The Ice in the North by Moreth

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Fanwork Notes

I should give a nod to Jack - who will never read this - who once explained to me why he loved the freezing cold of Norway and Canada.

 And, of course, thanks to Dawn for the idea! And to Elfscribe over at The Lizard Council for her suggestions.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Suggested by Dawn's addition to her 'Release the Bonds of Winter' series, Death of Cold, this is the Helcaraxë from an alternative view point to the grim travail of crossing the ice...

Major Characters:

Major Relationships:

Genre: General

Challenges:

Rating: General

Warnings:

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 286
Posted on 25 November 2008 Updated on 25 November 2008

This fanwork is complete.

The Ice in the North

Read The Ice in the North

It was the beauty of it that surprised me. I had not expected it.

The dark, the cold, the biting wind... we had considered all these things. And they were true. It was bitterly cold. A killing cold. The ground itself was treacherous beneath our feet and thin snow could cover a gaping crevasse. We learned early that the water was deadly; to fall into it was to die.  We learned to fear the wind, which cut like a knife and was just as lethal. We knew now what a knife could do. We learned the ice could do the same.

Beyond that - beyond our struggle to survive each moment - was the ice plain itself. Endless, immutable, ignorant of anything but its own being, it stretched in every direction. It spoke constantly to itself in a language I did not understand, muttering and cracking and creaking. I remember the majestic crash of a glacier falling; perilous thunder as it tumbled into the sea. I remember the long vistas of broken snow, gleaming silver in the star-shine, then flaring to a sudden green-blue sheen from the light I carried.

But our lamps paled compared to the sky. I dream even now of the red and green lights that flickered and moved across the north, flaring and dying in endless patterns of garnet and emerald, colouring the pristine snow with their glory. I stood enchanted and staring until my companion shook my shoulder. To stand still was to die.

I would like to see the snow again, to smell the frozen air, to feel it prickle in my nostrils as I inhale. League after league of bright, white space that cares nothing for the small doings of the Noldor. It is dangerous indeed, but it is also beautiful.

 Maybe now I would understand its words.

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I absolutely adore this, Moreth. It's a joy to read. You have some wonderful lines. You just have to indulge me and let me repeat some of them: "We learned to fear the wind, which cut like a knife and was just as lethal. We knew now what a knife could do." A lot of learning in a short time.
"I remember the long vistas of broken snow, gleaming silver in the star-shine, then flaring to a sudden green-blue sheen from the light I carried."
"I stood enchanted and staring until my companion shook my shoulder. To stand still was to die."
And finally: "League after league of bright, white space that cares nothing for the small doings of the Noldor [fabulous insight!]. It is dangerous indeed, but it is also beautiful."

Really great writing.

Okay, I'm making good on my bribe. ;) As I told you already, this is a beautiful piece. I'll confess that I'm a sucker for the kind of imagery that makes me gasp and say, "Yes, I see that!" and this piece is full of such imagery.

muttering and cracking and creaking
perilous thunder as it tumbled into the sea
But our lamps paled compared to the sky

Those are some of my favorite lines. :)

But I like also that it is not a scenic piece but also reflects, subtly, the recent history of the Noldor. I already mentioned (and see Oshun did as well) the line about knives, which is simply wonderful. Also, the mention of the white space that "cares nothing for the small doings of the Noldor" (emphasis mine), which is a really cool idea in light of how most people portray those doings, as larger than life with the power to change the world; it is a reminder of the constancy* of nature, its steadfastness, and its indifference.

* Though, in real life, we're doing our darndest to erode the constancy of the ice in the Arctic. *sigh*

Have you read Peter Hoeg's Smilla's Sense of Snow?  It's -besides other virtues- one of the best descriptions of the ice, the cold, the dangers and beauties of the Arctic. As I was reading your vignette, I was strongly reminded of it. Your piece is on a par in the beauty of the imagery and in conveying the absolute indifference of nature when confronted with the petty worries of men (ok, elves). Really outstanding.

This is as starkly beautiful as the glaciers themselves, Moreth.  I could go on about how well-executed this is with regard to the technicalities, your word choices, the rhythm (oh, the rhythm), but the imagery through the eyes of the unknown Noldorin narrator is simply breathtaking: the "perilous thunder" of the ice, the northern lights, the killing cold, the vastness of it all and finally this...

"League after league of bright, white space that cares nothing for the small doings of the Noldor."

A truth here.  In the end, Nature will render even the greatest of peoples insignificant.

Thank you for sharing such terrible beauty.  Well done!

I enjoyed reading this.  Personally, it's like stepping into a scenic (though not so-pleasant) postcard.  I particularly liked this line:  "It is dangerous indeed, but it is also beautiful."  Like I mentioned in Dawn's piece, the elves' crossing of the Helcaraxe radically altered my view of the First-Born's seeming "invincibility" to the elements and I must say I like the Silmarillion's version better than the LOTR scene with Legolas. Thanks for sharing.

This made me cold. It is freezing outside here and snowing. Seriously, I really like the description of the ice and how you make it feel as if it is almost a living thing. An enemy that can make you forget how dangerous it is because of its beauty. I can see the elves finding beauty in it and the addition of the Auora Borealis was a nice touch.

You too? We have freezing fog as I write this... that is not a good thing (although it looks very pretty!).

I'm pleased it came across as beautiful and dangerous. If you haven't already, check Dawn's piece out for the brutal reality of being cold... because that makes me turn the heating up!

Beautiful! It does, sort of, remind me of Norway at winter. Which I miss sorely, but shall see soon, toward the end of December.

 Ironically enough, my travel and lust for knowledge has led me to another place of extreme winters - North Dakota - but I doubt it will be as beautiful as my native Norway during winter, covered in snow - because the mountains and the forests is what truly adds the finishing touch to the beauty that is Norway at winter.

 

:)

Thank you so much for your review! I haven't (yet) seen Norway in winter - but it is very high on my list of places to go :) So at the moment I can only envy your winter landscape and imagine it...  if I have captured any aspect of it, it is because of other people describing it to me in enthusiatic detail. (Thanks, Jack!) I wish you a great winter holiday season :D

Apparently I must have been in such an awe that I was at loss for words to review this piece. I could have sworn that I read it in 2008, but why I never let you know how much I loved it (see the Mefa review)... and I now suddenly realise that I forgot to touch upon the absolute beauty of the Auora Borealis, it comes across so well in this piece!

 I truly hope that soon you will find more time to write Moreth, I miss your works!

I really like how this conveys the danger of the Noldor's passing over the Grinding Ice. Your descriptions are fantastic and really mae the reader feel how bitterly cold it is. But this story also reminds me too of the beauty of winter storms and that dangerous situations can also be beautiful too. Really enjoyed this.