Moments by StarSpray

In the Halls

Mandos was quiet. The whispers of the spirits there was like a soft breeze through summer leaves. The tapestries of Vairë glowed on the walls, vibrant splashes of color, but Maedhros stayed away.

Mandos was full, and yet it felt empty. It was not hard either to keep apart or to seek company, though it was a strange sort of company when the spirits of the dead came together. His father came seeking him, and his brothers, but Maedhros slipped away from them all. His father’s spirit burned white-hot even still; it felt too much like the Silmarils.

Then Finwë came, and that was easier. He was not whole either; he asked nothing of Maedhros, and offered only quiet company in return. His presence was not a flame like Fëanor’s, but warm, comforting, a reminder of a childhood that Maedhros had forgotten belonged to him.

Slowly, they both healed.