II
It was late summer and my brother, Earendur, had requested my help. He had recently purchased a new house in Minas Tirith, and he needed me to assist him with bringing his possessions to his new place of residence. I left early in the morning. Lynna had woken up before me. She had already prepared my things for my journey. I thanked her with a kiss on the cheek. I looked back into her soft brown eyes as I walked out the door. I should have looked longer.
As I rode away from the bluff, I heard a low rumbling noise in the distance. I thought perhaps it was thunder. I turned to look and I saw a red flash behind the Ephel Duath. The volcano was erupting again. I remember thinking that even if something was going on in Mordor, it was not my problem. Besides, I was after all under the protection of Gondor. Surely no harm could come to me.
I arrived in the White City not long after. I met my brother at his old home. We loaded all of his possessions into three carts. We followed the carts on horse-back and proceeded to unload his possessions. The work was tedious, but I was happy to help. Afterwards we paid the cart drivers, retired to a tavern and had a few pints of ale. When we were finished enjoying ourselves, I invited my brother back to my house for dinner. Earendur agreed. He really enjoyed Lynna's cooking. Plus he knew I had a few bottles of our father's whiskey I needed to crack open.
We rode back along the path to my house at a leisurely pace. All of a sudden, we heard a terrible shriek. It was not that of a man nor woman. To me it sounded more like that of a predatory bird. I turned to Earendur and asked if he knew what it was. He did not recognize it either. My home was just a few dozen yards in the distance.
Then we heard another shriek from the direction of my house. This one was human. I thought of my wife and fear came over me. We rode faster until we came to the top of the bluff. Then I beheld a sight that killed all hope in me. I saw several dark figures on horseback riding into the distance. I turned to look at my home. The door was broken down and I could see through the windows that a struggle had taken place. For a brief moment I thought about giving chase to the vandals who had fled my home, but I decided to jump of my horse and make sure Lynna was alright. My brother followed me.
I entered my home and I saw the most terrible sight any husband can ever see. My wife was lying wounded on the floor. I rushed over to her side. She was bleeding from a wound in her abdomen. I tried in vain to stop the bleeding. She just kept slipping away. There was nothing I nor my brothers healing skills could do. She reached her hand up to touch my face and with her final remainder of strength, she whispered her love to me. Then she faded away completely and was gone.
That moment everything inside me died. My hopes. My dreams. My past and future. All of them gone in one instance. Forever. From that moment on I felt no love. No compassion for my fellow man. Nothing mattered. My soul had met its downfall. I only felt cold. A deep cold that ran to the core of my being. Like an infectious disease that reached inside and damaged me beyond repair. I had this sickness for the rest of my life.
It was late summer and my brother, Earendur, had requested my help. He had recently purchased a new house in Minas Tirith, and he needed me to assist him with bringing his possessions to his new place of residence. I left early in the morning. Lynna had woken up before me. She had already prepared my things for my journey. I thanked her with a kiss on the cheek. I looked back into her soft brown eyes as I walked out the door. I should have looked longer.
As I rode away from the bluff, I heard a low rumbling noise in the distance. I thought perhaps it was thunder. I turned to look and I saw a red flash behind the Ephel Duath. The volcano was erupting again. I remember thinking that even if something was going on in Mordor, it was not my problem. Besides, I was after all under the protection of Gondor. Surely no harm could come to me.
I arrived in the White City not long after. I met my brother at his old home. We loaded all of his possessions into three carts. We followed the carts on horse-back and proceeded to unload his possessions. The work was tedious, but I was happy to help. Afterwards we paid the cart drivers, retired to a tavern and had a few pints of ale. When we were finished enjoying ourselves, I invited my brother back to my house for dinner. Earendur agreed. He really enjoyed Lynna's cooking. Plus he knew I had a few bottles of our father's whiskey I needed to crack open.
We rode back along the path to my house at a leisurely pace. All of a sudden, we heard a terrible shriek. It was not that of a man nor woman. To me it sounded more like that of a predatory bird. I turned to Earendur and asked if he knew what it was. He did not recognize it either. My home was just a few dozen yards in the distance.
Then we heard another shriek from the direction of my house. This one was human. I thought of my wife and fear came over me. We rode faster until we came to the top of the bluff. Then I beheld a sight that killed all hope in me. I saw several dark figures on horseback riding into the distance. I turned to look at my home. The door was broken down and I could see through the windows that a struggle had taken place. For a brief moment I thought about giving chase to the vandals who had fled my home, but I decided to jump of my horse and make sure Lynna was alright. My brother followed me.
I entered my home and I saw the most terrible sight any husband can ever see. My wife was lying wounded on the floor. I rushed over to her side. She was bleeding from a wound in her abdomen. I tried in vain to stop the bleeding. She just kept slipping away. There was nothing I nor my brothers healing skills could do. She reached her hand up to touch my face and with her final remainder of strength, she whispered her love to me. Then she faded away completely and was gone.
That moment everything inside me died. My hopes. My dreams. My past and future. All of them gone in one instance. Forever. From that moment on I felt no love. No compassion for my fellow man. Nothing mattered. My soul had met its downfall. I only felt cold. A deep cold that ran to the core of my being. Like an infectious disease that reached inside and damaged me beyond repair. I had this sickness for the rest of my life.