The Manly-hearted Woman by oshun

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Fanwork Notes

Fanwork Information

Summary:

This is a story of Haleth. The challenge it meets requires that one write a story based upon one of the SWG bios about a character one has never written before. I owe many writers for my inspiration, but mainly those who have written Caranthir/Haleth stories I have read and enjoyed over the long years I have been reading Silmarillion fanfiction. I did write the original SWG bio of Haleth, but I wrote it so many years ago that I thought someone else might have written it, until I opened it to consult it for source material (it’s definitely one of mine). This is a story complete in itself, but I do reserve the right to add an epilogue.

And once again, I must thank IgnobleBard for his Beta read at the last minute!

Major Characters: Caranthir, Haleth, Nerdanel, Original Character(s)

Major Relationships:

Genre: Drama, Romance

Challenges: New Directions

Rating: Teens

Warnings:

This fanwork belongs to the series

Maitimo and Findekáno
A Nerdanel Series
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 4, 373
Posted on 15 July 2017 Updated on 15 July 2017

This fanwork is complete.

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Table of Contents

An Ancient Practice

Comments on The Manly-hearted Woman

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Thank you so much for reading this! And thanks for making a comment. I am glad you liked the way it worked and the characters. As you can guess, I am fond of both Caranthir and his mother. I am going to write another part this coming month and let him take a look at the diary that Haleth left. That way we can get her perspective.

Thanks so much for reading. I am so glad you enjoyed my interpretations. I want to start the diary abstracts soon. I cannot believe I thought to include them in the main body of the story. It was a bridge too far for me to cross, but I think it might work better as on its own. Hope I do not disappoint you.

Oh I do so like Caranthir and I enjoyed this story of his meeting with Haleth, and also how you handled the whole reaction to being reimbodied. Of course Finrod would want cuddles and people around him and Caranthir quite the opposite. 

 

Like Binks, I would really love to visit that museum, and I look forward to the excerpts from Haleth's diary. 

Thanks for reading and leaving a comment! I get a kick out of writing Carnathir and Nerdanel. Haleth was a first for me. It will be fun to try my hand at Haleth POV. This was a warm-up for getting inside of her head. I'm glad you agree with me about Finrod. I can't imagine him any other way.

There are so many things I love in this story.  First, its mood, or more accurately, the way it made me feel as a mother, was so hard to put into words.  It wasn't at all sad or melancholy in any way, but it brought tears to my eyes.  There was a certain regret - or like they were so happy to be together and having this conversation in this moment - but behind that were the regrets that they had not had much time together while they were both alive.  That's not an adequate description.  If I didn't feel so addle-brained I could do better but I hope you know what I mean.

So maybe I'll put the things I loved in point form to make it easier on myself:

- I love any stories set either in Mandos' Halls or right after when people are reuniting.

- the insight you have when mother and son are together is awesome and there are many feels:

"What mother worth her salt teases her notoriously awkward and self-conscious child?"

- the history you sketched of the Manly-hearted Women was wonderfully vivid.

- there was an intriguing contrast and comparison in attitudes and behaviour between the Haladin in Beleriand and the Noldor of the time when Feanor and Nerdanel were married and living in Valinor. They seem ages apart and I thought you illustrated that very well.

- wonderful descriptions of Caranthir:

"The most artless of her sons, the one who had preferred mathematics to letters and silence to speaking, told a compelling story."

- "So much for his turn as a king in Beleriand curing his lifelong social clumsiness."

- and that last line! "It is better to love unwisely than never to have loved." Wonderful truth, from the lips of a very wise woman.

 

Years ago I wrote a story about Caranthir and Haleth.  I can't even remember what it was called and it was probably horribly written and simplistic drivel but I should try to dig it out of my personal archives and re-read it.  I'm sure I'd get a good laugh.

This story of yours is just so beautiful and compelling.

I think I did miss this review. It's a wonderful comment.

Years ago I wrote a story about Caranthir and Haleth.  I can't even remember what it was called and it was probably horribly written and simplistic drivel but I should try to dig it out of my personal archives and re-read it.  I'm sure I'd get a good laugh.

I sincerely doubt that it was either "horribly written" or "simplistic." If you find it, I would love to read it. I probably did read it in the olden days! I was very taken by Caranthir/Haleth stories in the 2000s which I would not doubt influenced the couple of stories I wrote and them recently.

Speaking of your older stories, are you the person who wrote under the name of Digdigil? another big influence on me was the Maglor/Daeron story I think it was called: "Let the Songbird Sing."

Sorry I am rushing and cannot properly thank you for the gorgeous comment. I have to make dinner and I would rather be tortured. It will be torture.

I knew that you were writing a story about Haleth, so imagine my surprise when this story actually began with Nerdanel! You wove the story of Haleth - and Caranthir - into this setting very cleverly, though, and I am almost jealous because I didn't think of it myself! (On the other hand, this way I didn't have to write it and can simply lean back and read it - win-win, right? ;)) The idea of the museum is intriguing and the diary tantalising - I wish I could read it! I also love how you expanded on that snippet about Haleth's female bodyguards. That's a detail about the Haladin that continues to fascinate me.
Aside from the love story, which was as satisfying as a mortal/elf love story can be, I also loved your Nerdanel. You have made her immensely human and relatable before, and here you also show her eponymous wisdom in her dealings with her "slightly unhinged" son after all that time and all the things that happened, in her ability to figure out what the newly re-embodied need (different needs for different people at that! will wonders never cease! ;)), and how to tease out bits of information even from Caranthir. And you won't be surprised that I absolutely love her final words, I'm sure!

What a lovely and generous review! (I adore writing Nerdanel and have a soft spot for Caranthir also.) Caranthir reminds me of a lot a of people I have know--loses his temper at the worst times (when Maedhros is trying to be diplomatic with his cousins, for example!) and, I admit that I am influenced by Dawn's Caranthir as well. But, in general, he made far few horrible judgment calls than most of his brothers. Hence, he "gets out" of reform school/purgatory first. So happy it entertained you!

The story I am rushing to finish now is, of all things(!), excerpts from the diary mentioned above.

Thanks so very much for your kinds remarks!

I can't help but laugh! Sorry!  I find making dinner torture if I don't get it made early.  By the time 7 p.m. comes I am tired and too grumpy to cook!  It's not fun!

Yes, I am/was Digdigil and Let The Songbird Sing was my story.  Sheesh.  That's old!  I can't quite remember the name of the Caranthir/Haleth fic - it was something like Whispers in the Stream.  If I can find it I'll fix it up and maybe post it here on the SWG (unless it's too terrible).

Caranthir has grown on me over the years.  I quite love him now, so it was lovely to read these stories of yours.

Trust me it won't be terrible. Let the Songbird Sing wasn't and you wrote that before I started writing fanfiction.

A big miracle happened in our house! Laura had to go to the bank after work and the supermarket we use is across the street, so she stopped and bought something she felt like cooking and made dinner tonight.

I think you should post your Caranthir/Haleth fic.