A Place in Time by Nienna

Don't Let the Light Go Out

Credits:

Galadriel, Lúthien and all associated characters, places etc... belong to J.R.R.Tolkien.

”Don’t let the light go out” is a quote from Light One Candle by Peter, Paul and Mary.

This ficlet was very loosely inspired by the song Sister Gypsy by Blackmore's Night.

Read Don't Let the Light Go Out

    When I first saw her, she was all starlight and shadows, though in the broad daylight. It was like she had her own light-source, so different from the harshness of the Sun, more akin to the already ancient days before the Darkening. The Brightening is more like it, the sharp Brightening, from which nothing can hide. 

The memory of home she brought with her made a lump in my throat. But she defied the atmosphere, twisted it around her into a cloak of her own making. And if she did, so could I. 

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     I pulled from every fiber of my being, and every particle around me. I wove the strings so tight you could not tell they were strings. The world was much changed, since I knew her. I leave this place now.

I see in my granddaughter the last glimpse of her light.

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Chapter End Notes

This was supposed to be for the prompt “victory against difficult odds.” It doesn’t fit too well, hopefully some other responses will fit better.

I will be attempting to write and post something for the next 7 days. Therefore, it won’t be as “checked over” or certain that I’m happy with it as I normally would before posting, as my goal is to just get something done each day. These may be edited later. Titles are subject to change:)

Hibernacula

Thúringwethil

Read Hibernacula

Thúringwethil flew into the cave that Sauron had given her. It was dark and damp, and though her humanoid mind hated it, as a bat it was heaven. She did her best to stay in bat form to keep her evenings bearable, but sometimes it was too much and she reverted. 
Tonight was one of those nights.
She sat in the dark, twirling a rock, waiting. She had made a gamble that day, this she knew.

Everyone knew that being Sauron’s primary messenger was dangerous. The combination of the cruel and rash beings who frequently had to be spoken with, and the dark and well guarded paths to reach them made for a dangerous job indeed.

But Thúringwethil had not made it this far only to turn down a chance at freedom, real freedom, even if that meant gambling with her life. She would be careful. She always was. And she would soar over the lands she had once been denied to ever see.

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Chapter End Notes

The prompt was gambling games. I know I did not take it so literally.

Hibernacula was a word we were talking about in the SWG Discord yesterday that gave me this idea.

Candlelight

Galadriel lights her own candle for the first time.

Read Candlelight

After all the other candles had been lit, Eärwen put Artanis on a chair and tentatively reached for her daughter's hand, small and cold in hers. Artanis held onto Eärwen as they struck the steel with flint, moving as one. It struck a few times, leaving marks. At last; there were sparks!

Eärwen watched as a smile spread across Artanis’s face, although mixed with a hint of unsurety. And then the candle was enflamed, suddenly and all at once! All seven candles shining brightly in the night. Eärwen looked at the flickering flames for a minute, and she led Artanis to wave their warmth, smell, and peacefulness into the room. 

And then the family burst into prayer, silent at first, a silence that was palpable, as if it had saturated the air. Then the prayer was sung, breaking the silence in a quiet crescendo, and yet one that seemed to fill all the farthest reaches and corners. 

And just like that, it was over. Artanis had a candle of her own, and would in all the weeks to come. She was growing up, and yet was still so immeasurably young. 

Eärwen sat down to eat as the usual chatter returned.

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Chapter End Notes

The prompt was of course candlelight. 

This was supposed to be similar to Shabbat candle lighting. Regarding the number of candles, the tradition that I grew up with is for the mother to light one for herself and every other member of the family, and for all female children over the age of three to light one for themselves in addition (the males do not light.) I didn’t even bother to try and translate ages, but Galadriel is supposed to be the Elven equivalent of three, lighting for the first time.

Many thanks to heget-squirrel for the suggestion of flint as a replacement for matches!