Some Futile Hope by Luxa

Part One: Prologue

This first chapter has mentions of torture and canon character death, which I woulsd consider mature themes and moderate violence.

Celebrimbor is crying.

Celebrimbor is crying. He has been so terrified and defiant and strong for so long that now he just feels exhausted, so exhausted that tears are tracking through the grime on his face, curving around his nose and dripping off his chin, and he hasn't even realized it until now.

His first reaction is not shame or anger, but annoyance. He has been tortured, beaten, humiliated, and he is only crying. He wishes he has the strength to pound against walls and carve out curses in blood. He would do it if he did not feel so numb.

He reaches to rub the tears from his face only to remember the manacles around his wrists. He leans against the wall and shuts his eyes, wishing himself away. When it does not work, he opens them again and wishes he could stop crying instead, but the tears keep coming. He looks down at his mangled hands. If he lives through this, the raw mutilated flesh that had once been his fingers will never craft anything again. He isn't sure if he wants them to.

He slumps against the stone wall of the dungeon, his dungeon, the dungeon of his city. No, he reminds himself. Ost-in-Edhil has fallen. The Gwaith-i-Mírdan are no more. He wishes he had never forged a single ring, wishes he could go back and see through Sauron's disguise, wishes he had believed Gil-galad, wishes he could stab Annatar the Deceiver in the throat. He even wishes briefly that he was like Finrod of legend, capable of breaking his chains and fighting a wolf.

But Finrod died. Finrod died, and Celebrimbor is going to die too. When he realizes that, really realizes it, because until now he has sustained some futile hope that he will be rescued or will regain strength in his broken, tortured limbs, he is at peace. When he realizes it, he stops crying.

That is when the orc shoots the first arrow straight into his chest.