Disclaimer: That would be nice, but no. Also, the art is not mine either.


7. Námo

To say that Námo had not been expecting that would be an understatement.

Námo had been the Doomsman of the Valar and the keeper of the Halls of the Dead since the beggining of the world, and he had seen many things. He had seen kinslayings and horrible deaths, famed deaths in battle and Eldar fade from sorrow, but never again had anyone knelt in front of him and sang a song of such power.

The song she sang was as fair as her beauty that outshone all the other Eldar in the Halls, and filled with such profound sorrow that Námo was certain none other like it would even be heard in the confines of the world. Listening to the fair singing the Valar was grieved, and as Luthien shed her tears and let them fall to his feet like rain, the stoic Valar was moved to pity; he who never before had been so moved, and would never again be.

For Luthien sang of not only her own sorrow, but the sorrows of the Eldar and of the grief of Men as well, the Firstborn and the Secondborn Children of Illuvatar.

And so Námo summoned the spirit of the deceased Beren, who Luthien loved more than anything, but Illuvatar's gift to Men had been death, and Námo had no power to withhold the dead spirits after their time of waiting, nor could he interfere with the fate of the Children of Illuvatar.

Therefore he did something not very common of him and went to visit Manwë to seek for council. The Lord of the Valar asked Eru for guidance, and two choices were given to Luthien, daughter of Melian.

The Valar could not withhold death from Men for it was Illuvatar's gift to them, and so Luthien chose to be mortal with Beren, forsaking her immortality and the chance to dwell in the land of the Valar until the end of this world.

Just like with Míriel, Námo was once again perplexed by the choice of the elf, but Luthien and Beren were happier than ever and it did not even cross their mind that this could ever be a wrong choice.

The minds of the Quendi, Námo decided, were a very strange place.