[Ithaeliel]

Ru-Sahn drew a breath and sheathed his sword before he spoke. His voice became softer than most had ever heard, and his hands shook as he began in the Westron tongue so all could understand.

"I was not born an Easterling. Many of you have known that for years. I was born into a noble family; of the greater divisions of men, said to be descended from those of the Rohirrim and mingled with the blood of the elves," his voice strained to say the word. "We were the men of the House of Lorien... the same house that this man, Garen LiLorian, hails from. Yes, once we were happy. My family had great expectations for me. They told me I would be an honored man of our house, if I only kept my feet on the ground. I was raised knowing this, and told myself I would become this man they envisioned me to be. My birth name was Telegar Linrethil.
"I was of the House of Lorien, and therefore I know Garen from my youth. I knew that one day he would be my superior, for his father held lordship of the House. We were both expected highly of, and we were the best of friends with much in common. Nothing could have separated us," Ru-Sahn continued, smiling sadly.
"There was but one thing that separated us from the remainder of our House: my father secretly feared and disliked Galadriel, your Queen," he said with a nod to the Elves. "He had met her as a young man, and she had stripped him of all his resistance... and she read his mind. I do not know what she saw, but Galadriel sent him away and told her guards never to allow him into her halls again. She tried to persuade our lord Galthun to banish him from his house, but Galthun refused. From then on my father bred an intense hate towards her and her people. He told me that the Elves of Lorien were nothing but dictatorial thieves and plotters. I did not want to believe him, but he said it so often that it was embedded into my thoughts. Still I tried to see the good in the elves our House was so closely related with.
"Galadriel and her court sometimes took authority to make laws and acts over our house. These were mostly fair and actually benifitting, but there was one instance in which an unfair act was put upon us. It was shortly before my twelfth spring, and I remember my father's rage. He swore he would slay any elf who crossed before his sight. My mother brought word to Galadriel in secret, and Galadriel sent guards to arrest my father for his threats and for treason. They were also ordered to imprison his family- myself and my mother. My father was arrested, but my mother and I fled madly away from the House of Lorien. We brought few provisions.
"We reached southern Mirkwood, and my mother could no longer walk. I offered to stay with her, though we had nothing left with which to help her condition. She shook her head. "No, no, Telegar!" she said. "Nothing will save me now. You must walk on and leave me to die." However broken my heart was, I knew that she was right. And so I left her. Two days later, I was found half-dead by Skara and his tribe of Easterlings. And that is where it ends," he finished, his voice shaking in anger and grief.

[ March 26, 2003: Message edited by: Ithaeliel ]