The Grief of Falenor
Falenor watched as Gandalf placed the crown on top of Aragorn's dark hair.
"Now come the days of the king," the wizard announced. "May they be blessed." Aragorn stood and turned to address the crowd.
"This day does not belong to one man but to all," Aragorn said, his voice carrying over the huge numbers of people squeezed into the courtyard. "Let us together rebuild this world... that we may share in the days of peace." As everyone applauded, Falenor cast a sidelong glance at Eowyn.
She was wearing a simple golden circlet around his honey colored hair and she was smiling at the man beside her. Eowyn only had eyes for the dashing young Faramir now, but Falenor didn't mind too much.
"Let Gondor and Rohan have their peace," he thought. "And I will return to the North and be among my family."
Aragorn had begun to sing softly and a hush fell on the crowd as they listened.
"Et Earello Endorenna utulien. (Out of the Great Sea to Middle-Earth I am come
Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar In this place will I abide, and my heirs
tenn' Ambar-metta." Unto the ending of the world.)
The king began to walk down the stairs. He was greeted by Faramir and Eowyn and then Eomer, the new king of Rohan. When Aragorn turned to look at Falenor, the peredhel did not bow, but from the look on Aragorn's face the king had not expected him to.
Aragorn turned and went to meet Legolas, who stood with a group of Elves. The king placed a hand on Legolas's shoulder and the Elf-prince put a hand on Aragorn's.
"Hanno le," (Thank you) Aragorn told Legolas, who smiled and looked to someone who stood behind him. The Elf-prince stepped aside and revealed Elrond. Falenor frowned, if Elrond had brought his house, who was guarding the Rhaw Nur?
Elrond placed a hand on a flag bearer's shoulder and the woman shifted the flag to reveal herself. It was Arwen, radiant in the beauty of her own light. The Elf maiden approached Aragorn slowly and the king took the banner from her. Aragorn placed a hand under Arwen's chin and looked at her.
"Oh just kiss her!" Falenor shouted. The crowd laughed and Aragorn seized Arwen and kissed her passionately.
"Always so tactful," the blue roan told him. She had been allowed to come to the coronation because Falenor could not walk anywhere without the mare's support.
The king turned and, with Arwen on his arm, came to the four hobbits. They bowed to him awkwardly.
"My friends!" Aragorn stopped them with a kind smile. "You bow to no one." With that Aragorn bowed deeply to the hobbits. Arwen followed him and soon everyone in the courtyard was on a knee to the little ones. Even Falenor, putting aside his pride, lowered himself into a deep bow, grabbing a handful of the roan's mane to keep himself from falling over.
That night, when the feast had begun and all were making merry, Falenor found Elrond. The Elf lord stood a little distance away from the drinking and reveling men, looking slightly overwhelmed and a little disgusted.
"Emel'hawn!" (Mother's brother!) the peredhel called, limping through the crowd. The woman at the Houses of Healing had given him a cane and insisted he leave the mare in the stables for the night. Elrond turned a gave Falenor a troubled smile.
"Thel-ion," (Sister-son) he greeted the peredhel.
"How are the mares?" Falenor asked hopefully. "Have they given birth yet?" Elrond looked uncomfortable and made a gesture, sending the Elves standing with him away.
"Falenor," Elrond began slowly. "When I returned I learned dire news. The goblins had come from their mountains and... they slew the guards I placed over your herd. We recovered some of the bodies but the others..."
"Eledhwen?" Falenor asked, his heart sinking slightly. Elrond hesitated a moment before answering.
"She was one we did recover," he said at last. Elrond placed a hand on Falenor's shoulder but the young man shook it off.
"Dead?" he asked. Elrond nodded, his grey eyes sorrowful. Without warning Falenor turned and pushed his way through the press of bodies.
"Out of my way!" he snarled. "Move!"
"Falenor?" Eomer asked, moving to intercept him. The peredhel drew a long knife and threatened the king with it.
"If anyone tries to stop me I will cut their throats!" Falenor snapped. He dropped his cane and half-ran, half-limped from the hall. Elrond caught Aragorn's eye and shook his head slightly.
Falenor took the blue roan from the stable and fled Minas Tirith. The guards did not try to stop him, but opened the gates and allowed the peredhel to pass through. Aragorn and Arwen stood on the battlements and watched Falenor disappear into the night.
Falenor rode day and night, pushing the mare to her limit and beyond until at last he came to the forest surrounding Rivendell. He had not eaten a proper meal in weeks and his hair had grown long and untamed. Falenor's leg had not set properly and he continued to limp heavily.
The peredhel walked through the forests, whistling and calling for the Rhaw Nur, but no answering call came. Falenor left the lowlands then, and came up into the peaks of the Misty Mountains. Starved and half-crazed he stood on the edge of a cliff, a knife in one hand. He had bared his chest and stood there, tears falling down his face.
"Don't," a voice told him, but he ignored it, thinking it to be the wind. "Why are you doing this?" the voice asked.
"Because there is nothing left for me," Falenor told it, closing his eyes and readying the knife.
"I thought that once," the voice told him. "When my wings were broken. And again, when a hunter broke his promise to me." Falenor opened his eyes and lowered the knife, turning to find the source of the voice. An eagle, not one of the large ones that made their eyries in the mountains but a small golden one, looked back at him with keen golden eyes.
"Who are you?" he asked it. The eagle cocked its head and flew a little closer.
"I am called Fangwyr," the eagle told him.
"You are a legend," Falenor said shakily. "And I am imagining you." Falenor lifted his knife again, but the eagle watched him closely.
"You are a legend," the eagle told him. "Your fathers were a legend. At least they met their deaths bravely."
"How do you know my fathers?" Falenor asked, irritated.
"Calenor died from grief, Anduin from a goblin's blade," Fangwyr listed. "Ilayilia disappeared into the kingdom of the Wild-Elves. I know your family. I have watched them for many years."
"Then you know that without the Rhaw Nur we are nothing!" Falenor yelled. "We have lived through the years only to serve them!"
"Perhaps they lived through the years only to serve you," Fangwyr suggested, flying and landing on Falenor's shoulder. The eagle looked down the cliff. "It's a long way down," he commented.
"Not long enough," Falenor sighed, but he sat down and lowered the eagle to his lap. "And what would you suggest I do?"
"Adapt," Fangwyr told him. "I have flown far and wide. Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn are leaving the Golden Wood. They are going to cross the Sea."
"I suppose you want me to go with them." The eagle shrugged and cocked its head.
"Go, do not go," it told him. "Manwe holds us all. But while the wind blows you must learn to soar with it."
"I cannot fly," Falenor sighed.
"Then why did you try to throw yourself off a cliff?" Fangwyr scolded, pecking Falenor's hands. "The North ponies are dead. The Elves are leaving. You only have one family left. I do not say to make a nest and have chicks, but perhaps you should learn to spread your wings before you try and fly."
"I cannot fly," Falenor repeated, earning another sharp peck. Fangwyr turned and flew away, circling the ledge where Falenor stood once then again.
"They are waiting for you!" the eagle called down.
"Who are?" But Fangwyr's wings were filled with a breeze and the eagle wheeled away.
