Taking Readings II by Himring

The Second Dawn in Middle-earth

Tolkien describes the first rising of the Sun, Himring imagined his elves waiting for it to rise again.

Characters: Turgon, Idril

Rating: General

Turgon opened his eyes. As always he looked immediately for his daughter and caught sight of Idril's hair, gleaming pale in the dark that was lit only by a star or two. She was sitting up. The furs he had wrapped her in had slipped down to her shoulders.

"Go back to sleep, my dear!" he coaxed her. "You need rest!"

"I want to see whether she comes back," said Idril. "The Fiery One", she explained, tilting her head skyward.

Turgon understood.

"The Silver Wanderer returned," he said, reassuringly. "Eight times he has passed! Surely she will return as well."

Idril's chin was firmly set. "I'm waiting for her."

"Then I will wait with you," promised Turgon. He held out his arms and Idril crept into them. He settled her against his chest and tucked the furs back around her.

They waited together, unsure even whether to gaze east or west.

"Look," said Idril suddenly.

"I see it," said Turgon and only then did he realize how relieved he was.

They watched the seam of light on the horizon. Brighter it grew and brighter still, unlike the Moon.

"Yes," cried Idril, clutching her father's arm, "it is! There she is!"

Chapter End Notes

Double drabble written for the prompt "dawn" at Tolkien Weekly on Livejournal.

According to Tolkien, the moon had passed seven times before the first rising of the sun and one more makes eight.
Both the Sun and the Moon are said to have first risen in the West.
The names used by Turgon and Idril are roughly based on the translations of later Elvish "Anar" for the Sun and "Rána" for the Moon.