The Blacksmith

After your morning of ecstasy sadly concluded, Halbrand bid you to pick up your clothes, and lead you to a stream nearby so you could bathe quickly before resuming the journey south-eastward. Of course, it wasn't quick. You were both still riding high on the happiness you were feeling. Your love for each other had never felt better or stronger. The worries you carried seemed so distant, the darkness a memory almost, but it was still there, nipping at your heels, unshakeable. Like a leech.

You splashed each other playfully between long kisses as you floated in the cool water. The serenity was sheer perfection. For a while Halbrand just held you, your back resting against him, his arms folded across you. Few words were spoken, for what was there to say? All truths were out in the open now. Nothing was left to destroy your bond. Only maybe... Galadriel. As much as you still cared for her, you knew her to be the only being capable of ending your bliss. You pushed her to the back of your mind, refusing to let her ruin this heavenly moment. You deserved to be happy after having suffered so much. This time you had, just Halbrand and you in the stream, the current tickling your skin, the occasional kisses to your head, and your journey ahead, this time was all that mattered right now.

Eventually, the two of you exited the water, letting the sun's rays dry you before finally getting dressed. After walking briskly through the wood for a time, you were both relieved to see your horses still tied where you had left them, feasting on the grass beneath their hooves. After checking everything you had packed in Eregion was still present, Halbrand gave a quick kiss to your lips and forehead, then you both mounted your steeds and proceeded to ride out into open field.

Again you could not help but be awestruck by the beauty of this land. The mountains that lined your path to the left as you rode south were nothing short of breathtaking. Snow-capped peaks that towered over the earth provided a captivating contrast with the plains you now galloped on. A few hours passed and you called out to your love. "Halbrand!" He had been enjoying the fast pace, the wind through his hair. Glancing back at you, he slowed his speed to be certain he would hear you fully. "Can we find some food? I have not eaten since Eregion."

"Of course my love. As luck would have it, there's a small village up ahead. I'm sure we can acquire something there." he said with a smile. You grinned back in acknowledgment, looking forward to sustenance. The horses took you up a hill covered in yellow grass and wild flowers. Upon reaching its crest, the village he spoke of came into view. It was small indeed, you counted maybe ten or twelve wooden structures at most, scattered across an area of maybe a few hundred metres. Soon your steeds found the road that lead into the small town, slowing their gait to a walk as you and Halbrand surveyed your surroundings.

It was a village of men, men who stared at you both as you went by. They were clearly not so accustomed to outsiders. This is going to be interesting, you thought to yourself. Their faces wore a wide range of expressions, from quizzical to wary to downright hostile, and despite the company you kept, you still felt uneasy and unwelcome. You even witnessed them whispering about you blatantly. Locking eyes with Halbrand then, you saw sternness in them, but he held his face soft, a wordless reassurance.

Near the very centre of this hamlet was a tavern, smoke billowing from its lone chimney. Coming to a halt, you both dismounted and secured your horses to a fence nearby. Halbrand took your hand in his and lead you inside. Again, more eyes were upon you. You supposed this is what life would be like going forward, you were to be royalty after all. "I feel like I'm back on Númenor." your love spoke under his breath as you headed to the bar. Behind it stood a remarkable looking woman with messy brown hair and a grimy apron that protected a lovely but simple burnt orange dress. Her sleeves were rolled up as she was wiping down the wooden bench. And she was the only one in the room not phased by your arrival.

"May we purchase whatever food you are serving?" asked Halbrand, politely, fully aware that the room was listening.
"Don't know. May you?" the barmaid uttered, causing the tavern to snicker collectively, mumbling with their gossip.
Halbrand did not back down. "We have been riding almost two days now without food. I can pay you for whatever you have spare."
"Spares you want? Try the pigs trough out back." The laughter that then rung out through the room was quite unseemly.

"Look, we are only passing through. The faster you feed us, the faster we'll be on our way." stated your love, tossing four coins in front of her. Realising she was not going to break his spirit, the maid rolled her eyes and said nothing, before heading to the kitchen. When she returned, you had each received a bowl of grey muck and a piece of bread the size of your fist. "From the trough." she said, satisfied with herself as she dragged the coins towards her, dropping them into the pocket of her apron. The laughter in the air was such that you weren't sure if she heard Halbrand actually say thank you to her. She didn't seem to care either way, only placing two stone mugs filled with water beside your bowls, and then wandered away to tend to matters more important to her.

You and Halbrand exchanged looks, and he seemed more amused by this than you did, yet there was a hint of something in his eyes that did not like this at all. Grabbing what you had been given, you wandered over to an empty table near the entrance. Some eyes were still watching, but most had seen enough, turning back to their own meals and drinks. The hunger paining your stomach helped you to push past the thoughts of what was in your bowl, as taste would not fill you, but the food would. Dipping your bread into the grey mush, you took a big bite, chewed furiously and swallowed, ignoring the dry and stale flavour on your tongue. Washing it down with the water, you watched Halbrand take his first bite, though not as big as yours. You immediately ate more, the starvation begging to be cured.

Halbrand chuckled, "Slow down there! You'll make yourself ill."
"I can't help it, I've always wanted to devour food that looks like cloudy mud and tastes like old parchment. Mmmmm!" your jesting had him laughing more, the only laughter you wanted to hear. He was right though, and you did not want to dwell on what this 'food' looked like coming back up. The same probably.

After a few minutes you had almost finished your meal, but Halbrand had barely touched his. "Aren't you hungry also?" you inquired, curious.
"You know, I don't really need to eat. Not as much as you anyway. And since I no longer need to keep up appearances, you can finish my bowl if you like?" he offered. You accepted, given the fact that not only had your hunger pains not dissipated, but you didn't know when next you'd eat. "Thank you."
"My pleasure." he answered with a little smile, happy to please you. Yet his eyes still did not match the rest of him. Something was wrong, he seemed troubled. "What grieves your mind, my love?" you asked, entreating him to speak plainly, ceasing your eating.
"You're more perceptive than I give you credit for."
"Or you're just making a terrible effort of concealing your concerns. Which is interesting given just how expertly you are at concealment."
"Maybe I wanted you to notice."
"Halbrand." you uttered his name with slight frustration. "Please."

He sighed and gave into you, and you did not care for his reluctance to do so. "It's Galadriel."
"What about her?"
"She's in here," he spoke, placing a finger to his skull, "and in here..." he then pressed his whole hand over his heart. "I cannot forget her... although I am trying to." It seems he was not the only one who was haunted by her.
You moved your hand across the table to take hold of his, stroking his skin gently with your thumb. "She is not easy to let go of."
"That she is not..." he said, smiling slightly. "...and I fear she will not let go of us easily either."

He was right of course. Galadriel had been hunting the being you were seated with for more years than you could comprehend, and she had told you the reasons for this quest. Sauron killed her brother, Finrod, who was everything to her. He was her idol, her big brother, her steadfast counsel. The grief she felt over losing him was still as fresh as the day he died. And now she knew that Halbrand had been Sauron, right under her nose that whole time, her desire to seek him out and end him would only be amplified. Not only because she sought to rid Middle-earth of evil, but because she had come so close to doing so, her pride needed to be healed. And no doubt, once her high king inevitably discovered the truth, finding Sauron would likely be the only way to redeem herself, lest she be cast out forever, the elves placing her in the same class as the evil she hunted.

You studied Halbrand's face and felt his fingers twine with yours. He was devastated. So were you of course, to lose a dear companion such as Galadriel, but you knew the bond between them nearly rivalled your own. You could tell he loved her, though not in the way he loved you. Their bond spoke to the very nature of things greater than we know, it seemed to transcend logic and reason. Galadriel, lady of light, commander of the northern armies, allied with Sauron, the dark lord, the abhorred. The killer of her brother. The power that bound them together was incomprehensible. And you feared, only for a moment, that very same power, that bond, would be Halbrand's undoing.

"She gave up on us rather quickly." you spoke, your sorrow morphing into anger.
"You know why she turned away from me." he replied solemnly, speaking your name.
"But from me?" A single tear fell from you, landing on the table. "She knew there was darkness within me, Halbrand. She kept it from consuming me on the ship. Galadriel saved me, she didn't give up on me then.” You paused unintentionally, unsure if you could continue to speak for fear of breaking. Then sighing deeply, you went on, “You know what the last thing she said to me was? '...what could I have saved when he already had you.'"
Halbrand just gazed at you, speechless, guilt in his eyes. You continued, "I wish there was a way for her to see... to hear the words you were speaking to me... surely if she understood the truth of it all..."
"She won't, my love. She is too proud and relentless for that. And one day, she is going to find us. And take our darkness into herself."

"OI!" a loud voice bellowed over the room, interrupting your conversation. "What are you two still doing here? Thought you were 'passing through'?" he questioned, putting a sardonic emphasis on the last two words. You wanted to just ignore the foul man, but Halbrand couldn't resist. "Well, as you can see, my lady is still eating. I assure you we'll put this place far behind us as soon as she's done."
"Good thing she eats like a pig then! Won't be long now, boys!"
Halbrand rolled his eyes. "What is it with you low men and pigs? I suppose I'd be obsessed with them too if they looked as good as my love here.” He glanced at you then, winking. “But no, they just look like pigs. Which also makes sense, because if you worship them, were you not made in their image?"

These words caused five or six of these pig like men to rise from their stools, and a different one spoke up this time. "Who do you think you are, stranger?"
"Halbrand. King of the Southlands." your love spoke unapologetically. Unfortunately this fact did not win his audience over, and the tavern was cackling once again. Halbrand did not waver, in fact, he laughed with them.
"Some king you are sir!"
"There's not much of a kingdom left for you, is there lad!"
"What a pointless title... I'd rather be king of the pigs!"

Even your eyes were rolling at this last jab. These men were dense and not afraid of showing it. Though one thing was obvious: word had spread about the eruption of Orodruin and the devastation to the Southlands. You rose to your feet then, joining Halbrand at his side. "Thank you so much for your hospitality! We won't forget it." you spoke, hoping the daft men wouldn't pick up the sarcasm laced within your kind tone.
"No. I don't think we will, love." said your king, turning to you, taking your hand. Halbrand then held up his mug to the men before slinging the water down his throat. "Enjoy your kingdom of ashes!" the original heckler yelled, spitting at his feet. Smiling defiantly at their glaring eyes, you took your leave of the establishment, happy to be out in the open air once more. The stench in there had been most unpleasant.

Halbrand gave your hand a strong squeeze before releasing it. You could feel the rage emanating from within him. He had kept it hidden from them, but could not from you. "Are you alright, my love?"
"The quicker we ride out, the sooner I shall be." he answered you, catching your lips briefly with his own before untying the horses. "Ready to continue our adventure?" Turning to your steed as you spoke, giving him a good pat, you caught Halbrand smiling at you warmly as he mounted his horse. As you trotted away, the eyes of the villagers felt like a guard of dishonour that watched as you left their home behind and headed back out into the wild.

Now with a full enough belly, you could really enjoy the feeling of being on horseback. The way the breeze cascaded through your hair, your dress, the rush caused by the speed of the animal you rode, the sounds of his hooves against the rock and the earth. The view of Halbrand looking every part a royal, commanding his four legged companion, the torc around his neck bouncing with every bump on the ride. Looking to the west, you noticed the second day of your journey was beginning to end. You smiled watching the sunset, for nothing could compare to the colour that nature herself could conjure.

Once fallen beneath the horizon, the glow of the early moon had illuminated a formation of rocks atop a small hill, and your love decided this should be shelter enough for the night. Plus there was grass and shrubbery a plenty to keep your horses well fed. The two of you laid down on the ground under the stars that seemed to twinkle eternally. Your head against his chest, Halbrand ran his hand through your hair absentmindedly, and you idly traced patterns with your fingertips across the soft fabric that covered his body. You could feel how tense he still was. It seemed he had not yet calmed after the encounter in the village.

"You need not worry about them... I am convinced they treat all outsiders with such disdain. Men with such small minds are not worthy of any time." You ended your advice with a kiss to his cheek and to your horror, Halbrand flinched. Your stomach dropped instantly and you pulled yourself away from him, to view him fully. He would not look at you. Instead, he swiftly got to his feet and walked over to his bag. Pulling out the black cloak, he draped it over himself, raising the hood. "Halbrand!" you cried as he made for his steed. "Don't!"
"But it's as you said my love... they are not worthy of any time." The malevolence had crawled its way back into his voice. His darkened eyes glowed in the light of the moon, and he grinned at you before galloping away... back to the village.