Valiant and Dauntless by Himring

A Common Root

‘I hear they are calling you Thalion, now,’ said Fingon, almost casually.
‘I guess they do.’
‘Don’t be embarrassed, Hurin—it is well-deserved! Do you know they used to give me a similar byname? The Valiant. The Quenya word astalda is related. It was intended humorously, originally, I believe.’
As far as Hurin knew, everyone was still calling Fingon ‘Valiant’ and they were entirely serious in doing so, regardless of their recent grievous losses.
‘I suppose a partly shared name constitutes some sort of brotherhood?’ offered Fingon wryly.
‘Of course it does,’ said Hurin heartily. ‘Brotherhood! Let’s drink to that!’

Chapter End Notes

 Inspired by the recent discovery (reading a discussion on Eldamo) that the canonical bynames of Fingon and Hurin are (probably) etymologically related, although they are not usually rendered in the same way. (Thalion is usually glossed as "steadfast" or "dauntless", not "valiant", and we also don't know for a fact that Fingon was "Astaldo", although it's plausible.) The common root would be STAL.

I don't actually know when Hurin got his byname, but he seems to have had it before the Battle of Unnumbered Tears already, according to the Children of Hurin. So that unnamed battle in the aftermath of the Dagor Bragollach where he saves the west of Hithlum (while Cirdan's fleet helps to save the East) seems to be as good a moment as any.