Bits of Elven Glass by Himring

Chapter 4a

Fingon has fallen in battle, and the Havens of the Falas, where he sent Gil-galad to be kept safe, have fallen, too.
But there is still a gift to be passed on, a gift that encompasses a hope.
And Gil-galad keeps it until the end.

Posted elsewhere under the title: Unfading Memories of Green

Originally written for lferion, in response to a comment, and posted to AO3.

[The story features my recurring OFC Erien, who helped to raise Gil-galad.

Gil-galad's canonical death, at the end of the story, is strongly implied, but not described.]

‘This is yours, now,’ said Erien.

They were both being brave, thought Ereinion. Or maybe crying just wasn’t an option anymore when disaster had struck as hard as this. Erien was huddled under the gunwale, looking very pale under the grime and the soot.

He looked at Father’s green jewel in her hand, not reaching out to touch.

‘Fingon gave it into my care,’ said Erien, steadily, ‘for you to have if Doom should send you elsewhere, not to return to Hithlum.’

‘Why?’ asked Ereinion.

Erien gazed at him uncomprehendingly.

‘There is no more Hithlum,’ said Ereinion. Perhaps he was not so brave after all; he could hear a distinct wobble in his voice. ‘It is all Morgoth’s. No more Brithombar or Eglarest either—that’s why we are on this ship. Fleeing. That’s right, isn’t it? So, what purpose can it serve, that stone?’

‘You were not born in Hithlum,’ said Erien, ‘even if you don’t remember. And Fingon was not born there, nor I. You can still make a home elsewhere.’

She didn’t sound at all confident of that, Ereinion thought. But the desire to question her and her words had left him as quickly as it had come on.

He took the stone. It looked to him as if there was a flaw in it. Maybe it had cracked, when Father… Or maybe it was just his eyes. He held it tight in his hand, not wanting to know.

Perhaps he ought to have passed the stone to others, like the Rings. But it had come to him before the Crown of High Kingship or any Ring and seemed more fully his own. So he had kept it and it had seemed to strengthen him, even in this land where all was ruin and ash and nothing grew, with unfading memories of green. He had come to love Lindon, as much as he had loved Hithlum, just as Erien had said. That was why he was here, to fight the Enemy for Middle-earth and its people, although, oh, so weary of War. He gripped Aeglos tighter and strode forward.

In the heat of Sauron’s black fire, the jewel broke.

Chapter End Notes

Erien was not born in Hithlum, because she came with Fingolfin from Valinor. Her comment that Gil-galad was not born in Hithlum either is strictly Himring 'verse. According to this, he was born in Eastern Beleriand, but arrived in Hithlum as a baby.

Some months pass between the death of Fingon and the Fall of the Havens. I have not explained here why the jewel was not handed over earlier, but I can think of more than one possible reason.