Luthien Tinuviel by Endaewen

Watching Doom Come

Title: Watching Doom Come
Author: Endaewen
Rating: G
Fandom: The Silmarillion
Disclaimer: All the characters and settings belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and the Tolkien Estates.
Prompt: # 62. Doom
Wordcount: 312
Character: Luthien Tinuviel
Summary: Written for the Arda100 community, the Doom'n'Gloom prompt set. Watching the end come.
Note: Quotes (in 'bold') are from Of Beren and Luthien from The Silmarillion.

From the moment Luthien Tinuviel had led Beren into the presence of her king and father, Thingol, she had had a sense that something important and terrible was about to happen. That sense was only amplified by the words of Melian, her mother, concerning the mortal. At the same time, Luthien was puzzled. How could the fate of one man affect that of her father?

Then, when Thingol spoke, she understood. “Bring to me in your hand a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown.” Willing or no, he had brought them into the struggle over the Silmarils, something which until then he had kept out of his realm. At the same time, Luthien heard Beren speak, accepting the quest. With his words his fate was set. Luthien swore to herself however, that she would do everything within her power to change the doom Beren had set upon himself, or at least to delay it.

That was months in the past, and until mere days past, when the tales of the great ravening wolf, Carcharoth had set her husband to planning the wolf hunt, she thought she had been successful, once the quest had been completed. Luthien had agreed to stay behind in safety this time. Now, the same sense she had had back when Beren had agreed to the quest was back. All she could do now was watch, wait and hope.

Down the path the hunters came, slowly carrying two litters. Luthiens' foreboding was borne out and she understood what Beren's doom was to be. On the first was Beren, badly wounded, but holding the Silmaril the two of them had taken. The second held the body of the wolf. The next thing Luthien realized, she was standing next to him, speaking to him. Then, as she stood there, his doom took him, victorious though he was. Beren died, still holding the Silmaril.