W by Himring

Chapter 1: Wains

A glimpse of a female Wainrider and her younger sister on their retreat eastwards, after attack.

No warnings, except for a hint at a darker background.

Read Chapter 1: Wains

On a more usual day, they would have halted at sunset, but now the wains went rumbling on as dusk deepened about them. Her arms felt stiff with holding the reins so long and her eyes felt gritty with the dust churned up by the hooves and the wheels.  Mian pushed out her head and shoulders from behind, peeking out under the cover, and, when this earned her no reproof, clambered out beside her on the driver’s seat. She lifted up her arm, allowing Mian to snuggle up against her side.

It was now fully dark and still they went on, slowing, but not stopping.

‘Look,’ said Mian, ‘the stars have come out.’

It was true. The night was clear, away from all the smoke, and the stars shone bright.

‘Look,’ she said herself, with a gesture of her chin. ‘Do you see those seven stars over there? That is the Wain. Can you distinguish the axletrees and the shaft?’

‘Like our own wains?’ asked Mian, craning her head.

‘Exactly like our wains,’ she answered. ‘The Great Wain above guides our wains below. And so, wherever we go, we can never be lost.’

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Chapter End Notes

During the revolt in T.A. 1899, camps of the Wainriders south of Mirkwood were burned and young women fought to defend their homes and children. They did not all retreat eastwards, after the battle, but they were weakened and some may have thought it the wiser course.

The Great Bear (or Big Dipper) is sometimes called the Wain or Charles's Wain (and the Little Bear the Lesser Wain). This name occurs in The Hobbit, although in The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings the constellation is called by other names.

Tolkien would have encountered the senses "wagon", "chariot", and "Great Bear", when working on the Oxford English Dictionary entry wain. But it is doubtful whether he had any ideas about Wainriders yet, as they did not appear in his writing until much later. It is I who have connected the celestial Wain with the Wainriders.

As far as I know, we know nothing about the language of the Wainriders. The name "Mian" was just my fancy.

Chapter 2: The Walrus That Went South

An unlikely explanation for the unprecedented appearance of a walrus in Tenby, South Wales.

What does a walrus have to do with Tolkien? More than perhaps you think.

For the prompt "walrus", obviously.

General, no warnings (except a tiny bit of language, I guess)

The walrus is a real one, although zoologically inaccurate ("Wally the Walrus"); the Maiar are by Tolkien.

Now with related art!
See Whimsical Walrus Works for two charming drawings of Wally, one on the trip south and one enjoying that nice slipway at Tenby! Thank you so much, Bunn!

Read Chapter 2: The Walrus That Went South

‘Bugger this,’ grumbled the walrus and slithered off his ice floe.

Osse, lounging among icebergs, saw him swim away and shouted after him: ‘Where are you going?’

‘I am going south for Tolkien Reading Day!’ said the walrus.

‘But you cannot read, can you?’ Osse laughed.

‘I can still be read to,’ said the walrus and went on swimming.

He travelled steadily, stopping for a few snacks here and there, but always continuing south.

‘You are very far south,’ observed Salmar, off Shetland. ‘Where are you going?’

‘I’m going south for Tolkien Reading Day,’ said the walrus.

‘I did not know walruses were interested in Tolkien,’ said Salmar astonished.

‘Why shouldn’t we be?’ asked the walrus. ‘After all, by all accounts he was very interested in us and in our name, at one time!’

He swam on past the Hebrides and arrived in the Irish Sea.

‘You are far from home,’ whispered Uinen. ‘Where are you going?’

‘I am going for the Tolkien Reading Day,’ the walrus confided. ‘I have heard rumours of Sam Gamgee’s fish and chips and I wanted to investigate.’

‘I am not sure that I would recommend the chips, for you,’ murmured Uinen. ‘But have fun!’

‘Thank you,’ said the walrus and went on until he came to Tenby.

‘Have I arrived in time for Tolkien Reading Day?’ he asked, but nobody seemed to understand him.

‘Maybe I came too late,’ he thought. ‘And nobody is offering me fish and chips. But this is a nice and convenient slipway and the humans all seem very happy to see me! I think I will stay a while.’

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Chapter End Notes

Tolkien Reading Day is on 25 March.