A Place in Time by Nienna

Candlelight

Galadriel lights her own candle for the first time.

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.

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!