The Writhen Pool by pandemonium_213

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Fanwork Notes

Right then.  So I'm reposting this, probably at risk in the larger Tolkien fan fiction milieu that clearly favors male canon characters, but I'll resist another primadonna pique.  The Writhen Pool is an integral part of my out-of-control story arc so back it goes.

Many thanks to Aeärwen, Darth Fingon, Drummerwench, Elfscribe, Elleth, IgnobleBard, Kenaz, Kimberleighe, Kymahalei, Lilith, Marchwriter, Oshun, Randy O, Russandol, Scarlet, and Surgical Steel for feedback, flogging, and encouragement along the way.

~*~

By way of real life background, Lawrence Summers' remarks at the NBER conference on diversifying the science and engineering workforce caused a tremendous controversy. Many women on the Harvard scientific faculty and staff were incensed. Although Summers' words were couched in a scholarly tone, they stung, and the inside scoop from my friends and acquaintances at Harvard verified that there was indeed a gender disparity at work in the sciences there.

With regard to personal experimence, in 1980, one of my spouse's professors said — with me right there — that "It is a waste for women to go to graduate school."  As my career progressed in a discipline of science then (still) dominated by men, I experienced plenty of sexism and witnessed worse.  The anger that my protagonist feels in the first chapter takes inspiration from something that happened to one of my colleagues, a talented organic chemist.  

So, when I later read Tolkien's reflection on the roles of men (neri) and women (nissi) among the Eldar (cf. The History of Middle-earth, vol X, Morgoth's Ring) Summers' words came flooding back:

It is the neri and nissi of the Eldar are equal - unless it be in this (as they themselves say) that for the nissi the making of things new  is for  the most  part shown in the forming of their children,  so that  invention and  change is otherwise  mostly  brought  about  by  the  neri.  There  are,  however,  no matters  which among  the Eldar  only a  ner can  think or do,  or  others  with  which  only  a  nis  is concerned. 

This is often trotted out as evidence of Tolkien's "progressive" attitude toward women's roles, but the bolded text speaks otherwise.  Claims of equality in the passage cannot negate that. 

Anyway, all that bloviating is to say that whereas this novella is not a polemic (far from it), it is, in some ways, a ficcish commentary on women in science and engineering.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

When the Istyari of Second Age Ost-in-Edhil deny her a place in an important new initiative to be taken up by the Gwaith-i-Mírdain, a young master smith struggles to make her mark in the man's realm of the forges.   An opportunity arrives when the smith is offered a commission that will present challenges of both mind and heart.

Pandë!verse-centric.

Rated Adult.  Specific advisories will be posted per chapter as needed.

Two — count 'em, two — new chapters posted!

Chapter 10, In the Bright Light of Morning

Summary:  The morning after arriving in Ost-in-Edhil, Elrond and Erestor each suffer from the aches and pains of the long road from Mithlond as well as from other sources.

Chapter 11, The Path's Heart

Summary: Elrond finds a nearly comatose Mélamírë in dire straits.  She resists his attempts to reach her through sanwe-latya, until, with her permission, he gives her a bitter medicine that allows them to share a dream, called the lugnolossê by an ancient shaman of the Unbegotten.

Major Characters: Celeborn, Celebrían, Celebrimbor, Dwarves, Elrond, Erestor, Galadriel, Gil-galad, Original Character(s), Sauron

Major Relationships:

Artwork Type: No artwork type listed

Genre: Drama

Challenges: Strong Women

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Expletive Language, Mature Themes, Sexual Content (Moderate), Violence (Moderate)
Chapters: 11 Word Count: 58, 859
Posted on 18 April 2013 Updated on 20 September 2014

This fanwork is a work in progress.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Not Suitable for a Woman

Mélamírë feels the pain of rejection when the Istyari deny her a place on an imporant — and mysterious — project and does not take it well.

Chapter 2: Opportunity Knocks

After some contemplation and advice from Celeborn, Mélamírë waits for a new opportunity, which arrives in the form of a letter from the Lady of Lindórinand.  

Chapter 3: Eagle of Iron

Told from the point of view of the boy whom Mélamírë met outside the gates of the city in the previous chapter.   Polkincë screws up his courage and goes to the House of the Míretanor as the lady smith requested, and he regains his name.  

Heads up for corporeal punishment of a child and bullying.

Chapter 4: A Scent of Distant Lands

A young Dwarf guides Mélamírë into the depths below Zirakzigil in search of a rare element; the dwarf-girl makes a surprising request of the elven-smith, reminding Mélamírë of a secret shared with Dísa, the girl's grandmother.  Meanwhile, in the land of Nurn, Mairon, while writing a letter home, is interrupted so that he may provide a cruel lesson of consequence to rebellious slaves.

Head's up for fleeting sexuality and for not-so-fleeting violence/torture.

Chapter 5: The Laws of Eä

Meanwhile, back in Mithlond, Erestor brings reports to King Ereinion and Elrond of a mysterious and troubling new project among the Gwaith-i-Mírdain.  Ereinion attempts to recruit a talented smith excluded from the project, and disturbing rumors of a powerful warlord stirring up rebellion in the South make their way North.

Thank you a thousand times over to those who provided valuable feedback in the development of this chapter (you know who you are ;^)).  More acknowledgments are provided in End Notes.  A special thanks to Russandol for allowing me to borrow her concept of the ESS*.

*Elrond's Secret Service. Heh.

Chapter 6: Welcome Arrivals

Erestor takes a detour on his way to Uinen's Quay, where a Númenórean trade ship docks, bringing welcome arrivals.

Thanks to Scarlet, Randy O, Russa, Kymahalei, Kenaz, Drummerwench, Elfscribe, and Oshun for feedback and encouragement!  And a shout out of thanks to Elleth for giving me permission to the nod to her intriguing OFC, Estëlindë.  

Chapter 7: Ballain's Tale

Erestor, Elrond, Ereinion, and Círdan listen to Ballain recount his adventures in the South:  how he and Helevair disguised themselves and traveled to Umbar, their journey to Mordor, and the horror they encountered in the Nameless Pass.  Ballain tells of his brush with death, his rescue by an extraordinary people from Far Harad, and his healing by an even more extraordinary being.  Astute guesses are made, thanks to what Ballain's healer tells him, and Ballain gives a name, a single word that Elrond recognizes, causing him to make a dreadful connection. 

Warning for the arachnophobic:  here be spiders.  Big ones.  Evil ones.  But a good spider, too.

Thanks to my keen-eyed pals (see Chapter 6) for nitpicking.  Special thanks to to Surgical Steel for the use of "conjure-women" and her vision of Umbar (a Middle-earth nod to ancient Carthage), to Russandol for the name Brûn Hobas, and a big, huge, massive thanks to Elleth for her assistance with speculative Primitive Elvish. 

Chapter 8: The Poisons That Lurk in the Mud

Revelations are made in the Sammath Naur and in Ost-in-Edhil. The first scene of this chapter might be considered a sequel to Till Fire Purge All Things New.

Many thanks to Drummerwench, Elfscribe, KyMahalei, Randy O, Russandol, Scarlet, and Spiced Wine for their feedback and encouragment.

Chapter 9: To the Brink

Mélamirë seeks an end to her pain and a means to prevent the risk that she might turn to evil herself.

Warning: Heads up for graphic suicidal ideation.

Acknowledgments in End Notes.

Chapter 10: In the Bright Light of Morning

Summary:  The morning after arriving in Ost-in-Edhil, Elrond and Erestor each suffer from the aches and pains of the long road from Mithlond as well as from other sources.

Acknowledgements in End Notes.

Chapter 11: The Path's Heart

Elrond finds a nearly comatose Mélamírë in dire straits.  She resists his attempts to reach her through sanwe-latya, until, with her permission, he gives her a bitter medicine that allows them to share a dream, called the lugnolossê by an ancient shaman of the Unbegotten.

Warning for potential triggers of self-harm and suicidality.

Extra thanks to Elfscribe for excellent critique that resulted in a minor "post-publication" revision of the opening bit of this chapter.

Comments

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Thanks so much, Indy! I don't know what it is with me and spider bites...no, wait.  I know exactly what it is, having been bitten by a wolf spider when I was about 4 years old or so.  Maybe I am trying to work through that by making some spider bites more therapeutic (Anansi) or enlightening (Flame of the Desert). :^D  I know that current trends favor racebent canon characters and such, and it's a fun activity to observe, but I prefer exploring the mythologies of other cultures (and hoping that I do them justice) and then attempting to have these interact with Tolkien's northwestern cultures.  Anansi and The Fourth Tribe are a result of that.

Author's Response:

Thanks so much, Indy! I don't know what it is with me and spider bites...no, wait.  I know exactly what it is, having been bitten by a wolf spider when I was about 4 years old or so.  Maybe I am trying to work through that by making some spider bites more therapeutic (Anansi) or enlightening (Flame of the Desert). :^D  I know that current trends favor racebent canon characters and such, and it's a fun activity to observe, but I prefer exploring the mythologies of other cultures (and hoping that I do them justice) and then attempting to have these interact with Tolkien's northwestern cultures.  Anansi and The Fourth Tribe are a result of that.

Now that's a travelogue if there ever was any! If I listed all my favourite parts of the story I'd still be sitting here tomorrow night, so let's just put it this way: Spectacular writing, spectacular plot and I loved loved loved Thema and Anansi (especially after I began griping to myself that Tolkien had devised Northern, Western and Eastern Avarin, but no Southern, so this came as a wonderful extension of his vision).

What a brilliant way to tie up the threads, too, and leave your readers dangling for more. ;)

Thanks so much, Elleth!  Very pleased that you — an aficionado of the Avari — enjoyed this.  I'm not so sure how kindly the old Oxford don would take to such interpretations (well, any other interpretations, actually - frankly, he was as possessive of his work as Fëanor was of the Silmarilli), particularly in light of his comments that his mythopoiea was meant to be highly northwestern in origins.  He even specifically rejected Graeco-Roman influence.  Nonetheless, his secondary world of our primary world is a large one, so it's fun to extrapolate and have mythic traditions of other cultures interact with his northwestern-influenced peoples.

"Tolkien had devised Northern, Western and Eastern Avarin..."

But not Far Eastern Avarin. ;^)

Thanks again!

 

 

I read this last chapter feeling as if I was slowly losing my grip on a cliff face, and falling by the end. Loved the ieas of the Lost Tribes, and that there were more Maia/Elf unions than might be expected.

The more times I read this though, the more I felt the chapter belonged entirely to Sauron, even though he was not in it.

I know what he is, what he is doing, and the denouement was still a shock!

"I like Anansi.  I could see him and Tom Bombadil getting together and partying."

I know, right!?  Don't think that I haven't entertained such a scenario!  But how to get them together...

"I liked it that Erestor immediately felt tremendous sympathy for Melamire."

In my 'verse, they've become good friends, and although Erestor is not one given to sentiment, he's a loyal kind of guy, or at least I see him that way.

Thanks so much for reading the the comments!

Oh my god. This is stupendous! I’m literally having trouble finding the words to describe my love of this chapter, but I’m going to try.

Mairon’s section: I love his fear and that he used math to calm it. That he was hurt in the forging of it is yet more of the realism I love from this ‘verse. And then the discovery of the three Elven rings…

This line: “Mairon gathered the themes of all the Rings of Power to create a new song within the One, a song of strange beauty but marred by the bitter dissonance of malice and revenge. “ is lovely.

Mél’s section: Tyelpo’s reaction to her work on the blackboard made me grin. The conversation in the hallway-- even though I knew what’s happening-- just served to heighten the anxiety. Mél’s reaction to the revelation of who the forger is rings true-- and then the horribleness of him being her father. And then for her mother’s betrayal… It’s stunning writing.

Every emotion is visceral. When I finished reading, I immediately went back to reread it. It’s everything I’d hoped this chapter would be. Well done, Pandë! Well done.

A typically late reply on my part, but my gratitude for your review is no less.  Thanks so much!  I have been sweating blood over this particular chapter, so I am relieved that it worked for you!

That he was hurt in the forging of it is yet more of the realism I love from this ‘verse. 

Oh, thank you, thank you!  As you know, I aim for drawing in a bit more realism, that the "magic" of my tertiary world of Tolkien's seconday world has a "real" physical basis, and that magic comes with a cost.  Much like technology in our primary world. :^)

Thanks again, Indy!

Some lovely writing here, Pandë. As powerful as the forging of the Ring.

The Ring demanded the intimacy of his bare flesh for these last acts of creation. It demanded sacrifice.

Yes, that really makes sense.

Yet there was rot in the core of the rose. Other memories surfaced, memories that mocked her: You should have known. You should have known. When he Changed into a wolf and Changed back again. His insistence that she keep his strange abilities a secret. The way he struck fear into a band of orcs. His profound distaste for the tales of Lúthien. The white scars on his neck, curved as if fangs — a hound's fangs — had torn his flesh. The elusive but persistent darkness she perceived in his thoughts.

Easy to say she should have known - there are some things no-one wants to look at too closely. Poor Mélamírë. Everything is uncovered, and things are about to get worse, and I'm more sorry for her than the whole of Eregion.

There it was. The truth. Her mother had known who her husband was, almost from the beginning of their marriage.

Oh, lord. She fell into the trap. I thought I could change him. Well, okay, I've done that myself. It's only long after we realize how foolish that is, and that no-one has that much influence on any-one, and no-one can change any-one, save themselves. 

Great chapter, Pandë. I have been waiting for this for years, and it was better than I could have imagined.

 

 

Thanks so much, Spiced!  As you know, I have been wringing my hands over this particular chapter.

I have encountered other interpretations of the forging of the One, but I wanted to aim for a more intimate view of what it meant for Saurn to transfer the greater part of his power into it.  It's hard for me to imagine that it would be a facile process.

Easy to say she should have known - there are some things no-one wants to look at too closely.


Exactly.  This is the way of things in Real Life™:  hindsight is always clearest.  And humans have a tremendous capacity to delude themselves...or as you say, not look too closely, especially if it concerns a trusted loved one.

Thanks again!

I was also going to comment on this:

Despite himself, Mairon felt a grudging admiration. As a fellow smith, how could he not? Tyelpo's application of the deep arts was nothing less than elegant. Yet when the themes of the Three swelled within the One and overshadowed the other Ring-voices, which retreated to become a dark and unsettled background chorus, jealousy swiftly replaced Mairon's wonder.

 

How dare Tyelperinquar create Rings of Power in his absence, using his methods, his curwë? Had he not taught the elvish smith, assisting him, guiding him in so much? If it weren't for his knowledge, his colleague would never have been able to create the Three Rings. This was nothing less than a betrayal. The mountain's fires surged along with Mairon's growing anger, and the Ring burned against his skin. But a simple realization cut through his rage, and cool, calculating rationality returned.

I love the other side of the coin - that Mairon admires Celebrimbor's work, but it is superseded by jealousy and anger that his own toil and work have been usurped almost, used behind his back. I love it when something as pivotal as this moment in Tolkien's history is shown in another light.

Thanks so much for commenting on that aspect of the scene!  I extrapolated Mairon's reaction from observing some titanic clashes from academic and industrial rivalries among scientists in my RL milieu.  Granted, entire countries are not invaded by a large army nor are the scientists who have a) violated patents; or b) "scooped" an academic rival killed and hung up on a pole like a banner, but it's pretty easy to take the egos I know plunk them into Mairon and Tyelperinquar's attitudes.

So they all three of them knew, in their different ways, and none of them quite thought it through to the final consequences. Because I assume that even Culinen, if she had foreseen those, wouldn't have kept her mouth shut quite  this long...

But it is Melamire who is having to deal with this on a more existential level than the other two--no wonder she feels betrayed by them as well as her father.

Oh, and the account of the Forging of the Ring is most impressive, of course. Except in retrospect it loses all its grandeur--in my eyes at least--because it is wiped out by the image of Melamire rushing from the room.

Thanks, Himring!   

Because I assume that even Culinen, if she had foreseen those, wouldn't have kept her mouth shut quite  this long...


I'm not certain about that.  Maybe.  Possibly. But foresight is tricky, and hindsight is clearest.  People have all sorts of complex motives for keeping confidences or simply choosing to ignore Uncomfortable Questions.

no wonder she feels betrayed by them as well as her father.

This is one of my reasons for going with this alternative history:  to emphasize the human costs of betrayal.  It's easy enough for Tolkien to write of Sauron (as narrated by Elrond in The FotR) "whereas he learned all their secrets, and betrayed them,"  this glosses over the full emotional impact.   because it is wiped out by the image of Melamire rushing from the room.
And I'll need to follow her.  Not an easy task.   Thanks again!

And once again we see that the seduction Sauron used on the Elves of Eregion was knowledge for the smiths who wanted, above all else, to hold back the ravages of time and their fading.  He seduced with emotions too, and while I feel nothing but horror for the woman who willingly married him and bore him a child, knowing who (not what, that doesn't bother me that he's fay) he was and what he had done and said not a word.  That, more than the smith's knowing, more than his daughter knowing, disturbs me.  It shows a wanton disregard, a singular purpose equal to Sauron's.  

But it does sweetly run full circle back to the story where you introduced (me at least) Sauron to Elrond, to what he planned for Eregion.  How he planned to seduce, and the glorious knowledge he could gift them so they could keep on top, keep from fading, keep from falling into something less than they had been.

Yes, this is a powerfully-written chapter, but that wasn't what held me.  It's the last part, where his daughter is finally ackowledging who and what she is, and what her father has always been.  Did he love her, or did he simply love that he could use her and that, by extension, she would glorify him?  

It's seeing her mother's betrayal, her cousin's failure.  It's the emotional impact that hits me.  And knowing what is coming and how horrifying it will be for those who were closest to Sauron.  To fear that possibly you just sealed a fate for all of Middle-earth but not because you were a bad person.  You just wanted that knowledge.  You wanted to create that one thing that would change life and ...  

It did.  

Ooooh, thanks so much, Levade!  You hit on things — difficult things — that I wanted to bring out in this chapter.

That, more than the smith's knowing, more than his daughter knowing, disturbs me.  It shows a wanton disregard, a singular purpose equal to Sauron's. 


Which is why I feel obligated to go into Culinen's headspace at some point in the future (I'm thinking something similar to Moon of the Sea, so yet another WIP! X^p).  My bet is that she has complex reasons, not singular, but manifold.  What I do know about her is that she is a very proud woman, is something of a control freak in her own right (which may be why she thinks she could have changed him, yet insecure enough to have her ego easily stroked by others.  Maybe she even craves that.  But all this will bring a load of guilt and regret down upon her shoulders.  Hey, she's Fëanorian - that's part and parcel of her existence! :^D

I don't know if you follow Breaking Bad, which IMO is one of the better TV shows aired in recent times.  I didn't start watching it until relatively recently, then binge-watched on Netflix.  My jaw dropped, because there were a number of elements that Vince Gilligan (the show's creator) addressed that have parallels (call it parallel evolution ;^)) in the Pandë!verse - how power corrupts and how an intricate web of lies revealed affect a family.   My jaw dropped further as I watched Skyler White's (protrayed by the wonderful Anna Gunn) character development (check out her op-ed piece in the NYT) -  she winds up colluding with her husband.  Culinen isn't quite there (she genuinely had no idea that her spouse intended to try to control them all by forging a master ring), but...not so far off either in that she kept the knowledge to herself.  At any rate, if I can manage to write a character in Culinen as complex and conflicted as Skyler (not that I can hope to even approach Vince Gilligan's talent), then I'll be golden! 

It's the emotional impact that hits me.

Good!  Because that is what I am hoping to achieve in this chapter, which proved to be a difficult one to write. "All the poisons that lurk in the mud..."  = all the flaws of the characters and their consequences.

Thanks again for the thoughtful review, L!  

 

I'll just echo my sentiment from the email about the stellar writing in the first part, and also how much I like the fact that your curwë comes at a price. In the second part, my heart goes out to Mélamírë especially - I've had my fair share of bowdlerized family affairs revealed in conflict, and it was never pleasant, but I'm fairly sure (understatement, that) that could never match the devastation she must be experiencing.

Which is to say, amazing, amazing, amazing writing.

Thanks a million, Elleth!  I need that.   I have thrashed the Dark Muse so thoroughly at work of late that every iota of creativity has fled the premises, so your most welcome review helps remind me that the work-related stress is only temporary.  The next chapter is mapped out in my head.  Just a matter of writing it, which is not necessarily a trivial undertaking. :^)

I'm often unsure how this far more humanized portrayal of Sauron and those who are within his sphere flies with fans, especially when the more current trends are...well, quite different, so it is gratifying (more than gratifying - wildly encouraging, too!) that readers like you appreciate my off-the-wall take on Tolkien.

Again, thanks so much!

Himring pointed me to this fic, as I was looking for stories about Ost-in-Edhil and similar to get a bit more in touch with the time and area for my WIP about Elrond and the founding of Imladris. I've already read all the current chapters and was really drawn into your world and your characters.

Your note about fandom mostly favouring male characters made me smile; I come from a fandom where I mostly favoured female protagonists, which has changed with the Tolkienverse to the opposite; but I'm definitely enjoying a well-written female protagonist very much. Your Mélamírë hit right home with me, not only but also because of her equality issues. I'm a human scientist but had my share of these issues as well (including one nearly verbatim comments such as that professor's you mention) particularly while working in IT läter, and the topic is dear to my heart. I cherish you for addressing it in this way in the fandom, particularly as this passage in Morgoth's Ring and the palpable contradictions everywhere. 

That being said, I'm in speachless awe of the world you're unfolding before my eyes and the details you're inventing or bringing into the game, bringing alive that time and place so vividly I feel I'm there in person, just walking around and watching. Your characters are delightfully real, nuanced and understandable in their motivations, and it was pure joy to read your tale. The city with its details and culture also became very real and three-dimensional before my eye, and the workings of the crafts and houses.

I'm looking forward to the continuation, and to your other stories as well (which have been added to a already huge reading pile, tough, so it might be a while; I'm in the fandom only for ten months now and still overwhelmed with the abundance of awesome fic waiting for me.)

Thank you so very much, Winterwitch (love your moniker) for a most welcome review that came at just the right time.  I've been feeling a tad discouraged of late when it comes to my ficcish endeavors, so you gave me a wonderful boost and how!

I've spent a lot of time in Eregion since I re-entered Tolkien fandom in 2007.  Ever since I first read The Lord of the Rings many years ago, Legolas' words resonated with me:

But the Elves of this land were of a race strange to us of the silvan folk, and the trees and the grass do not now remember them: Only I hear the stones lament them: deep they delved us, fair they wrought us, high they builded us; but they are gone. They are gone. They sought the Havens long ago.


I'm so glad you liked the character of Mélamírë!  It's very risky in this fandom (or it has been) to write OFCs, and particularly one with as loaded a background as she has.  But I needed her for my conceit that the genes of two of Tolkien's greatest technologists made their way into the Pandë!verse version of the scientific/mathematical movers and shakers of our primary history (Oppenheimer, Hypatia, Ada Lovelace, Sir Isaac Newton, TH Huxley, Copernicus, etc.)

Kudos to you for tackling the massive (and incomplete) Pandë!verse!  There's a lot there, although due to my work, I have slowed down a bit.  There's a tremendous amount of high quality fic to be found here on the SWG, so I am very honored that you're including me among these works.  And it is great to have you here!  I love Approaching Rivendell (and it is on my SWG stories to review list; congrats on the MPTT award, btw - very well deserved).  You have a true talent for drabbles!  Oh, and images, too. Love your banners!

Thanks again!  Your comments were just what my Dark Muse needed (he's a vain fellow ;^)).

Poor Mélamírë . I can quite understand her. At least she did have people who cared about her, but it's still hanging in the balance.

How reprehensible it was, after he revealed his true nature to her, that she did not warn Tyelperinquar, but instead convinced herself, in her folly and her pride, that she had tamed Gorthaur, that she had reformed him.

Yes, I would feel that way. We know we can't ever change anybody, so this was a disaster waiting to happen.

This was everything you hinted at, and way more. I'm having trouble actually putting my reaction into words because some of Mél's thinking rings uncomfortably familiar, much more so than I expected. But then that is a hallmark of great writing as well, it's emotionally honest and valid even in the dark places.

I'm looking forward to Culinen's shred of hope at the end, and I'm glad you decided to end the chapter this way.

Thanks so much, Elleth!  It was, as noted in my response to Himring, a harrowing chapter to write.  I figured (and worried) that it would resonate with uncomfortable familiarity for some readers, but there's a terrible despair in Mél that I couldn't gloss over.  And there is a shred of hope.  Those of us whose loved ones have suffered from depression must so often cling to that.

Culinen knew? 

Sheesh. I didn't see that coming.  

Sauron has a lot to answer for, concerning his daughter; and so does Culinen.  Culinen is far less guilty than Sauron; because it is doubtful that she knew the full depth of her husband's plans; and did believe that his intentions and his activities were benign.  But so much pain and horror for Melamire, Celebrimbor, the Elves of Ost-en-Edhil, might have at least been lessened, if Culinen had not kept silent as to Aulendil's true identity. 

I didn't think that Celebrimbor ever suspected that his friend Aulendil was really Morgoth's right hand; just thought him a Maia of Aule (which Mairon actually was, along with other Maiar).

A powerful chapter.  Poor Melamire; she's the immediate victim here, emotionally shattered.  Nice nod to the BBC's masterful I, Claudius (I believe that the actual line comes from the second book, Claudius the God, which was incorporated into the miniseries).

Belated thanks, Raksha!  Been so busy I can hardly think straight.  Yes, after a few years (!) of mulling over this, I finally decided that she knew, but convinced herself she had reformed him, and yep, I don't think Celebrimbor knew who he *really* was, although he likely guessed he was a Maia.  Indeed the line comes from Claudius the God.

If Melamire's instinct that Manwe sent the storm was correct, than it seems like the Elder King was trying to keep Melamire from throwing herself off the cliff, what with Melamire hearing the command to stay in the sound of the rain.  Interesting.

And poor Melamire decides not to give up her intention of killing herself, while Culinen is wracked with guilt, both of them victims of Sauron.  Melamire will have to accept her heritage from her father and turn it fully to her own ends, not his, which she is fully capable of doing, but does not yet realize, with the horrific revelation of Aulendil's identity still raw, is possible. 

Quite a harrowing chapter!  I wonder if Culinen is going to send for Elrond.  I would like to see him interact with Melamire in the wake of their new understanding of Aulendil.  Elrond met him when the mysterious Annatar first made himself known in that guise, and did not come anywhere near guessing his true identity.  And Elrond, like Melamire, has the blood of a Maia...

Thanks, Raksha!  You're on point with the storm, and for the accompanying rain and the voice that says "stay?"  Which Vala is strongly associated with the waters of the world? :^)

As for who Culinen sends for, read on.  Thanks again for reading and commenting.

These two chapters were so very much worth the wait. Your writing shines as usual, but the scenes with Mél and Elrond especially were a fascinating part of the story, and I loved the exploration of their inner landscapes especially - but the excursions into backstory and your insight on Elwing were other parts I adored. Wonderfully done, Pandë, and many thanks for the shout-out. :D

So good to see you update this! These chapters are packed with good stuff.

The imagery of the dream sequence is especially striking, but I was also keenly interested in the various glimpses of back story that add to the characterization.

I'm glad that Elrond persuaded Melamire that she could pursue her own path.

I've always liked how you make some of Tolkien's prejudices simply the prejudices of the characters who are supposed to be the narrators of the Silm anyway. Poor Mélamírë! I suspect Aulendil is just keeping her in the dark because she would uncover his true intentions too easily though...I guess we'll find out in the nex few chapters!

Hey, thanks!  And my apologies for the belated reply - pleading the excuse of so much of my attention being diverted to work.

I'm glad you remarked on that, i.e., Tolkien's biases making their way into his text.  I know my own biases work their way into my fan fic! :^D  Something else that I try to do is go for a non-idealized group of characters, i.e., the Noldor are terribly prejudiced against mortals and other Elves, and they're class-conscious.  Yes, Aulendil doesn't want her getting too close to his real purposes.

Ha!  Did you get back to work?

I enjoyed delving into Thorno's ("Porky" - ah hahahahaha!) backstory.  As noted in the earlier reply, the non-idealized Elves of the Pandë!verse are subject to class stratification, and I've wanted to have a better look at the working class of the Firstborn.

Heh.  Well, I am wildly flattered that this darned story dragged you in, but I hope it didn't cause too much trouble for you, re: sleep and classwork and what have you.

I wasn't sure that Culinen knew until I started writing this story, and then, I figured that this woman surely had her own secrets and flaws. Plus, she is smart and perceptive, so I decided she knew...and then didn't tell, rationalizing through denial and her own pride that she had "reformed" this guy.  Happens a lot in real life.