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Maedhros negotiates with Azaghal and accepts his offer of a dragon-proof helmet for Fingon. Fingon turns out to be less than enthusiastic about Maedhros's gift.
My take on the early history of the Dragon Helm of Dor-lomin.
Now added: Bonus drabble: A Matter of Helmets (Maedhros & Azaghal, gen)
After the Fall of Doriath, the surviving sons of Feanor retreat to Amon Ereb. Maedhros is haunted by memories of Caranthir and a promise he made to Nerdanel. Amrod persuades him to leave.
Tweaks to canon (compare end-notes).
Although the death of Caranthir and the battle of Menegroth precede the events described in the story, they are remembered in some detail and so have been marked in the Warnings.
The fate of Maglor, after he cast away the Silmaril, is pretty much open for speculation. Here are some glimpses at his adventures throughout human history, in no particular order.
Newly added: Exiles. In the Roman province of Macedonia, two exiles meet. Written for the August 2017 challenge, Song of Exile.
Maedhros and Maglor each answer a question at the Mereth Aderthad.
"Musician" was a stand-alone, until I decided to pair it with "A Word In". The two parts are rated differently: see Chapter Notes.
Daeron and Maglor through the ages; alone, together, or both. And this is how things begin, but they never end.
Maeglin spends an afternoon alone in his head. Even with company.
The story of Maedhros' captivity in Angband, his rescue and his recovery is in the Silmarillion treated in a few paragraphs. This is a fleshed-out account of the events that may have befallen between Maedhros' imprisonment and his return to his old life... as far as that is possible.
Occasionally drifting into AU territory, depending on how closely you follow the source (WHICH source? :P).
The usual warnings apply - particularly to chapters marked with an asterisk.
Part One completed.
Part Two completed.
Part Three, Chapter 10 added: In which the reconciled Noldor make plans for the future. End of the trilogy.
It is reported in the Silmarillion that when Finrod Felagund first met the people of Beor, he had been hunting with Maedhros and Maglor, but had parted from them because he was “wearied of the chase”. According to this story, that was the official explanation given out for his abrupt departure but what in fact had happened was that he had a conversation with Maedhros that first surprised, and then upset him...
The “eminently unsuitable” person of the title is Fingon, of course, but as the story is told from Finrod’s point of view, this is not explicitly stated anywhere.
This story has been nominated for the MEFAs 2010 by Hallbera. Thank you very much!
What I was not going to write, but did:
Down. What Maedhros thought as he jumped.
Out. Up. Fingon takes Maedhros home to Tirion after his reincarnation. Finarfin insists on confronting him. Told from different points of view (Fingon, Finarfin and, briefly, Maedhros).
Now illustrated by Alasse!
I: Fingon is unable to articulate his wishes unambiguously, so Maedhros finds seduction a terrifying and lonely business.
II: This time, Fingon states his feelings very clearly, in the face of Maedhros’s doubts.
Originally designed as a companion piece to Counting the Hours largely from Maedhros’ point of view, as the other story is largely from Fingon’s. (The original middle section has since been moved elsewhere in the series.)
Re warnings: "Graphic" really only applies to the beginning of Section I, I think.
This is the story of the unequal friendship between Maedhros and Uldor and its bitter end in betrayal and death, told from Uldor’s point of view.
It does not say anywhere that they were friends that I know of, but it seemed a reasonable explanation to me of what happened before Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Otherwise, wouldn’t the sons of Feanor have to have been a bit slow on the uptake or the sons of Ulfang fiendishly clever?
Like the rest of the series, this is, strictly speaking, Maedhros/Fingon, but it is possible to ignore that aspect of it (Uldor himself never guesses), so I’m not marking it.
This story has been nominated for the MEFAs 2010 by Angelica and won Third Place in Races: Cross-Cultural: General. Thank you very much to Angelica and to everyone who reviewed it for the MEFAs!
Now illustrated by the wonderful Alasse:
The captivity of Maedhros on Thangorodrim, and his subsequent rescue by Fingon. This is actually part of my modern AU - the elves are living in the modern world and the events in Middle Earth are told as a flashback.
Warnings for rape/non-con, torture.
After the Battle of Sirion, the children Elured and Elurin are taken to the forest and abandoned. The guilt weighs heavy on Maedhros, and he cannot rest until he finds them.
Rated teens for general mature themes, and for violence. Character deaths: those of Celegorm, Caranthir and Curufin are referred to and the deaths of Elured and Elurin implied.
Maedhros thinks that he's had time enough to get over his feelings for Fingon. It turns out that he has not. At first he's disappointed, then he makes a discovery.
Told from Fingon's point of view.
For Oshun, because I re-read her biography of Fingon and realized I'd left something out.
In East Beleriand: Elrond gets upset and runs away. Maedhros comes and finds him in the woods. Maedhros ends up being given a new name. Later, Elrond and Elros learn lessons and pretend not to--why? Finally, Elrond, now in Gil-galad's camp, learns of Maedhros' death by his own means.
Maedhros and Maglor decide to surrender to Eonwe to be put on trial back in Valinor. And then, at the last moment, they don't. Framing Maglor's memories of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad and the attacks on Doriath and the Havens of Sirion (or rather, mostly, the discussions among the brothers that led up to those attacks).
Maedhros/Fingon slash (very mild here). Definitely not Maedhros/Maglor slash; however, the subject is raised and the (false) accusation made by others in the story, so if this worries you, please regard yourself as warned.
Also, Maedhros's suicide isn't explicitly told, but strongly hinted at, so has been marked.
This story has been nominated for the MEFAs 2010 by Lyra. Thank you very much!
A bit of pillow-talk between Maedhros and Fingon, framing memories of Araman, the Helcaraxe and Mithrim.
Fingon has to struggle to re-define himself twice, once when he learns what was really going on at Alqualonde, the second time when he realizes that their deepening love means that Maedhros and he have become mutually irreplaceable to each other and what that might entail. Each time, Maedhros turns out to be part of the solution as well as part of the problem.
P.S. In the last update I changed the title, summary and notes. No changes to story.
Written in honor of Pandemonium's birthday - during the siege of Barad-dur, a surgeon deals with illness and injury from the various forces in place.
While embarking upon an Arctic expedition in hopes of discovering secret knowledge that might relieve the marring of Arda, a loremaster of Tirion makes a much darker discovery that undermines the very foundation of his belief. Inspired by the style and mythology of H.P. Lovecraft.
Faced with the choice between execution or working on the preservation of dead people, young Azruhâr finds himself drawn into an increasingly political struggle between faith and power, tradition and new ideas - and a journey beyond his wildest fears and dreams.
Cabbages, because they are almost entirely unlike Silmarils...
Maedhros has been rescued from Angband by Fingon and has handed over the crown to Fingolfin. He recovers from his ordeals (more or less), sorts out things with his relatives (not quite), and departs with his brothers for points east. Later, after the Dagor Bragollach, he reviews the situation, considers giving up the struggle (not really), and is badly shaken by a presentiment of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.
Romance (Maedhros/Fingon) and in part a prequel to "Looking at the Stars", but also about Maedhros's relationship with Maglor, the "shadow of pain", etc.
Minor warnings: Non-graphic references to torture and swearing. Non-graphic descriptions of insanity and vomiting. Brief references to prayer.
Nerdanel is in love with a Noldor prince with a reputation for being sullen at best, difficult at worst. Whatever does she see in him? And how will Mahtan get along with him?
When little Elrond asks Maglor to play a game that reminds him of his part in the Kinslayings, how does he deal with it?
In the depths of a bitter winter, Finrod Felagund receives an invitation from Bëor to attend a strange midwinter festival in honor of the longest night of the year. Written for the 2009 Yule Fic Exchange on Many Paths to Tread.
Left behind by Finrod, Amárië considers the paradox of her situation: her wish for his return and the only means by which her wish would be granted. A sonnet.