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."
Nerdanel remembers joy. A drabble.
The Turning
Nerdanel the wise had known that it would end in grief. Mayhap not so badly--her husband exiled, her sons murderers--but grief all the same. But she had seized her joy. She had thought of neither eventuality nor inevitability.
It came nonetheless.
Winters are harsh in Formenos, even more so now without the Trees. Yet on this day--the longest day of the year--winter is unthinkable. The city is arrayed for festival for the first time since the Darkening, and none think of winter.
Nor does Nerdanel. She will have her joy. But she feels the year turning.