Taking Readings I by Himring

Forward and Back

Sometimes to heal you need to forget, sometimes to heal you need to remember.
A brief conversation between Celebrian and Elrond in Tol Eressea.
Elrond has just arrived from Middle-earth--he has found Celebrian recovered, but also learned that her recovery was slow.

Written for the current "Companies, Clubs and Cliques" challenge at the SWG Archive.

Teens for hints of darker (canonical) background

'There will be a meeting of the Rememberers in a couple of days,' remarked Celebrian. 'I'm surprised Edhellos hasn't sent you an invitation yet.'

'The Rememberers?' asked Elrond. 'Who are they? A committee of historians? I had not heard that Edhellos specialized in history.'

'No--not historians--although there are historians among them. It is more informal than that. It seems that when, after the War of Wrath, the first refugees from Beleriand arrived in Tol Eressea, some wished to forget all about Middle-earth. They wished to get on with whatever penance was required of them, gain readmission to Valinor and never look back.

Others, however, looked back as much as forward and sought a slow healing of regrets and past loss. These wished to speak of Middle-earth but only--in understanding and sympathy--with those who also wished to speak of it. And so the Rememberers were founded.

They have changed over time, of course. The original group has shrunk, but new members have joined, almost every time a ship arrived. Now those who fled the drowning of Beleriand at the end of the First Age rub shoulders with those who fled the wars against Sauron...'

Celebrian's voice trailed away.

'And you?' asked Elrond.

'I?' Celebrian replied, almost sharply. 'I never went there, of course--not when I first arrived. But then--well, I've been there now and again, since. And now...'

She looked at him and he saw--the little they had discussed concerning Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen and so much they had not said.

'Now,' said Celebrian quietly, 'I think I might become a regular attendant at those meetings and I hope you will come with me.'

Chapter End Notes

Celebrian now knows Arwen will not be coming--and it is not certain Elrohir and Elladan will be coming either. Her only way to get closer to the experience of her children is to learn all about the Middle-earth she at first had to work so hard to forget in order to recover.

In Himring 'verse, Edhellos (Eldalote), Angrod's wife, escapes the Dagor Bragollach and all subsequent disasters and makes it to Tol Eressea. As you see here, she is the company secretary of the Rememberers (or has a similar role, if not the title).