"Elessar", by Himring

[hhimring]

B2MeM Challenge: "I would dearly love to see a story that revolves around the history of the Elessar jewel, with Aragorn as a focal point. Doesn't mean he even has to be in it but he should have a central importance in the story. I don't care if there is one version of the jewel or two, as you wish. Shoot, you could write a Fourth Age investigation into the provenance of the one Aragorn possesses. Things that have been running through my head that I would love to see if it fits for you: Earendil, Vingilot, the Great Eagles, Celebrimbor, Gondolin, and a hobbit (an adventurous Took?). You could have Merry and Pippin do the investigating after they return to Minas Tirith when they're elderly." (Baranduin)

Format: ficlet, teaser

Genre: gen, gapfiller

Rating: General

Warnings: none

Characters: Aragorn, Gandalf, Pippin

Pairings: Aragorn/Arwen

Creators' Notes (optional): The section of my Elven Glass series on Aragorn, which finally got written thanks to Baranduin's prompt, cross-posted from lotr_community. The Aragorn section refers to the content of some of the previous sections, but can be read on its own. Thanks to the prompt, there is a bit of helpful input from Pippin here as well, which the original outline did not include!

Summary:

In Minas Tirith, while Aragorn is waiting for Midsummer and Arwen's arrival, Gandalf tells Aragorn more details about the history of the Elessar than he had previously been aware of.

‘There were so many of them?’ asked Aragorn.

His hand went, a little protectively, to the eagle brooch at his shoulder and the green stone that had given him his royal name.

‘The accounts I found in the books of lore were vague and conflicting, but did not seem to speak of more than one or two… So this is neither the green stone that Feanor made nor the one given to Fingon by Maedhros—and not the one made by Enerdhil for Idril Celebrindal either, but all those did exist before mine was made?’

He gave a somewhat embarrassed laugh, as one who flatters himself singled out uniquely by prophecy who finds what he thought his dearest possession bandied back and forth as common goods in the marketplace.
‘Is my stone merely a copy of a copy of a copy, then? Then almost you could say the Mouth of Sauron was right to call it just a piece of elvish glass…’

‘Oh, no, that was not what I was telling you at all!’ said Gandalf, a shade impatiently. ‘This is not the stone made by Enerdhil for Idril in Gondolin, no. Now my memories of the Far West have come seeping back, I remember seeing it on Earendil’s breast before I left. And when you look up at night towards the evening star, you may think that your ancestor carries the twin—or rather elder sibling—of your own stone, as he sails up above—it wards his heart against the cold splendour of the skies with memories of Middle-earth and reminds him of the reason he undertook his lonely task—and so perhaps may yours do for you, at times when the ruling of a realm may seem harder and lonelier than any of the wanderings of Thorongil...’

Aragorn nodded. He had had an inkling of such already.

‘But,’ continued Gandalf, ‘the stone you bear was made by Celebrimbor for Galadriel and it was never a copy of a copy—none of those stones were—all different from each other, but not lesser, each adapted by the maker to their wishes as a giver and the needs of those it was given to. Do not be any less proud to bear it—and your name—merely because it is not the oldest or the only one that was ever made…’

Pippin hesitantly cleared his throat behind them. Nominally at least, he was in attendance as a member of the Guard and he was acutely aware of the weight of the livery of the Tower on his shoulders—although Aragorn had shown little desire to hold him very closely to the part of his vow that referred to speaking only at his lord’s command. But both Gandalf and Aragorn looked up readily as if they wished to hear what he might have to say on the matter.

‘I was there when the Lady gave you the brooch,’ he reminded Aragorn. ‘I remember it well and how very tall and kingly and—imposing you appeared all of a sudden when you first put it on! It seemed a very great gift to me indeed. It still does. Although, you know, at home in the Shire or in Bree even just a bit of elvish glass would seem strange and rare and mysterious!’

‘So it would!’ said Aragorn and smiled at him.

Besides, prophecy or no, it was Arwen’s gift, intended by her for me, he thought—and that would make it unique beyond anything, even if it were only a shard of a broken bottle…

Thorongil, she had said to him. I learned the name by which you went on your travels and so I had the stone I inherited from my mother set in a new setting for you, Master Eagle Star. It will be ready for you when the time comes!

‘I can hardly wait till Midsummer,’ he said to Gandalf and Pippin.

Comments

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, trust Pippin to say the statement of pure and welcome common sense. It was exactly what was needed in that time just as the stone and form of the brooch were exactly what were needed when they were originally conceived. Lovely1

- Erulisse (one L)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Ah Pippin - the small voice of reason!!

[silver-trails.livejournal.com]

Very nice! And lots of info! :)

[blslarner.livejournal.com]

Trust the intrepid Took to know the right thing to say!

[nancylea57.livejournal.com]

It is the love that prepares the gift not the gift that makes the present the most important part of your world.

[hhimring]

Yes, thank you!
And Aragorn sees it that way, too, once he has got over his surprise..

[hhimring]

Thank you, Erulisse!
I'm glad this worked so well for you and that you agree with Pippin!

[hhimring]

Yes--although the original outline did not include hobbits, once Baranduin had made the suggestion, I realized that maybe Pippin's POV was just what was needed to put a bit more perspective on things!

[hhimring]

Thank you!
He's not entirely intrepid here, I guess, but he comes out and says it anyway and he's right!

[tehta.livejournal.com]

Oh, Aragorn. You are so special already. Does EVERYTHING you own have to be unique?

Love Gandalf in this.

[hhimring]

I think even Aragorn might occasionally feel a bit unbalanced, moving between worlds as he does. Think of him as a youngster--one day he's being told by Elrond that he has a high destiny as Heir of Isildur and the next that nevertheless Arwen is way, way above him... He's no longer that young, but he's going through a similar period of major changes.
I'm really glad you like Gandalf here!