Disclaimer: I'm a 5'2" inch girl from the United States. Do I sound like the owner of The Silmarillion and its characters?
Author's Note: This story came about from an IC debate that ninquetari (Earwen) and I (Orodreth) had over on DA...she sees Earwen completely differently then I do, so please don't take this story to be an indication of how we both feel about Earwen. I see Earwen as being a parent very similar to how I see Galadriel...not too interested in what their children have to say, and convinced they know best. We both agreed it was rather humorous to have a theological discussion about beings that neither of us believed in though. ;p
The House of Finarfin was never peaceful. If it wasn't a debate over drinking (and Finwe was still scared to come over, since Earwen had threatened him), then it was religion. Let it be known, that Orodreth shared very few of his views with his mother, and neither of them were shy to express these views. Matters had recently exploded over the book, Valar Be Praised. Being of the younger generation, and having become fed up with the Valar sometime between Feanor being exiled to Formenos, and his own death in Middle-Earth, he was not about to back down.
"I have already read that book, Mother, and I disagreed with it."
Glaring at him, Earwen spoke in a frosty tone, "You should read it again, it would seem that your stay in Mandos' Halls wasn't enough to educate you."
In a polite voice, that was taught with tension, Orodreth replied, "Oh, I read it after that. I merely disagree that we should look at the Valar as if they were the solution to every problem. They're as prone to failures as us, after all..."
"I agree with that, but they should still be praised; they are greater then us, whether we want it or not," lectured Earwen.
Growing testy, her son countered, "But should they be praised, if they do not do a greater job then us? With greater power, comes greater responsibilities, and chances to fail."
With a look of anger on her face, Earwen continued, "Yes, they should. You can never know what mistakes you would have done, had you their powers. Only Eru is flawless."
"...so because I might make mistakes if I was in there place, I should excuse all theirs? Shouldn't they excuse our mistakes then, because in our places they might make the same or worse mistakes? There is a reason I worship and respect Eru, but not them," Orodreth replied in a stinging tone.
Quickly growing furious at the heretical way her son treated the Valar, Earwen lashed out. "No, you should respect them because they are greater then us, and understand that even things we might think of as mistakes can be otherwise, as WE don't know Eru's plans, and THEY sometimes do. And you know, they haven't slain kin like some of us we shouldn't name and they did forgive, in the end."
"They don't always, and they have often ignored the very thing that they were made to do - protect elves and Eru's other children. Even if they felt it right to abandon us in Middle-Earth, how can you possibly defend a group that left your own Uncle and his people to die, solely because he was distracted in a forest by one of their own servants. And to compound that error, they didn't bother to help them later either, only coming when they were bribed with a Silmaril brought by one of the worst excuses for a father I have ever seen. And no, they didn't slay their kin, but they let a mass murderer go free sooner then they forgave us, merely because Manwe and some of the others trusted him, because he is their own kind and brother!" With those words, any hopes of a calm resolution to this argument went up in smoke.
Icily Earwen stated, "I'm surprised Lord Namo let you out. I still think they had reasons we don't know of, and even if they themselves don't know it, Eru knows why things are happening as they are. It doesn't make us any less responsible for our deeds, but forgiveness is much easier when you know it's all for a reason. Why do you think it was so easy to forgive you and your cousins, even though I know I could've been murdered had I not been married to your father and safe in Tirion? Even though those were my people, my family."
Smirking, Orodreth replied, "I think I was too annoying for him to willingly keep me. And yes, Eru knows, and I respect him. I do not respect a group that plays favorites among the people they are supposed to be protecting. If they treated us all the same, but it is very clear that the Vanyar and those willing to worship them on their knees and obey without question are dearer to Manwe and Varda then the rest of us. Why should I desperately try to convince them that I should be their favorite?"
Sweeping from the room, Earwen called back, "You are too harsh and I am too tired to keep debating you."
With a look at his siblings and father, who had been watching this discussion with fear on their faces, though he was not sure who they were scared of or for, Orodreth picked up his book and left.