I do not own Arda, Valinor, the Valar, Thingol King of Beleriand, or the languages created along with them by J. R. R. Tolkien. I did create the characters seen here minus the eagle servant of Manwe I used to fill Tolkien's world up just a little farther. I make no money from doing this though, so please don't sue. :)

Narkal released a deep breath bowing his head and letting his shoulders fall. "Tell our brothers, when you see them, I forgive them, and to find peace wherever they go, in the Halls and in time … back in Valinor: home. And tell our parents I am sorry I failed them: failed all of you here ... I promised to protect you, all of you, to them before I left. And I have not."

He raised his head and looked away with welling eyes. Tarman reopened his enough to squint at his elder brother. "You failed not! I will tell them all you went through to protect us: the courage you showed, the hero you are since coming here. I will end my tale by telling them of these whom you dwell with and protect now."

His eyes closed and he let his head fall gingerly back into the elleths' laps. Then he smiled. "Stay with them. They care about you and are courageous as well."

Narkal looked up at the elleth and a corner of his mouth rose slightly even as his grey eyes narrowed. "Stubborn also brother. The Laquendi are as stubborn as the Noldo."

Tarman turned his head and opened his eyes to stare at his brother's cloak. He lifted a hand to run a fingertip over the edge of the green cloth. Some of the pain washed out of his face, perhaps due to the ministrations of the elleth still laying golden hands upon the broken places, perhaps due to some mercy of the Valar. His smile gentled as he whispered, "Look at you: a wood elf. And carving stone rather than forging metal."

Narkal flinched. Tarman turned a pinched face back upon his brother's his smile falling away as he did. "I'm sorry you lost that joy from your life brother. It was all you were known for once. That and being our brother and parents' son."

Narkal sighed. "So many joys have and will be stripped from us while Morgoth continues to sit upon his dark throne." He opened his eyes and stared at his Tarman a moment more before saying, "I hope joys will return to you and the others after you have left these lands behind."

Tarman's breath became more labored, but he tried to raise his voice as he saud "You be careful staying here Narkal!"

The older Nodlo shook his head. "It is too late for that. I will continue to help in the struggle to resist Morgoth's subjugation of all in the ways I still can even if they all be futile. I owe the people we found here when we arrived that, and perhaps the land itself as it groans beneath the influence of our enemy."

Tarman continued in a wheezy voice his eyelids drooping over his dark brown eyes, "Then perhaps I will see you soon …"

Narkal met his gaze with a slight and bitter smile. "Perhaps." He reached out and took his brother's hand pressing it, awaiting a return press. His smile, bitter and small as it was, fell away completely upon feeling the weakness of his brother's return clasp. His own face became greyer at seeing the dimming of the light coming through his brother's skin.

The weakness of Tarman's voice did not encourage him either. "Alamene tenna enta lume toron nin." (Go with our blessings until that time my brother.)

The green elves, ellon and elleth glanced wide-eyed at each other upon hearing Quenyan. Without speaking they agreed not to tell King Thingol of it or anyone else of doing so. Besides the one speaking it was dying. He was going beyond the King of Beleriand's punishment.

Tarman swallowed before continuing while still staring at his brother not the dark elves exchanging glances. His voice was going hoarse. "Mauya nin avania." (I need to go.) He squinted in pain and smiled more weakly before returning to Sindarin to say "I have much to tell our brothers."

Narkal smiled back, though pain was also carved into the furrows now formed around his eyes and mouth. "I trust you to tell it. Mara mesta mariesse." (Good journey farewell-in happiness.) The green elves raised their eyebrows at the other Noldo's use of the forbidden togue but continued to keep their own tongues still.

Tarman's smile grew a little wider, then washed away. He closed his eyes in concentration trying not to react to the pain the elleth could feel washing through him. The pressure in his head was growing enormous. The elleth then each used one of their hands to sweep back his hair and placed their glowing palms gingerly over the places the blood pooled beyond their sight, though not beyond their ability to sense it in The Song. Then they began to sing. Smooth silvan voices blended and filled the canyon with both gentle and light and deep rich notes. The tension in Tarman's face eased.

Tarman kept pressing his brother's hand as firmly as he could until he lost consciousness. When his hand went limp, drops fell not only from his brother's eyes, but his chin to land on his brother's blood-stained shirt. "Tarman!" He grabbed his brother and pulled him to his chest. The younger Noldo moaned even in his swoon. The elleth immediately placed their hands upon his upper back and head again as Narkal loosened his hold but continued to weep.

The sky arching above the elves, both living and dead, turned grey. When a touch of golden light entered it, a golden glow began to shine through Tarman's skin also. Narkal opened his flooded eyes sensing before seeing it. "No Tarman! Do not leave me too!"

The glow began to recede. More tension returned to Tarman's face as his brows drew slightly together. His whole body became tighter as well.

Sarnin her own form growing more lax and eyes deepening as well as filling, lifted a hand from the body of the dying elf to place it on the shoulder of the ellon she loved. She clasped it noting how she could not feel its bone as sharply as before and prayed she would not soon have to again. She stared at the Noldo's scarred but filled face.

Narkal bent his head. He continued lowering it till his forehead touched Tarman's. His voice came out next low and hoarse. "I'm sorry torin nin ... If this body is too broken, and it be Iluvatar's will, He who gave life to elves, leave this one and receive another after also receiving mercy for what we have done, taking life from other elves. Then return to Valinor to live peacefully with our kin and Valar again. I hope to see you there again upon doing the same."

Tarman's body relaxed. The glow increased again before becoming a flash that vanished along with the sound of a last breath. As his brother's body went dark and limp in his grasp, Narkal cried out.

It was followed like an echo by an eagle's scream. The Laquendi there raised their gazes to spy one of Manwe's great eagles circling solemnly above them. Narkal raised his head to spy the bird as well and cried out "Tell Manwe not to hold my words against my brothers! Have pity on them! Please! May their spirits leave the Halls and be under his merciful rule on the other side of the sea again!"

What do you think now?

God bless

ScribeofHeroes