ValenCirdanFeb 21, 2016Feb 21, 2016 at 06:19 PM
#1
Eight months. Eight months had gone by with no word of his father. Haldir traced a small finger down the jagged edges of the wooden replica of a knight. It was broken right down the middle.
The little altmer had put the broken toy soldier by his bedside and would fall asleep staring at it. It was a habit now. He would not let anyone fix the toy, nor let anyone else touch it. His father had made it for him as a birthday gift. Haldir had cried himself to sleep for quite some time after finding out from Donvyn. But now, all he wanted to hold onto was his father's work.
The mer's eyes slowly closed. So accustomed was he with seeing the cracked wooden figure that he even put a hand over it while he was asleep. He dreamed of the day he could see Elros again. His fingers tightened around the halves of the wooden toy as he fell asleep.
He woke up to the sound of silent whispering. As was his morning ritual, he stayed in bed because he was too lazy to get out just yet. Haldir's small hands felt around his bed for the end of the blanket so he could throw it off. His left hand found the blanket but something felt off. His right hand was empty.
The mer's eyes flew open and he blinked rapidly. Haldir began searching for the broken toy around his bed. Was it under the blanket? Or perhaps in the crevice between the wall and the bed? No. It was in neither of those places. In his groggy state he began climbing out of bed when he heard a familiar low voice.
"Haldir."
The boy looked in the direction of the voice. It couldn't be. Was he still dreaming? He rubbed his eyes and they came into focus. By the fireplace there was a large altmer sitting in a chair. He instantly recognized the broken toy which was held in each hand by the mer.
"Come here, little one." The mer asked with a strained voice. He held the toy out to Haldir.
Haldir got off the bed, his eyes fixed on the mer's face. His lips trembled before he started crying in earnest and jumped up on the chair to hug Elros. The father was beside himself. He apologized profusely to Haldir.
"I'm so sorry, my boy, so sorry..." Elros kissed the little mer's forehead again and again. "I'm sorry for leaving like that. I'm never going to do that again, I promise."
Haldir wailed much like a five year old would. He held onto his father's neck and didn't let go. After what seemed like forever he finally let go and put his small hands on Elros's cheeks. Elros blew his cheeks up to imitate a monkey face. Haldir laughed between sobs and buried his face in Elros's chest. The father patted his son's back, tears streaming down his own cheeks. He still held the toy soldier in his hands.
Haldir quieted down after a few more sobs and wiped his face and blew his nose with the shirt. He looked at the toy and then turned his face down in shame.
"I broke it." The little mer spoke with a wavering voice.
Elros sighed and smiled. He put the two halves in Haldir's lap and ruffled his hair. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"Thats alright Haldir. We can fix it. And this time it won't break, alright?" Elros wiped at the tear tracks on the boy's face and drew him into a hug again.
"It'll all be alright, I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere." Elros reassured Haldir and let him rest in his loving embrace.
The little altmer had put the broken toy soldier by his bedside and would fall asleep staring at it. It was a habit now. He would not let anyone fix the toy, nor let anyone else touch it. His father had made it for him as a birthday gift. Haldir had cried himself to sleep for quite some time after finding out from Donvyn. But now, all he wanted to hold onto was his father's work.
The mer's eyes slowly closed. So accustomed was he with seeing the cracked wooden figure that he even put a hand over it while he was asleep. He dreamed of the day he could see Elros again. His fingers tightened around the halves of the wooden toy as he fell asleep.
He woke up to the sound of silent whispering. As was his morning ritual, he stayed in bed because he was too lazy to get out just yet. Haldir's small hands felt around his bed for the end of the blanket so he could throw it off. His left hand found the blanket but something felt off. His right hand was empty.
The mer's eyes flew open and he blinked rapidly. Haldir began searching for the broken toy around his bed. Was it under the blanket? Or perhaps in the crevice between the wall and the bed? No. It was in neither of those places. In his groggy state he began climbing out of bed when he heard a familiar low voice.
"Haldir."
The boy looked in the direction of the voice. It couldn't be. Was he still dreaming? He rubbed his eyes and they came into focus. By the fireplace there was a large altmer sitting in a chair. He instantly recognized the broken toy which was held in each hand by the mer.
"Come here, little one." The mer asked with a strained voice. He held the toy out to Haldir.
Haldir got off the bed, his eyes fixed on the mer's face. His lips trembled before he started crying in earnest and jumped up on the chair to hug Elros. The father was beside himself. He apologized profusely to Haldir.
"I'm so sorry, my boy, so sorry..." Elros kissed the little mer's forehead again and again. "I'm sorry for leaving like that. I'm never going to do that again, I promise."
Haldir wailed much like a five year old would. He held onto his father's neck and didn't let go. After what seemed like forever he finally let go and put his small hands on Elros's cheeks. Elros blew his cheeks up to imitate a monkey face. Haldir laughed between sobs and buried his face in Elros's chest. The father patted his son's back, tears streaming down his own cheeks. He still held the toy soldier in his hands.
Haldir quieted down after a few more sobs and wiped his face and blew his nose with the shirt. He looked at the toy and then turned his face down in shame.
"I broke it." The little mer spoke with a wavering voice.
Elros sighed and smiled. He put the two halves in Haldir's lap and ruffled his hair. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"Thats alright Haldir. We can fix it. And this time it won't break, alright?" Elros wiped at the tear tracks on the boy's face and drew him into a hug again.
"It'll all be alright, I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere." Elros reassured Haldir and let him rest in his loving embrace.