The Writhen Pool by pandemonium_213

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Fanwork Notes

Right then.  So I'm reposting this, probably at risk in the larger Tolkien fan fiction milieu that clearly favors male canon characters, but I'll resist another primadonna pique.  The Writhen Pool is an integral part of my out-of-control story arc so back it goes.

Many thanks to Aeärwen, Darth Fingon, Drummerwench, Elfscribe, Elleth, IgnobleBard, Kenaz, Kimberleighe, Kymahalei, Lilith, Marchwriter, Oshun, Randy O, Russandol, Scarlet, and Surgical Steel for feedback, flogging, and encouragement along the way.

~*~

By way of real life background, Lawrence Summers' remarks at the NBER conference on diversifying the science and engineering workforce caused a tremendous controversy. Many women on the Harvard scientific faculty and staff were incensed. Although Summers' words were couched in a scholarly tone, they stung, and the inside scoop from my friends and acquaintances at Harvard verified that there was indeed a gender disparity at work in the sciences there.

With regard to personal experimence, in 1980, one of my spouse's professors said — with me right there — that "It is a waste for women to go to graduate school."  As my career progressed in a discipline of science then (still) dominated by men, I experienced plenty of sexism and witnessed worse.  The anger that my protagonist feels in the first chapter takes inspiration from something that happened to one of my colleagues, a talented organic chemist.  

So, when I later read Tolkien's reflection on the roles of men (neri) and women (nissi) among the Eldar (cf. The History of Middle-earth, vol X, Morgoth's Ring) Summers' words came flooding back:

It is the neri and nissi of the Eldar are equal - unless it be in this (as they themselves say) that for the nissi the making of things new  is for  the most  part shown in the forming of their children,  so that  invention and  change is otherwise  mostly  brought  about  by  the  neri.  There  are,  however,  no matters  which among  the Eldar  only a  ner can  think or do,  or  others  with  which  only  a  nis  is concerned. 

This is often trotted out as evidence of Tolkien's "progressive" attitude toward women's roles, but the bolded text speaks otherwise.  Claims of equality in the passage cannot negate that. 

Anyway, all that bloviating is to say that whereas this novella is not a polemic (far from it), it is, in some ways, a ficcish commentary on women in science and engineering.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

When the Istyari of Second Age Ost-in-Edhil deny her a place in an important new initiative to be taken up by the Gwaith-i-Mírdain, a young master smith struggles to make her mark in the man's realm of the forges.   An opportunity arrives when the smith is offered a commission that will present challenges of both mind and heart.

Pandë!verse-centric.

Rated Adult.  Specific advisories will be posted per chapter as needed.

Two — count 'em, two — new chapters posted!

Chapter 10, In the Bright Light of Morning

Summary:  The morning after arriving in Ost-in-Edhil, Elrond and Erestor each suffer from the aches and pains of the long road from Mithlond as well as from other sources.

Chapter 11, The Path's Heart

Summary: Elrond finds a nearly comatose Mélamírë in dire straits.  She resists his attempts to reach her through sanwe-latya, until, with her permission, he gives her a bitter medicine that allows them to share a dream, called the lugnolossê by an ancient shaman of the Unbegotten.

Major Characters: Celeborn, Celebrían, Celebrimbor, Dwarves, Elrond, Erestor, Galadriel, Gil-galad, Original Character(s), Sauron

Major Relationships:

Artwork Type: No artwork type listed

Genre: Drama

Challenges: Strong Women

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Expletive Language, Mature Themes, Sexual Content (Moderate), Violence (Moderate)
Chapters: 11 Word Count: 58, 859
Posted on 18 April 2013 Updated on 20 September 2014

This fanwork is a work in progress.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Not Suitable for a Woman

Mélamírë feels the pain of rejection when the Istyari deny her a place on an imporant — and mysterious — project and does not take it well.

Chapter 2: Opportunity Knocks

After some contemplation and advice from Celeborn, Mélamírë waits for a new opportunity, which arrives in the form of a letter from the Lady of Lindórinand.  

Chapter 3: Eagle of Iron

Told from the point of view of the boy whom Mélamírë met outside the gates of the city in the previous chapter.   Polkincë screws up his courage and goes to the House of the Míretanor as the lady smith requested, and he regains his name.  

Heads up for corporeal punishment of a child and bullying.

Chapter 4: A Scent of Distant Lands

A young Dwarf guides Mélamírë into the depths below Zirakzigil in search of a rare element; the dwarf-girl makes a surprising request of the elven-smith, reminding Mélamírë of a secret shared with Dísa, the girl's grandmother.  Meanwhile, in the land of Nurn, Mairon, while writing a letter home, is interrupted so that he may provide a cruel lesson of consequence to rebellious slaves.

Head's up for fleeting sexuality and for not-so-fleeting violence/torture.

Chapter 5: The Laws of Eä

Meanwhile, back in Mithlond, Erestor brings reports to King Ereinion and Elrond of a mysterious and troubling new project among the Gwaith-i-Mírdain.  Ereinion attempts to recruit a talented smith excluded from the project, and disturbing rumors of a powerful warlord stirring up rebellion in the South make their way North.

Thank you a thousand times over to those who provided valuable feedback in the development of this chapter (you know who you are ;^)).  More acknowledgments are provided in End Notes.  A special thanks to Russandol for allowing me to borrow her concept of the ESS*.

*Elrond's Secret Service. Heh.

Chapter 6: Welcome Arrivals

Erestor takes a detour on his way to Uinen's Quay, where a Númenórean trade ship docks, bringing welcome arrivals.

Thanks to Scarlet, Randy O, Russa, Kymahalei, Kenaz, Drummerwench, Elfscribe, and Oshun for feedback and encouragement!  And a shout out of thanks to Elleth for giving me permission to the nod to her intriguing OFC, Estëlindë.  

Chapter 7: Ballain's Tale

Erestor, Elrond, Ereinion, and Círdan listen to Ballain recount his adventures in the South:  how he and Helevair disguised themselves and traveled to Umbar, their journey to Mordor, and the horror they encountered in the Nameless Pass.  Ballain tells of his brush with death, his rescue by an extraordinary people from Far Harad, and his healing by an even more extraordinary being.  Astute guesses are made, thanks to what Ballain's healer tells him, and Ballain gives a name, a single word that Elrond recognizes, causing him to make a dreadful connection. 

Warning for the arachnophobic:  here be spiders.  Big ones.  Evil ones.  But a good spider, too.

Thanks to my keen-eyed pals (see Chapter 6) for nitpicking.  Special thanks to to Surgical Steel for the use of "conjure-women" and her vision of Umbar (a Middle-earth nod to ancient Carthage), to Russandol for the name Brûn Hobas, and a big, huge, massive thanks to Elleth for her assistance with speculative Primitive Elvish. 

Chapter 8: The Poisons That Lurk in the Mud

Revelations are made in the Sammath Naur and in Ost-in-Edhil. The first scene of this chapter might be considered a sequel to Till Fire Purge All Things New.

Many thanks to Drummerwench, Elfscribe, KyMahalei, Randy O, Russandol, Scarlet, and Spiced Wine for their feedback and encouragment.

Chapter 9: To the Brink

Mélamirë seeks an end to her pain and a means to prevent the risk that she might turn to evil herself.

Warning: Heads up for graphic suicidal ideation.

Acknowledgments in End Notes.

Chapter 10: In the Bright Light of Morning

Summary:  The morning after arriving in Ost-in-Edhil, Elrond and Erestor each suffer from the aches and pains of the long road from Mithlond as well as from other sources.

Acknowledgements in End Notes.

Chapter 11: The Path's Heart

Elrond finds a nearly comatose Mélamírë in dire straits.  She resists his attempts to reach her through sanwe-latya, until, with her permission, he gives her a bitter medicine that allows them to share a dream, called the lugnolossê by an ancient shaman of the Unbegotten.

Warning for potential triggers of self-harm and suicidality.

Extra thanks to Elfscribe for excellent critique that resulted in a minor "post-publication" revision of the opening bit of this chapter.

Comments

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Thanks a million, Indy!  I can use the encouragement on this one, and I think you understand why. :^)  The sexism is drawn from RL experience, not only my own, but colleagues.  So I'm pouring a lot of what happened to them (and me) into Mél.

I'll be posting four more chapters over the coming weeks:  three are pretty much ready, and one I am still wrestling with.  The sixth and seventh are playing out in my head. 

Thanks again!

I had clearly remembered the salient details of this story. Her hurt and anger. The tears. The cocksure attitude with which both her father and Tyelpo conducted the meeting with her. I also vividly remember the ending of this chapter, of her wondering how Nerdanel had handled her professional life under what she assumes were similar restraints or greater ones I presume (with all those children and pregnancies!).

What impressed me on this re-read was the rich weave of the tapestry of this story, the descriptions of the physical details, the colors, the textures. For me that is often the difference between simply presenting some good dialogue and astute psychological observations, which are needed to make any story palatable, and a great story, which for me, requires more. That sense of being transported to particular place and time and environment into which one can lose oneself. The description doesn't have to be florid or lavish, but the immediacy of the moment presented to the reader through the point-of-view character is required. I do not know if you have ever read Mary Renault's The Last of Wine? It is one of earliest of the ancient Greece novels. It will always be Athens during that period of history for me. Similarly, your Ost-in-Edhil is imprinted upon my mind as the real thing.

I greatly enjoyed re-reading it. I really felt her pain today, for personal reasons. You nailed it.

A paranoid question:

They had been sympathetic when the news of the shipwreck came to Ost-in-Edhil, but even so, she had detected their sense of relief.

Now I am wondering if that was merely a random accident? If we have talked about this before, chalk it up to me having another senior moment.

I'm exhausted--hope I caught the majority of typos or worse!

Thanks a million, Oshun!  You're my enabler. 

Re:  the devil is in the details.  Among the many things I enjoy about writing fan fiction deriving from Tolkien's mythopoeia is striving to create a tertiary world (colored by my own life experience and interpretations) out of his secondary world, that is, filling in the details from the distant views on the horizon he gave to us.  I think that's true for many of us who write in Silm-fandom, because its view from 30,000 feet allows us to paint in the details.  I am wildly flattered that I have imprinted this view of Ost-in-Edhil on you.  (And yes, I read The Last of the Wine years ago -  that is Athens to me, too).

The question on the shipwreck.  That's one of those views toward the horizon:  no details, just a brief recollection of a bigger story.  The Dark Muse suggests that this was not a random accident.

Thanks again!

.... You have absolutely no idea how happy I am to see this!! I was pretty crushed when I saw that it was taken down and I have to admit I was creeping on your LJ page to try to find it (wow that sounds stalkerish lol).  Absolutely love how the Istyari is written, she is an extremely strong character and not many people can pull that off with female OCs. I'm a big fan of all your fics and hope you continue to write more :)

Oh, my!  I never know who's reading my ficcish hackery so this is a wonderful surprise!  Thanks so much!  You're now on the list of my enablers. :^)

"I have to admit I was creeping on your LJ page to try to find it..."

Ha!  You would not have found it.  It was buried under lock and key.

"...she is an extremely strong character and not many people can pull that off with female OCs."

Again, thank you.  Writing OFCs in Tolkienian fandom is a risky business, and even more so one like Mél who has a very loaded background.  However, when I first saw all the vitriol and bleating on FFN about OFCs when I stumbled upon Tolkien fan fiction in late 2006, I was later inspired to challenge that viewpoint.  So, it looks like Mél's working for at least some fans.

I'm slow with ficcish output these days, thanks to a demanding (but rewarding) real-life job that entails a lot of writing, but I expect to keep at it for a while.  Writing fan fic is an addictive hobby!

Thanks again!

Two super chapters, Pandë. Mélamírë's character is so perfectly explained and shown in just this, that I think some-one could read this without having read anything else, and see her clearly (though hopefully they would then go on and read more).

I have been thinking about her and her relationship with her father more since Orcling, and it seems to me that for all his care of her, this is rather like diamond cuts diamond, for though she was certainly, and understandably upset and furious in the first chapter, and went off to cool her head, she was not intimidated or inclined to feel she must get back into his good graces by apologizing. Quite right too, but some daughters might have done that.  Mélamírë comes across as really remarkable just in these two chapters.

This was as good as it would get as far as capitulation to her outrage was concerned. "Yes," she said. "I'd like that."

And probably her response is as good as he's going to get from her :) 

I am always very conscious, in a good and anticipatory way of who she is, who her father is, and what is going to happen, so reading your 'verse prior to when everything goes to hell, is like slowly coming closer and close to the Cracks of Doom. And I mean that as a compliment.

Thanks so much, Spiced!  

"this is rather like diamond cuts diamond...  And probably her response is as good as he's going to get from her"

Ooooh, yes!  One of the elements of her personality I try to convey is that she is quite proud and willing to push back if she feels wronged...much like him.  In this case, she knows that she isn't the one who should be doing the apologizing.  So, they tend to butt heads.

"...so reading your 'verse prior to when everything goes to hell, is like slowly coming closer and close to the Cracks of Doom."

And in fact, this novella will address when everything goes to hell for her.  I'm thinking Chapter 7.

"And I mean that as a compliment."

Thank you! :^)

Thanks so much, Indy!   Glad that you appreciated the social stratificaiton, and there will be distinctly more of that in Chapter 3.  I'm sure JRRT would twirl about in his grave if he were aware that I gave a pseudoscientific explanation of the mirror's magic, but...I cannot resist!  Again thanks very much for reading and the encouragement.

I loved reading this from Thorno's viewpoint, outside looking in; it gives a really different in-depth glimpse of Ost-in-Edhil, and Mél. I do love that in longer works, such as your series, to see how places and characters appear to other eyes. Mélamírë is intimidating and brilliant, and has a great 'presence' in this; I know Thorno is young and uncertain, but I don't think that nerves alone are responsible for this impression; Mél is brilliant and intimidating.
I was waiting for some-one to terrify those wretched bullies, and hurrah! for Sámaril and Thorno's mother finding her inner strength and facing down her husband. Once can see how the death of Thorno's sister is still an open wound to that family, but things are looking better thanks to Mél.

Thanks so much, Spiced!  Likewise, that's one of the reasons I enjoy reading your work:  the multiple POVs.  I think all of us have been intimidated by others, and here Thorno has to contend with his father, whose grief has driven him into a very dark place, and the bullies.  Mél and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain represent another kind of intimidation.   I took inspiration for Mél's "brilliant and intimidating" presence from a professor back at my grad school/post-doc alma mater.  She was (and is) incredibly intimidating to us mere grad students but her enthusiasm for her work, and her sheer brilliance countered that.  After I received my doctorate, finished my post-doc, and moved on to a Real Job, I encountered this professor later, and it was like night and day.  We had such a great time talking science.  But I know how Thorno feels!  Also, Mél has a cot in her office.  So did that professor. :^D

Thanks again for reading and commenting.  Very much appreciated!

I definitely read this before in one permutation or another. I enoyed reading it again. There truly is a lot to love about it. First, of course, I love that it is a background story for Thorno (who is one of my favorite of your original characters). I also like the idea of opportunity within that community for someone of talent and motivation. It fits like a glove for me. Of course, that would have to be the case. It made me think also of apprenticeships of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Without the feudal trappings.

Thanks so much, Oshun, for the compliments!  Yes, indeed, you read it previously (it was on the LC).  I'm relieved that you find the notion of social mobility through merit (talent and motivation) in this stratified society to be palatable.  As you know, I see Ost-in-Edhil more as a city of the Renaissance (Firenze comes to mind) where the learned and the merchant classes have a good deal of power, and less Medieval, so I think there's a bit more room for such mobility.  I do take inspiration from the apprentice system used during the Renaissance.

I anticipate hearing from Thorno again in this series, and of course, he's champing at the bit to reappear in The Elendilmir. ;^)

Thanks again! 

Thanks so much for reading and commenting, Indy!  It was not an easy chapter to write, but it's hard for me to imagine (as it is for you, too - thinking of your Thralls fic in particular) that Elves "would never be" abusive.  And heck, JRRT gives us evidence that they are in The Silm.

Thorno will have more to say later in the story.

 

I could feel Mél's claustrophobia. I love the line about Celebdil being only slightly less cruel, because it fits. Add in the hints of Dwarven culture and the little backstory with Dísa, and I am very quietly squeeing.

The letters and the hints that not all it right leading into Mairon's POV… Chilling and effective, especially the contrast between setting up a villa and then torturing rebellious slaves. I love his complexity.

Very well done!

Thanks so much, Indy!  Glad to know what I wanted to convey in this fic came through.  Dísa appeared in The Elendilmir as a young woman in Chapter 28 (again the stirrings of the balrog are perceived, but there's only one person who identifies just what it is).  Dísa and Mél might deserve a more extensive treatment, but they are just OFCs with a fairly limited fanbase.  However, for a superb story about two women — a Dwarf and an Elf (both iconic canon characters) — see Adina Atl's Opening Doors on HASA:  http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter_view.cfm?stid=2650&spordinal=1.

Re: Mairon of the Pandë!verse.  He likes to remind folks that despite some very human, even warm, traits that his author with her humanist bent gives him, he is decidedly not a Nice Guy™.

Things seem to be coming to a head quite quickly now. It's to be hoped that Mel has got the Mirror almost ready, because I don't think she's got much time left.

It's an interesting narrative decision--such a crucial phase and you decided to tell it at a remove, so to speak, from Erestor's point of view. Effective, I think. And these sidelights on Lindon are fascinating in their own right.

Of course I am rather a sentimental reader in any case--but I find that glimpse of Tyelpo really heart-breaking, knowing how much worse there is to come.

Thanks so much, Himring.  Mél still has plenty of time to complete the Mirror.  Recall that there was a gap of years between the revelation of the One Ring (and who made it) and when Sauron's armies invaded Eriador.  However, she'll experience a major set-back soon. 

Yes, I needed to go to Lindon, because I know Erestor a) will be on hand when three canonical (HoMe: Peoples of Middle-earth) fellows-of-interest get off the boat in Mithlond; and b) he'll be visiting Ost-in-Edhil at least two more times in the course of the story, so I figured this would be a way of setting the character up for those future chapters.

Tyelpo probably deserves his own voice at some point, i.e., in the context of the Pandë!verse; certainly other writers have tackled the subject of the Three Rings.   Maybe a stand alone fic?  We'll see.

Thanks again for reading!

I really love the following:

 

From the North and the South, she heard rivers rumbling as they coursed through channels carved by their lightless waters over thousands upon thousands of years.  Above that rumbling, the mellow bass of gold, the smooth mid-range of silver, and the achingly pure tones of mithril blended together in stately harmony, the remnants of Aulë's great hymn. Gemstones caught in rocks twittered and warbled like finches and robins in a hedgerow.

 

From the roots of the mountain came gnawing and chattering noises of the mysterious things that burrowed in the darkness. Far away, in a lake trapped in permanent night, something large and without bones made a horrid, squelching gurgle when it squeezed through an underwater crevasse, a loathsome noise that slithered through Mélamírë's very core. Rather than filtering out the cacophony of sounds, she listened harder, and much to her relief, she did not hear the stirrings of the Shadow that slumbered beneath the mountains.

Wonderful descriptions of how Mél senses the ores.

Golly, Mairon's way of dealing with the recalitrant will not soon be forgotten.

Oh, thanks so much, Spiced!  Whenever I indulge in synesthesia (first quote paragraph there), I'm always uncertain if the imagery works.  I relieved it did for you!  And I'm sure you picked up the references to the two things that are "fouler creatures than orcs", re: Gandalf's words in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Yes, the DM periodically likes to remind he that he is really not a Nice Guy™.

I'm always uncertain if the imagery works.  I relieved it did for you!  And I'm sure you picked up the references to the two things that are "fouler creatures than orcs", re: Gandalf's words in The Fellowship of the Ring.

OOh, I did. I love the way this stretches forward into later times, with of course the One Ring and Sauron, but also in this case such as Caradhras the 'Cruel', and the 'Watcher' also Mél's 'vision' of the Balrog.

DM is NOT a nice guy, but on the other hand, he's too intelligent and...urbane to actively dislike. I was chilled, but he wouldn't be the first or last ruler of Men who used torture to get his point across. It's more chilling because he's not some frothing madman, but knows to a hairsbeadth the value of horror, and uses it.

 

Gosh, I cannot believe I didn't reply here!  I am such a ditz!

Thanks so much for the reassurance, Spiced.  

I must admit that I take a lot of inspiration from the more heinous leaders of our primary world to inform the DM's portrayal.  Despite Tolkien's keeping Sauron's deeper characterization at arm's length, I think JRRT did as well.

Hey, thanks, Indy!  I always gnaw my fingernails to the quick (well, figuratively speaking) in terror when I write Elrond (and Erestor and Ereinion and Glorfindel and...well, the list goes on) when there are highly talented ficcish authors, including yourself, who have written these characters beautifully.  I hope Elrond, even in a bit part, measured up to your standards.

As Himring noted, I switched the scene and maybe it was risky to do so, so I'm relieved to hear the alternative perspective worked for you.  Elrond and Erestor will be reappearing (well, immediately because the next chapter will be a follow-on to this, then back to Ost-in-Edhil for Chapter 7) so I figured it would best serve the story's overarching narrative to visit Mithlond.  We've already seen what Mairon is up to. >:^)  

One of the things I admire hugely about your work is the amount of every day detail you spin into the story.  It breathes it to life, so much so that I can hear the birds, smell the freshly-turned soil, feel the heat on my face as she sits gazing out at the land.  I love the descriptions!  They bring the land to life for me.  That's difficult for me.  I can't always see the land (though I can always see PJ's version, ha), but you definitely have a vision of Eregion.  It's gorgeous.  

This story touches a definite spot in my life, and my father was very old school, so yes, it rings true.  Her anger and pain, and the frustration at crying when she did not want to, oh yes.  I can sympathize.  It's a frustration that fires me up even now when I see it happen.  

I love this character, and if anyone calls her Mary Sue, I'd have to wonder at them.  She's real enough to be someone I know, or might know.  She's fleshed out and has flaws.  Have you written the story of her mortal lover yet?  I definitely want to read that!  It's funny.  For years I wrote and hid stories away, and though no one could possibly have "stupid" ideas like mine because I didn't see them on the internet.  Now I'm seeing there are others, and they're not stupid.  Just different.  :)  

Now, off to read more!  

Thanks so much, Levade, for having a read and for the fabulous comments!  My apologies for the delay in replying, but my appreciation is no less sincere.  

When I was a wee spout of 14, Legolas' words to Gandalf as the Fellowship trekked through Hollin resonated with me:

But the Elves of this land were of a race strange to us of the silvan folk, and the trees and the grass do not now remember them: Only I hear the stones lament them: deep they delved us, fair they wrought us, high they builded us; but they are gone. They are gone. They sought the Havens long ago.

That passage, and the recount of the forging of the Rings of Power thoroughly fascinated me when I read those glimpses beyond the horizon that Tolkien wrote so well.  The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales revealed more about Eregion, but still...not much.  After setting Tolkien aside for nearly 20 years then revisiting his world with a different perspective (compared to my 14 year old self), I dove right into Eregion, recognizing from Tolkien's words (that the Noldor were on the side of science and technology) that these were "my people."  

Anyway, Eregion has formed in my mind's eye from all sorts of inspiration.  I tend to think of Firenze when I think of Ost-in-Edhil - not a quasi-Medieval city, but one of the Rennaisance.  So there's a lot of Tuscan influence there. :^)

On Mél and her experiences - oh, yeah!  I think a lot of us have been there.  She's a collection of inspiration taken from friends and colleagues, and so (I hope) comes across as a real person, despite her "loaded background."  The latter presents a fun challenge actually.   Nope, haven't written that story about her mortal lover although I think there's a draft (much in need of reworking) when she meets him when they are children.

I love to read those different ideas!  I think the motto to live by when writing fan fiction comes from David Brin (longtime science fiction writer - I love his Ringworld series):

"Don't just receive your adventures. Toy with them. Re-mold them in your
mind! Keep asking "What if...?"It's how you get practice not just being a
passive consumer, or critic, but a creative storyteller in your own right. "

Thanks again!

 

"She sought new challenges that she could make her own. That is, in part, what brought her to Middle-earth and what took her beyond the mountains when the rule of Eregion was denied to her.   She is nothing if not persistent in pursuing her desires."

Yes, and isn't she just very, very wise!  Challenges that she could make her own.  I really wish someone had sat me down at 15 and told me this.  It would have saved so many headaches and arguments.  

Looking forward, because I've read these out of order, I can see this scrappy child will become the man we see in Imladris, years later.  I love that sort of continuity.  It makes me happy (and wish more Hollywood writers would pay that sort of attention). That interaction, and that section of the story also tells a lot about the city.  It's not perfect, nor are the Elves that live there.  

Ah, Celeborn.  That was a lovely section!  I really adored the nightengales singing, and it made me so want to be there, listening to his singing.  I loved that the Sindarin section was a place where the city had walled in the trees.  We must have our trees.  ;)

The interaction between Mélamírë and her father was both fascinating and chilling.  Looking at the way you explain time and space in Tolkien's world, and Vaire's pulling of threads, is fascinating.  You make me look at his world and words in a new way and I love that!  It makes things in my brain ping.  *g*  His explanation for her not working on the rings...  Ah, I feel sick thinking of what will come, and thankful he didn't let her work on it.  Your take on Annatar is, as always, fascinating.  He is so appealing, so interesting, and so, so deadly.  As he should be.  

I loved Galadriel's letter.  Loved that she signed with all of her names.  When I first came to fandom, and I came in with some very peculiar ideas due to having listened to prejudices from long time fans before I even read the books, I didn't care for Galadriel.  I'm coming to love her quite a lot now.  She is a bit unknowable, and I love that about her.  

Rambled on here, but another great chapter!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tolkien's writing about Galadriel.  She is such a larger than life character, and yet, she has characteristics that we can relate to.  I have to say that she intimidates me (that unknowable quality, as you aptly note), but I had better get over it as she will make an appearance later in the story.

Re: social stratification among the Elves.  Tolkien's world in general is socially stratified, and he certainly does this with his tribes of Elves, so I figured (and others have, too), that although the social structure among the Elves of Ost-in-Edhil might be "flatter" than the mortal equivalents (no abject poverty, perhaps), there would still be layers and factions (hence, "the Sindarin Quarter").  And it would not be a utopia by any means.  

Annatar is a great vehicle for bringing the contemporary (and even supracontemporary) concepts of science and technology into Middle-earth.  The challenge is to express these in ways that do not rely on contemporary jargon, but use more general, "Middle-earth-ized" language (although I do resort to the odd term now and then, and explain away its jarring "sound" by making it into a "Valarin" word :^D).   Annatar as an obvious villain has never worked — and does not work — for me.  I recall reading another writer's opinion last year that "bad guys are easy to write."  OMG.  I choked at that one.  Not if the bad guy is more than a one-note villain.   As for the Rings, heh.  It's not just fatherly concern here - he also does not want to risk her figuring out what he's doing.

Thanks again, Levade!

Thorno.  I thought I recognized him!  And Sámaril as well!  It's like meeting old friends again, only going back to their pasts.  

Have to say again, you write a depth to the city, and it's citizens that I love.  The class system is something I thought was there, even if only in a subtle way.  Someone has to clean the dishes, clothing and rooms of these glorious places we see in the movies.  It doesn't mean the "upper" class is cruel, but yes, I've always thought there were spheres in which a character would or could move.  It's nice to see how you handle it here.  

Seeing how Thorno came to be apprenticed is wonderful.  Loved seeing this world through his eyes, and thank you for having someone take on those bullies.  Nicely done, Sámaril!  And Thorno has a friend, which is always a good thing.  

The backstory of his sister dying, and the reason for his father's sadness and depression is very real.  Elves are, after all, beings with the same feelings we have, perhaps even stronger because they don't expect a loved one to pass away.  And not every elf could be an Elrond.  Some are going to be weaker or stronger, with failings.  I do love Thorno's mother for finally waking up from her bad dream, and bringing back some tenderness into Thorno's life again.  He has already made a difference in his family and he's only twelve!  Good on you, Thorno!

I'm curious about the Guild of the Heart.  Is there a story for that?  Going to have to look!

Hi there, Levade!  Gradually responding to reviews here.  

When Thorno appeared in The Elendilmir, I wondered what his backstory was.  I knew that his pal, Sámaril, came from a comfortable family (not nobility, but his father was a prominent mason in the Guild of Stone), but I had a feeling that Thorno was more "working class," as we'd call it.  And you're absolutely right - someone had to do the scutt work among the Elves, and given that Tolkien's societies tend to be stratified, well, it seemed like something to explore.  We know from The Silm that the Firstborn (whom Tolkien explicitly and repeatedly noted were a different branch of the "same race" as Men (i.e., same species, different sub-species) were capable of quite human behavior, some not so savory.  Of course, Thorno's dad pats himself on the back for not beating his son senseless like a mortal Man might.  Elvish superiority and civility and all that.

No full stories on the Guild of the Heart just yet (although I mention it in The Elendilmir and Risk Assessement), but I'm hoping to get in a chapter or two of Mél out with Culinen on one of the expeditions to a village/settlement of Men striken with infectious disease.  At an abstract level, Culinen is very interested in infectious diseases and is getting a grasp of germ theory.

Thanks again (and again!) for the wonderful comments! :^)

Wow.  *Flops*  We ran through a lot of ground on that chapter!

Above that rumbling, the mellow bass of gold, the smooth mid-range of silver, and the achingly pure tones of mithril blended together in stately harmony, the remnants of Aulë's great hymn. Gemstones caught in rocks twittered and warbled like finches and robins in a hedgerow.

That is gorgeous.  I want to see it.  I love how your 'verse pulls in Tolkien's almost effortlessly to create something both familiar and new.  I've gone roaming in caves, and through some spots that took some wriggling on my stomach, so I can clearly imagine what it would be like to be in the beast of that belly for an Elf!  For one who can sense so much...  Well, we know what sleeps in the depths of Moria.  

I like her attitude about Dwarves.  I can't imagine it was hugely popular, but I have an OC who is quite fond of humans and a bit less so of dwarves.  It's not something I saw a lot of before, but it's good to see here.  It would be hard though to see someone you were fond of, had loved, wither and die.  It's hard for us, as humans.  I cannot imagine how it would hurt someone like Mel.  Disa and her grand-daughter were very real for such quickly introduced characters.  You have a talent for making even your OCs very dimensional and real. 

Her sharpened senses are wonderful!  My cousin, when she was four and five, went thorugh a phase of tasting things.  It was both amusing and awful (especially when it was in public).  But she survived without picking up anything too awful.  I really like Mel's sniffing things.  It just works for me.  

Ah.  Your Marion.  He is everything I've said before, but will again.  Casual cruelty that chills me, but is so perfect.  He is a perfect predator.  Smart, beautiful, so, so cruel, and very fixed on a goal that he will do anything to achieve.  That, in my mind, is Sauron.  Your use of lemon groves and the tropical heat against the torture is almost overwhelming.  I feel like Mel, being crushed by the mountain.  But...it's perfect.  *shiver*

And yes, I did have to go see what scaphism was.  Bleeeeegh.  I did wonder why he was called the Boatwright.   Yep.  Now I know.  

Thanks so much, Levade!  Your reviews are gold.

"I have an OC who is quite fond of humans and a bit less so of dwarves."

Oooooh, where is this OC?  On AO3?  Here on the SWG?

Yep, I'm trying to acknowledge the source text here - that the Dwarves of Khazad-dum and the Elves of Eregion had a fruitful alliance, so I expect there would be friendships in addition to the famous one between Narvi and Celebrimbor that develop.  Additionally, I try to engage in the thought exercise of what it might be like to be a human with an indefinitely long life span, and therefore how difficult it would be to see mortal friends perish.  That may speak to why the Firstborn may have preferred to be with their own.

Glad that my Sauron is working for you!  "A perfect predator."  Yes, that's exactly what I am going for.

Heh.  Yep, scaphism is pretty grisly.  Amazing what research we do in the name of fan fic!  :^D

Thanks again!

 

Where to start.  You packed a ton into this chapter.  

Every good king has spies.  It only makes sense, especially when you consider Gil-galad's position.  There were elves far more ancient than himself, Celebrimbor, Galadriel, both fond of power, and used to wielding it.  There were Numenoreans who were ambitious and unafraid to test both new waters and find new lands.  There were the powers to the south and the Powers in the West.  I always thought he walked a very fine line in addition to dealing with the variety of kindreds in his own kingdom.  I do like him being reminded that he cannot tax Ost-in-Ehil.  :D  

Elrond leaning against the mantle with the image of rolling seas.  I love, love that image.  I wish I could draw it.  

Your Erestor is exactly as I would think of him in your world.  Loving to pick up tidbits of information, but happy to dwell with comforts as well.  He's sharp, that one.  I wouldn't expect anything but that!

And now I have to wait for more?  Woe is me!  ;)  My head is swimming with images and ideas, which is another thing I love about your writing.  Thank you for this, another thought-provoking, lovely and chilling story!

I love the notion of elvish spies!  Russa dealt with it neatly in Chasing Mirages, and I found it inspiring.

When I first started writing fan fiction in 2007, I never expected to write Erestor, Gil-galad, or Elrond.  There are a number of writers who have done such a great job with these characters that it's kind of intimidating.  But Erestor popped up in The Elendilmir, A Fragile Chalice, and the more comedic A Rose by Any Other Name, and demanded attention.

"My head is swimming with images and ideas, which is another thing I love about your writing."

I feel exactly the same way when I read your stories! :^)

Thanks so much, Levade, again, for your wonderful, thought-provoking comments! 

You made Mithlond come alive with colour and sights and sounds, Pandë. I found myself nodding my head at the segregation of Men and Elves, since it sounds likely there might be...um disharmony. I can't really imagine peace and harmony all the time between these races, and sailors..d;-)

The Quim! Raging cases of clap. I shouldn't laugh. Still, I suppose they can heal themselves, but nevertheless...unpleasant.

I love the way this wanders down to the harbour and the the tone darkens when Erestor sees his agent.  Instead of this being an immersive readers journey, showing us different flavours, it is abruptly serious. This is like the 'deep breath before the plunge' to quote Gandalf in the film. I hope you get the next chapter up quite soon, as -- well, I'll save that for the review. But this is a great, gradual build up.

 

Belated (but no less sincere) thanks, Spiced!  As you know, I thoroughly enjoy tweaking the "Elves would never..." concept, so I was able to indulge here.  Unfortunately, doing so spawns a wealth of ideas for side stories.

"This is like the 'deep breath before the plunge' to quote Gandalf in the film."

Oh, thank you!  That is a flattering comparison.  And apparently, my tactic worked.

Now here's a teaser if there ever was any! That was a thoroughly alive (and lively) chapter, it was fantastic accompanying Erestor through Mithlond, and not to mention that I'm curious to bursting about Ballain's tale, all the more considering the direction our email discussion about Estelindë took. 

And, of course, I'm delighted at the shout-out, and that Estelindë has found her little background niche among the illustrious cast of the Pandë-verse! Thank you.

Thanks so much, Elleth, for reading and reviewing!  My apologies for the belated response.  

I love living in a harbor city myself, and although Boston is a far fry from what it used to be, I tried to imagine what it was like 200 to 300 years ago, and then made an attempt extrapolate this to Mithond.  Visiting port towns like New Bedford, Fairhaven, and Gloucester helps, too.  Heh.  And as much as I like seafood, there are some fish markets around here that are pungent enough to elicit Erestor's response.

Belated thanks, Indy, and my apologies for the delay in responding.   Very much appreciate your comments!  As noted to Elleth, living in a harbor city and visiting New England coastal towns helped inform Erestor's experience, although I expect the contemporary versions are less messy.  Still, fish smell like fish. :^D

A great slice of life in Mithlond as seen through Erestor's eyes. I like how he almost gives up his roll and then ends up not doing it, for reasons.

Clearly, the next chapter is going to be rather different. Poor Ballain--and Helevair. I suppose it might be too much to hope he met a quick end.