A Winter's Tale
Disclaimers: I do own Elrond, Arwen etc. They belong to Tolkien and his estate. I am making no money and intend no infringement of copyright. If you sue me, all you'll get is a bunch of notes on Baudelaire and a French dictionary.
Rating: PG.
Summary: Long after the elves have left Middle-earth and even Gondor has fallen, the tale of Arwen and Aragorn is not forgotten.
A/N: All misspellings, deviations from the story told in Lord of the Rings,omissions, etc are deliberate. They are put in to convey a sense of how the story would be warped through time.
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The world was cold. Ice stretched from peak to peak in a seamless blanket. The earth was frozen as hard as stone, and almost nothing moved. Amidst this bleakness, a solitary hunting bird soared and swooped over a fair valley, sheltered from the storms of winter by its high rock walls. Within it stood strange structures, half sunk into the earth, their graceful arches and carved pillars crumbling. In the largest chamber, which had been a great hall, fires burnt once again, and screens of hide and wood carefully shielded the dilapidated entrances. An aura of magnificence and serene wonder clung to this place, even in the years of its decay. None who had known the Last Homely House when Elrond Peredhil dwelt therein could mistake it, although they might grieve for its wistful air and the fate of the men who sought shelter in its depths. For they could feel the benevolence of the valley, and its ancientness, naming it a sacred place, but they were ignorant of its true nature.
Rude dwellings of hide and bone were erected in that which had once been the Hall of Fire, huddling close together for warmth.
It was midwinter, when the hope of renewed life was at its dimmest, and only the faint aroma of sanctity which clung to the place seemed to avert death. Fear clouded the hearts of the Men, but through this small grace they were undeterred.
Dried meat and fruits were brought from storage and cooked with carefully hoarded herbs, until they were tender and the scent made the noses of the inhabitants water.
All were dressed in their finery, smoothed beads and the teeth of beasts draped round their necks. No one wished to miss out on this festival in praise of the Great Earth Mother, nor to appear drab and unadorned. The young helped the old; men tended the fires and women bustled round ensuring that all was in order.
Finally the feast was ready, and they crowded round the central fire, for even in this haven there was not much warmth away from the comforting security of a blaze. More and more fires were lit to ward off the creeping damp, and the people shuffled close together as skins of fermented berry juice were passed from hand to hand.
Pungent stews, their juices recalling the months of plenty, were consumed with relish, for no one knew what the next day might bring, or if welcome spring would come at all.
Friends chattered merrily; men guffawed at each other's jokes; children scampered among the throng, giggling with the private amusements of youth; rivals commented on one another's dress with complimentary yet snide words.
When all had eaten their fill a hush fell upon the crowd as they awaited the speech of the eldest and the stories he would tell. Altarn was withered with age, bent and crooked, yet his blue eyes were as bright as the morning, his voice steady, and a sense of ageless power emanated from him.
"Well, I suppose it is my turn," he chuckled gruffly, stooping over his walking stick.
His sister-son, old enough himself to have fathered many generations of children, replied for them all, repeating the words which had become a ritual over the wearying years, before even Altarn was born, "Tell us of the Elder Days, O Wise One. Tell us of the Fair Folk. Remind us of our past."
"Well." The old man seemed to straighten, and the fire to burn in his ancient eyes as his voice grew deep and terrible. "In the days long gone by, there lived one of the Fair Folk, the Evening Star, the daughter of Wisdom who loved her dearly. In those days before Winter became angry with Men, and came to steal their children, the world was green throughout the year, and the Fair Folk still walked among us. They taught Men how to use spears and light fires, for the hearth-fires of the stars were ever in their eyes and in their hearts, calling them home.
But Winter grew restless, for he was jealous of the beauty of the Earth which she denied to him, preferring her lover, the Moon. He was also wroth that his father, the Void, was shunned by the Spirits of Life, and made to walk alone. And so Saon, for such we named him, sent out the Men of his tribe to take back the great talisman-stone which had once been his, and make it his again, for then he would be powerful. The great grasslands would his, and even the rivers would not flow when he commanded them to withhold their waters from Men.
But Wisdom lifted up his great spear Vilya, and beside him stood Strength, dressed all in grey, and Morning, and they too raised their spears, Narya and Nenya, and they defied him. But still the kinsfolk of Winter came across the wide wastes, and the beasts died, and the trees shrivelled, for the Fair Folk who stood against him were the Children of the Stars, and he could only be defeated by the Children of the Earth.
But the lands were wide, and the Earth sought to protect her children by obstructing the progress of the Wicked Ones, and for a while the world was safe.
One day when the flowers bloomed, a mortal babe was found in the valley of Wisdom, clad only in a single tooth of a great cat, strung around his neck, but the mark of greatness was upon him and a wondrous light was in his eyes. Wisdom pitied him, and took him in, loving him as his own son. But he knew many things which are hidden from us, and foreboding fell upon him, and he sent the Evening Star away to dwell in the Wood of Dawn with her grandmother, the Morning.
His daughter questioned him, asking, "For what purpose should I not light your valley with my rays? For I too feel the anger of Winter, and is it not better that I stay?"
But Wisdom shook his head.
"I still have my spear, dear child, and it will protect me yet, for you I see some danger if you remain."
And so she crossed the mountains. She took with her many ferocious warriors who were skilled in tracking the wolves which howled in the high passes, for Wisdom could not forget how the fell beasts had attacked his wife, Kindness, and bitten her. In her grief, she had returned to the stars, and he, longing for her, would not let his daughter risk the same fate."
A child, too young to pay much attention to the storytelling, played close to the fire and the blaze licked at his clothes. With surprising strength for one who counted so many years Altarn drew him back from the flames, dusting the cinders from a jerkin fashioned from the soft skin of a young antelope. He returned the boy to his fussing mother.
"Where was I? Oh yes …the boy grew up in the sweet valley, and he became tall and handsome and strong, skilled in all things, for Wisdom taught him well. He knew the language of the stars, and even the beasts were not afraid of him, because their spirits saw the nobility within him.
And then, when he was but entered into adulthood, the Evening Star returned, for she missed her father, and wished to dwell away from the tall trees for a while.
As he wandered in the first light of the sun, the Man, to whom Wisdom had given the name Elessar, beheld the Evening Star and loved her, for she was beautiful above everything in the world. He sang to her the lays of old, the tales of the Beginning, and she heard him and loved him also, for it was her gift to see his soul when he sang, and his heart was fair indeed.
So they went before Wisdom and begged him to bless their marriage. But he was sorely afraid, and refused to grant their wish, for he did not want to lose his daughter, and he saw the perilous deeds which lay ahead.
"You will not be bound to the Evening Star," he proclaimed, "until you have done that which is yours to do."
So Elessar went off into the Wilds, away from the valley, and the Evening Star soon returned to her grandmother, and there was little laughter in the dwelling of Wisdom.
But the stars had ordained that Elessar and the Evening Star should wed, for both were dear to them, and, as he followed the great herds, the young Man arrived at the wood where Morning dwelt in splendour, and he was brought before the Lady. Morning dressed him as one of the Children of the Stars, and laid her sweet blossoms in her arms, and sent him to find her granddaughter. And there on the Hill of Amrot they met once again, and she loved him even more. They stood in the high place, amid the gentle breezes, and pledged their devotion. The Evening Star swore that for his sake she would no longer be counted among those who do not die, and would leave forever the Star-Children. For she could not be with him unless she did so, for thus was the will of the Great Mother Earth."
Someone added another log to the fire, and the flames leapt high, casting an unearthly light on the gathering, far outshining the dying rays of the sun outside.
"But Winter came upon them, even in the holy places, and the North Wind and the East Wind came with him, and so Elessar returned to the valley of Wisdom, seeking counsel, and the Evening Star came with him, although they were not yet bonded.
And there gathered together in that place many peoples: leaders of Men and the Children of the Stars, and the Little Folk who love nothing more than the sweet fruits given to us by the Mother Earth, with faces like children, and stout hearts. There too came the Spirits of the Deep. They sat before the fire under the blazing stars and talked. The Men wished to take the talisman-stone for their own; the Deep-Spirits and the Fair Folk wished it to be destroyed. But the Little Ones were silent, and for their meekness the task was entrusted to them. Wisdom brought the stone from the dark caves where he had kept it, and gave it to the most noble among them, and they were ready to depart, but then Elessar said he would accompany them. He did this not only because he loved their merriment and wished to preserve it against Winter, but also because in his heart of hearts he knew that this was his destiny as a Child of the Earth and kinsman of the Stars. And so he kept them safe. And with them went one of the Spirits of the Deep, whom Men called Gimli, for he would not reveal his true name, and a Man, and one of the Fair Folk, Valour, and also Strength himself went with them, his great red spear in his hand.
They suffered many trials, which I shall not tell you yet, for many days of cold remain before the Sun returns to us, and some tales must be kept for them."
He halted.
"Will no one refill a poor old man's cup?"
As the blood-red liquid trickled into his beaker, he continued, "They faced the Fire Untamed, and packs of wolves. Jealousy in his eyrie among the eagles, fought against them and Despair, sitting alone, forgetting even his living son in the memory of the one who had died, tried to thwart their task. Many times were they cast down, and Winter smote them with his deadly chills, and they were sundered and knew not how the others fared.
Finally, Fodon, the fairest of the Little Folk, to whom the stone, which was as dangerously beautiful as the finest amber…"
Here he gestured to the beads threaded around one woman's neck.
"…had been committed, entered the land of Winter. There all was in darkness, and snow was on the ground, and no living thing moved. But still he struggled on, and Elessar was by his side, for such was his doom. He slew many of the terrible creatures of Winter with his mighty knife, and made sure that the path was safe for Fodon, even in that desolate place. In the end they destroyed the stone in the great pits of fire. Winter was defeated, and the sun came again to the land, and all rejoiced.
Elessar was rewarded for his deeds with a land of his own, and people flocked to him as he settled beside a great river. Then Wisdom and Morning came out of the North, and the Evening Star came with them.
Although he was deeply grieved, Wisdom still loved the Man whom he had raised as his son, and he blessed him, and placed the hand of the Evening Star in his, and they were bonded in a meadow full of flowers.
But the stars still called to their children. Wisdom and Morning went to the Great Water which is in the West, and a mighty host of their people went with them, and built many craft, such as those who live on the deep rivers build, and left for the stars. Men remained behind, for we are the Children of the Earth.
Elessar lived in happiness, with the Evening Star beside him. No foul things came near them. The Great Mother Earth was bountiful to them, and they had plentiful meat and fruit from the trees to eat, and clothes to wear, and the people who followed them were content.
Although he lived longer than even the oldest among us, Elessar was only a mortal Man, and in the course of time age took him and one morning he did not awake from his sleep, and his son was now leader.
All the people were sorrowful, but none more so than the Evening Star, who wept tears more beautiful than the rushing waterfalls in springtime. She left that place, and undertook her final journey. Coming to the hill of Amrot, she lay down upon the grass, and her body was returned to the Great Mother Earth, and her spirit joined her beloved…"
He paused, and the light of the fire flickered on his gnarled face, highlighting the intricate embroidery of his tunic. All those assembled were silent, awaiting the familiar conclusion.
"Although Winter had been humbled, he could not be destroyed, and he hated the Children of the Earth more than ever. Slowly he crept upon them, and the world grew cold, and Men withdrew to the warmth of their homes, forgetting the Spirits of the Deep and the Little Folk.
But the blood of the Children of the Stars lives in us yet, and the Great Mother Earth is strong. With our help she resists him, and the light returns, and green things grow until he tries again. Thus things go ever on, and we must pray that the Children of the Stars will remember again the kindly land and return to us, and Winter will be banished forever."
Everyone whooped and hollered in applause, toasting the tale with beakers brimming with potent spirits. The wise man bowed his head before their praise. To the young acolyte by his side he whispered, "I do not tell the story as well as he whom I learned it from, but that is the way of things."
The singing and drinking and tale-telling lasted for the whole feast day, and although no one could forget the terrible cold which raged outside, at least for once it was not foremost in their minds. Good cheer and better food saved specially for the occasion insulated them against the harsh reality of winter. They rejoiced in the stories of old, and prayed for the coming of spring. The sun was far past its zenith now, although they had been up since the dawn, and the flasks were passed around again and again until they were drained and new ones had to be found. Gathering gloom encroached on the tribe feasting in the ruins of Rivendell, but death was for tomorrow; today one had to drink to the past and to the future.
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A lone wanderer paused for a moment in his journey, hearing a snatch of laughter from the dwelling. No other would dare to be out in the bleak wasteland alone, but he had known terrors far worse than the bitter cold and the packs of ravaging beasts, desperate in their starvation.
Although he was bundled up in layers of furs and thick hides against the frozen wind, he remembered days when the finest silk had slipped against his skin under a balmy sun. A weapon such as could not be found in this broken world hung by his side, for it was wrought of forged metal in a land of stone, and intricate runes were inscribed on it.
His ears under the fur-lined hood were as delicately pointed as the finest flint spear-tips.
He listened again to the faint sounds borne on the wind, far across the snow-laden hills, and a bitter smile twisted his ageless face.
*They sing their songs and tell their tales, and yet still they forget* he thought mournfully. *And I can feel the chill ever deepening, and the winds blowing with more anger from the North. I fear for them, that they may not survive this new onslaught*
He found a small cave hollowed out of the hillside, and busied himself with making a fire and setting up a meager camp.
*They do not even know the name of Gondor the proud now, let alone those of the Hidden Cities. Soon we may be forgotten to them entirely…*
But as his crude stew of rabbit and wild herbs simmered and bubbled in its pot, new hope came to him, lightening his soul.
*Or maybe not, for they have great endurance. I may yet see the day when they arise from the ashes of their destruction and once again walk freely across this land, and build great cities and remember the deeds of old. And I shall be there to witness it, and guide them from the shadows…*
He hummed an ancient tune of thanksgiving as he lifted his food from the fire, arranging a thick cloak around his shoulders. And for an instant the little cave seemed redolent with kingdoms long since passed, and the voices of noble lords who had gone into the West many years before.
FINIS
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A/N2:
A brief list of names etc:
Winter/Saon: Sauron.
Evening Star: Arwen.
Wisdom: Elrond.
Strength: Gandalf.
Morning: Galadriel.
The spears: as you probably know, these are the elven Rings.
Kindness: Celebrían.
Wicked Ones: the Ringwraiths.
Wood of Dawn: Lóthlorien.
The hill of Amrot: Cerin Amroth.
Spirits of the Deep/Deep-Spirits: dwarves.
Fair Folk/Children of the Stars/Star-Children: Elves.
Children of the Earth: Men.
Little Folk/Little Ones: Hobbits.
Valor: Legolas.
Wolves: sometimes refers to orcs.
Jealousy: Saruman.
Despair: Denethor.
Fodon: Frodo.