In crafts of making he had less skill by Himring

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Fanwork Notes

The drabble is inspired by Alasse's artwork for the B2MeM prompt "Impatience" (G48 Balsamine: Impatience (113. Card: Language of flowers)), showing Beleg and Turin, and the quotation from the chapter "Turin in Doriath" that went with it.

Link to Alasse's artwork
The quotation is: "Often Beleg Strongbow came to Menegroth to seek him, and led him far afield, teaching him woodcraft and archery and (which he liked more) the handling of swords; but in crafts of making he had less skill, for he was slow to learn his own strength, and often marred what he made with some sudden stroke." ("Turin in Doriath", Children of Hurin / Narn i Hin Hurin, Unfinished Tales).

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Two lessons for Turin: one with Sador, and one with Beleg.
He learns not as much as he might.

Major Characters: Beleg, Sador Labadal, Túrin

Major Relationships:

Genre: Fixed-Length Ficlet

Challenges: B2MeM 2019

Rating: Teens

Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 202
Posted on 16 May 2021 Updated on 16 May 2021

This fanwork is complete.

In crafts of making he had less skill

Read In crafts of making he had less skill

‘Can I try, too?’ asked Turin.

Sador smiled and handed him the knife.

‘But have a care now! Take a lesson from my injury and don’t cut yourself!’

The knife was sharp and carved the soft wood Sador had picked out for him more easily than Turin had hoped. Already he saw the shape emerging and, in his mind, was boasting of his newly acquired skill to his mother, but then…

‘I ruined it.’

He was ready to hurl the half-carved piece back into the woodpile.

‘Stop,’ said Sador and took it from him.

‘See? We can fix it, almost…’

~

‘I ruined it,’ said Turin, dropping the pieces. ‘I never learn.’

‘That was an unfortunate blow,’ agreed Beleg. ‘But you are learning. Give yourself time!’

‘I have less time than you!’

‘There is truth to that. I had a long time to learn. But it seems to me you make your short time shorter. You struck too heavily, too quickly. Now you want to give up entirely. Is that not losing time? Try again.’

Just for Beleg, he would try, one more time.

Beleg, watching closely, stopped his arm with his hand.

‘Too much force again! Can you feel it?’

Chapter End Notes

I also used the prompt "lesson" from Tolkien Weekly's Schooling Challenge for this double drabble.

Leave a Comment

This ties in perfectly with the Narn as we know it - a very good (but bittersweet) reminder that Túrin had some good teachers, and unfortunately didn't learn the lessons they could have taught him...

That "almost" at the end of Labadal's comment, just love it!

Oh, and there is so much familiarity in Turin's exasperated reactions to his imperfect early attempts. Fortunately, Beleg has the patience of one who has much time (albeit less than he thinks).