Hunter and Rider

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Title: Hunter and Rider (#1909)
Author: Avaril
Chapters: 1

Archive: Tolkien
Category: The Silmarillion
Description: Morwe and Nurwe are children, and the Fell-beasts of Melkor's design are terrorizing the elves of Cuivienen and the surrounding wilderness...Prequel to Half-Breeds...
Published: 21 May 2005
Updated: 21 May 2005
Warnings: Violence against a child; childhood trauma
Type: Drama
Characters: Morwe, Nurwe, Ranwe, Meldwe, Fell-beasts

Chapter 1 - Hunter and Rider

Author: Bird
Title: The Hunter and Rider
Series: Half Breeds
Fandom: LOTR/Silmarillion
Warnings: Some violence against children (but not in a really freaky way or anything)� might be considered at least suspense� not gory in anyway�
Timeline: Before The Great Journey
Cast: OMC (Ranwe)/OFC (Meldwe), Morw�, Nurw�
Rating: R?
Summary: The Hunter and Rider terrorize the Elves�
Disclaimer: If I owned this�oh, if only I owned this�

Note: Morw� and Nurw� are mentioned in Morgoth�s Ring, pg. 81/88. Also, if you need to think about age of Morw� and Nurw� here, I would consider them between the ages of 12 and 9 (in human maturity level�), Morw� is the older elfling.

Second note: I have written another story titled "Morwe's Curse" it explains in more detail just how Morwe falls deeper, and in it he meets the owner of the voice... However, the fic is a NC-17 slash fic Morwe/Evil Being #1...I will link in this story to it if anyone wishes to read it...its not finished yet...

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�Thus it was that when Nahar neighed and Orom� indeed came among them, some of the Quendi hid themselves, and some fled and were lost �� (Silmarillion: 50)

�Morw�? Nurw�? Where are you hiding?� Meldwe walked about searching for her sons. Her tone had become quite stern; her elflings had decided to hide along the edge of the forest against her direct command. It was too dangerous, she had said; there are fell-beasts and dark-creatures lying in wait for any lingering lone elf, she had said. But still, the two had disappeared moments before, playing some sort of game. For a long moment she had continued to hear their laughter, but now, all she could hear was silence.

A chilling breeze passed through the foliage overhead, and she stopped in her tracks; an uneasy feeling settled in her heart. Wrapping her arms tighter around her shoulders, she wandered through the trees just on the edge of the dark forest and called out her sons� names. It was quiet, just a little too quiet, and a cold sweat broke on her brow.

What if�

She shook her head, and tossed the thought away. She would not, could not suspect or guess that they had been taken.

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�Come closer, Child��

�Morw�, where are we going?� Nurw� reluctantly followed his older brother deeper into the forest. �Mother told us not to go in here�� Nurw�s voice was small and unsure, and his brow crinkled with worry. Occasionally he would look back over his shoulder and scan the trees behind them. They had been told not to wander into the forest; they had been told to stay along the water�s edge, to stay with their mother.

�I am curious.� Morw� did not look back at his younger brother but led the way forward.

�But Mother�� A small whine crept into Nurw�s voice.

�STOP whining; if you are scared, you can go back. Alone.� Morw� stopped and faced his brother, his hands on his hips. Staring down at Nurw�, Morw� glared then rolled his eyes. Nurw� seemed truly scared. Morwe sighed heavily and took his brother�s hand. �Come on. It will be fine.�

�There is nothing to fear here, Child��

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�MORW�!!! NURW�!!!�

Her voice was growing more frantic as she called out their names. It was too dark, and too chilly, and it had been too long since they had disappeared. She had not fully entered the forest yet, but a sinking feel in the pit of her stomach kept urging her to enter and search for them within.

She tucked her long, unruly black curls behind her ears and took a deep breath. Looking back behind her, she paused for a moment wondering if she should waste the time to fetch her husband. But her feeling of dread ate at her and she could only walk forward.

At first it was slow and her steps halting. There was a difference between the dark shadows of the forest and the dark twilight of the fields and meadows of the hills. Outside of the trees one could gaze upon the light of the stars, but the trees, once one entered beneath them, blocked the comforting twinkle of the heavenly gems.

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�Child, just a little further; come satisfy your curiosity��

Nurw� watched his brother. His heart pounded heavily in his ribcage. It seemed as if Morw� was no longer aware of where they were; he seemed to be led by some unseen entity.

Morw� pushed leaf-covered branches out of his way unaware of them snapping back at his brother behind him. With his free hand Nurw� shielded himself from the whip-like branches slapping back at him. Morw� seemed unaware of his brother�s whimpering.

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Suddenly she regretted entering the forest alone, but when she turned around to look back again, she realized that she did not know the way back. All round she twisted and turned, and the looming shadows looked the same. Her mind began to race with fear and images of what might have happened to her sons.

�My babies,� she whispered; stinging tears ran down her cheeks.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see shifting shapes of shadow. But when she turned to see them straight on, they would disappear; and they only appeared in the corner of her eye.

�The hunter and rider!� Her mind screamed; soon she could not breathe, and her mind clouded with fear. Her breath came in hyperventilating gasps, and she clutched her chest.

�How delightful�a female��

Her mind tried to reason out how she had ended up on the ground on her back. She did not remember falling or from where the creatures now standing over her came. There were two, and she could only vaguely discern their forms and features.

Before they fell upon her, she brought forth the image of her husband to comfort and distract her.

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Morw� stopped and Nurw� ran into his back, but he seemed to not notice.

�Everything is so calm; the forest peaceful. How could evil reside in this place?� Nurw� was horrified by his brother�s words. How could he not feel the evil of this place? It permeated every tree and branch, every scent and breeze. �My curiosity is satisfied, let us return to mother and father�� Nurw� sighed his relief and gripped Morwe�s hand tighter as they turned back.

�See, Child, nothing to fear��

The path back through seemed so clear, and they reached the forest�s edge shortly. Nurw� soon seemed to forget his original fear, and he dropped his brother�s hand. As they walked, the forest lost its original terror and Nurw� began to understand his brother�s curiosity. Nothing had happened to them; maybe the stories were just stories.

His steps began to slow down, and neither noticed how far back he fell as they crossed the meadow between their home and the forest. Nurw� looked back�something watched from the trees, something pale and glowing. Morw� did not notice his younger brother turn and walk slowly back entranced by what he saw.

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Morw� reached the edge of his father�s settlement and realized that Nurw� no longer was with him. Panic set in. He whirled around and searched the meadow, but he did not see his younger brother. If he had lost his brother�

He ran back a ways, but could not find Nurwe. Fear overwhelmed him and he ran shouting for his father� Forgotten was his bravery; forgotten was his curiosity. All the fears of the elders entered his mind. What if the stories were true, and he had lost his brother�?

�Do not panic, Child, I am sure everything is fine�nothing to worry about�� Was the voice sneering?

�Father! Father!� He ran past several of the older elves until he found his father. Ranwe emerged from his shelter. Tall and imposing, he stood with his arms folded as his son breathlessly ran up to him. It was obvious that the small elfling was panicking.

Ranwe stooped and caught his son in his arms to hold the elfling�s flailing limbs still. From the strength of his son�s struggles, he knew that it would not be much longer before Morw� was too much to handle.

�Morw�, calm down. What has happened?� His deep voice soothed Morw� until all that could be heard were small sniffles.

�Nurw� disappeared�� His confession was choppy as he hiccupped and tried to suppress his sobs. �I was curious, and I took him into the forest�and now he is gone!�

Ranwe�s face changed from calm to a pale white. Nurw�what if� So many theories about what could have already happened to the boy ran through his head. Then he looked down again as if he were just remembering something. Three had left, but only one had returned.

�Morw�.� The elfling looked up; his distress was clearly etched in his features. Ranwe had to fight to keep his own panic out of his voice, but he still nearly choked on his words. �Morw�, tell me. Where�where is your mother?�

Morw�s heart lurched into his throat and his tears began anew.

�Oh, Child, sweet innocent Child, what has happened�� The voice was condescending now�

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Nurw� heard a voice in his head, and he could not turn away. He could not keep himself from walking forward and deeper back into the forest. Magic clouded his mind, one that soothed and relaxed him; a feeling of false security surrounded him.

�Hello, Child.�

The creature was beautiful, godlike; it shimmered like the stars. When asked later, he would not be able to describe the creature�s features for they were too bright and surreal, the cloud of mist too deceptive.

A slender pale hand extended itself, and Nurw� was entranced and unable to tear his eyes away

As his hand touched the creature�s hand, everything changed�

Nurw� screamed, pierced the air with his cries. Those eyes would haunt him forever, those glowing eyes of hell�

He found his legs, found his will to survive, to escape. In a flurry of limbs and dark hair, the elfling recoiled and raced for his life from the darkness of the forest to the darkness of the meadows between him and his home. Branches reached out to grab him and tear his clothes.

He did not think, did not hope that he would make it. He could feel the creature like a wind after him, those razor claws inches from his back; he thought he could feel them tearing at his clothing. Would it kill him here or carrying him away?

He broke from the forest, and it was like passing through a barrier. He tripped and rolled across the short grasses, sure that the creature would be upon him momentarily.

After what seemed an eternity, Nurw� looked up from where he cowered. Voices came from behind him, from the city. They were shouting his name�they were looking for him.

He jerked his head back toward the forest�s edge and saw glowing red eyes peering at him from behind the inky black shadows. They watched as if to say, �I dare you�come back, little one. Come back to me; I want to taste your blood...�

That was when Nurw� felt his father�s hand and his brother�s embrace. Words of relief spread over him like a blanket though he finally felt the painful numbing sting of claw slashes on his back.

�Where is Mother�� were his last whispered words before he blacked out.

Morw� hugged his young brother�s body, and Ranwe watched with a sinking heart the child�s pained expression. He could tell that his son blamed himself for what had happened, and Ranwe fought his own anger at whatever had compelled his son to run off with his brother and tried to find his compassion for the distressed child.

�Oh, Father. We had just wanted to play�to run�to explore��

Ranwe engulfed both his sons in his arms; he barely registered the arrival of the other elves shouting and searching for the missing mother�

�Look what you have done, damn�d Child�� The voice�s tone had changed and accused Morw�; it laughed.
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