"Bits of Elven Glass III" by Himring
Mar. 28th, 2012 10:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hhimring posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
b2memFormat: Ficlet
Genre: Family
Rating: General
Warnings: dubious canonicity, unresolved feminist issues
Characters: Celebrimbor, Galadriel
Pairings: Galadriel/Celeborn, Celebrimbor/Galadriel (unrequited, implied)
Summary: Celebrimbor undermines Galadriel's rule in Eregion, but crafts the Elessar for her.
‘It is not because you are a woman’, said Celebrimbor, annoyed, ‘or at least, not in the way you mean.’
He cleared his throat.
‘Listen, Artanis, I wasn’t there, of course, but I’ve heard enough stories about the Ice, stories told by those who remember, by those who crossed the Ice with you. They agree that you were marvellous during the Crossing, a natural leader, inspiring, compelling, that they owe their survival largely to you.
‘I don’t quite know what happened—as a scion of the House of Feanor, I was elsewhere, mostly, not privy to discussions—but my guess is that as soon as you arrived in Middle-earth, your brothers, your cousins, your uncle discovered that there was a War on, as if you hadn’t been perfectly aware of that to begin with, as if they ought not to have been aware of it just as much as you, as if the Helcaraxe hadn’t been as murderous as Morgoth, in its way, and they told you that War was Not For Women. The odds would have been against you in that argument—at any rate, you would have been heavily outnumbered…
‘Maybe you found that the Sindar weren’t all that much more open-minded than the Noldor on the subject, perhaps even less so, although they ought to have known better, having a Maia for their queen. Maybe you threw up your hands in disgust, left the hapless males to it, and decided to pursue other goals, other kinds of power.
‘You are very powerful now, in the ways that Melian taught you. But somehow, on some level, you must have believed what they told you about Women, although it must have been evident they did not have a clue of what they were talking about. What I am seeing, here, in Eregion, is not the Artanis who was one of the Great among the leaders of the Noldor across the Helcaraxe. What I am seeing is patchwork—a bit of Findarato one day, a bit of Nolofinwe the next, as if you cannot not do without models, but have confidence neither in yourself nor in your ability to copy any of them. On some days, you out-Feanaro Feanaro!
‘It does not suit you and it does not go down well with my people. Hailing from Nargothrond, as most of them do, they are attached to the House of Arafinwe. They are also more broad-minded than some, but they do not have a history of unquestioning obedience and will not sit still while you experiment with styles of leadership.
‘Also,’ he added, aggrieved, ‘you haven’t given Celeborn enough to do, so for want of another occupation he comes bothering me about my work. He has no sympathy or understanding for my work, and I confess his constant scepticism aggravates me.’
Celebrimbor paused for breath. Uncertainly, he eyed Galadriel’s unyielding back as she went on leaning out of the window. Almost, he lost courage, but finally went on.
‘Alatariel, you do not love Eregion and its people. I do, and it saddens me to see how each day the mutual discontent grows, in your heart and in theirs. You say you that you weary of the barren stones of Eregion and long for unfading flowers and leaves, but I do not think you are ready to return to Valinor. I think maybe you will not be ready to return to Aman until you have lost your heart to Middle-earth itself, not only to a husband from Doriath, until you have found your own true home here in Ennore.’
He pulled the green stone from his pouch.
‘I have crafted a gift for you, a green stone. A long time ago, in Vinyamar, I taught Enerdhil the art of its making and he, in turn, taught me that there was more to it than I suspected. I have looked further into the matter, and I think this stone has the potential to help you in your need. When you find the place that you love, the place that is your heart’s home, it will tell you. You will see the flowers blossom and the leaves flourish around you because of your love, because it interacts with the power of the stone.’
Galadriel turned around. All this while she had made no movement, no sound. Celebrimbor, who had stubbornly refused to be cowed by her haughty silence, was shocked to see her face wet with tears.
‘Forgive me, Artanis’, he stammered, ‘I did not mean to hurt you. What do I know? I am a blithering fool. Forget what I said; it was nonsense. These are just temporary difficulties, and we’ll weather them, you’ll see.’
He hastily withdrew the proffered jewel and began to put it back in his pouch.
‘No’, said Galadriel. ‘Give it to me.’
"Bits of Elven Glass I" and "Bits of Elven Glass II" have not been written or posted yet.
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no subject
Date: 2012-03-28 02:17 pm (UTC)A warning for "Dubious canonicity"? Say what? Such a warning is not needed for me. :^)
no subject
Date: 2012-03-30 06:45 pm (UTC)My own ideas are of course influenced by yours in a number of ways, although the details differ.
Are you saying that you have written about the crafting of the Elessar? If you have and it's in a public post, can you give me the link?
no subject
Date: 2012-03-30 07:10 pm (UTC)No, not at all. It's the theme of "unresolved feminist issues" that strikes a chord, i.e., a woman being told she is reaching too far, that she is not quite capable. That's what dovetails between your ficlet here and my WIP. That's what made me wriggle with glee when I read this! :^)
If you have and it's in a public post, can you give me the link?
Here's the WIP on the SWG (kind of buried in the midst of all the other fics — a very active month!): The Writhen Pool (http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/archive/home/viewstory.php?sid=1540). I've finally reached the point in the Pandë!verse, now that Mélamírë's familial connections are well and truly outed (I was coy about this for a good long time), where I can write my "women in science" polemic. ;^) Galadriel figures importantly in the story although she won't be on stage for a while yet.
My own ideas are of course influenced by yours in a number of ways, although the details differ.
Thanks so much! I'm honored to have influenced you. And the details? Well, vive la différence!
no subject
Date: 2012-04-09 10:43 pm (UTC)It does start most promisingly!
I hope to really read it soon and leave a proper comment on SWG.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-28 05:05 pm (UTC)Okay, I admit to being a big Celebrimbor fan, as well as an admirer of Galadriel. I do like your take on her - that she has a lot of Feanor in her. I believe this too!
And Celebrimbor here is being a bit of a brat - poor Artanis/Alatariel - and somewhat chauvinistic - but I do like the tension you created between them!
And she is so like Feanor!
When your "Bits of Elven Glass I and II" are written and posted, I simply must read them. :)
no subject
Date: 2012-03-30 07:00 pm (UTC)Celebrimbor fondly imagines he's a feminist. He hasn't quite processed that there are few things that come across as more condescending than telling people that they really ought to have more self-confidence. Sadly, this lack of awareness isn't altogether confined to men!
Also, his love of Eregion is quite genuine, and this conversation happens after tension in Ost-in-Edhil has been building up on all sides for quite a while.
Galadriel is certainly one of those larger-than-lifesize Finweans, and that is something she has in common with Feanor.
"Bits of Elven Glass II" will be the scene in Vinyamar between Celebrimbor and Enerdhil that is hinted at here.
The first part will be the scene in which Maedhros gives Fingon an earlier Elessar and discusses its making by Feanor--Celebrimbor will probably be only mentioned briefly in that one.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-31 10:28 am (UTC)The other two parts of the story sound fascinating. I would love to read them when they're posted. :)
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Date: 2012-03-28 05:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-30 06:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-30 07:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-29 07:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-30 07:07 pm (UTC)I'm glad that you find this is a likely manner of the gift being given. I was puzzling over the history of Eregion and the Elfstones and trying to make a more coherent story of it.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-31 01:21 pm (UTC)- Erulisse (one L)
no subject
Date: 2012-04-01 07:30 pm (UTC)Celebrimbor doesn't quite get it, but he's not entirely wrong either.
Galadriel will find her home in Lothlorien.