[Imladris]

As I tentatively allowed Elentari to guide me down the stairs and to the delicious breakfast that wafted through my room, I mused upon her words. I wondered if I had been wallowing in self pity, and decided that I wasn’t, technically.

A wooden bowl was clunked unexpectedly in front of me and I could feel the steam rise and burn my cheeks. It smelled like porridge. Elentari invited Soronume to breakfast with us as she put a wooden in my hand. I carefully scraped off the top so that I would not burn my tongue and blew gently upon it. It was strange eating without being able to see your food, which was just as well since I thought that porridge looked unappetizing anyway: sort of like -- well, I shan’t mention what I thought it looked like.

It tasted good, though and very soon I was scraping the bottom of the bowl with my spoon. Then, turning to Elentari with a smile, I said: I cannot play the harp because I haven’t practiced, it is because I am blind.” Hearing her about to protest, I raised my hand to silence her and continued, “I have seen women play looking at music written on paper and only glancing occasionally at the strings. I must learn to do that as well.”

Sinking into my chair, I rubbed my eyes, hoping that the ache would go away. I realized that I had actually been sinking into a kind of despair and that it was actually kind of stupid to do that since then I would be left with nothing. If I gave into despair, then I would delude myself into thinking I could do nothing. Elentari was right, after all.