A dream or a goodbye by Aprilertuile  

Celegorm was dreaming.

He was aware that he was dreaming: he knew faintly, distantly, that he was in Beleriand, and yet…

All around him were Woods he would always remember and miss. The Woods that were his Home more surely than any house.

He walked through the vegetation of the forest, with the ferns and giant leaves of all sorts of trees and bushes of berries and trees of a size that defied even the Two Trees of Valinor when they still shone.

He walked, alone, aware he was alone. Huan was missing at his side. Always missing since... recently.

Celegorm felt his heart constrict. Of the whole Luthien mess, awake or asleep, that was the one thing he regretted: Huan leaving him.

Being in this forest, real or imagined, without Huan felt wrong. Felt... Lonely.

On a whim, wondering what he’d see, Celegorm climbed a tree and sat on a branch, waiting, watching.

The forest was silent.

That too was wrong. Oromë’s Woods were never silent:

Wind in the trees, rivers flowing, bird songs, deer’s calls, dogs barking, maia doing their things, wolves howling, bears doing their things... All kinds of creatures were around and when the creatures hid for reasons, the noises of the Wild Hunt could be heard around the Woods: Nahar’s hoofs, Oromë’s horn, Oromë’s hounds barking and growling, elves footsteps...

That silence was wrong, wrong, wrong.

There was a sudden bark below himself, and he looked down.

Below his branch, Huan looked up toward him.

Celegorm’s breath caught, his heart beating a painful rhythm in his chest...

And Huan soon looked away and ran, barking, howling, his voice soon joining that of others of his kind.

Celegorm woke up with a violent startle.

He sat up, breathing heavily.

He stayed there, unmoving for a moment, catching his breath, waiting for his heart to slow down... and then he rose and went to the courtyard of the fortress, looking at the sky, and left the fortress, entering the woods around, careful to remain silent and unseen if at all possible.

He prayed to Oromë, well aware he would have no answer but...

He prayed for Huan, hoping his dream in fact meant that Huan, who left him, Huan, who died away from him, Huan who was innocent of any elf’s death... Was back with Oromë, safe from further harm, able to run again in the woods they both loved so much.

If only one of his prayers ever came true... let it be this one...

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