1. One Less Monster
When Elboron caught sight of the monster that appeared suddenly before him, he was at first too shocked to scream. Expecting every moment a slow and painful death, his wide blue eyes slowly stopped bulging from their sockets as the thought came to him that perhaps he had not been spotted yet. Cautiously letting out his withheld breath, he began slowly to back away towards escape. And then—a thread of guilt wrapped around his heart. If he ran away now, there would still be one of those foul beasts in the world, and, more importantly, it would be near his family. No, it had to be destroyed now.
Elboron looked around him, but knew that no one was within calling distance. The task fell to him alone, and his only weapon close to hand was his book. But perhaps, if he aimed very well, he might stun the creature long enough to dart over and grab his sword. Gulping down the stale scream in his throat, Elboron cocked his arm back for a mighty throw.
With the sound of a rushing wind, the book flew through the air, and struck the target full on the head. The enemy crumpled noiselessly into a heap. Breathing out, Elboron stood silent for a moment. He had killed it. He had not even needed his sword. What a throw! Now that the danger was over, Elboron laughed a little shakily. His father had put a hand on his shoulder before leaving, saying that he was now the man of the house, but Elboron had never felt like one. Not until now.
"Ellion?" he heard a voice calling, crisp and medium in tone as his mother's always was. He sighed a little at his childhood nickname, and did not answer.
"Ellion?" Eowyn came into view. "There you are! I have looked a full ten minutes for you, young man. Why did you not answer?"
"I am not Ellion, mother," said Elboron, slightly hurt at the indignant tone and the one hand resting demandingly on her hip. "I have a full name."
"Elboron, you will answer when I call, no matter what I call," said Eowyn firmly. "Now come!"
"Mother, I am not mere Elboron any more," said Elboron with easy authority. "From now on, I ask that you and my brothers and sisters all call me by my proper title: Elboron the Spider Slayer."
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.
