Golden Days by Lyra

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Fanwork Notes

I'm starting to loose track of characters and my gentle readers may have the same problem, so here is a probably not comprehensive list.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

In the House of Mahtan
Nerdanel, a young craftswoman of the Noldor
Mahtan, a master smith and sculptor, her father
Istarnië, a master scribe and scholar, her mother
Erenwen, an apprentice scribe, their middle daughter
Sarnië, their youngest daughter
Alcarincë son of Alcaráco, an apprentice sculptor
Sailatulco son of Veurotulco, an apprentice sculptor
Helyanwë son of Ristando, an apprentice smith
Lindanolvion son of Lindanolvë, an apprentice smith
Roitariel daughter of Tanárion, an apprentice scribe
Lisanto son of Tanárion, an apprentice scribe

In the City of Tirion
Aimíriel, a master sculptress
Palatáro, a master smith, her husband
Nieninquë, her younger sister
Númiel daughter of Númaitë, an apprentice bookbinder
Arinseldë daughter of Númaitë, her younger sister
Ataralassë daughter of Hallantar, an apprentice potter
Lanyalossë daughter of Nusírilo, an apprentice weaver and seamstress
Carnissiel daughter of Carnildo, an apprentice weaver, her best friend
Númaitë, a master bookbinder
Nusírilo, a master tailor
Carnildo, a master sculptor
Wilwarindë, a master weaver, his wife
Cermion, apprentice to Master Carnildo
Timosanwë, apprentice to Master Carnildo
Tanárion, a master scribe
Ercoirë, a master sculptor
Yánanto, a master sculptor
Quantuvar, a master sculptor

In the Royal House of the Noldor
Finwë, King of the Noldor
Indis of the Vanyar, Queen of the Noldor, his second wife
Fëanáro, Crown Prince of the Noldor, an apprentice smith
Findis, Princess of the Noldor, an apprentice poet
Nolofinwë, Prince of the Noldor, an apprentice scholar
Írimë, Princess of the Noldor
Wintillo, a servant
Quessincë, a master scribe and scholar
Parmandil, an apprentice scribe
Alcaráco, a master sculptor

In the Quarry of Alastondo
Lótoreo, a master quarrier
Ravië, a horticulturist

In the Fields of Yavanna
Sirillë, a farmer
Umbas, a farmer
Elwendo, a farmer

In the City of Alqualondë
Volabrandë, a sculptress

Others
Aulë, Lord of Stone and Ore, a god
Yavanna, Lady of Plants and Beasts, a goddess


A big thank you to Whitewave for nominating this for the MEFAs, to Elleth for the banner, and to everyone who read and voted!

The Tirion Mothers Against Oath-Taking Public Service Award

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Nerdanel recounts the development of her relationship with Fëanor - from their first proper meeting to married life. A fantasy of manners, pride, prejudice, love and craftsmanship.

Major Characters: Aulë, Írimë, Fëanor, Findis, Fingolfin, Finwë, Indis, Mahtan, Nerdanel, Original Character(s), Yavanna

Major Relationships:

Genre: Romance

Challenges:

Rating: Teens

Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild)
Chapters: 23 Word Count: 93, 601
Posted on 25 January 2009 Updated on 26 June 2016

This fanwork is a work in progress.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

I meant to be much further along with the story at this point - but somehow things that appear as brief keywords on my plot outline turn into full chapters in the execution. O.ó I am beginning to suspect that this will end up much, much longer than planned.

Chapter 5

Plot is finally on track again. Yay.

Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

My goodness! It's an update! And once again the story refuses to behave as planned. Oh well.

Chapter 9

Another update! And we are still not moving from the spot. Instead, we're having dinner. Oh well, what can you do?

Chapter 10

Holy crap, I can't believe I haven't worked on this story in almost two years! That's disgraceful. Have a new chapter.

Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13

Nerdanel is clueless, and I seem to be on a roll. I hope it lasts!

Chapter 14
Chapter 15

Wow, two years again? And all I have to show is this ridiculously short chapter. Oh well. Let's hope the words will come more easily for the next chapters...

Chapter 16

Nerdanel finally finishes her work for Finwë's family. What a relief.

Chapter 17

Aaand it's time for Nerdanel's exam to start... not yet.

Chapter 18

Nerdanel finally gets to take her exam.

Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21

This chapter just kept on getting longer and longer, so I decided to split it.

Chapter 22

I really have no excuse for this. It's like the "Twilight" chapter. I'm so sorry. The Elves made me do it.

Chapter 23

In which Elves spit out watermelon seeds. They're clearly only human.

Comments

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Hi!  This was a most enjoyable first chapter!  I enjoyed the details and how you set the scene from Nerdanel's POV.  Their first meeting was deliciously filled with tension--I liked how you fleshed them out--their personalities shine through very well for me.  I loved Feanor's expression when she told him that she doesn't know him--how priceless!  Her reaction when she finds out his real identity was juicy as well. Looking forward to the next chapter.

Lyra, this is wonderful! It's hard to know where to begin as far as my liking for it. You know, of course, that I admire your writing to start. Your characters of both Feanor and Nerdanel seem perfectly drawn to me ... but especially Feanor, whose little quips completed his picture and added a nice touch of humor to the chapter.

And, okay--fangirl moment--I must say that I enjoyed right alongside Nerdanel your lingering description of him parading around naked. >:^D

I'm very eager to see this continue!

This is wonderful!  This is the kind of story that although we know the ending, makes you want to keep reading. Great characters (of course, this is Feanaro in his teens) and also a marvelous description of the uses and customs of Elvish society in the (aptly named) golden days.

I hope the plotbunnies keep cooperating. Really looking forward to the next chapter

Well, what can I say? The nomination is definitely deserved! Despite the end that we know this is working toward, I can't help but sit here and wibble a little waiting for the next chapter. More of this, please. I should probably say something about the chapter as well, but then we've talked about that via IM, you know I love it. Keep on writing, dear, and you can count on the continued support (even if I still don't know what I did!).   

I'm afraid I should warn you to expect me to keep on telling you how much I am enjoying this. Nerdanel doesn't seem to be aware that she has fallen for him.  ;-)  Feanor's presence was very strongly felt in this chapter, even if he wasn't physically here.  I'm very interested in how things are developing  the role that Erenwen will play and when F&N will get together again.  

I felt like squeeing when you mentioned that this will be longer than planned--I really enjoy reading this story.  This chapter is my favorite so far--I wonder how Feanor would have reacted if/when he finds out that she heard him!   And it's like it was Nerdanel's doing that resulted in him having to do humble chores.  LOL--so Celegorm was right after all, and maybe that's why she didn't answer her son's question.  I'm eager to see what happens next. 

Oh my goodness, I adore this story, and most of all, your Nerdanel. I love how focused on her work she is, and I can well understand her anxiety about it. The the locking-yourself-in-your-room and worrying about others will think about what you've made for them are all too familiar. And your Fëanáro is also very...Fëanáro! Lol.  I really really hope you will once update this story, it is lovely. <3

Great to see you managed to continue the story (under the current circumstances!)--and write a substantial chapter, too! I'll be interested to see what happens when those four siblings have to stay in one room together long enough to be sketched by Nerdanel.

Well, it does make me worry that suddenly I'll be stuck at some point I'd never planned, and then won't find my way back to the plot. I'm so far away from my original outline by now that it's ridiculous... Thank you! (Sometimes, but we don't have a reliable rhythm yet. It's much better than it was in the first months, though - now he often sleeps six to seven hours in one go, which is such a relief!)

Goodness this is so entertaining! It's one of those fics that I'd read over and over and over (and those are not many at all). I absolutely love the way you do take time (whether planned or not) to have a little ado about nothing. And the accuracy to canon is so generously used, and I love the details that are not specified in canon but fit in so perfectly (Feanaro's refusal to eat bread, for one). I really am at the edge of my seat to see how this is going to play out :)

Through your update, this story caught my eye and I had quite some fun reading it.

The image of the great Feanaro trapped in a rabbit hole and dressed in a shift he had outgrown years ago made me laugh. I really like the way you manage to make him seem insufferable superior one minute and downright ordinary with all the flaws of normal people the next. One of the more human interpretations of the character I have read.

Nerdanel, in her own right, has quite some spunk, with a down to earth attitude. I really like her!

I really looking forward to her stature of Finwe's children.

A little side note: I hope I see a little more of Indis in further chapters. The few times she appeared, she showed quite some insight of her own. ;)

 

Welcome! And thank you for enjoying this. I'm glad you like my "human" interpretations of Fëanor The Great And Terrible, and that you like my Nerdanel, too.

I definitely hope that I'll get a chance to write more Indis, too! Before I wrote her appearances in this story, I really didn't care for her, but she has since grown on me and I think that she has some interesting contributions to make to the story...
Thank you for your lovely review!

She'll get over it, too. ;)

Nothing that wasn't true in some way, I'm sure, but worded so that it could easily be understood as negative. "Her sketches are really very basic, very rough-and-ready" - "She appears to be flouting all conventional rules" - "She lets the children roam as they wish, it's a miracle if she gets anything done" - things that will feed Alcaráco's prejudice, but when the big reveal comes, Fëanáro can honestly say he didn't lie. ;)

Bless Istarnie! My guess is that she is at least keeping an open mind on the question whether there is a bit of infatuation there or not, but is wise enough not to insist.

And Nerdanel will find eventually that there is "something worthy of song or at least a short poem" there--if she will allow herself to see it.

I love this.  Your descriptions of Nerdanel's sculptures are incredibly vivid, and I love her relationships with her sister and parents.  Nerdanel's insecurities about her talent, and her place in the wider world, are so convincing and sympathetic!  I can't wait to read more.

Bunny, with all my might, from fore mother to my mum and me, you should really visit this person again... or else I shoot you dead on my second choice in watching you at pastor' s garden.

Okay, there are two things, that really happened, in my life, and my grandma was absolutely approoved and verified to have the second sight,  and she always stated very confident, for me to be her heir in this point.

Sorry, here in Germany it' s really late, and I am tired and ,too, had more wine, than supposed being good for me, really.

But, you just have to go on with that ; no,  not only on my behalf...

 

Oh dear! It's not actually the poor bunny's fault - it's nibbling on my toes continually. It's just real life that's getting in my way. Two kids and I hardly manage to clean the floor, let alone write fanfic. I have no clue how Nerdanel did it!

For what it's worth, I do intend to go on with this (and the other plotbunnies that keep clamouring for attention). I just need to find the time and, whenever I actually have computer time, the energy to embark on another fic-writing adventure. Tut mir wirklich sehr Leid, dass ich dich (und meine anderen Leser) so lange hängen lasse!

WHAT  you call a short chapter, another would have stated a LONG story, but, however, I am so glad you carry on!

In the meantime, I struggled hard to read all the stuff on this site, first only guided by taste, afterwards in somehow alphabetical order ( and the short comments ), and I am halfway done, not to mention all those trips to other linked or mentioned archieves!

But I developed my own special likings, and you know, this was   one of my first...

Thanks...

Well, most chapters of this story are over 4000 words long, so one that's only 3000 and some words is relatively short. ;)

Wow, I'm amazed you're making your way through the entire archive (including outside links)! I could never do that, I'm far too erratic in my reading habits!

I'm honoured that you still hold this story dear after having read so many other excellent fanfics! Thank you. I hope you'll be glad to hear that I'm already busy with the next chapters, then! :)