Author's Notes: Constructive criticism very much
appreciated.
Disclaimer: The anonymous elf in this fic is
mine; everything else belongs to Tolkien.
I Macil-Tano (The Sword-Smith)
He was Macil-tano in Aman. He made things of beauty for the princes of the Noldor and lesser lords, swords not meant for combat but formal dress and display. His ancient art was a curiosity from a past most were too young to have lived.
When his lord came to him with a request for many swords, he obeyed, for was Fëanáro not his patron? And when his lord bade him follow with his swords, he obeyed, for was Fëanáro not the late King's heir?
He followed, and with him went his swords.
At Alqualondë, the swords of his making cut down Olwë's youngest son.
In Doriath, the swords of his making slew Dior's guard.
At the Havens, the arm that made the swords was hewn from his shoulder.
He came to Balar a prisoner, and was healed. He swore allegiance to the High King and lived among those who had feared the swords of his making. He found work as he could, and did not miss the arm that had made such swords.
He did not question his lot, and did not look for more than he had. Nor did he wonder when he found love, for was this not a gift of Eru?
They had happiness, and a child. The child would grow to make things of beauty meant not for combat but formal dress and display. And they would call her not Macil-tanë but Mírdan. (1)
His house would make no more swords.
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(1) Macil-tano,
-ë (Q)
'Sword-smith'. From macil, 'sword' and
tano, 'smith'. -ë is the feminine counterpart to
-o.
Mírdan (S)
'Jewel-smith'. -dan
is lenited from -tan, from OS tano, which probably had
a feminine counterpart in tanë. Both short -o and
-e will be dropped in mature Sindarin, so that the feminine
form would probably be identical to the masculine.
