Treelight, Moonlight, Sunlight, Starlight by Lferion

Treelight, Moonlight, Sunlight, Starlight

Treelight

Fingon had learned to swim in the pool of fountains in one of the palace gardens in Tirion. He had been very small, one of several palace children learning to kick holding the rim of the pool, then with a float, tethered with a string. That water always clear as crystal, reflecting the Treelight, the distant sky. Older, visiting Formenos, swimming in the lake with his cousins -- playing, diving, daring each other to feats of skill (and stupidity -- good fortune that no-one had cracked their head on a rock or worse.) Clear at the surface, mysterious in the cloudy depths.

Moonlight

This lake could be the one in Orome's Forest, open to the sky, clouds seemingly borne up by the strong branches and dense leaves of the surrounding trees. The moon was just rising over the tree-line, edging everything in silver. All thought of self-consciousness fled, and Fingon grinned at the memory of being dared to swim in nothing but Tilion's light. How could he not, given this beauty? Swiftly Fingon shed his clothes, relishing the caress of air, stone underfoot, as he stood for a moment before diving into the deep water. He surfaced with a laugh, clothed in moonlight.

Sunlight

Fingon had enjoyed swimming in the mountain lakes of Hithlum, Mithrim and Dor Lomin, slicing through the chill grey water, emerging into cool grey air and pale sunlight. (People were surprised at that, given the Ice -- one court gathering he had fended off nineteen oh-so-polite prying questions -- he had counted -- and answered one genuine inquiry about the difference between swimming in lakes or rivers.) He missed those lakes, here in Aman. Neither the Bay of Eldamar nor the lake at Formenos were quite the same. Cir Imladris came closest, with mist-cloaked waterfalls and deep pools, all brightened by Elrond's presence.

Starlight

It was not that Valinor lacked lakes (had ever lacked them), it was that lakes in Aman were often people. People with opinions about being swum in by Elves. Some of those opinions were positive, welcoming, even enthusiastic. Others were less so. Some welcomed particular Elves, some rejected particular Elves (generally -- not always -- different sets than were welcomed elsewhere). Some would not be swum in by anyone. And some were fickle in their welcome or rejection, unchancy, as the Hobbits would say. None of the lakes on Tol Eressea were people, though more than one might host Ulmo on occasion.

This lake was not a person. It sang only with the ever-present music of Aman, wordless, alive only in the sense that everything lived. The surface stirred under the rough wind, wave-rocked pebbles clashing against stones, dim in the starlight. The water was fresh and cold and clear, held in a rocky cup, fed by snow and mountain springs. It called him with the memory of mountain lakes in Beleriand, long sunk under Belegaer. Fingon floated on his back in the water, gazing up at the brilliant, multitudinous stars, Gil-Estel no brighter than the rest. All of them held hope.

Chapter End Notes

The prompts used:

Treelight
-- Olympics 21 challenge instadrabble -- kick, swim, string, fortune
-- This drabble was posted to Fan Flashworks here.

Moonlight
-- SWG Holiday Party Nov/15/21 - Jan/10/22, Truth or Dare Instadrabble session Jan 2 -- Fingon, I dare you to go swimming wearing nothing but the light of the Moon.
-- SWG Nov 18 2018 Instadrabble session -- borne, fled, forest, strong

Sunlight
-- Olympics 21 challenge Instadrabble session - image of a dark-haired swimmer in a misty lake, image here; prompt words -- miss, mountain, bay, nineteen

Starlight
-- Major Arcana challenge -- The Star
-- SWG Nov 18 2018 Instadrabble session -- clash, wind, rough, dim