Queen of Her Domain, by Elleth

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Challenge:
G59: Off the Map's Edge: Land of the Sun
B6: Smells: Wood Smoke
Format: Drabble
Genre: Character Study
Rating: General
Warnings: N/A
Characters: Arien
Pairings: N/A
Summary: Arien walks the Outer Lands.


Melian was not the only one who walked in the dark of Middle-earth. When Arien grew tired of the restraints and lights of Aman, she forsook her incarnate form and passed as a flame across the skies, resuming it in a dark land of the utmost East. Her footsteps, for once unrestrained, left wildfires, burning the forests into a desert of great dunes, sand that prickled and melted on her skin, wood smoke that veiled her. Where Melian walked with nightingales and stood bespelled by love, Arien laughed freely, step by step laying claim. This land would evermore be hers.

Comments

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Oh well done. This is a slightly scary vision of Arien, yet the reader feels triumph at her liberation as well.

Far be it from me to set plot bunnies out to graze, but this Arien seems to me to have some commonalities with Ossë.

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Arien has tremendous destructive potential even in the Silmarillion text, so I'm glad that came across here - and I love your idea of the parallels with Ossë - she does share a few traits with him, indeed! (And the bunnies are starting to hop...)

[huinare.livejournal.com]

(And the bunnies are starting to hop...)

Excellent. >=)

[moetushie]

Oh, yes. This is awesome.

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[allie-meril.livejournal.com]

PHENOMENAL. I love this vision of Arien, reveling in her power. Beautiful language.

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! :) This one nearly wrote itself, and glad it's coming across so well!

[dwimordene-2011.livejournal.com]

Love it! This drives home how dangerous even the friendlier powers of the world can be to those not of their element. I love the description of the forests becoming sand dune deserts, and then even the sand melting as Arien passes. Arien reads as very elemental here, a force that goes without ethical constraint. Thanks so much for playing this card - I've been really hoping people would take it up.

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Thank you for putting it together! I had great fun researching and writing for this card, it really did take me off my usual (very Fëanorian-centric) Map's Edge. And you're very right about Arien, ethical concerns are the least thing this particular spirit of fire has on her mind when she goes walking. :)

[shadowbrides.livejournal.com]

Oh, I like this pretty much for the reasons already mentioned. Original huh? But your version of Arien is. :D

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

It's still appreciated. :D Thank you!

[blslarner.livejournal.com]

I love the images you paint!

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :)