Meldon sat on the grass of Taniquetil with his sister, Cenirë. The mingled light of the Two Trees flowed around them, but Meldon was in no mood to enjoy it. His parents hadn't come to the festival. He knew they'd been invited – his father was, after all, a Noldo – but they'd stayed in Alqualondë. He sighed, and wondered again why he hadn't accompanied them to the Swan-Haven.
Cenirë poked him in the ribs. "Hey," she said, and poked him harder. He looked up.
"What?"
"Look over there," she said, pointing at the path leading up to Ilmarin. He looked, and saw a white horse with a tall, scowling Noldorin rider. Cenirë asked, "See him?"
"Yes…" he replied, confused.
"That's Fëanaro!" Meldon blinked.
"It is?" He frowned, and focussed on the rider's face. After a moment, he nodded. "I suppose it is, at that. What's he doing here?"
Cenirë gave him a look of disbelief. "Don't you even try to remember the passage of time? It's been twelve years. He must be here to return from exile!"
Meldon blinked. "You mean Finwë will come back as King of Tirion?"
Cenirë nodded eagerly, which Meldon thought was a bit odd, but at her next words, he understood. "I'll get to see Varnë again."
Meldon frowned. "Cenirë, you know she stopped talking to you long before she left."
Cenirë's face fell. "Yes, but… maybe she's realised now how horrible Morifinwë really is."
Meldon shook his head. "It's not Moryo she spent most of her time with. It's Makalaurë, and he's not so bad."
"You mean he's never tried to run you down," Cenirë muttered, and Meldon winced. Morifinwë had, on the few occasions they had encountered one another, almost invariably tried to knock Meldon over with his horse. On one occasion, he'd actually succeeded, and ridden off laughing while Meldon lay there in the grass. He had limped home that day, but Veon and Alcë hadn't noticed, thankfully.
Cenirë was still watching the path, hoping to see Varnë's familiar silhouette, but after a few more moments she sighed. Meldon patted her on the shoulder. "You'll see her again some day," he said.
"Do you really think so?" she asked, hopeful.
Meldon nodded. "I do. Now come on, Ingoldo's waving to us." Standing up, he helped his sister to her feet and the pair walked down the slope to where the children of Arafinwë, and the other young elves of Arafinwë's household, were waiting for them.
With their friends, the pair talked, laughed, sang, and watched as the Valië Nessa and several Maiar danced to the singing of a group of Vanyar. Meldon had never really liked the Vanyar – it seemed to him that they did a lot of singing and very little else – but as he lay there on the grass, letting their voices wash over him, he had to admit that they sang very well. He was happy.
Then, in an instant, his world came crashing down. With no warning, the mingled light of the Trees flickered and died. Meldon sat up in shock as the Vanyarin song turned to screams. Around him, his friends gasped in shock. Cenirë clutched at his arm. "What's happening?"
"I… I don't know," he replied, staring down towards the Ezellohar. Was there a faint glow still coming from Telperion? Even as he tried to be sure, it vanished, leaving the world utterly dark.
Utterly dark? Even in such a time of obvious crisis, Meldon looked up at the sky. The stars of Varda, usually so bright, were faded, almost as if a great cloud had covered them. Meldon shivered, suddenly very afraid. What power in the world could cover the stars, and darken the Trees? There was only one that he could think of…
"Melkor," whispered Ingoldo nearby. Cenirë shuddered and clung to her brother.
"Is it Melkor? Has he killed the Trees?"
Meldon stared at his sister in shock. He had not even thought of that. "I hope not, Cenirë. I really hope not. If he has…" The sentence remained unfinished, hanging in the thick air between them.
The moment of silence was broken by the almost deafening sound of the Valaróma being sounded. Everyone on the slopes of the holy mountain turned to look to the summit, save a few Maiar who ran for their horses. Tulkas came charging out of the doors of Ilmarin, followed closely by Oromë, who leapt astride the waiting Nahar. He sounded the horn again, and the pair hurtled down the path towards the Trees, assorted Maiar joining them en route. Meldon, and everyone around him, watched them until they passed out of sight into the darkness of the plain, and then turned to Ingoldo.
"What do we do?" asked Ingoldo's youngest brother, Aicanáro. The eldest son of Arafinwë shrugged helplessly.
"What can we do but wait?"
X
It had been a full day, as near as they could tell, since the Trees had suddenly and inexplicably been darkened, and Varnë was almost mad with worry. Finally giving up on trying to read by lamplight, she walked quickly out of her room and out into the courtyard. Grandfather Finwë – as almost everyone in Formenos referred to him – had ordered lights brought out from the inner chambers to the court, as a result of which the area was at least dimly lit. Locating the stair up onto the wall, she climbed up to where Makalaurë was standing watch.
He turned briefly at the sound of her footsteps. "Varnë, greetings. How goes it with you?"
"Terribly," she replied, "as it does with everyone. We can't live like this."
Makalaurë nodded. "I know. I'm trying to get Grandfather to send a messenger down to Valmar to find out what's happened, but he keeps saying that Father will be coming back soon, and that we should wait for him."
Varnë shook her head. "What if he doesn't? What if they're keeping him down there?"
Makalaurë blinked. "The Valar? Why would they do that?"
"They sent us up here, didn't they?" She gestured at the darkened city. "Who knows what they'll do?"
Makalaurë sighed. "Varnë… as much as I hate to admit it, Father was in the wrong. After twelve years, you should be able to accept that."
Varnë bit her lip. "I know, but… oh, Cáno, I'm just so scared." She turned away, not wanting him to see her tears. A moment later, she felt his arm around her.
"I know, Varnë," he whispered as he embraced her, "I'm scared too. I think everyone is – even Grandfather."
She sniffed, trying to clear her throat. "Even Moryo?"
Makalaurë laughed slightly. "Well, perhaps not Moryo, but I don't think my brother is scared of anything." Varnë smiled, her fear temporarily forgotten, and returned Makalaurë's embrace.
"Hey!" called Telufinwë from where he stood on watch on the other side of the gate. "I think I see something!"
Makalaurë spun away from Varnë, peering once more into the darkness beyond the wall. "What is it, Telvo?" he called back.
"I don't know," came the reply, "but I'd swear the stars to the south are dimming!"
"The stars?" Varnë moved next to Makalaurë and stared into the darkness. She couldn't see any difference, but then, Telufinwë had always had the sharpest eyes in Formenos. A few moments later, Makalaurë nodded.
"I think I see it. It looks wrong. Shall I go and tell Grandfather?"
"I'll do it," said Varnë quickly, and at his nod, ran down the steps and into the central building. She found Finwë quickly, talking with his eldest grandson Nelyafinwë. The pair looked up as she approached, and Nelyafinwë said, "Varnë? What's wrong?"
"Telvo and Cáno have sighted something beyond the wall," she gasped. "They think it might be dangerous."
"Dangerous?" The two elves jumped up. "On the wall, did you say?" Varnë nodded, and the pair ran off. She followed, slightly breathless, and arrived on the wall again just as Finwë finished examining the horizon.
"I do not like this," said the King of the Noldor, "not at all. Russandol, lead the people out by the eastern gate."
"Me?" Nelyafinwë asked in surprise. "But what will you be doing?"
"I will remain here," Finwë replied. "I will remain here," he repeated over the raised voices of the three elves on the wall with him, "and I will attempt to ascertain the nature of this… thing that approaches our walls."
Nelyafinwë still looked inclined to argue, but Finwë looked at him sternly. "Grandson, I am still your king. Don't make me have to order you to leave."
Nelyafinwë sighed. "Yes, Grandfather." Gesturing to Makalaurë and Varnë, he said, "Come on. We've got a lot of rounding up to do." And with that, he walked off down the steps.
It was an hour or so later that the people of Formenos left their city via the side entrance. Varnë was one of the last out, and looked back towards the wall to see Finwë still standing there, lantern in hand. She turned away, hoping she would see him again.
But that was not to be. As the elves reached the foothills of the mountains, there was a great rumbling from behind them. They turned, just in time to see a great burst of light over Formenos. They were not yet too far away, so the longest-sighted among them saw the great tower of Formenos fall into ruin. Nelyafinwë let out a strangled cry and threw himself to the ground. Varnë wanted to do the same, but when Makalaurë began to weep, she instead focussed on comforting him, trying not to let the grief in her own mind overwhelm her.
Despite her efforts, a few tears slipped from the corners of her eyes, splashing onto the heedless grass of Aman.
The next chapter may take a while - it's proving hard to get through some of the Tirion sections. So we'll see.
Reviews are appreciated, of course.
Disclaimer: All locations and major events, and all characters except for the families of Meldon and Varnë, belong to JRR Tolkien in spirit, and the Tolkien Estate legally. No harm is intended to them by the writing of this work.
Quenya Vocabulary - Words and names in Quenya will be entered into this list in the first chapter they appear in. Words which should be known from reading the Silmarillion will not be added.
Ilmarin - The Halls of Manwë and Varda on Taniquetil
Morifinwë - Caranthir
Moryo - Short form of Morifinwë
Ingoldo - Finrod Felagund
Valië - Female Vala
Cáno - Short form of Canafinwë, another name of Maglor
Telufinwë - Amras
Telvo - Short form of Telufinwë
Nelyafinwë - Maedhros
Russandol - A nickname of Maedhros
Cloaked Eagle