Bits of Elven Glass by Himring

Chapter 8

In Minas Tirith, while Aragorn is waiting for Midsummer and Arwen's arrival, Gandalf tells Aragorn more details about the history of the Elessar than he had previously been aware of.

Posted elsewhere as a separate ficlet under the title "Elessar"

Written for a B2MeM 2015 prompt by Baranduin (see end notes)

Characters: Aragorn, Gandalf, Pippin

Rating: General, no warnings

‘There were so many of them?’ asked Aragorn.

His hand went, a little protectively, to the eagle brooch at his shoulder and the green stone that had given him his royal name.

‘The accounts I found in the books of lore were vague and conflicting, but did not seem to speak of more than one or two… So this is neither the green stone that Feanor made nor the one given to Fingon by Maedhros—and not the one made by Enerdhil for Idril Celebrindal either, but all those did exist before mine was made?’

He gave a somewhat embarrassed laugh, as one who flatters himself singled out uniquely by prophecy who finds what he thought his dearest possession bandied back and forth as common goods in the marketplace.

‘Is my stone merely a copy of a copy of a copy, then? Then almost you could say the Mouth of Sauron was right to call it just a piece of elvish glass…’

‘Oh, no, that was not what I was telling you at all!’ said Gandalf, a shade impatiently. ‘This is not the stone made by Enerdhil for Idril in Gondolin, no. Now my memories of the Far West have come seeping back, I remember seeing it on Earendil’s breast before I left. And when you look up at night towards the evening star, you may think that your ancestor carries the twin—or rather elder sibling—of your own stone, as he sails up above—it wards his heart against the cold splendour of the skies with memories of Middle-earth and reminds him of the reason he undertook his lonely task—and so perhaps may yours do for you, at times when the ruling of a realm may seem harder and lonelier than any of the wanderings of Thorongil...’

Aragorn nodded. He had had an inkling of such already.

‘But,’ continued Gandalf, ‘the stone you bear was made by Celebrimbor for Galadriel and it was never a copy of a copy—none of those stones were—all different from each other, but not lesser, each adapted by the maker to their wishes as a giver and the needs of those it was given to. Do not be any less proud to bear it—and your name—merely because it is not the oldest or the only one that was ever made…’

Pippin hesitantly cleared his throat behind them. Nominally at least, he was in attendance as a member of the Guard and he was acutely aware of the weight of the livery of the Tower on his shoulders—although Aragorn had shown little desire to hold him very closely to the part of his vow that referred to speaking only at his lord’s command. But both Gandalf and Aragorn looked up readily as if they wished to hear what he might have to say on the matter.

‘I was there when the Lady gave you the brooch,’ he reminded Aragorn. ‘I remember it well and how very tall and kingly and—imposing you appeared all of a sudden when you first put it on! It seemed a very great gift to me indeed. It still does. Although, you know, at home in the Shire or in Bree even just a bit of elvish glass would seem strange and rare and mysterious!’

‘So it would!’ said Aragorn and smiled at him.

Besides, prophecy or no, it was Arwen’s gift, intended by her for me, he thought—and that would make it unique beyond anything, even if it were only a shard of a broken bottle…

Thorongil, she had said to him. I learned the name by which you went on your travels and so I had the stone I inherited from my mother set in a new setting for you, Master Eagle Star. It will be ready for you when the time comes!

Chapter End Notes

I have Baranduin's prompt to thank for the introduction of Pippin here, which I think solved a problem with my earlier outline (although he doesn't exactly do any investigating here!):

"I would dearly love to see a story that revolves around the history of the Elessar jewel, with Aragorn as a focal point. Doesn't mean he even has to be in it but he should have a central importance in the story. I don't care if there is one version of the jewel or two, as you wish. Shoot, you could write a Fourth Age investigation into the provenance of the one Aragorn possesses. Things that have been running through my head that I would love to see if it fits for you: Earendil, Vingilot, the Great Eagles, Celebrimbor, Gondolin, and a hobbit (an adventurous Took?). You could have Merry and Pippin do the investigating after they return to Minas Tirith when they're elderly."