10. Strength to Save
Sam had spent a week wandering the city of Tirion, among magnificent streets and houses, blushing at how elven-folk honored him at every turn. On the last afternoon, he lost his way in a web of narrow alleys, and finally stumbled into a statue-filled courtyard.
“Master Hobbit?”
He looked about wildly, and saw an elven-woman emerge from an open door. Her face was stern and angular: she had little of the beauty of the silver-haired Lady of Tirion. But there was something so striking, so arresting about her starkness that he found himself speaking.
“My lady, I never meant to come here, please forgive me,” he stammered. “Should’ve stayed to the main street—”
“You are Frodo’s companion,” she interrupted, studying him. “He spoke of you often, before you came. He says you saved him from a terrible fate.”
Caught off guard, he mumbled, “If I’d been stronger, I could’ve saved him for the Shire.”
She smiled, and her expression was all at once despair and a thousand reborn hopes. A vague thought took shape. That’s like my smile. Who couldn’t she save?
“Let me tell you of a King’s son, and the smith’s daughter who loved him…”
“Master Hobbit?”
He looked about wildly, and saw an elven-woman emerge from an open door. Her face was stern and angular: she had little of the beauty of the silver-haired Lady of Tirion. But there was something so striking, so arresting about her starkness that he found himself speaking.
“My lady, I never meant to come here, please forgive me,” he stammered. “Should’ve stayed to the main street—”
“You are Frodo’s companion,” she interrupted, studying him. “He spoke of you often, before you came. He says you saved him from a terrible fate.”
Caught off guard, he mumbled, “If I’d been stronger, I could’ve saved him for the Shire.”
She smiled, and her expression was all at once despair and a thousand reborn hopes. A vague thought took shape. That’s like my smile. Who couldn’t she save?
“Let me tell you of a King’s son, and the smith’s daughter who loved him…”
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.
