Chapter Thirteen: Carisil Speaks
I redrew my knife and stood up, breaking Carisil's gaze and turning to the fire, "Awake Exiles of Númenor!" I cried, "Awake, we must move!"
My step was quick as I moved around the fire, rousing the men. They looked at me in confusion as I doused the fire and woke their friends. When questioned my response was quick.
"We have to move and we have to move now." I said. They saw the seriousness in my actions and quickly packed up.
"Come with me Carisil." I took the boy's hand; looking out behind him I could see the torches of the Wild Men in the distance, there were at least twice as many of them as of us. Carisil turn and saw them too.
"Don't let them get me!" Carisil said, speaking in the harsh tongue of Man, "I don't want to go back there."
"They will not get you." I responded, "I so swear it."
I led the band away from the thicket, but there was a full moon and the land was bare. The Wild men saw us move, and they quickened their pace. By morning the men in our band were exhausted and the injured Carisil was nearing collapse. The sun came up in our face and we could see the Fords, but the men were no more then twenty-five yards behind us. These wild men were hardy and the Númenóreans were weakened from their journey. They would overtake us if I veered off course.
"The last stretch of our journey is before us!" I cried, "Run now and meet the Ford!"
With that I picked up Carisil, and holding him tightly in my arms the Exiles and I ran for the Fords. Behind us the yells of the Dunlendings grew louder and fiercer as they too began to run. Ten meters before the Ford, with the Wild Men right on our heels I tripped under the burden of the unconscious child. Fearing my capture I started to stand up when I saw a hand, thrust out towards the child.
"Let me take him." The newcomer said, I looked up and saw none other then the mighty Lord Glorfindel standing beside me. I nodded and climbed to my feet. Glorfindel picked up Carisil and ran with him as far as the Ford. We crossed in the shallow waters and came to a long line of Elven archers. The men, upon seeing them, turned and fled.
***
"I will not ask how or why you came to arrive before us friend." I said as we walked along the corridors of Imladris several hours later, "but I am very glad of your assistance."
Glorfindel smiled, "I would have followed closer but you make your paths quite untraceable."
I smiled and stepped out of the hallway onto an open arch that stretched between two rooms of the House. I ran my hands along the rail that stretched from room to room on either side of me. Looking over the edge, I could see a fast flowing stream, some thirty feet below. I saw two small children playing beside it, but as my gaze returned to the room ahead, my smile faded as I saw those assembled.
Standing in the simple room were Lord Elrond, and his lords, Elendil and to my dismay, King Gil-galad. I stopped walking; not wanting to face the mighty king, but Glorfindel behind me placed a hand on my shoulder and I stepped over the threshold.
At one side of the room sat a majestic bed, most of it was blocked from view but I knew that which it held. I walked towards those assembled and they parted to allow me to pass.
Lying on his back with his eyes closed was Carisil. As I sat down beside him, he opened his eyes and looked at me.
"Thank you," He mumbled, "You kept your promise."
I nodded, "Carisil," I said slowly in common tongue, "This is Lord Elrond of Rivendell, and King Gil-galad of the Noldor, The man beside them is Elendil of Númenor. These Elves are lords of Elrond's house. Lord Glorfindel assisted in our escape from the Wild Men."
"And what is your name?" Carisil asked, "What shall I call you?"
"I am Lhunrothien of Mithlond." I responded. "We would like you to tell us how you came to Dunland, and how you escaped. You may speak in whichever tongue you choose."
To my surprise, Carisil answered in Sindarin. "My father was Dínthoron of Eregion and my mother was Tanhisiel of Harlond. I was captured fifty years ago while we journeyed from our home in the north of the Misty Mountains to my mother's family in the Havens. The Dunlendings took my father and I and we were their slaves, beaten and broken at their bidding. My mother was taken by their leader as his wife. She was raped and tortured until she finally broke and died. When my father caught wind of how they had treated my mother, he went into a rage and slew half of the leader's house before they cut him down. They trusted that I had been broken and would not flee, but a year after my parents' deaths they left me unguarded and unbound and I flew."
A lone tear trickled down Carisil's face, he winced as it passed over the scrape on his cheek but he continued bravely, "My-my father had told me he lived in Hollin until it was sacked, but he would never tell me why or how he had survived the assault. He would only tell me that he was sent away to the Nomad Elves in the north some one hundred years after his infant sister was sent west. He said his father wished for his kin to be scattered so they might be unreachable to the eyes of the Deceiver. My mother's family was shipwrights, thought their names escape me of late."
At these words Elrond took a step forward. I exchanged a glance with Glorfindel who looked as confused as I did. I carefully avoided the King's eyes.
"Carisil, you have been very brave during this time," Elrond said, "And in a moment you will be allowed to rest, but I must ask you one more question, did your father ever tell you his mother's or his sister's name?"
"So very long ago." Carisil sighed, "he spoke of his mother Tarahawen but he could not say his sister's name. He simply called her Lhun, though he referred to her often."
I heard a sharp intake of breath from one of the Lords behind me. My head spun. This boy's grandmother was Tarahawen? That would mean.I had a brother, but why wasn't I told?
I redrew my knife and stood up, breaking Carisil's gaze and turning to the fire, "Awake Exiles of Númenor!" I cried, "Awake, we must move!"
My step was quick as I moved around the fire, rousing the men. They looked at me in confusion as I doused the fire and woke their friends. When questioned my response was quick.
"We have to move and we have to move now." I said. They saw the seriousness in my actions and quickly packed up.
"Come with me Carisil." I took the boy's hand; looking out behind him I could see the torches of the Wild Men in the distance, there were at least twice as many of them as of us. Carisil turn and saw them too.
"Don't let them get me!" Carisil said, speaking in the harsh tongue of Man, "I don't want to go back there."
"They will not get you." I responded, "I so swear it."
I led the band away from the thicket, but there was a full moon and the land was bare. The Wild men saw us move, and they quickened their pace. By morning the men in our band were exhausted and the injured Carisil was nearing collapse. The sun came up in our face and we could see the Fords, but the men were no more then twenty-five yards behind us. These wild men were hardy and the Númenóreans were weakened from their journey. They would overtake us if I veered off course.
"The last stretch of our journey is before us!" I cried, "Run now and meet the Ford!"
With that I picked up Carisil, and holding him tightly in my arms the Exiles and I ran for the Fords. Behind us the yells of the Dunlendings grew louder and fiercer as they too began to run. Ten meters before the Ford, with the Wild Men right on our heels I tripped under the burden of the unconscious child. Fearing my capture I started to stand up when I saw a hand, thrust out towards the child.
"Let me take him." The newcomer said, I looked up and saw none other then the mighty Lord Glorfindel standing beside me. I nodded and climbed to my feet. Glorfindel picked up Carisil and ran with him as far as the Ford. We crossed in the shallow waters and came to a long line of Elven archers. The men, upon seeing them, turned and fled.
***
"I will not ask how or why you came to arrive before us friend." I said as we walked along the corridors of Imladris several hours later, "but I am very glad of your assistance."
Glorfindel smiled, "I would have followed closer but you make your paths quite untraceable."
I smiled and stepped out of the hallway onto an open arch that stretched between two rooms of the House. I ran my hands along the rail that stretched from room to room on either side of me. Looking over the edge, I could see a fast flowing stream, some thirty feet below. I saw two small children playing beside it, but as my gaze returned to the room ahead, my smile faded as I saw those assembled.
Standing in the simple room were Lord Elrond, and his lords, Elendil and to my dismay, King Gil-galad. I stopped walking; not wanting to face the mighty king, but Glorfindel behind me placed a hand on my shoulder and I stepped over the threshold.
At one side of the room sat a majestic bed, most of it was blocked from view but I knew that which it held. I walked towards those assembled and they parted to allow me to pass.
Lying on his back with his eyes closed was Carisil. As I sat down beside him, he opened his eyes and looked at me.
"Thank you," He mumbled, "You kept your promise."
I nodded, "Carisil," I said slowly in common tongue, "This is Lord Elrond of Rivendell, and King Gil-galad of the Noldor, The man beside them is Elendil of Númenor. These Elves are lords of Elrond's house. Lord Glorfindel assisted in our escape from the Wild Men."
"And what is your name?" Carisil asked, "What shall I call you?"
"I am Lhunrothien of Mithlond." I responded. "We would like you to tell us how you came to Dunland, and how you escaped. You may speak in whichever tongue you choose."
To my surprise, Carisil answered in Sindarin. "My father was Dínthoron of Eregion and my mother was Tanhisiel of Harlond. I was captured fifty years ago while we journeyed from our home in the north of the Misty Mountains to my mother's family in the Havens. The Dunlendings took my father and I and we were their slaves, beaten and broken at their bidding. My mother was taken by their leader as his wife. She was raped and tortured until she finally broke and died. When my father caught wind of how they had treated my mother, he went into a rage and slew half of the leader's house before they cut him down. They trusted that I had been broken and would not flee, but a year after my parents' deaths they left me unguarded and unbound and I flew."
A lone tear trickled down Carisil's face, he winced as it passed over the scrape on his cheek but he continued bravely, "My-my father had told me he lived in Hollin until it was sacked, but he would never tell me why or how he had survived the assault. He would only tell me that he was sent away to the Nomad Elves in the north some one hundred years after his infant sister was sent west. He said his father wished for his kin to be scattered so they might be unreachable to the eyes of the Deceiver. My mother's family was shipwrights, thought their names escape me of late."
At these words Elrond took a step forward. I exchanged a glance with Glorfindel who looked as confused as I did. I carefully avoided the King's eyes.
"Carisil, you have been very brave during this time," Elrond said, "And in a moment you will be allowed to rest, but I must ask you one more question, did your father ever tell you his mother's or his sister's name?"
"So very long ago." Carisil sighed, "he spoke of his mother Tarahawen but he could not say his sister's name. He simply called her Lhun, though he referred to her often."
I heard a sharp intake of breath from one of the Lords behind me. My head spun. This boy's grandmother was Tarahawen? That would mean.I had a brother, but why wasn't I told?