B2MEM 2011 - The Silmarillion Extracts by Dwimordene

In that hour Finarfin forsook the march... but his sons were not with him

Prompt: Losgar - Defiance: Defiance is defined as the willingness to contend or fight. Write a story or poem or create artwork where the characters defy authority in some way.

In that hour Finarfin forsook the march... but his sons were not with him

For they approached Finarfin at Araman; Finrod knelt, saying: “We will continue. Pray, bless us, Father!”

Then Finarfin tore his hair, for his horror would not lift his hand, but love would not withhold. Heart-rent he fell, weeping.

His younger sons embraced him finally, and departed, but Finrod waited. Groaning, his father clutched him.

“Why ask this of me?”

“For love. And for good.”

“Vanities! You heard the Doomsayer!”

Then Finrod was silent, 'til finally: “I heard an airy voice. But even Melkor was received back, so bless me, and that defy. Then, when the others repent, we will return.”

Chapter End Notes

There's always something ironic about author's notes that are longer than the drabble they annotate, but...

“In that hour Finarfin forsook the march... but his sons were not with him” - “Of the Flight of the Noldor,” Silmarillion

Context: “There they beheld suddenly a dark figure standing high upon a rock that looked down upon the shore. Some say that it was Mandos himself, and no lesser herald of Manwë. And they heard a loud voice, solemn and terrible, that bade them stand and give ear. Then all halted and stood still, and […] the voice was heard speaking the curse and prophecy which is called the Prophecy of the North [...]”

This drabble came from a very interesting conversation with a friend that went all fandomy about the tragedy of heeding strange voices that speak 'from heaven' in Hagigah, 15a: “After his apostasy, Aher asked R. Meir: What is the meaning of the verse: Gold and glass cannot equal it; neither shall the exchange thereof be vessels of fine gold?37 He answered: These are the words of the Torah, which are hard to acquire like vessels of fine gold, but are easily destroyed38 like vessels of glass. Said [Aher] to him: R. Akiba, thy master, did not explain thus, but [as follows]: Just as vessels of gold and vessels of glass, though they be broken, have a remedy,39 even so a scholar, though he has sinned, has a remedy.40 [Thereupon, R. Meir] said to him: Then, thou, too, repent! He replied: I have already heard from behind the Veil:41 Return ye backsliding children — except Aher.”