New Challenge: Bollywood
This month's challenge offers songs, films, and tropes from Bollywood, the world's largest film industry based out of India, as prompts for fanworks.
SWG News
Cultus Dispatches: Fandom Chocolate … or Authors Love Comments
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data provides insight into how comments benefit authors and which authors are most impacted by a lack of comments, with a digression on authors' perspectives one-click feedback like kudos.
A Sense of History: Passing Ships
As Tolkien's characters in various texts gaze out to the sea, what do they see? What is brought by the ships coming out of the West?
Beta-Reader List Now Available
The beta-reader list and profiles have been moved into our new system and are available again.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] No Time Have I by Flora-lass
A Silmarillion acrostic.
[Writing] I called it Fate that I should fail by AdmirableMonster
Nimruzimir, a natural philosopher recently out of his apprenticeship, hardly considers himself very important to anyone, least of all his colleagues. When his strange, prophetic fits bring him to the attention of the High Priest, however, he may find that his existence is less superfluous than…
[Writing] All of you by chrissystriped
Elrond and Celebrían celebrate their anniversary with their family.
[Writing] Lament for the Singer by daughterofshadows
A short thing about Maglor, death and grieving.
[Writing] Cosmological Poems of Arda by AaronAzrael
I would like to share my revelations of Tolkien's Universe in the form of narrative and emotional poems.
[Writing] Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael
This is my new poetical attempt to add my own interpretation to Tolkien's Cosmology as to Eru's Creation and the Valar's minds and behind-the-scene providence reasons and mechanisms.. I often review Eä as part of our own world, just in another dimension, this is why I have always seriously…
[Artwork] Map of Valinor by Aprilertuile
My newly drawn map of Aman, as complete as I could make it.
Current Challenge
Bollywood
Prompts this month are films, songs, and tropes from India's dazzling film industry, Bollywood. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Holiday Party
No matter if you're in the Northern or Southern hemisphere, it's a time of year to think about holidays. Whether you're bundling up in blankets or slipping a swimsuit into your suitcase, we invite you to an SWG holiday party! Read more ...
New in References
Fandom Chocolate … or Authors Love Comments by Dawn Walls-Thumma
[]Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data shows that authors view comments as driving their motivation to create fanfiction. However, perception of comments by authors is part of a larger shift in fandom around how and how often fans interact with each other.
Passing Ships by Simon J. Cook
[]The arrival and departure of ships across the Great Sea carries mythic significance for the peoples of Middle-earth. The image of ships crossing out of and back into a mysterious West appears as well in Beowulf and is alluded to in Tolkien's tower analogy in his lecture "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics," where the tower allows those who climb it to observe the passage of the ships.
Fanfiction and the Serious Business of Writer's Craft by Dawn Walls-Thumma
[]Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data shows that while most authors self-identify as taking their craft seriously, a growing subset of authors may be pushing that norm.
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Staging a Battle by StarSpray
[]He and Diamond were visiting, though Pippin had been disappearing every afternoon, and taking Frodo and Elanor and most other lads and lasses in the neighborhood with him—though why they couldn’t use Pippin’s own pony, Sam couldn’t imagine.
[Writing] From whose bourn no traveller returns by losselen
[]So gathered they were to Bree, what lieutenants who could be spared, from their scattered watches west and east, for their chieftain had returned from his long sojourn in lands godless and mountains strange.
Aragorn returns from the South to tells his tales. Halbarad listens.
[Writing] Sand Sorcery by StarSpray
[]It is well known that Psamathos does not leave his cove. He does not like to get his feet wet, and prefers to spend his days dozing under the sun.
Around the World and Web
Fellowship of the Fics: Summer Stories 2024
Fellowship of the Fics offers four weeks of summer-themed prompts during the month of July.
Elrond Week 2024
Elrond Week is a fandom event dedicated to Elrond Peredhel that will run from July 10th to July 16th on Tumblr.
July challenge at tolkienshortfanworks posted
The tolkienshortfanworks challenge for July has been posted to the Dreamwidth community. The thematic challenge is: original character or unnamed canon character; the formal challenge: fixed length of multiple of 50 words. New participants welcome.
July 2024 Call for Papers and Proposals
Conferences and publications that have open calls for papers and proposals in July 2024.
Teitho June/July Challenge: Mentor
The June/July prompt for the Teitho challenge is "mentor" and invites fanworks about this relationship in Tolkien's works.
Prince of a Life of Darkness by Lira_of_Imladris
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Chapter 5 - Surprises
A few dreams, a few surpries, nothing interesting . . . i don't think so anyway
Neithan’s dreams were once again nightmares of him running through endless and various terrains until Morgoth found him. He dreamed this several times before everything changed and Neithan found himself wounded, crawling through the gardens of a haven he did not know. He tried to support himself on his arms but when he moved his left arm, a burning pain webbed around the muscle and Neithan let himself fall onto the cold stone.
“ARBRETHIL!” someone cried in anguish before Neithan felt someone kneel down beside him. They turned him onto his back and Neithan groaned as the light of Arien shone down on him, blinding him.
“Ion nîn, speak to me, saes.” Someone asked pleadingly. Neithan tried to open his eyes to see who called him ‘son’. When Neithan’s eyes finally fluttered open, he saw a golden haired elf and another, dark haired elf sitting beside him. Neithan gazed at them in confusion before he tried to sit up only to be pulled back down by someone who sat behind him.
“Do not move, you will cause yourself further injury milord.” The elf behind him whispered.
“Where am I?” Neithan asked, his voice hoarse and crackly.
“In Gondolin ion nîn, you are home.” The blonde elf whispered.
“Gondolin?” Neithan queried as his confusion grew to a height where it became unbearable. “What is going on? What happened to me? Who are you? Who . . . who am I?”
It was then that Neithan was pulled out of his dream that he could make no sense of. He felt someone shaking him rather hard and Neithan tried to wake himself up but to no avail.
“NEITHAN! WAKE UP!” Nirorn yelled before Neithan finally woke and fell to the ground.
“What is it?” Neithan asked groggily.
“You were screaming in your sleep, something about your mother and father and possibly a brother if I heard correctly.” Nirorn answered.
“My mother and father?” Neithan queried as he slowly sat up.
“Aye, calling for them to help you, to save you from . . . him.” Nirorn answered. ‘Him’ being Morgoth.
“How long was I doing that for?” Neithan asked.
“A few hours, it was occasional for a while then you began thrashing in your sleep and I have been trying to wake you up since then mellon nîn.” Nirorn answered.
“Did I say anything else?” Neithan asked as he rested his head against the cave wall he leaned against. They’d arrived late the previous day and Neithan had been more tired than an elf that had recently returned from a month long patrol.
“Something about Gondolin,” Nirorn mumbled, not looking towards his friend.
“Are you alright?” Neithan asked when he noticed how suddenly downcast Nirorn had become.
“Nothing, I am alright.” Nirorn answered before he stood and retrieved his bow. “We should leave if we wish to get to the Havens of Sirion before Morgoth has a chance to find you.”
“How do you know about those dreams?” Neithan asked.
“The dreams I know nothing of except that you were calling for your adar and naneth to save you from him. You were screaming about that a lot.” Nirorn answered before the duo along with Dae departed the cave and began to head south alongside the Sirion.
* * *
It took them five days to get through what was left of Doriath, the sons of Fëanor had left very little. When Neithan and Nirorn reached the Fens of Sirion they decided to rest for a few days before the continued the trek.
“We shall have to be on guard throughout the rest of the journey until we near the Havens of Sirion for I do not know what we shall encounter.” Nirorn said as he kindled a fire as the stars slowly appeared overhead.
“Why did my mentioning of Gondolin upset you the other day?” Neithan asked. Nirorn sighed before he looked up from the fire, his face illuminated by the flames.
“I used to live in Gondolin, my brother and I escaped about five years before the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. We are both sought after by King Turgon, if he were to find me or my brother, we would be killed.” Nirorn answered.
“Why would he kill you? What could you have done to deserve the death penalty?” Neithan asked.
“I left, my brother and I left, that is all we did.” Nirorn answered. “Gondolin is a secret city, hidden in a circle of mountains. Because Turgon wishes for it to be kept secret from the outside world, anyone who ever goes there is not allowed to leave under any circumstances except for some reason, Hurin and his brother Huor. Because my brother and I left, we must pay the price which neither of us wish to pay, that is why Neithan.”
“Why did you want to leave though?” Neithan asked as Dae came and rested his head on Neithan’s outstretched leg.
“Because my brother and I had been trained as warriors and we had heard of the battles raging around Beleriand and we wished to be part of them, to help, so we left, risking our own lives to try and risk them again for a good cause.” Nirorn answered. “Why did you leave your home?”
“People had lied to me, told me they were my parents until I overheard the sons of Dior speaking about whoever my real parents are. When Dior found out that I knew, I left before I came to the sons of Fëanor and I went with them to Gil-galad and I stayed there for a day or two before I ran off and found you by the Ford of Brithiach.” Neithan answered. It was then that they heard a stick break under someone’s weight. Nirorn hastily grabbed one of the sticks from the fire before dousing it and he led Neithan into the trees, Dae scurrying along behind them, his head down as he searched for an unfamiliar scent, possibly orc.
“Neithan,” Nirorn whispered suddenly, skidding to a halt. “I think I found the twins.”
“What do you mean?” Neithan asked confusedly before he knelt down and moved the torch to illuminate two pale, still faces. Neithan backed away and fell as he tripped over a branch before he continued to scramble backwards. Nirorn stopped him and dragged him closer to the twins.
“It is alright Neithan, they can’t harm you.” Nirorn whispered softly but Neithan struggled.
“No, I will not. I cannot!” Neithan exclaimed as he tried desperately to get away but to no avail. Nirorn placed a hand on Neithan’s shoulder and looked him in the eye.
“Neithan, it is alright. Nothing will happen, I swear.” Nirorn promised. Neithan still tried to get away but Nirorn steered him to where the bodies of Eluréd and Elurín lay. Nirorn pushed Neithan to his knees before he placed his hand firmly on Neithan’s shoulder. Neithan did not realize but he began to cry from both pain and grief. His shoulder had not yet healed from the arrow wound and seeing Eluréd and Elurín dead made him feel even worse. Neithan shook off Nirorn’s hand before he threw himself across Eluréd’s torso and wept into his brother’s blood-stained tunic.
Nirorn smiled sadly as Neithan cried, letting his emotions out. Neither Nirorn nor Neithan knew how long they were there but it was almost daybreak when Neithan finally stepped away from the sons of Dior. When Neithan turned to face him, Nirorn stepped back, horrified by what he saw. Neithan’s eyes had turned black and a strange darkness was mirrored in his eyes.
“Neithan? Are you alright?” Nirorn asked scared. Nirorn looked down at Dae whose eyes had suddenly become dark with bloodlust and a growl escaped the creature’s mouth. Nirorn backed away and Neithan smirked.
“Smart choice, get out of here Nirorn or Turgon will not be the one to punish you.” Neithan said darkly.
“What do you mean Neithan?” Nirorn asked, confused and scared out of his wits at the same time.
“‘He’ is coming.” Neithan whispered before he unsheathed his sword.
End chapter 5
Chapter End Notes
Arbrethil - Noble birch... Goodness, what was I thinking when I came up with that ... It's been a while *laughs nervously* Please don't hate me but I've been very busy doing ... other stuff... Anyway, I'll post the rest of this story over the next week. Thanks for reading - Breia (Got a new name :D)
