Lost Wanderers (Halbrand / Rings of Powers)

17 - The One Ring, The One Promise

Luthien felt speechless after the long night that had felt so surreal but satisfying.
Words seemed so meaningless in front of the other language they'd been speaking.
Then a doubt crossed her mind and she just stared at him as he dressed up.
He noticed it and asked, halting "What is it, Luthien?".
She breathed deeply and admitted with a nervous chuckle "I just don't know how to call you without feeling guilty or... disgusted".
Halbrand was a name too precious but bound to the time they shared before she learned who he really was.
No way she was going to call him Sauron without regretting her latest choices.
He hesitated, then said "You can call me Mairon. My real name".
So he had a real name. And she was surprised she never heard of it before.
But it sounded nice.
"You sure?".
He nodded "Does it disgust you?".
"No. It's just new" she admitted.
He walked to her, taking her hand and kneeling "I'd love if you use my real name. It's been so long that I don't hear it".
It made her smile and he seemed lost in that view.
"Alright, Mairon" she agreed.
But she had to remember to use that name only when they were alone.
He was still Annatar to his allies... And Sauron to his enemies.

News about a recent battle against the elves reached them and Mairon was impatient to visit the battlefield.
Luthien wished to stay away, but nowhere felt safe except for his side.
Calandir and Khamul welcomed them in a valley that smelled of death.
Luthien's breath died in her throat at the sight of the bloodbath that the battle left behind.
Several bodies were dragged to a pile to be burned.

"Stay close to me" Mairon warned as they marched on grass soaked with blood.
Luthien gagged and tried to focus on something positive, but even when looking up the view was disturbing, the blue sky was smeared with the smoke from the burning corpses.
She shuddered when her eyes spotted a silhouette impaled to a long spike as a creepy banner of death.
Mairon didn't even glance at it as he walked passed it, but Luthien couldn't be so indifferent as she saw Haeva petrified in her last scream of pain.
Although she hadn't liked the witch, she couldn't enjoy her cruel end.
Luthien felt the urge to breathe as she fastened her pace to remain in Mairon's shadow. She inhaled the sick smell that reminded her what was good and what was bad.
She would never accept war and destruction.
Khamul's soldiers were celebrating, being cruel also towards the dead.
Mairon assured her that her brothers didn't join the battle, but she couldn't stop worrying. She and her family were now enemies.
She wondered what would happen if her brothers knew about her choosing to be loyal to Mairon. If they were reunited, would they burn her at a stake?
She knew they hated wars, but she was now seeing how battles turned soldiers into beasts.
Probably she wouldn't recognize herself if she had to fight. She would have done anything to protect Halbrand.
Now that wasn't necessary anymore, since she knew he was far from being a vulnerable mortal.
But she still remembered how she felt when he was wounded and she feared for his life.
Looking at him now, she saw how he seemed unaffected by the horror surrounding them.
Probably in his long existence, somehow he grew used to it. But she would never feel unaffected.

"You look weary. Would you like something to drink?".
Luthien stiffened under Calandir's gaze.
She hadn't noticed that he was standing in front of her and staring at her. She had been too lost into her gloomy thoughts while looking around.
The idea of swallowing anything made her feel retching.
"No. I'm fine" she said quickly.
He wore no bruises and she wondered how he participated into the battle, how many damages his magic had done.
"You have no adventures to tell me about?" she asked, growing uneasy under his greedy gaze.
He smirked "I don't want to bore you. But later, I'll be more than happy to entertain you with my deeds" he gestured to a large tent "If you want to get changed for the celebrations, you'll find everything you need in there".
She looked at Mairon, who crossed her questioning look and nodded in approval, before being back discussing about strategy with the easterling king.