B2ME Day 10 - Wishes by Erulisse

Chapter 1

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Wishes

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.  There were many bad things that could be said about their exile in Formenos, but the thing that Maedhros remembered most when looking back on those halcyon days was the opportunity for the family to draw together again as a unit. 

For many years the seven of them had been scattered.  He had been at his grandfather’s court in Tirion, learning diplomacy, statecraft and interacting with the scholars at the King’s library.  Maglor had been spending much of his time in Alqualondë, playing music with the Teleri, and occasionally teaching at the Music Academy.  It was probably the happiest he had been in many years.  Celegorm had sworn to Oromë and spent much of his time either at the Vala’s compound or hunting with him, accompanied by Huan, the dog that Oromë had given him when he had accepted his fealty. 

Caranthir, Amrod and Amras had still been living with the family, so moving to Formenos with their father was only a change of scenery, and some minor adjustments to their routines.  And Curufin was happy whenever he had the opportunity to work in the forge or the workshop.  His son, Celebrimbor, although young, was receiving his first introduction to the forge under the joint tutelage of both his father and his grandfather, something that would have been unlikely to happen if they had remained in Tirion. 

However, the women of the family did not accompany the family to Formenos.  Nerdanel stayed in Tirion, opening a workshop near her father’s and accepting commissions.  Indis refused to follow Finwë, instead returning to her family in the palace of the High King at the foot of Taniquetil.  The other wives and sweethearts also turned their backs on the banished, moving back in with parents, siblings, or other relations and refusing to be tainted with the broad brush of shame.  But without the women, the soft touches, the gaiety, the vases of flowers, the songs in the gardens, and the riding parties did not happen.  They were sorely missed. 

Therefore, even though Maedhros was grateful to have all of his brothers around him once again, and to be able to see his father and grandfather daily and ask their sage advice, he missed interacting with people outside of his immediate family.  “Indeed”, he laughed quietly to himself, “I even miss cousin Fingon, even though he was always underfoot whenever he visited in the past.  We need some excitement in our lives.  Things are too predictable here.”

That evening Feanor gathered his sons around him after the evening meal and told them that Manwë had ordered him to appear at the upcoming Tirion feast.  Maedhros felt a frisson of dread move up his spine listening to the words uttered by his father.  He shook his head.  Why had he wished for excitement?