A Sense of History: Straight Road
The next in a series of articles about ships passing to and from the West, Simon uses "The Fall of Númenor" to attempt to arrive at Tolkien's reading of the exordium to "Beowulf."
In Valinor, a long time ahead...
Can be read as a sequel to "Lilac" or an independent piece, as you wish.
Since last they were together like this, the earth has moved. Tectonic plates have shifted, whole continents have sunk beneath the sea—the very fabric of Arda has buckled and bent.
'I still please you,' says Maedhros to Fingon.
The careful phrasing cannot hide his intense relief. In the grand scheme of things—in the face of Fingon's enduring love and a loyalty that has survived across millennia—this should be a minor detail, perhaps. But it matters.
'You retain your gift for understatement,' replies Fingon, well content.
In case you need a bit of background on the title:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DidTheEarthMoveForYouToo