Disturbance by Lyra

Disturbance

O King to whom all birds are dear...

The words rang in his ears.

Not even the echo of your lamentation shall pass over the mountains, Námo had said, had he not? The Valar were deaf and blind to the events in Middle-earth these days. Well, of course Vairë was still weaving her tapestries. Of course Námo knew what was going on. Ulmo, Manwë suspected, also listened to what the waters told him. But Manwë himself turned a blind eye; he felt it would have been too painful to see the follies and miseries without being able to interfere. He did not look; he did not listen.
And yet...
He paced upon the terrace of his house upon Taniquetil. The prayer had surprised him, made him forget his resolve and Námo's curse, made him look. He had looked away again at once. The words remained, resounded in his mind.

My Lord?
The Eagle had noticed his confusion, heard his doubt. Manwë shook his head, not certain at whom the gesture was directed. Himself? The Eagle? Neither of them heeded it.
He paced; he sighed. He should not have looked. He'd known it would be painful. He knew he had to ignore it; they had sworn, after all; they could do nothing. And yet...

Millennia of wearing a body had bred bodily habits: He looked around guiltily. He knew that he was alone; he also knew how little that meant. He shook his head again. The clouds began to betray his unrest, swirling in the rising wind. He could not interfere; he mustn't, though all his being longed to do it. How much, he wondered, would it change the Music? How much would it disturb the course of things?
And yet, and yet...
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He looked around, furtively, again. He ground his teeth. He came to a decision.
"Yes, Sorontar. Fly to."

He felt better, even accomplished. He felt half guilty, and half delighted. Perhaps this was what Melkor felt like all the time.

Chapter End Notes

First and that part of the third line that's in italics are direct quotes from the <i>Silmarillion</i>. Not sure whether that needed pointed out, but I figured I should be on the safe side.

Sorontar (or Thorontar if you asked Fëanor), in case anyone is wondering, is the Quenya version of "Thorondor".

 A lot of things would've run different if Manwë hadn't sent Thorondor, or hadn't at any rate allowed him to go. Of couse it's all purely speculative, but who knows whether, without Maedhros, the Noldor would have reunited, whether they would've had the strength to repeatedly beat Morgoth - or whether they'd just have been extinguished in the Dagor Bragollach. Also, of course, whether there would have been further kinslayings; whether, without the attack at the mouths of Sirion, Eärendil would ever have thought of taking the Silmaril along on his search for Aman; whether the War of Wrath would have happened, let alone ended as it did...

Without Manwë's interference right there, the whole story might have been very different indeed. So one might well say he disturbed the universe.

On the other hand, of course, it was all foresung that way anyway...