The Road Behind

Kaerun never knew his parents, and that was a fact. From his earliest days growing up in the drafty stone house, close to Bâr Húrin, frozen in days of old and cared for by the 'Old Man and Woman', he knew that they were not his parents. Perhaps it was kindness on their part, letting him know so early in life that the people he came to love were not of his own blood; maybe it was with the hopes that one day he might seek out his real family. Whatever the reason, it did not help as they might have wished, and Kaerun grew up with a sense of detachment. He felt like a foreigner within his own home.

Never will any words of ungratefulness pass his lips when speaking of them; he owed them his life. In many ways, he was very fortunate to have been given the life he had when so many were stuffed into cramped homes, lacking funding and proper care. He could have been left in one of these places that were becoming too many and too frequent in Gondor, as the evil shadow spread further across the land, left to fend for himself and eventually die from some disease.

His parents were likely killed by Orcs, that was what they would tell him. No trace of them was ever found, and he himself was discovered wriggling amongst the debris of a cart, partially hidden by unburdened sacks and items of clothing, luckily unharmed. Checks were made, of course, the cart was found en route to Osgiliath, yet nobody reported anyone failing to rendezvous, or failing to board any ships. The trail went cold, and a passing couple took pity on the poor mite, whose fate was left uncertain, and took them into their home.

Despite this tragic beginning, Kaerun grew up with a rather ordinary childhood. He helped where he could around the house, he played with the other children, and he sat begrudgingly at the table as the Old Man made him learn his letters and numbers, when he wanted nothing more than to go outside and run about until his face was red. Yet one thing was different, one thing itched at him, even in those early days - the need to explore. Where other boys would shy away from the challenge of entering somewhere rumoured to be dangerous, Kaerun would stroll forward without any reserve. When boys would dare one another to climb the ruins of olden days, Kaerun would reach the top first. And when he heard one day that nobody had yet found the old barrow, lost in time, near Ethring, he took that as a personal wager, a challenge. - 'Nobody else had found it, but I will.'

Found it he did, and as a consequence, almost wet his pants in fear as he ran home, scared out of his wits, after he believed he saw a hand crawling towards him in the damp and the dim, and heard a gargling groans that crept down the mouldy overgrown corridor. Yet he was unbeturbed. Such a fright might have marked other boys for life with the desire to have more calm adventures, or stay at home with their dear mama, but Kaerun wanted more; he wanted to do it again, he wanted to find other barrows, other secret places. He wanted to be the one who, again, was the first to find places nobody had. 

As soon as the first hairs sprouted from his chin, as he would say, he got his wish. Tears were exchanged, words of sound advice were given, and promises were made to write often. The Old Man and Woman understood, they let him go with a full heart and promised to be there should he ever find himself in Gondor again. He would miss them, of course. He owed them everything, but something stirred in his blood that this was the path he was meant to take. He felt he may not be satisfied until he had soaked up as much knowledge and seen as much of the world as he could. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead.

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