Tengwar: To The Letter by cuarthol

Formen (north)

Not every Dwarven craft was shared.
(No warnings.  Drabble)

Telchar stroked his beard, gaze intent upon the sliver of metal on the oil’s surface.  He pinched it between his fingers and gave a twist.  Once he released his hold, it returned to its former orientation.

One year and countless attempts later, he held the final device, finished to his satisfaction.  Within a brass casing, a metal needle floated in an enclosed glass dish on a bed of oil.  He carried it from Nogrod to Menegroth and beyond, and it served him well.

So long as he kept it away from the forges, its orientation was stable and true: north.

Chapter End Notes

Angband, or "Iron Prison", may have been more than metaphorical.