Aerin and Broddun by Himring  

Part I: Chapter 3: Learning the Language

Learning the Language

Prompt: Speech

Brodda speaks fluent Sindarin with a heavy accent, Broddun, his sister, only a few words of Adunaic. Aerin learns the speech of the Easterlings from Broddun. It involves a lot of pointing and dramatic gestures. Easterling speech has strange and difficult sounds; Aerin almost chokes trying to distinguish two of its consonants. Broddun bursts out giggling, looks remorseful and quickly hides her grin behind uplifted hands. Never mind—it is still a far kinder sound than the drunken jeers of Brodda’s warriors in the hall. Months later, Aerin remembers and understands what it was she said.

She begins laughing, too.