Title: Brothers!
Author: simon22cat
Rating: G
Characters: Brothers Three of Lorien / OC Elves / OCC (Original Canine Character)
Disclaimer: The events and characters represented in this story come from J .R. R. Tolkien and his brilliant mind. I am only borrowing them for a short while and will return them in the same condition I found them in. This is an entirely for fun and a non-profit endeavor on my part.
Summary: Poor Rumil, to have brothers such as these.
Brothers!
Rumil shifted ever so slightly on his perch high above the forest floor. The Warden, ever vigilant and watchful, was watching for any sign of Orc. His brothers had told him to be wary; for a large troop of Orcs were roaming the countryside. Dark and twisted, these foul creatures were the servants of Sauron.
Many an hour had Rumil sat in his tree and yet not one sign of Orc had he seen. He was starting to get tired and hungry. To make matters worse, lightening streaked across the early evening sky, bringing a promise of rain. He was ready to return to his talan. But that was not an option; he was a Warden and Warden's did not complain about small things like hunger or the rain.
For all of his days, Rumil had wanted to be a Warden...to be like his ada. To be renowned for his feats of strength and valor on the battlefield.
But right now he had to survive the rain and the cold.
Two adolescent Elves rested under the boughs of one of the silvery barked mallorn trees. Both had their eyes trained toward the upper most canopy of the forest, watching a small Elfling.
"When do you think he will give up?" Orophin asked his elder brother.
"I hope it is soon. I for one am ready to return home," Haldir replied, looking towards the darkening sky.
"As am I," Orophin replied, "but he is a stubborn Elfling."
Haldir made a sound that was most unbecoming to an Elf, regardless of their age, before answering. "Rumil has been up there for hours. If he does not come down soon I will personally knock him from his perch."
"I do not think adar or naneth would be very pleased if you did that. Not to mention how Rumil would feel." Orophin replied as he laughed.
Haldir took a swing at his brother but the younger Elf was to quick. Still laughing, Orophin scooted out of the reach of his brother.
"Come on Orc-for-brains; let us return home for the evening meal," Orophin said. "If he is still up there when we return, we will deal with it then."
Haldir started to answer when Orophin held up his hand.
"I meant without resorting to violence towards our little brother."
Rumil knew that his two brothers were there, watching. He knew when they left. He was glad they had left. Now he could show them that he could do this. Biting back a whimper as lightening streaked across the darkening sky, the Elfling shifted slightly on his perch, high above the forest floor.
Rain began to fall as the wind increased.
Haldir looked over his bowl of stew at Orophin. The rain had been falling for a while and there still was no sign of their younger brother. Haldir was starting to worry. He had figured on Rumil giving up once the rain had started but that was not the case. The stubborn Elfling had not come in from the rain. He dreaded telling his naneth where her youngest was. The last time they had done something to Rumil, she had promised they would not like the consequences. The lightening and thunder were coming at increasingly rapid intervals. Haldir stood up from the table and decided it was time to own up to what they had done.
"Naneth?"
"Yes?" She asked.
"It is about Rumil."
"Rumil? What about your brother?"
"Well...we...talked...himintoclimbingthebigmallornandheisstilloutthere." Haldir said as he rushed through his confession.
"Wait. Did you just say you talked your younger brother into climbing the large mallorn and that he is still out there?"
Haldir looked at his mother and quickly lowered his eyes. A tale-tell blush had slowly crept over his features. When he would not answer her, she turned towards Orophin.
"Is this true? Is your brother out in the storm?"
Orophin winced at the high pitched tone of his mother's voice had taken. He too lowered his head, unable to answer.
This was the only answer she needed. Turning, she took her cloak from its spot by the door and swept it over her shoulders. Facing the two Elflings, displeasure at the two clearly showed on her face.
"How could you do this? You are his older brothers!" She said as she pulled the hood over her hair.
"Naneth..."
"Silence! I will deal with you two when I return. You had better hope I find him unharmed." A loud clap of thunder punctuated her sentence.
Without another word she went out into the storm. Haldir and Orophin looked at each other, guilt and worry danced across both of their faces.
Rumil had enough. Orcs or no Orcs. The storm was getting worse with each passing moment. After a loud clap of thunder he had decided to climb down and spend the night with a friend. Rumil figured that as long as he was back in place before sunrise then his brothers would never know he had not spent the night in the mallorn.
He was half down the tree when it happened.
Rumil had stopped to swipe his sodden hair from his eyes. The long wet strands were making it difficult to see where he was going. Dropping down to the next level, he teetered, arms flailing, trying to gain his balance on the wet branch.
He had just gotten his feet under him when a blinding bolt of lightening lighted the night sky. 'That was too close', he thought. The following thunder shook him from his precarious perch.
With a terrified shriek, the Elfling plummeted towards the forest floor.
"Ooo, then what happened?" Asked the Elfling at his feet.
Rumil looked down to where Haldir's child sat. Rawion had grown these past months. He was at that awkward stage; not quite a Elfling but still not an adult. Rumil could clearly see his brother's features on the face of the Elfling at his feet. But there was also the gentle beauty that belonged to his mother. Rawion had the best of both of their features and would one day give the elleths something to sigh over.
Rumil smiled at his nephew before continuing.
"I broke my arm in that fall. The healer told me I was lucky that was all I broke."
"What happened to adar and Uncle Orophin?"
"Well, by the time our naneth was finished with them, they were glad when adar returned from the Fences. Still as it was, it was a very, very long time before they were allowed outside of their rooms."
Rawion laughed. The very thought of his adar in that much trouble was hilarious. Now it seemed that Lucky eating the his way through the Lady's rose garden did not seem so serious.
"What is so funny?"
Rawion looked up at the one who spoke. His father was standing there with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. Rawion tried rather hard not to laugh out loud again but he failed miserably.
Raising from his seat on the ground, Rawion answered. "Nothing ada. Uncle Rumil was telling me a story."
"Oh. What story would that be?"
"Just a story ada," he answered. "Look, there is naneth." With that the Elfling was gone to his mother.
He did not move as quickly as might have a few years ago. The short distance across the glade was almost too much for his companion, Lucky, and Rawion adjusted his stride so the dog could keep up. It had been long time since the butter-cream dog had been a pup.
The two Elves watched as Rawion and Lucky made their way to across the glade.
"His time draws near."
"I know. This is one heartache I will not be able to spare my child from."
They watched as Rawion reached his naneth. After greeting Rawion, the elleth reached down and scratched the elderly dog behind his ears.
"Haldir, even though we be long lived, death is inevitable. All things die. Lucky is reaching the end of his years."
"I know brother. I know."
