Northern Skies by Idrils Scribe

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Fanwork Notes

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Elrohir's perilous odyssey across Middle-earth finally brings him home to Rivendell. Sadly all is not well: the Elf-child that was abducted into Umbar is now a Man grown. Forty years of war and darkness left Elrohir deeply scarred, and the Hidden Valley harbors ancient conflicts of its own. Will the love of his family be enough when Elrohir finds himself a stranger in a strange land?

This story is part of the Under Strange Stars series, but it can perfectly well be read on its own. STORY COMPLETE!

Many thanks to my excellent beta Dawn Felagund. Any remaining mistakes are mine.

Major Characters: Elrohir

Major Relationships:

Genre: Adventure

Challenges:

Rating: Teens

Warnings:

This fanwork belongs to the series

Under Strange Stars
Chapters: 32 Word Count: 103, 416
Posted on 4 March 2019 Updated on 14 October 2019

This fanwork is complete.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29

Many thanks to Raiyana and Ignoblebard for helping me figure out the inner workings of the Elvish criminal justice system.

Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32

Comments

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I am so sorry that I have not left any reviews.  Yes, I have been reading this story and it is amazing.  This twist of Elrohir's young life was not something I would ever have expected.  The way you are progressing this story with Elrohir's extreme transition to his new life is very well written.  As a social psychologist, I have been very intrigued with how you have understood and put forth the complicated struggles his family and friends are going through too.  I am looking forward to many more chapters.  Please keep going. :)

Thank you for leaving one now, I'm really happy with it! It's a relief to find that real people are reading here, not just bots inflating the hit counter ;-)

This story came about because I wanted to explore the differences and similarities between Elves and Men. The persective of an outsider suddenly turned insider gave me a great window into that, hence the unusal backstory. I read a lot about PTSD in soldiers returning from overseas, and am thrilled that a real psychologist thinks the story turned out well!

I will definitely keep posting here on SWG, and I'd love to hear from you on the upcoming chapters!

 

"“Let me tell you a secret of my own. A battle-healer’s decisions can be ugly, and a commander’s are even worse. When one is pursued by an army of Orcs baying for Elf-blood, and carrying litters is no longer a possibility, who is strong enough to survive the retreat on horseback? How many horses are there? How many more wounded? And what to do with the rest? Wash my hands of them, precious innocence intact, and leave them for the Orcs to toy with? Order one of my aides to take the burden on herself? I have killed more Elves than many who are maligned as kinslayers.”"

Ooooooohhhh, that line was so very Elrond. I love it. It's completely believable for him, too. I like the way you write Elrond. It captures his kindness without making him naive or soft.

"In essence Imladris was not unlike the desert: fair enough to make the heart weep, but utterly perilous to the unwary."

What a chilling sentiment to end on! haha :)

I'm really liking Celeborn so far. He's rather endearing! The scene between him and Celebrian a chapter or so ago, where he's beating himself up for his less than stellar meeting with Elrohir, had me smiling.

As for the politics Elrohir suddenly finds himself enmeshed in...ouch, what a shock that must all be for him. His practical outlook on where he'd fall in a battle is understandable, as is Elrond's heartwrenching reaction to it.

I look forward to seeing where this goes, and hopefully to more Elrohir and Celeborn bonding ;)

Great story!

What a lovely comment, thank you so much! 

Elrohir is not in a good place mentally at this point and it shows in the way he perceives his environment. Hence the chilling end to the chapter ;-)

I'm glad you like Celeborn. He behaves a bit like he does in LoTR: harsh words at first, and then once he realizes the impact of what he just said he mildens his tone considerably.

Imladris is a still a very complicated place at the time of this story. Elrond and Celebrían have been married for less than a century and the various inhabitants are still getting used to each other. Imagine Celebrían's Sindarin people moving into a house that's already home to the remaining Fëanorians from Eregion. Elrohir's concerns are wild, but they're not that far-fetched, and Elrond knows it.

There's more Elrohir and Celeborn coming up!

Thanks for letting me know you like the story, and I'd love to hear from you on upcoming chapters!     

This a story I am truly hooked on. I love the sense of Elrohir and Elladan being part of such a greater history and fate than they are aware of and that Elrond has tried to shield them from this but accepts that they have a choice and releases them from it at the end. I want to see Elrohir escape and live a life on the hoof, free wheeling around middle earth but realise he cannot. but there is such a sense of fatilism to this story  that cannot be escaped.

There is such a sense of menace and darkness you have created as they set out to find Elrohir how cleverly you have captured all the different strands of history into this moment. 

I also love that you give us a such a different and refreshing perspective on elves through Elrohir's eyes. Where will it all end, will Elrohir ever accept his fate? 

Wonderful story telling , I can't wait for the installment.

 

Thank you for your kind words on the story!

All the threads of Middle-earth's past do meet in the children of Elrond, and I do imagine that the weight of so much history can get crushing.

You're right about the heavy sense of fate in this story. Elrohir has no hope of escaping his heritage, for better or worse, while he remains in Middle-earth. He can't just start over somewhere with that blank slate he wants, and he'll have to face that reality soon. 

Part of what drove me to writing this story was that it allowed an inside look at the Elves through an outsider's eyes. 

Where will it end? You'll see!

Thanks again for commenting and i'd love to hear from you on upcoming chapters!

 

AaH! I didn't see the female orc coming but it was such a clever addition and gave us yet another perspective on the world of the elves as seen through humanities eyes. The elves just see a creature of evil to be killed and destroyed yet Elrohir sees the female her vunerability and empathises. What a wonderful moment. I think that moment captured also so much of the moral dilemma Elrohir finds himself in. He moralises that the cruelty and unforgiveness of elves is worse than the worst human cruelty. He is desparate to distance himself from them psychologically and ethically, yet he is running away from himself and will have to face, sooner or later that elvish side of himself. I love it when he picks up his cross bow and the old Elrohir he knows asserts himself. He is made up of so many composite parts which will have to come to together for him to have any real peace in his life. Wonderful story please write more!

AaH! I didn't see the female orc coming but it was such a clever addition and gave us yet another perspective on the world of the elves as seen through humanities eyes. The elves just see a creature of evil to be killed and destroyed yet Elrohir sees the female her vunerability and empathises. What a wonderful moment. I think that moment captured also so much of the moral dilemma Elrohir finds himself in. He moralises that the cruelty and unforgiveness of elves is worse than the worst human cruelty. He is desparate to distance himself from them psychologically and ethically, yet he is running away from himself and will have to face, sooner or later that elvish side of himself. I love it when he picks up his cross bow and the old Elrohir he knows asserts himself. He is made up of so many composite parts which will have to come to together for him to have any real peace in his life. Wonderful story please write more!

My bloodpressure is up from the intensity of Chapters 22 and 23.  Elrohir is out there wandering without the real knowledge of the perils he is truly in.  I feel terrible for Elladan as he has just figured out how dire the situation is for himself and for Elrohir and possibly for all elves in Middle Earth.  And for the first time in his life, he is leaving Imladris on an exremely dangerous mission. As for Serdis, I hope Celebrian skewers him.  This is a very exciting story and very well written.  Please don't stop.  Need more. 

I am desperate to know how this turns out for Elrohir, I am bitting my nails in anticipation, please write more, your story telling is keeping me on tender hooks. Oh the elves are so predjudice and I love Hadir's bewidlerment that and elf could converse with an orc and the implications for  Elrohirs future reputation if it came out. The sense of stillness at the top of the mountain is wonderfully evocative of the peace and surender before dying. Please, please writie more .

I am desperate to know how this turns out for Elrohir, I am bitting my nails in anticipation, please write more, your story telling is keeping me on tender hooks. Oh the elves are so predjudice and I love Hadir's bewidlerment that and elf could converse with an orc and the implications for  Elrohirs future reputation if it came out. The sense of stillness at the top of the mountain is wonderfully evocative of the peace and surender before dying. Please, please writie more .

I am desperate to know how this turns out for Elrohir, I am bitting my nails in anticipation, please write more, your story telling is keeping me on tender hooks. Oh the elves are so predjudice and I love Hadir's bewidlerment that and elf could converse with an orc and the implications for  Elrohirs future reputation if it came out. The sense of stillness at the top of the mountain is wonderfully evocative of the peace and surender before dying. Please, please writie more .

I am desperate to know how this turns out for Elrohir, I am bitting my nails in anticipation, please write more, your story telling is keeping me on tender hooks. Oh the elves are so predjudice and I love Hadir's bewidlerment that and elf could converse with an orc and the implications for  Elrohirs future reputation if it came out. The sense of stillness at the top of the mountain is wonderfully evocative of the peace and surender before dying. Please, please writie more .

I am desperate to know how this turns out for Elrohir, I am bitting my nails in anticipation, please write more, your story telling is keeping me on tender hooks. Oh the elves are so predjudice and I love Hadir's bewidlerment that and elf could converse with an orc and the implications for  Elrohirs future reputation if it came out. The sense of stillness at the top of the mountain is wonderfully evocative of the peace and surender before dying. Please, please writie more .

This one took a little longer to binge-read than the previous parts, so I did it in a couple of binges.  Ooof, I'm so breathless it's going to be a long time until next Monday!

When I first read the summary of this series I was pretty skeptical, but you've carried it off very successfully.  The way you explain him, this Elrohir makes complete believable sense, PTSD and adoptee-type confusion and culture shock and all.  So very enjoyable!

Rivendell is one of my favorite parts of the legendarium, so it's great to see how concretely you've conveyed your imagining of it.  I also really like getting a look at the interactions of the surviving Doriathrim and the rump Noldor at a time when their hostilities are past but definitely not yet laid to rest.

i found this a diffucult chapter to comment on as it seemed so resolutley despairing. How is Elrohir going to come back from his fatal wound and live and then accept who he is? He is half dead already! His wound though seems an apt metaphor for his inability to comrehend that he is in a war  that is both part of the physical and the superrnatural and that part of his  history come from Melian, and Luthian. He hates the the thought of  being a part of this magic and sorcery as he puts it. Yet his brother tells him that he is indeed part of this through his blood line. How will this be resolved I cannot imagine. You have juxtaposed the physical and the magical in a fraught battle of wills.  

i found this a diffucult chapter to comment on as it seemed so resolutley despairing. How is Elrohir going to come back from his fatal wound and live and then accept who he is? He is half dead already! His wound though seems an apt metaphor for his inability to comrehend that he is in a war  that is both part of the physical and the superrnatural and that part of his  history come from Melian, and Luthian. He hates the the thought of  being a part of this magic and sorcery as he puts it. Yet his brother tells him that he is indeed part of this through his blood line. How will this be resolved I cannot imagine. You have juxtaposed the physical and the magical in a fraught battle of wills.  

i found this a diffucult chapter to comment on as it seemed so resolutley despairing. How is Elrohir going to come back from his fatal wound and live and then accept who he is? He is half dead already! His wound though seems an apt metaphor for his inability to comrehend that he is in a war  that is both part of the physical and the superrnatural and that part of his  history come from Melian, and Luthian. He hates the the thought of  being a part of this magic and sorcery as he puts it. Yet his brother tells him that he is indeed part of this through his blood line. How will this be resolved I cannot imagine. You have juxtaposed the physical and the magical in a fraught battle of wills.  

i found this a diffucult chapter to comment on as it seemed so resolutley despairing. How is Elrohir going to come back from his fatal wound and live and then accept who he is? He is half dead already! His wound though seems an apt metaphor for his inability to comrehend that he is in a war  that is both part of the physical and the superrnatural and that part of his  history come from Melian, and Luthian. He hates the the thought of  being a part of this magic and sorcery as he puts it. Yet his brother tells him that he is indeed part of this through his blood line. How will this be resolved I cannot imagine. You have juxtaposed the physical and the magical in a fraught battle of wills.  

i found this a diffucult chapter to comment on as it seemed so resolutley despairing. How is Elrohir going to come back from his fatal wound and live and then accept who he is? He is half dead already! His wound though seems an apt metaphor for his inability to comrehend that he is in a war that is both part of the physical and the superrnatural and that part of his  history come from Melian, and Luthian. He hates the the thought of  being a part of this magic and sorcery as he puts it. Yet his brother tells him that he is indeed part of this through his blood line. How will this be resolved I cannot imagine. You have juxtaposed the physical and the magical in a fraught battle of wills.  

Thought the eagles would turn up, but glad you made them rather unwilling to help initially, rather than supplicating and fawning to the elves requests. 

Am rather taken aback by Erestors venom, he really frightened me, could he really kill Serdir against Elrond's wishes? Gosh the elves have long memories on both sides! But they are as bad as one another, Serdir and Erestor.

Poor Elrohir, how will he truly reconcile all that is mannish in him to all that is calling him to his elvish side? He has so many dichotomys raging inside of him, so many differing perspectives on life that he simply cannot cope. The spiritual and the supernatural, against he physical and corporeal. His life is bound up with the war against these elements within side himself. How wonderfully and evocicatively you have expressed this through your story telling.

 

 

Thanks for your kind words on Gwaihir's characterzation. I agree that it's very tempting to use the Eagles as a deus ex machina. I tried to avoid this by making Gwaihir think and act like an immortal spirit in the body of an Eagle: he serves the Valar, but doesn't share the perspective or even the moral values of the Elves.

Erestor is old, and tired of war and killing. Only one thing could rekindle his kinslaying fire and that's Elrond or Elrond's loved ones being threathened. Serdir has seriously underestimated Erestor! I don't think Erestor would do anything against Elrond's wishes though. You'll see ...

Elrohir is torn between all these different parts of himself, and running away has in no way solved his problems.

Thank you for your comments, they warm my writer's heart!

This latest chapter took me by surprise as to the extreme viciousness of Erestor taking appart his prisoner psychologically.  Yet Serdir in his moment of pride stands up to him to return the favor.  It backfired!  I've read other fanfics in which Erestor was a follower of the Feanorions but was repentant.  In this story, Erestor may have regrets but they certainly do not rule him and if he had to kill again, he would. This was brilliant.  I'm actually waiting to see Celebrian's reaction to Serdir when she returns to Imladris.  Whatever punishment will be laid on Serdir, his people may have qualms with punishment coming from the Noldor.  Can't wait to see what you have devised for the coming chapters. Take care.

 

Erestor has lived a long life filled with violence of every kind. He has repented of the kinslayings but he's more than willing to do whatever it takes to defend Elrond and his family, including the worst crime of all.

After this, Erestor will make absolutely sure that Serdir will never threaten Elrond's children again. And being the clever politician he is, he'll try his hardest to do it without jeopardizing the stability of Imladris. 

Thanks for commenting, it's very much appreciated!

 

 

 

Home life got complicated and missed last week's update so I got to read two chapters at once!  Now that I know the site a little better I'm learning how to make sure I get informed of new chapters.

Aquila ex machina is a great way to keep Elrohir alive long enough to get to Rivendell.  I was really sweating how you were going to do that when his condition was so dire.  And I especially like how he got a hug from his grandfather. 

Still on tenterhooks!

 

 

Thanks for commenting, I hope this chapter has done something to get you off those tenterhooks ;-)

An Eagle ambulance was the only way Elrohir was going to survive this, and I reckoned that if Tolkien does it, it's allowed! I think poor Eärendil has been in agony up there, watching Elrohir struggle and being unable to help him. Now at last there was something he could do.

 

 

Wow I feel rung out and limp after reading that! How viserally you capture the darkness at the core of eveil. The dreamscape where there is a battle for Elrohir's soul was much needed as he simply could not just return to Imladris and simply got better, his wounds are so much deeper than that! How tangibly you depict the supernatural forces at play here. Elrond has started in the battle to win and heal Elrohir psychologically and spiritually but how will he continue and how will Elrohir adjust to realising that he cannot escape his elvish ancestry.

Thank you for leaving a comment!

I'm glad you liked my take on the Unseen. It was inspired by Aragorn 'calling back' Faramir and Eowyn when he healed them from the Black Breath. Tolkien's healers are also shamans/magicians, in a way.

Elrond's work with Elrohir certainly isn't finished yet!

Actually it seems to me that this is no one's choice but Elrohir's and if he is allowed to make that choice then the full weight of his responsibilities will dawn on him. He has tried running away and it solved nothing except puting himself and everyone in danger. The moment is coming when Elrohir will see the wider picture concerning the fate of middle earth and the elves and Sauron and the other free peoples, than just his own his own life and choices. However, he must be allowed to do this himself. I think his brother Elladan and the love he has for him will be instrumental in coming to this realisation. I think Elrond is begining to see this when you say he is defering to Elladan concerning Elrohir's care.

As for Celebrian and Elrond and that sword I think she is about to threaten everyone with it he, he! , even her own father. Gosh the elves are such a lot of interfering, meddling busy bodies, and I think Celebrian has had enough of them.  I think they will eventually realise that regardless of all their machinations and ploting and fall stalling, Elrohir will surprise everyone and make his own choices. 

You're absolutely right about this being Elrohir's choice. Let's hope they'll let him make it! The idea does begin to dawn on Elrond ...

I imagine that all involved, including Elrohir himself, have realized that running away can only ever end in disaster. He only managed it with Elladan's help, and that will never happen again. Elladan will do anything for his brother, except let him take that risk again.

Celebrian must have been threatening indeed! I imagine Elrond talked her out of an actual execution, but I imagne the punishment he got in the end is nrealy as bad.

Thank you for commenting!

Capstone of the entire series? It's coming to an end?? Eep! Elrohir's only just starting to settle in! Elrond's probably still halfway expecting something else to happen! (And you can't just dangle the prospect of him meeting Galadriel and telling her Sauron was scared of her in front of your readers and then not write it, surely!) 

So yes, I'm a terrible commenter, half the time I'm sneaking in a quick read on my phone on a break at work, but I really have been enjoying this story, and finally caught up on the previous entries in the series - with excellent timing, it seems, as the newer version of Under Strange Stars went up just after I finished reading the original. I think I'll give it some time and then re-read the whole series end to end.

(Commenting here because I don't think I commented on AO3, and because it seems wrong that the chapter has no comments.)

This is indeed the next-to-last chapter, we have just the epilogue left to go on Northern Skies :-(

This trilogy has been on my mind pretty much non-stop for the past two years. I cant' tell whether I'm thrilled that it's finally finished or sad because I'll miss it. Probably a bit of both. It was time to tie off the ends though. The whole thing is nearly 150K and the narrative arc of Erohir's homecoming has run its course. He has made his choice, for better or worse.

That doesn't mean there won't be any additions to the series! I'll soon start posting 'The Roads Not Taken', a collection of outtakes and deleted scenes written for the trilogy at various stages. I'm also planning more short stories showing off-screen events or certain scenes from different POVs. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to read!  

About the meeting with Galadriel... I think Elrohir travelling to Lorien for the first time merits a separate story of its own. One that does justice to the complexities between Sindar and Silvan Elves, the marchwardens, King Amroth and his ill-starred love for Nimrodel, ... and of course Lorien is such an amazing locaton that it's practically a character in its own right. I'm thinking and planning and gathering ideas, so it's likely to happen in the future!

But first I have another major writing project lined up, featuring the entire cast of Northern Skies. The next update will come with a sneak peek, and I hope you'll like it just as much as the USS series!   

Thanks for commenting, it's much appreciated no matter where. I'd love to hear from you on the series' final chapter!