A Sad Tale's Best for Winter by oshun, Dawn Felagund

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Fanwork Notes

Artwork included is by Dawn Felagund. (Calligraphy and illumination of brief passages from the story. Artist's note: The calligraphy utilizes a script I developed based on Tolkien's own writing in the Tengwar of "Namárië" and "A Elbereth Gilthoniel." The illumination is based on a style used in the 15th-century Bible of Borso d'Este. Ink, acrylic, and gold leaf on Bristol vellum.)

 

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Prompt: B2MeM 2014 - Write a story or create art about the midwinter holiday (Yule or another midwinter holiday of your choosing).

Elrond looks back on Yuletides past at two distinct periods in his life, nearly an Age and a half apart. “The famous saudade of the Portuguese is a vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist, for something other than the present, a turning towards the past or towards the future; not an active discontent or poignant sadness but an indolent dreaming wistfulness.” (In Portugal, by AFG Bell, 1912.)

Artwork included is by Dawn Felagund. (Calligraphy and illumination of brief passages from the story. Artist's note: The calligraphy utilizes a script I developed based on Tolkien's own writing in the Tengwar of "Namárië" and "A Elbereth Gilthoniel." The illumination is based on a style used in the 15th-century Bible of Borso d'Este. Ink, acrylic, and gold leaf on Bristol vellum.)

Major Characters: Celebrían, Elladan, Elrohir, Elrond, Elros, Erestor, Lindir

Major Relationships:

Genre: Drama, General, Slash/Femslash

Challenges: B2MeM 2014

Rating: Teens

Warnings:

This fanwork belongs to the series

Maitimo and Findekáno
Art/graphics
Chapters: 2 Word Count: 6, 386
Posted on 22 March 2014 Updated on 22 March 2014

This fanwork is complete.

Table of Contents

Foothills of the Andram Highlands, Eastern Beleriand, First Age 539

Beta: The extraordinarily patient Ignoblebard must have read this five or six times. Thank you. (I cannot thank Pandemonium, Nelyo Russandol, Drummerwench, and Scarlet enough for reading and offering corrections and suggestions). Any remaining mistakes or poor judgment calls are my own.

Imladris, Third Age 195

Comments

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And it was a pleasure every time. You always manage to convey scenes and personalities so well but you did a particularly amazing job with this story. This chapter focusing on Elrond's childhood, his sensitivity and fascination with Maedhros, is poignant and tender. There are many wonderful details, the tattered battle flag, the oven in the forge, Elrond's conversation with Maedhros about Fingon that reflects the epic behind the simplicity of their Yule celebration.

This chapter set in Imladris is equally impressive. It's so great to see Celebrian as a match for Elrond in personality. She really shines here as a fully realized character in her own right and not as an appendage or tragic memory. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and you did an amazing job balancing these two periods in Elrond's life.

Dawn's calligraphy and illuminations beautifully illustrate some of the best moments as well.

Thank you again!! Dawn is really, really good at that. I had fun doing Celebrian. I figure as the wife of Elrond, mistress of Imladris, and daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel, she could not be just a big fat zero. I hate the idea of fics in which her role is be only a victim. How flat even that tragic story without her having been a person at all before. I'm tried! Thanks so very much.

Oh well .. I stumbled over this yesterday night by browsing the Maedhros-AO3 Tag for ships others than Fingon/Maedhros (and admittedly I love this dysfunctional family of Maedhros, Maglor and Elros/Elrond to pieces, and yes I also enjoy it when it ends up with a ship, given it is portrayed in a specific manner) - and here we are :D

This story is so wonderful - the fascination Elrond feels upon Nelyo, his emotions, his thoughts, the tree decoration and everything are so wonderfully written and so believable with all the details you added throughout the story. But there's just so much more in it: humor, character exploration (i love Erestor here), the hints of Celebrian in regard to Galadriel, their own relationship as an equal match to each other, Celebrian as a strong personality herself .

>“No, not actually. That was but puppy love, or hero worship, or adolescent lust, or all of those together.” Everything I said was total bullshit. I had loved Maedhros with all of my young heart.<

And I adore this line to pieces, because it says so much about their relationship, about Elrond's personality and his character, just as much as this line does: >Elros used to tell me that I had an open heart--as often as not a criticism or a warning. But, still, I suppose this is what he meant.<

Thank you so much for writing this, because it really saved my restless night yesterday :D

 

 

I'm thrilled that you found this one and enjoyed it. I vividly remember what a huge kick I got out of writing it. I love doing the dysfunctional family thing. I also love having characters fall for Maedhros. I have had so much fun with this version of Erestor over the years. I am really happy you liked him also. I love trying to make Celebrian a worthy in her own right--those parents!!--they really must have felt like living legends to those around her as a girl, but Elrond was able to see beyond all that and fall in love with the young woman herself.

What a nice surprise to wake up to this review today--bleak December here in Brooklyn, although we have yet to have any snow.

This is one of the best tales in this period. It's delicacy and poignancy of Maedhros' loss is perfect, the lightness of your touch dealing with such terrible and tragic loss just emphasisies it -and makes it powerfully 'real'. And the 'scenery' is magical- perfect for Christmas. Very sensual and textured actually. I love this.

I do like Celebrian in htis- so much her mother's daughter and I like the way you point out things about her- that she was in teh shadow of Galadriel, and yet she still managed to stand out somehow, her delicacy and steel, her cleverness and subtlety. And the rascally Erestor- very much the best way ot see him. Such a great fic.

Thanks so very much. I have always thought that Celebrian had to have been pretty amazing given the family she had around her, to whom she meant so much, although Tolkien says so little about her. I also could not resist exploring what it might have been like to have Celeborn and Galadriel as parents--OMG! especially Galadriel as one's mother!! I adore writing this version of Erestor also. So happy you liked him.

You made my days with these lovely comments!