Gone With The Harp's Echo by Narya

Foreword

Written for Lferion as part of TRSB21.

Here is the gorgeous artwork that inspired this fic:

I had put in a plea for abstract art way back in April when the suggestions spreadsheet opened, and I fell in love with this piece when I saw it. It made me think of British summer sunsets after a cool, clear-ish day, with pinks and golds and blues and lilacs bleeding together over a shadowed landscape. And the prompts that went with it were incredible! But I wasn't sure I could do it justice in the time I had. Still, I wasn't worried; I thought it would be snapped up by some other author who would do a much better job than me.

And yet, when it wasn't claimed in the first rush, I couldn't resist. And oh my, has this story taken me on a rollercoaster this summer.

These were the suggestions that came with the art:

The border between sea and sky, dream and waking, mist and sunlight, the Round World and the Flat. The place where Avalon and Avallone meet, a pool in Faery, the dragonheaded doors to the shadowy Isles; Manwe's breath made visible.... What world is this, what veil or pool or mirror? What do you see? What tale does this tell?

Where Avalon and Avallónë meet...besides the wonderful image, that was what grabbed me first.

Throughout the summer I have written drafts of many, many snippets inspired by worlds touching, exploring the possibilities of lands slipping together, but finding my story took a while; I don't think I've ended up using half of the stuff I played around with in the research/testing/messing about phase. Some of it didn't fit. Some of it just wasn't very good.

When Maglor first showed up I tried to ignore him. This isn't your tale, I told him – and it wasn't. But he had some helpful suggestions all the same.

Lferion, I really hope this story hits at least some of your likes and wants for this piece.

(Title taken from the Mary Stewart poem 'Rest You Here, Enchanter.')