Category: Tolkien-Universe
Rating: M
Couples: Egalmoth/Rog, Maeglin/Salgant
Warnings: AU, canon-levels of Everything
Chapter: 42
Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien Estate and/or mynameisjessejk, Plot & OC´s © by me
Authors note: Set in the Otter(less) Mayhem Universe of abovementioned mynameisjessejk on AO3. Unofficial sequel to 'The House of the Mole'
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Making a shelter in the style of his people, though probably with beginner-level skill, Rog spend his first nights on the road since a long time in tall trees. The horse was grazing below him, the snow thin enough that it could find moss and winter-herbs still. Crossing his legs, he looked up through the needled branches at the stars. Halfway to the first spot, if he had interpreted the maps correctly.
What were the chances that he'd be lucky immediately? Tucking himself into his cloak, he peered through the forest. Considering it was winter, he had to pay far more attention to predators now that he had to consider a horse... Glaur would actually murder him if he let that be killed so soon after getting it.
"Regretting your agreement yet?" He looked downward to where the stallion was resting under a blanket he had spread across the wide back. "I would not begrudge you heading back to New Gondolin, you know."
The steed huffed at that, demonstrably turning his back towards their origin.
"Huh... Did Glaur also ask you to keep me safe or something?" Not that he was complaining too much, as the extra needed care was offset by far faster travel. Halfway might be an understatement, though he'd only know that for certain once he arrived... Settling in, the Lord of the Hammer of Wrath slipped into half-revery, some of his senses still alert in case wolves or a shadowcat wanted horse-steak for dinner.
He actually had a run-in with a half-starved wolf two days later, but managed to appease the animal from trying to eat his horse by sharing the hare he managed to capture. He was no animal-talker at the level of someone like Celegorm, but he knew the basics from way back when. Luckily, Beleriand-wolf was close enough to Valinor-wolf that he got the point across.
The animal slept with him that night, but disappeared back into the forest the next day.
Four days later, he hit an area that gave him heavy nostalgia for a time two lifetimes ago. Despite it being early still, he made camp again, this time with an actual fire. Worrying his lip, he considered his course of action. Their village had been near a river, but the maps in New Gondolin of this area were rather short on small rivers, having only the large, big ones.
That wolf would probably have been able to tell him where a river was, had he met it now. Ah well, he'd just have a ride around the area and hope he noticed something. The upside was that here, they wouldn't have to be as secretive as they had been in Estolad. Settling the horse with a nice blanket, he curled up in his bedroll.
His arms were distinctly empty... He chuckled, rolling over. He could just make out of the tips of the Pelori in the distance, though trying to see New Gondolin itself was impossible. "Wonder if he also feels lonely?"
The grin on his face faded into melancholy. For the longest time, he had considered himself condemned to eternal single-status. He had never wanted to have anyone have to deal with his demons. Barring the distrust most elves in the First Age had felt to former thralls, he had seen his work far more often on the battlefield than he had ever wanted to even consider.
He supposed it was kind of fitting that he'd only get someone here in Valinor, far from all that mess. Grunting, he rolled back onto his back, staring up at the stars. Absentmindedly reaching for them, he considered his recent life-choices. Egalmoth was one of the best choices, in that regard, as he had been accepting from the start, unlike certain others he did not want to think about.
Rog smiled up at the black expanse that looked so much like the hair of his fellow Lord, heart clenching with emotions. "Powers, let me keep him... let him remain mine..." Grief speared his heart, the thought that he could lose this love like he had his first aching. He had known - they both had - that it was just a crush, but that had not helped the pain when the orcs had descended on their village. He hoped the other had found peace by now.
The horse snorted, noting his emotional state, and sank through its' legs beside him. He took the offer, squirming over to rest against the warm form.
