Brothers by Dawn Felagund

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Fanwork Notes

Then Tar-Ancalimon, son of Atanamir, became King, and he was of like mind; and in his day the people of Númenor became divided. On the one hand was the greater party, and they were called the King's Men, and they grew proud and were estranged from the Eldar and the Valar.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Two brothers face their father's death and the differences that have arisen between them, for one is of the King's Men and the other of the Elf-friends.

Major Characters: Original Character(s)

Major Relationships:

Genre: Drama, Fixed-Length Ficlet, General

Challenges: Akallabêth in August

Rating: Teens

Warnings: Mature Themes
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 493
Posted on 7 August 2009 Updated on 7 August 2009

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Brothers

Comments on Brothers

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Oh, wonderful! I had never thought about the division from a pov of a family torn by war. One likes to think that the good people were on one side, and the bad on another, but the line blurs quite a bit and, in the end, everyone suffers. It was wonderful insight, Dawn, and beautiful, etic language and imagery to convey such a poignant reality. Thank you!

Thank you, Fireworks, for such a lovely review! :) The breakdown of the good-evil duality that I think we all wish, at times, were true is one of my fascinations as a writer. It is what first drew me to write Silmfic to better understand the Feanorians; Numenor certainly presents its share of similar opportunities.

And I always like to keep in mind, too, that history is written by the victors, in this case those of the Elf-friends that survived the Drowning to return to Middle-earth. I like to imagine that, if given the chance to tell their stories, the King\'s Men would also have their reasons for making the choices that they did, even though they seem incomprehensible to me at first glance. And there is my fascination as a writer. :)

Wpw! If I wanted to focus soley upon the descriptions of the tree, the steps, the words spoken between the two brothers, I ould have a ton of praise. But getting to read the bits of history that inspired you for this, just, wow, I have chills. I too remember the stories of "brother pitted against brother" during the Civil War. We have such stories in my own family history. I liked the drabbunculus and can attest that I have never seen anything like it. I can see why you would not wish to write one again, but I might be inclined to tug on your sleeve for you to write another because I enjoyed this one so much. There's just so much power conveyed in just a few words. I liked he idea of the small green leaves like little fists, almost as if they're shaking at them them in admonishment. The rivalry between the two brothers is beautifully portrayed, understated, but still powerful.

.......So you're absolutely sure you won't ever write another drabbunculus? ;-)

Great work, Dawn!

Well, considering that I think that this is my third drabbunculus and I have sworn every time that I won\'t be writing another, then I\'m not sure how much I believe me. ;)

Thank you so much for all of your kind words about my drabbunculus! :D I feel like I\'m in way over my head, trying to write for this event with so many authors who know so much more than I do about the Second Age. I suppose I\'m trying to compensate with imagery. And poetry. ;)

On the history that inspired it, Bobby and I went to Antietam Battlefield today. There is a monument there to the soldiers who fought for Maryland, and it is the only monument dedicated to both Union and Confederate soldiers. It seemed especially fitting, since I\'d just posted this drabbunculus mentioning that very point. As Fireworks says in the review beneath yours, it\'s nice to think that all the good guys are on one side; the bad guys on the other. But living \"on the line\" does remind you of how much it blurs, and how both sides have their reasons for the choices they make. I often say that they must be at least compelling enough that they can sleep at night. :)

Personally, I would have likely been an Elf-friend because of ... well, the Elves! :D (Shallow, yes, but there ya go!) But I\'d imagine that if the King\'s Men could write their own history, it would sound very different from that we get from the Elf-friends who escaped the Drowning.

Thank you again, Roisin, for the lovely review. I really appreciate all the kind things you and others have had to say for my attempts to play in the Second Age! :)

what a wonderful work with so many layers: the king's men vs those close to the eldar, the brother who was granted everything to reach high vs the brother who worked hard to get where he is now. It just reads to me that the further this ambitious brother rose in the ranks, the more he lost touch with whom he should be protecting and respecting, to me ot reads that even the father's perspective changed during time, growing closer to his other son.

and:

"It is not that we fear more but accept less!" 

How true.

Thank you, Rhapsy! :) I wanted to show the changing attitudes of the narrator\'s brother but also of his father, so I\'m tickled that you picked up on this. As for losing sight of his obligation to his family--absolutely, though he\'d probably answer that he did so only in service of a greater aim (the thwarting of death) that would, in the end, serve all Numenoreans, including his family. (Which doesn\'t pardon deeds done along the way, of course. Now I feel like I\'m writing again about my familiar Feanorians! :D)

You have such a talent for drawing out characters and it surely shines here.  We get a view from 30,000 feet where Númenor was concerned when we read The Akallabêth (well, this is true for all The Silmarillion) so your intimate examination of what it means to a dockworker whose older-brother-done-good is a part of a powerful faction adds a slice of reality to Númenor.  The presence of basil -- an herb connected with the dead and ensuring a safe journey to the afterlife in some of our primary world's cultures -- is a very neat touch.  A poignant ficlet!

Thank you, Pandemonium! I\'m honored that you and so many others like this humble ficlet dashed off in haste when I realized that we were missing an entry for this topic! :D As ever, my fascination with these stories derives in part from wanting to understand them beyond a simple clash of good and evil. I think that a history written by the King\'s Men would speak a very different story than that written by those of the Elf-friends who escaped the Drowning. I hoped to touch on that here.

As for the basil, I attempted my first real herb garden this year, and my basils are my favorite. Besides the fact that they smell awesome and taste yummy, it turns out that they\'re beautiful flowering plants that attract more butterflies than the butterfly garden that we planted. I suspect that the House of Felagund will have lots of basil growing in containers around the house next summer. :) The deeper cultural connections didn\'t even cross my mind but you are, of course, absolutely right! Hooray for serendipity! :)

I admit that I don't care too much for Numenorean's, but I really like the style. I always love to see a unique style in writing. I like the contrast between the two parts that are merged in one. It's like being in two people's head at same time. 

Great work! 

Trust me, I guarantee anything of mine posted for Akallabeth in August will be as un-Numenorean as it gets simply because I haven\'t traveled much to the Second Age. ;) Some of the other authors have done such an amazing job of creating believable Second Age cultures; I haven\'t the textual knowledge for that, yet, but I\'m learning. :)

I\'m glad you enjoyed the \"drabbunculus\" though! Every now and then I get an idea that just suggests this particular annoying form. I\'m pleased that it worked here!