Bits of Elven Glass by Himring

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Fanwork Notes

As the different accounts of the Elessar in the History of Middle-Earth are not compatible with each other, this narrative is not canonical, but neither is it completely AU.

The title alludes to the sneering description of Aragorn's Elessar as a "piece of elvish glass" by the Mouth of Sauron in  Return of the King.

Ratings: from General to Teens.

Warning for aftermath of torture in the Celebrian story.

 

I had been thinking about expanding the little glimpse of Earendil, but I've now decided that if my little Earendil series is ever completed, it will be independent, except for this small overlap.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

This is an attempt to weave the different accounts of the making and the history of the Elessar into a coherent narrative.

Now added: intervening chapter on Gil-galad.

Major Characters: Celebrían, Celebrimbor, Enerdhil, Eärendil, Fingon, Finrod Felagund, Galadriel, Gandalf, Gil-galad, Idril, Maedhros

Major Relationships:

Genre: General

Challenges: B2MeM 2012, B2MeM 2013, B2MeM 2015

Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate

Warnings: Mature Themes

This fanwork belongs to the series

Doom, Gloom and Maedhros
Chapters: 10 Word Count: 5, 827
Posted on 12 April 2012 Updated on 29 September 2019

This fanwork is complete.

Table of Contents

Prologue

In Formenos

 

Chapter 1

Maedhros gives the first Elessar to Fingon and explains the circumstances and purpose of its making

 

[Obligatory name confusion: Curvo=Curufin, Feanaro=Feanor, Findekano=Fingon, Tyelpo=Celebrimbor]

[Now posted on AO3 with prologue and epilogue as "The Prototype"]

Interlude

In Dor-lomin

Chapter 2

Enerdhil and Celebrimbor's conversation in Nevrast: the making of the second stone.

[Posted on MPTT and AO3 as "Shared Knowledge"]

Chapter 3

A childhood memory of Earendil's.

[This is also part of an incomplete Earendil series or WIP.]

Chapter 4

Celebrimbor undermines Galadriel's rule in Eregion, but crafts the Elessar for her.

[Posted elsewhere as "Expectations"]

Originally written for B2MeM 2012 for the prompt: women of the Silmarillion defying expectations.

Chapter 4a

Fingon has fallen in battle, and the Havens of the Falas, where he sent Gil-galad to be kept safe, have fallen, too.
But there is still a gift to be passed on, a gift that encompasses a hope.
And Gil-galad keeps it until the end.

 

Posted elsewhere under the title: Unfading Memories of Green

Originally written for lferion, in response to a comment, and posted to AO3.

 

[The story features my recurring OFC Erien, who helped to raise Gil-galad.

Gil-galad's canonical death, at the end of the story, is strongly implied, but not described.]

Chapter 5

Celebrian makes up her mind to sail; her arrival in Valinor.

Posted elsewhere as "Taking the Bruise".

Originally written for B2MeM 2013 (for details see end notes)

Chapter 8

In Minas Tirith, while Aragorn is waiting for Midsummer and Arwen's arrival, Gandalf tells Aragorn more details about the history of the Elessar than he had previously been aware of.

 

Posted elsewhere as a separate ficlet under the title "Elessar"

Written for a B2MeM 2015 prompt by Baranduin (see end notes)

Characters: Aragorn, Gandalf, Pippin

Rating: General, no warnings

Chapter 9

The Bequest:

After Aragorn's death, Arwen takes leave of one of her daughters.

 

Rating: Teens (references to canonical bereavement and aftermath of torture)

Comments

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Thank you very much, Oshun!

This was actually your alternative birthday fic, so to speak. I wrote both pieces, then decided that perhaps you would prefer "Hazelnuts".

I think maybe there needs to be a prologue of some kind before Maedhros launches into all this explanation? The obvious thing would have been to write about Feanor more directly, I guess, but somehow I always feel uneasy about writing Feanor "close-up".

I made a point of getting Celebrimbor involved already in this chapter because of course he takes over later in the story.

I really like this chapter. Especially, the beginning and the end.

"Give me your hand."

Is so young, intimate and sweet.

And Fingon saw in his cousin’s face the memory of the market square in Tirion and a whole people swayed by Feanor’s voice.

And this is the antithesis: complicated, darker, and dangerous.

Like it a lot.

The friendship is sort of canonical, but in that version of the canon Celebrimbor is not a Feanorian. The account of the friendship nevertheless seems a bit fraught (hints of possible professional rivalry)--so I have picked up that quality of fraughtness and adapted it to the Feanorian version of Celebrimbor.

Poor Tyelpo! I like to think his friendship with Narvi was plain sailing...

The opening reminded me of a graphic novel:  I could see it.  

Fingon never expected to worry about vegetables, did he?  I like that.  It shows that he cared for the smallest details, though feeding your people is no small thing.  

Celebrimbor.  It's what he doesn't say that is most interesting, and most telling.  No pressuring, no grudge-holding, just a sweet smile.  Love that.  

This is really fascinating!  The opening idea, Feanor's idea, is one I very much wish had come into being.  That's the bittersweet in this story, and Maedhros.  Always Maedhros.

Lovely, lovely!  I hope you write more.  I'd very much like to see this all the way through to Aragorn...or beyond?  Yes, I love to think of happy endings, or at least as happy as can be.   

Thank you so much, Levade!

I was sort of trying to alternate conversation-heavy bits with bits that have more description in them. I'm glad the description in the prologue works!

I have written another story in which young Fingon plans the perfect kingdom in great detail--and because he's got no real idea of Middle-earth conditions and, of course, events overtake them anyway, he finds he got almost everything wrong. He adapts, however, as you see!

I'm very glad Celebrimbor came across so well.

I have written some of the following chapters already and parked them elsewhere because bits in between are missing. Next one up is Earendil. I do mean to take this all the way to Aragorn, although I find the idea of writing Aragorn quite intimidating!

 

Would that our meetings be ever joyful and our partings, while sorrowful, never palled by regret...

...but alas our enemy is great; his iron hand greedily snuffs out our light, and when his hand is withdrawn, the stain of his shadow perpetuates through our words and deeds.

For the moment, my friend, your smile has banished even the small, but virulent, trace of his shadow that I so unwittingly and callously wove into our final goodbye. In this reprieve, I will fasten a light that will endure, even through the inevitable onslaught of his darkness. For this light, though seemingly small, will beget the lights that spell the ultimate end of darkness, even after it consumes us both.

You are wishing that Enerdhil would write this in a letter to Celebrimbor?

It is lovely and I'm glad that this story moved you enough to write it!

I think Enerdhil, at this point, is still not really aware enough of his own importance to write something quite like that, but maybe later on, when he has had time to reflect...

I remember reading the first three parts of this on your Livejournal, but I think I missed the fourth somehow or other.  I really like the exchange between Enerdhil and Celebrimbor here...the best teachers always learn still more while teaching, don't they, and the best pupils are often those who unwittingly aide in that process.  Also the elessar as a metaphor for Gondolin is very fitting here.

Thank you very much, Huin! I'm glad this piece worked for you. I imagine these two both as highly talented people who developed a real synergy in their work, but Enerdhil has a bit of a chip on his shoulder, as you may have noticed, and so didn't realize how great his own contribution was.

I think I may not have posted the Enerdhil chapter on LiveJournal, actually. This whole thing is a bit of a mess because it's written so out of chronological order. If I ever manage to write the Earendil section, I can get it back into sequence.

 

I love this- thought I had read everything of yours and then find this. It is a perfect explanation and ties up all the loose ends very nicely. As always your rendering of Maedhros is perfect and the thought and reasoning so very plausible. I like the link with Celebrimbor.

Ah- my favourite so far. All tht he says is true but it's her face I see so clearly when she turns around- Cate Blanchett I'm afraid -but it is so clear!  I like the practicality of Celebrimbor's reasoning- and really enjoyed the hnotion of Galadriel experimenting with leadership styles and the people being unused to unquestioning obedience. But there is always a sense of something more with Celebrimbor - this is great.

This actually made me cry oddly- because he is so angry for her! And unrelenting in his determintion that she WILL be able to walk strongly. I htink you get under the skin of Celebrian as few do- her gult and sense of worthlessness, but faced by the one who does understand, he just literally sweeps her off - not her feet but carries her almost- just takes on her pain and you just KNOW she will be whole again.

You do get that nicely embarrassed, humble side of Aragorn ever so well- he is a great king but still the Man, and still a bit anxious perhaps about his birthright. But it;s his love for Arwen that secrues him. Gandalf is perfect- impatient and a bit grumpy in a twinkly sort of way and Pippin can't quite keep quiet but sort of wants ot do things right. Lovely bit of the fellowship.

How can I care about a green stone when distracted by Earendil's willow whistle?

"Mother Idril, I would we had a good Ecthelion of the Fountain here to play to me on his flute, or make me willow whistles!”

The most tear-jerking part of the Fall of Gondolin for me!

Beautiful work.

Yes, I find those willow whistles entirely devastating, too, that's why I put one in!

But the job the green stone is doing is to link it up with this bit in Chapter 8:

...when you look up at night towards the evening star, you may think that your ancestor carries the twin—or rather elder sibling—of your own stone, as he sails up above—it wards his heart against the cold splendour of the skies with memories of Middle-earth and reminds him of the reason he undertook his lonely task...