Author Email: Ancelstierre@hotmail.com
Warnings: None.
Characters: Maglor, Nienna
Disclaimer: The characters and languages used in this work are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien. No money is being made, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Summary: Nienna gives Maglor son of Feanor hope for his future.
Other notes: This is a Silmarillion-based fanfiction. I first started this story months ago, and have only now had time to complete it. All dialogue is in Quenya.
Hope for the Damned
~ Part One ~
The tide ran high in the morning's mist, dawn scarcely breaking over the horizon as the gulls made their way along the surface, diving for bits of food among the foaming waves. The wind was a whetted knife that chilled the sea air but did not arouse the dampened sand from its resting place.
Along the shell-sprinkled, cloudy beach wandered a lone creature, an elf, dark of hair and pale of skin. Around him was wrapped a thin shadowy cloak with the hood loosened, allowing his lengthy hair to whip freely in the tumultuous wind. Not fettered by the currents, he walked, back straight, giving sense of his imposing height. Clearly attuned to the sea gulls' crying, he halted in astonishment as a female appeared suddenly before him, unheard and unbidden. Her grey hood rested loosely upon her shoulders and wisps of black hair streaked across her face, free of their tight bindings. It was she who first raised her hand to her heart in greeting, and it was she who spoke first.
"Do not look so shocked, Maglor son of Feanor. Do you know who I am?"
Maglor started, and then murmured, "No, my Lady." He waited in silence.
"I am Nienna of the Valar. Perhaps you do not remember me? It has been many years," she quickly rejoined.
"The Lady of tears." Maglor raised a scarred hand to his heart in respectful acknowledgement. "You are correct, long has it been since I was in the company of my kin."
Slowly, Nienna approached him.
"In the past you sang to me many songs of tribute, do you remember?"
Maglor nodded, haunted by merry words of old that danced tauntingly in his fragile mind.
"Do not tremble, I beg of you," the Vala pleaded. Tears crept to the corners of her obsidian eyes. "I have only come to speak with you."
She brushed away the droplets suspended on her lashes with nimble fingers, and her voice lightened. "How do you fare, dear Maglor, drifting along the coast of the sea?"
"Well enough, Lady Nienna." His dark, unkempt hair fell past his shoulders and obscured his delicate features as he lowered his eyes in resignation. She shook her head in disdain.
"The sea is bountiful; it provides me with what I need." he offered.
"I disagree. To see you now, knowing of your former glory, is heartbreaking. You were once great. Now you are nothing but an elf clothed in rags, a humble vagrant."
"Great? Never was I great, my Lady. Kin-slayer I am, and disgraced I shall remain until the end of the world." His proud shoulders sagged as he surrendered to the age-old grief. "I should have turned back. There was a time when that was possible, but I pressed on. I was loyal to my father and my brothers. Now I am alone, truly alone!"
"You have driven yourself to despair and beyond, into the chasm of -oh-! The Lady's voice failed, her fair cheeks, marred now by tears wept so pitifully for his self-imposed humility, glittered as the grey-dawn broke.
"Do not cry for me, my Lady." Maglor lifted hisimpure hand to cleanse her face, but it lingered in the air, falling to rest again at his side. Her weeping soon ceased.
"I am wont to grieve, for you and your curse both. Why do you torment yourself so? I cannot bear this; I wish for your suffering to end."
"How do you propose I terminate it?" His bitterness, hitherto suppressed, reemerged in his tone with vehement force. "Cast myself into the Void as Maedhros did all those ages ago?" He scowled, his face assuming its accustomed austerity. "Is that how it is to end for me?"
"You are not your brother, my dear Maglor, nor is his fate to be yours." She wiped away the glistening tears that spilt freely from his desolate, haunted eyes. "If you will listen to me, I have a proposition for you." Her cool palm cupped his cheek, and his eyes lifted.
"I am most pleased with you," the Vala began, her pleasant tone settling the distressed elf. "Your continuous ruination and degradation of yourself, however, pains me deeply. I would take you
far from this accursed shore if you would allow me. Come with me to my hall and there you shall reside as my apprentice. I will teach you wisdom for your grief, hope for your suffering. Maglor, again will you learn love for that which your heart holds dear."
"I searched for the amaranth, Lady," he interrupted, voice quavering. Nienna simply raised a finger to his lips, silencing his protests.
"I would take it upon myself to guide you, teach you, present to you the way of gaining pleasure from your woeful life. You shall want nothing; your every desire will be yours to gain."
"O Lady, do not say such!" The elf broke hastily away from her feather- light touch, drawing into himself for a brief respite. Fear sparked new life within him and the crimes of his past nearly
overwhelmed him.
The Vala, fully aware of her indiscretion, again wept sorrowful tears at his reluctance to accept his family's fate.
"If only you could progress from your grief, Maglor," she murmured after a time, tears softened. "Heal yourself, I beg you. Long have you resided by the sea, yet it has not brought relief to your broken heart. I cannot help you unless you help yourself. I will return when you are able to fully comprehend the offer I have placed before you. Farewell, Maglor son of Feanor."
Nienna arose from the sand towards the far horizon, leaving as silently as she had arrived. He stood forsaken upon the lonely shore, gazing after her cloaked form until it melted against the skyline.
~ End Part One ~
Warnings: None.
Characters: Maglor, Nienna
Disclaimer: The characters and languages used in this work are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien. No money is being made, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Summary: Nienna gives Maglor son of Feanor hope for his future.
Other notes: This is a Silmarillion-based fanfiction. I first started this story months ago, and have only now had time to complete it. All dialogue is in Quenya.
Hope for the Damned
~ Part One ~
The tide ran high in the morning's mist, dawn scarcely breaking over the horizon as the gulls made their way along the surface, diving for bits of food among the foaming waves. The wind was a whetted knife that chilled the sea air but did not arouse the dampened sand from its resting place.
Along the shell-sprinkled, cloudy beach wandered a lone creature, an elf, dark of hair and pale of skin. Around him was wrapped a thin shadowy cloak with the hood loosened, allowing his lengthy hair to whip freely in the tumultuous wind. Not fettered by the currents, he walked, back straight, giving sense of his imposing height. Clearly attuned to the sea gulls' crying, he halted in astonishment as a female appeared suddenly before him, unheard and unbidden. Her grey hood rested loosely upon her shoulders and wisps of black hair streaked across her face, free of their tight bindings. It was she who first raised her hand to her heart in greeting, and it was she who spoke first.
"Do not look so shocked, Maglor son of Feanor. Do you know who I am?"
Maglor started, and then murmured, "No, my Lady." He waited in silence.
"I am Nienna of the Valar. Perhaps you do not remember me? It has been many years," she quickly rejoined.
"The Lady of tears." Maglor raised a scarred hand to his heart in respectful acknowledgement. "You are correct, long has it been since I was in the company of my kin."
Slowly, Nienna approached him.
"In the past you sang to me many songs of tribute, do you remember?"
Maglor nodded, haunted by merry words of old that danced tauntingly in his fragile mind.
"Do not tremble, I beg of you," the Vala pleaded. Tears crept to the corners of her obsidian eyes. "I have only come to speak with you."
She brushed away the droplets suspended on her lashes with nimble fingers, and her voice lightened. "How do you fare, dear Maglor, drifting along the coast of the sea?"
"Well enough, Lady Nienna." His dark, unkempt hair fell past his shoulders and obscured his delicate features as he lowered his eyes in resignation. She shook her head in disdain.
"The sea is bountiful; it provides me with what I need." he offered.
"I disagree. To see you now, knowing of your former glory, is heartbreaking. You were once great. Now you are nothing but an elf clothed in rags, a humble vagrant."
"Great? Never was I great, my Lady. Kin-slayer I am, and disgraced I shall remain until the end of the world." His proud shoulders sagged as he surrendered to the age-old grief. "I should have turned back. There was a time when that was possible, but I pressed on. I was loyal to my father and my brothers. Now I am alone, truly alone!"
"You have driven yourself to despair and beyond, into the chasm of -oh-! The Lady's voice failed, her fair cheeks, marred now by tears wept so pitifully for his self-imposed humility, glittered as the grey-dawn broke.
"Do not cry for me, my Lady." Maglor lifted hisimpure hand to cleanse her face, but it lingered in the air, falling to rest again at his side. Her weeping soon ceased.
"I am wont to grieve, for you and your curse both. Why do you torment yourself so? I cannot bear this; I wish for your suffering to end."
"How do you propose I terminate it?" His bitterness, hitherto suppressed, reemerged in his tone with vehement force. "Cast myself into the Void as Maedhros did all those ages ago?" He scowled, his face assuming its accustomed austerity. "Is that how it is to end for me?"
"You are not your brother, my dear Maglor, nor is his fate to be yours." She wiped away the glistening tears that spilt freely from his desolate, haunted eyes. "If you will listen to me, I have a proposition for you." Her cool palm cupped his cheek, and his eyes lifted.
"I am most pleased with you," the Vala began, her pleasant tone settling the distressed elf. "Your continuous ruination and degradation of yourself, however, pains me deeply. I would take you
far from this accursed shore if you would allow me. Come with me to my hall and there you shall reside as my apprentice. I will teach you wisdom for your grief, hope for your suffering. Maglor, again will you learn love for that which your heart holds dear."
"I searched for the amaranth, Lady," he interrupted, voice quavering. Nienna simply raised a finger to his lips, silencing his protests.
"I would take it upon myself to guide you, teach you, present to you the way of gaining pleasure from your woeful life. You shall want nothing; your every desire will be yours to gain."
"O Lady, do not say such!" The elf broke hastily away from her feather- light touch, drawing into himself for a brief respite. Fear sparked new life within him and the crimes of his past nearly
overwhelmed him.
The Vala, fully aware of her indiscretion, again wept sorrowful tears at his reluctance to accept his family's fate.
"If only you could progress from your grief, Maglor," she murmured after a time, tears softened. "Heal yourself, I beg you. Long have you resided by the sea, yet it has not brought relief to your broken heart. I cannot help you unless you help yourself. I will return when you are able to fully comprehend the offer I have placed before you. Farewell, Maglor son of Feanor."
Nienna arose from the sand towards the far horizon, leaving as silently as she had arrived. He stood forsaken upon the lonely shore, gazing after her cloaked form until it melted against the skyline.
~ End Part One ~