Field of Research by Himring

| | |

Fanwork Notes

B2MeM 2013:

Day Thirty-One Challenge:

B2MeM 2013 Prompt (Day 7: E): “And in those days the strength of Men was added to the power of the Noldor; and their hope was high; and Morgoth was straitly enclosed.”

Elleth's additional prompt: Bechdel test pass.

 

Fanwork Information

Summary:

A wise-woman of the Edain has an unexpected visitor.

Major Characters: Adanel

Major Relationships:

Artwork Type: No artwork type listed

Genre: General

Challenges: B2MeM 2013

Rating: General

Warnings:

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 252
Posted on 4 May 2013 Updated on 4 May 2013

This fanwork is complete.

Chapter 1

Elleth's OFC Idhlinn used with her generous permission.

Adanel is a minor canon character: see end notes.

Read Chapter 1

Adanel stared at the elven woman who had so unexpectedly appeared on her doorstep.

‘You want to do what?’, she asked, too startled to be polite.

The elven woman raised her eyebrows.

‘The information I obtained is not correct?’ she inquired. ‘I was told that you are the wise-woman of the House of Marach and are well versed in all the lore of your House. I was given to understand that that would include your House’s knowledge of healing and remedies as well as other kinds of lore.’

‘Well,’ said Adanel, ‘that is entirely correct but…’

‘Then maybe that knowledge is secret and you are not permitted to share it?’

‘I am permitted to share it with anyone who is willing to take the time to listen’, said Adanel. ‘Only—forgive me for mentioning it—I am not used to anyone of your kind asking to study the knowledge of the Edain. Those of your kind usually come to teach.’

‘I will gladly exchange knowledge for knowledge, if you wish it, but I have come to learn.’ The elven woman paused; then she added:  ‘But I have not come to believe everything I am told. It is not my way. I test everything I learn to the limit of my capabilities.’

‘Ah’, said Adanel, ‘fair warning, that.’

‘Do you refuse to teach me under those conditions?’, asked Idhlinn.

‘No,’ said Adanel, smiling.

She carefully wiped her hand on her apron and extended it in welcome.

‘Come in and sit down’, she said. ‘I have a task that needs finishing. Meanwhile, I will consider where to begin.’

Chapter End Notes

Idhlinn, Elleth's OFC, is is an intrepid researcher and unlikely to pass up any chance to broaden her knowledge. She can be a little brusque; but here she is doing her best to be polite to a stranger. More information on Idhlinn can be found here on Elleth's Tumblr account.

Adanel is better known (in the circles in which she is known) as the source from which Andreth obtained her knowledge of the early theology of the Edain and especially the source of the "Tale of Adanel" in the "Athrabeth" (HoME). Unlike her herbal lore, this was not knowledge she would have shared freely.
Adanel is also Beren's great-grandmother.

Comments

The Silmarillion Writers' Guild is more than just an archive--we are a community! If you enjoy a fanwork or enjoy a creator's work, please consider letting them know in a comment.

Oh! I have to confess I never thought of expanding this one, because of Idhlinn being Elleth's character.

Elleth was gracious enough to say that I had got her right in this short piece, but I don't think I'd be prepared to venture on a longer one--especially as Idhlinn is clearly part of an ongoing WIP.

By the same token, I admit I have a sneaky hope that Elleth might incorporate the concept into her WIP as part of Idhlinn's back-story, because she seemed to like it, too.

I might write more about Adanel at some point, though!

Links to two short pieces of Elleth's about Idhlinn, which you may not have seen:

Home Sweet Home

Specimen

Thank you very much, Rhapsody!

I think it would have taken a more personal relationship--such as Andreth had with Finrod--for Adanel to reveal that some of her ancestors had worshipped Melkor, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't have been willing to share other kinds of information freely!

And I'm sure she had other interesting things to teach.

And, once again, thank you so much for this ficlet. I'm still all asquee over it! :D Idhlinn *is* part of an ongoing WiP (and goodness knows when I get that written given my usual plethora of ongoing WiPs), but then she is a staple in most Fëanorian fic I write, as well. And your sneaky hope might just turn out to be true, because this should definitely be written in long form at some point. :)

Hmm, I loved Adanel's tales very much, and I had some pity for my own *kind*, so I decided long ago, there should be SOME men, human, whatever, not being forged or fouled by Morgoth, and led by the Maia Tom Bombadil and his friends, the Ents, to a land far away,  later to be known as *The Shire*.   

This would explain the Ents, still seen to the times of Sam Gamgees cousin, the suggestion of Treebeard, the hobbits may look after Ent WOMEN,  the fact, this area was well cultivated, for example.

And it would offer the possibility, there were at least some men, not under the doom of Morgoth, with the choice of leaving the circles of the world, if they like to, which would make it a real gift, and no doom.

I appriciate this idea, and it is no real anticanon, in my opinion.

My abilities as author are somewhat poor, and even, if not, I would not dare to write this in English, so maybe this could be called a challenge?

Yes, you see, I want to see the human race in a level headed position, somehow.

But I always tried to explain ( especially to myself), why mortal kind of death should be a gift...

There are some kinds of dialogues, I placed between Maglor (reborn in somehow orkish form) and a descendent of those unmarred men and an elf, which deals with this theory, but I never could make a real story of all this fragments.

I always kept on writing extreme Mary Sues, and never will improve, I fear...

But I like reading, and, yes, to this, I read all your fanfics, and will continue, I promise...

Lia Sullhach