the

pines at their back, and much further along the

shore voices and snatches of music — probably a

dance at some village.

It wasn't Alder's first night out of home — even

not counting their fishing cruises. He went to the

fair that one time, and sometimes had all-night

parties and dances on the beach with other young

people from the village. But all these times there

was a lot of people around. Now he was alone with

Maglor.

Alder looked at Maglor again and decided that the

man was definitely asleep. Nobody could be that

still while awake. He should sleep too — it was a

long day, and Alder was tired, but Alder could not

manage to calm down. His brain continued churning

the events of the day.

Back in the morning he had woken in his own bed —

it was so long ago, it seemed to him now. He woke

up, and the first thing he remembered was Maglor's

presence. Alder jumped off the bed, joyfully

buoyed by this, and dressed hurriedly. Then,

though, he slowed down, unsure about bothering

Maglor first thing in the morning. But when he

entered the kitchen, their guest was there

already. Mother bustled around, preparing the

breakfast for all the family, and Maglor helped

her. For a moment Alder just stood there,

observing the contrast between mother's energetic

movements and Maglor's slow and deliberate ones.

His injury apparently put some restrictions on his

abilities but still he never dropped anything or

even made a single graceless movement.

And then mother saw Alder and called him in to

help, and he didn't have a free moment until the

whole family sat down for breakfast.

They ate and then they cleaned up and went on

their different business. There were chores that

Alder had to do, even though the strange festive

mood still stayed with him. He hesitated, but then

Maglor went to the yard with him and sat there

watching Alder work. The chores did not really

take that long, now that he could raise his head

any time he wanted and check that Maglor was still

here. Every time the man caught him looking, he

answered with a tiny smile. Alder wished Maglor

would sing, but did not dare to ask for it.

And then they went back into the house, for it was

almost time for dinner, and mother gave Maglor his

clothes, washed and mended. "Thank you, kind

lady," Maglor said softly, bowing his head.

Mother looked at him for a moment, then nodded.

"Will you stay for dinner?"

"If it won't be a problem," he said. "I'll be gone

afterwards."

Alder wanted to cry out, but there was a lump in

his throat that did not let him utter even one

sound. Maglor was leaving.

Perhaps he did utter some sound, for when they

were alone in the dining room, Maglor looked

straight at Alder with his strange eyes and said,

"I cannot stay, Alder."

"But why?" Alder suspected he sounded like a

petulant child, but somehow he did not care.

Maglor frowned. "I... it would be wrong. There's

no place for me anywhere, especiall here..."

Alder stared at him, dissatisfied with the answer

bur not knowing what else to say. Maglor sighed

and went to change into his own clothes.

The dinner after that felt much less cheerful than

the previous meals. Alder was restless and uneasy,

and his parents and siblings seemed to feel this.

The younger children hurried to eat and asked

immediately for the permission to leave. Father

tried to talk about the next cruise, but soon felt

silent. And then Maglor spoke.

The family already noticed that their guest spoke

rarely, so everybody turned to him. "I thank you

for your hospitality," Maglor said. "I will leave

after dinner, and I will remember you always with

gratitude."

Alder's parents answered with standard

well-wishing in his journey. Alder did not say

anything. His father glanced at him sharply, but

did not voice a reproach, only nodded to himself.

After the dinner mother went to the kitchen again,

declaring against Maglor's feeble protests that

she was going to pack some food for him to take on

the road. In the end he went after her meekly, and

Alder was left alone with his father.

For a moment both of them were silent, and then

Alder's father asked quietly, "You want to leave

with him, don't you?"

And suddenly Alder understood that that was

exactly what he wanted. Maglor was right, he could

not stay at the village, it wasn't his place — but

he showed something to Alder, and now the boy knew

that he had to leave home too.

"I..." he started to talk hesitantly, "I know I

have to help you, and I love fishing, honestly, I

do, but..." The boy took a deep breath. "I just

never knew. Not even when we went to the fair, and

now..." Alder had no right words to explain why

his own village suddenly seemed too small, but he

had to try. "Now I know that there's something

else in the world. It is bad to wish for more than

my own home, but I can't stop feeling it. Feeling

the call."

"I know," his father answered gently. "Maybe I

always knew that a song will call you away..." The

man sighed and for a moment embraced his son

tightly, then stepped aside and looked at the boy

seriously. "I have helpers enough. You are almost

a man already, Alder, and no man should be tied

down when his destiny calls. Go, son. Go where you

need to go, but never forget your home."

"I..." Now it was even more difficult to speak,

but Alder swallowed and went on bravely. "Thank

you, father! I love you all, and I'll be back, I

promise..."

His father smiled and said "I love you too, son.

Now let's go tell your mother and your friend that

you'll be leaving with him, and then we have to

prepare you for the journey."

And so they went. Alder explained his decision

hesitantly, looking at Maglor, as if apologizing

for intrusion. After all, he never asked — maybe

Maglor was tired of him, of them all already, and

*that*'s why he decided to leave quickly. So his

mother's reaction caught him totally unprepared.

"Why on earth would you want to leave?" she asked

in surprise and disbelief. "Your home is here, you

don't need to go anywhere!" She turned to Maglor,

suddenly enraged. "It's all your doing! You've

bewitched him somehow! We all were fine until you

appeared!"

Maglor stumbled backwards, his face white. "I'd

better go now," he whispered.

Alder's father stepped closer to his wife. "Now,

now, Mora," he said, hugging her. "Let the boy be.

He's growing up, it's normal for him to go into

the world to seek his destiny..."

"His life's here with us!" his mother exclaimed

and began to cry in earnest. Alder knew he had to

talk to her, but first he needed to stop Maglor.

"Don't go, please," he said entreatingly. "It's

not your fault, Maglor, don't go..." He caught the

man's shoulder and squeezed it slightly, trying to

project reassurance.

"I brought discord into your family," Maglor said

tonelessly, looking straight ahead as if not

really seeing Alder.



"No, you didn't!" Alder said decisively. "Mother,

father? Tell him! Tell Maglor he did not do

anything wrong!"

"I don't want you to go!" his mother sniffed.

"But he would've gone anyway," father told her

quietly, and then looked at their guest. "Do not

worry, friend Maglor. You did not make us do

anything we wouldn't do on our own."

Maglor still looked a little worried, but father

said, "Now, I wouldn't want the boy to go on his

own, so would you please look after him for us?".

And then mother started to pack even more food and

give them both instructions about keeping clothes

dry, and drinking only fresh water, and gods know

what else. Alder did not take his eyes off

Maglor's face. Finally he saw the man smile

slightly and sighed in relief.

They left in the early evening, after the whole

family and friends came in for tea and to say good

bye to Alder. Maglor sat quietly in the corner of

the dining room and watched. Alder almost lost

hope to ever get out from all this hustle and

bustle. From time to time he looked on to check

whether the man was still here, and Maglor's quiet

smile reminded him that an adventure waited for

him.

Finally when Lyta the sailmaker's daughter kissed

him, Alder had enough. He found his father and

told him it was time to go, and soon all the

guests left. The family stood on the porch to say

the last good-bye. Father hugged Alder briefly and

then let mother kiss him all she wanted. When

Alder looked again, he saw that father was shaking

Maglor's crippled hand carefully.

The twins went with them till the last house. They

chattered incessantly about where *they* would go

when they were grown up. Alder looked at Maglor

and noticed that the man was humming quietly. That

made the boy grin so widely that even the twins

noticed.

Finally the younger boys had to turn home. Alder

promised for the last time to come back with

presents, and then they went along the shore,

leaving the village at their back.

They went ahead in silence, comfortable with each

other. At one moment Alder said, "Are you going

anywhere in particular?"

Maglor shook his head, and Alder grinned. "That's

okay anyway," he said, and Maglor smiled in

answer.

Leaving so late they could not travel far this

day, and when they stopped for the night it was in

a place Alder saw before. He supposed it was okay

— nothing too strange for the first day. Alder

started the fire, glancing doubtfully at his

companion. He still did not know how Maglor burned

his hands. Could he be afraid of fire? But the man

did not protest, and Alder went on.

"What were you humming back in the village?" he

asked when they finished their supper.

"Just an old song," Maglor said. "Your brothers

reminded me of it somehow."

"Will you sing it to me?" Alder asked hesitantly.

Maglor closed his eyes. "Tomorrow, maybe..." he

said quietly.

"Good night, then," Alder said.

"Good night, Alder."

Then they fell silent. Maglor seemed to fall

asleep, but Alder was too excited to sleep, and so

he lay thinking about his day.

It was a good day, he decided finally, and

tomorrow will be better. And maybe Maglor will

sing him a song. Alder closed his eyes and fell

asleep.

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The end for now

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