The Dancers by Elleth

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Fanwork Notes

Fanwork Information

Summary:

A ghostly night long after the fall of Gondolin. 'Poetry'.

Major Characters:

Major Relationships:

Genre: Mystery, Poetry

Challenges: Duel of Songs

Rating: General

Warnings:

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 203
Posted on 30 May 2009 Updated on 30 May 2009

This fanwork is complete.

The Dancers

Read The Dancers

The Dancers

Sunset defeats the day's clear blue,
And 'gainst a pale lavender sky the stones
Of long-forsaken ruins glow in bloody red,
As they did times uncounted since the fall.

And still with fading light across the sky,
The waning day stirs whispers and wakes shades
That think the Gates of Summer are at hand,
And standing on the walls as though at dawn,
They raise their songs to greet the sinking sun.

With elven skill coaxed from these melodies
Flowers awake to bloom on through the night,
And trees unfold and birds join in the song
Of flutes and harps and voices in the town.

In the great square, a basin filled with dust
Is washed clean by a fountain brought to life,
And drops of water tinkle, whirl and flash,
And each a mirror of the stars' far lights.

Sheltered beneath the boughs of long-gone trees,
Overshadowed by old, ruined towers,
Processions form to dance and sing,
Moving through alleyways by ghostly lanterns lit.

Like shrouds of mist fair phantoms pass on by
And round they go, in dances, round and round -
Until a red-robed morning brings the light:
The Stone of Song lies silent once again.

Enchantments fade, and melodies;
The songs of water have gone quiet,
And flowers only grow to mark the spots
Where all the dancers rest beneath the sky.

Chapter End Notes

First written in 2006, revised and reworked in May 2009. Inspired by and based on a plot point of the Gondolin RPG, and if this poem is not strictly in accord with the Laws and Customs I still think it makes for an interesting what-if.

Last but not least, thanks, Dawn, for a fantastic betaing session. 

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It's nice to see that our little RPG got your muse to gift you with such a nice piece of poetry.  I rather like the idea of the slain Elves of Gondolin being to attached to the place to want to leave it, even after it's fallen into ruin; in their memories, it will always be beautiful.

Heh. Gondolin has been a constant source of inspiration for me, even if most of it went back into the game itself, but for this one I think you can thank Meleth and her run-in with Indil. I remember that that was what first got me started - and of course you are right, there is after all the idea of the love of the elves to their dwellings and works of their hands - Gondolin arguably was both. So it doesn't sound so completely implausible. Thanks for the review. :)

Oooh, eerie!! I really like this!

It's a nice contrast, with the imagry of ruins and the sense of celebration, I think. I like the otherworldly feeling; it's like a ghost story but less frightening and more exhilarating!

I thought the first paragraph was especially nice. It certainly got my attention! It created a really vivid mental image, too.

Great story! 

Thanks, Grundy! For context (though that isn't necessary to understand it) - my character Meleth (the then-future nurse of Eärendil) was grieving her fiance Narminco, who had just died - and trying to reach out to his spirit, which she believed was lingering and accidentally allowed in another houseless elf who had (I think?) died returning to Gondolin after the Nirnaeth. She gave poor Meleth a lot of visions of the "everyone is dead" kind, so much so that I wrote this poem to get some of them out. I also had to laugh reading it, because it's so clear how much I was leaning on both Kortirion and The City of Present Sorrow even though I don't consciously remember writing the poem. 

Either way, thank you for the lovely comment and the trip down memory lane! :)