Disclaimer: I don't own anything Tolkien owns and I'm not making any profit
off of this
Summary: Nienna ponders about purpose. Features Nienna, Lorien, and Mandos.
Author's Note: Sorry I was so late in coming with this chapter.
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Tears Falling
Chapter 2- Mandos
Leaving Lorien Nienna headed west, towards the Halls of Mandos, where her brother Namo dwelt. Nearing her brother's halls she felt the gloom that surrounded them. The skies were grey, as grey as the face death. The dreary clouds covered Anar and there was little light that shone upon the land.
She entered the Halls and the dark vapors wrapped themselves around her. The works of Vaire she wondered at, and marveled at them. Vibrant and dull colors rested upon her, filling her vision with the doings of Time. Resting a hand upon the one of the black columns of jet, she was presented with the sight of the Noldor. They were proud and glorious, courageous and strong.
She continued to walk on, until she reached the center of the halls, where the dews of Silpion were kept, the only light within the halls. Her brother was not there, and she suspected that he was with the soul of one of the houseless Elves. Waiting, she soon felt the presence of Mandos.
"Nienna," Mandos greeted his sister, "you are no stranger to these halls, and you need not wait."
"But I did not come as I normally would," Nienna told her brother. After a moments pause she asked, "With whom did you speak?"
Mandos' dark grey eyes turned to the direction of her own, "the Spirit of Fire, Fëanor son of Finwe."
Nienna remained silent, "what did he say?"
"He is still the same, and he refuses to admit his wrongs," Mandos told his sister.
"Does he know that only through surrender can his soul should be calmed? And that he need only to repent to be free of his burdens?" Nienna asked, for long had she mourned for the sorrows Fëanor had caused.
"He has been told, but he does not understand, not yet," Mandos answered, "but Nienna, why did you come here if not to meet with the souls of the Elves?"
"I have questions of my own," Nienna's voice was that of a ghost.
"What of them?" Mandos asked softly.
"I question of purpose."
Mandos looked at his sister with questioning eyes, hardly noticeable.
"You are the Judge of the souls of the Elves, and you house their wandering souls, Lorien is the master of dreams and visions, and I am the Weeper. What could come from me?"
"Much can come from sorrow and compassion," Mandos replied.
"True, but of purpose, and of wisdom?" Nienna continued to ask.
"Purpose is closely intertwined with fate, and of wisdom there can be many interpretations."
"Yes," and after a moment's pause she said, "I hear you and Ulmo have had some disagreements."*
"We have," Mandos replied.
"Why is that so?" Nienna asked, wondering, for she knew that Ulmo and Mandos' ideas would be somewhat similar.
"He does not understand the Doom, and he does not truly comprehend the inevitability of fate, of the music," Mandos began, "Ulmo believes me to be a servant of the Doom, of which I am."
"But of fate, what is our fate?" Nienna asked, not truly hoping for an answer.
"Of that I do not know," Mandos knew the fates of the Elves, except for what Eru chose not to reveal to him.
"Then what could you tell me?" Nienna inquired.
"Not even I can see all ends, and of our fates, there is no clear rode."
Nienna remained silent, thinking to herself.
"Nienna, there is no shame in mourning, and there is no shame in tears. You know this, and yet you ask."
"I know there is no shame in tears, in compassion, in sorrows. My questions now may seem naïve, but I wish to know why I mourn," Nienna looked at the columns of jet, the circling pattern upon them never seeming to end, and yet all things must come to an end, even the world would come to that.
"You are full of compassion, maybe your sorrows and tears have brought that."
"Maybe," was Nienna's reply.
There was silence for a while, as the two Valar thought in silence. They were each pondering their own words, and the words of the other.
"Mayhap," Mandos said, breaking the short moment of silence, "that we are much alike to the Children of Ilúvatar."
Nienna turned to look at him.
"To them, we may seem powerful and majestic, wise and full of answers. When in truth, we also have our questions, and we too seek answers."
Nienna allowed the smallest of smiles to touch her lips, "maybe, all answers can come from Eru himself, and only Eru."
"Then maybe you should speak with the One, we have strayed from his side, though we may not know it."
"You are right." Nienna agreed. Maybe, the Ainur distanced themselves from the Creator, though they did not know it. Possibly, Manwë was the only one of them that was still close to Ilúvatar.
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A/N -inconclusive ending, the next chapter will be the last. My brain doesn't want to cooperate with me, and my friend has my copy of the 'Silmarillion.' So I can't exactly research everything right now.
Woman of the Dunedain: Thanks for reminding me about that!
Summary: Nienna ponders about purpose. Features Nienna, Lorien, and Mandos.
Author's Note: Sorry I was so late in coming with this chapter.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tears Falling
Chapter 2- Mandos
Leaving Lorien Nienna headed west, towards the Halls of Mandos, where her brother Namo dwelt. Nearing her brother's halls she felt the gloom that surrounded them. The skies were grey, as grey as the face death. The dreary clouds covered Anar and there was little light that shone upon the land.
She entered the Halls and the dark vapors wrapped themselves around her. The works of Vaire she wondered at, and marveled at them. Vibrant and dull colors rested upon her, filling her vision with the doings of Time. Resting a hand upon the one of the black columns of jet, she was presented with the sight of the Noldor. They were proud and glorious, courageous and strong.
She continued to walk on, until she reached the center of the halls, where the dews of Silpion were kept, the only light within the halls. Her brother was not there, and she suspected that he was with the soul of one of the houseless Elves. Waiting, she soon felt the presence of Mandos.
"Nienna," Mandos greeted his sister, "you are no stranger to these halls, and you need not wait."
"But I did not come as I normally would," Nienna told her brother. After a moments pause she asked, "With whom did you speak?"
Mandos' dark grey eyes turned to the direction of her own, "the Spirit of Fire, Fëanor son of Finwe."
Nienna remained silent, "what did he say?"
"He is still the same, and he refuses to admit his wrongs," Mandos told his sister.
"Does he know that only through surrender can his soul should be calmed? And that he need only to repent to be free of his burdens?" Nienna asked, for long had she mourned for the sorrows Fëanor had caused.
"He has been told, but he does not understand, not yet," Mandos answered, "but Nienna, why did you come here if not to meet with the souls of the Elves?"
"I have questions of my own," Nienna's voice was that of a ghost.
"What of them?" Mandos asked softly.
"I question of purpose."
Mandos looked at his sister with questioning eyes, hardly noticeable.
"You are the Judge of the souls of the Elves, and you house their wandering souls, Lorien is the master of dreams and visions, and I am the Weeper. What could come from me?"
"Much can come from sorrow and compassion," Mandos replied.
"True, but of purpose, and of wisdom?" Nienna continued to ask.
"Purpose is closely intertwined with fate, and of wisdom there can be many interpretations."
"Yes," and after a moment's pause she said, "I hear you and Ulmo have had some disagreements."*
"We have," Mandos replied.
"Why is that so?" Nienna asked, wondering, for she knew that Ulmo and Mandos' ideas would be somewhat similar.
"He does not understand the Doom, and he does not truly comprehend the inevitability of fate, of the music," Mandos began, "Ulmo believes me to be a servant of the Doom, of which I am."
"But of fate, what is our fate?" Nienna asked, not truly hoping for an answer.
"Of that I do not know," Mandos knew the fates of the Elves, except for what Eru chose not to reveal to him.
"Then what could you tell me?" Nienna inquired.
"Not even I can see all ends, and of our fates, there is no clear rode."
Nienna remained silent, thinking to herself.
"Nienna, there is no shame in mourning, and there is no shame in tears. You know this, and yet you ask."
"I know there is no shame in tears, in compassion, in sorrows. My questions now may seem naïve, but I wish to know why I mourn," Nienna looked at the columns of jet, the circling pattern upon them never seeming to end, and yet all things must come to an end, even the world would come to that.
"You are full of compassion, maybe your sorrows and tears have brought that."
"Maybe," was Nienna's reply.
There was silence for a while, as the two Valar thought in silence. They were each pondering their own words, and the words of the other.
"Mayhap," Mandos said, breaking the short moment of silence, "that we are much alike to the Children of Ilúvatar."
Nienna turned to look at him.
"To them, we may seem powerful and majestic, wise and full of answers. When in truth, we also have our questions, and we too seek answers."
Nienna allowed the smallest of smiles to touch her lips, "maybe, all answers can come from Eru himself, and only Eru."
"Then maybe you should speak with the One, we have strayed from his side, though we may not know it."
"You are right." Nienna agreed. Maybe, the Ainur distanced themselves from the Creator, though they did not know it. Possibly, Manwë was the only one of them that was still close to Ilúvatar.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N -inconclusive ending, the next chapter will be the last. My brain doesn't want to cooperate with me, and my friend has my copy of the 'Silmarillion.' So I can't exactly research everything right now.
Woman of the Dunedain: Thanks for reminding me about that!