Defiance by Marta

Chapter 1

The Valar spoke long – about choice, and will, and freedom – until Máhanaxar was full of their idle talk. It grated across Ulmo's hearing like a clanging cymbal, but he could not leave. He owed it to those that would die, to at least endure the debate. The others might tell themselves that they debated philosophy's niceties, whether it would make Pharazôn's choice null to shield him from the consequences. All that was true, but it did not tell the full tale. His brothers and sisters talked of genocide, whether they knew it or not.

He had heard the water's melodies, the One's own Song, as clear as it came in Arda Marred; he could not be fooled.

Ulmo knew the people, aye, knew the ships and other treasures that would be lost beneath his water when the One's waves were unleashed; but he also knew of other beings that the Others had forgotten. What of the minnows that lived in the quiet pools, and the rams that climbed Meneltarma? And the stones – what of them? They had stood against the waves for centuries, always resisting the never-altering rhythm, changed but never subdued. Would their choice now be washed aside in favor of the speaking ones? Úinen might restrain Ossë's mischief in small matters, but neither of them could stand against the One's wrath.

And that was the crux of it, really. Ulmo might resist, but even he could not prevail; and if he saved some small remnant, it would be through defiance. He was at root a Child of the One; he had heard too much of the Song, too often, to be otherwise.

Still, he would not restrain his servants from doing what they could – and if their waves pushed some few ships out of harm's way, well, that was their affair.