Category: Tolkien-Universe
Rating: T
Couples: Canon Ones
Warnings: AU
Chapter: 14
Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien Estate, Plot & OC´s © by me
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It took several years to refine the cover enough that Virilomë dared risk leaving her cave regularly. By that time, Melkor had been released from the Halls of Mandos.
It was a good number of decades later that Míriel became fluent in 'voidspider', shortly after her son had been banished from Tirion from waving a sword in his half-brother's face.
She would admit herself vaguely tempted to ask Virilomë to go over there so she could shake both her boys. Well, if she was honest, it was more that Virilomë had offered when noticing her frustration and she'd almost said 'yes'.
Then things went entirely messy when one of her visits to the large shadow-spider coincided with someone else visiting.
She'd never seen him, but something screamed at her that Melkor had arrived in the cave. Luckily, Manwë's brother - oh, maybe those similarities were what set her off - didn't seem to know she was there, and Virilomë was less than inclined to warn him that they had another present. So she stuck around, despite Vairë having told her there'd be a thing with her son soon.
Much like the Ainur she actually liked, Melkor also seemed unable to find a grip on the mind of the void-being, being left to interpret her answers in charade and tone. It did mean that Virilomë could still communicate with her barrier-maiden - as they'd jokingly started referring to Míriel - even if the first Queen of the Noldor could only answer in touches unless she wanted to announce her presence.
"I will take his offer... for now." Virilomë stated softly, having felt the elvish feä roil like a captured bug in her protection. "See what poison he intents to use here."
Good. The Lord and Lady of the Halls of the Slain had told them both of the poison he'd used on her son, and she'd be damned if she sat aside when he tried again, even if she was unsure what she could have done had the Mistress of Nothing - as they had more seriously started referring to Virilomë - decided she would not indulge the Ainu.
It was an innocent enough offer, perhaps for denial's sake if something went wrong. But that was all the more reason both wanted to know what was behind him. Forced into a more settled form by her need to cloak herself against the Light, Virilomë loomed over the Great Enemy. She lowered her head, gesturing him forward, following as he lead the way south, to get around the mountains without having to get into sightline of Taniquetil or any elvish settlement.
Míriel settled in for a long time in here.
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If she still had physical lips, she'd have bit them bloody in her effort to remain quiet. She'd heard of the Great Lamps, and their fate when Melkor moved against the Valar. It should not be surprising her he would do likewise to the Trees.
"Surely you see the use for you?" He offered to a being so antithetical to the Trees that it needed protection from even the slightest bit of their light. The worst part was that there would be a use even she could see. The stars had ever been only annoyances, like little bugbites, especially as Virilomë had grown larger and stronger over her time with the Ainur. The only thing that truly hampered her still were the Trees, searing torches of pain to the being of Nothing and Shadow even now. She desperately wanted to scream, to anyone willing to listen, but had no idea what he'd do if he learned he had Fëanáro's mother in reach.
"At ease, little weaverling." Virilomë sounded like she was thinking, looking up at the massive plants towering even over her. "I see no use in indulging in these." Long, long legs raised her high, before she sank down. "It was a nice walk, however. Fun to see your nest, little weaverling."
She had never been as relieved as she was then, she'd admit.
The massive form turned, making the answer to his offer obvious by her dismissal of it.
He snarled something in answer, but the roaring of non-existent blood in her ears deafened Míriel to it. It did not deafen Virilomë, claimed twin to Vairë. She nearly yelped at the sharp and sudden movement, the creaking of nothing meeting something violently drowning out her gasp.
"Warn my sister!" The order in the words was clear, even if Melkor could not understand it. Miriel had worked the weave containing her as much as Vairë, Namó and Virilomë had, she could bend it to her will to a certain extent. Scrambling through the cocoon that held her, she yanked at the 'Call of the Halls'-threads, and at the thread that connected to the main Weaver of the construct, forcing them together. This would be dangerous for her, but she did not want to imagine what would happen if no one interfered.
Like in many - infinitely many - other weaves, the theme of Ungoliant always ended with her rising against an Ainu.