"Quiet Moment", by Himring
B2MeM Challenge: Maedhros and Fingon spending time together sometime during the Siege of Angband. A quiet moment for them, in spite of all the problems around. Could include Maglor, or Caranthir, helping them to have this moment. (prompt by
silver_trails)
Format: ficlet
Genre: romance
Rating: Teens
Warnings: none
Characters: Fingon (Findekano), Maglor (Makalaure); reference to Maedhros (Russandol)
Pairings: Fingon/Maedhros (mostly implied)
Creators' Notes: I bent the prompt a bit.
Summary: Maglor helps Fingon have a quiet moment with Maedhros--in his fashion.
‘You came alone, this time, Makalaure?’
It was childish to feel so disappointed—as if a seven-day festival had been cancelled without notice.
‘I am sorry, Findekano! We could not both travel west at this time and, when we discussed it, Russandol decided I should be the one to go.’
‘You have a letter for me, at least?’
‘I do, of course. Here it is.’
The letter was written in Maedhros’s own hand, in his own familiar style. That much was reassuring and comforting. But as usual the letter did not give very much away. How hard it was to have to try and read between the lines when Fingon had looked forward so much to seeing his cousin here, right before his eyes, and speaking to him in person!
…except that this time, for some reason, it was a little easier. As he read, Fingon almost seemed to catch a glimpse of his cousin’s face, an echo of his voice speaking softly to him and an impression—more scent than sight—of massive stone walls above a windy plain. And, almost, he seemed to read a promise that anything that came between them, yes, anything—whatever it was, whatever it might be—could be overcome…
He looked up. When had Maglor started singing? Singing so quietly that Fingon had not even noticed, so focussed had he been on his letter, and nobody would have been able to hear even a couple of paces away? But even as Fingon looked up, Maglor fell silent and sang no more.
***
Much later, he said to Maglor: ‘You could have told me.’
Maglor answered: ‘When my brother asks me not to speak of a thing, I do not speak of it.’
‘Did you truly think I would turn against him, if I knew?’
‘You forget that I spent much time with you in Mithrim and saw how you were together. He struggled hard to conceal it, but he did not succeed so well that you could not have seen for yourself how it was with him. Nevertheless, you did not. I concluded you were not ready to see it—yet.’
Format: ficlet
Genre: romance
Rating: Teens
Warnings: none
Characters: Fingon (Findekano), Maglor (Makalaure); reference to Maedhros (Russandol)
Pairings: Fingon/Maedhros (mostly implied)
Creators' Notes: I bent the prompt a bit.
Summary: Maglor helps Fingon have a quiet moment with Maedhros--in his fashion.
‘You came alone, this time, Makalaure?’
It was childish to feel so disappointed—as if a seven-day festival had been cancelled without notice.
‘I am sorry, Findekano! We could not both travel west at this time and, when we discussed it, Russandol decided I should be the one to go.’
‘You have a letter for me, at least?’
‘I do, of course. Here it is.’
The letter was written in Maedhros’s own hand, in his own familiar style. That much was reassuring and comforting. But as usual the letter did not give very much away. How hard it was to have to try and read between the lines when Fingon had looked forward so much to seeing his cousin here, right before his eyes, and speaking to him in person!
…except that this time, for some reason, it was a little easier. As he read, Fingon almost seemed to catch a glimpse of his cousin’s face, an echo of his voice speaking softly to him and an impression—more scent than sight—of massive stone walls above a windy plain. And, almost, he seemed to read a promise that anything that came between them, yes, anything—whatever it was, whatever it might be—could be overcome…
He looked up. When had Maglor started singing? Singing so quietly that Fingon had not even noticed, so focussed had he been on his letter, and nobody would have been able to hear even a couple of paces away? But even as Fingon looked up, Maglor fell silent and sang no more.
***
Much later, he said to Maglor: ‘You could have told me.’
Maglor answered: ‘When my brother asks me not to speak of a thing, I do not speak of it.’
‘Did you truly think I would turn against him, if I knew?’
‘You forget that I spent much time with you in Mithrim and saw how you were together. He struggled hard to conceal it, but he did not succeed so well that you could not have seen for yourself how it was with him. Nevertheless, you did not. I concluded you were not ready to see it—yet.’
no subject
I'm intrigued about what Maglor was hiding.
no subject
I think I should have clarified, probably: your prompt says the fic should be set during the Siege of Angband. In the timeline of my Maedhros saga, that means that Fingon hasn't worked out yet how Maedhros feels about him or what his own feelings are. However, Maglor is in Maedhros's confidence.
The italicized conversation that takes place "much later" is meant to have happened after the Siege ended and by that time Fingon had worked all this out.
no subject
Oh, I see. I think I've read all your stories, but probably not in order. In my own timeline they are together since Tirion.
no subject
no subject
Maglor has decided just a little (musical) nudge can't do any harm.
no subject
I love this ficlet as a definition almost of the early relationship you have build in your stories between Maedhros and Fingon! Anyone who loves your Maedhros/Fingon story verse is going to be wild for this one!
no subject
I'm very glad you like Maglor here--and that you think it works so well for those who are familiar with the series already!
no subject
no subject
I'm glad you like the idea of his use of song!
no subject
no subject
Yes, he's just adding that little bit extra... No point in trying to force things.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Could I ask your advice on something? I've been dithering how to archive this at the SWG Archive.
I know you don't actually read there much, but if you did, would you prefer to see this piece archived: a) in an anthology of Maglor stories, b) in an anthology of Maedhros stories, c) on its own?
no subject
To me, it fits in with the rest of your Fingon/Maedhros stories -- it feels more about them than about Maglor. So if you have an equivalent on SWG to your "Doom, Gloom and Maedhros" series on AO3, I think it would go well there. If posting it on its own would still make it part of a series, then I think on its own vs. anthology would depend on what other stories are in the anthology and how well it matches them in tone and content (and also whether you usually post other ficlets as standalone pieces -- if you don't, it might make more sense to put it in an anthology, but if you regularly post ficlets as separate pieces, then this one wouldn't stand out).
That's my two cents' worth -- though of course you should post it as you think best.
no subject
That's very helpful already!
The thing is that I really prefer to post pieces like this as stand-alone (within the series), which doesn't seem to be a problem on AO3, as far as I can see. But on SWG, many of the authors who write a lot of short pieces gather them in anthologies. And, as it is, a smallish archive, if I do it my way, as I've written so many short things recently, it's beginning to look as if I'm trying to hog attention...
no subject
Personally, I'm only annoyed to see someone posting a lot of things when I don't like their writing -- which is not the case here. ;) And even then, the level that annoys me is something like posting 20 stories in one day on AO3 -- otherwise I'm not sure I would even notice. My thought is that you should post your stories in the way that is best for you. But someone who does hang out on SWG would be able to tell you better how it would be perceived there.