Things of Beauty by LadyBrooke
Fanwork Notes
Specific prompt from B2MeM: “On silver necklaces they strung The flowering stars, On crowns they hung The dragon-fire, in twisted wire They meshed the light of moon and sun.” JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit - Purple Path
Fanwork Information
Summary: Thingol bargains for a necklace, the dwarves make a crown to scare dragons, and Narvi decides to make up for Celebrimbor's failings.
Three linked drabbles. Major Characters: Azaghâl, Celebrimbor, Narvi, Nimloth Major Relationships: Genre: Fixed-Length Ficlet, General Challenges: B2MeM 2017, Strength and Beauty Rating: General Warnings: Character Death |
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Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 306 |
Posted on 27 March 2017 | Updated on 27 March 2017 |
This fanwork is complete. |
Chapter 1
Read Chapter 1
The Flowering Stars
Elu is generous with his gifts to his family. Not just his daughter, but his nephews and their families as well.
When Nimloth is grown, he bargains for a necklace of silver stars with flower petals appearing from them from the Dwarves.
War soon comes to Doriath, not from orcs or Noldor, but from descendants of the Dwarves who had made the necklace.
Nimloth is saved by the necklace, because Dwarven arrows are stopped by few things, but they will always yield to Dwarven craftwork, even a necklace of flowering stars as their owner flees through the woods to safety.
Crowns of Dragon Fire
Azaghâl dies in the battle against Glaurung, who flees the field of battle, taking with him his fire and his brood.
The Dwarves of Belegost gather their lord and carry his body away, along with the twisted metal left by the dragon’s fire.
They take that back to their forges. They do not reshape the twisted shapes to make them more beautiful to Men and Elves, but merely set them onto a band.
Azaghâl wounded the dragon, and their future lords will wear the dragon’s fire on their heads to remind any dragon of that when they face dwarves again.
Light of Sun and Moon
Celebrimbor tells Narvi of Fëanor’s folly in making the Silmarils.
Narvi will not repeat the mistakes of taking something that the Valar would oppose, no matter how much he rejects their ownership of everything.
But he takes wire to the door and holds it in the moonlight and in the sunlight, until he is sure he has captured the light’s image in them.
He twists them into a circlet and presents it to Celebrimbor at their next meeting, telling him that lords of lands need crowns, and if Celebrimbor will not make himself one, the dwarves will simply have to.
(1) Comment by oshun for Things of Beauty [Ch 1]
Oh, wonderful! You included Azaghâl! That part in the account of the Battle of Unnumbered Tears comprises some of my favorite lines of Tolkien narrative prose:
"Then the Dwarves raised up the body of Azaghâl and bore it away; and with slow steps they walked behind singing a dirge in deep voices, as it were a funeral pomp in their country, and gave no heed more to their foes; and none dared to stay them[! my emphasis added]."
I love that you chose to tell a story of what follows his death and how his comrades respond--resolute and courageous.
Re: (1) Comment by oshun for Things of Beauty [Ch 1]
I love those lines too! It's such a haunting image of them singing as they carry his body away.
Thank you! I'm glad that you like how his comrades responded - it seems fitting for them to respond with the same type of composure that Azaghâl had.
(2) Comment by hennethgalad for Things of Beauty [Ch 1]
isnt the magic lighting on the doorway made of ithildin, and isnt it elvish ?
not that i dont like your sketches, very evocative :)
Re: (2) Comment by hennethgalad for Things of Beauty [Ch 1]
Sorry for the late reply! The doorway enscribing is made of ithildin and was placed by an elf (specifically, Celebrimbor). But this isn't referring to him taking wire to the door and placing it on the door, though I can see how you got that impression! It's referring to him leaving the Halls of Moria, and going outside through the door to look up at the moon and sun and make sure the colors are right so he can make the new crown for Celebrimbor correctly.
I'm glad they were evocative, though.
(3) Comment by Zdenka for Things of Beauty [Ch 1]
I remember this from B2MeM! I commented on it in more detail there, but I wanted to say again that I really loved this. My favorite bit is the Dwarven lords wearing the dragon's fire on their heads as a defiant reminder.
Re: (3) Comment by Zdenka for Things of Beauty [Ch 1]
Thank you! I'm glad it's memorable, and I'm glad you loved it. :D